Wardrobe Refashion Update

I've just realised that I've broken the back of my 6 month Wardrobe Refashion Challenge pledge. As of today I am 89 days in with 65 left to go and I haven't bought any new clothes in that time.

In fact, I'm beginning to wonder whether I'll ever go back to my previous shopping habits. Whilst my posting on the site has been sporadic and lacking in recent months (I'm blaming my broken camera lead) I've not been idle in terms of making/acquiring new items.

I've got seriously into my crochet, which is helped a *lot* by the monthly Stitches and Hos evening at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath. It was my second visit to the group last night and, after a short attempt at some knitting during a short crochet break I decided I might actually give it a go for a proper project (especially after I got free needles from the group!) .

Sewing has also increased dramatically, although I've got a few UFOs (unfinished objects) waiting around to be sorted. These are mostly items from charity shops that I've bought with a mind to revamp in some way.

This gets me on to my main point. I used to shop in charity shops a lot as a student for quirky or kitsch items but it's dropped off in recent years. Since doing the WRC though I've got a renewed excitement about them and realised most of my wardrobe staples can be sourced here. I've had a few really good hauls of clothes that I can wear as-is without fixing up and I have less guilt about sweat-shop brands like Primark if they are already "pre-loved". Plus it's ace for my bank balance! I don't think I'm ever going to shop normally again...

Why I need a dress form...

Why? Because I live on my own and have found it increasingly difficult to make any clothes for myself that actually fit, due to not having double-jointed arms and eyes in the back of my head! Cue the duct tape dress form...

I'm definitely going to give this a go at some point with the help of a trusty friend, despite what it will undoubtedly do to my self-esteem due to its 'accuracy'. Any volunteers for wrapping?

Impatience is not a virtue

I am not patient, this is a well-documented fact. I have flights of fancy and get ideas that I want to do things but I can't wait, so I end up doing them half-arsed because I want to do them *now*! I am the same, if not worse, with crafts. I'm making the crochet cardigan from the front cover of the Crochet Me book and I was too lazy to do a swatch first.




Well... I sort of did one... I did a couple of rows and roughly measured it, but it seems now I'm nearing the end it wasn't right and I'm wishing I'd spent the time at the beginning to make a 10x10cm swatch of the right gauge. It seems it is a size or two too small but I'm so far through I don't want to start again. Looks like my only option is to lose the weight I've been promising myself and tone up those arms so they can get through the sleeves. Either that or carry out some industrial-sized cardie-stretching :(

The Joys of GIS

I've had an extraordinarily busy first quarter of this year. After spending 6 years chained to my desk for my PhD I have, since January, travelled to Rome, Vancouver, Amsterdam and Bern (and I'm not counting numerous UK trips as well). I might moan about my job but at least I get to see the world!

This last trip was to Switzerland where I gave a paper about the work I did for my thesis - all about modelling Roman agricultural systems using GIS. It's funny, sometimes I love archaeology and sometimes I hate it. I mostly hated it in the last few months of my thesis (understandably). I would far rather be tinkering with GIS models or out and about on fieldwork than reading and writing about it.

It's funny how I was attracted to GIS - I think it is purely on an aesthetic level. After having given up art and music formally after A-Level it's arguably the closest thing archaeology can get to being creative on a practical level. There's a famous quote (I forget who by) about GIS which argues that GIS is more than just pretty pictures. Whilst this is absolutely true, I think that when you can create images like these, it certainly makes the interpretation that much more interesting when there's something nice to look at!

He say ugg

I've just read about new computer simulations of Neanderthal speech based on their differing vocal tracts as compared to modern humans. (Hear it here, and read the article here).

That audio file confirms all my stereotypes about pre-modern man...

My first Weave-It squares

Well after geting my Weave-It loom the other day I was desperate to try it out and here are the results! (Many of these patterns are gratuitously stolen from eLoomanator, and the rest from the scanned manuals on the eLoomanation website, for which I am very grateful). Click the pics for a closer look...


Plain weave





Seven diagonal stripes (front and back)




Wide Wale Corduroy (one colour plus front and back 2-colour)





Wide Wale Corduroy with a twist (front and back)




Unknown from manual (front and back)




I have had some rather excellent ideas about making my own shaped loom for hat making and I reckon this weekend should see some developments on that front!

Ice Magic

I have seen lots of 80s nostalgia online, but none has struck a chord with me quite so much as fond memories of Ice Magic. That conical squeezy container, the lid that looked like a frozen mountain cap, and the nastily fake chocolate flavour that hardened so beautifully on ice cream. My favourite was most definitely the mint flavour.

Well, I've not seen it for years so I assumed they stopped making it (probably due to the high numbers of additives which are now illegal... I assume) but I got a link today leading me to a recipe by Naomi Poe to make your own. I guess I know what I'll be trying out this weekend. Yum :op