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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt

@alisakbeer.bsky.social

1.6K followers 460 following 790 posts

https://knitspinquilt.etsy.com for my project bags & notions for crafters. #KSQshop for shop posts. Long COVID migraineuse & fiber arts multi-crafter. Medieval historian, former rare books cataloger, collector of c21 SFF(H).

knitspinquilt.etsy.com

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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Sep 21

I’m a rare books librarian (IUB), former rare books cataloger (libraries & booksellers) with an MA and MPhil in medieval history from Fordham.

At the moment that’s on hold while I adjust to long COVID.

I knit, spin, quilt, sew, & bake a lot.

Find my handmade project bags & stitch markers on Etsy:

knitspinquilt.etsy.com

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Reposted by Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt

JK✨️ @jkmakes.bsky.social · 25d

"when the urge to resume doomscrolling hits (our brains asking for dopamine), make a choice to be creative instead"

💖

Wil Wheaton @wilwheaton.net · 25d

Reposting this for anyone who missed it yesterday.

wilwheaton.net/2025/09/in-t...

in the mirror hypnotized I’m haunted

Yesterday, I mentioned on Bluesky that I’d heard this guy suggest a way to break the doomscrolling Ouroboros we all seem to be stuck in right now: when the urge to resume doomscrolling hits (…

wilwheaton.net

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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · 25d

Good news: my bags are at Annie&Company, all ready for you to shop the crawl F-Sun!

Bad news: I’m having a nasty fatigue flare/crash, so I won’t be able to come see your smiling faces in person.

Can’t wait to follow the crawl hashtag this weekend to see how much fun you all have!!

#KSQShop

SEPT 26-28
Save the date!
NYCYARN CRAWL
@nycyarncrawl

I'll be home in MA (I'm not feeling well) but my bags are at Annie's!
Can't wait to see your posts!

Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · 27d

Just packed up a 23lb box of bags to send to Annie & Company (upper east side, NYC) for a mail in trunk show this weekend for the NYC yarn crawl.

I was hoping to attend the crawl myself and see people in NYC too, but my health had other ideas, so I’m staying home. #KSQShop

Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Sep 10

If only more people saw it that way!

Reposted by Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Sep 9

Several states have issued orders or taken similar actions to protect access to COVID vaccines including: CO, MA, MD, MN, NM, NY, PA, WA

Please call your Governor's office and demand that they take action to make sure COVID vaccines are accessible to everyone!

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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Sep 9

So when I boost COVID numbers and ask folks to mask back up?

I’m not scolding you. It comes from a place of care. I don’t want anyone else to have to live with long COVID. It sucks.

The damage of each covid infection is cumulative on the last, and the risk of long COVID goes up each time.

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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Sep 9

I’ve been in some level of MECFS / long COVID crash for nearly a month now, which has required me to really curtail my physical and mental activities in ways I find very difficult.

I had just gotten back the ability to read academic nonfiction for fun without a migraine, and now it’s gone again.

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Katie Hodges-Kluck, PhD @klhkhistorian.bsky.social · Sep 9

A reminder that measles erases your body's immune memory for fighting other diseases, too.

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Aug 29

COVID vaccine update: Pharmacies in these states won't give you a shot unless you have a prescription.

CVS: CO, FL, GA, KY, LA , ME, NY, NC, PA, UT, VA, WV, DC

Walgreens: AZ, CO, GA, IN, LA, MO, MT, NM, NY, OR, SC, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI

CVS is not yet offering COVID shots at all in MA, NV, and MN.

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Sheryl Weikal and the colorful Parrotlegals @leftistlawyer.com · Aug 28

We made the world this way. We benefit from the world being this way. And only we can unmake it. Because it must, it absolutely must, be unmade.

So next time you're going on about money, keep that in mind. Money is a tool. And yes, way too many of us accept money soaked in blood.

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Dr. Amanda Wyatt Visconti @literaturegeek.bsky.social · Aug 28

Thanks @drbibliomane.bsky.social & @transbookhistory.bsky.social (QT'd thread) for helping us put the Queer Book History zine in the present urgent rights context—if we do history work to remember+resurrrect human voices, we must also work to protect+resource folks now zinebakery.com/bakeshop-zin...

Queer Book History zine page 28: "Queer Book History isn’t past: 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in the immigration & criminal legal systems are especially at risk of violence, removal of human rights & dignity, isolation. Deidre Lynch noted* that a July 2025 Vanity Fair interview with Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk (archive.is/3fwgg), recently released after being abducted by ICE & imprisoned for 45 days across the country, is book history too:"
A screenshot of a quote from the linked archive.is/3fwgg interview follows: "After many requests, I finally accessed what turned out to be the saddest and smallest library I have ever seen. I was surprised to find that the books were not categorized by author or Dewey number but size. I tried to find a book before my allotted time ended and picked a cooking book; the second time I got a novel. I began flipping through the pages in search of solace, as books have always been my safe haven. To my surprise, I discovered handwritten notes scattered throughout the book, dated and written by various detainees over time. These messages were filled with reminders of hope, strength, and the assurance that this, too, shall pass. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read their heartfelt expressions. It’s incredible how human beings can find ways to uplift each other, transcending time, space, and borders if they want to and if they choose to. I continued to turn the pages, holding on to the hope of finding brighter moments in this terrifying situation—all thanks to the kindness of people I had never met." Then more zine text follows: "At our best, book historians' work is meaningful because it resurrects: hidden—forgotten, suppressed, invisible—human lives, left in the material traces of the book , like the transcendent annotations Öztürk describes. We can try to do the same for the lives around us right now. Eg Kadin Henningsen recommends volunteering with or donating to LGBT Books To Prisoners (lgbtbookstoprisoners.org)"...

Queer Book History zine page 29: screenshot of a project website graphic that says "LGBT Books to Prisoners: a trans-affirming, racial justice-focused, prison abolitionist project sending books to incarcerated LGBTQ-identified people across the United States". Illustrated with letterpress print thats says "Hands Off" with a design of many small pointing hands cascading off the page,
photo of typeset text “If we’re not going to fight for our
scholarship and our students, then what the hell are we doing
anyway?” quotes part of a 2025 Kate Starbird tweet; photo of lasercut printing block that says "glitch their cistems" and has a pointing hand about to push a keyboard key.

Screenshot of intro section from the Queer Book History zine that uses different colored emoji hearts for bullet points and says: "This zine is an intersectionally queer project:
💚 Queer people have always existed & will always exist
💜 No LGB without the T (trans) & I (intersex)
🖤 Black Lives Matter
💙 Human rights & community belonging have no borders
❤️ Prioritize folks harmed by multiple kinds of hate"

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Reposted by Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt

Deidre Lynch @drbibliomane.bsky.social · Aug 28

The Harvard Crimson (student newspaper) once again doing superb reporting--in this case, about the (troubling!) recent changes, implemented this week, in the campus's 1st-year orientation activities. I was feeling cheerful (to my surprise), but this is chilling: www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Welcomes Class of 2029 to a Campus Reshaped by Trump’s Second Presidency | News | The Harvard Crimson

From the start, Harvard’s Class of 2029 witnessed how the College is refashioning itself for a new political era, embracing calls to address antisemitism while backing away from diversity programs dis...

www.thecrimson.com

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Dr. Meredith Wills @bbl-astrophyscs.bsky.social · Aug 27

“A new study from Australia found sheep [who graze among solar panels] had better wool compared to sheep grazing on traditional pastures.”

Knitters for clean energy! Let’s go!!! 🐑🧶💪

Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · Aug 27

From sheep growing better wool under solar panels to matcha prices soaring with the heat: here’s this week’s surprising mix of climate news, and something you can do about it today!

Solar panels lead to better...wool?

Sheep and solar panels, our favorite foods at risk, and how to find climate-friendly rebates

www.talkingclimate.ca

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ProPublica @propublica.org · Aug 24

Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced massive cuts to federal health agencies.

The Trump administration has refused to say how many workers have been lost so far. But a new ProPublica analysis gives a detailed view.

Gutted: How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies

More than 20,500 workers have left or been pushed out of federal health agencies, a ProPublica analysis found. Staffers say the cuts will leave their agencies less equipped to conduct studies, perform...

projects.propublica.org

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · Aug 24

And supporting a local small business in Queens as the final exclamation point at the end.

Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · Aug 24

Not sure if people have realized yet on just how many levels the #zcavengerhunt is working. Not only is it activating a bunch of people, not only is it getting people out and about in NYC, not only is it highlighting public transits, not only is it highlighting NYC history... it's also:

Michael Yarbrough (he/him) @mwyarbrough.bsky.social · Aug 24

The scavenger hunt is using NYC mayoral history to paint Mamdani as firmly within the mainstream of that history. On age. On DSA membership. On public transportation policy. It's such a smart way to launch the general election campaign.

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · Aug 24

Friends: as many of you know, I have a patreon account where I write about the maps, mapping, & related things.

I'm hoping to get the membership up over 500 subscribers. It's free, so if you're curious, go read some articles! If you like it, please consider subscribing!
patreon.com/SurprisedEel

Custom Maps, Artwork, and History

patreon.com

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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Aug 23

Oh how phenomenal

Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Aug 23

More sweater bags in the shop, and sea-creature stitch markers to pair with the manatee bag!

(The manatee fabric has been discontinued and this is the last sweater-size/XL bag in this print that I have in stock!)

knitspinquilt.etsy.com

#KSQShop

A large drawstring bag with a black top sitting on a gridded cutting mat. The main fabric is a grey solid background on which are arrayed columns of colorful moths and butterflies.

A large drawstring bag with a black top sitting on a gridded cutting mat. The body fabric is a chalkboard green color and features women of several different skin tones on ladders, apparently doing complex math among rockets and moons.

A large drawstring bag with a teal top sitting on a gridded cutting mat. The main body fabric has a nearly grey background on which swim light teal manatees and floating coral sea stars.

A set of five silver tone stitch markers on round lever back earring clasps. The charms are a crab, a dolphin, a turtle, a fish, and a snail shell.

Reposted by Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt

JK✨️ @jkmakes.bsky.social · Aug 22

Reminder to everyone who was ALSO waiting for something they bought to come in the the right size box for sending books then lost track of time-- the Bluestockings book drive has another week to go!

Now to be an adult and get my ass to a post office. 😷💢

Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · Jun 15

Also sneak peek thanks to Julie for helping me with graphics. I am collecting books for Bluestockings Bookstore and I am hoping that lots of people will help me meet my goal of 2500 gently used and new books by 9/1! If you want to organize your own book drive in your area, reach out.

Illustrated flyer for a Summer Book Drive asking for gently used social justice books on topics like race, gender, class, and more. Donations accepted at 116 Suffolk St, NY, Tues-Sun 1-6pm, by 9/1.

A colorful flyer lists accepted book genres for donation at Bluestockings bookstore, including Non-Fiction and Fiction categories, with drop-off info and a goal to collect 2,500 books by 9/1. Illustrations and handwritten text are featured.

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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Aug 22

a man and a woman are looking at each other and the man is asking " both "

Alt: Miguel and Tulio from the animated movie The Road to El Dorado looking at each other and saying “both? Both. Both is good.”

media.tenor.com

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · Aug 22

Whenever I read 'what will it take for people to rise up?' I want people to be SPECIFIC. What is the actual question? And are they currently *rising up* themselves whatever that means because it's always unclear what the person asking means...

What are you willing to risk? [no answers needed]

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ashley scarebanks 💀🕯️ @ziibiing.com · Aug 22

a first step to organizing people to do anything right now is just bringing people together for anything—to vent. to eat together. to make art.

to remind people we have each other. to ask what we can do together. to keep the despair at bay.

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Candace Robb @candacerobbauthor.bsky.social · Aug 22

Wisdom. 💚🦉

amy brown @amybrown.xyz · Aug 22

this iconic advertising copywriter named Kathy Hepinstall Parks died over the weekend and I wanted to share something from her website I thought Bluesky would like

Why should I write better when a machine can do it for me?
Because actually no one can do it for you, because your voice is unique among all the people on earth. Siri never petted a horse's neck. Alexa has never been ghosted by the captain of the football team. But you have lived, your heart is beating, you have suffered, and you have something important to say. It's a human's job, to use words, and whatever job you give to a machine, that part of your brain goes dark. Maybe it's worth it when it comes to remembering phone numbers and directions, but when that part of your brain that uses words goes dark, that's a vast area that's very close to your soul. Don't let some internet platform convince you that what you have to say and create isn't worthwhile. Words are the echo of your soul. Honing that echo matters.

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Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt @alisakbeer.bsky.social · Aug 22

Exactly