Thoughts on Music

Today I was listening to some music by a new (to me) young artist and was impressed with the way he spoke and sang.   This type of music for an 60's hippie type of girl is quite foreign to me and it takes listening to a few times in a row to get the feel of it.

I came across this young man, known as Pell because I was watching, (well sort of watching in the background while I was doing something else) a show on PBS and they had this little video on called Brief but Spectacular ( http://www.pbs.org/newshour/brief/181243/pell )  where Pell described his music and influences with a bit of his sound...  So I went to You Tube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zht9zsZ23Ro ) to relisten to his sound (tho I don't know why he has to swear) and the comment section is almost a different language, because of some of the slang that I guess I am much too old and too out of the loop to get!  The comments tho, are other peoples thoughts and I try to read them to see what others think, but ultimately, if it suits me, I don't care what others have to say about it!

It never ceases to amaze me how much there is to learn and open one's mind to.   I must say I do like this piece of music even tho I am too old to get the message that must be in it.  I just like the beat and the sound of it.  One of the things that I liked about what he said about music is his comments on an artist making an ALBUM, not just a single song.

I have always preferred to listen to an artist's ALBUM as I seem to find in it a complete message that lacks in one song.  I find it difficult even to this day to listen only to Whole Lotta Love on Led Zepplin 2 without the whole rest of the album.  Even tho it is sort of a reworking of other people's stuff, I enjoy the whole album and find that I need to set a block of time so I can immerse myself in it.  The same thing goes for alot of artists that I listen to.  It needs the whole album to get the whole message.

Now having said that about Pell, I must tell you about another young man that actually makes me shiver when I listen to him!   This time tho, this young man's sound could easily have fit in with the 60's sound, but I am so glad he is making music now.   I discovered George Ezra last year about this time.  The same thing with George Ezra's album as with other of my favourites the whole album completes the message, but check out some of his videos on you tube - Listen to the Man (with Ian McKellan) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS0WvzRVByg ) and from that one you can easily find a half dozen of his other songs which are all on one album (so far as I know at this point)

I am not sure whether my listening habits are usual or even expected for a mid 60's (in time and actual age) lady but I listen to an eclectic list of artists -- some of them include, Great Big Sea ( I have at least 10 of their albums) Kings of Leon (which I discovered while driving across the Canadian Prairies in the summer of 2009) The Proclaimers (which came to me via my sister) Chris Isaak (my little bit of country) Louis Armstrong, oh and I can't forget the three albums by T-Rex (they make me want to dance like Snoopy from Peanuts cartoons!)

Along with the wonderful sounds of Blues, Jazz, Rap and Rock and Roll, I stop and listen when on some documentary or special a bit of throat singing or the breathy sound of inuit women is being featured.  I love Canadian aboriginal sounds -- maybe because some of that is part of my genetic make-up?

And what music gives you Joy?

A few things to catch up on....

Not that anyone would much care what I have been doing, unless of course my name was one that was recognizable to the media for doing nothing but showing a nice rounded bum or saying dumb political things...

But I am writing them anyway, not dumb political things, tho.

Just my bit of life in my corner of this little green ball out in the middle of a galaxy or whatever you want to call where we are situated...

Of course in this family our pets are certainly an important part of sharing in our daily life.   Walter, who just turned 5 years is snuggled under some fleece blankets -- a cat that craves warmth even on a warm spring morning!

Did I say this blog was no longer about crafty stuff?  Well, sometimes it will be.  Here, on a whim, I used double strand of crochet cotton and made a shell stitch cover over a pint canning jar.   No particular reason to do so.  Just because I could...

We did a bit more reno work in our townhouse a couple of months ago.  When we bought this place it had a small dark room for a previous photo enthusiast, but we found that it became just a place to pile junk!  So we tore down the walls and took out the plywood floor and a sink and other stuff, laid the basement entryway bare, and took all the stuff away.  At a building recycle place we picked up a counter and a set of cabinates and placed them against the far wall.  Re-situated the washer and dryer and brought the chest freezer out of the dining room and into the basement....

I took a little trip a couple weeks ago.  I went to visit my son and other family members who live in Victoria, BC.  

When I lived in Victoria in the mid 1980's  I used to drive my mother to her favourite second hand stores (before my sister took over that job in the 90's).  One of our favourite stores was St. Vincent de Paul in Langford and now 25 years later visiting the same store, I was surprised to see that the shop was exactly as it had always been!

 I visited with my brother and his wonderful wife Rene'.   My brother's health is not good, but Rene' is an absolute gem!  She is so loving and attentive and Mike is a happy man.

And driving along Gorge Rd. near where we lived and worked in Victoria.  There used to be a popular 24 hours restaurant where you see the fence and a car now...  It was a nice drive around town and I guess Victoria is not a town that changes a great deal...

The only part of the trip I did not enjoy was travelling home via BC Ferries, from Victoria to the lower mainland.  I guess I forgot how people rush around and have a need to be first in any line.  It's not like the ship is going to leave the dock before everyone gets on or off!  I trundle along at my old lady pace, and they did not leave me behind -- I was the last person out the gate and once all those in a rush hurried past me, my walk to the arrival/depart building was peaceful and quiet.

I did learn something wonderfully happy tho,   The sons that I made so very long ago, have become all that I worked so hard to make them.  Attentive and thoughtful, good citizens of the world, working and caring to make the world, at least our little world, a very fine place to spend our time here on earth...  I like the sons that came from me.   I am proud of them, and proud of myself for doing a mighty fine job of helping them find their place.

- Men are, that they might have joy.  2 Nephi 2:25

Life Continues to Change

Well, I thought I would give this blog another try....

Its not about sewing, its not about quiltmaking, and its not about crochet anymore.

Its just about life and progress and just about things as they come along.

I have been working a bit more on Family History and have got alot of help with my husband's family from one of his cousins from Winnipeg.

The above photo is my husbands grandfather (in uniform, just before going to serve in europe in WW1) John Frederick, and Wife Elizabeth Jane, with their 6 children, the boy with his hand on his father's knee is my husbands father, John Richard.

I have been doing family history research for quite a few years now and with so many records coming online and being digitized research is becoming easier to find and follow.

I have also discovered much more on my own father's family history and am in regular contact with a cousin who is the son of one of my Dad's half brothers -- you see my Dad was born out of wedlock, and in 1920 that was quite a terrible thing.   Now in today's more enlightened world, we are able to acknowledge and have even proved through DNA testing who my Dad's father truely was and his family history has opened up like a time lapse flower blooming!

It is so interesting to discover the people who populated my past and the world they came from!

More long ago family on my Dad's side (John Merry).  The young man in the centre of the photo with suit and tie on, is my father's father.  And by the stories I have heard recently, he was quite the rascal!

Planning more blog posts hopefully on at least a weekly basis, but if you followed me because of my quiltmaking, I think those subjects will be few and very far between...

Driving to the Okanogan

Just for a change of pace with no crafty stuff involved...

I went with my cousin on a working adventure into the Rocky Mountains from the snowless Coastal Fraser Valley, not far from Vancouver...

It has been awhile since I was outside my "comfort zone" and even though it was quite a bit colder and very different than at home, I totally enjoyed the 2 days in the Mountains.

We travelled first to Kamloops via the Number One Highway...  I guess this Highway isn't used as much as it used to be, because there are alot of abandoned or rundown buildings just off the highway-- gas stations, stores, even motels, that don't get enough traffic to stay in business.   We had a very nice drive tho along the Thompson River which was right along side the highway for a long ways...

After a day and some work in Kamloops we headed out the next morning to  Merritt, BC - a short stop, gas and a snack -- and then onto Peachland in the Okanogan Valley where we had some more work...

My cousin did all the driving and I did the talking and picture taking...

The highway to Merritt was rather snowpacked and the driving was slower than expected -- about 80 kmh most of the way, but it sure was Pretty!

I am very thankful that we were in a nice warm car, because this part of the country is not very populated and there was not much traffic on the road -- a breakdown or a slip off the road could me a fairly long wait for rescue -- maybe...

Then just about lunchtime we came down off the Mountain Passes and into the Okanogan Valley on highway 97 with a short hop into Peachland where we had a meeting and a bit of work, then dinner and with just a bit of trepidation, and my cousin doing all the driving, we headed back to the Coast -- almost 4 hours - on what is called the Connector, and then the Coquihalla or highway 5...

No photos of the sights along the road home tho as most of the drive was in the dark and thankfully the high mountain highway was mostly clear and dry.   But amazing to me was how many semi trailer units were roaring along the highway!  There were probably 7 or 8 big trucks to every car!  I guess nighttime is when the merchanise and store products move across our country!

Just a nice change of pace....

Little Words that Inspire...

Yesterday when I went to Church, my friend said that she had meant to get a Poppy for her husband to wear and she had not seen any being sold yet around the area.

Funny how Christmas starts in August, in stores, and even Halloween right after School starts in the fall,  Valentines right after the new year; but Rememberence Day Poppies are not seen by November 1st, only 10 days before the day here in Canada that we set aside to Remember those who served in Canada's wars...

 That little remark during church, dug its way into the back of my mind and whirled about for a few hours while I was sleeping...

When I woke up this morning, (Monday) I went into my yarn stash and found a glorious Poppy Red yarn and by the time I had finished up my breakfast I had a first poppy crocheted!

This poppy is my own design, though it is such a little thing I am quite sure someone other than me has created others that are similar...

This is what I did to create a Crochet Rememberence Day Poppy

make a Magic Ring  

(Google "crochet magic ring" to learn how to make this really easy way to start a circle)to begin,

Chain 3, and double crochet 9 times for a total of 10 stitches which includes the chain 3.  pull the magic ring tight and slip stitch in the top of the chain 3 to join.

Row 2, 2 dc in each stitch around - you should have 20 dc.

Row 3 (every two stitches will form each petal)* sc, 2dc in first stitch, 2dc, sc in next stitch* repeat this around so that you have 10 'petals'

fasten off and hide tail.

Then I used a piece of felt on front and back just so my stitches would hold and not go through the crochet yarn without grabbing onto something.   I used a 3/4 inch dark colored button from my stash as the poppy centre and a large safety pin on the back to attach to someone's lapel.  Button and pin were hand sewn and the ends hidden.

Took me about 20 minutes to make one...

I haven't quite got to it yet, but I am hoping to make a half dozen or so by tomorrow afternoon to give as little gifts to some friends I will be visiting with.

oh yeah, almost forgot, I used a worsted weight yarn and a size 4mm crochet hook -- which made the stitches quite tight -- the whole flower measures about 3 inches across.  If you use a finer yarn your poppy will be much smaller...

The only drawback to making your own poppy is that the Royal Canadian Legion will not make the money that you might have given to buy their Poppies, so perhaps take the time to put a couple of bucks into their box even if you don't need another Poppy...

linking up with The Needle and Thread Network...

Back on Line after Electronic Failure! or How to make Capelet 1743

Aw yes, the dreaded dying computer screen...

This happened on September 24 and took a week to resolve -- my computer guy saved all my documents and files and then took apart the computer, gave me the harddrive, and sent the rest of it to the recycle depot!

Cost me just under $100 to recover many of my saved documents including photos, that were not completely backed up and 9 years of Miss Snips Notebook columns that I had written for The Canadian Quilter Magazine -- tho most had been backed up on USB thingys, I wasn't sure what wasn't backed up so the guy at IFIXCOMPUTERS in Abbotsford, BC made me very happy with the save!

I did not have to buy a new computer tho, because a few years ago (I am always thinking ahead) I had a few extra bucks and at the time I bought a laptop computer that I didn't need but it was a good price -- so every now and then I would turn it on and let it do its updates, and put it back in the closet....   

So even tho my excuse is that my computer died and I couldn't update my blog, that wasn't quite true, except it has taken me a bit to get used to Windows 10, and to transfer some files from old to less old but new condition computer!

So, I have kept fairly busy lately with various projects and finding time to write has been on the bottom of my to do list...

Recent projects include a couple of scarfs made using 'given to me' yarns that are a few years old and not labeled.  They were, a fine yarn, with a very fuzzy look, not like the modern chunky yarns or the less modern eyelash type yarns, but these have proven to be very easy to work with and feel very nice when made into scarfs...

this first one is a 60" round mobius scarf that is about 8" wide -- it currently is in the mail on its way to be part of an online auction to benefit

  Norway House Animal Rescue and Paws on Planes

along with a few other scarfs, mitts and leg warmers.

This scarf is the same sort of yarn, probably 20 years old, but in good condition and has a very nice cosy feel to it, it is wide at 12 inches and very long -- might as well use up all the yarn I have -- at 82 inches... wrap it around a few times!

And my most recent project.   

I am very happy with this little shawl, or capelet you might call it.   I am calling it Capelet 1743...

It is my own pattern, but I did see a similar project on the TV show Outlander and liked the looks of it, then sometime after I had seen the one on Outlander, I got one of those advert emails from Lion Brand Yarns selling patterns and yarns for the shawls seen on Outlander.   Well the one I liked was $7.49 for a ball of yarn and a emailed pattern....

I am frugal.

Can't help it.

Thought about it.

Then Michaels stores had a yarn sale.

This yarn.

I wasn't at all sure about it because it was 85% polyester, but it was only $2.49 a ball!   I bought 6 balls, way too much -- I used not quite 3 balls and a 6mm crochet hook with single crochet throughout.

Simple instructions for Capelet 1743 by Susan Being Snippy...

If you make this, I would appreciate it if you either leave a comment here, or comment or link to my post on Ravelry, where you will find a link to these instructions... Thanks.

This project is based on measurements rather than number of stitches, so you should be able to make this using any yarn and any hook you want, I can't guarrantee that it will be as drapey as using the Loops and Threads Mirage yarn with a 6mm hook tho...

Chain 32.

Single crochet in second chain from hook and then single crochet to end of chain, turn.

chain one, single crochet in base of chain, single crochet to the end of row.

Repeat until the piece measures 26 inches long.

Do not cut yarn.

Chain one.

Single crochet along the row edge so that you make one single crochet per row until you have 30 single crochet stitches.

Chain one, single crochet in base of chain, single crochet to the end of the row.  This will form a L shaped piece.

Continue to add single crochet rows at the right angle to the first long piece, for 13 inches.

Finish at an inside corner, but do not cut yarn. 

Carefully single crochet around the piece until you get to the corner before going along the 'inner' edge which will form your collar.

Turn, single crochet in single crochet in previous row, chain one,  and missing the single crochet in the previous row.   Work your way around to the opposite side, without going around the neck edge.

Make two rows in this fashion.

To form the 'collar, fold over.  and it will lay as if you had made a separate collar.

On the one I have made, I chose a large, 2 inch coat button from my stash and sewed it at the point where the 'collar' neck line joined up so that the neckline remains closed.  If you don't want to do that you can use a brooch or decorative pin to hold the collar neckline in place.

Enjoy!

Link up today with the Needle and Thread Network

Out of Whack - Seasonal Projects...

I don't have very many close friends who sew, crochet or knit, or any other crafty type of hobbies.  I know a few gardeners, and a model train hobbyist, and most of the men I know are avid sports fans -- oh and one fellow (my son actually) builds guitars and electric guitar sound pedals, but really very few now who do needle crafts....

I think because of that, a few of the people I talk to on a regular basis don't really get the concept of working months ahead of what other people consider "the season".    A gardener does think ahead somewhat and if they have a big enough garden or yard may keep track of perennials and annuals and other sorts of plants.  A gardener does plant in spring to harvest in fall so it is kind of like thinking ahead in one season to get the results in the next.

Sports fans live in the moment, I think.  Or at the end of a loosing season most just say "Next Year!" but they don't actually do anything about it until next season comes around again (unless they are actually a manager or participant).

But with needle crafts you sort of have to plan ahead.  A friend wondered why I was spending my free summer hours knitting or crocheting scarfs...  And what did I say?

Well, you can't knit a scarf in a couple of hours, it takes time, especially if the time is in bits and pieces through the days....  So knitting a scarf in summer might seem like a silly time to be making something you don't need til October or November...  But if I want a scarf in November the only way to have it is to have made it quite a while before....

So I have been working on three projects the last couple of weeks --- each one as I feel inclined.

The knitted scarf with the expensive Noro Garden Silk yarn is coming along...

It is just about 23 inches long and needs another 7 or 8 inches to be an easy to pull over the head COWL.   I am quite pleased with the result of the project but even tho I found a source online that sells this yarn at 1/3 the price that was on the label of these balls, I don't think I would buy this yarn if it was not in the thrift shops, or given to me...

A larger project that I expect to keep me busy for a few months yet is my traditional granny square afghan.

Definitely a classic design and I have always wanted one for myself!  My grandma had one and a older neighbor lady had one when I was a little girl and I want an ABSOLUTELY PERFECT ONE for me...

I am using 100% pure wool that comes in small hanks, that is actually meant for tapestry or rug yarn.   All the 'hanks' I have picked up at 2nd hand stores and if I keep my tension right I can make three squares (3 1/2" sq) with three hanks...

I have 36 squares joined which makes just over 22 inches square and I have 60 squares made but not joined...  I expect to have to make at least another 200 squares!

And because there is always something new to try out, I was browsing the internet and came across a pattern that I liked but didn't want to make it so loose or so big...  The pattern is on the Red Heart free patterns site and is called Happy-Go-Lacy Shawl.   My variation is that I changed the treble crochet stitches to double crochet and instead of being 18 inches wide I reduced it to about 8 inches and it will be a scarf.   But the thing I did like about this is using sock yarn and as I progress with this scarf and stitch pattern I am finding I REALLY, REALLY like the feel of it!  Being a sock yarn it is mostly wool with a bit of nylon in it and as it progresses, it is very light and soft and cushy against the skin!   I think I will go and get some actual Red Heart Heart and Sole yarn (because again, I am using thrift store yarn which is a Deborah Norville, I think from the USA yarn) and make a couple more of these as gifts....

So, in the heat of summer, here I am making things to keep myself and a few others cozy come the cool winds of autumn!   If you get one of my creations, then you gotta realize I didn't make it the day before Christmas or the day before your birthday....

One of the other things that I like about working months ahead, is that I can experiment with what makes me happy and if I am happy with the product and the pattern, then I am going to put my "best" into it...

The best thing about "do it yourself", no matter what it is, is that it is likely to be a one and only!  or as the slang term is a "one off".   You can go to Wal-mart or some other big store and buy a scarf, but as you are paying for it you gotta know that 100 people across the country have just got exactly the same as you...   I like the idea of being just a little bit different than everyone else.

Yarn Dilemna

The other day my friend Doris brought me some yarn that she had acquired from free or cheap sources...  She did not need all that she had got so shared some of the treasures with me.

Some very nice yarns and very use-able yarns, a couple of balls of Loops and Threads Impeccable (Michael's Stores) which I really like for hats or scarves to give away, a couple of balls of a Patons chunky yarn also good for nice warm cowls, 3 balls of a orangy and white mohair/acrylic which I am thinking might be a nice shawl and 2 Noro Garden Silk that had price stickers on each of  $21.99!

I spent a couple of days just looking at the yarns, thinking about them, wondering which to start on and what I might create with them....  I couldn't stand it any longer --- I had to figure out why a yarn -- even if it was mostly silk would cost $21.99 per ball...  And really who would pay that much and then still have to spend the time making something with it?  That makes it awfully expensive.   I guess I just live in a more frugal, common world!

So I thought that I would play around with this "special" yarn....  I had actually considered listing these balls of yarn on my Etsy store, but sometimes when a diamond falls in your lap you just have to keep it for yourself...

First I got out my trusty crochet hook, and my big "The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs" and looked through it for a lacy but not too holey design.  I started --- I did about 4 rows, I didn't like it.  RIPPIT...  Then I tried another simple crochet stitch, just half double crochet, I didn't like it, RIPPIT....  Then I thought, maybe it needs to be knitted...  So after quite some time online, cuz I don't have a knitting book, I decided to do a sort of garter stitch rib variation, which was 7 rows stockinette then 3 rows stockinette the other way...

I kinda liked it and actually worked 30 rows, but there still was a problem...  The needle was just a bit too large of a gauge -- it was the thinnest I had, tho so the stitches looked loose and fairly uneven...  So yep, RIPPIT...

Oh and the thinness and smallness, I don't know what else to call it was making my hands ACHE!   So that wasn't going to work.

I went to bed -- my brain seems to work all by itself while I sleep the night away!  When I opened my eyes this morning, I knew what I was going to do.

Of course if I had paid $21.99 for each of these balls of yarn, I would never have done this.   I doubled up the two skeins into one...  It actually took me close to 2 hours to match the color run because as you can see in the photo above each ball of yarn started at a different point.  I started with one ball, winding it on my thumb until I came to a point that fairly closely matched up with the other ball...  Cut off the part from the first ball, and matched them and started winding and winding and winding.  Oh and winding...

It worked out very well, except I did discover that one of the balls of yarn must have been partly used because there was a full two or three color changes left on the first ball of yarn that had nothing to match with on the second ball of yarn....

Now, I am happy with it as it stands.   I still think I will go with knitting a garter stitch rib that I described earlier, but I have to go find a proper gauge knitting needle (s)  to use --  Stay tuned for the concluding or continuing episode!

While I was writing this blog post, my husband was outside watering my container plants -- everything is in containers, because my whole yard is about as big as your living room...  This morning there were a handful of ripe strawberries, he ate a few and brought some for me!  I LOVE strawberries!  So far, the strawberries, which are already eaten, were much more satisfying than $21.99 Noro yarn!

5th Anniversary! Susan Being Snippy on Etsy

And really I don't think anyone noticed...

I only noticed because I was updating and renewing a few listings and happened to glance at the side bar where it says -- on etsy since "August 9, 2010"

That is a long time when it comes to maintaining a business -- well for me it is a long time because I am one of those people who are always finding new and interesting things to learn about...

The idea of a Etsy store tho fits into a very long tradition of reuse, recycle, reclaim, repair, remake.  My mother was a treasure hunter, not for buried treasure or gold pieces but for treasures that she could make use of without spending much money on.   My grandmother was even more so a hunter of bargins!   And great grandmother, well, I suspect so because she had many children to raise and find clothes and things for.  

Before the 1950's the second hand tradition was not "above ground" as it is today with THRIFT SHOPS all over many towns and cities.  Second hand was usually word of mouth -- a child grown out of his pants or shoes and those shoes passed along to a neighbour child who was just getting to that size.   During the war years, much of the 'extras' that were recycled went to the war effort, tin cans to manufacturing, cloth and yarn, made into items for soldiers -- maybe to your own son or to any soldier who served overseas.   The world did not manufacture bright plastic things in those times and even though our Canadian or American cities had factories, those places of manufacture were often geared to things that might use raw materials that were fairly local.   One of my Mother's earliest jobs was in a factory that made leather gloves.   The leather was brought from a local abattoir, that supplied beef and pork across the country and so leathers were close at hand.   My father, for a time worked in a factory that made Mink Coats and Stoles -- his job was to use an air hose to clean and fluff the fur coats before it was  sent on its way to Stores.

Winnipeg, where I grew up was well known as a manufacturing HUB, especially of clothing -- sewing factories that made London Fog raincoats, a shop that made men's suits -- did you know that fabric would be stacked in layers and the pattern drawn on the top layer then with a fine blade saw all the layers cut at the same time?   I saw that process when I was in my late teens on a school "information" trip!

Well, the world has changed, and the things we think we need are made in faraway countries with low wages and dangerous conditions and many people keep buying those things and not reusing or even recycling them.   I can't help it tho, the concept to make use of everything in every way possible is just bred into my bones!   So, I suspect that Operating and Etsy store with Vintage items was just a natural extention of the way I was taught from the beginning of my time...

I really love operating my own little business!

It does take time to learn the how to's and to learn what suits yourself and your customers.   When I first opened my Etsy story, I started with household goods like Pyrex cups and bowls, and a few fancy things like egg coddlers.   Then a couple of friends were clearing their extra sewing notions and buttons, so I sorted buttons and put them on the store -- along with wooden spools of thread, and vintage sewing things like self cover dress belt buckles....   I discovered, I didn't like photographing buttons -- for some reason, I would confuse bunches and then they would get lost in the button box -- buttons were frustrating.... (But I think I now have figured out a method so will soon be listing buttons again on my store).

It really is great that a online store, under the Etsy banner can bring together people who enjoy the process of creating items to sell, and for buyers looking for the things that just cannot be found in Wal-Mart or any of the other big box stores.  Etsy is for the person who wants something different and something special.

Well, now my store mostly has patterns for sewing clothing for men, women and children along with some specialty sewing patterns and magazines and books that include sewing and crochet books.

So, now my store is 5 YEARS OLD and much of my product is along the lines of vintage sewing -- I can make really classic patterns available for someone who admires a style no matter when it was printed and who has the vision to sew that pattern to make it fit in with today's styles and have that special flair that no one else around them has.  

I love to send parcels across the ocean either east or west and am always wondering why someone in Florida is buying a pattern for making mittens!  There must be a use for mittens there!   I love to search out products that will go into my store -- I frequent the thrift shops throughout my area and every now and then a friend will bring me items they just want to clear away and I pay then when their things sell in my store - I don't do that often though because it means another 'layer' of organization -- a subject I am weak on...

SO, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY SUSANBEINGSNIPPY ETSY SHOP!

Gearing Up and Going On

Susan Being Snippy is in the process of Evolving.   I haven't been writing on the blog for awhile because my focus has just not been "in focus".

I am lucky enough to work at home -- I don't even really call it work...

I pick my time, I decide how much I want to do, and I decide if my daily chore is as the warehouseman, the marketing agent, the administrative manager or the head of the accounting department!  There are lots of jobs to do but if I want to go out and get groceries I can ignore my "work" and wander off on some other adventure.

My Warehouse with all its inventory is housed in my HOUSE, in the living room actually, on the right side of my computer desk and file cabinate.  On the left side is my shipping 'room' .  My laser printer pops out the orders and the table (an old drafting table I got at the 2nd hand store) serves as the shipping and packing desk.

Some of the things in my "warehouse" are under consideration...  I have dozens of wooden thread spools and I do need to decide if I am going to list them on the store or if I can maybe find a project or two that will make use of them...   It is a project that sits at the back of my mind, so alot of other things tend to get ahead of it but eventually something will motivate me to make a decision

Some of the interesting things about operating an online store is first that it gives me an ongoing project now that I am officially retired.   I don't HAVE to give hours to somebody else who really doesn't want to pay me for my time, but legally has to...   I work for myself and for the people who are interested in the products that I can provide them.

I really enjoy hunting up items that I can offer for a really good price that are otherwise hard to find or unusual.

Now if you are into Vintage Fashion or need to create a 1930's outfit for say a stage play for your teenagers high school production, Look what I found!  This is a reproduction pattern of a 1938 design.   This pattern is complete and unused and would you believe Vogue patterns have a "Suggested Retail Price" of $33 on it!   REALLY!!  Do you want to pay more for that pattern than what the fabric would cost?  NO, of course you don't, and especially if you only make it one time!

But, HEY!  I found the pattern in like new condition and at a price that I can make a bit of profit on it...

NOW you gotta realize, my shop has a policy to sell almost all patterns for $5.00 each (that's US FUNDS) plus postage. So, now doesn't my pricing make a pattern worth taking a look at?

So, this is what my blog is about now.  The things that I find that you might have a use for that is unique or at a good price -- even when you add in the cost of shipping.

AND I will even suggest other ETSY shops that I find with interesting things to check out...

Ever heard of fairy doors?  Got a big tree in your yard that just seems to need a bit of Whimsy?   Check out this shop for an interesting feature for your yard -- the kids will create their own stories of who comes and goes in and out of that door....

Bean and Flaps 

Stop and Visit now and then and hopefully I will find something you will find interesting or something that will send you off looking through some of the wonderful shops on Etsy.com.

THE END

For quite some time I have been struggling with content for this blog and I have come to the conclusion that it has run it's course...  I will no longer be updating this blog because even though some of you have come to enjoy what I write, there really is nothing earth shattering or particularly satisfying to me of the subjects that I have been posting.

So for the time being, if you really need to see what I am up to, check out my etsy store at www.etsy.com/shop/susanbeingsnippy

or on twitter I can be found as @susanbsnippy

or even some of my photos on instagram  as susanbeingsnippy

and on Pinterest, too!  http://www.pinterest.com/susanbgsnippy/

I have disabled comments so as to avoid spam use as I do not plan to monitor this blog on a regular basis.

Thank you for reading my writing for the past 5 years or so (I haven't kept track) and I greatly appreciate those of you have written comments and encouragements!
Susan being Snippy

The Future of Food - Diet Quality

Earlier this week, I discovered a series being presented on the National Geographic website called The Future of Food...

Whew!  Some of the subjects that involve food are quite intricate and complicated...  Very far beyond just sitting down at your table (here in Canada) to have dinner and as my Dad often said "shoveling it in".

One subject area when it comes to food that is looked into is The Gap in Diet Quality between Rich and Poor

This article  (click on the highlighted text to read it ) takes on the question of obesity because of the poor quality of food that lower income households are forced to consume.  Poor food quality or lack of access to quality food means that if you have a limited income the meats that you buy are poorer quality, more fat content and raised in such a way as to contain the things that make the animal grow or produce faster... In Canada  growth hormones are not legal in animals destined for human consumption, but it is allowed in the USA.   So is the quality of the meat okay in the LONG run for us to eat?

I surely am no scientist and cannot answer that question, but I have come to realize that from being on the low end of the income scale for a number of years that it is often quite difficult to buy the healthy product.   Things often left out of a low income menu plan in any given month is FISH and often Chicken or other Poultry.   Hamburger prevails on a low income diet, and really what is in GROUND MEAT?.   Fresh Vegetables often are lacking simply because access to  a garden or Farmer's Markets may be out of the area.  Vegetables in a low income diet are often frozen or canned, I think, mainly because if fresh vegetables go bad in the fridge, it is waste that a low income household just cannot afford...

I noticed just the other day that two shows NEW (to us) are now on the Food Network Canada, that would be good for those with lower incomes to learn about making good choices -- yesterday was all about using pork shoulder even to making dim sum steamed buns with left over meat! --- Jamie's Money Saving Meals (check out the web site info) In my area the show is on daily at 2 pm (Shaw Vancouver listing -- the time may differ in other areas)  And on at 1 pm daily is Gordon Ramsey's Cookery Course (no SWEARING! hahaha) but you pretty much have to watch the episode because Mr. Ramsey charges real money to access his recipes on his website, so if you watch his show, have pen and paper in hand to write down any hints or tips that you might want to try out.

This week my trip to one of the thrift shops resulted in buying a Company's Coming Meatless Cooking recipe book (by Jean Pare`) for two bucks...  In a way these cookbooks are an easy format to use because of their smaller size and ring binding that allows the pages to lay flat, but I often find miss prints or ingredients that seem to be out of place in many of the recipes.  An often occurring ingredient in many of these recipes is canned soups, so you should note that there is probably more salt than is needed in many of these recipes.  I also wonder if you need canned soups for a recipe, is it economical, or could you use perhaps some milk, chopped mushroom, a bit of nutmeg instead of canned mushroom soup?  Perhaps that would be more economical and more healthy too! Though of course it might take an extra minute or two to chop or mix those things in...

Are you following my Friday is for Food project?  I hope you are finding some of the info and the links that I mention of interest and adds more depth to make the subject useful. Let me know if you are looking for something about food that I might post here, or if you have an idea for me...

... next week I am planning and looking for some breakfast ideas...

Work in Progress -- Scrappy Bits

Finally! Back to the sewing machine!  This week, I have been working on using all some of those left over bits from other projects...

I had a Fabric Sale in Mid July as part of a group Garage Sale and did fairly well in selling off some of my larger fabric pieces but the shoe boxes with scrap bits that were usually less than 4 inches in any one direction remained in shoe boxes...

Earlier this week I was thinking about how I can use these bits...  Then I remembered the blocks that people across Canada donated to the flood relief efforts in Calgary back in the spring of 2012 that Cheryl Arkison had organized.   And you can see some of the blocks as they are on the HEADER of her blog at Dining Room Empire  and it even turns out that her current post is about scraps and about clearing them out of her own stash!!  Perhaps this is the season of Scrapping Scraps??  I am not quite ready to get rid of them so....

So I am making some of these "Just One Slab" type blocks. I doing some sewing and might get these odd scrappy bits made into one or two utility quilts or even to use these "slabs" as backing for more 'formal' blocks...

As things go these are IN PROGRESS and I really don't have a final destination for them yet!  I am encouraged tho, that after many months of not being very enthusiastic about sewing some of that joy is creeping back in!

Linking up with the Needle and Thread Network this week...

Municipal Elections

I must admit I am the kind of person who generally accepts things as they occur.  A very long time ago, I considered myself to be quite political and very interested in the things that the elected people in our municipalities, provinces and country did to keep things running.

The one who really "fired me up" was Ed Shreyer.  He was elected to the riding that I lived in when I was a teenager.   Yes, my Dad talked about him, and was impressed by him and I am sure he voted for him.   From then on, I mainly voted for the New Democratic Candidate where ever I lived, though on occasion I did vote Liberal or even Conservative or whatever the party name was that came closest to what I thought was right for the things I believed in.  Yes, I was and am still pretty much a socialist, but not exclusively, as I think everyone's ideals adjust slightly with whoever is elected and how they conduct themselves during their time in office.

One of the things that I have always been fascinated by is the short memory of the people and that it seems to take a major effort to go and vote.  What motivates a person to vote for or in reality more often AGAINST someone or something?   Do people actually take the time to read and listen and study the consequences or previous actions either of the Party in Power or of the Elected Official.  Or might it be they hear snippets of opinions and look or listen no further to base a decision on?

Strangely, the type of election that is most likely to directly affect you is the smallest election and usually the election that fewest of us vote in.   The Municipal Election.   I must admit to actually not even taking the time to go and vote in past elections.   When I lived in Victoria, BC I never once went to vote in a Municipal Election!  My excuse?  Maybe it was those years were filled with raising teenagers and holding a job and at the same time going to college to learn accounting.   Not too much else could fit into my life!

In more recent years I have gone to vote in local elections, though really I did not necessarily know the 'point of view' of some of the city Councillors.   I was generally satisfied with those who ran our town, through the 1990's and into the 2000's, but now things have changed quite drastically.  

Our council is not something that I can say I am happy with as it stands and with Municipal Elections coming this November -- the third Saturday this year -- just a bit less than 3 months away.... I am thinking that this year I am going to try to keep a bit better informed and if I cannot attend information meetings, I am going to try to find out what is and who doing what, when, where and how...

In my city, Abbotsford, BC  there have been a number on ongoing problems that NEED a resolution, things that need to find a way for our government and citizens to stop chasing their tails like a young dog who is not quite sure what that fluffy thing is just out of reach....

Now, as I was taught many years ago, I do not plan to announce or advertise my position on any of the points that will soon be appearing for local people to think on and vote on come November 15, because I am not running for a position, nor I suspect will I agree with everything one person says over another...

But I am planning to PAY ATTENTION and make a decision and show up on Voting Day...  I am hoping to learn much about my city and maybe about the people who are putting their names forward to attempt to win a position on our city council and hopefully who are accepting the responsibility that their decisions will be affecting many lives as they serve our city for the next 3 years...

** all photos that appear in this posting are taken by ME around ABBOTSFORD, BC during different seasons, doing different things.***