Okay, y'all have seen my first two attempts at the hemp sword belts which are now sitting up on my etsy site waiting for good homes. Now those two were both made with natural un-dyed polished hemp cord. I used 1mm 20 pound test Hungarian hemp, which is the stuff you find at Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, and most general craft stores. I've mentioned before that I've been wanting to get some better quality materials to start working with. Well, a little while back a Sword Buyers Guide forum member named Sirtre ordered a custom hemp belt. I had to special order the supplies from Fire Mountain Gems, and wait for them to arrive.

Yesterday, the supplies got here for me to start working with:




So here's what we have: three skeins of 1mm 20 pound test black Chinese hemp cord, 25 mm horn rings for decoration(sorry animal lovers but those are real animal horn), the dark chrome colored d-rings in 1-1/2 inch and 1 inch sizes (I've decided to start using these as my standard), and two bars of pure beeswax to coat the final product with for the preservation of the cord.

I started work on the body of the belt Yesterday and have the buckle rings attached and the fist 15 inches of the main belt done. This reflects about a half hour of work that I did before bed. So, these don't actually take that long to do, but still about a good solid day's worth of work which is usually broken down into various working sessions over two to three days with my internet and errand running breaks throughout the day. The ring decorations will start being attached about 18" away from the buckle ring to allow plenty of adjustment room for my belt-loop and ring frog system. This post will be updated with the finished product pics when they are ready.

Okay, since the first hemp sword belt turned out well. I made a second attempt. While I used "found" components for the first model, this one has bought matching rings. I again used the 20# hemp cord from Hobbly Lobby (I really need to upgrade my materials) with the goal of making this belt a bit thinner, longer and more adjustable than the "fixed ring" construction of this first.

W.I.P. pic #1 showing the thinner width of the new belt

W.I.P. pic #2 again showing the start of the belt section

W.I.P pic #3 showing the "Loop and Ring" suspension system

W.I.P. pic #4 finished belt section

Sword Belt Take Two Finished Components Pic #1

Sword Belt Take Two Finished Components Pic #2

Sword Belt Take Two w/ Wooden Dao Blade

Sword Belt Take Two w/ Wooden Jian Sword

Okay, so far I've gotten positive feedback on the Hemp fiber sword belt. The first one, was very much a prototype, although I have offered it up for sale.

So, here is the second take on this project. This belt is going to be just a bit thinner, and quite a bit longer (60" as opposed to the 48" of the original). Rather than a modern buckle, I'm using a double d-ring closure to bring the excess belt length to the opposite side from where the sword will be carried. This suspension sis not going to use fixed rings but a sliding loop and d-ring system so this belt will be more adjustable overall. The "raw" edges of the last belt are actually going to be covered by some black trim. The sliding Loop system should also make this very quickly reversible for those who are left-handed.

Hemp Sword Belt #2 W.I.P. Pic #1:


Hemp Sword Belt #2 W.I.P Pic #2:


Hemp Sword Belt #2 W.I.P. Pic #3 showing "loop and ring" suspension:


Hemp Sword Belt #2 W.I.P. Pic #4 showing "loop and ring" suspension:



The example is made in Taupe scrap hemp that I had laying around. The actual belt components will be made with the same cord as the belt.

Okay, here's the latest project from the Happyhippiebilly the hemp fiber sword belt. I'm actually kinda proud of how it turned out, but I would love to get some honest feedback from other folks.

Here's the website description:
"Hand crocheted with 1mm 20lb test hemp jewelry cord. app 48 inch over all length, 1-3/4 inch width, suspension strap is 2-1/2 inches long, and scabbard strap are 1x6 inches. Initial retaining ring is 4 inches back from the buckle and the suspension rings and strap are just over 2 inches back from the retaining ring to hold the blade at a comfortable angle. Natural hemp color with contrasting suspension strap in a lighter natural tone. Faux bronze fittings with dark-chrome d-rings on the scabbard straps. Hemp textile fragments (cord and cloth) have been found that date as early as 8000 BCE. So this very well may have historical precedent in the peasant armies of both Europe and Asia. Designed with a modern buckle for convenience this is a must have for any modern swordsman."

Hemp Sword Belt with Wooden Dao:


Hemp Sword Belt with Wooden Jian:


Hemp Sword Belt as Worn:


Hemp Sword Belt Suspension System Detail:



Really, I'm not trying to advertise here - I would actually like honest feedback about this project. What you guys like or don't like about it. This took one full ball of 20# hemp cord (about $5), and I used some found components from an old belt that had been given to me by a co-worker some years back. I did have to by the d-rings for the retaining straps (about $2), and it probably took a good full day's worth of work. I am also interested in what anybody might think something like this is worth. Any feedback positive or negative is appreciated. If negative, what improvements or changes would you like to see made?

I'm actually starting to get pretty discouraged with the etsy site. I started listing products back in September and I haven't made a single sale. I'm about to get the site shut down for unpaid listing fees, so I really need to make a sale. I need honest feedback. Is there a problem with what I'm making, is the problem that a person has to sign up for etsy in order to shop there? Do I need better pictures and descriptions? Are my prices too high or too low? Or, do just need to abandon this endeavor altogether? I really need some honest answers to these questions, and that is what I feel like I'm not getting.

Okay, it's bad enough I had to apply for (and get) rental assistance since I've been injured.  This assistance was supposed to come from the Veterans Administration for the month of August, and the Neighborhood Place program for the months of September and October and continuing thereafter.  After a hard fought battle caused by my former employer misreporting my work-ending date, and having an adjudication decision from the Unemployment office in my favor in my corner, we were approved for this new stimulus funded rental assistance for families with income reduction.

Yet, on Friday I ended up with a 7-day "pay up or quit" notice on my door for rent for the months of August, September, and October.  What The FUCK!!!!!  I promptly e-mail the contact for the Homeless veterans program to have him tell me that it has taken between August and the end of October for the property management company that runs these apartments, Foresite Realty of Chicago, to send him the tax identification information he needs to process the assistance payment and that Foresite Realty should have their money in seven working days.  I also call my family's case worker for the Neighborhood Place program to find out what's going on on that end.  I have yet to hear back.  However, earlier in the month we had been contacted by the case worker because she wanted to find out why Foresite Realty had not responded to her with the proper tax identification information so she could begin processing those payments.

Meanwhile, today I have the apartment site manager Juan knocking on my door to make certain that my wife, son, and I are still living here.  He states, he was told by his supervisors to do so.  He also is refusing to give me the phone numbers to contact said supervisors, stating that he has been told he can no longer give out such information, nor can he give the proper information to the assistance agencies so that they may process payment.  (He states that he is not privy to such information.)  He is also stating that he cannot contact his superiors on our behalf to find out what is going on with these "missing" rental assistance payments.  I don't know that much but something is starting to smell like six month old seafood.

Now, I was told by the case worker for Neighborhood Place, that in KY (yes, Kentucky, a little ways away from Chicago, IL, Hmmm...) there is no legal requirement for a landlord or property management company to take rental assistance vouchers.  However, it strikes me that it would be an unwise business move to refuse to take monies from the city you happen to be trying to do business in.  In the meantime, my family and I are sitting in a world of uncertainty and wondering when an eviction notice is going to be getting put on our door for monies that have supposedly been paid through these assistance programs.

On top of all this, I find out the other day (Oct 30th) during my, much fought for, follow up appointment with the VA urology clinic about the Epididymitis I supposedly had that I have an inguinal hernia (again this all stems from that fucking hit-and-run) and I'm going to have to have surgery.  Activity wise, I'm cleared for Taiji and Yoga, but "no heavy lifting" even though no one has told me exactly what their definition of "heavy lifting" consists of.  Sorry, but since I do and am looking for blue collar work, I need a pound limit here folks.  My initial surgery consult is not until the 24th of Nov so this is probably going to be a bit of a long a drawn out process.  And the final straw, my unemployment check is late which has resulted in my phone being temporarily shut off.  Thank the goddess I still have internet so i can at least be contacted by jobs that way, which is a plus since I'm up for a position with Caudill Seed Co, Inc which would make a lot of my troubles go away if I got it.

Well, that's now out of my system, so while I don't feel better, my head is a little bit clearer at least.

First my apologies to Tylik, for not getting those links for the vintage crocheted pillbox hat patterns sent out.  I'll be posting them at the end of this blog. 

I posted on the evolution of the still evolving Hippiebilly Hat so I thought y'all might like to see the creation of one.

First I crochet the vented band: 


This is actually the black band section from the Purple Hippie-flage Hat that is for sale here:  www.etsy.com/view_listing.php

After crocheting the vented band I create the 3.5" body section of the hat using either single crochet, leaf stitch (most common), or another simple pattern stitch.


Here we have the body of my classic vented Hippiebilly hat.

Next comes the shaping of the crown which is done in single crochet with decreases for about 9 rows until the hat looks like this:


Next the ends of the hat get sewn together so I have some thing that looks like this:



Now finally I begin adding the brim by crocheting into the finished hat body.



I continue for several rounds until I finally get something to my finished product:   www.etsy.com/view_listing.php



I can make various alterations to the basic pattern and can do pretty much any color a person wants, but this is my basic right here.
Lastly, here's the link for that vintage pillbox hat:  www.freevintagecrochet.com/hats/pill-box-hat-pattern.html

My Etsy store is now up and running.  It's still very much in the set-up phase and I'm working out some kinks in policies and message sections, but I'm open for business.  www.happyhippiebilly.etsy.com

Okay, there have been some delay getting an Etsy site up and running, but today or tomorrow should see something put up so I can get a few extra bucks coming in.  Meanwhile I have a job interview today at Best Buy and, of course, the entire family had to come down with nasty head colds yesterday.  My head is still feeling like it's stuffed with cotton balls with a leaky faucet for a nose.  My wife made the banner graphic for the website last night, and I'm going to be resizing all my product pics today so they can be uploaded to Etsy.  I've got to go in for more testing on my hip Wed so hopefully things are starting to get straightened out.  Now, I just need to figure out how to pay my rent....

My wife caught a short vid of the little one being super cute and jamming out like the rock star he says he wants to be when he grows up, enjoy:

Okay, this is how the "HippieBilly" hat came about.  While we were living in FL I had started doing some weed clearing at the lake that was behind our house.  I wanted to give us a clear path to the water for swimming and fishing because I was tired of my wife and I getting surprised by snakes when we went down to the water.  I found myself in need of a sun hat and living as far out in the boonies as we did back then, I couldn't just go to a store and buy one.  I attempted to free form something with hemp Jewlery cord but that didn't work out so well, plus I quickly discovered it takes a prohibitive amount of hemp cord to try and make something like a hat.  Then my wife found the following free pattern online:  www.lionbrand.com/patterns/cchs-hatAdult.html  I found a basis to start.  After a few attempts I made my first hat out of a lighter camoflage color (Red Heart's "Amazon") with a vented band section done in black.  I had already modified the pattern in several ways even on that first hat.  First, I dropped the "daisy" motif to make the hat unisex - Second, I added the venting by using lattice stich in the first three rows of the body - Third, instead of using single crochet in the body of the hat I used leaf stich so that the hat would have larger gaps between stiches for more ventilation - Lastly, I extended the brim of the hat to make it more effective for keeping the sun out of my eyes.  Despite being made out of acrylic, the hat proved to be quite comfortable in hot weather, even when I was bicycling back and forth to work.  I was actually called upon to make a few hats for co-workers and expirimented with some different color combinations.  While looking through the yarn selection at that evil mega-chain retailer (the great blue market demon) I discovered Red Heart's "Mexicana" color blend I love the brilliance of the rainbow colors in this blend, I just (these days) wish I could obtain it in a better material than the cheap acrylic.  Thus the Rainbow banded hat was born, the originals were camoflage with rainbow bands.  Upon returning to Louisville from Florida, I began using black for my hats rather than the "Amazon" camoflage that I had been using in FL.  There you have the evolution of the "HippieBilly" hats. 

As for the name:  when my wife and I were living out in the woods with the Rainbow Family we noticed that crochet and knit hats were a staple wardrobe item among the woods hippies.  The floppy brimmed round hat is to my opinion a staple of the "hillbilly' wardrobe.  So upon combining the two, what else could i call them but "HippyBilly" - half hippie, half hillbilly and unique unto themselves.

Well, this is the stuff I make.  I need to try and bring in a few extra bucks above what I get on unemployment so I can either try and sell a few things, or do day labor (which has to be reported against my unemployment) or try and do both.  I'm opting for both actually.  Hence why I was up at 03:30 this morning uploading product pics.  I can take payment through the wife's PayPal account so anybody who is interested just message me for pricing.  All shipping is USPS.  Hopefully I can do more crafting than day labor as I'm pretty sure the crafting will be easier on the bad hip.

Namaste

Well, I actually did my Yoga and Taiji this morning.  My wife wasn't all that enthusiastic about the alarm going off at 5am but if I don't wake up that early I generally won't get any practice done, as my morning conflicts with the rest of my family's morning.  I had to call to reschedule my last physical therapy appointment, and haven't heard anything back about another appointment time, or any follow up appointments to see what is going on with my hip.  I'm walking better but still in pretty constant pain, albeit a low level.  I hate the one to ten thing, as I really don't have good points of reference at the top and bottom of the scale, so I'll explain it this way:  my hip always hurts, I can't ignore it, but I can for the most part go on with life, but the pain will always be there even if I take my prescription Ibuprofen (and I don't want anything stronger) - I can't run or bicycle but I can walk and walk long distances - I limp without a cane but I have very little to no limp with a cane.  I'm really not what to do about my injury and trying to find work.  My employment history is all production and warehouse work, and I really don't know if I can do that any more.  I've been thinking my best option would be going back to school but the question then becomes, how do I pay my rent and bills while I am in school.  Between my GI Bill (still available until 2011) and other forms of financial assistance I'm not worried about tuition and books, but it's the expenses of daily living that have me concerned.  The help with rent I got from the VA last month was a one-time thing, and there have been issues with that.  I already told the new apartment manager September rent will be late to buy mysellf more time to come up with it, but with only $200 a week on unemployment I'm not really bringing in enough money to afford rent.  The food stamps help but food stamps don't cover things like dish soap, shampoo, deodorant, razors, and all those other little hygiene and household needs.  Hell, the only reason I tried that new Bud 55 recently was that one of my neighbors nought me a 12 pack, when he saw I was having a really bad day last week.

Anyway, I've been thinking that if I can go back to school I wan't to look into studying Physical Therapy.  I'm not happy with the treatment I received at therapy - I went in got my hip medicated and left, she gave me a few stretches that I was already doing and that was it.  My appointments had been scheduled for 7:30am and I would have time for me appointment, and a cup of coffee and still be able to make the 8:05 bus home from the VA hospital.  Physical Therapy pretty much requires a master's degree, but the Jefferson Community College has a two year PT Assistant program where I might be able to get working right after, and then try to finish a PT degree at Bellarmine vis night school, or online classes.  You would think a pagan (yes she was pagan) Physical Therapist would be more aware or alternate forms of healing than other folks but that was apparently not the case.  Since I do practice taiji and hatha yoga and am aware of the healing power of middle eastern dance (it has all but eliminated my wife's sciatica) I think studying Physical Therapy would be very fitting.  Also, buisness and IT degree no longer gaurantee a decent job after a person graduates but the medical field always seems to be hiring.  Anyway, I'm be heading out today to see if I can't get some straight answers about possible financial aid.

Well I started Physical Therapy last week.  The Physical Therapist gave me the wrong answer about continuing to have to walk with a cane.  She won't mind if it becomes a necessity for the rest of my life, I do.  She also won't give me a disability rating while I'm unemployed, and I need such a thing to take to the unemployment office to avoid losing my unemployment while I'm in physical therapy.  The stretches she gave me for my injury are nothing more than the bicycle stretches I do every day.  I just did them from a standing position, she has me doing them laying down.  She didn't say anything about the Yoga or Tai Chi except to give me a look of incomprehension.  So my plan is now to increase the intensity of my Yoga practice and do more standing taiji meditations with my injured leg to build the strength and flexibility back up.  I will ride centuries again, damn it!  I'm only 36, I'm not an old injured cripple.  I also haven't  been able to get a straight answer out of the local community college about possible financial aid to go back to school.  However, my treatment by the physical therapist is making me more determined to make that a course of study so that somewhere there is a PT who is familiar with more types of activity than the grumblings of the Korean war and Veitnam era guys.  My doctor at the Newburg clinic got it, I have a level of activity in my normal life that means in the case of an injury like this means I need to get what she termed "the pro athlete" treatment.  Normal for me is greater than normal for folks with less active lives.  Apparently the physical therapist doesn't.

Of course, once I do get back on the bicycle I'll have to contened with the same crappy attitudes that caused me to get run off the road to begin with.  An article from yesterday's news feed even shows this

They're safer than before, but Louisville roads still scare cyclists 

Going through and reading some of the comments makes me sick to my stomach with how negative some of the attitudes about cyclists are.  Hell, the first comment posted was this:  "I hope they are scared enough to stay off the streets."  One of my personal favorites was this one:  "You cannot safely mix motorized and non motorized vehicles on the same roads. The only answer to assuring bicycle safety is to force them to register their vehicles, tax them and build their own roads that would be built to the needs of bicyclist."  Oh and a third comment that shows great intelligence and compassion for cyclists:  "Stay off my "F-in" roads or you may get another rock or pack of firecrackers come you way."

Yeah, apparently I'm supposed to build my own goddamn roads to get to work since I'm riding a bicycle.  The open hostility, anger, and vitriol cyclists face in this city just sickens me.  Anyway, that's enough of raising my blood pressure this morning.

Well, after getting run off the road when I was bicycling last month, the verdict is in - I have Bursitis in my left hip.  I am to be getting steroid shots in my hip, and going to physical therapy, so with any luck I'll get a physical therapist who can help me work my taijiquan and yoga practices into any course of treatments.  Now, the question is what about work....  Since I'm only qualified to do factory and warehouse work (on my feet all day, everyday) this begs the question, how disabling is this injury?  Do I need to look at alternate careers?  Do I go back to the blue collar work I'm used to?  If I am to go back to blue collar work how soon?  There's a lot of issues still up in the air but now, I have a slip of paper from a doctor documenting that I'm hurt, and can finally start getting some treatment other than pills.  However, since I'm now under a doctor's care the could disqualify me for unemployment (wouldn't the jerks who tried to fight my unemployment love that).  And this leaves me in a real quandry on how to pay my rent for this month, but with the slip of paper from the doctor we might be able to get some assistance from help agencies, I don't know.  If I disappear off-line for an extended period of time in the near future it's probably going to be because my family is needing a new home.  There have been so many changes of ownership and management around here I don't even know who to frigging talk to anymore. 

This day started with me having to catch a bus during a severe thunderstorm.  Riding through to area to my transfer I saw more flooded streets than I ever have before.  I escaped getting too soaked while waiting for my transfer but then the bus that went to the VA clinic broke down en route.  The city bus service didn't send out a replacement bus, and I had to wait an hour for the next one, which also involved spending three bucks I couldn't afford at a coffee shop to avoid getting thrown out in the rain for loitering.  But at least the VA clinic didn't make me reschedule for being over half an hour late for the appointment.  One of my jobs would have probably fired me for that. :P  On a better note, food stamps came through so at least my family can eat.  I just have no idea where we're going to live, but maybe I'll be surprised when we go to the help agency tomorrow.

Well, went to my "fasting" lab doctor's appointment yesterday, and had many many tubes of blood drawn, and now I will have the actual appointment next week on the 4th which is also my next filing date for unemployment, so I might finally learn what's wrong with my left hip after the incident back on the 8th.  I also found out yesterday that my first unemployment check was mailed out (Yay, happy b-day to me) which means the Unemployment office over-ruled the protest lodged by my former employer.  Things may be looking up, however, looking at job listings on monster, career builder, and the unemployment office website there just aren't very many jobs out there right now.  I'm still waiting to hear back from the local community college and what types of financial aid programs might be available to me to go back to school.  The thing is, if I can't get any type of financial aid I can't go back to school.  As much as I want to continue my education I have to make sure rent gets paid, groceries get bought, and bills get paid.  It's the conflict between immediate need and future opportunity yet again.  Anyway, thinking about all these things I did a general tarot reading for myself with my trusty old LOTR deck this morning - here are the results:

1. Covers Me:  Three Of Cups - "Frodo is reunited with Bilbo in Rivendell after a long time."
2. Crosses Me:  The High Priestess - "The Lady Eowyn is guided by her intuition."
3. Crowns Me:  The Devil - ""Wormtongue's insidious advice poisons the mind of good King Theoden."
4. Beneath Me:  Ace of Cups - "The intervention of Gwaihir the Eagle represent a major breakthrough."
5. Behind Me:  The Hanged Man - "Faramir is lowered onto the pyre.  A man's life hangs in the balance."
6. Before Me:  Seven of Wands - "At Weathertop Aragorn musters his companions against the approach of the Riders."
7. Myself:  Knight of Swords - "In the battle for Minas Tirith the balance of power has now shifted."
8. My House:  Six of Coins - "Bilbo finds the treasure in Smaug's lair, but later will come time for a division of the spoils."
9. Hopes & Fears:  Knight of Cups - "Frodo, though injured, resists the call of the Riders.  They are then swept away."
10. What Shall Be:  Three of Swords - "Sam comforts Frodo by the side of Mount Doom after Gollum has taken the Ring along with him into the fiery furnace."

Not the most hopeful reading in the world but in the LOTR deck the Three of Swords does not have quite the same significance that it would in the Rider-Waite deck.  Anyway, life goes on and i shall continue as well.

Just over a week ago I had the following incident happen: 

Dear Sir,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to send this, but since you are
in charge of bicycle enforcement seemed like a good place to start.  I
bicycle commute to my job from the 7300 block of Preston Hwy to the
Veterans Hospital off of Zorn Ave where I am currently a temporary
supply clerk.  The amounts to just over 20 miles a day of cycling, and
most days I enjoy it. 

This morning I was on my commute to work pedaling up through the
'Smoketown' area of Preston St.  Near the intersection of Preston St.
and Breckinridge.  I had a car come up behind me and immediately lay on
their horn as loudly as they could which resulted in my losing control
of my bicycle and hitting the pavement.  The car in question was a
silver colored Nissan Altima, but I was unable to get the license
number.  While, I was not seriously injured in the incident I did get a
bit banged, bruised, and scraped and ended up being late to work because
of this.

This is the third time a vehicle has done this to me in recent memory,
pull up behind my bicycle on the road and then hit their horn as hard as
they can.  One even hit me with his high beams at the same time (Wesport
road January of '09) so I couldn't even see what type of vehicle had
done it.  Is their anything that can be done about these, pardon my
language, jack ass drivers who are out there intentionally causing
incidents like this.  I normally ride in accordance with the law on the
far right of the traffic lane except when there is street side parking
at which point I ride far enough away from the parked cars for my own
visibility and safety but still try to remain out of the main flow of
traffic.  I have reflectors on my bike, I use head and taillights in the
morning and evening, I have reflective strips on the back pack I
normally wear while riding.  Yet, I still have had drivers intentionally
cause me to wreck on my commutes.

Sincerely, (Quoted from my original e-mail to the police reporting the incident.)

I was left with multiple scrapes, bruises, and more seriously a sprained left hip and wrist.  I lost a week of work due to this doctor's orders.  However, that caused the temporary contract I was working under to be ended, so as of Yesterday I am again in the ranks of the unemployed, and now pounding pavement with a cane.  So far the only good that has come of this, is that i am now covered under the VA healthcare system.  So the little one has medicaid and can be seen by a doctor when he needs it, and now I have VA care and can be seen be a VA doctor when I need it.  Now, I just need to get some health coverage for my wife.

However, all does not end there.  Last night we finally got back in touch with an old friend who visited us in official capacity as a Pagan Elder to give my wife and I a royal arse chewing for letting our strength in our faith slip when once we were HP and HPS and Elders in our own right, but lately barely make the level of Neophyte in our practices.  After he left for the evening, and we found out we will be able to salvage a friendship we thought was lost, the little one because violently ill to his stomach.  This morning the vomiting settled but the poor little guys now has the runs, so I will be having to brave the oncoming storm to go get diapers and wipes.  (After potty training we don't even need the nightime pants any more.)

In light of all this, I did a Tarot Reading for the 1st time in many many months using my tride and true LOTR deck.  Here are the results: 
Covers Me:  The Moon
Crosses Me:  Eight of Wands (reversed)
Crowns Me:  Eight of Cups
Beneath Me:  Nine of Coins
Behind Me:  Page of Coins
Before Me:  The High Priestess
Myself:  Nine of Wands
My House:  Queen of Coins
Hopes & Fears:  Seven of Swords
What Shall Be:  Ace of Coins


Namaste