#If I don't fuck it up.

[illmoraineakoi]

Hollow Knight Plush Stuff

So, I decided I'm going to give this a shot, at least until I hit some sort of big snag that makes the end result not worth the effort.

Read More because this post got loooong

As per my last post trying to resist doing this, I've begun by trying to figure out some basic measurements for Hollow. The objective is to be as sprite accurate as possible, which I don't really foresee as being an issue, given the simple design.

And doing the measurements has really put into perspective on how utterly insane this venture might be.

The plan is that the plush will be 7 1/2 feet tall, from feet (if you could call those points 'feet') to the dip between their horns. I've determined this to be a really good body pillow/huggable buddy scale. In addition, if I ever develop a pattern for Ghost with this scale, they'll be 20 inches tall (without horns) and that's also a really nice huggable size.

Hugability is very important to me, you see.

Anyway, Measurements.

You want to know the measurements I've come up with?

Shin - 29 1/4 in Knee Ball - 2 5/8 in Thigh - 23 1/4 in Torso - 25 1/2 in Bicept - 18 1/2 in Forearm - 16 1/4 in Neck - ~8 - 9 in Head - - 14 in Horns - 41 in

If those numbers don't mean anything to you, get a yard stick, and look them up.

These are only the basic length measurements, I still have to work on width/thickness, and the more in detail stuff. Like the hands, which I just....chose to ignore for now lmao.

But now I want to throw some ideas around for how I want this thing to be put together, and some issues I foresee.

Stuffing Options-

there are benefits to Hollow being so thin, but I don't think their limbs stuffing will be one of them. Stuffing their limbs with normal fluff might not hold up longterm. Stuffing, unless densely packed, will move around and shift, and long narrow things are the worst at this. The amount of dragon tails I've made that have empty crease spaced because of this (and because i never learned my lesson) is at least a dozen by now. If I want to really make this, I don't want this to happen, and I especially don't want to have to try to open it back up to fix it a year or two down the line.

So, normal fluff for limbs is out. That leaves me with two options: foam or batting.

Both would negate the empty spaces issue, and both has their pros and cons. But ultimately, I think it comes down to how much I want the limbs to hold their form. Batting would be easier to work with, and cheaper, but it'd likely cause the final limbs to be floppier than using foam would. Foam would make them stiffer (perhaps even too stiff, depending on the type of foam available to me) and keep the actual shape of the limbs better. Pretty much just gotta figure out how cuddleable I want to go, I think.

For the torso, shifting fluff won't be such an issue, as there's more space to move side to side, which in turn means there's less chances for empty pockets to form. Main issue I foresee would be the waist, which will likely be the area it would bend the most. I think for the torso, I need to think about how much I want it to be able to support itself, which would be nice.

But now we get to the two major things that I KNOW will be a mess of problems on problems and be a bitch to deal with: the head and the neck.

Necks are the bane of my existence, and I know why most plushes don't have them: that moving stuffing empty space causing the necks to loose support and flop about. The bigger/heavier the head, the worse it'll be.

And Hollow's head is fucking MASSIVE.

The entire thing is 55 inches long, most of which is horn.

If I want the neck to have any sort of support, I will have to use dense foam, and even then I might have to put some sort of plastic tubing/metal armature within it. I would prefer to not have to do that, but It'll all come down to how heavy the head will be.

Which means that the head will have to be as light as possible. normal fluff is out, stuffing it to as firm as I tend to like my plushes will make it too heavy. I sort of want to try foam, at least for the horns. I feel like foam would be really nice to keep the shape of the horns, which is an important thing to me.

the more and more I type, the more I think that this plush will be mostly foam-stuffed. Which is actually kind of neat, I've never worked with foam as a stuffing material that much before. Mostly as a core to hold shapes. We'll see, this is mostly just spitballing ideas.

Fabric-

I want to see if I have enough fabric already, which will go a big way into factoring if I actually do this. But I also want to use minky for this, and I don't think I have any black minky left.

Minky is my go-to fabric for my plushes, because it's my favorite and because it's very soft. the specific type of minky I use, Shannon Cuddle 3, also has a short pile (fur) compared to other minkys, while being no less soft. Minky is also somewhat stretchy due to being a knit-like fabric, which makes rounded parts nice and smooth. I love working with Minky, and the idea of having a big minky-fluffy Hollow is one that I cannot pass up, that would be sooooo nice.

But I'm not sure if I'd want their head to be minky as well. I feel like having it be a different fabric, a different texture, would be really nice, both tactically and visually. Probably still a knit, so it's still soft, but one without a pile. Or I could just do what I sometimes do and just....use minky inside out lmao. bit of a waste of minky for such large parts, i usually only do that for smaller parts. I think I might actually have a white fabric that might work really well, though with how large the head will be, I'm not sure I'll have enough. Which will suck, because I haven't been able to find this fabric ever since RIP ME

I might check out the Amish fabric shop I sometimes shop at, I can't remember for the life of me if it sells minky. It'll be a good place to look for potential mask fabrics regardless.

As a side note: a cursed part of my brain briefly though about how the plush might look like if I used velvet for the body. It'd probably look really cool, but I'm someone who doesn't like the feel of velvet. it's like...prickly, to me, not soft at all. So while it might LOOK really nice, it's definitely not worth doing. I want to be able to cuddle this plush.

[Also side note: my favorite fabric site has apparently shut down WTF WHY THAT SITE WAS SO FUCKING GOOD?! IT HAD ALL THE MINKY COLORS NOOOO]

Eyes-

Eyes are always a part I pay extra attention to in plushes, because I feel like they can make or break a plush's face.

I've done some googling, and it seems like everyone who's made HK plushes of Vessels just do black circles. Which makes sense, that's literally the easiest thing you can do to make their eyes.

That's probably what I'll ed up doing as well (or, well, eggy ovals instead of circles) but I still wonder what it might look like if I tried to make a sort of indent or carve out for eyes, so they're more like eye holes. I think that'd be a really cool idea, and could potentially look really neat, really look like head shell has some depth from the 'underlying' blackness. The issue would be doing it with fabric, which could prove difficult.

If I do use foam for the head, that would make it a bit more possible. The foam would hold the shape of the eye socket.

Perhaps gluing black fabric directly onto the foam 'skull', then layering a doubled layer of fabric over top (or even fabric over thin foam over the skull?) would work? That calls into question how to keep the fabric over top secured in it's proper place. even if fit snugly over the foam, it would still be able to move a little bit...This would require some testing, to see if it's even an idea that may work.

Another idea would be to carve out the eye sockets, line that socket with white fabric, then shove a piece of black-covered foam into it, gluing it in place. That seems like it'd be easier, and might look better. I'll test it.

Side note: it'd also be interesting to see if I can make the mask cracks indented too, but those are probably too thin to even try.

Pure Vessel vs Hollow Knight-

Gonna be real, I dunno which one I want to make. Pure Vessel would be easier, despite taking a little more material. I also wouldn't have to deal with the crack.

But at the same time, THK would be more challenging, and I kind of want that challenge.

If I do THK, I kind of want to add some infection 'scars' to their torso, make it less symmetrical than the other side. I've never really tried to do something like that.

I also kinda don't want to have to make two hands lamo

This thing will be so big that I'll only be able to make one. And also only have the space to keep one.

Ending Thoughts-

When I first had the idea for this, I was sure that once I really thought things through, really put thought into all the things I'd have to do to actually make it, that I'd become so daunted that I'd trash it. And for all intents and purposes, this idea is utterly INSANE. I should not be thinking of doing this. It's a huge amount of effort, and time, and money, for something that will ultimately be completely useless. For an oversized plush. that serves no purpose besides being cuddled.

But rather than daunting, I think this could be fun. that I might enjoy the challenge, and enjoy expanding my sewing skills, learning new things. Broken down, it doesn't really seem so bad.

Would it be a waste of time? Potentially. Would I be better off working on other, more productive things? Probably. Would it be a waste of money? Absolutely.

Am I still going to do it?

Yes. Yes I am.

Tomorrow I'll tackle doing some pattern sketches. For the rest of tonight, I'll do some research into fabrics and foams and other potential materials. Maybe some more measurements. Should really do the hand.

Man, this is gonna be one hell of a wild ride.

[inkskinned]

it's extremely critical that you see the photo of the perp walk for luigi mangione as being propaganda. i've seen so many people wave it off and instead fawn over his looks. and trust me, i know it ended up being kind of pathetic and weird - but please don't brush it off as a "modelling opportunity" for him. it's a fucking terrifying message the police are sending.

i want to make a few comparisons here, in case you're not from the US or familiar with why the perp walk thing is something to pay attention to. just to set the groundwork for why this is a purposeful, unusual, and cruel act by the nyc police - for why this is not a common occurrence and for why that matters.

the prosecution alleges the show of force is due to the charge of "terrorism." for comparison, in june 2015, tsarnaev was found guilty for the boston marathon bombing, which killed 3 people and injured hundreds. his actions are considered to be an act of domestic terrorism. i have spent the last hour looking through google for pictures of similar to mangione's perp walk - and so far, i have found zero. i also just do not personally remember a moment like that, despite living in boston at the time.

they allege that luigi is a stone-cold killer who carried out a longterm plan, making him particularly dangerous. again for comparison: in nyc, recently cory martin was found guilty of the killing of brandy odom. the murder was planned and premeditated to steal insurance money. and yet no staged perp walk. why didn't her life matter enough for a "show of force"?

but mangione gets paraded by a veritable army of police officers as if he is a rabid animal. for a single citizen who allegedly killed one other single citizen, the "largest perp walk ever" occurs.

so what is the "strong message" that the mayor and the police were trying to send here? the mayor speaks as if mangione is already convicted of terrorism. there is a very thin number of people who feel threatened by the CEO's death. none of us felt like mangione needs to be under massive armed guard.

the message is that you shouldn't resist. they are trying to "make an example" of him - that if you behave badly and kill a single rich person, you'll be treated as if you killed hundreds of people. you will be treated worse than a man who was found guilty of terrorism. you will be considered guilty without trial. the message is that the rich are a protected class, and you cannot touch them without massive punishment. they are trying to prevent a revolution by showing dominance and force against you.

the message is that the police are a puppet of the wealthy and that the law is not equally applied across class disparity. it is "some are more equal than others." it is "one life is more precious than another."

the show of force wasn't for luigi. it was for us. it was a warning. they are trying to remind us who is really in control.

[mayhemchicken-artblog]

in the hour or so it took me to draw this op turned reblogs off

EDIT: reblogs are STAYING OFF. op was right and correct and i have never regretted making a post as much as this one. if you want to reblog my art you can reblog something else from my blog. or commission me, lord knows i deserve financial compensation for the nightmare this post has put me through

[crabussy]

"dolphins are completely evil" I actually don't think we should assign human morality to animals with no concept of law or civilisation with an intelligence roughly equating to that of a toddler

[nouverx]

"I want to eat you" is their love language and you can't change my mind

[phallicide]

Being a good ally means not cringe-shaming transfems. like I get it. she's wearing cheap clothes from Amazon. she's posting the stereotypical reddit memes about programmer socks and blåhaj and monster energy. Whatever. It's fucking second puberty. You were awkward at your first. She's exploring her gender later in life than a cis girl would. It's being a teenager again but everyone shames you even worse for not being grown up already, because you've passed the arbitrary gate of "adult", as if your own actualized personhood can be acquired that fast. Convincing and shaming her like she's the problem for being "cringe" or "reddit" or "stereotypical" doesn't help her actualize that self at all. It's the same shame society forces on teenage girls except it's "justified" either for reasons of pure transmisogyny or because she "should be acting like an adult", as if our childhoods, our girl's experiences, our girlhood, are not routinely and cruelly denied. What sense does it make to stifle someone who was not allowed to grow previously? Who does that help? Notice this behavior in yourself and others and correct it.

[maeamian]

If you saw me agreeing with being annoyed about wasted helium in a fictional context and were like "I bet she has some more helium based anger in her life" good news LAPD fucked up a raid on a medical facility they thought was a pot farm and flat out ruined thousands of gallons of the stuff.

[krysmcscience]

I have some questions about karaoke night, Alex Hirsch. Very Important Questions. Which I will happily scream at a poor hapless baby triangle who can have no answers for me, and possibly also does not have object permanence yet.

Follow-up that is I guess suggestive, but let's be real here, Bill's a fucking triangle:

Dude slipped right into his birthday suit, lmao

this is so stupid :D

Anyway, I don't care what anyone says, this brilliant individual knows what's up - Bill is absolutely way more of a monsterfucker than Ford could or ever will be, full stop.

[dapper-lil-arts]

Can we talk about the kind of woman Applejack attracts.

[artkaninchenbau]

A h-heartfelt reunion..?

Bonus

[egophiliac]

bring back zooterkins, the best 17th-century swear word

I don't normally do Just Characters Swearing, but. ...this kind of wrote itself and then wouldn't leave my head. it comes from both a piece of character-writing advice that has always stuck with me, and also my conviction that Leona is 1000% funnier as a character if his dialogue has to stay G-rated. let Kalim say fuck, but don't let Leona say bastard.

(I'm sorry)

[weirdsociology]

hey writers we have to talk.

if you've read any romance or fanfic in the past twenty years (i know you have), you know that there are a certain number of scents associated with hot dudes. you can probably recite the list of Things Men in Fic smell like in your sleep: leather, black pepper, pine, sandalwood, "something uniquely him", clean sweat, and if the character has ever fucking been within 50 yards of a firearm, something called "cordite".

here's the thing.

NO ONE SMELLS LIKE CORDITE.

cordite was a highly specific type of smokeless gunpowder developed in the 1890s by england specifically and used mostly in wwi.

if your good-smelling guy is not (a) english (b) using a very specific type of british rifle (c) dying in a trench in flanders, he does not smell like cordite. technically even if he does meet all those conditions he still doesn't smell like cordite because he smells like trenchfoot.

the point is, cordite is so far from universal that no one but the most hardcore gun nerds give a single shit about it. making your Sexy Hero smell like cordite is like naming a cassette-only bootleg live recording from the 1970s as your favorite grateful dead album. everyone at the party hates you immediately and knows you're doing it for clout. also, it's just factually... wrong. please stop. i know everyone else is doing it, but you can do the right thing here, i believe in you.

so what do people who are using guns smell like?

well if your story is set before the late 1880s, the smell of a fired gun is black powder, which, unfortunately, smells like seventeen flatulent cows have been shoved in a tire factory. trust me, you do not want your Hot Dude to smell like black powder. it's b a d.

if your story is set after the late 1880s, guns are using some variety of modern 'smokeless' powder - which speaking broadly doesn't really have a ton of scent when used. it does have some, but it's sort of non-descript: the best way i can describe it is the sweet, ozone, hot-plate smell of popping your car hood with a warm engine.

people who use guns a lot don't smell like fired guns all the time anyway, so while those scents might work in a fight scene, they're not realistic all the time. but there are some things that your Sexy Shootist will smell like basically 24/7 and that's metal and gun oil. metal you can go and sniff (i recommend non-stainless steel), but if you want a reference, most gun oils have a sharp, organic smell that's not dissimilar to canola oil but muskier and with a tang overtop. it's not unlikely leather is in the mix as well due to routine handling of leather equipment and gear. modern gear also tends to have a certain smell although it varies by production country and storage conditions - lots of opportunities there.

in conclusion: gunslingers and hired killers and military folks can be sexy and smell great on page, but i am begging you not to say "cordite" when you mean "gunpowder" ever again. we can do this. we are writers and therefore pedants. i believe in us!

[inkskinned]

the tradwife movement is the same as it has always been - back in the kitchen, back to breeding - it just has better branding.

when i was younger, i hated pink. i was not like other girls. this is now something i'm embarrassed of - this was not me being a "girl's girl."

but it was expressing something many of us felt at the time: i literally wasn't what girlhood was supposed to be. this is a hard thing to explain, but you know when you're not performing girlhood correctly. it isn't as easy as "i liked x when girls liked y" - because there were other girls that liked x, too - but i never figured out exactly the correct way to like x, or to be interested in y.

now there is the divine feminine. this is the same rhetoric it has always been: women are biologically driven to like pink and ribbons and submitting to our husbands.

the problem is that the patriarchy found a better PR team. because yes, actually, i want every woman to have the choice to be a homemaker. i also want her taken seriously for her legitimate home-making labor. i want her to be recognized as also having a job, just unpaid. i want men to have this opportunity, too.

but it is no longer "i made this choice and I love it." instead it is a sixteen-paragraph rant about how selfish it is that my generation isn't having kids. instead it's long videos about how if you feed your children processed foods, you're going to kill them. instead it is "this is what womanhood is supposed to be. i feel bad for any other choices you're making."

the shame spiral is just prettier. it is large houses devoid of personality. it is the implication: if you don't have this, you aren't happy. the solid, everlasting assurance: women are actually supposed to be submitting. this is the default. this is the natural state of things. all other attempts inflict suffering.

but you can no longer say i'm not like other girls. you can no longer reject this image completely. you cannot find it revolting, even if you know that the underbelly is toxic and festering. sure, it is the same repackaged patriarchy. but the internet does not have shades of grey. you should support and reward other women! your disgust is actually internalized misogyny. not because you are seeing a vision of yourself the way they're trying to train you to be. not because you feel her ghost pass within an inch of your earlobe. not because your father will eventually ask you - why can't you be like her?

because they figured out how to make it beautiful: women will sell other women on this idea, and we will find the singular loophole in feminism. sure, she's shaming you in most of her videos. sure, she implies that a different life is obscene. but she just wants you to be happy! you'd be happier if you were listening!

and the whole time you're sitting there thinking: i'd actually just be happier if i had that kind of money.

[samble-moved]

post itself

false flags

trans/adjacent tags

accessibility features

tumblr live post (thanks for the link, @problemnyatic)

flashing / strobing / lights

unblockable flashing ad

buying ad free

staff @/macmanx guilt trip

list of staff + more issues

[chaoticfvckingdisaster]

Something I think about a lot is how Rick Riordan very rarely uses "girlfriend/boyfriend" to refer to Percy and Annabeth within their perspectives. They're so intertwined, even Annabeth says in hoh that the word boyfriend isn't strong enough, because Percy was a part of her. They are a singular soul, too wrapped around each others' fates that regular labels are far too weak for them. But, Rick Riordan uses "boyfriend" a lot in Nico and Wills perspectives, not because they love each other less than percabeth, but to show how much the word means to them. Nico uses it any chance he gets- "his boyfriend," "he actually had a boyfriend," because Nico has never been able to say that before. Their struggle with their queer identities mixed with Nico's catholic guilt and chronic everyone-hates-me disease makes the fact that he has someone to call his actual boyfriend so much more important to his character development.

[elucubrare]

there's this horrible school of attempted literary criticism on here that holds that 1. everything in any given author's work is autobiographical, especially if it seems "real" and 2. those themes seeped into the work subconsciously, revealing something about the author that they're either trying to hide or unaware of themself. it drives me up a wall, since it seems to deny the fundamental skills that make people good writers: the empathy to imagine and portray experiences that one hasn't had oneself and the ability to take one's personal emotional experiences or worldview and fold them, consciously, into the unworked clay of a narrative.