November 8

One Party to Rule Them All

Lord OfThe Rings Sauron pinata from Blossomingjoy

Isn’t this pinata stunning? It’s almost like Sauron is right in the room <shudder>. It literally made my jaw drop when I saw it, so I knew I had to share it here.

When Melody at Blossomingjoy.com hosted a Lord of the Rings themed party for her son, she pulled out all the stops. Party-goers attended in costume, there was a mega-brownie Mount Doom, the jaw-dropping Eye of Sauron pinata, handmade party favors, rice krispie lembas bread, and a Hobbit version of a Toastmasters 60-second speech exercise. Whew! What a party! And lucky for us, she wrote up all sorts of great details and how-to’s in her blog post.

Have you been to any geek-themed parties? What’s your favorite theme, or one you want to host in the near future? Sound off in the comments below!

Links of Interest

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September 12

Pattern: The Gates of Moria

Speak friend and enter. *Mellon, to be specific. The gates of Moria only show this entry way in moonlight and starlight.  Natalia  Moreva of Kulabra designs has designed these mittens that make me want to rethink my mitten ban (everything falls to the floor if I wear mittens). But these call to the Tolkien geek in me.

Moria_Moreva

So why not buy a copy of the pattern, and get knitting, and have a new pair of mittens for when the last Hobbit movie comes out?

 

 

 

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January 8

Hobbit Headwear

Hello All! I hope everyone had a great holiday, and that you’re fairly recovered from all the family and excitement by now. A large part of my holidays was seeing the Hobbit with other geeky friends, which inspires this post about headwear from the Hobbit movies!

Bofur, the optimistic toymaking dwarf, brother to Bombur and cousin to Bifur, can be recognized in Peter Jackson’s films by his distinctive hat and jovial personality. Luckily for all you Bofur fans,  Smree has posted a great crochet pattern that even has the same upturned brim and earflaps! Using a skein of brown yarn and gray yarn, along with an H and I hook, I think she captured its essence perfectly!

Bofur's Hat

Of course, one of the most memorable characters from the Hobbit films is the Elvenking of the Mirkwood elves (and Legolas’ father), Thranduil. Not only does he have impeccable cheekbones (curse you and your inhuman beauty, Lee Pace!), he carries off an incredible crown of branches and leaves that mark him as the elven ruler. Katy R. over at Deviantart has created a beautiful replica of this crown out of wire, DAS (an air-hardening clay), resin and a few coats of paint. You can see her photo tutorial here.

Thranduil's Crown

Hopefully, these projects have inspired you to go see the Hobbit movies (if you haven’t yet), and to made your own stylish hats for everyday wear!

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December 27

Pattern: There and Back Again Story Scarf

Frivolite Handcrafts is at it again. This time with  a Hobbit themed double knit scarf. There and Back Again Story Scarf, knits out the tale of The Hobbit.  You read that right, Knits out the story of The Hobbit.  You should go to the project page, just so you can read the fun little  story that goes with the scarf. In the same spirit as The Hobbit, this scarf is enough to make you smile.

frivolite_hobbit

Again this scarf, like the day of the doctor scarf is double knitted so you see the  pattern on both sides as mirror images of each other.

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October 11

One (Well, Three) Patterns to Rule Them All

My very first geek love was Lord of the Rings. I loved J.R.R. Tolkien’s works and Peter Jackson’s films, and collected calendars, comics, maps, and books about Middle Earth. So it should be no surprise that I’ve found three Lord of the Rings patterns for you to celebrate Middle Earth  in your own way!

The first pattern is the noble Tree of Gondor, which can be seen on Faramir’s armor and the Gondorian flag. A beautiful white tree with seven stars and the crown of the King, it’s a pattern even non-Ringers can enjoy. Lusianne R. from Ravelry has created a handy pdf chart so that you too can declare your allegiance to the House of Gondor.

Tree of Gondor scarf

This next pattern is of the Doors of Durin, the secret doors that the Fellowship had to open before journeying into the Mines of Moria. While the actual doors were made of stone and ithildin, which could only be seen by moonlight or starlight, this knit pattern designed by Andrea Krüß-Anders on Ravelry, will probably be much more comfy and transportable.

Doors of Durin

The third pattern has already been featured here on GeekCrafts by Jenny, but is amazing enough to deserve a second appearance. What better way to show off your fandom than to wear the Elvish ring inscription as a scarf?  This pattern is designed by Diana Stafford, and is also on Ravelry. Just be sure you have the rhyme memorized, should anyone ask for a translation!

one ring scarf

“One ring to rule them all,
One ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all,
And in the darkness bind them!”

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September 13

How To: Chainmail From Soda Tabs

If you’re looking for an easy way to make a medieval/fantasy/knight costume, look no further! Continuing in the Hobbit costume theme, one of the most interesting crafts I’ve ever done came from a tutorial I saw on Pinterest where instructables.com user quixotiCfluX demonstrated how to use soda tabs to form chainmail. I then used it as part of my husband’s dwarf costume, and it looked amazing!

Chainmail from Soda Tabs

I asked all of my friends to donate their soda tabs to the cause, and my husband was quite happy to increase his intake of Diet Coke. Using only a wire cutter to cut the top, and a staple remover to help me bend the tabs, which helps them fit together nicely, I managed to create some great looking armor for really cheap! The full tutorial and details are on my blog post, so go have fun! Remember, only 48 days until Halloween!

 

 

 

 

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