One Geek to Craft Them All

This is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.There are no rules of a topic to blog about but this post should look at a different way to present content on your blog.

I think perhaps they should have taken a good look at that last picture before sending the letter but what do I know?

A Letter to the Dalek Empire From the  Victorious Dalek Three

Made of yarn and full of stuffing I sometimes felt that I didn’t fit in with the rest of the family. So I didn’t exterminate as much as  I cuddled. I was still a Dalek.

A master of disguise I went through many a location unremarked and unnoticed, for I had a plan. A way to prove myself. I would destroy the greatest enemy of the Daleks, I would succeed where, emperors, and gods, and cults had failed.  But first I needed a team. I was not alone in being thought less.

Together we would be the exterminating three and we , we  would destroy the doctor. We knew it would not be difficult to get the doctor to come to them. A whisper here a call there. We they would be ready. Like the Pandorica of legend we would spring the trap and he would never know until it was too late.

The TARDIS would arrive and we would destroy it, with the doctor inside.  It would be the end of the Time Lord.

Surrounding the Doctor we would not give him a chance to flee. Nor one of those blasted companions.  We knew many a time the doctor would have been defeated if it had not been for those blasted companions!

After his defeat, we decided to enjoy our celebration, and share proof of our victory with the Dalek empire. We will be recognized. We have ended the doctor.

After our victory we met one called Sauron, he would make a good Dalek.  We await your response now that the Doctor is no more.

Yours Exterminating,

The Dalek Three

&

The Master of Middle Earth
The Dark Lord Sauron
Hobbit Hater

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Geekery, Knitting 3kcbw, 3kcbwday5, dalek, Doctor Who

After a short break from coming down, with something, that had me fading  Thursday and gone to that place full of blankets, pajamas, and cat petting Friday. I am back, mostly okay and wishing I had brought spinning so I could go to the spin in tonight. And we are still on day two. I did a lot of things on that Thursday.

The London Transport Museum, this was one of the places like the British Museum where I wondered how on Earth I hadn’t been to it the last time I was in London.  I love love love the New York Transit Museum; it’s built into a train station people what’s not to love.  As someone who eyes my  driver’s licence with a high degree of skepticism, public transportation has been a part of and will likely always be a part of my life.

Suddenly all those tales of crazy bus drivers make so much more sense.  Maybe I’ll just stick to the train. That has to be completely safe, I’ve heard they can’t climb stairs.

Hmm.

Sad that I was missing out on the Doctor Who Convention while being in the right country? Whatever gave you that idea? Whistles.  I was talking about transport. There were buses, trains, carriages; you know transportation.

One thing I loved about going through the museum, was that I don’t know if it was because of the time, or in combination of how it it was laid out and the time. I almost never saw other visitors, which helped with the whole dropped back in time and doing something almost clandestine.

They had a mixture of trains and buses that you could enter and take a seat on, sometimes with dummies  in period dress.

And sometimes one just felt safer getting the whole museum experience from outside the train car. And slowly backing towards the next exhibit.

More trains, safer trains.

And not to show a lack of love for the bus, I even had a shot of the stairs to get up to the second level, even perfectly still with no chance of ever moving, I don’t think that was a seat I would ever want to take let alone on a bus with starts and stops.

Somehow I spent three hours here without noticing and had to run to the museum shop as they announced they were closing.  I dashed through a last bit of the exhibit, on modern/future transport, then browsed the shop and was indecisive for likely longer, than I should.  Due to a mix of events/schedules/cancellations/and two ships passing silently in the night, etc… Thursday was the only night I had alone.

And after walking to 221b, from my hotel, on Edgeware Road, then wandering the yarn store, and the Transport Museum, with a quick wander of the Royal Opera House, and Covent Garden shops, and a dash to see if I could get into Sweeny Todd last minute (no). I enjoyed some Wagamama Ramen and headed back to the hotel where I indulged in something rare.  Room service.

Half a bottle of wine, and a cheese plate, I was entertained by a few episodes of NCIS (something I have never watched an entire episode before despite knowing a surprisingly  lot about. Mostly because it was something I could identify. I did have a moment of amusement that I was watching the USA channel as I can’t remember the last time I watched the USA Network , but one does not = the other.

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Geekery dalek, london, tracvel

A few weeks ago on twitter I had a brain storm to make a TARDIS  Flask, and a friend who  threw a lot of instructions and help at me with the requirment that I posted a how to post once I was done. This is a work in progress though I think I will be taking this “finished” piece to  Dragon*Con with me.

So first I ordered a bunch of flasks on amazon, got spray paint, painters tape, primer, and a drop cloth or dozen.  I taped up the top of the flask, deciding that it was best just not to get anything on that area

So I added primer to the flask.

Once I primed the flask and let it dry. I spent most of the day between this and working on my Cyberwoman Costume. So it was all con prep all the time.  Once dry the primer was a dull grayish color so I sprayed the whole thing white.  Once that was dry I added strategic painters tape in the right spots.

Now taped and ready to go, I came at the flask with some blue spray paint.

All the spray paint I was using said it dried in 15 to 30 minutes, but I was wandering in and out about hourly, so everything was usually dry by the time I got to it. I added more tape and added some black detail.

Once that was done, I peeled all the tape off.  And things started to come together. Sorta.

Slightly crooked we can work on that.

A smidge better.

After adding finish. Oh dear. Damn you sharpie.

The hurricane this weekend means I won’t have the ventialltion most likely to fix this but I will give it a try.

At least I will still have this:

The Dalek is done.  Yes, that is my One Ring in sliver, the text has mostly faded so I’d have to toss it in a fire at this point, but we all know.

For the next one things I will change:

- No Sharpies
- Stencil for the windows and any other shapes so they are  more even
- Remember to do windows on the back
- Don’t go insane on the finish
- Make sure paper doesn’t stick  to project (yes this was a thing)
- Make sure paint doesn’t stick to project unless it was on the project.

Otherwise I think the colors and things, are right and I just need a little more work to make it actually  work.

All those in the path of Irene, say safe and stay dry. I plan to knit, sew, pack, watch new who, Torchwood (only on pt 3 of Miracle day), and the end of Supernatural.

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craft dalek, Doctor Who, DragonCon, FOs, spray paint, Tardis, WIP

So the blanket was finally blocked. And as I watch it hanging off the ends of my blocking mats It occurs to me I need a better blocking system and a larger space. Which isn’t all that easy to come across in an NYC apartment. Yes we turned the spare room into an office but it is a cat haven and I feel the whole point to having a home office is not to make it inaccessible days at a time to block knitting projects.

Though as I found the cat rolling around on the blanket today, I should accept that she will get into everything.

But I did finish the blanket almost two week ago. What have I been working on since? Another Dalek. This is the first one I have made for myself and with a deadline that can’t be fudged I’ve been trooping along. I made it yellow and black as I wanted it to stand out more than I anything else. I think I got that in spades.  I used yarn I had lying around from my sister’s failed batman scarf and it came out very well.

I ended up finishing said Dalek yesterday at beer and knitting so at least that part of the Dragon con plan is a go.

I need to stiffen the limbs a bit more, but nothing a little pipe cleaner won’t fix then I will be done and can get to the costuming.  I’ve even pulled out my knotty gloves for a bit of transition knitting as I get everything together for the new Justice League scarf.

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Knitting blanket, dalek, Doctor Who, FOs, gift

Its been a while since I’ve posted but plenty of knitterly things have been happening. I’ve finished the blue jeans shawl, which was a straight forward easy knit and gives me hope for one day designing my own triangular shawl.

Pre-blocked it wasn’t much to look at but it sure put my blocking mats to the test.

Just starting out with the blocking here and wondering if I will have enough matting to get it done. Its not the first time I’ve thought of ordering a second set of mats, or hunting them down from a child’s toy store.

There it is when it was finally laid out and ready to dry. I’ve worn it a few times in the cubicle and loaned it out which led to a friend requesting one in black. Or at least a similar one. I’ve started on the Spring Thaw shawl for her in some Black Debbie Bliss Bamboo Wool  Blend.

The Dalek is coming along and is actually nearly done. I just have to do the base and attach the arms. Granted it has been in this nearly done state for a couple weeks now.

Its full of stuffing and simply lacks a base and arms to go exterminating the population.

Lastly a picture a friend took at one of the many summer bbqs so far.

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Knitting blocking, dalek, FOs, lace, shawl

So its March. Month three of the plan to empty out the stash. How is it going? Slow going but there is progress. Also I found out the name of some mystery yarn when I saw it at Gotham Fine Yarns. It’s actually Noro Cash Iroha. I also found another skein of some purple lace.

And an update of the Year’s Goal:

Tally

Skeins Likely to Use: 138
Total Yards: 25, 558
Cast on in 2010:6

Days without a yarn Purchase in 2o10: 72

Completion

Projects: 4
Skeins: 12.25

I started yet another Dalek in Worsted Weight, and its been flying off the needles. I ran out of the yarn and that is likely the only reason its not my fastest finished Dalek ever.

It knit up in about 2 days which was great and reminded me that I may have been using lace for a little too long, for the Christmas cowl, beret, and dalek.

So I went back to the Marvel scarf and have mad some progress on DareDevil.

But along the same Marvel Plan I want to make a Captain America Circular shield shawl.  So the first part I wanted to get down was the star. I figure once that was done I could work out the lace and increases simply enough.

With that in mind I knit this star pattern, Stars From the East which was quick and easy. I think I would need to eventually make the star via a provisional cast on then work my way back out. There will likely be a lot of frogging and hair pulling but that is how the JLA scarf came to be so It shall be interesting. I have a couple other designs planned, we’ll see how that goes.

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Knitting, Lists 2010 goal, Captain America, dalek, Doctor Who, marvel, scarf, stash

The Dalek has finally been finished and gifted. And just a couple days late.  Just in time to take in another request from a friend. But I have some lovely Royal Blue Karabella Aurora 8 so I think this will be my first Worsted Dalek.  It came out really well approx 5″ high. And the appendages are much stiffer than they were on the first two.

So while watching Ice Dancing I cast on for the shrug I designed and reading over the pattern I wrote? I seem to have made it to the end of the sleeve and had not decided what would be done next. Knit across then pick up stitches and knit down or increase until the back is reasonable. I ‘m leaning towards the second as I’m knitting flat anyway and it would be fairly simple to increase across. It will be interesting to see how to work the lace pattern into the increases.

I settled on some Malabrigo sock in Eggplant. It looks mostly gray to me but I have two skeins of it to bring my total to 880 yards.  I’ve ended up with about a 3 hour commute tomorrow, so it should give me time to make enough progress to make some decisions about how feasible this shrug is or if i will have to just pick up someone else’s pattern.

I’ve also picked up a lace scarf pattern for this journey, in case things go horribly wrong with the shrug i will have something else to work on. Also its a good way to finish off what seems like most of the skein of the purple used in the dalek. Granted I will also have a novel, my laptop for writer’s group that evening, and possibly my DS.  But I do have a bit of boredom fear.  It leads me to have lots of large bags, and more things than I could get done stranded for days.

Though I also need to work on the Flash pattern. Apparently there isn’t one in the Justice League Scarf. I Know I used the Green Lantern  outline as a base, but there seem to be no notes on the lightening bolt. And everything I’ve charted so far looks odd. Even when I tried to copy the pattern from the actual scarf.  I think I have a solution to it. But it needs to be charted and knit.

The paid time for the pattern is nearing an end 13 people have ordered the pattern so far. And I think I shall be doubling the donation to Habitat for Humanity for Haiti come 3/1.  Its more than I would have been able to do on my own. So I thank everyone who donated.

I was lucky enough to not have lost anyone, but their homes were a different story, and while basic needs are still having trouble being met, I hope that soon, food, water, and medical care, will no longer be the driving force, and instead it will be rebuilding.

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Knitting dalek, donations, flash, haiti, justice league, pattern, ravelympics, shrug

So I have finally chosen my projects and finished a few as well. In the last couple of days I’ve finished a Slytherin ribbed scarf a friend asked for. And my dad’s Christmas hat! Woot. That means that the Dalek is the only Christmas project left.

Dad’s Hat- I improvised the design based on what I remembered from someone who wrote me a pattern at Geek Knitting back in November. I have to get back to Geek Knitting.  Today I missed out because I got free screening passes for the sis and I to see The Wolfman.  I enjoyed it but I love old school horror, though I did not remember Anthony Hopkin’s character from the original. Good old fashion horror. It’s in Cascade 128 which is a chunky weight and superwash.

I did the ribbing on the train to the theater, than most of the ST in the dark during the movie. There may have been a little popcorn on the hat, but I tend to wash my gifts before handing them off as I knit on the Subway a lot and live with a cat. I should have possibly done a bit more ribbing but I am not frogging that hat ever again. It fits. Its a hat I’m done.

Now back to the Olympics. I went ahead and joined Team Tardis. Just seemed right really. So my projects are 3 things  I’ve designed but not done anything sensible like swatch. 2 sets of armwarmers. One with colorwork and cables and the other simply lace. Third is an office shrug for when I finally get employed again in a yet to be determined lace weight yarn.

And in the WIP category I’m entering the Dalek.

I could possibly also do my friend’s beret. And likely should as her birthday is 2/26. I Know I cast it on the first Beer and Knitting after the New Year so it meats the cutoff.

I finally used the only surviving camera held together by tape (I love how the two that don’t work look to be in perfect condition) to get a picture of the Dalek Ornament. I’m going knit a new one before I post on Etsy(possibly gold and black with purl bumps instead of color change or shudder bobbles)  but yeah there it is. I should likely write up a pattern for it and the Tardis at some point.

Off to watch now!

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Knitting dad, dalek, Doctor Who, FOs, harry potter, scarf

I went to the Smiley’s Hotel Sale this past Weds, and Friday. For those that don’t know. Smiley’s Yarns is a  huge yarn store in Queens that sells a lot of synthetic fiber and others (I’ve gotten, soy/wool there along with silk and Alpaca, and 1oo% wool) and every year for likely ages they have a huge discount sale. I got the yarn for the blanket there last year (when I though it would be a sweater) My goal was to get more blanket yarn.

So I went to the holiday inn. Armed with a decent amount of cash but not enough to break the bank. Just squeeze it a little. And they had more of the Patons SWS though solids instead of stripes, so I got blue (jeweled navy tone) and black which I felt would go well with the grays of the blanket. Each bag of 6 skeins was $15. I also somehow ended with about 2000 yards of sock weight yarn for $30. Its superwash and I am thinking the sweater than never ends but who knows.

I’m making dents in the stash, yes I’m ignoring the most recent purchase.  I am finally using the skeins of Noro Silk Garden I bought ages ago, making a quick pair of gloves for my roommate.

Don’t you just love the orange that seems to have come out of nowhere to start the other glove? After making my gloves these are a breeze. The pattern Ken by the Berroco team is simple to do and follow. And with the roommate right there simple to check. Though I did make a finger too long. Its never good when the glove fits me.

I have some maroon and cream that I think would look great as something for my other roommate, so in theory those skeins are accounted for.  Maybe a scarf, we’ll see what she likes.

I also have been making progress on the Christmas List. Likely not at a good speed.

But I have about 3/4s of a cowl for a friend, Knitty’s Abby.

Maybe a little more than that as I think 2 more repeats of the 12 row pattern and I shall be done. Then back to the rest of the list.

Though I have made an ornament. I have a knit version somewhere that I will be hunting down and backing in felt at some point but for now I have its unbaked clay counterpart.

Exterminate!- This is going to a Christmas Gift, mailed off. I’m thinking, Cybermen Head, K9, or I may attempt an Ood if I’m feeling brave.

Strangely I have had the urge lately to make Exterminknit again. So far I have resisted as I remember the evil of that project but I may just give in.  Likely after Christmas though that urge may pass. And as I’m in the middle of watching the Stolen Earth the urge to see if I can create a Dalek Caan/Kahn version is enticing.

Last but not least. I have made my first Etsy sale. My Tardis Ornament is on its way to a new home. .

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craft, Knitting christmas, cowl, dalek, Doctor Who, gloves, polymer clay

I’m around and still knitting really.

There are more TARDIS ornaments and they now have a Dalek buddy in black and white. With a nicely crochet eye stalk.

There is a shawl.  It’s with gray-ish sock yarn.

So why haven’t I been posting?

- My camera after loosing Zoom has gone to the great camera shop in the sky. It won’t even turn on… (Though it did this once before and it occurs to me to plug it into the PC at work and see if that does the trick. Yes my Kodak is sometimes anit MAC)

- Moving in 2 weeks. There is a lot of slow packing and organizing. I have a LOT of books.

- Flying out to DragonCon over Labor Day weekend. That should be fun and able to inspire the next project of EPIC geek.

- Work is over loaded with translations and the like.

- I’m sure the birthday also contributed. Especially since in honor of ot and finishing 2 story deadlines I took a week off from pretty much eveything but the Job.

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costumes, Knitting, Lists dalek