#halfspun crafts

[halfspunthreads-crafts]

Finally finished this BEAST of a blanket. It measures approximately 72"x60" and ended up being like... a hundred hours of labor? Probably more, tbh.

I should have woven in the ends as I worked but... I didn't. I've learned nothing from this and will probably do the same thing on my next project. Such is hubris.

It would look better blocked out, but I literally have no space in my house to wet block something this size. I just have to do the old "pull it in a couple directions until it looks right" trick. Also, it's going to be a long while before I do another blanket. I don't mind keeping track of the stitches but it's a bear to have that much weight on the needles.

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Didn't block it yet or add the handles, but this is the perfect size for a bookbag/small shopping bag. For future projects, I think starting from the bottom and working up might work better rather than going top-down.

Overall, I'm pretty happy it ate up a bunch of my scrap yarn and it'll be a useful little gift for my friend the next time I see him. (Can you tell his favorite color is blue?)

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New Garage Kit!

Finally got my hands on an old model of KOS-MOS! It's been out of stock for ages but they just did a small run recently.

It's a very striking old kit and E2046 really delivers on rare/old characters. Highly recommend if you're into modeling, but be aware they do sell 18+/adult kits.

Okay, there's a fair amount of junk left behind, but nothing seems warped or broken. (TBF I've never had snapped parts from them. Of the dozen or so figures I've ordered all have been in great shape.) Older kits always have a certain amount of cutting, smoothing, and bending.

I don't have to do any face work, which is good, since I suck at it. And hands/fingers are also a thing of my nightmares. The hair might need a little heat bending, but we'll see what it looks like on the dry fit. The details are gorgeous on KOS-MOS, but they're going to require so many painting sessions.

I need to do a bit of filling for some of the pieces, though once I grind the extra tags and stuff off it'll fit better. Plus the pegs are... really bad? I'll definitely need to drill in some better support. Outside of a couple of solid ones on the legs, they're way too shallow for weight-bearing sections.

Wait. Aren't there a ton of super delicate pieces on this kit? Like, look at them wrong and they crack thin layers?

Oh. Oh no. There are 53 pieces on this, please no. ALL of them need fit adjustments?

Well... Shit. Art is suffering, I guess.

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I was gifted a new seam ripper recently. It's very nice. Ergonomic, good stainless so it'll hold its edge, and even a cute color. Overall, 10/10 thoughtful gift.

But I'm sorry, I'm going to keep using my cracked, cheap little ripper that I've been using since high school for any personal projects. The seam ripper and I share an emotional connection. I have sobbed with rage while using that thing. It has seen me giggle while taking out the seams for a pregnant friend's pants. It has sat there and NOT been used for a project that went perfectly for the first time.

I don't care if it's falling apart and hurts my hands to use. I'm emotionally bonded to my garbage tool.

[halfspunthreads-crafts]

Sweater Update

So I realized as I was doing some fit testing that I made this sweater several sizes too large but I had intended to have a loose fit. (Maybe not quite this loose, but live and learn. I have wide shoulders and didn't think about reducing the body width.) I'm going to add some asymmetrical stripes in blue to the sleeves and finish with a relatively wide cuff, so it's really just the home stretch from here.

I decided I like the color combination a lot more after adding in the bottom ribbing. It looks a lot better in daylight than it does under my working lights.

Not pictured: my cat, about two seconds from tearing down this sweater for daring to exist in his vicinity. He's a jerk.

[halfspunthreads-blog]

Everyone needs a hobby they can be bad at. Just, no thoughts about quality, no issues with pace or shame about how you compare to others. Just a thing you enjoy that has zero pressure.

In other news, I tried using a drop spindle for the first time in several months and I have the lumpiest, most inconsistent yarn. It's ugly as sin and a child could do better.

I'm going to make an ugly little hat. :)

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Sir, I was trying to FINISH that quilt this weekend. (Buddy then proceeded to give me the stink eye and go back to sleep. The jerk.)

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One day you're going to think that project doesn't need row markers because you've done this pattern a million times! You'll remember which row you're on no problem.

That's the devil talking and you're not going to realize until later that you SKIPPED FIVE ROWS.