Right then my darling swapper, here is a list of all the questions and check ins in one nice place for you. I will also add links to any wish lists etc at the bottom. I will up date this regularly for you :o)
1) What kind of crafting do you do?
Knitting, spinning, jewellery making, sewing, soap making.
2) Fav colors/combinations
Black, jewel tones of purple/red/green/blue. Autumn shades of orange and yellow
3) Least favorite colors
pink & peach
4) Favorite fibers/yarns
Soft! I’m still pretty new to the whole fibre world and am always up for a new one. I likes soft things.
5) List some Small items you would like to have
project bags would be uber amazing. I also have a crazy love of buttons. Like obsessive crazy :o)
7) Things you don’t need or want
Figurines
8) List as many sizes as you can
UK size 5 feet, small to medium head. I’m 5 foot 3 and have pretty small wrists
9) What is something you would like to receive in this swap? (keep price limits in mind)
The more handmade the better for me. I love that someone has put their own thought/love into an item.
10) Would you like the package to be a more detailed buffy theme or random buffy?
Anything Buffy is good.
11) Where do you stand on things like make up, nail polish, jewelry, and hair items?
Make up/nail polish - no. Jewelry/hair items - yes
12) Do you have any hobbies (other then fiber ones lol ex: reading, writing, photography, drawing ect.)
Love reading, photography, soap making and cooking.
13) Do you have pets or children who like to receive little things as well?
I have a 10 year old stepdaughter who adores presents hehehe
14) List anything else you think useful (we want your partner to have as much to go on as possible in order to make your package amazing and just right for you! )
15) Do you promise to b a good partner, fulfill all obligations, and send out a package made with just as much time care and love as the one you would like to receive?
I do indeed!
What kinds of handmade items would you like to receive?
Ooh now this is a tough one. I’d like something useful rather than something ornamental. Otherwise I am happy for anything!
Would you like to get some Buffy DVD’s, books or comics? If yes, what do you have or what do you want?
I don’t have the comic books and would like to start with them so this would be a possible idea for me. (Wow I find it hard to say, yes I would like this hehehe)
1) Fav buffy character/ why
Tough one this. I adore Spike for many reasons. He’s hot, obviously. But I Think he has the best journey through the series. He has the most self discovery and I like that.
2) Fav season
Probably season 6. It’s all getting going and ready for the big showdown.
3) Fav episode
Fool for Love or Beneath You
4) Have u read or would u b interested in the comics?
I haven’t started these yet and would love to.
5) Buffy books?
There are books? How did I not know about this. Yes I’d be interested, I loves books.
6) Buffyverse Quotes u use often?
Bored now. Wiggins
7) Fav big bad?
The Mayor or The Trio.
8) Do you like the show Angel as well as Buffy?
I watched the first few seasons and thought it was ok. Not a huge fan though. I loved Lorne however, he was ace.
9) Do u like buffy with angle or spike?
Spike definitely. Her and Angel were moody teenage love, Spike was grown up painful love. Neither is happy but I think her relationship with Spike had more to it.
10) Do u have any other fav character relationships?
I loved Willow and Oz, they were sooooo cute.
Do you have any specifications for how you like you gloves, socks, hats or shawls? i.e. length, thickness, materials
Gloves I prefer mittens with fold down tops. I love mittens but I take a lot of photographs do fold down tops are genius!
Socks I have a UK size 5 narrow foot so I would love a pair that flet snug. Usually my foot is flopping around a bit inside the sock hehehe.
I like mad hats. Earflaps and pompoms are good. Though something stylish might be nice for going out.
I’ve never owned/made a shawl. I have about elevnty million in my queue/favs and will get round to one soon. I’m only 5 foot 3 so nothing too long. Soft is good.
How do you feel about blingy, sparkly, or other “novelty” yarns? Not just typical novelties like fun fur, but also those with stellina content (Blue Heron Rayon Metallic, DIC Starry, Stroll Glimmer) or other “additives.”
I like shiny/sparkly! I can think of no purpose for fun fur in my life. I’d prefer my yarn to be smooth enough to knit a standard item like a scarf but I’m all for the interesting :o)
Would you like something from your partner’s region? Example: Georgia Peach Preserves.
Yes please :o)
Do you like/will you use straight knitting needles? Are you a circ only fan? How bout DPNs?
I have come to love circulars. They make knitting so much more transportable. I plan on only buying circulars or DPNs from now on.
If you have a pattern book (or any book) on a wishlist, will you accept a gently used version?
A hearty yes from me for anything my swapper would like to give me. I adore used stuff so bring it on.
Would you like your swap partner to knit/crochet/create something out of your favorites, or should we leave that stuff to you?
I would love that. I have so much stuff in there that is WAY beyond my skill level but is there because I like it and hope to one day be able to make it. Having one to pet while I was making it would be ace. :o) Edited to add: I will be emending everything in my favs/queue to have the tag "me" if I ever plan on making it for me so you know which ones are not ideas for other people :o)
Would you mind receiving yarn that is new but already wound into a cake /ball? How about unused leftovers?
Already wound is cool as is stuff in a skein. Leftovers are also pretty cool. I have a ton of scraps that I have plans for. I guess the scraps also goes for fibre as I’m a beginning spinner :o)
Would you like to receive something by/starring a cast/crew member of Buffy? For example and SMG film, other Joss project etc?
I would quite like to hear some of James Marsters music. I’ve never seen Dr Horrible’s Singalong Blog and would love to.
1) What are your favorite snacks, treats or drinks?I adore coffee, hazelnut flavour is a particular love. Fudge is a naughty treat for me :o)
2) What types of things do you knit or crochet?
Currently I don't think I have a fav type. I've only been knitting for a couple of years and haven't knitted much in that time. I love knitting washcloths at the moment and I really like anything with a cable. I loves cables.
3) What one pattern from your faves or queue are you itching to make but you haven’t the time, skill or supplies?
the veil of Isis is one I would love to be able to knit but I think it might be a bit to much for a first lace shawl hehehe. I've been looking at the Severus socks since I learnt to knit socks and have just not got the guts to start them.
5) Do you have an anti-wish list? Like allergies, annoyances, colors/fibers and overstocked notions.
I dislike things with synthetic fragrances with a passion. I have a bizarre hatred for the colour peach. Other than that I am pretty easy going. No allergies and I've not tried enough different fibres yet to know what I like or dislike.
What do you think about this design (not necessarily on a shirt, but something similar on a handmade item)? And if you like it, on what kind of item could you imagine it?It’s “And then Buffy staked Edward - The End”
Ooh torn. Buffy would, of course, kick Edward’s ass. But I will admit to liking the first book. What can I say, I love tragic romance. Though I did want to slap Bella most of the way through. Anyhoo, back to the question, I could go for that quote on things :o)
What width/length do you prefer your scarves?
I prefer thinner scarves as I seem to have a really short neck. Long is good but I am only 5 foot 3 so not too long hehehe
Do you need coasters or pot holders?
Coaster not so much. I would love pot holders though.
Would you rather have more handknit items or more purchased goods?
I’m quite happy with whatever my spoiler wants to give me :o)
If you have indicated that you would like an item for someone else, such as child, do they have any allergies to take into consideration?
I do have a 10 year old step daughter who I am trying (and failing) to get into Buffy. She has no allergies :o)
Non-US folks, if your spoiler happens to be from the US, is there anything in particular that isn’t available in your area that you’d like them to try and include?
Nothing in particular but something specific to the state/town you are from would be fab!
Do you have anything you want a cozy for?
Not that I can think of, no.
How do you feel about cross stitch? How about decoupage?
I love cross stitch. My Momma is amazing at it and I’ve never quite got the hang of it. Decoupage can be so very awsome :o)
1)what got you interested in buffy the vampire slayer?
My general love of vampires got me started. The progression of the characters kept me hooked :o)
2)do you watch a lot of joss’ other works?
I love Firefly but that is all I have seen so far. I did see some of Angel way back when.
3)would you b interested in or do you need a new note book or journal for knitting? (or other uses as you see fit)
A diary for 2012 would actually be incredibly useful right now. The kind with a page a day would be best.
4)if you had to knit with only one type of yarn for the rest of your life what would it be?
Ooh tough one. I think it would have to be a DK weight as this seems to be the most versatile. Something superwash. Twilleys Freedom wool is a favourite as it is so darn soft!
If you said you’d like jewelry, make-up, and or hair items…. what kind would you enjoy best?
I mostly wear earrings, dangles are good. Hair items I like combs and sticks. However my hair is very fine so please keep sticks/forks to 3-4 inches long at the most :o)
If you were Spike or Buffy, what would you have written on your knucks?
Spike - Sod Off
Buffy - Dust Time
Are you a tee shirt kind of person? If so, what size? Any no-no colors?
I only wear girly fit shirts. I could wear any colour if the design was good but as a general rule I avoid pink/peach/coral.
Do you like any particular patterns, such as stripes, leopard print etc?
I have an unreasonable love of polka dots. Especially red with white spots. I go nuts for it on anything!
Amazon Wishlist
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Monday, 8 August 2011
I'm back.......I think
Wow it has been a while since my last proper post. Trying to balance everything in my life has been impossible so something had to give and I'm afraid it was the blogging. So I'm going to give you a bit of a catch up post here and then I should be back on the wagon.
This is Willow. She is about 8 weeks old in these pictures. She's now 14 weeks. She was a surprise present from Spadger. I came back from Woolfest and he dropped this little bundle of fur in my lap. That wasn't all though. She came with a hand woven willow ring tied to her neck and a marriage proposal. Yup, I am bethrothed. Squee does not even begin to cover it. We are planning to marry September next year.
So that's the most important news I have. Everything else in my life is pretty much knitting and stress. The theatre group I'm a part of is 10 weeks away from their next performance and the actor playing the lead has decided to leave us. Stress! I'm nearly 3 weeks overdue for a holiday. I like to have 1 week off every 12 weeks and I don't go til next week. I'm on count down now :o) But it means I'm uber stressed about everything now as I just need a break.
I've been starting to get into some sort of fitness routine. The amount of people that assume it is becasue I am getting married is ridiculous. It seems that getting fit has become so synonymous with loosing weight that you can't just want to get fit. I'd like to quote the actors from 300 "appearance as a consequence of fitness". This is what I am aiming for. I aint getting any younger and have a future of sorting out a homestead to look forward to. I needs to get fit. If I happen to look better beacuse of that then woot! I've moved over to a mostly paleo diet and have been going to Zumba with my mother. I've almost completed the 200 sit ups programme and have been trying to do a bodyweight routine I found on Nerd Fitness. I go for my first crossfit session this week.
On the knitting front Nerd Wars moves on apace. So far this tournament I have submitted 6 items each round and am still just about on track to finish my dissertation. Fingers crossed! The spinning is coming along well too.
I guess that's about it. Not very exciting really but that is kinda how I like my life.
This is Willow. She is about 8 weeks old in these pictures. She's now 14 weeks. She was a surprise present from Spadger. I came back from Woolfest and he dropped this little bundle of fur in my lap. That wasn't all though. She came with a hand woven willow ring tied to her neck and a marriage proposal. Yup, I am bethrothed. Squee does not even begin to cover it. We are planning to marry September next year.
So that's the most important news I have. Everything else in my life is pretty much knitting and stress. The theatre group I'm a part of is 10 weeks away from their next performance and the actor playing the lead has decided to leave us. Stress! I'm nearly 3 weeks overdue for a holiday. I like to have 1 week off every 12 weeks and I don't go til next week. I'm on count down now :o) But it means I'm uber stressed about everything now as I just need a break.
I've been starting to get into some sort of fitness routine. The amount of people that assume it is becasue I am getting married is ridiculous. It seems that getting fit has become so synonymous with loosing weight that you can't just want to get fit. I'd like to quote the actors from 300 "appearance as a consequence of fitness". This is what I am aiming for. I aint getting any younger and have a future of sorting out a homestead to look forward to. I needs to get fit. If I happen to look better beacuse of that then woot! I've moved over to a mostly paleo diet and have been going to Zumba with my mother. I've almost completed the 200 sit ups programme and have been trying to do a bodyweight routine I found on Nerd Fitness. I go for my first crossfit session this week.
On the knitting front Nerd Wars moves on apace. So far this tournament I have submitted 6 items each round and am still just about on track to finish my dissertation. Fingers crossed! The spinning is coming along well too.
I guess that's about it. Not very exciting really but that is kinda how I like my life.
Monday, 1 August 2011
Nerd Wars T2 R3
Well this just seems to be the place where I keep track of my NW stuff. I'll be back with proper posts I promise.
On with the Nerd Wars Challenges for this month.
Challenge (Intellectual):
WIP challenge.
Challenge (Technical): GUILTY PLEASURES
This month I am going to share a secret with you…a dirty secret that only my spouse knows and even he refuses to acknowledge….
I love Judas Priest. I honestly do! When I am home, alone, with no chance of anyone stopping by, I crank British Steel up to 11. Judas Priest is my private, guilty, guilty pleasure.
Now don’t be too quick to snicker and laugh because this month all of you are being asked to reveal your own guilty pleasure..as it applies to techniques that is.
This challenge is to make a project that exhibits a technique that you feel is your guilty pleasure. It could be a technique that feels almost like “cheating” like using variegated yarn or mosaic knitting to replicate fair isle. It could also be a preferred technique or work-around that you use every time rather than what a particular pattern may call for, like knitting in the round to avoid seaming or seaming to avoid using DPNs. A guilty pleasure is something personal to each Nerd Warrior undoubtedly there will be ways to meet this challenge that I have not yet thought of.
Last month I called you all out of your comfort zones; this month I want to celebrate them. Sometimes indulging in these “guilty pleasures” can make us feel like we are not “real” knitters, spinners, weavers, or crocheters. In reality though, no crafter is master or lover of all techniques and our personal tweaks and techniques are what actually does make us “real” craftspeople.
Challenge (Giving Geeks): RESPECT YOUR ELDERS (ESPECIALLY THE LONELY ONES)
Were you taught one of your favorite crafts by your grandmother? (Or was she awful at crafts but did teach you how to be a mean shot with a rifle like dryad23 ‘s did?) Did your father or grandfather take you fishing and bait your hook for you? Did an older aunt bake cookies with you at holidays?
In our ever more busy and tech-ruled world, it’s sometimes hard to remember that many of our elders are lonely, bored, sick or depressed and can be overjoyed by the slightest attentions and demonstrations of respect or affection.
Your challenge is to donate something that will bring a bit of comfort (and hopefully joy) to an older person or to a nursing home, assisted living home, similar facility or an organization local to you that accepts and distributes such items to the residents of such facilities. The item must be new and clean, and does not necessarily need to be crafted by you.
You can also donate time for this challenge. Feel free to be creative. The spirit of the challenge is to somehow bring a bit of comfort and/or joy to the life of an older person who may not have very much of either one of those things;.
Challenge (Scientific): WAVES
Waves are all around us! Light we see, sound we hear, electricity we use, earthquake or tsunami events, even the particles we are made of are all wave phenomena!
In mathematics and science, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, usually accompanied by the transfer of energy.1
Your challenge this month is to create something that incorporates waves, whether you play with them as a mathematical model or a natural phenomenon.
Challenge (Team Spirit): NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION
It’s there when you need it. Or maybe it isn’t, and then you have to go a-questing to get it. This month’s challenge is going to be all about the inventions that make life easier/better for your favorite characters!
Your challenge is to craft something inspired by a tool or invention from your nerdery.
Challenge (Nerd Culture): KNOW YOUR ROOTS
Think back. Think waaaaay back…
Whoa, not that far back. Think forward a little…a little more…there, stop. You are at the beginning. The beginning of a fandom. The beginning…of an obsession.
It’s 1977 and you’re standing in line to see this weird star movie with your parents. You have no idea what you’re about to experience…
It’s some week night in the past decade. Your favorite broadcast channel has been pimping this new show for weeks now, and you’re tuning in just out of curiosity…
It’s the late eighties, and your parents are hooking up this strange gray box to the TV. You’ve heard about it from your friends, but you have yet to experience the wonders within for yourself…
No matter what your fandom is, there is an old school. When I first heard the phrase “old school,” it was uttered with disgust and disdain, as though “old school” were something to discard or forget about. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that my parents, their parents, and their parents’ parents did have a few right ideas…sometimes, just sometimes, it really was better in the old days.
This month, your challenge is to knit, crochet, or spin something that reminds you of the good old days of your fandom. Whether that means the first of many different series (as with Star Trek or Dr. Who), or the first season of a recent show (as with Supernatural or Bones), every show has a beginning, and every beginning deserves a little credit. After all, without it, there’d be no…now…or something.
On with the Nerd Wars Challenges for this month.
Challenge (Intellectual):
WIP challenge.
Challenge (Technical): GUILTY PLEASURES
This month I am going to share a secret with you…a dirty secret that only my spouse knows and even he refuses to acknowledge….
I love Judas Priest. I honestly do! When I am home, alone, with no chance of anyone stopping by, I crank British Steel up to 11. Judas Priest is my private, guilty, guilty pleasure.
Now don’t be too quick to snicker and laugh because this month all of you are being asked to reveal your own guilty pleasure..as it applies to techniques that is.
This challenge is to make a project that exhibits a technique that you feel is your guilty pleasure. It could be a technique that feels almost like “cheating” like using variegated yarn or mosaic knitting to replicate fair isle. It could also be a preferred technique or work-around that you use every time rather than what a particular pattern may call for, like knitting in the round to avoid seaming or seaming to avoid using DPNs. A guilty pleasure is something personal to each Nerd Warrior undoubtedly there will be ways to meet this challenge that I have not yet thought of.
Last month I called you all out of your comfort zones; this month I want to celebrate them. Sometimes indulging in these “guilty pleasures” can make us feel like we are not “real” knitters, spinners, weavers, or crocheters. In reality though, no crafter is master or lover of all techniques and our personal tweaks and techniques are what actually does make us “real” craftspeople.
Challenge (Giving Geeks): RESPECT YOUR ELDERS (ESPECIALLY THE LONELY ONES)
Were you taught one of your favorite crafts by your grandmother? (Or was she awful at crafts but did teach you how to be a mean shot with a rifle like dryad23 ‘s did?) Did your father or grandfather take you fishing and bait your hook for you? Did an older aunt bake cookies with you at holidays?
In our ever more busy and tech-ruled world, it’s sometimes hard to remember that many of our elders are lonely, bored, sick or depressed and can be overjoyed by the slightest attentions and demonstrations of respect or affection.
Your challenge is to donate something that will bring a bit of comfort (and hopefully joy) to an older person or to a nursing home, assisted living home, similar facility or an organization local to you that accepts and distributes such items to the residents of such facilities. The item must be new and clean, and does not necessarily need to be crafted by you.
You can also donate time for this challenge. Feel free to be creative. The spirit of the challenge is to somehow bring a bit of comfort and/or joy to the life of an older person who may not have very much of either one of those things;.
Challenge (Scientific): WAVES
Waves are all around us! Light we see, sound we hear, electricity we use, earthquake or tsunami events, even the particles we are made of are all wave phenomena!
In mathematics and science, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, usually accompanied by the transfer of energy.1
Your challenge this month is to create something that incorporates waves, whether you play with them as a mathematical model or a natural phenomenon.
Challenge (Team Spirit): NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION
It’s there when you need it. Or maybe it isn’t, and then you have to go a-questing to get it. This month’s challenge is going to be all about the inventions that make life easier/better for your favorite characters!
Your challenge is to craft something inspired by a tool or invention from your nerdery.
Challenge (Nerd Culture): KNOW YOUR ROOTS
Think back. Think waaaaay back…
Whoa, not that far back. Think forward a little…a little more…there, stop. You are at the beginning. The beginning of a fandom. The beginning…of an obsession.
It’s 1977 and you’re standing in line to see this weird star movie with your parents. You have no idea what you’re about to experience…
It’s some week night in the past decade. Your favorite broadcast channel has been pimping this new show for weeks now, and you’re tuning in just out of curiosity…
It’s the late eighties, and your parents are hooking up this strange gray box to the TV. You’ve heard about it from your friends, but you have yet to experience the wonders within for yourself…
No matter what your fandom is, there is an old school. When I first heard the phrase “old school,” it was uttered with disgust and disdain, as though “old school” were something to discard or forget about. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that my parents, their parents, and their parents’ parents did have a few right ideas…sometimes, just sometimes, it really was better in the old days.
This month, your challenge is to knit, crochet, or spin something that reminds you of the good old days of your fandom. Whether that means the first of many different series (as with Star Trek or Dr. Who), or the first season of a recent show (as with Supernatural or Bones), every show has a beginning, and every beginning deserves a little credit. After all, without it, there’d be no…now…or something.
Friday, 1 July 2011
Nerd Wars - T2 R2
No it's not some kind of lame Star Wars rip off, it's round 2! I know I keep posting what the challenges are and not showing you what I make. Well I'm kinda heading into Christmas present territory now so you might not see many pics. Sorry! This months challenges are as so:
Challenge (Team Spirit): IT'S FUN TO BE BAD
Every story has one. They’re the folks that give your stories something to fight against. Sometimes you envy them because they get to do and say all the stuff you wish you could say. They’re mean, they’re self-centered, and we love to hate them. Yup, this challenge is all about the Villains!
Your challenge is to create something for or reminiscent of a villain or bad guy (or gal!) in your nerdery.
Challenge (Nerd Culture): BIG (NERD) LOVE
A personal anecdote before we get to this month’s challenge. Like many of my fellow Nerd Warriors, I had difficulty selecting a team for Tournament 2. I like video games, yes, but I also like Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, playing board games, Firefly/Serenity, reading long book series, etc. I think I could play happily on at least a half-dozen teams and wish my cloning machine was working so I could. Alas, decisions must be made, but there is still that longing to hang out with other nerds who not-so-secretly want to be the Doctor’s next companion.
Your challenge for this month: switch teams! Well, not literally, of course, but you are tasked with making something representing a NerdWars team other than your own. When you applied for NerdWars, you were asked to list several teams you felt you might do well on. The time is now to show Elise that you were right.
If you are not sure what the other teams represent, take a moment to review the Team Description page. If you’re dead-set on loving your chosen nerd universe, I’d encourage you to try something new just for this month. I’m certain that every team would be happy to explain to you what they’re about and help you get started enjoying their universe.
A note on Team Spirit points: As this is will be a more difficult challenge to relate back to your own team, we’re going to try to reward those of you who really stretch to link your challenge to your home nerdiverse. To pick on my team a little, if a Team 1-Up member does a project based on an MMO for Team Epic, then claims Team Spirit because the MMO is a computer game, that will be worth one point. If one of Dumbledore’s Army can link their project to the Battlestar Galactica universe? Three points. Remember, Team Spirit is based on your home team, not on your project’s universe.
Challenge (Giving Geeks): PUPPY LOVE
Through some cruel twist of fate, most of our pets were not given thumbs. Unless you have a pet opossum - I am pretty sure those guys have thumbs. And some of those cats with extra fingers. ANYWAY, for most pets this is a huge bummer because they cannot knit, particularly for those pets who live in shelters, because jail is boring when you don’t have anything to do.
Your challenge is to do something for an animal to make that animal’s life better. Maybe it is donating a blanket to a shelter, making a toy for your mom’s ancient Siamese, or a little sweater for an otherwise naked dog. This challenge will also accept a donation of time: volunteering at a shelter, etc.
Challenge (Intellectual): MYTHS, MYTHOS, MYTHOLOGY
According to the dictionary, a myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people, or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.
Your assignment this month is to craft something that illustrates or is inspired by a myth.
Challenge (Technical): ALTERNATE YARNALITY
Get out those goatees and break out the plastic bags, newspaper, fabric strips or any other non-traditional “yarn”
That’s right! This round your mission is to seek out and find new materials to use as yarn. To boldly knit what no person was intended to knit before.
The requirements are to weave, spin, knit or crochet an item made from sources not typically used in yarn.** People have been able to spin plastic bag and newspaper strips into pretty awesome yarn. Perhaps you have your eye on some scrap copper electrical wire just asking to be reborn. I cannot wait to see if paracord and bailing twine makes an appearance.
The focus on this challenge is to seek inspiration from somewhere you normally would not, so feel free to ‘speriment with some off the wall choices. That being said, some commercially manufactured yarns have added small amounts of nontraditional items such as steel wire or sterling silver to traditional wool yarn. These types of yarns will not be accepted.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
** Evil is optional
Challenge (Scientific): SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Question
Hypothesis
Experimentation and data collection
Analysis
Conclusion
You’ve done it a thousand times throughout your school career. This time it is for fun! Come up with a question and hypothesis for your craft, work it up and discover the results!
Submissions for this challenge should follow the scientific method format
Challenge (Team Spirit): IT'S FUN TO BE BAD
Every story has one. They’re the folks that give your stories something to fight against. Sometimes you envy them because they get to do and say all the stuff you wish you could say. They’re mean, they’re self-centered, and we love to hate them. Yup, this challenge is all about the Villains!
Your challenge is to create something for or reminiscent of a villain or bad guy (or gal!) in your nerdery.
Challenge (Nerd Culture): BIG (NERD) LOVE
A personal anecdote before we get to this month’s challenge. Like many of my fellow Nerd Warriors, I had difficulty selecting a team for Tournament 2. I like video games, yes, but I also like Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, playing board games, Firefly/Serenity, reading long book series, etc. I think I could play happily on at least a half-dozen teams and wish my cloning machine was working so I could. Alas, decisions must be made, but there is still that longing to hang out with other nerds who not-so-secretly want to be the Doctor’s next companion.
Your challenge for this month: switch teams! Well, not literally, of course, but you are tasked with making something representing a NerdWars team other than your own. When you applied for NerdWars, you were asked to list several teams you felt you might do well on. The time is now to show Elise that you were right.
If you are not sure what the other teams represent, take a moment to review the Team Description page. If you’re dead-set on loving your chosen nerd universe, I’d encourage you to try something new just for this month. I’m certain that every team would be happy to explain to you what they’re about and help you get started enjoying their universe.
A note on Team Spirit points: As this is will be a more difficult challenge to relate back to your own team, we’re going to try to reward those of you who really stretch to link your challenge to your home nerdiverse. To pick on my team a little, if a Team 1-Up member does a project based on an MMO for Team Epic, then claims Team Spirit because the MMO is a computer game, that will be worth one point. If one of Dumbledore’s Army can link their project to the Battlestar Galactica universe? Three points. Remember, Team Spirit is based on your home team, not on your project’s universe.
Challenge (Giving Geeks): PUPPY LOVE
Through some cruel twist of fate, most of our pets were not given thumbs. Unless you have a pet opossum - I am pretty sure those guys have thumbs. And some of those cats with extra fingers. ANYWAY, for most pets this is a huge bummer because they cannot knit, particularly for those pets who live in shelters, because jail is boring when you don’t have anything to do.
Your challenge is to do something for an animal to make that animal’s life better. Maybe it is donating a blanket to a shelter, making a toy for your mom’s ancient Siamese, or a little sweater for an otherwise naked dog. This challenge will also accept a donation of time: volunteering at a shelter, etc.
Challenge (Intellectual): MYTHS, MYTHOS, MYTHOLOGY
According to the dictionary, a myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people, or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.
Your assignment this month is to craft something that illustrates or is inspired by a myth.
Challenge (Technical): ALTERNATE YARNALITY
Get out those goatees and break out the plastic bags, newspaper, fabric strips or any other non-traditional “yarn”
That’s right! This round your mission is to seek out and find new materials to use as yarn. To boldly knit what no person was intended to knit before.
The requirements are to weave, spin, knit or crochet an item made from sources not typically used in yarn.** People have been able to spin plastic bag and newspaper strips into pretty awesome yarn. Perhaps you have your eye on some scrap copper electrical wire just asking to be reborn. I cannot wait to see if paracord and bailing twine makes an appearance.
The focus on this challenge is to seek inspiration from somewhere you normally would not, so feel free to ‘speriment with some off the wall choices. That being said, some commercially manufactured yarns have added small amounts of nontraditional items such as steel wire or sterling silver to traditional wool yarn. These types of yarns will not be accepted.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
** Evil is optional
Challenge (Scientific): SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Question
Hypothesis
Experimentation and data collection
Analysis
Conclusion
You’ve done it a thousand times throughout your school career. This time it is for fun! Come up with a question and hypothesis for your craft, work it up and discover the results!
Submissions for this challenge should follow the scientific method format
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
A loss of sewing mojo
Oh dear reader, I've lost the will to sew. My life has been taken over by that fickle floozy, knitting, and her sister, spinning. I have a coat I promised a friend which I've still not sewn the muslin, a ton of summer clothes and the start of Christmas presents to do. I just can't find the will to start. I love sewing, I really do, but getting going is so hard. It's been ages since I did any and I think that is the problem.
What can I do?
What can I do?
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Obsession
Hello folks. Yeah I know I've been incommunicado again. But you're used to it now right? So what's my excuse this time? Well I blame obsession.
I have an obsessive personality. It's something I've been aware of for quite a while. I fall for things easily and hard. It was brought to my attention when I was backpacking round Italy. In Florence a group of us from our campsite went out one evening and we came across an artist working on canvases with spray cans. He was making the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen. One in particular I fell in love with. But it was an A3 canvas and I was only half way through a 5 week tour. There was no way I could take it with me even if I could afford it. I was devastated. One of the guys in our group told me I fall in love too easily.
He was right.
Obsession with things, people, places, memories is really easy for me. It's closely related to an addictive personality in my opinion. I fall for things and they become obsessions. As a general rule they are unattainable things, or unrequited loves. Things that will be tinged with melancholy because of this. It is this obsession and inability to let go that colours my personality. Fortunately not as much as it used to. It has been a very long time since I have felt obsessive about anything. But what has come along at the moment is so benign as to be hilarious. My current obsession? Buffy. Yup that's right, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Funny right? The thing is it's been 14 years since the show first aired. It ran between 1997 and 2003 which puts me at 15 to 21. So my formative years. I watched it from the beginning but missed most of the last series. I was about the same age as the characters so their journey was mine (minus the apocalypses). Watching it again I am struck by the characters, the psychology behind them. It is fascinating. And it is obsessive. I want to get to the end so I can know what happens but I also want to see where they go. I want to delve into their personalities. The characters I fancied as a young girl are now attractive on multiple levels. I identify with scenarios I'd never noticed before because I am no longer living them but looking at them one step removed. Like I said, it's fascinating.
So this is the reason I'm not around much at the moment. Too much Buffy to watch. Don't worry though, there are only about 11 episodes to go. Then you get to listen to me dissect them hahahaha!
I have an obsessive personality. It's something I've been aware of for quite a while. I fall for things easily and hard. It was brought to my attention when I was backpacking round Italy. In Florence a group of us from our campsite went out one evening and we came across an artist working on canvases with spray cans. He was making the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen. One in particular I fell in love with. But it was an A3 canvas and I was only half way through a 5 week tour. There was no way I could take it with me even if I could afford it. I was devastated. One of the guys in our group told me I fall in love too easily.
He was right.
Obsession with things, people, places, memories is really easy for me. It's closely related to an addictive personality in my opinion. I fall for things and they become obsessions. As a general rule they are unattainable things, or unrequited loves. Things that will be tinged with melancholy because of this. It is this obsession and inability to let go that colours my personality. Fortunately not as much as it used to. It has been a very long time since I have felt obsessive about anything. But what has come along at the moment is so benign as to be hilarious. My current obsession? Buffy. Yup that's right, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Funny right? The thing is it's been 14 years since the show first aired. It ran between 1997 and 2003 which puts me at 15 to 21. So my formative years. I watched it from the beginning but missed most of the last series. I was about the same age as the characters so their journey was mine (minus the apocalypses). Watching it again I am struck by the characters, the psychology behind them. It is fascinating. And it is obsessive. I want to get to the end so I can know what happens but I also want to see where they go. I want to delve into their personalities. The characters I fancied as a young girl are now attractive on multiple levels. I identify with scenarios I'd never noticed before because I am no longer living them but looking at them one step removed. Like I said, it's fascinating.
So this is the reason I'm not around much at the moment. Too much Buffy to watch. Don't worry though, there are only about 11 episodes to go. Then you get to listen to me dissect them hahahaha!
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Nerd Wars - T2
It's that time again. Time for me to do nothing but talk about knitting. But this time I am on a team. That's right, it's Nerd Wars Tournament 2! I'm on Team Hellmouth, the Buffy The Vampire Slayer team and we plan to kick ass. I'm gonna try to actually post as I go along this time so you won't get one huge knitted post :o)
Challenges for June are as follows:
Challenge (Nerd Culture): I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE
Since 2005, one website has been grabbing your (and my) nerdy little eyeballs like few others, making you laugh, making you cry, making you ask “WTF?”: the great time suck of your late-afternoon work/study sessions, YouTube. You’ve seen the cartoons, the cute cats, the mashups, and the webseries. Your challenge now is to make something inspired by your favorite YouTube video.
Challenge (Team Spirit): THERE IS NO EYE IN TEAM
Let’s face it - you’ve been on this team much longer than Nerd Wars has been around. You have read, watched, and pondered all there is to mentally consume on your subject. Sometimes so much that you have weird dreams about it. And while you have team members all around you with similar experiences, your feelings about your geekery are singular.
Your challenge is to demonstrate what you love about your geekery. This challenge will show your teammates a bit about you, and demonstrate to others what your nerdy passion truly means to you.
Challenge (Giving Geeks): NO MORE NAKED NEWBORNS
Around the world, even in the richest countries, babies are born into very poor families, often without anything to cover them, protecting them from the elements and potential illness.
Your challenge is to donate a new baby item to an organization local to you that accepts and distributes such items to the families of these newborns. The item must be new and clean, and does not necessarily need to be crafted by you.
Many areas have such donation programs, and can be found by googling, researching in community newspapers, or posted on bulletin boards at grocery stores or town halls. You may be able to donate directly to local hospitals. If you have difficulty finding a local program, post in this thread to ask for help.
Challenge (Scientific): LIGHTNING
June 15, 1752, Ben Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, proving lightning is actually electricity.
To honor Franklin’s June discovery, the June challenge is all about electricity!
Electricity (n): any phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons, ions, or other charged particles
Whether it is lightning, the current powering your computer, or the sparks that flash when your cat tries to curl up on a fleece blanket in the winter, electricity is everywhere! Let it inspire your creations this month!
Challenge (Intellectual): AN ADAGE A DAY...
“Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society’s values and beliefs is its proverbs.” --www.phrases.org.uk
“A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity.” --Wikipedia
Every culture, tradition, and religion has its proverbs and adages. Some are elegant and poetic. Others are witty and humorous. Many convey much wisdom with just a few words. A quick internet search will yield a wealth of common maxims like, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and “Honesty is the best policy.”
Your challenge is to craft something that illustrates or is inspired by a proverb/adage. Be sure to quote the proverb in you submission. If the origin of your adage is known, include that information as well.
Challenge (Technical): 3(DIMENSION)
You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of needles and hooks but of yarn; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination — Next stop, NERD WARS!
Your challenge this month is create a project that is three dimensional in some way. This can be though techniques or it can be in construction. Do not feel that you are limited to stuffed toys only. Cables, bobbles or other similar techniques qualify. Sewn on elements (like sewing crochet flowers onto a knitted cardigan) qualify just as long as both pieces are created from a Ravelry sanctioned craft. Spun yarn would have to have some dimension. While I am not a spinner, thick to thin yarn or nubby boucle comes to mind. I am not inclined to accept traditional lace projects for this challenge for while intricate and lacy, most are still rather flat. But if you feel you have a pattern or project in mind that fits, pitch the idea to me. I am open to a persuasive argument. Also, a project does not count as “three dimensional” just because it is worn around your body…no matter how nicely you fill it out!
Next post - My projects for each challenge.
Challenges for June are as follows:
Challenge (Nerd Culture): I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE
Since 2005, one website has been grabbing your (and my) nerdy little eyeballs like few others, making you laugh, making you cry, making you ask “WTF?”: the great time suck of your late-afternoon work/study sessions, YouTube. You’ve seen the cartoons, the cute cats, the mashups, and the webseries. Your challenge now is to make something inspired by your favorite YouTube video.
- No basic instructional videos. I don’t want you to justify a pair of socks because you watched a Judy’s Magic Cast-On How-To.
- No clips of TV shows or movies, unless they’re more popular on YouTube than they ever were on their original medium. Be prepared to defend the increased popularity.
- Music videos are okay with me, as are TV commercials that were clearly designed to be viral sensations.
Challenge (Team Spirit): THERE IS NO EYE IN TEAM
Let’s face it - you’ve been on this team much longer than Nerd Wars has been around. You have read, watched, and pondered all there is to mentally consume on your subject. Sometimes so much that you have weird dreams about it. And while you have team members all around you with similar experiences, your feelings about your geekery are singular.
Your challenge is to demonstrate what you love about your geekery. This challenge will show your teammates a bit about you, and demonstrate to others what your nerdy passion truly means to you.
Challenge (Giving Geeks): NO MORE NAKED NEWBORNS
Around the world, even in the richest countries, babies are born into very poor families, often without anything to cover them, protecting them from the elements and potential illness.
Your challenge is to donate a new baby item to an organization local to you that accepts and distributes such items to the families of these newborns. The item must be new and clean, and does not necessarily need to be crafted by you.
Many areas have such donation programs, and can be found by googling, researching in community newspapers, or posted on bulletin boards at grocery stores or town halls. You may be able to donate directly to local hospitals. If you have difficulty finding a local program, post in this thread to ask for help.
Challenge (Scientific): LIGHTNING
June 15, 1752, Ben Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, proving lightning is actually electricity.
To honor Franklin’s June discovery, the June challenge is all about electricity!
Electricity (n): any phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons, ions, or other charged particles
Whether it is lightning, the current powering your computer, or the sparks that flash when your cat tries to curl up on a fleece blanket in the winter, electricity is everywhere! Let it inspire your creations this month!
Challenge (Intellectual): AN ADAGE A DAY...
“Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society’s values and beliefs is its proverbs.” --www.phrases.org.uk
“A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity.” --Wikipedia
Every culture, tradition, and religion has its proverbs and adages. Some are elegant and poetic. Others are witty and humorous. Many convey much wisdom with just a few words. A quick internet search will yield a wealth of common maxims like, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and “Honesty is the best policy.”
Your challenge is to craft something that illustrates or is inspired by a proverb/adage. Be sure to quote the proverb in you submission. If the origin of your adage is known, include that information as well.
Challenge (Technical): 3(DIMENSION)
You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of needles and hooks but of yarn; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination — Next stop, NERD WARS!
Your challenge this month is create a project that is three dimensional in some way. This can be though techniques or it can be in construction. Do not feel that you are limited to stuffed toys only. Cables, bobbles or other similar techniques qualify. Sewn on elements (like sewing crochet flowers onto a knitted cardigan) qualify just as long as both pieces are created from a Ravelry sanctioned craft. Spun yarn would have to have some dimension. While I am not a spinner, thick to thin yarn or nubby boucle comes to mind. I am not inclined to accept traditional lace projects for this challenge for while intricate and lacy, most are still rather flat. But if you feel you have a pattern or project in mind that fits, pitch the idea to me. I am open to a persuasive argument. Also, a project does not count as “three dimensional” just because it is worn around your body…no matter how nicely you fill it out!
Next post - My projects for each challenge.
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