Origins (Part 1)

I realized last week that I talk about my maille all the time, but I've never actually told you how I got started. There are two parts to this: How I got started in the hobby, and who got me started. The latter will focus on my family, my heroes. I already wrote that part but in an extremely unfortunate incident, the draft was deleted before reaching the server. It'll take me a while to rewrite it because I need to do it justice. The former is what I'll tell you today. So gather round, ladies and gents and everyone, it's story time.

In 2003 I was a freshman in college. Uni life opened up a ton of new experiences for me that I never had access to in high school. I had a roommate for the first time in my life. There were new sports to try and new subjects to learn and new religions to explore. One thing that introduced me to nearly everything else was the Fencing club. Swordplay, huzzah! Finally, I met a group of people who liked the same kind of sport as me, and we had other similar interests too. These same people got me into Tabletop RPGs, Halo 2, new sports, new classes, new everything.

So one of my friends from the club had a roommate who made chain maille. The first time I saw him working on it, I was flabbergasted. No way was this still a thing! I thought it died hundreds of years ago? I was captivated. Thrilled. It looked like a style of knitting that I could do. I needed it. It was incredible. So I asked him to make me a bracelet. I think I paid $20 and then pestered him about it for the next 6 weeks while he waited for his Ring Lord order and then put it together for me.

When I finally got it, I only wore it for about a week. It wasn't badly made or anything, but owning it wasn't enough. The small college town was well-stocked with art & jewelry supplies because of the uni's art department, so it didn't take long before I found 2 sets of toothless pliers. I still use the same bent-nose pliers today, 10 years later! I took apart the entire bracelet, and then stopped. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I tried to figure out the pattern from memory but it was no good. Google to the rescue! I was able to find when I recognized the logo from watching my friend's roomie order the rings. I signed up for their forum (on an account I've long since lost) and began browsing for tutorials. Eventually I came across some, including cgmaille.com - a valuable tool for anyone starting the hobby. Not only does that place have 4-in-1, but a bunch of others too! I tried as many different patterns as I could before the rings began to snap apart from being worked too much. I still couldn't get enough, and my roommate was equally enthralled. We took what little money we had leftover from books and supplies, and we ordered a bunch of aluminum and steel from TRL.

It was so much fun. Not only did we now have a cool new hobby, but we each had someone to bounce ideas off of, to offer criticism, and to help each other improve. We were both completely self-taught but we helped each other out and learned how to make some cool stuff really quickly. The resources online were also a massive help, as well as the great folks at the TRL forum.

Later on, my roomie and I decided we were good enough to take the hobby a bit more serious. There's a craft & wares faire on campus every year at the beginning of December, and we thought "Why not?" We applied for a temporary state tax ID, registered ourselves as The Mischief Makers, and applied for a one-day spot. Our lucky stars aligned and we had a most ideal location, right by a main entrance to the student union building. I really don't know how we did it. That weekend was a blur. We easily made a profit over what we spent on the show and supplies. The success and the money only fueled the love for the hobby more, and after that I always found time to work on some maille.

I don't know why it piqued my interest so hard at first. Maybe because it was so unique, or maybe because it hit that same part of my brain that Robin Hood and King Arthur live in. Maybe it's a giant cocktail of emotions and passions and interests. But this is how I really got started. I haven't put down the pliers since then. still have an old piece of maille from when I began, and it is full of flaws. I keep it as a memento of how much I've learned and improved, because the difference is easily noticeable.

As much as I love how unique this hobby is, I realize it's becoming more popular every day. Craft stores now have small chain maille sections by their jewelry supplies. It's fantastic! I want to encourage its growth too. If you ever have questions about getting started, I'd love to help you. Don't be shy, hit me up!

PAX Prime 2013 - Oh my glob

Hello everyone! Hello to button traders, lanyard bearers, Enforcers, and attendees! Hello cosplayers, newlyweds, special guests, Spartans, and AIs! Hello gamers, publishers, devs, panelists, and exhibitors! Hello everyone!

How was your PAX? Mine was amazeballs. I met so many amazing people and saw so much wonderful technology. I traded buttons and pins with the nicest strangers I've ever met. I bought a Catbug and ate sugar peas! I stood between the Xbox and Playstation booths and listened to gamers of both persuasions discussing (and bashing/praising) the new consoles with the most heartfelt passion. I sold PA tee shirts and scarves to all walks of human life, and I handed out a hundred pins and a hundred business cards. If that's how you've stumbled across this blog, then hello again. :) It was so nice to meet you.

I realize I'm being extremely vague, and I'll be totally honest. PAX is a total blur of happy for me. I'm sad that I missed the final day. I caught up on some much needed rest, then headed back to Redmond for a day in the Internet mines. I feel each year like I'm attending a massive family reunion with all of my weird, crazy, awesome, incredible distant cousins. More than the games, I'm so excited to catch up with people and hear about how their lives have changed.

So allow me to wrap up my lunch break here at work by delivering a heartfelt Thank You to you all. I'll write more in the coming week and month. But for now I need to focus on my day job, and preparing for GeekGirlCon. My brain matter is oozing with delicious ideas that I picked up at PAX, and I now feel equally excited and freaked out about being an exhibitor. I know what I need to do to prepare, and I know just how little time I have. It's going to be a wonderfully busy month. I hope to see some of you there in October!

More to come, I promise. ^_^ Now kick your shoes off and relax. You've all been on your feet a lot this weekend.

Looking back, Going forward

Holy monkeys, it's been way too long since I dusted off the ol' blog. This past year has been busy and full of changes! 

Last year's Kickstarter project went well and was quickly followed by another. A week after PAX, I got a new job. The new job has drastically changed my life in great ways, but it also meant I had to give up some of my side projects. I stepped away from BFR Games (and wish them nothing but the best!) and backed off on my hobbies a bit. I even let Knitted Steel slide for a while as I adjusted to my new schedule and work load. It's been a thrilling, exhausting, and wonderful year. I apologize if I've left anyone in the lurch or failed to respond to a support request. And I thank everyone who's supported me in the past year! 

Looking forward, there are some great things on the horizon.

First off, I've upgraded my store! It is now much more mobile-friendly, thanks to Storenvy's new Cooper Theme. Plus I've tweaked the design a little bit with some custom CSS for more personal flair. Check it out if you'd like. I may still update its look with a new banner, but the site itself is ready to go.

Coming up are two big conventions in Seattle: PAX Prime, and GeekGirlCon. Currently I have a special shipping option for PAX Prime if you'd still like to order something. It will allow you free hand-delivery. Only select this option if you plan to be at the show. 

GeekGirlCon looks to be even more exciting, because for the first time ever, I will be a vendor. That's right, I've got my own booth space! This will be the first time vending a large show since my college days when my roommate and I partnered up as The Mischief Makers, and I couldn't be more excited. I'll update this blog again once I have more information like booth # and location, but here are the current details. I'll be sharing my booth space with the super awesome Kiri Callaghan! She'll be signing and selling her book So if you like reading and watching geeky things, and you like wearing shiny maille, stop by and see us. :) I'll have a Square card reader for credit card purchases, and my website will loaded up on a tablet and ready to go for custom orders. 

More to come very soon. For now, be sure to get your PAX Prime orders in as soon as possible! Once I have my Enforcer schedule, I will email everyone with details of when and where to pick up your goodies.