@Ruevian your avatar is particularly fitting when next to this picture. I can totally picture you making mad plague doctor experiments.
@Starcrossedsky GLASS GLASS GLASS I took a glass-fusing class last summer, and I figured it might not be worth it to take it again this year just for the kiln time - so I got a tiny microwave kiln for like $80 and set up a workshop in my basement!! I just tested it out properly today and I am so pleased. The tiny ones will be earrings eventually, I think, and the big one... I was curious to see if I could slump the pink piece over some clear bits underneath it you can't see from this angle, and get a wiggly shape, but the tiny tiny black pieces I put on top spread out and became enormous. The teacher from last summer let us use a lot of her supplies, though, and I'm really missing being able to use mica pigments and frit and the rods she had and so on. Bonus tho: there is a "glass warehouse" store near my house, so I can go snag cool dichroic pieces in person. I didn't even know dichro powder was a thing, J will have to check it out.
@bluefox GLASS GLASS GLASS I don't know much about fusing honestly but iirc there's some kind of special material used for slumping molds? I also don't know if the moicrowave kilns do the thing very effectively. Shrugs. Mostly I just envy fusy-people because you guys can get the fucking fancy dichro patterns. I really want to be able to apply a lot of the fancier fused glass shit to blown glass, or at least try, so I should probably invest in some dichro once I Kiln. Speaking of which here is ur dichro powder is very expensive and suffering. but I love dichro. (ooh they have dichro PAPER now too how did I miss that.)
In terms of fancy patterns, I have dichro polka dots and also tiny square dots. I like them a lot; they warp in an interesting way. :D And thank you, Ivy!
Okay textile folks. Who can point me at a good (inexpensive? $5-10/skein?) online resource for yarns? Craft stores are failing me. Ideally I want a soft wool or wool blend. Only thing I can find in mainstream shops is Lion's Brand Fisherman's Wool, which is survivable but bland. I want warm sandy colors and chocolate browns with maaaaybe a tinge of burgundy. I found gorgeous stuff in the local shop, but at $18 for a 50yrd skein when I'm making an afghan, my bank account would reach though my wallet and strangle me. I'm thinking about Lion's Brand Homespun but with all the twisty painted colors I'm afraid it won't work well in the granny-square pattern I'm leaning towards. (Because you can stuff an unfinished square, a needle and a skein into a purse. Hello lunch break decompression)
Knitpicks is life, knitpicks is love. (Check the yardage, though, their skeins are a tad on the small side.) Edit: You're probably looking for their Swish, which is their superwash merino yarn. If you prefer skinnier, the Stroll sock yarn is also ace. Chroma's not bad, although it's rougher than the ones I mentioned and it's a single-ply, so if you tend to split the yarn it might not be the best idea. If you're looking for a splurge on something really soft, try City Tweed. Wool of the Andes is their rougher option, so I'd probably steer you away from it (although personally I can wear it, but that's because I have a reasonably high texture tolerance). If you have any other questions about their product line let me know. I promise I don't work for them - I just have a rolling cart full of their yarn!
FYI, I also edited in some notes on their product line and relative softness in the previous post. There's an entire fangroup for Knit Picks on ravelry, which is where I know about a lot of them (I usually stick to Comfy Fingering, Stroll, and WOTA, myself, but I've dabbled in their higher-tier offerings occasionally).
WOTA is a little bit scratchy when you get it, but when you're finished put it in water with a bit of hair conditioner to soften it (wool is a lot like hair, you can use hair shampoo and conditioner on it if you lack the special kind of wool soap!)
This is brilliant, I hadn't thought of that. Probably best to wash the squares as pieces, block & dry, then assemble, yes?
I'd assemble first and then wash and dry, but if you've got limited space doing it the other way around should be okay too.
Ehhhhng. Washing space I have plenty, but everything I know says No Wool In Dryer, which means laying it out to dry... with mischievous dogs.
Ah! I suggest pinning 'em to your bed in the bedroom and then shutting the door. It is how I pinned out my shawls back when I lived with cats. The cats were very annoyed, but it's worth not having torn-up knitting. If you point a fan at it, it'll only take a few hours.
oooooohhhh the ones with the shimmering opal-esque stuff are grogeous *3* (do you happen to sell these somewhere?)
