People keep saying "shibari is erotic macramé!" like it's some guilty secret but there is literally an actual book with that exact phrase on the cover. Yes. Yes it is. You are correct. It is fun to do sexy rope with arty crafty creativity. The skills are cross-compatible. It's how I thought of this:

So what was with the forceps & shit, you ask? Well, when you cut paracord the sleeve tries to pull away from the core threads so I clamp them either side of the cut marker (lil band) and use them to hold the cord while I melt the edges about 1cm from the candle flame. Why, what did you think?

Ok now we're cooking:

The Holy Grail is too big for a 1m cord, I'll cut more. Metal Zone is tricky but I think I figured it out. 1m is still a bit short so I might try 1.2m when I do it for real. This harness-looking job seems to work, but it needs care not to overlap the power input or put pressure on the knobs.

Hmkay, this method holds the EHX Nano pedal in place but I really want the rubber feet to be in contact with the board. I'll try this one again later, but it seems a fair enough proof of concept. Doesn't wriggle much, the ports are all clear and no buttons/knobs/switches are inaccessible.

Ingredients: 1 pedalboard (Rockboard* Tres 3.1) Some guitar pedals Paracord (at least 1m per pedal, colour to taste) Metre ruler; medic shears†; 2x forceps; tealight candle; lighter; diddy rubber band This is a test, not removing the pre-owner's velcro tape yet, but will if it's a nuisance

Post an album you've listened to 100 times. This was weirdly hard cos… how the fuck do I count? It's ’Turn Loose the Swans,' 'Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital’* and ’Painkiller’ but I had this as one of three albums that fit on my phone's SD when I started my job. It got played *a lot.*

You're in luck.

What. Can't a girl prepare a rug for a house move without you lot making it *weird?*

"Kira, are you doing shibari on your drawers?" Uh... no?

Tanz der Saruman! Tanz der Grima Wormtongue! Tanz Hexkönig Angmar! Tanz der Leutnant Gothmog! Tanz der Sauronsauge!

Tonight's the, er, mid afternoon.

Post your favorite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only. [If I had the skills I'd edit our lad doing a lil dance down the DS9 promenade]

If you see this, post your bird art.

It's bloody belting it down outside so I'm going to dance in hike mode... mostly. So yeah, I feel butch as fuck and I like it.

Every time we get thrown under the bus, make it this bus. It's harder to stand a bus back up than to throw someone under it, but why do both when you can save yourself the effort of either?

Test scribble for @windlass.bsky.social just to wind them up. There may be a finished version when I figure out how the hell a Metal Gear functions.

Someone else posted they want a Dickies work dress and if I get one of those I'm sure as heck gonna serve you a lead shot hoagie, hun!

Ok, I realise everybody and their belphegoat was doing this 5 years ago, but I had to keep calm & carry on back then & started getting my sides done cos masks made silly tufts stick out over my ears. Anyway, that looks passable, no?

No way. Definitely no way at all. Shaving mirror hooked over camera tripod directed to wardrobe mirror reflecting PLONKER with tied & clipped hair, illuminated by tripod-mounted LED studio light which is making her peripheral vision sad. Whodathunk all that photography gear would come in handy?

"Read my lips: always wear eye protection when handling laser equipment."

I have absolutely no idea what on earth you could possibly be talking about nor would I tell you if I did. Nuh-uh. Nope.

Ok so the pose isn't there yet, the proportions aren't there yet and most of the concept exists only in my bonce. But it's closer than sod all, and that matters, right?

Here's a chunk of wood that had chips chiselled out. I'd say "this project has legs!" but, er... not yet.

Huff. Carving is much easier with a mallet so I need a new one before I can make much headway. How do you lose a fucking mallet!? It's a block of wood on a stick, you dunce! Is that it? No, dipshit, that's your reflection. Wrong block, wrong stick. Still, it's progress from nowt.

I am definitely unqualified to call myself an amateur luthier but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be like that. I have a sneaking suspicion it may be broken.

I... *phew* I did the goddamn thing! There are many issues, cosmetic and technical. The gap in the guard looks dorky and the neck isn't totally straight (but it's flush with the socket so *shrug*). The saddle grub screws are rusty so setting up will be a pain, but you know what?

Having a genuine "It's ALI-I-IVE!!" moment taking the tape off the fretboard. Fuck yes. (No lightning here but the thought of running electricity through it is giving me exactly that sort of buzz)

Sooo clooose...