Not happy...

I am probably taking this too much to heart, but if I can't whinge on my own blog, where can I?

I've just had my latest pattern up on Ebay. Mariposa is a freeform crochet hat. In the pattern I explain carefully how to do freeforming, give clear pictures of various crochet motifs, talk about the contstruction methods, and I reckon it is a good pattern. It's selling on Ebay for $AU8 as a PDF file, and I sell it myself for $AU7. I just got an email from someone saying that it was too expensive and I should only charge $AU5. I politely emailed her back and pointed out that it was against Ebay policy to do that for a start, and that I thought my patterns were appropriately priced considering the time and effort it took to create them, and the prices charged by similar sole operators. Her reply was friendly and pleasant, and referred to having paid $AU6.50 for this pattern for Hermione's cable and bobble hat from the Prisoner of Azkahban. Well, I personally think, rather indignantly, that my pattern is a LOT more complex than that pattern and that my pricing is well and truly justified!

Enough complaining, back to talking about knitting.

I finally succumbed to Clapotis fever. I had vowed I wouldn;t jump on the bandwagon and knit one. Then I decided that maybe I would, but with totally different (finer) yarn, and make it wider (maybe) and longer. Then I had the chance to order some Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb, which normally we can't get in Australia. I was determined to use it for one of my own designs. It matured in my stash for a couple of months. Well, to cut a long story short, I finally decided that it felt so lovely that it was going to be a Clapotis, after all. But just because I am using the actual yarn given in an actual pattern - I'm making it a scarf rather than a wrap. A wrap would have been nice, but to wrap around my ample frame I would have needed another ball of the yarn, and I don't intend doing that (and of course would never get the same dye lot). So I thought that making it narrower would produce a lovely soft scarf that will feel wonderful next to my skin next winter.

I am also knitting the MultiDirectional Scarf from the yahoo group of the same name. using some of the multi dyed wool I posted pics of the other day. Now I have got the hang of it it is really easy and fun to do.

Big Purple Thang is in the sewing in the ends stage - I am making myself do at least one hour a day until that is done. I hate sewing in ends! It is a great pity that I only learned how to do the Russian join a couple of inches before the end of the project! Then I have to finish the edges, probably with crochet.

Plus I have started a new pair of socks for George in an Opal yarn.

To end on a low note - George has been asked to go to New Orleans for six weeks. While it would be good experience for him, I can't manage chronic fatigue syndrome and an autistic child on my own for six weeks and I've asked him to say no. I really hope he has. If we didn't have the kids I would say go, but on the other hand there must be so many loss adjusters in the States who could go and help out.