Guilds and Fairs, Oh My!

Last Saturday was the Craft Fair at the local grange building. Granges are community builders that promote togetherness and agriculture in the US. There were 2,100 communities with 160,000 members in 36 states as of 2005 in the US. The Grange is a fraternal order that was founded after the Civil War in 1867. There's usually one local to many Mainers. Anyways, the town I live in has a fairly active one, and they held a craft fair last weekend.

I bought a few items. One was to support a local cheer team, and the other was to support a painter from the area. Both are going to be for Christmas gifts this year. 

Today, I attended the Guild meeting for the Southern Maine Spinners and Weavers Guild, which meets at the Dorothy Stevens Community Center in Kennebunk, Maine. We had a great time describing what we have been learning and setting up for our holiday party next month.

I volunteered to set up the Facebook page and maintain it for a while to see how it goes. I already have a fairly low key Facebook page for this blog, and, so feel comfortable with the Facebook side of things. I also have been the Public Relations officer for various groups in the past, so am excited to be initiating this outlet for the group.

Anyways, I learned that there's the ability to add editors to pages on Facebook, so will see how that works and go from there. I'm also looking forward to finding out more about the group and how it can change through this mighty step forward.

What I love about Autumnal Fall, This Year!

Equinox! Mabon! The days and nights are equal! 
Pretty colors in nature that are full of vibrancy! 
Life gets into a routine again after the lazy days of unstructured summers! 
Though not this year… 
Life changes and the wheel of time moves forward, 
ever onwards. 
I won’t end the wheel’s movement, 
I can’t, but there are times of sadness so great currently. 
Crups guarding and seeing through the veil of life and death, 
letting me know she is near.

~~~

My gma has gone on to the next grand adventure, so the wheel of time moves forwards.

Hug your loved ones, and, if not near them, hug your self and be gentle with your self.

Now, that it’s getting dusty in here, where’s some pumpkin spice latte? ;)

Blessings of the Migraines, an update

So, why would I post about the benefits of migraines? Grandma prays continually for a cure, but I don't think that will happen. It may, but, I'm not holding my breath.

So, what are the benefits of migraines?  Let me count them....

1. Greater gratitude for life and simple things.
1. Walks with my dog in the crisp winter sunny days, the sharp scent of snow enveloping my entire being
2. Summertime walks at night and getting to see inside the neighbors houses'. Thankfully, they're all decent folks.
2. Noticing the changes of when birds start to sing in the morning from the insomnia the various medications cause.
3. Understanding how to communicate without words about stuff with folks who don't talk.
4. Getting more knowledge and connection with others in the extended family and friends circles.
5. Growing in a sense of who I am, and what I'm not going to put up with anymore.
6. Less caring about what folks think of me since I have to wear sunglasses at night in the winter to go into stores.
7. Getting to know the quieter people in my neighborhood a bit more.

It's not all roses. There's days when I can barely keep anything in me due to the ongoing nausea, and days when I can barely get out of bed due to the head hurting to move, and the great inconvenience of it all being random. But, I also look at the silver linings.

How to love yourself ... some thoughts

Confidence, love for self, feeling great about you and your abilities comes from actions.

Do you want to be a person who does x? Then, do it.

I want to be a person who travels the world. Then, I need to do it.

Need a shower? Take one, use a shower chair if you need to. No one cares, but you, whether you do or don't, and what does it matter as long as you get clean?

Have weight gain from steroids for a multi-week migraine? Go for walks after dark when the light isn't so bad, and do things by handto have less noise in your environment.

Have a butt ton of crafting supplies from before yogot sick? Use them. Enjoy what you can, and make something pretty or practical.

Make.

Do.

Live.

Rest when needed.

Take care of you and your body as there is no one else who cares as much about your stuff as you do.

Updated Patterns!

Hey, All!

I updated all of the patterns I have available on Ravelry. There's seven available plus one that is not available at this time.

Here's the list!

• American Girl Waistcoat
• Granny's Love Mitts
• Irish Kate Market Bag
• Melonberry Curly Mitts
• Mermaid Tail for American Girl Dolls
• Ribbed for My Pleasure Socks
• Stash Busting Scarf

I hope to get the sweater pattern written by the end of the year. I need to dig out my notes and convert them to an actual pattern. No one wants my chicken scratch to read.

Hope you have a grand time exploring the patterns!

Oh, and, Ravelry does require a free account to have a profile.

Enjoy!

Jen

Ravelry has been causing folks to experience seizures, migraines, and vertigo, among other problems, so I'm providing other options for folks to purchase my patterns through.

These patterns are also available on Etsy. I never did get that sweater into a pattern format.

January 2017 Projects

1723 yards
Center is 15 granny squares in a 3x5 grid
This was turned in for Detention, January 2017, HPKCHC on Ravelry

1756.4 yards
Ironheart Pattern, Test Knit for Tin Can Knits

Update!

Hi All,

I've been living life, and missing to blog about things. So, I'm coming back.

I have been reading, writing, knitting, spinning, and crocheting, along with some sewing. I have lots of ideas and have started keeping track of things in different ways.

I will start sharing about my projects on here. I am not doing the book reviews for free copies of the books anymore, as I am tired of the accountability with NetGalley.

Anyways, just a short update to let you know where I am.

Take Care,
Jen