#local technique

[3liza]

i mean the truth is that we do not need and should not have all this stupid plastic clutter in or houses. no one should be producing or selling this shit. everyone make your own merchandise and charge a living hourly wage to sell it 🤷 sorry to be so simplistic about this but it's one of the results of the lack of class unity specifically in the means of production-owning creative class, who is not mentioned or dealt with by the core Marxist texts as far as I know (i asked about this earlier on here, did marx ever address in his analysis people like, for example, a professional photographer who owns a camera ans prints his own dagguereotypes? or a portrait painter or idk, independent milliner or seamstress? these people all own the means of production and do not employ anyone, and the answer from better educated people than I was that no, Marx didn't mention them), I'm not well read on this at all, there is just a big void where leftist analysis of what modern economists call "the creative class"

I'm getting off topic. my point is make your own keychains in your kitchen. it's actually not hard. you can even mass produce (on a small scale) little plastic crap if you want, with resin and a UV lamp, or a 3d printer, or a laser cutter and acrylic sheets (or just use balsa wood damn, at least its biodegradable and less tacky).

all this stuff is available to little creators AND there are hundreds of people who already own these machines who will take work for you and produce your designs. you just have to actually find them and know them and email them. that's what I mean about the class unity issue with creatives. we have no large scale union, we have no large scale class consciousness, and we're all sending our orders for little plastic crap to sweatshops instead of emailing a guy with a laser cutter in his garage and saying "hey Keith can I get uhhhhhhhhhhh 50 laser cut keychains of this twerking Diggler design I made, like how much would that cost" and he's like sure here's the work and materials cost and tbh it's always always less than i think it's going to be. you just have to do some basic arithmetic and then order shipping, and I hate order fulfillment with my life but you can actually pay or barter with someone to do that for you too. learn to delegate and then factor that into your unit cost. this is basic shit every commercial creator needs to know. they should teach you this in art school but they dont

don't give me crap about "I can't afford a laser cutter" either because I just told you to email Keith. and all these machines get sold secondhand when a manufacturer or hobbyist needs to upgrade. i got a color laser printer perfect for making zines and wheatpastes and shipping labels from a retired lesbian on capital hill for $75 and it was still full of ink. my friend gave me her 20 year old canon dslr because she just didn't need it and didn't want to bother selling it. it works fine because I spent the time finding the right drivers and shit for my computer. and card readers exist. Craigslist. Facebook marketplace. nextdoor sales section. eBay. everyone always forgets eBay. eBay lets you save searches and will email you when it finds a guy selling his vinyl plotter in your city with local pickup. I'm serious

[weirdglassthing]

Probably all of the thirteen beers at the local cheese drawings I’ll do but these two are so funnnnn

[strongbookthoughts]

Notes on The Art of Fair Isle Knitting by Ann Feitelson

So this year's crafting goal is to learn double stranded color knitting. Expect to see me reviewing more than a few titles on the subject. This one was published in 1996, and is pretty good despite having some wildly different vibes than more current books.

This book opens with nearly 40 pages of history about fair isle techniques and aesthetic as it developed in the islands that make up the most northern bits of England. It's honestly a neat little bit of micro history, and it gives you the ability to recognize which patterns/colors are more historically accurate than others. I know enough reenactment nerds to think someone who cares about that could see this post.

The section on technique is mostly black and white line art, but my most important takeaway is that it doesn't matter what color is in what hand (or both in one) as long as you control your tension.

And then the section on color theory is MASSIVE. It analyzes anything that impacts color down to how you are swapping between your colors.

Most of the patterns are jumpers (sweaters for Americans) and the patterns mostly have sizing up to about 50in. I suspect the exact sizing was determined more by motif repeats than anything else.

The models might be professional, but it kind of feels like the author just got a bunch of average people up in scotland to pose in scenic local places. There's a nice range of age and body shapes, but everyone is white.

Since I'm not really looking to make sweaters or design my own patterns (seriously, the color theory section is EXCELLENT), I'm not sure if I'll return to this book. But I'm also rather pleased to have read the history section. YMMV.

[screambirdscreaming]

Thinking of the number of artists I've seen people go crazy for on tumblr, who I've also met at local art fairs,

And also the amount of grumbling and complaining I see about going to craft fairs and finding them to be full of just stickers and acrylic charms

And so I must give you this advice: go to really bougie art fairs. Do it. Will you be able to afford anything there? Probably no, maybe a print. But you will see SO much cool art. And often get to talk to the artists also! If you do any kind of overlapping craft yourself, or just ask in a friendly way, people are often really happy to talk process and technique and inspiration. It's great. I've learned so much cool shit this way.

The REALLY swanky art fairs will charge for tickets just to get in, unfortunately. Sometimes it's just a suggested donation though, and there's at least a few annually near me that are actually free.

Presumably it varies what kind of shows are around, and you probably need a big city nearby to have any luck. But see what you can find!

[atracaelum]

This is just kvetching into the void but I periodically see posts on this here internet and website essentially trying to police the terms people use for their own art, ie "you can't call something a doodle if it looks finished (to me)" or "stop doing sketchbook flips that are finished pieces, it's supposed to be doodles and wips in a sketchbook!" and usually there's a reason given about these things setting an unrealistic standard either for other artists, or non-artists, and these irritate the piss out of me every time I fear.

Your 'finished piece' might BE someone's low effort doodle, that's just life sometimes! This is fine! It need not reflect on you!

Similarly, the sketchbook is the medium. Whether it's showcase of completed works or practice sketches is irrelevant. They are showing their sketchbook.

Much of this moaning is indirectly shot at people who are full-time artists, if not professionals, posting online. Are you under the impression their grasp of art terminology is just flat out wrong? Or is it just broader than you would like?

I can't take the fear of unrealistic expectations seriously, sorry. People are very ignorant, yes, but the cure is never a dumbing down of the topic, nor trying in vain to universalize it.

This all kind of wraps into how social media turns people sharing their art into this cut throat arms race, how divorced people become from means of actually learning their craft in that sort of environment, and the, to be blunt, sour grapes that grow from all of this. Sincerely, I just encourage people to worry less about other artists minding their business and focus more on personal growth. Maybe let yourself get inspired! And then we'll both win, because I will see less incessant whining out in the wild!

[mantisgodsart]

(via @cordycepsbian)

We can answer this actually we love talking about Cool Art Stuff.

Despite what one may assume, sharp edges in watercolor is actually quite easy! Come, sit, allow us to share our secrets. It's like 50% "materials" and 50% "we spent a long-ass time figuring out how to do sharp edges in watercolor and now we're really good at figuring out the exact combos of consistency and brush stroke required to make those really hard edges"

The first trick is, of course, to not try and do it at the beginning of the painting. When you're just starting to block shapes in to your watercolor, pursuing sharp edges is a fool's ordeal, and you can only really get those sharp edges in as finishing touches near the end of the work.

The second trick is to work wet-on-dry - this limits the spread of the watercolor and allows you to prevent bleeding, but you have to make sure your painting is COMPLETELY dry before painting, or you'll risk having some ill-defined lines and bleeding.

The third trick is to work with... cake watercolors? There's a tern for it, we just can't remember it - dry pan watercolors, where you have to wet the paint to "activate" it, offer you a LOT more control over the consistency of your paint, and using a relatively thick paint will allow you some REALLY sharp lines! Fair warning, your mileage may vary based on the specific paints you use just because pigment is Expensive and cheaper brands of watercolor will almost definitely be, like, cutting out as much pigment as they can manage in order to cut corners, and the sharp edges will be less obvious the more transparent they are.

As a general rule of thumb when you pay for Fancy watercolor you're paying for the insane amount of pigment that they put in their Fancy Stuff and that lends itself a lot more to Sharp Lines (plus one thing of it will last Fucking Forever). The black we use Specifically is an Artisanal Fancy Brand that we don't remember the name of and we've been using the same ~$10 thing for more than a year without even using up half of it, but honestly the actual paints you use are the Least important part of doing watercolor, you can do like the exact same thing with dollar store paints it'll just be a bit less pigmented.

The fourth trick is to just, like, practice a TON. You WILL have to spend time getting it right. It will take a Long-Ass Time. You will have So Much Trouble. Unfortunately this step cannot be avoided but we can still warn you that you'll be trying to make really sharp lines for like an hour and it still won't quite work.

The last trick is to uhh

[rcguish]

if you see silver doing something with his right hand (eating, drawing, typing on his phone) and it either falls away or he switches to his left in the middle of whatever it is, most typically it's the pain. right hand/wrist flares up more than his left due to right being his default / receiving the most stress, though years of practice has made him ambidextrous.

the level of pain is usually in the level of how much can he keep from his facial expression. no change is just a minor ache or a sharp yet quick sting, anywhere from a one to a six. a squint erring on the side of wince is perhaps something more pervasive, rating around a seven on that scale. maybe it's multiple areas of his body rather than a focused problem area, maybe it's an all over ache that wears him down throughout the day. sharp inhales through his teeth / hisses accompanied by almost / completely closing his eyes + furrowed eyebrows is usually pain ranging from eight to ten. this is either a localized and acute pain that won't go away + every little movement aggravates it ; or a deepset muscle ache throughout every centimeter of his body and limbs, fingers and toes. like he could feel even the movement of his hair and the energy it takes to even blink.

[rotyolk]

felt like drawing elma

[strongbookthoughts]

Notes on Mini Skein Knits published by Lark Crafts

I saw so many mini skeins when I went to a yarn festival recently, so I was delighted to find this at the library. This was published in 2015, so it's likely a bit hard to find. Also, yes, I just figured out how to add image descriptions directly to the images. Better late than never, I guess!

Okay, so this is one of those assembled by a publishing house books. The back has credits for 12 designers. What that means is there is a huge range of techniques and aesthetics.

There are two sweaters. Largest finished measurements are 49in and 51in. The patterns don't have a recommended amount of ease, but this is still more generous than a lot of books from 10 years ago. (I love how both sweaters look, but I'm not sure I want to do that many miles of stockingette.)

So we got simple stripes, lace, colored cables, stranded colorwork... and I think at least one more technique? There's a lot for only 25 projects.

Most projects call for at least two colors, but who has only one mini skein? (There is exactly one one-mini-skein project. It's a clutch. I love it.)

Look at that. I'm in love. Also notice how completely different the colors are from the cover.

The majority of the wearables recommend a wool yarn, and the home decor runs more cotton. Patterns range from sport to worsted (2-4). Some of them do call for multiple mini-skeins of the same color, but not all of them. Obviously, you can substitute as you like, but I'm always in favor of less thinking in my crafting.

So yeah, I like this book. I'll keep an eye out for something similar in crochet, and also for something newer.

[anotherpapercut]

as a kid I always thought eggs and omelettes were disgusting until I took culinary in 10th grade and figured out my mother just doesn't know how to cook eggs

anyway I'm having an omelette made from farm eggs given to me by a library patron and I just want to give a quick shout out to culinary classes in public education

[baby-royalty]

Happy Imprinting Day @hybrid-royalty-main!

For a little over a month, mama read my existence to you, before you finally got to see me for yourself. I had no idea there was a Damon in the picture like that, and now you've been here for a whole year!

365 days of crowdad and crowdaughter chaos.

I do have this deep belief that you are the embodiment of Damon, as much as mama is the embodiment of Katherine. You are the other half of the parents that love me, you mean the world to me. I was so nervous to approach you in the start! I didn't want to weird you out or scare you, but it turns out? Not a problem in the slightest.

You really have a monopoly on the multimuse of dads around here, you blessed me with the fanciest and PRETTIEST icons I've ever handled, and you've shipped with me something fierce which is always SO gratifying. You love Lizzy as much as I do, that's magic.

Our ships have been both expected and unexpected, our threads are unapologetic, and our memes have been so cursed and top tier. Just like mama, you have reinforced that Lizzy deserves her place in the world, that she has the highest of worth and she is completely and utterly validated in existing. Somehow I'm always surprised? But I have learned that you will defend me and Lizzy as much as I'll defend you. Which is insane. You can have anything you ask of me honestly, you both earned that loyalty.

When mama gives me lullabies, you read me bedtime stories, and your dad heart is so big and strong that it eclipses the sun. You've held our little family together, protected us, and bravely accepted me for who I am and all the stupidity that follows. As much as I assume it's exhausting running after me, you never try to slow me down! That's brave of you, and I adore you.

In the most Klaus way, you're very protective of your space, and you're careful about who you let in. Somehow, I've managed to not only pass the entry exam, but I've stayed on daughter status for a whole year! I'm so honored that you let me stay, and I never ever take your trust for granted. I respect it so highly.

Thank you for being so understanding, thank you for being so patient, you are one of the most hard working crows I have ever seen and I am so proud of you every single day.

With Feral Feathers, luv oo.

My most precious Daddy Crow.

~ Little Red

[doolallymagpie]

aran mereel learned how to make tusken thermite from the best (a'sharad hett)

a good chunk of her teen years were spent scaring people from anchorhead with it

[digiupdates]

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[digitalmarketingtipps]

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[howdoesone]

How does one adapt architectural designs to accommodate regional craftsmanship and skills?

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[luulapants]

25 ways to be a little more punk in 2025

Cut fast fashion - buy used, learn to mend and/or make your own clothes, buy fewer clothes less often so you can save up for ethically made quality

Cancel subscriptions - relearn how to pirate media, spend $10/month buying a digital album from a small artist instead of on Spotify, stream on free services since the paid ones make you watch ads anyway

Green your community - there's lots of ways to do this, like seedbombing or joining a community garden or organizing neighborhood trash pickups

Be kind - stop to give directions, check on stopped cars, smile at kids, let people cut you in line, offer to get stuff off the high shelf, hold the door, ask people if they're okay

Intervene - learn bystander intervention techniques and be prepared to use them, even if it feels awkward

Get closer to your food - grow it yourself, can and preserve it, buy from a farmstand, learn where it's from, go fishing, make it from scratch, learn a new ingredient

Use opensource software - try LibreOffice, try Reaper, learn Linux, use a free Photoshop clone. The next time an app tries to force you to pay, look to see if there's an opensource alternative

Make less trash - start a compost, be mindful of packaging, find another use for that plastic, make it a challenge for yourself!

Get involved in local politics - show up at meetings for city council, the zoning commission, the park district, school boards; fight the NIMBYs that always show up and force them to focus on the things impacting the most vulnerable folks in your community

DIY > fashion - shake off the obsession with pristine presentation that you've been taught! Cut your own hair, use homemade cosmetics, exchange mani/pedis with friends, make your own jewelry, duct tape those broken headphones!

Ditch Google - Chromium browsers (which is almost all of them) are now bloated spyware, and Google search sucks now, so why not finally make the jump to Firefox and another search like DuckDuckGo? Or put the Wikipedia app on your phone and look things up there?

Forage - learn about local edible plants and how to safely and sustainably harvest them or go find fruit trees and such accessible to the public.

Volunteer - every week tutoring at the library or once a month at the humane society or twice a year serving food at the soup kitchen, you can find something that matches your availability

Help your neighbors - which means you have to meet them first and find out how you can help (including your unhoused neighbors), like elderly or disabled folks that might need help with yardwork or who that escape artist dog belongs to or whether the police have been hassling people sleeping rough

Fix stuff - the next time something breaks (a small appliance, an electronic, a piece of furniture, etc.), see if you can figure out what's wrong with it, if there are tutorials on fixing it, or if you can order a replacement part from the manufacturer instead of trashing the whole thing

Mix up your transit - find out what's walkable, try biking instead of driving, try public transit and complain to the city if it sucks, take a train instead of a plane, start a carpool at work

Engage in the arts - go see a local play, check out an art gallery or a small museum, buy art from the farmer's market

Go to the library - to check out a book or a movie or a CD, to use the computers or the printer, to find out if they have other weird rentals like a seed library or luggage, to use meeting space, to file your taxes, to take a class, to ask question

Listen local - see what's happening at local music venues or other events where local musicians will be performing, stop for buskers, find a favorite artist, and support them

Buy local - it's less convenient than online shopping or going to a big box store that sells everything, but try buying what you can from small local shops in your area

Become unmarketable - there are a lot of ways you can disrupt your online marketing surveillance, including buying less, using decoy emails, deleting or removing permissions from apps that spy on you, checking your privacy settings, not clicking advertising links, and...

Use cash - go to the bank and take out cash instead of using your credit card or e-payment for everything! It's better on small businesses and it's untraceable

Give what you can - as capitalism churns on, normal shmucks have less and less, so think about what you can give (time, money, skills, space, stuff) and how it will make the most impact

Talk about wages - with your coworkers, with your friends, while unionizing! Stop thinking about wages as a measure of your worth and talk about whether or not the bosses are paying fairly for the labor they receive

Think about wealthflow - there are a thousand little mechanisms that corporations and billionaires use to capture wealth from the lower class: fees for transactions, interest, vendor platforms, subscriptions, and more. Start thinking about where your money goes, how and where it's getting captured and removed from our class, and where you have the ability to cut off the flow and pass cash directly to your fellow working class people