The Yarnarian Has a Good Friday Economy Rant!

OK, omit reading if my rants make you ranty.

The Economy! Everybody I know is feeling the effects of this crummy economy. People have lost jobs and can't find new ones, hours are being reduced, well you know the whole shebang.

So I've been thinking about it pretty much nonstop for the last few days. The husband of one of my dearest friends has lost his job. Little or no job opportunities in his location. I bet each of you knows someone in the same boat, or even are suffering this misery personally.

What can we do about it? There are 2 initiatives out there to help out local economies. One is called 3/50. The premise of this is for each of us to find 3 local businesses and spend a total of $50 a month in these businesses. My neighboring town has signs up all over the place about supporting local business. Local independent businesses generally hire local people, so the support goes not just to the business owner, but also to her/his employees. If a local drugstore folds, the employees are now out of work, and the comunity has lost a valuable resource.

The other initiative that I've read about somewhere, and of course can't remember where, is a local barter bank. You barter your time and can get "paid" by someone helping you out. Let's say you like to knit baby sweaters. You post this service int the barter bank's newletter. Someone contacts you: can you knit a baby sweater for a future grandchild? You make arrangements with that person and happily knit away. Now you've gained some points in the barter bank. You need your lawn mowed. You contact a member who likes to garden. And so it goes. I think you have to report this on your tax forms, but given that these are small amounts of money, it wouldn't mess up your income taxes.

And here's my addition to what you can do: Support people on Etsy. The vast majority of Etsy people are folks selling their hand made goods or patterns or such. While your local community won't feel the influx of money from this, you are helping out a small business somewhere, you're getting one of a kind goodies, and the person from whom you are buying then has money to spend in her community. Kind of a large craft show, I think.

End of rant. I'm not an economist, so I might be totally off-base here, but it makes sense to me.

Knitting news: In my crazed lace scarf obsession, I have finished yet another one, Fairy Leaf. This has a two-part pattern and you have 2 different leaves forming. It was a quick knit, and much fun to do. Available when? I don't know. Right now I'm enjoying the Trio of Pretty Lacy Scarves sales, and I don't want to flood the market. And I'm also thinking of combining it with the little cashmere one that I showed you the other day. So sometime in the near future.

Here it is before blocking, looking like the typical lace mess.



And here she is blocked and much happier with life!






I rather like her, and have draped her around my neck many times. Great for an over air-conditioned spot.

And the other knitting news (sotm members ignore this) is the sock for the last sotm package: Lacy Waves.




She is so delightful to knit, and I love the pattern enough to make a sweater using it.

Have a good weekend if I don't blog. Have a good weekend if I do blog.

Sock Mad Mary - Yup at some point. I don't like to release too many patterns at a time, but yes it will be released soon. It was soooo nice to knit, and can't you see it as a scarf or a sweater or mitts? Not totally mindless, but almost. The scarves are on hold at the moment. I want to finish the cashmere one and I have a little less than half to go.