Randomly, From the Internet

A few of the amazing, cute, and puzzling things I discovered while I was away:

Steepster
It's social media. About tea.

For those too lazy to click the link, you can "Write a tea journal, see what others are drinking and get recommendations from people you trust."

I may or may not be toying with the idea of signing up.

The most adorable pirate kitten ever
I love color-pointed cats. Doubly so when they are kittens. And this poor little guy just as too much character to resist. And the fact that his name is "Sir Stuffington?" Yeah, I'm just gonna go turn into a little puddle of goo over here.

Faking Sanity
It's a used bookshop. And a yarn store. And a cafe. And quite possibly the holy grail, but I'm reserving judgement since I haven't actually been there.

Yet.

Sleepy Hollow
This is my new favorite show. Period. If you want to know why, here is a post I put up on Tumblr just after the 2nd episode:

How often do we get a female lead that is a minority, who is completely badass without being completely masculinized as well?  Abby is strong, smart, and practical. She’s pretty but clearly her appearance plays second fiddle to her work. She’s willing to entertain the idea of the supernatural, but is still actively looking for ways to debunk it.

And on top of that, we’ve got a fantastic male character that while he is capable to kicking butt, his first reaction is always to outsmart the bad guy using as little brute force/direct contact as possible.

For the time being, they each have their own love interests (we’ll see how long that lasts, since this is Hollywood we’re talking about), but there is still a good tension/chemistry between them, even if they are completely platonic (for the moment).

I've also decided that I'm going to review each episode as it airs (because I totally need MORE things to do with my time, right?). The first one is here. Episode two should be up shortly.

And on Friday, you'll get to see a few of the things I've been working on.

Litterary Takeaway

I came across this article recently and had to share: A Brief History of Book Vending Machines.

Sidenote: I want to visit Japan for many reasons, but a huge part of that is the vending machines. The Japanese put crazy stuff in their vending machines. (And those aren't even some of the weirder ones I've heard of, which include steak, porn, and used panties. Yes, you read that right. I have no idea if it's true or just a gross rumor.)

History Fixation

Late last week, Missouri sent me a fascinating link to an article about an article on chatelains. I love chatelains and have been wanting to make myself one, though it's become slightly redundant since she made me my wonderful seamstress' assistant for the convention. Personally, working in retail, I would love to see chatelains come back into style. I'm forever wishing a had a notebook and pen, or my chapstick, or some other small item that either won't fit in my pocket or wearing an outfit that doesn't have pockets.

I discovered that the website itself is a dangerous rabbit hole for me. Check out the list of articles in the sidebar; I dare you not to click on one. Here are a few of my favorites:

Everything You Knew About Corsets is False

Really fascinating. I wear corsets not only for steampunk events, but also occasionally when we go out or even to work (usually under my shirt) if my back is bothering me. Like many things, I think corsets are good--as long as they aren't abused.

How Boxers and Briefs got into Mens Pants

It is perhaps a sign that I have spent way too much time folding men's underwear at work that I find this article interesting.

Before Rockwell, a Gay Artist Defined the Perfect American Male

In college, one of my favorite classes was History of Illustration. For starters, it was taught by a hilarious man who reminds me greatly of my late grandfather (they even look alike, besides sharing the same sense of humor). I remember studying Leyendecker in his class; I liked him so much better than Rockwell. This article details many of the reasons why.

BEAR!! (CCAD students know what this means....)

I don't understand the stigma against illustration in the art world. Personally, I prefer illustration over fine art.

Three Female Artists Who Shaped the American Dream Girl
Another article on art history, this one is about the female artists behind some of the most famous pin-up art of the mid-20th century. I love pin-up art. I think it's gorgeous. And the women who created it? Awesome.

 The Great Gatsby still gets Flappers Wrong
If you enjoyed 20s week,  then you need to read this article. The flapper as a feminist movement--it's the the juices churning in my head, let me tell you! So many ideas to work into my 1920s stories....

I hope you enjoy those. I found them to be really interesting reads, and there are a lot of other stories on the website that I didn't link to. In parting, here's a knitting related piece of Leyendecker art:

Some Beach

I don't know about you, but I am so over this whole "winter" thing. I'm sick of the rain and the snow and the cold and the fact that we haven't seen the sun for about three and a half months.

We have started to get the first fitful hints of spring. It was almost seventy the other day, and then two days later there was snow on my car when I left work. Mother nature teases us with a day or two of 50's, then it's back down to freezing. The up and down is murder on my allergies. I wish we could just pick a season and stick to it--preferably a warm one.

Lately as I'm knitting, I've been watching everything I can think of that involves beaches and sunshine: Magnum, PI; Blue Crush 2; the Single Handed Knits podcast. I'm adding Hawaii 5-0 to my list, too. And then I've been watching music videos like this one:

That is one of my all time favorite songs. If you're feeling the distinct lack of sunshine, too, here are a few more:

I have an entire playlist of these songs, which I've been playing over and over on my ride to and from work. It helps keep me from veering south and just taking off for Florida or parts unknown instead of driving through the rain to work. Of course, the fact that I don't have enough gas in my car to get to the state line is also a motivator.

Here's hoping that spring comes soon, or at the very least, that you find the lounge chair with your name on it:

P.S. Don't forget about the poll running in the sidebar!

Finished Object Friday

I have just a few things to show you today, a few things I finished up for around the house and as holiday gifts:

In total, I made six or eight of these towels, though a few are still waiting for suitable buttons. They all came from the same package, however, so the patterns are mostly the same.

Speaking of which, if you would like a PDF of the crochet tutorial I posted the other day, it is now available on Ravelry, here. The knitting one should be up shortly after the new year.

This took up most of my knitting/crochet time. I don't crochet much any more because it bothers my wrists, but the recipient of this was instrumental in making our new house livable in a reasonable amount of time, and it was hinted that she would appreciate an afghan. I used six balls of Lion Brand Homespun Chunky for it. It came together much faster than I expected (which NEVER happens!), and is just the right size for lounged on the couch or in bed. It's also super soft.
---
If you follow my Twitter, then you know that this year, for the second year running, I made my aunt socks that didn't fit, and she bought me something I'd just gotten for myself, thinking no one would get it for me for Christmas--a subscription to Vogue Knitting. What's more, my mom commented that SHE considered getting me one, too! And here people keep saying I'm hard to shop for....

We've decided that next year, we'll just go shopping together.

In The Bag

 

 

I thought that this week I might show you so me of the things in my knitting bag. Not projects, mind you, but some of the tools I carry around with me.

LJ Kaelms. I've been wanting to do a review of this bag since I got it, but it hasn't happened yet. Someday, though.

First, the bag.

This is a Jordana Paige LJ Kaelms. These normally sell for $89 USD, but I won this bag two years ago when it debuted through a drawing on Facebook. It isn't the JP bag I would pick for myself (that would be a Knitter's Satchel, if anyone is wondering) but when it comes to knitting and designing on the go, this is the best bag in my (modest) collection.

One nice thing about this bag is the divider. Purse stuff in the front (bottom of image) and knitting stuff in the back (top of image). Like the bag, most of the stuff I carry has to do double duty.

Obviously, every knitting bag contains knitting. Note that by happy coincidence, the yarn matches the bag. 

I always carry a notebook and pen. Though I've tried many styles and sizes, I have a preference for 5 subject college ruled spiral bound notebooks with perforated pages. This notebook has, at various points, contained notes and bits and pieces of six different stories, drafts and outlines for blog posts (including this one), to do lists, and preliminary charts and patterns. 

To make things easier to find, I draw little symbols in the upper corner of every page. This symbol means that this page is blog-related.

I'm not really a pen snob, but I have specific pens that I like. I order blue and green Pilot Rèxgrips by the box from Amazon (and Pentel Energels, but that's a different story). I'm usually not a fan of ballpoints, but these have a really smooth line, they're sturdy, and I've never hit a single air bubble or interruption in the ink flow. I started using a variation of these in Florence, and tracked them down as soon as I got back to the states. I use them for everything. 

Taking care of your hands is a huge part of knitting. Rough hands snag yarn and create drag that slows down knitting. Chipped nails leave snags and break. This manicure kit was $7, and I carry it everywhere. The cuticle scissors are perfect for cutting yarn. 

Burt's Bees Thoroughly Therapeutic is my new favorite hand lotion. It moisturizes better than anything I've ever tried, and the twist top means it doesn't leak in my purse the way the flip top and pop top styles most travel lotions have do. I expound at length about Burt's Bees and kit this came from here and here.

I found this kit at Michael's for $4 USD on clearance. Anyone else noticing a color theme? 

From the right: 

Crochet hooks--I don't usually carry these, but there was room in the kit, so I added them. 

DPNs--The reason I don't carry crochet hooks These are size US 7 (a good middle size). They're from a set of 4 that has one missing, and are great for picking up dropped stitches, or dropping down to fix mistakes.

Measuring tape--For obvious reasons. 

Nail clippers--would normally be in the manicure kit. The original set got dull, and my replacements aren't slender enough to fit in the case. But this is as good a place as any for them, since they can also be used to cut yarn (I wonder how that other set got so dull in the first place....)

Cable needle--For cabling, of course.

Idiot tags--also known as price tags. I got the idea from Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English. Loop them through a stitch at the end of your row to keep track of your row number, or make notes about pattern details, alterations, the number of decreases....anything you might forget. Then just snip them out when you're done.

Substitute your iPhone, if you're lucky enough to have one. I am not, so I suffice with this.

 

Another items that is always in my bag is my iPod Touch. Aside from using Safari to access Ravelry and look up techniques, and Maps to find yarn stores I honestly  don't use it much for my knitting, but there are a few apps that I have--Knit Counter Lite, which is a free app that acts as a row counter and project notebook, allowing you to track rows and information like yarn brands and dyelots for multiple projects. There is a pay version, but I haven't seen it and I don't know what the advantages might be. Convertknit does what it says on the tin. Use either a handy chart or the built in calculator to convert needle sizes, yarn thicknesses, or weights and lengths to your system of choice. It includes American, European, Metric, English, Japanese, and Imperial options.  

For the fun side of things, I also have Knitting Mania, which is a free game in which you have to "knit" so many rows in a given time, and miTypewriter, which is not knitting related but just as fun. But that is also a review for another day. 

The project info for the London Calling Cabled Cardigan as seen in Knit Counter Lite, and the conversion calculator in ConvertKnit.

Lastly, my maneki-neko (Japanese lucky cat). These cute little guys are supposed to bring luck, especially in business. Since I want to make a living on my knitting, I figure my knitting bag is the best place for it. I'm superstitious like that.

What's in your bag?

PSST!

Hey, you! Yeah, you with the computer.

Do you know what today is?

It's the day Birds of Feather comes out.

So come on, give it a look. Download, please?

*Fan art by the incomparable A.K. Alexander.

A Blog and a Book

I've been meaning to update this blog for the last three days, but I keep getting distracted, primarily by this: www.GirlonaShoestring.blogspot.com. That's right. I've got a new obsession--enough of an obsession that I started another blog about it.

GOAST is a blog about art nails and fashion, so if you want to see more of my funky manicures (like this one and this one) then head on over there. For writing, books, typewriters, and knitting, stay put.

In other announcements, I have a few more details about "Birds of a Feather:"

• While at first I thought it was going to be included in an anthology, it will not. It will be available as a single download (known as a "sip" on the Torquere website) for $1.99, if their current selection of standalone sips is any indicator.
• The release date is July 11.
• It will be available in electronic format only, but you can read it on your computer, Kindle, iPad, Nook, or whatever piece of kit floats your boat.

Once I hear back from marketing, I'll share the summary and blurb with you guys, and of course a link will be available in the sidebar once the story is released.

I do have more stuff I want to share with you, but that needs to wait until later in the week.

Window Shopping

Rawr, why must I be tormented when I'm broke?

I have about thirty things I want to purchase this week, but I've had to put them on hold thanks to bills. And then I get an email that KnitPicks is having a sale--not just a 50% off sale, but there's free yarn involved, too! Arg!

Oh, and have I mentioned lately that season 4 of the Murdoch Mysteries has finally come out on DVD? It was actually released on the 25th, but I haven't been able to purchase it yet. Another (fairly) recent release (at least, one I only recently found out about) is the region 1 edition of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec has finally worked it's way down to a semi-reasonable price on Amazon. I've wanted to see this movie since before it came out in theaters in France, but have yet to find a way to watch it here in the states. As soon as funds allow, both of these DVDs will be coming home.

In the meantime, I'm satisfying my urge to watch period film with Netflix. I finished up the BBC's Wives and Daughters last night, and it was quite good, though I liked their North and South better. Right now I'm watching Bramwell, which is something like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman meets Murdoch. Actually, it's got me wanting to watch Dr. Quinn, too. I loved that show when I was a kid, and it was Mom's favorite (though I was always perplexed about why though thought it was a good idea to drastically change the actress who played Colleen in the middle of the series the way they did, and for such a different actress. It wasn't exactly a seamless transition. But I digress). I love watching period films/tv when I'm knitting. I guess it's the whole history meets ancient craft thing. But it's always engrossing, and period dramas tend to age so much better than their contemporary counterparts. Also, costumes! Typewriters! What could be better?

Speaking of knitting, I finally got the paperwork for that knitting pattern I'm getting published (this month has been so exciting, professionally!) so I cast on for Northman #3 at last. I was putting it off until I had final confirmation from the publisher, but now that it's here I should be able to whip it out rather quickly. It usually doesn't take me more than a weekend to make a hat, and I love this pattern. It's so much fun to do colorwork. It's probably my favorite technique after entrelac.

Which reminds me, I should get back to work.

A Bit of Writing

Saturday, I finnally got my letter from Tor.

It was, as I expected, a rejection of my novel Threadbare. I was pretty upset for a while. I mean, I know that story is better written than Twilight. It's better than the book I'm reading right now, in fact. But it still got a form rejection.

Thus, the theme song of the day:


Fortified with Queen, I dusted myself off (I might have had a little help with that from Missouri), and went back to work. I know I don't handle rejection well, but I'm getting better at it. The key is forward movement. To quote one of my favorite podcasters, "Even falling on your face is forward movement."

I cleaned up a short story I wrote for our steampunk group and posted it. If you are so inclined, you can read it here. I also emailed another short story to Missouri's publisher. We'll see if anything comes of it. I took some notes for the story I'm going to use for Nano, and now I'm getting ready to work on on the sequel of the short story I just submitted, the one that may or may not want to be a novel, depending on whether or not Eric gets his way.

So, I'm moving, hopefully in the right direction, and we'll see what tomorrow brings. Because I'm sick of crap, I'm sick of people telling me "no," and I want my "yes," dammit.

Annual Blogroll Rundown

It's been a few months since the last time I shared the new additions to my blog subscriptions with you all (Don't mind that list in the sidebar. It hasn't been updated in a while, and the actual list is far longer). So, if you're looking for something extra to read, here are my suggestions:

Knitting/Design:
Five Cats from Crazy Knitting and cats. Need I say more?
Pink Lemon Twist More knitting and the occasional kitty. Also, water balloons.
Knitting to Stay Sane 'Nuff said.
Stefanie Japel Knits Because I'm not just an author stalker. I'm a design stalker, too.
Ridiculous Knits The newest addition to my blog reader, this one has some great knits and a whole lot of sarcasm.

Art Nails:
Paint All The Nails! Mostly just inspiration shots.
Nails by Kayla Shevonne Inspiration as well as tutorials--and some downright amazing manicures.

Conservation/Art:
Ohio Archaeology The blog for the Archaeology department of the Ohio Historical Society.
Inside the Conservator's Art Because I'm a freak who thinks piecing together a shattered, crumbling, 3500 year old copper ewer sounds like fun.
Restorient While the project is now finished, this blog chronicles the conservation of two Japanese scrolls by the Chester Beatty Museum in Dublin, Ireland (well worth a visit if you're in the area!).

Writing/Authors/Publishing:
Angie's Desk Written by one of the Torquere editors, this blog was pointed out to me by Missouri Dalton (whose writer and personal blogs can be found here and here), this blog features a monthly post of open anthology markets, and great information for writers the rest of the time.


Other:
Texts from Dog Imagine that someone taught Marmaduke to use an iPhone. Yeah, it's kind of like that.
Single Dad Laughing I don't like children. I have no intention of ever having them. But the daily posts on this blog are usually humorous and almost always touching. Share the love, man.
Reasoning with Vampires Tired of Twilight? Dana breaks down both the grammatical mistakes made in this book and why Edward Cullen is creepy and why no teenage girl should ever use Bella Swan as a role model.

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/

The meeting of the Hobbies

Has anyone else seen this clip? It's great--in which an avid typewriter collector plays a trick on an avid knitter. Really, I might have to see Larry Crowne, just for the connection.



I don't think you could get a better clip for this blog, except, of course, that the prank doesn't actually involve typewriters. Perhaps we shall have to come up with a variation on this theme?

I also found this fabulous little video on one of the steampunk blogs I follow. It's a ad, but it all about a steampunk knitting book that will be coming out shortly. It looks really interesting and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Just for Fun

I write like
Bram Stoker

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

So I found the link to the above site on Tanya Huff's blog, and had to check it out. I pasted in pages from the two pieces I'm actively working on right now. It made me giggle. I hope it's true.

Methods of Procrastination

Every one around me is working. It makes me feel lazy, like there's something I should be doing, but I'm not. I can think of a few things, but none that are terribly pressing at the moment. I'm sure it will come to me at 3 a.m., when I can't do anything about it, and then I'll spend hours agonizing over it and trying to fix the problem.

A few days ago, I picked up this book from Paperback exchange. It's not often that I buy a book of patterns, rarer still that I find one with more than one or two patterns I like in it, and I've yet to make a project from a book. I LOVE almost all of the patterns in this book though, and even the ones I don't LOVE, I could see myself loving with a few minor alterations (mostly, the removal of bobbles. I have very strict rules about bobbles, as in, NEVER). I cast on and tried making the Jacket with Frog Fasteners and the Basket Weave sweater (sorry, no Ravelry page for that one), but they didn't work--no problem of the pattern, just the yarn I was using. It's this yarn, which I love and found it at a shop called Skandinavia. It's very pretty, with pinks and purples and oranges, but it looks like barf when it's knit up in sweater form. The color repeats are very short. It actually needs to pool a little to look in any way appealing, so after three tries, I ripped it all out and I'm turning it into a simple, garter stitch scarf for donation. Maybe while I'm home for Christmas I'll make a stop at JoAnns for some nice solid color yarns to make one of the sweaters from book.

I've been watching a lot of internet t.v., too. On Itunes, I check daily for updates of Bone, DollHouse, Castle, and Glee, and I've been re-watching some of my DVDs--I have all of Gundam Wing, and recently had the itch to re-watch the entire series. I was going to watch disk two this morning, but my laptop doesn't seem to like the disk very much. I'll try again later, or maybe I'll just skip it. I'm also thinking re-watching Charmed; I've got the first four seasons. (There's also a possibility I might order the entire boxed series for myself for Christmas, but it might end up being put off until April when I'll be employed again).

I haven't had the bandwith to do a lot of reading, even though I want to. I keep getting antsy, so I pick up my knitting, which makes reading hard, so I've been listening to a lot of podcasts. My standards are Cast On, the Knitmore Girls, Lime and Violet, and Threadbanger (all available through Itunes). I've also recently started listing to Knitting History, since that's the topic of my thesis, and when I just need something in the background, I really like Pastagaline, which is a French language knitting podcast. I don't really understand much spoken French, but I find that I pick up a little more every time I listen. It also helps that I listen to Walk, Talk, and Learn French, and Coffee Break French. For a while, I was also listening to a few podcasts for learning Italian, but I kept crossing Italian and French, so I decided to just stick with the later since it's the language I have the most experience with, and am more likely to use later on.

Recently, I also discovered podiobook, which are like books on tap, except you download them to you ipod. I've been thinking about getting audible for a while, but I'm broke and why pay for an audio book when there are hundreds available for free on itunes? Currently I'm listening to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (read by Jason Pomerantz), which I've been wanting to read since elementary school and just never got around to. I loved the movie when I was a kid, but even more than that I loved the made-for-t.v. Dreamer of Oz with John Ritter starring as Frank Baum. Mr. Pomerantz does a pretty good job with the reading, and I do enjoy it, but for me John Ritter will always be the voice of the Wizard of Oz. We recorded that special on our VCR when I was little, and I watched it until the tape wore out. There's just something so soothing about his voice, I could listen to it for hours. I can't tell you how upset I was when he died.

So that is what I've been doing in my eternal quest to avoid my school work. Maybe now that I've written down this list, I'll be able to focus on studying for one of my exams.

Just as soon as I'm done listening to this chapter.

Shiny Objects

Looking for pretty, sparkly things? Check out the Etsy Jewelry Designers blog, a listing of all the jewelry shops on Etsy.

I also changed my layout (again). I'm not crazy about any of the layouts on blogger, but I think I'll be using this one for a while. I really like the black background.

I just wanted to post that link really quick, but I'll be back on later with an actual entry. I need to talk about the Peace Project. Really. I can't make fifty flags. So, its time for a little chat.