Tag: quirkness

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Halloween Week – 2015

If Halloween was an Olympic sport, I think I’d qualify to compete for the national team. I wouldn’t win, but I would probably be invited back for the next year!

That’s probably not how the Olympics works… Moving on!

I upped my Halloween game this year. For almost each day the week before, I subtle-cosplayed. I was so close to making it each of the 5 days, but that Tuesday was unseasonably cold, and the chosen outfit wasn’t finished and wasn’t warm enough. And I got out of bed too late. So there’s room for improvement, right?

Also, coincidentally, all of my outfits this were Disney princess themed. So next year I should try to diversify…

One of my fellow grad students figured out what I was doing on Wednesday, so for Thursday and Friday she made guesses, though my Belle outfit does have a dead giveaway component. I’m not sure if she knows about me making clothing, and if she knows about the blog I’d be very surprised (but hi, if so!), but its nice when something like this gets noticed.

Monday – Briar Rose

cuteShirt: RTW thrifted / Cardigan: Primark upcycled / Skirt: Me-Made

Tuesday – supposed to be Merida, with a second choice of Kaylee, and neither happened…

Wednesday – Ariel Day Dress

arielTop: Me-Made / Skirt: Me-Made

Thursday – Merida (Epilogue outfit) – More on this one soon

cuteTop: Me Made / Skirt: Me Made (and not yet blogged)

Friday – Belle

=back sideDress: Me-made / Cape: Me-made

And then Peggy Carter for real Halloween! But I’ll save that for another post… After the holidays. Stay tuned!

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Priorities

My office-mate called me out a few days ago for prioritizing Doctor Who over socializing.

And he’s been to my house and sees my cubicle every day… He knows I’m obsessed.

But realistically, its about connection for me.

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When I think about Doctor Who, or any of my many favorite shows and movies, I’m reminded of my fun times with friends or family members where we talked about, laughed about, geeked about these shows.

And its not like I don’t have unusual prioritizations anyway…

Most of the time, homework is the top priority, unless its actually due, which is pretty normal.

TV/movies are always high on the list.

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(Not Doctor Who, but equally special to me, my Susan Farewell dress from the Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian movie)

Sewing is next, with an emphasis on costumes, and again nothing with a due date.

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Knitting is an all the time endeavour, since I’ve got bus projects, like these socks I’m working on, but if I can’t work on it on the bus, it typically follows sewing.

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Other crafts have their time too… mostly whenever I’m really interested. Or want something…

And then there’s socializing. Last on the list. I like persons, of course. I do. But I like my alone time a lot as well, especially after spending all day at various offices and in random classes. And buses. All the buses. There’s something about laying on my couch and completely avoiding dealing with people that is so lovely.

So even if I am watching Doctor Who with a close friend and a Whovian that I haven’t met yet on Saturday, I don’t really care whether that means I’m not socializing with everyone I know… Maybe I’ll spend an hour at my office-mate’s potluck, but when 9pm nears there will be nothing to keep me from my Doctor Who premiere. And the connections I’ll make with that.

Because I know that two of my closest friends will likely be attending in their own homes too. And being together separately is a great thing.

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Stashbusting Kree!

So I may be on a bit of a Stargate kick, but who can say no to Teal’c? And don’t forget the apostrophe.

In other news, after my sock-high I was interested in doing some stashbusting. After all, those sock cost about twelve bucks, and the cowl an additional 6, which I’m totally not regretting, but there’s something about the subject of free that I love.

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Granted, free means I’ve had this yarn for so long that although I know exactly where I got it, there’s no way of knowing how much it cost. It may have ended up a birthday gift. I’m a picky gift-receiver, which my family knows well, so I tend to end up picking out gifts knowing I’ll receive them all trussed up for a “surprise” a few months later.

In this case, the deep blue yarn, Sirdar Snuggly Domino DK, was bought at a Superbowl Sunday sale about 6 years ago. Maybe even 7… I think I even deigned to watch 10 minutes of the game, before I gave up and ran downstairs to hide out until the snacks were served.

The Schachenmayr nomotta Baros, otherwise known as the aqua yarn, was bought in Germany on my second trip to visit family there. It was on sale, which was good because I had a limited number of euros to spend. Souvenir yarn is often too difficult to part with, so this was stashed for 5 years.

Definitely high time to make something. On both counts.

Both of these projects had basis in a one skein book, 101 Yarn Shop Favorites.

cable

My new hat is technically the Aran Tam. I say technically… I should have followed directions and knit the beginning on smaller straight needles, but I was confused, and it was my second go, having tried a bulky yarn first which would have made a monster sized hat. So I trudged ahead. Then I moved on, and managed to get some kind of counting wrong, resulting in a messed up pattern. You can’t tell with the surprisingly busy yarn, but I think I’ll have another go at some point. Also, the band is too wide, due to the aforementioned needle issue, so I’m considering threading some elastic through the ribbing. Still have another ball… Now what to make? Maybe some wristlets…

 

The wristband had basis in the Cabled Headband. I say had basis… I took the starting point and just knitted without increases or decreases wristuntil I made it tightly around my wrist. Sewed it up with my handy knitpicker, and I got a lovely wristband! Handy when my wrists decide they hate knitting. Or typing. Or cooking. Or moving. Darn that violin playing from an early age! Messing up my wrists forevermore.

The wristband yarn is soon to be finished in a yoke for a shirt capacity… I misplaced a piece, and once I locate it, you’ll hear about it!