BLOCKED 7

CARING FOR HANDKNITS • BEGGING • THE TYPICAL TUDOR • LOST IN ALASKA 

ISSUE 7 

SHE RAGGEDY • YOUR DARKEST DRESS • DROPPED STITCH – COPYRIGHT

Unless otherwise indicated the information, 

articles, artwork, patterns and photography 

published in BLOCKED Magazine are subject 

to copyright ©2023 BLOCKED Magazine. 

All rights reserved. 

BLOCKED Magazine permits the online 

distribution of the magazine in it’s entirety. 

Distribution of any of the contents of this 

magazine are for purposes of sale or resale 

is strictly prohibited. 

Editor 

Neil of Uknitted Kingdom 

For all enquiries: 

blockedmagazine@gmx.com 

Cover Photography 

Whitefibers 

Illustrations 

Uknitted Kingdom 

Contributors: 

The Laziest Knitter 

Christine Smith 

Yelena of Scythia 


D. Marie Prokop 

Patterns: 


Proofers: 

Cézanne Pellett 

Laura Neubauer 

Denise Pettus 

Design and layouts: 

BS Studio

Dear ‘Knitfluencers’, 

Much harm has befallen the knitting/crochet/fibre world in the last five or six years. From the 

mass-labelling of good, decent people as racist ‘white supremacists’ and the destruction of individuals’ 

lives, to the constant policing of our words and our products/projects. 

Many of you have stood by, quietly, supported, or in some cases, even joined in or led, with 

the bullying and nastiness. This is no longer tolerable. 

In the name of protecting the self-declared ‘marginalized’ you have directly or indirectly marginalized 

thousands of others. The fate of some of the targets of harassment, hatred, threats, and 

ostracization has been far, far more harmful than any of the imagined ’microaggressions’ described 

by their attackers. 

Fighting racism with racism is not acceptable. 

Fighting fascism with fascism is not acceptable. 

Fighting white supremacy with black supremacy is not acceptable. 

Fighting patriarchy with matriarchy is not acceptable. 

Fighting toxic masculinity with toxic femininity is not acceptable. 

Our plea to you is to ’stand in the gap’ between the oppressors and the oppressed. Use your 

considerable influence to unite rather than divide people. One word from you could have helped 

Kristy Glass, Nathan Taylor, Kate Davies, Maria Tusken, and all the others that you watched be figuratively 

burned as witches. 

As with all the witch-hunts of the past; history does not remember the witchfinders fondly. 

You may think that buying gifts for the bullies will gain you favour for now. You may think that 

constantly acknowledging their presence in your live broadcasts will protect you. Enjoy your precarious 

privilege, earned from the pain of others, while you still can. Someday, soon, you will be 

cancelled by those you fete. You are only ever one poorly chosen word or one inadvertent microaggression 

away from destruction; subject to the whims of your ’friends’. When that happens we 

will be here for you, but it won’t be easy. Many will remember that you were collaborators as they 

searched the virtual village looking for transgressors. 

Before it’s too late, stand up. Speak out. Do the work. Do better. Use your influence for good 

in the name of good, not for evil masquerading as good. 

Appeasing the few at the expense of the many has never been a wise action. 

Do the right thing. 

Yours faithfully, 

The blocked and the cancelled. 

3

Dear Reader, 

All together now, “Happy birthday to Blocked. Happy birthday to Blocked…” 

Can you believe it’s already Blocked Magazine’s first birthday? 

For me, 2022 sped before my eyes, yet in some ways, it feels like I’ve been working on Blocked for years! 

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every person that has contributed to the content, supported financially via 

Patreon, and supported by reading, and continuing to read, each issue. 

In January 2022 Blocked was a solo project (albeit with several contributors). Now, Blocked is very much a team 

project. With the superb graphic designer, BS Designs, three unwavering proofreaders (Denise, Cezanne, and Laura), 

and soon, two in-house tech editors. 

Considering none of the contributors receive financial compensation for their work and “emotional labor” one 

might wonder where the Patreon donations go. The vast majority of the modest monthly amount is reserved to cover 

the overheads. Yumpu’s (the magazine platform) annual fee, ongoing monthly Streamyard subscription (for the 

Blocked Vlog), Stitch Fiddle (to create the dishident patterns), and Microsoft 365 (Office). There have also been one-off 

purchases (microphone, audio interface, earpiece) for the vlog. The cost of the book (reviewed in this issue) was 

purchased from Patreon funds. In 2023 Blocked will be sponsoring two knitters to undertake the TKGA Tech Editing 

qualification. This will benefit the magazine and the wider Blocked knitting community, as there are so few tech editors 

available to us. One self-imposed financial rule I follow: before spending patron funds I consider 

first if it helps create an issue/episode of Blocked, and second if it supports a person or business 

(yarn dyer, designer, reader, etc) within our community. In the interest of transparency 

I have purchased yarn for patterns that I’ve written for Blocked from the Patreon funds, 

the finished items have since been for my personal use or given away to my friends 

and family. 

The first issue was created in response to the bullies in the fibre world. In this 

issue, I revisit one of those bullies, Adella Colvin of Lola Bean Yarn Co., by providing 

a link to the complete transcript of her attack on Kristy Glass. This transcript 

is a true and accurate record of her own words. However, I have used [parentheses] 

for clarification or if I was unable to transcribe accurately or to describe 

relevant nonverbal cues. The transcript contains a lot of profanity. I have 

placed asterisks over some of the letters of those words. I chose not to put the 

transcript into the magazine in the form of an article because it is so unpleasant. 

This way readers can choose whether to click on the link to read her 

words or whether to ignore the link and continue reading the magazine. 

Some may question why I included it at all. Prior to release, and in the aftermath, 

Adella and her supporters claimed that I had used her words out of 

context. This addresses that accusation. 

I hope the Blocked Magazine Patreon account will attract more donors. I 

hope, one day, Blocked will be in a position where contributors can be compensated 

for their work. Until then, Blocked can only continue with the generous 

contributions from patrons, and the work provided by writers, artists, and 

designers. In order for Blocked to celebrate future birthdays please consider becoming 

a patron by going to https://www.patreon.com/BlockedMagazine. 

Yours faithfully, 

Neil 

4

y the Laziest Knitter 

The Lazy Knitter’s Guide to 

Handknits 

CARING 

FOR 

It’s not uncommon for a person who has spent hundreds 

of hours mastering the art of knitting and hundreds 

of dollars on high-end yarn to struggle with 

washing and caring for their hand knits. We’ve all seen 

what happens when you put a wool sweater through a 

regular laundry cycle - it’s much like what happens in an 

oven with a Shrinky Dink. That beautiful garment felts 

and becomes a tiny, thick version of the original. You 

may reach for superwash wools to prevent this problem 

only to end up with a faded, pilled, and out-of-shape 

garment. Even acrylic garments can end up looking terrible 

over time after repeated laundry cycles. Why does 

this happen and how can we preserve our hard work? 

Let’s dive in. 

pilling 

What makes a hand-knit garment look old and worn 

faster than anything are those little fuzz balls (pills) that 

form on the surface. This happens when fibers poking 

out from the yarn felt together from the friction of rubbing 

or wear. 

Handknits are prone to pilling because the yarn we 

use is generally heavier with a lower twist than the yarn 

in commercially produced garments. Our hand-created 

stitches are also looser on average than those made on 

a commercial machine. This means that more fiber ends 

are exposed with handknits and are less locked in with 

twist and tension than machine-knit clothing. As those 

fiber ends are abraded, they felt together on the surface 

and create pills. 

Washing machines can create a lot of friction on the 

surface of fabrics. While your superwash sweater may 

not shrink with a machine wash, it may come out covered 

in pills. This is a 

big reason why handwashing 

is recommended 

even if the 

yarn label says it’s safe 

for the washing machine. 

removing pills 

Not everyone realizes 

they can easily remove 

pills with a Gleener or a 

sweater stone. These tools 

pull off the pills and leave the garment looking like new 

again. However, as they do so, they can pull more fiber 

ends to the surface. So, while the garment looks better 

afterward, it doesn’t take long before the newly exposed 

fiber ends start felting together and the garment looks 

worn. 

My preferred tool for pill removal is an electric 

sweater shaver. It 

cuts the fibers of the 

pills off at the surface 

with sharp 

blades which is a 

longer-lasting solution. 

detergents 

Laundry detergents 

come in many different “flavors” for many different 

reasons. What works to remove stains on cotton may 

disintegrate your silk blouse. What is used to lift grease 

marks may break dye bonds and lighten your fabric. 

Without getting too technical, silk and wool are 

fibers that are made from proteins. Many stain removers 

added to typical laundry detergents are for tackling protein 

stains like blood. If you use these detergents on silk 

or wool, they will start to break down the fibers. To see 

this in action, take a snippet of wool yarn, put it in a bowl 

of bleach, and leave it for 24 hours. When you return 

there will be no yarn left. It will have completely 

dissolved. It’s a fun experiment to do with 

blended yarns, like sock yarn. After 24 hours in 

bleach, you will have only a skeleton of nylon 

fibers left floating in the dish. 

The pH of a detergent also affects fibers. A 

typical laundry detergent has an alkaline pH 

meant for clothing made from cotton or synthetic 

Continued on next page... 

5

Lazy Knitter Continued... 

fibers. Protein fibers like wool become 

brittle when exposed to these 

soaps. In contrast, wool washes are 

usually pH neutral with added fiber 

conditioners like lanolin and have 

the added benefit that they do not 

require rinsing. 

Even if you choose to put your 

superwash wool garments into the 

washing machine, you can see how the detergent you 

select has a big impact on the longevity of your handknits. 

Wool washes like Eucalan, Soak, or Kookaburra 

are safe choices and are gentle on wool and most 

other fibers. 

washing 

How often you need to wash your handknits is dependent 

on the type of yarn used and how dirty your 

garment has gotten. Wool does not need to be washed 

after every wear as the lanolin content makes it naturally 

antimicrobial. I ordinarily only wash my wool 

sweaters at the end of the cold season before they 

need to be put up for the summer. Otherwise, I only 

wash them if they are visibly dirty or have picked up a 

smell. Before washing, you can try airing it out and spot 

cleaning instead of submerging in 

water. 

Washing your wool garments 

before storing is important. The 

dreaded wool moths are attracted 

to sweat and skin oils present in 

wool clothing that has been worn. 

They rarely infest fresh clean wool. 

Putting away washed garments 

lessens the chance that a wool 

moth will be attracted to and lay 

eggs in your clothes. (It’s the larva, 

not the adult moths, that eat the 

wool.) 

You may want or need to wash your cotton or bamboo 

handknits more frequently than once a season. It’s 

true they can be washed in a machine without the fear 

of felting. But even still, handwashing is still recommended 

to prevent pilling, color lifting, and distortion 

of stitches and handwashing extends the life of the 

garment. 

Obviously, if you are washing something large like 

an afghan, it makes sense to use a delicate cycle with 

cold water in a washing machine. The delicate cycle will 

reduce agitation and the resulting 

pilling. The cold water will help prevent 

dye lifting and shrinking. Make 

sure that the detergent you are 

using is appropriate for the fiber 

content of your piece. 

how to handwash: 

Fill a sink or basin with lukewarm 

water and submerge the piece for 15 minutes. You will 

want to squeeze the air out of the piece as you submerge 

until it can stay under the water on its own. You 

don’t want to put the piece under running water to 

avoid potential felting. Add a bit of gentle (pH-neutral) 

detergent or wool wash to the water. If the soap is not 

rinseless, you will need to submerge the piece again to 

remove the soap. 

As tempting as it is to stuff all your garments into 

the sink to get the washing done quickly, unless you 

know the yarn doesn’t bleed, you’ll want to wash each 

item separately. It’s pretty horrible to discover that your 

cream hand-knit sweater has picked up purple 

blotches from washing it with an eggplant shawl. 

After soaking, gently pull the piece out of the water 

while supporting the entire piece so the weight of the 

water doesn’t stretch out or distort the 

knitting. Give it a squeeze to remove 

excess water. (Do not wring.) Wrap it 

in a towel like a burrito to get out as 

much remaining water as possible. 

Note: You may want to consider investing 

in a spin dryer if you hand 

wash a lot of garments. These sit on 

your counter and will spin your garment, 

much like a washing machine, 

to remove most of the water. A spin 

dryer is far more effective than the 

towel burrito and will shorten the dry 

time significantly. 

Next, lay your item flat on dry towels and leave it to 

dry. After a few hours, you can flip the garment and put 

fresh dry towels underneath to help speed up drying. 

Make sure your item is very dry before storing away for 

the summer. 

Even if your yarn label says safe for the dryer, I still 

opt for air drying simply to prevent wear and tear. As 

your items are rolling around in the dryer, they are rubbing 

together, creating pills. 


6

Lazy Knitter Continued... 

storing woolens 

You will want to store your handknits folded and 

not hung to prevent stretching. It’s also beneficial 

to store them in cotton or linen bags so they can 

breathe. If you store them in plastic and there is any 

residual water from the wash, you risk mildew and 

mold. An added cedar block or a lavender sachet 

will further help to repel moths. 

tying it all together 

Handwashing avoids excess friction which reduces 

pilling. Using a gentle, pH-neutral soap 

means you don’t have to worry about damage to 

fibers. When you see the recommendation of handwashing 

even though the yarn label says you can 

launder in a machine, it’s simply to extend the life 

of your item. 

As a lazy knitter, I would prefer to stick all my 

work in a washing machine and treat it like my 

other laundry. But when I think about the amount of 

time that goes into creating my handknits and the 

money spent on the materials, it becomes easier to 

muster up the motivation to hand wash. If you’ve 

ever accidentally put a gorgeous, cabled sweater 

that you spent a month working on through the 

wash, you know the heartache of losing all that time 

and energy. Because I only wash my sweaters once 

per season, it feels lazier to do the right thing rather 

than the “easy” thing and keep all my hard work in 

good shape. 

For my acrylic crocheted blankets, I still send 

them through the washing machine occasionally 

and deal with the resulting pilling with my sweater 

shaver. I will also put my superwash wool socks 

through a gentle machine cycle with wool soap and 

then hang them to dry. For my most expensive 

yarns and my most time-intensive projects, it will always 

be a handwashing. 

NEEDS YOU! 

© 2022 Conley Olson, @NantucketStudios 

WE’RE LOOKING FOR: 

• Test Knitters/Crocheters 

• Podcasters/Vloggers 

• Designers 

• Writers 

• Artists 

If you are interested in 

being a contributor 

email: blockedmagazine@gmx.com 

7

FUNERALS 

By Christine Smith 

Even though they are difficult events, death and 

funerals are part of our lives. It’s important to have 

thought through how you want to talk to your children, 

and each other when someone close to them 

dies. Rather than wait until the inevitable, think and 

plan carefully how you will deal with death so you’re 

as ready as possible. Two things in life are certain: 

death and taxes. 

When I was growing up, children were not included 

in the death and funeral process. I’m sure my 

parents thought they were doing the right thing at the 

time but eventually, I was going to have to experience 

it, and I think it would have been easier if I had been 

included in the rituals when I was younger. 

The first person I remember dying was my greatgrandmother. 

She taught me how to knit triangles 

from the single stitch to the longest row before casting 

off. It’s the only one-on-one memory I have of her; 

although I do remember her presence. 

The first comment I have here is targeted toward 

older readers. Actively engage with your grandchildren 

and great-grandchildren. Most likely, they will 

not come readily to you; you need to draw them 

in. It is your responsibility to do this no matter 

how awkward it feels. 

Great-grandma knitted or crocheted blankets 

for all the great-grandchildren. When I learned to 

knit at about 7 years old, mum encouraged me to 

show my knitting to my great-grandma. I needed 

something to take to her as I wouldn’t have gone 

without a reason. Perhaps this is natural shyness 

or the general thought that children should be off 

playing and the adults engaging separately. I remember 

great-grandma smiling my way, almost 

hoping for engagement. Anyway, mum was right. 

She had me up on the couch next to her as I 

showed her my knitted triangle. She wasn’t just 

being polite; she loved that I came to her and she 

felt my knitting and encouraged me. She asked if 

I knew about knitting it upside down and proceeded 

to show me. I was sitting to the left of her 

and I remember feeling her closeness. She was 

patient, showed me how, and guided my knitting. 

Once it was finished, I left the couch. I wish she’d 

done more with me. I wish she had told me about life 

when she was a little girl. 

It wasn’t too long after that she stopped coming to 

regular extended family dinners and I was told she’d 

died. Only the adults went to the funeral because the 

thought was that children were too young to understand. 

All I knew was that she was with God, and I was 

happy with that explanation. 

Her blankets remained with us for years. I wish I 

still had it with many darned patches. As a knitter, I 

know how much love and thought go into a piece of 

work and I would have liked to hold it, look carefully 

at her stitches and feel her love. 

When I was 10, Grandma died. We went to the 

hospital but the children had to wait in the corridor 

whilst my parents went into her room. It would’ve 

been good for me to see her for the last time. I didn’t 

know she was dying but it would have been helpful if 

we had been told that grandma was sick and not 

going to get better. Children can cope with basic information. 

8

Funerals Continued... 

I didn’t go to her funeral either. Maybe the adults 

wanted to spare the children from seeing adults upset. 

Perhaps that was part of it. But I think they didn’t realize 

that excluding children only means they delay the reality 

of grief. Even a childish, immature experience of grief is 

important in a young life. To live is to die and I still don’t 

understand why I was denied this reality. Especially as 

we were an evangelical Christian family, unafraid of 

death and certain of eternal destiny. 

My husband and I chose to include our children in 

the funeral of their Poppa. They were all young when he 

died. I don’t recall them viewing the body, we gave them 

the choice. They saw the tears, the laughter of recollections, 

and the peace known by believers. 

So that’s my second piece of advice: include your 

children in all life brings - the joyous births and the tearful 

farewells. Don’t deny them the entirety of life. 

Sometime after Grandma died, I was walking around 

the garden with Grandpa. I knew he was sad but I didn’t 

know what to say. He must’ve sensed it because he 

picked up an empty snail shell and told me that was like 

what it was when someone died. The shell of their body 

remained but the part which was Grandma wasn’t there 

anymore. She was with the God she loved and followed 

all her life. It made perfect sense to me then and I still recall 

it when necessary. That was one of the first theological 

teachings via an everyday example that was easy for 

a child to understand. 

However, he also told me he didn’t like grandma’s 

pale purple roses anymore because they are the same 

color as a dead person’s ear. I don’t know whether it was 

an attempt at a joke or not but it horrified me then and I 

still think of that when I see pale purple roses. Not so 

wise. 

The third lesson: think carefully about what is ageappropriate 

to tell your children. A dead person is not 

asleep. Those words frightened me as a child because 

what if I was thought dead but I was only asleep? It wasn’t 

until I viewed a body at a Maori Tangi that I realized a 

dead person doesn’t look asleep at all. Like the empty 

snail shell, I could see that the person was not there, 

only the body. I was so relieved! I was in my mid-20s. 

This was something I should’ve known years before 

then. 

The first funeral I went to was for my husband’s greataunt. 

I never knew her and my husband hardly did, 

either. But we were in the same city and it was up to us 

to represent our side of the family there. I felt unsure 

and afraid because I’d never been to a funeral. 

Only you know what is appropriate for your children 

to be told. But I can say for certain that it is a mistake to 

hide this area of our lives from our children. Tell them 

the truth. If you don’t know the answer, say so and find 

out if you are able to. 

The fourth lesson: Unless it’s a tragic funeral, I have 

come to view them as a chance for a mini-life audit. Each 

time I consider what is important in life, and each time 

I’m surprised how far I moved from it. What is important 

is people! Family, in particular. Death catches up with us 

all and as I get older I realize more and more how little 

life is left. In the time I have left to me, I want to be used 

well and for others. Funerals help me sort my priorities. 

They also remind me that my elderly parents have 

limited time with us. None of us knows when those we 

love will pass. Part of the mini-life audit is a reminder to 

spend time with them and value these chances. If you 

haven’t done it already, ask them questions about when 

they were young and what they remember about their 

grandparents. These moments are not only precious 

memories for the younger person listening but important 

opportunities to gather family history. When a child 

or teen asks a grandparent these things and then tells 

their own grandchildren in years to come, there are potentially 

hundreds of years of family history shared. Future 

generations will thank you for these memoirs. 

Funerals are a good time to catch up with people 

and extended families. What is it about a funeral that 

generates the action of coming together and why do we 

wait for a funeral to do this? I suppose it’s because we 

don’t plan a funeral but we must plan a reunion. 

It’s a good idea to talk to your elderly parents to plan 

their funerals and what will happen after their deaths. If 

they’re not willing to do this, don’t force it but do get 

some planning in for your sake and that of your family. 

The more basic plans are in place, the more time you 

will have to deal with the shock and immediate grieving 

process - not just yours but others, too. 

I’ve recently talked and planned with my parents, 

and it’s a relief for them and me to have the discussion 

behind us. They talked about some of their own experiences 

with funerals and we enjoyed a few laughs with 

black humor. These are times I already hold as precious 

memories. My husband and I need to get on with planning, 

too. 

To wrap up - when there’s a funeral, include your children 

as much as is appropriate. If you need help talking 

9

Funerals Continued... 

with them, get advice but don’t perpetuate unhelpful myths 

or misunderstandings. Don’t be afraid to let your children 

see you cry and grieve. If it means it’s time for you to sort 

out what you believe, then get onto that too. Ask pertinent 

questions of your older family members whilst you still can, 

and get these recorded digitally or written down. And get 

funeral planning underway if you haven’t already. 

The triangle pattern: 

1. Leaving a 6”tail (for sewing later) cast on 1 stitch. 

Turn. 

2. Increase into the first stitch (knit into the front and 

then the back of the same stitch), knit to the end of 

the row. 

Turn. 

3. Repeat 2. Until the triangle is the required size 

(in my example I bound off when I reached 30 stitches). 

10

y Yelena of Scythia 

LOST IN ALASKA 

Remember all the Instagram hacks in 2022? How 

many of your favorite indy yarn dyers completely lost 

online and physical storefront businesses because of 

Instagram hacks? Wait, none of them did? They just 

created new Instagram accounts, emailed newsletters, 

and moved on? Well, someone needs to tell Tara 

Sager at the now-defunct Rebel Woolworks that an Instagram 

hack isn’t the end of the world. Or maybe she 

used an Instagram hack as an excuse to just pack it up 

and defraud customers and Kickstarter backers. 

This story started when Tara Sager, owner of Rebel 

Woolworks, located in eastern Oregon, decided to 

participate in a small business competition for a grant 

in La Grande, Oregon. Rebel 

started a Kickstarter campaign to 

raise some initial funds and applied 

for a small business grant 

from the City of La Grande Urban 

Renewal Agency, which Rebel won. 

Tara was then able to open a storefront 

complete with a dye studio in 

downtown La Grande. She received 

glowing press in the local 

paper, The La Grande (Ore) Observer. 

As part of the Kickstarter campaign, Tara created a 

unique colorway named Dreams that would be a reward 

for a successful Kickstarter campaign. This colorway 

was to be exclusive to the Kickstarter. When the 

colorway became much desired, and Tara started selling 

it on her website in addition to her then-successful 

Kickstarter, red flags ensued. 

Rebel Woolworks opened a storefront in 2021 to 

much local acclaim. Things appeared to be going well. 

However, the Kickstarter rewards were taking a long 

time to fulfill, and Tara appeared to be focused on 

dying and delivering the Dreams colorway to online 

and store customers before her Kickstarter supporters. 

Backers started asking questions on Kickstarter. The 

excuses began. 

Tara alleges that her storefront and dye studio 

flooded due to rain twice. I did some searching both 

on the La Grande Observer website as well as generic 

internet searches and found zero news coverage of 

flooding in downtown La Grande in 2021. I did see 

plenty of local news coverage of flooding in the region, 

including La Grande in 2020, but nothing in 

2021. If there was enough rain for downtown businesses 

to flood twice, I would expect there to be local 

news coverage. I’m not saying that Rebel Woolworks 

didn’t flood, but I could not find evidence of floods in 

downtown La Grande when Ms. Sager claims her 

storefront flooded—twice. In fact, 

the La Grande Observer did a follow-up 

story on Rebel Woolworks 

in April 2022 and there was no 

mention of Tara’s flood claims. 

When the noise surrounding 

the lack of delivery on the Kickstarter 

rewards increased, Tara 

posted about how she is an artist 

and a creative, and she needs to 

create instead of just doing the 

same colorway over and over. She claimed that she 

had to dye 6,000 skeins of Dreams, presumably between 

website sales and Kickstarter rewards. The 

numbers are immediately suspicious as there are only 

168 Kickstarter backers. Between skeins of Dreams 

and coordinating colors, only 600 skeins (including 

mini skeins) were due to be delivered as Kickstarter rewards. 

Either she is making up numbers or she didn’t 

limit the number of skeins of Dreams that were available 

for sale on her website. She has delivered to 

some of her Kickstarter backers, but not all, and many 

of the larger reward tier backers have not received any 

rewards. 

Instead of dying skeins of Dreams, Tara ghosted 

her Kickstarter campaign and started dyeing quarterly 

Continued on page 14... 

11

DISHIDENT #9 

by UKnitted Kingdom 

PATTERN DESCRIPTION 

Each issue of Blocked will contain a ‘secret’ pattern. 

The design will only be revealed as you knit. The 

instructions might uncover an image; a design, or a 

word/message. 

When using cotton these secret squares make 

excellent dishcloths. If you make 4 or 5 of each square 

in wool or acrylic they can be seamed together at the 

end of the year to make a small Afghan or lap blanket. 

GAUGE & MATERIALS 

Each dishident uses approximately 41 to 43g of 

worsted weight 100% cotton. Follow the yarn 

manufacturer’s recommended needle size. 

DIRECTIONS 

→ Row 1 [WS]: k45 

← Row 2 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 3 [WS]: k45 

← Row 4 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 5 [WS]: k45 

← Row 6 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 7 [WS]: k4, p37, k4 

← Row 8 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 9 [WS]: k4, p9, k4, p12, k4, p8, k4 

← Row 10 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 11 [WS]: k4, p9, k4, p12, k4, p8, k4 

← Row 12 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 13 [WS]: k4, p9, k4, p12, k4, p8, k4 

← Row 14 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 15 [WS]: k4, p9, k4, p12, k4, p8, k4 

← Row 16 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 17 [WS]: k4, p8, k6, p11, k4, p8, k4 

← Row 18 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 19 [WS]: k4, p7, k3, p2, k3, p10, k4, p8, k4 

← Row 20 [RS]: k45 


← Row 22 [RS]: k45 


← Row 24 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 25 [WS]: k4, p37, k4 

← Row 26 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 27 [WS]: k4, p16, k8, p2, k7, p4, k4 

← Row 28 [RS]: k45 


12

← Row 30 [RS]: k45 


← Row 32 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 33 [WS]: k4, p21, k2, p3, k7, p4, k4 

← Row 34 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 35 [WS]: k4, p5, k8, p4, k2, p3, k2, p2, 

k2, p9, k4 

← Row 36 [RS]: k45 


k2, p9, k4 

← Row 38 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 39 [WS]: k4, p3, k3, p7, k3, p21, k4 

← Row 40 [RS]: k45 


k3, p2, k4 

← Row 42 [RS]: k45 


k2, p, k3, p3, k4 

← Row 44 [RS]: k45 


k4, p5, k4 

← Row 46 [RS]: k45 


k3, p6, k4 

← Row 48 [RS]: k45 


k2, p2, k2, p2, k5, p4, k4 

← Row 50 [RS]: k45 


k2, p2, k3, p2, k4 

← Row 52 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 53 [WS]: k4, p16, k3, p18, k4 

← Row 54 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 55 [WS]: k4, p37, k4 

← Row 56 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 57 [WS]: k45 

← Row 58 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 59 [WS]: k45 

← Row 60 [RS]: k45 

→ Row 61 [WS]: k45 

← Row 62 [RS]: k45 

BO 

ABBREVIATIONS 

CO Cast on 

k Knit 

p Purl 

TIPS 

If preferred, slip the first OR the last stitch of every 

row to create a neater edge. When purling a stitch 

immediately after knitting a stitch; pull the excess 

yarn out of the purl stitch before knitting or purling 

on. This helps to reduce loose/baggy knit stitches. 

NOTES 

Occasionally a dishident or secret square might not 

be suitable for children and ‘polite company’. 

Where this is the case it will be made clear. 

SHE RAGGEDY 

In her own words 

Click on the link or scan the QR code to read the true and accurate 

uncut transcript of a live Instagram video posted on 29 Nov 2021 

by Adella Colvin of Lola Bean Yarn Co. 

https://www.yumpu.com/s/ivfygnRNjMkVmOUo 

WARNING: Contains profanity and may be considered disturbing. 

Link to actual Video 

https://youtu.be/ZjvYTyDQ9qU 

13

Lost in Alaska Continued... 

advents, a John Muir collection, and a Titanic collection. 

She just went silent on the Kickstarter rewards, 

completely ignoring her backers. She simply 

stopped posting updates or responding to messages 

on Kickstarter, while hosting events at her 

storefront. Her reason? Difficulty navigating the 

Kickstarter website. Tara was able to set up the Kickstarter 

and take $9,800 in support, but when 

backers start asking questions, she disappeared. 

Tara alleged that the Rebel Woolworks Instagram 

account was hacked in May 2022 and that because 

of that hack, she lost significant money, which 

put her business at risk. As a way to help after the 

hack, she put her fall and winter advents on sale for 

20% off. On June 4, 2022, she posted on her new Instagram 

account that the Instagram hack completely 

destroyed her business and that she was closing her 

storefront, moving to Alaska, and starting a new job 

as a construction project manager in July. Oh, and 

her husband also found a new job in Alaska. Tara 

claims this was all of a sudden, unplanned, and necessary 

to care for her family. She stated that she 

would ship out all outstanding orders, refund unfulfilled 

Kickstarter rewards, and absolutely ship out 

fall and winter advents after her move to Anchorage, 

Alaska. 

On June 5, she was still selling advents on her 

website. On June 9, her website was down. On June 

10, her website was back up, but Tara posted on social 

media that Rebel Woolworks was closing for 

good. By September, the Rebel Woolworks 

website was down completely. 

According to people who posted on the Demon 

Trolls group on Ravelry, Rebel Woolworks never issued 

refunds to Kickstarter backers. Several people 

also reported that Tara was not responding to 

emails or direct messages. The website and email 

address are shut down. 

Amazingly, Tara Sager had the gall to continue 

to sell advents on her website after announcing she 

was moving and shutting down her business. It 

takes longer than days to find new jobs in another 

state, cancel leases and arrange for an interstate 

move. It seems clear that her advent sale was a cash 

grab. 

According to the La Grande Observer, there is 

no requirement for Rebel Woolworks to return the 

small business grant. This is unfortunate. Larger 

businesses that receive tax incentives, and often 

smaller businesses as well, are required to meet certain 

hiring or investment targets to receive grants or 

tax incentives. These tax incentives and grants are 

generally subject to clawback, where the business is 

required to pay the money back if hiring and investment 

targets are not met. I wonder if the City of La 

Grande is aware of what their 2021 grant recipient 

did to customers and the knitting community. Perhaps 

they should consider more requirements from 

grant recipients and have a clawback mechanism in 

an effort to protect taxpayer funds and customers. I 

can only hope that Tara Sager does not return as an 

indie yarn dyer under another name. While her yarn 

is beautiful, the knitting community certainly doesn’t 

need yet another dishonest dyer. 

14

By Uknitted Kingdom 

Dropped STitch 

Correcting the Copyright Claims 

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a very successful 

indie designer with around 150 self-published 

patterns. To date, your pattern sales (on just one knitting 

platform) have grossed $1,180,937.00. Granted 

you have probably paid taxes and fees, but still, you 

have undoubtedly netted a very lucrative amount, 

enough, perhaps, to buy a second five-bedroom 

home. Good for you! 

As a capitalist, I admire anyone that makes lifechanging 

amounts of money from talent and/or hard 

work. I have even more admiration for those that, having 

succeeded financially, then encourage others to 

make money for themselves. 

This brings me to this issue’s ‘Dropped Stitch.’ 

In episode 97 of “I’ll Knit If I Want To,” Andrea 

Mowry (the designer alluded to above) answered a 

viewer’s question about copyright. 

The viewer asked, 

“I'm wondering about the etiquette/legality 

regarding selling your knit finished objects as a 

side project. Is this only OK if you designed the 

pattern of the knit? Is it OK to knit up a pattern 

that someone else designed and sell the FO (finished 

object) without their consent or sharing the 

profit? We never want to infringe upon a copyright 

or break community etiquette but it would 

be a fun little side hustle to sell some fun items 

on Etsy or at farmers' markets.” 

Mowry replied, 

“I have gotten this question a few times and I 

also have noticed an uptick in people selling finished 

objects for my patterns on Etsy so if you are 

doing that please stop. 

Basically, it completely depends on that designer 

and their copyright. In my copyright, it 

very specifically states that you're not allowed to 

sell finished items from my patterns. In general, a 

good way to know if that designer would be OK 

with you selling finished items is they will state 

it…if there is no permission given, don't assume 

you can. Definitely at least reach out, but a lot of 

times it will be stated right in the copyright. So 

go read the copyright and if you can't find anything 

on it I would definitely recommend asking 

that designer before you go sell things from their 

patterns. 

So in regards to my patterns, I do not give 

permission to sell finished items from my patterns 

so please don't, and thank you for respecting 

my copyright.” 

Mowry’s assertion about copyright is incorrect. I 

posted a polite comment under her Youtube video explaining 

the limits of her copyright and she promptly 

removed my comment and any other similar comments. 

Copyright is a tricky subject to pin down. It’s particularly 

confusing when it comes to clothing and exceptionally 

confusing when it comes to knit/crochet 

wear. 

Where Mowry is correct is that her written pattern 

is protected under copyright. Purchasers do not have 

the right to copy, sell, or distribute a pattern for any 

purpose other than personal use. You are permitted to 

give the pattern away as a gift for someone else to 

use, but you are not permitted to copy the pattern first 

for your own use. 

Compare this to reading a book. Once read, how 

often have you lent or given a book to someone else? 

People generally would consider giving away a read 

document perfectly acceptable – but draw the line at 

photocopying that document and reselling it. 

In the case of music, copyright laws have been 

regularly breached on a huge scale. In the days of 

vinyl, cassette, and CDs, copying was common. If you 


15

Dropped Stitch - Continued From page 15 

Copyright only covers 

selling or copying 

THE WORDS 

of the recipe, 

NOT THE 

BAKED CAKE. 

recorded music from the radio, cut a vinyl record, or 

burned a copy of a music CD, you were breaking 

copyright law. 

The issue Mowry raises is, who owns the product 

made from a pattern? 

Mowry receives compensation for her talent/work 

from every pattern sold. She will only be denied her 

rightful compensation if the pattern is stolen, copied, 

or shared. Under normal circumstances, once the pattern 

has been bought and supplied, the contract between 

seller and buyer has now concluded. At no 

point during the sale of a knitted item is Mowry (or 

any other designer) losing potential income. Mowry 

sells patterns, not garments. 

You have the pattern. 

You purchase the 

yarn and tools needed 

to knit the garment. You 

spend a significant 

amount of time knitting 

the garment. From casting 

on to binding off, 

you own that garment 

and the designer has 

no physical claim over 

it. Like any other item of 

clothing you own, you 

can give it away, sell it, 

adapt it, destroy it, or 

do anything to it or with it you see fit. 

The material the garment is made of belongs to 

you. The craftsmanship of the garment is completely 

down to your own skill. You are ethically and legally 

permitted to sell this item on Etsy, a farmers’ market, 

or any other trading space. Much like with recipes for 

baked goods, it’s perfectly acceptable to make a 

batch of cakes (using a baker’s published recipe) and 

sell them. Copyright only covers selling or copying 

the words of the recipe, not the baked cake. 

Mowry and others often compare knitting patterns 

with sewing patterns. It could be physically possible to 

buy a sewing pattern and mass produce an 

entire shop’s worth of identical garments in a 

reasonably short time period. This is not the 

case with hand-knitting patterns. Realistically 

how many Weekenders (Mowry’s most popular 

design) could a knitter make in one month? One? 

Two? Three? Enough to gross $1,180,937.00? How 

much would a knitter net from selling a garment made 

from a Mowry design? After the cost of the yarn has 

been deducted, and the time spent knitting accounted 

for, a hand knitter is unlikely to make a profit. 

S/he will, if lucky, just about break even. 

Copyright in knitting can only cover written patterns, 

unique never-before-published stitch patterns 

or images, trademarked logos or images, and unique 

constructions. A sweater constructed in a pre-published 

fashion, with any pre-published stitch is, in and 

of itself, not covered by copyright. Unless you invented 

the sweater concept 

you cannot copyright it. I’ve 

raised this point before using 

the 56/64/72 stitch sock, with 

a stitch pattern from a stitch 

dictionary, and any standard 

pre-published toe and heel. 

The written pattern itself is all 

that can be copyrighted. In 

this specific instance, it isn’t 

impossible for 2 or more designers 

to independently 

publish exactly the same 

sock pattern – just using different 

yarn, 

terminology/phrasing, and 

images. 

An exception to this would be Fair Isle and intarsia. 

Original image designs, created by the designer, 

would absolutely be protected by copyright. 

In the USA copyright laws relating to the selling of 

hand knitted items created using a copyrighted pattern 

have, to my knowledge, not been tested. Mowry 

(or another designer) would have to instigate, and pay 

for, legal action in the hope of winning. 

Mowry claims that her copyright “very specifically 

states that you're not allowed to sell finished items 

from [her] patterns.” An example of this can be seen 

below. 

16 

Continued on next page...

Dropped Stitch - Continued From page 16 

This month’s ‘Dropped Stitch’ is: 

Andrea Mowry 

© 

For incorrectly educating the public 

about the rules of copyright. 

Copyright only is valid for a printed pattern 

not the finished piece. 

© 

The problem here is twofold. Firstly, as already mentioned, physical knitted items are not covered by the pattern’s 

copyright. Secondly, the agreement implied here is null and void because the purchaser could not reasonably consent to 

this agreement before purchasing the pattern as buyers only get to see this once they receive the pattern! To have any 

hope of being legally enforceable the buyer should be given this information before purchase. 

From a legal perspective, Mowry has dropped a stitch. From an ethical or community etiquette perspective I would 

argue that, after making over a million dollars from the knitting community, it is unethical and downright mean of Mowry 

to attempt to prohibit (predominantly) less wealthy and less privileged knitters from making a few bucks from selling an 

item, made by their own hands, with yarn paid for from their own wallets, using a pattern legally purchased. 

I hope the millionaire, Andrea Mowry, chooses to be less mean-spirited in future. 

Patterns published in Blocked carry copyright notices. However, these are not contracts entered into upon 

purchasing (they’re free!). Although one or two Blocked designers have requested that knitters/crocheters refrain 

from mass-producing items for sale, this is just a request. 

Copyright laws can vary between countries. Please refer to the copyright laws of your country for more information. 

USA Copyright 

https://library.osu.edu/site/copyright/2014/07/14/patterns-and-copyright-protections/ 

https://www.copyright.gov/ 

UK copyright 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-notice-knitting-and-sewing-patterns/copyright-notice-knitting-and-sewing-patterns 

17

Knitting Patterns, Hand-Dyed Yarns, 

Tools, Notions & More! 

www.knittymcpurly.com 

Hand-dyed yarns, Opal yarns, patterns, tools, and notions. 

https://www.etsy.com/de/shop/AnnaKnitterYarns 

New Zealand yarn store. 

Ships worldwide. 

www.skeinz.com 

Knitting Patterns 

https://www.ravelry.com/designers/liz-clothier 

Anne Pinkava 


www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/user/maker/fdba7e1e-93b6-4b6f-9f82-06ef18d0ec8c 


https://galilee-life.com/vendor/deplorable-knitter/ 

18

Amigurumi/Crochet Patterns 

http://www.yankeerose.etsy.com/ 

Wise Owl Knits 

Knitting Patterns and Tutorials 

www.wiseowlknits.com 

Karen Juliano 

Blogger 

& Knitter 

Fabrics, Sewing Patterns, 

and Tutorials 

littleragamuffin.com 

Knitting Patterns: 

https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/user/maker/647c869e-a568-4b05-8fb4-b8f868600ec4 

Knitting Patterns and Tutorials 

https://www.ravelry.com/stores/birdie-beanie 

Love Stitched 

https://galilee-life.com/vendor/love-stitched/ 

19


A REVIEW OF 

“THE TYPICAL TUDOR” 

20 

In one of her “Casual Friday” Youtube videos, “Knitting 

a 16th Century Stocking // Casual Friday 

S6E03Knitting a 16th Century Stocking. S6E3,” (Roxanne 

Richardson, 2023) Roxanne Richardson discussed 

a book titled “The Typical Tudor” by Jane Malcolm- 

Davies and Ninya Mikhaila (2022). 

“The Typical Tudor” is part 

of a collection of historical descriptions 

with fifty patterns to 

reconstruct 16th-century clothing. 

Richardson used a knitting 

pattern from the book to knit a 

stocking as part of an ongoing 

project she is covering in her 

“Casual Friday” series. 

What makes The Typical 

Tudor different from other 

books in the collection is that it 

includes garments worn by the 

ordinary public of the time 

rather than by the aristocracy. 

Having an interest in history, 

particularly the history of common, 

everyday people, my curiosity 

was piqued. 

With a cover price of £58 

plus postage and packaging 

the 216-page paperback book 

is extremely expensive. I justified this expense by telling 

myself I hadn’t purchased any yarn in 2023. But, as one 

friend pointed out, “it’s not even February yet!” 

The book arrived this morning (Jan 24) and when I 

opened the packaging the book was beautifully 

wrapped in brown paper. Seriously, this impressed me. 

It was wrapped with more care than a Christmas or 

birthday present. 

The cover, although softback, is of good quality 

with a gatefold (aka French flap) with a printed ruler to 

help with scaling up the sewing patterns and 16th-Century 

terms for currency, measurements, and numerals. 

With high-quality, cool-to-the-touch, glossy pages 

that enhance all the images, whether drawn or photographed, 

there is an image of one sort or another on almost 

every page. Casually thumbing through the book 

is visually interesting. 

With 18 pages of bibliography and endnotes, it’s 

clear this is a widely researched tome. I’ll return to the 

quality of the research later. 

The data drawn upon is extensive. Over 55,000 

items of documented clothing were analyzed. Using 

contemporary diaries, wills, import 

and export records, portraits, and 

household expense accounts for servants, 

amongst other records, makes 

this a fascinating read. Each garment 

includes where the information was 

sourced. Each is a tiny snapshot of a 

real person. An example of this can 

be viewed here: Malcolm-Davies, J., 

& Mikhaila, N. (2022). The Typical 

Tudor: Reconstructing Everyday 16th 

Century Dress. Amsterdam, Netherlands: 

Amsterdam University Press. 

https://youtu.be/rfc1bLLk-ss 

Of the fifty patterns included, 

there are only a handful of knitting 

patterns. They include stockings, 

garters, caps, and sleeves. Interestingly, 

the book notes that there are 

very few knitting patterns available 

from this era, so all the knitted patterns 

were reverse-engineered 

based on archived items from the period, descriptions, 

and paintings. Tudor knitters would have used doublepointed 

wires or whalebone needles to knit in the 

round. The purl stitch wasn’t believed to have been discovered 

at that point so any instances of reverse stockinette 

stitch would have been achieved by turning the 

work and knitting on the reverse side. 

If you’re a knitter hoping to find a plethora of Tudor 

sweater patterns you’ll be disappointed. There is a 

small section dedicated to 16th-century knitting techniques 

but this information, in itself, does not justify 

buying the book. However, I would recommend this 

book for sewers, or anyone, with an interest in costume 

design, re-enactments, and historical fashion. It would 

make a great coffee-table talking point. The less mature 

amongst us will giggle at the “breast bags” and “cod-

Typical Tudor - Continued from page 20 

pieces.” 

This is a book that I know I will revisit. There are 

gems scattered throughout, such as my favorite, a 

16th-century quotation attributed to “an onlooker.” 

“Some women ‘may well wear velvet in the street… 

who cannot afford a crust of dry bread at home.’” 

(page 16). In my youth, I often heard elders describing 

someone as “all fur coat and no knickers.” It’s interesting 

to see how such comments evolve throughout time 

yet the base meaning remains exactly the same. 

Is it worth £58? That depends. If you value the time 

and research that has gone into collating the information 

in the book, absolutely! If you’re looking for 

knitting patterns, and not much else, save your money! 

Overall I’m very happy with the book and, for me, I can 

see the inherent value of the information. To me, it was 

money well spent. Now if only I could afford a crust of 

dry bread. 

“Much Adoe About Nothing”? 

I do have one major criticism of the book, one 

which cannot be ignored. 

My American friends generally felt that my criticism 

of “The Typical Tudor” didn’t really justify an article. However, 

my English friends were all as 

appalled as I. Judging by the reactions 

from my small cross-section of 

friends the following might be 

viewed very differently depending 

upon whether you live in “The New 

World” or “The Old World” (to use 

the vernacular of Tudor times. Either 

way, my opinion here does not detract 

much from the book. It is more 

that the book is just the latest example 

of what I consider to be the alteration 

of history to suit a particular 

agenda. Decide for yourself. 

It begins with the cover and the title of the book, 

“The Typical Tudor.” They’re misleading and promote, 

what I believe to be, an untruth. 

The word typical is defined as “having or showing 

the characteristics, qualities, etc. of a kind, class, or 

group so fully as to be a representative example.” 

(“Typical Definition & Meaning,” n.d.) Tudor is defined 

as “Of, relating to, or characteristic of the period of the 

Tudors (1485-1603).” (“Tudor Definition & Meaning,” 

n.d.) So a typical Tudor can only be one of two things: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 

Much_Ado_About_Nothing 

1. A member of the English royal dynasty between 

those dates. Or, 2. an average/standard English person 

living in England between those dates. 

Within the book, Jane Malcolm-Davies and Ninya 

Mikhaila chose to use black models of seemingly Caribbean 

descent. The cover depicts the midriff of a 

black woman. They may have anticipated some questioning 

of this as they include a paragraph about black 

Tudors on page 10. Furthermore, they released a video 

to explain their rationale, We Were There. 

https://youtu.be/TebZdJU0Hiw (Tailor, 2019) 

There were several black people recorded as living 

in England in the Tudor period. The source used to 

support this is a 2017 book by M Kaufman, “Black Tudors, 

The Untold Story (2018). I read this book recently 

and was quite astonished at the poor research and liberties 

taken to reach conclusions. 

Kaufman claims just 10 black people lived in England 

during Tudor times. These are; 

John Blanke, the trumpeter; Jacques 

Francis, the salvage diver; Diego, the circumnavigator; 

Edward Swarthye, the 

porter; Reasonable Blackman, the silk 

weaver; Mary Fillis, the Moroccan convert; 

Dederi Jaquoah, the prince of 

River Cestos; John Anthony, mariner of 

Dover; Anne Cobbie, the tawny Moor 

with soft skin; and Cattelena of Almondsbury, 

independent singlewoman. 

As this isn’t a review of “Black Tudors” I’ll refrain 

from dismantling Kaufman’s claims one by one. Instead, 

I’ll focus on the example shown in “The Typical 

Tudor.” 

John Blanke is the now-famous trumpeter depicted 

in the Westminster Tournament Roll (1511). This 

is the ONLY known contemporary portrait of a black 

person in Tudor England. 

21


Based upon nothing more than the above image, 

Kaufman asserts that John Blanke was born in North or 

West Africa. She identifies him as a Muslim wearing a turban. 

The latter point isn’t so much of a stretch, but looking 

at the image it’s impossible to tell if this man was a 

black African or a Middle Eastern Muslim. 

Wrestling at the Field of Cloth of Gold. (n.d.). [Tapestry]. London, 

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Hampton 

Court Palace. 

Historic Royal Palaces [@HRP_palaces]. (2020, October 16). It 

could be speculated that this Black French trumpeter is actually 

John Blanke. He left Henry’s court records in 1512, so by 1520 he 

could be the Black trumpeter in the Tapestry. We don’t know, as 

many French court records were destroyed during the Revolution 

from 1789. [MO]. Twitter. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from 

https://twitter.com/HRP_palaces/status/1317026691626246144/ 

photo/1 

However, in “The Typical Tudor” a different image is 

used. On page 10 the image (above) of the black trumpeter 

in the top left is used as evidence for John Blanke. 

The problem with using this image is that this depicts 

France and cannot, therefore, be considered “Tudor.” 

Furthermore, as noted in the tweet by the Historic 

Royal Palaces, it is only speculated that the 2 images are 

of the same man. The only common feature between 

them is the trumpet. The assumption here is that 16thcentury 

trumpeters of color were so rare, so atypical, that 

there could only be one black trumpeter in the combined 

kingdoms of England and France. 

For argument’s sake let us assume that the 10 people 

described in Kaufman’s book were all born in England 

(they weren’t) and were all indisputably black Africans 

(they weren’t), they would still not be representative of an 

entire cultural era. 

Even by 2023 population data a typical English person 

cannot be classed as black. The percentage of white 

people in the country as a whole far outnumbers the 

black population. However, if one wanted to portray a 

typical Londoner the story would be different. With a 

white indigenous population of only 36% a typical Londoner 

is more likely to be black or Indian/Pakistani. In 

Manchester, the percentage is almost equal with 49% indigenous 

white. To those that dispute these figures, 

please note I’m using the “indigenous white” figures not 

“white European” or “white other.” (Regional ethnic diversity. 

(2022, December 22). Retrieved from 

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/ukpopulation-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/regional-ethnic-diversity/latest 

) 

To be overly generous, if we multiply the 10 black individuals 

allegedly living in Tudor England by 10, even 

100, black people in England could not be considered 

“typical.” 

Some will accuse me of racism for pointing this out. 

That’s nonsense. The issue with “The Typical Tudor” isn’t 

that it contains black models, it’s that it is deliberately 

misleading by titling the book “The Typical Tudor.” If the 

22


book had been titled, “The Typical Tudor Outfit,” or 

“Typical Tudor Fashion” then the ethnicity of the models 

would be irrelevant and could include any and every 

nationality and ethnicity in the world. But it is not. The 

book is erroneously or deceptively implying that black 

people were typical and representative of Tudor England. 

If a book was published titled, “The Typical Bugandan” 

with a white cover model and white models inside 

alongside modern-day black Ugandans, the accusation 

of cultural appropriation would be laid at the publisher’s 

door. 

There is a growing trend of inserting different ethnicities 

into English and European history. Future generations 

will have no reason to believe that Anne Boleyn, 

the mother of Elizabeth I was anything other than a 

woman of Caribbean descent. It won’t be long before 

Charles II, known by his mother as “the Black Boy” because 

of his dark hair and eyes, will be depicted as a 

black African. 

Those ignorant of England’s history have, this very 

week, renamed Black Boy Lane in Haringey, North London, 

La Rose Lane. Thinking that the original name is 

racist and offensive (it isn’t), Haringey Council renamed 

it after John La Rose, a black activist and author. Despite 

spending £180,000 on public consultations, the 

Council ignored the wishes of the local residents and 

went ahead and changed the signs. As a clear indication 

of the residents’ disapproval, one of the six new 

street signs was vandalized less than 24 hours after it 

was renamed. 

Witnesses claimed the vandalism was “mostly 

peaceful”. 

Is this all “Much Adoe About Nothing”? “The Tempest” 

in an English teacup? Or, am I justified in my concerns? 

23

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Deprogrammed - https://www.youtube.com/c/KeriSmithDeprogrammed/featured 

Interviews intended to better understand and make sense of her old belief system, Social Justice ideology. Including those in the crafting community. 

Herd knitunity - https://herdknitunity.locals.com/ 

Shepherd and ‘woolfluencer’, a sheep to sweater kinda gal. 

Knitty McPurly - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyIInmPUQGqoohNgUj0Zmow 

A virtual saint! 

Little Ragamuffin - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaogzXKmOJ9FO8fsjurrEcw/videos 

Sewing tutorials of both slow paced and quick speed styles, fun random sewing oddities, Ragamuffin news, and problematic interviews & conversations. 

Murder Knits - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbrSeXmJuT0_BglI_pzi1jg 

If your children watch, they'll become serial killers! 

Politically Incorrect Knitters - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm8CME6h72cFfQ7ZBNGCj5w 

Topical, informative, and fun! 

Skeinz Diaries - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswGNOSxnHlPZsQMCC2YHxQ 

Take off your ‘gummies’, put your feet up and prepare for a ‘tiki tour’ of yarny goodness! 

High Fiber Diet - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQ4cCawQzD6RDfwLhlZ0hQ/featured 

Thick skinned with no “F’s Given!” 

Two Sisters & Some Yarn - https://www.youtube.com/c/TwoSistersAndSomeYarn 

Two sisters and some yarn – is exactly what it says on the tin! 

Wise Owl Knits - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg8N6NhDdKf44_HigLiP4Ug 

Knitting Tutorials 

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Knitting, spinning, crochet, quilting, and many other crafts are shown and discussed. 

AStitchInTheSky - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCxq6HphzSbjU2lb7t8c6Ww/videos 

Knitting, sewing and all the things in between! 

Texas Peach Knits - https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC1zKQy-8XU8stQfmIzqe92w 

Knitting, crochet, sewing and all the things in between! 

Short Story Long - https://karensshortstorylong.blogspot.com/search/label/Knitting 

Knitting, photography, gardening, quilting, life. 

25


“BEGGING” 

The Mysterious Mrs. Major 

In December 2021, Adella Colvin, of LolaBean Yarn 

Co., posted the following on Instagram: 

“Bean would like to raise a few dollars for her favorite 

teacher who teaches diversity and inclusiveness in her 

lessons and makes all of 

her kiddos feel special… 

She pays for lots of stuff 

out of pocket and we’d 

like to help with some of 

that. We’ll match the donations 

up to $500! 

CASHAPP: $ADELLA- 

COLVIN.” 

The post was accompanied 

by a photo of 

Adella’s daughter. 

At first glance, this 

seems like a very kind 

and considerate thing to 

do. However, in my opinion, 

Adella is a racist, 

black supremacist bully, 

so something about her sudden kindness and 

generosity was bothering me. Alarm bells were 

ringing but I couldn’t quite figure out why. 

The first aspect of this post that concerned me 

was that Adella was collecting the money into her 

own private account on the Cash App payment 

service. This meant that there wasn’t a third party 

that could ensure that all the funds raised went to 

the teacher. 

The second aspect was that in the UK at least, 

teachers are not permitted to accept money from 

the parents of pupils. Christmas and end-of-year gifts are 

allowed, but accepting money would lead to a formal 

disciplinary hearing and possibly dismissal. Parents giving 

money to teachers can be interpreted as bribery and 

could leave the teacher open to accusations of favoritism 

and/or grade tampering. 

The third aspect was that, although teachers do pay 

for some stationery and equipment out of their own 

pockets, if the school is underfunded and short of resources 

a parent would be better advised to raise 

money for the school as opposed to an individual 

teacher. 

It turned out I wasn’t alone in my concerns. Two other 

Instagrammers contacted me about this and one had 

contacted the Georgia School Board to check the guidelines 

on teachers accepting money from parents. Someone 

from the School Board contacted Adella and as a 

result, she shared the following on Instagram. 

Alongside the unverified financial details, Adella attached 

a screenshot from her 

Gmail account thanking “Mrs. 

Major” for performing a “great 

public service.” [See above.] 

Adella also included a 

screenshot of a note from 

“Angela Major,” the 

teacher, thanking her 

for the money. This particular 

screenshot is 

troubling. The email is 

from a personal Gmail 

account, not an official 

school account. 

Teachers shouldn’t be 

sharing personal email 

addresses with parents. 

Begging Continued on next page 

26

Begging Continued from Page 26 

Gmail accounts are notoriously easy to create and 

need no official ID verification. A user can create any 

number of accounts with any names available. 

The teacher says, “We don’t get a lot of recognition.” 

As a former teacher, this is a phrase that doesn’t ring true. 

Teachers receive lots of recognition. 

It’s money they don’t 

receive much of! 

Then the clincher. “Thank 

you so much for your kind 

words and for all the support 

you guys give Lola to help her 

be a confident successful 

kiddo.” 

Teachers should not thank 

pupils’ parents for helping 

their own children. Surely this 

is an expectation and not 

something to be credited as 

extraordinary or special. Isn’t 

it a parent’s job to support 

their children’s endeavors? 

Mrs. Major uses the word 

“kiddo.” This is the same word 

used by Adella in her fundraising 

text. In a Live Instagram 

on 6th January 2022 

Adella also used the term 

“kiddo.” Unusual? Maybe. 

Maybe not. I tend to notice 

patterns in speech and 

written words. Through teaching 

and marking assignments, I 

became quite adept at recognizing 

when a student was 

guilty of plagiarism. We all 

have verbal tics, preferred or 

consistent vocabulary, and a 

writing style (including patterns 

in errors) that make it easy, not 

necessarily to identify the 

writer, but usually to exclude 

them from being the likely 

writer. 

The readiness with which 

Angela Major gave her Paypal account is also notable. 

The Paypal account Adella shared is simply in the name of 

“Major.” 

I decided to try to find Mrs. Major. Finding her on the 

school faculty list would alleviate some of my concerns. 

Adella had previously shared details of her daughter’s 

school and a simple staff search on the school website 

shows that Angela Major does not work there. 

I wondered if Adella deliberately misled her followers 

into thinking her daughter attended this 

school to avoid any unwanted contact. 

So I checked with all the elementary 

schools in the area. Angela Major doesn’t 

work at any of them. 

I double-checked with another elementary 

school (with the same name in 

the same State). Angela Major doesn’t 

work there either. 

I contacted the school and, unfortunately, 

because of recent media attention 

regarding an employee and 

meth, they did not accept my email 

(most likely because I’m overseas). For 

me, this trail has run cold. 

To be clear, although I have my own 

suspicions as to the nature of what is 

going on here, I am not accusing Adella 

Colvin of any wrongdoing. I am accusing 

her of deceiving her Instagram followers. 

There may be a perfectly 

reasonable explanation for the mysterious 

teacher and a perfectly good reason 

for the deception. However, if I was 

one of the generous donors, I would be 

asking Adella some hard questions! 

There is something particularly distasteful 

about using your child’s image to 

beg for money over the internet. It’s also 

unethical to beg for money from 

strangers on the internet to give to a person 

in receipt of a teaching salary simply 

because she “teaches diversity and inclusiveness 

in her lessons and makes all of 

her kiddos feel special.” 

Adella is not without means. Asking 

her followers to reward her daughter’s 

teacher, rather than doing it herself, 

shows just how willing Adella is to manipulate 

her followers. 

Adella isn’t alone in begging from internet followers. 

And, before accusations of racism are liberally thrown 

around, begging isn’t restricted to any particular race of 

knitter/crocheter/dyer/shop. 


27


The Italian Job 

In the UK, Woolly Wormhead, a British hat 

designer, is currently in the process of begging 

for donations from her followers on Gofundme. 

The first campaign raised €14,232 ($15,453.39) 

of her €17,500 ($19,001.85) goal to help her 

“lead a happier life.” This money went towards 

buying a home in Italy. 

After buying the home, Wormhead 

launched a second Gofundme account. Currently, 

she has raised £2,902 

($3,592.59) of her £7,500 

($92,84.77) goal to “help [her] 

with [her] new home”! (The currencies 

are correct as are their 

equivalencies as of 28 January 

2023.) 

In addition, she is begging 

her followers to buy her home 

furnishings from Amazon and 

Ikea wishlists. Except for an Ikea 

mattress, none of the items on 

these lists could be considered 

essential. 

To add insult to injury (for a 

Brit), Wormhead made the following 

statement, “We’re unable 

to access many of the financial 

benefits that could help us due 

to Brexit and its impact on British 

citizens living abroad.” 

Unless you live in the UK or 

pay tax in the UK, this might not 

be something you understand. 

In the UK, regardless of 

wealth, income, or working status, everyone that has a 

child under the age of 16 (and older in some cases of 

disability) receives welfare in the name of each child. The 

richest and the poorest receive the same. It is the largest 

percentage of Benefit (welfare) payments made by the 

government. Unemployment and disability payments are 

a tiny fraction of the overall budget compared with child 

benefits and state pensions. 

Low-income parents can also claim a benefit called 

“Working Tax Credits.” Unemployed and/or disabled parents 

have access to many other benefits in addition to 

Child Benefit. For some, it can be more lucrative to be 

unemployed than it is to work for a living. 

Having the audacity to ask for money whilst 

surrounded by 'stuff' begs the question, 

how much more do you need? Feeling as 

though you have the 'privilege' to ask 

others to fund your lifestyle choices, rather 

than to purchase your products, takes 

some guts. 

Wormhead wanted to eat her cake 

and have it too by moving to Italy, yet 

still wanted to claim all the benefits 

available to those in the UK. If the 

“marvelous” EU will not support her 

and her family in Italy, why should UK 

taxpayers? 

Wormhead has stated that she is 

VAT registered. This means that in 

Italy her business must have an annual 

gross turnover of more than 

€65,000 ($70,578.30). 

https://www.vatcalc.com/eu/2023-euvat-registration-intrastat-thresholds/ 

A business can choose to VAT register 

if the annual turnover is below the threshold, but it 

simply isn’t worth it. It is considered madness to register 

a business that has a lower turnover. It is illegal to have a 

turnover of more than the annual threshold without registering 

for VAT. 

In the UK, the VAT threshold is currently £85,000 

($105,227.45) per annum. Whether Wormhead is registered 

for VAT in Italy or in the UK, she should be able to 

draw down an income from her business. 

I can’t help but think that these serial grifters are 

laughing at their donors. 


28


UberEat Me 

Another person known to beg online is Fatimah Hinds, 

of Disturbing the Fleece. 

Her example isn’t as audacious as Wormhead’s but is 

still notable. In September 2022, Hinds was regularly visiting 

a family member in hospital. She begged her followers 

to pay her hospital parking fees, her lunches, and requested 

Uber Eats Canada gift card certificates. In an outof-character 

move, Hinds even waived her “no DM” rule, 

but only for those donating money for Uber Eats. 

Buy My Free Breast Removal 

The British yarn dyer Stranded Dyeworks, currently living 

in Scotland, begged followers to pay for an elective 

double-mastectomy in order to pass as male instead of female. 

This is a free NHS surgical procedure. The £10,150 

($12,565.40) raised of the £10,000 ($12,379.70) goal was 

purely to bypass the 2-year NHS waiting list. 

It will be interesting to wait and see if Stranded also 

tries to raise money for the necessary ongoing hormone 

treatment as, with all prescribed drugs in Scotland and 

Wales*, Testosterone is also free to NHS patients. 

*NHS patients living in England are the only British residents 

that have to pay for prescription drugs at a current 

cost of £9.35 ($11.58) per item. 

Opinions on medical transitioning are not the issue 

here. The issue is begging for money to pay for a free surgical 

procedure. 

Beyond Begging and Radical Requests 

Businesses such as Beyond Yarn regularly beg for 

money to keep their businesses afloat. 

More recently, the amateur magazine Radicle (sic) 

Threads has been begging for money in order to publish 

their next issue. Each issue has a cover price of $30, so 

why have the publishers not budgeted for the next issue 

from the sales of the previous 2 issues? Sadly, when businesses 

can’t survive on the profits from their sales, the 

business is no longer viable. By charging 3 times the cover 

price of magazines such as Vogue Knitting Magazine, has 

Radicle Threads priced itself out of the market? 

“A beggar hates his benefactor as much as 

he hates himself for begging.” 

– Oscar Wilde 

“Beggars market their incapacity.” 

– Mason Cooley 

PATRONAGE vs. Begging 

It's important to differentiate fundraising where the donor receives something in return from those 

that do not. For example, Sockmatician received donations to finance the writing of his book (release 

date TBC). In effect, this was a pre-order as each donor will receive a copy of the book once it is published. 

If the fundraiser had been to pay his rent, and the donor received nothing in return, then it would 

be unethical. 

Likewise, Patreon accounts, such as Fruity Knitting and The Bakery Bears, allow content to be provided 

for free. Much like Blocked Magazine, Fruity and the Bakery Bears have overheads to cover but do 

not charge people for that content. Generous patrons donate to assist in the production. It would not be 

appropriate to have patrons if viewers and readers were charged for the content as well. 

When you see online personalities fundraising, step back for a moment and ask yourself: 

• Is it a registered charity? 

• If not, what do you receive in return for your donation? 

• Is the goal a cover for poor financial decisions or management? 

• Is the goal greedy or extravagant, such as buying an expensive car or house? 

• Is the goal to help someone in genuine need? 

Whatever the answer, it isn’t for me to lecture anyone on how to spend their own money. If you want 

to donate to someone that is clearly running a grift, do so. But please, know what you’re entering into. 

29

YOUR 

By D. Marie Prokop 

Darkest Dress 

From the forthcoming novel The Good Shepherd 

“Thank you for letting me borrow this beautiful bonnet, 

Mrs. Wickersham,” Leona said. Her thin fingers caressed 

the black velvet lining. 

Mrs. Wickersham grabbed Leona’s old, gray, motheaten 

bonnet from the dresser and threw it in the bin. 

She pressed her lips taut. 

“Black is the appropriate color for a funeral. At least 

you have a black bonnet now. I should have ordered a 

black dress for you to have on hand for such ominous occasions, 

but one never expects death. Attending two funerals 

so close together is quite unusual, don’t you 

agree?” 

“Yes, Mrs. Wickersham,” the girl replied. 

“Is this your darkest dress?” the dowager asked. She 

frowned at the gray plaid frock Leona wore for the second 

time that week, a hand-me-down from the dear girl 

whose funeral they attended yesterday. Leona wiped a 

tear from her eye before the widow caught sight of it. She 

cleared her throat. 

“Yes, Mrs. Wickersham. It belonged to Justine. She outgrew 

it.” 

“Oh, poor Justine. The woods are a dangerous place 

these days. Lord have mercy.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

The old dowager tied the bonnet’s ribbons into a bow 

under Leona’s dimpled chin. 

“I don’t understand how it happened. Justine was a vulnerable 

young lady, but Luke Harris was quite a strapping 

young man. Whatever creature is in those woods must be 

fierce indeed. The magistrate is in a right bind trying to 

calm this town.” 

Mrs. Wickersham peered out the window to view some 

travelers on the road. Everyone in Framingham appeared 

to be making their way to attend today’s funeral. 

“We must stay strong, Leona. It’s the women folk who 

keep a community going, you hear me? When the men 

take off to fight another war, or drink themselves into a 

damned grave and leave you a widow, it’s us women who 

carry on and rebuild. You may think you’re just a poor little 

orphan girl, but you are more, much more, Leona. 

Being female is a privilege. By God’s mercy, we are overcomers. 

Promise me you’ll remember that.” 

“I promise, Mrs. Wickersham,” Leona said. 

The widow’s beautiful home wasn’t Leona’s first refuge, 

and it wouldn’t be her last. But Leona owed her life to the 

charitable widow. True to her beliefs, the widow spent the 

last year caring for Leona, a stranger, as if she were kin. 

After wandering the Massachusetts countryside for 

months, a frightful storm had forced Leona to seek refuge. 

She found it on the covered porch of a massive 

white-framed house, the lightning causing it to shine like 

a lighthouse. She collapsed on the porch swing just as 

the housemaid, Nellie, came out to rescue the potted 

chrysanthemums. 

Nellie’s daughter, Justine, was buried yesterday. Today 

they interred the local caretaker’s nephew, Luke Harris. 

Luke’s uncle was Mrs. Wickersham’s groundskeeper. 

“I haven’t seen Mr. Harris since they found Luke’s body. 

I wonder if he’ll come to the funeral. Chester claims he’s 

lying in the cellar cradling a bottle of whiskey. I should’ve 

fired that drunkard years ago. He goes missing for days. 

Always has,” Mrs. Wickersham said. 

Leona closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept well all week, 

even though, as Mrs. Wickersham’s ward, she was given 

the fanciest bed in the mansion. The glorious feather mattress 

once belonged to Mrs. Wickersham’s mother. The 

rest of the household slept on muslin bladders stuffed 

with straw. But all the luxury in the world couldn’t bring 

Leona rest. She was especially burdened, destined for a 

lifetime of nightmares. Horses whinnied outside the front 

door of the parlor. 

“That’ll be Chester with the carriage,” Mrs. Wickersham 

said, exiting the room. 

Leona followed her, taking tentative steps. She stopped 

in front of the large stained glass window on the north 

parlor wall, a unique portrayal of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. 

In his right hand, he held a crooked staff. In his left 

hand, he cradled a wooly lamb. A wolf lurked amongst 

the trees in the background. 

“Leona, come,” the widow said. 

They arrived at the cemetery behind St. John’s Presbyterian 

Church at dusk. This year, the brisk fall introduced 

the usually peaceful New England town to paranoia and 

fear. As the carriage rumbled along, Leona stared at the 

30 

Black Dress Continued on page 31

Darkest Dress Continued... 

tired sky streaked with red and orange. A full moon waited 

its turn in the center of the horizon. 

Leona first met the deceased, Luke Harris, on a cold winter 

day last year. She had been exploring the grounds and 

found herself trapped in the hedge maze like an animal as 

the last vestiges of heat exuded from the setting sun. Curled 

into a ball on the snow-laden path, Leona fought to keep 

warm. The next thing she knew, a strong, muscular arm 

pulled her up. A young man held her elbow as he guided 

her back to the main house, his long dirty fingernails pressing 

through her sleeve. Justine introduced him as the 

groundskeeper’s nephew, Luke. 

When Leona lifted her face to thank him, she couldn’t 

speak. She froze all over again as soon as she viewed his icy 

blue eyes. For years, eyes like his had appeared in her 

dreams. She obsessed over them, though not in a romantic 

sense. It was an obsession much less pleasant. 

Besides, Luke loved Justine, and it was obvious Justine 

welcomed his affections. Her thin cheeks flushed every time 

he entered the room. Leona sensed they’d become more 

than mere admirers months ago. Nellie, Justine’s mother, 

didn’t know. It wasn’t Leona’s place to tell her. Besides, she 

had other concerns. 

Those icy blue eyes were now trapped inside a pine coffin, 

but they continued to haunt Leona. For her, blue-rimmed 

irises symbolized failure. The preacher’s low voice interrupted 

Leona’s thoughts. 

“’Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of 

death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and 

Thy staff, they comfort me.’” 

Pallbearers lowered the casket into the freshly-dug grave. 

Leona scratched her collarbone. She considered the garment 

she wore today that, like her, was more. The dark dress 

was a smart wool tartan with silver weft threads. Its beauty 

was twofold. A simple, yet attractive style, it also kept out the 

cold and repelled stains. 

Mrs. Wickersham’s gift—the black bonnet—weighed on 

Leona’s petite head, resting on the twisted bun of kinked 

ebony hair gathered at the nape of her neck. Her coifed 

mass of dark curls was pierced with a silver hairpin, the only 

item of her mother’s she possessed after her parents died, 

leaving her a wandering orphan. Leona was never truly alone 

though. Death accompanied her like a shadow. 

A long howl from the nearby forest interrupted the 

preacher’s Old Testament reading. The circle of mourners 

gasped. Mothers clutched their children, and the men’s eyes 

scanned the woods for movement as they reached for their 

rifles. 

“Everyone, remain calm!” the magistrate shouted. He gathered 

his deputies and they approached the tree line located 

a few yards away from the cemetery. The fearsome bellow of 

the mysterious predator, longer and louder this time, caused 

some of the men to step back. 

Mrs. Wickersham’s eyes followed the men progressing into 

the forest. She turned to Leona. 

Her chair was empty. 

“Leona, where are you?” 

The forest was littered with fallen leaves and dead 

branches, but Leona’s footsteps were silent. She glided 

through the trees in search of the creature. As she tracked 

the beast, she remembered the pale blue eyes of the animal 

that ripped out Justine’s throat. Leona had arrived on the 

scene too late to save her. 

Mrs. Wickersham didn’t know how right she was. Leona 

was indeed more than a poor little orphan girl. She possessed 

an ancient strength and an ancient burden. 

Turning at the sound of a cracking limb, Leona faced the 

beast. Clouds of hot breath puffed into the chilly air from its 

snarling snout as it paced back and forth over the dead foliage. 

The impatient moon pierced the trees and illuminated 

the frosty ground. 

“Mr. Harris, why didn’t you tell Luke about his heritage? He 

just turned eighteen. You promised to explain things to him 

before the next full moon. We could have helped him handle 

his condition. Now Justine is dead. And their baby.” 

The groundskeeper, in the form of a gray and brown wolf 

with silver-blue eyes, growled and leaned back on its 

haunches. Mr. Harris was gone. The animal before her possessed 

no reason or logic, only the instinct to attack first. 

“Don’t fight me. You’ll lose,” Leona threatened. 

Without hesitation, the wolf lunged. 

Leona thrust her mother’s sterling silver hairpin into its 

hairy throat and waited for the life to drain out of its icy blue 

eyes. The animal’s blood dripped on her dark dress. 

Back at the grave, a mourner tossed a shovelful of dirt 

onto Luke Harris’s casket. 

Sign up for D. Marie’s Author Newsletter at daysoftheguardian@wordpress.com 

for book release announcements 

and other news. Thanks for reading! *** All Rights Reserved. 

This excerpt may not be copied or quoted without the permission 

of the author. “The Good Shepherd” by D. Marie 

Prokop © 2017 

31

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