Via (she/her) • there are no side blogs we spam like men • I don't really tag consistently but will on request • header by darkandstormyart • cohost: @crossedwithblue
This is going to be a bit of a meandering yarn (pun intended), but hear me out.
As someone who has taught people to crochet, and has had some great mentors and peers, I personally belief that the biggest barriers to people getting good at handcrafts (knitting, crochet, embroidery, etc.) are frustration tolerance and insecurity.
I've had some tantys with my yarn. I've thrown projects accross the room. I've sworn I would never pick up needles again. It's very normal to experience frustration as a crafter. There are enough memes out there that I feel like it's a prerequisite.
I've also had students tell me they are just bad at working with their hands, that they're clumsy, that they can't count (join the club), that something about them is uniquely flawed in such a way that they will never be good at crochet.
And what I've noticed, is that every single person I've met who feels that way is a complete beginner who hasn't given themself the chance.
So, consider the following,
Because handcrafts require persistence and muscle memory in order to become proficient, you will likely not experience the feeling of 'being good at it' for many years, and even then most people experience some amount of imposter syndrome. If you cannot handle the idea of not being good at something after a couple of tries, it might be worth investigating your relationship with instant gratification. Persisting with crochet is a fantastic way to start!
One does not become proficient by simply reading a pattern and completing an object. You become proficient from hundreds of hours of your body doing the same movements until they become second nature. The feeling of your body catching up to you is honestly amazing, and there have been several times during my crochet journey where I could actually feel my metaphorical skill bar go up a little bit.
The hand movements of crochet are very complex (there's a reason why machines can't reproduce them), which makes it hard to pick up. Especially if you've never done handcrafts before. So it's natural it would take most people a bit to get things like tension right.
If I had a dollar for every beginner who told me they're not good at tension...
So, everyone's tension sucks when they're beginners. That's not a secret, you're not uniquely afflicted, your tension sucks because you just started a new craft.
Exceptions including disability, of course. I have mild dyspraxia and I genuinely really struggle with tension in every craft I do. My hands don't work that way. I know people who can't crochet full stop cuz of their disabilities. Trust me, I get it. If you can't do it the way you're taught, find another way. Find something that helps. You're allowed.
Your tension will get better over time, but it will not get better at all if you give up because you're self conscious about being a beginner. You will not be able to read patterns if you tell yourself that you can't read patterns. You will always be stuck if you do not push past your discomfort and challenge yourself.
Please believe that pushing through the beginner anxiety is worth it. Changing your mindset about learning new skills is worth it. Persisting past the frustration is worth it.
WHERE in Europe??!? WHERE??? You mean Iceland?? Azerbaijan? The Netherlands? Liechtenstein???? THERE ARE 50 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE. ALL WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES. SO PRAY TELL ME, WHERE IN FUCKING EUROPE.
honestly though: the YA Golden Age teen in me that devoured the Wicked Lovely and Modern tales of Faerie books would LOVE some of that Overwrought Fae Romance that's so hot right now if it were sapphic and well-written
where are the Angsty Morally Gray Shadow Ladies. where's the Dangerous Crow Girl Who Destroys Plastic. describe the clothes lovingly and the romance dramatically. I'm ready. I miss author LiveJournals and I once gave serious thought to what court I'd want to join in the Wicked Lovely books and I have written Jareth/adult!Sarah fanfic and I'm ready
"Caoimhe," Mercy said in a dark undertone, "you must know that the Shadow Court will never countenance our union." In spite of herself, she glanced sidelong at Caoimhe, admiring the way her silvery gown fell from her hips like an expanse of soft moonlight. the bodice involved a complex support network of boning made from the baleen of the [look up how to say whale in Irish even though nobody in this book is actually Irish and there's some random fae mythology from other parts of Europe in here, too] Sidhe, because the author is not fifteen anymore and has become a hobbyist dressmaker in the intervening years.
Caoimhe set her jaw. "But if I do not take a consort, the Autumn Court will fall to ruin. And I would topple empires for my people," she ground out. "Also my name is pronounced KWEEV-ah, for the record. And I really like your forest-green velvet cloak and open redingote of black and silver brocade worn over tight black doeskin leggings."
"thank you," said Mercy. "I got it from a very interesting courtier couple who work in tandem as the best dressmaker and tailor the Shadow Court has ever seen.. they are also lesbians, incidentally."
"the author's going to take a hard left into this story being about them, isn't she?"
"Probably."
"Honestly feeling so called out right now!" the author shouted around a mouthful of popcorn.
chatgpt is a threat to the symbiotic relationship between fanfic writers and their betas. we are losing our traditions. eradicate the soulless machine and ask your friend who has a full time job and 3 kids to annotate your omegaverse fanfiction like any other responsible adult.
Ok I reblogged this because it’s funny but also yes and it’s because people are scared to talk to other people! Everyone’s so damn anxious. Just ask someone for help
friendly fucking reminder do NOT post about your lootdrops publicly!!! this post is a great example of "table baiting" to get you to reveal what valuables you drop on death WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY PUTTING YOU AT RISK OF FARMING!!! think for a second and be safe out there!!
It’s too late. Books have fallen out of fashion among the general public, so writing the next Great American Novel isn’t a possibility any more. Now, writing the next Great American Ironic Dating Sim VN, however-
You don't even need to study for the Rorschach test, btw, it's super easy. All they do is show you a bunch of stupid pictures of your dad getting eaten by a horse
gummygunk
2087
turnnoffyourmind
romaincrisis
