William Estep

Double Basket Beanie Pattern Is Live

William Estep
Knitting
May 11, 2024

I finally finished writing the pattern to my satisfaction and testing the various options.

My Favorite Everything Socks

My first package from the wonderful Woolens & Nosh yarn club was from October, 2023, and since it was my first, I wanted to make something special with it.

Double Basket Beanie Prototype

William Estep
Knitting
April 1, 2023

I finished the first prototype of my new Double Basket Beanie.

Bulky Swatch Blanket

William Estep
Knitting
March 31, 2023

I’ve started putting together the Bulky Swatch Blanket . I plan to tile the swatches together somewhat randomly and use different colors for the connecting knitting bands.

Beanie Prototype: Double Basket Pattern

William Estep
Knitting
March 13, 2023

I am working on a new Beanie using the delightful Double Basket pattern .

Basket Weave Beanie

William Estep
Knitting
March 6, 2023

I just added my first pattern to Ravelry. The pattern is for a great little beanie using the Basket Weave pattern.

Whiskey Knits Project Bag

William Estep
Sewing
September 15, 2022

I love a good project bag, and I wanted a really big project bag for my checkmate sweater.

Vertices Unite Shawl

William Estep
Knitting
September 4, 2022

It took a while, but I finally finished my first Westknits shawl, Vertices Unite.

Fair Isle Pattern

William Estep
Knitting
August 14, 2022

On page 91 of Barbara Walker’s, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, pages 88-89 is the “Fair Isle” pattern.

Knotted Rib and Broad Spiral Rib

William Estep
Knitting
July 20, 2022

For this swatch/block in my crazy quilt project, I knit a combination of the Knotted Rib and Broad Spiral Rib from Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, page 49.

Swiss Check Pattern

William Estep
Knitting
July 19, 2022

The next swatch in my crazy quilt project is the Swiss Check Pattern from Barbara Walker’s, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, page 90.

Squared Check Pattern

William Estep
Knitting
July 17, 2022

The Squared Check Pattern from Barbara Walker’s, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, page 19 is a lovely geometric pattern of alternating knits and purls.

Shadow Cable Pattern

William Estep
Knitting
July 17, 2022

The Shadow Cable pattern from Barbara Walker’s, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, page 273 is the newest addition to the Crazy Quilt swatch stack.

Basketweave

William Estep
Knitting
June 17, 2022

This installment of the Crazy Quilt swatches is the Basketweave from Barbara Walker’s, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, page 16.

German Clustered Cable

William Estep
Knitting
June 16, 2022

Another Crazy Quilt swatch from Barbara Walker’s, A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, page 274, the German Clustered Cable.

Hexagon Swatch

William Estep
Knitting
June 1, 2022

The Crazy Quilt swatch block knitting continues! In Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns Vol 1, page 67, the Hexagon Pattern is an interesting mix of colors and slip stitches.

Swatch Quilt Ideas

William Estep
Knitting
May 26, 2022

I’m working through Barbara Walker’s first Treasury of Knitting Patterns and making some swatches.

Error Running Coverage on Ubuntu

Trying to install pytest and coverage on my ubuntu development server, and ran into an issue when running coverage:

Found My Watchcap

William Estep
Knitting
April 17, 2022

Cleaning out the boat I found my old watch cap (wool hat) that I made back in 2004 for an Alaska cruise.

Freestyle Caps by Cheryl Andrews

William Estep
Knitting
February 4, 2022

I’ve made two of the Freestyle Caps by Cheryl Andrews .

My First Gloves

William Estep
Knitting
January 31, 2022

We don’t get a lot of cold weather here in Florida, but it’s been chilly the past few days, and my new “Don’t skid, honey!

The Fitzgerald Sweater

William Estep
Knitting
January 22, 2022

I finished knitting my first Cardigan, and my first sweater done in pieces.

Starting My Berroco Fitzgerald

William Estep
Knitting
December 4, 2021

Here’s a view of the ribbing, center panel and some seed stitch on my Berroco Fitzgerald cardigan.

Knitting a Scottish Tam

William Estep
Knitting
December 4, 2021

A friend of mine ask if I could knit him a Scottish Tam.

I miss my old watch cap

William Estep
Knitting
October 11, 2021

I’ve enjoyed knitting off and on for many, many years. The last time I took the hobby seriously was back in 2005.

Countryside Scarf for Birthday

William Estep
Knitting
September 1, 2021

Now that I’m back into knitting, I made a nice textured scarf for my sister on her birthday this year.

Cables! In a Hat!

William Estep
Knitting
August 14, 2021

OMG! New hat done! Using Jason’s Cashmere Hat pattern, I created this nice hat using Patons Classic Wool Worsted in Aran.

Walking more

William Estep
Exercise
June 5, 2021

I’ve been trying to walk more. Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, I’ve gotten even more used to just sitting ‘at home’ in front of a couple of computers for all waking hours.

Strides for Pride

William Estep
Equality
April 13, 2021

In 2017, my sister and I participated in the Strides for Pride 5k.

Daily Reminder

William Estep
Wandering
April 8, 2021

I’ve hung this Calvin and Hobbes comic in my office for more than twenty years.

Duolingo Milestone

I hit a numeric milestone in Duolingo yesterday, 300 days learning Spanish.

Just a Note Regarding Harry Potter

I just wanted to take a second and say that I nor anyone associated with this website approves of or appreciates the destructive and bigoted transphobic messages coming from J.

New Radio Cabinet

For the holidays last year, my good friends, Al and Amie surprised me with a Raspberry Pi kit.

I Met a Dog and Some Horses

William Estep
Photography
March 15, 2021

Of course, the Monday after daylight savings time shift, I had to drive to St.

Sunsets on the Boat

William Estep
Photography
January 26, 2021

I haven’t posted a sunset from the boat in a while.

Fireworks in Slo-Mo

William Estep
Video
January 1, 2021

Sometimes you get lucky. I was able to catch a cool clip of our local neighborhood fireworks in slow motion.

“The Tender Bar: A Memoir” by J.R. Moehringer

William Estep
Club reading
January 25, 2020

Who helped shape your life? Is who you are today genetic?

"The Silver Ships," by S.H. Jucha

William Estep
Club reading
January 2, 2020

S.H. Jucha’s debut novel, “The Silver Ships ,” introduces a future universe where colony ships from old Earth have settled in different, distant systems, and worked to make a life for themselves.

"Knots and Crosses" by Ian Rankin

William Estep
Club reading
January 1, 2020

We had a lot of great reviews on the old ClubReading website.

"The Town and the City" Jack Kerouac

William Estep
Club reading
January 1, 2020

Jack Kerouac’s first published novel, The Town and the City is a story of monumental scope and great emotional depth.

Ornament

William Estep
Wandering
December 23, 2019

A friend gave me this cool metal sailboat ornament to decorate the boat for the holiday.

Recent Travel Drinking

William Estep
Travel
September 1, 2019

I haven’t posted in a while, and want to get back to recording my thoughts and fun hobby activities.

Rigging Repairs

Rigging repairs on the boat are done. Nothing major, I had a short list of items I wanted repaired/replaced.

Ten Year Plan Number Plate

William Estep
Ten year plan
October 10, 2018

s/v Ten Year Plan received it’s official number plate today. U.

Live Life

William Estep
Qotd
October 6, 2018

Vive la vida y deja vivir

New Boat Arrives

William Estep
Ten year plan
September 19, 2018

My new Tender arrived today. So of course I had to set it up in my living room.

Comfort Without the Bulk

William Estep
Ten year plan
September 15, 2018

When I was looking to redo the V-Berth on my boat, I researched mattress options, and ran across several ‘under-mattress’ systems and ended up going with the Froli Modular SleepSystems .

Boat Renovations

William Estep
Ten year plan
September 10, 2018

Since purchasing the boat, I’ve been focusing on internal renovations and minor updates.

Ten Year Plan Boat Cards

Thank you to Lindsay S. Powell Designs for the great boat cards.

“It’s all part of the ten year plan.” So part of the plan, along with learning sewing and canvas work, sailing, diesel repair…and many other things, I decided to get my amateur radio certifications to improve my communications options on the boat.

WOTD: Gonfalon

William Estep
Writing
December 9, 2015

A Gonfalon is a type of flag or banner suspended from a crossbar.

Ten Year Plan: Annapolis Boat Show 2015

William Estep
Ten year plan
October 13, 2015

What a great way to spend a few days of vacation!

Ten Year Plan: Annapolis Boat Show Day 1

I’m using my vacation time this year to check out the Annapolis BoatShow .

Day of the Dead Party Costume Plans

William Estep
Sewing
September 19, 2015

My plan is a dark vest with a themed lining, long sleeve shirt, and dark pants.

Dance in the Rain

William Estep
Qotd
July 13, 2015

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.

QOTD: Perfect is the enemy of good

William Estep
Qotd
July 8, 2015

Perfect is the enemy of good Voltaire

Marriage: What Is It Good For?

William Estep
Equality
June 27, 2015

Kudos to the Supreme Court yesterday ruling correctly that equality is a constitutional right under the law, and not something to be argued about and applied willy-nilly.

Hawaiian Classics Shirt in Green

I found a really cool green and white stripped seersucker fabric and had to dosomething with it.

Are You Wearing Enough Flair?

William Estep
Equality
April 10, 2015

“What do you think, Joanna, of the person who only does the bare minimum?

Hawaiian Classic Shirt #2

Time to start a new shirt. I purchased the Hawaiian Classics 220 shirt pattern from the Victoria Jones Collection.

Learning To Sew

Part of the ten year plan is learning some independence skills.

Albert Said it Best

William Estep
Qotd
March 24, 2015

Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination.

We Will Miss You Terry Pratchett

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite Terry Pratchett books:

Clutter and The Ten Year Plan

William Estep
Ten year plan
February 2, 2015

I have a lot of stuff. Not nearly as much as some, but still plenty.

QOTD: The tape doesn't lie

William Estep
Qotd
November 25, 2014

The tape doesn’t lie.

We Need More--I Want More

William Estep
Equality
November 25, 2014

The cynic in me wants to say how awful things are and to rail against anything and everyone that doesn’t agree with me.

QOTD: Words Don't Cook Rice

William Estep
Qotd
November 20, 2014

Words Don’t Cook Rice.

QOTD: Camus

William Estep
Qotd
November 18, 2014

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.

QOTD: Anger

William Estep
Qotd
November 18, 2014

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

QOTD: Experience

William Estep
Qotd
November 18, 2014

Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.

QOTD: Raise Your Words

William Estep
Qotd
November 18, 2014

Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that

QOTD: Sea Quest

William Estep
Qotd
November 18, 2014

There comes a time when a man would have to be a complete fool not to realize that his fate hangs on a particle of time.

QOTD: Dream by Moonlight

William Estep
Qotd
November 14, 2014

A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.

QOTD: Provided

William Estep
Qotd
November 10, 2014

The words of a dead man Are modified in the guts of the living

Video Editing Adventures

William Estep
Video
November 9, 2014

I have a new role at work. For many years I managed the application development teams, but with recent growth and shifts, I’ve moved to the Marketing and Communications team as an innovation architect.

Catchup

William Estep
Writing
January 6, 2014

It has been a while since I’ve posted anything. Some fun stuff going on, so here are some updates.

Training Pays Off

William Estep
Video
September 29, 2013

Mario Frangoulis sings a wonderful cover of the Moody Blues song, “Nights in White Satin.

Common MySQL Queries

William Estep
Programming
September 10, 2013

I ran across this terrific resource, Common MySQL Queries .

Dragons Past and Present

William Estep
Writing
August 25, 2013

Below is a paper I wrote for a college lit class.

The Galaxy Note II by Samsung

I got an evaluation phone at work to fiddle with for 30 days.

Apartment Living

William Estep
Wandering
March 21, 2013

Yeah! I’m finally getting settled in the new place. Moving is exhausting.

Anger Management

William Estep
Equality
February 19, 2013

Silence. Internal voices saying, “I’m not good enough,” and “I’m evil.

People Are Challenging

William Estep
Equality
February 14, 2013

I make no claim to understand people. In fact, I’m often confused by peoples motivations or responses.

Old Words

William Estep
Writing
February 6, 2013

Packing, boxes, tape, more boxes more tape…. That’s my life for the next few weeks.

DIY Weekend

William Estep
Technology
January 13, 2013

I did a bit of DIY this weekend. I love my car , but also really wanted bluetooth audio with the stereo.

"Breaking the Surface" by Greg Louganis

As I mentioned in a previously, I am working on recovering all of the old ClubReading.

My Big Ass Gay Pity Party

I had a rough day yesterday. I let myself go to a dark place and the resulting big ass pity party wasn’t pretty.

"Unspoken" by Angela Hunt

Reviewer: Sally Some people think humans evolved from apes…gorillas. Glee Granger thinks gorillas are almost human and can be taught to think and talk.

"The Cat Who Went into the Closet (Cat Who...)" by Lilian Jackson Braun

This is another interesting tale about Qwilleran and his two cats.

"Iceberg" by Clive Cussler

Reviewer: linda Adventure books, I keep reminding myself, were written in the mid-1970s for men, just as James Bond movies were made for men.

"The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to be Perfect" by Margo Maine, Joe Kelly

Reviewer: Linda While this is not the most well-written book I have read, it is thought provoking.

“The Fat Girls Guide to Life” by Wendy Shanker

Reviewer: Linda This is a book which discusses acceptance of one’s weight and appearance.

"Petty Pewter Gods (P.I. Garrett)" by Glen Cook

Reviewer: littlemissthing Add one part Kolchak: The Nightstalker, a touch of Columbo, and heavy helping of wizards, elves, dragons, and all sorts of fantasy creatures.

"Julie and Julia : 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" by Julie Powell

Julie Powell felt she was in a rut. Turning thirty, dead end temp secretary job, crappy loft apartment and trouble with her husband.

"Shantaram: A Novel" by Gregory David Roberts

(Anonymous Submission to old ClubReading website) Lindsay or Linbaba, as the Indian people named him, is a fugitive who escaped prison in Australia, where he served two years of his 19-year sentence of arms robberies, which he used to do to support his heroin addiction caused by loosing custody of his daughter in a failed marriage.

"The Actors Guide to Greed (Actors Guide To...)" by Rick Copp

Jarrod Jarvis was a child actor in a successful sitcom in the 80’s.

"Lark Rise to Candleford: A Trilogy (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)" by Flora Thompson

I learned of this book from Educating Alice (see previous review ).

"The Burglar in the Library (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery)" by Lawrence Block

Bernie Rhodenbarr just wants a quiet weekend in the country.

"Son of a Witch: A Novel" by Gregory Maguire

Maquire has done it again; he’s taken us into Oz, but not Baum’s Oz, a new, different Oz.

"Flesh And Blood" by Michael Cunningham

Flesh and Blood is a large story covering three generations and 100 years.

"French Women Dont Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure" by Mireille Guiliano

There has been a bit of fuss in the media concerning this book, as the title is somewhat provacative.

"The Year the Colored Sisters Came to Town" Jacqueline Guidry

William Estep
Club reading
December 28, 2008

This is a story about the year two colored nuns came to a small town in Southern Louisiana to teach at the white Catholic school.

"A Kiss of Shadows" Laurell K. Hamilton

William Estep
Club reading
November 11, 2008

Merry Gentry, a member of the Faerie royal bloodline, has been in hiding for the past three years.

“Writing the Novel” Lawrence Block

William Estep
Club reading
August 30, 2008

Lawrence Block is certainly a very successful writer. He currently has178 books listed on Amazon.

Where are my thoughts

William Estep
Writing
June 28, 2008

Where are my thoughts? In small boxes and cubbyholes,

"The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (Cat Who...)" by Lilian Jackson Braun

Reviewer: Sally James Qwilleran stayed the compulsory five years in Pickax to complete the requirements placed on his inheritance.

Nick Hornby's "A Long Way Down"

The first chapter of Nick Hornby’s novel, “A Long Way Down ” introduces the 4 main characters, Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ.

Whiskey Sour: A Jack Daniels Mystery (A Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mystery)

Caution: Puns Ahead! That should be on the cover of this book–if you hate puns, you won’t find this book as amusing as I did.

Basic Troubleshooting Techniques

Troubleshooting is tracking down pesky bugs, rooting them from the code and squashing them.

"Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman" by Alice Steinbach

Alice Steinbach manages to do the things we all want to do: She travels to different places to learn new things.

"Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death and Life" by Gregory Bernard Banks

Reviewer: Bardsandsages Breaking the boundaries between literary and genre fiction, Gregory Bernard Banks’ Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death and Life is a stunning collection of short stories that confronts the meaning of life and death with beautiful bravery.

Yo! Need a vampire hunter over here!

Amazon emailed me a couple of days ago to let me know I might like the new Laurell Hamilton book “Blood Noir”.