#finally learned to crochet and this is accurate

[the---hermit]

Hobbies and planning to slowly get back into my productive routine).

04|09|2023

Today I finally sat down with my laptop and planned my university classes for the year. It's a task that gives me a lot of anxiety, so now that I have done it I feel like I am a little lighter. I will have to do this again in a month when I will be able to write down my plan officially on my uni's website, but this was needed for me to know when my classes will start, and what I will be studying. I am excited and intimidated at the same time. I still have no idea how half of these things will end up being, but I am learning to accept the fact that at the end of the day I can only do so much planning that is accurate, and the I have to readjust again amd again depending on lots of factors. Still having an outline in frint of me is very reassuring. I will be fully back on my study routine by the end of the month. I still have to plan my studying for an exam I have to work on by myself, so that might be one of my tasks for the next few days.

Chill hobbit summer activities of today:

Read in the morning

Worked on my class plan for the year, and more or less planned when I'd like to take exams during the year

Worked on my crochet project while listening to an audiobook

Irish proactice on duolingo

📖: The Dragon Republix by R.F. Kuang (I am switching between my physical copy and the audiobook at the moment. I feel like it's the best way for me to engage with this story right now. I am finding this book a bit slower than the first novel of the series, but that could definitely be a me thing because I flew through that other book. I am very much intrigued by the plot of this one, so I am looking forward to get into it a bit faster thanks to the audiobook)

[eezeybreezy]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜɴᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪꜱ ᴄᴀᴛ ➜ʜᴏʙɪᴇ ʙʀᴏᴡɴ x ɢɴ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

I have fallen to the Hobie brain rot and this is the result. This was a lot longer than intended so now it's broken into multiple chapters! Lmk if I should post those too or if this is too cringe.  Part 2, Part 3, Part 4🔞

warnings: suggestive, not-so-accurate accent, recreational drug/alcohol use, partying, punk shit, eventual smut? 

As they entered the headquarters, the pair were met with a cacophony of sound and movement. People in spider suits and uniforms hurried to and fro, carrying files, and talking urgently on their phones or to each other. Clearly, this was a place of importance, filled with sensitive work and decisions.

The first was a young woman, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail and dressed in a long, flowing maxi skirt in earthy tones, paired with a crochet top. Adorned with beads or other natural details, she walked confidently, looking around with a sharp eye and taking in every detail. The second was a young man, his steps a little slower and his gaze mellow. He was dressed in a concoction of ripped fabrics, belts, and buttons, his studded vest and chunky boots a signature in the halls they walked.

"Wow," breathed the woman, taking in the bustling scene. "I knew this was a big deal, but I had no idea.."

The man chuckled. "Told you it was the real deal."

The Spider you’d come to know was none other than Hobie Brown, a stand-out among his peers and variants alike. You’d only met after being rounded up as an anomaly, though you’d come to the HQ willingly, as any means to getting home was better than being stranded in some uppity renaissance dimension. After learning of your role as the Black Cat in your world, the punk had found a new friend in an unexpected place.

“Hm…” Hobie peered at you absentmindedly, seemingly turning something over in his head.

You didn’t like that look, and knowing the kinds of ideas an anarchist could come up with, you decide to pry, “What’s up?”

Hobie finally looked at you and not through you, “How did you get those abilities bruv like, I was bit by a radioactive spider so I have spider DNA in me, but how’d you get ‘em?”

“Hear me out, a cat bit me. But she wasn’t radioactive or anything, actually quite sweet.”

“Wait wait wait, you ‘ere bitten… by a cat? And you now have abilities like me??”

You giggled at this, he’s dumbfounded over a cat but a radioactive spider giving powers is the norm around here. “I don’t know about ‘like you’ per say.’

“Aight, maybe not exactly like me, but it’s similar yeah? You have wall-crawling abilities I presume or am I wrong? And probably enhanced strength?”

Why the sudden interest in my abilities, you thought. “I mean I do have enhanced strength and speed, but I can only climb up walls with my claws, I don’t stick like you all do,” referring to the bustling crowd of Spider-people you found yourself in the presence of.

“I see, then I have one last question… What does your suit look like? I’m proper curious ‘bout that.”

Now this was unexpected, not only was he interested in your powers, but your alter ego altogether. In the few months, you’ve been friends, little was spoken about your homeworld, let alone the role you play in that dimension. You wonder what’s gotten him so interested, and so you decide to tease a little, getting Hobie Brown flustered was something very few could boast.

“You ever been to a BDSM club? It’s like a leather dominatrix suit

“…” “That’s… huh.”

“Problem ‘Obie?” You poke at him playfully, gliding to stand closer to the slender man.

“Not at all… can’t say I’m not confused though…” he trailed off. “But hey, as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man it’s not my problem that you have an… um… interesting taste in fashion.”

That got a snort out of you, “You’re one to talk about ‘interesting taste in fashion’, Mr. Spider Punk.”

A sigh comes from the taller man. “Fine. You win.”

Deciding to toy with him further, you play nonchalant and petty, “If I’m so annoying I’ll just leave then. I enjoyed meeting you Punk.”

“Oi oi, I didn’t mean to insult you, I swear… I'll be 'onest wiv ya, mate. I don't really know what I'm doin' 'ere. I'm just takin' it one day at a time and seein' where it takes me.” He looked up from the ground to look at you again, something sad in his eyes. “Life's a funny old game, ain't it?"

“The rockstar runway model is bad with people? Color me shocked”

Hobie let out a huff of air, which you could only assume mimicked a laugh, “Is that meant to be an insult or genuine criticism?”

“I was being serious Hobie, you seem to have a good handle on people. You’re just so cool I thought maybe you’d have it down by now” Despite wanting to crawl into a hole at your admission, you said it with your chest, and you’re not about to back out now.

He’s quite surprised by this, not anticipating such a blatant compliment from you. “Huh… you’re actually pretty rad yourself. Most people don’t think that and just call me a freak.”

“I mean I’d say I’ma freak too but that hasn’t gotten me any complaints if you know what I mean.” You say with a wink, deciding to lay it on thick.

He smirks at you, catching the vibes you're putting down quickly. “Oh, I understand what you mean. I just didn’t expect you to be this forward luv.”

“What’s the phrase? ‘You miss 100% something something-”

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take?”

“Yeah yeah somethin like that”, you past your giggles. “You tryna get out of here?”

Hobie looks at you almost sideways, and if you didn’t know him better, you’d be put off by the glare. “Get out of here and do what exactly? What’re you planning?” He takes a step towards you, covering more ground than you’d anticipated due to his long strides. He was so close.

“I’m not dumb, I can tell you’re trying to trick me into something, but I’m not quite sure what…”

You smile at that, despite telling the truth, he’d managed to tease you in the process. We’re in the clear. “No trick here, not today at least.”

You look at him through thick lashes, “Did you have any ideas Spidey?” you ask coyly.

The punk chuckles,

“Ah, the ol’ playing coy shtick ‘uh? Not that I have anything against it, honest with you I kinda like it.”

Your tone is drenched in sarcasm, “Me? Coy? What kind of women do you take me for?” You’re feigning being offended, and he continues your banter. He laughs in a friendly way, deeply and honestly, a sound you wish was heard more often by the masses.

“Oh trust me you’re not like the other girls. You’re cool.”

“I’m not like other girls,” you say mockingly, trying to keep him amused. “So, what’s the punk down to do?”

Hobie’s face lights up with excitement, “I know just the place. Ever been to a punk rock show? There’s always tons of wankers to hang out with and it’s basically a Beano with loud ass music.”

You’d know about Spider-Man in front of you’s reputation, his subtle flex of eclectic success was something you’d come to admire about him. “I’ve had my fair share of underground events, though I’d call myself more goth than punk, you ever been to a goth club? I’m down to go to one of your shows if the anarchist is down to do some substances with me.”

He perked up at this. “Hell yeah, I’d be down, I love partying. Although, can I ask what kind of… substances you’re planning on using? I wanna make sure I bring the right shit.”

“Fuck no nothing hard, just weed and drinks will do it for me. That’s pretty stereotypical punk shit tho huh?”

“Yeah, well stereotypes exist for a reason. Though the whole ‘punks are stoners’ stereotype always bothers me, I never got why people think punk = drug abuse…” He shrugs.

The hair feels heavier, don’t kill the mood now! “ Well I do love me some weed, and hell yeah it’d be great to drink with you and have fun.” You keep going, hoping to bring that light back to the spider that was there but a moment ago. “I think the whole stereotype thing is stupid, but I totally understand why it doesn’t make sense to you, hating labels and all that.” You punctuate the end of your sentence with a punch to his shoulder.

“Alright, lead the way ‘Obie!”

He chuckles a bit at that, and playfully shoves you back into the portal he’s opened. You always land on your feet as you enter his dimension with a thud. He’s crouched next to you, standing to take off his mask and tuck his suit away.  

“What was that for huh? I know you can punch ‘arder than that.”

He closes the portal and starts walking towards the club, throwing you a glance over his shoulder. He beckons you to follow. “It’s just up this way, hopefully, there won’t be too big of a crowd.” His guard is down now, it’s just you and Hobie Brown, not Spider-Punk and Black Cat, just two “civs” kickin it.

“If you’re down to spar I can show you more than a little punch Bee.” You send a wink at Hobie, hoping the new nickname didn’t make him uncomfortable. “And hey! I thought you were a celebrity, don’t get special treatment even in the underground huh?”

Hobie smirks at that, “Hah. You’re funny.” He peers down at you, despite your above-average stature. “So you wanna spar then? Because now I’m very tempted to see what you can do.” He’s being cheeky, you can hear it in his tone.

Oh, this man was dangerous, and you can’t help the sly smile that makes its way to your face. “Oh, I’d love to show you everything I can do.” You’re sultry now, biting your lip as you gaze up at him.

“Damn, you’re a cocky little cat huh?” He shakes his head laughing, but can’t hide the big smirk forming on his face.

“Don’t think I won’t accept your challenge, because I will…”

“Oh? Is that so? What’s the punk challenging me to do exactly?” You step closer, still looking up at the man, with a smug grin on your face.

“Oh, I think you know…” He smirks at you and steps closer. “Or should I remind you?”

You grab him by his guitar strap, pulling him down until your lips almost touch. “It must’ve slipped my mind, Bert.” You emphasize his name teasingly.

Despite the way your eyelids flutter shut, and how your lips seem to draw each other in, he chuckles and gives you a quick kiss on the lips, still very clearly smug.

“I’m glad I could remind you.”

[thisnameisnotspokenfor]

Could it be possible that stars true form are similar to biblical accurate angels?

(This won't leave my head when you mentioned eyes at the back of Cephs head.)

Something incomprehensible to humans.

On a side note how well-learned is Asha about her world? Since her mom was a sailor I wondered what stories she would have told Asha about her time as a merchant. Does Asha have any cousins and how well is her relationship with her uncle?

Can she identify what a penguin is?Or animals not native to her home? If she were to travel to another kingdom for a possible vacation where would be her first choice?

What are her other interests other than astronomy,crocheting,science,inventing,sketching and surviving?

What are her current skill sets? Can she pick a lock? Because I don't believe Sabino would not teach her how to get out of a cage or such if she were to ever be kidnapped. Her paranoia must come from somewhere?

Sorry if these were all to much.

I enjoy and am very invested in your Asha,her story and your world building.

(Sorry Ceph but I just prefer Asha and world building more than you. PS.Cloaks and shawls are better capes)

Thank you! ❤️ I’m glad you like my Asha and my story/worldbuilding 🥹

((

Ceph: *starts choking*

Asha: are you okay?

Ceph; no! There’s so much audacity in this comment that I’m literally dying! You’re killing me north towards me- YOU ARE KILLING A STAR!

Magnifico: *elsewhere in a room full of confused advisors* why do I feel like I am being challenged?

Ceph: there’s absolutely no way you expect me or any other star to honestly answer that question after your little ‘shawl’ comment- no seriously! That’s just not right! This is crazy! And that’s something coming from me!

Asha: finally someone with good taste!

Ceph: and this is why none of you will know my birth name. Ever. ))

During her earlier years in her apprenticeship Asha ended up shadowing a lot of ministers when magnifico had basically turned his attention to the other apprentices. She spent a lot of time studying about other countries and their histories- Arendelle and Corona to name a few, and tends to socialize with their diplomats to learn more about their technology/science (so she can strengthen her argument on the science’s legitimacy!) so overall I think it’s a bit safe to say that Asha knows a lot more about the world beyond Rosa’s than your average Rosa’s native born (most don’t really plan to leave Rosa’s ya know? So they’ve never been too bothered about learning about distant countries in depth)

Sakina has told her a lot about her times sailing and the crazy adventure she did. She had a lot of dangerous run ins with supernatural creatures like Davy Jones and sirens. And also met Calypso (POTC Calypso) she got collections of picture books from her time abroad to show Asha the world beyond Rosa’s. So She can identify a lot of animals non-native to Rosas

Asha also has a few little cousins and her relationship with her uncle is very good (they built her sailboat together) and he always brings her gifts whenever he comes around, but he hasn’t been too big on visiting Rosas since Tomas passed. If she were to travel to another country I think she’d definitely want to visit Corona- so she can nerd out over Lord Demanatus’s work. In a perfect world she’d also love to visit Atlantis (maybe even moreso than Corona!) (She’s not too big on Arendelle and Scotland for their magic and bears and magical bears tbh 😬)

Asha: there’s more to life than survival? (Jk) she loves diplomacy and history. She does still love art here too but she draws less frequently due to being overworked. if her life had gone better she’d still be huge on musical theatre. She also likes wrestling/grappling too- the main branches of self defense her grandfather taught her that would be advantageous against bigger people due to her smaller size! Asha is also a firm believer in stress baking (don’t tell Sabino)

As for her current skill set Asha can definitely pick a lock (she’s so good at fixing them that there’s no way she doesn’t know how to break a few) and there’s also no way Sabino would teach some noble boy how to pick the lock but not his own granddaughter. Asha is also quite well trained for her circumstances unless magic comes in. Then she’s kinda toast.

[flamestar126]

I have acquired hostages!

And my lengthy story/rant of the dolls

So back in January, I learned an old friend could crochet, and I did the only logical thing I could think of at that moment

Which was to reach out and ask if they could crochet me Dexter and Mandark from Dexter's Laboratory—

And they said yes! After a few months later they just arrived a couple hours ago and I wanted to brag share them!

Bad lighting beware

The glasses are actually detachable and come with silly little eyes that I love

I also have to hold Mandark's head because he literally cannot support himself because the weight of his ballon sized head will tip him over.

He can't stand up at all lmao

I want to shake him but I'm afraid his head will fall off if I do

His tie also flies a bit. I just came out of the nearest store by and bought a hot glue gun to glue his tie and the eyes of both their glasses down because they weren't completely attached. I had a crisis because I lost one of them and finally found it after a few minutes of searching

They also included hair details!

Mandark's signature "M" and the two little cowlicks of Dexter's hair is literally so perfect

Which isn't that noticeable for Dexter but still really cute!

Here's a picture of his tie.

Ignore the string of glue. I took it off the moment I realized it was there after the photo

And their hands are cute! Dexter's fingers are so short but accurate and they have this soft ball in the middle of his palm which i think is a cool detail.

Mandark's fingers are long and thin like the original. They're honestly a bit creepy but cute nonetheless

And the best of all

THE SIZE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

One of the first things they asked me if I wanted was their correct size differences and i was like fuck yeah I want the noodle tower over him

LOOK AT THEM

MANDARK IS SO HUGE COMPARED TO DEXTER JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WHICH I LOVE SO MUCH

I still have to hold him by the head because of fear lol

I honestly didn't even know if it was possible for them to create this in the first place. It was a longshot to even ask for this but they even above and beyond in my opinion and I'm so satisfied with how it turned out. 10/10 best commission ever

Not dex lab related below

THEY ALSO ADDED FREEBIES (which i paid for right after I learned they stuffed it inside)

Completely low quality pictures of cat stickers and other crochet stuff I can hang!

Now i gotta find a safe place for everything

[frumdyke]

a breakdown of how i planned and managed this since ive had some people ask:

im writing this just after getting back from a new years eve party. i barely drunkn anything so in theory this should be pretty coherant. unfortunately i have an aversion to commas and apostrophes and also i say the word and way too much. this is gonna be a looong yap i have things to say. oh and the pictures and dates are from me searching through discord messages.

i started planning out the graph at the beginning of july (im going to tit in january.) i used flosscross because im a lil familiar with it but there are probably better programs to use for this because its meant for cross stitch not crochet. i ended up with 17 different colours plus the background. if you include the dark blue and magenta thats 20 separate yarns all together. heres the final graph i worked with (from my discord messages i think this was the 5th of july but i seem to remember spending at least a week on the graph)

before this the most complicated and only tapestry crochet i had done had only three colours so this was a big leap and i didnt know if it would actually work (note that i started crocheting in october 2023.) i knew i would have to keep everything very organised and i would spend most of the time untangling yarns. and i knew it was all gonna be floating yarn but i didnt know at the time that lots of floats and colour changes would make the project smaller. so the cardigan did come out quite tight across my shoulders.

next was gathering yarn. i pulled a few from my stash but most i had to buy. i went yarn shopping in person in two separate trips. i had the list of colours from flosscross which were all in cross stitch terms. as i got home with my first yarn haul i decided to print the colour list and taped some ends to it so i could compare

my printer didnt like this so the colours arent completely accurate. i went back to hobbycraft for more yarn and i had this paper in one hand and the pdf on my phone in the other and i was panicking because this didnt seem possible. i spent a couple hours lamenting that i wasnt in the usa where i have heard about the fabled joanns that has more than ten whole colours in most yarns. i wasnt confident enough to order online because i wanted to hold the yarns in my hand and directly compare the colours. i finally got together a selection of yarns the were good enough.

the plan was to go for all worsted acrylics because theres no way i could afford nice fibres for all these colours. as i went around the shop i realised i was just gonna have to get whatever colours would work and ignore the fibre make up because there is not enough choice of anything in british craft shops. i ended up with lots of different things but surprisingly the fancier fibres where all acrylic blends. so i got some nylon/acrylic some cotton/acrylic and some wool/acrylic. and some yarns were recommending 3.5mm or 3.25mm hooks but i decided to just ignore that and hope. by this point i had decided this was a complete experiment and if it didnt work out i could just learn cross stitch like a sane person would.

i laid out all my yarns and cried a bit because i did not anticipate how much planning i would have to do before i could start making shit. then i decided which yarn would correspond to which symbol on the chart and labelled them all. i was finally ready to start the actual crocheting part (10th july)

i printed the graph out so i could highlight as i went along and got going. here is how she looks now after its all done say hi

the tapestry part was extremely tedious and the yarns constantly got tangled. the rows were only 80 stitches long and some took me a whole hour each. i had to frog some parts but mostly i just left the mistakes in. my tension was really off because of the different yarns weights but i just said "im sure i can block it out" (i have never blocked anything before.) there are a huge amount of yarn tails on this thing so i didnt bother weaving threm in. i just tied them together so they wouldnt unravel and figured i could learn to sew a lining in to hide all the mess away. my number one takeaway from this is do not ever do a project that requires a double digit amount of yarns attached at once. it will suck and you will hate the process.

here are some progress pics. i wish i had taken more but i was quite fed up with the whole project by this point

i thought this was gonna turn out awful at had to fight the urge at multiple points. once i got to their faces i felt a bit better about it but then i got to phil's eyes and had a small breakdown. he is so pale and cool toned with cool toned hair wearing a cool toned outfit. his face and hair just all blends together and his eyes look a little demented here. dan has contrast between his face and hair so he turned out actually quite good.

anyway heres the finished tapestry part (12th august)

dans cheek bulges like that because the pink i used there is the heaviest weight. look at how cinched the middle is though. there were so many yarns being carried across. and the back is just fully spaghetti.

i immediately started planning the sleeves. i knew from the start i wanted them to say "terrible influence" but i had to decide whether it should read from the front or back. either way one side would end up reading "influence terrible". in the end i decided it should read correctly on the back and to also have the writing on the back of the arms so the front wouldnt look too out of wack.

i looked for some patterns online so i could get an idea of where the increases on the sleeves would be. i ended up with 77 rows for the sleeves and i thought "hmm thats seems kinda short but i shall trust the process" (spoiler alert it was too short.) then i went back into flosscross and drew out a whole sleeve and then stuck a big TERRIBLE on it. this part was annoying cus flosscross hides the copy + paste feature behind a paywall. so i had to draw out every letter individually. even the Rs which are literally repeated right next to each other. then i individually drew the magenta shadows in and tried to understand why i chose flosscross of all things to do this. i mirrored the sleeve and stuck an INFLUENCE and then realised id put it in the wrong place but luckily you can select and move bits around without paying.

i cant remember but i think this is when i did the front panels? i thought i did them after the sleeves but from the dates in discord it doesnt look like it. idk. i didnt really do much planning and i cant find any pictures so just imagine some plain blue crochet. i worked up the bottom section pretty fast and just estimated when to decrease by holding it up against my body. then i hated the shape i made so i frogged half of it and started the decreases way earlier and got a nice slope i was happy with.

then i actually made the sleeves. i had to frog the influence side because i realised i had drawn the shadows in wrong. i have some progress pics but i remember i was very excited to make the joke "ive made a terrible" and then never actually made the joke (first is 27th august and last is 10th september)

i sewed up the sleeves and shoulders and left it at that for a while. if you saw the wip photos i posted here for october 19th this is where i was up to. except this was still on 10th september

i took a break from this project started work on a jumper for my mum. that i had already been promising her for six months. that came out really small so i had to make some adjustments and ended up taking forever. i realised that my tension had probably gotten much tighter than when i made my previous jumpers. so the stitch counts i was working with were probably way off for both the jumper and the phardigan. i didnt do any gauge swatches and it shows.

at this point it was november. and i was still burnt out on the phardigan. in this break i bought a ticket to a third tit show. and also had some other life advancements like finally getting an insulin pump which i will never shut up about. i made a couple lil amigurumi creatures and then i was like okay im ready to get going. lets get this phardigan done.

the next step was to add a lining. so i thought maybe i should block it before then. i had no experience with blocking but i did my grandpa's steamer and some floor space. i did try pinning the project down to the towel but that didnt work. and i thought "hmmm perhaps it would best to wetblock this actually" but i didnt want to wait for it to dry. i was also very scared to kill the acrylic cus i wasnt sure how fried plastic would interact with the other fibres. so overall it was a very weak wimpy block. here she is anyway (7th december)

this was a rushed job but i had still spent too long sitting on the floor and my disabilities were playing up and i was struggling. so i half-arsed cutting up the pieces for the lining (i used a brushed cotton pillowcase in a close enough colour for this.) i didnt measure i just went for it. and then i realised my poor left handed brain cant cut a straight line on the best of days. but especially with heavy fabric scissors and an already aching body. yes i know rotary cutters exist. no i dont have one. anyway i forced my sister to cut out all the straight lines for me. i had one big piece that covered the back and went over the shoulders to cover the boobs too. the back was to hide all the yarn spaghetti but the boob lining was just so i could wear pins extra securely. i decided to leave the sleeves alone because the floats were short and the ends were neatly weaved in. then i laid out my big lining piece and folded over the raw edges and realised i hadnt actually factored in any seam allowance and it wouldnt cover the whole width. but i still went with it because i am lazy <3. i also cut out some pockets.

before i sewed the lining in i embroidered this little telly on the front. i thought the front was looking a little bare and it matches the tit set. haha tit set on my tits. look at her shes cute (8th december)

the lining is hand sewed. mostly because i have a comfier chair at my pc desk than the desk with my sewing machine and i couldnt be bothered with swiching them. also my sewing machine can only handle straight stitch at the moment. sad! anyways i did it all with a running stitch and doubled over some parts. i also discovered when i had done almost all the sewing that none of the right angles my sister cut out were actually right angles so i was adjusting the hem on the fly (8th december)

the hand sewing felt like it took ages but in reality was only a few days. at this point i was vibrating with excitement because the finish line was in sight. anyway look there are pockets (10th december)

look how curled those corners are. i am getting an awful grade in blocking

then i did the ribbing which is super easy. originally i had planned to do the ribbing in magenta but now after seeing more stuff about tit i think the blue fits much better with the colour theme. i went round the bottom edge in blo hdc and then did the front too with a little pause to figure out where to put the buttonholes (12th and then 23rd december)

notice theres a jump in the dates there. my brother very kindly gave me the flu and i was unable to get out of bed for a week. ive had the flu vaccine and it still hit me like a truck. pretty please dont infect your disabled friends im barely holding it together as it is. oh sidenote btw if any of you come up to me at tit without a mask on i might actually cry at you. please mask please mask please mask.

yah anyway i added more length to the sleeves. remember when i said the sleeves were too short? yeah i had to add 28 whole rows lol. i dont have any pictures because i did this while watching the doctor who xmas special (mid episode btw) but ill take one now because the phardigan is currently living under my pc desk. i did the extra rows in the round so theres a seam that suddenly disappears but i think it looks fine. and then the sleeve ribbing is sc instead if hdc because i wanted to cinch the cuff in a little bit but not too much. i also got to watch the new wallace and grommet film. i liked it but i had to explain to my sister who the penguin was??? she doesnt know any of the lore??

um so after the sleeves were done i just had to sew on the buttons and weave all the remaining ends in. and then it was fucking finished? just like that. at 22:14 on the 26th of december i sent this message

which was last thursday actually!? insane how time works. and then i posted this on friday and it somehow got 400 notes? it was weird when it was complete. it was like finishing a book. with that weird emptiness that comes with it.

i do have to thank everyone in the various phannie discord servers ive been sharing my progress in. ive had lots of people hype me up and cheer me on. one thousand kissies attack to all of you <3

im very glad this project actually worked. and that i dont have to learn cross stitch. because instead i just started learning to knit. which i am very excited about. last night i started learning colourwork and i am happy to report i havent had any insane ideas yet. but we will check in after ive done a big colourwork project and see how i feel then. maybe dnp will announce another tour and then i will have no choice but to make another phardigan.

um so thanks for reading i guess? im sure my rambling devolved towards the end there but im not reading it back 👍i dont think i hit image limit but i wouldnt be surprised if everything breaks when i press post. if anyone has questions please ask away i love yapping about this project. my ask box is open and waiting. its 6am now and lots of americans are wishing me a happy new year. 2024 was most definitely the year of the phannie and im hoping we can get a streak going. i love you, try new things, dont cry craft etc etc

THE PHARDIGAN IS FINISHED !!!!!!

now with a lining and pockets <3 so many hours spent on this thing im glad its done now

i will be wearing her at tit brighton and london so if you see me come say hi i promise im nicies

[n4rut0runn3r]

Graphghan

Start date: January 5, 2023 

Completion date: September 17, 2023 

Pattern Creation

This is the pattern I created for the blanket. The style of crochet used is called a graphghan. This means that every single-crochet yarn stitch is equivalent to a pixel of an image. This also means row by row, I changed colors frequently. Layering colors to create an image. This pattern was drawn in a pixel art app, so each pixel could be accurately counted and planned for. My goal was an Arizona landscape that in saw in person. See below.

This is a pre-existing pattern online for purchase. I saw the reviews and thought that this would be the perfect place to start. However, this was not the Arizona that I experienced and loved. I knew that there were some changes that I needed to make, which led me to creating my own pattern! I did like the neutral color shades used in this pattern and decided to keep that in my version. See below.

I knew that the shape of the mountains in the pattern had to change. And luckily, I had the perfect reference picture. I loved the ”stegosaurus mountain” that is in East Mesa, a foot hill of the Superstition. It is a beautiful area that I am so thankful I got to visit and spend time there.

Here is how I recreated the mountain shape in my pattern. I took a few artistic liberties with the supporting shapes, because I wanted to be able to accurately convey the shadows and mountain curvature with a limited color palette. The mountain background of the pattern is one of my biggest achievements so far in my time crocheting. I have had this specific hobby for a few years, but I have never ventured far from preexisting patterns or YouTube tutorials. My pattern, and the blanket, are not perfect by any means, but I did learn a lot and I did grow my skills tremendously. I wish I could do it over again to perfect it, but I can only move on to more projects with new skills.

Time For Numbers!

This blanket is 240 stitches wide, and 300 rows in length. The pattern I created originally called for 345 rows, but I ran out of blue yarn, and decided that it was long enough. 

20 single crochet yarn stitches uses 3.5 feet of yarn. Using this as an estimate, 4,200 yards of yarn was used in the creation of this blanket. That’s why it's so heavy! 

In terms of yarn, I used Red Heart Super Saver brand, which is a level 4 yarn thickness. I prefer to use this brand because it is machine washable, but it does have some downsides. Unfortunately, due to its cheap production, the thickness is not exact. Meaning, I could buy 3 skeins of yarn, all the same color, thickness, even dye lot number, but the thickness of the yarn will vary slightly. This is seen on the blanket where the blue yarn starts. 

In this picture, I had just tied off all the loose ends and washed the blanket. But the top was still wider than the bottom due to the thickness of the blue yarn. So, I tried to weigh it down and stretch it out. It did not really help, so the blanket just ended up being more of a trapezoid shape. Thankfully, the blanket is almost as wide as it is long, so when sitting on the couch, it is not noticeable. It's not very fun to try to nicely fold though! 

My crochet speed is fairly good. But due to the many times I had to change colors, It took an average of 25 minutes to complete a row of crochet. This adds up to 125 hours spent crocheting. Boy Howdy!

I did a rough calculation of how much time it would take me to complete the blanket before I started, which is why I thought I would have it done in time for my April trip to Arizona, but I forgot to calculate how crazy life is, and the fact that I can't sit and crochet for days at a time. It's an unfortunate truth to life. I was able to get one “in progress” picture. This was on June 14, I was celebrating being done with the many color changes per row.

I was unable to get a final picture of it washed and being used, as it was a gift, and I was able to get it done in time for another trip and gifted it while on that trip. I put a lot of amazing skills in my wheel house, and clocked in a lot of practice time.

[amortensie-moved]

heyyyyyy nixie!!!! how are you? i've missed randomly stopping in to admire the cats on your blog, hit you with a string of incoherent nonsense, and then disappear again. in fact, i've missed it so much that i've come to do just that <3

so,,,,, if you saw me ask cass these same questions, don't think about it. in fact, forget you saw it at all because it makes this soooo much more mysterious,,,,,, i have some random yet specific questions for you to answer. they will make some semblance of sense in approximately 14-21 business days, i promise.

what is your favorite food?

favorite color?

favorite song(s)?

favorite tv show/movie?

favorite book genre?

favorite hobby?

do you have any random habits?

what is your love language (when it comes to giving and receiving)?

what is one thing that you think you’re just incredibly amazing at? (the more random the better, asdfghjklkjhgfd)

what is one thing we should never entrust you to do/complete?

what languages do you speak/understand? are you currently learning any?

what is your ideal type when it comes to a romantic partner?

if you were getting a small tattoo (and I mean babie size) where would you get it?

is there anything simply iconic about you that you think the public ought to know?

anyway, ily bestie <3

OLIVE!! HI!!!

super glad to see you on my blog! i’m doing quite well, thank you very much! i’ve missed your presence so much, and like you, i’ve also been on and off in activity in this site due to personal busy-ness.

while i am a teensy bit curious, the questions do seem like such fun, so here are my responses after the cut:

1. i love love love sinigang! its this filipino soup that i’ve only ever tasted homemade, and boy it is delicious! this is a recipe that nearly every filipino household has memorized in their own little way, and it just reminds me of home

2. yellow :)

3. once upon a december from anastasia or alternatively, to mix it up, your ex lover is dead (final fantasy mix) by stars

4. ohh this question is hard. a recent fave of mine is the sound of magic which is constantly giving me brainrots every other day, but merlin is a show that will constantly live in my heart!

5. classic literature! i love all types, but gothic literature is particularly interesting to me. also love fantasy!

6. my favorite hobby is crocheting and knitting! i group them together as they are essentially the same fiber art, just different methods to create v similar things

7. i sing random opera notes when i’m nervous lol ( not particularly good at it, but somehow vibrato and high notes are unlocked in those occasions )

8. i give love through gifts! my go-to gift is to crochet a tiny heart stress plushie for people and ahh theyre and i get so happy giving them. i love sharing food or even just odd things i find. as for receiving, i am such a sucker for words of affirmation. heartfelt silly notes my beloved <3

9. i am practically an expert at untangling yarn and knots by now. after being into the fiber arts for about three years, its safe to say i’ve done it far too much.

edit: i forgot to mention this before, but proud to say that one of my weirdest best talents is that i can accurately mimic a goat sound. in addition to this, i can make rlly weird sounds out of this and shift the vowels so it just sounds really odd and cursed 😭. its hard to explain— but its my favorite trick to show off and make people laugh in confused horror

10. i am known for being one of the biggest hazard myself. i am super clumsy, and my sense of self preservation is usually thrown out the window when it comes to tasks that are physically taxing. in addition to this, my fatal flaw is perhaps my un-athleticism

11. other than english, i’m understand tagalog! it is my first language, and while i don’t speak it much, i understand it fluently. as for learning, i’ve been studying french for two years now, however i am far from fluent (yet).

12. ooh this is an interesting question! i haven’t had a non-fictional crush in a while hah so its more difficult to narrow down a specific type. besides the general criteria ( like not being an asshole ), overall, i just look for someone who is really sweet and caring! being smart is also a big plus for me, as i would like someone whom i can share my academic interests with. and i’d prob like someone who is a tad more extroverted than me to balance my reservedness. think golden retriever energy.

13. i would prob get one below my ear on my neck. i feel like its a cool enough place, and i can always hide it with my hair or makeup if necessary.

14. i am like halfway through owning a small business hah. at the moment, i’ve just been selling locally through crochet/knit commissions, but i am in the process of expanding to online! and, for anyone who is a mutual and interested, i might share my public insta acc for it via dm if you pinky promise not to share it linked to my tumblr ( it has semi - personal info )

[rouge-the-bat]

GIMME A MOMENT IM STILL EDITING THE POST it accidentally posted before i was done and i dont wanna copy/paste everything onto a new post okay im done editing now lmao 👍

yeah i try to remember to use the read more whenever i realize my posts are getting real long- im sure theres times ive forgotten tho lol. aaand speaking of-

yeah, hopefully its all relatively accurate! ive been trying to learn japanese properly for a while now, but keep dropping off of it, and so have to keep re-learning hiragana as only some of them will have stuck to memory... 😓 SOMEDAY ill finally stay in the habit of learning bit by bit. hopefully fjskhfd

i have been in a creative rut for yeaarss its driving me insane 😭 i have a million ideas but never the energy to actually do any of them.... and making things is my FAVORITE thing to do so its like my brain is ready to explode. but in february i should get my test results... soon soon soon i just need a little more patience and hopefully i dont get told i dont have adhd bc BOY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE AND I DONT WANT TO HAVE WASTED MONEY ON THIS

god i have time blindness SO FUCKING BAD and have always my entire life. idk when anything happens. everythings a timeless blur in my life. i can never tell how long it takes me to do anything unless i happen to time it. i cant keep track of things unless i put reminders. defintely one of the big reasons why im trying to get an adhd diagnosis. didnt know much about adhd all my life until some years back, where i then realized like 90% of the shit about adhd is what i deal with and was like AH. I SEE.

yeah apparently things coming out in the 90s is the sweet spot for my hyperfixations lol, both of my absolute biggest ones (sonic and yyh) have been in that decade. ill forever be so glad that my gf got me to check yyh out bc BOY HOWDY have i been living off the yyh high nonstop ever since watching it. AND YEAH I HAD TO USE THAT MEME BC THEYRE JUST. LITERALLY THE SAME PERSON. its why they both own my heart <3

i actually have some of my yyh drawings posted over on my art sideblog! mostly sketches, bc thats most of what ive been able to get out for a while now (but hey, something at least!). i wanna get around to drawing a lot more of the chars, but hiei n kurama are def always gonna be the ones i draw the most lol. i gotta draw more of them together (the few sketches ive done of them actually together havent been posted yet bc theyre VERY unfinished), and i gotta do some with yukina and shiori too bc <33 i love them. idc if shiori got like 5 minutes of screentime, THATS MY MOTHER AND I LOVE HER GDI. id also totally be down to see the stuff u make/have made too!

ngl whenever i go between different crochet projects i have to remind myself how different things are done lol. doesnt take me long to get back in the swing of it, but i have yet to get the different crochet types to stick to my memory. luckily short youtube tutorials for individual stitches are aplenty! also tbh i never thought about the single crochet like that lol. probably bc crochet is kinda my "turn my brain off" activity for the most part. just play some music and follow instructions until i got a thing made. i just gotta make sure i dont zone out TOO hard or ill have to recount shit vkdjfkd. no idea how i do with yarn tension since i havent had it like. compared to anything. i think im kinda decent at it? not completely consistent but not bad i think. heres some of the things ive done!

the pink heart was the first thing i ever crocheted, followed i think by the pink rose! (both of which were photographed on top of my girlfriends cat lmao). i had a small candy cane made but said cat had gotten a hold of it and messed it up a bit so... ill have to see if i can salvage it or ill just make another eventually. the yoshi egg i made for my dad for christmas, bc yoshi is his fave mario character (that i stole from him when i was little anytime we played mario party/kart LOL). i made a larger different-patterned heart with white yarn for my mom but i dont seem to have a pic of it, or i cant find it anyways. the openable question-mark block was made for my brother, and the lil white & red stocking was something my mom asked me to make so she could put some candy in it and gift it to someone. the large heart cat plush (which ended up bigger than i expected lol) i made for my girlfriend, based on her cat thats pictured below it in exactly the same pose lol! i THINK thats everything ive made so far... its possible im forgetting something tho (which knowing me, is likely). i also have a small heart-shaped macaron wip that i really gotta get back to that ive mostly followed a pattern for but have done some differing bits to style it how i want (like adding some wavy edging on the hearts, making the cream part have a more diagonal in-out pattern). i have that mostly done, i just need to finish the cream... then sew it together/stuff it!

ough man perfectionism is a bitch... i def know how it is dealing with that shit 😓 it def had the worst hold on me when it comes to writing, which ive gladly gotten a bit better with in the recent years. still struggling to write much tho bc. focus is ALSO a bitch 😒 my brain is my #1 enemy fr. the most ive been able to do is over on my kurama ask blog, but i havent gotten back to it in. a while OTL. rip the asks still sitting in my inbox 😓

HEHE im glad you (and others in the fandom) enjoy my silly yuyu memes! i actually have a SHIT TON more that im wanting to make, i just need to. actually get around to doing them hfkdhfj OH MAN i love that idea. "get [blank]ed idiot" has been a joke me and my girlfriend have been using so much lately when talking to our cats/about stuff happening in games/etc. its really the funniest phrase and it will not leave our brains. so often ill pick up one of our kitties and just say "get picked up idiot." its use is so versatile.

YES YES YES i mention like all the time how hiei is just a cat tbh gksgjdhfk (also hc that kurama gives him "kitten" as a petname hehe) like. ive had cats my whole life and absolutely adore them, and EVERYTHING hiei does is SOOOO fucking cat-like. down to even fucking licking his own wounds. im so glad the fandom generally agrees that hiei Is A Cat and that cats have a natural tendency to like him (like kuwabaras cat/cats lol). hes my cute precious little kitten <3

oh man yeah its gonna be a LOOOONG time til i get around to doing the chapter black arc, even longer til itll get posted lol. i actually need to get some extra storage to keep the frames on bc. Boy It Takes A Lot Of Space. but im crazy and want to be able to keep them instead of deleting as i post bc yyh has REALLY awakened some kinda deep archival-hoarding spirit within me LOL.

yeah im sure once i get to looking around i prob wont have much trouble finding some sites to put the transcript on, but ill be doing the lookin around once im much further into transcripting lol (rn im just at episode 12). and yeah, i was def planning on using the wayback machine!

cool, i appreciate it owo! im always itching to share my yyh stuff i got going on hehe. oh btw, if you want you can see some icons, a couple aesthetic boards, and a stimboard i made over on my kin blog. most of the icons are of kurama, but ive done a few little edits for hiei icons too. oh actually i still need to update with a few of my newer kurama icons :o

yeah tbh hiei feels more high energy in the dance mix dialogues, kinda like when he first showed up and went into his jaganshi form lmao. tho i guess when its audio-only, you cant really have him being the quiet lil bastard off at the edge of the room making just the occasional snide remark lol. but him being a little shit will always make me so happy <3 the yuyu gangs kind of bickering and teasing is my fave, theyre all such lovable dorks. AND LMAO kurama totally would join kuwabara on that. he tries to appear to be such a good guy but hes such a little shit and can never resist fucking with his friends any chance he can get. its the best. AND HIEI SO WOULD HACK A COMPUTER WITH HIS SWORD.... god i love my edgy dumbasses so much <3

YEAH UGH. i love hiei with my whole heart but i wanna kick his ass sometimes. him and yukina give me SO MANY EMOTIONS. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I JUST WANT THEM TO BE PRECIOUS SIBLINGS TOGETHER FFS. they both deserve that. and hiei would be SUCH a good and sweet brother if he would just let himself actually be one.

ooh, i may check out yugioh eventually! but i also have like, a million things on a list of "maybe check this out eventually," and i usually can only finally check one out if something clicks in my brain and im like I Need To See This Right This Second, so. who knows if/when i may get around to it hckdhfkd

thats totally fair! i know i def have issues finding other peoples fan playlists to my tastes. even if its for a specific theme, i often find myself like... ''wtf i like some of these songs but i already know they dont fit this theme at all???'' or itll be like. a yandere playlist but a lot of the songs are pissed off breakup songs or something like that and its like. those are sorta related but two whole different vibes my guy....

i tend to be very specific with what i add to playlists (even if they get really long) bc they HAVE to have the lyrics really fit the characters to me, or have the energy/style/symbolism hit Just Right. admittedly tho a few of the kurahi choices are def based in my ideas for their kinks 😅 (biting in particular). usually i dont do genre-based picks (aka "this is something this character would listen to") on my character playlists aside from my personal rouge playlist (with some bits of shadow in it). tho im Kinda considering potentially adding a few on my yyh playlist bc theres the band kishidan that im just like *AGGRESIVELY POINTS* YUSUKE AND KUWABARA ENERGY!!!! (i mean hell, even the visual aesthetics for the band are bad boys with retro japanese school uniforms and pompadours. like come ON) and also i REALLY feel like yusuke would love ska music (or more specifically ska punk?) so id love to find something like that thatd fit him to add on... unfortunately tho i havent heard many ska songs yet so i havent found something specific id want to add. ANYWAYS. my yyh playlist has a variety of genres so there might be something u may click with if you do decide to check it out sometime! my tastes in music are pretty varied, though any type of hard rock music tends to be my favorite, and that defintely reflects on my playlists. tbh if ud want, i could try picking out a few from my playlist for you to check out? either ones i particularly think are especially really fitting for characters, or certain genres youd want to hear or smthn.

i always love getting recommendations for songs that fit characters!! OH MAN i REALLY like tears of pearls for kurahi... i may likely add that to my playlist 👀 usually i like to sit on songs for a bit tho before adding them, gotta let it get a good simmer in my mind. i def hc hiei makes hiruiseki stones (and have a LOT of thoughts about that) (and yeah yukina is SOOO aroace. i hc both her and hiei as very demi- basically fully aroace but with just one exception for them each. which is something i very relate to in regards to my asexuality- tho thats for two fictional characters (shadow and hiei) lol. i go into my thoughts on hiei n yukinas aspec-ness on this post) oo turn back the clocks story about being longer lived than humans would work SO well for kurama, but i think the lyrics are a little too non-specific to his situation for me to fully vibe with (im real picky about imagery, so it being so descriptive about a blonde little girl growing up instead of something i could apply to his mother or human friends makes it not click right as a kurama song for me personally). (ALSO 😭 noo yukina has dealt with enough) OMG kiss by a rose for a hiei-pov kurahi song is SO SWEET.... 🥺🥺 another contender for my playlist <33 OH YES YES YES FUCKED UP OBSESSION SONG THATS KURAHIII BAYBEEEE the horror of my love ALSO a big chance of being added. n tho i can see it, no spill blood doesnt really click as a kurama song for me tbh, but it is a fun one! ohhhh i do like no one lives forever for yusuke... maybe thats one of the ska punk songs ive been needing for him! dead mans party seems fun for him too, may potentially even add it for a yusuke & botan song- i wish she kept her more playful side about death and general dark humor from the beginning throughout the show, so i like to portray her keeping that aspect of her personality. OH I LOOVE I WILL NEVER DIE FOR KURAMA YESSS thank you SO much for these recommends these are such good picks and im probably taking most of them hehe. if you want to recommend any more sometime im totally down! and dw about genre or whatever, i may have certain things i listen to much more often, but theres VERY few things i completely write off music-wise. none i can even think of atm that i would.

What a small 'net! I saw a reblog of your normalize post, & your avatar caught my eye. So I figured I'd peek at your blog in case you had more shiny stuff to see, & noticed you encourage folks tag you in Kurama & Hiei stuff. I pinned in the back of my head that, after checking out your stuff, I should ask if you want a link to skit translations from the Dance Mix CD—then saw YOU'RE the one who made the beautifully-organized Yu Yu Jukebox! That helped me figure out what CDs I wanted to buy! :D <3

yoo hell yeah!! im glad that helped you out!! its always nice to see the things i make can be useful :3 and nice that my kurama icon is catching the eye of fellow yyh fans hehe!

yu yu hakusho is a huuuge hyperfixation of mine, but my adhd has been making me struggle with focusing on doing the creative stuff i wanna do (like drawing and writing), so ive been instead doing a shit ton of other things revolving around yyh- like collecting the music and making the yu yu jukebox channel, ripping frames to post and organize them on my sideblog @reikai-records , and ive also been working on making a dialogue transcript for the dub (still unsure where to put it online when im done with that tho, atm i just have it on google docs, not too far on it)!

i cant remember if ive encountered translations for the skits of the dance mix cd though, id def love to see that!

[laughriot]

Falsettos 2016: An Analysis - Costume

Costumes by Jennifer Caprio.

Read an interview with her about these costumes here

Period Accuracy

It is important to note that what we know as “decades” of fashion didn’t change at the turn of each decade. For example, 60s fashion remained largely in style until approximately 1972 and 70s fashion (the basis for this show’s costumes) was popular until around 1985. Thus, there was not always a noticeable change in the styles of each character's clothing between the two acts.

“March of the Falsettos” is set in the year 1979 and “Falsettoland” in 1981. I believe the costumes in this production communicate this very well.

For example, In The Thrill of First Love Marvin is wearing a square, crochet tie. Crochet was a very popular fashion trend in the 70s, mostly for women’s fashion but often implemented into men’s wardrobes in items such as ties.

Some of the most common silhouettes of women’s clothing in this decade were flared and wide-legged trousers and maxi-length dresses and skirts. These silhouettes are shown often on Trina in Act One.

The colour palette of the 70s featured oranges, greens, and yellows. These colours appear in many of the items in Marvin and Trina’s costumes.

The introduction or increase of colours such as pink, mint green and rich blues (Trina’s jumper and Whizzer’s polo shirt in Falsettoland/About Time, Cordelia’s crop top and Trina and Mendel’s workout clothes in A Day in Falsettoland, the costumes in The Baseball Game as a whole, etc) do a fantastic job of subtly communicating the shift from the 70s to the 80s.

Character, Symbolism, etc

In Act One (March of the Falsettos), Marvin wears mostly smart/work clothes such as button-ups, ties, and a blazer-style jacket). This shows him as the family’s working father. A role in media that stereotypically has connotations of being emotionally unavailable/distant. This furthers communicates how desperately Marvin is trying to be as close to the version of “the man of the house” he’s been taught he needs to be.

However, in Act Two, Marvin’s costume changes to much more casual, comfortable clothes (sweatshirts, etc) which I think communicates his character growth in a subtle yet very effective way. It shows he’s much more comfortable letting go of his pride and showing vulnerability and coincides with when he becomes much more emotionally open and communicative.

In A Day in Falsettoland and More Raquetball, we see Marvin wearing red shorts with rainbows along the outside seam. This communicates to me that he has finally come to terms with and is learning to have pride in his identity as a gay man. Although subtle I think this is a very effective way of communicating his character growth.

In More Raquetball, Whizzer’s costume is much bigger than in A Day in Falsettoland. This is a major hint that he has become ill before he collapses at the end of the song. This is not only a smart way to communicate that he was unwell generally but was very accurate for the illness he has contracted as one of the most well-known symptoms of HIV/AIDS was severe weight loss.

Whizzer’s shirt is white instead of blue in What Would I Do. I believe this choice was made for two reasons.

- To show that Marvin has already begun forgetting things about Whizzer since he has died.

- To make sure the audience is aware that he has passed away (since his death occurs offstage) as white is often correlated with angels/heaven.

[janechristianenot]

Self Assessment

Hello. My name is Jane Christian Enot, just call me Jane. I am 20 years old in the body of a 15 year old girl. I love sweets! My day wouldn’t be complete without eating one. I’m pretty reserved and a private person but I tend to be talkative with my important people. I prefer to stay home and chill, but I still go out with my friends and family since I consider them my true home. Even if I’m 20 I think I’m still ignorant, that’s why I want to continue to learn something. I like it when people gently point out my mistakes in private, it makes me feel important. It made me feel that they want to help me change to be a better person. Though, I still have a long way to go since I still get insecure about those people ahead of me. That’s why I am constantly reminding myself, you should too, that every wing grows at a different pace. Be patient and persistent. Ad meliora!

Personality

Today, I took a personality test today and it took me 5 times before I decided to stop. Out of my 5 results, 3 is virtuoso(istp) and 2 is logistician(istj). I took me 5 test before I stop because the I don’t feel confident with the introduction of the result. Both them describes me but at the same time not. Anyway, let’s focus in with the final result. I get virtuoso(istp-t) and my first reaction is “Eh? But I prefer to stay at home and I’m comfortable if I’m surrounded with people I know.  And what’s with this interesting challenges”. I’m really shocked with my result and I find it funny. However, the more I asked myself “Am I really like this? In what area?” the more I slightly accept the result. Unconsciously, I might like interesting challenges and create some changes in my life. I just remember how it made me excites just the idea of riding extremes rides with my friends, and mind you I haven’t experience any type of ride in my whole life. I want to earn and save a lot of money. I wanna be rich and spoil my family and friends. I want to us to do bungee jumping in China and try the 90 degrees at 63 meters roller coaster in South Korea. Go to a thrift store in South Korea, China and Japan. I hope I can make this happen together with them. It says that people with this personality type are natural makers. Makers of what, story? Lol. I can’t even finished my crochet wallet. Though I like to make foods if I can sell it. Though I agree when it says that people with this personality type often be seen as tomboys, I can still remember my brother often ask me this “What are you, a boy?” though I forgot the reasons. Then when I read the strength and weakness part, I was surprised that most of it is accurate especially in the part where it says that virtuoso people got easily bored. Most of my hobbies is still in the beginners phase because if I found something interesting then goodbye old hobbies. It will take a long time to try those hobbies again. I really hate this attitude, this is this the very reason why I don’t excel in anything. Also, I dislike commitment and being a private and reserved type of people made me lose a lot of good person in my life. It’s very regrettable. As much as possible, I don’t want to experienced again. That’s why I’ve try to change, little by little, opening myself to those people important to me, letting strangers get to know me and letting them enter my life, taking risk even if it might hurt me in the end. Regret over pain. Since the most painful thing you can experience in life is regret. I don’t want to regret not changing and making the same mistakes again.

Innovation Mindset

I also took the Berkeley Innovation Index Test and the result that came up matched my expectation. I’m the type of person who loves my comfort zone and as much as possible I want to stay here as long as I can. I prefer to be alone or be surrounded with those people I let into my life. Perhaps, my comfort zone is the reason why I don’t trust people easily because I only trust people inside my comfort zone which are only few. I don’t have a wide comfort zone and I don’t want to change it since changing your own comfort zone is the same as going out of that comfort zone. However, various situations make me bend my own comfort zone. It made me realize that  not all those people I let inside my comfort zone can be with me 24/7 since they have their own life too. They can’t help all the time and I can’t help them all the time since I don’t have all the knowledge and skills that we need to survive in this world. Which is why there are things that can’t be done alone. I really thought before that my family and few friends are enough, that I can learn all the things this world can offer through them but it’s not and I can’t give that to them too. My knowledge and experiences are very limited, since I always stay at home. There are things that you will only learn by mingling with other people. Every time I ask about something, for example about programming, my family can’t answer me and there’s a chance my friends can’t either. Even google can’t help me all the time. So, my only option is to ask an expert and initiate a conversation even if it’s hard for me to do.  That’s why little by little, I try to change. Time to time I get out of my comfort zone. During activities, even if I don’t trust that person and even if I don’t personally trust that person I still work with them because there’s a chance that they think of me that way too but they still stay professional. It’s really hard to collaborate and talk with people especially if you don’t have the same area of interest but it’s not impossible. In terms of trust in the workplace, there’s a chance that I might not trust them as a person but I might trust their capabilities and the will to do their job successfully. I still have a long way to mend my mistakes and change for the better but at least I’m on my way there.

[jenniferstolzer]

Babylon 5 Rewatch sp 2:18: Confessions and Lamentations

A more fitting episode to be watching in March of 2020 I could not ask for.

A plague has invaded Babylon 5. It preys on the nervous systems of certain aliens, specifically the  Markab. Sheridan and Franklin try desperately to combat the virus both medically and politically as the station is overrun with fear and suspicion.

I’d be remiss not to mention that I, along with most of the planet, am sheltering at home at the moment in fear of Covid19. I’ll try not to dwell on it considering present-day readers are being inundated with not only news of the pandemic, but also rewatches of this episode which have been popping up on the facebook group like crazy. That said, on with the likes/liked lesses.

Things I like about Confessions and Lamentations

1, this is one of the best episodes in the entire show. It’s subtle and tragic and well acted even though a large portion of the dramatic weight is carried by people in full prosthetic. Special tribute to the Markab child who does an excellent job on what I’m going to assume was a very strange role for them, and Lazerann who is MVP of this episode. He was so genuine and sweet, and you really felt the friendship between him and Franklin which is tough with one-episode appearances. The fact that he sacrificed himself for the cause, then offered his body to science, he’s such a genuine person. Then for him to die before telling Franklin who to send his love to... he’s one of the best episode characters. Lazerann even calls Franklin on his drug addiction, furthering his plotline casually in a logical way. Also they gave him one of the best lines. “That seems to be the rule, doesn’t it? Analyze the problem, choose whatever strategy that makes the least sense and do it.” Okay it’s decided, in my headcanon, Laz and Stephen hang beyond the rim. They meet up for drinks and toast to no more death.

2, Delenn’s romance with Sheridan is officially getting started, and it is very cute. Side note... Lennier really is the show’s woobie. He spent two days of his life preparing this meal for Delenn and John, and went with Delenn into the isolation zone. We know in retrospect that he’s doing it out of duty and especially love for Delenn, which makes it seem even more torturous for him to prepare a meal for 2 days on a purification diet only to watch the object of his affection use it to flirt with her potential boyfriend. Lennier aside, though, the touching moments between Sheridan and Delenn are so well done. When she asks to go into the quarantine zone and he refuses to protect her, it’s great subtle scripting and acting, you see how the true meaning simmers beneath. Actually brought a tear to my eye as she promised to see him in the beyond “where no shadows lie”

3, Delenn’s bravery in the quest to give comfort and care to the sick and afraid is a deep and beautiful thing. It should not be overlooked. The tears on the faces of both she and Lennier at the end are not equal to the price paid by the dead, but the value placed on the emotional support of the suffering emphasizes the importance of nurses in times like these. People deserve respect, and to be treated with value and dignity especially when they are sick. When the rest of the station was jeering and spitting on the Markab, these two very important people humbled themselves to treat them kindly and that’s very important. As is her line on the matter: “I didn’t know that similarity was required for the exercise of compassion.”

Things I like less

1, If I’ve learned anything from watching this during the Covid19 outbreak its that those doctors would be in full hazmat but they’d still be in the iso-lab helping. Nurses helping. Doctors helping. Maybe not all of them, but at least some would do it. Medical responders are strong.

2, That asshat barkeep at the end who makes a joke about genocide and spreads conspiracy theories about the vorlons, and how right/accurate/applicable Franklin’s final line to the episode is. We never learn. Never learn. 

other random thoughts:

Ivanova walks into CNC and is like Warren Keffer is doing something useful and Sheridan makes a frog face and is like “Put a stop to it.” Shitting on Keffer is always funny knowing he was a studio mandate JMS didn’t want in the first place. His quest to hyperspace is important to the end of the season, but the metanarrative is so transparent.

Franklin’s surgical outfit looks like his garndma made it with a crochet hook. You gotta laugh at what you can in such an emotionally affecting episode.

Scene:

Lazerann: We have a right to privacy!

Sheridan: No you don’t!

Franklin: I’m here! Give us some privacy!

Me (as Lazerann): RUDE!

WHO ARE THESE LADIES IN EARTH FORCE UNIFORMS? I need to know all of their names RIGHT NOW.

Garibaldi knows the score. We are watching the scapegoat argument play out as we speak in the modern world. Everyone trying to get off the station. Everything in quarantine. Rounding up the Markab will make the illness progress faster and kill more efficiently, but we have to kill the cats right? (also fanfiction note, Markabs have red blood... also Drazi have white blood. You’re welcome)

[warninggraphiccontent]

20 November 2020

Some personal news

Funny how whenever anyone says they have 'some personal news', it's always professional news, isn't it?

It was my turn yesterday. After more than seven years at the Institute for Government, I've decided it's time for a new challenge. I'll be going freelance from 1 January, so please get in touch if you'd like to work with me (all interesting projects on data, digital, openness, government, etc considered). I'll also be working on a book idea. Exciting, if also a little bit vaguely terrifying...

I'll still be an associate at the IfG, and still running our Data Bites event series. (Put Wednesday 2 December in your diary for the next one, and then Wednesday 3 February 2021 after that.)

And - rest assured! - I'll still be writing this newsletter, though it will be taking a break for much of December.

Just one more thing this week: I have a report out (with colleagues Marcus and Oliver) on digital government (in the UK) during the coronavirus crisis. There's a nice write-up from diginomica here, some nice quotes for the paperback from Tanya Filer and Tom Loosemore, and I'll be on the IfG podcast talking about it later. I'm a big fan of this chart, which tells the story of the crisis through visitors to GOV.UK.

This is the second of three reports on digital government we're publishing this autumn - the first was on policy making in a digital world, and the third, on future technology and the government workforce, will be out soon.

Have a great weekend

Gavin

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Today's links:

Graphic content

Viral content

3D Map of COVID Cases by Population, March through Today (r/dataisbeautiful)

Covid in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count* (New York Times)

Here’s a quick thread on what we changed and why (Charlie Smart)

Visualizing Covid-19 Deaths As Spheres in a Tank (r/dataisbeautiful)

Why rich countries are so vulnerable to covid-19* (The Economist)

COVID wriggling its way up county by county, subsiding, and then returning in six dimensions (Benjamin Schmidt)

States That Imposed Few Restrictions Now Have the Worst Outbreaks* (New York Times)

Coronavirus: Inside test-and-trace - how the 'world beater' went wrong (BBC News)

How have COVID-19 rates changed over the last week in England's small areas? (Carl Baker)

New York and the crisis in mass transit systems* (FT)

The kids aren’t alright: How Generation Covid is losing out* (FT)

The vaccines come of age

An effective covid-19 vaccine is a turning point in the pandemic* (The Economist)

Eurozone economy: the struggle to stay afloat until a vaccine arrives* (FT)

The world will soon have covid-19 vaccines. Will people have the jabs?* (The Economist)

Tracking the vaccine race (Reuters)

A man for Four Seasons

Even in Defeat, Trump Found New Voters Across the U.S.* (New York Times)

How Trump’s presidency turned off some Republicans – a visual guide (The Guardian)

Counties That Suffered Higher Unemployment Rates Voted for Biden* (New York Times)

In 2020, the critical must-win states were the 'blue wall'. By 2024, they could be Arizona, Georgia or even Texas (Aron)

Suburban turnout pushed Joe Biden to victory* (FT)

How Suburbs Swung the 2020 Election (Bloomberg CityLab)

Here’s how long it could take to certify the vote in key states — and the GOP efforts to upend that process* (Washington Post)

#dataviz

#ElectionViz: US TV networks have room for data storytelling improvement (Tableau)

Tracking the US election results: 'We needed to be clear, fast, and accurate' (The Guardian)

Sport and leisure

Lewis Hamilton's seventh F1 world title: The stats (BBC Sport)

How new swing techniques are revolutionising golf* (The Economist)

“The Queen’s Gambit” is right: young chess stars always usurp the old* (The Economist)

Who’s in the Crossword? (The Pudding)

Everything else

The State of Ageing in 2020 (Centre for Ageing Better)

Skyscrapers in London: Do we want to reach for the stars?* (The Times)

Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2020 (World Bank)

Boeing’s Max jet set to return just as customers head for exit* (FT)

Behind the tally, names and lives* (Washington Post)

Climate graphic of the week: Siberia experiences record temperatures* (FT)

Meta data

Viral content

Digital government during the coronavirus crisis (IfG)

What has digital government in the UK learned during the COVID-19 crisis? (diginomica)

Investigation into government procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic (NAO)

How DWP managed a surge in demand for Universal Credit during COVID-19 (diginomica)

Vaccine rumours debunked: Microchips, 'altered DNA' and more  (BBC News)

Health

Crowdsourcing Our NHS AI Lab Skunkworks Project (NHSX)

Working on a global mental health databank pilot (Wellcome Digital)

National project shows digital inclusion is key to tackling health inequalities (Good Things Foundation)

UK government

The National Data Strategy for Health and Care (and the other one for everything else) (medConfidential)

The UK National Data Strategy 2020: doing data ethically (ODI)

Matt Warman's speech on digital identity at Identity Week 2020 (DCMS)

Integrated Review (the Prime Minister)

The latest release of @ONSgeography's National Statistics UPRN Lookup links #UPRNs to postcodes (via Owen Boswarva)

The Document Checking Service: trialling online passport validity checks (Government Digital Service)

A possible expansion of FOIA... (via George Greenwood)

Taiwan

How Taiwan beat Covid-19* (Wired)

Taiwan’s civic tech gift to the world (GovInsider)

How Taiwan became a coronavirus success story (IfG, from June 2020)

North America

Data disappeared: four years of the Trump administration (Highline)

How the U.S. Military Buys Location Data from Ordinary Apps (Motherboard)

The federal government’s chief information security officer is helping an outside effort to hunt for alleged voter fraud* (Washington Post, via Alice)

Zuckerberg and Dorsey to be quizzed by Senate following Biden vote victory (BBC News)

Companies could face hefty fines under new Canadian privacy law (CBC)

Analysis (Cory Doctorow)

Everything else

Announcing the Data Collective: Free training, consultancy, peer support, and community for those using data in the social sector (DataKind UK)

Increasingly trusted to find an edge: What it’s like to be a club’s data analyst* (The Athletic)

Design is the strategy* (Apolitical)

An adequacy determination does not resolve the lower standard of data protection in the UK. (Amberhawk)

The TBI Globalism Study: Transparency and Autonomy Should Underpin Online Voting Systems (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change)

The Data Governance Working Group of the Global Partnership for AI is seeking feedback on how we're thinking about our work and scope (via Jeni)

Opportunities

JOB: Director, GOV.UK (GDS)

JOB: Head of Technology and Architecture for GOV.UK opening at GDS (Technology in Government)

COURSE: ANNOUNCING: First of its Kind Executive Course on Data Stewardship — Focused on Data Re-Use in the Public Interest (Open Data Policy Lab)

EVENT: How to enhance the UK’s geospatial ecosystem (Geospatial Commission)

EVENT: UKGovCamp 2021

And finally...

The R number, crocheted. (Statistrikk)

The Civic Tech Graveyard

AI can now produce passable parody song lyrics. The system is called Weird AI Yankovic. Really. (Pando)

[rebeccawebbart]

Human Connectivity with Nature Presentation

Below is the text to a presentation I prepared which focused on the connectivity between Humans and Nature. This piece of research increasingly helped me reflect on my physical practice, as i researched how TV, Scientists and Artist’s had theorised ways in which Nature and Man can co-operate together. Despite my work so far focusing on representing our co-existence with the natural world as distant by trying to highlight the differences in the human image and natural image, what I began this project wanting to do was generate a connection with nature, not highlight how distant our relationship is with nature. So with this presentation I researched on how the existence of Humans and Nature have been brought closer together.

Hannibal: Amuse-Bouche

Bodies are buried, alive but unconscious, and heavily fertilized, with mushrooms feeding from their bodies.

“The structure of the fungus mirrors that of the human brain, an intricate web of connections” - Hannibal

“Maybe he admires their ability to connect the way human minds cant?” - Will Graham

“Is that what your farmer is looking for?  Some sort of connection?” - Hannibal

This combined with the previous scene of the discovery of the bodies interested me. It intrigued me to think about the human body physically connecting with nature, being able to somewhat live in symbiosis with it, or to more accurately in this case, provide a platform to ‘give birth’ to nature.  

“he was talking about people having the same properties as a fungus, thoughts leaping from brain to brain, they mutate the evolve”. After talking directly to the killer, we begin to understand more about his interest in the fungi’s ability to connect in comparison to the human brain and establishing connections. The killer goes onto explain, "if you walk through a field of mycelium, they know you are there...their spores reach of you as you walk by, I know who you are reaching for”

This brought me on to consider, what is mycelium and is it our pathway to re-establishing a closer relationship with the natural world.  

Mycelium. What is it?

Mycelium is the vegetative body for a fungus that can produce mushrooms, however there are some species that do not.

How mycelium grows

Mycelium is a root system. Once a spore lands on appropriate substrates where conditions are suitable the spore will germinate; this is the beginning where the  mycelium forms from a single melismatic cell. Mycelium consists of the growing stem cells of the fungus.

Fungi are heterotrophs meaning they gain energy from their surroundings. Just like humans. The mycelium then grows by releasing enzymes from the hyphal tips of the mycelium, these enzyms go on to digest the surroundings and absorb nutrients. The mycelium grows creating a network, embedding itself through every particle of the soil, which can be so thick that hundreds of kilometers of mycelium can exist underneath a single footprint.                

How mycelium networks  

The mycelial network connects and colonizes itself to neighbouring plants and tree roots in order to transport both nutrients and information between them. It is where the fungal cells interact with the roots, that the exchange of nutrients takes place; this exchange not only connects one species but between species.  

This relationship of symbiosis is referred to as mycorrhiza which is a fungus, the reproductive organs are what we know as mushrooms.

Mycelium networks include a multitude of nodes and links like that of the internet, this consists of

The Hub: Hub trees, which are Larger, older, more established trees nurture their young, but also establishes a network to other neighboring trees.

Mother trees have been found to share their excess carbon to seedlings through the mycelial network increasing the seedlings survival.

When mother trees are injured or dying, they send signals of wisdom to their neighboring seedlings, to increase their knowledge and resistance to potential future threats. Thus, increasing their chance of survival.  

In conclusion, the mycelial network, creates conversation between organisms transferring data and nutrients through an intricate web, uniting individual trees to work together and increase survival.

Many state the similarity between mycelium and the internet, stating it’s natures underground internet, however I am beginning to think of it more of the earths Brain/central nervous system.

Mycelium networks and the brain

In summary, Neurons are impulse conducting cells that connect the brain, spinal column and nerves that make up the central nervous system in vertebrates. Neurons send electrical impulse signals and messages from one place to another within the central nervous system. This, functions very similarly to that of the Mycelial network. Both transmitting information throughout a network in the aim of survival.  

And just like the complex network of neurons in our brains if a branch of mycelium is broken, quickly, information being transmitted will find alternate ways of channeling due to multitude of routes.  

Not only is there a functional resemblance between both Mycelium and Neural networks, but there appears to be a physical resemblance, for example look at the similarities between the cerebellum and mycelium.

These observations are not a surprise when we realise that we are more closely related to fungi than any other kingdom. Just as we exhale carbon dioxide and inhale oxygen so does mycelium, Mycelium is also sentient and can sense our presence as we walk along the forest floor, it will reach up trying to grab debris from the aftermath of our footsteps.

The unification of Mycelium and Humans.

When we acknowledge how similar we are by design, it is interesting to think of our interconnectivity, existing as separate species and to further explore are we really separate entities from fungi, or has fate bound us to mother nature.

From the Ted talk by Paul Stamets: 6 ways mushrooms can save the world, here are a select few points that explore the benefits of establishing our own exchangeable network between humans and mushrooms.

In an experiment with four piles of substrate contaminated with diesel and other patrolium waste. One pile was a control pile, others were treated with either enzymes, bacteria and finally one inoculated with mushroom mycelium.  

The mycelium absorbs the oil and produces enzymes which break down carbon-hydrogen bonds.  The mycelium becomes saturated with the oil. When returning six weeks later, there were three substrates that were dead, dark in colour and stinky, however the pile that was inoculated with mushroom mycelium had in fact grown hundreds of pounds of oyster mushrooms. The enzymes had transformed the hydrocarbons into carbohydrates, which are fungal sugars that served as the fungus’ food.

Therefore, could mushrooms be the answer for reversing the problem of human chemical pollutants?  

Unfortunately, this was one of the main beneficial ways' mushrooms can save the world I could thoroughly understand, however if you want to see more about how mushrooms can tackle problems such as energy crisis’ you can learn more from this video:

https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

After considering the benefits of our collaboration between human and fungi in life, what about in death?

The infinity burial suit  

Artist, Jae Rhim Lee created the Infinity burial project, “an alternative burial system that uses mushrooms to decompose and clean toxins in bodies and deliver nutrients to plant roots”.  

She recalls “A recent study found BPA in 93 % of people 6 and older. But that’s just one chemical. The center of disease control in the U.S says we have around 219 pollutants within our bodies”. She then goes on to talk about how when we die these pollutants will be transferred into our environment, continuing the cycle of toxicity.  To combat this cycle, she proposes the idea of the Infinity burial project. She began exploring feeding her hair/nails/skin to fuel mushrooms, so when she dies the mushrooms will recognize her body and begin to consume her. Through this process she generated the idea of the Mushroom Death Suit which contains mushroom spores within the mycelium inspired crochet design.  

She has stated, “I image the infinity mushroom as a symbol of a new way about thinking about death and the relationship between my body and the environment...it’s a step towards accepting that someday I will die and decay. It’s also a step towards taking responsibility for my own burden on the planet.... Accepting death means accepting that we are physical beings who are intimately connected to the environment... And as the saying goes, we come from dust and will return to dust. And once we understand that we are connected to our environment, we shall see that the survival of our species depends on the survival of our planet. I believe this is the beginning of true environmental responsibility.”

[amieyhko]

The Last (for now) Days of Being a Student

29 Oct 2018

Honestly though, my last semester in uni wasn't very studious. I had one course called Sixteenth Century English Literature in which the professor basically mocked all forms of religion and pointed out all the sexy details in Shakespeare's sonnets. For the final exam, which was three essays long, I wrote one very indignant essay about why I needed more women in literature and how all of the supposedly feminist writers in the sixteenth century were full of *$#% (but in a literary chic way). I got an A.

To top off the not-student like behavior, I TA-ed for my advisor's Freshmen English class. I survived a semester before and couldn't be prouder of myself for the job I was doing. It was mostly writing emails to students, making photocopies now and then, and sending reminders to the professor. The most excruciating part probably was correcting their essays' grammar and spelling. My friend said "Why bother? They probably won't read them," to which I retorted "CUZ I LIKE BEING RIGHT!"  On the anonymous end-of-the-term survey, I've received many confessions of love to which I awww-ed and laughed. But most of them genuinely thanked me for the effort I put into emailing them, asking them questions, and drumroll correcting their grammar.

But why bother reading about my boring school life when you can read about what I have been doing not in school! Here is what went down in my life from April - June 2018.

The Diary of Anne Frank

The best way to cure jet lag is to go straight into tech week the following week. I have experienced many ailments from traveling and found jet lag from Europe to Asia is quite the worst. Fortunately, I signed myself up to run the lights for the Butterfly Effect Theatre's production of The Diary of Anne Frank. This was our second run but this play just doesn't get old. Fun fact about this play: this show's original Broadway cast had young Natalie Portman playing Anne. The Diary has been adapted into many plays but this version doesn't deify Anne into a hero figure but truthfully illustrates the inner drama of a teenage girl and the struggles of seven people living in a cramped up space. Honest to God, I cry almost every curtain call.

During the production, I read many young people don't believe that the Holocaust happened—this information killed me a little. It's absurd that someone wouldn't believe in a historical event with monuments and memorial sites all over the world with many primary sources and survivors who are still alive to tell their stories. Don't even get me started on how good some great works of fiction are based on WWII, like The Reader, Everything is Illuminated, and The Fiddler on the Roof… Also, there was a group of high school students in Taiwan that dressed up as Nazi soldiers and marched around the school for an event. Ignorance is not bliss, naïve is not cute—history is there for us to reflect and learn. I somehow took these news very personally, maybe because I grew up listening to the same Bible stories as the Jews, maybe because I cannot stand uneducated people, probably a combination of both.

A representative from Israeli cultural office was invited to open the show (we had free falafels, hummus, and pita during the last run of the show but not this time, insert whimpering). The weekend swooshed by. I was just thankful I could be a part of a show that spoke a story that some started to neglect.

That was the last time I worked with this theatre company because 1. they did have one last show August but I was helping another show the exact same time 2. rent issues with the theatre space 3. the artistic director got a new job in Vienna. He moved early September and he basically sold everything from costumes to lighting equipments. It was a hectic process to watch a theatre company that I truly felt at home turn into a goodbye yard sale. I learned a lot about running low budget shows, programming with too-old consoles, but most of all I made connections with people I know I will meet again in this tiny theatre world.

Fashion Revolution Taipei

April was a month where I went crazy juggling all about. I collaborated with Totes & Tees, a small social enterprise that focuses on ethical and zero-waste fashion. I have been following this small company for a while through a mutual friend and was really interested in what they did. The owner was also going to be one of the hosts for Fashion Revolution 2018 in Taipei. The idea was to have a runway showcasing up-cycled items handmade by many different designers. I was to crochet a beanie from a no-longer-used piece of fabric. Sadly, I couldn't participate on the actual day because I went on a family trip to…

Rome & Paris

To say this was a family trip would be a misleading statement. My parents were there to lead the seminars they have been running for 10+ years. As I mentioned in Update 3.0, their heart is for the Chinese speaking people all over the world. The Asians basically took over a whole hotel on the outskirts of Rome to host Fathers' School and Mothers' School simultaneously. This meant, there needed to be a baby sitting club. Slowly raise your hands if you're a pastor kid you basically did everything that was assumed of you! (Did I volunteer? Did I chose to be their child? We'll never know) No, I'm not being bitter, I just simply love poking fun at my stereotype. Besides, I was asked nicely to participate in taking care of the children—a member from the Taiwan side of the team had activities prepared for them, I just had to support. I said "WHY NOT? I JUST DID THIS A MONTH AGO!"

But, this crowd was tough. It wasn't like calming down super rowdy Hungarian-Romani children nor was it like being dragged around by crazy bubbly Filipino kids. These were well-educated, cellphone-hogging Chinese-looking kids who preferred classily sitting on chairs, not the floor, chattering away in Italian. Of course, they were all embedded in their Chinese-ness from their parents, so they still understood most of what we were trying to do. However, whenever the head teacher asked them to do something extremely "Asian", my TCK heart ached, feeling all the "well, they are NOT going to relate to that at all…."

Because the seminar lasted three out of the five days we were at Rome, we only had enough time to look around the Vatican and trot around to sneak peek here and there. One of the free days was taken over by a tour set up by the local church. They took us around historical sites that were related to the early underground churches and Apostle Paul. We visited way too many cathedrals that all of them started to look the same. The most memorable place was the underground tunnels where the early Christians escaped to and hid from the Romans. Going to a Christian school, we would always play Underground Church when we had class sleepovers—even though it was just a game, the danger felt extremely real. But as I stood in the tunnel, I could actually really imagine how real their fear must have been. I was in awe of the way these early Christians kept their faith even in the dark, cold underground.

After eating one too many cones of gelato and faking one too many Italian conversations in Spanish, we arrived in Paris. They were only going to host Fathers' School so umma and I had plenty of free time. However, being the only linguistically competent person in the group (but honestly, my French is basically nonexistent), I had to take everyone around the city. I was annoyed at having no time to myself and just my parents but thankfully, appa had three days free and the crowd let us be for two of those days.

Paris' reputation really proceeds itself, it's a bit dirty, there are more rude strangers than nice people, and they really hate you if you ask "parlez-vous anglais?". Despite all the negative stereotypes, I took my little tour group all around the places I've researched in advance. I was also allowed to go off on my own when I wore them all out by 5 p.m. I'm proud to say I've actually hit all the touristy places I wanted to visit with and without the group. We even visited Versailles kudos to the fact umma is so internet-savvy that she actually researched. She was very intent on visiting a few places like Château de Versailles, the top of the Eiffel, and the Louvre—her excuse always being "I'm never coming here ever again!"

After two-ish weeks of venturing around Western Europe, we emptied out the 99 cents cheese blocks at the local Carrefour market, squished it into our luggage, and sat on a long plane ride. Umma commented that I seem to be the "vacation type", she couldn't understand how I could still be so chipper being gone from home so long. Although her observations were accurate, I wouldn't have wanted to stay longer unless I started taking French classes or something—the language barrier was devastating.

Sharon McGill Memorial Service

My dorm mother passed away from cancer last fall. Her favorite drink at Starbucks, toffee nut latte, just came round again. I received the news via McGill dormie Facebook group while I scrolled through my phone during class, bad idea. My commute back home that day seemed five times longer than usual. Halfway through my walk home from the bus stop, I ran into umma. She asked if I wanted to go to Costco with them, then asked why I don't look so well. I honestly had no clue how to break the news. Appa's car rolled around to pick us up for Costco, I said Sharon died, we cried a little and had a moment of silence. I always thought about how umma and Sharon, appa and Terry are the same age. My mums and dads. They are some of the most important people of my life and one of them was gone.

I'd like to think I had enough time to process through this situation. Then I'd realize that not all valleys in life are empty holes. You don't just get over it. You live with their memories. Some days will pain you more than others but they're there to remind you that you are that much alive. You can still feel. As cheesy as I'm starting to sound, this is something I have been needing to remind myself lately.

After what seemed like too long, the day of Sharon's memorial service came. I hopped on the familiar bus from Taipei to Taichung. Visiting high school wasn't a big deal but I've never thought I'd visit because my dorm mum passed away. The auditorium was filled. Dorm kids had priority seats. Terry gave a bear hug to everyone who made it. The whole thing began with Terry mumbling to the mic "Alright, let's get this over with," to which I definitely chuckled. I didn't even bother holding back my laughter or tears or both as they came and went throughout the service. At the end, I could just feel this was a closure that everyone who knew Sharon deserved. I cannot describe what kid of feeling that was. The feeling of home? Feeling of clear certainty. Maybe everyone's love for Sharon somehow became a tangible atmosphere. I must say it almost felt like a wedding.

During the reception, there was a photo time where Terry was huddled around 30-something out of 120-something of his dorm children. Later on he said that was the highlight of his day. He also said no one was allowed to leave the dorms before midnight, to which most of us complied to. Most of the dorm kids that showed up all graduated around '02 or '03 so I was just a little bit very intimidated, mostly because I forgot the fact that we were all bound by the similar experiences of studying in Morrison while living in a dorm with the same dorm parents. It was a good evening to be a McGill Dormie.

Bye Hair Day

I have been notorious for the way I treat my hair. If you know the song "Grace Kelly" by Mika, well, in the chorus, he is singing about my hair circa 2013-2015. Then I stopped. I hated the way my hair felt dry and crinkly, I wanted my normal long hair back. I also remembered I've always wanted to donate my hair to a cancer foundation. It was just something I wanted to cross off my bucket list. So I've been growing my hair out ever since—it took way longer than I thought. Throughout my hair growth, two significant people in my life died from cancer. It felt like I had way more reason to donate now.

June 16th was the date. My friend also wanted to join in. We found Little Princess Trust, an organization that gives out free wigs to young girls who have lost their hair due to illnesses. Their guidelines said they love receiving longer hair because they're more popular. After some measuring I decided to get a buzz cut so that I could maximize the length of hair I could donate. Besides, I've been wanting to have crazy buzzed hair after a couple of years of freakishly long hair. Fickle me, I know.

My hair stylist washed my hair way thoroughly, dried it for what seemed like an hour, tied it up into sections, and snip, it was in a plastic bag. My buzz cut buddy and I couldn't stop rubbing our heads the following few days.

But my oh my, I did not know that a head of hair was keeping me warm all this time. I was constantly dealing with extremely cold overhead AC on buses and I eventually caught a really bad cough for three plus weeks. I now never leave my house without a hat of some sort.

My hair has become so short that I have been tracking my days with hair length. My best friend, Fanny keeps saying it's like watching a little infant grow every week. I told her to stop being so overly dramatic.

oh dear, this is getting real long

Instead of asking how someone's day was, Sharon would ask us three things: 1. what was the low point of your day? 2. high point? 3. what have you learned today? or what do you think Jesus is teaching you today?

So to boil down my April to June into a few pointers, it sucked that I got really sick for almost a month, but I loved getting to travel and do a lot lot lot of things. I'm learning that well-done goodbyes are possible. Currently, I'm learning to do just that—slowly closing up gaps responsibly, honestly, and kindly. God is also teaching me that I'm allowed to chose and do what I love (but more on that next update).

Thank you for catching up on my life, I promise the next post will be just as long.

[saf-unite]

The injustices that exist in farmworker camps have worsened and have been amplified because of the pandemic. One of the major problems that has come with COVID-19 is that many farmworkers do not have access to the resources they need to combat the virus-- including masks/sanitizer and accurate information about the seriousness of COVID-19. In addition, the housing at farmworker camps and their work hours have not been properly accommodated to limit the catch and spread of the virus. Some growers have taken initiative to try limiting the spread by not allowing anyone to enter or exit farmworker camps. Even though this form of quarantine seems to be a safe, easy option, farmworkers now struggle to have access to food and medical care, and information about current updates concerning the pandemic. Finally, farmworkers who are experiencing symptoms often don’t get tested because they are afraid of losing their jobs.

At the beginning of my internship, in order to combat these COVID-related struggles that farmworkers are facing, I participated in a lot of food/supply drop offs. However, as the COVID-19 cases in South Carolina increased, I had no other choice but to heavily limit my work out in the fields. At first the transition from doing outreach to working at home was difficult for me, but after some thought I began to see my new workspace as an opportunity to creatively and indirectly help farmworkers combat the virus. My first idea was to amplify the mask-making project assigned by SAF by tie-dying and sewing the masks to make them more durable. Later, after collecting gently-used clothes from friends and family, I decided to organize and donate them to farmworkers who don’t have access to stores because of the pandemic. My final project began after watching my mom crochet baby blankets. I became inspired by the craft and decided to help her make some blankets to donate to families.

The transition I made in my work routine this summer taught me that the behind-the-scenes work from home can be just as important as work in the fields. Even though I wasn’t interacting with farmworkers, I was still able to create and provide resources which will benefit and improve the lives of many. I also noticed that working with SAF dramatically shifted my opinions, perspective, and personal philosophies. From doing research, to working in the fields, to working from home, I have realized how important each contributor and contribution is to SAF and the farmworker movement. I made an important personal realization: there is still so much left for me to learn about the world around me. I should never be comfortable with what I know at any given moment but strive to learn more and challenge my ideals. Because of these realizations, I plan on continuing to support SAF and the farmworker movement in the future, and I will make sure I will never forget the impact that SAF, the South Carolina Migrant Education Program, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, and the members of the farmworker community have made on my life.

– Isabel Del Mastro, 2020 SAF intern SC Migrant Education

[yhtackstitches-blog]

What is Crocheting?

Crocheting is the process of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials using a crochet hook. Being a crocheter means you need to have patience and determination. Counting accurately is a major part of crocheting. This is more difficult than many other chores. It is imperative to have an idea about the types of crochet. Below are some of the types of crocheting that are worth mentioning:

Amigurumi Crochet

Amigurumi is a crochet art form that originated in Japan. It refers to the making of small, stuffed toys or creatures made from knitted or crocheted yarn. Amigurumi holds a meaning where Ami means crochet or knit and nuigurumi means stuffed doll. If you ever see a little doll or toy made from yarn, that’s amigurumi. Hello Kitty, Plants VS Zombies and Mario Kart are popular themes for amigurumi. By using amigurumi crochet you can make children’s toys and fan items.

Aran Crochet

Aran refers to ribbed or cabled crochet. It’s traditionally Celtic style crochet with interlocking cables. It is also useful to make chunky beanies, sweaters, and scarves. Aran is also a weight of yarn so be wary of that when you read the word ‘aran’ in a pattern. When you see a picture of someone snuggled under a big, cozy-looking blanket – that’s aran. You can make Blankets, Lapgans, Jackets, Coats by using this type of crochet.

Bavarian Crochet

This is a vintage crochet stitch that traditionally works in rounds like granny squares. It creates a thick fabric. Also, it allows for blended color changes rather than sharp color changes like with granny square. Each section has two parts – a base row of clusters and then a row of shells worked on top. Bavarian crochet looks like fancy granny squares. By using Bavarian Crochet you can make Shawls and Blankets.

Bosnian Crochet

Bosnian crochet forms a dense, knit-like fabric using just the crochet slip stitch. Moreover, you can buy Bosnian crochet hooks but it can also be worked with regular crochet hooks. It’s also sometimes called Shepherd’s knitting. Besides, it looks quite a lot like knitting. You can make scarves, beanies and other small items by using Bosnian Crochet.

Broomstick Crochet

Broomstick is a vintage crochet stitch. It is also sometimes called jiffy lace and it’s made with a traditional crochet hook. However, the stitches are formed around something long and wide like a broomstick handle. Nowadays, crocheters use large crochet hooks or thick dowel to do broomstick lace. In fact, broomstick lace is an excellent crochet skill to learn and it results in a very beautiful and unique final product. By using Broomstick Crochet you can make Delicate shawls and Throw blankets for decoration.

Though crocheting seems easy, it needs a lot of hard work and dedication. If you are looking to crochet a baby blanket, bonnet or other fabulous custom made gifts, make sure to contact Yhtack  in Stitches. Check out our services and get the most out of it. It has become easier than before to gift some extraordinary embroidered products!