making magic

I was checking on my sister’s blog, and was shocked and appauled (yes, both shocked and appauled) by her latest post. I put in ‘makingmagic’, and what did I find? They’ve stolen mine, too!

I haven’t put any of my site under Creative Commons - which relenquishes some rights - so it’s all under Copyright. That means that any use of it including redistribution is illegal. Sure, you can quote me with proper credit, but “Articles are copyrighted by their respective authors.” put at the bottom of my stolen entries is not appropriate credit - and besides, it’s past the point where it can be considered even a long quote!

It’s flat-out plagarism. They don’t have my permission to publish my work, and they’re certainly not paying me royalties. The only place this content is legally distributed is makingmagic.mycrochetblog.com - anywhere else, it’s stolen. If plagarism can be called by something as simple as ‘theft’! In my opinion, it borders somewhere between theft and rape - and I’ve been violated.

So stop bitacle.

Well, things are going better now–not that that takes much, and not that things could have gotten much worse–and I have something to show off! Best thing about living at home–digital camera. All right. This is the jacket/sweater thing I showed started so very long ago . . . it’s completely finalized now!

Lookie! And there are even still roses blooming! I love roses . . . and I have new meds . . . and I have a therepy appointment tomorrow . . . O.o Okay, that one’s wierd. So, more pictures!

Yay for crochet! Yay for roses! I do love roses. Though it had some inspirations (not that I have links for them now . . . >.<) it was made without a pattern.

Well, I’ve been very depressed recently, and I’m moving back home. Hopefully things will get better and I’ll get back to crocheting. I haven’t started anything new, I haven’t finished anything . . . I’m just . . . lost. Very lost.

I miss my family, I missed getting to see my new nephew, I missed, I missed, I miss.

Hopefully next time it won’t take me so long to update.

I’ve not posted for a very long time . . . *shameface* Lots of things have happened, and I’ve just been to lathargic to post. I’m now ninteen–as of yesterday–and I’m living in a nice little house with some friends. I work as a telephone interviewer, of all things–who would have thought, with me being as shy as I am–and am both good at it and enjoy it. I’m making the final alterations to my jacket, and then I need to get to work with my alpaca–and on my secret project I have planned! *grins* I’ll get a cheap digital camera or web cam soon so I can post pictures, but the project, ’tis a secret.

Okay, getting back in the game time. Christmas break is over, I’m finally getting better from whatever viral thing jumped me, and all I have to do now is put everything back in place–and clean up my room from moving in. Anyway, my new roommate–one of the two moved down the hall between semesters–has a camera she leaves on her desk and doesn’t care if I use it. It took me forever to figure out how to open the battery spot when it told me they were exhausted, but I got them replaced. Anyway, photos. Melissa wants me to post photos. And things are more fun when illustrated, anyway!

And where better to start than the Scrooge McDuck shot that Melissa requested? A few months ago I bought ten skeins of 100% alpaca yarn in this lovely dove gray. It’s wonderful to pet, and I’m planning on making a sweater out of it, something like Tubey, but without the stripes–just solid dove gray. Won’t it make a lovely sweater? I saw a pattern for a dress with that neckline before, and I just loved it.

Continuing on my photo-spree (I’m too fond of cameras, believe me), more yarn! This is the Christmas yarn I haven’t started working with yet. The green at the bottom is from my mother–two skeins, each larger than my head–while the black is from my little sister, and the brown-tones are from my Crochetville Christmas Elf.

And a finished project! That dang sweater! It’s a little snug, but looks fine with a camisole under it and a jacket over it. I used Josi’s custom tank pattern, and followed an idea of Melissa’s for the sleeves. It’s done in Caron’s Simply Soft in dark sage.

Back on the gloating about what I got for Christmas track, we had Secret Santas in our “House” at college–the only male who participated was, oddly enough, the SA (elsewhere called RAs) that we forced to. Hmm, wonder why. My Secret Santa was our female SA, and other than the dark chocolate I’ve already eaten, I got yarn and hooks! The yarn I’m making a jacket out of (it’s Caron Simply Soft as well), and the hooks are lovely and big! Good for bulky yarns and bulky projects.

The blue hook is out because I’ve been using it for my jacket. Melissa was working on Genevieve, and was showing me pictures of other similar projects. That is where I saw this. The brown jacket is so perfectly in my style, I had to make something similar. I looked at the patterns that Vrya had used, and the notes she has about what she did, and now I’m working on my own. I have the sleeve section almost completed!

I’m so happy with myself. Anyway, hopefully there will be more of my sweater done soon–and maybe it will even be warm enough to take pictures OUTSIDE. Were it is currently FREEZING. I know you’re laughing, Melissa. It’s not that funny.

I really shouldn’t be depressed by the fact that I’m going home tomorrow. But I am. I really am. I’m gonna be home for a month, and I have something to tell my parents that is going to be uncomfortable at best (Melissa, you’ll hear about it, believe me). I have an essay to edit and a “writer’s autobiography” still to write before midnight, meals and dining dollars to spend, and most of my friends are gone or leaving soon. I’m not really looking forward to Christmas–exchanging presents, yes, but not Christmas–and I’m nervous about talking to mom and dad. All in all, it doesn’t make for a particularly happy Emi.

Wish me luck–and enjoy my first pattern! It’s a scarf–a very cute scarf, if I may.

Chrismas is coming, the goose is getting fat! And all my presents are done. *gloats* Anyway, I’ve gotten yarn! I can’t give you pictures right now *sighs* but it’s lovely. 500 g of superfine (I looked it up; it’s baby, sock, or fingering weight) 100% alpaca in the most lovely gray! I also got my homespun for my upcoming jacket project. Among the twelve skeins that were in my ebay lot, one was *gasp* actually a centerpull! What is the world coming to?

On the sweater, I’m still working on sleeves. It’s getting monotanous, and I’m eager to start on my jacket, though I need a K hook for that. Well, my J would work, but it would be harder to work with, since the stitches would be tighter.

Finals are coming, essays are coming due, and mostly I just want to go home. Well, not really go home, but leave the college and move somewhere on my own. Not that I can afford to right now . . . anyway, I’m gonna spend next semester saving up, and if I really like my summer job, I’m going to drop instead of going back next year. I just don’t like college, you know? I’m not really an academic. I just love knowledge. *sigh* It seems stupid, but really I’m here because it was the best economic choice–and I was sooo ready to move away from home! Stupid reasons, really.

After going home for Thanksgiving and being stuck with dialup, I really love my high speed connection. I mean, I can actually move at a decent pace! Yay for college! I had to placate Cisco Clean Access Agent after leaving Goliath unable to update my virus scanner for a week, but everything is working and I’m home free! Well . . . except for the homework I need to finish for my 12:30 tomorrow . . .

As for my sweater, I’m rather disappointed with the pattern. I matched the gague perfectly, and the sweater size I used should have fit someone with a 44 inch bust (which I have) of a D cup or higher (I’m a DDD/F) so it should fit a 40D, and should give a 38F no problem and some exess tummy room. Not so. It fit fine up to the bust, but the bust area was too short and would fit a 38A, maybe a B, but there was no way an F was gonna fit. I had to frog out the upper bodice and wing it. I’m to the sleeves now, so I should have it finished soon.

On a happier note, I got a Susan Bates F hook from a Crochetville Elf! It was really great and totally made my day!

I started on my sweater yesterday. It’s worked in rounds from the bottom up, and what I have so far is shaped like the bottom of a fitted sweater! What’s more, it fits! I’m so happy–I had to frog a lot at first, but it’s working pretty smoothly now. It’s going to be gorgeous.

I was going to see Harry Potter last night, but that didn’t work out. Today I have plans (Blaze was pretty peeved that I didn’t know the LARP was today and so am not coming) and so I’ll go next week. Or maybe while I’m home for Thanksgiving. And so the sweater got worked up to thirty rounds last night.

Today I have a bit of stuff to get ready for our house’s Secret Santa thing, and then I’m going to Knitting Knights. It’s a knit and crochet for charity thing here on campus, and I’m really excited about it. I mean, how cool is that? There’s the one today, and then next week or something. I’ll have to check when exactly the next one is. Two weeks, maybe, since Thanksgiving’s next week?

Whee, I got my shawl done! I used this pattern, but I decided that the edging didn’t look right in the double strand of Simply Soft (Rubine Red and Black) that I used. So it’s a warm-but-lacy mesh shawl.

And here’s a close-up of the tie I made. If anyone’s interested, I can whip up the pattern.

I made it to go with my slippers, made with Abi’s Slipper Pattern. The flowers are free-form, smaller versions of the one I used for my tie.

Nice, aren’t they? All lovely and warm!