Issue 4: April
Big news!
it is the fourth month of thingchal26, a challenge for making things. this month will bring more collaboration: people's works intertwined with each other.
co-conspirators
themes
- repetition
- numerous
- spring
worldbuilding!
a scheme has been cooked up to collaborate on a worldbuilding project, let's see how it goes! the anchor sentence is skyscrapers covered in moss. the gist is that each person writes some sort of work (the typical work being a fictionalized wiki article). each of these works has two (or more) outlinks where the original author specifies a word count. this passes the ball to the next author who must write their work to fit that word count, as well as including the outlinks. at the end there'll be a ton of dead-ends, but also many many fun and creative new ideas. works in this project will be labeled with [𓆣].
concluding thoughts
been hard to connect what this page is to the broader project of "thingchal" which doesn't terribly exist at this point. but we've finally begun to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
timeblindness
I thought my time blindness problems were bad, but holy shit. My watchband broke and with it went any understanding of time. Forward backward, up down and I'm drowning in this damn river. I was never someone I would call a "good" pilot but any grace I had for the craft is totally gone now. And to add insult to injury, I lost the watch too. So now someone has to hold my hand all the time to get through linear time (and I have to keep checking my phone, which is also NOT great for one already so directionally challenged) till I can make it to Walmart to give Casio another 20 bucks.
[𓆣] Riparian prayer
To our mother, the river, whose waters feeds us and heals us. To our mother, the river, whose flowing stirs the clay that forms us. To our mother, the river, who faithfully returns to the ocean no matter where she begins. To our mother, the river, who reminds us that as we too spring from all sources, that we return to the same end (32 words). To our mother, the river, of perpetual change. To our mother, the river, of renewal and play (24 words). To our mother, the river, who brings movement to all life.
(We ask you, where do we go? How can we survive the green tide that overruns us?)
[𓆣] journal/echo/01
Last night- dicked around in the mall. Wasn't too tough to get through bc we actually remembered to bring the vine pliers with us this time. Once we got there we kinda just wandered to kill time since we didn't have anything to get from the hawkers (320 words). Ran into Jesse (64 words) (had a shift shoveling feather-moss (120 words) from the main walkway) so we headed back together.
[𓆣] P. verdegris sample 01 - annotation
Adult P. verdigris confirmed observed in survey regions 52.45. - 57.49., sample collected (136 words) in survey region 56.48. (montane level 02). Confirmation that this is indeed P. verdigris comes from releasing & geotagging five individuals upon emergence from pupa. In-situ genetic analysis (800 words) deemed infeasible.
Typical lepidopteran morphology (fig 1.), with small forewings and feathery hindwings (fig 2.). Unclear whether mouthparts are functional. If functional, hypothesized to have liquid diet.
Some symbiotic interactions with migratory giant slugs (240 words) observed, unclear if mutually beneficial. Adults appear to[according to whom?] prefer resting on patches that slugs have already traversed.[1]
[1]potential experiment: are the moths attracted to the slugs?
BIG SOUND ! BRASS BAND !!
inhale for a big yell and instead the metal tube in front of your face goes BWAAAA ! this is the world's greatest joy, found by playing the world's greatest instrument: the trombone. the metallic aftertaste in your mouth, the pain in your wrist and tingling in your elbows, made worth it with the joyous power of BWAAAA !
[𓆣] Sporo's Cattail Crunch!
The creative culinary crouton-esque confusion of summer is BACK with Sporo's Cattail Crunch. They'll be callin you a moose the way this crazy crunchy-hot'll get you boilin (WOWZA!). It'll knock your moth-darn socks off! You'll be cracked clean off your gourd!
Enjoy a cattail chillin' at the crick with the crawdaddies or whenever you crave that scrumptious crunch! Everyone's sayin Sporo's got the crunchiest cattail this side a the river— and don't you forget it. You'll be continuously conveying these cattails right down your craw the way your canines are gonna be craving this crispiness.
Don't be a gormless gump (80 words) and settle for a snack that's just cromulent, take it to the cap! (YEAH!) Get yourself a snack that's completely crawsomesauce. Sporo's Cattail Crunch is at a corner store near you at YOUR convinience. It's the snack of the summer (396 words), Sporo's Cattail Crunch!
Sporo's Cattail Crunchwrap Supreme is NOT an authorized product. Any credible witness of any sale or distribution of a product named Sporo's Cattail Crunchwrap Supreme should be reported to Sporo's brand management department.
spring again
It's spring again, which means the fiber arts and native plant gardening obsessions have cycled back into vogue. I have a big ambitious sewing project and a cross-stitch that I've been fantasizing about, at the expense of things that are almost done. Looking forward to choosing plants this season. There's one section of full sun that I want to make dense and visible. And a section of shade that I want to improve, just for me.
[𓆣] Overgrowth incidents at launch point Vermillion
Launch point Vermillion is located in a temperate rainforest climate, and has been experiencing exponential overgrowth incidents. The situation has been described by caretakers as "manageable". One local hawker commented "what the fuck ever, man", upon witnessing one such incident. Incidents typically involve fast-growing mosses in the Eeerie causing apparent displacement, however debris, biologic matter, and other natural infrastructure may be involved. The geobiological phenomenon has been likened to iceberg floes of yore by over-enthusiastic historical-geologists (96 words).
At Vermillion in particular, the exceptional qualities of eeries are put on display. Intersections between existing structures and the ecotectonic drift (144 words) have had little to no effect on the performance of the launchpoint. Structures may appear to shift or transform, and still perform nominally. While this may be expected to hold true for small movements, it has also held true more dramatic incidents. 12 days ago, at the 6th hour, one such ecotectonic shift led to a water pipe supplying the auxiliary dormitories (256 words) having an apparent 1.8m skyward displacement. The flow of water continues, minutely affected, though the aeration is +/-5% more variable. Other than that, the piping is functioning nominally. 3 days ago, at the 30th hour, the data cables leading to the primary laboratory were affected by an overgrowth incident, with an apparent 2.0m lateral displacement. Laboratory experiments have been paused to examine what, if any, changes this has led to in instrument measurement capabilities.
With these preliminary observations, overgrowth at launch point Vermillion is no cause for concern. Guidelines for the conservation of resource suggests a reduction of monitoring and observation is appropriate for the site.
[𓆣] a springsong
Forward, a motion
And so forth, a tide
Smaller, compression
Expansion, divine
Enter, a trickle
From gentle, a flood
Whispered, and fickle
Our life-force, our blood
Groundswell, and blossom
Surrender, escape
Turn, to the ocean
Its sweet song, its taste
Answer, to no one
For all, we provide
Forward, a motion
And so forth, a tide
debrief 01
Finished a medium-difficulty project yesterday, mending a pair of jeans for Cat using the scraps from my quilt. I liked the teal coral pattern being subtle enough, and later on I picked this gorgeous pale green thread from Olympus's Sashiko Awai-iro line (not sponsored, it's just really pleasant to work with) (and then shelled out for Olympus sashiko needles), and things got a lot easier once I bought a large embroidery hoop that could actually fit the entire hole. I bought a very nice bent wood embroidery hoop, and then promptly returned one to get a cheapo bamboo one that's extremely finnicky. If anyone wants to get me a nice embroidery hoop or pinking shears that I sadly did not get during the Joanns closing sale may her memory be a blessing, I would mend whatever clothes they wanted.
The process started pretty rough, despite the fact that I had darned jeans three or four times in the past. With this one, it was (1) going to be worn by someone other than myself and (2) going to have patches added on with more complex sashiko techniques than just lines. The first patch went on the largest hole, the left leg crotch area. This was particularly challenging because (1) i did not use cooperative thread and (2) i did not have an embroidery hoop large enough and (3) the patch would need nice finished edges since it was on the outside. In hindsight, this task would have been a lot easier if I could have ironed the garment. I lined the hole with embroidery floss to prevent further fraying. My process was to use white waxed cotton thread (bad idea!) to make the classic (+) signs you see in sashiko inspired mending. This did not go well because I couldn't maintain consistent tension for the life of me, was using thread meant for leatherworking, and could only work on it between 23hr and 26hr in the stolen moments interspered with the fear of failing all of my classes. Then I learned my folly and bought actual sashiko thread and it was so much nicer. I made these satisfying X shapes on the inside which turned into these doubled parallel lines for the border of the patch. Though it looks pretty, I have quite a few problems with how this mend turned out. Primarily, it's uncomfortable. I did this very haphazardly and tired and while I learned a lot, part of me wants to unpick everything and try again. But the holes from the stupid (+) signs will still be there. Annoyance.
Whenever I needed a break from that big patch, I would variously work on mending damage or reinforcing areas on the hems, mostly on the right leg. Did some wacky placements to be able to make the most of the most unsually shaped fabric scraps. I think it looks cute. As long as you don't look to closely at the inside. Helped Laur out with doing this on one of her own jeans, which annoyingly came pre-distressed from the store!
The other large patch was needed on the right crotch area. Instead, I wanted to do something I was already familiar with and patched it from the inside because (1) I needed an easy win at this point in my life and (2) My remaining scraps were very awkwardly shaped. For this one I used a water-based ink to draw myself a grid and used the thread to draw some (x)s in each corner to create the illusion that it's a square patch (it is not). Then I lined the hole to prevent further fraying. This sounds simple enough, and it should have been. But my neurotic ass kept undoing and redoing the stiches so I ended up sitting on this for an extra month. But at some point I need to learn that I get mending done when I have 2+ hours uninterrupted instead of trying to get a little bit in when I can. This one is more comfortable, mainly because I've done it before and I wear jeans that use this style of patching. If there's a second sock curse for mending jeans, that's what happened to me.
Overall I'm pleased with how the aesthetics of this turned out, but I'm expecting to have to rework some of it for comfort and wearability. With the cost of fabric these days, making clothes by hand is not economical. But fixing what you've already bought still is.
[𓆣] journal/foxtrot/01
We don't see the bird-folk much, except once in a while when Momma takes us up to market. Even though Momma gets crash-sick, she still hawks our wool up skyward. I don't get crash-sick though, so I hold her hand when we come back down. Then she has to lie down for the rest of the day so I have to do the chores too.
Momma says the bird-folk ain't all that different from us, they just sound a lil funny what with all the chirps and whistles and all that. Two blessings ago I made a friend who said she was from all the way up skyside. She whistled a lot and we played hide and seek[2] and bug hunter (52 words) and had abuncha cattail crunchies until it got dark. I told momma and next time we went skyward, I saw her again! She met momma and I met her younger fledgie and nana (154 words).
[1]It is hypothesized that the author is the addressee of another document in this archive
[2]contemporaneously percieved as a dirtsider (345) game
