|
|
|
May 19th, 2008
11:02 am - Travel Plans Updated
I'm worn out from being on the phone with NWA for 45 in order to change flights slightly in order to visit Grandma. My originally scheduled flight in on Wednesday actually worked out pretty well for my aunt to be able to take me out to see Grandma, then parents to take me to Minneapolis to see Rush, and a fellow con goer to take me to WisCon. However, I realized with previous calls that my crazy plan to skip the Minneapolis to Madison flight would get my return flight canceled. First guy was useless, his supervisor worse. Finally, I got to an actual reservations lady who knew how to work the system in the way I knew it could be, and the quoted difference went from $500 more to reasonable. Score. Now I can check in luggage (and bring books), as previous crazy plan would mean any luggage I checked in would maybe get to Madison, or be lost in the ether.
|
May 18th, 2008
10:10 pm - For The Getting Rid Of
So got further on the rearrangement of furniture. Which leads to some cleaning/getting rid of stuff. So I offer them up to friends list first.
Vol 1-14 of Love Hina (complete run) - $55
Vol 1-4 of Negima - $16
Vol 1-6 of GTO - $24
Vol 1 of Boy's Be - $1
Curio Shelf - Green, with glass doors, approx 9" x 9" by 4' - $15
Placemats - two dark blue - free
Also, neighbors have four adorable kittens, each a different color: orange, tortoiseshell, solid grey and tan sealpoint. We don't need any more cats, but I said I'd ask around.
|
07:03 pm - Question for SCA Ladies
What is your favorite basic dress pattern? I'm looking for something that is somewhat fitted, but not as much as a cotehardie.
|
03:28 pm - Dyeing For Success
So, current craft project to keep me out of trouble is a Viking Apron Dress. I need linen under dresses, but I yet to sew a mockup of one of those yet that I like (gores not at a seam are still defeating me). But I did both a three panel and four panel mockup, and liked the four panel one better. So I carefully drew out the pattern pieces on grid paper to see how much I'd need.
It was an odd size, so I decided to use some of the light brown linen I'd gotten at a fabric swap (which I know dyes well, as it is one of the six fabric samples I've been using in the natural dye experiment). However, I didn't want a light brown dress. So I cut off the amount I'd need, and washed it. I then dyed it with one packet of dark green RIT and half a package of tan RIT, washed it again and hung it out to dry. Today is a warm, windy day so it dried quickly. I love the color. I ironed it, and soon going to cut it up. Wish me luck.
|
May 17th, 2008
08:14 pm - Why I Hate Summer
I'm sensitive to temperature. It is why I love to dress in layers (really, it isn't because my fashion style was set in the 90s). My joints hurt with the cold, which is why I take endless baths in the winter. I get frustrated easily when I'm hot, which is why I take endless baths in the summer (fall and spring is just because it is a good place to read). This is why I don't do much field work.
And I hate paying for heat or AC.
|
May 15th, 2008
09:09 pm - Happy New for the Distraction
California struck down their gay marriage ban. We'll see if it is annulled by a constitutional amendment this fall, but I'm hoping not. I want to dream for a bit longer, 'K. 2 down, 48 to go, and some nasty federal laws.
|
03:22 pm - Vent Time
( Cut because I'm whining )
|
May 12th, 2008
08:59 pm - KUGAR Picnic
Prairie Park from 4 to 11 pm on Saturday, June 7th. It will be a potluck, so bring something to share. I'll make sure there is at least soda and charcoal. If you're interested, contact me so I have an idea how many people are coming. More details as I figure them out.
(KUGAR - KU gamers and roleplayers. Do not need to be a KU student, though we need plenty of those. Good way to meet new people to join your game, or new games to join).
|
06:26 pm - Things I Learn while Packing
Apparently, I like the color blue. My midsized travel backpack is blue (large backpack and daybackpack are both green, and zip together). My new Timbuk2 bag (taking for the first time, as a second carryon so I'm not trying to carry on two backpacks) is blue. My laptop protector is blue, with blue patches (FMP, Betan Astronomical Survey and Buddha's eye). My camera case is blue. My GPS is blue.
My hair isn't, though. Really need to get around to fixing that.
|
06:23 pm - Fancy New Furniture
Bought a bookshelf yesterday as part of the great furniture rearrangement required to get a futon in the bedroom before AC season. Said bookshelf is currently sitting in my living room on its side as I have to move around books before it goes in place. And I'm lazy and leaving tomorrow for field work in Texas (only for a few days). Said bookshelf is fascinating to the cats. Grok's atop it, leaning down to sniff while Barry's batting at his favorite corner. Not enough interesting things happen to my cats.
|
07:42 am - XKCD resonates today
Except I skipped Prom for a gaming convention.
|
May 9th, 2008
04:41 pm - Loot Arrives
Dyeing continues. Red cabbage samples are drying. Most are purple, though the iron silk sample is green. Ivy leaves are in the pot. I'll let them set for a couple of days, according to book instructions. And needing to take a break for a bit.
Today I got two shipments of fabric. First was linen from fabrics-store.com, a bolt of 5.3 oz white for chemises (already selling some to a friend) and pieces of blue and yellow. Next was an ebay auction of black wool. If I finish my muslins, I can make some new garb. Lots of new garb.
|
May 8th, 2008
09:45 pm - Comsumption of Dyeing
Slightly obsessed right now. Beet and blackberry samples are finished drying and have been stapled to paper (to get them all sorted - each sheet has all the mordant options for a dye for two fabric types).
The beet samples are all yellow. Mordants didn't seem to change the color much at all. Yellow is kind of greenish, especially compared to the tumeric samples.
Quite a lot of variety in colors in the blackberry samples. The wools are all browns. However, the linens are pretty, with iron giving a green color, and tin a purple color. The cotton with iron is army green.
In the pot right now is the red cabbage samples. They've been boiled for two hours, now cooling down (will fish out tomorrow when there is sunlight to dry them). Not much color at all. Definitely not the beautiful blue I remember from dyeing eggs.
|
May 7th, 2008
09:11 pm - Hunting
Still on the dyeing experiment. The beet samples turned yellow. I think it could be the left over tumeric in the pot, but the iron mordanted samples didn't turn brown. Today's experiment is blackberry. Seems to be a light brown for most materials, a dark maroon brown on the silk. We'll see what happens with adding iron and copper tomorrow (habit is to leave the samples soaking overnight), then fish out the some samples, and add the after mordants of iron and tin.
Went out into the back woods this evening. Beautiful in the misty air. Amazing how well the higher elevation of the house dampens the train noise. Found stands of what might be elderberries. I hope so. Looking for nettle, but couldn't find any.
Realized I was out of calcium chocolate. If the calcium is in tasty dark chocolate form, I'm more likely to remember it. And I'd killed the loose leaf tea in the house. Merc run. Also found the flower jasmine tea balls for relatively cheap. Might have to make some of that.
|
03:39 pm - I'm a Meme Sheep
That -ology meme.
( Cut because I care )
|
May 6th, 2008
10:18 am - Today's Excuse - Insomnia
Woke up at 3:30 this morning, after dreaming about fabric dyeing (my mind can be annoyingly literal some days). I couldn't get right back asleep, so I got up for internet searching. Tried to go back, but that didn't work (it usually does). So I took a bath and finished a favored book. By the time ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lawnchair was up, I was starting to get sleepy.
I recovered my laptop from campus so I could alternate work and sleep. Got the monotonous part of work done. Trying to get sleepy enough to sleep, so I finish up processing as the next part requires more thought about what I'm doing.
Meanwhile, waiting for fabric to dry (dye experiment), and watching ebay auctions of stuff I don't need.
|
May 4th, 2008
09:14 pm - Productive to Avoid Work
Was productive this weekend. Started off with early morning garage sales Saturday morning. Haul included four tank tops, two swords (for sale to friends for what I paid, inquire if interested), a glass pendant and a flowing water bowl for the cats (hopefully fun enough that they won't need to bat it across the room like they do the old one. I'll get used to the sound soon).
Enough time to get bagels and strawberry plants at the farmers market, get home, start chicken and still get to Lindley by 11 to meet my helpers for another round of data collection. Various mishaps insue, but data was collected and I didn't break the system. Made a batch of Kahlua and headed over to yanbaoqin's party. Ate, drank and was merry.
Woke up early this morning and lacked ambition. Decided to plant strawberry plants.
I wanted to be outside, so decided to start the great natural dyeing experiment (though the camping stove didn't work well, so ended up inside). Thanks to auroraceleste had silk scraps. Now, most books and sites I've found on natural dyeing focus on wool. Most places only talk about the commercial silk dyes. Wool produces differing colors depending on the mordant used (mordant being a metal salt you treat the material with first). So I'm curious how differing mordants affect other linen, cotton and silk. Sample time. I finished treating scraps with alum and copper sulfate.
Still was restless. I can't work any further on my kirtle mockup, due to my inability to figure out how to put in triangle gores (will ask for help on Tuesday). Decided to make a mockup of a viking apron dress. Done, minus the gores (again) and hemming.
In between, much trying to research medieval dress patterns via internet. Not trusting much of it. As long as I blend in. Someday I'll figure out what all KU has.
|
May 2nd, 2008
06:07 pm - Effort into Food
First, for my family - I'm safe. Worst damage is one dead tomato plant. Didn't lose power at all, no broken branches, and the hail didn't hurt either car (like you could tell with the truck).
Second, continuing on the theory of "If I start cooking before I'm hungry, I'll eat when I'm hungry". Haven't joined the bento community, but it did inspire me to pack lunch in a variety of small foods (sandwich, couscous and applesauce).
A recipe of crockpot peanut chicken got me thinking (I might make it for Will's party tomorrow), so I bought a package (I always forget how cheap chicken is) of thighs. Decided to bake one for dinner tonight, and make scalloped corn.
( Baked Chicken Thigh )
|
May 1st, 2008
03:44 pm - More Alcohol
Finally filtered and finished the last two liquors that I started steeping back in January. Not that they needed to steep that long (a month would have been enough), but I just never got around to them. Both are tasty successes.
( Creme de Vanilla and Curacao )
|
12:55 pm - Got to Remember that Sandwiches=Tasty
Been weird about eating lately. Just having trouble figuring out what I want to eat. So I was digging around the freezer for lunch, and found baggies of turkey stock. Couscous with turkey stock is tasty (not the proper way of cooking couscous, but like rice or oats). But it is a side dish to me. I somehow got obsessed with a turkey sandwich. Short trip to Dillions and got sliced turkey, fancy bread (though off the discount bakery trolley), mayo (we've been out for a few months, can tell I haven't eaten tuna salad in a while), and asadero cheese (mexican melty cheese, found in the fancy cheese aisle but cheaper than basic cheddar). I got home and picked a couple of leaves of spinach from out back. Toasted bread in frying pan, added cheese to melt for a couple of minutes, and constructed sandwich. Decadent with good milk.
|
|
|
