A side Political note - I am boycotting Hobby Lobby

I usually try to stick to knitting with my posts. What I'm doing, what I'm making, what I'd like to make.

At least 75% of my projects use my favorite yarn - Hobby Lobby, I Love This Yarn.

But I am now boycotting Hobby Lobby.  They are filing a lawsuit in pursuit of not having to pay for contraceptives for their employee's medical plans.

I understand that they are basing this action on their belief that this is against their religious beliefs.

I struggle with that, because in my understanding of how religious beliefs work - that you can chose how you and your family behaves (barring things like human sacrifice, etc). Within a church, you can chose to ban members that don't follow your religious doctrine. That is within your religious right.

I don't believe that you have the right to chose which medical coverage your employees have the right to.

I understand that you are against abortion, and that some contraceptives, like an IUD which prevents a fertilized egg from being implanted might fall into that definition for some people. And I can understand that it would be extremely upsetting to you to have to pay for something that you don't believe is appropriate.

I also remember that once upon a time there were MANY people very angry when they could no longer own slaves in this country.

I remember not that long ago, that there were MANY people angry that they had to provide equal rights to African Americans.

For some women, birth control is a medical necessity. Probably less than 10% admittedly, but it's a reality. Another 70-80% of women within child bearing ages are (or have been) at one point on birth control out of choice. Choice is still a legal right for them.

I realize that you aren't fighting their right to chose to take birth control, you just don't want to pay for it.

But here's the rub. If I were an employer, and I didn't like it that my employees smoked. I still have to pay their insurance coverage for lung cancer treatment. If an employee who was struggling with money and can't afford to raise a child, let alone pay for birth control -- that is the VERY target audience the law is trying to cover. They can't afford the birth control, even if they want it. So what do they do? They end up having abortions or having children that they can't afford to feed and cloth. So they end up on medicaid.

I'm sorry... but the religious right are so adamant that their 'religious freedom' be placed above common sense. Contraception reduces abortion rates. You may not like abortions, but not all of the contraceptives they are fighting on causes abortions. When it comes down to it, there is no illegal abortions being performed by any of the birth control options that are covered in law.

I find it hypocritical that Hobby Lobby buys as much product as it does from China while fighting against birth control options for it's employees.

I easily spend hundreds, if not close to a thousand dollars a year on yarn at Hobby Lobby. I take samples of yarn and show it to all my knitting students (I teach an average of 100 new knitters a year). I talk pros and cons about the yarn and have been extolling the virtues of a low-cost acrylic that is as nice as their yarn.

But that won't be happening any longer.

September Planning

So much to do, so little time.

First up, a big project that I don't expect to finish until November.

Velvet Morning Cardigan - Rav Link

Made with custom-dyed yarn from Yarntopia Treasures with the base yarn from Knit Picks - Shine Worsted.

Stunning yarn. Shiny, lucsious and the color? just goregous.

Next the smaller (hahah) projects that I hope to finish this month.

• First up - a Striped Raglan sweater for my son - a test knit on Ravelry (so no pattern link). I'm using my favorite worsted acrylic - Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn... and it's coming along quickly.
• Second up - a short-sleeved sweater for myself - Ambiente - Rav Link made in a similar green to the pattern photos from NaturallyCaron.com Spa.
• Of course, there will be charity hats - hoping for two of them (minimum) - one of which will be my final item for my TKGA Master Knitters submission.
• I'm also planning a washcloth and/or scrubbie for an exchange.
• AND a Tardis pencil case.
• AND a 12" Blanket square - pattern TBD

I will feel more confident about this list once I get the first sweater finished and the second one started... and once I get one or two of the smaller items knocked out.

August End-of-month progress post

All I had left to work on was my sweater. Which was technically finished on September 1st... but I figured you'd let me post the picture of it completed in this post.

I love the cables:

But the over-all look is a little 'messy' (sigh). But not bad for a wing-it-and-see pattern. Fit is perfect.

Ravellenics Medals Earned!

August Mid-Month report

Relatively shorter list than normal.




1) Seven charity hats for Ravellenics - DONE

The first six are the same old, basic watch caps I always make.  These are headed for the woman's homeless shelter.

But the seventh one was a little more out-of-the-box. This one is baby-sized. We'll take it to the library this fall when they start collecting hats & mittens for the holidays.

2) Seven washcloths for Ravellenics - DONE! Though, I had just enough yarn left to make two extra. So I ended up with nine, total.

3) As many additional charity hats as I can complete before the end of the Ravellenics games. - Done! I ended up finishing off ten more hats this afternoon, almost 24 hours before the end of the games. I am kind of tired of hats, though again now.

I wasn't quite done with my knitting for Ravellenics, though. I had received the following cotton chenille yarn as a gift from a dyer - and thought about making a scarf. Tried a couple of different stitch patterns and a couple of different styles. And then it ended up wanting to become a big, bulky over-sized cowl instead.

(I love the different pooling)



4) Get darn close to finishing the cabled & dropped stitch cardigan as I can.  -- Ready to pick this up and start working on it tomorrow. I should have plenty of time to get it to the 'almost done' stage. My goal would be to finish it officially on Sept 1st.

August Planning

Relatively shorter list than normal.

1) Seven charity hats for Ravellenics

2) Seven washcloths for Ravellenics

3) As many additional charity hats as I can complete before the end of the Ravellenics games.

4) Get darn close to finishing the cabled & dropped stitch cardigan as I can.

July end of month report

Well, the last couple of weeks were a complete bust as far as knitting went. I landed myself in the emergency room a couple of times and then surgery. But, am back on my feet and knitting again (finally) in August. Figured I'd clear the slate for what I did (and didn't do) last month before posting my plan for this month.

Sweater/top # 1 - Oceanna Shell - done & photos previously posted
Sweater/top #2 - Striped T - started late June - done & photos previously posted
Sweater/top #3 - Cabled Cardigan with dropped stitches. Still at the 33% mark - with no progress since mid-month post.

TKGA Master Knitter Level 1 - Swatches finished. But did not even get the hat started. I was working on my guage swatch when I got ill and pulled it out... will probably wait until September to tackle the hat again.

Charity Hats - completed only 2.
Seven Washcloths - didn't complete any in July.
Teddy Bear - postponed
Blanket Square - postponed.

So, considering the last ten days or so of the month was spent ill, I think I did a-ok.