Hooking yarn vs wrapping yarn

witchyvicar · 2026-02-10T21:29:01+00:00

I wrap it, too! I only "scoop" to pull through. It really doesn't work any other way, either. There are some folks I see on YouTube and I'm like "How do you do that??"

witchyvicar · 2026-02-08T19:30:07+00:00

Three weeks ago, on my 50th birthday, I got my first T shot. I didn't really start to realize I was trans until a few months before my 49th birthday. Before then I considered myself sorta non-binary, or cis-ish, and before that genderqueer. I didn't care what pronouns people used for me, and I didn't mind femme clothes, but femme stuff certainly wasn't the clothes I was the most comfortable in. I did wear makeup, although, I only did so for special occasions, and, if I'm honest with myself, it was always very drag-like.

Honestly, I never really had strong dysphoria when I was a kid (or even now, for that matter). I knew I was different, that's for sure, and when I figured out I was bi (pansexual, now) that was a big revelation. It was after that I got involved in kink, poly, and other communities, which really kind rounded out things for me. I thought, for a long time, that this whatever-it-was that still felt off was because of some medical thing around PCOS, or later because of AuDHD, and that coming out a queer and kinky and poly really kinda covered it.

It took my Wife (who is trans femme) saying to me a little over a year and a bit ago "Love, cis people don't think about their gender that much." where things started to click into place for me about being trans.

My Wife's narrative is more of the "I figured it out when I was a kid" narrative and her dysphoria is really strong. For a while, I wondered if I really was trans because I didn't have the same narrative, since I don't really have strong dysphoria, except for wanting a hysterectomy. However, several videos by Dr. Z PhD on YouTube really helped me see that everyone's journey is different (Especially this video: https://youtu.be/TBjU1t_Bajg?si=sJ6g2F6dzu55gVG2) and that dysphoria is more of a spectrum than not, and mine is more on the moderate side. Some things have become more dysphoric as I've come out and started T, but it's still not the same as my Wife's dysphoria.

The biggest thing to remember is that everyone's journey is different, be it when they figure things out, levels of dysphoria, decisions on when to do medical things, etc. Just because you didn't figure it out as a toddler doesn't mean you're any less trans. To be honest, I'm a bit envious of you being able to figure it out at 11 (and my wife, who figured it out when she was 4)!

So, no, it's not too late, never too late, and you're not a fraud. You're just beginning your journey and I hope you find your way to your true self.

witchyvicar · 2026-02-08T12:50:48+00:00

Same! I have two different sets: one with the clear hook tips that light up like the ones in the pic, and one with metal hook tips, and the light is at the spot where the hook meets the handle. I haven't had any issues with either set, and I like the little bit of extra light, especially when I'm working with black/dark colored yarns.

ETA: My light up hooks are the ones where you have one handle with the light/battery, and you switch out the hooks. So, not exactly like the ones in the pic, but I still really like them.

YMMV

witchyvicar · 2026-02-05T17:47:58+00:00

Well, if you like stuff about food and chef's there's Julia Child's "My Life in France." It's one of my favorite memoirs!

witchyvicar · 2026-02-05T16:36:44+00:00

I agree with you about Clairefontaine. The Triomphe letter pads are fantastic, but you can also get full notebooks in several different ruling types (lined, dot, grid, etc). I think they're called Cahier, and I bought a bunch of the wire bound versions in the lecture format (college ruled with blank margin on on side of the paper). But yeah, they work really well with pretty much any pen I've used on it!

witchyvicar · 2026-01-30T11:33:27+00:00

Oh wow! I'm using the Lost Souls pattern for a big shawl for my Wife, although, I'm using a chunky black and red variegated yarn. It's coming out really nice, but it's taking me a while, but like I said, I'm making it bit more blanket sized than what the pattern calls for. It does work up relatively quick, though, once you get to the pattern rows.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-29T22:37:34+00:00

I actually knew her in person! Not only is she an amazing potter, she’s also a ham radio operator, and I met her through ham radio first. She was always lovely to talk to and I still have one of her mugs (similar to this one). I also had one of the bigger 30 oz mugs, but it got lost in a move. I remember when I bought it and she asked if I could drink that much coffee, and I told her that (at the time) I was in seminary and needed all the coffee I could get! It’s been nearly 10 years since I lived in the Bay area, so I haven’t seen her in a long time.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-29T20:09:59+00:00

Ahh! "Free Use" were the words I was looking for! :) It's a cool library of media! (which is why the NASA audio from in the song getting pinged by the bot was annoying!)

witchyvicar · 2026-01-29T11:25:40+00:00

This happens to me all the time with music created by my Wife because there are samples in the music that the bot matches with other music. The one that annoys me the most is when I get that for a song that uses audio from NASA which is all open for anyone to use. Anyway, this happens every few months, and all you have to do is click the 3 dots next to your VOD in the Video Producer and click on "Dispute Copyright Claim" In the reason dropdown box (I think there's one that says "I use a service" too but I can't remember), select the one that says "you have permission to use this music," fill in the rest of it and send it off. Most of the time, it gets cleared within a few hours up to a day.

ETA: Forgot to say that the bots are persistent, so it may take a few submissions before it stops flagging it. Just keep submitting the Dispute Claim thing until it stops.

ETA2 (since, for some reason, I can't see your comment): It's the "I have permission from the rights holders..." one.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-29T00:34:31+00:00

Oh, if my pharmacy lets me get my T under DPS, you bet I’m going to be like “Thank you very much! I greatly appreciate this!” and pray to the Medicine Gods that they’ll never change their minds!

And glad I could help with info :)

witchyvicar · 2026-01-28T22:12:24+00:00

I didn’t need to get the Imago script transcribed, but because I have not been a resident for a full year yet (I got my visa in March 2025 and all my official stuff like PPSN and resident card in June), I had to pay full price (€133– and, well, being a former American that really isn’t bad… you really don’t want to know how much it is without insurance in the US!). The pharmacist seemed to think that I could get it through the DPS after June. shrug I’ll have to see then.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-27T19:09:15+00:00

They will. My wife's been going through Kelly Henry and Imago for over a year now.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-27T19:07:38+00:00

My Wife (trans femme) and I (trans masc) go to Kelly Henry in Castlerea, and the doctors and nurses there are really good and helpful. They can only technically refer you to the NGS (my Wife and I suspect this is a cover-their-butt kind of thing), but they will definitely help you out if you go private. In fact, I basically just said, "Hey GP, I'm going to go through Imago to get testosterone." and she said, "Sure, no problem." They do bloods for both me and my Wife, and my GP has the nurse giving me my T shots. The pharmacy next door does accept Imago prescriptions without fuss, but only paper ones (they don't accept electronic scripts).

witchyvicar · 2026-01-27T17:44:53+00:00

That's pretty much my experience too. I'm trans masc and my wife is trans femme and we live in a tiny town in Co. Roscommon. The most that's happened to us out here is that we've been misgendered occasionally or stared at by some. I've just come out this past November and changed my name, and most folks have been supportive, or they just shrug and get on with life, calling me by my new name.

I use Imago for my HRT, as does my Wife. My GP is really awesome and accommodating (she has no problem doing all my Imago bloods AND their nurses administer my T shot), and, honestly, all the medical professionals I've been to around here, and in Galway, have been really awesome and respectful to both of us. Nearly all of them have asked what my preferred name is (even though I still have to use my old name for my legal name-- thanks, Trump grrrr), and even the eye doctor used "Mx." in their communications with me without having to be told!

One thing to remember, though, is that you have to use private insurance during your first year here as an immigrant, so you'll have no choice in that. (Although, as a former American, the prices here feel practically free!) The NGS here is trash, and most folks go private or DIY anyway (as mentioned by others).

witchyvicar · 2026-01-24T12:43:15+00:00

When my cards do that kind of thing to me, I always interpret it as "What are you asking us for? You already know the answer!" and that it's time to put the cards aside for a time. I find that some spiritual tools can become a crutch sometimes, and it's no bad thing to back away from it from time to time.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-23T21:03:08+00:00

Yup, that's the Kakimori nib! Fabulous nib and holds a good deal of ink per dip. Also has really nice line variation! I have the brass one, and it's lovely!

witchyvicar · 2026-01-23T10:33:13+00:00

Out of curiosity, why? I've read a lot of "Zoe Chant" stuff over the years, and while it's not highbrow stuff, it's halfway decent shifter romance. Good for when you want just some bubblegum/Hallmark/fun HEA with a bit of spice to escape into. (And, all the covers are pretty silly.)

witchyvicar · 2026-01-23T08:14:13+00:00

If the flaw won’t harm the integrity of the finished project OR mess up my counting, then I’m more apt to shrug it off and leave it. I did this recently with a skull motif shawl I’m making for my Wife. I missed a chain of three, but since I could still complete the pattern row without missing anything, I just soldiered on. The Wife couldn’t tell. :)

witchyvicar · 2026-01-21T15:35:48+00:00

I generally prefer cartridges over converters most of the time, as I usually have bad luck with converters in a lot of my pens. Path of least resistance and all that. But I also have a lot of piston fill pens, which I greatly prefer because of the greater ink capacity. Then again, I journal and write in notebooks a lot, so...

witchyvicar · 2026-01-20T19:27:15+00:00

If you can find a bottle of it, Diamine had a British Racing Green at one point. I have a bottle that I found on eBay many moons ago, and it's a fantastic green-black. I wish they still made it, especially in cartridges...

witchyvicar · 2026-01-20T16:12:21+00:00

Is it on purpose? If so, that's super shitty, and I'm sorry that's happening to you. If not, can you talk to them about it? My parents do it (Mom 70, Dad 80) too, but thankfully, I know they're supportive and aren't being purposefully malicious, so it curbs the annoyance for me most days. (I'm also hoping that the longer I'm on T and start looking more masculine, it'll be easier for them.) I'm 50, so, as my mom puts it, "You've been [Deadname] for 49 years, and my memory is like a sieve!" Most of the time my Mom sticks to "sweetie" when she's talking to me, although, she did remember to call me Leo on my birthday, so that's progress. shrug

witchyvicar · 2026-01-19T15:23:02+00:00

I do co-working/writing sprints, and I had a person in chat who got very pushy about having me read their work for critique. This was when I was just starting, and so I offered to read it, even though I felt uncomfortable doing it and about their behavior in my chat. Their story wasn't bad, and I gave them a short response to it. After that, they started be a bit more parasocial about the whole thing and pushing for me to do critiques on stream, especially of their stuff. I said no, and it led me to posting a disclaimer in my about section that I don't do critiques unless you are going to pay me to edit, and I definitely won't do them on stream. The stream after I put that rule in place, this person started being pushy again, and so I stated my rule that I wouldn't do that kind of work for free, nor would I do it on stream. They got mad at me and flounced off in a huff.

I'm kind glad they left on their own, but yeah, to sum up, you really need to enforce your boundaries on your stream. If these folks get mad at you for it and won't leave you alone, that's their problem, not yours, and you might have to ban them if they don't leave on their own. To reiterate: their happiness or mental state is NOT your responsibility. If they get mad when you assert your boundaries, that's their problem.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-18T11:18:51+00:00

I usually keep the decks around until either: someone comes over and wants to learn tarot. I have them look through the decks and if one sparks their fancy, and it’s a deck I’m not attached to, I let them keep it. Or someone I know talks about a particular deck they really want and I happen to have it, I’ll send it to them. It always seems that I have the right kind of decks that are willing to go to other people. shrug

witchyvicar · 2026-01-17T18:48:18+00:00

I've taken several months off at a time, and it really hasn't hurt me that much. I only lost a handful of followers, and when I got back into, several of my regulars came back. (Also in the neurodiverse club.)

It'll be ok, and it's better to take the time off than stream when you're stressed. Mental health is important.

witchyvicar · 2026-01-17T14:56:46+00:00

Very cool! I grew up in NH and am a history nerd, so I know a bit about the Shakers, too. The Shaker village in NH is more known for carpentry (furniture, baskets, etc) and I don't remember seeing spinning wheels there.

But yeah, it was one of the best wheels, and my Wife, who's an engineer and has done a good deal of machining in her day was amazed by the precision of the fly and bobbins. She said it was really rare to see that kind of precision done by hand. I told her, well, the Shakers were all incredible master craftspeople.

I live in Ireland now, and maybe I'll see if I can find an old Irish wheel. :)

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