Topic awaiting preservation: Rant Craftiness

Past few years I have been focusing on being crafty in my own ways. I've collected a bunch of little things. I've got O-rings handy, some D-rings, two different spools of wire, some bamboo, paperclips, and lots of other little things that randomly come in handy. I think I use dowels and cheap carabiners the most.

One day I wanted an awl for some Turkhead knots. I went outside, found a branch, and carved an awl to custom fit my hand and fingers. It was amazing while it lasted. I got to make another one someday using better wood. No money spent on a fancy-smancy tool. Just some time invested.

One day I was having a difficult time darning some yarn in a scarf. Bend a piece of wire into a "pull" needle. Shazam with the low-tech.

One day I was talking with one of the girls at work. She said that she enjoys the occassional blindfold and that she wanted to buy one. I started to get mad. I listed off more than a few things that would make for a decent-enough blindfold. Pretty much any kind of cloth. Scarf, T-shirt, pillowcase... and on-and-on.

Just to be a jerkface, I decided to get sarcastic. Blindfold? Challenge accepted!

The only thing that I needed to buy was elastic. Had everything else on hand. Denim cloth from an old pair of jeans, needle, thread, wire, and soldering things.

Cut the denim to size, triangle nose, and a funky shape for the nose. Hand sewn. An actual nose piece. Know what I mean?

Cut the eyelets for the elastic. Bend some wire and soldered for grommets. Sewed them in by hand. Total of four, two high and two low. One set for the back of the head, and other set for under closer to the neck. Damn things are rock solid. Zero deformation of the fabric when tugged.

The fun part was doing the reducers for the elastic straps. As if I was going to hunt them down and buy them. Nah, I got wire that I can solder. My wire reducers worked far better than I was expecting. Easy to adjust, yet hold tight. Woo!

Now I've got this awesome blindfold. The nose piece makes taking a peek down the nose that much harder. An elastic strap high and an elastic strap low. Extra bonus that the elastic straps are adjustable via the reducers.

However, some of the craftsmanship isn't the greatest because it was my first one. But now I know.

I gave her the blindfold because that's how I roll when I decide to get sarcastic.

Of course, I don't expect people to get this crazy with their blindfold craftiness. Like I said earlier, almost any piece of cloth can be a makeshift blindfold. No shame no muss no fuss in low-tech, sarcastic or what have you. (But keep it safe.)

I do have someone special in my life since the divorce. She is whiz-bang with sewing and embroidery. One day she was complaining that she can't find a green dog collar of any style. The collar that she has for her dog is similiar to a martingale, but not quite. I haven't examined the collar in detail, so I don't know the exact design.

I confess that I started getting a bit angry all over again. Just make it! Rip the hardware from the current collar, get some fabric, and sew it all back together again. Grr! And embroider something awesome on it! Can't find some suitable stock fabric? Make it. Get some white denim from old clothes at a thrift shop and dye it any shade of green you like. Or get me some string and I'll tablet weave it. Or I'll inkle the straps. Just make it!

Failing that, I'll make the collar myself using olive paracord and some D-rings. I'll Celtic knot the straps and do all of the other knot work myself. I'm actually looking forward to taking this route if/when it comes to it. I do damn good work, damnit.

No need to buy every last thing.
You are capable.

I run into this attitude quite often. I want a bracelet like this or a leash like that, but I can't find one. I want a scarf that's blah blah blah, but can't find one. I want a choker with these colours, but no one sells them. Hey, give me a fist full of cash and I'll hook you up.

:whew:

I feel better.
Thanks for listening.

I quite enjoy your rants. -_Q

Sorry to hear about the divorce. As I recall you spoke fondly of your "girlies" & hope you've maintained contact. Incidentally ... other than me you're the only person I've heard use that term of endearment. Usually garners a few glares sometimes even gasps from those who don't know me.

As for the dog collars make a few & take them to a high-end pet store or an S&M shop.... good money... in both outlets -_Q

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If you're not outraged - you're not paying attention.

It has been awhile since I've been on a rant, hasn't it? Probably becaues I don't interact with folks nearly as much as I used to. I prefer to sit and do my own thing. Braiding in various forms, lots of decortive knotwork, crochet, nets, and things. Pretty much anything to do with string or rope. Maybe this is my way of not getting angry at people... avoiding voluntary contact. Heh.

Our divorce has actually been a good thing. We still talk about things and do favors for each other, but we aren't making each other miserable with bad habits. A lot of folks see divorce as bitter and all that, and thus don't understand ours. We may be divorced, but still are, in our own way, friends.

I see my girlies most days after school, and I do get them weekly for a bit. We still do all of the stuff that we used to do. I introduce them to new things, and I help them explore the things that they are interested in. Girlie #1 got sucked into anime/manga and her art has gone in that direction (Mark Crilley is her hero). Girlie #2 is seriously into making little things for dioramas. I recently bought her a glue gun and she couldn't be happier.

Anyways, one of the things that Girlie #1 has very recently shown interest in is D&D. Colour me purple and call me happy. I told her some of my old stories and got out one of my longest running journals. After re-reading this journal, I've been thinking about transcribing it for ya'll to read.

One of my longest running D&D journals for you folks to read.
Hmm...