Origami Fun
I’ve always considered knitting to be kind of magical, in that I can create fabric using yarn and needles. Similarly, I’ve always found origami to have that same kind of appeal.
Complete Tangent
I was entering all my knitting, spinning, weaving and crochet books into LibraryThing.com, as Marilyn had suggested, and one of the books that was in my craft library was a big, colorful book, called Practical Origami
Just flipping through the book out of boredom, I found a design for a covered box, with a divider in it, and decided to try my hand.
I was quite pleased with the result, especially with how small I was able to make mine.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a relatively simple design, and I’m not overly talented at origami, but I found this fun to do. I don’t plan on replacing my knitting with origami anytime soon.
I couldn’t find an on-line design for the box with divider, but here’s one with just the box and the top, if you’d like to try it.
Current Knitting
In addition to the two scarves mentioned on my last blog post, I’ve completed yet another fucking scarf. Here are the three scarves to bore you silly.
This one was a repeat of a previous scarf, using the Louisa Harding yarn. For a mostly nylon blend, I find this a very appealing yarn, and would gladly consider making a garment or a baby blanket or something else with it…oh, not baby blanket…it’s got mohair.
This one will probably be one of the first scarves to sell. It’s black, it’s big and it’s warm.
Finally, this one is by far my favorite color scarf so far. I always seem to like colors that I couldn’t possibly get away with wearing…why is that?
Contest Update
Marilyn has a great “open mic” topic on her blog right now about asking blog readers for money. I never realized what a difference of opinion folks could have on this. Naively, I just thought most folks felt pretty much like I do.
Along those same lines of being completely deluded, I have to say the QueerJoe contest benefiting Year Up is going extremely poorly, and I’m not exactly sure why.
I know the prizes aren’t great, but that’s never been a big factor before. I’m not sure if folks don’t agree with my choice of charities, or if folks are just tired of supporting blog charities in general.
To maintain my current level of delusional denial, I will just believe that folks haven’t gotten to it yet. I include the link for direct contributions again, and the PayPal button for my account just in case folks do want to contribute, but haven’t.
Readers’ Comments/Questions
Thanks for personal stories of the need to address urban education. While I find them disturbing as hell, it confirms for me the need to have more attention and money focused on this issue.
Joe, I wrote my story as a comment about your last blog. I do not mind your using your blog to support a good cause but chose not to contribute to Year Up because I am supporting several organizations with similar goals, but a focus in my part of the country. I appreciate your caring about this and other issues. Jo
Joe,
While I have spent a lot of my adult life concerned about and supporting education, particularly the problems in the urban setting, I, like the previous commenter, didn’t give to Year Up because I already give to a program that focuses here on the West Coast, with very similar goals and means as Year Up. I do appreciate your using the blog as a forum to bring the need for this kind of program to the front of people’s minds. It is amazing what a difference a very small amount of time or resources can make to kids who dont’ have them.
Thanks for the reminder (yes, some of us need one). This is exactly the kind of request that I respond to.
In the mid-1980s, during my first career, I ran a program in NYC for HS dropouts who read below the 8th grade level. They worked toward their GED, learned leadership skills and worked for pay. Some even rehabbed abandoned buildings in their own communities. This was the most rewarding time in my career. What amazes me is how little things have changed.
Manufacturing jobs used to provide a decent career ladder for those whose education may have been lacking. However, without many manufacturing jobs left in this country, the stakes are even higher for young adults who do not receive a solid education.
Again, thanks for the reminder…
I have a sneaky feeling the you are bored with the scarves, not your readers. As scarves go, you should be able to get a good price for them at the craft fair next Dec., if that’s what you’re making them for.
I gave to Year Up because I come from a family of teachers. Although my own education is woefully lacking, at least in credentials, I completely support this kind of thing.
I was very interested in Year Up, but as it doesn’t operate where I live I didn’t want to contribute. You might find that many of your international readership feels the same.
I’m just back from vacation, and read the last three blogs, thank you for the info on Year Up. I’ll be getting back to you.
On belief and spirituality: recently I was told about an interesting and fun quiz, the Belief-O-Matic at http://www.Beliefnet.com, it takes about 20 minutes and rates your answers against about 40 religions, including some “non”-religions. I was raised Catholic, but it rated that next to the bottom, right above Jehovah’s Witness.
On teaching, I saw, though tahnkfully never had, students coming into higher education with mental problems and violence issues, and teachers being told to just deal with it. Your post just reinforces my argument for why I don’t teach K-12.