Its Been a Long While

It has been a very, very long time. And so much has changed!

Looking back at some of these posts... I was very young! I never got married in 2016, in fact, I called the wedding off. I really wasn't ready to get married, I think.

I have graduated college, I have gone through two jobs and have started a career I really love.  I have gotten so much more involved in my geeky hobbies and I just want to say, it really has changed my life.

I started LARPing (Live Action Role Play).  I play a Victorian Gaslamp Fantasy game called Xadune.  I have a character that has helped me grow into the person I am today, really.  I started as a meek librarian character and have grown into a confident leader. LARPing helped me find myself and find my voice, because I either spoke up or didn't get to do anything. It helped me advance my sewing and crafting beyond anything I had hoped to do in the past.  I have helped create fantasy worlds and expand on longstanding ideas. 

I began writing! It started with writing for Xadune, and it has turned into a new past time for me.  I participated (although didn't win) NaNoWriMo in 2018, and it broke a floodgate in my mind which let out a flood of words I could barely contain. 

I am beginning to love who I have become over the past few years.  I think I have a long way to grow, and there are still parts of me that I despise, but I have a great support group to help me and one day, I hope to become someone I am proud of. 

Wedding Planning

I knew wedding planning wouldn't be easy, but holy shit I did not know how bad it would be.

After my fiance ordered the ring, we went ahead and started planning, made a few purchases, etc.  I wanted a Hallowe'en themed wedding, and he ordered the ring mid October, so we'd have over a year to plan.

I'd already made a few decisions regarding how traditional I wanted it to be.  I didn't want a ceremony, for instance.  I'd go to the courthouse, sign the paper, then throw a big party for all my friends.  I thought centerpieces on the tables was overdone; I'd ask the guests to bring a carved pumpkin instead, use those as centerpieces.  I wasn't going to bother with serving a full meal, I'd do buffet-style snack foods instead.

Then we told his parents.

I love my future in-laws.  They are amazing people.  They have two sons, my fiance being the oldest.  I quickly realized that this was, in their minds, going to be a big ordeal... for them.

First, they asked why we were planning before I'd gotten a ring.  I agreed to it being ordered, which in our minds, was as good as saying yes.  To them, it wasn't.  But they got over that quick enough...

Then, they started to offer to pay for just about everything.  The food? We'll cover it.  Decorations?  Let us know when you're going out shopping, we'll chip in.  It just kept going.  I had already decided to give each part of the family a 'job' which they would cover, they had control over... but nothing else.  There's only so many ways you can gracefully decline.

Of course, then they started to tell me that things were not enough.  Pumpkins as centerpieces? You'll have to have something else on the tables, too.  We'll have hamburgers and hot dogs and chicken on the barbecue, why wouldn't you want to serve your guests?

I think they thought I was trying to fit the budget, and they didn't want me to feel like I couldn't do things because of money.  They grew up poor, I grew up poor, so its a valid reason.  I really need to sit down with them and explain my reasoning.  I just wonder why its socially acceptable for someone to say, 'No no, we'll do it this way' instead of, 'What would you like to do?'

Put a Cork in It Vials

I'd seen these test tube vials around Cons and costume circles before, but I'd never really known where to get them.  made of high-density plastic, they are great for steampunk costumes or LARPs, where you don't want to be carrying around glass.

It took a while for it to don on us, but we finally figured out that they are soda bottle pre-forms.   You can find these for about $1/piece on Amazon.  You can use them straight out of the box to hold liquids to work as screw-top test tubes, but we went a few extra steps. 

For safety reasons, I filed the nubbin at the bottom off.  These can be a bit sharp, and the extra step is a nice touch.

Next, I removed the threads from the top of the preform with a hacksaw.  A bandsaw can also be used here.  It is very helpful to clamp these down when using a hacksaw.

Afterwards, I went at the cut with a Dremel and some sandpaper, to try and clean up the edges.  Just try to remove the burrs. 

The corks used were medium size #9 tapered corks. #10 can also be used.

Now I have a bunch of threads.
No clue what to do with them.

Congratulations! You now have some plastic alchemy test tubes.

My Favourite Elf Ears

I just want to take a moment to talk about my favourite brand of ears.

As a disclaimer: No, I'm not being paid to advertise this product. I receive no benefit from reviewing this product. I just really freaking love these guys, they make a quality product, and  want the world to know this.

Aradani Costumes makes a great pair of ears.  They are comfortable, they last forever, they can be painted to match any skin tone.  I've purchased both an unpainted and a painted set, and was extraordinarily happy with both.

More than that, I've visited their booth at the Georgia Renaissance Festival and at Dragon*Con, and they are just really nice people.  They showed my how to properly apply the ears I was wearing, before realizing I had purchased them from Aradani.  I had a bit of a mistake in my online order (on my end), and it was fixed within hours of my email.  They are just the sort of people you want to support.

Chain Maille Earrings

Just in time for Georgia's Renaissance Faire, I decided to goof around with a few of the leftover links in my maille bag.

They are pretty much as simple as it gets: a length of European 4-in-1, with 18g 3/16" Bright Aluminum rings from The Ring Lord, ending in a single small sized scale. 

They are incredibly light weight. I was very surprised when I put them on; the moment arm from the scale isn't bad either. They have not been stress tested yet, so I'm unsure how much they will catch in hair and such.

Overall: fr ~10 minutes of work, I'd say they came out pretty well!

The Skyrim Helmet

Fus Ro Dah!

I was commissioned to make a knit Skyrim Helmet for a friend, hopefully before the cold weather finally caved to Spring. Alas, I finished in a balmy 74 degrees, letting me spend all year thinking about all the mistakes before it gets any use, but I digress.

Honestly, I did not like this pattern. I thought it had some great components--I love the band chart, I think it looks fantastic--but the rest of the pattern was really poorly written. I was incredibility upset.

House Martell Scarf

Season 4 is here! I've been waiting for Game of Thrones to come back for so long, this season can only be awesome.

With the introduction of Prince Oberyn, I noticed that House Martell didn't have a lot of love on Ravelry. I didn't find a pattern I really loved. So, I made my own.

This scarf is double knit from Michael's Impeccable, Worsted weight, in Pumpkin and Cherry red. Honestly, I'd use better colours next time, but I was running short on time and couldn't order anything.

Its incredibly warm, which is fantastic, and its very very hot down here in Georgia. I wouldn't say this is a quick knit, but its not very difficult.

Pattern can be found here.