#I was going to crochet this project but the texture of crochet isn’t the best for what I’m making

[positivelyghastly]

Mate why is colour work knitting so difficult? What do you mean slip one purl-wise? Just let me do the fun colours :(

[wrathandgreed]

A crafty MC making goodbye gifts for the demon bros (unromanced and romanced).

Word count: 3.5k

Notes: I’m a huge crafter (knitter, crocheter, spinner, weaver, cross stitcher, etc)  and I’m currently knitting my husband a winter hat, so I started trying to figure out what a crafty MC would make the brothers as goodbye gifts when they go back to the human world.

Also, this got REALLY REALLY long.

Lucifer

(Unromanced)

This guy is hard to make stuff for. 

His aesthetic is VERY tight and leaves no room for mistakes

So a simple winter scarf, in business-black, is probably the way to go. 

Somewhat lux yarn, cashmere/silk or alpaca/silk, so it has a sheen

He travels to the human world sometimes, and Diavolo has winter themed events in Devildom sometimes, so a scarf isn’t totally impractical.

He would appreciate the amount of time you spent making it, even if he didn’t get a chance to wear it that often.

(Romanced)

Let’s get more personal, now. You still have the same problem with his aesthetic, and the fact that if you want to give him something ~~personal~~ he won’t be able to wear it openly. His pride says no.

He’s stern in public, but affectionate in private.

You knit a medium-sized decorative pillow cover for his bed, in his signature wine-red.

It’s simple and elegant and can sit on his bed like it’s something he picked up in a Hellhome Goods store, and only *he* knows it’s a private gift.

After swearing him to secrecy, you get Solomon to help you charm the pillow, so it never pills up or wears out, and it maintains your scent forever. (Actually, it’s fair to say you do this for all of the romanced gifts).

“I thought, you know, if I can’t be there with you every night, something of me can?”

Awkward MC is awkward.

He not only appreciates how much time went into the gift (who knows how busy you are better than Lucifer?) but that you spent that much time thinking about him.

Mr. Acts of Service over here. Every stitch is something you did *for him*

You assume he’ll just leave it on the bed, and maybe, if you’re lucky, it’ll help you be the last thing he thinks of at night and the first thing he thinks of in the morning. 

Maybe he’ll smile when he sees it, and some of his weariness will lift.

Oh, if only you knew.

Mr. “Stern In Public” wraps himself around the pillow every night. Well. Every time he manages to sleep. Which, let’s face it, isn’t every night. 

But when he DOES sleep, it’s with that pillow. If he can’t sleep wrapped around you, this will have to suffice.

Finds he doesn’t sleep well when he travels, because he refuses to bring the pillow with him.

If asked, he says it’s because it’s not important.

But he just doesn’t want to lose it.

It’s too important to him.

Mammon

(Unromanced)

You’ve seen this boy’s room.

You’re not spending hours and hours and tons of money making him something.

You love the guy, but you’ve seen how he takes care of his possessions.

Most of what he owns is chucked aside when the next new-shiny comes along.

You know he loves you to bits and he’ll be careful with whatever you give him.

But “careful” has a different definition for Mammon than for some of the others.

So you knit him a hat. A trendy, slightly-too-small hat in black with a small yellow stripe on the brim.

You can use some lux yarn because, for a single-skein project, investing in cashmere or mohair or something isn’t too awful.

It looks really great on him - the fluff of his white hair, the small yellow stripe, then the wash of black as contrast. It makes his eyes pop and his skin look even warmer.

He wears it to a shoot one day and the photographer loves it

Now everyone wants one

But he has the only one because it’s handmade

Suck it, losers!

The Avatar of Greed finally has something everyone else wants that no one else can get!

(Romanced)

Yeah, you’ve seen his room. You’ve practically lived in his room. But you know he’ll be careful with anything you give him because he loves you. 

It would break his heart to have to ask you to fix something you made for him.

You know he’s going to suffer when you leave

You want him to know that you’re always there, even if you’re not *there*

So you knit him a sweater

A big, oversized sweater out of super soft chunky wool with tons of texture.

You finish it early so you can wear it around your room for a few weeks. On the rare nights you sleep alone, you sleep in it.

Again, get Solomon to enchant it.

Now it smells like you.

You wouldn’t notice, but a demon’s sense of smell is far stronger.

“I know it’s not, like, fashionable or anything. But it’s comfy and it can be…..a portable hug?”

His face turns red and he winds up stammering. Obviously. So he puts it on to avoid having to look at you.

Chucks it on over his tshirt. He immediately pulls the neckband back up over his face to take a deep inhale from the fabric.

He looks really cute in it

(He looks really cute in anything, let’s face it)

Might start crying.

Hug him pls.

Any night he feels lonely (which is most nights) he wears this sweater. Falls asleep in it half the time.

It really is like a hug, and the boy needs all the hugs he can get.

Leviathan

(Unromanced)

Out of all the brothers, Levi is the one who will appreciate STUFF. No matter what you make for him, he’ll love it. 

It’s limited edition! No one else has anything like this!

So this boy is getting crocheted plushies.

(They’re called amigurumi, and he’ll appreciate knowing that)

You make a mobile for his room

Hanging from it are little plushies of all his favorite sea creatures

Henry 2.0 is the biggest

But there’s a few jellyfish

A whale

You had to completely invent a pattern for a kraken, and it came out okay!

You had some extra yarn, so you made a few extra jellyfish

They get suction cups. 

Now he has jellyfish in his tanks and outside his tanks

Spends the next hour rigging up the mobile over his tub so he can see them before he goes to sleep and remember how much his true friend cares about him.

(Romanced)

This took….time to make.

You had to basically invent two patterns from scratch

There was a LOT of frogging.

And swearing.

When Levi opens the box and pulls aside the tissue paper, there’s two crocheted figures

One of each of you

(The one of you may or may not be dressed as Ruri-Chan)

“You made these…..for me?”

Tell him you made ONE of them for him. You take the one of him and hug it, “This one comes with me. So I’ve still got you.”

(Don’t let him cry!)

(Too late)

Then you show him the best part - each figure has a magnet in one hand.

When they get close to each other, the magnets snap together and the figures hold hands :)

Even though the two amigurumi will be in two separate realms, those magnets will want to find their partner.

Levi is floored - this is just like something out of an anime! Like two halves of a locket or something!

He can’t even find words. Possibly not for the next hour or two.

But he makes the cutest little squeaks and the verbal equivalent of keysmashes.

Like Lucifer, he sleeps with your gift. But he also carries it around his room. It has pride of place on his desk, and he purchases a stand so you can sit with him while he games or does his online schooling.

He talks to it like he would talk to you, especially on busy days when you can’t actually talk to him on the D.D.D.

It eases the feeling that you left Devildom and forgot about him. Eases - just a little - the jealousy of every human in your world who gets to talk to you. Because none of THEM have a handmade you. Just him.

Satan

(Unromanced)

This guy is either the easiest one to make for, or the hardest.

Like, you could make him a stuffed kitty. Or knit him a tie. But he’s not a super sentimental guy (unless romanced) and, in the end, that’s just stuff. His room is FULL of stuff.

Soooooo, you take out your sewing skills and sew him a traditional Sherlock hat - the deerstalker one, the one that never was actually in the books, but is still associated with the character.

The most straightforward of the brothers, Satan is indeed touched that you spent so long making something for him and he tells you so.

Insists he’ll wear it when solving mysteries.

You laugh, but he actually does wear the hat when reading mysteries now. 

It reminds him of the trip to London - how he got to solve an actual mystery, save his brother, and see the sites with his friend.

(Romanced)

YouTube made it look so easy.

It’s just paper, right? Paper and thread and a needle. You can sew clothes and stuffed animals. How hard can it be to sew together pages to make a book?

Oh, my sweet summer child.

You considered actually pulping and making your own paper, but after the seventh ruined batch of signatures you’re grateful you talked yourself out of that one.

You also considered an actual leather binding, but go for boards and a more simple Japanese sewing technique. 

This project is the perfect thing to give to Satan - not just because it’s a book, but because making it is causing you SO MUCH RAGE.

Who needs firewood when you have the ruined attempts of your gift?

You may have thrown various attempts on the floor and stomped on them before chucking them in the fire.

It takes weeks but you finally get the book together. Now the REAL work can begin.

Every book the two of you read together. Every book you discussed. Every book you recommended to him. Every single one gets a page - a title, a date, and a discussion of your discussion of the book.

The book itself becomes a tour through your growing relationship.

While not as stern as Lucifer in public, Satan is also definitely fond in private - he’s completely unsurprised to receive a book as a present, but once he begins leafing through it, the semi-smug smile vanishes.

He looks shocked, and his hold on the book gentles.

His fingers run down the page, tracing your handwriting on a page particularly precious to him.

Speechless for a few minutes, he finally returns with only “I love it.”

Said so softly and sincerely that you can’t doubt his sincerity.

There are blank pages at the end and he begins to use them to document newer books he’s reading - ones he wants to discuss with you later.

Asmodeus

(Unromanced)

Good luck keeping your gift a secret!

Asmo loves craft and crafty things, so he’s always curious about what you’re making and fascinated with the process.

Probably helps with suggestions for the others, especially for a romanced brother (although WHAT you see in them is beyond him, after all, what can THEY have that Asmo doesn’t?)

Because he seems to pop up out of nowhere, he’s already seen his gift a few times. Thankfully, he thinks you’re making it for yourself.

Bonus, he’s whiny and jealous about it, and obviously wants it for himself. So, score. You know he’ll like it.

It seems simple; a pair of fingerless gloves in his signature hot pink. But the yarn is mohair lace (you’ve cursed at it many, many times for tangling on you) held double with merino/silk black yarn.

The gloves are lacy and airy, sensual and soft. They feel wonderful to wear, and look great with a majority of his outfits. 

He absolutely squeals and hugs you when he opens up the gift - the gift he was so jealous of! Of COURSE you were making it for him this whole time!

Wears them constantly. His Devilgram pics start having a lot of “what am I holding?” themes. Cups of coffee or hot chocolate. Someone else’s hand. A ticket for an absolutely fabulous play. And a LOT of peace signs and finger-hearts  :)

(Romanced) 

This one requires the cooperation - willing or not - of everyone in the house.

You start with your DDD. That’s easy enough.

Since you’ll need Sol’s help anyway, it’s easy enough to plunder the pictures on his phone, too.

The rest of the brothers you get, one by one. Belphie’s you steal while he’s sleeping, although you found nothing useful on it. Beel just lets you borrow his phone. You ask to borrow Mammon’s while he’s gambling and he doesn’t notice that it takes you an hour to give it back. Satan - the real photographer - must be taken into your confidence - you might need his help later anyway. But he’s particularly close to Asmo, and knows how to keep his mouth shut.

You stalk Lucifer for a few weeks. You ask Satan for advice. You consider asking Diavolo to just order Lucifer to hand over his phone.

Finally you just ask him for it.

Getting a hold of Asmo’s phone is the hardest bit. You have to wait until he’s deep in a spa day, hanging around in his tub with both a sheet mask AND cucumber slices.

Then you make off with his phone. And go through the photos.

His wonderful Devilgram-worthy pictures you ignore. You start looking for the ones that he rejected, but kept. The one where both of you cracked up laughing right before the photo snapped. The one where he dropped his hot chocolate and then stole yours.

The two of you in clay face masks and toe spacers? Yep. The one you took of him with super-wide eyes as he put on mascara? Definitely. Selfies of you two surrounded by his brothers, by Sol, by Simeon, even a few with Luke.

The one Satan took of the two of you dancing at one of Diavolo’s balls, so lost in each other that the rest of the ball might as well not exist? Of course.

You combine them with the ones taken by everyone else in the house.

Culling them for the best takes weeks. Because you don’t just want the ~~prettiest~~ pictures or the ones designed for social media.

You pick the ones with emotional meaning, ones of important events, but mostly you choose pictures of genuine laughter and affection. Ones that show how much the two of you love each other, and how much true friendship exists in the house. 

How much he’s not alone, and how much he is loved. How much the people around him appreciate him.

With Satan and Solomon, you gather and enchant a simple glass cube.

It displays these photos, gently lit up, like the digital picture frames in the human world.

“I want you to remember me,” you say quietly. “I want you to remember how much fun we’ve had, and how much I love you for you.”

Not gonna lie, Asmo cries.

The cube moves around his rooms depending on where he is - it’s by his tub if he’s taking a bath. It’s on his vanity when he’s putting on  his makeup. He credits it with helping his relaxation and makeup game.

It’s always on a nightstand by his bed before he goes to sleep. Sometimes he just lays on his back, puts the cube on his stomach, and watches memories float through it.

What you wanted - for him to remember that he’s loved for more than his sexual prowess - comes true. The pictures remind him of the life he has outside of a bedroom.

He starts spending more time with his brothers. He starts taking more pictures.

His followers appreciate the diversification in his content :)

He appreciates how much you love getting texts of those photos - the not-social-media-ready ones, but the REAL ones.

Beelzebub

(Unromanced)

I mean, you could just bake the guy a dozen cakes.

But then he’d eat them and they’d be gone.

And you can’t make him anything that looks like food, because he’d eat it.

You’ve finished your gifts for half of the brothers before you even figure out what to make for him.

And then it comes to you…..socks.

He’ll use them.

He won’t eat them.

They’re not the most interesting gift, but you’re running out of time.

You actually manage to find a pattern covered with colorwork triangles that mimic his usual shirt.

You get Satan to charm them for you - the problem with handmade socks is that they wear out FAST. Not anymore!

Beel LOVES them.

(To be fair, he’d probably love anything you gave him)

Once he knows they won’t wear out, they become his Game Socks.

Like most athletes, he becomes superstitiously obsessed with the socks, wearing them for absolutely every game he plays.

Is convinced they help him win.

(Romanced)

You encounter basically the same problem as above - what on earth to make him?

You want something that reminds him how much you love him, and it absolutely can’t be anything he could even be tempted to eat, because he’d never forgive himself.

You try a number of times to build a small tapestry loom, but that skill seems to be beyond you.

Finally you have to beg Lucifer to pick one up for you in the human world.

Once you get it, you��re off and running.

Now, just because things can’t look like food doesn’t mean it can’t be inspired by it.

Red yarn, the exact juicy red of an apple - but here, just an abstract circle. Mixes of pale cream, yellow, and red in a triangle - an abstract pizza slice. 

Those cookies Barbatos makes? There. The broccoli-cheddar soup you learned to make for her? Now just an orange blob with tiny green squiggles. And on, and on. 

And buried, scattered throughout, little woven hearts.

The hearts are made of slightly different yarn, puffier and thicker, so they stand out just a little bit.

In the end, you have a decent-sized wall hanging, full of texture and shapes that are just reminiscent enough of food to bring a smile to Beel’s face, but not enough to actually be worth eating.

He passes the hanging every day, and every day he brushes his fingers over the yarn or through the fringe; a physical reminder of you.

Belphegor

(Unromanced)

This guy is probably the easiest one to make things for.

Is it soft? Is it cuddly? Can he use it as a pillow? Can he snuggle it like a stuffed animal? 

Click “yes” on any of those questions, and you have a happy - well, a slightly less annoyed - Belphie.

Which is why you take this as a challenge. The easy answer - a pillow - is BORING. And the other easy answer - a blanket - would take WAY too much time.

So, like Levi, he gets a plushie.

But not just any plushie.

He gets a plushie of Lucifer.

Lucifer…..on a pastel unicorn.

Belphie starts cackling the moment he opens it, which is fair, because you laughed a fair bit designing and making it.

He starts leaving it where Lucifer can find it, then saying that the elder can’t do anything about it, because MC made it and there’s no way he’d want to harm anything made by MC.

Satan tries to steal it.

In the end, an “anonymous” Devilgram is created, dedicated to the “adventures” of this particular plushie.

It’s all fun and games until Diavolo wants one.

(Romanced)

Well, for your boyfriend, the time and effort involved in making a blanket is just fine.

You debate endlessly - comprehensive color scheme? Granny squares or stripes? How heavy?

You go with your gut instinct - this isn’t a boy who cares about color schemes or blanket styles.

(Just look at his clothes, seriously.)

He cares about one thing - comfort.

You find the softest, smushiest yarn you can, and a pattern you can tolerate working on for like 100 hours.

You go old-school; a granny square blanket like the ones that pretty much every person had thrown over the couch in the 70s and 80s. The perfect nap blanket.

Black… mostly black, with some bright accent colors. Kind of obnoxious accent colors, actually. You figure it’ll appeal to his (dubious) sense of humor. Also it’ll piss Lucifer off seeing it around the house, clashing with literally everything in the oh-so-perfectly-decorated Gothic interior.

This one requires….special enchantment.

A little bit of ritual, and that blanket will fold up into a tiny square; easy to carry from place to place.

Belphie is torn between wanting to carry it around everywhere, like his pillow, and to leave it in the attic room, always waiting for him.

Depending on his mood, he’ll do one or the other.

But no matter what, he also sleeps juuuust a little bit better under it, snuggled up under your love.

You make him the Lucifer plushie, too. It’s too funny not to :)

[eringurumi]

The Mandalorian Pattern

Ok! Here is my original crochet amigurumi pattern for the Mandalorian, to go with my other yarn creation, Baby Yoda. As before, if you use this pattern, please link back to my page, and tag me or send me a picture! I will slam that reblog button so fast! Or tag me on insta: @ erin.gurumi

Fun fact: this isn’t my first time around Mandalorian armor... In 2013 (!) I crocheted my friend a Boba Fett amigurumi, which you can see HERE and HERE. I improved the pattern a bit, but I did want to share because there are some in-progress pics which could potentially help, as I’m unfortunately not the best at taking them while I work!

Technical stuff: I used a 3.0 mm crochet hook and these yarns: 

Loops and Threads Impeccable in Walnut Tweed (body and cape)

Red Heart Super Saver in Cafe Latte (belt and bandolier)

Red Heart Super Saver in Light Grey (armor)

Red Heart Super Saver in Black (visor)

Red Heart Super Saver in Carrot (gloves)

I was really happy with the brown color I found for the body (this project was the first time in YEARS I’ve actually opted to increase my stash and it was worth it!), but I think there is plenty of room to experiment with other colors! 

^ Helmet 

I think it was such a bold choice to go with uncolored metal for the Mandalorian’s armor! It’s very hard to simplify and not be evocative of medieval knights or Trojan/Spartan warriors... In this picture, you can see I made a short strip of grey yarn that I thought could be the seam down his helmet, but I decided it just didn’t work for my scale.

6 sc in a magic circle

inc 6x to make 12 stitches

(1 sc, inc) 6x to make 18 stitches

(2 sc, inc) 6x to make 24 stitches

(3 sc, inc) 6x to make 30 stitches

(4 sc, inc) 6x to make 36 stitches

2 rows of 36 stitches

1 row of 36 stitches, with 12 black stitches in the front

1 row of 36 stitches with 12 black stitches aligned with previous ones 

4 rows of 36 stitches in grey

1 row of grey, add two increases at the front (38 stitches)

1 row of 38 stitches

I found it easiest to eyeball where I wanted to start the black yarn for the visor, rather than count out how many grey stitches before the color change. At the end, leave a tail but don’t pull the loop through, since changing to the brown yarn for the under helmet part will be a color change.

^ Front visor section and bottom of helmet:

Before closing off the helmet, I made the front separately and sewed it on - I think that’s much easier than trying to do color changes in each row and keeping them nicely lined up, plus, it gives the helmet just a bit of texture that I like to imagine gives the suggestion of some contours. 

6 foundation single crochet in black

turn, 6 sc in grey, tie off leaving a tail

reattach grey yarn to other side of the black, 6 sc, tie off

sew onto helmet

To close off the helmet, change to the brown yarn, and for the first row crochet only in the back loops to make a sharper change between the helmet and the underside (neck?) area. I was not super precise with this part, as all I wanted was for the underside to be mostly flat.

(2sc, dec) ~9x in back loops to make ~29 stitches

(1sc 1 dec) until closed (stuff part way through)

tie off and weave in tail

^ Legs (make 2)

To make the feet look more boot-like, I did all the foot-to-leg decreases on one side, but most of the shape comes from just smooshing it with my hand. Also, I tried to evoke his one larger armor piece by having an extra row of grey on his right leg, but it ended up being a bit subtle. (I know his armor is only on the front of his legs, but I didn’t want to color change that often in such a small space, and the back of the leg is hidden enough by his cape that I don’t mind!)

6 sc in a magic circle

inc 6x to make 12 stitches

(1 sc, inc) 6x to make 18 stitches

1 row of 18 sc in back loops

(decrease 8x), 2 sc to make 10 stitches

6 rows (his left) or 5 rows (his right) of 10 stitches in brown

color change to grey in back

3 rows (his left) or 4 rows (his right) of 10 stitches in grey 

For one leg, tie off the tail, for the second leg, make sure that the loop is still available to start the torso section. (I chose which leg to begin the body based on the direction I was crocheting, for me it ended up being HIS right leg). Make sure both legs are stuffed!

^ Torso:

The torso is made by connecting the two legs with a round of crochet. I started with the brown yarn, switched to a lighter brown for the belt section, then for the breast plate unfortunately it’s just a bunch of color changes! My best advice is to keep securing and tying off ends as you go, and stuffing as the body gets taller.

On right leg, color change from grey to dark brown, chain 1, slip stitch into left leg, sc around both legs (~20 stitches - if it ends up more, just decrease in back to that)

another row of 20 stitches in dark brown, color change to light brown

2 rows of 20 stitches in light brown

(1 dec in the back) 7 grey in front, 12 dark brown in back (19 stitches)

7 grey in front, 12 dark brown in back (19 stitches)

(1 dec in back), 6 grey in front, 12 dark brown in back (18 stitches)  

6 grey in front, 12 dark brown in back (18 stitches)

(1 dec in back) 5 grey in front, 12 dark brown in back (17 stitches)

5 grey in front, 12 dark brown in back (17 stitches)

(1 dec in back) 4 grey in front, 12 dark brown in back (16 stitches)

(1 dec in back) all dark brown (15 stitches)

(1 dec in back) all dark brown (14 stitches)

Finish off and leave a tail to sew the head on.

^ Arms (make two):

I was really happy with my decision to make his little orange mitts - for such a simple costume with very little ability to emote, those gloves really help to draw focus on small gestures!

6 sc in magic circle in orange, color change to brown

1 row of 6 stitches in brown

(inc, 2 sc) 2x to make 8 stitches

Take one tail of the orange yarn and thread it through to the second brown row, chain 3 and loop it over, securing it back into the brown yarn to make a thumb

Change to grey, 4 rows of 8 stitches

Change to brown, 5 rows of 8 stitches

Stuff and finish off leaving a tail.

^ Bandolier / Assembling body:

Sorry he looks a little dismembered here... but at this point you’re almost done!

For the bandolier, in light brown, chain ~9 (I just measured it across his chest plate from belt to shoulder)

Tie off the end and pull both tails through the body, making it snug against his chest, tie off and weave in ends

Sew head onto body using the tail from the neck, weave in ends

Sew arms on leaving a little room between them and the head (so his pauldrons will fit!), weave in ends

^ Pauldrons

These are simple! Make two!

6 sc in a magic circle

(sc, inc) 3x to make 9 stitches

To attach them, since I liked the look of the stitches sitting freely on the arms, I took the tail from the center and sewed it through the arm, then used just a single stitch on the upper arm and lower arm to hold them in place.

^ Cape:

A lot of the taper on this cape was because I was accidentally dropping stitches at the beginning of each row - I am terrible at crochet when it isn’t in the round! I used half double crochets since I like how they make a slightly looser texture than the body. You can also see here why I try to color change in the back - it doesn’t end up looking super even!

foundation single crochet 14, turn

1 row (14 hdc, turn)

9 rows of (1 dec, hdc across, turn)

This got me to approximately 5 stitches across, which looked like a good size to fit between the shoulders. I took the other tail and wove it up the side until both tails were coming from the top of the cape. Tie off the end and sew onto the back of his neck!

I know that was a lot! As always, feel free to ask me questions if you get stuck or something doesn’t make sense, since it’s very possible I made a mistake in my write up! Best of luck crocheting your very own Mandalorian! I hope to see him and his partner in crime Baby Yoda off on many adventures together! 

[rotationalsymmetry]

Projection is a thing. So if you’re telling someone else to “go outside” or “touch grass”, or thinking it, maybe that’s something you know you need to do.

(People usually know what they need, on some level.)

Goodness knows I need to do that kind of thing more

How to touch grass/get outside (get out of your head and into your body) when you can’t actually get outside:

Physically touch parts of your body. Ears, arms, hands, hair, feet. Touch lightly, squeeze, rub, or pat.

Make noise (if that’s ok in the environment you’re in.) hum or sing or groan or sigh.

Move. Stretch. Walk. Do crunches. Dance slowly and gracefully. Roll your shoulders.

Mess with your senses. Cover your eyes. Pick out sounds. Seek out different textures. Name colors or shapes.

Look at or listen to or touch highly detailed things. Nature videos. Looking out a window. Wood. Stone. Nice ceramics. Fancy scarves. Art. Music that isn’t pop music (classical, world music, sea shanties, whatever.) High quality paper. A coffee table book with amazing photographs. A brick. A cup of miso soup. Bubbles. Sand. One of those desk water fountain things. Shells.

Pets are great for this. Houseplants aren’t bad.

Mess with your breathing. Deep abdominal breaths. Count of four in, count of four out. Alternate nostril breathing. Bend forwards so you’re breathing in the back of your body rather than in the front. Visualize where your breath is going.

Do things weirdly, like brushing your teeth with the wrong hand or standing on one leg.

Fidget. Rock. Tap your foot. Spin a pen around in your hand. Stretch your toes.

If you have more time or need more getting into your body, there’s guided meditations (look for body scan, progressive muscular relaxation, or something else that’s more body focused.) there’s drawing (doesn’t have to be good), hand lettering, knitting or crocheting if that’s a thing you do, paper craft, coloring, caring for houseplants or pets, preparing food, building card houses, juggling, and body movement stuff over longer periods. (Also a lot of “work” stuff has a similar effect, but if you’re doing nothing but work/study and fuck around online it’s worth carving out some offline and off work time. And I’m chronically ill, so I’m largely writing this for people in my situation.)

There’s also staying online/on your devices but in a different way, like switching to an ebook or deciding you’re done with the political shit for today and catching up on a webcomic, or deciding you need a more systematic approach to the political shit and binging a YouTube channel or podcast. Depending on what you’re trying to avoid and what you think would be better.

It’s really not unusual to get weird “internet hangover” effects from being on social media too long. Social media companies are companies, and even tumblr is trying to make money. That means they’re set up to encourage you to stay on as long as possible, whether that’s in your best interest or not and whether you want to do that or not. Use social media. If you find it’s using you, try changing things until you’ve settled somewhere you like better.

And if being present and in your body is an unpleasant place to be, you’re going to find ways to not do that. (Possibly worse ways, if you cut off your preferred ways abruptly.) So try changing things. Could be a gratitude journal. Could be the fluffy sort of self care. Could be the tough love sort of self care. Could be therapy. Could be getting someone else to clean up your mess (not to be cliche, but it’s really hard to be in your body when your home is in a state of bad chaos. But it’s also really hard to clean when you’re in a funk and things have gotten bad.) Maybe you’ll look back and realize you didn’t actually do anything that worked but life changed things for you.

This isn’t meant to be, if your life is a mess you’re doing it wrong. There’s a lot of reasons why some people have a hard time being present than, from trauma to poverty to ableism to, idk, probably genetics or something. To an active global health crisis. To capitalism and how it’s profitable to keep people tired and unsatisfied all the time. (To systems of abuse and control, and how having a population constantly desperate for basic survival needs is sometimes a feature to people who want to be able to exploit other people easily.) (also: the internet is the opiate of the masses; a population that isn’t comfortable existing in the moment is a population that cannot organize effectively, regardless of their theoretical awareness.) So this isn’t, “if you’re having trouble being present that reflects badly on you”, but it is “there might be some things you can do, even if the world is fucked up and it shouldn’t be this hard.” (And your ability to get your psychological house approximately in order is not unrelated to your ability to effect change in the world. I get it’s complicated because there’s also pressure to be psychologically healthy to be good workers. But I think there may be somewhat different definitions of psychologically healthy in play there.)

[xxsparksxx]

Ohhh I have been waiting so long to share this post with you all! *bounces* I’m so excited, I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted to share this blanket with you all, in all its glory. Months. Months of keeping it hush-hush! Months of plotting and planning and testing and arranging.

And now I can finally show you all the Kaleidoscope blanket.

Isn’t it goooorgeous?

I am honestly so so proud of this blanket. The maths involved was not inconsiderable! Making sure all the triangles were just the right size so that eight of them together formed an octagon exactly the same size as the octagon itself, working out angles and stitch counts and colour combinations…it was probably the most challenging blanket, in geometry terms, that I’ve ever attempted.

  This blanket began waaaaay back at the turn of the year when I was inspired by a quilt pattern I’d seen. I wanted to try to recreate the idea of a pieced patchwork quilt by using different shaped motifs to build up the kaleidoscopic pattern. And to mimic the effect of printed fabrics in a quilt, I turned to colourwork, combining flat stitches with post stitches and popcorns to create a really stunning effect.

It’s an ambitious project, but the end product is a beautiful, unique heirloom blanket that’s full of rich texture and colour.

The Crochet-Along

I’m trying something different with this blanket. For the first time, I’m going to release it as a CAL!

I am so excited for this to begin and to help you all on your Kaleidoscope journeys.

The Kaleidoscope CAL will begin on 3rd January 2020, and will run over 26 weeks – thirteen fortnightly parts.

At the end, you should have a blanket that measures 63”/157cm across at the widest point, perfect for the top of a double bed or a luxurious snuggle on a sofa.

Each part will be available as a free download on Ravelry, so make sure to add the pattern to your favourites or queue.

You can already download ‘Part 0 – Getting Ready‘, which tells you more about the blanket and contains a list of the stitches used in the blanket. It also has some helpful tips about the pattern, and a little tutorial on how to change colours, for the colourwork you’ll be doing in the blanket.

The pattern is written in US terms, and includes plenty of pictures and diagrams to help you along.

It is an intermediate pattern, and you should be comfortable with a range of basic and slightly more intermediate stitches. The most advanced part of this blanket is the colourwork, but I promise that once you get the hang of it, it will become practically second nature.

As you can see, I’m presenting this to you with three official colourways!

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Jewellery Box

Old Rose

Tequila Sunrise

All three use Stylecraft Special DK.

Jewellery Box takes inspiration from rich jewel colours, a striking contrast against the white; Old Rose is a more vintage floral colourway; and Tequila Sunrise is bold and warm, named for the colours in the classic cocktail.

You can purchase all three colour packs in my shop at Deramores*.

Or, if you want to choose your own colours, there is a helpful table in the ‘getting ready’ download that you can print off and use to keep track of your colour choices.

Of course, the best thing about a CAL is sharing your progress with other people who are working on the same thing – so I’ve set up a Facebook group just for that!

You can find that here.

The group is the best place to get help and advice with the CAL, as well as plenty of encouragement. I’ll be there to lend a helping hand, and so will my lovely co-mods and testers Kathy Patching (who made the Old Rose version) and Jill Coker (who made the Tequila Sunrise version).

This blanket may seem a daunting prospect for those of you who are less confident in your own skills, but one of the ladies who tested for me has only been crocheting for a few years – so don’t be afraid it’s too difficult!

I really hope you’ll come and join us for the Kaleidoscope CAL. I’m so excited to see all your beautiful blankets.

Before I go, I just want to say a massive thank you to Kathy and Jill, who worked up the alternate colourways so brilliantly and who will be joining me in helping you all out over the next few months. Thank you, ladies!

See you all very soon 😀

Catherine

*Other retailers are available, but if you click this link, I earn a tiny commission on anything you buy. It costs you nothing, and helps support me in my crochet endeavours.

The Kaleidoscope Blanket CAL Ohhh I have been waiting so long to share this post with you all! *bounces* I'm so excited, I can't tell you how much I've wanted to share this blanket with you all, in all its glory.

[samayla]

Dwarf Lessons Chapter 3

Part 2 of the Lemon Meringue AU

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

AO3

Frodo was not at all sure he liked the idea of calling the thing that Uncle Thorin took out of the oven a pie. It wasn’t even in a pie tin.

Sure, it looked good enough to eat. Frodo could even see the dwarvishness of it now, with the wobbly, interlocking diamonds Uncle Thorin had shown him how to draw in the meringue. But he was not at all sure it classified as any sort of pie, and he was quite certain they should not be feeding it to Uncle Bilbo.

“Khajimel,” Uncle Thorin said over his shoulder, hefting the frying pan full of not-pie onto the kitchen table, “run out to the garden and fetch some pretty flowers or some such for the top. Nothing poisonous, mind!” he added hastily as Frodo scampered out the door, as if any hobbit over the age of four needed such a warning.

Out in the garden, Frodo paused to think, nose wrinkling as he turned a slow circle to take in his options. Flowers on a pie still seemed absurdly hobbity to him. He scrubbed his hands over his face and reminded himself to think like a dwarf. He called up images of every project Uncle Thorin had done, every present Uncle Balin had brought, even the myriad crochet doilies Uncle Ori would send to Uncle Bilbo, folded up in his letters. Those managed to be at once hobbity and dwarvish.  Sharp angles. Strong colors. Clean lines.

He opened his eyes and took in the garden once more, seeing it this time in terms of shapes and colors and textures, as he imagined Uncle Thorin would do. Half the blooms, he discarded at once as being too large for the design on the meringue. Several, he passed over as too small and fussy-looking. They reminded him of Aunt Lobelia, and she was about as un-dwarvish as it was possible for a hobbit to be.

Dwarves were adventuresome, fierce, sturdy, so Frodo turned his attention away from the flimsy, fleeting blooms, and took in the greenery that supported them instead. At last, he selected a handful of sharp, narrow peppermint leaves he thought might go well in the diamond-shaped peaks he’d created.

When he presented the leaves to Uncle Thorin, a little breathless from trying to get his entire explanation out in one go, the dwarf merely smiled fondly, ruffled Frodo’s hair, and declared them perfectly dwarvish. Glowing with the praise, Frodo tore out of the kitchen at once to find his other uncle. “Uncle Bilbo! Uncle Bilbo!”

Uncle Bilbo lurched out of his study on stiff legs, dabbing at the corner of his eye with a sleeve and tucking something shiny into his waistcoat pocket as he came. In the stark half-light of the hallway widow, Uncle Bilbo’s face looked rough as tree bark. Frodo halted, alarmed. “What is it, Frodo, my lad?”

Frodo took in the shuffling step and the deep lines beneath his uncle’s reddened eyes and bounded down the hall to seize his hand. “Come on!” he cried, all but towing the bewildered older hobbit down the hall. “Uncle Thorin has a plan! Uncle Thorin!”

Uncle Thorin poked his head out of the kitchen, still clutching an oven mitt in his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s worse than we thought!” Frodo declared. He dragged Uncle Bilbo past Uncle Thorin and into the sunny little breakfast nook beneath the window. “I think he might be an ent,” Frodo hissed. He inspected his uncle’s hairy toes for any sign of roots.

“A what?”

“A tree herder,” Uncle Bilbo supplied, “but I don’t know what’s gotten into—”

“Don’t you see?” Frodo demanded, clutching at Thorin’s shirt tail. “Ents are all alone, so they’re sad and wandered away to become just plain old trees! And just look at Uncle Bilbo! We knew you’d forgotten about being a dwarf — a pretend one — and Uncle Thorin had a plan to remind you, but I don’t think it’s dwarvish enough. It might be too hobbity to work at all — that is, if it doesn’t kill you first — and —”

“Kill me?” Uncle Bilbo interrupted, scooping Frodo up and nestling him in his lap. “Green Lady! My lad, whatever are you talking about?”

“I don’t want an ent for an uncle,” Frodo gasped out, throwing his arms around Bilbo’s neck and burying his face in the collar of his dressing gown.

“Frodo—”

Frodo sat back and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. This was serious, and it was no good if they didn’t take him seriously. He sniffled and gave his uncle a very serious, grown-up sort of look. “Alone isn’t really real, Uncle Bilbo,” he hiccupped by way of explanation. “Just like the water in my room.”

“Water?”

“It wasn’t really real, and Uncle Thorin told me dwarves know things like that, and I thought, if you thought like a dwarf too, you’d know things like that too, and you wouldn’t have to be scared anymore, just like me.”

“I see,” Uncle Bilbo said slowly. “And your Uncle Thorin had a plan, did he?”

Frodo nodded.

“Well, my lad,” Bilbo said, rolling his eyes at Uncle Thorin, which Frodo didn’t think was entirely fair. Sure, his plan was hobbity, but it wasn’t Uncle Thorin’s fault if he was out of practice. Real dwarves were few and far between in the Shire. “The first thing you should know about dwarves, is that they make terrible plans. Awful. Even their best laid plans nearly always turn into something entirely unexpected. So, if you’re going to be thinking like a dwarf from now on, you must remember that the plan is only the beginning, and you mustn’t be alarmed by whatever comes after.”

Frodo turned to look at Uncle Thorin, who looked a little embarrassed by Uncle Bilbo’s speech, but not ready to argue with it. “Like you said about recipes?” Frodo asked.

“Just like, Khajimel,” Uncle Thorin rumbled, hoisting Frodo out of Uncle Bilbo’s arms and up onto his shoulder.

“Recipes, eh?” Uncle Bilbo asked shrewdly. “Is this one very likely to kill me then?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Uncle Thorin teased. “Terrible planner that I am, anything could happen — but you mustn’t be alarmed.”

Frodo squirmed until Uncle Thorin let him down. “It won’t kill you, Uncle Bilbo,” he assured him with a great deal more confidence than he felt. “I mean, it’s all pie ingredients, isn’t it? Aside from the leaves on top, I mean.”

“Leaves on top… How very dwarvish.”

“I thought so,” Frodo agreed. “Better than any frilly flowers. These ones are sharp and study, and when you walk into a room, you notice them.”

“Just like a dwarf.” Frodo suspected Uncle Bilbo might be teasing him too, but he was too relieved to see a smile on his uncle’s face to mind overmuch. “So, my lad,” Bilbo asked, “where are we to find this pie?”

“Not-a-pie,” Frodo corrected. He turned eagerly to the counter, but found it empty of everything but a light dusting of flour. “Where is it?” he demanded.

“Outside, of course,” Uncle Thorin answered, “where all the most dwarvish of adventures take place.”

Frodo hooted his approval and launched himself out into the back garden. Laughter behind him told him his uncles were both close behind.

[witchimplumis]

Knitting Witchcraft 101, a crash course by witchimplumis

To start this off, obviously there are TONS of ways to do a lot of this stuff. This is mostly the method I use. This also isn't a tutorial to knitting, there's lots of great videos out there explaining how to knit, if I tried to teach all of that in this post, it would be at least 3 times as long. Finally, most of this probably also works for crochet, but I don't know the first thing about crochet, so I'll let someone else weigh in on that. Knitting magic is great for anyone, from witches on a budget (yarn, especially acrylic, can be dirt cheap), broom closet witches (it's easy-peasy to pass off as a normal, non-witchy hobby), practical witches (you get a useful garment at the end!), and more. You can use it on its own, or as a part of a larger spell or ritual. Intent Much like all magic, a lot of knitting magic is intent and visualization. Before starting a project, come up with a purpose for the finished product. For this scenario, I'll use a real project I've done. I wanted to make a shawl to help me in the upcoming school year. When you're knitting, focus on the purpose that you want to imbue the finished product with. Imagine your hopes for it entering each stitch, and being locked in place with your needles. When you first start, it may feel mentally exhausting or draining, or it may be really hard to focus and you may find your thoughts drifting away, but as you practice you'll get better and be able to focus longer. I find that once I start to lose focus the best thing to do is leave for a while and pick the project up later, once I've had time to clear my head. Rs/ws If you've been a knitter for any length of time at all, you know that flat knitting has what's called a "right side" (the side that shows when you're wearing/using your created object) and a "wrong side" (the side that faces towards you, like the bottom of a blanket or inside of a cardigan), or rs and ws on patterns. When working out the beginning of my projects, I come up with two different intents, one for the outside world to see (right side) and one to affect only me (wrong side). So, in the example of my school shawl, I wanted other people to view me as capable in my field. So my rs intent was "I am a learned student of my trade." On the ws, I choose an intent that helps me to acheive my ultimate goal (doing well in school) so the intent I used was "I have the focus required in my studies." HOWEVER, when working in the round, there's no wrong side. So then how do you go about wrong side intents? Two options: one, have only one overarching purpose for all knitting (such as "I will succeed in my chosen field"), or alternate lines as you would if you weren't knitting in the round. Color/texture Yarn comes in pretty much every color and color combination imaginable. Color associations/color magic are not only possible to do with yarn but strongly encouraged. I use lots of sources for mine, googling "color associations" brings up bunches of pages, or you can use your own personal associations. If you're going to do this, read reviews for the yarn and check for or ask about color bleeding. Textures are an often-overlooked factor. Prickly yarn can be used in a defensive spell, or soft yarn in one for comfort and warmth. Always keep in mind what kind of thing you're making though, and try to work off of that. Some textures are not ideal for some uses. Materials Yarn materials are important to fit to your project. For example, you don't want to make a knit bralette out if dish scrubby yarn (ouch). You have tons of options, but I'll stick to the kinds you're most likely to run into cheap-ish. My standing recommendation for all of these is if there is any way at all you can see and feel yarn in person before buying it, do so. I don't recommend buying in bulk of you haven't dealt with a brand or line of yarn before. Acrylic- acrylic yarn is usually extremely cheap and comes in tons of colors and textures, some are shiny, others are really fuzzy, there's all kinds for all purposes. It's really great if you have allergies because it's synthetic fiber. Wool/superwash wool: usually somewhat coarse, wool is a natural fiber that comes from shearing specific breeds of wool-producing sheep. Some brands will even say specifically what breed(s) or country their wool comes from. In my experience, wool is much easier to work magic with than acrylic, however it will usually also be more expensive, and there are fewer textures and appearances available. Cotton: cotton is a nice in-between of acrylic and wool. It's a natural fiber, but I don't know of anybody being allergic to it. It can come in many different colors, but not really any texture variety, they all just feel like cotton. If you're not morally opposed for any of various reasons, Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton yarn is by far the best cotton yarn I've found, in terms of softness. If you ARE morally opposed however, Sugar n Cream makes cotton yarn on huge spools very cheap. Bamboo: it's considered eco-friendly yarn. I don't know how true that is, as I don't use it enough to actually look into the carbon footprint of bamboo yarn. That said it feels like actual clouds and looks like them too. Silk: we all know what silk is. Silk yarn exists. It's on the expensive end of cheap stuff, usually only comes in small amounts. Merino: wool that comes from the merino sheep breed specifically. This wool is really soft, I don't work with it much because it's usually really expensive compared to every other kind. Novelty yarns: I love incorportating these. Some are great for practical reasons (dish scrubby yarn) and others are great for using some of their elements as part of a spell (like feathery yarns or beady yarns etc.) Stitch types I don't think there's a widely agreed upon set of associations for stitch type/pattern, these are just some common ones I've come to associate. YO/lace- these large, open patterns I associate with "bigger" or more wide effects. Alternately, because they're basically big holes in the object, allowing your intents to come out into the environment. seed- just like its name, I associate seed stitch with potential and growth. Garter- I tend to associate garter stitch with mundane life, alternately with its common use as a border stitch I associate it as a holding stitch, keeping things in (like secrets) or protected. Stockinette- a super common stitch pattern for fronts of things, especially socks (as per the name). I tend to associate it with appearances, and spells like glamour aids. Blocking When/if you block, visualize the water charging your finished object. You can use scented wool wash in scents that are associated with the spell you're doing, you have tons of options. Beads, etc: You can get all kinds of things at craft stores! I found crystal charms last time I went that would look great on a heavier-weight shawl, there's beads of various different materials and colors, if I went over all of these things it'd take a whole extra post. Play around and see what you like. Finished products: Clothing- either for yourself or for others. Make ritual clothing or just a warmth-intent hat. Possibilities are totally endless. Poppet- maybe make a poppet out of yarn? Stuff it with things you want the poppet associated with? Disclaimer: don't burn knit poppets unless you are 100% certain ALL ingredients are safe to burn wherever you're burning them. I prefer to "destroy" my knit poppets by stabbing them with knitting needles, so that I can reuse them, even better, make the end drawstring-style, so you can reuse it with different ingredients. Eco friendly witchcraft! Spell swatch- I call it a spell swatch but it may have another name by now. It works pretty much exactly how it sounds, knit a swatch of fabric in varying colors, stitches, etc., based on what the spell is. Knit in beads or feathers or hair or whatever you feel like you should. Then pin it on your wall or carry it with you. It doesn't have to (and probably won't) look nice, it's just a little spell to carry with you, like a very personalized sigil. Other uses: knitting is great for meditation! Finding a simple pattern to knit for a while can leave your mind free to relax and do its own thing, I love leaving guided meditations, binaural tones, etc. on while I'm knitting things like socks or blankets.

[sushila-bass]

Final evaluation

From the brief of ‘Everyday Moments’ I chose the theme of ‘my everyday’ for this project as due to COVID 19 it is best to not go outside Incase it endangers me because of this I kept all my primary research based in my room.

First I stared out taking photos of different parts of my room for primary research such as my bed, my desk and my outfits to show my daily life. From there through my various experiments with different media I found I preferred using the portrait images of my outfits over the other images as there was more texture and detail in them and I could use them for a wider range of techniques including appliqué and embroidery.

I was inspired by Tracy Emin, not only was her ‘My Bed’ piece inspiring by itself as a piece of art which I used to inspired my own bed photos but the honest way she goes about being completely honest with herself and others about her struggles, she doesn’t try to cover them up in her but leaves it there to be discovered. This encouraged me to not get dressed just to take a photo of myself each day, if I didn’t get dressed that day then I take a photo in my pjs because I am being honest about my day.

I was also very inspired by Rosie James and her way of showing depth of crowds with appliqué and free machine embroidery, I have used her as inspiration to show how each daily outfit is different in my life. I used the busy feeling she crates by piling on layers in my hand embroidered pieces too, I layered up objects to make the pieces look more busy which reflected the messy and crowded room and desk I live around. I feel like this was very effective at showing how busy and crowded my life is.

For my final piece I used a strict colour scheme of red, green and black (these colours are the ones I wear most in my daily life, the colours can be seen in my daily photos all the time) so that the whole piece had a consistent colour theme. I worked onto a pair of jeans as I wear them often in my daily life and they reflect me at my most comfortable with my body.

I used various techniques on my final, most of which I had done before so I had experience producing these samples which made making my final piece easier. With the one method I had not tried before it was thankfully easy to create and would not have really needed any practice, it was a simple pleating method which I had produced before however I then created frayed edges with the pleats to give a rough unfinished effect. This technique worked will to show what I wanted it to, I wanted to show the rough parts of my life with these rough edges and how life isn’t perfect. It was maybe a little small as a finished sample and there was a lot of negative space around the sample on the jeans.

My directional pleated pieces on my final was something I was very happy with, it showed layers and depth however was not maybe as neat as I would have wanted, while I did want to work very free and naturally on my final piece to reflect me I still feel like the piece would have looked better with a bit more planning on my part.

I am very happy with all the embroidery, I feel like it links the whole piece together and here is nothing I would do differently next time.

My crochet piece took longer to make than expected so next time I would put more time aside to make it, however I am happy with the final result, it is even and all the stitches are the same tension. I am also fairly pleased with the aqua film figures which created a fringe and the top and bottom of the crochet, they were easy to produce as I had practice with using aqua film however I feel that next time I would layer more figures up and add even more stitching for a busier effect.

I am satisfied with my appliquéd figures running up the left leg, on reflection it does not show enough of Rosie James as I wanted however working on a Jean leg proved difficult when it came to doing any machine embroidery, next time I could disassemble the leg to work on then sew it back together or l could work on another piece of fabric all together and then add it onto the leg afterwards so that I could layer the appliqué with the free machine embroidery like Rosie James.

I wanted not only to show my daily life like my theme but I also wanted to show off my technical skills which I gained in this project, I feel I achieved both of these well.

I feel like in my project as a whole I was able to expand my knowledge on various techniques like aqua film and embroidery, i showed each process I went through on my blog to narrate my project. My sketchbook is ok but I don’t like how minimal it is, next project I want to do more in my sketchbook, it is good at showing my journey visually however if I included more it would show more of my visual narrative which is what I want.

[fenlr]

Exercise 4.2 Experimental yarns and concepts

Colour placement and composition

Fig 1 Colour palette 1 from gouache studies

Fig 2 Painted extension of fabric swatch from gouache studies

Fig 3 Yarn design 4.2.1 - 2-colour crochet chain

Fig 4 Yarn design 4.2.1 - close up

For this yarn design I wanted to look at using the darkest tone and the lightest tone from the palette and combine them to see how a contrasting yarn would look. Although a little plain, I do like this yarn design and it shows the variation in shades of colour used within the palette. I went with a crochet chain as it is a simple and easy was to create a length of yarn, I wanted to focus on the colour palette rather than the style of yarn. I tried to be quite free with the two yarn colours, letting them fall naturally so I had little control over where the colours ended up being. In some areas there is a line of the same colour, in others there are a mix between the two one after the other. On reflection I shouldn’t have done this, the yarn would have looked better if I had used more control with the placement of colour.

Fig 5 Yarn design 4.2.2 - 3-colour plait

Fig 6 Yarn design 4.2.2 - close up

Fig 7 Yarn design 4.2.2 - close up

For this yarn design I wanted to add in one of the brighter colours to the palette I used for the previous design and I also wanted to put more effort into the composition of the colours within the design as I did not like the lack of pattern within the first design. I think the colours work well together as a yarn design and I like the pattern that has been created from using the plait method but I did find it was really difficult to keep the yarn the same thickness the whole way through. As I was using such long lengths of wool to create the plait, it was difficult to make the plait tight at the start but as I made my way down the plait began to look better - the end section is the best section.

Fig 8 Yarn design 4.2.3 - 2-colour crochet chain with additional white

Fig 9 Yarn design 4.2.3 - close up

For this yarn design I went back to the same sort of idea I used for the first design - using the dark tones against the light tones. I decided to go back to a crochet chain, using the darkest colour used in the background of the printed textile, along with the colour used for the outlining. Once I had created a length from the crochet chain, I went back and sewed the white wool throughout the entire length - up one side and down the other. I wanted to add contrast to the yarn design so I went with the crisp white that was used for the flowers. Adding in the white this way allowed me to have more control over where it was placed and I like the final result. I feel that the contrast of the thicker and darker centre with the thinner light additions around the outside works well.

Materials exploration

Fig 10 Yarn design 4.2.4 - acrylic wool x plastic

Fig 11 Yarn design 4.2.4 - close up

I was excited to have the chance to include some plastic into some yarn designs for this part of the project. I like the idea of being able to re-use/recycle a material that is usually just thrown away. I managed to find some bright blue plastic that was very similar to that used in the bright printed textile so I felt this was a perfect material to explore first. As the plastic has a smooth, shiny surface I wanted to add in something that contrasted with this. I love the texture/pattern that is created from a crochet chain so I decided to go with this and as the plastic is so bright and garish I felt that using the white from the textile colour palette would also make for a nice contrast. Another thing I liked about working with the plastic was that it was very easy to manipulate. I could twist it easily to fit within the crochet chain and then cut it into the shape I wanted with no hassle. I think the end result looks quite interesting but I think I should have added a lot more plastic into the design. Maybe by making the “bows” smaller but adding them more frequently.

Fig 12 Colour palette 4 from gouache studies

Fig 13 Painted extension of fabric swatch 2 from gouache studies

Fig 14 Yarn design 4.2.5 - acrylic wool x laser cut hardboard

Fig 15 Yarn design 4.2.5 - close up

For my next material exploration I was keen to work with some sort of natural material such as wood. I ended up choosing these laser cut hardboard shapes - hardboard is wood pulp which has been compressed and treated. I thought adding the laser cut shapes to a yarn design could look really interesting and the method used to add those shapes could also bring something else to the designs. Much like the previous design I wanted to use wool in contrast with the more unusual material, this time using a grey/purple tone of wool alongside the natural colour of the hardboard. I also used a similar colour of 6-ply embroidery thread to attach the hardboard to the crochet chain base, looping round an area of the hardboard ring and then sewing that through the chain. I left the tassels form the thread as I felt that it made the overall design look less tidy and symmetrical.

Fig 16 Yarn design 4.2.6 - acrylic wool x laser cut hardboard

Fig 17 Yarn design 4.2.6 - close up

Fig 18 Yarn design 4.2.6 - close up

Although I thought that the previous yarn design worked well, the rings of hardboard weren’t very representational of the textile sample used as reference so I wanted to look at including shapes that were a bit more reminiscent of the fabric. I had some strips of hardboard which had been laser cut so I decided to use those as the fabric design is largely made up of lines/strips of colour. I find that the difference between the textured wool and the smooth, clean cut edges of the hardboard works really well together although the yarn design itself isn’t very practical. I’m not sure how you would use this within a design other than displaying it as is. Rather than actually attaching the strips of hardboard to the wool like I did in the previous design, I decided to simply weave the pieces within the crochet chain base. I thought that the previous colour palette worked really well together so I kept this as is.

Texture and tonal qualities

Fig 19 Yarn design 4.2.7 - woven plastic cord

Fig 20 Yarn design 4.2.7 - close up

Fig 21 Yarn design 4.2.7 - close up

For my first texture exploration I wanted to go back to looking at how plastic could be used. Rather than reusing plastic like I did previously, I found some plastic cord instead. I decided I needed to come away from using a crochet chain base this time so I weaved to two colours of plastic cord together, using the “over and under” method. The end result was a length of square cord/yarn, the plastic cord that I used made it a lot easier to maintain an even and consistent look throughout. For the colour of this yarn design I decided to go back to the colour palette from my first gouache study (see fig 1 and 2) - I went with the two lightest colours in the palette as I was able to source them both in the plastic cord. It was difficult to source the plastic cord in all of the colours. The only issue I had with this exploration was the length of plastic cord I was able to acquire, had I been able to source a longer length of it I would have been able to make a longer material exploration.

Fig 22 Yarn design 4.2.8 - woven twine with additional acrylic wool

Fig 23 Yarn design 4.2.8 - close up

Fig 24 Yarn design 4.2.8 - close up

For the next exploration I went back to referencing to the fabric with a neutral colour palette, I wanted to try and show the woven element of the design with a yarn exploration. This led me to using a square stitch used in scoubidou as it is literally weaving strings together to create a yarn. I went with a natural twine to reflect the earthy tones from the colour palette and then added the lengths of purple yarn to represent the purple-grey tones from the palette.

[rikrakyarnncrafts]

Luxury Yarn Sale

It’s time again for our annual Luxury Yarn Sale! Now through the beginning of the New Year (specifically through the end of Wednesday, January 2nd), our most exquisite and opulent yarns are on sale, from silk and alpaca to cashmere and beyond. You’re not likely to find a better opportunity to give into your most indulgent cravings for fabulous fiber. All of the yarns included in the sale are at least 20% off, and you can find select colors at 30% or even 40% off!

If you’re already a silk seeker, alpaca addict or cashmere connoisseur, then you won’t need any more encouragement to dig into these fabulous yarns. But these fibers can be a little intimidating, not just for fear of flubbing a significant fiber investment in one go, but also because it’s not always immediately obvious why these special yarns are worth the extra investment. Let’s dig in a little bit about what makes some of these fibers so special.

Silk

Full disclosure: I love all yarn with silk fiber. I still consider myself a lace knitter, and silk has everything you could want for lace: definition, durability, eye-catching luster, rich color, and unparalleled tensile strength. These are obviously best exemplified in our lace weight 100% silk Luminance (recommended colors: the gorgeous solid teal of Benevolence at 30% off or the elevated silver shimmerings of hand painted Hope at 40% off).

In all the shows we’ve gone to, the samples in Luminance get the most attention, and are also the only samples I’ve had people offer to buy outright. It’s particularly good for dramatic openwork lace, like the now-iconic In Perfect Harmony shawl. Luminance is one of the only yarns that I don’t try to break by hand, and that tensile strength is also what allows such delicate work. It blocks beautifully, with the strength to take and keep dramatic shapes like the elaborate points in the Diamas shawl. And unlike alpaca or even softer wools like Merino, silk doesn’t develop a halo, so you never lose stitch definition. And silk also makes for breezy wraps and shawls that you can wear through the warmer months. It even makes for wonderful crochet!

Even if you’re not into lace weight yarn, all of those attributes are also useful in other weights of the Gloss family and heavier silk blend yarns. I’m a fan of Gloss DK (color recommendation: the jewel-toned eggplant purple of Blackberry is 40% off)and sport weight Paragon (try White for a classic lace accessory or Pimento for a wild statement top, both 40% off) for fancy garments. The silk content gives both of these a gorgeous sheen, with fantastic color and nicely defined stitches. And the texture of silk only improves the ultra soft merino and alpaca. You’ll still get some of the normal pilling that Merino tends to, but the silk will give it a little extra durability for a longer lasting garment. It also keeps the halo from the blooming alpaca under control, so you can enjoy alpaca and still have actual stitch definition!

Alpaca

Alpaca Yarns from left: Alpaca Cloud, Andean Treasure, Wonderfluff, Simply Alpaca, The Big Cozy

Alpaca is a bit like fizzy water: some people will find it, realize they’ve found an essential ingredient in their life, and nothing will substitute for it ever again. If you’re an alpaca person, I don’t need to tell you how great it is. If you have yet to truly experience the preternaturally fluffy ur-softness of alpaca, then there’s hardly a better time than now. I humbly suggest you start with Wonderfluff.

  Although Wonderfluff (color recommendations: try foresty green Kale Heather and light brown Hare Heather for some earthy Fair Isle, both at 40% off) is one of the newer additions to the Knit Picks yarn clan, it has quickly proven to be one of the most popular. And not just because of Professor Meow. (Although that does help.) It sounds like marketing hyperbole to call it “softer than a kitten, fluffier than a cloud,” but it really is about the softest yarn you’re likely to find this side of qiviut, and not nearly as expensive. The secret to Wonderfluff’s wonderfulness isn’t just the absurdly delicate Baby Alpaca fiber. Instead of a traditional spun construction, this technological marvel is actually a nylon mesh that has loose fibers blown into it, which allows the alpaca to keep more of its natural loft and spring. This is also what allows for the unusual yard to weight ratio for a bulky weight yarn, which keeps garments extra light. Hats and cowls weigh almost nothing; most sizes of the easeful and generous Eldfell Pullover weight less than a pound. Try to find another bulky yarn you can say that about!

If you are already an alpaca aficionado, you can also take advantage of this sale to try out the full range of our alpaca selection. The 100% alpacas cover a huge range of weights, from Alpaca Cloud in Lace (color recommendations: rich true red Elizabeth while it lasts, or classic navy blue Edgar are both 40% off) and Fingering (color recommendation: bright and summery yellow Lucille is 30% off) for shawls and accessories, to sport weight Andean Treasure (color recommendations: make some fabulous grellow Fair Isle with yellow Prairie Heather and grey Mystery Heather, both 40% off) and Aran weight Simply Alpaca (color recommendation: rich cool brown Alton is 40% off).

Andean Treasure is actually my favorite of our alpaca yarns and is surprisingly excellent for stranded colorwork. Simply Alpaca is one of our eco yarns, coming in a lovely range of natural neutrals, and is one of those yarns that always sells well at shows. Once you touch it, you have to have it. The Two Texture Shawl is satisfyingly simple and actually a good-size shawl for only requiring two hanks of Simply Alpaca.

And, of course, we have a number of really interesting yarns with more niche character that benefit primarily from alpaca fiber.

City Tweed is one of Knit Picks’ oldest yarns, having stood the test of time with good reason. It holds a special place in my fiber-loving heart, being the yarn that first got me to order from Knit Picks. I’ve used the DK weight (color recommendation: warm reddish brown Tarantella will make lovely gender-neutral accessories at 40% off) for warm and snuggly vests, and I highly recommend the Aran weight (color recommendation: subtle olive green Toad is a favorite around the office, now 30% off) if you don’t already have a standard evening house cardigan. Really, how could you say ‘no’ to an alpaca tweed?

Quite frankly, Alux (color recommendations: grab some Ruby, Jade, and Mist all at 40% off to make the glitteriest Christmas ornaments for next year) is delightful in a way that mere photography will probably never fully capture. The metallic fibers give a scintillating sparkle to even the simplest of (Free!) patterns, and bring an interesting texture to even Baby Alpaca. We’ve found that it can be somewhat troublesome to knit with, so you’ll want to go with your preferred method of combating splittiness (some people find sharper needles help cope with splitty yarn, others blunter needles; you’ll definitely want to experiment!) and keep your hands plenty moisturized. However, once you’ve blocked your finished project and can appreciate the soft hand of alpaca and the unique gleam of metallic fibers, you’ll know you have a one-of-a-kind garment that you’ll want to wear for years.

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There are just so many luxury yarns available in this sale that I can’t possibly cover them all. So, whether you’re looking for brilliant silk, luscious alpaca, or one of the other bonuses this year like new Capretta Superwash (color recommendation: bold red Embers Heather is 40% off, and don’t forget about the limited edition Neons, which are all 30% off), the entire Hawthorne family (color recommendation: dark and mysterious Cosmic Speckle at 40% off), or the entire Chroma family (color recommendation: unabashedly neon Pegasus in Chroma Twist Bulky is 40% off), you’ll want to browse the Luxury Yarn Sale before it ends Wednesday, January 2nd. You’re sure to find just the right special fiber to ring in the New Year and reward yourself for all the gift knitting you’ve been doing!

The post Luxury Yarn Sale appeared first on KnitPicks Staff Knitting Blog.

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[knitcrate]

Things Every Crafter Regrets

After we've been knitting or crocheting awhile, we begin to discover that some of the decisions we made early in our crafting careers may not have been the most informed of choices. They cost us money, take up space in our crafting storage bins, and, in some cases, haunt our future projects and pursuits. Today, I want to take a moment and discuss some of my own mistakes – in hopes that those reading may be able to avoid the ones we haven't made yet, and commiserate over the ones we've made together.

Buying too much, too fast.

When I moved beyond the early knitting stages where it took me weeks (or months, even) to complete a single project, it was like a whole world had opened up. I was beyond the basic stitches, and now ready to take on whatever I could dream up. Like a six-year-old at the frozen yogurt toppings bar, there seemed to be no end to what colors, textures, and shapes I could explore. I loaded up on anything and everything – chenille, wool, rayons, novelty yarns, extra chunky, and skinny laceweight – all before I knew what things I would actually enjoy making or stick with over time.

My tip to any new crafter is to spend more time looking than buying. Take your time when choosing the first yarn purchases you make – don't be tempted by the bargain bin, your best friend's grandma's cast-offs, or even gifts from friends you aren't sure you really love. In the end, you'll just find yourself storing it, or forcing yourself into a project you never meant to start.

Being digitally disorganized.

As modern-day, tech-savvy crafters, we have so many places to store information without cluttering our shelves and stashes! If I see a project, garment, or photo on a website or blog, I can use Pinterest to store the image for later reference, saving it to my knitting or crochet-themed boards. On Ravelry, they've introduced bundles (groups of patterns you love), favorites (liked patterns that can be tagged as you prefer), and the queue (a list of what you want to make next). Many new crafters allow themselves to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of inspirations they find – but if you take the extra time to stay digitally organized, you'll never have to hunt long for that picture of a sweater you saw two years ago. It will be right where you left it.

Likewise, if you buy a digital pattern via Ravelry, Ravelry automatically stores that pattern in your library. Even free patterns can be stored in the library for later reference and easy access. I find that it's almost easier to leave these patterns in the digital library format, and download them to my computer folders later, when they're ready to be printed or used. That way, I don't have to wade through a huge list or dozens of folders when I'm looking for a particular pattern on my desktop later.

Feeling guilty for breaking up with old projects.

Not every project we start is going to be our new favorite thing to work on. While some of us struggle with project monogamy, and others are dedicated to only one at a time, it happens to all of us eventually: we start a project that begins to make us miserable. Maybe the technique used is beyond your current skill level, or you hate the way the yarn sheds all over your clothes. Maybe the problem is simply that the needle size hurts your hands, or you can't see the stitches in the hand-dyed colorway you chose. It's okay to give yourself permission to unravel a project that isn't working out!

Overcommitting.

It's easy to get excited about your first knitting gift request. Perhaps a co-worker in your office saw those beautiful handwarmers and asked for her very own pair, or your brother saw a hat you knit and wants one of his own. These requests, while flattering, can quickly get out of hand if you let them add up! When offering to knit for others, I like to follow a few simple rules. I don’t promise to finish by any particular deadline, I either use yarn from stash, or help the person pick out the yarn, and I never show them a pattern that I wouldn't be happy casting on for myself. If you're going to gift-knit, consider offering a few yarn and pattern options to the intended recipient that you know you'll enjoy working with – this way, you'll never be stuck squinting at a dark yarn while knitting late into the night to meet an impossibly close due date!

Sticking with what you know.

So, you can knit and purl, or you feel comfortable with single, double, and treble crochet, but you're stalled out on starting new projects. Maybe cabling or lace terrifies you, or crochet that requires you to follow a diagram seems daunting and exhausting. When we stop expanding our skills as crafters, we stop challenging ourselves to discover new and exciting things to do. The fastest way to fall out of love with your new hobby is to eliminate that feeling of new discovery. Don't be afraid to try out a new technique, especially since the internet provides endless sources of assistance and guidance along the way!

(If you need somewhere to start finding out what kinds of yarns you love or are seeking to learn new techniques and receive something new every month, a Knitcrate subscription is a great place to begin! You'll know that everything we send is enough to make the included pattern suggestions, and that the materials will always be of the highest quality.)

Written by Hannah Thiessen, Creative Director of KnitCrate. Hannah is also the author of Slow Knitting, and blogs at  Knitting Vividly.

[kellyroseleecetechnologies]

[STUDIO] - Crit Session 1.

So our first crit sessions for Studio Iv were actually my first crit sessions ever - none of my other three studios had really done them. I’d asked around some of my friends from other years in regards to what to expect but otherwise, I felt pretty unsure as to what on Earth we’d be expected to do. If I’m honest, I was pretty damn nervous. I get really self-conscious discussing my work among my peers. I’m fine with tutors and lecturers and industry people but as soon as I have to open up to people that are in a position to compare my ideas to their own, I really struggle. I end up feeling like my work isn’t good enough and that I’m a crappy student and it’s a cycle that begins from there.

It turns out that crit sessions involve being allocated a small group with a couple of other projects and opening a discussion about all projects. I was relieved that it was only a small group as opposed to the whole class, but I was still pretty terrified nonetheless. I was in a group with Kelsea Wall, and Reza, Austin, Jed and Chris as one team. We each went around and discussed all three projects one by one, allowing the individual or team behind the project to present their thinking in an open environment. The rest of the group would provide feedback and ask questions, creating the opportunity to further ideas, developments and iterations to be born.

As a whole, I believe that my group actually ended up working pretty well. It was comforting to be only grouped with peers also in second year, meaning that we all were in a very similar point with our learning so we could all see a similar perspective. However, as much as it would have terrified me, I do hope that further crit sessions grant me the opportunity to group with third year students as well. I believe that it would have been truly beneficial to discuss with peers that have experienced crit sessions before and are therefore able to provide the next level of cohesive, constructive feedback. Having said that, I believe our discussions were very productive for all teams involved.

For my project, I explained the journey my thinking took from women’s health to female sexuality, and my rationale behind each element of the sculpture (the shape, silhouette, sound, construction etc). I also presented my group with the lace samples I’d produced in my very early experimentation. The discussion took place as follows;

The group responded very well to the lace. One note that was that the texture created an intimate touching experience with the piece due to the many edges and details that fingers could explore when touching the sculpture. Others mentioned that they believed that lace was very symbolically feminine and would truly contribute to the suggestion of the female form in the piece of work. I’m not sure just yet if the crochet lace will be the best material in a practical sense, but I’d definitely like to try and include the lace in some way in the final garment, as I really liked what this feedback offered my piece.

One note that was made was that the touching element of the sculpture may suggest that the piece is discussing rape culture. This is not something that I had considered and I had no response as to how I could prevent this. Additionally, this continued into the discussion that my piece way be too vague not that the audience may not truly grasp the core idea of female sexuality. I really need to consider this in detail because at the end of the day, the piece will exist to share a message and tell a story of sorts. I’m the author here; I’m in control of how this narrative is to be portrayed and therefore, I need to consider exactly what the narrative may imply. Perhaps, I need to refine aspects of the piece to control the audience’s perspective of the work. Or alternatively, I could keep the piece intentionally vague and provide the opportunity for personal interpretation. I need to make a decision and stick to it.

I definitely have some very key decisions to make. All I can do is keep moving forward and continue to explore materials. I also need to consider the logistics behind the sound element of the piece as this is going to most likely provide the most significant technical challenge for the piece.

[xxsparksxx]

I am slowly, slowly ticking things off my crochet to-do list.

Well, it’s less of a list and more of a ‘argh must do this, must finish that, must sort out ALL of that’, so maybe I actually ought to start a list, and then I might feel less swamped?

Anyway, things are Progressing. Some of them in terms of actually sitting down and hooking things, and some just in terms of getting organised with writing up blurbs/tweaking pattern layouts/sorting photos. Big things are Happening! Soon! All of which require me to activate brain and focus.

In actual hooky projects, I am doing quite nicely, but still seem to have three projects on the go at the moment. I finished one project (of which more below), but started another one fairly quickly. Oops? I never used to like having more than one project on the go at once, but one way or another I’ve ended up having three at once for some weeks now. I’m not feeling overwhelmed by it, though, so I’m not complaining about it!

My next blanket design is going apace. It’s an interesting experiment for me, a centre-out blanket. I’ve not designed one before, though I’ve crocheted other people’s patterns, and one of the reasons for this is that I have always designed in one colour (for Special DK, I use ‘silver’ as my design colour) before I come to work up the designs in the right colours. This has always felt a really comfortable way of designing: sorting out the pattern, textures and shapes before I tackle combining the colours. With blankets composed of different squares, this is sensible – I can design each square, and then work up the multiples in the right colours.

But with a centre-out blanket, this didn’t really seem feasible. I’d end up doing two whole blankets! So, for the first time, I’m working in colour at the same time as working on the design. It is…..tricky. Not impossible, but tricky. I find myself ripping out rounds because I haven’t quite managed to get the increases right. But it’s looking gorgeous, and I’m generally pleased with how it’s coming out. It’s about 23″ in diameter at the moment, and I reckon I’m aiming for about 45″ in total. We shall see 😀 I’m determined to keep it as a circle, because squaring off a larger blanket is a challenge I’m not entirely sure I want to face this time around!

This design came about because of a project I started in the summer, on a really awful hot day (38.6C here in Cambridge!!) when I couldn’t bear to work in anything except cotton. I picked up some balls of Classique Cotton DK that I had and just began experimenting. ‘Yarn doodling’, as it were. It started off as a sort of mandala, and then I turned it into a cover for a rather battered-looking stool that I have in my bedroom.

I think I got this out of a skip fifteen-odd years ago, and it’s definitely seen better days. So! A nice cover was required, and cotton is a good, sturdy material to use for it.

Ta da! One stool cover, custom made to fit my stool, with buttons and loops to fasten it around the four legs of the stool. I’m very pleased with it, if I do say so myself.

Let’s have a look at it off the stool.

It starts off circular, then becomes more squarish, and then finally contracts again, so it isn’t too loose underneath the stool. And buttons! I had a lovely half an hour of rummaging through my button box to find the perfect buttons for this. Because, as you know, I do love a good rummage in my button box. Buttons, buttons, buttons 😀 😀

I do have a pattern written up for this cover, but the design – particularly in terms of shaping and the final rounds of decreases – is very specific to this stool, so I haven’t written it up neatly or anything. If anyone does fancy the pattern for it, let me know. It would need adjusting for different sizes of stool, but as a starting point it would probably help.

Anyway! This is what started me off on a circular blanket, because it seemed to me that actually, this was a challenge I would a) like to attempt and b) could probably succeed at. That’s the best kind of challenge, really.

The blanket doesn’t use all the pattern that I scribbled up for the stool cover, but it definitely starts off in the same place, and my confidence has definitely been bolstered by seeing that at least on a small scale, I can design straight onto colour.

Staying flat, though, in a bigger blanket – that’s my current challenge. Increasing neither too much nor too little, making sure my lovely textured stitches create texture rather than just crumpled-looking fabric, etc. I’ll get there! And the journey is fun. But it’s definitely challenging in different ways to designing in grey for a pieced blanket.

As for all the other exciting things I’m working on – watch this space! Particularly watch this space next Wednesday (13th Nov) for the first of the Exciting Things!

(I’m being such a tease. Mwahahaha!)

To-do list and a little ‘ta da!’ I am slowly, slowly ticking things off my crochet to-do list. Well, it's less of a list and more of a 'argh must do this, must finish that, must sort out ALL of that', so maybe I actually ought to start a list, and then I might feel less swamped?