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Made in Azeroth: Arts and crafts inspired by WoW
How can we amuse ourselves while we wait for Wrath of the Lich King to come out? One word: geekcrafts. Sure, you could go to Jinx or CafePress and buy some stickers or T-shirts, but then again there's all that waiting, what with the shipping and everything. Plus, although somebody made it, they didn't make it. By which I mean, it wasn't crafted. So, you know, it's like a BoE item instead of an engineers-only item. Am I making any sense yet? No? Hm. Okay. Let me try again. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, so pick up some art supplies and start learning a new hobby. By way of inspiration, take a look at some of these cool things other people have crafted from their love of WoW.
Gamer Interrupted: Battle of the hobbies
Every other week, Robin Torres contributes Gamer Interrupted, a column about balancing real life with MMOs. I know, it used to be weekly and then it disappeared again. But I mean it this time.This year, WoW Insider had all of their bloggers write an About the Bloggers post. When I wrote mine, I got the following comment from Supernoob:Robin, my wife loves knitting but hates me playing Warcraft. Any advice on how to pacify a warcraft widow?This surprised me, being a knitter, because I have found that the knitting community in general is pretty respectful of other people's hobbies. Knitters don't get a lot of respect from other hobbyists, so we are pretty understanding of people in similar situations. In fact, one of my first recommendations for guys with non-gamer significant others is to encourage them to get their own hobby.There are a few things that could possibly cause this Battle of the Hobbies, and I will go over some of them and suggest solutions. But it is important to remember that in all relationships, communication is key. If you are in a similar situation, asking your MMO Widow what her specific concerns are about your gaming activities is the best way to start to solve the problem.
Mega Man scarf is mega sweet
It's been a while since we've seen a Mega Man game akin to the ones of the days of yore, but now, yore comes in scarf form. Beatboxtaun, the same craftster behind the Punch-Out! scarf, has gone and designed some winter gear based on Mega Man 2 (a game which, incidentally, has one of our favorite video game soundtracks). It might be getting a little too warm for scarves, since spring is just around the corner, but we're sure your nostalgia can keep you cold enough to don this beauty.What's nice about this scarf is that it not only features the Blue Bomber himself, but also the villains of the game. Now, all she has to do is make a Mega Man 3 scarf that includes Proto Man, and we'd be super happy.This neck mitten certainly isn't cheap, as it will cost you $150 on Etsy -- but until we get a classic Mega Man game on the DS, this is probably the next best thing. For now, though, we guess we'll have to settle for Mega Man Star Force and the like.Another picture of the scarf is posted after the break, if you want to see the rest of the villains included.
Chain Chomp knit beanie won't tear your head off
Well, we can't say for certain that it won't take your head off but if our experience with this Headcrab plush hat is any indication, then this isn't a real Chain Chomp but instead just a clever approximation of one, designed to be worn on one's head. Our favorite part of this cap is that the appropriately named Knitting Ninja has posted a how-to so those of you always on the lookout for new and exciting things to knit – and, if you guys are anything like us, then you totally are – can lovingly craft your own out of nothing but yarn and free time. [Thanks, John]
Breakfast Topic: WoW as meditation
There are a million ways to relax in this modern era. Yoga, taichi, zen koans, transcendental meditation, knitting, and yes, video games. It might seem odd to mention video games in the same sentence as "zen" or "meditation," but think for a moment: most forms of meditation involve focusing on one simple thing, such as the flame of a candle, or the repetition of a mantra, and excluding all other thought. Doesn't World of Warcraft call this grinding?Now, granted, there are plenty of complicated and interesting things to do in WoW that involve lots of concerted thought and could not be considered meditation. But couldn't grinding away on daily quests or farming for materials be considered a very modern way for some people to wind down, clear their mind of daily frustrations, and just be nothingness itself for a little while? I know for my part, playing WoW by myself for a while certainly isn't ecstatic communion with the divine, but it can be a great way to just put everything else away for a bit and come back to life feeling refreshed. What do you think: is grinding a form of meditation for you, or is it just something to do when you're bored out of your mind?
Keepin' it real fake, part LXVI: hand-knit iPhone edition
If you're like some and just couldn't take all that lining up business to buy an iPhone, fear "knot," a knit phone may be for you. Daddytypes posted some pics of an iPhone that his mom knitted for him (we also spotted a hand-knit Pop-Tart) and while hugely strange, it is rather crazy cool at the same time. We're particularly digging the mostly true to life button layout and color scheme on the back -- we're betting If knitting was an Olympic sport, mama Dadddytypes would definitely be a contender for gold. So if your fingers -- or a family member's -- are talented enough, check the how-to on the site to help get you on your way.[Via textually.org]
Two lovely Nintendo crafts
These two crafts have the potential to change our lives. How so? In order to acquire and use them, we must learn how to knit, find a reason to start carrying a little handbag, and take more notes. We're not sure we're ready for such a drastic change, so we'll just look at them on the Internet and appreciate them!The felted Mario bag has a tutorial, so if you can knit, we suggest you do so. The Zelda notepad was previously available for sale on Etsy, but is now sold out. Perler bead crafts are not so hard to do, however! [Via Wonderland: here, here]
Sewing the seeds of retro: crocheted Atari 2600
Who said that grandma's skill set wasn't that useful? It's a custom crocheted Atari 2600, complete with two controllers, a game cartridge, and Pitfall on the screen. Amazing! These is exactly the sort of old school stuff we'd be filling our homes and offices up with if it was for sale in stores.Now the real proof comes when someone knits us a next-gen system complete with a multiplayer game playing out on the crocheted screen in -- wait for it -- high definition. That'd be like a million lines of yarn or something. Better get to knitting before Super HDTV gets invented.[Thanks, Mike]
Knit your own iPod sock
Everyone and their queen has an iPod. All of those naked iPods out there are just horrifying! Luckily, one intrepid knitter is trying to get people to cover up their iPods.Barbara Breiter, of About.com's Knitting guide, has posted a pattern for all you knitters out there to create your very own iPod Sock. Why would you want to do this when Apple has some iPod Socks of their very own?First off, Apple's cost $29 and these will set you back a few dollars and a couple of hours. Secondly, who doesn't need a project to keep them busy?Don't forget that they also make great gifts!
