Then, because this can be an oddly addictive hobby, I took some of that wool and used a vinegar modifier to change the shade a bit:

The skein on the left has been modified and the skein on the right is just stinging nettles. The wool began as a natural off-white. I prefer the yellow shade, I found the modifier toned down the colour a bit too much. The best part , of course, is that a patch of nettles has been eradicated which was the whole point.

I have always enjoyed rub-on transfers. I think they are pretty cool. I haven't used them or ink applicated in this way before though.

1. Attendees were given closed beta codes and a code for an in-game item on release.
2. The White Lion will be playable in beta after two more rounds.
3. Blood red dye is only available to players with high renown rankings.
4. Black Guards were given little to no new info and were not playable.
5. Iron Breaker and Engineer classes were playable, following their revamps.
6. Banner scraps can be turned in for rewards.
7. Each server will give you 10 character slots, all from the same faction (Order or Destruction).
8. Currently, squigs and lions are not nameable, but Mythic wants them to be.
9. The top 10 renown PvP guilds get their heraldry displayed in or near the guild taverns.
10. Marauders have debuffs they can throw on casters or melee that, when their skills are used, causes them to take damage.
11. The "Flee!" ability gives you a huge 10 seconds speed burst, at the cost of all your action points.
12. The Marauder's tentacles are called "Wave of Mutilation", a debuff which causes the enemy to attack slower (and in PvE, acts as a de-taunt).
13. The full lighting system was not implemented in the version shown at the convention.
14. Collision detection was working great.
15. The transportation system is still under consideration -- a portal-type system vs. a flying mount system.
16. Mythic rep on system requirements: "Any PC within the past 3 years will more than likely run WAR without issues."
17. No final word on stealth -- the issue was deflected in the Q&A section.
18. The game will try to persuade players to join a realm/faction that needs a population bump (no specifics given, however, perhaps bonuses).
19. Servers will have population caps on each side to keep them balanced between Order and Destruction. Most MMOs have server population caps; WAR will have realm caps (i.e. two separate caps per server).
20. You can have up to 4 action bars (perhaps more, but at least 4).
21. There's a queue button on your UI that lets you cycle through available scenarios to play.
22. There will be balance measures in RvR that if one side is getting dominated by the other side, the owned side will get help of some kind.
23. Loot will be awarded on an "aggro" or "hate" basis -- basically, if you're doing the job of your class well (dps, tanking, healing), you'll be awarded the loot you deserve.
24. Lairs are sprinkled throughout each zone, will not be announced where they are, and are in the tier 4 zones.
25. The account management page will be updated to allow pre-launch codes (for in-game items) after open beta starts but before head launch program does.
26. Skavens are NPC-only (duh).
27. The backpack looks to host 40 item slots, plus another tab for quest items.
28. They have plans to have at least some of a player's Tome of Knowledge available on the web (for out-of-game viewing).
29. No weapon dyes currently planned.
30. No non-combat pets at launch (NOOOO!) -- they seem pretty discouraging of this feature.
31. No specific guild housing features are in development, but it's a possibility.
32. No guild/faction-controlled dungeons (similar to capturable keeps) at launch. They are in deep discussion about it, however.
33. Mythic is already planning the first two years of release, the first two big content patches, and is currently in pre-production into the first expansion pack (!).
34. Open beta will offer players a lot of "free reign" but may not open up the entire game to play.
35. It's a huge game world that takes a "really long time" to run from one end to another.
36. Other successful MMOs in the past 4-5 years has severely helped the entire industry, including WAR.
37. They're looking to compete with other MMOs by setting themselves apart with features -- RvR, PQs, Tome of Knowledge -- that no other MMO has.
38. They're still testing and trying to figure out what the population cap per server will be for the sake of the best and most fun RvR.
39. Level 40 isn't the actual end game -- there are still 80 renown ranks, armor sets ("around 20"), Tome of Knowledge unlocks, claim keeps, unlock content in the capital cities, and so on to explore and achieve.
40. Your first armor set is available to gain around level 5-6.
41. Guild leveling "is pretty hard".
42. Lots of visual customization -- character creation, armor sets, dye, titles, trophies.
43. Again, character aging/growing effects will not be at launch, but they're still looking into it.
44. A Station Pass option for all of EA's MMORPGs, a la SOE? "Under discussion."
45. A Magus is always on a disc, but when other players get their mounts, the Magus' get a visually different, faster disc.
46. The Inevitable City has wings devoted to various gods.
47. Since Warhammer is such a large IP, they really can't put it all in right away.
48. Some of the best armor sets in the game are achieved through RvR renown.
49. Healers are some of "the most powerful characters" due to their ability to fill multiple roles.
50. No RvR dungeon at launch (a la DAoC), but they're talking about it a lot.

To achieve such vibrant colors, wax is applied to the fabric/cloth ( often a combination of bee's wax and parafin wax is used) before the dyes are applied. Often a series of colors are used through several drying cycles. A canting needle is skillfully manipulated so that it allows the wax to seep out of a tiny spout of a metal cup attached to the wooden tool.  Other techniques of applying the wax, including pouring the liquid and then using a brush, or applying it to a pre-carved wooden or metal or wire box and then stamping it on the fabric.

Since her arrival to Guam over 50 years ago, Judy truly adopted the the Chamoru culture. She learned the language and married a local boy. She has been active in many community efforts especially in the art community. She has written two local children's books as a tribute to her grandchildren.

Her Batik works of art adorn many government buildings and businesses on Guam.  She is an advocate of Arts Education and has earned a P.H.D. in the Arts of Oceania.    There are a couple of web sites of interest: http://www.judyflores.com/Home_Page.html    and  https://batiksbyjudyflores.com/.

Judy Flores has made her mark on Guam and will forever be known as one of it's island treasures.

Mineral makeup has a lot of advantages

 Using make-up made with chemicals and preservatives can damage your skin and result in your biggest skin phobia-wrinkles!Going from traditional cosmetics to natural mineral make-up has benefits worth considering:

  * Stays on exactly where you put it-all day 
  * Evens out skin texture
  * Is hypoallergenic and good for sensitive skin
  * Camouflages scars
  * Doesn't clog pores
  * Offers natural SPF protection and reflects the sun's
    harmful rays, hiding fine lines and wrinkles
  * Acts as an anti-inflammatory-helping with pimples, acne
    and rosacea
  * Provides great coverage so you'll have flawless looking
    skin
  * Has no harmful ingredients and leaves your skin with a
    silky complexion

"Best of all, because mineral powders are inorganic and contain no moisture, bacteria doesn't grow and no preservatives are needed in the make-up.  Mineral make-up contains no perfumes, talc, alcohol, or dyes.  It works on all skin types no matter what climate you're in and it minimizes imperfections-all without any harmful side effects.

Make the transition to mineral make-up. The advantages are significant. 

Go mineral - your skin will have a great foundation for life.

You can find mineral make-up at your local department store,  drug mart or speciality stores.

http://stores.ebay.ca/BEAUTYJUST4YOU

"From studies conducted over the past 3 decades, we know that personal care products such as lotions, dyes, nail polishes, skin treatments, hair products, oils and creams can contain hormones and substances that act like hormones. Some hospitals sell discarded placentas to companies that put them into cosmetics that are marketed as creating especially soft skin and hair. The placenta, through which all nutrients pass from mother to the growing fetus, is packed with pregnancy hormones."

I heard about this some time ago.
The whole book is well researched. It's titled "The Secret history of the war on cancer" by Devra Davis.

Abstract:
Urbanization and industrialization with minimal focus on environmental pollution has resulted in rapid degradation of natural environment demanding a fresh look at the pollution control strategies. An attempt has been made to address the problem, and a viable procedure for ranking of industries based on their environmental pollution potential has been proposed. Vagueness in the perception of environmental experts for ranking the techno-scientific parameters in linguistic terms for the specific usage coupled with imprecision in parametric data calls for the application of fuzzy modeling in this study. The formalized approach detailed in this article using fuzzy multicriteria decision making for ranking the industries is one of the important techniques in decision research. The case study discussed in this article relates to three dying and printing textile industries located in Surat, in the State of Gujarat, India. The feasibility of the proposed approach for ranking of the industries has been discussed. The approach detailed in this sequel might be considered as a small step in the formulation of appropriate environmental pollution control strategies. A commentary on pollution tax, stringent emission standards, and its effect on the ranking of industries with further research needs form an integral part of the article. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2008

My fez is never far away.

I've had my fez for 15 years.  I'd like to claim I purchased it in a souk in Istanbul or Casablanca, but the truth is I got it right here in SF in a long-gone dusty little store on Polk St.  I've never actually worn the hat outside the house. It's too small for my head. Far from making an elegant fashion statement, it just looks dopey perched atop my crown.  Even so, my fez is worn around the edges and a bit faded. More annoying, no matter how well I clean it, there always seems to be a thin layer of dust impressed into its felt-like surface. But to part with my fez would be unthinkable.  

It must have been that luscious crimson that first spoke to the colorist in me. Some sources will tell you that the distinctive red hue was derived originally from the dye produced from the bright red berries of the Turkish kızılcık tree (Cornus Mas), a relative of the common American dogwood. Others will say the dyes were first made in Fez.  Many other ethnic groups sported their own version of the fez.  How did the eponymous hat come to be associated predominantly with the Ottoman Turks?

Wikipedia reports that the conical shape is of ancient Greek origin and that the Turkic tribes adopted the hat after they conquered Greek Anatolia.   I like the more poetic explanation from a  guide and imam in Fez. He claimed that 19th c. Ottoman Turks came to Fez seeking education, as it was a renowned center of learning in the Muslim world. They took the hats back with them, and fellow Turks began referring to them as fezzes. 

This we do know: in 1826, as part of sweeping reforms, Ottoman sultan Mahmud II, abolished the elaborate turban headdress in favor of the simple fez.  Some historical pundits have suggested that it was because this brimless conical hat was less cumbersome in the bowing motion of daily prayers. The correct action of genuflection with a fez on has eluded me—I did not have to tilt my head very far for the hat to fall right off.

In 1925, Mestafa Kemal Attatürk, who led Turkey into the modern age, outlawed the fez, considering it a too-ethnic symbol of Turkey's "backwards" past, an object of ridicule by the citizens of more modern nations. Punishment for defying the edict was severe and the fez went underground. 

There are still a few fez holdouts in the world—Indonesians and Shriners, for example. But then again the hat as a item of daily costume for men has largely disappeared throughout the "modern" world.  Too bad, I say. 

for an evocative exploration the Turkish fez and modern-day contradictions in Turkey see Jeremy Seal : A Fez of the Heart

http://www.amazon.com/Fez-Heart-Travels-around-Turkey/dp/0156003937

KLEINS - odds and ends

Many different types of shibori exist around the world and it really is worth exploring a little more online about this beautiful textile practice and the associated techniques.

I think readers may enjoy this video. If you do there are 4 others about shibori and shibori techniques to be found here. (Look in the left side bar for links)

So if you are thinking of buying a latest and modern 2008 New Year computer, with the latest and one of the best operating system softwares, and giving a gift of - gyan, vigyan, shiksha - please do try to not let your own ignorance or the marketing speak of big computer vendors come in between your children and their Ubuntu PC. Just buy an assembled computer from a local computer dealer with the best hardware specifications, download your free copy of Ubuntu or Kubuntu, burn it on a CD and get cracking. Great computing in 2008 in Indian schools and colleges !!

Some government purchasing departments and school purchasing committees will surely have big dharam sankat because they cannot get commissions on the purchase of proprietary, closed source, computer softwares / OS - so maybe they will be busy trying to debunk Ubuntu, without even letting the students try it out for themselves and decide on their own.

But those who are surely interested in gyan, vigyan, vidya - just go to Ubuntu website and download your own FREE and LEGAL copy of the latest and best operating system to hit Indian computer markets in ages. Download Ubuntu. Burn a 700 MB CD. Install on your hard disk. Very very sweet !!

Ubuntu downloads - http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

I had to undo a section of it -- my first go at the shawl I used a smaller hook and it was too tight. I just broke the yarn off and started over.

Yesterday I unravelled the first start, hanked and washed it, then hung it out on the line. WELL. It has turned into the lightest, loftiest, softest 4 ply I think I've ever used. I went to sleep dreaming of the time when I can get back to Wendy's shop in rural Vic and enhance my stash some more. (Might be a while as I am going to do a Stash Knit-Down for '08!)

But, coincidentally, this morning I found my husband working on archiving our old photos into Xmas albums for rellies and right there on his screen were pix from our stay at Tarndwarncoort last year, and all the yarn pics I took of her shop!

I might have to deviate from plan in '08. Either that or put in an emergency pre-New Year's order with Wendy.

Here are the images of my dreaming...

I could live on this corner alone.

Four-ply yarn dyed using plants native to the region of Victoria

Wool/silk 4-ply in natural colours.

My daughter shows some interest in yarn...may as well get 'em in young!

Primarily, you need to be sure that your computer dealer / manufacturer / hardware vendor is supplying all parts and peripherals that work well with Ubuntu Linux.

Ubuntu website has a page where you can check compatibility reports for the new laptop computers you are thinking of buying from an Indian computer shop reseller or manufacturer.

This page has been put up by Ubuntu Laptop Testing Team - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam

With Christmas approaching far too quickly, and my Nano challenge completed, my attention turned to Christmas cards, and what designs I would do this year. One of my favourite christmas images is the Poinsettia and I got to wondering where it had come from, and if, indeed, it was a flower.These photographs demonstrate what I mean. In both cases, regardless of the colour, the pink and red bits above the green leaves are often mistaken for flowers, when in fact they are 'bracts'. In the fourteenth century through to the sixteenth century, the Aztecs used the red bracts to make a dye, and the sap to treat fevers.

  The flowers of the shrub are actually the little bits you see in the centre of each bract cluster      

The botanical name ascribed to this plant is Euphorbia pulcherrima, and means 'very beautiful'. It was given its botanical name by a German Botanist, Wilenow, who discovered it growing wild through a crack in his greenhouse, and was so impressed that he began to cultivate it, and thus naming it.

The common name that most of us use is Poinsettia. This is derived from Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first United States Ambassedor to Mexico. In 1828, whilst visiting Mexico he came across a beautiful shrub with large red flowers growing next to the road, so taking cuttings, he cultivated them in his greenhouse in South Carolina. Thus he was the first to introduce the Poinsettia into the United States. Once the plant became more popular, William Prescott, a historiam and horticulturist named the plant Poinsettia after the man who had discovered it and bought it to America.

One family in California became renowned for growing the plant, at first in the early 1900s in borders outside, but later they began to grow them in the greenhouse. Today the Ecke family is the leading producer of Poinsettias in the United States.

 One of the unfortunate myths about the Poinsettia is that if eaten it is poisonous. This has been proven to be fiction, not fact after much serious research was done. It was tested in 1971, very rigorously and the conclusion was that it is not at all toxic. One would not recommend eating it though!

I discoved a legend that was attached to this plant, which suggests why it is so popular at Christmas. It is a story of a little Mexican girl on her way to the church to present a gift to the Christ Child on Christmas Eve. However, she is very poor and has nothing to offer and is distraught to think that she cannot give something. Her cousin tells her that even the most humble gift will be gratefully received and not to worry. She picks some wild flowers at the roadside and takes the little posy to the church. Whilst laying them in front of the altar. a miracle happens and the flowers transform themselves into beautiful red and green flowers. Hence the people of Mexico regard this as a special plant, especially at Christmas, and the Christian world has also adopted this tradition.

I thought this was such a lovely legend I wrote a poem about it, which you can read here.

And now, after reading and writing about Poinsettias. I decided perhaps I should make one. I was going to make a christmas card with paper poinsettias I have already made, but then I thought it might be fun to make one in felt. I am not quite sure whether it will go on a card, or be used for something else, but here is the Poinsettia Project in progress- stage one! :)

Mera wala PRINTER kaun ? Latest, achha aur best printer mere Ubuntu ke liye kaun sa ?

Which printers are recommended for Ubuntu Kubuntu Linux users ?

Kya Linux Ubuntu par tumhara printer theek se chalta hai ?

For the Kanpur Lucknow based users of Ubuntu Linux computers one of the big questions to do some research on before buying a recommended printer from the Computer manufacturers or local assemblers - is whether the PRINTER being suggested works well with UBUNTU / KUBUNTU LINUX for English language printing ?
Please do ASK your computer supplier / manufacturer / local assembler if the printer they are suggesting for you to BUY, supports good black and colour printing with Ubuntu based Debian operating system ?
If the answer is NO - please do NOT buy that printer as it will be worth nothing to you once you buy it.
It is usually best to buy a LOW COST printer with good preloaded Linux Ubuntu DRIVERS.
If you want to check out if the printer which MAY LOOK GOOD but DOES NOT work well with UBUNTU then just tell the computer dealer to keep the printer in cold storage rather than expect you to buy a USELESS printer that you will not know where to DUMP and throw away.
Where to get the LATEST list of MODERN and best printers which work well with UBUNTU and KUBUNTU Linux ?
Check out at - http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting

It is very important for Indian computer users to buy only printers which have good Linux printer drivers preloaded. There is NO POINT buying a printer if it does NOT work with Linux.
Do ask your computer dealer this question before buying a computer from them.
There are many reports of printers with a lot of marketing push behind them from computer dealers and manufacturers but that do not support Linux Ubuntu for Indian markets and Indian users.

If you have not yet had the privilege of reading this great magazine I highly suggest that you do.  You can view it at www.stliving.net and best of all it is 100% FREE!  Paul and Tina would really like to go to a print version within the next year. If you like what you read, PLEASE pass it on to a friend, blog about it, talk about it, do what you can so we can help them make their dream a reality!

 P.S. Just as a side note - I wrote an article about my parents bed and breakfast, the Orchard House, and it appeared in the Dec 06/Jan 07 issue of Small Town Living.  So check it out while you are reading all of the other really great issues.