#I LOVE knitting plant fibers

[fyresnow]

finally took some nice pics of this tank top I knit! (ft a pair of shorts I made too) I made the pattern myself and I’m super proud of it 😊 (previous post here)

Yarn: Lion Brand linen cotton bamboo in cherry blossom (I LOVE the way this yarn feels against my skin, it’ll be so nice for summer. I actually bought a bunch more in other colors bc it was on clearance the other day, I hope it’s not gone forever.) (about 550 yds)

Pattern: I made this in the most obnoxious way possible because I wanted to use up as much yarn as I could and didn't know how long to make it. So I needed to knit the body top down. But I needed to knit the shoulders bottom up in order to get the shaping right on the neckline.

So I did a provisional cast on for the front and worked that flat up and over to the back. The plan was to keep working flat until the armhole and then connect with the front and work down. But I couldn't get the increases on the back to match the decreases on the front. So I had to do another provisional cast on and knit a second section (the back) flat from the armhole to where the first section ended and graft the two together. AND THEN pick up the provisional cast ons and join to work in the round until it was long enough. 10/10 would not recommend.

also I didn't have circulars in the right size so I made this on six to seven dpns (size 4)

The increases for my hips are KRL and KLL (lifted increases) so they're pretty invisible. The dropped stitch was a single stitch and there's a twisted stitch to each side of it. I didn't bother blocking this one although I guess I could have. I like the way the lace looks as is. I suppose it's not the most flattering length on me and the diagonal ribbing at the bottom flared out so much bc I forgot to decrease before it and then didn't want to redo it...

I haven't decided if I want to post the actual pattern notes / sell it because it was drafted for someone with a flat chest (bc I have a flat chest and it's for me lol) and it would involve redoing a lot of the math for different chest sizes.

[headspace-hotel]

i'm discovering the sublime joys of natural plant fibers. literally don't know how to knit or crochet or anything and barely know how to sew but extracting and spinning fibers is apparently like the golden ratio of physical and mental activities for me. It's so much fun I will lose hours at a time just HONED in on my yarn and stuff.

Milkweed is so awesome as a plant oh my god. It produces ultra-soft seed fluffs that apparently can be spun if you're careful, the fibers are so smooth they can easily pull apart but making three strands and spinning them into a three-ply yarn seems promising, seems like it would be strong enough to work with. The seed fluffs were historically used widely as stuffing for jackets and pillows and the like, which they are amazing for. Milkweed fluff is way warmer than wool apparently? And on top of it, it has this gorgeous silky sheen. It's SO pretty and it's SO soft.

But the milkweed stems also have bast fiber which is very strong and is obtained by taking the dead stems and beating the crap out of them until the woody stuff is all broken and the fibers separate. This stuff is strong and soft and also has a nice sheen to it and I'm excited to see what could be made from it

Altogether it's a shit ton of usable material per plant, all of which is harvested after the plant dies back for the winter, not affecting its ability to regrow the next spring. With common milkweed, the stems can be greater than 6ft tall and the seed pods are big and each containing a lot of fluff. I filled a whole plastic grocery bag with seed pods, easy, just by walking through a field with lots of milkweed.

Apparently an old common name for milkweed is "wild cotton" which strongly suggests that the seed fluffs have been used for textile purposes

I've also learned from browsing foraging sites, the Myaamia ethnobotanical database and various books that Milkweed has an insane amount of culinary uses. It must be cooked because of the poisons in it that discourage munching by predators, but you can eat the leaves, the flowers, the underdeveloped seed pods (apparently they are compared to cheese?! And the flowers color drinks pink??)

like whoa! so much benefit from one single plant!

I'm working with Dogbane (Apocynonum cannabinum) bast fibers right now and they're sooooo great. Not only is beating the fibers a ton of fun, the fibers are a really beautiful shiny chestnut-blonde sort of color and very strong and fine and soft.

Dogbane fibers also have this lovely fragrance that is like a blend of cedar and forest soil and old books. Milkweed has its own distinct fragrance, very subtle, that I struggle to describe and don't like as much, but it's cool to notice that it has a smell.

[circle-with-me]

Together: Jolly Karlsson

pairing: jolly karlsson x reader

tags/content warning: 18+ MDNI!! mutual masturbation, fingering (f receiving), handjob (m receiving), praise, mild hurt/comfort.

word count: 2k

tag list: @concretenoah @malice-ov-mercy @sitkowski @somebodyels3 @baddestomens @cookiesupplier @collective-heartbreak @tearfallpixie @broken0mens @collapsedglasshouses @lma1986 @lacktoesandtoddlerants @meekahy @to-be-written @sammyjoeee @catharsis-in-darkness @unicornfairytail @itsafullmoon @slutfornoahsebastian

sign up for my tag list here

author’s note: welcome to the final installment of the together series i’ve been lucky enough to be a part of with my sweet friends @deathblacksmoke @darksigns-exe and @malice-ov-mercy. Please make sure you go and read their parts and give them some love!

read the others here: folio // noah // ruffilo

The weight of him on top of you is intoxicating. His hands wander over your body; skating along every inch of your skin as though he is trying to memorize it. Your bodies mold together so perfectly that you begin to think you’re made for each other.

There is very little barrier between the two of you— your clothing having been discarded on the floor or the end of the bed some time ago. The sheer lace fabric of your lingerie and the thin cloth of his boxers are all that remains. You’ve long since soaked through the lace — nothing is left to the imagination when it comes to the man fused to you.

You’re unsure of how long you’ve been this way. Not that it matters. Neither of you have seemed to be in a hurry. It’s nice, you think, having someone who will just lay here with you like this. His fingers dig into your scalp and it stings from repeated tugs. Your lips are swollen from crashing them together; your skin is red and purple from where he’s marked you.

You don’t mind. If being the object of his undying affection means he makes a mess of you, then a mess you’ll be.

The tips of his fingers brush across the dampened fabric of your panties and press gently against your clit. You gasp into his mouth and his lips curl into a smile as he rubs circles so slowly you’re certain he’s trying to drive you mad.

“My pretty girl,” He sighs softly. “Sensitive and dripping, just the way I like her.”

“Joakim..” You breathe. He pushes your panties to the side, circling your hole with the pad of his index finger.

“Let me take care of you, darling?”

Every inch of your body is screaming yes. You want this man with every fiber of your being. He’s been incredibly patient with you these last few months— never crossing any boundaries. You told him all about your last relationship. He understood why you were hesitant to take things further. Still, you had hoped you would be over all of that by now.

Jolly looks at you concerned, clearly noticing how you tensed up beneath him. He sighs and removes his hand, fixing your underwear back in place. Lifting off of you, he plants himself next to you further away than you’d like. It’s enough to have your eyes brimming with tears.

He plays with your hair absentmindedly, his face pensive. You turn your head away from him, crying silently. It isn’t long before you hear him call your name; his gentle grasp on your chin turns your attention back to him.

“What is it?” He asks so softly you barely hear it. You shake your head, blinking away tears. He’s not satisfied with your response.

“Please tell me, my love.” His eyes are desperate, but you feel embarrassed. You sniffle, shifting uncomfortably next to him.

“I went too far didn’t I?” Jolly sits up, his eyebrows knitted together in panic. “I was just trying to— it wasn’t my intention… I- fuck.” He scrubs his hands over his face, continuing to mumble how sorry he is. It’s excruciating watching him spiral like this.

Your foreheads touch as you rise to meet him, hand tenderly wrapping around his neck. As you massage his nape, he quiets down, curling his arms around your waist and tugging you closer. It’s quiet for a moment except for your breathing. It’s mostly in sync now, Jolly’s slowing down now that he’s a bit calmer.

“I’m sorry,” You admit quietly.

Jolly shakes his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I went too far, I shouldn’t have—”

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” You interrupt him, brushing his hair out of his face.

“Then why were you crying?” He looks at you puzzled.

You shrug, a little reluctant to admit it. He squeezes your waist in reassurance, eyes searching your face as if he’d find the answer there. The pained darling, please spoken against your cheek effectively gives you the push you need to confide in him.

“I thought you were going to leave me.” The confession is certainly heartbreaking. Your voice cracks, lip quivering at the mere mention of the thought. Jolly is quick to kiss you to stop the trembling or calm your mind—maybe both.

“I only wanted to give you some space, love.” He reveals. “I was afraid I had crossed a line. Needed some space of my own to figure out how I can make things better for you. More comfortable.”

“What we do together is amazing. No one has ever made me feel more comfortable than you do. I just get in my head and freak myself out.”

“Is there anything that I can do to help?”

It’s endearing how willing he is to make you feel more at ease. There’s no doubt in his sincerity as he watches you intently, eagerly awaiting a response. The problem is you’re not sure what the answer is.

You consider the thought that maybe you're just broken. Ruined from past partners. The most patient man in the world is right in front of you and willing to do whatever it takes but you can't get your mind and body on the same page.

An idea crosses your mind, but… how do you even begin to ask that?

“I— Just..” You look down, fidgeting with your hands. “Can I show you?”

The question appears to catch Jolly off guard. His mouth drops open though he manages to close it quickly enough. A hand passes through his hair as he laughs nervously.

“You—you want to show me how you like to be touched?”

You immediately assume he’s not up for it and regret washes over you. You blush, hiding your face with your hands in embarrassment. He gently pulls them down, holding them in your lap.

“I would absolutely love that. Will you show me? Please?”

You lift your hips and remove your panties, your bra following after—discarding them who knows where. Your nerves have you completely out of sorts. As you nestle yourself into the pillows, you glance over at him. He seems just as nervous as you are. He gives you a reassuring smile and you take a deep breath.

Closing your eyes, you try to settle into the same headspace as when you’re alone. You sink into the pillows, allowing your hands to roam. They go up and over the slope of your breasts, pinching and pulling your nipples until they pebble. One hand continues exploring across your belly, fingers dancing along your skin.

Your mind drifts to Jolly. How his big hands roam your body— drifting across your thighs in a way that makes you weak. It’s a feeling you’ve tried to replicate every time you’re alone but have never been successful. The soft skin of your hands, as they glide over and down the inside of your thighs, is no match for the roughness of his.

With your legs spread, you run a finger along your slit. Your touches are featherlight as you take the time to enjoy yourself. You dip your finger inside of you, collecting your arousal and coating your clit with it. The sensation has you sighing, dragging your lip between your teeth. Your hips buck slightly to meet your hand, the other slithering back up your body to your breasts. Jolly’s name falls from your lips while you picture him touching you. His lips against your neck, breath hot against your—

“Oh, God.”

The sound of his voice snaps you out of your daydream. You pry open your heavy eyelids to see him lying at your feet, legs intertwined with yours— his hand wrapped around his cock. It’s a devastating sight seeing him this way. He’s propped up on one elbow gaze fixed on your dripping wet pussy. He lets out a choked sob as he strokes himself and fuck it might just ruin you.

“Please..” He begs. “Please don’t stop.”

You moan in response, pushing your finger deeper inside of you adding a second in the process. The stretch has your head swimming; your eyes flutter closed again but his voice pulls you back again.

“God, I can— I can see how tight you’re clenching.”

The honey sweetness of his voice has an effect you weren’t expecting. Every time he speaks you feel the coil in your belly tighten more. You feel a warmth spread through you from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. Yet, you still shiver from the sheer force of his presence. Goosebumps rise on your skin when his hand drifts up your calf as he attempts to get closer to you.

“Those two little fingers are stretching you out so good, baby.” He pauses to lick his lips. “I can’t wait to see what just one of mine will look like inside of you.”

A fire ignites inside of you at his words. The mere thought of his thick fingers stretching you out has you pumping faster. Jolly’s moans become louder as he watches, moving his fist over his cock in the same rhythm that you pleasure yourself with. Sitting up to get a better view, your mouth fills with saliva when you see precum dripping from his tip.

Jolly catches you gawking, adjusting himself to move closer to you. With his free hand, he collects the fluid pushing his thumb between your lips. He moves it in and out of your mouth and you suck hard, swirling your tongue around it. He grunts out a string of curse words, moving as close as he can. As he removes his thumb, he grabs the back of your head, crashing your lips together.

The two of you are now completely tangled together, limbs intertwined. You’re basically sitting in his lap and you can feel every single movement he makes. The crescent moons you dig in his thigh seem to spur him on. He kisses you more aggressively, biting at your bottom lip.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful like this.” Jolly pants in your mouth. “Wrapped around me. Fingers deep in your pretty cunt.”

You shudder against him, his words shooting to your core. You press against the sweet spot within you and you cry out. The coil gets tighter and threatens to snap at any moment. His grunts turn into breathy whines. The hand working his fist moves more erratically. He’s close, too.

Jolly dips his head down, a vulgar moan falling from his lips at the sight between you. He gently pushes your head down for you to see.

“Look at us, baby. Look at you.” He breathes. “Will you cum for me, please? I want to see how you make yourself fall apart.”

The dam finally breaks, your orgasm washing over you. You press the heel of your palm against your clit and your back arches — Jolly holds you upright as you arch your chest towards him. He buries his head between your breasts, sucking and biting. You shake with an intensity you’ve never felt before, with yourself or anyone else.

Jolly moans against your skin and you feel his warmth spurting onto your belly. You look down quickly, not wanting to miss anything. His eyes roll back into his head as he works himself through his orgasm, his legs trembling beneath you.

Once you’ve both come down, he holds you impossibly close to him, not concerned at all about the mess you’ve made. He’ll clean you up soon enough. He praises you between kisses. His hands run down the expanse of your back, your thighs, and then back again.

His calloused skin against yours. The way he speaks to you. Being so close to him this way ignites something within you. He laughs as you attach yourself to his neck, nibbling at his skin.

“Mmm, Round two, already?” He jokes.

“Just returning the favor.” You reply, giggling at the small bruise already showing on his neck.

He doesn’t mind. If being the object of your undying affection means you make a mess of him, then a mess he’ll be.

[arcielee]

To feel the rare before and after.

Image by the talented @kyloremus​

Paring: modern Aemond Targaryen x Female!Reader Word Count: 900+ Warnings: Reader AFAB, smutty smut, overstimulation, p in v, spit play, pwp at its best (I hope). Author's Note: This title is the lyrics from The Drone Interlude by Sleep Walking Animals and this is my birthday present to the wonderful @annikin-im-panicin. She requested some Aemond smut and I thought to myself, “Abso-fucking-lutely.” Thank you @foxee-writes​ for being my beloved beta reader 💜 Dividers by @saradika​ 💜 Taglist (Tumblr kindred spirits): @aaaaaamond @watercolorskyy​ @schniiipsel​ @sylas-the-grim​ @aemondx​ @fan-goddess​ @babygirlyofthevale​ @httpsdoll​ @theromanticegoist​ @hb8301​ 

You loved the feeling of his arms and how they wrapped around your waist, as he pulled you to straddle his lap. “One more for me, pretty girl,” and your skin raised with the breathless command he whispered against the nape of your neck, his lips feathering your pulse.

His large hands roamed your curves, settling on the softness of your hips with a firm hold and lining himself with your entrance once again. Aemond lifted his hips, simultaneously lowering you as he slowly sheathed his length into your velvet walls, with a delicious stretch still. 

You can only whine in response; your hold around his neck tightens, your body flushed against his chest as he continues his slow pace that bruises against that sweet spot within you. Stars burst with his each thrust, your body already blossoming from your prior releases: the sheen of sweat mixing with the slick between your thighs, the rose bloom spilling from your cheeks down to your neck and chest, your nipples pebbling with pleasure with his relentless rhythm. 

“Aemond,” you almost cried. “I can’t…”

“You can,” he hummed, his pace now unfaltering, his teeth grazing the junction of your neck to your shoulder. 

You shuddered in response; in truth, it was already curling at the base of your spine, his thrusts rekindling that coil in your lower abdomen, a fluttering pleasure that came in waves and touching every fiber of your being. You were breathless, relaxing your hold around his neck and falling back, your hands moving behind to grip his knees to keep yourself upright. 

His feet are firmly planted on the floor, seated on the bed’s edge. Aemond moved his hold, with one arm wrapping around your waist while his other hand pressed in the inside of your thigh, his thumb following the patch of curls before pressing against your pearl with his familiar touch. 

You are raw, tender, and already on the precipice of being overstimulated, and with his deliberate touch, you can feel your climax being ripped from you. It is without the same tensity of your last release, but with his added ministrations it elongates it in a way that is both painful and delicious. 

Aemond pulled you closer, groaning into your neck as your cunt clenches with your climax, his velvet tone whispering praises against your flushed skin–good girl. You melt against his chest, the sticky sweet touch of skin-to-skin, and you sigh sweetly with how he tightened his hold, pulling you closer still. 

When he pushed to stand, your legs crossed around his slender waist with a squeak of your surprise as he turned to face the bed, releasing his hold of you and allowing you to fall back against the sex soaked sheets. 

You propped yourself onto your elbows, watching his silver brows knit above his bicolored gaze that drinks in your every curve. You burned under his steady stare; there is an ethereal beauty about him, from the jut of his hips with his languid stance, the smooth planes of his chest and the Adonis belt that lined his lower abdomen, to how his hair clung and framed his sweat, aglow face, and the rose coloring that dusts his sharp features. 

Aemond kneeled onto the bed, each hand reaching to grasp around your ankles, and pulling you closer to him. You giggled from the sudden pull, your ass now pressing against his thighs, and you saw the hint of his smile as he moved the soles of your feet to press against his chest. You shivered when he turned his head, his lips pressing against the arc of your foot, and he then leaned over you, a curtain of silver, the soft tickle of his tresses against your bare chest, and his arms planting on each side of you, caging you against the mattress. 

You mewled pitifully as he moved his hips, the touch of his tip and how it almost glides against your silken folds before sinking into your warmth once again. 

“Aemond,” you begged and you moaned as he bottoms out, stretching you from within. 

He only hums again, a mixture of his acknowledgement and his own satisfaction from how well you fit around his cock. His grip dimpled the plushness of your thighs, a bracing hold for the snap of his hips against you. “Touch yourself,” his voice is low, demanding.

Your fingertips trailed from his chest to his jaw and his head dips to take them into his mouth, the tickle of his tongue with how it curls around each digit before you pull back. The spittle breaks away onto his chin and your fingers gently touch the tendered nub above his rhythmic in and out, above the suction of your swollen lips and the ring of white around the base of his cock.

Aemond watched you, enjoying the ripple of your supple curves with his each rut, the bounce of your breasts as his pace quickens, and your soft cry that accompanies your soft touch with how you circled your fingers intimately. 

He pulled back, quick to fist his length to completion with the pearly spill of his release across your stomach. There is a pause, a deep exhale before he gets up, disappearing into the bathroom. You can hear the faucet turn on for a moment, before he returns with a damp washcloth that was pleasantly warm to the touch. 

Aemond is thorough and he is gentle, wiping you clean before tossing it into the hamper. He then crawled beneath the covers, pulling you to follow, until your backside was flushed against his chest. 

He nuzzled into your neck, a soft kiss behind your ear with the whisper, “Happy birthday, pretty girl.”

arcie’s masterlist

[ladytemeraire]

While I'm on the topic of discussing knitwear and knitting patterns: I really wish designers would put some extra thought into the yarn choices/ recommendations for their patterns beyond "this is pretty".

Like, I know mohair is having a moment right now so everyone is using mohair in their patterns, and that's great for cozy cold weather sweaters; but if your pattern is for a floaty lightweight cottagecore-esque top for summer, maybe don't pick a mohair/silk blend? That's great for warmth, but it sounds like an absolute nightmare for hot months.

Similarly, a designer I really love just put out a pattern for a flowy drapey summer tee, and while I'm absolutely going to make it at some point, I'm absolutely not going to use the wool/silk/yak yarn they recommend, because I don't feel like breaking my budget or getting heat stroke. Instead I plan to use a wool/cotton blend; that will keep the springiness and structure of wool so it doesn't stretch all out of shape, but the cotton will provide drape and also allow the fabric to breathe. (Yak and silk are both fabulous for drape but tend to retain heat better than plant fibers.)

At this point I personally have the experience to know how to swap or substitute yarns to get the results I want, but it still leaves me scratching my head and wondering what the thought process is and also feeling bad for less experienced knitters who aren't able to do the same.

[david-box]

The idea of wool fluff and plant fiber becoming actual fabric is so fucked up to me. I love every part of it and I've spent hours on youtube and wikipedia looking into it, watching it happen, learning about fiber production, hand spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, lace, sewing, blocking, finishing, damn near everything you can think of and every time I see someone on here show a picture of some roving and then the rug they made I'm like Wow!! They Made An Object From Another Object!! How Cool Is That!

[saja-star]

I had a conversation with my mom recently. She said that once you die, the people who knew you remember you, and they tell stories about you to the next generation. But that second generation will probably not pass those stories on unless they were really remarkable. So most people are gone two generations after their death.

I'm a linguist. The things I study encompass hundreds to millions of human lives. But there is no one great person who can be credited with their invention. The common fun facts about how many words Shakespeare invented are bullshit. If Shakespeare just made up the word "dawn," how would his audience have understood it? Shakespeare was at best the first to write down words that people on the street were already saying. Another common misconception: dictionary makers don't decide new words; they study people's communication to find out what words the public is already using. Educated and influential individuals are always riding on the coattails of collectives.

It's the same reason I love fiber arts. No one invented knitting or sewing or spinning, not as we know them today. Some prehistoric human was probably the first to attach a fiber to a sharp object in a way we could technically call a needle, but sewing encompasses hundreds of techniques, each of which is the product of hundreds of little innovations by thousands and thousands of people over generations. This is true of many daily objects. I heard a story about how soap was invented when people at a particular temple noticed plant ashes and animal fats from sacrifices mixing together, and I knew it was a fairytale not because it was implausible, but because it attributed soap to a single specific place and time.

Anyway, I think this is what is left of us when we die: a kind of psychic DNA that persists in the mental gene pool of our culture. But if your name is the only part of you you value, then yeah. I guess we're gone after two generations.

[giant-tiny-fiber-friends]

Nalbinding in G/T

Fiber Arts | Knitting | Crochet | Sewing

Honestly, this was the post I was most excited to make when I started this blog! I haven't seen many people talking about nalbinding, as it's not as widely known, but I think it could be a dark horse g/t fiber art.

The name nalbinding comes from Danish, literally meaning needle binding. It's a way to produce fabric from short pieces of wool yarn, using a large and blunt sewing needle-shaped tool to create stitches looped through one another. Tension can be kept over the thumb or the needle itself, and when torn or worn down, the fabric will not unravel!

It predates knitting and crochet by many centuries, although in form it is most similar to the latter. One stitch is worked at a time by running the needle through the working loops and the ever-growing fabric. There are many types of stitches with differing densities, tensions, and functions. Like crochet, nalbinding is very good for making things with odd or circular shapes, like socks or mittens or hats.

Nalbinding came into my radar when someone adjacent to my crafting circles asked about it, and I fell down the rabbit hole. It's still a relatively new craft to me, but it's gotten me so excited by the idea of sharing this with the g/t community!

For a brief history and demonstration of nalbinding (mostly to keep this post from being entirely too long) I highly recommend this short video. It certainly piqued my interest when I first heard of nalbinding!

The Potential

Nalbinding would be one of the easiest crafts to maintain by a tiny or a giant, in my opinion! For one thing, it's designed to use shorter amount of yarn at a time compared to knitting or crochet, which could be handy in environments of scarce wool sourcing (like a giant or tiny scavenging for materials). Wool would be ideal, since the fibers at the end of the yarn can easily be felted together in order to join a new strand, but it could likely be done with any fiber available.

The needles would be easy to come by as well since they can be made of wood, antler, or bone. So long as those materials are around, one can make a long, wide, and flat needle to use!

There are also more open-weave forms of nalbinding that could be great for mesh fabrics! Great for hunting/fishing for more outdoorsy giants/tinies, or bags for carrying larger items made with more conservative amounts of materials. Here's a tutorial video of someone using this looping style of nalbinding with plant fibers:

Nalbinding is a newer craft for me, and I'm still taking time to learn more about it! The project I have on the needle right now is going to be a small pouch-style bag; I'm not working from a proper pattern, sort of using the intuition I've learned from crochet to start a circular shape for the base, and now I'm working up the straight sides. It's still in the early stages, so it resembles a shallow bowl more than anything at the moment, but it's coming along!

This is definitely more of a ramble than previous posts at this point, but this is a craft I don't see talked about a ton and I more so wanted to put in on the g/t community radar to hopefully get a conversation started! Let me know if this sparks interest, I'd love to see other ideas for the g/t potential with this fiber art!

[siriscrafts]

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog! I'm a physics student, @siri-of-all-trades is my main/study blog, but on here I'm a crafter, knitter, artist and so on. I especially love learning new fiber arts, be it lace making or engineering new knitting patterns. I strive for sustainability, diy-ing and mending what I can using local materials.

My interests include:

Knitting

Lace making (tatting & bobbin)

Sewing

Pattern design (knitting, sewing, etc)

Weaving

Natural dyeing

House plants

Foraging, wild herbs

Baking and cooking

Cosplay/costuming (occasionally)

Drawing and painting

Embroidery

Miniature wood carving, apparently??

Jewelery making

Here are some examples of stuff I've made:

You're welcome to follow along and interact! My blog is a safe space, despite doing some traditional crafts I don't welcome TERFs or the like.

Here's more about me:

You can call me Siri! (She/her)

From Finland 🇫🇮

I'm doing my master's in physics, focusing on new energy technologies. I especially like solar cells!

I've been crafting since I was little!

I take up new crafts regularly as I come accross them. Since there's so many crafts already, some are just for one project. Knitting is probably the most stable one, since I can do that on lectures and there's always new techniques to learn.

[solarpunkaestheticweek]

I’m in Australia right now, it’s cold and rainy and miserable, I have no idea how I’m meant to solarpunk it up, do you have any tips? 😭

Ooh, hello!

I can definitely see how coming up with ways to solarpunk in the cold and rain would be hard. It definitely feels like there's not much to do, but hopefully I've got some ideas that can help inspire you!

First, maybe you can try to bring warmth and light to your indoor spaces! Cozy up the place with some solarpunk-inspired decor, see if you can brighten things up. Maybe have a get together! Community is totally solarpunk!

I'm not sure how easy all of this is to obtain, but I've seen people paint streets with a type of paint that reveals itself when it comes into contact with water? I think it might be hydrochromic paint? I'm honestly not sure how easy that stuff is to obtain, but it could be fun to get some and paint a fun design on a driveway or the likes to add color to rainy days!

If it's a wet season, it's probably a good time to plan a garden! You did mention it's cold there right now (I think it's fall or winter in Australia right now? maybe?) so it might not be the best time for getting plants in the ground, but drawing up a garden plan is 110% a fun way to solarpunk during the winter! Plus, having a plan can help make things a lot easier in spring. Reading up/watching videos on native plants and other cool ways to support wildlife (building fountains, bird/bathouses, mini ponds, etc are what I've been up to in the states) and sharing that information with others can also be fun!

Speaking of! You could make a cool rain barrel to harvest some of that funky fresh rain water! I've seen some with aquatic plants planted into the top, which could make it an even more fun project! (I know it's not legal in some of the states but I'm not sure how the rain barrel vibe is in Australia so definitely do some research).

While you're inside avoiding the cold and rain, it could also be an excellent time to pick up a craft or learn a new skill! Drawing, painting, and writing are all pretty chill things you can do indoors, and if you decide to do some solarpunk-themed works you can share them during the week! It could also be a wonderful time to pick up a fiber craft like sewing, knitting, or crochet! I picked up crocheting during a time when there wasn't much to do in the garden, and it kept me pretty entertained! There's lots of resources on learning how to do these things on YouTube and various other websites, you've just gotta find what interests you and start there!

Last but not least, you could find some solarpunky books to read, or watch solarpunky shows or movies or even just some YouTube videos! Maybe you'll find some other form of inspiration for something to do while it's raining, or when things brighten up, and you can definitely post reviews on what you read/watched and let us know what you think!

If anyone reading has any recommendations (for activities or for stuff to read/watch) feel free to chime in! Either way, I hope you find something you'd like to do, Salad! If all else fails, you can even participate by just scrolling the #solarpunkaestheticweek tag and sharing your thoughts and love on people's posts!

--Ani

[noirandchocolate]

Hey, I’ve been thinking of trying out some fiber arts (specifically card weaving) and I remembered seeing you do a lot of knitting stuff. Do you have any basic advice or recs for picking yarn? I’m sure if I get into this I’ll take the time to hunt down more specific resources, but to start I’m probably just going to grab a couple yarn colors from the nearest store lol.

Specifically, I remember seeing some post about how the little pill/yarn ball thingies that form on sweaters when you wash them are because of the yarn not being properly prepared. Do you know about that, and if it’s something I should worry about? Or should I just be fine grabbing whatever off the shelf and getting right to work?

By the way, I love seeing your designs on my dash when they pop up, they’re really nice!

Hi, thanks very much, I'm happy to hear you like my stuff!

For yarn choices, I'm not super familiar with card weaving (so if anybody reading this knows more, please add your thoughts if you want!) but I've read that cotton-based yarns are good for it. Stuff with a smoother, consistent texture would be a good starting place.

I think a plant-based fiber like cotton is less prone to pilling, too. Another thing that helps to prevent that is the ply of the yarn--the higher the better. That info will usually be on the yarn label with the 'weight' listing.

Other than that, I would say that if you're using a pattern for your project, see if the maker has suggested a yarn! Even if you can't or don't want to find the exact same one, the pattern might tell you what weight to use (worsted, dk, lace, etc.) for a specific project and you can go from there. (At least, that is the case for knitting and crocheting, I'm not sure about card weaving patterns.)

I hope this helps a bit! Good luck with your crafting!

[equation-daycare]

Awww all the little kids are just adorable!

(This is for the kids or Two and J if they also want to answer) What are some of your favourite things/or activities to do?

Three: I really like playing catch! And you know what I dont like? WHEN DUMB PEOPLE DONT CATCH!

Four: I LOVE WATCHING BFDI!! But I also like hanging out with X! And lately I've been kinda helping J and Two with cooking! I really like it! And math, and teaching others stuff! But my favoritest thing is watching BFDI! And rewatching it! And telling people facts about BFDI!

X: Oh.. I don't know. All the things I like, I like them because I learn them or do them with someone. I think all I do by myself is draw, but also I play and watch Four and the caretakers do cooking, I wish I could help them, because food is so so tasty! And I like taking care of plants, and thinking of stories.. but I dont know my favorite thing.. Oh! I also like weaving baskets! I like baskets a lot.

Y: I like making things! Sometimes Five helps me make them because he knows a lot of stuff, or Six helps designing them! I love making useful things, and reading. And making sure my siblings dont get into trouble..

Five: Reading. That's it, I think?..

Six: I like drawing! And bubbles.. and swimming! And setting things on fire. On that drawing note, I also do scrapbooks and collages and that kind of thing, it gets my style through way better than my own art sometimes!

Eight: Playing poker, loteria, chess, tabletop games, really.

Nine: I-I love skating! And surfing the internet! And.. all those radical cool kid things, yup! I totally don't also kinda like boring things like sewing stuff 'n knitting.. no way, nope, dude!

Ten: Challenges! Helping people, doing new things, new experiences, watching TV if I have to relax, yeah! I'm always up and open to anything anytime!

Fourteen and Seven in unison: 0, 7, 14.. EATING PEOPLE!!

Fourteen: I prefer the skin though. I also like doing pranks! And taking pictures of bugs! I like bugs. I have a collection of bugs. They're dead, but..

Seven: …Honestly, I just want Fourteen to be my friend- I also like jokes, and I'm pretty good at dancing and singing! I just really like it when everyone's eyes are on me.

Fifteen: Unlike me. I guess my favorite thing to do is being alone. Hunting and woodcarving are neat, too.

One: Hmm, I don't know. I just watch everyone do their stuff…

The Egg: …

Four: Oh? Hm, hm, yes! The egg is saying her favorite thing is watching BFDI with Four! And being with me.. all day.. all the time-

Seven: No, they like to wiggle and dance!

Three: He likes to play catch with me, shut up!

J: No.. and don't play tug of war with it, it's fragile! We can't know what they like until they hatch and grow.. Right now, all they must like is staying warm and safe, not getting all shaken up and yelled at.

Two: Uh.. Well! I enjoy baking and gardening! And talking with J.. And taking care of the kids, of course.

J: Yeah, with a job like this, you kind of have to enjoy it, or risk going insane. Anyway, I like cooking and honestly any kind of fiber art- embroidery, knitting, sewing, felting, weaving… And sleeping! Can't forget that one.

Angelball: Uhh, are we invited to the ask-answering? We're not algebralians, but we do help the caretakers–

Devilball: What do you even like to do? Sit around and look heavenly? Pfft. Anywah, I like listening to - and making - music, and CHAOS!!

Two: Seems like that's it for this ask! You got it all recorded, guys?

Angelball: Uh.. Wait, is it supposed to look like this..?

Six: Oops, we didn't take the lid off of the camera!

[aidenlove]

"I'd love to have hobbies but I'm too broke"

"Yeah sounds fun, if you have that kind of money"

"Lol out of touch. Like people just have the money for craft supplies laying around"

My loves. My beautiful humans of all varieties. I am kissing you on the forehead so gently and begging you

Do. It. Poor.

Humanity has existed for around three hundred thousand years. Money as we know it has existed for about five thousand of those years. Humans have been doing stuff without money for most of our history as a species.

Find out what resources are available in your area and get your hands on some and create something with them.

This can include things like "buy nothing" groups and construction rubbish and lengths of carpet in the dumpster behind the local flooring place. Free pallets and broken tiles and scrap fabric on marketplace and craigslist.

It can also include natural clay deposits you teach yourself to refine for pottery, and plants that can be turned into fibers and spun and woven, and minerals and husks and berries and roots and a thousand other things that can be used to make natural dyes.

I have made paper from the wood of a neighbor's tree that they had to cut down. I collected a good bit of it for my mom to do woodturning with as well and she made wooden cooking spoons and spatulas, and wooden hair pins, and pens, and some chairs.

I have knit bags made from yarn I spun from local cottonwood fluff I collected off the ground.

I have dyed paper and fabric and soaps and wood and hair using dyes made from local plants and kitchen scraps and mineral pigments I collected and ground and mixed myself. I have made my own paints and inks and paintbrushes and canvasses as well.

I have made beautiful mosaic topped side/end/coffee/bedside tables with broken tile bits and scrap wood or sometimes scrap metal.

I taught myself how to make butter and jams and bread and jerky and a plethora of other things from scratch through mostly trial and error and bothering people's grandmothers

I taught myself how to make fishooks from a variety of materials

I've made cat trees from carpet scraps and junk wood, and cat toys from feathers and fabric scraps and sticks and string (I did sterilize the feathers to avoid illness and mites and such)

I have made soap from scratch using table scraps and lye I extracted from wood ash. I have similarly made lotions, salves, balms, and tinctures from scratch from collected materials. I have made candles from both tallow and beeswax acquired for free or very low cost, acquired from local apiaries and butchers.

I have made clothes for myself and others, as well as shawls, bags, scarves, quilts and whole host of other things from free sheets, blankets, clothes, and other "trash" fabric people were either giving or throwing away because of holes or rips or stains.

I taught myself leatherworking to make bracelets and bag straps and sandals and fetish gear from scrap bits of leather, usually sourced from ripped or otherwise damaged leather jackets that were being thrown out.

I taught myself to weave wreaths cause we have pine trees here and what the fuck do you mean eighty dollars for some pine boughs and ribbon???

I spent 6 months travelling without purchasing a single night in a hotel room or purchasing a single travel ticket of any kind, picking up odd jobs and selling things I crafted from materials found along the way and ride sharing and camping (yes there was an element of danger there, but travel is always dangerous. Being alive is dangerous. Being a fat neurodivergent disabled queer afab poor person is hella dangerous. I refuse to spend my precious life isolated and afraid)

Sand paintings can be done with pine resin, natural dyes, and sand.

Makeup can be made entirely from things you can find around you in most parts of the world.

Felting can be done with pet hair.

Carving

Whittling

Cooking

Metalworking/blacksmithing

Hunting and trapping

A canoe can be made from...a tree

Please, please look at the world you are part of and realize *it will not charge you money for joy*

Look at how the native peoples of your area did the thing you want to do. Look at how other cultures have historically accomplished that thing. Pretend civilization has fallen and there isn't anyone to pay for materials and supplies. Pretend plastic doesn't exist. You are so much freer than you realize. Do it poor. Live your life. Your desire is the only permission you need in order to create, in order to have hobbies (Victor Frankenstein and Hannibal Lector I am not talking to you).

And for those of you worried about whether this applies to you, I am both poor and heavily disabled. I cannot stand or walk for longer than ten or fifteen minutes. I cannot lift more than ten pounds without *fracturing my spine*. My glasses give people migraines. I am AuDHD. You learn to work around your limitations, and accomodate yourself. I learned how to make myself a folding stool with 3 decent sized branches and some strips of leather or canvass. It is lightweight but holds all my medically obese self without issue. I put a strap on that sucker and now I have place to sit whenever I need, even if it's every few steps. I'm not on anyone else's timeframe when I am doing this stuff, I'll sit when I please for as long as I need. I learned how to make a travois for dragging stuff I can't safely lift. I got a cheap immersion blender because my shoulders can't handle the level of stirring required for soap making and several other things. I do almost everything, including furniture making, sitting down, often in my wheelchair (which I got for free and made a seat for cause it didn't have one and I couldn't afford an intact, functional wheelchair). These things can be adjusted for disability, for neurotype, for location (including inner city), for limited available time (I was working 3 jobs and raising toddlers for a good portion of this time, before I became too disabled to work). Human creativity is near limitless. Use it!

If you don't know where to start or how to find the info you need or how to accomplish your hobby for free or low cost, ask! Ask me, ask other crafty people, ask people with an interest in anthropology, ask local groups of indigenous artisans, ask the internet. Don't expect folks to construct a detailed, start to finish set of instructions for you, but they can usually point you in the right direction in terms of finding the knowledge you need, or to get you past a point you're stuck at (an affectionately exasperated older lady once emailed back with just "you didn't add vinegar to fix the dye did you?" I....had not). Not every craft or hobby will be able to done low cost (I do not know how to make a telescope sorry) but many can, more than most people think.

Capitalism is a cage for the human spirit. Slip the bars baby.

[sleepywaterbears]

This is a revamped pony sona Ive had since the beginning of my journey in this Fandom. She looks a lil different now but her premise hasn't changed which was originally, being a vessel for me to interact with my favorite mlp blogs(which yes, includes doctor whooves). But, I've decided to give her a proper redesign to finally kiss that old part of my life good bye! So may I introduce Satin Weaver, dimension hopping extraordinare(kind of '^^)

Satin was a normal Pegasus who lived in a dimension similar to our own equestria, but also very different in alot of ways. This work the sun and moon did not rise and set as they should've and so, the world was stuck in a perpetual winter in One land and a blazing summer in the other. In her field she worked as a weaver(hence the name )of all things fiber related. Whether knitting, crochet, tapastries, macrame or heck even weaving plants ogether! If it can be woven then she's your gal! Or mare I should say. She ran the local yarn and knitting emporium and made a good living selling her crafts to poor folks who needed it, but what she was mainly known for were her tapestries. It was even more impressive since she didn't posses any kind of unicorn magic, and had to weave with just her hooves. One day while dropping off a hefty order she had decided to stop by her dear friend's laboratory but due to an unforseen accident our protagonist was struck with a beam of pure quantum energy, which allowed her the ability to "blip" into different dimensions and alternative universes. Unfortunately she has yet to find her way back to her current universe. She also may or may not have ripped a whole i. The space time continuum and now has to use to legendary abilities to "weave" it back together.

(Any fan art of satin can be tagged under Satin Weaver, or just tag me in general since I love to share and see what people come up with. Her story is still a work in progress but rn she's buzzing around in the old noggin)

[vriendenboekjes]

I was tagged by @quimerical to answer 15 questions and tag 15 people to do this as well. thanks so much!!! <3

1) named after anyone? my second name is after my maternal grandma :) my brother's second name is my paternal grandpa's so we're even. I think his was for a hope of better family relations on that side but unforch that didnt really happen but MY grandma RULED

2) last time you cried? uuuuhm i had just gotten feedback on my thesis chapter and it was a bit too much to handle

3) do you have any kids? i do not

4) do you use sarcasm a lot? not really i think? Sometimes for humorous effect but lately i think ive gravitated more towards dry statements.

5) what’s the first thing you notice about people? walk walk fashion baby. no but i think hair? i love looking at hair and hairstyles so that's why i think i pay attention to it. Also what colours they're wearing.

6) color of your eyes? greenish. i guess in english you would call it hazel but in dutch there isnt really a word for it as far as im aware

7) scary movies or happy endings? dependsssss. on my mood. I think a lot can be said for either.

8) any special talents? not really.

9) where were you born? the hospital in a city.....

10) hobbies? i play lute and guitar :) taking care of my plants, going for walks, and i love to sing but im not good at it, im also learning mandarin online and it's really fun!!! but also slow going. And hypothetically i love to read even though i haven't really had the time for it lately. I also really want to get back into writing and other forms of art, but i need to build up my confidence/rhythm again. Also sudokus and other puzzle books and lately ive been really into i think it's called code breaker? You get 3 letters that are assigned a number and then you have to figure out the other words on the page and which letters correspond to which numbers etc. Also in the colder months i love textile/fiber stuff like knitting and needle felting but NOT when it's warm out.

11) any pets? my parents have a dog :)

12) what sports do you/have you played? nothing these days but i used to swim, do ballet, jazzdance and contemporary. I tried tennis and hockey (sooo bad at it) and kickboxing for about half a year but decided that wasn't for me. Also I had a gym card for a while and that was pretty fun!

13) how tall are you? about 1,73

14) favorite subject in school? im assuming school means high school here? i loooved english class but i'll be honest a big part of it was that i had SUCH nice teachers. Harder to say in uni. I think most of my major-specific courses were quite nice. But the best time in my life was when i just had an internship and i had soooo much time on the side to do other fun things. The country was kind of going in and out of lockdowns during that time so there wasn't THAT much to do but at least i had lots of time to read.

15) dream job? i don't dream of work but uhm maybe this isn't really the point of the question but talking semi-realistically I think programming for a festival could be really nice. I think it's such a nice puzzle of overarching theme, then how does the performance/installation fit with that, then maybe a talk on the side. A few years ago for above-mentioned internship I had to put together a fictitious program and it was so much fun to think of all the possibilities and how to engage the audience the best way.

tagging: @xiaoguiwang @pussykech @brigittefitzgerald @stardewvgf @wulfhall @farhanqureshi @pinkloving @lynchiangf @engulfes @morqwen @soulmvtes @pumpkinspicedlesbian and 3 other people i cant think of right now...... no pressure to do this of course and if i havent tagged you but you want to do this please tag me!!!!

[olderthannetfic]

Sure!

I don’t think I can give useful yarn recs since like 95% of my stash comes from a used yarn consignment store where people are destashing things they bought 20 years ago. I just counted and out of 90 I have stashed, 49 are for sure discontinued entirely, and others may not be available in the color I have.

Overall, I’m loving the silk wool blends. Sundara Yarns is amazing, though way above what I’m willing to pay new. I wouldn’t say “overpriced”. These are glorious hand-dyed yarns on fancy fiber bases like tussah silk plus merino. It’s priced appropriately; I just don’t want to pay that.

I’ve mostly been working with wool or wool blends. I intentionally try to avoid anything with a man-made fiber. I’ll accept a little rayon, and sock yarn almost always has like 10% nylon, but I’ll almost never buy anything with even a small percentage of acrylic content or anything with nylon that isn’t a sock yarn.

I’m liking the gloriously smooth yarns like the Malabrigo Rios I’m knitting a hat out of today. I very much dislike the modern knitting trend for holding multiple strands together and adding hairy yarns to everything.

I’ve recently bought a few skeins of white hemp yarn, one blue linen one (the only skein of that the store had or I’d have gotten more), and a baby blue sweater lot of a cotton blend. I’m looking forward to trying some more plant fiber summer knits. I haven’t quite figured out what I want to use that cotton for yet. Definitely something textured since flat, even colors are not my favorite when knit in plain stockinette.

I think one needs to be logged in to see people’s stashes and such. Here’s my project page, though it doesn’t have the hat I’m currently knitting.