Tuesday, October 30, 2012

HAPPY HALLOWEEN


Ok so I'm about an hour early in my Halloween wishes.  I have been reading about this holiday and how some think that if you are religious person you can't possibly celebrate Halloween.  Well I consider myself religious, I believe in God and am proud to do so.  I do not celebrate this holiday in the mean, scary way......but rather in a cute way.  I decorate my home because my kids enjoy the decorations and so do I.  We do not worship evil spirits, I think this holiday has become more about having fun, letting our kids play dress up, carving pumpkins, walking through corn mazes and pumpkin patches, getting hay rides.......watching cute Halloween cartoons and movies.  (Yes I watch cartoons)  :D  

I know several churches that put on parties for this holiday to let kids in to another way of celebrating.  I think only God knows what is truly in our hearts, and that is enough for me.  

Aiden's father was in town last weekend for his birthday, and we were going to carve the pumpkins then as we did last year, but I just forgot.  I have been super busy in my day to day life that it just didn't come up.  I was also busy that weekend getting ready for his party, and both boys did their belt testing for Taekwondo.  Aiden was belt testing for his green tip, while AJ was testing for his green belt.  Both passed, they did an awesome job.  This was also the month that Black belts tested, so it was a huge crowd, and we are hoping they will get their belts/colors next week.  

So I let the kids pick out their pumpkins Friday, and we carved them this weekend.  We even found a pumpkin carving saw....yep you read that right!!  

Our pumpkin carving kits!  I found the saw on sale for $3.00

  I had my father and AJ cut off the tops and scoop out the guts.......that way that mess would be out of the way for carving. 
  So we had our kits ready, next was taking a "before" picture.

Boys ready for carving!!!

So we got the pic, sun was in our way, but what are ya gonna do?  LOL

Aiden hard at work putting his pattern onto his pumpkin.

I cannot do that part, it cramps up my hand too much.  I will say that using the saw was not as easy and fast as I thought, I ended up putting the battery operated saw down to use the old fashion carving knife you get with the kit.  I think AJ used it for awhile too.  

All in all it was fun!  The boys enjoyed it.  I had to run out to buy candles for them tonight.  AJ has been in Robotics at school, so he stays after for about 2 1/2 hours, I don't mind, at least I don't have to fight the traffic when school is letting out. His Robotics is over in another week, and then he is joining the swim team, so again he will be late getting home as they will practice every day.  I hope he enjoys being on the team, he enjoys swimming.  He is doing so well in school.  He has always been a C student in math and algebra, except last year he finally brought that up to a B.  But Geometry he absolutely loves, and got an A on his last test!!!  I am so proud of him.  Aiden brought home two tests.  He takes a spelling test every Friday and has gotten a perfect score on every single one.  They are now taking a writing test as well and a math test, all of which he has gotten 100% on.  I am so proud of both my boys.  

So be safe out there tomorrow if you are taking little ones out Trick or Treating.  Make sure to take a flash light too!  I will be taking my little Aiden out, and I think AJ is hanging out with some friends. 



FRUSTRATED

First I want to say that this post is not about me tooting my own horn, I do not for one instance think I am better than anyone.........BUT..........I have been really frustrated as to what people think they have a right to say to me about my patterns.

I still consider myself a new designer......I think all of us will continue to learn as we go.  We are not perfect.  I admit that when I first started designing, that I didn't know what I was doing.  I know as a beginner to crochet, it took some time in learning what abbreviations meant on patterns, and also learning the style of designers.  One thing I did learn about writing out a design.....is that a lot of us do it differently. Some use their own abbreviation styles, some use the standard.  For me when starting out, I had seen in many patterns, "SS" which meant Slip stitch.  So I used the SS myself........I have heard from some people that it was not the normal SS.........so I decided to start using the standard, more used, "Slst" abbreviation.  I also learned that some will never be satisfied with how you write something out and I cannot change that.

My frustration comes from the comments I get from some people.  Some of them I know were genuine in not understanding something I had written out, and I could totally relate and understand as I am in that position with other patterns a lot.  To this day I still see how my own patterns can be re-written out to make it more easier.  Some comments though, can be very rude.  I have had some people tell me I have no right to have a, "Terms of Use" on my patterns, while others don't understand the need as they are offered free online.  well I do have a right to use them, and I do see how hard it can be to enforce it so to speak.  Even though I offer my patterns free online, does not mean or give anyone the right to say it's their own pattern.  They do not have a right to take my pictures and say it's their own work.......they do not have a right to take my patterns and change one round/row and then say it's their own work.......they do not have a right to tell me how and what I can add to my patterns pertaining to copyright, or terms of use.

I also get comments from others about my own style of writing.........they act as if they have a right to tell me it's wrong and I need to write it out the way they think it needs to be done.  Below is an example of a comment I just received today on a post.  Now it's not as rude or outright as some of the others, (which I don't approve)  I did, however, choose to post this one.  They made the comment as "Anonymous" I will say the only thing I changed in the pattern from the post, was I took out the special notes on beg corner and corner and just added them into the round instructions.  I also changed the SS to Slst, as it was one of the many patterns I have yet to change.  It's a time consuming process to go back and change all the patterns, but eventually I will get it done.  I think my response was also rude, but I am so frustrated as I took this comment as being rude.  To me I took it as they are saying, I don't know how to write, as they have "never" seen them like that.  Well I have seen instructions like it, and I have seen them even worse.  Some of those patterns were actually printed in a magazine/book I paid for.  But I would never think to write the designer with such a comment.  Why do I have to be the same as someone else?  Why can't I write in my own style??  Why on earth does someone think they have a right to tell this?  It's rude and very inconsiderate of my own feelings.  My patterns are offered for free.  They take time to make, write out, rewrite, test, rewrite, redo and so on..........and I am both upset and saddened that people out there just don't seem to care enough to be decent.  This person was more than welcome to ask for help.  She could have left a comment or emailed me about a question she had.  Maybe she is a beginner......or even not a crocheter at all.  As I do not understand how she didn't understand it at all.  The only other comment I have received is someone not knowing what ++ meant.  I admit that ++ is not the normal, but it was my way of writing it out, and maybe it should have been in the notes that ++ means to repeat instructions between the ++ signs.  I have seen other designers use the ++ and so I know it's not that uncommon to see in a pattern.  Even as I write this out I see that I didn't add the definition to that in the notes section.  But had I seen something in a pattern I didn't understand, I would first see if instructions were offered online.........if I still couldn't find it, I would then email/message the designer.  I would NEVER say the comment below to a designer.

I hope this person reads this and sees how this comment was taken, and hopefully next time she will ask if she doesn't understand something, and hopefully not make another designer feel this way.  I am hoping it was not her intention, but seeing the comment is really hard not to see that it's written out exactly like it was meant to be taken. 

I don't expect everyone to like my patterns, there are plenty I have seen from others that I don't like but you know what?  I still respect them, and I just don't work the pattern.  I was raised to respect people, even when you don't agree/like them.  IF you don't like my patterns, that is fine .....don't visit my blog, don't make my patterns, but please don't try to insult me. 
Anonymous said...
I must be a beginner, cause I have never seen directions like this. I don't think I'll try it.
2:38 PM
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Blogger Dragonflymomof2 said...
I debated on approving this last comment, but did so to point out that I took this as you being rude! If you do not understand something why not ask?? Why do you need to point out that you think my pattern is too hard to read? I have seen many patterns both online and bought that are written out in many different ways/styles. I do not think I need to try to insult the designer by insinuating that the pattern is just not written well. I am learning as I go about designing......and my patterns may not be written to every individuals preferences, or written out to be exactly like another designers way of writing. I have my own unique style and I offer my patterns free online. So I think your comment especially being "Anonymous" was out of line. I would have been more than happy to help you out with anything you didn't understand. I did, however change a few things to make it more "normal" I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but I am very frustrated when I offer my patterns free online then I get people trying to tell me how to write, or insinuating I don't know how.
3:01 PM
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Friday, October 26, 2012

WOOOHOO AN UPDATE!

You can see above some of my recent crochet work. Some are pattens I tested for others, you can see of my recent Halloween crochet.....the matchbox was part of a swap.  Take a matchbox, decorate it, and add trinkets inside.  I took the 250 matchbox, then added a smaller matchbox in it as well.  It was the second one I had to do.  First one accidentally got sent in another package.  I didn't want the lady to wait any longer, so I did another one.

I am currently working on finishing up a Mystery ghan that was hosted by Julie at Ravelry.  You can see some of the squares in that slideshow above.  I just finished clue #4 and now time to work on the final clue. 

http://myblueangels.blogspot.com/p/mystery-square-crochet-long-11-01.html
I am also hosting a Mystery square crochet a long.  (CAL)  In September I designed 12 squares, actually 13, but one just doesn't "fit"  Anyway, I have long been fascinated (ok a bit fascinated) of symbols, and the meaning they hold for people.  Some symbols are universal, while others can be different around the world.  When reading up on it, I realized that so many of us have our "own" ideas of what symbols mean to us.  Some of us use traditional symbols, and some of us choose to make our own symbols, and add our own meaning to them.  For me the dragonfly represents freedom,  letting our children learn to fly on their own......and I can tell you that it has the same meaning for others too. 

So I started out by drawing pictures of squares and then the symbols in them........then took a generic square I had and marked where I thought the design needed to be.  My mother chose two colors for her afghan, Soft Sage and Shocking Pink.......both are from Red Heart, but have different feels to them.  Soft Sage squares come out slightly smaller.  Anyway, I did all the first squares with those two colors.  I did not have to redo any of the squares.......although I did find a mistake in one of them, pattern was written right, I just made a mistake while working the square. 

I hope you check out the link and join up.  Please feel free to share this with your crochet friends.