mason

knit, crochet, sewing | main blog cheshiregrinn

[daftpatience]

this messed up vintage cat sewing pattern has tormented me since i saw it & like some other folks have done in that post - i tried my hand at tweaking the pattern to resemble the illustration (and my personal tastes) a little more. i've ended up with this, which i have only tested at a small scale and not this final version exactly (where i have done such things as further widening the cheeks and finalizing the leg shapes.) i bestow it upon you nice folks now 👐

go forth and make weird little beanbag kittens! pls show me if you do!

[daftpatience]

woah this got big!! and after another try i have another untested tweak for yall. this should help the weird pinchy side seams out. yey

[calltainn]

My first attempt! I made the pattern a bit smaller as I wanted it to be able to fit in a pocket, but then (accidentally but perhaps unavoidably) sewed it with a wider seam allowance than the resized pattern indicated, so the face is proportionally a bit too big and I lost some detail in the ear shape. I'm pleased with it though! It was fun to make something and to do some handsewing.

[daftpatience]

SOO CUTE AND TINIE 😭

[chthonink]

I tried this pattern a while back to try out some minky and I get no points for making the pattern well but looook at my boyyy

His name is Tofu. Thank you for sharing the pattern I will love him forever

[dizzyzs]

Everyone look at the cat blanket I made like .. 3 years ago

[dizzyzs]

Btw don't believe any Etsy ad or things trying to sell this pattern to you. It's been free since the 90s. It's very simple, just double crochet and color changes. Be sure to weave in ends as you go unlike me

[lesserdreams]

MY MOM JUST MADE THIS PATTERN EVERYONE LOOK

YOU CAN DO IT IN SO MANY COLORS

[such-justice-wow]

I spontaneously sent this to my brother (likes cats and crochet) and it turns out hes been looking for a free version of this pattern for ages

[disgruntled-lifeform]

Stolen from reddit where it wasn't being properly appreciated

[leiyahime]

"Indigo dyeing silk thread"

In case anyone wonders what the Japanese is saying

[krakenartificer]

Me: But indigo makes blue. When does blue come into it?

Me: that wringing technique is really clever. I've got to try that with my sheets

Me: WHAT THE FUCK WHY IS IT BLUE?!?

Spouse: why are you telling at Tumblr?

[hlahlahlahlahly]

Indigo dyeing works by oxidation, so it turns blue when enough of the liquid is wrung out that it is exposed to the air.

Unlike most dyes, you don't get a darker color with indigo by keeping it in the liquid longer, but by dipping it more times.

[batbetbitbotbut]

Very comforted with old crafts - spinning and weaving, but doubtless applicable to more - that there are no new mistakes I can make. People have done these crafts for millenia and will continue to do them for millenia. I manage to make a special and unique one-time-only mistake? Not likely!

[batbetbitbotbut]

Every project is my own and brings something new into the world, but every fuckup is part of a rich tradition of fuckups by all the crafters who have gone before

[notbecauseofvictories]

my sewing machine does exactly one thing, and yet every single time I try to sew something with it I feel like I've put my baby in the pelican's mouth. over and over again.

[notbecauseofvictories]

sewing Machine perfec t for sewing straight l/ines! machine very Accurate and Level lines so so straight so easy to use Sewing Machine. Sew Straight Lines with Sewing Machine. no problems ever in macchine because good Shape and Whir noise for fast fast lines. Asewing Machine yes a place for making straight lines sewing lines can trust sewing machina for giveing good love to fabric. friend sewing machine

[fredlikesrats]

showing final projects to non-knitters can be disappointing because they usually ask "how long did it take?" but like. :( don't you want to know the stitch pattern i used? the yardage? the amount of times i changed needles to match the gauge? how accurate this actually is to the pattern i was inspired by?? how many times i spilled water on it while in the process of making it??? where i plan to wear it? "how long did it take" okay buster.

[batbetbitbotbut]

A minor stress of yarncrafts which I don't see discussed much:

There is a small tangle in your yarn. Topologically you know it must be a slipknot; if you give it a good firm tug, it should come undone.

Just how much force are you willing to stake on that?

[ub-sessed]

Every time I encounter a small tangle now, I say to myself, "Topologically you know it must be a slipknot."

[allonsybadwolf]

DYLTCOTS DYE IS UNDERWAY!! Fiber is Kent Romney, about 460 grams-ish total. So it'll end up being two ~230g full gradients, one for me, and one for my beloved cyber stalker who jump-scared everyone in our group chat earlier with this notification

My stock solution is uhh old so some of the colors may behave unpredictability once heat is applied but, you know, it's unpredictable when it's fresh too, just different unpredictable

DYLTCOTS rinse water is a beautiful maroon in case you were wondering (you weren't)

BUBBLY BUBBLY TOIL AND TROUBLY or whatever

[mothecho]

They should invent a way to sit hunched over doing crafts that is Good for your body

[jollyluce]

Look at this man serving absolute cunt while modeling a little mushroom-dyed scarf from a 1983 issue of Shuttle Spindle and Dyepot Magazine.

[nettlesandjuniper]

librarian of a mycology-focused collection here

this article is about Miriam Rice, who did groundbreaking work researching and documenting the science of using mushrooms as dyes. a lot of her books are so highly coveted that they have been selling for over $80 since going out of print

I heavily referenced them when dyeing wool with Western Jack-o’-Lanterns (Omphalotus olivascens) a few years back — just look at the range of colors that are possible

[systemic-dreams]

there's a lady on the train knitting so aggressively and quickly that her needles clack like some sort of cartoon character and I am super intimidated

[systemic-dreams]

she smashed out a shawl in like 35 minutes and now she’s aggressively eating a sandwich. i cant

[systemic-dreams]

that sandwich is gone. packet of chips? gone. fuel for the knitting machine that she is. she’s at it again

[fiberlovingfuck]

I call this decoration "one last smoke"

(ignore wizard santa)

[freshstitches]

Last month, Sixth & Spring publishing reached out to me to review the new Short-row Colorwork Knitting book by Woolly Wormhead. Woolly  is best known for designing clever hat patterns that employ the use of short-rows to create dynamic shapes in colorwork. I've never made one of her patterns, but have long appreciated them as a sort of brain teaser. Each one seems to fit together like a puzzle of yarn. I've now spent a month with this book, reading through it and using it as a textbook to learn Woolly's signature short row technique.

The cover of the book has a frosted glass feel, which I think is nicer than a glossy cover. Three of the brightly colored stitch patterns are displayed along with the title. The book contains 50 stitch patterns and 10 projects. The yarn for the publication was provided by malabrigo so every stitch pattern is shown in beautiful tonal yarn. I also noticed a stitch key on the inside of the flap of the cover that folds out so you can look at it when you're working on a pattern. I love the consideration for the reader and the functionality.

This book is written like a workbook, it starts by giving you all the tools that you need to use to knit the stitch patterns then use them in your own projects. The first few chapters explain the short-row colorwork fabric, the chart system, ways of altering the motifs in the book and color theory. I was not left with any questions about the instructions. The next section of the book contains tutorials teaching the basics of short row knitting, the skills that are needed to complete the patterns are shown with photos. There's even a photo tutorial on knitting backwards - a huge time saver. It seems like Woolly and I have the same party trick. 

Next, I tried making a few of the stitch patterns with my new skills. The chart system was intuitive. The first swatch is the Sine Stripes pattern. The swatch in the book showed a selvedge, which I added on my swatch as well. Next, I tried making the Anemones motif. I did not add a selvedge this time, but felt confident using the lessons to shift the placement of the short rows. None of the short rows were changed,I just cast on extra stitches and practiced moving the motifs. I did not have a chance to try any of the "repeatable" stitch patterns yet which can be used in the round as well as flat. The majority of the book is spent on these adaptable stitches.

I didn't have time to try any of the projects, but noticed a good mix of different accessories. I appreciate the inclusion of multiple designers showing different perspectives and approaches to the Short-row Colorwork technique. The final chapter of the book explains different design considerations, inviting the reader to actually use the stitch dictionary portion of the text for their own applications. The properties of some of these stitches are unique and the lessons are helpful and explaining all different scenarios that may come up.

I always intended to get this book, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. It's incredibly thorough without becoming overwhelming. If you enjoy learning new things, this is a great purchase. It's currently available for  pre-order and will be available in the US on April 16th and in the UK on May 14th. More info is available on Woolly's website. And you can preorder a copy of the book on Amazon.

[ancientknitter]

Knitted Cape (American, circa 1875-1900), Metropolitan Museum of Art

[thypandatetor]

Fossil Fibers' discord has started using banana for scale when showing off fiber projects, but I know some of the members are anti-banana, so I'm making them a Banana for Scale amigurumi pattern lol

This is attempt 5 and 6 to get the shape right

5 was too tube, attempt 6 is doing some good things. Switching between a 2 st increase and short rows every 5 rows for a very gradual widening and the slightest curve

[thypandatetor]

Could have been finishing this but capitalism calls *eye roll*

[thypandatetor]

Nanner COMPLETE

I don't have any fresh bananas but have freezer nanners for scale

[thypandatetor]

✨ Glamour shots✨

@fossilfibers is an absolute treasure and editing a pattern for us, truly the sweetest

[thypandatetor]

Pattern is now live!

Banana for Scale pattern by Cristeta German

“I don’t know how big this other project is, we’re moving and I can’t find the tape measurer. But I do have a banana. For scale.”

Banana for Scale - Knitting Pattern - ThyPandaTetor's Ko-fi Shop

Do you ever find yourself in need of a measurement tool to show the scale of objects in your photos? Look no further than this common everyd

I also need to show you my partner's genius idea of adding brown spots as measurement marks!

[revelationoh]

“grandma” crafts ranked by how afraid of them i am, from least to most

knitting – i watched a woman painstakingly knit her own wedding dress on instagram. the only reason i am not viscerally terrified of knitting is that i can knit and have therefore accepted the horror into my heart, 4/10 for effort

crochet – THERE IS ONLY ONE HOOK. HOW. HOW DO YOU DO THAT. but again, i can single chain enough to seam my knitting, so we’re relatively cool 6/10

embroidery – it’s so little and so detailed???? literally you do that with a tiny needle and it looks like it could walk off the fabric. you’re a witch i don’t make the rules. i mean, we’re all witches, but you especially 9/10

spinning/weaving – literally you are making something out of primordial fluff. this by definition makes you a god, i’m pretty sure. y’all are incredible and i am in awe 10/10

tatting or handmaking lace by other methods that aren’t knitting or crocheting – part of me is also always going to be convinced you’re a spider god but in a cool way. definitely the most intricate products, and the fact that i can’t parse how they come into being is why i fear and respect you. 11/10 you incredible terrors

cross stitching – THIS IS FORBIDDEN MAGIC. WHAT ARE YOU. ALL THE LITTLE SQUARES???? 1000/10

[rumade]

Was with the OP until the last point. Cross stitch kits are paint by numbers with thread, and IMO is one of the most accessible embroidery techniques out there.

Spinning gets my vote as most intimidating, partly because it's the only skill I've ever straight up given up on. I couldn't get my head and hands around the drop spindle but would love to try again now I've given it a decade! Tablet weaving also looks like magic.

[kinsey3furry300]

Tablet weaving is actually witchcraft and I will not be convinced otherwise.

[tractorgoth]

Tablet weaving is fun as hell you just gotta survive The Threading Gauntlet but if you can read a diagram and count stitches you can do it!!

[dearbisexual]

going to start researching sheep breeds that are like endangered or need conservation and then seek out their wool to use, preferably buying directly from the herders, so i can support them

[dearbisexual]

i found a farm that has Navajo-Churro sheep and sells their wool as roving and yarn directly to the public, along with several other uncommon breeds :) website here

[dearbisexual]

holy shit theres a lot of small farms out there with heritage breed sheep n other animals selling their fiber!!

[dearbisexual]

re: your tags, totally fine to reblog!! there's a whole database of farms im looking at now on the Livestock Conservancy website!! here's the link, all you have to do is select "yarn" or "fiber" from this drop down menu

and it'll give you contact info and websites to A BUNCH of small farms selling their heritage breed fiber directly!! you can also look up by animal breed if you want a specific kind of fiber like, say Navajo-Churro

it's AWESOME!! many of these farms seem to be certified by the Conservancy and the Conservancy itself seems to be like a good nonprofit

[botchallthethings]

Shave 'em to save 'em!