crochet & more by melissa R.

My body is sensing the coming of summer and unfortunately I get summer depression. There were moments where I was starting to glitch and time would freeze and I would feel like I got punched in the stomach! But fortunately I beat that feelin and overall I had a great week! I feel like I’m wearin positivity and it fits like a glove.

However I did not beat ADHD.

P.S. Below you’ll find a short story that was actually a dream I had. Feel free to psychoanalyze me in the comments.

Jay white

This week I got to crochet Jay White, truly a fave of mine. I’ve crocheted King Switch before so it wasn’t too hard but I did have to crochet a kimono. The shape of the kimono was a bit more difficult to get and initially I had used gold yarn instead of the sparkly fabric. But that first one looked raggedy and ugly so I decided to re do it. The final version I am way more happy with! Of course as usual something else had to go wrong.

Beware of the rat (a short story)

It was almost the end of my shift at the bookstore and skies outside were only getting darker and darker. My last customers of the day walked up to the register. They were a mixed couple with a young girl. The couple, most likely in their late thirties, looked happy, and confident, and full of love. The girl was well dressed with neat braids and bright eyes. 

Behind me the rain started pouring. I had to manually type in the prices on the old register but I kept jumping every time I heard thunder. With every flash of lightning I would glance back and the light got brighter and brighter. The thunder became louder and got closer. 
me: I'm so sorry, I don't know why but I feel like I'm definitely gonna get hit so I'm just gonna check y'all out from this side. 
the man: No worries, it's really pouring out there 
I jump to their side of the register and the skies become even darker.
the man: The way this storm is looking, we might have to go find cover, away from the windows.
The lights went out. The whole bookstore got dark and the mood shifted.
me: Ok yeah you're right. Guys I'm so sorry, but you'll have to wait to pay with card, or you can do cash.
the man: Well, I've been meaning to get a bible, so maybe you can show me where those are while the lights come back. 
me: For sure

I start leading them away from the register and realize I have no idea where they keep religious texts in this bookstore. I really don't remember seeing them.
me: I'm actually not quite sure where they are but they gotta have em around here, maybe they're in the basement.
the man: All good, we have time to kill
We head towards the stairs and I quickly run downstairs into the basement. It's dark and its flooded and there's no way we can go down there. 
me: not down here y'all!
I run back up and there's two doors. The woman and I go right and the man goes left. At this point the girl has vanished.

The woman opens the door and we walk down a dark musty hallway until we encounter another door. We push open the heavy door and the noise of a crowd starts pouring out. We find ourselves in a school gym, bright lights, the sounds of a marching band, cheerleaders in formation, a home coming.
the woman: wow, it's so fun in here isnt it?!
me: we have to keep looking though
The woman disappears into a crowd and as I walk around I encounter some craft vendors on the left side of the gym. I look at some of the hand dyed scarves for sale until I realize I have a task to complete. I spot the woman clapping and jumping in the crowd and call her over.
me: we gotta go find your husband and that bible

We exit the room and I walk ahead of her because I'm getting anxious and restless. I go up the stairs and there's another door. I walked down the dimly lit hallway and find another door. I run down the stairs and find myself once again in the flooded basement. I run back and turn right down another hallway. I go up another pair of stairs and the top I'm met right away with a door. I open the door and see a few women sitting and sewing in an office room out of the 1950's. It is hot and there are no windows, the fluorescent lighting drapes the whole room in a neon yellow. The woman, work, and sew and sweat, with pins in their mouth and their feet tapping away. One of them stops and looks up at me and says:
Beware of the rat.
I see a bathroom and run into it slamming the door. I need to center myself. 

After a few deep breaths in the tiny olive colored bathroom I run back out and down the stairs. I look around and there's another door down the hallway. I run towards it and right away there's another door. The next door leads me up another flight of stair and another door. I open the door and the room is dark with the only light coming from an old tv playing a show in black and white. As my eyes adjust I see the woman laying on a couch eating popcorn. The living room is sad and littered and smells like must and cigarettes. 
me: we have to find your family!
the woman: Beware of the rat
I slam the door and there I realize that it's not actually the woman.

I run down a hallway where I am met with two more doors and go right once again. I go up a set of stairs and hear footsteps behind me. I look back to see the woman running with fear and desperation in her eyes. She slows down when she sees me and I wave her over as I run up another set of stairs. 

I open the door and it's another dark room with the only light coming from a cheap flickering floor lamp. Next to it, a large grinning rat just stares at me. The woman catches up and screams when she gets to the door and sees the monstrosity. 
woman: Did it eat my husband?!
The rat turns around laughing and we turn to see a window. The first window we've seen since we were on the main floor of the bookstore. 
The 8 foot window is wide open and the white drapes flutter in and out violently. 

That’s it for now. Hope y’all have a great week.

-Mel

A list of materials I used this week

• felt
• gold glitter fabric – michael’s
• Black HTV
• Black Yarn
• peach yarn
• best crochet hook
• Safety Eyes