Thinking about my mother

"...life is inherently messy, complicated, cross-wired, an endless negotiation between interior and exterior, between the environment in which a human or an animal lives and its physiological and neurological state."

My mother wrote this in one of her notebooks. She kept a record of phrases and quotes to use later when she was writing.

Born in 1917, my mother passed away in 2004 at the age of 87. For many years, she journalled every day, and wrote articles. She also completed a romance novel (never published). A few of her articles were published in local newspapers.

I am in the process of organizing and transcribing her writings into my computer. Fortunately, she printed out things she wrote on her computers, since I don't know where the disks are or if I could download the material from them. I would like to assemble her writings into an autobiography some day.

I think my mother would have loved the advent of blogs and being able to publish online. She frequently encouraged me to write, she would be glad to know I am finally following her suggestion.

Online opportunities have also allowed me to publish some of my mother's material. Shreveport, Louisiana in the 1920s and 1930s gives a vivid view of where she grew up. Reflections: Luck speaks eloquently about how we can make our own luck.

I think my favorite is Memories in a Drawer (originally entitled "Emptying the Dresser Drawers") in which she paints a picture of my father's life by examining what he had in his bureau. (Note: the "youngest daughter" is me)

I feel like my mother is talking to me as I transcribe her words, especially when I am typing from her hand-written notebooks. Although I feel sad when I remember how much I miss her, it's a joy to hear her voice and share her thoughts with others.

The New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival

Yesterday, my daughter Jen took me to the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival for Mother's Day. The one hour drive was delightfully spent chatting with my daughter, I was knitting, she was driving. Bright and sunny, it was a chilly, windy day. Many people commented about the cold, but I was much happier with a cool day than a hot and muggy one.

It was a fun event to go to as a knitter, but it also gave me a lot of ideas for my writing as The Boston Knitting Examiner. I had already written an article about the Festival before the event, actually being there gave me lots more info.

Different kinds of yarns were displayed in many varieties. Fibers included wool, alpaca and rabbit, many weights and styles of yarn, endless colors, and fibers in all stages of completion including raw fleece, roving, and undyed yarn.

It was also interesting to see all the products related to knitting. In addition to patterns, there were buttons, jewelry, spindles, spinning wheels, lotions, dyes, knitting machines and more.

Although there were lots of tempting items, I ended the day only buying a T-shirt. Jen got a drop spindle kit - something I had suggested she might enjoy. It included a simple drop spindle, some lovely dyed wool roving, and an instruction sheet. We enjoyed watching a demonstration of how to use a drop spindle. She also bought some alpaca roving in lovely multiple shades of brown.

Next week, on May 15 is the Annual Rhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival at Coggeshall Farm Museum, Rt. 114 Bristol, Rhode Island. For a list of more fiber and knitting events this summer, check out my article Summer 2010 Knitting and Fiber Events in New England.

Writing motivation

"What motivates people to write?" my daughter Heather asked me. "Why write about something other people have already written about?"

I thought about it for a moment. I talked about how writers use their own voice to express themselves. When you write, you choose what to put in and what to leave out, you organize it in a way you think makes sense. Writers infuse pieces with their own bias.

When I said those things, she looked at me and said "It's like a piano! There are 88 keys but there are infinite variations." Not only the combination of which keys to play, but rests, tempo, tone and more. When playing a piece that has been played before, each musician adds their own style to it, and each new performance will sound different.

I think it is a wonderful analogy. Putting things into your own voice - writing your own composition - helps give meaning to what you create.

Writing on Examiner

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been writing online for The Examiner. The Examiner has editions in over 100 cities. Each writer focusses on a particular subject.

I am the Boston Knitting Examiner. I write about knitting in general, and about knitting in New England (as far as I know there are currently no other Examiners in New England).

The Examiner suggests that writers post 3 to 4 articles a week. Articles can be of any length, articles are often relatively concise.

The articles I have been writing are a little more formal than blog posts, but not much more difficult. Three to four articles a week may sound intimidating, but I have found it easier than I expected. Between reviews of stores, websites and books, New England knitting events, techniques, patterns, charity projects and more, there is plenty to write about. As needed, The Examiner gives support and help to writers.

Examiners get paid based on page views and a few other parameters. They pay about 1 cent per page view. This may not sound like much, but it can add up - especially when you do some promoting. In contrast, other writing websites give upfront payments, but only pay a penny for every seven to ten views.

The articles written for The Examiner get published as soon as you post them. They don't have to be approved before they're published, and they are not rated. There are people working for The Examiner who oversee your work, but - so far - I've been given free rein to post what I want to.

Some New Yarn

I haven't bought any new yarn in a while, but I finally succumbed a few days ago. We were running some errands and I decided to stop by Michaels. Last week at the Billerica Library knitting group - The Libraryarns - one of the other knitters was working with a new yarn she bought at Michaels.

I found some beautiful colors I thought would look great in scarves. The picture below shows the yarn I purchased and the beginnings of a scarf I am making.




The name of the yarn is Impeccable and it's made by a Canadian company called Loops & Threads. It is a worsted weight acrylic, 3.5 oz/100 g and 192 yards/175 m. The texture is not as rough as some yarns, but it is not the softest either. I think it will work great as a scarf. With 21 stitches on size 9 (US) needles, it's about 5 inches wide. I'm not finished, but I think one skein will make a scarf about 5 to 6 feet long.

Charity Knitting: The Mother Bear Project

I just published a new article about The Mother Bear Project. Knit or crochet a bear to go to a child with HIV/Aids - this looks like a fun project.


My plan is to periodically feature a charity product. There are so many wonderful causes to donate to. It's a win-win activity, you get to enjoy making something for someone who needs it. What a great feeling - you know that you're project is being loved.

Do you have a favorite cause or project? Let me know, if I write about it I'll include a link to the website of your choice.

Happy Birthday Jen! and Olin College Open House

Today is my daughter's 19th Birthday! Boy, does time fly. Birthdays can be bittersweet for moms. It's so wonderful to watch our children grow and thrive, but I sometimes miss the little girl.

My youngest daughter and I went to visit Olin College today. They had an open house for prospective women students.

Many people haven't heard of Olin. It is a small engineering school in Needham, Massachusetts, and it has only had three graduating classes. It has an amazing program that emphasizes hands-on, collaborative, real-world projects. It is well-funded with amazing resources. Up until this year every student received a full tuition scholarship, it has been reduced to half for next year - but it's still an amazing deal. The kids leave there with an excellent education preparing them for just about any field they want to go into.

I posted an article yesterday called "Acquiring knitting needles and yarn without spending a lot of money" In these economic times, we need all the help we can get!

Writing Online

So, it's time to catch up!

I'm going to write up my experiences with writing, and other ways to earn money online, in several posts. I never thought of myself as a writer, but I'm often told that I have good ideas. My mother always encouraged me to write about some of my experiences, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

This post will be a general one about writing online. In subsequent posts I'll give more detail about each site.

There are a number of sites online where people can write articles and earn money. For Helium and Associated Content, the minimum number of words is 400. That's not very long - about 4 or 5 paragraphs. On Examiner there is no set minimum, but 300 to 400 words is recommended.

Writing for the internet is different from other kinds of writing. I have learned that the majority of internet readers will not read very long or complicated articles. The general guidelines suggest writing at about an 8th grade level. These guidelines are for general internet writing, there are sites geared to professional fields for which other styles would be appropriate.

How do you make money? There are two ways to earn with internet articles. You can get upfront payments, and/or income based on the number of page views your articles receive.

How much money can you make? It obviously depends on how much you write, and how much you promote. I've been writing for about five months, starting in March of this year. I've written about 165 articles, and in total, I've earned about $300, and I haven't done much promoting. For the sites where you earn based on page views, your articles continue to earn so as you add more articles there is a cumulative effect. There are people who are earning much more than I have been.

What can you write about? Between the different sites, I can write about practically anything. The upfront payment from Associate Content is more for areas where there are not a lot of articles. Helium will let you write about anything - again there are some restrictions and rules regarding what you get paid. I am the Knitting Examiner for Boston, so the articles I write there all have some connection to knitting, and at least some of them are about happenings in the Boston area.

When you go to the links for my writer pages, you can continue on and explore the sites. That's the best way to see what people are writing about.

More questions? I'd love to hear them. Send me a comment, and I'll give you an answer!

Writing on the Internet

I haven't posted here in a while because I've been busy doing writing for several internet sites. I'm trying out some things to see if I can earn enough to help with college and stay at home at the same time.

One of the sites I like writing for is Associated Content. I've written a number of personal finance articles as well as articles on a variety of other topics. I'm working on a few Lesson Plans/Unit Study Guides based on individual movies and books. So far I've written one for the musical Oklahoma! and The Call of the Wild by Jack London. They should be published soon. I'm hoping that I might someday be able to collect them in a book.

I am also writing on a site called The Examiner. The Examiner is organized by major cities, and then people are chosen to be the Examiner for that city in a particular subject. So, I am the Boston Knitting Examiner. All my articles about knitting from now on will go on this site. I plan to do reviews on Mondays - books, stores, websites, etc.; How-tos on Tuesdays - patterns, techniques, suggestions; announcements of local events on Thursdays, and miscellaneous on the weekends. I may do more articles as well. It's really fun to have a focus, and it's giving me an excuse to go to events and knitting stores!

The first site I started writing for was Helium because I have a good friend who has been involved with the site and recommended it. I have been disappointed with some of their policies, but I've written 30 articles there. You can look at my articles. There are a variety of of articles there including some education/homeschooling, some finance, and a few book reviews.

There were so many times my mother would say "You should write an article about that". I'm finally taking the time now, and I'm really enjoying it.

Making Things for My Family and Myself

I have been making so many things to sell, that I haven't worked much on anything for myself or for my family. This week I got back to some of those things.

My youngest daughter left for a trip to Senegal this week - yes, the one who had her appendix out! At her request, I made her this water bottle carrier. It is made from Whole Foods bags crocheted while holding a strand of cotton yarn alongside. The plarn is waterproof and provides cushioning, and the cotton is absorbent in case the water bottle sweats or spills.

Today I took out some of the needlepoint projects I had sitting on a shelf. There were a few that look like they are completed, I'm not sure why they were still in bags with their threads. I made this one a while ago. I used a handpainted canvas, and added some personalization to the bottom edge. Ghe music staff ix a signature, the notes on it are ABD.

Another one I completed is pictured below. I remember that when I finished it I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. I was thinking of maybe incorporating it into a tote bag.
Here is one that I started and didn't complete:

This is the one I chose to work on today. I love how soothing needlepoint can be. I started this one over 5 years ago!:

A Walk Around My Neighborhood

Field Testing Crafts

One effective marketing technique is to wear or use what you make. So I finally crocheted myself a purse out of plarn. See these previous posts to learn more about plarn:

Plarn
Working With Plarn
Plarn Fun!

First I sewed a bandanna into a lining and then I made the bag to fit the lining, which was then sewed to the top of the bag. Here is a picture of the finished bag:

The face of the bag is about 10 x 10 inches and it is 2 inches deep. The strap is a circular tube which I designed - it is strong and comfortable to wear. I stretch it as I work with it so it doesn't stretch any more as you use it.

Daily use of a bag that I made proved to be more than a good marketing technique. I found several which I can now correct in other bags. Firstly, ends that I had tucked in started to peek out:

I'm going to try some craft glue on it and see if that holds them in.

Lining the bag was something new for me. Most of the bags I have made so far are unlined so they can let damp contents breathe. However, for a purse I wanted a lining so that small things won't fall out.

One mistake I made was to crochet the bag a little bit bigger than the lining, thus the lining didn't quite fit. More significantly, putting a non-stretchy material inside a stretchy bag caused problems:

Yesterday I bought some light tan jersey fabric from JoAnn's to use as a lining. In addition, I purchased some broadcloth which looks good on both sides. I have cut the fabric to make into pockets, one will fit my iPod and/or cell phone and the other is a bit wider to hold keys and pens. I'll get out the sewing machine soon and I'll post the "after" pictures.

Appendicitis and Reversible Knit Stitch Patterns

What a week! My daughter's changing Facebook status tells the story:

Sunday: Heather is 17 years old.
Monday evening: Heather is going to the emergency room
Tuesday morning: Heather has appendicitis

Tuesday evening: Heather has no appendix

We got home Wednesday evening, she's sore and tired, but recovering. I'm tired, and also recovering. Following are pictures of my "appendicitis scarf". I started it in the emergency room, and finished it Wednesday morning.

I like working with patterns that include multiples of 3. I find I can count the stitches in my head and still focus on other things like conversations or TV. It also makes it easy to tell if you have the right number of stitches in the row, if you drop or add a stitch the pattern won't work.

When my husband and other daughter came to visit, the first thing I asked for was more yarn! Here is the second scarf I started to work on:

When I make scarves and afghans, I like them to look good on both sides. In the many books of stitch patterns I own, there are none that show how both sides of a stitch looks. Maybe I'll write a book featuring stitches that look good on both sides, along with photographs. Just one of the many projects to do in my spare time.

The two stitches I used for these scarves are relatively easy to do. For the one in the first picture I used a size 6 needle, and dk weight yarn, but this will work with any size yarn and the appropriate sized needles for the yarn weight. I cast on 21 stitches, and it is about 4.5 inches wide. Here is the stitch pattern for the first one:

Multiple of 6 stitches, plus 3

For every row: Slip the first st as if to purl; k2 *p3, k3; repeat from * to end.

The second scarf ends up looking sort of like a sideways rib stitch. I used a size 6 needle, and 2 strands of fingering weight yarn. With 24 stitches cast on it is 4.5 inches wide.

Following is the stitch pattern.

Cast on desired number of stitches

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit

Repeat these 3 rows for pattern.
Note: to make a smooth edge, slip the first stitch of each row.

Happy knitting!

Plarn Fun!

After discussing plarn creations with people on Etsy, I decided to play a bit with colors and shapes. I used patterns for crocheted motifs. The two in the following picture are just the centers of motifs. I'm thinking of using these to make magnets, pins or key chains. Giving these out will give people a chance to see and feel what plarn is like.

The motif in the next picture is already being incorporated into a bag. The bottom of the bag is crocheted with orange plarn, and so far I'm using mostly white plarn to surround it.

These next squares are the same granny square type pattern. The multicolored one was made from a the bag surrounding a case of Bounty Paper Towels! I haven't decided how to use these yet.

Here are two more. I may attach these to same plainer bags that I have made to dress them up a bit

Working with PLARN

I've been making and working with plarn (PLastic yARN) for a while now and have found that many people have questions about how to use it. In an earlier post I discussed how I make the plarn.

After much experimentation, including many mishaps, I have learned a lot. At first, thinking that I would get more out of the bags, I cut the bags into a width of 3/4 inches. Eventually I found that 1 inch worked best. The wider width seemed to fill up the spaces better.

In choosing a hook and a stitch, think about what you are making. A beach or gym bag works well with a larger needle (up to size M or P), and with double crochet. I like working with a size K for tote bags and I use single crochet at least for the first and last few inches. I have also found that plastic crochet hooks are a little bit easier to work with than metal, although I have used both. The picture below is a closeup of a bag that was made using single crochet.

Working with plarn can be hard on the wrists. I have found several ways to make it easier. Making a point of crocheting looser than I usually do helps a lot. I also hold the plarn looser than regular yarn. For most crochet I weave the yarn in and out of the 4 fingers of my left hand, but with plarn I just have it flow over my index finger. When I started I thought that putting lotion on my hands would help the plarn slide easier. I have since found that keeping my hands and needle dry works best. These things work for me, you may find other ways work best for you.

Another question involves how to wash items made with plarn. They can be machine washed, but make sure you don't put it in the dryer! I made a kitchen mat for a friend of mine, and she said that soaking it in a dilute vinegar and water solution left it looking like new. The vinegar would also serve to disinfect the product.

Isn't plarn stiff and crunchy? Different kinds of bags work up differently. Bags like newspaper sleeves, and some grocery bags work up quite soft and cushy. I was told that the floor mat was extremely comfortable and everyone in the family liked to stand on it. In addition,it doesn't collect dirt, an advantage for my friend who is allergic to dust mites. Other bags can be more crunchy, but they still work well in bags and other creations.

What can you make with plarn? I like making bags made with it, and I think it is especially good to carry damp items, the bags are waterproof but the crochet lets the moisture out. When combined with a cotton yarn, I've used plarn to make coasters, and I'm currently working on a water bottle carrier. I once made a kippah/yarmulke! Plarn makes a great dish scrubby, the openings hold the soap but it isn't absorbent so it doesn't collect and hold onto bacteria. I've been using one made out of soft bags so I use it for things that don't need real scrubbing. I plan to try one made of bags that are a bit more scratchy. My plarn soap dish also works well.

Stitches other than single and double crochet can be used with plarn. Remember that everything is bigger so some stitches will leave holes that are quite big. Also, don't try to pull the yarn snug when starting and finishing like you might with yarn, the plastic can stretch and break. I have found that the plarn fluffs out after crocheting with it, so don't be too concerned if it seems thin.

For grocery bags that make loops which are connected, rolling them into a ball works fine, but don't roll it too tightly. It has a tendency to unwind easily so I put a covered elastic around the balls after they're wound. When I cut bags into strips, I like to roll it flat onto a piece of cardboard. This keeps it from twisting. These strips can also be too small and slippery to stay in a ball. I cut a slot in the cardboard to put the end in so it stays put. I have recently started measuring these strips before I wind it, then writing the length on the cardboard, and also where they come from. It can be fun to tell people what the plarn was before you made it into something. The following picture is not photographed well, but it will let you see what I am talking about.

That's it for now. If I remember more tips I'll post them. Any questions? Contact me and I'll do what I can to help.

New Designs-Math Scarves

I know I haven't posted in a while. Writing regularly has always been a challenge for me - I have quite a few slightly filled diaries! With a new year and refreshed motivation, consider this a fresh start.

I'm very excited about the new scarves I have been designing. At an amazing percussion workshop this past fall, Tony Vacca defined math as the study of patterns. In a lightbulb moment, I made the connection to patterns for crocheted and knitted items.

The first scarf I created was based on the number "pi". The number of rows in each stripe correspond to a digit in pi. You can see in these pictures that the first white stripe is 3 rows, the next black stripe is 1 row, the next white stripe is 4 rows, etc.

This particular scarf is 7 feet long and goes up to 29 digits of pi. You can still see more pictures and info here. RIght now I'm taking custom orders only in buyer's choice of color.

In the most recent creation, you can have any word up to 15 digit done in binary code! I made a sample section with my name:

More pictures and info can be found here.

There are more math and science and math designs and samples in progress.

Knit Picks Website and Podcast

One of my favorite places to shop online is Knit Picks, whose slogan is "Passionately committed to affordable luxury knitting"

They have a wonderful assortment of yarns in many colors, fibers and sizes. A great collection of books, knitting needles, and other supplies can also be found on their site. I have made many purchases, and I have been happy with all of them. This picture (and the next one) come from the Knit Picks website.

Their descriptions of yarns and colors are quite reliable. New products and colors are introduced all the time.

There are also many amazing knitting needles, including circular, straight, interchangeable, and sets, which are made of various kinds of wood and metals in all sizes.

The Knit Picks podcast is my favorite crafting podcast. First of all, the woman who does the podcast, Kelley, has an incredibly soothing voice which is a joy to listen to. The content of the podcasts is always informative, there are interviews, information about yarns, book reviews, and much more. Summaries of the contents of each podcast can be found on the website. You can download the podcast from iTunes, or at the Knit Picks' website. You can also listen to the podcasts directly from the site.

Crayon Scarf

This is my latest crochet design:

Since I made this one, I have made ones in green, yellow, and purple. I am making them about 4 feet long, to fit children from about 4 years old to 12 years old. I have perfected the design and hope to write up the pattern to sell on etsy. I'm also planning to make some to sell through my etsy store.

I'm sending the first batch of scarves to OAK in Boston. OAK is a wonderful store which opened recently. It's on the corner of Newbury St., and Gloucester St. It is stocked with all hand made things, thus the name is an acronym for One of A Kind. OAK also has a blog which shows pictures of the store and displays of the unique items carried by the store.

A Great Homeschooling Picnic

A quote for today: It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it. ~Jacob Bronowski

Today, while other young people were returning to school, my daughter and I went to a "Not Back To School Picnic". I have been homeschooling my children since my oldest daughter finished first grade. That makes this my 15th Not Back to School Picnic! I haven't missed any since we started homeschooling.

It was a beautiful day today. We have always had our picnic at Great Brook Farm in Carlisle, Massachusetts. It is a state park with a working dairy farm, and many trails for walking, bicycling, horse riding, and - in the winter - cross country skiing.

Here is a picture of the dairy barn:

And these are some pictures of students with their "barefoot irreverence" to studies:

A great time was had by all!

If you want more info about homeschooling, one of the many websites to check out is Jon's Homeschool Resources

A great source for information on homeschooling in Massachusetts, is the Massachusetts Home Learning Association website.

Finally, I would be glad to try to answer your questions, just email me at alysamerle@dudleyzoo.org

PLARN

A quote for today: "Knitting is very conducive to thought. It is nice to knit a while, put down the needles, write a while, then take up the sock again." Dorothy Day

I've been making a lot of PLARN lately (PLastic yARN). I go through spurts where I convert plastic bags into a form that I can crochet with, and then I don't feel like it for a while. There are a variety of tutorials on line that show how to make PLARN from grocery bags. A friend of mine made this one on YouTube

This is a picture of some of the PLARN balls I've been making:

The red, clear, and bright blue balls are made from newspaper bags, the rest are made from a variety of grocery bags. Sometimes I sort the bags by color, other times I combine a variety of bags. The brownish ball on the right was made from a variety of dark bags; I think it will make an interesting pattern when crocheted.

Many of my friends know that I use plastic bags to create PLARN, so they save their bags for me. I am often greeted with "I have some bags for you". Following is a picture of the plastic bags I have that are waiting to be transformed into PLARN:

In addition to grocery bags, I use bags that are somewhat thicker. The thicker bags are cut in a continuous spiral and wound on pieces of recycled cardboard. I often use them as accents to creations that are made primarily from grocery bags.

I learned from Etsy that the items I create from the PLARN are called upcycled. Something is upcycled when you take one item that has already been used, and turn it into something different

This is one of my recent completed PLARN projects:

I'm pleased with how it came out. For more pictures and a more complete description, you can check out my website at Etsy.com