ofearthandstars

1 Current experiment, Antipodes: v2 exists---back yoke segment plus the upper parts of the fronts. Having to use a smaller needle amuses me; 2019/earlier me usually had to size up instead, whereas my current hands couldn't hold the yarn tightly even if I wanted them to.

Skipping through a few knitters' vlogs on Antipodes has been helpful. One voluble person talked through knitting the segments in a different order for color management, and though I don't need to do that, knitting the front of the yoke before the back's lower half is a good plan regardless---to check in a mirror that the front and back armhole adjustments are correct and in sync. Stranded colorwork starts before the armhole ends.

2 I would link to the pattern for the uncomplicated project that I began a couple of weeks ago, but there isn't much point. It seems to have some errors (minor; more than a few). My use of remnants makes my WIP look nothing like the featured projects on Ravelry. The designer's pix exist only in the pattern PDF. The yarn dyer seems to've scrubbed themself from web search results---hope they're okay.

3 Though I'm not keen on colorblocked effects, it's a great way to show prospective knitters the garment's construction: Tif Neilan's Woodhaven pullover, plus her Collected slipover, with similarly stretchy garter-stitch yokes in worsted-weight yarn.

Their yoke shaping could probably be mashed into Wool and Pine's fingering-weight Sundial tee. I've linked it before---the obstacle to trying it then was the strong sense that Sundial's simple yoke (stretchy only in front) and my bones would disagree.

4 Also in saddle-shoulder construction, at fingering weight: Bana Kavanagh's 108 Cardigan and 108 Sweater (pullover).

5 Matching possible patterns with yarn on hand is much swifter than knitting, alas.

fanweeklymod posting in

fandomweekly

Challenge 313:
SHAPESHIFTING

Sometimes, you need to be someone else.

For most of us, there’s a limit to how much we can change. You can change your hairstyle, get a whole new wardrobe, maybe some colored contacts, but short of extensive surgery, you’re still going to look at least a little bit like you. But that’s not the case for every character! Sometimes, through magic or some kind of futuristic science or because they’re not human in the first place, a character can change everything about themselves.

Can your characters shapeshift? How does it work? Are there limits?

Write a story about shapeshifting.

BONUS GOAL: The Great Outdoors

If your submission takes place outside, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

Challenge ends Monday, September 14 at 9:00PM EST.

• Post submissions as new entries using the template in the profile
• Tag this week's entries as: [#] submission, 313 – shapeshifting
• If you have questions about this challenge, please ask them here

scytale posting in

fan_flashworks

Title: G'notice to Our G'neighbors
Fandom: Limbus Company
Rating: T
Length: 231
Content notes: violence and gore, vague mention of body horror, death
Author notes: Festive
Summary: The gnomes have a message for their friends.
( Read more... )

chez_jae

A Rose from the Dead (A Flower Shop Mystery, #6)

A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

I stayed up a bit past midnight to finish my ‘spare’ book--A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins. This is the 6th “Flower Shop” mystery book, starring florist Abigail “Abby” Knight.

In an effort to increase business for her flower shop, Bloomers, Abby is spending the weekend at a funeral convention. Instead of a somber occasion, she encounters twin pranksters, a Goth girl, a protester who’s advocating for ‘green burials’, and Sybil Blount, the sophisticated cougar who organized the convention. Sybil seemed to make enemies wherever she went, so it’s not a big surprise when she ends up dead in a casket. Abby plans to steer clear of the investigation until she learns her friend Delilah is a prime suspect. Determined to get Delilah off the hook, Abby teams up with her PI boyfriend, Marco, to dig up the real killer before anyone else ends up six feet under.

Abby has a tendency to go off half-cocked, even when Marco is around to try reining her in. This book was no exception. Characterizations were good. The plot tended to bog down a bit, as the entirety of the story took place over a long weekend at a hotel/convention center. It was enjoyable, however, and I was zeroing in on the killer about halfway through. Woo!

Favorite lines:
♦ I was all about free food.
♦ “She’s not jealous of me. She’s jealous of my hats.”
♦ “Life’s a whole lot simpler when you plow around the stump.”
♦ “The only way I can describe it is goth.” // “Make that goth-awful.”
♦ “Do you have any idea how upsetting it is to hear that my only daughter is at the scene of a murder?” // Would it have been less upsetting if she’d had two daughters?

A fun read, four stars

( Cozy Clichés )

Current Mood: mellow
Current Music: "Missed Connection" ~ The Head and the Heart

edenfalling

In no particular order:

1. The 2026 Narnia Fanfic Exchange is now live! Go read the stories: it's a small exchange and the quality is very high. My gift in particular is wonderful and I really need to work up the spoons to leave a more detailed comment.

2. I renewed my apartment lease for a second year.

3. Fell in love with some chunky yarn at a local fabric/craft shop and accidentally committed to relearning to knit (I learned in high school and then promptly forgot again, which is the exact same pattern I followed with crochet in late elementary school) so I can make myself a cozy blanket. Wish me luck!

4. In Fallen London, I am faffing around doing this, that, and the other thing while I wait for opportunities to acquire Mark of Credit Pages. Once I have enough, I will be able to buy an Iron Republic safe pass and finally get back to my quest for revenge!!! ...Meanwhile I have been upgrading my laboratory, writing endless symphonies about the Correspondence, and most recently diving for treasure(?) off the shore of Mutton Island. I also got myself involved in an exchange of gifts between the Duchess and the Queen of Arbor, and opened a salon. I have not yet reaped any particular benefits from the salon, but it's early days and I have hope. Oh, and I found my way to Polythreme after piecing together a Screaming Map, but that was a while ago.

5. I think I am having an allergic reaction to something in my clothes or my toiletries, because I've been developing a sort of welted rash on my upper thighs and around my armpits. It could also be insect bites I guess? But I haven't seen any insects that might be responsible, and it definitely feels more like the time I had horrible contact dermatitis around my armpits some years ago. In that case, it was a reaction to overly dry air, so maybe I have just been spending too much time in air-conditioned indoor spaces. Anyway, I took Benadryl before sleeping yesterday and plan to repeat that tonight, and have also slathered myself in lotion, so hopefully the itching will slowly fade.

Current Mood: ITCHY
Current Location: robbinsdale, mn

cornerofmadness

In 6 years I can get to medicare (in theory) this school has to last 6 more years. I don't want to put it in writing but it's very possible it won't. I've been here before. I'm tired of being here. I do NOT know how you can consistently not know what money you have in the bank and what you can't spend? How are we always in these situations? Sigh. Stress I do not need.

Hazbin gave me what I needed today with new best friends merch, at least there's that impulse buying dopamine hit. Know what I really liked about this merch (and from S2) is the friendship between Val and Velvette. In S1 they didn't seem close but boy did that change. Those two psychos are fun together.

I was thinking today as I watched the last Hudson & Rex and thinking about

spikedluv and was missing her. As for me H&R is okay, an hour's distraction and it had been getting ridiculous with everything Rex could do. Spiked loved it and she was so upset that it looked like the actor playing Hudson was being removed. I remember her posting fan movements to save the show. They were under the impression that John Reardon (Hudson) had been fired for monetary reasons and was being replaced since he was gone most of S7

Instead he had tonsillar cancer and no one was sure if he could return to acting. Maybe he wanted that kept private. I wish she could have known that was the reason, that he wasn't being fired. He's recovered now but I have no idea if there'll be a S8 since they ended 7 with a possibility he could be back but if not, they could continue as is. I think she would have been happy.

I think she might like Blue Skies. I'm on S1E2 (it's new) with a female park ranger and her dog (who is already getting more ridiculous than Rex. It's like learn what police dogs do...) I love where it's filmed (ditto H&R) I almost did this job but it wasn't ever going to be for me even before my injury

What I'm Reading Wednesday

What I Just Finished Reading:

The Theory of Death - A Faye Kellerman mystery overly long and dull

The Incident of the Other Mother - I liked it but was a bit let down by the ending

The Invisible Man - that was boring and apparently I zoned out in the audio book because the ending made no sense.

The Murder at World's End - I loved this historical mystery. Decima the foul mouth science bitch is my soul mate. I hope, however, I'm kinder than her.

What I am Currently Reading:

The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng - not sure about this one (but I think it's the horror book club's Oct read and I've been wanting to read it. so far Cora is irritating AF

The Exorcist's house - I'm deep into Spooky season now.

The X-Files 30 days of night graphic novel, a reread but I remember literally none of it...9 months later

Also plenty of Victorian/Edwardian short stories/novellas. Here's the thing I don't have time to review them all so I will only review longer ones, famous ones or ones that stick with me. And at the end of the month I'll list out the rest of them. All of this is via Miss Worm on YT

What I Plan to Read Next: I bumped Nowhere to here as library books are rolling in for spooky season ditto these two In the Halls of the Dead and The Invisible Library

Current Mood: depressed
Current Music: Blue Skies

scribhneoirtuirseach posting in

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enchanted_jae posting in

drabble_zone

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romanajo123 posting in

tenminutesaday

( I know it’s not my turn, but it’s been a week. And A Day. )

Write a couple paragraphs of your characters having a bad or just weird day. Describe the day or at least part of it and how they handled it.

this_day_in_history_feed

Posted by HISTORY.com Editors

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-10/silent-film-star-arrested-for-murder

On September 10, 1921, Fatty Arbuckle, a silent-film era performer at the height of his fame, is arrested in San Francisco for the rape and murder of aspiring actor Virginia Rappe. A jury later acquitted Arbuckle, but the scandal essentially put an end to his career.

Roscoe Conkling Arbuckle was born on March 24, 1887, in Smith Center, Kansas. He worked as a vaudeville performer and starting in 1913, began appearing in Mack Sennett’s Keystone Cops comedies. Arbuckle became known for his comedic pratfalls and pie-throwing. In 1917, Arbuckle formed his own company and began writing and directing films, many of which starred his friend and fellow comedian Buster Keaton. In 1919, the heavy-set actor signed a $1 million per year deal with Paramount Pictures, an extraordinary sum for the time.

In early September 1921, Arbuckle went to San Francisco with two male friends for a short vacation and checked into the St. Francis Hotel. The men hosted a party in their suite, during which a guest named Virginia Rappe, who had been drinking, became ill. Rappe, who was in her twenties, died several days later from peritonitis caused by a ruptured bladder. Maude Delmont, another guest at the party, claimed Arbuckle had raped Rappe and injured her bladder.

Arbuckle’s arrest soon generated a massive scandal. Arbuckle maintained his innocence, but he was lambasted in the press, and the public, unused to Hollywood scandal, boycotted his films. The politically ambitious San Francisco district attorney was determined to prosecute Arbuckle, even though Delmont turned out to be a questionable witness, with a criminal record of her own. Several other witnesses would later claim the prosecution had intimidated them into giving false testimony.

After two mistrials, the jury in Arbuckle’s third trial found him not guilty and even issued him an apology.

Despite this favorable outcome for Arbuckle, the U.S. film industry nevertheless temporarily banned him. He subsequently attempted a comeback and even directed several films under the pseudonym William B. Goodrich, but his career never fully recovered, and he struggled with alcoholism. Arbuckle died of heart failure at age 46 on June 29, 1933, in New York City.

The post Silent film star Fatty Arbuckle arrested for murder appeared first on HISTORY.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-10/silent-film-star-arrested-for-murder

mecurtin posting in

fandom_checkin

This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Wednesday, September 9, to midnight on Friday, September 10 (8pm Eastern Time).

Poll #35036 Daily check-in poll

Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 10

How are you doing?

I am OK
7 (70.0%)

I am not OK, but don't need help right now
3 (30.0%)

I could use some help
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single
6 (60.0%)

One other person
1 (10.0%)

More than one other person
3 (30.0%)

Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.

stonepicnicking_okapi

Today's word comes from a fic...

litham.

a mouth-veil which the Tuareg and other West and North African (namely Sahelian) nomads, particularly men, have traditionally used to cover the lower part of their face.

litham

rocky41_7 posting in

booknook

Title: An Unkindness of Ghosts
Author: Rivers Solomon
Genre: Sci-fi, fiction

I am definitely not going to finish my library system’s summer book bingo because I apparently never read anything I could even remotely stretch to fit the “soothing” square. Anyway, on Monday night I finished An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon.

This book takes place on a vast spaceship traveling for centuries, but the core of its story is an examination of racism and inequality. The dynamics between citizens of the upper decks of the ship and those from the lower decks is an allegory for the antebellum South, with the light-skinned upper deck citizens convinced of the moral necessity of their superiority over the dark-skinned lower deck citizens. Protagonist Aster and her friends and family aren’t slaves in name, but in practicality, they are.

Solomon excels in showing the myriad ways, large and small, that this dynamic breaks down Aster and those like her, particularly Aster’s companion Giselle. There’s scarcely a moment of Aster’s life where she’s allowed to forget “her place” and the constant stress of this wears on her. Aster is very intelligent, but none of that matters in a world where one look at her convinces people in power that she’s worthless.

I found Solomon’s writing engaging and her characters realistic. You may not like all of them, but they all feel like real people, and plausible products of the harsh lives they’ve been forced to live. When they behaved irrationally, it felt earned and real. When they were victorious, it felt like the story had provided enough support to back that.

Also at the core of the story is the passing down of information, stories, and traditions, which not only give Aster solace when times are difficult, but also guide her to the revelations she makes later in the book.

This is Solomon’s first book, and I do think it shows in some clumsy editing and dropped threads, but overall I think the book is a creative exploration of social dynamics with interesting characters and solid writing. If Solomon improves from here, I look forward to seeing what else they put out!

torachan

1. This morning Carla couldn't find her wallet and thought she might have lost it at Disneyland, but we ended up finding it in the car. It doesn't have her ID (we both have magnetic card holders that attach to our phones that have our driver's licenses and a couple credit cards) but it did have a bunch of credit cards, which we would have had to cancel.

2. It was super hot and muggy yesterday at Disneyland, but we managed to pace ourselves pretty well and still had a good time. Seeing Yzma was definitely worth it.

3. Today is supposed to be the peat of the heatwave. It's been in the mid 90s here and over 100 in Anaheim, so I'm glad our OBB date was yesterday no today. I've been mostly managing in the house, but Carla's been parked out in the garage with the AC on all day, as she's much more sensitive to the heat. We were originally planning on going to Universal Studios tomorrow, but even though it won't be as hot as today, it's still going to be in the low 90s there, so we're going to go on Sunday instead, when it's supposed to be like 81. Fingers crossed!

4. I got in a decent bike ride this morning before it got too hot and stopped at a new to us bakery. It's a Mexican bakery we'd seen many times but never checked out until recently when we saw a video on youtube about the best tortillas in LA and they mentioned that this bakery chain uses their tortillas for burritos. Unfortunately when I got there I found that they have not had the burritos in stock for a few days (they said maybe tomorrow, but I've got other plans, so I'll go again another time) but I did get some delicious pastries and a breakfast sandwich for Carla. Oh, and a horchata latte, which was really good.

Clockwise from top the flavors are champurrado, matcha, hibiscus, and lavender. I'd get all of them except the matcha again. Matcha was fine, but everything is matcha these days, so it wasn't particularly special. The others were amazing, though.

5. Tuxie sure loves this pile of boards lol.

babycoric_boygirl

I recently tried strawberry ice cream and I now realize why people like that flavor. Like, it made me wish that I just had a container of strawberry ice cream rather than one that also had chocolate and vanilla. (Because that way there'd be more strawberry.)

It makes me wonder if strawberry milkshakes and strawberry milk are also good. I've been tempted to try strawberry milk for a long time but I've always been worried about disliking it and then having a container of strawberry milk I can't use for anything.

Anyway, I'll probably eat more of that strawberry ice cream later. My teeth are pretty sensitive to cold, so I'm giving them a break for now.

Current Mood: relaxed

chez_jae

Surprise Groom by D.J. Jamison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

Finished reading Surprise Groom by DJ Jamison last night. It’s the first in the “Marital Bliss” series of male/male romances. The main characters are Caleb Taylor and Julien Chastain.

Caleb didn’t realize his father had left Bliss Island Resort in such dire straits until his father’s partner, Louis Chastain, calls in a debt. However, the loan agreement signed between the men years ago included a loophole: if a Taylor married a Chastain, the loan would be forgiven. Louis intends for Caleb to marry his troubled daughter, Sofia, but it’s his estranged son, Julien, that Caleb seeks out. Julien was disowned at fifteen for being gay, and when his childhood friend hunts him up in Miami with a ridiculous offer, he takes the chance to secure a better life for himself and to get back at his domineering father. Caleb and Julien return to Bliss Island, where they learn to play the part of a loving couple to “sell” their relationship. Eventually, they both catch feelings, and now what began as a business transaction is becoming ever more real. Just when it seems they can have their (wedding) cake and eat it, too, Julien’s father refuses to lose without a fight.

This story was alternately happy-making and mad-making. Caleb is such a sweetheart. He’s charming, responsible, and loyal, not just to his home and business (Bliss Island), but eventually to Julien as well. Julien is prickly and guarded, but who can blame him? Louis Chastain deserved to be punched in the face repeatedly. In fact, each day of the rest of his life should begin with him being randomly punched in the face. As Caleb and Julien grow closer, you can’t help but hope they’ll get their HEA. If ever two characters deserve it, it’s these two. All characters were portrayed well, even the jack-holes (yes, Louis was not the only one), and the plot moved at a good pace and held my interest.

Favorite lines:
♦ “I promise not to molest you over your eggs.”
♦ He was sure no couple in history had ever botched hand-holding like this.
♦ “I’d do anything for you.” // “Good, because we have a lot of ribbons to tie.” // “Except that.” // “No takesie-backsies.”

Very good, although I’d rather not get angry while reading a book. LOL! Four stars.

Current Mood: mellow

deird1

I decided to write some Stardew Valley fic.

Title: This is my place
Rating: G
Word Count: 2090

Summary: The farmer has a good year. So does the Valley.

( the Valley sees everything )

matsushima posting in

redwall

Someone found this on Edelweiss. If you click the title of the first result ("Redwall: The Boxed Set"), there's a line at the bottom of the listing that says "ORPHANS OF MOSSFLOWER will be published simultaneously." It's due out about a year from now.

Thoughts?

I admit, I haven't kept up with Redwall post-Triss and I have complicated feelings about posthumously released work but I'm still intrigued and will probably read it when it's released.

Current Mood: curious

torachan

We had been planning to skip Oogie Boogie Bash this year but after seeing they added Yzma as a new villain and that there were tons of weekday dates still available, we decided to go after all. Normally we like to do something closer to Halloween, but I chose this week because I was already thinking of taking the week off and I prefer to have the next day off after an evening out. Well, at the time, we had no idea it would be a record setting heatwave, so that sucked lol. But we made the best of it and still had a good time.

( Read more... )

essoku

Over time, it's easy to lose the things that make you who you are - the values, the passions, the connections, the things you work toward. Given enough heartache, your identity can end up revolving around what you've lost, ruined, or walked away from. But it's hard to create from that space. It's hard to do much of anything from that space.

So I'm hoping a little Idol will be the best medicine. I don't know if welcoming Gary as our blogging overlord is the smartest thing I've ever done, but the community and the writing are well worth it. ♥

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Theme: Argyle by krja

Of Earth and Stars

Network

current stitching

[#313 | Shapeshifting] Challenge Post

Limbus Company: Fic: G'notice to Our G'neighbors

Book 78, 2026

assorted things

I need Six More Years

AO3 vs. ACME: A Looney Exchange!

Fake (Challenge # 517 - thing about you) Passion Flower 62

Challenge 598

Silent film star Fatty Arbuckle arrested for murder

Daily check-in

Word: Litham

Book review: An Unkindness of Ghosts

Daily Happiness

strawberry ice cream

Book 77, 2026

This is my place - fic

Orphans of Mossflower

2026 Disneyland Trip #38 (9/8/26) Oogie Boogie Bash

low key idolatry

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September 2026

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