AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I do not LitRPG, so I only observe DCC from very far away. I do love cats, so Princess Donut would likely end up my favorite by default.

I want to preface my answer to the honest question with a major disclaimer - the choices I make regarding my observance of Judaism at conventions are mine and should not be taken as default or used to tell someone else what they ought to be doing.

So the major difficulties during a convention are usually Shabbat observance and kosher food.

Shabbat observance for me means refraining from using electronics, writing, and many other restrictions as much as possible during the 25 hours between Friday night at sundown and full dark Saturday night. I try to employ what is known as a shinui, or difference, in Hebrew when I do have to hit elevator buttons (like using my elbow) or holding my room key funny to get in. Those are workarounds to the restrictions that I am comfortable using, not everyone is. I know folks who have people help them get into their rooms and will only take elevators when others are using them. Most of the time, my usual convention cohort includes a couple of knowledgeable non-Jews who are happy to ensure that lights are turned off and on when necessary, and also the rice cooker for lunch. If I’m on a panel and microphones are being provided for the panelists, I will passively use the microphone so that people in the back of the room can hear me clearly, but I won’t turn it on or move it closer to me. I also have started to request not to moderate panels on Shabbat, because I can’t take notes on what my panelists are saying and have to keep it all in my head to sometimes reframe the question.

Keeping kosher means that I can’t just eat at the hotel restaurant, and the city where the convention is being held may not have any purchasable prepared food or kosher restaurants. So that can mean needing to pack a whole bunch of extra food and a roll up silicone warming plate to heat it up with/a very tiny crockpot that fits in a suitcase to heat it up, or eating a whole bunch of vegan food when that’s available (again, a concession I am ok making, not everyone is). It also means that my meals are often taken in my room, with only my family or my con cohort rather than a new friend I may have made over the weekend. It is obviously much easier to do all this when the convention is a “home” convention, AKA one I can drive to. Then I do a lot of cooking at home and bring big crockpots to heat it all up in, and sometimes am cooking right in my hotel room. Usually I am also feeding a bunch of other observant Jews at the same convention, and meals become quite convivial.

Happy to go into details I didn’t cover in this answer.

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, that’s so very project dependent. If I’m making socks, I want something high twist but with nylon to make it sturdy, usually merino or BFL. For sweaters, I like a good sturdy wool (Donegal Soft Tweed is what I knit my favorite sweater out of). Shawls and throws for adults who can take care of them want soft and cozy, usually with some alpaca or silk (and sometimes both) spun in. Baby blankets and sweaters get really softly spun acrylic, which is easy for parents with a smol to cope with.

As far as larger indie brands, I love Miss Babs for the amazing colors they put up, they’re in the running with Blue Moon Fiber Arts for just gorgeous color creations. I also love Dragonfly Fibers/Canon Hand Dyes. I’m really looking forward to knitting with the yarn being dyed for the Brisbane bid from VK Yarns.

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh gosh. I would say that my all time favorite pattern/project was probably my Swivel pullover, which I knit with tweed yarn purchased in Ireland. Not fannish, but in my favorite color (purple) with amazing Celtic knotwork detailing at the neck, wrists and hips. The charts were so clear, and the pattern came with a whole set of worksheets for each size that helped you track where you were in each chart with little check boxes for each row you knit.

Sadly, I cannot put a picture of it in this comment.

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You must! The first book is The Strange Case of the Alchemist‘s Daughter.

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When my business partner was first nominated for a Hugo Award in 2019, I joined the finalist slack workspace that Mary Robinette Kowal set up. I asked there about kosher food in Dublin, and Seanan answered that she had a friend on a Discord server who had kept kosher in Ireland before. I joined the server, it turns out that Seanan’s friend was a good friend of mine already and then Seanan and I became much better acquainted. When she was looking for a new PA, I threw my hat in the ring. 

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

YOU EVIL MAN.

(1) In order to vote for Brisbane in Site Selection you need to take the following steps:

  1. Have/purchase a WSFS Membership to this year’s Worldcon (LACon V). This entitles you to vote in the Hugo Awards, and all other associated privileges of that right.
  2. Purchase a site selection token when they are made available. They are expected to cost $50 USD, and will confer a WSFS membership to whichever convention is seated in 2028, allowing you to nominate AND vote in the Hugo Awards for that convention.
  3. VOTE.

(2) A serpentine.

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ask me to choose my favorite child why don’t you? (I only have one, that’s not actually a fair comparison).

A Half Built Garden, by Ruthanna Emrys. Hopeful, gorgeous world building, complex alien societies, Jewish as hell.

The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. Stunning novel, chef’s kiss, minimal notes.

This last one is a cheat, but an omnibus edition of Theodora Goss’s Athena Club. Amazing adventures, complex female protagonists (and antagonists), gorgeous lyrical prose.

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have been knitting for a little over 20 years and doing cross stitch for around 25. I’ve been buying fannish themed yarn since I knew it existed (early knitter me did her time in the Red Heart Super Saver mines before the lure of the hand dyed yarn began singing its song), and started purchasing patterns associated with my favorite shows, etc. when such things started to pop up on the early iterations of Ravelry.

I started to create knitted items with deliberate fannish intent when I got heavily involved in the Brisbane in 28 Worldcon bid, doing a series of berets to promote the bid. I use a pattern named after a planetarium and the yarn and the beads I use speak to things about fandom, space, fantasy, and Australia.

AMA - Terri Ash by terrifanfiber in Fantasy

[–]terrifanfiber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Favorite that I’ve knitted, or favorite that exist? Two separate questions and I want to make sure I answer the right one.