Crimson
@crimsonruari.bsky.social
International Bread Policy pundit. Amateur smith, folk musician, baker, photographer, dancer, writer. Burned Out Con Organizer. Tech Generalist. Frequent Coywolf. Occasionally just "Jacob." He/Him
Time for the annual highway robbery. Raclettebrot should be like a quarter this price.
December 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Time for the annual highway robbery. Raclettebrot should be like a quarter this price.
One rivet went and then here I am…. But several were close and now is the time to put new leather in and suck it up on the sewing. Oh well. The side seam is actually easy.
December 21, 2025 at 4:52 AM
One rivet went and then here I am…. But several were close and now is the time to put new leather in and suck it up on the sewing. Oh well. The side seam is actually easy.
Similarly, this is where I go next: I weave the rings and then close them up with sewing clips. This lets me make sure the weave is right and also gets a batch of them into the same stage so I can then just focus on riveting. This after some pinning so I understood how stuff lined up, then weaving.
December 21, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Similarly, this is where I go next: I weave the rings and then close them up with sewing clips. This lets me make sure the weave is right and also gets a batch of them into the same stage so I can then just focus on riveting. This after some pinning so I understood how stuff lined up, then weaving.
Trying to close up a weird overlapping join in my hauberk and I think I know what’s up and just… man. I keep having to pull links out and I hate it. But at least I think I get it now.
December 20, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Trying to close up a weird overlapping join in my hauberk and I think I know what’s up and just… man. I keep having to pull links out and I hate it. But at least I think I get it now.
Also, made a replacement scholar garter for myself since I have my original away to a new scholar back in October. There are official replacements on the way but like… I can make garters. (Just have it on over jeans to break it in a bit.) Added some resolene to seal the dye.
December 19, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Also, made a replacement scholar garter for myself since I have my original away to a new scholar back in October. There are official replacements on the way but like… I can make garters. (Just have it on over jeans to break it in a bit.) Added some resolene to seal the dye.
A guild mate needing a cheap knockabout belt is the perfect excuse to play with the new skiving knife. And I felt like rounding the end would be nice.
I need to bang out a simple folded-brass tip for it so we can get the length right tomorrow and mount the tip (couple rivets, super easy).
I need to bang out a simple folded-brass tip for it so we can get the length right tomorrow and mount the tip (couple rivets, super easy).
December 19, 2025 at 9:59 PM
A guild mate needing a cheap knockabout belt is the perfect excuse to play with the new skiving knife. And I felt like rounding the end would be nice.
I need to bang out a simple folded-brass tip for it so we can get the length right tomorrow and mount the tip (couple rivets, super easy).
I need to bang out a simple folded-brass tip for it so we can get the length right tomorrow and mount the tip (couple rivets, super easy).
A photo a friend took of fencing last night at the local SCA practice. That’s me with the red gauntlets, closing in for the press. Or well, very much in the press. I’m pretty pleased with that. Good fighting last night, generally, too.
December 17, 2025 at 10:51 PM
A photo a friend took of fencing last night at the local SCA practice. That’s me with the red gauntlets, closing in for the press. Or well, very much in the press. I’m pretty pleased with that. Good fighting last night, generally, too.
Pretty decent boule result with doing the work of it between batches of the day job and interleaved around a massage appointment and sparring and an overnight rest and all that. Managed to thread a pretty good path for temperature management, which feels good.
December 17, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Pretty decent boule result with doing the work of it between batches of the day job and interleaved around a massage appointment and sparring and an overnight rest and all that. Managed to thread a pretty good path for temperature management, which feels good.
The Gustavo Caillebotte exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. Goddamn it was good.
December 17, 2025 at 1:06 AM
The Gustavo Caillebotte exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. Goddamn it was good.
Nerdy co-parking always amuses me. I don’t know whose this is but they have the same basic model from one of the same few years. I think they have the Limited trim though, and I only got the middle level SEL. Still.
December 8, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Nerdy co-parking always amuses me. I don’t know whose this is but they have the same basic model from one of the same few years. I think they have the Limited trim though, and I only got the middle level SEL. Still.
I hope your visit is long enough to get out to the museum of Science and Industry and see the Pioneer Zephyr display. It’s very fun to walk through example passenger compartments and sit down.
December 7, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I hope your visit is long enough to get out to the museum of Science and Industry and see the Pioneer Zephyr display. It’s very fun to walk through example passenger compartments and sit down.
Once again I managed to get all the mail in art into my car in one go… just no passengers allowed.
December 4, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Once again I managed to get all the mail in art into my car in one go… just no passengers allowed.
Last batch is out. Having dinner then doing some packing and heading out to the con… after I box it all (pizza boxes work great for this).
December 3, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Last batch is out. Having dinner then doing some packing and heading out to the con… after I box it all (pizza boxes work great for this).
Now the last set are in and all the pains au chocolat are done, along with the scraps.
December 3, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Now the last set are in and all the pains au chocolat are done, along with the scraps.
Second round of pains au chocolat are in, along with the scraps. Getting close to done. About 15 minutes a batch. Egg free batch is done. Pains au raisin remain as yet untouched by heat.
December 3, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Second round of pains au chocolat are in, along with the scraps. Getting close to done. About 15 minutes a batch. Egg free batch is done. Pains au raisin remain as yet untouched by heat.
And here are the plain croissants as I rotate them in the oven (even a convection oven is imperfect) and then pull them out to cool.
December 3, 2025 at 10:01 PM
And here are the plain croissants as I rotate them in the oven (even a convection oven is imperfect) and then pull them out to cool.
Egg wash is strained through a small seive to keep out the connective bits of the egg. The egg wash gives them that critical color — they taste fine without them, so I always do a batch for my egg-sensitive friend without, but they never look as nice.
December 3, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Egg wash is strained through a small seive to keep out the connective bits of the egg. The egg wash gives them that critical color — they taste fine without them, so I always do a batch for my egg-sensitive friend without, but they never look as nice.
And here is what the whole thing looks like, rolled out and shaped and starting to proof.
Proofing will probably be reduced today on account of the ambient temps in the house — perfect for letting dough sit out and not melt, a bit cool for proofing. 3 scraps.
15 plain, 21 raisin, 35 chocolate.
Proofing will probably be reduced today on account of the ambient temps in the house — perfect for letting dough sit out and not melt, a bit cool for proofing. 3 scraps.
15 plain, 21 raisin, 35 chocolate.
December 3, 2025 at 8:30 PM
And here is what the whole thing looks like, rolled out and shaped and starting to proof.
Proofing will probably be reduced today on account of the ambient temps in the house — perfect for letting dough sit out and not melt, a bit cool for proofing. 3 scraps.
15 plain, 21 raisin, 35 chocolate.
Proofing will probably be reduced today on account of the ambient temps in the house — perfect for letting dough sit out and not melt, a bit cool for proofing. 3 scraps.
15 plain, 21 raisin, 35 chocolate.
Where are we now? This is what it looks like to prep pains au chocolat. Then I just cut them. The dough cooperated with me and I snuck in a seventh piece per portion, so I have 35 of them done and proofing now.
December 3, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Where are we now? This is what it looks like to prep pains au chocolat. Then I just cut them. The dough cooperated with me and I snuck in a seventh piece per portion, so I have 35 of them done and proofing now.
This is how a batch portion (3 per batch. 3 batches in progress today. So 9 portions) looks in progress. This has been measured for plain croissants. The class had us use templates but I just measure a spacing a cut a straight-enough line. Shape and then proof.
December 3, 2025 at 6:56 PM
This is how a batch portion (3 per batch. 3 batches in progress today. So 9 portions) looks in progress. This has been measured for plain croissants. The class had us use templates but I just measure a spacing a cut a straight-enough line. Shape and then proof.
Ok letting the first batch rest a bit after the third turn and some stretching. Usually in power through but I know letting the gluten relax a bit will help me get it the rest of the way run out. But it’s big enough to portion this batch. I think I’ll get each batch to this stage first.
December 3, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Ok letting the first batch rest a bit after the third turn and some stretching. Usually in power through but I know letting the gluten relax a bit will help me get it the rest of the way run out. But it’s big enough to portion this batch. I think I’ll get each batch to this stage first.
Took tomorrow off before the con. Going to pack and make pastry. Three batches of croissants ready for tomorrow.
December 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Took tomorrow off before the con. Going to pack and make pastry. Three batches of croissants ready for tomorrow.
Oh and known as the Vipers on account of their family crest.
November 30, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Oh and known as the Vipers on account of their family crest.
Oh well. Not going to bother going out in this weather, that’s just unnecessary risk. I’ll miss classes and shop time. I won’t miss sloshing around the side streets until I get to something plowed.
November 29, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Oh well. Not going to bother going out in this weather, that’s just unnecessary risk. I’ll miss classes and shop time. I won’t miss sloshing around the side streets until I get to something plowed.
I snuck in some javelin throwing too. It’s not archery but I used an arrow in the ground as a target to spare the bales any damage. And so I finally got in enough practice to figure out a good throw. Went from barely making ten meters to hitting just about at 20m, and on the target line. Very nice.
November 28, 2025 at 10:45 PM
I snuck in some javelin throwing too. It’s not archery but I used an arrow in the ground as a target to spare the bales any damage. And so I finally got in enough practice to figure out a good throw. Went from barely making ten meters to hitting just about at 20m, and on the target line. Very nice.