# I Don't Stand with Ravelry

About six days ago, the yarny goodness world changed when Ravelry decided to put into place a policy that, while claiming to be inclusive, divided many of its members.

Like many other Ravelry users, I was stung to the core. I am a Trump supporter. BUT, I am not a white supremicist which is what Ravelry called me. That hurt. I am 67 years old and in those years I am proud to say that I was and still am a supporter of civil rights.

To classify all Trump supporters as white supremicists is nothing more than a bullying tactic. Ravelry, in effect, is saying "if you don't think like us, you can't be here."

What's even more astounding is that many designers and yarn companies jumped on that idea without even thinking it through. It sounds good to say you are "all inclusive." It's one thing to say Conservatives and Republicans are welcome, but "we, Ravelry, still consider you to be white supremicists." Who wants to be in an environment like that? But those designers and yarn companies who went along with this policy hurt me and many conservatives. What they don't realize is that Ravelry threw them under the bus. That's right. Rav didn't ask what you thought did they? You make some money, some of you make a lot of money by selling your patterns and products through Ravelry. But with so many who have left, do you think you will be selling as much? I doubt it.

As for me, I went through my Instagram account and deleted each and every one who hash tagged support of that policy. If you consider me a white supremicist, based on what someone has bullied you into believing, then you don't get my ability to like or buy anything from you. But so much of this will be invisible to you...sure you will see you have fewer supporters, but you won't feel the financial pinch for awhile maybe. And you won't because you don't follow me, although I and lots of folks follow you. Because you don't follow me, you don't know the beautiful things I create with some of your products unless I happen to use a hashtag to let you know. It's been a one-way street. Now I'm off that street and you are none the wiser.

All my life I've heard sentiments expressed that go something like this: "these guys running for office are just nothing but politicians and I don't like it." Well, that's why so many people DO support Trump. He is anything but a politician, and now folks don't like it. They say he uses bad language, but so do many liberals. They say his behavior is atrocious, but I see a lot of very mean behavior by liberals in the streets of the USA. Do I think our President is perfect? Absolutely not. But he is a tough guy who is willing to go against the tide of those who think that everything liberal is good.

COLORS GALORE- WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?

I have to confess that my favorite color is only a matter of time and mood.   In other words, I go through phases. Before I started spinning and only knit, I was attracted only to purples. Then, when I started spinning I realized that I really did like red. Well, that's understandable isn't it? Purple is just a step away from the reds....some maybe more than others. But then I went through a blue phase and realized that many purples were very much like blue also.

Here I am years later spinning teal, all shades of gray, orange (which I used to loathe) and every other color you can think of. I still spin color based on my mood and currently that is pinks and grays.

But here is what I am really asking today: What is your favorite color and maybe tell me why, just because I like stories, too. Maybe you like more than one color or a combo. I'd like to know that, too.

If you want to know about the real colors of the rainbow, and not the three primary colors taught you by your art teacher in elementary school check out this link https://99designs.com/blog/tips/why-are-there-7-colors-rainbow/


You can find some of my favorite colors of yarn that I have spun in my online shop at  PrisKnits.FiberCrafty.com/

Today I'm Knitting.....

Too many things, of course!

I have two shawls on the needles: Resolute Spirit by Boo knits which you can find here https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/resolute-spirit

and

Hundred Acre Wood by Helen Stewart which you can find here
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hundred-acre-wood-2

The first shawl is being knit in TussaLin and the second shawl in multiple skeins forming a gradient from grey to grey/purple to purple/lavender/pink to dark pink with purple speckles and finally to a light pink with bits of purple and lavender.

I wish I could share some photos of my two shawls, but it will have to wait because I am having surgery in a couple of days and will be "out of the loop," so to speak...but I do promise photos at some point.

Of course, I'm also knitting a pair of vanilla socks for the husband.  He is indeed lucky that I have granted his wish and am knitting these socks because if truth be told I was pretty upset with him a couple of months ago when I discovered he had washed a beautiful and quite manly hat for him from some of the world's finest alpaca only to find that he threw it in with his hot water wash!!  But he is such a sweet man...how could I deny his simple request?

RENEWAL OF SPIRIT

Dearest Readers,

Do you ever just get bogged down with daily "must-dos," and you find little time to just enjoy your craft?

I think so many of us feel that way, I know I do.

To get over this hump, I have started a list of goals for must-dos and a separate list for creative-dos.  This does not require any elaborate journal (although I am a sucker for pink leather planners), but rather just a list on plain paper. I do keep mine in a notebook. 

I make it a point to do one to two items on the must-do list every day and the same for the creative-dos.

It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, but the key is being able to mark off what you've done. This not only gives you a sense of accomplishment, but also gives you time then to move to your creative list. And my creative list can be very simple things such as looking up an article I know I have in one of my knitting books, or it can be as challenging as trying to spin some cobweb lace. But again, you have to mark off that item on the list to feel like you've satisfied your need to not be overwhelmed and to keep on keepin' on.

Most of you know this right? What I'm giving you is permission to do this....that's right. Sometimes I feel like I need someone to push me to do something I've known all along. This is a simple idea that takes very little time and once you start with the list making, you will be adding and marking things off. So what are you waiting for...go get that paper...and uh, yeah, a pencil....or a pen.

Stay tuned for more of my daily activities dealing with all kinds of yarny fun, some handspun, some inspiration, etc. I'm going to be blogging regularly now that I'm back on track myself and oh, please visit my shop here https://prisknits.fibercrafty.com 

Pretty please.

Help me chose an online store to sell STUFF!! Including handspun Art Yarns for sale!

I have some STUFF I am trying to destash--all of it  is very nice! It's all currently in my Etsy shop under PrisKnits.

I also have some very lovely handspun in that shop as well as some buttons and beads. So go ahead and visit my shop. Please.

But you have to know that there is a problem. It is Etsy.  If you have a shop there, you know what I'm talking about. I have tried searching for all the keywords for my products and rarely do I get a hit on my STUFF.  Etsy is now opening Etsy studio which I did a check of my products in the studio and there are serious problems, but there is no one to contact to discuss the myriad of problems.  SO, I have decided to close my Etsy shop.

But I want to know your opinions--do you have an online shop? Do you have  https://www.bigcartel.com or https://www.Wix.com or www.shopify.com or any other service? I don't have a lot of products but could carry more if I weren't on Etsy.  Let me hear from you and your experiences. Please.

And just for the heck of it I'll show you a couple of my tame art yarns that I have for sale.

Happy Day! 
So Much Fun! 
More ART YARN!

I never really thought of myself as the spinner of art yarn, but here I am looking at another skein that I believe I will list for sale in my Etsy shop,  PrisKnits.   I just love spinning fiber, feeling the lushness gliding between my fingers....I don't knit all of the yarn I spin. So, I might as well share it.

Here is how I made this: first I took a commercial yarn

and then I spun some superfine merino that was cherry red with a slight bit of a purple streak

and then I plyed them together to get this

Lots of texture, lots of color and it is cusheeee!

Heavenly Handspun

Not too long ago, I spun pencil roving made by Noro (ooooh, yummmm) and I plyed it with some Mad Tosh Prairie--take a look...

 

The Mad Tosh is the raspberry color that runs through the hefty skein of over 800 yards.  Yes, you could knit a large shawl with this kind of yardage. I have it for sale in my etsy shop, PrisKnits , just in case you are interested. http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/noro-rainbow-roll  and also mentioning 

https://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitting/yarn/Madelinetosh/Prairie.asp?showLarge=true&specPCVID=73163

It makes for some very subdued art yarn. It has lovely texture but very tame. 

I sometimes wonder if my etsy shop gets many clicks. I have sold items, but since they have changed the way to promote, I am told that I don't have search terms for many of my items which is very confusing to me. I'm thinking of setting up my own website. If you've had questionable experiences selling on the net, please tell me what you did to fix the problem.