#Alpaca clothing store

[cjgladback]

I went to my first fiber festival this past weekend! Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival; if I'm still in this state come June next year, I'll probably be back and would love to meet anybody else there. Socializing/hanging out/talking to people without feeling like I was obstructing Real Customers was the one thing I missed, though I didn't really get to any of the free lectures so maybe that's where I could've met some people. Since it was an unknown situation with a lot of people and nearly an hour drive each way, I strategized to make sure I'd go:

First day, I signed up for a couple volunteer shifts. Absolutely a recommended strategy.

Got to be helpful!

They happened to have goodie bags, to help me justify the gas and time (I now have a nice tape measure to replace the one that's been vacationing with a missing sewing kit for a couple years and a lasercut wood two-inch gauge window that might help me with consistency versus my suboptimal practice of just trying to knit perfect squares when swatching in pattern)

I got to learn things about the layout and schedule I wouldn't know to ask when answering questions and acting as a gofer -- especially true working two different locations

And of course, some people were pretty much guaranteed to be happy to see me!

Second day, I signed up for a workshop in the morning so I'd be there and able to shop for anything I needed at the end. Ombre yarn dyeing was the class! It's acid dyes, something I'm several years off from wanting to get into enough to commit to dedicated cookware, full pots of dye powder, etc. The room with the workshop was a barn that had plenty of outlets--but they did not represent plenty of breakers. So there weren't quite enough functional heating elements for the class to have sufficiently cooked our yarn before leaving, and I did need to risk a giant stock pot at home for three batches of four jars, almost-simmering in a water bath for thirty minutes each, of the yarn that hadn't proven it was done (all but the two palest greens). I was a little worried the delay/drawn out heat situation would affect the results but if it did it wasn't much; I got pretty much exactly what I was hoping for with my two color gradient and the single is great too!

The single dye gradient is the color Moss, which did some interesting things with the red portion separating out once they were heated. Every skein has redder blotches, so I'm not bothered about any inconsistency -- if anything it'll help my finished product camouflage stains. Though it was definitely a surprise for me and the other Moss user in the class when our first yarn to have exhausted the dye was the complementary color to what it went in as.

The two color gradient used Rhodamine Red on one end, which was one end of one of our instructor's samples where she chose a cool-green for the other end to show how multi-component dyes mix less predictably than most paint. (It was kinda like shading with markers where you can still see washes of the pink and green in what you squint at and call a grey-brown.) The other end was Cantaloupe, which was one of the maybe three colors she didn't have a sample cut of yarn for. But she described it as the flesh of a perfect ripe cantaloupe and obviously I had to see that, and it sounded like it would be fairly guaranteed to combine nicely with the magenta while being just enough around a bend in the color wheel to be interesting--warm orange versus cool pink. As I said, it turned out pretty much exactly as I was picturing. Not anticipated was how much the jars looked like they were full of some delicious dragonfruit-mango beverage. Were I still a barista I'd be trying to recreate this for my shift drink.

Image descriptions under the cut.

[ID: Five images following fourteen small skeins of sock yarn dyed in individual glass jars, in two gradients. One gradient is six skeins from a medium forest green through a pale creamy pink, the other is eight skeins from a vibrant yellow orange through an even more vibrant magenta. The first photo is inside under fluorescent lights, showing the 32oz glass canning jars with metal lids and rings, full of dye and yarn on a table at the end of the class in which they were filled and heated for a short time.

The next two images are animated gifs. The first gif is two frames showing the finished dye jars sitting in grass, with their yarn and with it removed. The green gradient left only transparent blue color in its jars, and most of the pink to orange gradient's water looks more orange without its yarn, aside from the third and fourth jars from the orange end, which shade toward a neon lilac with the peachy pink yarn removed. The second gif is a view of the inside of the bright green wash bucket, with just the pink-orange yarn in it, then all of them mixed up, all as they were after a soak with the rust-brown water, in the first rinse, and that rinse water alone showing its transparent but still brown tint.

The last two photos show the gradients lined up along a weathered wooden bench on the side of a deck. The first photo has the wet piles of yarn bundled in front of each of their respective jars with remaining dye. The final photo has the clean, dry yarn wound into center-pull balls and still vibrant in the direct sunlight. End ID]

[crossbackpoke-check]

wait you got me so invested in the stammer & heddy tailor au....

this is my standard disclaimer that i have never posted a fic on ao3* and for however much i say “au” i truly mean that it’s a universe that lives in my head & i am absolutely delighted to tell you all about, all the time <3 if it helps i ALSO got me so invested in the heddy & stammer tailor au

ok now that the author’s note is out of the way here’s some notes about the not!fic heddy & stammer tailor au:

stammer as the tailor from gent’s playbook, very reserved, quiet, with an excellent eye for details (honestly the evidence i have for his style sense is just that he’s best friends with pk subban so it has to be there somewhere if only by proxy irl) is hired by victor hedman, star of the tampa bay lightning who is every other tailor’s nightmare to dress (huge, opinionated, fashionable)

heddy is decently well-known throughout the league for being very well-dressed & becomes quietly well known for also being one of his new tailor’s favorite loyal customers [heddy has the nicest fabrics. he has his suits the first day a new collection drops & e v e r y o n e is jealous]

stammer’s business booms after heddy takes a chance on him as his first big client & promotes him, heddy sees him grow in popularity & get more clients

heddy also moonlights as a model for stammer’s suits on instagram, initially to help him grow his business because then he won’t have to pay for a model and then because he’s over there all the time anyway because they’re dating (that’s why the model’s face is never in the pictures)

there’s not really a plot to this besides the vague idea of a plot where stammer makes heddy his lucky suit that he wins the cup in & sews a special little tag into the lining of his jacket that says i love you

because love sometimes is picking out the perfect right color pocket square to match your husband’s beautiful suit that you fitted like a kiss to the curves of his huge body

& also sometimes love is making your beautiful husband who makes you beautiful clothing enjoy nice things for himself once in a while, like the fancy watch you bought him or the nice suit you custom-ordered for him (from him) just so you could take it off of him

[havithreatendub4]

Johnny while #filming #Modi in #Hungary Budapest October/November #2023 #clothing store #shopping #alpaca ? in the background

[lazyllamaecowear]

Website : https://www.llalpacawear.com/

Address : Salt Lake City, Utah

Lazy Llama Eco Wear offers sustainable, eco-friendly fashion through natural and recycled fibers.

Alpaca fiber contains natural hollow cellular structure, creating a superior lightweight insulation, resulting in a warm breathable airflow keeping you at a comfortable temperature all year round.

Our Process:

We purchase Fair Trade fiber from families in Peru.

We create, design and manufacture locally in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A percentage of your purchase goes to help buy an alpaca for a family in need. This helps provide an income for the family and sustainability of the alpaca.

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lazyllama.ecowear/

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[mrzombielover]

- lalo spoiling you headcanons

was christmas shopping today and was reminded how poor i am so here’s me being delusional

masterlist

last real romantic guy alive 😒

lalo always knows exactly what to get you. he’s got no shortage of money that he loves throwing at you, buying you anything your gaze lingers on. on special occasions, you’re always met with a neatly wrapped gift box, complete with a ribbon in your favorite color.

not just buying you things, but acts of service too. believes a real man will spoil his woman and treat her right

loves when you cook for him, but will rush to do the dishes afterward, assuring you that you’ve already done enough. brings you breakfast in bed and tells you not to work too hard when he leaves. loves doing little things for you

thinking abt how soft he can be too….

he’ll run you a bath after a particularly stressful day, with bath salts and whatever flower petals on hand and your favorite scented soap.

sure, he could get one of his workers to run it for you, but prefers doing things for you himself. personally adjusting the temp and amount of bath salt so he knows it’s perfect for you. would hop in with you if you’d like, or he’d sit by the tub and scrub your back for you and massage your scalp.

great at giving massages in general. when your back or shoulders hurt he’s immediately volunteering his skills.

bonus drabble cause i’m going crazy :3

when you’ve got the time, lalo loves to take you shopping. he may roll his eyes and tease you when you get excited, mumbling about having to carry your bags, but you don’t have time to say anything because he’s already carrying everything for you. you can’t argue with him, he would never let you carry anything. so, with a huff, you move on to the next store.

you take in your surroundings as you step into the store, glancing at the displays lining the walls with wide eyes. this place seems fancy, you think as you take in the simplistic yet elegant decor. you wander off from lalo, absentmindedly browsing the clothes.

when your eyes fall on a light brown coat, you immediately approach it, reaching out to feel the material. it’s long, with darker brown accents that are simple, but scream money.

“lalo!”

“feel how soft this is!” you gasp, motioning for lalo to come over. he grins at you, your eyes lighting up as you run your hands over the fur lining the inside of the coat.

“this place is nice, no?”

“very, no wonder everything’s so expensive,” at the thought, you turn over the tag on the coat, visibly shocked at the price. it reads 100% genuine alpaca wool, $480.00.

“you said you wanted a nice, durable coat, yeah?”

“well, yeah, but not a $500 one!”

“princesa, you know that price is not an issue,” he crosses his arms.

“that’s not the point! you’ve spent so much today already,”

“you know i don’t mind-“

“it’s fine, i don’t even like it that much anyway,”

“mhmm…”

“c’mom, let’s get lunch,” you motion towards the door “i’m starving,”

weeks later, and that nice coat has left your mind. you think instead of the stuff you did buy, excited to wear a certain dress you bought out. as you step out of the bathroom, you wrap the towel tighter around yourself at the cold air in the room. you walk quickly towards the dresser, eager to cover up, when a large gift box sitting in the middle of the bed catches your eye. curiously, you approach it, examining the elegant white box. you open it carefully, unable to keep a grin from spreading on your face from the anticipation.

you gasp when you see the inside. a light brown coat is folded neatly inside, and you can’t help but grinning as you pull it out. the tags have been removed, but you know it’s the same, gorgeous, light brown coat from that store, and although there’s no card, you know it’s from lalo.

[jagged1]

Tangled Bits

Fandom: Outlast Rating: Gen Characters: Eddie Gluskin/Waylon Park Summary: Knitting is binary and Waylon is a sappy nerd. Contains: Sap and fluff. Word Count: ~900 AO3 link

Eddie’s never been shy about sharing his latest project, but Waylon has never been able to understand much about what needs to be done to make the beautiful clothes that he does. He appreciates the effort involved, but the process means very little to him.

Then the weather starts to turn and the chill in the air becomes something that lingers. The delicate fabrics are tucked into storage. The sewing machine is covered. Instead, out come baskets full of cakes and balls of yarn.

He didn't know Eddie could knit and watches with fascination as his needles click away. The smooth, easy motion is hypnotic and there’s a softness in Eddie’s expression that is missing when he’s hunched over his worktable, painstakingly finishing the intricate beadwork on his latest gown.

He wants to know more.

Eddie is delighted by Waylon’s interest and even starts a new project, walking him through what he’s doing. In the midst of his demonstration, Waylon is struck with the sudden realization that knitting is just binary and he knows that. He still hasn’t gotten Eddie a gift for the holidays yet and an idea takes root in his mind. He’ll need a lot of time and a lot of help, so he begins to plan.

Once he gets a moment alone, he looks up local craft stores and chooses one near his office. Hopefully it’s far enough out of the way that Eddie isn’t a regular there and no one will spoil the surprise. As nice as it is for his partner to be so well known, it makes keeping secrets almost impossible. He doesn’t usually mind, but this feels like something special. He wants it to come together just the way he imagines it.

When he first enters the shop, he distantly notes how bright and cheerful it is. There’s a lot of love in these walls. It’s obvious in the way it’s laid out, the indistinct chatter that filters through the air, and the general feeling in the air.

Then he gets to the yarn section and he’s immediately overwhelmed by the available choices. He doesn’t know what the difference is between acrylic and alpaca, much less the rest of the options. Thankfully, someone spots him and walks him through what each yarn is best suited for, their various properties, and their ease of use, especially for a beginner such as him.

He ends up spending hours upon hours at the store. The employees are incredibly helpful and when he inevitably runs out of yarn because he doesn’t know how to calculate how much he actually needs, they help him match it right away. Someone from the local knitting group is always there to coach him through his stitches and help him untangle his mess. Whenever anyone asks about the custom pattern he’s using, he can’t stop the rush of blood to his face when he explains, or the awkwardly pleased smile when they inevitably coo at the idea.

His crazy idea is starting to take shape and he's feeling almost giddy at the thought he'll make it in time. Eddie knows he's hiding something, how could he not when Waylon has been suddenly unavailable for weeks, but only smiles, trusting him.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“You’ll let me know when you’re ready.”

His heart feels as if it'll burst with affection for this man and it only bolsters his resolve.

Finally, after months and countless hours, he finishes. It’s a little embarrassing that after so much time and help all his efforts result in a truly terrible scarf. One end is visibly narrower than the other and the stitches are all over the place, impossibly tight in some areas and with large gaps in others. Only Eddie’s gentle coaxing gives him the courage to bring it out and gift it to him.

He smiles, absolutely delighted with Waylon’s creation. While technically awful, it has its own charm and there’s clearly something hidden in the oddly patterned stripes. Waylon has been far too deliberate with his color choices for it to be anything but intentional. “It’s beautiful, darling. What does it mean?”

He blushes a brilliant pink. Trust Eddie to catch on immediately. “It says “Dearest” in binary. I thought… I might not use the word very often, but you are very dear to me, and I thought having it written in your language and mine would be…fitting.”

The soft smile on Eddie’s face sends a jolt through Waylon. He watches as Eddie sets the scarf down, and reaches for his hands, slowly stroking his thumbs over Waylon’s knuckles. “I love it. Thank you so much for your gift.” He lifts one hand to his mouth and kisses it. “Will you teach me how to write darling for you?”

Waylon’s face burns, but he leans forward, nuzzling into Eddie’s neck. “Of course. Whatever you want.”

Eddie hums in satisfaction, shifting to bare his neck for more of Waylon’s affection. “Will you keep knitting?”

He laughs. “Not sure that’s a good use of the yarn. I think they’d appreciate being in your capable hands more.

“I could teach you. We could work on projects together.”

Waylon pulls back, but only far enough to nudge his nose gently against Eddie’s. “I think I’d like that. Quiet nights in, curled against each other, and making something together sounds wonderful.”

“It’s a date.”

They both close the gap between them for a kiss, the scarf laid between them like a promise.

[redheadgleek]

2023 review - knitting

Here’s some of the pics of my knitting projects for the year:

Anne/Diana/Gilbert dolls (from Anne of Green Gables):

These took me nearly two years to complete – I basically knit Anne twice because my knitting gauge had changed so much in that time. I have to redo Gilbert’s hair (the mohair I bought was poorly dyed and not all of it is black), but I love them so much. I knit all of the bodies and knit all of the clothes (except for the petticoats and the buttons).

I added a “petticoat” of lace to her dress because her dress was so short. Her hair has already lost the curls.

Aren’t those braids the sweetest? I’ve started making Kurt and Blaine dolls (from glee) and have visions of Mulder and Scully and all of the hobbits and ….

Orchid and Gold Poppins scarf:

This was knit from a yummy alpaca/tencel/linen blend and it’s so soft. I love how the colors migrated over the scarf. I gave this one to my mom for Mother’s Day. I’m tempted to buy more and make one for me because it is so lovely.

Grandpa sweater:

Super bulky, soft warm yarn – I’ve bought several skeins of it over the last few years when stores have gone out of business and decided to destash and make my first sweater – I used 8 skeins, plus some remnants. It knit up pretty quickly, because it was so bulky and it’s very warm. If I were to redo it, I would extend the sleeves a few more rows and shift the pockets over.

Christmas scarves:

I’ve been slowly making scarves for my Plethora girlfriends. Made again with Rasta, because it’s so soft and luxurious, and I’ve been trying out different stitches and patterns for each one.

The blue and purple ones have been blocked, I just need to sew in the ends; the red one has not. I have yarn for 2 more scarves.

[bouncyalex]

Hi! I'm on anon because I'm a little shy. I'm 17 and struggle with incontinence. I relate to a lot of your posts because I am also autistic and incontinent and special needs. I haven't been able to use diapers in my teenage years, sadly. But I have some money right now and can buy my own first adult diapers. Do you have any suggestion for a first adult diaper? A particular brand or something like that? I have heard ABUniverse is good, but I don't have much experience with this and I don't want my experience with it too be a bad one. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!

Hi! I am glad to hear that you can relate to a lot of my posts.

You mention struggling with incontinence. Have you talked to a doctor just to rule out potential underlaying conditions? I understand how you feel about being super shy because I am super shy myself.

Once you ruled out any potential underlaying causes, if you want to wear adult diapers, there are an incredible selection of great products to consider, depending on what you are looking for in absorbency level, plain white or printed ones, and of course, budget.

Plain white: Northshore MegaMax, AM PM Forsite, NRU Str8up, Incontrol, ABU Simple are in my top suggestions. Abri-Form M4 (Medium) or L4 (Large) are affordable and remains a good classic, one generation behind the newest ones with better absorbency and refastenable tape zone.

If you prefer cloth-like diapers, they let the skin breathe more, but many brands have the same issue with the tendency for diapers and tapes to stretch out and make the diaper become loose and more exposed to leaks.

If you are looking for the RollsRoyce for absorbency, I suggest the Trest Elite diapers. They are the world’s most absorbing diapers without any booster pads or stuffers added. They are expensive, but they are lasting much longer, which means using half of the amount of diapers. At the end, they end up being less expensive than most brand. My only advice would be to always add baby powder in those, and not wear them for longer than 12h when wet because it gets hard in the skin, and it’s better to change frequently and keep a healthy skin with proper hygiene.

If you want printed diapers, all the ABU diapers are very good. Most Rearz ones too, NappiesRus (NRU), Northshore Megamax have cool colours too. Forsite is more affordable, but not easy to get in USA as I heard. My favourite ones might not be other’s favourites. But I personally love the Megamax, Rearz Safari and Alpaca, ABU PeekAbu, NRU str8up blue and lil rascals.

If you are looking for pharmacy diapers, they are not necessarily the cheapest due to the monopoly of Tena on the shelves, offering thin diapers that will suit persons with mild incontinence. Tena is offering much better products in Europe and Oceania than what we find here in North America. Pharmacy brands are generally not the latest generation of diapers. They are handy in case of emergency, far from the best. Tena Super is what seems to be their best, cloth-backed only. The Tena Maxi slip are much better, and they are generally not available in the pharmacies in North America, but they can be ordered online at some incontinence supplies stores.

I suggest that you order directly from companies instead of distributors and resellers for better price.

Today, the market of incontinence supplies and ABDL diapers is blooming! There are so many good diapers, I can’t mention all of them here.

I hope my advices will help you choose the right product that you will like, and will suit you well. At first, I would suggest that you buy samples to compare the fit and comfort because there are some differences from one brand to another.

Alex🦸‍♂️

[itsalynx]

Fabric for Allodynia

Someone asked me once that if clothes hurt so much, why did I wear them when I didn't need to. Which is when I had to explain that air hurts and clothing, if it doesn't hurt, protects the skin from the painful air. The hard part is getting the right clothes.

Much like with skincare, the clothes that tend to work the best for me are natural fabrics. Much commerically made clothing contains microplastics that, with washes, tend to stiffen and become scratchy. These clothes are also often stitched with thread run with plastics for durability, but they have the same effect. I had a mother whose son is autistic ask me about why her son would wear clothes for a few washes and then suddenly complain that they hurt and I explained it was most likely that his seams were stiffening and can become unbearable. I recommended she oversew his seams with a soft, natural fabric.

I'm going to walk through a few things I have learned that work for me. I will say again that there is a lot of privlege wrapped up in these options in that I can afford these options. If you want to try this but find it outside your budget, I recommend picking one piece at a time, the ones you'll wear the most. That's how I built during the 10 years I had only disability to live on.

Silk

Silk is an amazing fabric for anyone who deals with skin issues but also for those with temperature regulation issues *raises hand*. Silk can be processed in a lot of different ways and those final dispositions touch the skin very differently. Raw silk, for example, is actually very uncomfortable for me because it has a rough finish. If you can go to a fabric store and touch fabrics to get a feel for the differences, do so and take notes.

The process for making silk washable has been expanded which makes it much more reasonable. Silk is a very tough fabric so it holds up well and is worth the investment if you can afford the outlay.

Silk, like most plant products, has no flexibility unless blended (and I try to avoid non-natural blends) so always pay attention to size and cut. I tend towards looser silk clothes because of this.

There are legitimate environmental concerns with silk (because the process kills the silkworms and the processing of the fiber can cause waste that is problematic if not properly managed). But because it lasts so long, I try to be as conscious as I can about purchasing and wearing things for their full life. And it makes my skin less angry.

Bamboo

This is my go-to fabric for most things. My pajamas are bamboo (mostly from Sandmaiden Sleepwear) and my yoga wear is bamboo (Freak LeChic). Bamboo breathes, it's soft, it washes well. I can wear it directly against my skin because it holds well. It can be dyed any color so you get range.

Plant fibers don't have memory, so they grow with wear, which is fine but good to be aware of. Bamboo does have stretch because of the process required to make bamboo wearable. And that process is where we run into the issue with bamboo. Again...it's environmental.

As a plant, bamboo is amazing - it grows all over the place and it grows fast with minimal work. But the fiber is stiff - think jute. The chemical process that makes it soft and flowing produces about 50% pure waste, which goes into the environment. This is the viscous process and applied to most bamboo fabric.

There are versions of processing that are harm neutral, but less common and more expensive. Keep an eye out.

Wool and Alpaca

Most people think wool and think scratchy but merino wool is incredibly soft. It has memory and stretch, it can be washed (if treated - we call it superwash in the fiber world), and dyed with natural or chemical dyes. It also breathes beautifully, which can make it an all weather fiber depending on how heavy the garment is. It's renewable for the entire life of the animal and the shearing process doesn't harm the sheepies - in fact, sheep that are not shorn regularly are under enormous strain. Wool has been the go-to fiber for clothing and textiles a very, very long time and there's a reason.

Alpaca is also an animal fiber, from the very soft and very pleasant alpaca. It doesn't have the same memory as wool, but it has more than plant fibers. It's heavenly and very warm. Like wool, it's renewable the lifetime of the animal and alpacas can live happy herd lives in areas untenable for sheep, like the deserts of Arizona.

I have recently found joy in compression socks when my feet and legs are hurting or for travel where the pressure plays havoc with my legs. The one from Pacas have been really great and held up well with washing and wear.

A Few More Shoutouts

Tencel (Lyocell) - this is actually a really cool fabric. Lyocell is a process, Tencel is a brand (there are others). The proces makes plant fibers soft, like viscouse, but without the waste and the really bad product. I'm trying to replace some of the above with those as I find them.

Cotton - I love cotton when it's good cotton. Soft and light and lordy can it stand up. The biggest challenge is that if you can't lay hands on it, it's hard to know what you're getting until you get it because there are so many qualities and weaves and cuts of cotton. 100% cotton should be soft to the touch and durable. Cotton can be water hungry so look for offsets and sustainable practices called out. I like the cotton items from pact and can speak highly of the tenacity of their t-shirts.

[gay-sin]

crocheting yarn is praying to god

i have spent a good amount of my free time lately thinking about yarn. i won a bid on ebay and bought some white mohair from a seller in florida for a great price. today i spent a very long time trying to get to a yarn store in cambridge. i had a lot of transit complications and had to walk a long time in the rain. i got there with my jeans and belongings soaked. my phone is in rice at the moment. it was worth it though because the store was amazing. it had so many kinds of quality yarns. i went around feeling them all for what must have been an hour. i tried to intuit what worsted vs woolen yarn was. there are so many things i don't know about yarn. all of the plastic yarns were very cheap. some wool yarn was cheap but the cheap wool felt very scratchy. i wanted soft yarn. i got two balls of 100% merino wool in bubble gum and rococo pink. i think i will make leg warmers with them. i'm not sure yet. i spent a long time feeling the alpaca yarn. i let myself splurge and get a $20 skein of 100% alpaca yarn in a muted blue color. the tag said that the yarn was "non-mulesed" which i read as non-molested. turns out mulesing is "a painful procedure that involves cutting crescent-shaped flaps of skin from around a lamb's breech and tail using sharp shears designed specifically for this purpose." i looked up photos but i don't recommend that you do.

as an artist, there are always so many factors to consider when choosing materials. i have always preferred trash/found materials as they are the most affordable. there is so much that ends up in landfills so why not use these things to make art? i love the poetics of things that were thrown aside being given new life. i've always preferred thrifting clothing, yarn, fabric. but what i have realized with yarn, though, is that it is very hard to find quality yarn like that. most yarn is mixed with acrylic or polyester. before i took a class on fibers in the spring, i had no idea what my clothes were really made of. now i think about it a lot. i'm trying to train my senses to decipher these things. i had no idea that clothes could even be made out of plastic and now the thought that most clothes are made with plastic really disturbs me. if you can't tell if yarn is plastic, you can burn it and tell by the smell. i'm becoming a detective, trying to find the imposters in a world where the plastic version is so goddamn convincing. it makes me uneasy. it feels very metaphorical.

in my fiber arts class, we read chapters of books written by anni albers. she was an artist that co-founded the black mountain college. i want to go back and dive deeply into these things that i only had the time to skim in school. i wanted to reread this article we had to read of hers from class. it is called "tactile sensibilities" but i needed an institution login to read the whole thing. i hate academia.... i could access the first page though and it had the main points. i wanted to use them to discuss yarn. so here are a couple quotes...

"No wonder a faculty that is so largely unemployed in our daily plodding and bustling is degenerating. Our materials come to us already ground and chipped and crushed and powdered and mixed and sliced, so that only the finale in the long sequence of operations from matter to product is left to us: we merely toast the bread." "We touch things to assure ourselves of reality. We touch the objects of our love. We touch the things we form. Our tactile experiences are elemental. If we reduce their range, as we do when we reduce the necessity to form things ourselves, we grow lopsided."

i spent a long time wanting to make pointless art, just art for the sake of art. i still do sometimes but i have been very invested in fiber arts. they are the opposite of pointless art. it is so practical, ancient, useful. i have found a deep love for it that grounds me in ways i didn't even know that i needed so badly. i think there are so many things about the way we live now in such an industrialized, hyper-individualist plastic world that we are completely unaware the harms of.

i am very interested in religion and ritual and i love how this intersects with fiber arts for me. crocheting feels like a prayer. it feels like healing. i don't really like to crochet with plastic because it feels like it cuts me off from the cycle of it all. yesterday i started my day by crocheting for a long time before work. it put me in a beautiful mood and i felt patient and at ease all day. i have been needing that. i've been in such a bad mood for awhile, so tense, always in a rush. the yarn was wool and it sorta looked like the yarn that i had spun when i tried to spin yarn. it was thicker in some spots than others, making it feel real. i could imagine someone spinning it. spinning is such a beautiful process and i respect it so much. i hated it because it was so hard. it requires so much balance. i love the look of a spinning wheel. it reminds me of fairytales. i guess that just shows how far we have come from doing these things with our hands.... but anyways, i could imagine the sheep that grew the wool, the person that sheared the sheep. the yarn was probably spun by a machine, not a person, but i like to imagine it was spun on a wheel by a person. then, i crochet with the yarn. my crocheting is not a work of individual artistic genius, but the finishing step in a long process of labor and art, across time, species, places on earth. i'm employing techniques used for such a long time before me by so many wise and beautiful human beings. techniques i didn't invent and that i am still a humble beginner at. i make things that i can feel, touch, use, give. they can be used to keep me or those i love warmer in the winter, to hold my things, to make me feel more like myself. then, the things i make with these fibers can be reused or reworked when i no longer use them. when they fall apart, they can be reabsorbed into the earth, maybe they will become soil that will grow grass, that will be eaten by a sheep that will grow wool... the process continues. i am a small participant. that is a prayer to me. that is god to me.

this is what we lose when we don't make things with our hands, when we don't know where things come from. these are the skills that are deemed frivolous and inessential, not fast enough to turn profit. i think that these things are legitimately essential to being a person. most of fiber arts is historically women's work, based in traditions of indigenous people. it is not taken seriously in this culture and it is a shame because i really think that this is having grave consequences on everyone's wellbeing.

i was talking to my roommate's dad about how he had a maid when he lived in africa. he paid her very little but he said that it was still more than the norm. he said she could go get an education and "better herself" to get more money like him. it was a long conversation and there are so many layers to that mentality that are fuckedddd. but i just really don't understand how people actually believe that doing busy work for a corporation on a computer all day does anything of importance or requires any real intelligence at all. how is that "bettering yourself"? to alienate yourself even from your own space, never even touching the things you live with except to use them and toss them wherever for someone else to clean up?? the countless skills that come with cleaning are baffling to me. i have so much respect for cleaners. i am always learning the importance of cleaning and trying to do it well. i am naturally terrible at it and am currently trying my best to be better. to me, an office job is the place most void of intelligence. it's not at all the sort of intelligence that really matters to being alive or understanding what that means. whatever.

anyways, i made a bunny hat last weekend and i haven't been able to stop wearing it. it makes me so happy. i am very content with the idea of it getting colder because i will stay inside and crochet things. i will get to wear silly hats. i have been wearing the hat to work and the kids love it. people on the streets smile at me more. lots of people compliment me on it. for some reason, it makes me feel more like myself. maybe i'm a little bit of a furry. i made it with acrylic yarn because i had bought some awhile ago but i still really like it. maybe i will make one out of mohair. i want one with bigger ears. i want a collection of animal/monster hatwear.

here is a photo of me in the bunny hat and a drawing that one of the kids drew of me in the hat. i let the little girl that drew the picture try on the hat. it was so big on her little head. she is 5 and i love her very much.

[bristolianbackpacker]

Day 18 - Sacred Valley

We have breakfast at 7am so that we are ready for Lito to pick us up at 8am. I found Lito as a recommendation on a Facebook group. As soon as he picks us up I know that he is going to be a good guide - his English is really good. We’ve arranged to see 5 things and then be dropped off our at accomodation in Ollantaytambo.

Our first stop is Chinchero. It’s another multi purpose Inca site - Lito explains that it would have had housing, agriculture and religious a temple.

The site was probably built in the 1300s (this is before the height of their powers in the 1400s).

Lito explains that religious temples would have used the highest quality stone work. Whilst terraces were built for agricultural purposes.

Each stone is carved by hand and no mortar is used yet they look like they fit together perfectly. It’s so impressive the engineering skills they had back then. The stones can only survive earthquakes and still stand today because they hace a tongue and groove mechanism to lock together. Hematite is a type of stone that has a high iron content. This was likely used as a tool to carve the stones.

Upon questioning further we realise that it would have been slaves that built the structures. As an example Saksaywaman took 10,000 people to build. Somewhere like Chinchero would be about 5,000 people. Even with such large numbers of people towns like Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu would have taken 30+ years to complete.

Our second stop is an Alpaca farm. First we get to feed the Llamas and Alpacas and see the guinea pigs. The poor things are being sold for food and Lito is asking the owner if he has been selling a lot recently (it’s a specialty for Mother’s Day). Then the owner gives us some information - it has social aims to provide jobs for single mothers who have a pretty tough time in Peru. We learn (with demonstrations) all about the washing, spinning and dying process using traditional techniques. We are both given some bugs from a cactus plant and told to squash them in our hands - we both nearly scream when a bright red liquid covers our hands. From there, things are added e.g. salt that can change the colour of further. We each buy a jumper as a souvenir.

Our next stop is Moray where there are perfectly circular terraces exist. Historians initially thought it was an amphitheater as Incans used circles for their rituals. However it turns out that it was used for farming and specifically experimental farming. Each terrace is its own microclimate and the temperature at the centre is the warmest. They managed to adapt plants from lower elevations eg there is evidence of cocoa having been planted here. In order to do this they had to bring soil from subtropical areas to be able to grow the cocoa plants as the soil here is not fertile enough.

Only one of the three circular terraces has been stored back in the 1990s. With the other two you can clearly see the stonework is still at the site and will likely be put back at some point in the future.

At this point Lito uses his guide books to show us a few things - firstly the terraces are not just built with stone. Each terrace has layers of soil, sand, gravel and stones for drainage. All of these would have had to have been brought in 🤯 Also we see an image that shows the class hierarchy in the Incan times. In fact…only the royalty were actually referred to as Incans and they had their own language. The rest of the people spoke Quechuan and there is a very clear social hierarchy down to the slaves.

Lito is able to speak Quechuan - the native language. He learnt this from his grandparents. It’s good to hear that the language is still alive and thriving outside of Cusco. We’ve also noticed that the Peruvian culture is well and truely alive e.g. traditional clothing is not just for tourists - it’s something that they all seem to still wear and is really nice to see.

As we leave via Moray town Lito stops and we buy some chicha from a vendor through the car window (ordered in Quechuan). It’s a fermented corn drink that has a low alcohol content. We get the one with strawberry. Lito says that this is drank in place of water in Moray and Jack asks “I assume the kids don’t drink this though?” But oh no, the kids drink it too 😂

Our next stop is the Maras Salt mines. The mines are collectively owned by the town and every resident is entitled to their own ponds but they have to maintain them themselves. Newer residents of the town will need to built their ponds at the very bottom of the hill.

The salt is formed because the spring is naturally salty it’s very unusual but they think that the mountain is full of salt and the water dissolves it as it comes out. The water is directed via channels that go to leach of the pools. The water fill the pools and within 5 days it has evaporated. They repeat the process 5-6 times to get about 10ish centimetres of depth. The layers have different properties - the lower ones are brown salt with minerals, the middle ones are pink salt and the top is white salt. It is believed that the Incas used this site to harvest salt, however in recent times it wasn’t until the 1970s that the ponds were created and it has been expanding from there ever since.

We stop for lunch at a buffet restaurant which is needed by this point!! Jack tries guinea pig but I can’t do it after seeing them at the Alpaca farm earlier today.

Our last stop is the Ollantaytambo Incan site. We drive through the cobblestone streets of the town and in the main square.

This area was strategically important as it was the intersection of three valleys (each of which was an inca trail). It was a place where people from the four different states could meet via the different trails and trade food.

Ollantaytambo is one of the latest sites to be built and is thought to still have been in progress when the Spanish invaded. The site is again multi purpose - you can see terraces for agriculture, there is a site that is used as a calendar - the sun will rise either side of the mountain in summer vs winter and in the middle of the mountain during spring/autumn. At the top is a temple - Lito explains that this is the piece that was still in progress. The stonework here is the most impressive of all - the pieces are absolutely huge. Also they had by this point innovated their techniques with the “tongue and groove” to improve it:

Whilst the Incas didn’t have a written language on the temple you can see vague carvings of the Inca cross - this represents life stages going up (prime of your life), going down (as you get older), death and the afterlife (further down), and back up to rebirth. When the Spanish arrived they tried to remove as many symbols as possible in order to establish Catholicism as the only religion.

Wow it was a big day of sightseeing so Lito drops us off at our hotel in Ollantaytambo. We say our farewells and check in. The B&B is a bit basic but it’s big selling point is that it has a terrace on the roof that overlooks the town and the Inca site, however it’s too cold to spend more than a few minutes up there.

[petoskeystones]

I wasn’t much of a negotiator at the time, but I did make one request before I signed—a Red Wings jacket. The players on the big club had these great team jackets and I really wanted one as well. My first reason was practical. I didn’t have many clothes and I knew I’d wear that jacket all the time. The other was more psychological. If I signed with the Red Wings, the jacket would help me feel like part of the team. Mr. Adams said he’d get me one, and with that we closed the deal.

...

I told Mr. Adams that I wasn’t sure I wanted to sign, since he had broken his word about the jacket. He laughed and assured me that I’d get a jacket.

...

Before I signed the deal, I told him he’d have to deliver on his promise and get me a jacket. Once again, he chuckled, but this time he came through. I guess he didn’t want to risk losing a decent prospect over the cost of a coat. He directed me to a downtown store and told me to go in, pick out a jacket, and sign for it. I went with Marty Pavelich and Ted Lindsay. The jacket I got had big, heavy slit pockets. The material was smooth on the outside, like satin, and it had leather sleeves with alpaca lining. It also had a big “D” with “Red Wings” written on it. Every time I put on that sharp-looking jacket I felt a bit more like I belonged.

excerpts from "Mr. Hockey" by Gordie Howe

[tomyo]

Harvest Moon: A New Beginning (its trans)

So I've finally hit a point where I feel like I can breathe again which means its time to get back into my backlog made majorly of Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games. Admittedly the moment I get into the DS era and beyond, I get overwhelmed by all the mechanics but I spent....a dumb amount of money on these games and I have to push myself to try. Between Trio of Towns and A New Beginning, I chose ANB for two reasons; 1.It might be simpler to jump into 2.You can back door hack yourself into being gay....kinda.

You see the thing is you still can only date hetrosexually BUT you can just change your character to basically look completely like a girl. Trans rights??? Except you'll get misgendered all the time...unless this is a transmasc story instead for the fuckers like me that like to be he/him'd while in full femme mode. Either way, time to romance Yuri!

So admittedly this is a little bit mixed of a guide slash person road map, I am using a Fogu guide but that doesn't necessarily make it easy. So, I'm only on spring 14 but here's what to know thus far:

The game is as handholdy as ACNL/NH and will slowly dole out mechanics over thankfully in game days. Only worry about mechanics as they come.

You will spend per usual a good part of the start will be foraging. Sell the bugs but save flowers/herbs/mushrooms. You will need moon drops for the start of the town restoration. Also save Honey Bees for the second part of it too. Blue flowers are for Emma to befriend her. Hold onto all logs and stones for when Iroha comes.

Talk to all villagers to increase friendship, show them an animal as well but be careful of preferences. Most villager friendship is required to progress to more stores/upgrades.

When you unlock crops, only buy two things of grass. You are given all you need for most of your farm already. Plant and water the grass in the barn area so you'll have fodder in time for the free cow you get a few days later.

Work on shipping tons of potatoes in spring, this will be a headstart for Town Restoration #4 where you need to ship 30 of them.

Events Process: You arrive>>You unlock crops>>Neil arrives and gives you a cow>>Iroha arrives and gives you an Axe and Hammer>> Rebecca arrives and needs house help which unlocks blueprints>> Town Restoration #1>> Town Restoration #2>> Town Restoration #3 start>> Tailor Shop Blue print should unlock if you befriended Emma enough.

Yuri also seems extremely easy to woo honestly, her special like is one of the early recipes which is also important to eat regularly. In general I just love her and its a crime she can't be romanced same sexly but its okay because again, we are transing ourselves which she and Allen will help with. Wow! What a little gay gender affirming circle that is lmao.

The goal is to get Yuri in my town by early to mid fall, the biggest road block is during restoration 2 you need to ship 10 honey which will take 6 days to make so the more hives the better from the start. Clearing out the farm during summer is imperative. Hives are made out of small lumber and honey combs which is why collecting as much as possible is important (and collecting bees for them too!).

After Yuri is unlocked, the only goals are to raise a lot of sheep for wool. hatch 10 chicks, and get one yak when the chance is given. Side goals include birthing three Cows, sheep, and Alpaca during my second year. Most of Restoration 3 and beyond involves mining and wool so I expect to spend winter doing a lot of digging while also being aware that I'll probably not complete the storyline until at least late into year 2. There's more focus on festivals in the final two restorations as well as a lot of odd gems.

Post main plot is for clothing, house decoration, and child rearing. Emma, Neil, Olivia, Sanjay, and the travel location people are important towards gift exchanges. Outfits will just unlock as I go thanks to Yuri. I might also do a split save before marrying Yuri simply because Witch Princess is always kinda cool but is so late game that having to rebuild everything to marry her might honestly kill me.

It seems partially ridiculous to be so early in the game and to be writing so much already but its one of those series where you need a huge planning stage before you even start anything. To which I find fun the preplan. Admittedly also because the current game play is so repetitive; Watering and animal care in the morning, chasing after Emma for her daily gift, and then wrapping around foraging a couple of times before the night watering. It doesn't help either that there is no quality of life improvements as you go, apparently not even power berries this time.

The path to repairing a town is kind of a fun mechanic to be real; ACNH widely disappointed me for not really being the civilization maker it promised, Hometown story is interesting for a similar was in how it runs, Pioneers of Olive Town sometimes is the perfect amount of town rebuilder, and of course the ever popular stardew valley is great for slowly building up additions to an already pretty sound townspace, and I yearn for easier access to Animal Parade for how lovely the area is even if a bit of a travelling nightmare at points. I don't expect ANB to be revolutionary necessarily but I'm excited to GET to the point where I can suddenly dish out a bunch of town support. It's kind of cool how there's barely love interests as well because of it.

[karaloza]

Legend of Zelda Theme Park - Epona Ranch

Only a few Zelda titles include a ranch--by any name--as a noteworthy area in the game, but for those that do, it's often a highlight, populated by endearing characters and animals. Because the names vary, it took me a while to settle on Epona Ranch for the theme park, named after Link's beloved mare in several games, and I've taken inspiration not just from the ranches, but from various slow-paced rural towns and horse-centric scenarios across the franchise for the features in this area. Visually, however, it mostly takes after Lon Lon Ranch from Ocarina of Time, with an encircling wall (represented by a brick-patterned strip on the map), an entryway lined with farmhouse-style buildings, and then a large open area with more buildings on the far side. A large horse paddock occupies much of the central space.

Attractions

Epona's Ponies: Located in the barn on the right-hand side as one enters, this is a fairly typical live pony ride—one where the ponies are hitched to a carousel in order to minimize the risk of mishaps. There are two such carousels to cut down on wait times; one goes clockwise and the other counter-clockwise, and the ponies are regularly swapped between them and cycled in and out of active use for their own health and enrichment. Stringent height and weight limits are also in place to protect the animals, so this ride is limited to younger/smaller folks.

Petting Pens: An open-air pen next to the pony ride barn contains goats, sheep, and alpacas to interact with. Large chicken coops are also present, but the animals are not accessible to guests, as evidenced by signs reading “Please do not bother the Cuccos! Miss Malon takes no responsibility for the consequences!” Epona herself—a silver bay thoroughbred—is often on display in a side pen. For the safety of both guests and animals, hand-washing at the sinks provided is required upon entering and leaving the pen.

Malon Meet-and-Greet: Miss Malon herself makes scheduled appearances next to the petting pens, where she will pose for photos, sign autographs, and sing “Epona's Song” to delight the guests.

Miss Malon's Equestrian Extravaganza: Once or twice a day, the central horse paddock becomes the site of a live show in which experienced equestrians demonstrate trick riding, jumps, and other horseback stunts.

The Great Gallop: The main (mane?) attraction of Epona Ranch is located in the building complex opposite the entrance. In this screen-based motion-sim ride, guests mount “horses” and compete in a horse race! The screen provides a first-person view of the track, updated in real time as the “horse” runs and leaps (or fails to leap) over obstacles in accordance with the rider's inputs. The winner of each race receives a special button to wear.

Shops

6. Sera's Sundries: A souvenir and gift shop offering clothing, housewares, knick-knacks, and toys with a country style, named after the rural village shop in Twilight Princess.

7. The Stable Store: A shop for all the horse girls (and horse guys and horse enbies) out there, offering toys, figurines, books, and other items to delight the would-be (or actual) equestrian. The exterior design is inspired by the Stables of Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom.

8. Kochi Dye Shop: All-natural fiber garments and accessories are dyed on-site in a stunning variety of colors and patterns. Buy as-is or request a custom job for an extra fee. Named after a similar business in Breath of the Wild's idyllic Hateno Village.

Eateries

9. Chateau Romani BBQ and Milk Bar: A family-style barbecue restaurant where the whole party can chow down on steak, ribs, chicken, and country-style side dishes. The name Chateau Romani comes from the “special” (alcoholic?) milk in Majora's Mask, and the “Milk Bar” part of the name isn't just cosmetic; this place has an unusually extensive milk and dairy menu, including goat's milk, almond milk, soy milk, and a number of cheeses. Patio seating is available.

10. The Apple Cart: The humble apple is a favorite snack for horses and humans alike, and this outdoor booth provides all you could want—whole or sliced apples on their own, dried apple treats, apple fritters, apple mini-pies, squeeze pouches of applesauce, bottled apple juice and (soft) cider...but not, ironically enough, horse apples!

Miscellaneous

Epona Ranch doesn't have its own Spirit Train station but is served by the one located in the Lost Woods. Guests near the west side of the area have a clear view of the train as it passes through.

[gemwolfz]

some peruvian-flavored bootleg items at a pop-up store in the mall. some of the Clothing Items were made partially with alpaca wool :)

[nancypullen]

It’s DERBY DAY!!!

Late last night I baked a few cupcakes so that the little miss and I could decorate them this morning.  The cupcake liners are red roses (run for the roses) and the decor speaks for itself.  Here’s hoping that they taste better than they look.

After breakfast I started a pork butt in the slow cooker so that we can have a Derby dinner of pulled pork.  I’m throwing together a broccoli salad and a couple of other things, keeping it simple so I can sit down and enjoy the race.  Crossing my fingers that my gray horse wins.  I never bet enough to get rich, but if Tapit Trice wins I will be placing a healthy Sephora order.  Wrinkle cream ain’t cheap.  It also ain’t working, but that’s a story for another day. Around 10 o’clock we ladies went to Easton to paint pottery.  Before departing Tennessee a dear pal gave me a gift certificate to Kiln Born Creations.  Painting pottery and chatting was a favorite past time of ours in Mt. Juliet and her card said to use the gift to create special memories with the grandgirl.  I didn’t intend to wait this long to use it, but between Covid, kidney stones, her 4 year old attention span, etc we did end up waiting.  I’m so glad we did.  Today Little Miss Magic and I painted a fairy house for her garden.  She believes in fairies with all her heart and is convinced she’ll have tenants.  I’m going to have to order some tiny shoes or items of clothing to drop inside from time to time. She’ll know they’ve been there.

Once it’s fired those colors will become brilliant and glossy. I think any fairy would be happy to live there.  

Can we take a moment to appreciate that adorable dress?

That little Peter Pan collar and the blue waist sash - swoon!  My sister made that dress for her daughter twenty plus years ago.  She has gifted me with dresses, a kuspuk (also handmade), dance recital outfits, scads of American Girl dolls, clothes, and equipment, and books.  Aunt Cathi is an absolute celebrity in my grandgirl’s eyes.  When we see a car that even slightly resembles hers, she’ll sigh and say, “I wish that was Aunt Cathi coming to visit.”  She’s a fan. Me too.

Right now I’m actually home alone. The gang went off to an animal festival sponsored by Caroline County’s Humane Society. There’s supposed to be live music, food trucks, alpacas and other interesting animals, fun booths for kids, dogs doing tricks and chasing lures, and lots more. I declared that they should go on without me because I still had some meal prep to do, which I truly did need to do if I intend to enjoy the Kentucky Derby.  That didn’t take long and now I’m tapping away on the ol’ blog and talking to you.  I may have gotten the better end of the deal.  I hope they come home with an alpaca.  We can add it to the squirrel that is currently residing in our garage and refusing to leave. I’m not sure when he got trapped in there, but he tore up the blinds at one window trying to get out.  Mickey cracked the big garage door, but apparently Steve the Squirrel has gotten pretty comfy where we store the bird seed.  He was heading toward the door at one point and Mickey raised it which spoked him and he ran back into the shelving. When we came home from Easton and painting pottery I was assured that Steve has gone.  I don’t think I believe it.  I don’t want to go into the garage to grab gardening stuff or spray paint something and end up with a squirrel in my hair.  It doesn’t do any good to demand that he show himself, he won’t do it.  I asked Mickey why he thinks the squirrel is gone and he said (and I quote), “Because I saw one that looked just like him run across the street.”  This man can’t tell the difference between Ann Margaret and Lucille Ball (”Well, they both have red hair.”) but expects me to believe he can ID a squirrel at twenty yards.  Steve is probably behind the shelves raising a family right now. But I can’t think about that right now.  I’ve got DERBY plans. The more I do now, the more likely I’ll be able to watch the most exciting two minutes in sports.  I’m going to tune in early to ooh and ahh over the hats, listen to the crowd sing My Old Kentucky Home, and get chills when I hear  the “Riders up!” call.  I love it all. Even if I’m not a winner today (Forte is still the favorite), I’m having a ball. Hope your Saturday is relaxing and that you have as much fun as you’d like.  That may mean a big outing or an afternoon nap.  Your call. Sending out love, grab some if you need it. Stay safe, stay well, RIDERS UP! XOXO - Nancy