Time Trap -- Online Forums

I am relearning to manage my time.
I have streamlined a lot of activities and still felt time just slipping away...due to an obsession that is called F O R U M S, or fora as in Latin.

As a former Ebay seller with interest in multiple discussion boards and private groups I was once highly engaged in promoting within Ebay's online community and I even was the leader of a large group under my old ID retrochicboutique for a while until I dropped out of the children custom boutique circus. Then I visited the store owners board daily/hourly to tweak my visibility and increase my sales via optimization and stats research.

When I discovered Etsy I discovered the forums naturally. And wow, do they suck vulnerable people in.
As the story goes:
It takes a while to get annoyed with reoccurring subjects, shallow threads, bad vibes among posters, shortcomings of the site...and when dissatisfied then there are the "anti-" and "alternative" forums.
Yet more time traps and circles of egos cycling similar topics.

For now I am tired of cyberspace discussions.

I have reclaimed my time...and I had an outstanding productive week.

The internet is a wonderful tool. It serves me well as a marketplace, workplace, my newspaper, dictionary, many how-to's, virtual game-boy (JT Blocks:) if I wish...but it won't replace a real "old school" face-to-face conversation, people and life.
(New tams added to my website)

Era -- Ameno

Besides Enigma and Deep Forest Era is one of my favorite New Age groups.
When life is hectic and demanding, take a little time to focus on yourself, relax and drift into the trance of sounds and pictures.

Sweet Lullaby -- Deep Forest

"World music" from the 1990s...Peace:)
Enjoy!

Just for the ladies...some feminine tam designs

I just happened to list a bunch of new tams that are all feminine and sorry guys, not for you.
If you are interested in the tams
(Kingston Town cotton and rayon smooth tam, wildcat and black smaller tam, Faye Basque vintage inspired tam and cafe and ribbon/chenille striped smaller slouchy beanie)
they are available in my shop.

Here is a free crochet tam pattern of mine

Hi, from time to time I get requests to sell my hat patterns.
I don't write down patterns in a conventional way. I make a quick sketch and note number of rows as a future reference for me, that's it. I am a visually oriented person when it comes to comprehension, I always learned with diagrams.
In the past I wrote down 2 patterns in the conventional way.
If you happen to stumble upon the pattern tutorial that I had posted last year and have questions, please send me an email.
I had an anonymous poster repeatedly ask questions about it, but I can't reply back to you without an email address or other way of contact.
Recently I wrote one pattern down because I had a request for it.
I will share it hear today...maybe it will help you get your own tams started. I have learned a lot online from tutorials and now it's time to give back and contribute.
BUT, I kindly request not to use this pattern to create items to sell online, please feel free to copy it if you sell the tams locally only.
Patterns are great for inspiration. I personally cannot follow someone else's pattern, it never works out right and I collect patterns for the sake of collecting and looking at the beautiful pictures.

Voila:

4 chain stitches, close with a slip stitch.
1. Row:chain 2 (counts as first dc) and crochet 15 dc into the ring (16 dc total), close with slip stitch as throughout the whole pattern.
2:2dc in each dc (total 32)
3. *1 dc in dc, 2 dc in next dc* repeat until end
4. *1 dc, 1 dc, 2 dc in next dc* repeat to end
5. *1 dc, 1 dc, 1dc, 2dc in next dc* repeat to end
6. *1 dc, 1 dc, 1 dc, 1dc, 2dc in next dc* repeat to end

I used Vanna's choice acrylic yarn, hook I (9mm), I have enough width for my crown now, you can increase more or less according to your yarn

Now I continue with V-stitches
(4 chain stitches, 1 dc in same space *skip 2dc, 1dc in next dc, 1 chain stitch, 1 dc insame dc, skip 2 dc* repeat to end)
Next row you crochet the *dc-chain-dc* into the space of the chain stitch, if you use a different color, you get the zig-zag-effect.)
I crocheted 6 rows, but you can do more or less. No increase or decrease of stitches.

Next row: SC only and I crocheted 6 SC and then crocheted the next 2 SC together (decrease made). Repeat throughout row.
Next row: I made simple v-stitches: *skip `1 SC, 2 dc in next single crochet, skip next SC* repeat to end
Final rows: single crochet, decrease after 6 SC, I usually make 3 decreasing rows, last row in crab stitch without decreasing.
Can be adjusted to your head circumference, decrease more or less.

I hope this made sense:)
Good luck!

These begged to get finished

Some projects take forever...and when you have finally finished them you feel inspired to make something new.
Available in my Etsy shop.

Just a quick promo for my new tams

I am rockin' & rollin' with new stuff...I want a variety of looks but keep my overall style.
So, I mixed it up a bit and added those 2 hippie slouchy beanies to my website.

I will be off to a sweat lodge ceremony tonight.
It's a good evening to pray on Mother Earth's ground with my companion and friends.

Have a blessed weekend.
Peace...Ang