Copyrights and Licensing Patterns

UPDATE 6/16/2012:  Oh, and one more quick note that I... you guessed it... hope to go more into depth later with, here is a great blog post I found about the whole copyright/licensing debacle I posted about such a LONG, LONG, time ago. Over at Speckless, she has posted her Thoughts on Making and Selling, and I feel like she was in my brain! :) I completely agree with her post, and I must say, over a year later from posting my initial thoughts on copyrights and licensing for patterns, I have gained much more experience and my original thoughts have changed. I offer most of my patterns to buyers letting them know that they are responsible for their finished items, meaning they can do whatever they wish with the items they put so much time and effort into. However, a small selection of my patterns are offered with the understanding that you cannot sell the items you make from the patterns online. I chose to list those patterns that way because I am a WAHM (work-at-home-mom). My husband supports us solely and is constantly working 10-15+ hour of overtime a week to ensure my ability to stay home with our little guy. The money I make from my Etsy shop is our only extra income, and most of that money comes from the sales of custom items using the select patterns I do not allow sales from. I know that legally, I have no rights to prevent people from making sales. That is why I have asked in the listing that you not purchase the pattern if you cannot agree not to sell the finished items. I am happy to answer any questions further regarding this policy upon request, but I just wanted to make a quick update. People change and grow, and their opinions change and grow. That is really all this update is about. :)

After my previous post about The Bearded Lady, I was left with so many questions about how copyrights protect my patterns and whether or not there was any legal grounds for licensing my patterns. This question has been plaguing me since I began crocheting and using patterns out of magazines. Then I branched into using patterns online, and eventually, I stumbled upon Etsy and Ravelry where I began to hear terms and phrases such as, "You may not sell the finished items you make from my pattern." "If you wish to sell the items you make from my pattern, you must purchase a Cottage License." And yet others simply stated you could sell your finished items or said nothing. In all that time, I only ran across one lady saying you had total rights to your finished products because her copyright did not extend to the finished product.

I used her pattern and I graciously thanked her for allowing people to sell the finished products as well as offering the pattern as a free download. All of this was in ignorance, though, as I have now done my research and have found that no copyright extends to the finished product in terms of patterns. There has never been a case that has made it through the courts based on someone selling finished products from patterns, though some big name sewing pattern companies have tried. These same big name sewing patterns list on their labels that you may not sell the items that you make from their patterns, but it is unjust. They are misinforming you, and they are getting by with it because the general public has no idea that they can't enforce their "rules."

Now, I am not condoning purchasing a pattern and mass producing some items for your own gain. What I am saying is that I do not condone the sellers who insist you pay lump sums of money (sometimes quite large lump sums of money) so they can "license" you to sell a finished product that you have the full rights to anyway. Please, save your money and your integrity and do not buy into this. I have listed a handful of links below, some government websites and some I felt were just very detailed websites that I believe will greatly benefit buyers, sellers, and authors alike.

As an author and creator, I would love to be able to say, "No, you may not sell this item once you have finished it," because I would love to be the only one making money off those items. However selfish that may appear, it is illogical, and the laws are laid out before you. Please keep yourself informed.

Definition of Useful Articles

Copyright Law of the United States

A great animated video to help children understand copyrights. (I used it to help myself understand copyrights.)

A list of Examples of Visual Arts

Tabber's Temptations website featuring a detailed article on copyrights and pattern licensing.

Tabber's Temptations website featuring an article about Cottage Licenses and Angel Policy

The Bearded Lady!

Ok, So I'm not really a bearded lady, but it sounded pretty good. I got this idea after my younger brother called me few months ago begging me to make him a "beard beanie." My first question was, "What in the world is a beard beanie?"
He told me all about them, but he couldn't find a pattern online. So, for awhile, I toiled away on my computer searching for a pattern... to no avail!
He was saddened, and I must say, I was a little bit annoyed. I have rarely come across an idea that I found NO pattern for, but I can now say that I have.
All this is to say that this particular beard beanie is my own original design. I am playing around with the idea of publishing the pattern, and I am also playing with the idea of selling licenses that allow people to sell the items they make. This is something I have never tampered with. Usually I just sell my patterns and allow people to sell what they make, but with this particular product, I am trying to respect another seller. She is selling these things like hot cakes in her Etsy shop, and I assume if she wanted lots of other people to be able to produce them, she would have published a pattern herself.
Can anybody give me any info on selling licenses on patterns?

Otherwise, these beard beanies are available for sale in my Etsy shop, which you can find in the side bar of my blog.
Enjoy!

My Malabrigo

Last week, I went out alone all day. I visited the book store, went to my local yarn shop, and even saw a movie by myself. Every once in a while, striking out on my own is freeing and reminds me what it is like to be independent...but only every once in awhile.

I have been eyeing this wonderful, soft, luscious, shiny yarn for months. It was all balled up, sitting on the shelf, begging me to clutch it between my fingers every time I walked into the store. It was also sitting on that shelf intimidating me. I can't quite explain it, but there is something slightly intimidating about a good quality yarn. Its as if I fear that all the art ended once the yarn was dyed and spun. If it looks so beautiful just sitting on the shelf, what could I possibly make to compliment it?

Well, I will tell you what! I finally bought that beautiful Malabrigo handspun yarn, and it inspired me to write and publish one of my first knitting patterns! There is something oddly magical about buying a quality yarn. It feels like it should really have purpose. If I am going to hawk out a hunk of change on some fiber, it ought to be worth something to me.

This week, I made two pairs of fingerless gloves with my malabrigo.

I learned to use Double Pointed Needles with my malabrigo.

I fell in love with my malabrigo.














I learned to cable knit with my malabrigo...

Ah, yes...my malabrigo and I have become very close. How will it inspire you, today?

Despicable Minions

I was mesmerized by the Despicable Me movie this past summer. It really struck a chord with my inner child, and ever since, I have been itching to make a Minion. Isn't he awesome? I would really like to make a few others and experiment with different eyes, mouths and hair. Maybe, at some point, I will actually get the pattern sorted out and published for other Minion lovers.

One year and Two days

I have officially been married more than one year! It is sort of strange and exhilarating to say that out loud. We watched a lot of couples split up that were married near the same time we were. It blew my mind to see so many people not even make it through the first year. And honestly, without knowing any of the reasons people get divorced, I just have to say that maybe those people should have been more patient with each other. It is not my place to judge, but I have to wonder.

Our first year was tumultuous. It was slow. It was fast. It was full of fighting (or me yelling while my husband rolls his eyes at me behind my back). It was full of love and laughter. I can't believe our first year is over. I know it doesn't make me an "old married lady" just yet, but it sure does feel nice to be past the first year.

It always sort of felt like there was a lot of pressure for that first anniversary. I would sit and wonder what it would be like...if my husband would suddenly become the romantic type and whisk me away somewhere. I wondered what we would do and how I would feel...sort of the same way you always wonder if turning another year older will change you somehow. I can't honestly say it changed either of us, the day in itself, but the change in us over the past three and a half years is obvious to us both.

When we started dating, I was so high strung. I made lists. I had to stick to those lists. If I didn't plan it, it sure as hell was not allowed to happen because we did not deviate from the list. I was not spontaneous, though I longed to be. I was naive, though I was convinced I knew so much. I was a child thrusting herself into the "real" world.

During the first year we were dating, my husband and I moved in together. My mom died very suddenly, and I had not given myself a chance to come to terms with the fact that she was not actually invincible. My husband took the brunt of my anger for almost an entire year. Even after I realized I was taking my anger out on him, I continued to do it because he was always the one around when I was feeling my worst. Those were my "Dark Days," and my husband was there for me. He never ran, even when he definitely should have.

It took me two years to really feel like I was in a state to care about other people again. I know that sounds awful, but losing my mom rocked my world. It made me re-think everything I thought I knew. It also managed to polish my heart a bit and renew me to the person I am today. If it weren't for my husband, though, I honestly don't believe I would be this person I am.

My husband taught me so many lessons about loving who you are, keeping life simple, appreciating the small moments, and always being confident in your inner artist. He doesn't know a thing about knitting or crocheting, and while many of my friends like to give me a hard time for doing those crafts at such a young age, he has always been proud of me, always shown pride in the things I make like they were his own creations.

Someday, (and no we don't know when) he will make a great dad. Only, he won't be just a "dad." He will be a real, live father, one that I will be honored to stand next to. He is going to be an old man with me, and we are going to hold hands for all the young people to see.

As for now, we are still learning, and we are enjoying every moment of our naivete.

My First Quilt Bee

I am participating in my first quilting bee ever, and I have finally found the perfect sheets! The quilt bee is for a vintage sheet quilt. I have seen so many gorgeous vintage sheet quilts, and I have wanted to make one for awhile. Now I have the help of a group started up by Deb at Works in Progress, and I can't wait to get started cutting out blocks. Here are a few pictures of the vintage sheets and pillow cases I chose!

This one is my favorite! It was my first choice, and I chose the rest from here.

I really love all the blues. When we move into our new house, I am going to get an office, and it will be very free spirited and calm. I am going to decorate it in light pinks, blues, and purples to match some chairs I have, and I think this quilt may just have to have a place in that room. I can just see myself cozy up under this quilt in one of my comfy chairs with my yarn or a good book.

I can't wait to get started! Thanks again Deb for starting this group!

Eight Answers

I have had yet another hiatus from blogging recently, as I'm sure you all noticed and wondered sleeplessly over. ;0) It seems I have broken my elbow...two weeks ago, and it also seems I have had surgery on said elbow... one week ago, to put screws in said elbow. So, now, as I sit here once again fully capable of typing without pain, I have some new hardware in my body, and I have heard two separate times, "Now you can be like the Tin Man. You know? Like, from the Wizard of Oz." The only reason they felt the need to explain that it was from the Wizard of Oz was because the second time I heard it, I just gave a blank stare and wondered silently how two people could think this was just so darned clever. But its all in good fun!

Moving on, I am about to entertain you, intrigue you, and maybe even send you running with my answers to Eight Questions posted by another blogger who is new to me at Foxs Lane. Her answers were quite fun, so I hope you enjoy what I've got to say and maybe you will even head over to her blog and join in the fun! Or at least check out a few other blogger's answers.

1. What is your favorite meal to eat? Honestly, I am having trouble remembering this at the moment. For the last two weeks, I have eaten so little because I have been hungry so seldom. I was having to take a lot of pain pills for my aforementioned elbow. But, I must say that recently, I followed my big sister on a new adventure to eat more healthy foods and little to no meat. Our mother died 2 and 1/2 years ago from cancer, cancer that returned after she had gone into remission once already. So, it has become a passion of my sister and I to try everything in our power to stay healthy for our future families. At the moment, one of my absolute favorite things to eat is Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with thick crust, feta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and a few other Italian cheeses. I am almost positive that Pizza should be a main food group in my life, and before now, I had never eaten pizza without meat. In the past few months, I have eaten many a veggie pizza. Yum!

2. Do you have a quirky eccentricity? Well, yes. I have many. My sister spends a lot of her time looking at me with "crazy eyes," and my friends often have trouble wrapping their minds around my being. A few off the top of my head are that I possess an old soul. This isn't something I decided for myself. It is something I have always been told. Another is that I spend quite a lot of time inside my own brain... unhealthy extents of time some days, and yet another eccentricity is that I live to create and learn. I absolutely despise the feeling that rises up inside me when I feel I have stopped learning.

3. What is your middle name? My middle name is Marie. All the names I have contain five letters, and both my first name and middle name end in "ie." I have pondered this since I was somewhere around five years old. It just seemed a bit odd. My middle name causes a lot of pondering for me, though. I so seldom hear it unless I am telling someone what it is, and I feel that I don't emanate anything that would cause me to be a "Marie," but I cherish it all the same. There is something dainty about the name Marie, something sweet and innocent. And, what I love the most about it is that I shared it with my Mom. I never did ask her why she chose to share her middle name with me, but it is a permanent part of her I will always carry with me.

4. What are you passionate about? Creating, loving, living each day to the fullest, and being healthy physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I have felt many times throughout my life that I was a square peg trying to be forced into a round hole. I have never fit into anything society gives me. I am led by my intuition, though I have quite a rational brain. They tend to fight a lot. I want to leave sort of a silent stamp on the world. I don't want fame and fortune, but I want the generations after me to have learned something that they continue to pass on to the generations after them.

5. Thongs or Birkenstocks? Umm...Flip-flops (thongs) occasionally, but mostly I just wear comfy flats or tennis shoes. I am clumsy no matter what I am wearing.

6. Who was I before I had kids? Well, that is simple. I have no kids. I am a newlywed still, so I am still just me. I couldn't' tell you what I want to be when I grow up. I go where I am led. We would love to have children, but I suppose we are waiting for God to choose the child he wants for us. It is in His timing.

7. Have I ever been arrested? No, I haven't. I can't honestly think of anything I have done to be arrested for... other than crimes against fashion, I suppose. ;o)

8. What will you be doing this weekend? This weekend, I will be with my husband! It feels like ages since I had any quality time with him since he started a night shift job. We are going to check out the Relay for Life (a sort of fundraiser for the American Cancer Society) and hopefully, if the rain stays away, we will be seeing a drive-in movie. We live amidst cornfields, but our small town is one of the few (less than 100, I believe) in America to still have a drive-in movie theater. I will be teaching my first Sunday School lesson that I co-ordinated on my own, and I will be starting physical therapy for my elbow. All very exciting things!

So, what will you be doing this weekend? I hope answering eight questions is the first thing on your list!

New Love

Check out one of my newest loves!

Recently, I have started to knit with wool for the first time I ever. If you read my previous blog, you found out that I started to knit again as well. ;o) I have never worked with wool before now, but I had a friend who had been making wool diaper covers, pants, shorts, capris, etc. for her two little girls. Now, I don't have any babies of my own, yet, but I was in love with these little knit clothes.

So, I took up knitting again, more determined than ever to figure it out, and I have now knit (and frogged) a pair of fingerless mittens, two skirty diaper covers (which I did not frog), and a pair of infant capris with a girly picot edging. These are my most recent project (and yes, there was a bit of frogging going on in the beginning...well...because I am still learning).

The author of the pattern seems like a wonderful lady. She wrote the pattern, allows you to download it for free, and on top of all of that, she encourages you to sell the items you make, especially if you are a stay at home type like me. ;o) I was so thrilled with this because all I have been finding lately are patterns you have to pay an arm and a leg for, and then you must give up your first born child just to be able to sell the items that you spent your own hard earned money and your blood, sweat, tears and time to make. I mean, maybe I'm being slightly melodramatic here, but the licenses do normally cost a pretty penny. Some authors even go so far as to put a cap on how many items you are allowed to sell in a year's time.

So now, you can see why I thought Annalea was a saint. I did e-mail her and tell her that in so many words, and when I was finished, I sent her another e-mail with a link to my Etsy listing. What I got back was so very sweet. She was very happy with my enthusiasm, and she liked my project enough to feature the picture on the pattern page! If you click on her name above, you will be taken to her pattern page where you will see my creation right next to a few others wonderful creations. I feel so grateful!

What Have I Been Up To?

It's been a little while since my last post, and man have I been busy! Recently, I decided I'd like to take another crack at knitting. I tried teaching myself once, but my heart was really set on crochet. (Don't worry, it still is.) However, I have finally managed to get the hang of knitting, and I must say that I love it, too. Here are a few things I have learned as of late:

• Kitchener Stitch: It appears to me that many people have been intimidated by the Kitchener Stitch, and I must assure you, it is unnecessary. I too, was pretty confused the first time I was reading about it, but it really does make for a very nice seam. I still have to refer to the directions each time I use it, but, like anything else in life, with practice, it is becoming very easy. Click on the link above, and it will direct you to About.com's pictorial directions of Kitchener Stitch. And believe me. If I can wrap my head around it, anyone can! :) Below is a picture of my second time using the Kitchener Stitch. I used it to seam the crotch of this skirty diaper cover/soaker closed.
  



• Knitting in the Round on Circular Needles: Knitting in the round on circular needles has been great for me because I despise using double pointed needles (DPN's). The first time I tried was horrific. Granted, I was trying to teach myself to knit for the first time on the same day I was trying to knit on DPN's. Call it what you will, but I would so much rather use circular needles. They are perfect for knitting something seamlessly. As a crocheter, I was used to working things in the round. I was convinced that knitting in the round could not possibly be simpler or even as simple as crocheting in the round. Guess what, though! It really was! If you click on this link above, it will again direct you to About.com's basic guide to knitting in the round on circular needles. The picture below shows my first ever project knit in the round. It is another skirty soaker, and I really love it!

• Magic Loop Method: Now this method, I am learning as I type here. It was just slightly confusing at the beginning, but this link will lead you to Knitting Daily website where you will find yet another pictorial guide. I am only doing my gauge swatch right now, but my next project is going to be Alice Cullen Fingerless mittens in a yarn I like to call Aqua Paradise.
  

I know it is hard to see, but here is a link to the free pattern on Ravelry. And below are a few

pictures of my gauge swatch in the Magical Loop Method.

And on a final note...All three yarns pictured here were hand dyed and hand painted by me! But that is an entirely separate post. :)

Damned Itchy Ears

Benadryl at 9:30 pm for inflamed rash on my ears.

Shower at 9:45 pm in which I scrub my ears with sea salt scrub, thinking possibly my husband is correct in thinking it is just dry skin. Felt the burn of sea salt in open wound at 9:50 pm.

Went upstairs to go to bed at 10:15 pm only to find that I wasn't all that tired. So, I read a little before bed to help me fall asleep. Great, except I get really into the book and read til what I assume was close to 11 pm.

Next to tears because of mental exhaustion, but my body must be quite resilient because it hasn't received the memo that we are tired.

Fall asleep and sleep through two alarms because that was better than smashing the phone when it tried to wake me up. Woke up at 6:50 am. Supposed to be at work at 7am. Was still only 15 minutes late (and I live 10 miles away from the job).

Dragging a$$ tired right now. Benadryl hasn't worn off. Best of all, guess what I have?

Smooth, itchy ears......................................fml.

New Creation

I just have to say before I go on that I am very tired. I am feeling very sad today, and I'm positive I overworked myself yesterday whipping this up. I was so excited yesterday that I just couldn't help it, though. I'm afraid if I don't post about it now, it will get hidden off on my (non-existent) to do list and I will never actually post about it. So, this will not be as wordy or as wonderful as I had hoped, but you have to see my new creation.































So you see, 11 and 1/2 hours at the sewing machine really does pay off. I am so in love with this purse, but I still can't wait to make another one. This is not my design, though. The desing came from an obvious sewing genius named Rebekah Lambert. I bought the pattern at her shop Artsy-Crafty Babe on Etsy.

I have never sewn a purse in my life, and I had never sewn pleats in my life. There are some obvious "whoopsies" in my purse, and as I continue to make them, they will get better. However, this pattern was so easy to understand, I was able to actually create this beaty. What's more, if I so choose, I can make these to sell because the designer allows that. How great!!

You will also notice a picture near the beginning (hopefully! All I can see is scripted words that mean nothing to me, so I'm assuming the pictures are where I want them to be.) there is a picture of a coffee cup from McD's and a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. Later on, you will notice some tea and the same Peanut Butter Egg. I waited until well in the afternoon to treat myself to that little baby. And Deb, if you are reading this (check her out at Works in Progress) I decided to instate "afternoon tea" by myself yesterday. I believe I deserved it! :)

"Train Ride"

I've just returned home from an afternoon coffee date with some lady friends of mine. I sort of lolly gagged on my way home, stopping at a local store to look at yarn and things I don't need. It is a rainy day today. I did eventually convince myself that I was on the verge of spending money I didn't have and should go home. I grabbed the 7-Up I promised my husband, as he has been sick since Thursday this week. Then, I strolled out into the chilly rain.

There used to be a time in my life that rainy days made my day. I don't know what it was about a rainy day, but you could always guarantee that I would be most happy and most creative on a rainy day. Some time over the last year, something has shifted inside of me, though, and I don't so much like the rainy days anymore. They make me feel awfully nostalgic. I do, however, like how the rain makes me think.

As I was driving out of town today, on my way home, I caught up to a train, not a people-carrying train. It was just a train with cars and tanks, for commercial purposes I suppose. As I caught up to it, I was driving fast enough that I just continued to pass the train cars with ease, and this saddened me. A feeling deep inside of me was telling me to stay at pace with the train cars. And that is just what I did. Something about this train was majestic today.

I was enamored with the wheeled black cylinders. This train had been traveling in the rain long enough that it was completely wet. Isn't it funny how water on surfaces changes the appearance of them? The rain made this train look as though it had a fresh coat of paint, as if it were brand new.

As I'm riding along with this train, I can start to hear the subtle clack-clack of the wheels on the tracks through my car windows. In the background now, I hear the rustic vocals and the acoustic sound of Anna Nalick. Rainy days are perfect days to hear Anna Nalick. Suddenly, this train was reminding me of my life.

Sometimes it seems I slowed down, and the train cars began to pass me. As one train car would pass me, there was a slight tug at my heart. "Don't let it pass you by," I could hear my heart saying to me. So, I would ebb gently forward to meet my train car again.

Sometimes, I would speed up just enough that my train car was just behind me. "Don't get ahead of yourself," my heart would say to me. So, I would let off the gas pedal just enough to meet my train car again.

Each time I met with my train car, I found it beautiful. The rainy sheen made the black shine like a metal stallion.

Sometimes, I simply drove along next to my train car, allowing the clack-clack to become sweet music to my ears. Sometimes, I would turn my head sideways just to get a glance of the beautiful black stallion. Those times, I would see the reflection of the slowly melting snow, see the reflection of life on the ground. Sometimes, I would find myself singing along with the song:

Forever love
Say you'll love
Digame, Digame
Tell me so
I can hold you in my soul
If I go
I'll know

It was a beautiful moment as we ebbed closer to my rural home. The train and I moving ever forward, never looking back. We both pulled into my rural town at the same moment. I turned on to the street and slowed to a stop when I met the tracks. The train moved so quickly past me. I was not sad to see it go, just happy to witness its majesty. The last train car pulled up the rear and passed in front of my eyes.

I could have driven next to that train all day long, just to see life through its eyes, but I was content to stop where I did. That train is my life, ever moving forward, but for now, I have stopped where I am supposed to be.

Lent

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, as many of you may already know. Ash Wednesday turned out to be a day full of emotion for me, and not such a good day by the end of it all. It was just a bunch of financial stress, job stress, and marriage stress rolled into a ball and thrown directly at my face at warp speed. Today, however, is a new day, and today, I would like to share with you all my goal for Lent this year as well as a few other thoughts.

This year marks the second year that I am observing Lent. Growing up, I didn't attend church regularly, but I remember as far back as being in grade school and talking to my friends about God. For whatever reason, I always knew that I believed in Him. Through my teen years, I found a home church that was non-denominational, and they didn't stress Lent so much. They pretty much stressed living your life every day knowing and thanking God for his sacrifice for us. If we all did that, I suppose there wouldn't be much need for Lent.

Anyway, now I am a member of a Methodist church, and while I'm sure I have expressed before that I don't necessarily agree with all of their "traditions," I am where I am supposed to be. I do agree with this idea of Lent. I think it is humbling to take something out of your daily life that you normally would do/eat/think about/say/drink/etc. without paying a second thought to. Every time you reach for that something you gave up, you will be reminded of why you gave it up. You will be reminded that Jesus gave his life for you, and it really isn't that much to ask for you to give up chocolate for Him.

It seems menial, but we are selfish, we humans. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you I didn't slip up last year during Lent when I did give up chocolate. I have the ever present issue of eating my emotions at times, and chocolate is a BIG emotion in my life. Some days, I felt that like that chocolate fix was just more important than God. That reflects my true attitude during my daily life, though. There are days that the temptations are so strong, and my prayers are so quiet that I am able to push my faith to the side as if it is just another old pair of shoes I used to sort of like.

That is why this year, I took suggestions from friends and family about what I should give up for Lent. I was told things like caffeine (coffee), chocolate again because it is still a relevant challenge, refined sugar, etc. Most people said chocolate, so I was resigned to go with the vote of the People. I started to really think about it, though, and I did some "research" on the internet. What I found was interesting to me and not something I had learned in the past. There were a few people that said instead of giving something up, you could take something on, like adding something to your daily schedule such as exercise, stretching, Bible study, etc.

It hit me then that, yes, Lent is about learning about sacrifice, but Lent could also be about establishing new and better habits that would, in turn, help to remind me of Jesus' sacrifice for me. That is why, this year for Lent, I have decided to instate a minimum of 15 minutes of daily Bible study, and I am vowing to myself to read through all four Gospels during this Lent. I did some figuring, and there are 89 chapters in the Gospels. Therefore, if I read a little more than 2 chapters a day, I will get my 15 minutes in and I will manage to read through four books of the Bible.

I will be reading out of the Message Bible. Throughout the next 39 (including today) days, I may at times post blogs concerning what I have learned that day, post short blogs with a verse I found interesting/helpful that day, or post my thoughts about what I have read each day. This is going to be a very humbling experience for me because I have never read my Bible daily, and there are many days that I deliberately avoid God because I don't want to confess my sins, because I have too much pride, because I am just sure I am right and because, most of all, I want to think that I am in control. (Ha! If only I would learn...Silly Rabbit, control is for God!!)

I hope that in this, we can all learn together and that my blog may serve as a community for open discussion. You don't have to agree with me, but I ask that you respect my beliefs as I respect yours. Please do not leave malicious comments. Please do not tell me that I am a "stupid-head." If you have questions, I will be happy to attempt answering them, but lets be mature about this and explore our differences. :)

New Cowl/Scarf From Leftover Yarn

Recently I stumbled upon an awesome website called
Prudent Baby, and every so often, they post some really fun and easy crochet patterns. Did I mention that they are free patterns? Oh yeah! I am a huge fan of free patterns, and I'm especially a huge fan of free patterns that allow me to use up left over yarn. I am even more especially a huge fan of free patterns that allow me to use up left over yarn that isn't really left over but more brand new-ish that I absolutely had to buy when it was on sale for $4-ish instead of $7-ish because I knew that at some point I was going to want to use said yarn and would not be able to justify spending $7-ish on a small skein of yarn.

Wooo! Inhale! I swear to you I said something very much like that last paragraph to my husband and MIL just this morning in one breath! It shouldn't come as any shock to those of you who know me. My sister's husband so kindly refers to it as the "Trish Syndrome," in which he is lovingly referring to our crazy Mom that we all miss so much. She used to do a lot of "mile a minute" speeches. Thanks Mom!

Now, moving on, if you crochet and like to crochet with two strands of yarn, ahem, Momma B, or chunky yarn, this is the perfect pattern for you. If you like to crochet and like to crochet quick projects, this is the perfect pattern for you. If you like to crochet and like to crochet scarves/cowls, you guessed it, this is the perfect pattern for you. And of course if you love to wear cowls/scarves as much as I do or even know someone who loves to wear cowls/scarves as much as I do, then for the love of God, go check out this very, very simple and quick pattern!

Um, you know, just a suggestion.

Getting Personal

Oh it feels like forever since I last sat here at this computer and wrote a blog to my fellow blogging friends...That's right! It has been forever! Let me tell you all what a day in my life is like these days.

I am 21 years old! As of January 14th, I am a legal alcohol consumer in the great US. Its funny because in America, once you turn 21, there is really nothing else exciting until you get married, graduate college, buy your first home, or have babies. Well, I am already married, I dropped out of college (or took a break to say it more lightly), and the other two on the list are pretty far off at this point.

In December 2009, my husband and I decided that it was time to say goodbye to our first "home" as a married couple, suck up our pride, and move in with his parents. That is where we currently reside, upstairs in his parents awesomely old home. There are still skeleton key holes and everything, but don't let that fool you. These winter months can feel quite hellish at times because of how bitter cold it can get upstairs. I literally sleep with an electric blanket every night...I know...Poor me. Look at me complaining while so many others would kill, literally, to have what we have.

Moving on, my husband and I are constantly growing in our relationship. We have been tested so many times in the near 3 years we have been together, and every time so far, we have come out smelling the roses...Well, it hasn't exactly been so ideal every time, but we do still love each other through all the craziness. Being a newlywed is a lot of fun and a lot of stress, but if you are willing to stick it out, accept the others' faults, and accept your own faults even more so, it is possible to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am glad I have such a good man to go through it all with. As I type this, he is listening to music and cleaning (yes ladies, I said cleaning!).

My husband has still not been able to land a job. He has found plenty, applied for what feels like hundreds, and taken a handful of interviews. I hate that he is going through this, but he is not alone. That helps some. I was temporarily without a job, but in the past three weeks, I landed a job taking care of a friend's mother. She is 83 years old. She is strong, as independent as health allows, and completely endearing to be with. It has opened my eyes to a whole new career path for myself, and I really love to hear her stories. More about that, later, though.

This my life now. Recently, I told a few friends that I must wake up every day and remind myself that this is in fact my life. I must do this because it all still looks so unfamiliar to me. People I thought would be apart of it no longer are, people I never dreamed would be, have come into it, and circumstances beyond my control continue to teach me to live one day at a time. There will soon be more blogs to come, blogs about my new job, blogs about some of my most recent completed projects, and whatever other trains of thought I can manage to litter throughout. Enjoy!