FO Friday/Nerdy update

binaryhat, a photo by Paula knits on Flickr.

I usually knit while I watch tv. Cable was out for nearly three days so I didn't make quite as much as usual. The swap situation is under control and Nerd Wars is done. Well, it is done until the new challenges come up on Sunday.

They've got a new outside-the-battles activity that sounds like fun to me. Each team is designing a square that represents their particular nerddom. There will be a knit and crochet version of each. Those that wish to will be able to test knit/crochet the squares and earn bonus points.

The designs are being done for six inch squares of worsted weight yarn. I'm already planning on doing my bonus points version with fingering weight. I'm thinking of making pillows out of my squares instead of the suggested scarf. I'm also thinking of doing both knit and crochet versions because it sounds like fun.

FO Friday Sockarama

FO Friday Sockarama, a photo by Paula knits on Flickr.

Nerd Wars is done for another month.

Better now

I've gotten over my silly swap tantrum. I've got it all under control and will be getting the person things that the person's relative wants for the person. It's hard keeping relationships/gender out so that's why the awkward phrasing occurs. The person will very likely never show up here and if they do they've already figured out that I'm their swap partner. The tantrum may be over but the silliness lingers on.

I'm a little less than one sock away from being done with this round of Nerd Wars. Five pair of socks in three weeks is pretty good. Pictures will be posted in a little less than one sock.

Knit & Crochet Blog Week starts in a couple of days oops, more like a month. I shall work to make some interesting posts. For a change. :)

Note to self

No more swaps.

::rant on::
For the second time, I'm in a swap where I have to put a package together for a person's family member instead of the actual person in the swap. I cannot express how much this annoys and disappoints me. The whole fun goes out of it when you can't go poking around on the internet and see what the person likes. There's no way I can do that as I don't even know the name of the person I'm making the package for. On top of that, the person in the swap is requesting that it be based on a television show I've never heard of. The recipent would like hand knit items but no sizes are indicated other than "big". That's a recipe for not working at all. The recipient is going to be as disappointed in the package as I'm going to be in putting it together. Lose:lose situations suck.
::rant off::

An all-socks round

I'm having one of those attacks of fear about hoarding. I've been pretty good about not buying more yarn and using up the club yarns as they arrive. Still, the yarn I already have is telling me I should use more of it up. I've decided to give myself another challenge on top of those for this month's Nerd Wars. I'm going to meet all but the giving challenge with socks.
Here's the plan:
::swearing and throwing things because Blogger went stupid and lost most of the post::

• Nerd Culture/6 degrees of Kevin Bacon: Plain socks using A Little More Sonic yarn. Yarn links to Captain Jack, played by John Barrowman. JB's Bacon number is 2.
  
• Intellectual/Klimt: Socks with a seal of Raissilon design from Gallifrey Mitts pattern. I've seen the mitts done in multicolored yarn, so I'm hopeful it'll work okay. The multicolored Koigu has many of the same colors as Klimt's painting The Girls.
  
• Geek Pride/Bare Bones: Here's where I start having to think about stuff. I'm going to do a pattern called Paraphenalia. It has a cool cable down the front and it does show up nicely on striped yarn. The yarn is self-striping Time Traveler. That will cover my team challenge, which is to do something related to The Scarf. The Geek Pride challenge has to do with archetypes and I'm going to have to think a little more about how to present it.
  
• Technical/The Scrap Heap: Make socks using leftover Doctor Who-inspired yarn. I have a pattern I want to use and I think I know where it is. I need to hunt down more yarn, though. I only have about 300 yard so far.
  
• Scientific/Differences Matter: Just picking something out for this was hard. I need a project and yarn inspired by water in its liquid state. I think I can link this to Battlestar Galactica with a little research. I can link it to the Waters of Mars in Doctor Who.
  

At least I've got some things to think about while I knit the first two pair. Stay tuned.

By Hand

A new magazine is in the works by the folks at Juniper Moon Farm.  It is called By Hand and will cover all sorts of things that are created, well, by hand.  I'm not connected with the project in any way except I think it is a good idea and made a Kickstarter donation to help.

Kickstarter is a process by which individuals raise money to get their projects, well, kick started.  It's another good idea.  It benefits the donor and the receiver.  The donor gets something they like that they wouldn't otherwise get.  In the case of By Hand, it ranges from a temporary tattoo to guest editing an issue of the magazine.  The receiver gets the funding they're seeking plus the knowlege that there's a solid interest in their project.  I don't think By Hand has to worry.  Their Kickstarter campaign was launched earlier today and they were around 70% funded a little while ago.

You can read more about it here.