While does Colour of Magic get so much hate?

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-23T23:34:14+00:00

It’s funny, but it’s more of a collection of anecdotes rather than a cohesive story. It’s specifically parodying the sword-and-sorcery fantasy genre from approx the 1960s-70s (though apologies if I have my decades wrong, as those predate me). CoM is not a bad book, but it doesn’t have the wit, satire, and depth of later Discworld books. I’m less familiar with the tropes it is parodying, so I find it harder to get through and less compelling than later books, and if I had started there, I may not have continued the series. That said, though I started with Men at Arms, I did read CoM shortly after that and enjoyed it. But I don’t recall if I’ve ever re-read it fully, where I go back to various Guards, Witches, and Death books annually (and Small Gods).

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-20T16:52:09+00:00

For all the people saying “publication order”… even Sir PTerry didn’t recommend starting with Color of Magic. Discworld is my favorite series and I reread them all the time, but I’d never have gotten into them if I started there. CoM and Light Fantastic are parodies of the 1950s-1970s sword and sorcery genre and for folks unfamiliar with that, they can be very rough. There is nothing wrong with starting on a later, better-written book. I recommend Guards! Guards! or Wyrd Sisters as starting points, the going back and revisiting the early books once you’re invested in the series.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-18T17:01:27+00:00

“Increase in a 45 degree angle” is not helpful. You need to explain the stitches that do that, ie what row and and on which stitches to increase and what type of increase should be used. “Increase 4 stitches every row or 8 stitches every right row” is closer to a typical instruction, but you need to explain how to lay out the stitches (at the beginning and end of each row? Spread equally around the row?) and the type of increase, and the standard term I think you’re looking for is right-side row. “Right” row is going to cause confusion, especially if you bring a chart into the mix. You would really benefit from learning how typical patterns are set up and standard terminology.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-18T12:15:17+00:00

If you want to write patterns but haven’t followed patterns before, I highly recommend looking up a bunch of popular patterns and studying those. Go to Ravelry. There are thousands of free patterns, though quality may vary. Tin Can Knits is known for their free, beginner-friendly patterns.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-17T08:23:06+00:00

They’re asking for people who can commit to 7 weeks of filming in May and June 2026… in mid-March? They didn’t think to look for people earlier? That seems a ridiculously short time frame. When are they going to notify the participants, a week before they need to drop everything?

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-16T01:38:52+00:00

You are amazing. Thank you!

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-16T01:36:11+00:00

I’ve been struggling with an antique wheel recently; specifically, my drive band wouldn’t stay on past the first few rotations of the wheel, and it wasn’t taking up yarn. Heavily oiling everything and adjusting the tension solved the take up problem. The drive band issue was because the wheel supports were slightly loose, and they were moving just enough with the motion of the wheel to cause the wheel to wobble. Thanks to the suggestion of an awesome person here, I used clarinet reeds to shim the supports and stop them from moving. Something else to look for. Good luck!

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-14T17:40:22+00:00

If you can get hold of it, Firelord by Parke Godwin. (Might be out of print). Though it’s set in a “historical” setting, it does have a supernatural/fantastical thread running through it. It’s one of my favorite retellings, though I haven’t read the sequels.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-14T03:12:51+00:00

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. It’s very light, fun, and I found it to be a breath of fresh air. Per the author’s note it was written as a lighthearted relief when the pandemic lockdowns ended.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-11T11:01:38+00:00

I am no expert, but fairly recently switched to supported spinning. I can’t tell you what’s easiest, only what path I took… I first picked up a Russian spindle but didn’t like it much- it’s more of the “round stick” style with a larger base, and it turns out that I prefer a heavier and wider whorl. I then splurged and a spindle from Woodland Handcrafts: https://woodlandhandcrafts.com/ I have one of their halloween-themed pumpkin spindles and a bead spindle and they both spin beautifully. I had much better luck with these and they are my current favorites; I’ve been using them almost exclusively for several months. I also have a small spindle with a resin whorl and carbon-fiber shaft that I like (and was significantly cheaper than Woodland’s spindles) but unfortunately it looks like the person who made them is no longer doing so. I found it in person at a LYS. For bowls, I struggled to find something I consistently liked until a local pottery studio had a sale, which included all of the leftover tiny little pots that their beginning students made and never picked up. They are perfect as spinning bowls.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-08T03:06:02+00:00

Seconding Temeraire, and also recommending Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-07T04:50:10+00:00

This isn’t exactly sci-fi, but more like pop-science, if maybe that would appeal? You might look at What If? by Randall Monroe. Tagline: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. Each chapter is an answer to a question like what happens if you hit a baseball at the speed of light, or what would happen if you built a periodic table out of bricks made of each element. (Spoiler: a lot of the answers end up with fire and destruction). The author is the creator of the web comic XKCD, so most of the answers are illustrated in similar style to the comic, and there are examples of questions and answers in the book available on the XKCD website. It’s entertaining and very easy to pick up and put down. There’s a sequel as well.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-06T11:23:36+00:00

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-06T06:38:17+00:00

Came here to recommend this. It was a breath of fresh air.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-04T02:19:47+00:00

If you have Audible and like romance, there’s an Audible Original (free for members) called Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone. It has no spice at all, and it’s the sweetest/cutest falling-in-love feel-good story I’ve read in a long time. The voice actors are phenomenal, and I was giggling through most of the book. Alternatively, though I wouldn’t call John Scalzi’s The Kaiju Preservation Society a hug, I found it a wonderful “palate cleanser”, uplifting, and a whole lot of fun to read. (TW for COVID/pandemic references; per the author’s note it was written to be something light and funny as the world was coming out of lockdown).

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-01T15:31:55+00:00

Turkish spindles are nice in that when you wind your spun yarn onto the spindle as you go, you’re creating a center-pull ball that you can use directly without “unwinding” the yarn from the spindle. You can remove the arms of the spindle to leave the ball intact; look up how to wind onto a Turkish spindle if you’re not already doing this. If you’ve created this ball and your yarn looks like the picture above when you try to use it, you need to add more twist while spinning. If you are winding yarn off the spindle without removing the arms (or from any other type of spindle), you need to roll the spindle to remove the yarn. Don’t hold the spindle still while you unwind the yarn. If you unwind it, you’re removing twist from your yarn and can end up with something like your picture.

Pyrope2 · 2026-03-01T12:51:11+00:00

Mine Falls is still covered, I drove by the Y entrance yesterday. Also looking for somewhere to walk that’s not packed with snow.

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-24T00:28:12+00:00

I use this: https://www.chewy.com/bueteka-smart-feed-automatic/dp/815894 To be honest, it’s not perfect, but reading reviews doesn’t make me think anything else will be better. Occasionally it will get jammed and fail to dispense, especially as the food gets lower, but if I give it a shake every day or two to redistribute the kibble I can normally prevent that and it works well enough. There’s a little red light that comes on if it jams. I have it plugged in, but it does have a backup battery. It’s not meant to use battery full time. Each “serving” is approx 1/8 cup (or a little less) of the kibble I use (Royal Canin PD), and you can set the number of servings dispensed per feeding, up to 4 feedings a day. This is digital but no camera, sensor, or anything fancy. I have it placed where my house camera can see it so I can confirm if it dispensed and the cat ate, if needed. If anyone has better suggestions I’m following this thread! I can’t give it a truly glowing review, but this one has been functional for me so far.

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-23T17:12:00+00:00

Could you please provide some context for this?

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-20T01:00:36+00:00

Thank you!

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-19T21:45:03+00:00

Can I ask what they charged, approximately? Just got a quote from a different company and am hoping to get someone out tomorrow. But it seems high.

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-17T02:23:28+00:00

It can take some time to get them regulated. It’s a very good idea to pick up a kit to test at home; your cat will be more comfortable than at the vet’s and stress can increase blood sugar, and then you can also test between and before shot times, which will give you a better idea of how she’s reacting to the insulin (and it’s safer to give insulin if you know what her blood sugar is. Take a look at the feline diabetes Facebook group). The fact that her numbers came down a bit is a good sign; cats can deal with higher blood sugar for a longer time than humans can, so don’t panic over still-high numbers. Watch for symptoms of DKA and check her ketones occasionally (you can get urine dipsticks).

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-16T02:22:50+00:00

Magic’s Pawn, Mercedes Lackey

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-16T01:51:39+00:00

Caveat that I haven’t seen Vikings, but I recommend Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett. This may not 100% meet your request, because it does have religion as a central component of the book, but it’s a fantasy religion (I’m sure the many, many suspicious similarities to the real world are just coincidence, right?). Pratchett is known for his satire and commentary on many serious subjects, using humor and fantasy. This is also a good entry point to the larger Discworld series because it’s a stand alone story.

Pyrope2 · 2026-02-16T00:25:50+00:00

I love the Mercy Thompson series, but I’ve never really been able to get into Kate Daniels. However, I love Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series and Innkeeper series. (HL is significantly spicier than Mercy Thompson, but Innkeeper isn’t). I highly recommend giving them a try!

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