I started learning to knit at the beginning of March this year. It turned out that I enjoy knitting quite a lot, and managed to finish an 8 foot long scarf after a month and a half of work. Since then, I’ve begun “stashing” – storing yarn of various color & texture for projects that I have in mind, and started several shawls and a knit bag. In the short months I’ve been learning this craft, I’ve purchased an electric yarn winder, which will turn loosely wound balls or skeins into tighter center-pulled balls I can stack & store without them rolling around like mad.

The winder itself is a great tool, but I found that often I will get almost to the end of a skein, and manage to get the last few yards into a tangled mess. To solve this problem, most knitters use a yarn swift to hold the skien and wind it with their winder. Imagine a merry-go-round for a loop of yarn. The problem is that most yarn swifts are upwards of sixty to seventy dollars, plus shipping. I have yet to find a craft store that sells the yarn swifts in any shape. My solution – I’ll make it my damn self.

So, making a list and checking it twice, I made my way to the Home Depot. While being asked at almost every aisle “Do you need help?” or “Can I help you find anything?”, I managed to find everything I needed. I’ll put a list of everything I got at the end, just so you don’t have to wade through it here. The construction was fairly simple, and it was my first time using a hand saw at all and a power drill for something more than putting a screw into the wall. The main construction took only an hour or so, and I got my boyfriend to be my extra set of hands while I was sawing and using the drill.

The finishing touches I completed today, which included putting little plastic feet on the base, to lift it up high enough so the bolt under the base doesn’t make the whole thing rock, sanding it all down, and fitting more pegs for the swift arms. I have 8 total, so I have extras if they get lost or broken.

The first test run I recorded video of, and it can be found on my Facebook page or YouTube. I had to stop recording after a bit, because it turns out I had one of the arms on wrong, and it snapped a bit. Okay, so it snapped completely. But I fixed it!! I pumped that break full of super glue and stuck that bad boy back together again!! So it’s fine now.

The thing is, I’m not sure I’m going to need all the length the arms of the swift have. But I’m going to leave it as it is now, to see if I ever use the pegs further out from the center, and if I don’t, I’ll hack the ends off and drill a few more holes further in on the arms. I do think I will keep the base the size it is, because I feel that the base should be larger than the arms are.

I’m really proud of my project. If anyone wants the instructions for how to make their own swift, I can write that in a separate post.

Anyway, here’s my list of what I used for the swift:

• 7 foot length of 2×1″, cut into 2 3-foot lengths & 2 1/2-foot lengths
• 2 lengths of 3/4″ square wood that were 3-foot each
• 3 washers, 5/16″
• a wing nut, 5/16″
• a bolt, 5 inches long, 5/16″
• a dowel rod, 5/16″ cut into 8 6-inch pieces
• 4 little plastic nail-in chair feet
• a metal bolt spacer, I’ve forgotten what it’s called
• 4 small nails
• a 5/16″ drill bit
• a hand saw & miter box kit
• a rasp/file
• a couple of sanding blocks

Sociologists traditionally define the “transition to adulthood” as marked by five milestones: completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having a child.

Okay, so maybe that was a standard 20 or 30 years ago. Today? In this modern age, that doesn’t always work.

- Completing School – Okay, how far? Are we talking High School? College? 2- or 4-year? Graduate school? While most of us are fairly adept at graduating high school, there are a lot of us who were unable or just unwilling to attend college. College costs a lot. Those costs, should we choose to accept them, typically come in the form of loans. And those loans make it hard to…

- Becoming Financially Independent – This aspect of “growing up” is becoming more and more of a stumbling block, the further you go on the higher education ladder. Loans are hefty. You pay them off over time, but that still takes a long, long time. Then what if you need a car? A credit card for emergencies? In my mind, a person is not financially independent until they can afford to live entirely on their own, despite whatever loans they have. That may be different from what the article defines, but I think it would extremely difficult to live on ones’ own if they had rent, student loans, credit cards, car loan, & other bills & utilities to pay. Some people will most likely not ever be financially independent, because they’ll have roommates, significant others, or spouses with whom they’ll share rent and other monetary responsibilities.

- Leaving Home – Lack of sufficient income and job opportunities are two major reasons for not being able to leave home. But what about those who choose to stay home not because they can’t leave, but because to leave would be detrimental to their parents, whether financially, physically, or emotionally. With families who may have begun later in the parents’ lives, their 20-something children may find it difficult to leave home, lest their parents health suffer. This concept would also hinder…

- Getting Married – It would be a little difficult, in my mind, to date and eventually marry if I were burdened by lack of job opportunities, ailing parents or siblings, attempting to repay loans or any of the other issues that were previously mentioned. Those issues aside, some people just aren’t the marrying type. They much prefer their independence and the freedom to do whatever they want whenever they choose.  On the other hand, those who have found their love may not choose to marry straightaway, choosing instead to cohabitate for a time to ‘test the water,’ waiting until an appropriate time to marry.

- Having a Child – This event could occur either before or after marriage, and again, some people are not the child-rearing type. Women, with more choices for prevention, can choose to delay the childbearing process until they are ready, instead of letting Mother Nature make the choice for them.

When I grow up…

As far as I’m concerned, I’ve completed two of the five milestones. I’ve completed school as far as I chose to go, and I’ve moved away from home. By no means have I become financially independent, I have yet to marry, and last I checked I have no offspring.

I’m okay with that. I’m happy, I have my hobbies, I’m slowly ridding myself of debts, & I’m living with someone I love very dearly. So as far as I’m concerned, at 27 years old, I’m grown up enough. Will I ever reach the other milestones? Maybe, but I’m not rushing it. Besides, anyone who has “grown up” will always tell someone younger than them not to rush it. So why not take the advice of your elders, and not rush it?

The heat has made it almost unbearable to wear down unless I’m at the office with extreme air conditioning. I’ve had to trim (read: butcher) my bangs every few months to keep them from jabbing my eyeballs. I typically do absolutely nothing with my hair, except brush it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – it’s wavy, so it doesn’t just lay limply around my skull.

So I’m considering a hair cut. At the risk of upsetting my boyfriend, who enjoys my hair long, I plan to go fairly short. Long enough to connect pieces at either side under my chin, potentially angled up towards the back so it stays off my neck. I’m hoping to find a photo for the stylist, & with that & my description, come away with a hairstyle I’m happy with and will keep me cool for the rest of this insanely hot season.

Ask me anything

Ask me anything

The Geek Prom was fantastic, and Viv and Chooch are the best party throwers I know.

I gave out all the Pokemon tee shirts I created for my friends, and they were very well received. Now that they’re complete and out the door, I’ve set myself to wondering what tees I will create next. I have a few in mind to make single runs of for myself, and a series of three shirts for the three main podcasters of Girls’ Rules – Viv, MA, and me. They will come eventually. I’ll start on the stencils soon, and once I get the tees I’ll obviously start on painting.

I’ve decided that this convention is not going to be this year’s last. If I can get away with it, I’m going to try & worm my way into going to Otakon on July 30th with MA, Dan, & Paulette Jaxton. Also, it is my hope to find my way to PhilCon in November.

So that’s all. Keep an eye out for my Balticon 44 review on The Nerd Signal.

No, it’s not really that awful. It’s just getting my ass in a position to get the shit done. And I can act better than that.

I’ve finished the text, which is the most difficult. Eight shirts, eight text stencils. Twelve letters each. Six letters that needed a floating empty space. But it’s done.

See them here.

All that’s left is eight pokéball stencils. Only two types, which is a bit of a relief as far as design goes.

I’m hoping to have each one done in an evening, which should only be eight days. Probably not in succession.

And then comes another, smaller project. I’m looking forward to it tho. I enjoy making shirts.

It was a really nice day, and quite warm in the greenhouses. I snagged a hot dog and ate, watching the SPCA’s dogs for a while, from a far distance. Then I finally looked lost enough for an employee to ask me if I needed any help. Of course, I ask “Do you  have any bonsai?” and he immediately pulls a sad Japanese accent and we truck off into the houseplants section. He helped me find the bonsai, and I was immediately sucked in. It took me 20 minutes at least, looking at every single plant, from multiple directions, for me to finally give up and pick one. I chose a Juniper in a rectangular ceramic pot with some moss and stones for added decor. There were also braided money trees that were very nice, and I found a tray full of Venus Fly-Traps and Pitcher plants. So of course, I had to pick up a Venus. I almost got a plant whose sign stated all you do is let the soil dry and once it’s finished blooming you just toss it, but I thought that was a slight waste of money. Then I stumbled upon the tiniest cacti that I’ve ever seen, and thought I might put five or six together for a small low-maintenance desert garden, but then realized between the six tiny cacti and a pot with a tray it’d be far too much money for right now. So I put them all away and found a small double-bloom Echeveria cactus. I also found a table full of all different colored Bromeliads, one of which looked like it had a bulb of purple and pink cotton candy on top. I wanted that, but it was a little pricey, and so I settled for a vibrant red one.

So I spent about two hours at the garden center, and I brought home four plants – the Venus (which has already caught something!) the Echeveria cactus, the Bromeliad, and the Juniper bonsai. Plus a bag of potting soil, and a purple pot that I used to re-pot the Bromeliad. The girls at the register liked my credit card – a bright pink rose close-up.

I’m thinking of taking the bonsai to work, if they’ll permit it. I have a slight hankering to go back sometime in late spring and maybe pick up one or two more small houseplants, plus whatever I’d need to re-pot the Venus. It’s small now, but I’m hoping to let it outside to play every now and then, and hopefully it’ll fatten up nicely. Muahahaha.

Forever,

Jett

Patience is not my virtue.

If I can’t see or feel results, even after a few days, I get frustrated. I turn back to junk and comfort foods, which I’m beginning to realize is a serious, serious crutch for me. I can’t even understand how it became as such. I didn’t think I was like that; no one ever looked at me and thought I was using food like others use drugs or alcohol… At least, no one’s ever said that out loud. I snack almost uncontrollably. If I can see it, and I like it, I’ll eat it until it’s gone. I get cranky if I have oatmeal every morning for two or three days, and then trundle myself to BK for a breakfast biscuit & hashtots.

I realize I’m hurting myself.

It might be I’m going half a step forward and two or three steps back. I eat poorly. I misuse diet shakes. I don’t stick to anything very long before I give up.

It probably sounds like I’m some overweight cow, wallowing in self-pity, but in reality I don’t appear all that overweight. They call that visceral fat, and aside from subcutaneous fat, it’s extremely hard to get rid of. I’m trying not to be self-pitying, rather, I’m quite angry at myself. Anger is a better motivator for me anyway. Just ask anyone who’s helped me move or pack/unpack anything.

I’m considering another diet plan, but I don’t want to talk about it here right now.

I’m angry that I’ve come this far to this, I’m frustrated that I can’t get results I want, and I’m upset that I may have to restrict myself so much that if I get frustrated at my lack of results I’ll break my plan and hit the junk food so hard I’ll put myself back into that up-and-down spiral I’m peering over the edge of right now.

Forever,

Jett

I’m not a Novelist, but I can write, edit, and I’m a pretty decent blogger. I’m not an Artist, but I can draw a fairly nice anime figure, if you don’t stare too hard, and I liked one of my doodles so much I’m planning on turning into a tattoo. I’m no Photographer, but I enjoy taking pictures, and I know how to make myself and other looks pretty decent in photographs. I’m not a Podcaster, but I used to be, and I’m a fairly decent voice actress. I’m no Videographer, but I like recording short videos and I have no qualms about livestreaming myself eating ramen with chopsticks at my computer. I’m not a Therapist, but I will let you tell me your problems ’till you’re blue in the face, and I will help you try and find solutions if you want me to.

I’m not the best at what I do, but I think I do just fine.