The Premier Cincinnati Hackerspace

Hey Hivemind, Konstantinos (they/them) here. Pardon my delay, I was searching for how to go about this Fiber Friday because I must confess to you, I made a mistake. Before I tell you about my grave error, let me give you some background on this pattern.

I crocheted the Cow Print Beanie which I bought from Tzings on Etsy. A special thank you to Tessa Herra who designed the pattern. The pattern was easy to read and only required a crochet hook, two colors of yarn, a stitch marker (my trusty bobbypin), and a dream. So I dared to dream.

A general tip for all beginner fiber artists, read the pattern before you start making it. This will help you prevent missing important things like foundational rows. And missing like 10 stitches. And messing up the entire pattern. It was fixable but it didn't have the exact beanie shape that I was looking for.

In all, it was a very easy to read pattern, I'm just a dingus and should have read the pattern better prior to starting it. I will be doing a 2.0 version where I actually follow the pattern. My mistake was in no part a fault of the pattern, but definitely a fault of my eagerness to complete said pattern during a stressful few weeks.

Have you ever royally screwed up a pattern? Let us know! This is a safe space for fiber shenanigans.

Greetings Hivemind! Konstantinos (they/them) here to share a Fiber Fridays review! This week, Lisa Crump (she/her) stitched a tapestry from Amber of Divine Debris called Cool Tree Wall-Hanging. Here is her writeup of the experience of making said tapestry.

This is a beautiful pattern written by Amber of Divine Debris and can be found as a grid for free on her blog or you can pay for the full pattern on Ravelry. I used the grid version which I copied into Inkscape to increase the size and mark which rows I had completed. Definitely a forgiving pattern, I may have miscounted at some point so a couple of my branches are thicker than originally designed.

This was my first time making a tapestry; it doesn’t use tapestry crochet techniques but uses multiple balls, one per section of the same color. Having a definitive front and back took some getting used to for someone who is used to reversible pieces and I had to remember to always bring the working end to the backside of the piece when changing colors.  As the tapestry is worked using only single crochet, one of the simplest of stitches, the complexity is in keeping track of the pattern and attempting to keep the multiple balls untangled. I had a lot of fun making this piece and while I did not finish by my original deadline of Halloween, I am excited to display this in my home when it becomes spooky season once more.

Greetings Hivemind! Konstantinos (they/them) back again to post about another wonderful Tuesday talk .

Our speakers this week were Kate (she/her) and Robin (she/her), Kate being a member of Hive13. We were absolutely thrilled to have them in to talk to us about the artistry, skill, and frustrations of spinning.

The night kicked off semi-promptly after the Tuesday night meeting for experiential learning. Robin and Kate set up by the arcade cabinet with two wheels, lots of fibers, and drop spindles galore! Kate explained to beginners and curious eyes alike that spinning is an ancient tradition for textile arts as Robin demonstrated on a stunning spinning wheel. For those of us who don't have the room, money, or technical know how to have a full spinning wheel, we were shown how to use a drop spindle with gloriously colored fiber.

When asked about how she felt the session went, Kate said she had a lot of fun.

For Hive members, we now have drop spindles and some fiber at the Hive! Spin till your heart is dizzy!

That's all, Hivemind. Go forth and spin!

Greetings Hivemind! It's your favorite Konstantinos here. Roughly two weeks ago we had an event with Wave Pool known as Made in Camp from 2-6 pm where the Hive was alive with tours, making, and merriment. Made in Camp highlights the makers, movers, and shakers of Camp Washington and we are honored to have been included.

We arrived relatively bright and early with some of us popping in at noon to get the ball rolling. Once doors opened, we were all ready for new friends to join us. We had people making, chatting, and getting cardio by running up and down the stairs. It certainly paid off with three new members and dozens of new soldering experts taking their badges to the street.

Please give our three new members a wonderful welcome and we hope to see you again next year!

 Greetings from the hivemind! I’m Kostas (they/them), a Hive member here to write about makers you may not have known are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Happy LGBTQ+ History Month! For those who don’t know, LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, transgender, queer or questioning, and much more. It is critical while we discuss LGBTQ+ makers and that we, as a collective, acknowledge that the LGBTQ+ community is not a monolith and is very diverse. As a personal note, to our friends in the closet, it’s okay, you can take your time and you’re still loved and welcomed here.

Alan Turing

 Alan Turing was born June 23, 1912 in the United Kingdom and will be a familiar name to those who have done the Turing test or have seen The Imitation Game. To say his work is influential would be a grave understatement. He is known for his cryptography and computer science but also dabbled in biology and philosophy. Turing is also cited for cracking code messages that directly led to the victory of the Allies over the Axis powers in WWII. Now, the “Alan Turing law” stands in the United Kingdom, retroactively pardoning men who were convicted or warned under historical homophobic laws. He is also on the 50 pound note.

Wendy Carlos

 Fans of synthpop and techno film scores should all know Wendy’s name. Born on November 14, 1939, she is known for her compositions and three Grammys. If you have seen A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Tron, you’ve heard her compositions. When Wendy isn’t in the studio, she is a solar eclipse photographer with her work published by NASA and Sky & Telescope. Recently, she has been out of the limelight but after winning 3 Grammys, that’s understandable.

Angelica Ross

 Those who watch Pose or American Horror Story may recognize the self-taught programmer Angelica Ross but not know her tech background. She was born on November 28, 1980 in Wisconsin. She founded TransTech Social Enterprises, an organization with a mission to “empower, educate, and employ those facing barriers in education in the workplace, as well as to reduce instances of discrimination, with a concentration on trans and gender non-conforming individuals”. It is a co-working and co-learning community. Ross has created an important way for trans tech folks to connect, work together, and help each other.

Alan L. Hart

 If you’ve ever had an x-ray to detect tuberculosis, thank Alan L. Hart. Hart was born October 4, 1890 in Kansas. A man of many hats, he was not just a physician and radiologist but a writer as well. He determined that it spread through the circulatory system rapidly, causing lesions that lead to death. Hart is also one of the first trans men to undergo a hysterectomy in 1917-1918. When he wasn’t in the lab, one could find him writing short stories or novels.