OnyxRose

Most people probably don't know you can tattoo over solid black. I didn't, until just now when I read your post, and I'm almost willing to bet that I'm not the only person on this site who didn't know that before you said it.

This afternoon my father learned about my tattoo.
"I just do not understand why you would deliberately try to ruin your little sister's wedding pictures like that. Look at how gross that thing looks, all flaking off like that!"
A few things:
1. My sister has two tattoos, both larger than mine, and both of which will be visible in her wedding dress. (Perhaps Dad doesn't realize this?)
2. I asked Sister if it mattered to her that mine would probably be visible depending on the bridesmaid dresses she chose, and she said that it didn't make a difference to her, because, again, both of hers will be showing.
3. Sister is getting married in May. Tattoo will be long healed by then, and won't look dry and flaky anymore.
I should have expected this reaction from my dad. He asked me if I wanted him to photoshop out my nose ring when we took family photos for my grandmother's birthday a few years back. But it doesn't make the comments any less irksome.

That's exactly what I told him then. Grandma didn't have a problem with it, so he left it. He isn't taking the wedding photos and Sister is immensely proud of her tattoos, so she's planning to leave them in the photos. She figures that our body art is part of us - why hide or erase it, when everyone knows it's there?

Any of Abby Franquemont's spindle videos on YouTube. If you have a yarn shop near you, they may have some spinners who can help, too. I struggled to pick up on it easily until I was able to sit down with a wheel spinner (I was shopping for a wheel at the time, but I haven't purchased one yet) and that's when I finally clicked on how to spin and draft at the same time. It takes some practice and first yarn will be lumpy and uneven, but don't let that put you off. I was spinning almost a year before I finally got a yarn that I considered "good" and I still have a lot to learn, because I've only been at it about three years.
It may help to invest in a good quality, balanced spindle - sometimes those toy wheel ones aren't very good for beginners who are just starting out. Schacht makes a line of good drop spindles that can be used as high/top or low/bottom whorl, they're balanced and not very expensive. Mine is the medium weight one and it cost me about $40 at a localish yarn shop.
Also, since you're on Ravelry, definitely take advantage of the spinning groups. Beginning Spinning is one aimed at newbies to the craft, and they can point you in the right direction for a ton of good resources. (I was very active on Ravelry under a different name until recently due to some personal issues, and while I have a new account now, I haven't been active on the forums yet with it.)
As for progress pics, once I get my computer back I'll get some up. It was really old and completely fried, so I'm waiting on my uncle to transfer the hard drive to a different one for me. For now I'm stuck on an old iPad and lots of sites don't allow for upoads from this device.

An open letter to my puppy:
I know the lotion smells weird and not like me. But please kindly refrain from attempting to lick it off the tattoo. I am SURE that dog spit is not part of the recommended aftercare routine for tattoo healing.
Love,
Your Person.

An open letter to my puppy:
I know the lotion smells weird and not like me. But please kindly refrain from attempting to lick it off the tattoo. I am SURE that dog spit is not part of the recommended aftercare routine for tattoo healing.
Love,
Your Person.

As the Dead would sing, What a long, strange trip it's been:

It just takes once, @pidjones. I got out of bed one day and threw a hip out of place. My lower back has never been the same since.
Lately I'm sewing and sewing and SEWING... Halloween's coming up and while it's my second-favorite holiday, I HATE costume prep. Cardboard is a terrible medium to work with, but it's the easiest way to costume a wheelchair - oldest child is non-mobile. This year he wants to be a Dalek, and it took me all week to get the cardboard parts to stay together. (Lesson learned: glue first, then paint, and that way there is no sewing cardboard bits together with yarn.) His will be finished tomorrow, and then I get to start on the younger child's costume. There may or may not be time to finish mine by Friday, but as long as the kids' are done, I'll be happy.

I read this entire thread - it's really helpful to people like me who are new to getting tattooed. So some good's coming out of it, even though it's a downer.

Penises are like boats... you're probably better off to have a friend that has one rather than owning one yourself.

This afternoon my father learned about my tattoo.
"I just do not understand why you would deliberately try to ruin your little sister's wedding pictures like that. Look at how gross that thing looks, all flaking off like that!"
A few things:
1. My sister has two tattoos, both larger than mine, and both of which will be visible in her wedding dress. (Perhaps Dad doesn't realize this?)
2. I asked Sister if it mattered to her that mine would probably be visible depending on the bridesmaid dresses she chose, and she said that it didn't make a difference to her, because, again, both of hers will be showing.
3. Sister is getting married in May. Tattoo will be long healed by then, and won't look dry and flaky anymore.
I should have expected this reaction from my dad. He asked me if I wanted him to photoshop out my nose ring when we took family photos for my grandmother's birthday a few years back. But it doesn't make the comments any less irksome.

I have sometimes taken a prescription anti-inflammatory in conjunction with some over the counter pain relief medication, but in my view it's not necessary except if you are really pushing the boat out: A very very long single day's tattooing (6+ hours), or if you are getting tattooed many days back-to-back, and need to get as much done as possible. I have never bothered for a 'normal' single day's tattooing, or if the place being tattooed is an arm or a leg - somewhere where the pain level is simply not comparable to the back, ribs, belly, sternum etc.
My experience is that, particularly when I was doing 2 days of tattooing back to back (or in one case, 3 sessions in 2 days back to back on my back piece) taking something can allow you to go that extra 2-3 hours when otherwise you might have to stop. It can slightly blunt the edge of getting tattooed somewhere very unpleasant. It's definitely not some kind of silver bullet or ticket to a pain-free tattooing experience.
I feel like the healing process has never been affected. In fact, anecdotally I would say that the dramatically reduced swelling and discomfort from the anti-inflammatories might actually help the aftercare process overall. It's certainly easier on travelling afterwards.
In addition to remembering that it's not going to make the whole process a walk in the park, I'd also echo @Pugilist when she says that prescription drugs aren't something to take a gamble on if you're already stressed out about being tattooed in a tough spot. It could result in nausea, disorientation etc. I have a friend who is a doctor and I ran things by him first.
The final thing is the question of whether this interferes with some 'authentic tattoo experience'. I can only say that, having been tattooed for long sessions both with and without, at the end of the day there is not such a big difference. In my book, when I travel to get big work done, I want to get as *much* done as I reasonably can during my visit. This is a way to do that.

As they say, it's not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the dog.
"Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

The length of your session depends on several factors. Others around here can add more.
- The size of the tattoo. If it's small, couple hours, it's easy to sit through in one session. If you don't, you will be mocked and ridiculed. Maybe even to your face. If it's larger and your tattooer has the expectation you'll sit for the whole thing in one sitting, you do it or try your damnedest.
- Your tattoo artist's scheduling methods. Some only schedule in well defined time slices, for example, 3 hours. If the tattoo takes longer than that, you sit multiple sessions. If your tattoo artist schedules open-ended sessions, then you'll go until he finishes whatever goal he set for the session. This could be time or a particular part of the tattoo. Or, he'll keep going until you absolutely can't take another second and you have to tap out. No one likes to tap out. It's a sign of moral weakness, contributes to global warming, and will cast poorly upon your family and children. Even after many hours, it's so psychologically awesome to hear, "Ok, we've reached a good stopping point" instead of crying silently into your hand and whimpering that you're sorry you just can't take it any more. The silence that follows such an abject admission is enough to curdle milk and paralyze small dogs.
- The body part. Personally, I can't speak to many body parts because I'm only working on a back piece, but yes, location can play a role. (Although your back, in terms of pain, is it's own set of differing body parts.) My one and only tap out was after 5 hours on the top/middle of my back that included spine down to the bottom of my ribs and the bones of one shoulder blade. Apparently, many think the shoulder blade isn't bad. My next session is to do the second coat in that area. I'm queasy just thinking about it.
- Your own preparation. How you prepare for your session has a big effect - some may argue that good preparation plays as big a role as where on the body you plan to get tattooed. If you go in tired, hung over, or on an empty stomach, body part may matter very little.

I think getting tattooed gave me a really intense appreciation for craft, and dedication and hard work. It was a tattooer that convinced me that I could still learn to draw at 25, and that obsession with craft eventually drew me to printmaking and has kept me there. Now I'm thinking of training to become a master printmaker.

That I love easily consumed, portable, chocolate covered fruits.

@Pugilist what great thread! So great that tattooing has led you and @Graeme to meditate. Mainly, getting seriously into tattooing has led me to learn a lot about tattooing and there always seems to be more to know. Balancing having less space as I get more tattoos and more knowledge about them is really interesting.
The experience of looking through Tattoo Time for the first time, and it unlocking a lot of mysteries about tattoo imagery was really exciting and kind of life changing. And as others have already said, tattooing has definitely also broadened my interests not only in tattoo art, but also Japanese and Tibetan art. Recently, I was at an antique shop and the proprietress was showing me and my wife an old kimono jacket, and I was amazed to hear myself immediately saying, "that's a great Shoki." Those words would've never rolled out of my mouth if I hadn't become interested in Japanese tattooing.
The other big thing, in terms of iconography, is an appreciation for the swastika. Very recently, I would've balked at the idea of getting a swastika tattooed, but now I would. (I'm still not sure if this is good. I understand all the arguments about it being a positive image and wanting to reclaim it, but I still think about at what cost.)
I'm also grateful that my interest in tattooing has lead me to discover this forum and, for the first time in my life, meet great people ( @hogg and @CABS), whom I met online first, in real life and share beers and tacos with them.
Also, as an side, I think sometimes huge beer guts look amazing for tattoos. I think the best looking Japanese bodysuits are ones worn by Japanese men with huge guts.

You're welcome. He did a great job. It honestly looks like the lion could turn his head and look at you; he's almost 3D with the angle of that photo.

Nothing worse for me while I'm trying to get through a challenging tattoo than someone chatting. It pisses me right the fuck off, I think because it breaks my concentration.
The breathing though, vital to a much easier sitting.
"Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

That's breathtaking.

Well, I'm officially inked. :o

This thing took 9 hours to bang out, I couldn't be happier. Jesse is so damn talented.
Already got the next 3 appointments booked, going back in on November 7th to hopefully finish the top half of this sleeve so we can start working on the bottom half in December.

Agreed! My tattoos are more precious to me than almost any materialistic item in my life. The "can't be stolen, broken or lost" aspect makes a strong selling point. I lose and break shit all the time.

Hawk knocks a drone out of the sky

Knit one, pearl two is all i got!
SENT FROM MY LG G FLEX ON THE NOW NETWORK FROM SPRINT!?✌

I think it's also worth noting that the "labour of love" thing is also often used as a cover to underpay/overwork people, i.e. if you are doing it because it makes your soul sing or whatever, then that is reward enough. Loving what you do does not mean you don't deserve to be properly compensated for it! You get a lot of that shit in academia too.