Money

Last week was tough. Mostly because I blew out my budget by going to Santa Cruz.

Saturday 2/15

  • BiRite Supermarket- 15 on kimchi and tiramisu. Indulgent! I know
  • Drinks at the Page- 13

Sunday 2/16

  • Hotel room split 3 ways- 45 bucks
  • Brunch at Harbor Cafe – 20
  • Red Bull-2.5
  • Drinks-20
  • Roller coaster ride – 6

Monday 2/17

  • Brunch 15
  • Golden Produce- 9 for fruits and veggies
  • Laundry- 6.20

Tuesday 2/18

  • No Spend Day! 😀

Wednesday 2/19

  • Jimmy John’s- $5.50 THE SHAME

Thursday 2/20

  • Iced coffee- $4

Friday 2/21

  • BART 3.70
  • Breakfast burrito 4.35
  • Tacos- 10

Totals:

Food (100 budget): 118.35

Fun (50 budget): 51

Transportation: 3.70

Laundry: 6.20

I ran over my food budget this week, but I found 20 bucks in the atm, so we’ll call it even 🙂

My experiment is coming to a close, and I’m feeling okay about the changes. It’s funny, my desire for shopping (clothes, shoes, makeup and other lustworthy things) has dropped off with my experiment. Because I have so little money to spend on extras, I’ve basically cut shopping out of my life. Because it’s not an option, I don’t even think about it and thus there’s no real struggle within me. It doesn’t feel like I’m depriving myself. It’s really weird.

Food, on the other hand… Every week I SPEND IT ALL on food. Honestly when this is all over I want to reassess and work hard on cutting my food budget. This week showed me that I can spend 15 of an afternoon of kimchi and tiramisu (more fun than it sounds) or I can spend 9 bucks on veggies and mix them with my pantry staples to eat for the week. It’s kind of mind blowing. 🙂

Anyways, home stretch! Despite me still spending a ridiculous amount of money every week, my bank accounts have never been happier. Just a couple more days left of February- isn’t that crazy?

Craft, Knitting

Knit: House of Cards Hat

IMG_0225

IMG_0153

EDIT 10/18/2020: It’s been 6 years since I posted this pattern, and to my shock people are still knitting this hat! To be honest I’d forgotten I’d shared it on Ravelry. Anyways, my original decreasing instructions were terrible and vague as far as how to stay in the pattern, so I’ve edited things to include the exact rows you need to do. Sorry everyone in the past who tried this hat! 😅

Friends may have heard that I wanted to start an Etsy shop. Basically, I took stock of my skills and what makes me happy, and I realized that this was it. I’m a crafter at heart. I like making lovely, ugly, crazy and colorful things. I can draw and create all sorts of little strange useless things, but the most “real world” thing that I could sell would be my knitting. I’m insecure of my drawings and doodles, but proud of my knitting.

So. I spent the winter holidays thinking of different things to make, small things that might actually be profitable. Because that’s really the problem with the whole idea of selling knitting. If you realistically take into account the cost of materials and labor, then you come to a fair price that no one is willing to pay. Most people have been blinded by fast fashion prices and clothes made of cheap materials, and could not fathom paying $50+ for a hat.

Anyways, I kept thinking about it. I knit little coffee cozies. I knit dishcloths. I knit cowls. I scoured Etsy endlessly, noting trends in materials and popular styles. A friend sent me that Wall Street Journal article about arm knitting, noting its “high ROI.” Just 30 minutes to make and they’re going for $50 on Etsy! Not to mention they are UUUUGGGGLYYYY. I tried arm knitting. It was terrible. I purchased a LOT of yarn, hoping to find a happy medium between price and quality. It was a bit overwhelming, although the hoarder in me was very happy to be buying lots of yarn again :).

So my idea had been a bit stagnant for a month or so. Then, over the Presidential long weekend, I decided that I wanted a hat knit in Andalusian stitch. I’d knit at least three of the “Andalutheean knit dishcloth“, and I thought that the slightly nubby texture would be cute on a hat as well.

I cast on while watching season 2 of House of Cards, and after 3 false starts and stops (I was working without a measuring tape, URGH), I had my hat! I loved working with the yarn, but I never wear pink, so I put it up on Etsy. And now I have an Etsy shop . Well, that was simple. I’ve still got a ways to go as far as taking care of the little things, such as creating a proper banner for the shop and fleshing out logistics of shipping, etc. But! I think that this is a good reminder that sometimes we overthink things. Fuck ROI. Fuck market research! Sometimes you have a little fun making something silly and pink, and then you put it up on the internet.

So, here’s my hat. If you knit it, please let me know! I’d love to see pictures.

HouseofCardsHat1IMG_0068

The House of Cards Hat

Andalusian Stitch (worked across a multiple of 2 stitches)

  • Row 1: Knit.
  • Row 2: Knit.
  • Row 3: *Knit 1, purl 1. Repeat from * across row.
  • Row 4: Knit.

Materials: Worsted weight yarn. Shown in Manos Del Uruguay Maxima in Peach Melba OR  Malabrigo Worsted in Alpine Pearl

Guage: 5 stitches/ inch across, and 8 rows/inch tall in Andalusian stitch

Dimensions: 9 and a half inches across, 7 and a half inches tall. Fits a 21 inch head, give or take an inch.

Needles: Size 6 circulars, Size 7 circulars, Size 7 double pointed needles

  • CO 103 stitches on size 6 circular needles. Join the round by knitting together the last and first stitches. You now have 102 stitches.
  • Knit in K1, P1 ribbing for an inch and a half (about 12 rows)
  • Switch to size 7 circular needles. Knit one row.
  • Start Andalusian stitch. Work for 5 repeats.
  • During the 6th repeat of the stitch pattern, you’re going to start decreasing on Row 4. You’re going to be doing the decreases in pattern, on rows 2 and 4 of the pattern.
  • Row 4: *K15, K2Tog* Repeat until end. Start with 102 stitches, end with 96.
  • Row 1: K across.
  • Row 2: *K14, K2Tog* Repeat until end. 96 -> 90
  • Row 3: *K1,P1* Repeat until end.
  • Row4: *K13,K2Tog* Repeat until end. 90 -> 84
  • Row 1: K across.
  • Row 2: *K12,K2tog* Repeat until end. 84 -> 78
  • Row 3: *K1,P1* Repeat until end.
  • Row4: *K13,K2Tog* Repeat until end. 78 -> 72

Continue in this vein until you get to the row where you’re doing *K4, K2tog* (should be Row 2). Here things start decreasing fast. Follow these last steps:

  •  *K4,K2tog* Repeat until end. 36 -> 30 stitches
  • *K1,P1* Repeat until end. 30 stitches
  • *K3,K2tog* Repeat until end. 30 -> 24 stitches
  • *K2,K2tog* Repeat until end. 24 -> 18 stitches
  • *K1,K2tog* Repeat until end. 18 -> 12 stitches
  • *K2tog* Repeat until end. 12 -> 6 stitches

String yarn through remaining 6 stitches. Pull tight, and weave in the ends. Hat time! I ended up knitting a purple hat as well. So girly. Sheesh.

 

 

HouseofCardsHat4

 

Money

Week 2! Here we go!

Saturday 2/8

  • Brunch @ Pork Store -15
  • Golden Produce-12.00
  • Safeway-22.61
  • Whole Foods-14.85
  • BART 3.70
  • Clothes shopping-41.00
  • Cab to house party (heavily raining that night)-13

Sunday 2/9

  • Cab to Chinatown 5K race (still heavily raining…)-15
  • MUNI-2
  • Safeway-9 (I really really wanted salmon for dinner)

Monday 2/10

  • BART-3.70

Tuesday 2/11

  • BART-3.70
  • Chipotle-7.00

Wednesday 2/12

  • BART-3.70

Thursday 2/13

  • Our landlord turned off all the water, so I went scrambling to Whole Foods for a quickie lunch! -9 🙁
  • Dry cleaning-11
  • Valentine’s Present-21

Friday 2/14

  • Lunch with coworkers-10
  • Sushi takeout-35

Tally:
Food (100 budget) 88 cents to spare
Transportation 44.80- yikes this was way too much 🙁
Laundry -11
Presents -21
Play money (70 budget)- 75

This week was tricky because I bought some clothes on Sunday and took a few cabs which added up. I busted my budget on fun stuff by 5 bucks but it was for Valentine’s Day so don’t feel bad about that.

As you can see on Saturday, I put in a lot of effort with the grocery shopping. I went to three shops in a row, hoping to cut costs. Golden Produce is still such a winner. I filled my cart full of fruits and veggies, and only owed 12 bucks.

This week I’m going on a quick trip to Santa Cruz, so I’ll need to cut my grocery bill much further. Also I’ll try to bike to work on most days. Sigh. Altogether I’m feeling pretty good about being halfway done with this experiment, but even with my generous budget it can be hard to not go over. Going out is a killer. At least my wallet is happy.

Home, Life

How to Kick Out Your Roommate Like an Adult

20140213-100045.jpg

Just like all relationships in life, sometimes things just don’t work out with roommates, and they gots to go.

A couple of months ago I had to kick out a roommate for the first time in my life. Come to think of it, that’s kind of unusual, since I’ve had at least 20+ roommates over the years. !!! Anyways, things had been coming to a head for several months with late night disruptions and uncleanliness, but it took a major blowout to actually spur us to action.

It’s reminds me of this odd bit of human behavior I learned in one of my psych classes- small annoyances ultimately cause more damage than large disturbances. If you think about it, it makes sense. You’ll put up with a bathroom door that needs to be slammed shut longer than a broken living room window. While the broken window is worse, you’ll get it fixed immediately and so it is ultimately not as annoying as living with a slammed door for 5 months.

Not that our roommate was just slamming doors. And it was really more than just a bad fit. He  was a heavy drug user and occasionally acted in ways that made us feel unsafe (I didn’t know about this until the end).  Ultimately he threatened to attack one of my roommates, and because of that he had to go. It was a no-brainer, but still I was incredibly nervous about the confrontation.

I bumbled through the process, but you don’t have to! Here’s a guide : 

  • Decide for sure that the roommate has got to go and why. If you’ve got other roommates, it’s time to have an honest discussion about Roommate X. Whether the reason is aggressive behavior or even something as simple as you just want to live alone again, first you’ve got to make the decision to kick them out. Be firm! Be confident in your choice. No take backs. It’s just like breaking up.
  • Figure out the logistics. When would you like them to leave? What does the rental contract say? Are they on the lease? If so, search the tenant laws in your state for more information on their rights. If they’re not on the lease, do what you like. Think carefully about how you would like to replace them, if at all.
  • Once you’ve talked it through with the other roommates, schedule a quiet time to talk with your future ex-roommate.Talking face to face is best so that there is no confusion about what is going on. It’s also best not to suddenly surprise the person.  If the person is violent, hide or lock your valuables up first.
  • In your meeting, you’ll probably be incredibly nervous and maybe even shaking as you speak. Just breathe. Then calmly let the roommate know of your decision. Try to focus on non-personal and REAL reasons for the decision. Frame the reason as a difference between roommates, and not an accusation toward that single roommate. For example, “Our work hours are very different” is better than “You always bring people over after work to party at 2am.”
  • Don’t draw it out. Don’t give them the false hope of thinking that maybe you can work it out. If you are willing to negotiate on the terms of the moveout, now would be the time to talk. Be sure to talk about the security deposit and any expectations you have for the room (cleaning or painting for example). Also, just a note: if you’re at the point of thinking about kicking them out, chances are that the roommate knows things have been rough. It may not be a hurtful surprise at all on their end. In fact they may be relieved for the chance to leave.
  • After you’ve finished your talk, give them space! AKA run back to your room.
  • Clarify any open questions over email or in person. Wait 1-30+ days for them to leave. If you’ve given them longer 30 days, or have allowed them to “stay until they find another place…” well good luck. It could be a while. Try to be pleasant. If that doesn’t work, learn to revel in the awkwardness. It’s an important skill for life.
  • On their moveout day, don’t hide from them. It will be obvious. Say goodbye like a grown up.

Asking my roommate to move out was one of the most adult things that I had to do last year. While it was incredibly awkward at first, I think that now my ex-roommate is in a better housing situation for his lifestyle, and my house has become a much calmer place.

If you’re in this situation, good luck! It doesn’t have to be terrible.