I'm sunburned. I'm sore. My muscles burn. I don't want to move. I have a headache. Until a little bit ago, I was stinky, sweaty, and greasy.
I played Dagorhir today, and it was fucking amazing. :D I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Shield Insignia - In Progress
Raven 1 (of 2)
Shield Banner:
"And When We Die, We Will Die With Our Arms Unbound."
Other WIPs
Peaks Island Hood
Pattern: Peaks Island Hood by Isolda Teague.
Yarn: Bamboo Ewe - Red Heart
Needle: US #9
Ribbed Shrug
Pattern: Ribbed Shrug by Erika Knight (Glamour Knits)
Yarn: Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted
Needles: US #10 & #10.5
Boneyard II
Pattern: Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West
Yarn: Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light - Red
Needle: US #7
Turbulent Indigo - WIP
Pattern: Turbulent Indigo, by Kristen Kapur (Through The Loops)
Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Sport
Color: Marlin
Needle: US #8 Circ.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
What now?
I feel like I'm standing on the brink of two promising careers and I have no idea how to push the writing career forward. I know what I have to do to push the pharmacology/toxicology major forward into productive existence. This is why I'm a P/Tox major.
Ganymede
My poem, Ganymede, was accepted for the inaugural edition of The Mill, the University of Toledo's new student-driven literary journal.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Shields, Garb, Knitting and Other Distractions from Responsibility
I have finished about 70% of my shield cover design. The tribal-style ravens proved to be more difficult than I had initially anticipated. I'll complete that next weekend or perhaps after that. Whenever I have time.
Yesterday I successfully made a underbust-style Turkish vest and replaced the hooks on one of my mandarin-collar tunics with buttons and button holes. This morning I altered an old garb coat I made into a ghawazee-style coat. All that I need to do to complete that is to place hooks or button-holes on the front. I also started to knit another Boneyard shawl out of Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light in red. I'm currently working on a Thorpe out of Paton's Shetland Chunky, but I don't like how the colors are pooling. I am still actively working on Colonnade.
It turns out, I get a lot of work done when a lot of my friends are out of town. Olympics is this weekend and I was unfortunately unable to attend due to a rigorous exam schedule next week (Biochem, Neuro, and Pharmacology). I have a meeting on Monday with one of my Lit professors to discuss a paper I turned in awhile ago. The paper overall she has described as good bordering on great, but she expressed the desire to push me more as a writer. There were a few technical difficulties with that paper; primarily, I wrote it while on spring break, with a terrible cold, in front of the television with periodic interruptions from family. These show in the writing. I have a terrible habit of starting a sentence, getting distracted, then finishing the sentence in an incoherent way because I virtually never re-read the first half of a sentence before I finish it.
My boyfriend and most of my unit are out of town for the weekend and most of my pharmacy friends have as much going on next week as I do, so I've spent most of the weekend cooped up in my house watching movies and studying or at the library or the local coffee shop or the lab studying away (with or without my routine study-buddies). Nevertheless it has been a delightful break from my usually very hectic weekends. I am busy every night of the week with the exception of Friday, which is when I usually do laundry and relax (as odd as that sounds for a college student). If I attended Friday practices at my university my week would be completely filled. Mondays - APO; Tuesday - date night; Wednesday - AZO; Thursday - Mor'sereg. By the time I get to Friday I've been hypersocialized and need to spend some time alone.
I actually went to the Rec today. I definitely miss that. I was in fantastic shape back in the day and would like to be again. Plus it will force me to spend some personal time.
Right now, Inglourious Basterds on the TV, Neuro notes, and an early bedtime.
Yesterday I successfully made a underbust-style Turkish vest and replaced the hooks on one of my mandarin-collar tunics with buttons and button holes. This morning I altered an old garb coat I made into a ghawazee-style coat. All that I need to do to complete that is to place hooks or button-holes on the front. I also started to knit another Boneyard shawl out of Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light in red. I'm currently working on a Thorpe out of Paton's Shetland Chunky, but I don't like how the colors are pooling. I am still actively working on Colonnade.
It turns out, I get a lot of work done when a lot of my friends are out of town. Olympics is this weekend and I was unfortunately unable to attend due to a rigorous exam schedule next week (Biochem, Neuro, and Pharmacology). I have a meeting on Monday with one of my Lit professors to discuss a paper I turned in awhile ago. The paper overall she has described as good bordering on great, but she expressed the desire to push me more as a writer. There were a few technical difficulties with that paper; primarily, I wrote it while on spring break, with a terrible cold, in front of the television with periodic interruptions from family. These show in the writing. I have a terrible habit of starting a sentence, getting distracted, then finishing the sentence in an incoherent way because I virtually never re-read the first half of a sentence before I finish it.
My boyfriend and most of my unit are out of town for the weekend and most of my pharmacy friends have as much going on next week as I do, so I've spent most of the weekend cooped up in my house watching movies and studying or at the library or the local coffee shop or the lab studying away (with or without my routine study-buddies). Nevertheless it has been a delightful break from my usually very hectic weekends. I am busy every night of the week with the exception of Friday, which is when I usually do laundry and relax (as odd as that sounds for a college student). If I attended Friday practices at my university my week would be completely filled. Mondays - APO; Tuesday - date night; Wednesday - AZO; Thursday - Mor'sereg. By the time I get to Friday I've been hypersocialized and need to spend some time alone.
I actually went to the Rec today. I definitely miss that. I was in fantastic shape back in the day and would like to be again. Plus it will force me to spend some personal time.
Right now, Inglourious Basterds on the TV, Neuro notes, and an early bedtime.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Tutorial: Pantaloons
I've been getting requests from friends of mine for a pattern/tutorial for how to make the pantaloons I wear to play Dagorhir. This is that tutorial. :)
There are three different styles of pantaloons that I've made, and I'm going to provide tutorials for two of them (the third is a bit silly and I only own one pair made in that fashion).
Both types are virtually the same with one exception.
Step One: Measure the desired length of the pantaloons. I prefer my pantaloons to sit on my hips, so I measure from there to the floor.
Example:
Length: 39"
Add approx 2 inches for the waist casing
Add another inch or so for the ankle casings
I prefer my pantaloons to be a bit longer so they fall full around my ankles so I usually round up to the nearest foot or so.
I'm 5'5" and 2.5 yards of fabric is perfect with very little left over.
Step 2: Purchase fabric (60 in wide fabric is best) to your approximate calculated length. Unless you're really skinny, 45" wide won't be enough.
Step 3: Find a pair of jeans whose waistband falls where you want your pantaloons to fit. Fold them in half with the back pockets facing out. The curve created by the crotch seam is what you're looking for.
Okay. So you've got your 60" wide fabric. It should be folded in half lengthwise. Fold it in half again widthwise so you have four layers of fabric. The length of the rectangle created by these folds should be 30 inches wide (or half the width of the fabric you're using) and your measurement long.
Lay your jeans out on top of the fabric such that the inseam of the jeans is aligned with the fold-edge (opposite the selvage edge). Make sure the waist band (which won't line up with the fold at the top so don't worry about it) is two inches or so below the top (folded) edge. Chalk out the crotch-seam curve onto the fabric. Toss the jeans aside.
I hope that clarifies what you should be seeing.
Once you've cut out the crotch, cut along the one-fold edge so that you have two "legs."
Here we come to some variations. You can skip the next step if you want and make a baggier pair of pantaloons.
Optional step (variation 2) - Fitted at the hip, full through the leg.
Get out a measuring tape and measure your hips (or the widest part of your butt). Add four inches to this measurement. Divide that number by two (we'll call this number Y). Feel free to round. Okay. Now look back at your fabric. Measure out from the cut crotch edge to Y measurement. Mark this with a pin. Draw a diagonal line from this mark to the ankle on the selvage side. This creates a fitted hip with fuller length. This is my personal favorite type of pantaloon.
Like this:
The directions from here are the same:
Match the crotch seams and sew with right sides together. Open out the pants and hold them such that they look like wrap pants. Match the legs and seam selvage edges together. At the waistband, create a 1-1.5 inch casing for elastic (or you can make this narrower and use narrower elastic - it doesn't really matter. Whatever you prefer). Stitch down, leaving an opening to feed elastic through. Using a safety pin, thread elastic through the casing, sew the two ends of the elastic together, close the casing. Repeat this with the bottom (ankle) edges.
Flip those bad boys right side out and check out your bitchin' pantaloons.
*A casing basically like a hem. You fold over the edge of the fabric to a width that will comfortably contain the elastic and seam it down. Stop a couple of inches before finishing the casing to leave an opening to thread the elastic through. Make sure that you do the fold towards the wrong side of the fabric.
*The selvage edge is the "unfinished" edge of the fabric. Usually it's white or has little holes poked in it.
*After you've made a pair and have seen how they fit, you can make them narrower or baggier as needed. I've made them shorter as well (to wear with boots).
There are three different styles of pantaloons that I've made, and I'm going to provide tutorials for two of them (the third is a bit silly and I only own one pair made in that fashion).
Both types are virtually the same with one exception.
Step One: Measure the desired length of the pantaloons. I prefer my pantaloons to sit on my hips, so I measure from there to the floor.
Example:
Length: 39"
Add approx 2 inches for the waist casing
Add another inch or so for the ankle casings
I prefer my pantaloons to be a bit longer so they fall full around my ankles so I usually round up to the nearest foot or so.
I'm 5'5" and 2.5 yards of fabric is perfect with very little left over.
Step 2: Purchase fabric (60 in wide fabric is best) to your approximate calculated length. Unless you're really skinny, 45" wide won't be enough.
Step 3: Find a pair of jeans whose waistband falls where you want your pantaloons to fit. Fold them in half with the back pockets facing out. The curve created by the crotch seam is what you're looking for.
Okay. So you've got your 60" wide fabric. It should be folded in half lengthwise. Fold it in half again widthwise so you have four layers of fabric. The length of the rectangle created by these folds should be 30 inches wide (or half the width of the fabric you're using) and your measurement long.
Lay your jeans out on top of the fabric such that the inseam of the jeans is aligned with the fold-edge (opposite the selvage edge). Make sure the waist band (which won't line up with the fold at the top so don't worry about it) is two inches or so below the top (folded) edge. Chalk out the crotch-seam curve onto the fabric. Toss the jeans aside.
I hope that clarifies what you should be seeing.
Once you've cut out the crotch, cut along the one-fold edge so that you have two "legs."
Here we come to some variations. You can skip the next step if you want and make a baggier pair of pantaloons.
Optional step (variation 2) - Fitted at the hip, full through the leg.
Get out a measuring tape and measure your hips (or the widest part of your butt). Add four inches to this measurement. Divide that number by two (we'll call this number Y). Feel free to round. Okay. Now look back at your fabric. Measure out from the cut crotch edge to Y measurement. Mark this with a pin. Draw a diagonal line from this mark to the ankle on the selvage side. This creates a fitted hip with fuller length. This is my personal favorite type of pantaloon.
Like this:
The directions from here are the same:
Match the crotch seams and sew with right sides together. Open out the pants and hold them such that they look like wrap pants. Match the legs and seam selvage edges together. At the waistband, create a 1-1.5 inch casing for elastic (or you can make this narrower and use narrower elastic - it doesn't really matter. Whatever you prefer). Stitch down, leaving an opening to feed elastic through. Using a safety pin, thread elastic through the casing, sew the two ends of the elastic together, close the casing. Repeat this with the bottom (ankle) edges.
Flip those bad boys right side out and check out your bitchin' pantaloons.
*A casing basically like a hem. You fold over the edge of the fabric to a width that will comfortably contain the elastic and seam it down. Stop a couple of inches before finishing the casing to leave an opening to thread the elastic through. Make sure that you do the fold towards the wrong side of the fabric.
*The selvage edge is the "unfinished" edge of the fabric. Usually it's white or has little holes poked in it.
*After you've made a pair and have seen how they fit, you can make them narrower or baggier as needed. I've made them shorter as well (to wear with boots).
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