Comments | moragmacpherson: Out of Hand: A User's Guide to Unraveling Morag

moragmacpherson

Out of Hand: A User's Guide to Unraveling Morag

Feb 12, 2012 10:25

Psych #1: Why is the first word you always use to describe yourself "short"?
Me: Because it's the obvious one. "Look for the short chick." People pick me out of a crowd every time.
Psych #1: You seem to focus on being small, it comes up almost randomly in conversation. Why is that?
Me: Because it's not something I ever have a chance to forget about.
( Read more... )

fic, knitting, spn, fandom, real life, inception

Comments 10

switchbladesis February 12 2012, 19:14:37 UTC

This is random, but have you tried blue sky alpaca's cotton stuff? They're a local yarn for me, so I don't know how easy they'd be easy to find by you, but it's also the sort of thing I'd be willing to ship. It's a lot softer and fuzzier than a lot of other cotton yarns, yet is 100% cotton. It runs at about $5-8 a skein, I think.

Another friend of mine that is allergic to lanolin swears by Paton's bamboo silk, which might be easier to find. That's a bit more crazy warm, yet still cheap.

moragmacpherson February 12 2012, 19:57:11 UTC

That Blue Sky stuff looks entirely unfamiliar... AND FANTASTIC. I may take you up on the shipping thing one of these days, if my yarn shop won't order it or insists on a big mark-up for a special order. Thanks!

The bamboo silk is nice, I used it once (not sure if it was Paton's), but it's also almost exclusively available in light weights, and it's just as bad in the elasticity and fraying departments, as well as being more slippery - I don't think I've ever dropped so many stitches (it does feel heavenly though).

ETA: Looking at the name again, it might actually be at my yarn shop, but I would have read the "alpaca" on the name (which yes, I react to; my capillaries want an excuse to blow up) and would have breezed right past it without looking at the actual label. I already walk with care at the yarn shop - next time I will look closer.

switchbladesis February 12 2012, 20:06:18 UTC

Oh yeah, the elasticity is difficult, and it is slippery and splitty as all getout.

The blue sky stuff sheds a bunch, and does pill after you're done, but it's a lot softer and less slippery than most cotton yarns I've dealt with.

There's also knitpick's shine, which has the advantage of being ridiculously cheap.

moragmacpherson February 12 2012, 20:16:32 UTC

Oooooooh. Thanks for tips. I really need to be more willing to yarn shop online, but I like to be able to feel yarn before I use it. For obvious reasons, although this gets me into plenty of trouble. On the other hand it's gotten to the point where I can accurately determine the wool content of any given blend just by how much it makes my fingertips tingle (an otherwise useless party trick which the ladies at the yarn shop have never gotten tired of).

Thread 5

scarletscarlet February 13 2012, 04:37:19 UTC

So, I'm not the only person whom that story left with an irresistible desire to pick up needles and learn linen stitch. Good to know :D.

(Tiny comment on massive post feels somewhat impolite. Long post was v interesting, and now I want to see Say Anything. Can't quite believe I haven't, given that I've seen loads of the quintessential 80s films and adore John Cusack.)

moragmacpherson February 13 2012, 06:04:10 UTC

The reason I was the beta was because the author (who still hasn't claimed yet) knew I knitted just a little and wanted me to check to see if the terminology ever got too oblique for non-knitters. Then s/he described the stitch to me and I was like "ooh, I can do that and I have just the yarn" and yeah... I will never explain to my roommate why I'm calling that my knotting scarf. =D

And any response to enormous post of "new people, hi, you should know what you're getting into" other than quietly defriending is actually very much appreciated. But seriously: go rent a copy of "Say Anything". It's Valentine's Day, you have an excuse, and your life will be better for it.

scarletscarlet February 13 2012, 06:35:19 UTC

I do hope they claim. Such an utterly charming story - I'm kind of (selfishly) hoping it's another person mostly-new-to-me so that I can explore :). HOWEVER, I know that a lot of people *don't* claim, for all kinds of reasons, so I feel like I should say that the hope on my part is not intended as any pressure on theirs :).

"Knotting scarf" has to win, utterly, as a reference (though, a teeny-tiny platypus would be pretty good as well, and no one would giggle at it for quite the right reason). Ooh, ooh, and if you could find any spun dog-hair you could REALLY make it fic-appropriate, and presumably lanolin-free? I imagine it's not easy to track down, though, and be sure it's unblended with tricky things. But. So nice. I borrowed a bag full of brushed out husky hair for Sensible Reasons and it is the softest, warmest thing imaginable.

This could be the perfect excuse to get a membership at the local rental place. I don't have a telly, so haven't really bothered, but I can watch dvds through the computer just as easily. ALL THE OLD TV

bardofcogs February 16 2012, 07:48:05 UTC

JGL and NPH together in a video? Applauds!

Hello there--I would be one of those newbies you mentioned--waves tentatively---and this is what I learned today---

A) I definitely need a shrink(s) who ask as awesome and inventive questions as you do = LOVE

B) Say Anything is a much under-appreciated gem of goodness---which now I need to go watch again to pick up on all of the correlations you expanded on.

C) Reads Thesis---scratches head---goes back to reading Thesis and determines I would need to actually know what Godel's Proof of Incompleteness Theory was---but determines it sounds amazing and you're writing skills are quite solid. So cheers!

moragmacpherson February 16 2012, 20:00:50 UTC

As long as I'm spreading the good news of JGL and NPH doing absurd shaggy dog live theater together, then I'm doing my job. But getting to know new people makes it more fun ( ... )