#used a crochet pattern for this because it's just INSANE

[uncanny-tranny]

Another bonus to learning a fiber art is being able to speak to others in a Lovecraftian language that nobody else understands...

...and also being able to read things like THIS:

[sunsorbit]

thought i would archive my crocheting progress where i can easily always look it up :3

this pattern is soooooooo. what the hell. almost done with it too only like 4/5 more rows to go i think!!! this is splendid serendipity by the loopy stitch and it’s just so gorgeous i am in love

so many new stitches i have never done before (popcorn, v, shell, front and back post stitches, bubble, and a bazillion clusters of various heights, and i am sure the last few rows will introduce even more)

important to note that the original pattern switches colors a bunch, and i am doing this all continuously without cutting the string ever lmao. this means i had to start new rows in funky unintended ways and these past three or four rows in completely different places than the tutorial/pattern actually does. because i’m silly and whatever

also it’s insane how my color changing yarn just almost perfectly matched for each round, i am in love (i am using Lang Yarns Merino+ Color Extrafine Superwash / No Mulesign, in color 926.0210 which is gorgeous but expensive so i am gonna try another square with some different yarn)

[batbirdies]

You know I use Pinterest to browse recipes and find crochet patterns and keep track of crafty ideas and occasionally for hair styling videos or gift ideas.

But dear god it’s become almost unusable because of ads. And I don’t just mean the amount of them. I am SO TIRED of the beauty ads they’re insane. It’s no wonder women have low self esteem and much worse when I come across ads that are for (and these are just off the top of my head):

A machine that gets rid of cellulite, red light therapy for your under eye bags, makeup that matches your skin tone, hair extensions, eye lash extensions, lip plumper, electric muscle contractors for your face to make your cheek bones stand out more, teeth whiteners, volumizing hair products, Invisalign braces, similar retainer like things that make your teeth look straight, products to make your hair thicker, products to make your hair grow longer, laser hair removal, diet programs, work out programs, exercises that supposedly target the fat in one specific part of your body (do not get me started), custom vitamins to target problems like hair loss and acne, collagen threads (????), so MANY goddamn leggings that make your ass look bigger, body suits that make your waist smaller, goddamn pheromone perfume??

And this is just what I can think of off the top of my head I feel like I’m being purposely driven mad.

[awyeahitssam]

Stiles crochets magic shit. Fluff. 

His mother made cards, his father carves, and Stiles crochets. 

At first it’s just something to keep his fidgety hands busy, and by the half dozen wonky scarves and blankets it’s clear that it’s more for mental preoccupation than making something nice, but then Stiles discovers that you can actually make creatures with yarn. There are free online patterns for superheroes, Pokemon, video game characters—all of which he already likes. 

Also, some people sell that shit, and he’s been looking for a source of side income on top of babysitting and selling essays to high school kids.

So Stiles is twelve when he starts. And he’s a damn perfectionist, hiding all his first attempts away until his stitches are even and his embroidered features precise. 

It’s something to help him unwind. He can binge watch and crochet at the same time, or listen to music and audio books. Eventually the motions are ingrained enough that he only has to keep half an eye on whatever he’s doing to push his hook through the proper stitch, and the rest of his attention is devoted elsewhere. He’s even managed to read while he’s at it, going down a rabbit hole of loosely connected wiki articles. 

Stiles is 13 the first time he makes Batman, his long time favorite hero. After he’s finished sewing all the pieces together and adding the bat emblem, he holds it up to the light to inspect with a proud grin and yelps in surprise. Because the tiny arms reach out, seemingly of their own accord, and wrap around his hand in a soft hug. Stiles hadn’t used posable wire. It shouldn’t be able to bend that way and stay. 

“What the fuck,” Stiles mumbles, confounded. The doll’s embroidered straight mouth curls into an impossible smirk, and the amigurumi falls limp in his hold. The only way Stiles knows he hadn’t hallucinated it all is because the upturned lips remain instead of the straight, serious line he had embroidered. 

Stiles blinks. Tries to write it off. 

But he’s always been overly aware of mental illnesses - it comes with the territory of loving information and having a clinically insane mother - so he starts selling his creations. They’re cute and niche enough that he gets $25 to $40 a piece, and considering that the activity relaxes him and only strains his wrist… Well, it’s better than them just collecting dust in his closet. He still writes essays, and instead of pitching in on groceries he shops cheap with what his dad is willing to spend. 

Eventually he has enough for an MRI, $1,372.00 without insurance, plus a signed consent form from parent or guardian. He goes a couple of towns over, outside of Beacon County, unwilling to let the gossip reach his dad’s ears. The bill never comes - he brings a cashier’s check, less suspicious than cash - but a letter does, confirming the doctor's original findings. 

He keeps the clean bill of health tucked at the bottom of his yarn stash, and pulls it out whenever he needs reassurance. So really, whenever he finishes making something and it begins to move.

His Harry Potter tends to end up pitched off the bookshelf or in Voldemort’s lap. Don’t look at him--he has no control over them once he’s tied off the last bit of yarn and tucked it away. 

He never gets super into anime, but he does end up watching a few. And Alphonse Elric cookie jar becomes one of his proudest creations. And then of course he can’t leave Al without his older brother, plus Ed is a complete badass. Stiles is in awe of him. Someone who does that kind of alchemic calculations on the fly just to add skulls to shit is a dramatic hoe, and Stiles can respect that. Tom Riddle sits next to him on the bookshelf, because that’s where the dramatic hoes live. If Stiles ever made a Peter doll, he’d have earned his place there. 

Once werewolves become a thing, Stiles can’t help himself. He makes a Remus Lupin, and then gives him a pack of wolves in gray, black and white. They trot around his nightstand, tugging impatiently at his sleeve every time he’s assembling another packmate.

They understand, just as Stiles does, that pack is important. Scott couldn’t get that lesson through his head, but Stiles knows it to his core.

…

Stiles slips off his shoes and curls up in the nook, grabbing a 3.50mm hook and two skeins of yarn. He connects to the Wi-Fi and puts Parks & Rec on while he crochets, occasionally remembering himself enough to reach out and sip at his slowly melting blended mocha. He’s just finished Deadpool’s body when somebody sits across from him, and he pulls one earbud out with a scowl, glancing up.

Peter Hale sits across from him with a small smirk and a hot drink, eyes meeting his for a moment before he cracks open a book. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Stiles blinks at him, the intrusion hardly registering as an annoyance because Peter hasn’t started talking, and stares for another bemused moment before replacing his ear bud and hitting play.

He was relaxed in minutes, movements smooth and practiced as he started the head. He felt eyes on him, but they only stayed long enough to catch Stiles’ awareness but not make him self conscious. 

He finished off his drink and another was set in its place by the barista, who met his eyes and winked. Stiles blinked back, then smiled warmly in thanks and stopped reaching for his wallet. 

He finished off Deadpool's head and shuffled for some more materials. The small red coffee mug filled with dark brown yarn and a little extra fiber-fill to imitate steam is quick work, only the size of his fingernail and fiddly enough that he had to focus. 

He waits until the two people in line have their orders, then goes to pass off the bauble. 

The barista gasps. Her name tag says Aria, but she always takes a beat too long for it to actually be her name, so to him she’s simply the barista. 

“This—is worth more than a free coffee,” she says, not exactly a rejection. She’s clearly enchanted by the tiny piece, which is nice. Stiles does like to be appreciated, even if his talent in this is the only thing that ever seems to earn it. 

“Pretty sure you’re up to around six free coffees now,” Stiles countered with a bemused little smile. 

The barista huffs. “Don’t tell the boss,” she mumbles, taking his creation at last. 

Stiles laughs at that. The boss—Rachel Zohinder—was absolutely besotted by the barista, and wouldn’t say a word against it. “Our secret,” he agrees. 

She tilts back a smile, small but true. “Show me if you finish before you leave?” she requests. 

Stiles shrugs. Nods. 

He ignores Peter’s eyes when he slips back into the booth, gnawing at his lip absently as he feels around for his wire.

Cheers to Hook, Yarn, Sinker by pprfaith that started my crochet journey in 2016. A truly gorgeous Steter story.

[nyxnightshade7656]

Hooked Pt10

I am so sorry, I am a manager at a retail store and things have been insane with how behind we are with stock and several other things. I have not lost interest, I still want to keep working on this, but updates are slower right now. I am so so so so sorry!

All that being said, any ideas for where to go/what scenes ya'll might wanna see, feel free to let me know in the comments.

She hummed as she glanced at the pattern on her laptop screen. She was, once more, working on a crocheted little stuffed animal. This time, it was a dragon. The little dragon was purple, with bright yellow eyes. It was going to be a gift for Kitty Pryde. Kitty had been going through a rough breakup lately, so she wanted to give the girl something to cuddle. So far, she had the back legs, the front legs, the wings and the head made. Now she was working on the tail and body as one piece. She loved crocheting, it was soothing and helped keep her ADHD and generalized anxiety under control; so, she looked for as many excuses as possible.

Once more, she had been left at the mansion, the X-Men dispatched on some mission or other; she didn’t get many details about what they were doing. Scott, for all that he accepted her into the mansion and lives of the X-Men, he didn’t trust her with mission details. Which, as far as she was concerned, was fair. She was an unknown factor. And Scott was about as OCD as it got, control was his safe space, so she didn’t bother to challenge that. Wolverine, however, had given her far more details than she needed. And she knew that the only reason he did was because Scott was still right there, listening. Her father loved nothing more than to get under Scott’s skin, and he was not above using his own daughter to do so; much to her chagrin.

Once Logan was done with her, and the yelling at Logan started from Scott, Remy had pulled her to the side, a slightly worried look in his red-on-black eyes. Things had been quiet at the mansion, just like it had been before the attack. But this time, her instincts hadn’t been on edge, so she had been fairly relaxed up to that point. But Remy did not seem to share that same sentiment with her. He hadn’t wanted to leave her at the mansion without any of the main offensive team there as a defense. It had taken quite a bit more effort to convince him she would be fine than she had initially thought it would, but eventually, she succeeded, and he reluctantly agreed. She was surprised, however, when; as she was turning to allow him onto the jet, she was whirled around and pulled into a fierce kiss that stole her breath away. Before she could do anything in response, Remy had pulled away, winked at her, and leapt into the jet.

That was three days ago, and she really hoped her dad hadn’t tried to kill Remy the instant he got onto the jet. Now, she was in her room, music blaring, laptop and phone set up; yarn, needles, hooks and scissors all strewn around her desk as she crocheted to her hearts content. She had already made herself a Hello Kitty mermaid, a witch Kuromi, and a Kuromi that looked like it had come out of “Gone with the Wind”. Logan had often called her a ‘Princess Tom-Boy’ because she liked cute, adorable things, but also liked climbing trees and playing in mud. Kitty and Jubilee had both made comments about her preferred style of clothes; comfortable jeans or short shorts, tank tops, leggings, skirts and combat boots or flips flops. She was either punky-goth, or down-home southern punk. Jubilee had even asked her if she owned anything in a color other than purple or black. She had responded, through her phone, with the comment ‘black is such a happy color, Darling.’ And had died a little inside when Jubilee didn’t get the reference. Thankfully, Jean had come to her rescue.

She was just putting the finishing touches on the little dragon when she heard it. There was a commotion outside, from the direction of her window. She tensed, mentally preparing herself for an onslaught of emotions, and made her way to the window. She did not open her blinds, that would reveal that she was there and aware, and that was the last thing she wanted. But she looked through the slats of the blinds as best she could without touching them. In her room, she was better protected from emotional onslaught, her own emotions soaking into her belongings acted like something of a shield for her. As such, she was able to get an accurate idea of what was going on without her Empathy muddling her thoughts.

There were no soldiers this time. No, this time it looked like other mutants. However, she was not aware enough of different mutant factions to know who this particular group might be. She did, however, take note of a man in bright red and purple. He seemed to be the leader, and he was just floating in the air, directing the other hostile mutants. This was bad. She walked over to her closet and grabbed the only potential weapon she had, a walking stick that was about as tall as she was, which wasn’t very; but a five-foot-tall stick was a little more impressive than a five-foot-tall young woman at the very least. She had just wrapped her hand around the walking stick when she heard a voice gasp out, “We’re under attack, girl we have to get you out of here!” There was not a single thought that ran through her head, all she knew was fear and surprise as she swung around, hands on the stick, and aimed right for where she had heard the sound. Instantly she regretted her instinctual reaction, as she was swinging at someone from the mansion, not an enemy.

“Whoa! Good thing it was me! That would have knocked anyone else out! Good swing though, remind me to have you on my team next time we all play baseball.” Kitty gave her a reassuring smile. The stick had, thankfully, phased right through her head instead of impacting her. She lost her footing with the lack of impact, but Kitty steadied her, “Easy. But seriously, we’ve got to get you with the rest of the non-combatants. We’ve got several safe rooms throughout the mansion, but the best one, and the one we have everyone else currently in, is actually the Danger Room. It has its own defenses and everything.” She bit her lip and rubbed her face but nodded. She had a bad feeling about all of this, but there was nothing else that could be done right now.

Kitty led her through the mansion, occasionally using her power to phase them both through walls when there was the risk of being seen, but she could tell it was wearing Kitty down to keep doing it. Kitty had only recently learned how to phase other people with her, after all. She could only imagine how taxing it had to be on the brunette. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do to help Kitty, other than remain as silent as she always was. Things were going well, but once more that just put her teeth on edge. Too much was going smoothly while the mansion was being invaded. And once more, she regretted the thought. Because nearly as soon as she thought it, they were both knocked into the opposite wall by a powerful blast. This time, she was about to tuck and roll, falling just like all her old gymnastics training taught her; to mitigate damage and absorb as much of the impact as she could. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kitty fly through the wall as if it didn’t exist.

She looked around, trying to see what had caused them to go flying. There was a huge hole in the wall, roughly three times bigger than she was tall. What on Earth could cause a hole that big? Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she regretted it once more. Because there, in the massive hole in the wall, was a man that looked like he had to be six or seven feet tall. He was covered in blond fur, hair? He was fuzzy, but not in the same way that Kurt was. She recognized him, where she hadn’t recognized anyone else when she had glanced out of her window earlier. He was technically her Uncle, since he was the Wolverine’s brother. Victor Creed. The Sabretooth. She felt her breath catch in her chest, her eyes wide. She wasn’t sure how much Sabretooth knew about her, she doubted that Logan went on coffee dates to keep his estranged brother up to date on his life.

Sabretooth took a deep breath through his nose, clearly sniffing the air, “I was promised Logan. But you smell like him. Why do you smell like Logan, Brat?” Sabretooth stalked forward, eyes on her like a ravenous animal stalking its prey. She felt cornered, literally and figuratively. She could taste his rage and chaotic violence on the air. Habanero and durian. But worse, the taste of burning hair and flesh filled her senses. The desire to rend and tear, to kill in cold blood. It rolled off of Sabretooth in cold, harsh, waves that had her skin crawling. Her back pressed up against the wall, she had nowhere to go. Kitty was nowhere to be seen, the X-Men weren’t even on the same continent, as far as she was aware. Her fingers tightened around the walking stick she still held. Her entire body was so tense, she didn’t want to die. But what could she do against someone who very clearly killed for fun? Sabretooth raised both hands, which looked more like clawed paws than hands; and she reacted without thought. She swung the walking stick with every once of strength she had.

“Is that it? Really? How fucking pathetic!” The walking stick had impacted, her arms were still shaking with it; and snapped in two against the side of Sabretooth’s head. He hadn’t even flinched. And now she was going to die. The rage was overwhelming, her head was starting to swim, affecting her ability to stand up. If it weren’t for the fact that she was pressed against the wall, she would be swaying with the force of his hatred and rage. His emotions were so overwhelming, she couldn’t even feel her own emotions. Just his spicy rage permeated everything around her, her own mind a haze of red-red-rage. But then another voice joined the fray, distracting both her and Sabretooth.

“Leave the girl, Sabretooth. She is of far more use to us alive.” She wanted to scream, to thrash, to bite and claw. Part of her was aware that those thoughts were caused by Sabretooth’s own emotions suppressing hers, but part of that was the instinctual urge to do exactly what she was told she couldn’t. She glanced out of the corner of her eye towards the new voice. It was the man in purple, she still had absolutely no idea who he was, but clearly he was a man of influence. He held himself with an air of power and control, authority that set her teeth on edge. Because it wasn’t the kind of power or authority that was earned or used for good. No, this man had an air about his that just screamed ‘I’m better than you and I know it.’ Which made her want to rip the high-horse right out from under him. But she wasn’t a fighter. She wasn’t, for all that she had the temper of a redhead, she was not a fighter.

Sabretooth snarled but grabbed her by the arm with a bruising grip, a couple of his claws even split the skin causing her to bleed. He yanked her over to the man in purple, who looked her up and down, “You will lead us through the mansion.” She shook her head, instantly denying his order. Sabretooth shook her; violently enough to make it feel as if her teeth were rattling in her head, “I wasn’t giving you a choice, girl. Now, first, you will lead us to the Danger Room.” She tensed. How did he know about the Danger Room? Did he know about the X-Men? Did he know Xavier? She wished she had paid more attention when Kitty, Rogue and Jubilee tried to tell her more about the X-Men and the people they fought in the past. Maybe she would know who this guy was. Sabretooth seemed to grow tired of her not answering, because he slammed her against the wall, knocking all the air out of her lungs, “Answer! Before I rip your throat out! Then you’ll have a reason to not talk!” Instantly, she had a brief flashback to her childhood, the one Logan had saved her from before adopting her. The emotions she felt back then reared their heads again. Fierce determination, the need to survive, and a vindictive streak a country mile wide. They wanted to be led through the mansion? Fine. She would lead them.

[phasesofpencilsmain]

Save me crochet tumblr

Crocher tumblr save me

So I've been trying to make this bobble crochet pattern for a few days now

I can't do a normal foundation chain cus that makes it way too tight and curls up. Recently i found a video by TL Yarn Crafts explaining how to do a foundation crochet that's super stretchy.

I was excited to try it out but i think because the single crochet row is also the same row as the foundation row, it puts the first row of single crochet on the wrong [as in incorrect for what the pattern wants] side and makes the single crochet rows after between the bobbles too visible.🤔 [test swatches: left is from the crochet foundation chain, right from a normal (but twisted) foundation chain]

i guess another row of single crochet would fix that problem but then i would have 2 rows of single crochet to begin with and im a bit worried about how that would affect the rest of the pattern, esp since i think the pattern wants me to slip stich around the panels when done to join them and mentions that "the top and bottom stiches should match up perfectly".

Wondering if anyone has some advice on this? Should i just do the extra sc row and ignore/tuck in the foundation chain when i go to join? Or should i just stick to a typical foundation chain?

[Also if you're wondering how I've been stuck on this simple pattern for days with no actual progress, aside frok the foundation chain problem, it's also because I'm using a different yarn for the project that's chunkier and fuzzier. And some how, some way, no matter how careful i am, i keep LOSING stitches in the sea of white/cream fuzzy yarn. and yes it's driving me entirely insane about it.]

[centralsaints]

my knitting opinions since I started about a month ago

I fucking hate purling and therefore i hate doing rib. I'm trying to be more at ease with the norwegian purl just cause of the way I hold and tension my yarn naturally

I don't trust the needle size indicated on yarn. I prefer to have my stitches be looser. my tension used to be a death grip because I did so much crochet colorwork

I think some patterns prices are insane. the other day I saw a pattern for like. the most basic square knit sweater, no ribbing, all stockinette, for 21 canadian dollars. WHAT DO YOU MEAN

with that said I love looking at something doing construction in my head and start knitting and not follow a pattern <3

it's okay if I don't fix mistakes or if my tension is uneven that is in fast the look I like. messy and distressed and punk

[steveharrington]

I’m looking into getting into crochet :) where would you say is a good place to start?

YAYYY 🌸🧚🏻‍♀️ i’d say it depends a little bit on what specifically you want to start out making! i started with amigurumis and at first i relied a lot on youtube tutorials <3 there is one specifically (this one to be exact) that shows the pattern on screen while the creator explains how to do the magic ring, count the stitches, increase & decrease, etc. and that was soooo insanely helpful as a beginner. looking at patterns without any context or reference for what they mean is super daunting, so i think tutorials that break it down for you are key to understanding how to read a pattern. if you’re starting out with wearables or blankets i would say it’s honestly a little easier to find tutorials for learning those. i watched crochetguru on youtube for awhile to learn just single crochet rows, making small stuff like dishcloths & the like. ultimately yeah i’d say go out and buy like 2 colors you like, some hooks, some safety eyes if you’re interested in amigurumi, and just sit down with youtube. also stay patient and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t click immediately, because for every single crocheter i know there was a lot of trial and error involved at the very beginning!! my first ever octopus made using that tutorial:

[alienducky]

So the second tail attempt is going well... 👀💧

I started doing the tail segments thinking "well they've got to be longer anyway, so I'll just vaguely base them off what i did first time", got to seven out of thirteen and realised that yeah, I'd fucked up my numbers somewhere and it was going to be massive

So I undid it all back to three so I wouldn't waste yarn and just added extra rows to the first pattern but I'm now left with all this extra yarn hanging around that I can't do anything with, because I can't sew up till I'm ready to put the plastic skeleton and stuffing in, which I can't do till everything is finished so I know how much skeleton I need to buy

(I only have a foot each of the three sizes I'm going to use atm, to see how chunky and bendable they were)

On the one hand, I imagine things will be easier if I crochet everything before stuffing and sewing it, because I remember things being awkward with the first one. But on the other hand, the yarn tails are going to drive me insane and I like sewing as I go so I don't have to do it all at once

😮‍💨

[pomrania]

Hello! You mentioned in the replies to a post yesterday that you've crocheted your own wizard hats so I was wondering if there was a particular pattern you might recommend?

I've been designing my own stuff. I can't give you a PATTERN, but I can describe how I do it; you'll need to work out all the numbers yourself. I genuinely mean that; the numbers depend not only on your gauge, but the size of the head and how large you want the thing.

The base concept is simple. Working in the round, you make a cone; then once the cone is a proper size to fit on the head, widen it out so that it starts being like a circle instead.

For me, I have it that in the 'hat' bit, I increase by three stitches, every other round; that gives a slope I prefer. Then when I get to the 'brim' part, I start increasing by six stitches every round.

(There's also a second piece to my wizard hats, for making the brim less floppy. I do something in like a 'ring' or 'donut' shape, the same size as the brim; and then I attach that piece to the brim, so it's a bit stiffer. This, or any other support, is less necessary the smaller the brim, because gravity; and I suppose there's other ways of making a brim not droop so much, but I can't speak to them because I've never done those.)

The tricky bit, the part that's going to have you swearing until you figure it out, is 'getting the numbers right so the hat actually fits properly'. Unless you're lucky enough that your first guess is accurate, you'll try the hat on and it'll be too small to fit, or too large, and you'll have to undo a bunch of work and either keep doing the 'cone' bit for longer, or start on the brim sooner. Even if you've taken measurements and done the math for it, you might find out that it's not quite comfortable, so you have to adjust it if you don't want to dread wearing it.

Also, these things take a while to make. My most recent hat, I finished it in [time redacted because I don't want people to get the wrong impression], but that's because I'm insane and also stayed up too late working on it. At a sensible rate, it'd be a couple weeks. Thankfully though, aside from "figuring out where exactly to start working on the brim" (and that's only tricky until you've got it worked out; after that, you can just use the numbers you'd discovered), it's incredibly basic stuff to do, so it's safe to engage autopilot for most of it.

Hope that explains things; if something doesn't make sense, or if you've further questions, just ask me about it.

[uncanny-tranny]

One of the great things about fiber arts (at least to me) is that... you outright own the things you make. It's hard for me to comprehend actually owning something, and that's that. The item you have created doesn't need to come with strings attached (pun intended).

In a world where you are constantly buying things but not owning any of it, truly, it's such an odd experience to actually have ownership of your labour, time, and love like that.

[crochetraptor]

Just finished the Halloween garland today!

It's quite the mix of patterns because I wanted candy corn but not just that.

Most of the pieces came from this free pattern. I did everything but the cat with my own amounts ( I started going a little insane by the ghosts).

I then used this free pattern for the candy corn. I just changed the colors to be more like candy corn. (These were my favorite to make)

Finally the string is just a long foundation crochet line!

I used an E 3.5mm hook for everything except the string, that's an H 5mm.

All was yarn I have that I suspect was a normal worsted weight I had already.

[msbarrows]

My ongoing crochet project. Decided I wanted something else to work on besides the crochet vines, which don't need to be complete until some time in the fall. Also wanted it to be a simpler project that didn't need me to pay real attention. Decided to get myself a ball of Lion Brand 'Scarfie' yarn and try making an infinity scarf, which I wanted to work circularly rather than making a long rectangle and then joining the short ends (look ma, no hems!).

Not following an actual pattern for this; I just worked a chain long enough that, when looped around my neck, it hung down to just below my collarbones. Rather than joining the ends immediately, I first worked back along the length of it, starting with a taper of 2-3 each of slip, single, and double crochet stitches, then doubles all the way to the end of the chain. Laid it out flat, folded it in half end to end, gave the top layer a half twist, attached the working loop to the point of the taper, worked a couple chains and attached back to the non-taper end of the chain (the base of the stitch for the aforementioned working loop), then resumed working doubles into the tops of the taper and doubles. When it circled back around to the join,I was then working back into the original chain again, and once that row circled around it was all tops of previous stitches. I'm liking how this means that the original chain edge is now lost between subsequent rows of stitching.

So why are there two noticeably different photos? Because I got about 1/3rd of the way through the ball, to where it had cycled back around to the original dark blue colour, and decided I really didn't like how the scarf was turning out. It was shorter than I liked, and working doubles meant that the gradations were passing by too quickly, so that the contrast between adjacent rows was mostly rather sharp. So I frogged it all the way back down to the original chain, made that a little longer (mid sternum length), then only did a taper of slip and single crochet, and worked the rows in singles. Which even with the longer length has given me better transitions between adjacent rows. The second photo was taken when I reached about the same point in the wool, and if you compare the two you can see the original was up to 6 rows wide, while the second try is 8 but a little narrower still.

I'm finding it very meditative to work on once I got past the annoyance of getting the twist right, which wasn't as obvious with singles as it was with doubles (I flubbed it twice on the second go) and also of working back into the original chain, which is always much more annoying to work into than stitch tops are. But beyond that point it's just an unending row of easy singles until I eventually reach the end of the ball.

I think if I ever make a second of these using gradient yarn again, I might work it just in slip stitches, for even better transitions. The number of rows would be insane with slip stitches but since I've mostly taken up crochet again to give my hands better exercise than just typing away all the time, that would be fine. It also might be interesting to try making it using one of the lacey stitches that can be worked as a continuous row (if I can find where my crochet stitch books have migrated to in the 20+ years since I was last using them).

Also yes I am one of those weirdos who only work into the back loop of the tops, instead of inserting under both of them. If I was following an actual pattern I'd do it properly, but most of the crochet I've ever done I'm just freehanding stuff anyway, and since I'm a self-taught crocheter I know I do some things oddly.

(Yes, the scarf matches the bedding currently on my bed. Yes, this amuses me.)

[naturallybroken]

I've fallen down the yarn/sewing thread hole tumbling quickly toward microcrochet.

this is the same choker pattern using three different weights. The top is probably a size 3 or 4 cotton yarn on a Scale of 0 thinnest to 8 thickest.

Second is made using embroidery thread, probably a 3 or 5 on the thread scale (which as far as I can tell is from 3 large to 100 small) there are so many thread charts it's insane to figure out what to follow. It's also a hot mess because I had to use three different skeins of embroidery floss because I just had a sample pack.

The last is made using Fashion 3 crochet thread. Why Fashion, I don't know. But it appears to be on the same chart as the embroidery thread. It's much easier to work with because its threads are woven tightly together so I'm not splitting them with the hook every other second.

I plan on getting some 80 thread soon as that works best with the projects I have but doesn't seem to be easy to get locally in small sizes and I don't want to invest in a big spindle of one color.

[naritaren]

Ok more crafting details on this item:

Instead of making the wheels that the pattern calls for, I used oversized safety eyes because it was less of a nightmare. The toy itself is stuffed and weighted with the use of poly pellets and polyfill so it can actually go in a washing machine safely.

I had to melt the ends on the lids because they were coming undone no matter what I did so I just grabbed my candle lighter (that I have for crafting) and melted them to fuse the ends together.

I had a major mishap with the top bit of the dumpster that I am proud of how I fixed it. When I was sewing the bucket to the top part, the last row of the top part came undone in a really bad way and I panicked and thought I had to remake both the bucket that the flames sit in *and* the top part. I then realized I didn't end off on sewing the bucket on and it was just a whip stitch. So I carefully pulled it apart and salvaged it. When I pulled it apart I realized that I could just do a magic knot and re-crochet the last row and then I left an insanely long tail and it was all good!

The flames are not attached and there is room in the bucket to put stuff in front of the flames.

I'm also rather proud of my embroidery on the mouth and how I assembled it. I've made this item before and it didn't look as nice as this one.

This is the one I made a few years ago.

Much improved! Also stuffed items are just hard for me in general so this is good practice.

I have to make another one and I'll do that over the weekend.

I present: dumpster fire!

I had to use actual fire at a couple of points in assembly, but that was more me being frustrated and just deciding to melt bits of it together.

[oh-for-fic-sake]

Okay but what happens if August is taking an interest in your crochet hobbie?

🤩🤩🤩🤩 omg omg yes! I may have gotten a little carried away with this 😅

When he first saw you crocheting he didnt know what to think. You looked like you were tying knots with a stick, but he didnt want to interfere youd show him what you were up to eventually.

What ever you were doing kept you quiet and happy. Plus it was cute watching you poke your tongue out when you were concentrating.

A few hour later you were infront of him bouncing excitedly and popped a tiny ball on his desk.

It wasnt untill he really looked he saw it had a little face on it, with a tash

You called it a stress ball and were over the moon with your creation. It was a little messy clearly the work of a beginner but he was touched. And it instantly became a fixture on his desk.

After watching you slowly make more and more tiny projects he decided he liked this little hobby of yours. It was both creative and usefull. Especially when you made your little wrist warmer.

Within a week he was an expert. He knew the difference between a boye hook or susan bates. He also knew the types of handles, swing hoom, comfort grip, long shaft everyrhing!

He had scared the hell out of the lady in the shop for even daring to suggest some $3.49 beginners metal hooks for his baby girl. He'd been so mad that he dropped all the things hexd picked out on the floor infront of her and walked out before he started cussing her out.

That shop had shut down now, tax evasion apparently.

Insead he'd gone online and ordered you the top of the line custom cherry wood, turned hooks with your name engraved on them, he also splashed out getting an insane amount of yarns and little wool crafting supplies.

He even spent a good few hours of reserach on the difference between chenille sharp needles and darning neesdles. In the end he got both

He would buy super expensive yarns for you to use, and began building you a little craft room.

He also bought up every cute stuffy pattern book he could find. And insisted you use the exact matching yarns and colours.

He would 100% help you when you have to rewind a skien of yarn because you got it in knots.... and then got you a wool winder.

9/10 he will have you next to him when he is home. Every single room has a big basket of yarn, a set of hooks scissors and stitch markers for you to make something.

The day you found chenille yarn was an expensive day for august. But he didnt care you were over the moon. He'd never realised how much some fluffy yarn could mean to you.

He was proud of you when you began making the bigger toys and overcome issues with the safety eyes. Youd gotten a mini pink gluegun and stuck the pieces together.

And the chenille didnt blister your fingers like the other coarse yarn! So you could crochet all day every day if you wanted to!

He quickly began his own collection of mini stuffies in his office and is constantly stealing more from your completed projects. Just because he likes having a timeline of your progress.

He adors the fact you have a hobby away from technology. Something about his babydoll reviving an old craft made him proud.

He even let you try to teach him a few stitches but for the life of him he couldn't get the hang of it. And dont even mention the whole pattern thing. Just no.

He makes requests, new gloves, a pair of slippers, hat scarf. Anything he can think of that you could make for him. He loves how excited you get when your making something he wants.

I think he'd start instilling no tech days. Twice a week there woudl be no screens or phones. Just him reading out loud as you crochet next to him.

When you finally ran out of room for your dolls he'd suggest you sell them online.

You werent sure at first but after the first two sell your over the moon. Youd never know he had been promoting your stuff to some of the women in the office.

Before you know it your his little business baby. Running a tiny stuffie empire making your cute toys and selling them online. Youd even gone into the rattle business~

Yes he had gotten you one of those big leather 'boss chairs' in pink for your craft room. And no he didnt regret it you looked adorable in it.

August absolutly adores your hobby, and is completely supportive of his tiny baby dolls shop.

Others might frown on him encouraging in your yarn hording but he didnt care. He'd much rather you be addicted to fluffly skiens of yarn, then alchol.