#yarn experiments

[thecozycuttlefish]

Turns out, natural dyeing is really fun (and has the added bonus of making you feel a bit witchy)

[handercover]

A cat is still a cat

[sideblogdotjpeg]

ive been thinking about the red string superstition recently and also sol bufo always and it makes me sick how uncannily caldwell tanner has made sol to perfectly target me personally

(+ cropped versions !)

[unopenablebox]

finished my shawl!

[vasira96]

something wool evangelists (of whom i am one) don't talk about is what do folks who are sensitive/allergic to wool do? like, i love wool, in theory, but in practice, it is basically an unwearable fiber and that bums me out :<

like i'm wanting to crochet or sew winter garments with it because it's wool properties are a good fit for my local climate

i'd love to try non-wool fibers like alpaca or angora however they are a lot more expensive usually and i'm not even sure if trying them would solve the itchy skin problem i am having :B

[melonthesprigatito]

I still think that Kirby and the Forgotten Land had one of thd funniest pre-release periods purely because of how the Kirby Fandom has trust issues about adorable innocent looking creatures.

Everyone was INSTANTLY suspicious of Elfilin, and there was constant memes and predictions about how he was secretly evil and was totally going to betray Kirby and turn into an eldritch demon god abomination nightmare horror that would be the final boss.

I just crack up thinking about how confused the non Kirby fans or people who don't know much about Kirby were, watching the Kirby side of the internet being terrified of a flying green chinchilla.

This was my contribution to the Elfilin Distrust

The funniest thing was, despite the arguing and debating about whether or not Elfilin would betray Kirby and turn into the horrifying scarring final boss, when the game actually came out, everyone was both right and not right at the same time and nobody could have possibly predicted what ended up actually happening.

Elfilin isn't evil, he's just a normal friendly companion but also actually one half of a eldritch ALIEN demon god abomination nightmare horror and he ended up getting absorbed against his will by his other half to complete the Ultimate Lifeform and THAT was the final boss.

[mushroomwillow]

So I have a nervous stim where I rub the palm of my hand and I’ve rubbed it completely raw. I’ve been really struggling to find a way to not do it so my hand can heal. I made this, super simple, single crochet in a round that fits around my hand, attach a chain around the thumb and then more single crochet. So far it’s worked pretty well. I can still rub it, and I don���t damage the skin more. So yeah this is a thing

[babyspacebatclone]

Picked up a yarn project again today, immediately found a mistake, and it make me think about how some people complain about fan terms.

Like, the entire “Why do you think you’re so special you get to just make up words to mean things that have words already?”

Which is of course silly, ask anyone getting a Masters degree in any specialization and there’s a ton of field-specific terminology and phrases that mean something exceptionally specific to them but are confusing to others.

Me? I was giggling at the terms knitters and crocheters use, simply because we can.

Case in point? Frog and Tink, both verbs, both meaning something everyday but with specific meaning to people who know what they are.

“To Frog” is to yank on your yarn of a crochet or knit project and unravel however many stitches - you “rip it, rip it!!”

“To Tink” is a more controlled form of unraveling exclusive to knitting, which is literally knitting in reverse (k.n.i.t. -> t.i.n.k.).

“Well, why not just say rip it out or unravel?”

First of all, you tink and frog in different situations: tinking is safer but takes a ton of time and effort, while frogging runs the risk of ruining a work if you’re not careful but is the only practical way to undo multiple rows.

Secondly, these terms are fun! Going backwards in a project because you made a mistake is a pain no one actually wants to do, so croaking out “rip it, rip it!” while you watch an hour’s worth of work dissolve into a tangle of kinked yarn helps.

Thirdly, it’s a sign of community. You know someone has spent time in knitting or crocheting culture to have encountered these terms - a badge of honor, of having committed to a project enough to being willing to redo to that extent.

So have your slang. Have your fun little phrases that have nuance.

It’s literally English.

Unless you happen to think the terms “To hit someone” and “To hit on someone” mean the same thing.

Edit: Forgot to include this! A link to a page with instructions on how to best safely Frog and Tink, where I took those pictures.

[mothyandthesquid]

Things people say to me online. I couldn’t figure out what this person wanted as they were a winner of free yarn that had to be collected at a show (no postage was a condition of the prize) and kept telling me they didn’t know if they should go or not. They gave so many reasons why they shouldn’t, and seemed to be asking me to decide for them.

After a week of them sapping my energy with daily DMs, I suggested they should choose the option they preferred. All hell unleashed itself upon me from her keyboard. I am rude and uncaring and she doesn’t need to be told what to do (then why ask?), and my communication style is not good enough, etc. Well, I said I was autistic and doing my best and that’s when she said I never shut up about autism and “I don’t care how autistic you are!”. Nice. Blocked, obv.

A chat with someone neurotypical and it dawned on me that she’d spent a week trying to manipulate me into sending the freebies (specifically against the t&c) and had gotten frustrated when I though she was having a genuine dilemma and tried to help. I wonder if she realised that was why it didn’t work or just wanted to lash out?

I stand for not being a dick to people who have communication difficulties, or any other type of disability or difference. I also think I should be big enough to own up and apologise when I get it wrong. And being autistic, I get it wrong a lot!

This colourway is neon pink and black. It differs from “Black Tulip” because it is UV reactive and has no purple, only pink. This makes a beacon of brightness and a striking statement (or brash and socially inappropriate, if you prefer). That’s the thing with autism, it’s both beautiful and ugly to live with. I love my differences and my neurodivergent friends and allies, but I see more than average of the nasty side of people who feel slighted for reasons I did not intend and do not understand.

[fror-da-leituga]

Da última vez que teci fiz uma amostra de um "montanhac" alentejano; desta vez estou a tecer um padrão tradicional vinhaense. Encontrei-o no livro "Tipologias de Tecelagem de Vinhais", que está disponível para download digital gratuito no site da Saber Fazer.

Last time I wove I made a swatch of an alentejano "montanhac"; this time I'm weaving a traditional vinhaense pattern. I found it in "Tipologias de Tecelagem de Vinhais", which is available for free digital download on the Saber Fazer website.

Nas imagens abaixo podem ver o padrão "Blocos" no que antes era uma manta mas agora é um fato de careto.

In the pictures below you can see the "Blocos" pattern on what used to be a blanket but is now a careto costume.

O tecido de base é suposto ser um tafetá, mas como eu tenho um tear de tapeçaria que tem entalhes fixos decidi tentar tecer um "meio encanastrado", isto é, um tecido que segue a lógica do tafetá mas em que há duas tramas para cada fio da teia. A segunda cor, que é a que cria o padrão, é um fio com mais ou menos o dobro do diâmetro do fio de base, o que dispensa a dupla passagem que o outro fio necessita por causa da sua finura.

The base fabric is supposed to be plain weave, but since I have a tapestry loom which has fixed notches I've decided to try weaving a "half basketweave", that is, a fabric that follows the same logic as plain weave but in which there are two wefts for every warp thread. For the contrast colour, which actually creates the pattern, I'm using a yarn with about double the diametre of the base yarn, which spares me doing the double pass the base yarn requires due to its fineness.

Iniciei a amostra com nós festonê (rosa salmão acima da secção branca), que desta vez fiz com uma linha de croché para ficarem menos visíveis e criarem menos volume.

I began the swatch with double half-hitch knots (salmon pink above the white section), which I did with crochet thread this time so that they would be less conspicuous and so the edges are less bulky.

[possumnest]

tried on my lucky romper by lucky777loops that i finished in january YIPPEE !!!! not quite springtime-y enough to wear this outside and take cuter pictures but too excited not to share :-)) 🌱🌱

[bookshelfdreams]

@hylianengineer sorry I had to make a new post, the answer got too long for replies :D

Ah, the dreaded "but wool is itchy!". Not something I can relate to (I really like it when yarn/fabric has a bit of grip and structure to it, I'm not one for the ultra-soft, fluffy wools) but let's see if I can say smth useful.

First, you're definitely not alone in finding wool scratchy! A lot of people have sensory issues regarding it. Whether it can be helped at all will depend on how sensitive you are; some people can't even handle unspun 17 mic chubut merino and at that point, wool just isn't for them. Which is fine, not everything is for everyone.

Rule of thumb: the higher quality your fibre, the softer the finished garment will be. If it's just listed as "wool", it might contain recycled fibre, wool from sheep breeds that don't have a super fine fleece, or even wool from dead animals, all of which lowers the quality.

Virgin wool (I think) refers to wool that is spun for the first time, so a yarn that has no recycled fibres in it. Lambswool is a sheep's first wool. It is finer and smoother than adult wool.

Another big impact is breed of sheep and origin of the fibre. Merinos are the go-to for high quality items, but are also kept all over the world, so look to where your wool comes from. Aotearoa and South America are well known for their high quality merino wools. Sheep that live in colder, harsher climates produce a sturdy, tougher fleece, especially if they're not merino breeds. Depending on where you are, regional wool might not be what you're looking for. Britain is famous for their wool, but Shetland wool won't be super soft. Try some BFL (Bluefaced Leicester) if you can get it; it is smoother than merino and not as springy.

Wool can be superwash treated by coating the individual fibres, so the scales on the hairs are covered. This means it won't felt and can be machine washed; it also makes it less scratchy. This process is very energy- and water-intensive. The fibres are coated in silicone, I think, which makes the finished yarn feel kinda plastic-y, and it also lowers the insulating and water-repelling qualities of the wool. (All in all, you might as well buy acrylic)

You can also try looking for sheep's wool mixed with other animal fibres. Cashmere, alpaca, and mohair are probably the most common and all have their own qualities (cashmere is shiny and drapey; alpaca is smooth and kind of dense; mohair is light, extremely fluffy and super warm). All are softer than sheep's wool and nicer to the skin.

Anyway, all that to say: Look for virgin wool, look at the breed you're getting if it's specified, look for mixes with softer fibres, look at the origin of the wool. Unfortunately, when you're sensitive, navigating the world of natural fibres can be a bit of a minefield, I know. If wool isn't for you, that's not a moral failing!

[shenzi-hemlock]

I have crossed the species barrier and I’m currently infected with crochet, I don’t expect to get better, this does tend to be terminal, pray for my husband’s wallet. 😔🙏🏼

[typheus]

Crochet cardigan is done

Tunisian crochet cardigan is done

Knit cardigan in progress 👍

[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.

[disgruntled-lifeform]

Guys, meet Coco ♡

So named for the protaganist from Witch Hat Atelier because a spindle is the closest I'll come to a real magic wand pen.

I can't wait to spin many magical things together ^_^