Gift II

For those interested, I did fix the graphics I posted yesterday. The updated versions can be found here. I also uploaded it to Society 6, so they are available on tee shirts now, and can be found here in a variety of colors and sizes.

A Gift for the Typosphere

There was a keychopper at the convention. This caused an ethical quandary for me, because the same person was also selling hand knits, and while I wanted to support the knitter, I couldn't support the keychopper, especially when I spied keys just like those on my beloved Oliver gracing the table. Thus, I present a little gift for the Typosphere. Have at:


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P.S. This is now available on teeshirts and hoodies here.

News From the Front

When I packed for the Steampunk Empire Symposium, I came prepared for everything. We brought food, water, a first aide kit. I packed a second set of panty hose (which is good, since I put my thumb through the first pair as I was putting them on), and I even brought along a second knitting project, just in case (as if there was any hope of me knitting 90% of a tank top in fingering weight lace on size 3 needles in three days).

I did not, however, plan for a dead battery.

The camera said it was fully charged when I checked it. We arrived, I took two pictures, it flashed the low battery symbol and then refused to turn on. I even tried swapping the battery with the one in my cell phone, but alas, they were not compatible. So I posted on the Empire website and on Twitter, pleading for anyone at the convention with a compatible battery or charger to contact me.

So far, no luck.

I'm making do with Missouri's cell phone camera, since the Iphone camera is far superior to my crummy %^&* !$@$#  %^$%^ Samsung that I've been fighting with since day one. When we get home I'll be able to get some of the photos from her, but for now this is the only one she's sent me and I have to say that it's one I'm immensely proud of:

Yes, that is the back of my head. While I realize that this is normally not considered an ideal shot, I'm happy because that purple thing in my hair? and the shiny silvery things? That would be a Knitpicks 42" circular sock needle.

The reason it is in my hair? Well, long story short, it's the best place I've found for it, since I don't have the heart to throw away needles.

The longer story: Back in December, I ordered two Knitpicks circulars to work on Christmas presents (you know, those purple socks that I was knitting for far too long? Yeah, those). They arrived, I opened the package, and cast on. Three rows in, the cable snapped. I emailed the company, and a week later they sent a replacement. The replacement (seen above) has one of the worst joins I have ever seen between the cable and the needle. It doesn't just feel awkward, you can see where the metal sticks up around the cable. The yarn catches something awful. I knit one row, then switched to another set of needles. This one was being used as a stitch holder for another project while I used the good needles to finish the Christmas socks. I pulled that project out of hibernation yesterday to bring to the convention, put it back on the good needles, and just didn't have the heart to throw the crappy ones out. Then this morning I was trying to do my hair and inspiration struck. I'm already the weird girl with the knitting, so why not take it a step further? I don't think anyone has actually noticed (not even the girl who was sitting behind me in a panel using a set of the same needles to make a Dr. Who scarf). I've always heard really good things about this brand, and it saddens me that I've had such bad luck with them, but I think it's time to move on. I'm perfectly happy using them as hair sticks. Maybe I can add beads to the cable and do something really nifty with it when I get back!

Anyway, the convention. So far, I've spent too much money, taken a wonderful dancing lesson (with actual men! Normally when I take dance lessons its all women and I always have to dance the male parts. This was such a nice change!), been eaten by a werewolf (twice), gotten a massage, spoken with an excellent author who can apparently command the weather, oggled more costumes than I could possibly ever make in a lifetime, nearly bought a corset, drooled over a lovely treadle Singer sewing machine, gone to Target in full Steampunk regalia, and bought a handkerchief with flamingos on it, just because.

Full details to come.

P.S. It appears blogger ate the comments from my last post. So if you leave a message and it never makes it to the site, please take it up with Google. I know that I for one am not loving the new layout.

The pre-convention conversation in our apartment

Me: I have a conundrum. I don't know what knitting to take.

Missouri: Oh?

Me: See, I can't take the [super-secret project I can't mention yet] because I have to be able to write the chart and the directions as I'm doing it, and I can't do that if I'm sitting through a panel.

Missouri: Okay...

Me: So I thought I'd start something new, but I don't want to work from a pattern, because again, that's something that will distract me from the panels. So I thought I could do socks, but I prefer doing those two at a time on one circular needle, which isn't really historically accurate for a Steampunk convention, and if I do DPNs, then I'm risking dropped stitches. But if I take a larger project on straight needles, then I might poke the person next to me with them by mistake.

Missouri: I am not answering this. It is not my problem.

Me: And I was thinking about doing something in entrelac, because I love the technique, but everything I want to make is done in the round, and that requires cutting the yarn after every tier, which is just too fiddly for knitting in public, and--

Missouri: Oh, for the love of--*walks away, rolling eyes*

Me: *follows* And then there's the problem of wood needles versus metal--

Missouri: *slams door*


Welcome to Chez Knotmagick. That was an actual conversation.

And to distract you while I am away: http://www.knitprincess.com/

Next verse, same as the first.

Well, I didn't fall off the face of the earth, but unfortunately, I have to continue with the random today. My mental bandwidth is extremely low right now for several reasons.

For starters, it is official: I'm allergic to work. That is, my place of employment is aggravating my allergies to the point that I think it's time for a new job. Between the perfumes we sell, the lint and dust from the clothes, the pollen that blows in from the continually opening and closing doors, and the chemicals used by the cleaning crew, I have basically been sick for the past week. To top it off, the only allergy medication I've found that has any effect will only let me sleep 5 hours a night, max, and then only if I take a Tylenol PM on top of it (last night I didn't and got about 2.5). I would like to get allergy tested, and figure out specifically what is causing the problem and what I can do about it, but since my insurance covers absolutely nothing (no prescriptions, no testing, no preventative care, and only 1 check up every 2 years, and only with one of their doctors) that is out of the question.

I have been writing (a little). Missouri challenged me to write a short story for her publisher's annual shape-shifter's anthology, but as I'm having trouble getting out of bed in the morning (or the afternoon...as the case may or may not be) it hasn't been going so well.

I still have not photographed the socks (which did get finished, finally), and I've been meaning to take pictures of the Royalite so I can post them on the Yahoo group (it's still up for grabs, if anyone wants it). Maybe later today.

Must. Find. Motivation.

In the mean time, let me distract you with this, in honor of the Avenger's movie, which comes out May 4th. The sound I made when I first saw this could have shattered glass:

Ironically, when I pulled into work yesterday, this happened to come on the radio:



Did I rock out in the parking lot for all the world (and my boss) to see?

Why yes, yes I did.

Unplanned

Click to make it bigger.

I dream lo-tech and the Bing; Life in a Typewriter Shop and the post featuring the Remington.

Sweet dreams.

Hint

I've had dreams about typewriters two nights in a row now. I think the universe is trying to tell me something, I just don't know what it is.

But I'm probably using the wrong medium.

I have my to-do list for the week

More random from the internet. But when I read this list, I laughed so hard I cried. I must do everything on it now:

Briefly, at Tiffany's

Very random, but:

How did I go this long never seeing Breakfast at Tiffany's? And why didn't anyone TELL me that there is, in fact, plot, that it's not just about some social climbing bitch and that there's a writer and typewriter action in this movie?

Now I'm on an old movie kick. Must get caught up on classic films!