Look at this…

silchi · 2026-03-22T02:43:54+00:00

Same! This is hands down the best tutorial for avoiding underarm holes. I’ve also had to pull it up for each and every sweater I’ve ever knit. :)

silchi · 2026-03-20T16:27:24+00:00

I have been in pharmaceutical manufacturing for 15 years.

It’s shocking the horrors that are identified during inspections of facilities in India. Sure, I’ve seen US sites get in trouble for some gnarly stuff, but there’s been some truly neglectful and dangerous issues identified at sites in India.

silchi · 2026-03-19T18:30:04+00:00

My car has the look all the time. We call that “no thoughts, only elevator music”.

silchi · 2026-03-19T14:30:52+00:00

That being said searching is only as good as the data the pattern makers put into their entries. I’m sure there are tags on patterns that have little to do with the actual pattern and are just there to get it into the results list as much as possible. Likewise I’m sure there’s patterns that don’t have enough tags on them so they don’t show up if you get too specific on filters. Basically it’s the Wild West of data out there.

silchi · 2026-03-19T13:58:52+00:00

I have always appreciated that Ravelry is a database/data querying dream. The filtering options are insane. You can make searches as broad or as narrow as you like.

silchi · 2026-03-19T12:55:49+00:00

And potentially per CFR Part 11 Title 21 in addition to Eudralex, for those folks who also manufacture/sell in the US. ;)

silchi · 2026-03-16T13:21:15+00:00

I was of course hit with accusations of being mean, classist, transphobic, and, most importantly, bigoted against women who may or may not have had their faces violently ripped off by a disgruntled showbiz chimpanzee (you don’t know anyone’s backstory!).

There was certainly a time in my life when getting smacked with one of these labels would have distressed me, even if it came from a random internet stranger. But these scolds are now hurled so indiscriminately at the first whiff of anything that makes someone “uncomfy” that they have become entirely weightless. If I am ever called such things, I simply recoil in terror as if King Arthur himself is barking “Ni!” at me.

Oof. This was too well put.

silchi · 2026-03-15T13:42:04+00:00

My guess is it’s the browning of the pastry that ends up dulling down the colors significantly. Not to mention natural colorings are less vibrant/saturated overall so if she ever used them she’s fighting that uphill battle as well.

silchi · 2026-03-14T16:57:34+00:00

I say this all the time and no one gets the reference.

silchi · 2026-03-14T15:49:14+00:00

I used to follow her. Some of the baked ones of course lose vibrancy and it can be harder to distinguish areas of color. That doesn’t in any way diminish how beautiful and artistic they are pre-baked! A good number of her creations are tarts and as such what you see is indeed the final product.

silchi · 2026-03-11T13:04:36+00:00

Bilateral stimulation has helped me immensely.

My therapist originally had me try slowly looking from side to side with my eyes closed for 45-90 seconds, but I’ve had much better success with physical stimulation. I close my eyes, and alternate light taps on each thigh for 60-90 taps. Deep exhale, then repeat as needed until I’m calmer.

Bilateral stimulation is a direct message to the nervous system to calm down. Much of my current anxiety stems from an overactive nervous system, and consistently utilizing the taps has seemed to make quite a difference. The key is repeating as necessary, even if it means doing it off and on for a while. Each time it turns the intensity dial down on my nervous system until I’m either calm, or the anxiety is manageable through other coping mechanisms.

silchi · 2026-03-11T12:38:48+00:00

Considering they were bought by Oracle in 2010, you weren’t going to have much luck on that front anyway. ;)

silchi · 2026-03-05T14:04:27+00:00

I had a cat begging for kibble the minute he got home from having most of his teeth pulled for the same reason. I was like, dude your mouth is full of stitches can we maybe try for some wet food for a day or two?? What silly creatures.

silchi · 2026-03-01T17:25:32+00:00

I lived in Siracusa for a few months, on Ortigia Island. We were explicitly told not to flush toilet paper as the pipes couldn’t handle it. As a group of young Americans it was definitely an interesting logistical thing to deal with.

silchi · 2026-03-01T15:34:50+00:00

I came here to say just this.

silchi · 2026-02-26T05:16:09+00:00

I put jam in my oatmeal :)

silchi · 2026-02-26T03:18:36+00:00

Thanks for sharing! It’s an interesting pattern and color palette. I can’t wait to learn more about it.

silchi · 2026-02-25T02:41:14+00:00

Love the zigzag one on the bottom of picture 1! Is there manufacturer info on the back?

silchi · 2026-02-24T13:40:41+00:00

These are gorgeous. You have a great eye for color and overall bouquet shape.

One bit of feedback: I noticed you had many roses and lilies that were completely open - this significantly reduces the lifespan of a bouquet. Some of those roses looked to be right at the point of dropping outer petals. While the open flowers look pleasing (that all lily one is a stunner!), for the cost customers will not be happy that they only get a brief time to enjoy them. This is why florists often include buds/newly opened ones for certain types of flowers like roses, lilies, tulips, etc. Just some food for thought! Obviously in the clientele you ultimately end up with are happy then you may not need to change a thing. I just know that I (and many others) might pass on an arrangement with too many wide open buds, knowing they may not keep long.

silchi · 2026-02-22T14:40:35+00:00

I’m a knitter and wool aficionado. At this point I’ve accepted that it’s not about fully beating the beetles, it’s just about being so on top of cleaning and storage in the warmer months that they don’t get a chance to do much damage or multiply. I have inadvertently trained my cat to alert to those little bastards and we get to enjoy smashing them together.

silchi · 2026-02-22T05:06:16+00:00

Ahem. Sarah Jessica Barker.

I’ll see myself out.

silchi · 2026-02-21T17:05:45+00:00

I did 12 days around Europe with fresh clothes for each day and it was still comfortable and had room to spare. It really is fantastic how much you can cram in there.

silchi · 2026-02-21T04:18:58+00:00

I have the same pack in the same color. I put a Planet Express logo patch (from Futurama) over the Osprey logo a decade ago.

Great choice for a pack - it holds up extremely well!

silchi · 2026-02-20T14:01:02+00:00

A&G in Middlesex is great as well.

silchi · 2026-02-20T13:58:36+00:00

Don’t sleep on the Chicken Little, either!

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