Make Make Making

[susandennis]

My test top from the new pattern was a tremendous success. It demonstrated that 1. my idea will work fine, 2. I need to move the shoulders up a little (easy) and 3. making the neck 1" higher will work fine.

So then I made a pattern out of my heavy paper from the tissue version that I had and incorporated the changes. Even created a version with a kangaroo pocket. It was rather tedious but I got 'er done and now it's all ready for the right fabric. I think I'm going to try it first with some fleece.

Today's Care Bear is not my favorite. His arms/paws are weird. If you study him you see that one is up touching his cheek and the other is behind his back but they just look weird.



Then I spent a long time separating out the fabric I got on Saturday. Most of it is small pieces - too small really for dolls. So I'll be piecing it together for stuff, like more monsters maybe or other stuff. It's plenty to make a quilt but I'm just not that into quilting - piecing, fine. Quilting, no thanks. So we will see.

I also signed up (as in paid $6) for a mystery Knit Along. It's cowl for keeping your neck warm. The author of the pattern sends the pattern to you in 3 pieces - one every week - revealing more with each piece. I've always wanted to try one of these mystery knits but never have. This author, however, is the creator of the only knit pattern that defeated me. As in I could not do it. So this Knit Along is a challenge to me. It starts September 1.

By that time I will have finished the sweater I'm working on. I miss having bears smiling at me from across the room but I am really enjoying knitting other stuff for a bit. More bears later.

[I meant to whine a little and hit full blown rant here.]

Meanwhile I just spent an hour culling out my Twitter feed. Yes, Trump is a buffoon and yes, it is a tragedy that he was elected and yes, sarcasm is a great way to commemorate the problem. BUT, he was elected more than a half year ago. Sarcasm and hand wringing and woah is me-ing is NOT going to fix the problem. Getting him out of office might. Electing someone better (And surely that field is full??!!) will absolutely do it.

Absolutely NOTHING in my Twitter feed even comes close to discussing the how of seeing his ass out the door. We only hold elections every 4 years. If someone is going to successfully defeat him we'd better find that someone NOW. Let's forget our mistakes and move on to fix them! Four more years of sarcastic tweets is going to lead right to eight years of this asshole.

So I'm just unfollowing anyone adding fuel to the fire in hopes of finding anyone who is interested in rebuilding and fixing the problem. Not finding many so this should free up a nice portion of my internet time.

[Rant over.]

I have an invitation to a very special home cooked meal tonight and I'm quite excited. And also appreciating a fine reason to skip watching tonight's baseball game. The Mariners have lost a bascillion games in a row with last night's loss being a spectacularly stupid one. Plus, it's a Tuesday home game, so the former player who grates on my nerves will be in the broadcast booth and I won't have to hear him. Double sweet.

I think I'll go do a house check and make sure everything is house cleaner ready. She's coming early (8 am) tomorrow in hopes of avoiding parking problems caused by the Mariner game which is in the afternoon.

Comments

[laura davidson (from livejournal.com)]

I'd like to also see people work on handing President Trump a more liberal Congress at the mid-term elections, thus reducing slightly the odds of damage. (Only slightly because he can still tweet and talk, and set things off that way...sigh.)

Re small pieces - patchwork jacket or vest, maybe? :)

[susandennis]

Yes on fixing Congress. I honest think, if people get to work, that is a possibility but they need to get to work now. And yes... sigh. Somebody today responded to my tweet about it that Trump should resign or get removed. Yes, Pence is a great way to go... ok sarcasm, see? Even I am annoying myself.

I thought about a jacket but, you know what? A vest is probably a much better idea. Great suggestion.

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

We absolutely HAVE to get people to vote in the mid-terms, which is only a year away...but I think Trump is going to crash and burn before that. I hope I'm not one of the people who has been annoying you. I'm trying to focus on more positive things!

[susandennis]

No :) you aren't annoying me but... I should point out that while voting is fine, having good people to vote for is a little more urgent. I promise you that Trump's crashing and burning will not remove him from office. He could fuck a goat in the oval on camera and he'd still be president. And he'd still have supporters - just fewer goat supporters.

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping he gets impeached or removed from office before he does any more damage.

[susandennis]

President Pence? No thank you. At least some of the Republicans will vote against Trump. They would love to have a puppet like pence.

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

I'm no fan of Pence, but at least I feel that he's an adult and not a screaming baby man.

[maju01.livejournal.com]

I see what you mean about the bear. Not well designed.

I had to check out the knitting pattern that defeated you and wow, it does look complex. It sort of reminds me of brioche knitting - have you tried that? I'm not game.

[becomingkate.livejournal.com]

You can follow me on twitter...I used to be all about NKOTB and frivolous stuff but now I'm focusing on mental health issues and trying to become more vocal about what we can do re: mental health issues and Trump. I'm @lovewillspread if you want.

I like the care bear, I think if you could make his left shoulder more prominent it would look better.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

One of the Care Bears I saw you had in your bundle was WIsh bear, a green bear with a shooting star on his tummy. I've still got my little plastic version of him from the early 80s and used to use him as a mascot during exams

[susandennis]

awww. i will have to dig him out and do him next!

[lostincandyrain.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of thinking it's going to be Joe Biden or Steve Bullock (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/21/2020-democratic-presidential-candidates-trump-opponents-215131) running against Trump in the end... But I also think it's probably a little too early to tell. I feel right now though that it probably has to be a white man, which I don't feel great about, but which does limit the candidate pool a bit.

[susandennis]

I totally missed that article when it came out. It's a great rundown of possibilities and makes me feel better.

Yeah, enough with the white men but if a white man is what it takes, ok.

Thank you!!

[lostincandyrain.livejournal.com]

I think the thing that would be most interesting actually (and maybe more likely to defeat Trump overall than any democratic challenger) will be seeing if someone runs against him in the Republican Primary (http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/01/politics/2020-primary/index.html). So far, it looks like Jeff Flake is the best bet there, despite his unfortunate last name, but it seems like, if she were a Republican, maybe a woman could run... I've been actually kind of impressed with Nikki Haley (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/08/11/nikki_haley_trumps_cabinet_superstar_134724.html)...

[susandennis]

I have just become aware of Jeff Flake and he looks interesting. I have/had some ties to South Carolina so have been long aware of Haley and am not so interested there but more so than when she first hit the stage. So maybe.

Overall, however, I do agree with your premise. A strong Republican with an open mind could be a savior. And, yes, that process would be very interesting to watch.

[lostincandyrain.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think part of why I've been so impressed with Haley lately is because I was so unimpressed with her before... But at any rate, it seems like there will be some options.

[susandennis]

You have actually pointed out and clarified way more options that I had even considered and made me feel way less frustrated. Also prompted me to do some further googling/bookmarking/rss tracking to help keep me focused on the fix.

I really do appreciate it. Thank you!