a first ball of yarn
Aug. 16th, 2025 01:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)

It's wildly inconsistent (wool/sari silk waste blend, about 30 g / 1.2 oz) and I struggled with the learning curve for plying (first on a Turkish spindle that was too small for plying, then on the wheel once I figured out how to adjust the takeup; mine uses scotch tension) but hey, it exists!
I remain desperately curious about the mordant because I soaked yarn in hot water for an hour and the water ran completely clear, and it's a red dye!
But as therapeutic activities (quite literally this doubles as physical therapy for my wrecked ankles, and I'm still sick), this is very satisfying.
Sherlock: Declarations of Mutual Devotion by waketosleep
Aug. 16th, 2025 06:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Pairings/Characters: Sherlock/John
Rating: Teen
Length: 2007 words + companion stories
Creator Links:
waketosleep
Theme: Marriage of convenience
Summary:
"We should really get married."
John stared at the red mark on his wrist. "I'm sorry, what?"
Reccer's Notes: I almost never revisit this fandom, but when I recced waketosleep's Trek story for this theme, it came to my attention that w2s was a little obsessed with marriages of convenience and had a fantastic and charming gem of a fic where Sherlock co-opts John's life (again), and John (again) doesn't mind at all.
I don't know if I've ever seen hospital access as a reason for a marriage of convenience, but I am here for it! It's practical and a little grim, typical of Sherlock. The interactions between Sherlock and John are spot on and hilarious. In 2000 words, we also get Mrs Hudson, Lestrade, and Mycroft, all contributing to the comedy gold in their understated way.
This story belongs to two different series. The Intellectual Intercourse series is the easiest way to navigate everything if you want to read beyond this fic.
Fanwork Links: Declarations of Mutual Devotion
Pairings/Characters: Sherlock/John
Rating: Teen
Length: 2007 words + companion stories
Creator Links:
Theme: Marriage of convenience
Summary:
"We should really get married."
John stared at the red mark on his wrist. "I'm sorry, what?"
Reccer's Notes: I almost never revisit this fandom, but when I recced waketosleep's Trek story for this theme, it came to my attention that w2s was a little obsessed with marriages of convenience and had a fantastic and charming gem of a fic where Sherlock co-opts John's life (again), and John (again) doesn't mind at all.
I don't know if I've ever seen hospital access as a reason for a marriage of convenience, but I am here for it! It's practical and a little grim, typical of Sherlock. The interactions between Sherlock and John are spot on and hilarious. In 2000 words, we also get Mrs Hudson, Lestrade, and Mycroft, all contributing to the comedy gold in their understated way.
This story belongs to two different series. The Intellectual Intercourse series is the easiest way to navigate everything if you want to read beyond this fic.
Fanwork Links: Declarations of Mutual Devotion
Murderbot fic: Natal Day Gifting
Aug. 15th, 2025 11:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Bookverse-compliant except for Pin-Lee's TV pronouns, written for a Tumblr prompt.
Title: Natal Day Gifting
Word Count: 1400 words
Characters: Gen, Murderbot & Gurathin, PresAux in general
Summary: Murderbot gets dragged along on a birthday present shopping expedition. It enjoys this surprisingly somewhat more than expected.
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69306156
( Notes and Prompt )
( Fic under the cut )
Title: Natal Day Gifting
Word Count: 1400 words
Characters: Gen, Murderbot & Gurathin, PresAux in general
Summary: Murderbot gets dragged along on a birthday present shopping expedition. It enjoys this surprisingly somewhat more than expected.
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69306156
( Notes and Prompt )
( Fic under the cut )
unhinged spinning
Aug. 15th, 2025 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Unhinged spinning experiment: Immolation Fox prototype #1 (WIP)

Close-up:

(This is a WIP single, which I'd plan to ply, so that's active twist right now.)
I'm resigned at this point to destroying fiber in the service of something I find personally delightful to spin but Shinjo only knows how I'm going to get rid of the resulting yarn since I don't knit or crochet and don't plan to start. I took it up as an extremely backhanded way of additional physical therapy for my ankles.
If I am scarce right now, I'm physically ill, sorry! Spinning is at least a different sickness distraction from Balatro, which eats my device batteries.

Close-up:

(This is a WIP single, which I'd plan to ply, so that's active twist right now.)
I'm resigned at this point to destroying fiber in the service of something I find personally delightful to spin but Shinjo only knows how I'm going to get rid of the resulting yarn since I don't knit or crochet and don't plan to start. I took it up as an extremely backhanded way of additional physical therapy for my ankles.
If I am scarce right now, I'm physically ill, sorry! Spinning is at least a different sickness distraction from Balatro, which eats my device batteries.
2537 / Fic - The Old Guard
Aug. 15th, 2025 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Such Faithfulness in Effigy
The Old Guard | Joe/Nicky | ~1300 words | Thanks to
sheafrotherdon for betaing.
(Also on AO3)
( Joe, Nicky, and the persistence of stone. )
The Old Guard | Joe/Nicky | ~1300 words | Thanks to
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
(Also on AO3)
( Joe, Nicky, and the persistence of stone. )
weekend open thread – August 16-17, 2025
Aug. 15th, 2025 11:07 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand.
Here are the rules for the weekend posts.
Book recommendation of the week: I’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jenette McCurdy. An incredible memoir about her abusive stage mom that grabs you and won’t let you put it down. (Amazon, Bookshop)
* I earn a commission if you use those links.
The post weekend open thread – August 16-17, 2025 appeared first on Ask a Manager.
Tortoise + stars
Aug. 15th, 2025 11:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I helped rescue a tortoise today. On our way to my parents LB and I saw it walk across a sidewalk, and after a person from a nearby garden said they didn't know of any neighbors that had tortoises I first called my friend F the biologist, who identified it as a non-native Hermann's tortoise, and then animal rescue. They told us they'd come pick it up so we took it to my parents and watched it walk around the garden for a bit, very cute. The people from animal rescue were here within the hour and said that it seems to be around 10 years old and mostly healthy, apart from some malnutrition issues. I was glad they came even though it was a bank holiday.
(It reminded me a bit of a large toad L and I saw a short while ago, that was also very cute.)
Yesterday friends and I drove outside of the city for a bit to watch the Perseids. I saw the largest shooting star I've ever seen in my life, very cool. And some normal and smaller ones, too. As soon as the moon got higher it was a lot harder to see anything, I'd underestimated just how much of a difference that would make.
A silver lining, I guess, of having a chronic skin condition is that at least I get extra warning signs from my body when my stress levels increase, sometimes that takes me a while to notice. I had a very low energy week, and the temperatures certainly didn't help. The bank holiday today was very welcome; apart from visiting my parents I mostly spent it lying in bed reading. I have more classes this weekend and then the weekend after that, so I need every extra day to relax that I can get.
(It reminded me a bit of a large toad L and I saw a short while ago, that was also very cute.)
Yesterday friends and I drove outside of the city for a bit to watch the Perseids. I saw the largest shooting star I've ever seen in my life, very cool. And some normal and smaller ones, too. As soon as the moon got higher it was a lot harder to see anything, I'd underestimated just how much of a difference that would make.
A silver lining, I guess, of having a chronic skin condition is that at least I get extra warning signs from my body when my stress levels increase, sometimes that takes me a while to notice. I had a very low energy week, and the temperatures certainly didn't help. The bank holiday today was very welcome; apart from visiting my parents I mostly spent it lying in bed reading. I have more classes this weekend and then the weekend after that, so I need every extra day to relax that I can get.