Gavii Makes Stuff

Level 30+ Human. Doily creator, picture taker, blues brother, music lover. Probably a Trekkie.

[gaviicreates]

Just a bit of fun for this blog!

I have a lot of things I want to make or try, so I put together a little crochet bingo to keep the creativity flowing. I do love a good BINGO.

I will either take these as asks and they'll work like prompts when I have the time. I'll mark the bingo card when completed. Or if I don't have any asks pending when I am between projects and want something to work on, I will give these options a little throw in a randomizer.

There won't be any timeline for this - it takes A WHILE to finish a make, but I figured a bit of both spontaneity and structure to my goals might be a bit fun! Fill Links -

Make an Amigurumi x

Use Heaviest Weight Yarn in Stash x

[gumnut-logic]

Finished 😁 Hand-dyed 8ply Raspberry Crush by @yarnknotsbylily and @bendigowoollenmills 8ply Luxury Boysenberry and Cream, all 100% wool. Long enough to wrap and the warmest it can be 😁

[gaviicreates]

This looks so cooooozy

[amphibianaday]

jelly

___

day 651

[anarchobotany]

@markscherz who is this raspberry and cream boy

[markscherz]

This is Epipedobates anthonyi, a common dart frog in greenhouses, kept for biological pest control and the delight of tumblrians.

[gaviicreates]

Hey you want to know what's even cooler!

Even the original little froggo is also someone's art. My friend is the artist, and you can find the journey of this froggo here at her website with the watermark and some really cool to see progress shots:

https://www.gumnutinspired.com/2012/02/06/phantasmal-poison-dart-frog-sunday-sketches/

@gumnut-logic

[gaviicreates]

Gavii Learns Stuff - Colorwork and also FFXIV

I don't know colorwork, so naturally I'm making G'raha Tia's Endwalker scarf. Oh, and I'm also primarily a crocheter, so let's plan to knit it instead.

I have no self control when inspiration strikes, and also I like to learn by doing, so here we are - this'll be my journey.

Step 1: Screenshot the hell out of Raha

Can we talk a moment about how strange this scarf design is? Not the colorwork, but the actual structure of this strange piece of material.

The main center design drapes down from his right shoulder to his left, then down the front, but then the opposite length somehow wraps, then pivots to turn right back down the same shoulder. There's gotta be a button or something, and even with the twine or rope that's clearly keeping everything together, I can't figure out the full construction of this one. If inspo strikes along the way we'll see, but for now I think I plan to just make a full scarf, and worst case, it can be knotted on the the left shoulder to create the effect where the two length drape down the same side in the front and back.

We can make it work. But, darling, your scarf makes no sense.

Step 2: Study the design, draft, re-draft, rinse repeat

I'm not accustomed to making my own graph patterns, or patterns in general, but I guess the concept is what it is. Make the thing into pixels and color code?

I got to work in Excel, copy & pasted. Compared it to the scarf, and tried again. Then once I figured out the general shape, the hardest part was figuring out what repeat would work for both the bottom design and the main in order to have everything flow.

There will end up being quite the length of stockinette in grey between designs. I haven't yet figured out how far I want to go, so that's another thing we'll be winging.

My plan is to work the pattern in the round to create a scarf tube, so this can be two sided to account for some of the fabric waving I think is going on Once complete I can sew up the ends and add the fringe.

Step 3: Yarn and Go

I'm writing this having started the project already, so I think if I make this again in the future I might go down to a DK weight. The pattern is working, and I think it will be fine, but it will be a big scarf - somewhere between a scarf width and a shawl width. My pattern might end up a bit bigger than anticipated, overall. That said - I am using a value acrylic in worsted weight - JOANN's Big Twist in Titanium, Varsity Gold, and Black.

For the first few rows I was figuring out the tension for my floats, because while I did actually practice with a different yarn and needle size for a bit, who has time for swatching? Remember that jumping right into a project thing I like to do?

Yeah, I did that again.

Thanks for coming on my THIRD ffxiv project! I'm excited for this one, and I am so glad it's going to be such a good one to learn from. I know I haven't posted too much lately, but I promise - I'm always crafting.

[handmade-by-jane]

[mothyandthesquid]

Peacock could be part of a gorgeous summery blue/green fade. Which colours would you choose?

MothyandtheSquid.com

[gaviicreates]

Yarn from Places: New Orleans

Date: April 2024 LYS: The Quarter Stitch website Yarn: Sugarplum Circus website, sock weight in "Jem" and "Peach Fuzz"

I couldn't resist purchasing this bright pink, speckled hank - as exciting to work up as the lights of NOLA itself. Throughout the colorway is a complementary orange, and so I chose to pair it with the same soft peach. While I've shared food - honestly my favorite thing about visiting NOLA - a close second is the vibrancy of the colors and the music.

For the pattern, I chose one I've done before and completed another shawl to add to my collection.

Pattern: "Loveland Lite" - TLYarnCrafts

[theyarnwizard]

PSA for crafters:

It's okay to not want to do your craft, just because you are a creative person doesn't mean that you need to be constantly creating and making!

Putting down a project that is driving you nuts and playing Skyrim for a week is OKAY!

Needing a break from your project is natural, even if it's just to pick up another one of your other hobbies.

The point of doing something you love is to enjoy doing it, so if you're not vibing, just take a break! It doesn't make you "less" of a knitter or crocheter or whatever. Be kind to yourselves, take a break and drink some water! 😚

[tikatu]

Ta-da! My mother-in-law's afghan is done! Took less than 2 months and is about 10 rows shy of my goal -- mostly because my shoulder was giving me grief. I'm going to wash it before I send it. Hopefully it will get to her in time for Mother's Day.

[gaviicreates]

This turned out SO beautifully! Amazing work and what a lovely gift for you MIL.

[gaviicreates]

Do we like the fabric this is making up - yay or nay?

[gaviicreates]

FO: Emotional Support Chicken

Not sure why I decided, having never really done crochet amigurumi, I was going to knit this sweetheart. But I guess the "hot right now" on Ravelry hit my FOMO. (all to say... I learned a lot).

The yarn is Happy Place - 50% cotton, 50% wool, DK.

[gaviicreates]

Yarn: Lion Brand Mandala "Thunderbird" Pattern/Project: Hexi Cardi (I am learning a lot)

granny stichin' away...

[gaviicreates]

Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - Final FO

After two months, I've finished my FFXIV inspired blanket, and I can't wait to show it to you! For the individual posts: What is this project? Or, for the tl;dr - one colorway per Scion = Big Blanket. #blanket of the seventh dawn. Just be aware the posts may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker.

I was inspired after making a red cat hat, reminiscent loosely of G'raha Tia, to make a bigger project. Then when I started perusing yarns for my next project, wistfully browsing the yarns from my favorite hand-dyers, I kept seeing colorways that reminded me of other characters. At that point, the idea was hypothetical, but then I started taking notes for what characters I wanted to include, colorway ideas, screenshots to see how they looked together, a few plan layouts for 3 and 4 squares per hank... and it got a whole less hypothetical.

This was in January, so new year, new project, new yarn budget - I took the dive in.

I wanted to really let the colors tell the story. Especially with crochet, sometimes the simpler stitches are better for letting the color variations shine, so I chose a basic stitch but a new-to-me granny design. The solid granny replaces the typical spacings with DC all the way across and then building in the corners.

It wasn't always pretty. On the very first hank my swift broke after I accidentally hadn't secured it it tight enough, and for awhile I started trying to wind by hand.

My second swift was an immediate purchase after THIS happened with two of the hanks.

As I finished squares for each hank (I could get three per color), I blocked them, wove in ends, and put them to the side until all colors were complete. Then, when I finished all the squares, I put them all into a bag, mixed them up, then decided the final design by choosing them at random, displaying them in a 6 square by 7 square rectangle. I exchanged about six squares to make sure no like squares were touching and to better alleviate a block of red all in one place. This gave the blanket the layer of chaos you'll see soon.

Because of the weight of the blanket, I made a few decisions for connecting squares that felt, to me, like they would be more secure. For the back side, I chose to sc up the row in place of a mattress stich or any other sewing options or even slip stitch. I used Malabrigo, Arroyo for this part and the border. Although it's also dk, it is a little thinner than the dk in Arcane Fibre Works. When I got to a corner, I chose to connect inside the hole made, and not in the stitches. This resulted in the crossing you see here on both sides of the work. I also slipstitched in both sets of adjacent squares on the first pass through before continuing with the connecting single crochets.

March 24 (this is getting posted a little late because I was behind on sharing squares), I finished up the 5th row of hdc in blo for the border, wove in the rest of the ends, and FINALLY she was all finished. You can see some final pictures and the full reveal below!

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Thanks for coming along with me on this journey.

This blanket will be treated like the treasure she is.

[gaviicreates]

Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - 7 & 14 (extras)

Note: This post may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker.

Introduction: What is this project? Or, for the tl;dr - one colorway per Scion = Big Blanket. #blanket of the seventh dawn to follow along.

These are the two colors chosen for our Warriors of Light. We've chosen not to share their names or details, but we wanted to still share their squares.

Warrior of Light

The first color is the one I chose for my WOL. He's changed so much in his journey. Except his tenacity, which is captured in the storm teal of his eyes. Yarn: "Stormy Seas " in Arcane Fibre Works, DK

The second color was chosen by my husband for his WOL . The yarn is "Neon Nights" Arcane Fibre Works, DK.

[gaviicreates]

Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - 13

Note: This post may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker.

Introduction: What is this project? Or, for the tl;dr - one colorway per Scion = Big Blanket. #blanket of the seventh dawn to follow along.

Y'shtola Rhul

Yarn: Arcane Fibre Works, "Here Comes the Sun" in Fingering held double with "Charcoal"

"The most important lesson I've learned is that learning isn't simply passing one's eyes over words. 'Tis when understood for oneself that knowledge attains its true value."

Y'shtola's squares bring back that strand of charcoal I ran alongside Urianger's, this time with a colorway of green and purple. The purple reminded me of the stone within her staff while the green represents the feathers in her accessories. There's actually also a light blue intermixed, and I've rationalized it as a nice nod to her original eye color.

I do quite enjoy the irony of the color being called here comes the sun, however, when she's spent much of Shadowbringers with those who worship literal darkness.

[gaviicreates]

Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - 12

Note: This post may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker.

Introduction: What is this project? Or, for the tl;dr - one colorway per Scion = Big Blanket. #blanket of the seventh dawn to follow along.

G'raha Tia

Yarn: Arcane Fibre Works, "Fire Starter" in Fingering held double with "Crimson Moon"

~*~*~*~*~

"No matter how far your journey may take you, you stand where you stand by virtue of the road you walked to get there. For in times of hardship, when you fear you cannot go on...The joy you have known, the pain you have felt, the prayers you have whispered and answered—they shall ever be your strength and your comfort. This I hope—I believe, here at memory's end"

Oh, G'raha.

His colorways actually went through quite a journey itself. I started with just the "Fire Starter" color, gravitating towards the spectrum of flame leading into his staple red. The yellows reminded me of his gold accessories, and I loved the idea of associating him with fire. Despite the blue of the crystal, G'raha is fire to me - ever passionate and enduring . But when I received the color, in person it looked a little too far forward with the brown. On second glance comparing, I liked the brown, but it needed some more black. So on a second order, I sized down in "Fire Starter" and selected another black and red combination to hold along side it. And thus, beauty was formed within the merging.

Sounds kind of familiar. :)

[gaviicreates]

Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - 11

Note: This post may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker.

Introduction: What is this project? Or, for the tl;dr - one colorway per Scion = Big Blanket. #blanket of the seventh dawn to follow along.

Minfilia Warde

Yarn: Arcane Fibre Works, "Serene Oasis" in DK

"Please. you must go on! You are the Warrior of Light. You are hope - for the Scions, and for all the realm! As long as your flame continues to burn, the light of the dawn may ever be relit!"

For Minfilia, as much as l love burgundy, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to lean into the pink and purple of her top as a way to pull together the reds and the blues, connect them, and soften them, just as she does in story as the Antecedent. So much of our story as the Warrior of Light hinges on Minfilia's dream, and she helps form the bond with all of the Scions.