#I really can’t do typography

[raplinenthusiasts]

RESPECT 🪩 MIN YOONGI & KIM NAMJOON

for @rjshope

[valeriehalla]

I have gotten a lot of messages saying that they really love the presentation of CURSE/KISS/CUTE. Often the commenter in question can’t say what exactly it is about the formatting that they appreciate, but that it just reads well and looks good. Well!!! Allow me to bare my wealth of secret knowledge for you once and for all:

I sorta just did some research into book typography...?

Here’s something you should know about web development, alright: typography on the web is really, really bad. The tools we have at our disposal—HTML and CSS—are incredibly powerful, but they are set up to fight you every step of the way towards Good Typography. When you know what you’re looking for, you can fix all the common issues quickly and easily. But it’s not easy to know what to look for, because

problematic typography is overwhelmingly the norm on the web, and

good typography is invisible.

Here’s a screenshot from CURSE/KISS/CUTE episode 0:

Now, I don’t want this post to come across as prescriptive. It is not my intention to tell you, “This is what good typography looks like, so follow my lead exactly.” I made a lot of choices with the typography of my web novel: many of those choices would not make sense in other contexts. What I want to convey to you is what those choices are, so that you will know they’re available to be made.

I mentioned that the web “fights you” when it comes to good typography. What do I mean by that? Well, check this out:

This is how that passage of text renders “by default.” In other words, this is how a web browser would render that text without any input from me about what styles to apply. It kind of sucks ass! But it also looks pretty familiar, right? This is not that far off from how a lot of websites—even websites full of prose (looking at you, AO3)—render text.

I think the most illustrative thing to do here would be to walk you through my thought process and show you, step by step, what decisions I made to turn this unstyled text into the styled version you see in the novel.

So, first things first:

1. We have got to shrink that text column.

Computer monitors... are wide. They are wider than they are tall. They are so wide, and they have so many pixels. This means you can fit a lot of characters on them. If you wanted, you could just have a wall of characters from the left side of the screen all the way to the right side. Talk about efficient!!

You should never, ever, ever do this.

This is one choice that I actually will make a prescriptive statement about, because it’s supported by quite a lot of research: fairly narrow text columns are more legible. Specifically, research seems to support the idea that a width in the range of 50 to 70 characters per line is the most comfortable for people to read*. Every font is different, so it takes a little doing to turn that “characters” figure into a pixel measurement; I went with 512 CSS pixels for the maximum width of my text column:

Isn’t that just so much nicer to read already?

*A commenter reminds me that I’d be remiss not to point out that the research on column width legibility isn’t completely conclusive. You do want to limit the width of your text columns, but going over the 70 character-per-line recommendation isn’t necessarily the end of the world, and you might have good reasons to do so. I did not: as mentioned, one of my goals was to mimic book-style typography, and books by nature have fairly restrained column widths, on account of they’re books.

2. Picking a font.

I’m not going to give you the blow-by-blow on how I decided what font to use. The short story is that I asked some designers, and one of the recommendations I got was the free font Crimson Pro, which I took a liking to immediately:

It’s just an all-around attractive serif font, but one thing I really like about it for use in a novel is its highly-visible quotation marks. They’re just kinda jumbo! They’re real big! Easy to see! In a novel, those things aren’t just ornamentation. It makes a great deal of practical sense for them to stand out just a bit. It also has a fairly large x-height, unlike a lot of the more traditional options, which is good for legibility on a computer screen.

3. Adjusting the line-height

Web browsers default to a line-height of about 1.2em, which, as you can probably tell, is quite cramped. If you go and Google “optimal line height for legibility”, you’ll get a number of results right off the bat suggesting 1.5em. Sounds good! Let’s do that:

Well... hmm. That’s definitely an improvement, but between you and me, it actually looks a bit too spacey to my eyes. I wonder why?

I’ll cut to the chase: the 1.5em recommendation makes some assumptions about the font you’re using. In Arial, the letter “A” is about 0.6em tall; in Crimson Pro, it’s about 0.5em. That means that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to spacing your lines, because different fonts have different amounts of empty space baked in. How annoying!

Let me tell you something about the kind of nerd I am. When I had this realization, I grabbed some books off my shelf and pulled out a literal micrometer. I started measuring the line-heights against various font features to see if there were any patterns I could spot in professional typesetting. Here’s what I found:

Almost every book on my shelf spaces lines such that the distance between one baseline and the next is about three times the x-height. How cool is that? I clapped my hands like a seal when I put this together.

Adjusting the line-height to match what I observed in the wild gives us this:

It’s a subtle difference, but to my eyes it feels just right. It’s almost like magic!

4. Paragraph spacing...

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Probably the most controversial choice I made with CURSE/KISS/CUTE’s typography was to opt for book-style paragraph indentation rather than web-style paragraph spacing—like so:

I did this for a few reasons:

It’s what I’m used to. I’ve read a lot of books, and this is just the way that books are formatted. I think for something aspiring to the title of “novel”, there’s value in making it look the way a reader probably expects a novel to look.

A novel has a lot of paragraph breaks in it. A paragraph in, say, an encyclopedia entry might go on for half a page or more; whereas it is unusual for a paragraph in a modern work of narrative prose to run for more than a handful of sentences, especially in any scene with dialogue. Because paragraph breaks are so common, spacing between paragraphs in a novel results in a lot of wasted space. Also, subjectively speaking, the additional space seems to me to lend an undue amount of weight to paragraph breaks. I’m just starting a new thought; there’s no need for a 21-gun salute, you know?

Having said that, here are some good reasons you might decide not to do paragraph indentation anyway:

Doing it right requires a bit of extra legwork. Notice how the very first paragraph in the image above has no indentation. That’s because it’s the start of a new section, and the first paragraph in a section traditionally goes unindented. This is an easy detail to miss, and it can be difficult to wrangle CSS into doing it for you automatically.

Web users don’t expect it. For the first decade of the web’s existence, there was no good way to do paragraph indentation; by the time CSS rolled around and made it easy, paragraph spacing had already become the norm. And while CURSE/KISS/CUTE may be a novel, it is also, specifically, a web novel!

But it’s my house and I get to make the rules, so I went with indentation. Incidentally, there seems to be a dire lack of research into the question of whether indentation or spacing is more legible for readers—but the data that does exist appears inconclusive at best. So, the choice really does come down to vibes.

5. The tragedy of justification.

You’ll note that one way in which I did not make my web novel look like a paper novel is the text alignment. It’s un-justified: the right margin is ripsaw-ragged.

This is because it is not possible to justify text on the web.

Oh, you can try. Look right here: there’s a CSS property for it and everything. Just turn on “text-align: justify” and...

Nightmare! The interword spacing on that first line is almost as wide as the indentation!

Reader, I’m afraid that your web browser is simply too dumb. That’s not the browser’s fault: robust algorithms for justifying text without creating these distractingly huge gaps between words have existed for many decades, and modern computers are powerful enough to run them in real time with little performance impact. It’s just, uh—nobody has ever bothered to implement them into web browsers. It is the damnedest thing.

I tried, I really did. You can mitigate this problem a bit if you enable automatic hyphenation, but browsers are unfortunately also kind of dumb at hyphenating. Firefox, for example, will refuse to hyphenate any word containing a capital letter, so any sentence with a lot of proper nouns in it is a lost cause. I tried manually inserting soft hyphens with a text preprocessor I wrote myself, but still these overjustified lines plagued me: when the text column narrows, for example on a phone, even hyphens can’t save you. The line-breaking algorithm is simply too naïve to optimize for well-justified text, and that’s not something you can fix as a web developer.

As a result, my heavy-hearted recommendation is to never use text justification. It’s just too distracting.

6. And then some extra stuff just for me

I added drop-caps because it looks neat and I made the ellipses spacier because I think it looks good when it, uh, when they are spacier. I think that looks pretty good that’s just my opinion though.

That’s all! Hope you learned something bye!!!

[my-darling-boy]

It’s horrible how my design course has killed my enjoyment in creativity because all they want is finished pieces founded in nothing but a spontaneous mark just to hang at some concrete art gallery or to sell to some “join our revolution” comfy business-casual company with a prison cell wellness room. I’m not saying that it’s “not art” —cos that’s a different post altogether— it’s that the ethos behind this particular formula for art education is ruining the way we think about creation.

Design courses (and other art courses I’ve heard?) are no longer teaching artists or designers techniques, drawing skills, art fundamentals and allowing them to find their own voice so much as they are only instructing how to tic boxes alongside pushing corporate and classist motivated style/methodology bias aimed at producing workers, not creatives, not to mention providing Adobe with endless funds for their despicable scam programs. That’s it. My creativity is only a means to money for them, and if they can extract the process of creation from me without the complex creative intimacy involved in it, they know they can churn out products and services faster and it’s concerning some lecturers don’t seem to be aware this is what they’re teaching? Like they’re buying into industry propaganda?

And the whole time it’s sold to you like you can be some trailblazer when the irony is they’re usually either prepping you for cubicle work or for some misguided high horse creative team pumping out design solutions completely divorced from the reality. I’m tired of all the talks about sustainability in a vacuum with no conversation about nuanced designs that factor in broader social and economic perspectives which lack thereof is leading to sustainable products being sold at a price only able to be afforded by wealthier people who are causing said economic and social problems and contributing to the rapid obsoletion of trades and crafts. Lecturers and speakers don’t seem to think that’s any of our concern and should just worry about producing the design for the hypothetical Bluetooth powered organic hairbrush or using the twigs to make the pattern for the £85 fabric square.

Like? Can I please make something that actually resonates with people outside the circle jerk of egotistical creatives and corporations? Something charming and maybe idk something that doesn’t make me want to tear my miserable portfolio in half with my teeth? And they’re like Mm nope sorry it has to be an extreme close up of a mark making abstract leaf you made from a recycled trash bag inspired by a stalled urban space which we will force you to price at £100 during your exhibition 5 people will bother to attend and no you’re not allowed any other style cos this isn’t the Dark Ages :///

I think the worst thing my lecturer ever said was, while looking around the room of our class work reduced down to a series of cubes and splatters and abstract typography, “Wow, I love how you can’t tell what anyone’s [main artist discipline] is!” Like awww conformity at the expense of a person’s individuality to make pieces for airport hallways and rich people’s living rooms wow so cool heehee like girl that’s not good?? Why on Earth are you complimenting us for that? Like I get it, I thought this course would boost skillset as an illustrator (as we were told), turns out the degree is really not for me, fair enough to anyone thinking that, but forcing students to produce modern abstract art because you think it’s the ONLY Logical Pathway for the future of design, judging them intensely for doing a different style, and thinking producing financially inaccessible art + design is the solution to things like climate change and community severance is an objectively bad take.

[noneorother]

The art director & the Good Omens book cover tier list of doom, part 2

Part 1 l Part 2

I am your resident Art Director/Good Omens enthusiast, and welcome to my completely meta-free book cover tier list. Listen, making a book cover is HARD. I should know. But while we salute these artists for their hard work and time, I think we can all admit that once in a while, the vision is just not on. And on very rare occasions, publishers seemed to have managed to commission the cover art directly from hell... here's where we left off last time:

Onwards and upwards, as they say. 11. International paperbacks, Goda Omen

It is inexplicable to me but I LOVE this cover art. It's so sweet and innocent, the colours are contrasty and fun, and the layout leaves enough room for the text. Maybe I would call it slightly inaccurate to have our boys dancing on Greenland while the UK has drowned in a great flood, but hey. It's charming. The international cover gets a thwack with a ruler for trying to fit "creator of Discworld" in between the two wings like that, though. Tier: Great

12. Italian Cover, Buona Apocalisse à tutti!

The Italian translation of Good Omens into "Happy Apocalypse to All!" really tickles my funny bone. Unlike this cover which is trying to scrape at it with a dull knife until I'm screaming on the floor. I know demons can only dance badly, but does Crowley *really* have to fracture both ankles while trying? Aziraphale pelvic thrusting his way into heaven is a visual I didn't think I'd ever want. Minus so many points for random murder alley where this is all occurring. At least the designer managed to wrangle the type into one of the best proportional layouts I've seen thus far? Tier: Bad

13. Italian Cover, Good Omens

A truly valiant attempt here to rectify a terrifying situation with that earlier Italian version. While this one actually seems much more interesting at a glance, the details kinda get to me. The Bentley's steering being on the wrong side, the word Omens kindasortanotfquite fitting on the black wing, the motorcycles with no drivers... TIMES NEW ROMAN FOR THE AUTHORS NAMES. I don't think it can even be redeemed by the most powerfully rendered Sacred Heart/Cardi B W.A.P. imagery I've ever seen. Tier: Good (Omens)

14. Japanese cover, Good Omens

Look, this designer GETS IT. Crowley and Aziraphale are a pair, a group of the two of us. Do not separate. It's also the only cover I've seen that uses shades of grey! The woodcut vibes are STRONG AND POWERFUL. The type is well placed! I should love this, except the end result kinda looks like a manual for clinical depression in the workplace? It's ending up higher on the list than it deserves, frankly.

Tier: Good (Omens)

15. Japanese cover, Good Omens

This cover might as well be an Ethereal/Occult firemen's calendar. Someone wanted teens to cut off this cover and tape it to their bedroom wall. I can't even judge the typography or the symbolism because I'm just getting hit with waves of pheromones and angst. I can't even tell if it's good but it's going in the Good pile because I can't look at it anymore...

Tier: Good (Omens)

16. Japanese covers, Good Omens

Other people have assured me that this is, in fact, a dual Good omens cover. Alas, I cannot tell. I don't possess compound eyes or even an exoskeleton, and as such lack the ability to decipher these decisions.

Tier: WTF

16. Japanese cover, Good Omens

Holy overlap, Batman! I can’t fault this designer for wanting to reuse the wonderful dual illustrations in a Ying-Yang layout, all the elements are there, but there’s a clinginess to the type and positioning that makes me feel like someone is trying to hurt the letters? Is this designer okay? Do they need a hug?

Tier: Does the Job

18. Chinese cover, Good Omens

Can I say how charming it is they’ve managed to conserve the halo and devils tale on the Chinese title, as well as the woodcut detailing? However, the simplicity of the cute, contrasting wing design is sadly swallowed by the intense, New-York taxi cab vibes coming off the yellow and checkerboard text block. It could have been so good! Chinese readers: I am mad on your behalf!

Tier: Not so good (Omens)

19. UK 1991 paperback, Good Omens

What are we doing here, people. I think I've stepped into a Jungian analysis of what it feels like to have read Good Omens. It's dreamy yet unsettling. Right yet very wrong. And Ol' "Tiny Hands" Aziraphale up there is really judging me for what they found inside my mind. In less upsetting news, we've kept the improved typography and layout of the authors and book title. All is not lost to the nightmare.

Tier: Not so good (Omens)

20. 50 Shades of Gray rip-off cover, Good Omens

*panic* WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE, PEOPLE...?! Bonus : the guardian quote is almost as much of a mystery as the cover it’s on.

Tier: WTF

End of round 2.

[ughmerlin]

✨ fave creators art challenge ✨

starting with the one and only @nataliescatorccio

becca, you have been my inspiration and my idol for years and years now. i don’t even know where to start because you’re just on a whole other level. seriously, you are the definition of talent and hard work, and every time i think i’ve seen your best, you go and make something even more breathtaking. you’re constantly setting new trends in the gifmaking community, inspiring the rest of us to think outside the box. i mean, how do you do it? it’s like you have a never-ending well of creativity and magic, and i’m honestly just lucky to witness it.

you have such a distinct style that always feels so effortless—but i know better than to think it’s really that easy. the way you color and blend is pure magic. more than that, you always seem to pull these brilliant concepts out of nowhere, and i have no idea how you manage to bring them to life with so much precision and detail. i can never get over the way you make every single gif feel like a piece of art—and i'm not just talking about coloring and blending, but the emotion you infuse in each set. it’s always so personal, so heartfelt, and it resonates in a way i can’t even describe.

so, without further ado, here are some of my favorite sets of yours from this year! (i had to limit myself to this year only otherwise we would be here til next year at the very least.)

alicent appreciation week: this one is fresh in my mind, as i've just made a set inspired by it! and for a good reason. it's seriously one of my all-time favorites from you. the way you wove these scenes together is just magic. you matched the young and old alicent scenes so well, i can only imagine how long it took. the soft green tone you used gives the whole thing such a calming yet melancholic feeling, and i think that perfectly captures the heartache of the scenes. it’s so beautifully painful to watch, but in the best way possible.

jackieshauna + good luck, babe: fun fact, this set sent me down the chappell spiral! even tho i was already loving the song, i simply couldn't stop thinking about it after i've seen your set and started to make connections to jackieshauna in my head. then i ended up fixating on chappell's music for weeks and that's all on you <3 i’m absolutely in love with the pink and mint combo, it feels so fresh and vibrant! and the lyric arrangement is so simple yet totally unique. love, love, love!

annabeth chase + nikita gill: from the moment i first saw it, i knew this was going to be one of my favourite sets from this year. and i wasn't wrong! the way you combined so many amazing effects and techniques without it ever feeling overwhelming is beyond impressive. the use of shapes, especially the little heart and dagger doodles, is brilliant, and the way the text warps around them is so creative. the geometric b&w elements? my mind was blown. then, there's the sick glitch effect in the middle and the last gif where the squares appear one by one—i can’t even imagine how much time and effort went into this. this set seriously belongs in a national history of gifs museum.

yennefer + all-american bitch: i feel like this set captures your artistry like none other. just one very simple font and yet you made it look like a masterclass in typography?? i bow down to thee. and all the scenes and coloring are so well balanced and just incredibly pleasing to the eye. the rich red coloring feels so deep and powerful, and you really brought out the intensity of the character with it. truly, the whole vibe of the set matches yen’s sass perfectly!

yellowjackets as yellowjackets species: i am obsessed with this concept! it just feels like one of these things that simply HAD to be made. the colors you chose for the set were absolute perfection, and that little bee detail? too cute for words. but honestly, what really had me blown away was how each gif really embodied the essence of the characters. this set felt so thoughtful, and i love that it doesn’t just look good but also tells a really cohesive story.

the crows as species of the crow family: you know i'm a sucker for a gif series! after falling in love with the yellowjackets set, i was so excited to see this one, and you absolutely nailed it! the blending, the coloring, it's all there in a perfect becca fashion. i will never get over how you chose the hooded crow for inej—such a perfect fit. also don't think i forgot this little series was supposed to have a third installment… just saying!

rhaenicent + say don't go: becca, this one is on a whole other level. i'm pretty sure i screamed when i first saw it. you managed to incorporate so many scenes from the show that it feels like a beautiful, exhaustive tribute to rhaenicent. i was blown away by how you combined all those effects and overlays so seamlessly. the shattered mirror in the first gif? genius. and the way you used the ripped pages with those perfect fonts? perfection. and the taylor swift lyrics just sealed the deal for me. i’m honestly in awe of how much heart and soul you put into this one.

jaskier in daffodils: this one was another showstopper for me. i love how “j” stands for both jaskier and joker—it’s such a clever little detail that you just nailed. the shades of yellow you used here? pure magic. you really turned these similar tones into something that feels dynamic and mesmerizing, and the way you played with color is honestly next-level.

jackieshauna + you can't catch me now: i can't get over how haunting this set feels. it's truly as if jackie's ghost is tied to it, ready to remind anyone who sees it of the lesbian high school drama of the century. i love how the first forest gif feels so ethereal, and the footsteps vector is another incredible detail. the black and white gif adds a whole other layer of mystery, and it feels like the perfect visual for shauna seeing jackie everywhere!

rhaenicent parallels: i don’t think i’ll ever get over this one. the merlin quote? chef’s kiss. i didn’t expect it, but it fits so perfectly with rhaenicent, i’m in complete awe. the coin motif was brilliant—it felt like such a personal touch to show the duality of the characters. the way you worked the paper ripping effect in and connected it to their younger and older selves was genius. the whole thing feels like a powerful emotional punch, and i can’t even put into words how much i love it.

becca, to say that you’re one of my absolute favorite creators is an understatement. i’m constantly in awe of your work, and i feel so lucky to witness it all! i'm sorry to see you struggling with inspiration and/or motivation these days, but hopefully this little love-rant of mine will remind you that everything you make inspires and resonates with so many of us here on tumblr.com/hellsite. love you loads <3

[atopvisenyashill]

🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇷🐢🏝️ i got tired of complaining constantly on my main blog (@thewingedwolf is me!) about how sansa and rhaenyra did nothing wrong and also i needed a way to organize my theories and stuff. yes i have read all the books. yes i have (unfortunately) seen the whole show. yes i have seen all of hotd as well. so here we go. my stances are this, so you have an idea what to expect:

i am a catelyn, sansa, brienne, elia, lyanna and rhaenyra stan FIRST and a person SECOND

i would die for Gaemon Palehair, Lady Essie, and Sylvenna Sand, those are my canon OCs, and that’s why they’re my header.

maegor rhaena and aerea also could have saved westeros & jaehaerys should have been aborted in the womb.

Sansa and Bran are my favorites! I am a Sansa will be Queen in the North truther and a Bran will be the King in Harrenhal conspiracy theorist, It Is Heavily Foreshadowed In The Text and I stand on that!!

I'm well aware Rhaenyra has plenty of faults, I am saying that the greens (as in, the characters) do not like her because of her gender, and not for stuff she does that’s actually wrong, also, idc that she did all of that i simply think she’s fun.

Helaena really IS the one who did nothing wrong tho.

i am a Dark Daenerys believer. no, i don’t hate her - in fact, i really love her, although i do hate her show counterpart - I just think her arc is heading towards a dark path and being a villain protagonist is the more interesting route for her character.

House Martell will rise or I will piss in old man germ’s cornflakes.

I Will talk about the racism Dorne faces in the text and outside of it and neither your favorite house nor my favorite house is exempt from this. If you have a problem with that, keep it to yourself bc i do not care 🙏🏽

i multiship!! just bc i ship it doesn’t mean i think it’s gonna happen in the series, i just like the dynamic!!

i am in fact the annoying book jonsa truther they warned you about. i will Stay bitter about this. argue with the wall.

with that said, i also like theonsa, throbb, daemyra, laenyra, rhaewin, nedcat, braime, briensa, and a million other ones. faves listed here. several of them are dead dove-esque; what can i say, that's just george's style.

you decide whether it’s romantic or platonic when it’s an incest one, my opinion changes by the hour & im gonna fight grrm for making me think this much about incest.

i don’t like jonerys!!!!!! i'm sansan & sanrion ambivalent and i simply do not care about littlefucker like that. i would say i’ve thought positively about basically every other ship.

I JUST FINISHED A REREAD and i Have started a rewatch of the tv series as a form of torture.

i first read this series when i was 16 in like 2012-2013. i love to bitch about the takes i’ve seen. i sometimes reblog really old ass graphics bc they deserve new life even tho the creators are long since deactivated. i sometimes make graphics that look like they’re from 2014 bc we should bring that style back dammit i hate the typography movement going on rn.

big on tagging triggers so lmk (i’ll tag for all characters & major triggers but i’m fine with adding a specific one if asked and don't worry about it being a "weird" trigger - if sean bean's face or knives or wolves or whatever trigger you, i'm happy to tag for that!). my spoiler policy is that i’ll tag everything from this season as “hotd spoilers” and any of the Big Events with “episode title spoilers” but i can’t guarantee I can be consistent longer than like 2 days though i will try!! i Will be talking about any book canon events tho, the books have been out for years either you know how to avoid them or you know everything, i’m not tagging that.

i have a tag page that is more organized than the slapdash nonsense on this post, feel free to check it out here.

i may sound angry but i promise i am genuinely just here for a laugh. i just have resting bitch voice and no feel for tone and use the word fuck too much. it’s fine and unserious.

[kdramaspace]

MEMBER OF THE MONTH   ↳ Congrats cheenee @yeommijeong​

💌 NOTES FROM THE ADMINS

Layla: CHENEE!!! the mln gifmaker queen!!!! that's what i've been associating with for over a year now... all those parallels sets, quotes sets and compilations sets... i can't emphasize how neat they're... your giffing style is so pretty, the natural warm coloring and the good sharpening... and your blending always comes out amazing a top-notch one.. i love when a drama inspire you so much and espcially when we have dramas on-common✨✨✨... so thank you for feeding us with many content and for being part of our network family.. with all my love💛 ↳ favorite works: [ 1, 2, 3 ]

Sam: cheenee! first off, congrats ❤︎ it’s been lovely to see your gifs and have you as a part of our community. not only that, but a duo editor + writer, share the talent! I love the simple, clean, but impactful, typography you use in your sets, as well as the soft and natural colorings. I didn't even watch MLN but your sets for that drama are soooo lovely, 100/10 top tier content. also, extra thank you for participating in our 2022 year in event, you made so many wonderful sets! ↳ favorite works: [ 1, 2, 3 ]

Alexa: yay cheenee! when i think about my liberations notes, your blog is inevitably the first one that comes to mind! your love for the show is infectious and even though i haven’t watched it myself, i really feel like i can feel the heart of the story and of the characters through your edits and sets. the coloring and sharpness in everything you create is absolutely stunning!! i feel like you really capture the feelings of the show in the way you create for it, and that’s definitely not something that’s easy to do. also i can i say i loved your love for the secondary couple in love all play!!! thank you for supplying us with gifs of so many of their beautiful moments. i can’t wait to see which show you create for next! congrats on your motm pick, it’s so deserved~ ↳ favorite works: [ 1, 2, 3 ]

[rocksandrobots]

PotP Ch 49 - Therapy, Tempers, and Triangles: Part 3

"Mr. Quirinson.... a word, if you please."

Varian stalled when he heard Granville's voice behind him. She didn't sound happy.

He closed the door to his lab and turned to greet her. "Yes, Professor?"

She frowned and held up a piece of paper covered in his handwriting, a bunch of math equations, and various symbols.

"While I'm impressed by your knowledge of ancient typography from antiquity, you can't use alchemy symbols in place of real words."

Varian sighed and tilted his head towards the ceiling. Granville ignored this as she read the paper once more.

"You have cutesy Sun and Moon doodles in place of gold and silver.... and... what is this?"

She pointed to a drawing of a black pointy spike.

"It's.... um... a rock..." He admitted.

"And what do rocks have to do with a time machine?"

Varian bit his lip, unwilling to answer.

Now it was Granville's turn to sigh in exasperation.

"Varian this is not presentable work. I can't turn this into the editor at the American Scientific Magazine, nor can it even move on to being peer reviewed yet...."

She stopped suddenly as a thought crossed her mind.

"And wasn't young Mr. Hamada supposed to be helping you write this essay? Are you not claiming equal ownership of this project?"

Varian really didn't want to answer that question.

"Listen... Hiro can have all the credit. He can write the essay and take all the glory, b-but I just don't have time to fool with this."

"That is not an acceptable response Mr. Quirison."

Varian paused in his escape, but refused to turn around and face the dean.

She didn't give him a choice as she walked around to meet him.

"Do you really think I'm just going to let you give up after hitting a single speed bump?"

"I'm not giving up on the portal." He insisted. "Far from it. I need to focus on getting it to work how I need it to, and I can't keep getting distracted by essays and interviews."

"Distractions?" Granville raised an eyebrow. "Is that how you see this?"

She pointed back at the paper.

"Varian, this is your future we're talking about here. Do you have any idea what this can do for you, for your career, or for the entire scientific community?"

Varian didn't respond, still refusing to look at her.

"Varian this could win you a Nobel Prize! Do you understand what that means? That's one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a scientist for his work. It could lead to government grants, tenure at a university of your choice, maybe even a team to study under you and assist in future projects... You'll have the ability to continue your work and research without worry of losing funds and could revolutionize the entire field of physics. Why it's more than any scientist could ever hope for-"

"But not me. I don't want it."

Granville looked aghast, but Varian continued on before she could say anything more.

"Look, I'm sure everything you're talking about is really, really nice, but it's not what I'm here for. You said, if I attended SFIT that I would be granted the means to build a portal home. I didn't agree to any of ... of this."

He gestured towards the essay.

"I don't mean to disappoint you, but I just do not care about any prizes or tenures."

Granville straightened a little and her jaw tightened. Varian could tell she was about to launch into another lecture. He didn't let her.

"Get Hiro to do it. He can have all of those great things and you can still have a prize student show off, just like you want."

He pushed past her, ignoring her offended expression, and hurried down the hall before she could get another word in edgewise.

                                                 ------------------------

Having made his escape from Granville, Varian was almost home free. All he needed to do was make a quick stop at the chim-lab to 'borrow' a spectrograph, and then he would be on his way to meet with Salma again.

However, he slowed as he heard a familiar voice as he passed by the communal labs.

"Varian did that?" Wasabi asked aghast.

"Ummm... yeah." Came Tadashi's hesitant reply.

Varian couldn't help but peek inside, being very careful not to be seen.

Tadashi was showing everyone his now bandaged wrist as the rest of their friends looked on with concern.

"I don't think he meant to do it." Tadashi continued. "He just... doesn't know his own strength."

Varian only felt shame at that. It'd have been much easier to stay angry at Tadashi had the other teen placed all the blame on him, but he didn't and Varian was quickly running out of self-justifications.

"But still..." Wasabi shook his head disapprovingly.

"What were you fighting over?" Fred asked.

"I kinda of told him about the studies we did on the amber." He sheepishly admitted.

Gogo rolled her eyes and face palmed.

"Really, Tadashi? What made you think that was a good idea?"

"I knew we shouldn't have taken it." Honey Lemon pouted, and Varian was hit with the sinking realization that they were all involved in taking the amber.

"We need to know what it is?" Tadashi insisted.

"Why?" Wasabi asked.

"Varian claims that it's the key to opening the portal. What if he's right? What do we do then?"

"I think what Wasabi means is... why do we need to know what it's made of?" Fred offered. "It's magic. Same as everything else in his world. What really matters is how do we stop him from leaving without us?"

Tadashi hung his head and pouted.

"I guess..." He finally admitted. "B-but it wouldn't hurt to know, surely. If they are connected to these rocks, maybe the answer to stopping them lies with with it?"

"Since when are we trying to stop these rocks?" Gogo asked. "I thought we were just trying to keep Varian safe?"

"We are... but... maybe helping him requires stopping the thing that caused it to all go wrong in the first place? After all that's the whole reason why that Rapunzel woman came here to begin with."

"So you think, that if we solve the problem with the rocks and save their home, then... th-then they won't come after Varian anymore." Honey Lemon mused.

"Exactly."

"Sounds reasonable." Wasabi shrugged.

Varian's heart pounded in his ears. They hadn't a clue what they were getting into and he didn't know how to stop them.

"Yeah, it does... but Varian isn't reasonable."

Everyone turned to look to Hiro. He had quietly sat in the back up till now.

Those words stung, and Varian's breath hitched.

"I... I don't know if.... If there's any point in trying to stop him from leaving."

.....

Honey Lemon was the first to break the shocked silence. "Y-you can mean that."

"We can't just let our bestest bud go back there alone!" Fred challenged.

"Hiro..." Tadashi sighed. "I know that you're upset bu-"

"No 'buts' Tadashi. You can't keep making excuses for him. He wants to go, and every time we try to help, he just lashes out at us. And if he wants to be that way... then fine! Let him go! It's his choice."

Varian didn't want to hear the rest.

He ran down the hall; tears blinding his eyes.

He thought he heard someone yell for him, or maybe it was only wishful thinking.

It didn't matter. He just needed to get out of here and be with someone who understood.

                                                ------------------------

Varian composed himself before making his way up to Salma's apartment.

So what if the guys were giving up trying to stop him? That was what he had wanted, wasn't it?

It'd be safer this way. He won't have to look out for them or risk them getting underfoot. They won't be in the path of the rocks or Frederic's wrath. And, most importantly, they would never need to know of his past.

Though, reason as he may, it still hurt.

He took one last shuddering breath before knocking on the door.

There was no answer.

He tried again.

And a third time.

Worried, he sent her a text, letting her know that he was there.

Finally, after about ten minutes he tried one last time.

"Salma? Are you there?..... It's me, Varian. Are you ready to go?"

he placed his ear to the door, listing for any response.

All he heard was a soft sobbing sound as if someone was crying.

He knocked louder.  

"Salma? Salma!? Are you alright?"

He tried to open the door in a panic. It was locked. He took to banging instead.

"Salma, are.. are you hurt?"

"Please... p-please go away." Came her muffled reply.

Those words were barely audible through the door, but they cut through Varian's heart like a knife.

He sunk to the floor, his legs suddenly no longer wanting to support himself.

"Salma p-please...." He whispered back. He tried to remain calm even as his last strand of hope began to slip through his fingers. "Please, tell me what's wrong.... Are... are you mad at me?"

He was only answered by more sobs.

Finally he got up and left without another word.

He made it all the way down the stairs and almost was to his car again when he stopped and gave a parting wistful glance back up at the window that led to Salma's apartment.

That's when he noticed the drain pipe.

                                                ------------------------

Salma laid on the sofa crying.

She felt awful about telling Varian to leave, but she couldn't face him right now.

She couldn't face anyone.

She just wanted to disappear.

She desperately wished for the world to stop turning, just a moment, so that she didn't have to engage in it and acknowledge the terrible truth.

"Please Allah… please…. Don't let it be real." She whispered to herself over and over again.

That's when she heard a noise coming from her window.

She finally looked up, confused, as the noise became only louder.

It sounded like a person grunting from exertion.

Then a hand latched onto the window sill.

Salma gasped as a second hand joined the first; her tears momentarily forgotten in her shock.

Then Varian's head popped up into view.

"H-hi…uh, S-salma!" He grinned with effort as he struggled to maintain his hold on the window.

Salma screamed and Varian almost let go in surprise. That hadn't been the reaction he was expecting.

Upon seeing him almost fall, Salma gathered her wits and rushed to help pull him inside.

It took several heart racing minutes to get him to safety, and both parties had to pause a moment to breathe.

"Boy… th-that to a lot of work…" Varian wheezed, before flashing her a smile.

Said smile fell away quickly when he noticed Salma's furious expression.

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

Varian's eyes went wide at the uncharacteristic swear. He then stumbled backwards as she continued to berate him.

"We're fifteen stories up! How… How did you even manage to climb that!? Why did you climb that!? Of all the stupid, irresponsible, low-down things to do! I asked you to leave!"

"B-but Sal-"

"No buts! You expressly ignored my wishes, and almost got yourself killed! And for what!? Aagrah… why must you men always be so, s-so, sooooooohhh!"

She stomped her foot as her rant gave way to an unintelligible scream.

Varian was completely at a loss. He had never seen her this angry before. He stood there dumbly as she fumed, and then suddenly she looked back up, touched her hair, and gasped in horror as if she just realized something.

She ran to her bed over in the opposite corner of the studio apartment. She pulled a blanket off it and threw it around her, covering her head and wrapping her shoulders with it.

Varian was only even more confused by this action.

However he didn't wish to upset her any further, so he turned his back to her as she readjusted the makeshift head covering. His eyes glanced about the room as he did so.

This was his first time seeing the inside of the apartment. It was a small space. Larger than Wasabi's dorm but not as big as the loft apartment that Gogo and Honey Lemon shared.

It featured an open kitchen that took up one wall, a small round table with two chairs, a low to the ground sofa with a short bookcase next to it separated the living space from the sleeping area, and he figured the door behind him led to a bathroom.

"H-how did your f-finals go?" He casually asked, trying to change the subject.

"Fine." She gave a curt reply, still not looking at him while she composed herself.

"Th-hat's good. My Intro to Economics was a killer." He joked.

He walked over to the table, and casually glanced at what he thought were study materials laying across it. He quickly realized that they were not.

It was an assortment of letters, photographs, and documents. There was a medal of some kind lying on top of the notebook and other odds and ends we're strewn about; a watch, some dice, and another copy of Salma's religious text, only this one more worn and small enough to be carried inside a pocket.

Then there were the pictures, some of Salma and others of what Varian assumed were her family. One young man in particular kept repeating in all of them. He looked to be only a few years older than himself.

Varian took all of this in at a glance. He had a vague idea of who the young man in photos might be. Then his eyes settled on one particular wrinkled and creased letter. Unlike the rest of the papers, this one was in Russian.

"Moya Devochka…." He read out loud.

Salma stiffened.

Varian paused.

He didn't need to read any further. This was clearly a personal letter sent by one of her family members. Perhaps her grandfather. Yet… he knew whatever was in it was connected to the young man in the photographs, and was the source of Salma's misery.

"This is about your brother… right?" He said simply, as he pieced together the clues.

"Please go." Salma answered.

"I… I just want to help."

She finally turned to look at him; her face dripping with incredulity.

"How? How can you help? How do you even begin to call this help!?"

"It's not good to be alone Salma!"

She paused, as if she had never considered that idea.

"I know what it's like to lose a family member." Varian continued. "And… sure, I get it, you hate the world right now. You have right to, b-but just sitting here crying alone. Th-that won't make things better."

Salma pursed her lips, and Varian knew his words had not reached her.

"What does it matter?"

"What do you mean, what does it matter?"

Salma shook her head as more tears started to fall.

"N-nothing is going to make this better…" she sobbed. "So what does it matter what I do?"

"That's… that's not true..."

"You can't bring him back."

"That doesn't mean things won't get better."

She had no reply. Her voice caught in her throat and she heaved her shoulders as her body wracked with sobs.

Varian ran to her, to hold her, but she backed away from him and held up her hand to stop him from nearing.

"No." She managed to whisper.

"Wh-what… what do you need me to do then?"

"L-leave."

"I'm…. I'm afraid to leave you alone though."

She looked at him, confused.

"Y-you need to talk to someone; be with someone." Varian pressed. "You don't want to talk to me… fine. Then call Dr. Brown or your aunt. You have people that care about you still, and they're worried about you."

Salma seemed to reflect on this, as she cast her eyes downwards and fiddled with a blanket in her hands.

"He… he went missing… two months ago…" she finally answered. "The military gave up looking for him. I only got the letter today."

"I'm sorry."

He moved again to hug her, but once more she pulled away from him.

"I told you, now please go."

Varian was taken aback by the forcefulness of her voice. He thought her opening up meant that she was ready to reconcile and receive help, but that was now clearly not the case.

"B-but I care-"

"Go!"

She marched to the door and held it open for him.

He stood there stunned for a moment, but she remained resolute.

"O-okay…." Only to pause at the doorway before leaving. "Will you at least call your aunt though?"

She nodded.

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Th-then will you call me later?"

She shook her head firmly and Varian frowned.

She stood up straight, looked him firmly in the eyes, and said, "No."

"No, I will not be calling you. No, you may not call me. And no, I never ever want to see you again."

And with that she slammed the door in his face.

He stood there, his heart shattered on the floor, as he heard Salma begin sobbing again from the other side of the door.

[hamspamandjamsandwich]

ugggh sort of slogging through an artwork right now and I’m getting sooooooo in my head and self conscious about the way I make art

like. idk. i use strong language a lot because im melodramatic bitch, but generally i would consider my overall opinion of my art to be…harsh but fair. I could definitely cut myself some slack, but I’m also not *making shit up* just to hurt myself either. It’s critique that I’d give anyone, albeit harsher since it’s myself and not someone else.

I really think i have a complex because i have a graphic design background and…if you’ve seen my art…you can probably see why I found it very difficult to mesh my illustrations with my designs. Or maybe you can’t because you’re a better designer than me and would know what to do with it lmao. But i was doing that stuff when The Height Of Graphic Design™️ was Swiss typography and minimalism. So I pretty much never made anything that was on trend—aka marketable, which is sort of the entire point of graphic design—and it killed my confidence.

my skills stagnated because i was burnt out and couldn’t make anything, especially since i believed that the only stuff i was good at was literally unusable. And I did try, but it went pretty poorly. Looking back some of this was just imposter syndrome and me being a horrible inner critic. A lot of it looks better to me than it did then when i was making it. But i still see the exact same issues with my illustrative style in that space.

the never-ending complaint i have against my own art is also the thing that makes it good at all: it’s an absolute fucking mess of lines. Don’t get me wrong, i ADORE messy art. I love impressionist painting. I think gesture drawings and sketches are beautiful, and i like making mess art. But goddamn if it doesn’t feel like it’s the only thing i can make.

There’s so much i want to do but I feel extremely limited. I know the answer is that i should just practice and deal with stuff…sucking and looking ugly for a while. But it’s hard to throw all that time into making something that i know is subpar or even just bad.

And it’s just annoying to feel like the reason i can’t do something isn’t a materials or a money or even an inspiration or concept thing. It’s purely a skill issue. I literally just…can’t do it. It reminds me of when i went ice skating the first time and couldn’t make any progress despite my brain knowing what to do. My body couldn’t execute it. And it’s the same thing with this stuff.

I hate having to give up on something, not because i want to or am not enjoying it or don’t have time or anything, but because i simply can’t. I can’t ice skate, and I can’t make beautiful, clean art either, and for weirdly the exact same reason.

There’s also something to be said for the fact that any artist worth their salt regardless of their style can do what i do, really. It’s like i stopped after step 2 of sketching and never finished or learned anything past it lol. Every great artist out there doing great portraits or figure drawings can do gesture, can do sorta messy, etc. But i can’t clean my shit up to save my life lmao

idk this isn’t supposed to be a pity post or fishing. if i didn’t like the art i make i wouldn’t post it, you know? And i didn’t for a long time but i like everything I’ve put on here. I don’t think they’re bad, obviously. But when I see all the stuff I wish I could do…a wistful envy follows.

[hockenheim]

thank you @mickschumachergf @usersewis @brawn-gp and @lewisrises for the tags! you guys are amazing and i love your creations <3

1. which drivers do you mainly make gifs for?

my main three are charles, lewis and seb! they also happen to be my favourite drivers on this blog. i love giffing them individually and as a pairing.

2. out of the above (if more than one) who’s your fav to make gifs for and why?

i can’t possibly choose between them. charles’ expressions and mannerisms are to die for. lewis is beautiful and super stylish. i enjoy seb’s quips and wholesome personality. i love them all equally!

3. link the favourite gifset you’ve made and tell me a little about it.

currently, it’s this one of lewis and all his 2020 championship-winning races!

from making the poster template from scratch and adding in all the little details to colouring each gif and tweaking the colour palette, i’m proud of the effort i put in this one. there was a lot i learned from the creation of this set — although there were some stuff i had to fix — and i’m incredibly satisfied with the end result. i wanted to make something as vibrant and radiant as lewis was, and to achieve that self-set goal is liberating. now i'm tempted to rewatch his 2020 season!

i also like my seb x ferrari x red gifset. it’s the second set i made and i learned a lot about colouring from it! i got my hands dirty tweaking the different colouring layers and was genuinely surprised by how well the gifs turned out.

4. link your fav gifset from another creator.

oh this is very very hard because there’s so many i really love. @josefnewgayden's lewis x fashion designers gifset is simply incredible when it comes to their use of blending and layout. @brawn-gp's lewis' 100th win in f1 set has stunning, astoundingly good typography and colouring. @ivettel’s latest seb set is a gfx masterclass; their creations tag also features lots of sets with rotoscoping and other advanced gif effects!

5. off the top of your head, tell me about the most memorable tag you've received.

there are a lot that i love and laugh about in equal measure, like "op i love your colouring!" "op this is insane!" and "OUCHHH!" but one that really stood out to me recently was "op i don't watch racing but your gifset is really nice, the design and colours are really beautiful" which made my heart ache in the best of ways.

6. which f1 media source (post race interviews, sf full accesses, no brakes, etc) is your fav to make gifs from?

honestly anything that is in good quality (1080p and above) and have downloadable links on youtube/other websites is great for me! don't really like torrenting (too much fuss) and screen recording (only for race weekends, otherwise no due to questionable quality). sf full accesses are great, i also like mercedes' videos and f1 compilations (top tens etc) featuring certain drivers.

7. tag someone else!

not entirely sure who's been tagged and who hasn't but @hakkinens @vandoornevettel @goatseb @umflowers @localoptimist if you all want to or have not done it yet <3 as always, no pressure!

[jeffreyhobbs01]

I have to say I have very much enjoyed my time in this class. I feel like at the start of this semester I was nervous about doing discussions and doing critiques but by the end I had immensely enjoyed looking at classmates' art and presenting my own. And that's all thanks to our wonderful professor, who did nothing but support our discussions and encourage us to get creative with our projects. This class encouraged creativity and outside the box thinking, and the lack of specific requirements was at first nerve racking but I grew to really enjoy the creative freedom of this class. This class exponentially increased my appreciation for art and all the avenues we explored in terms of projects and ideas and theories was fascinating. Especially the archive project, being able to see patterns in the art I enjoy and create that I had never seen before or recognized was fascinating to see. And being able to find more artists and art to include into the archive was so fun, and will be used as inspiration far in my future. I feel this class has taught me a lot about color theory and composition, which is something that will be used constantly in my future art endeavors. My artistic and creative plans specifically are to complete my Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts for Communication Design, which involves taking Art History classes, Fine arts classes like Core 2 and others following that sequence, and Graphic Design classes like Imaging 1 and Typography which I will be taking next semester. I have already completed my core curriculum from my time at Austin Community College, and so being able to focus on only art classes has been a weird adjustment but very refreshing overall, and makes school a lot more fun. I still am taking classes for my minor, which is in Business, but that's nowhere near as fun as these art classes. But I am overall excited for my future here at Texas State, I’m excited to take Printmaking and Metal Working in future semesters, and I'm hoping this will all help me creatively, as I’m not sure what specifically I will be doing out of college, but my achievements will help me tackle any job or project I get assigned; or will allow me to make my own art and express myself how I want to. I think overall the biggest take away I will get from this class is just a newfound appreciation to art of any kind, whether that be paintings, or sketches, or prints, or graffiti, or movies, or books, I just can’t help but appreciate the work that was put into it, and I think it’s such a enjoy to dissect another artists work. Also this class has made me permanently aware of any typography I see on the street or in my daily life now, and aware of all the art that surrounds me each day. 

Thank you for the amazing Semester!!

[crochetysquare]

Jester’s Hat Pattern

I meant to post this on New Year’s Day. Oops. Hello, all 5 followers that aren’t bots! I typed that sentence and realized I haven’t been checking for bots in my sideblog. To be fair, I haven’t been doing a great job of posting to my crochetblr at all since I started it. Let this be the beginning of a year of more-or-less monthly patterns! More updates on the quilt! More one-off posts! This is the year of crochet!

Some of you may have noticed that I changed this blog's title last year. I felt that "NotUrGrannySquares" didn't fit me. I didn't really like it at the beginning, but it's the all I could think of (and it wasn't too creative, since I only spelt it "Ur" because "NotYourGrannySquares" was taken--not to mention, there are plenty of patterns out there with similar names). As I began to collect a few pieces from my mom and grandma for my quilt, I felt more at odds with the blog name: these are my granny's squares! I posted this one a while ago, but the other two from her are waffle stitch samples. One is incomplete, using a merino wool yarn, and the other she fished out of the kitchen when I asked if I could incorporate the wool one into the quilt, and it’s clearly a polyester because it’s slightly melted in the center where it had been holding hot things. I’m obsessed with the texture that’s resulted.

I landed on “crochety” because I’ve described myself as a crotchety old man, the word “crotchety” shares origins with the word “crochet,” and I liked how Dictionary.com defined it.

crotchety adjective 1. given to odd notions, whims, grouchiness, etc.

I am given to odd notions and whims. That’s the whole thesis of my quilt, isn’t it? That’s why I haven’t been posting patterns. When I’m crocheting, I’m crocheting. I can’t stop every row and write down what I did. Worse, I can’t write it down and then rewrite it in a text document. I tried to teach myself coding last year because I was told it’s “just logic,” and being logically minded, I should be good at it. The thing is, it’s also typing, and I fucking hate typing. (You’re looking up at the past 4 paragraphs skeptically. This is different. Just trust me that it’s different. You’ll see what I mean when you look at the pattern and how poorly I’ve cleaned it up because something about typing shit like, “Ch 3, turn, sk 1st st, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next sc, sc 15, ch 2, sc in next sc, sc 15, ch 3, turn, sk 1st ch, sc in sc in sc in sc in sc in next st and to end,” just itches my brain so uncomfortably. Crocheting is so intuitive for me, and translating it from the physical realm to the written kills me. It’s like when I would finish my geometry proof before everyone else, and the teacher would suggest I help the kid next to me, but I couldn’t put it into words. I don’t know, dude, you just put the things where they go. Just put the hook through the correct stitch. Just make it the shape of one third of a jester’s hat. That’s how you make a pattern. Just do the thing that obviously you should do. This is why I like diagram crochet patterns more, which I would like to get into on here in the future. However, this pattern reflects the madness that is my brain trying to type up patterns. When I started this blog, I thought I would do a bunch of patterns like that, maybe with a horror narrative evolving around the monotony and the separation between typography and craft, and then I realized how much tongue in cheek patterning that would require. Hmm. Maybe someday, though.)

So anyway, this is NOT your granny’s pattern because I bet she has better discipline than I do. She would have cleaned this pattern up to the necessary bits. I’m too damn crotchety for that.

All 3 panels will follow this pattern. I used (most of) 3 skeins of Buttercream Luxe Craft 100% Wool yarn. It is yarn weight 5, recommending 6.0mm crochet hooks, and for once I did what I was told.

It appears that Joann has rebranded it to Knit & Crochet, but it also seems I have moved to an area with mediocre Joanns which carry neither. Which is whatever; I have gift cards to better yarn shops.

You can follow the same scheme of adding stitches with different starting row counts. This ended up being a little more than 25 inches in circumference, which made it just a bit too big for me. I rolled up the brim on the underside when I wore it, which worked fine for me and my 21 inch head since it’s a nice thick yarn.

Key I'm using US terms. ch = Chain sc = Single crochet sk = Skip sc2tog = single crochet 2 together That's all you need. It's easy peasy, you got this, gorgeous.

Ch 31. 1. skip 1st ch. sc 30. ch 1, turn. 2-10. sc 30, ch 1, turn. 11. sc 30, ch 2, turn. 12. sk first ch, sc in second from hook. sc across. Ch 2 again! and turn. 13. sk first ch, sc in second, sc 16, ch 2, sc in next stitch and to end. (32 total, 16 on each side. We're gonna stop keeping count, though. I didn't, and it turned out just fine. You'll be fine, as long as all your panels are Shaped.) Ch 2, and turn. 14. Sk first ch, sc in second, sc 17. In 2 ch space {sc, ch 2, sc}. Sc to end. Ch 2, turn. 15-16. You know what you're doing. Sc to that chain space, and sc, ch 2, sc, and keep going. Ch 2, turn. 17. Now it switches up, but not really. Sk first ch, sc in second. Sc to 2ch space {sc, ch 2, sc}, sc to end. NOW. Chain 3. Turn. 18. Sc in second and third ch from hook. sc to chain space {sc, ch 2, sc}, sc to end. Ch. 3. 19. NOW it switches up. Sc in second and third ch, sc across. You hear me? Single crochet across! Skip that chain space entirely this time 'round! 20-22. In 20, you add the ch space in... um. shoot. This is why people keep track of stitches. Add the ch space above where it was in 18. IDK, you got this. ch 3, turn. 23. Hey, just skip that ch space again, okay. Don't argue (you can argue, change the pattern, idgaf). Ch 3, turn. 24. sc in second and third ch from hook, sc 31, ch 2 without skipping, sc 32. Ch 3, turn. 25-27. Same as 20-22. 28. Do that thing where you omit the ch space. Or don't. I'm not your mother. 29-30. Same as 20-22 and 25-27. 31. This is ittttttttt! Single crochet until that 2 chain space where I need you to use that one stitch in the key you forgot about? The sc2tog? Keep sc'ing to the end and fasten the fuck off, you did it.

Now you just have to do that two more times and probably in different colors. Maybe if you're fancy you could do stripes. Row 31 should have 92 stitches, but, like I said in Row 13, as long as it's Shaped, you're honestly good. As longs as the Shapes are Basically The Same, you are grooving.

Sew them up. I slip stitched them together because I'm more comfortable with a hook than a needle (and I think it looks nice). Don’t forget to affix something that jingle jangles. 🃏

[mallowstep]

1, 3, 40!

1. What font do you write in?

Typically, Alegreya. I find it a very comforting font to look at. If I’m using monospace (as I do for some things), Fira Code. (While rare, if I need to use sans serif font, I use Fira Sans.) Jauría is another font I love, but I use it in my flash cards, so writing in it would be strange.

While my preferred font has changed over the years (I used to use Georgia, and before that others I don’t remember), it is deliberately chosen. I consider myself a bit of a typography nerd, but moreover, I hate Ariel and TNR with a passion. I couldn’t stand to write in either. If you’ve ever worked on a shared document with me, I have changed the font.

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

I’ve been informed quite reliably that my notebook system is cursed.

On a more explainable level, I think the way I end up writing the same scene for like five fics. What I mean is — let’s say I’m writing a scene for reuniting after torture. I’m kind of in a groove, and I have another fic that needs that scene, so I just keep writing. The cursed part is I end up using very similar dialogue.

Also, my general attention to detail. I don’t typically get to flex it when I write for warriors, because there’s only so much to know, but typically I end up downloading at least one paper per fic. These vary from psychology to malacology (the study of mollusks!) to released protocols of an FBI special unit. (Those three are all relevant examples.) I might take it a little far but there’s something soothing for me in it. (Also, anyone who follows my main will likely not be surprised by this, but I go a little insane for thinking out details.)

40. Share a poem

Aside from what I have on my main, hm. It’s been a long time since I’ve kept poetry on my phone. I’ll offer this, which is technically a text message, but a poem as well

I say “hypothetically wouldn’t it be fucked up if someone’s parents treated them this way” and they say “here is a complete tour of the hospital” and I say “I am going to tell you about how much of a nerd I am” and they say “I want you to braid my hair” and I say “I think love is supposed to be angry” and they say “I hope not” and i say “is it fucked up that I was relieved that it was just an allergic reaction?” and they say “I want my brother to give you a tour of my city” and neither of us say I love you because we know that would destroy me right now, but we mean it

Also, a list of some poems I’ve loved enough to memorize (apologies for the lack of authors, I’ve never been good at that part):

the envoy of mr cogito (English translation)

[i carry your heart with me]

Heartbeats (I need to add on this one, it’s worth reading out loud. Also, because of the steadiness of it, I used to mutter it under my breath when I was focusing, and my boyfriend had to alert me that saying “Today? Tonight. / it waits. For me.” was creepy and I should maybe not)

About the weather (another one with a note, I like this one so much I wrote an essay analyzing it)

I sing the body electric, especially when my power’s out

Crossing the bar

Do not go gentle

Queen mab speech (Romeo and Juliet)

I also really adore Walt whitman’s “I sing the body electric” but it would be…difficult to memorize, to say the least. I’ve considered adding it tho. And from Andrea Gibson, “Alaska says sun”, “good light”, “fight for love”, “boomerang valentine”, “I do,” and “say yes” are all some favorites. I wanted to single this out, though — “how it ends” is probably one of my favorites of hers.

I could probably keep going with poetry — if you can’t tell, I’m a fan. I’ve used poetry to keep the world stable under my feet since I was a child, and I’ve got some favorites.

<3

[burberrycanary]

Asks for writers: 1 and 40, if you please!

Thanks for the ask <3333 #1: I bumped into the “use comic sans when writing” trick a couple years ago and it’s really, really worked for me when doing the raw something-from-nothing stage of writing. But, when it comes to the long process of editing and refining, I’m a moody, idiosyncratic bastard about typography. The first three parts of my most recent series needed to be in the simple and elegant but faintly warm Lato while the much longer fourth part was Libre Baskerville, all the way. The story before that, The Art of the Possible, was the cooler-toned, detached and minimalist geometric sans serif Muli. And the now-abandoned story before that worked with one of the lighter weights of the constructed and rationalist, almost monolinear, Poppins. Go figure.

Variable but strongly felt typographic feelings! #40: Here's the poem that's stayed open in my tabs lately and been messing me up:

October

Mary Oliver

1

There’s this shape, black as the entrance to a cave.

A longing wells up in its throat

like a blossom

as it breathes slowly.

What does the world

mean to you if you can’t trust it

to go on shining when you’re

not there? and there’s

a tree, long-fallen; once

the bees flew to it, like a procession

of messengers, and filled it

with honey.

2

I said to the chickadee, singing his heart out in the

green pine tree:

little dazzler

little song,

little mouthful.

3

The shape climbs up out of the curled grass. It

grunts into view. There is no measure

for the confidence at the bottom of its eyes—

there is no telling

the suppleness of its shoulders as it turns

and yawns.

Near the fallen tree

something—a leaf snapped loose

from the branch and fluttering down—tries to pull me

into its trap of attention.

4

It pulls me

into its trap of attention.

And when I turn again, the bear is gone.

5

Look, hasn’t my body already felt

like the body of a flower?

6

Look, I want to love this world

as though it’s the last chance I’m ever going to get

to be alive

and know it. —

Weird Questions for Writers - Ask me!

[tiffanyachings]

A CREATION FOR EVERY MONTH OF 2022

rules: post your favorite or most popular post from each month this year (it’s okay to skip months!)

thanks for tagging me @jameszmaguire! ✨ i didn’t make as many gifs as in previous years because i was a) busy and b) it didn’t feel worth the effort anymore but i seems like i still somehow managed to post something almost every month

january: nynaeve + knives. can’t wait to add to this once she gets a sword in s2

february: calanthe + ‘king’. i’m claiming that song for her and i’m not gonna give it back. i love how the colours turned out - i’ve used the palette before but it’s so much more vibrant here

march: no one said i couldn’t choose fics so i’m going with brave among lions, which i have jokingly referred to this as the seminal work on the ciri & calanthe dynamic. engagement with gen fic about female relationships....is what it is, but it got some really nice comments from the target audience and i’m proud of it

april: bloody sophie okonedo....in practical armour....wielding a sword.......yelling.....

may: nynaeve & egwene. strengthening their friendship was one of the best changes the show made and i can’t believe no one made this set before me

june: more ciri & calanthe. cal would throw me in a dungeon for putting her in pink but it was fun working with a colour i don’t usually use

july: this set of my favourite eowyn book quote is a strong contender for best set i made all year, it was certainly the most popular one. i quite like how the blending turned out, especially in the 2nd and last gif, and it’s always nice doing blended gifs for fandoms that aren’t used to them because you get so many nice comments.

september: are ye winning granddaughter?? i made this as a silly little meme post not expecting it to get many notes and was pleasantly surprised that other ppl found it funny too

october: i actually made so many gifs that month and yet i’ll have to go with a different way to be, my erin x james derry girls fic. this was my first time writing for a reasonably popular pairing and ngl it was pretty rewarding getting so many lovely comments (including yours lizzie!!)

november: calanthe + names. another set in cintran blue and gold, shocker. i made this in january and held off posting it for months because i liked it so much - the colours turned out really nice and it was fun playing around with the typography

[caylemthechaoticgayrat]

Jasper!!!!! You know him you love him

For the digital art course I’m taking we’re doing music festival posters and I REALLY wanted to draw Jasper. My professor really liked it immediately and I love it too. Since he’s inspired by alt fashion I wanted fitting bands. It’s probably a mix of multiple genres but it was good enough. The pink and orange is my favorite part. Also drawing all his little accessories and his super cool guitar!!!! Was so fun :3

typography is so hard for me but it’s also fun and I liked the font I ended up with, felt texturey enough. During my sketch I really wanted to keep some of the scraggle and roughage.

the guitar has wings which is probably very impractical to reach around but it looks very cool. And they’re patterned like his own wings which I still change all the time cause I can’t quite decide. I think he turned out super well though especially his arms and paws. The reference I had up helped a lot.

I assembled a playlist for him also and I was listening to it on the way home so I came up with 2 other bandmates for him, a dog thats similar to him that plays drums, and a color changing lizard that does keyboard (subject to change). They’re super cool and inspired by different alt subcultures as well. :> I can’t wait to draw them but I’m away from my drawing pad for the holidays so I must. I’ll update my art fight soon though. If anyone knows a site like art fight that you can just list your ocs on I’d love to know. Art fight’s fantastic but the website is still a little janky. But yeah!!! The 1 Jasper fan out there, come get your juice