crochetedcandy

[crochetedcandy]

ive been embroidering for nearly half my life and it still blows my mind how cheap it is as a hobby tbh. it can be as expensive as you want to make it, sure. I've definitely invested in nicer tools when I had the finances to do so. But relatively compared to other hobbies it's kinda nuts that a splurge on materials is like. 9 bucks for a pack of some of the fanciest needles you can buy. Silk thread for 6 dollars. The industry gold standard thread is the stuff already available at every single craft store in the USA. If you follow exacting patterns that require a lot of color changes it can add up, but those are often projects that require weeks or months of work. Let's say you had 50 color changes and the project uses most of each skein. That's months of hobby-ing right there, for about 50 dollars plus the cost of base materials which is under 10 dollars.

[crochetedcandy]

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?

[crochetedcandy]

why must i be asked what i will do with my handspun yarn. is it not enough that i made something beautiful. can it not exist as one of my many riches

[crochetedcandy]

Hey i’m a fashion design student so i have tons and tons of pdfs and docs with basic sewing techniques, pattern how-tos, and resources for fabric and trims. I’ve compiled it all into a shareable folder for anyone who wants to look into sewing and making their own clothing. I’ll be adding to this folder whenever i come across new resources

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16uhmMb8kE4P_vOSycr6XSa9zpmDijZSd?usp=sharing

[crochetedcandy]

@lingerie_addict has a really cool thread on ancient fashion over on twitter.

Those source links are here

cambridge.org

Youtube

ucl.ac.uk

[crochetedcandy]

The closest experience I've ever had to discovering "the vitamin" was buying a 100% wool outfit and wearing it in the winter.

Not only was I not freezing anymore, I was not sweating and overheating either. The horrible sensory nightmare of winter clothes disappeared.

In particular, I bought a pair of wool pants. They were a thrifted pair of fancy dress pants like you would wear at an important office job, and they were easily the most comfortable pair of winter-appropriate pants i'd ever worn. I wore them Every Single Day.

From that point on I realized a lot of my clothes were making me feel bad, and the common thread was polyester. Especially polyester blends.

It's a trap because the polyester clothes are the ones that always feel sooooo silky soft when they are in the store, whereas cotton, linen and wool can feel comparatively rough and scratchy. But when actually wearing them for hours throughout the day, it's the natural fibers that feel more comfortable.

Maybe the secret to sensory comfort is not about the presence of softness, but the absence of overloading sensations. Or maybe the sensory stress and agony is not triggered by texture of the fabric, but by how it breathes and regulates temperature.

Then there's the problem of clothing life span: polyester blends, no matter how soft they seem at first, become rough and scratchy and covered in hard, itchy pills after wearing them 10 or 20 times, whether or not they have been tumble-dried or even washed at all. (I tested it!) Linen and cotton become softer and more comfy the more you wear them, polyester but ESPECIALLY polyester blends become a constant stressor. Polyester blend t-shirts I used to love for their softness now feel bristly and irritating.

So now I'm trying to change my wardrobe to as many natural fibers as possible, and the more natural fiber clothes i have the more I realize that the plastic fibers stress me out. It's so easy to overheat or freeze in them and they're always degrading and becoming less comfortable and it sucks.

[crochetedcandy]

So my sister wants to start sewing more, because

a. She’s 5′ 11″ and can never find pants long enough for her legs or shirts long enough for her arms.

b. She hates synthetic fibers as much as I do and it’s difficult to find natural fiber clothes that aren’t made of cotton

c. She’s a biologist and would physically fistfight microplastics if given half a chance

So her gift from mom and dad for her birthday was a sewing machine. Not a super expensive one but a good solid serviceable one.

And recently she asked “So where do I GET wool or linen and thread that isn’t polyester” and mom was like ‘go ask your sister’

And I, of course, crashed into the group text like “GET A PEN I HAVE WEBSITES FOR U” and honestly I’m thrilled about this

[crochetedcandy]

Our first lace along in the lace coven discord is live! The tatters chose this adorable free dragon pattern to work through.

It's been so fun to see everyone's choices on thread colors and sizes.

[crochetedcandy]

HAPPY NEIL BANGING OUT THE TUNES DAY EVERYONE!!!! 🎹🐀🌈🎶

[crochetedcandy]

Gargoyle ^.^

Pattern is technically an Imp, but I thought if I did greys it’d make a cute gargoyle so that’s what I’m calling it lol

[crochetedcandy]

i can do whatever the fuck i want

[crochetedcandy]

Hello Tumblr oomfs do you guys like the crochet clown I made

I only started crocheting 3 months ago so if you see any mistakes no you did not…I am not a pro at all

[crochetedcandy]

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.

[crochetedcandy]

never going to stop thinking about this loom weight that features an owl, a symbol of athena, in the act of preparing wool to weave. and it has human arms. humans have been cranking out absolute bangers for millennia

[crochetedcandy]

Maintaining the biodiversity of sheep is not just important for knitters and spinners, but for the health of the environment. Essentially, a sheep functions like a carbon sequestration system. Atmospheric carbon makes up 50 percent of wool's weight, and, unlike synthetic fabrics, wool is naturally biodegradable. When disposed of, wool acts like a fertilizer, slowly releasing valuable nutrients and carbon back into the soil. Wool fixed carbon in the topsoil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. This process can help regenerate pastures, which sheep will graze. And sheep can help answer the problem of how to avoid far-flung fiber supply chains. Because sheep do well in such an extraordinary range of terrains, wool is a natural choice for people interested in rebuilding local systems of cloth manufacture. Certain breeds are more suited to certain atmospheric and geologic conditions than others, so preserving diversity also means preserving the geographic range in which sheep can flourish.

Sofi Thanhauser, Worn: A People’s History of Clothing

[crochetedcandy]

Short video showing the difference:

We ask your questions anonymously so you don’t have to! Submissions are open on the 1st and 15th of the month.