OTA Mingle || Stitch & Bitch

[can_fight_ugly]

WHO: Anne
WHERE: House 53
WHEN: Forward dated to Saturday
OPEN TO: OTA - but specifically those who expressed an interest in joining Stich & Bitch
WARNINGS: Stitching & Bitching. Should be a fairly tame log but will update as needed

---

Network Post Here

The first thing Anne had done was make a mental list (since she couldn't make an electronic one - or even a pen and paper one) of the kind of space she was looking for. Open floorplan, fireplace, multiple rooms, yardage. Eventually, she'd settled on House 53 - a soft yellow bungalow with three bedrooms, a fireplace, spaced farther from its neighbors than some of the other housing units, and with a sizeble plot of land behind it before it butted up against the houses in the next street over. Check.

Second, she would need chairs. She borrowed whatever furniture she could move from the surrounding empty houses, marking the underneath of each one in order to return them to their proper houses afterwards - if that was necessary.

Chairs arranged in a loose circle in the house, she went out to borrow a hatchet and go out to collect some firewood - this took the most amount of time, because she wasn't exactly built for this kind of labor. She's been working at it over a few days, though, and she knew that necessity would mold her far better than any CrossFit or Krav Maga class ever could. She spent enough time on this endeavor to ensure there'd be enough wood to last them a bit, then returned the hatchet. She'd have to ask Tony for one of her own at some point.

It doesn't matter if you're the first one here, or if things have been under way for a couple hours and you're just rolling in; Anne greets everyone as they arrive, already near the door or getting up from her chair to offer a warm handshake and introductions.

Today's inaugural session was meant to be a little more free-form, and let it grow from that organically, but at some point when a number of people have gathered Anne will stand to get their attention;

"I wanted to thank you all for coming. Unless I've somehow missed you, you know I am Anne Weying; I can teach knitting, and I would like to learn how to spin.

I know we're all from different worlds with different levels of technological advancements, but here we're all on the same footing. And that footing's about to get cold if we can't knit a sock, first. This idea was born from a practice in my world called "Stitch and Bitch", where people would gather to knit, and crochet, and generally complain about things in their lives. Here, I think it would be important if we used this time to share our skills and help each other establish a line of production in order to harvest and spin fleece and knit it into usable goods - or weave, or crochet, what-have-you.

We're definitely not in a tropical climate, and without knowing just how cold it can get here, I think it's best if we start preparing for a cold winter now."

She sits down and takes a look at each of those gathered around, "So; what can you teach, and what would you like to learn?"

Comments

this hoodlum | ota

[scathefires]

Jason doesn’t have much skill in stitching, unless it’s knife wounds. Bitching, though? He’s got that part down. However, he’s quiet at the moment - not sitting in a chair with the rest of the group but standing near the door, leaning back against the wall, arms folded across his chest, silently debating with himself on whether showing up here was a bad idea. Positioning himself near the door means he can make a strategic and speedy exit if needed, but so far, it appears that such evasive maneuvers are not necessary.

Not yet, at least. Having attention turned on him with the expectation to speak? That definitely increases the likelihood of Jason bolting. He sighs, rubs a hand over his mouth, and shrugs.

“I don’t know how to do any of this.” And it really sucks to be in a position where he has to admit that. “Only thing I can really teach is how to fight, and I dunno how much interest this kind of group would have in that.”

[can_fight_ugly]

She's not about to force anyone to sit and this guy certainly seemed squirrley enough that she doesn't want to make him feel obligated to do anything he didn't want. It was perfectly acceptable if someone wanted to just lurk on the edges and observe.

Still, she wants to make everyone feel as welcome as she can, and that means at least one tiny interaction. She doesn't approach him immediately, waiting for a natural lull in her own conversation that's picked up by someone else and easy to extract herself from. She approaches him and crosses her arms loosely, keeping a certain distance out of respect.

"You might be surprised. I don't think it's a bad idea at all to set up barter and trade of skills. I could probably use a few self-defense lessons myself; I'm not sure how useful knowledge of taking out a mugger is going to be here, but knowing how to fight a bear? Might be worth trading a few knitting lessons for."

[alittlelonger]

"I already appreciate you offering to teach fighting though, if anything happens here I'm going to be unprepared." Rinoa hadn't wanted to come out. Her life was miserable at the moment, but if she didn't come out, she would lock herself inside forever. She had to try. Plus this was something she was actually good at. That was one way to make her feel better about her being stuck there. She could be useful. She was adding to the community.

Rinoa smiles at him, her first smile in a few days, slightly shadowed and sad, and goes over to lean against the wall next to him. This isn't her first time wrangling someone who is hesitant. But he's there. That means something. "I'm sure that having good quick hands to fight in combat will help you. A lot of it is the same kind of memorizing, on a smaller level."

Kat [OPEN]

[mediumhoodie]

Kat didn't know what she was expecting. She'd never been to anything like this but she was looking forward to it. She needed to get out of that empty house and this was the perfect excuse. She wore her hoodie and a pair of shorts. It wasn't the weather for shorts but there clothes were familiar and comfortable.

"I know how to sew but I'd like to learn how to knit. I've brought some of the pink alpaca fluff." She had collected it that morning and didn't have a lot but it was a start.

She placed her small collection out for anyone to take.

Re: Kat [OPEN]

[can_fight_ugly]

"Look at the color on that, it's beautiful!" Anne wasn't normally a 'pink' kind of girl, but she could appreciate a bright and pleasant hue when she saw one. She reaches out for some of the fluff and pulls it close, massagging it with her fingers and then brushing it on her cheek. She looks at Kat with a smile,

"This is really nice fleece."

[mediumhoodie]

Kat wasn't really a pink kinda girl either but the alpaca's were friendly and the only fluffy animal that Kat had been able to get close too without endangering herself in the process. "It's very soft." Which was what Kat had liked about it.

"I thought we could turn it into something people could use but I don't know how."

It was going to be a learning experience but even if no one could teach her, Kat was sure that she could figure it out. Her whole life had been about figuring things out.

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne listens to Kat before looking back at the fleece and moving it about between her fingers. She didn't want to handle it too agressively, lest she wringe it out of usefullness, but she knew there was a way to easily spin it into yarn - she just didn't know how yet.

"There are ways, there are people here who know how to, and there are books in the school house that should help as well. Spinning is something I know I'd like to learn, too."

Stephanie Brown | OTA

[spoileralert]

It took a bit of effort to get Steph’s heavy foot-powered seweing machine to the house, but between her and Jason they managed it. The next trip was to retrieve scraps of fabric from earlier tailoring projects and what curtains and blankets she felt the village could do without. Those she kept in bundles with a blanket wrapped around each, since cardboard boxes were clearly not a thing here. Hopefully there would be more gifts of clothes later that she could use for big projects... and more lightweight boxes to cart supplies around in.

She had already set about carefully pulling what threads she could from their seams when Anne started talking.

"I’d like to learn spinning, since sewing is what I’m good at," she volunteered. There was only so much a person could salvage, and the fabric to thread ratio of blanket was definitely not ideal. "Did anyone think to grab books from the school? They have something on just about everything, it seems like."

So far there had been more talk about learning crafting skills than teaching them. The party might have to wait until some of them had made a library run. Steph couldn't really complain about that, since she hadn't thought to bring any either.

[demiurgency]

"I brought a couple. Pretty sure there are more, but they aren't all organized on the shelves, at least they aren't anymore," Billy volunteers, holding up a book with a cozy-looking argyle sweater on the front, part of the stack on his chair. He'd gravitated towards the sewing machine almost immediately, something comfortable and familiar.

"I'd been wondering if there were any sewing machines in the village," he follows up, looking the machine over before offering Steph a tentative grin. "I can knit, but I like sewing more, honestly."

[spoileralert]

"Oh good. I learned how to knit at some point in my life but I've definitely forgotten." She returns his smile with an amiable one of her own. It's gotten easier lately, to let herself make friends without worrying about ruining someone's life.

"Tony made it for me, after some negotiation. Which came after some teasing. Which came after his initial agreement to try it 'just because'." She shrugs, utterly shameless.

[demiurgency]

Honestly, that might be something they have in common. Billy's never let it stop him from trying to make friends, but he's definitely worried about that being a not-great thing for the other person. For not entirely dissimilar reasons. "It's definitely like riding a bike," he offers. "Or, you know, like they say riding a bike is supposed to be, which I definitely disagree with, learning how to balance on two wheels again after ten years is not as easy, especially if you're like three feet taller than you were the last time you tried."

But that's a ramble, isn't it? He's gotta get better about that. "Tony Stark made your sewing machine?" Now that's something to be interested in. "That's awesome. I knew he was running the forge, but I still haven't actually talked to him. To this him. I don't know this version, is he cool?"

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne would help Stephanie and Jason get the sewing machine settled; the fiber artist's version of a LAN party. It's exciting to see things come together, and she donates some of her curtains to the cause.

Besides, you could never have too much natural light.

"Do you have everything you need?"

[spoileralert]

"If you've found any scissors, that'd be a big help. I've been using knives, with varying success." She managed to cut the pieces with enough leeway, but that probably used more fabric than it needed to and wasted some due to cuts that were too long.

"But otherwise yeah, it's all pretty self-contained. Thanks for the help."

[can_fight_ugly]

"I haven't seen any yet, but I'll ask Tony if that's something he can come up with. They would definitely come in handy."

It's the little things you take for granted.

"Don't mention it. I'm happy with the turnout. So many people willing to share, to help each other out. I think we'll make it through alright."

Billy Kaplan | OTA

[demiurgency]

When he'd first heard word of this gathering, Billy had known immediately he'd be going. After his conversation with 7, he'd started poking around for the right kind of wood to use for knitting needles, any word on yarn that could be used, finally relieved that there was some skill he possessed that could actually be useful.

He doesn't come empty-handed, either; in Billy's arms are half a dozen books from the library on knitting and crochet, all covered in various sweaters or hats or afghans. "I uh. Brought some of the books on knitting and crochet from the library," he volunteers. "In case anyone wants them. I can knit and sew, but I'd be interested in learning more. Spinning seems like it'd be really useful to know. We should probably recruit some of the villagers who have zalpaca, too."

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne picks up a book on knitting starts flipping through the pages, wondering if it would differ much from anything she might have found at home.

"I think the more people we have cross-trained on various steps of the yarn production process, the better off we'll be. I know there are a few people interested in learning how to spin."

She nods with Billy's suggestion about the Alpacas. "And - admittedly, this might be a stretch - I've been wondering if it would be possible to procure and establish a herd of those big guys, the gruffalo. Their fleece might not be as fine but they've got a lot more surface area to harvest fleece from. Do you know what they're like, at all? Can they be domesticated?"

[demiurgency]

The books seem mostly filled with standard stuff, even if some of the garments seem meant for slightly odder body shapes (he's pretty sure he saw a sweater with wing holes in it). At least, he didn't spot anything too far out of the ordinary, but considering his world that's not all that strange.

At Anne's question about the gruffalo, Billy perks up a bit, sounding more confident. This, at least, is definitely something he knows. "They can definitely be domesticated, and they're pretty easygoing," he tells her. "I don't know how good their hair would be for clothes, it's a little scratchy, but it's worth a shot. I know someone who has one. Do you think there's space for a herd? I mean, they're kind of like cows, I guess, we could probably set up a big pen or something. I could ask Frank."

[can_fight_ugly]

"Good for outer layers, certainly. We could start small with one or two, see how they manage. We may not need many more than that, unless we want to look into milk and meat production." But that would open up questions about extensive land use and that, she felt, should be a village-wide decision.


"I've got some space behind my house, if there's no better option." She'd originally chosen that location with thoughts of one or two of the cute zalpacas, but she's willing to be adaptable to offer the greatest help she can to the village.

Hawke - OTA

[championofsnark]

Hawke knew how to do these things, but it'd been awhile. Her mother was an expert; she could mend and make. The requirement of being a mother of two (three). Eventually she sighed and said Marian, you have to learn this. Like most things Hawke was fairly good at picking it up, but a little too lazy to become an expert at it. She could make it work though. Of that she was certain.

She casually lounged in a chair, her hair braided and out of the way. "I know how to sew and knit; not perfectly, but I can do it. I suppose there's an incentive to get good at it now." Who knows. She was an optimist! This could turn out brilliantly. Dark eyes slid across the room, curious to see who was going to join their little group. She recognized most, because of her overly friendly ways.

She was also delighted to spend more time with Anne, who she already adopted.

[can_fight_ugly]

"Frostbite is one hell of an incentive." Anne wanders over, in one of her mingle rounds, checking in with people, seeing some out and others in. She squats down by Hawke's chair,

"But, I don't think it'll hurt to meet and mingle like this, either. It can be pretty tempting to play hermit when it's cold. Did you home get very cold?"

[championofsnark]

"It is! I've been mending my socks and trying to take good care of my gloves. These aren't exactly meant for archery." The gloves were good and kept her warm, but there was a sort of wear and tear that came from getting gloves that were specifically designed to fight with. Hawke is good at sorting out things she can use, and it'll be awhile before she can make something that's worth it, but for now mending is the best way to go about it.

She glances up at Anne with a smile. "Sometimes. Kirkwall's a port city so it gets hot hot hot and then crushingly cold depending on the season. I'm also used to being in a lot more action and covered in armor."

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne nods, "It cam get that way, by water. We had some wicked snow snorms when I was in New York; record breaking blizzards, it got intense." San Francisco was a different kind of cold; not as frigid, but wet and oppressive.

Anne missed the snow, and the decent heating and insulation of a New York condo.

She smiles, "Do you plan on finding a way to be active here as well?"

Seifer (open)

[firacrux]

He felt like an idiot. Almost immediately it was abundantly clear that this really wasn't the kind of place for him. Too many people, knitting really wasn't his thing, he had no idea what the hell he was walking into. But he'd showed up anyway because it beat sulking around without anything to do. Maybe he could lend a hand in a different way. Chopping firewood maybe?

Mostly it was the realization that he lacked even the most rudimentary knowledge of what they were talking about. Clothing had always been provided him, he never had to think about where it came from or how it was made. Maybe if he just slunk back out the door no one would notice he was even there.

Yeah, that's the ticket. Clearly a giant guy with a big scar on his face and dressed in black was definitely going to disappear in the background well enough to manage to slip back out before anyone realized he was there and could call him out on his attempt at escape. Flawless plan here.

[can_fight_ugly]

Maybe for some, but Anne isn't about to let someone slip away without so much as a hello. She catches him as he's headed to the door, congenial smile and a relaxed energy about her.

"Hey, didn't really find anything your speed, I take it?"

[firacrux]

And thank goodness for that, Anne. Someone had to keep Seifer from escaping without even acknowledging he'd made the attempt. Kind of. At this point he hadn't even earned the bronze star.

Finding his way barred he paused, fixing his expression into his usual hallmark scowl. Seifer didn't know how to be friendly much less how to deal with friendly. It was all very overwhelming for him.

"'Ey," It was more a startled noise than a greeting but since it could count for both he'd let it. "Y'know, it occurred to me I'm all thumbs. Probably not gonna be much good to any of you here." That's a lie Seifer didn't even know if he was all thumbs he was just chickening out due to the crowd. He wasn't exactly a people person.