When I think of the holidays I think of a fine stout, hot tea, seed cake, and other delightful treats all to be drunk and eaten while sitting around a crackling fire watching a Lord of the Rings (special extended version of course) marathon. If you're like me and know lots of geeky folk, here are some truly inspired Lord of the Rings Amigurumi patterns you can use to make presents that will be treasured everlastingly long. All patterns were created by and originally posted on Geek Central Station.
Frodo and Gimili. You can use this pattern make Sam, Merry and Pippin.
Legolas and Gandalf You can also use this pattern to make the feared Ringwraith King. Why not make Eowyn while you're at it and then act out the Ringwraith's death scene. "I am no man!" Stab. The end.
Forget store bought stuff--DIY this year by making your own knitted Halloween costumes. In true Nerdabout tradition all patterns are FREE except the turkey but it was too fabulous to pass up.
For that special Halloween party or anytime of the year. Pony Head Piece by Naughty Needles.
Fellow Ravelry Warcrafter Arwen Lietz otherwise known as Nimcraft in the world of gaming and crafting, was lucky enough to score tickets to BlizzCon 2009 and kind enough to write about her adventures for us.
How does one wire coat hanger, a piece of foam, and a baseball cap transmute into two collector's item posters? Well, if you're a nerdcrafter at Blizzcon, these things can happen.
I'm off to get the rest of what I need to construct my hydroponic Window Farm with Rebecca and Britta tomorrow. That in conjunction with some video troubles is leading to today's quick post: Top 10 Creature Knitting Patterns.
Bad JuJu by Zabet Stewart (I'm making this one now)
The record for the world’s longest paper-doll chain has been broken! On June 10, 2009 the Guinness Book of World Records awarded the new title to a 2,591 ft (20,000-doll) chain in France, beating the world’s previous record holder out by 49 feet and 15,000 paper dolls (The old record belonged to a 2,542-ft chain (5,000-doll) chain in China.
A group of children spent months making dolls for the chain in response to a competition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a French publication called [Science et Vie Découvertes Magazine]( http://www.science-et-vie.com/ “Science et Vie Decouvertes Magazine”). The highest individual winner and recipient of the official Guinness record-holder certificate is a 12-year-old boy named Dylan from Lyon, France, who spent six months creating 400 paper doll chains.
For each paper doll chain, 3 euros were contributed to Aide and Action, an organization building new libraries in Vietnam. The kids’ paper doll chain raised 6,000 euros overall.
The longest paper-doll chain in the world: 2,591 ft (20,000 dolls).
Dylan, the individual record holder (with a contribution of 400 paper doll chains).
Over 300 vendors crowded their tents around the track at McCarren Park for the Renegade Craft Fair. There was a huge variety of sundries on display. Hamburger rings, watch movement necklaces and squid tentacle sconces are a few that caught my eye but the predominant craft being peddled was without a doubt T-Shirts. Waving lazily in the wind in neon green, powder blue and basic black. They carried simple silkscreened silhouettes, ironic phrases and in some cases beautiful and complex designs that might be fetching enough to draw some glances on Bedford Ave.
One vendor who's snarky wares caught my eye was Sable Yong. She makes Tee Shirts and Tote bags that will definitely put a spring in your step. One of my favorites sports the phrase "My Tote bag is a totier tote bag than your tote bag" If that doesn't turn your sass up to eleven I don't know what does. You can check out some of her other totes and tees at her etsy shop, Sabletooth Tiger.
The highlight of my day had to be Diane Koss's booth. She makes these absolutely adorable, mostly cycloptic and totally huggable plush toys. Each has a name and a lovely story about their personality. They have the uncanny ability of completely disarming you with their charming and curious smile. I think Nigel is my favorite, he is a scientist. Be sure to catch Diane at one of the many fairs she will be visiting or just grab a doll at her etsy shop, Cutsey But Not Cutsey.
All in all I had a great time at the fair. I did feel that it was a little over populated with t-shirts that were for the most part underwhelming. I think with most fairs of this size you will always have to do a little sifting and ultimately, if you put in a little effort, you'll come out with some very unique treasures. If your a fan of the Renegade Craft Fair be sure to check out Bazaar Bizarre, another indie craft fair that always has a great showing of merchandise.
The summer's first World Wide Knit in Public (WWKIP) was this past Saturday, coinciding with what has been the excedlingly rare sunny day in NYC. Knitters,crocheters, and spinners gathered in places around the world to show just what makes crafting so fabulous. The following videos were shot at the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library near Prospect Park.
I met Lexie through our Geek S&B NYC group. She shares some of the unusual things she's knitted up.
Last but not least, here's a few of the knitters I met at WWKIP.
In case you missed this weekend's festivities, you'll have one more chance to hang out and knit in public with big groups of other knitters. Visit WWKIP for more info.
If you're interested in joining one of the groups mentioned in the videos, check out Ravelry or Meetup.
Some of Nerdabout's best friends are monkeys. Case in point: last week, we showed you how to make a sock monkey. Today, we bring you Max, a little monkey who may be made of socks, but is all heart. Click on Max's photo to see him in action.
The 4th Annual Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA was this weekend. My husband and I have gone every year and it keeps getting bigger. We have to go both days of the fair weekend just to see everything. For those who don't know, the Maker Faire is put on by Make Magazine, a magazine for Do-It-Yourselfers, a growing movement. Well before the economy crashed, geeks of all sorts discovered the joys of hacking Roombas to make spirographs and turning trash into art. The Maker Faire celebrates those who make, build, sew, craft, hack, and teach. It's a brilliant concept.
Creativity reigns at the Maker Faire, both in the products that are displayed and demonstrated and in the people who display and demonstrate. Walking through the fairground, you can't look at a crowd without seeing people in costume (Steampunk, furry, or superhero), people representing the rebellious fringes of society (punks, eccentrics, hippies), or those just expressing a wild individuality (hair of every hue and length, squid hats, stilts). And, of course, the ever-present Utilikilt.
The displays vary wildly. There are always a lot of robots. They're a real crowd pleaser and people clearly love to make them. There are science teachers talking about demos they do in class. There are electronics for bikes, Christmas, and entertainment. There are always lots of things that shoot fire, such as the Crucible truck and the Flaming Lotus Girls' display. And let's not forget the over-the-top displays of making, like a life-sized Mousetrap game or the big metal giraffe that tools around the fairground or the human powered amusement park rides or the giant mechanical hand that picks up oil drums as if they're soda cans.
Ecology is a big influence for many of the makers. It shows up in big things like electric cars (my husband loves the Tesla) and in smaller ones like using recycled plastic bottles to make art. There's also a group called Engineers Without Borders which helps build wind turbines and provide water to countries in Africa.
A new feature this year was a Food Makers tent. A little sparse but promising, it offered cheese tastings, home beer brewing kits, tips on pickling, great chocolate, mushroom growing, and information on vegetarianism and local food. Since this Maker Faire takes place in the Bay Area, land of serious foodies and a huge local food movement, I expect this tent to grow in future years.
It's often hard to take time to sit down and listen to the presentations by makers since there’s so much to see. But there are talks and music all day long. We always make time for Adam Savage, co-host of Mythbusters, who spins a good yarn about what it's like to be a maker. This year he talked about failure in a funny and touching way. My husband caught a talk by a 14 year-old CEO who created a chemistry-based game called Elementeo.
As ever, a good time was had by all and a great deal of money was spent. On the way out, you can stop by the Maker Shed where they sell books and kits and materials so you can try your hand at being a maker or expanding your repertoire. I always walk out inspired to create. If I got nothing else out of the Maker Faire, that's definitely worth the price of admission.
Say what you will about twitter, when you ask, people answer. Immediately! Case in point: I tweeted that I wanted to learn how to make a sock monkey. Not two minutes later, @mspixieriot from Pixie Riot Productions came to my rescue. And as it turns out, I couldn't have asked for a better sock monkey teacher. See for yourself-- click on Melvin the Monkey and get started on your own sock monkey!
A few weeks back, Mark, gave us some tips on how to go about building your own super cool doll house. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about why Mark does what he does.
What makes you a doll nerd?
Probably the consuming need to work on my doll house. It’s one of my “happy” places I mentally go to when allowed. Like at church or the DMV. On my days off, I can get severely irritated if I have another commitment and I also have a big doll project in mind. In addition a large chunk of my computer time is dedicated to trolling about the web looking for other doll house people to see what they do. I also like to read reference books about vintage dolls and accompanying playsets. My partner who is the real doll nerd has amassed quite a collection of reference books and magazines on this topic.
On my twitter travels this morning I stumbled across author and green crafter Betz White's step-by-step tutorial on making aprons from pillow cases. I'm off to sew. Thanks to Craftzine for the heads-up.
While cruising the internets for some miniature LED lights, I stumbled across Super Cool Doll House, a blog run by Mark, the designer of the coolest damn doll houses on the planet.
Hey! What's clipped to your belt? We want to know so badly we're having a photo contest. You get to vote for the winner! The prize: a fabulous Nerdabout t-shirt and stickers.
In the course of the past year, I've been combining my love of knitting with my new-found obsession of World of Warcraft. I've been tracking down fellow knitters who enjoy spending hours at a whack questing to our hearts content--and knitting during the long flights or when being corpse camped. I decided to branch out do in-game interviews using Fraps, which I'd never used before. To my way of thinking, if I'm going to write about crafting and WoW, what better way to do so then from the inside?
Perfect for April Fool's Day! It's not what you think. Play this easy and funny prank on your friends, courtesy of Kip Kay and some Huggies.
What you'll need:
1. A Diaper
2. Scissors or razor blade
3. A Glass of water
4. An Unsuspecting friend or enemy.
OPTIONAL: A cool Zildjian t-shirt.
Step One: Get it Ready
Using the scissors or razor blade, cut through the liner of the diaper. Inside you will find the precious "pee-pee crystals" which is actually called Sodium Polyacrylate. Remove the cotton inside by tearing pieces of it out and placing them in a covered container. Also dump in any of the crystals you may find in the bottom of the diaper. Now shake the container real good for a while. Remove the cotton and you should end up with about a handful of crystals.
Step Two: Do the Prank
Store the crystals in a zip lock or other small container. When you are at the restaurant or even at home, wait for your friend to leave the table or distract him long enough to dump the crystals into his glass of water. In about 20 seconds, the "pee-pee crystals" will absorb all of the water in a full glass and turn it into a solid mushy glob of rubber. Play stupid and surprised at what could possibly have happenned to the water.
BONUS: Call the waitress or manager over and ask "WTH!!???"
WARNING: Do not eat or let your friend drink from the glass. Not sure what could happen but it certainly will not be pleasant.
I hope you enjoyed this April Fool's Prank you can use all year long.
Tired of the fighting when Dancing with the Stars is up against Rock of Love Tour Bus, and no one will DVR? Kip Kay puts and end to the squabbling once and for all by jamming the works.
Says Kip, "I've had a few scuffles in my house over the TV remote, so I decided to do something about it. I built a circuit that will block my TV and any device I choose from getting a signal from the normal remote control. I turn an ordinary remote into a jammer and the remote still works normally! Watch the video to see it work."
What you'll need:
I chose to use a Sony remote control (SR-P30) because it has plenty of room inside to add my circuit and a 9 volt battery while keeping the remote fully functional.
Step One: Install the Circuit
I hot glued the circuit inside the remote control. I also had to remove 2 posts to make room for the 9 volt battery. Tape down the LED's near the existing LED. I used the existing switch on the remote and wired my 9 volt battery to it.
Then disassemble the device to get to the recording module. You can clip the microphone connections or leave them depending on how much room you have inside the calculator.
Step Two: Test it Out
You may have to tinker with the 10k pot to get the frequency right for the device you are targeting. Adjust the pot while the remote is 'on' and test it with the original remote until the jammer confuses the device. Now, just pull out the remote whenever you need to take control of your device and no one will have any idea what's going on. You can bring this to a friends house and drive them nuts! Have fun, be safe!
How Does It Work?
This is a pretty simple concept. When you press a button on a remote crontrol for a TV, stereo or other IR device, it creates a series of pulses which the receiver in the target device; in this example, a TV, decodes into the corresponding function. This frequency is around 35-40kHz. To confuse the receiver, this jammer sends out a steady stream of binary code (1s and 0s) at the same frequency, but contains no information to decode. The receiver basically sits there and does not respond at all and the real information cannot get through to it as long as the jammer is on. Voila! You've "jammed" your TV remote!
Kip Kay continues with the April Fool's hack-fest. This time up, the case of the crazy calculator, or: your friends won't know what hit 'em when they hit the equals sign. Watch the video then follow the instuctions below!
What you'll need:
1. A calculator
2. A device that uses a recording module. In my case I found a cheap automotive memo thingy that sticks to the windshield and allows you to record up to 5 different messages and play them all back. You could use a regular single sound module like one from Radio Shack.
NOTE: You will have to find a calculator that is thick enough to hold the module inside its case.
Step One: Prepare the Recording Module
Before you do anything else, record what you want the calculator to "say" on the module. I actually ran a jumper from the microphone input to a mini plug that plugged into my audio card on my PC and then I recorded some .wav sound effects.
Then disassemble the device to get to the recording module. You can clip the microphone connections or leave them depending on how much room you have inside the calculator.
Step Two: Prepare the Calculator
Take apart the calculator and decide what key you want the sounds to play from. I chose the EQUAL sign key because that always has to be pressed. You could choose a number key that would play the sounds only when that number was pressed or the minus key ... your choice.
Step Three: Make Your Connections
Run two small wires from each side of the contact on the calculator key you decide to use. Then run those two wires to the playback contacts on the module. Run the two power wires from the module to the positive and negative ends of the calculator battery terminal. When the calculator key is pressed, it will complete the circuit for that key and also the playback button.
Close up the calculator and make sure no wires are sticking out. Re-insert the battery and your calculator prank is ready to use! Each time the "=" sign is pressed, the module will playback the 5 recorded sounds and then repeat. Have fun!
We're lucky here at Nerdabout to be joined by a very special guest, Kip Kay. (You were expecting maybe Charo?) As Brink's hacker-at-large, Kip has a sixth sense for both the curious and the ludicrous. Which you can check out here!
Mysterious Lightbulb Prank
Have you ever seen the Magic Lightbulbs magicians use? Here's how to make one that will drive people crazy! Thanks to Brad Graham for the fun idea! Watch the video and then follow along below.
What you'll need:
1. (2) ordinary lightbulbs - the older the better.
2. (2) CR2032 Button Cell Batteres
3. 1 High Intensity White LED
Tools:
1. Soldering iron/station
2. Solder
3. Knife or X-Acto
4. Work gloves
5. Needle nose pliers
6. Hot Glue gun
Step One
Put on your work gloves and start to gently work the lightbulb base back and forth. After some patience the base should come loose from the bulb. If you are lucky, the bulb will come loose cleanly. In my case it didn't so I salvaged the base and removed the excess old glue.
Step Two
On the second bulb, I cut away a small edge of the base. Just enough to grab it with needle nose pliers and start 'unwrapping' the base from the bulb. Shen I was done I ended up with a clean glass bulb.
Step Three
After zip tying both batteries together, solder one wire to the lightbulb base in the center. Solder one wire to the edge of the base. There should be two nice globs of solder already there that you can use. Then solder one wire to each of the LED leads. Take note as to which one is positive (the longer lead). Then attach the positive wire to the + side of the battery pack by slipping it under the zip tie. Do the same for the negative wire.
Step Four
Now drop the battery pack inside the base of the lightbulb and insert the LED into the empty part of the lightbulb. I had to break away the smaller glass shaft that runs inside the bulb to make room for the LED. Make it nice and snug and then I used some hot glue to seal the base to the bulb.
Step Five
You can use a small piece of wire concealed in your hand to make contact between the base bottom and the side to activate the LED. I made it work by using my ring. When you hand it to someone it goes out! You can also ask someone to pick it up and hand it to you and then when you grab it, light it up! They'll never figure it out! NOTE: Be sure to not mix up this modified lightbulb with a real because plugging it in to 120 volts will cause some serious smoke and other potential hazards. Have fun, be safe!
These economic times are irritating. But there's no reason to sit at your computer obsessively checking your 401K statements, watching them, drop, drop, drop towards zero. Nerdabout New York proudly presents On the Dole: Your guide to Geeky Free Stuff.
Saturday, Feb. 28:The Castle and Its Kingdom sponsored by the Central Park Conservancy. An historical tour AND nature walk. Where to Go: Belvedere Castle at 79th street, in the middle of Central Park. 11:00 AM sharp.
Saturday Feb. 28: Opening Reception. Corpus Extremus (+LIFE). Art works using bio and media technology from a host of artists. Where to Go: Exit Art, 7:00-9:00 PM, 475 10th Ave
Sunday, Feb. 29:Free NYC Dessert Fest Take a small food tour of Harlem for the best soul food joints and bakeries. If you donate a buck it goes to God's Love We Deliver, the non-profit that feeds hungry NYers. Where to Go Meet outside the Apollo Theater, 253 W 125th street, 11:30 sharp.
Tuesday March 3-Saturday March 7:NYU Tisch Freeplay 2009 Festival Free plays. Check the Freeplay 2009 schedule for more information.
Friday, March, 6: Tasting at Discovery Wines. Yellow & Blue Malbec (Mendoza Argentina). Delicious and it comes in eco-friendly packaging to boot.
Where to go: Discover Wines, 10 Ave. A. 6:00-9:00 PM.
Saturday,March 7:Music Memorabilia Show If you collect music stuff, this is your place.
Where to Go: Tip Top Shoe building, 155 W 72nd Street.
Here at Nerdabout.com, we hear from a lot of folks who are nervous about revealing their inner, nerdier selves. After all, what will the neighbors think?
But fear no longer! This is the place to celebrate your geeky, nerdy inclinations ... whatever they may be. So far we've heard from sports nerds, Powerpoint nerds, Rubik's Cube nerds, and even 18th century pirate nerds. And we're sure there are many more out there just waiting to step forward.
If you want to declare your nerdiness to the world (and hook up with other followers), submit your deep dark geeky secret in the Comments here - we may choose you to be featured on Nerdabout.com and ScienceChannel.com.
After careful study I've discovered a indisputable fact about myself. I am a much, much, much better listener when my hands have needles in them. I've spent many hours in what would normally be very boring meetings, happily knitting and actually listening to others' random thoughts, diatribes, bizarre off-topic observations and ridiculous on-topic remarks. It makes what I would normally view as canyons of wasted hours stuffed in a room with other people who really don't want to be there, satisfying. In the last few years I've become a big fan of podcasts and find that, like sitting in a meeting, I'm most focused when I have yarn-in-hand. This got me thinking and wondering what my fanciful knitter friends in the cleverly re-named World of Warcrafters group on Ravelry listen to when they step out-of-game to tackle their project of the moment.
One of my favorite pastimes is to learn odd, perhaps useless-at-at-the-moment-but helpful-at-some-point-in-the-future facts. That's just one of the many reasons I'm drawn to Nerd Nite, held the 2nd Friday of every month at Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn. Matt Wasowski, the venerable host of this monthly event met me at Croton Reservoir Tavern, a cavernous mid-town bar, to catch me up on the ins and outs of Nerd Nite, among other things. The footage is a wee bit dark but Matt shines through loud and clear.
Gaming and crafting go hand in hand. Both require creativity and cunning. Both require dedication. Both require the ability to curse with abandon, take a bruised ego and happily come back for more.
Each month WoW enthusiast Jenna, aka Indiedyer, offers up her latest WoW inspired colors on Ravelry for all knitters to feast their eyes upon. I've been a fan for quite some time and was happy when Jenna shared a bit about her work and how she got this idea rolling. She even reveals a quest that would make the most geared up druid quake.
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