An Editorial to Share Far and Wide

Please feel free to copy this blog and send it to your insurance company. Feel free to post it to you social media posts. Thank you, Sheri

 Dear United Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Well Point, Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield and other Carriers,

We the public have not heard how you plan to handle the actions of the new healthcare mandate from Florida and the growing wave of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against the common but in some cases extremely dangerous and deadly childhood diseases that are preventable.  I am talking about Poliomyelitis, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Chickenpox, RSV, Chickenpox, HPV, and a host of other infectious diseases.  

Have you talked with your actuaries about the increased risks and costs associated with each of these diseases? Including, but not limited to the cost of lifelong use of ventilators, braces, wheelchairs, and special equipment associated with  Poliomyelitis? This is important because the federal government is cutting back on Medicaid funding that would normally cover these costs . The March of Dimes has changed their goals with the advent of the Poliomyelitis vaccine. The March of Dimes no longer covers the costs associated with Poliomyelitis for individual patients. Instead they now work to reduce birth defects. The increased stays in Pediatric Intensive Care Units for infants who get Whooping Cough? With each disease having its own associated costs.  

As I look at the bigger picture you have a number of different factors that come into play.  First and foremost are your stockholders. How will they react to lower dividend rates brought about by higher healthcare costs? Will the stockholders ask for higher rates from your customers so they’re dividends are not impacted? Will they ask for policies to be terminated?

 You also have those that pay for the insurance. This includes many businesses and some individual policyholders. Will they stand for higher rates because people refuse to do preventive care? Will they demand the people be excluded from benefits for refusing to vaccinate? Will they be willing to pay higher price prices to cover the cost of people who refuse to vaccinate? 

Then you have the individuals with the insurance. How will they react to the insurance company telling them they must vaccinate their children or their children will be excluded from their policy for the following conditions of normal childhood illnesses that are preventable by vaccines. How do you plan to educate these people? People tend not to look at the entire picture these days. Some people say vaccines are bad no matter what so you can’t make us give our kids vaccines. Others are saying we must vaccinate for the public good. How are you going to balance that out?.

The reality is that most people of childbearing age are not old enough to remember the effects of these childhood illnesses. They don’t remember how entire schools got vaccinated on the same day by the public health departments across the country. They don’t remember losing friends to childhood illnesses. Most of these people have been vaccinated themselves and don’t remember weeks of isolation until you were well enough to go out in public again. They also don’t remember the dark rooms children had to stay in for a couple weeks at a time to prevent blindness from rubella. No books, or television allowed, because it would damage the eyes. Two to 3 weeks of solid boredom. Can parents afford to stay home the entire time?

Where are you going to take your stand? Right now the country's last line of defense, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is in tatters. They have lost their focus on preventing disease and trying to keep the country as healthy as possible. The CDC is losing a vast number of doctors and scientists. Their only job was to keep America healthy. They are being replaced by people without medical degrees or the knowledge of science needed to do the work. They are being replaced by gossip mongers. These gossip mongers are spreading lies and would not know the basic science if you put the book right in front of them. Are you willing as companies to take a stand for the health of America? Are you willing to let your bottom line be ruled by gossip mongers without facts? Are you going to demand that science must lead the effort for health in this country? US major health insurance companies have more power than the average person to change the course of this discussion. All I ask is that you gather your facts as soon as possible. Talk with your actuaries. Talk with your board of directors. Talk with your major stockholders. Come up with a reasonable plan. Most importantly put their plan to action. You have the power to change the course of history. You have the power to make America healthy. Use your power wisely.

Sincerely,

Sheri Karobonik 

Retired Disability Rights Activist 

Mrs. Karobonik retired as a Disability Rights Activist when her youngest child died from an incurable metabolic disease in 2019.

Busy getting things finished.

 I have been busy finishing projects, but too tired to take pictures.  The count for this week is 3 scarfs finished.  1 pair of Maxi Fingerless Gloves completed.  Another pair a mini mittens started, the first one is almost done, and I think I have a better way to do them. Time for pencil and paper first. I personally prefer bottom up instead of top down.  Also knitting on 2 knitting needles or one pair of circular needles is easier for beginners than juggling 5 double pointed knitting needles.  

I restarted a Tunisian crochet scarf and am making quick progress.  My purse project is 25% finished.  My 3 pound cone scarf project is making great progress.  No it’s just the odds and ends of the UFO’s that need to be finished.  I just need to find a place out of the house either no distractions.  

I have at least 1 new pattern to type up too.

I even found the time for a few 5 minute chores around the house today.  Now it’s time to call it a day.  

Another BBD

 Today was another BBD.  I managed to sleep most of the day.  However I did get myself together enough to go out to Loving Spoonful’s for a lunch of tomato soup and a corn muffin.  The great thing about a good vegan restaurant is that I can order anything without having to ask if there is milk in the dish.  

After lunch was more napping.  John took me out to Beyond Bread for 1/2 sandwiches for dinner.   Followed by a trip to Safeway to get more fresh produce.  

I started a new Tunisian crochet scarf. I just meandered my way through the first few inches.  I also got a few rows of my purse project finished before dinner.   

Both restaurants are locally owned and have good food.  We like to support local businesses whenever we possibly can.   If you are ever in Tucson, I can recommend both restaurants personally.   

BBD

 I woke up to another bad body day.  Not much got done except for 3 loads of laundry, changing linens, tinking a project.  

I Have Stirred Up a Hornet’s Nest

 Yesterday’s blog post stirred up a hornets nest. Apparently some fiber artists and business owners believe that there is only one way and one tool to measure wraps per inch. I disagree. Below are things I have used in the past to measure my wraps per inch. Everything in the picture, but one thing has been used. The only thing in the picture that I would not use is a ruler with a metal bar across one side. The reason for this is that the metal will cut into the fiber and damage to the yarn.

Yesterday’s blog was about the labeling of yarn. I stated that Yarn manufacturers and Indy Dyers needed to place the correct yarn weight on the package. That is not a huge ask considering that it is literally your job to get this right.  The yarn I was showing in yesterday‘s blog was sold as worst weight yarn, the yarn was so thin that I decided to measure it. The yarn came out as fingering weight yarn at 14 wraps per inch.  I have been told that I don’t know how to use a wraps per inch tool and that I don’t know how to measure Yarn weight correctly. I learned how to use a wraps per inch tool, OK it was a 12 inch ruler 20 years ago. I don’t think I need a lecture on how to measure yarn weight. What I also know that if the yarn comes in at 14 wraps per inch it is not worsted weight yarn and should have been labeled fingering weight yarn. Using your eyes to determine a yarns weight on your phone or computer screen is not scientifically possible. There are many different  factors to consider, including did the photographer use any enlargement. Does your computer screen magnify your images? Can you really judge the size of yarn on your phone screen? To really judge a size of the yarn, you have to be there in person. You also need to rely on vendors to get the information right.

I usually only need to use my wraps per inch tools in spinning.  I personally feel that the fiber arts need to be very inclusive. This includes everything including gender, race, and religion. We should not make economics a concern for anyone. As you can see from the picture below there are wraps per inch tools that we can even borrow from our kids school supplies. All you need is a 1 inch measure, Whether it be a piece of cardboard, a dowel, a ruler, a needle case, anything will work as long as you can put a 1 inch measure on it.

We as a group need to tell these people to stay in their own lane.  My first spinning teacher ran a farm and raised fiber animals. She sheared them. She processed the wool. She spun the wool. Most importantly, she taught me how to use a wooden ruler to determine wraps per inch and what weight fiber I had spun.  So unless you can show me how measuring an inch in the round or on a ruler is mathematically different, then stay out of my lane. My husband designed the wraps per inch tool that I use the most with my help. It is exactly 1 inch. So unless you are measuring the diameter of an object, a linear inch is always an inch.

We also have to be very aware of people’s budgets. Not everyone can afford to shop at a local Yarn store or even Michaels. Some people shop for their yarn at Salvation Army, Goodwill, or any other number of thrift stores or garage sales. Some people get their yarn from church. Some people get their yarn from other organizations in return for finished projects. It does not make you a better Knitter if you can afford expensive yarn. That just means you have money to spare. I have been known to rip out projects and not want to look at the yarn ever again. The yarn is still good and still usable, This is why I give the yarn as practice yarn to new students. I know that any art endeavor can be expensive, so because you’re your business owner it does not give you a right to tell everybody which tools to use. You can recommend tools that you carry, which is your prerogative. However, which tools an artist uses is up to them.

Yarn Standards

 There are supposed to be standards in yarn sizes. When I first started knitting over 25 years ago we learned the names of the yarns. Lace, weight, fingering weight, sport, weight, double knit or DK, Worst weight, Aran weight, Bulky weight, super bulky weight.

Then when I started spinning, I found the code to those names and what they mean. It involves a tool called a wraps per inch tool. I wrapped the yarn around the tool and figure out how many wraps it takes to fill 1 inch. So the code gives me the size of the yarn. Lace weight yarn is 30 or more wraps per inch. Fingering/ sock weight yarn is 14 to 16 wraps per inch. Sport weight yarn is 12 wraps per inch. Double knit yarn or DK Yarn is 11 wraps per inch. Worsted weight yarn is 9 wraps per inch. Aran weight yarn is 8 wraps per inch. Bulky white yarn is 7 wraps per inch. Super bulky yarn is 5 to 6 wraps per inch. These numbers also determine the amount of yarn you will get per skein of yarn. 

These are all mathematical formulas. The math is supposed to be precise, not subjective. These formulas are all standardized. They’re standardized to the point where they now have code numbers 0 which is lace weight yarn all the way through size 7, which is Super  Bulky yarn.  

With yarn sizes presented to makers and users of yarns, why in heaven‘s name am I getting mislabeled yarn from some dyers of yarn.  Take my current project for example. The label clearly states that the yarn is a worsted weight Yarn. This would call for a US 7 to 9 knitting needle. My only question is why am I knitting “worsted weight” yarn With a US size 3 knitting needle. As you can see below, the stitches are perfectly fine with a size 3 knitting needle. If I were to use a US size 7 to 9 knitting needle, I would have a very lacy project at this point. For a size 3 knitting needle, the yarn is supposed to be a fingering or sock weight yarn. The yarn is at least four knitting needle sizes too small for the stated size. 

As you can see from the two different measuring tools I used to measure the weight of the yarn. It is definitely a fingering weight yarn. The brown measuring tool comes from Katrinkles.com and the red wraps per inch tools are made by my husband and available only at Grandma’s Spinning Wheel. 

This problem is not limited to Indy Dyers or large multinational yarn companies. I know it can be quite difficult to get exact specifications from some mills. But all yarn must meet the standardized sizes. If ordered the quantity of yarn that I needed for a sweater in a worst of weight yarn and a fingering weight yarn was substituted, I would have multiple problems. First off I would not have enough yarn to complete the sweater. Secondly my gauge would be off  by at least 25%. And if I use the proper size needle called for worsted weight Yarn, I would not have a sturdy sweater, but a lacy sweater. The size would most definitely not fit right.  The desired pattern would be useless to a newer knitter. A more experience, knitter would first curse out the producer of the yarn for mislabeling the yarn. Then would have to decide after making a swatch in each of the desired patterns if it is worth rewriting the pattern to use the yarn or pick a different project. If they really wanted to make the sweater, they would have to re-order the yarn possibly from a different vendor. 

I know it can be quite pricey to have to reprint labels. My humble suggestion would be to determine the actual size of the yarn before printing the labels for the yarn.  By all means, please measure the yarn before you label it. I am lucky, I am only making a scarf so the needle size doesn’t matter. However, I did order a worsted weight yarn and got a fingering weight yarn, which makes me very unhappy. This has happened with several different Yarn companies to me this year. With the price of yarn drifting ever upwards we expect better from everyone. We expect the yarn to be properly labeled. We don’t want to buy a worsted weight Yarn and get a DK or fingering weight yarn when we order a worsted weight yarn. We really want a worsted weight Yarn. Otherwise, we would’ve ordered a different size yarn. 

Inflation does not shrink the width of the yarn. However, spinning the yarn to the wrong standards will shrink the size of the Yarn. Please don’t think your customers are fools. We demand the best from you.

Changes Ahead

 Yesterday afternoon in an effort to make my purse lighter, I changed the projects in my purse out.  My current project was was almost 400 grams or 14 ounces and growing. Think making a shawl. I changed it out for 10 ounces which will shrink once I finish the scarf.  The scarf pattern will be finished soon, once I have the energy. This is the third time that I am making this pattern.  I really love the ease and look.  

The next change is dealing with health matters in a reasonable way.  I have been dealing with the same health issues for 17 months.  With 17 more months of treatment currently planned.  I do have a hard time walking long distances without resting.  So I have applied for a new license plate for my car.  With the personal caveat that on good body days, I will park near the back of the parking lot and on bad body days will use it to park in the front of the lot.  This way I can gain back a little more independence.  Hopefully this will allow me to look and feel a little less haggered after doing just a few errands.  

Of course I am spending a few minutes each day organizing y knitting room.  I can get a lot done in 5 or 10. I utes of work. This way things don’t feel so overwhelming.