My flgs is having a miniature painting contest in November I want to try to enter
But I need to buy 5 paints to use from a specific brand they carry on the first, and only use five colors of that brand plus a black and white and primer.
Also I need to finish the base and I've never done that before.
Also I'm not super good at painting so it's not like I'm likely to win anything.
It sounds fun though.
I need to pick out what model I would want to paint to enter...
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David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
Alright, yikes. Leather adds some bulk.
Top is the v5 fully loaded, bottom is the all-leather version with nothing in it.
Also ran into a little issue with the dye and my attempts at fixing it... did not.
Which is a shame, because I kinda like the inside look.
I might do an all-black version, if I can find a good, firm black skin. But yeah, this is definitely getting scavaged for parts when the time comes.
Every year the company does a charity craft fair, but since covid its been an online auction type deal. I usually do some prints or something
This year they're running a physical seller's event, which sounds like way more fun. But if I signed up for that if have to get stuff printed in advance, and I genuinely don't know if I have the bandwidth. Plus if it's a stall I'd feel like I need to have, like, a bunch of stuff, not just a couple of prints.
Anyway I've got till tomorrow to decide I guess.
When is it? Want me to send you some things?
PSN: jfrofl
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
So I need Christmas present ideas. I have a friend who is big into making her own inks right now. Does anybody have any interesting ingredients or inks that I could get for her?
I might do an all-black version, if I can find a good, firm black skin.
Yes, turns out, it does look kinda good in all-black.
This is just me going over it with the edge dye, so not actually workable, but neat to see.
Edit: I just tried loading it up, and fully loaded it's a monster compared to the others. A good inch thick and yearning to spring open. The v5 is 0.4 inches fully loaded and I've really come to appreciate slimness in a wallet.
David_T on
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
My flgs is having a miniature painting contest in November I want to try to enter
But I need to buy 5 paints to use from a specific brand they carry on the first, and only use five colors of that brand plus a black and white and primer.
Also I need to finish the base and I've never done that before.
Also I'm not super good at painting so it's not like I'm likely to win anything.
It sounds fun though.
I need to pick out what model I would want to paint to enter...
As someone who doesn’t paint enough. You may as well enter it will be an excuse to do some painting and focus of making them look nice. Only using five colours seems like an overly restrictive thing though.
My flgs is having a miniature painting contest in November I want to try to enter
But I need to buy 5 paints to use from a specific brand they carry on the first, and only use five colors of that brand plus a black and white and primer.
Also I need to finish the base and I've never done that before.
Also I'm not super good at painting so it's not like I'm likely to win anything.
It sounds fun though.
I need to pick out what model I would want to paint to enter...
As someone who doesn’t paint enough. You may as well enter it will be an excuse to do some painting and focus of making them look nice. Only using five colours seems like an overly restrictive thing though.
One assumes I can blend in black or white to achieve different shades though I'm not very good at doing that
I think I know what model I want to paint or I have it narrowed down to two, but I'm not sure what colors to use on either.
My flgs is having a miniature painting contest in November I want to try to enter
But I need to buy 5 paints to use from a specific brand they carry on the first, and only use five colors of that brand plus a black and white and primer.
Also I need to finish the base and I've never done that before.
Also I'm not super good at painting so it's not like I'm likely to win anything.
It sounds fun though.
I need to pick out what model I would want to paint to enter...
Are they suggesting you can't mix the paints? 5 + b/w is enough to cover pretty much the whole spectrum outside of some specific super bright colors.
Been working with the CNC wood router at work the last couple weeks. Trying to get more to grips with what it can do. Spent some time improving workholding as that's been as much of an issue as the actual machining at times. And the work holding improvements meant getting an intro to using the CNC metal mill which I've been meaning to do for ages but without something specific to do it kept falling off the radar.
So to test my new workholding I may as well see if I can get these pallet wood scraps flat and nice right? Rather than chew up decent wood stock.
And then, as I'm here, why not glue those flat bits to each other and then machine them again?
And so I present one smol tray/dish:
There's a neat zen pond/ripple effect on the bottom that I'd love to claim was intentional. Saw it forming and considered "fixing" it but really liked it once it was finished.
The tray needs a bit more sanding but the two cutoff ends got a couple test finishes today. The top one is linseed danish oil and the bottom beeswax. Annoyingly the oil looks far better which is a shame because the beeswax is moderately easier to apply and smells nicer.
Pleased how that came out as I was really just noodling about. I've been in a funk at work lately and a bit of learning progress and actually making something with my hands (well, ish, I told the robot what to do though) has defintely got my spirits raised somewhat.
Been working with the CNC wood router at work the last couple weeks. Trying to get more to grips with what it can do. Spent some time improving workholding as that's been as much of an issue as the actual machining at times. And the work holding improvements meant getting an intro to using the CNC metal mill which I've been meaning to do for ages but without something specific to do it kept falling off the radar.
So to test my new workholding I may as well see if I can get these pallet wood scraps flat and nice right? Rather than chew up decent wood stock.
And then, as I'm here, why not glue those flat bits to each other and then machine them again?
And so I present one smol tray/dish:
There's a neat zen pond/ripple effect on the bottom that I'd love to claim was intentional. Saw it forming and considered "fixing" it but really liked it once it was finished.
The tray needs a bit more sanding but the two cutoff ends got a couple test finishes today. The top one is linseed danish oil and the bottom beeswax. Annoyingly the oil looks far better which is a shame because the beeswax is moderately easier to apply and smells nicer.
Pleased how that came out as I was really just noodling about. I've been in a funk at work lately and a bit of learning progress and actually making something with my hands (well, ish, I told the robot what to do though) has defintely got my spirits raised somewhat.
Looks awesome? Did you use a ballend bit?
What CNC did you get?
For finish you could oil and then beeswax after. Also I'd recommend checking out walrus oil products for finish. Pretty good line up, and the company seems pretty solid.
Radiation on
PSN: jfrofl
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David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
The black version gave me an idea for a different design, so I thought I'd try it out.
Nothing on the outside.
Unfortunately the design leads to quite a bit of thickness when fully loaded, despite only really being two pieces of leather (and some skin). It's 0.8 inches, so almost as thick as the all-leather version of my previous design.
There's also no hidden features. Well, if you only put in some cards, it does kinda look like an optical illusion.
I'll use it for a while, but I think I'll go back to the v5 for my EDC.
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David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
Had another accident with the edge paint, so this time I decided to go abstract.
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David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
I came up with a really simple cardholder design, mocked up a prototype in plain leather and then I remembered that I still had a bit of crocodile left.
It's just two pieces sewn together to create a pocket, each side with a slit to create a quick access slot. You can kinda make out where the stitching ends top left and bottom right, to make sure the cards don't slide out in your pocket. I only have six cards, but it holds that without issue, I currently have five in it. Gonna be weird to use a cardholder for a while, but let's see how long until I go back to the full wallet.
Also nice to have a project that came together in only about an hour, for once.
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
edited November 2023
Does anyone know how long it generally takes to get something framed at a professional framers? Would 4 weeks be enough time? I'm just trying to figure out what deadline I need to set myself to get something done in time for my mum's birthday.
Brovid Hasselsmof on
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minor incidentexpert in a dying fieldnjRegistered Userregular
Does anyone know how long it generally takes to get something framed at a professional framers? Would 4 weeks be enough time? I'm just trying to figure out what deadline I need to set myself to get something done in time for my mum's birthday.
Sounds about right. I feel like at my local frame shop it's normally at least 2 weeks, less than a month. If you've got about 4 weeks and you let them know your deadline, unless they're unusually swamped, I'd bet it wouldn't be an issue.
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
So I need Christmas present ideas. I have a friend who is big into making her own inks right now. Does anybody have any interesting ingredients or inks that I could get for her?
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
I have decided instead of getting my mum's gift professionally framed I would ask my brother to make a frame. He's into woodworking, not massively but he's got a lot of kit and made a few things, and apparently has been meaning to learn how to make frames. So I guess this will give him incentive to actually learn.
But this means I have to make all the decisions about what style of frame, how thick, how wide the matting should be, what colour, etc, which the framer would have made. And I don't really know where to start with all that. Like are there guidelines about how wide a frame should be in proportion to the framed piece? Or do framers just eyeball it each time because they know what looks right?
I have decided instead of getting my mum's gift professionally framed I would ask my brother to make a frame. He's into woodworking, not massively but he's got a lot of kit and made a few things, and apparently has been meaning to learn how to make frames. So I guess this will give him incentive to actually learn.
But this means I have to make all the decisions about what style of frame, how thick, how wide the matting should be, what colour, etc, which the framer would have made. And I don't really know where to start with all that. Like are there guidelines about how wide a frame should be in proportion to the framed piece? Or do framers just eyeball it each time because they know what looks right?
If I were in your position, I would go to my local Michael's and look at their frames that hold something about the same size as what I'm framing and copy measurements from there. You could even take pics of different styles you like to send to your brother.
(aka Hobbycraft or Trago Mills or wev for countries that do not have the US chain Michaels)
But there are definitely online guides about mount::picture ratios you can consult.
@Brovid Hasselsmof A lot of framing choices come down to the picture itself, not just the raw dimensions - is it hyper detailed and would benefit from a lot of restful space between the image and the frame? Or is it a stylized, abstracted piece of art that might get lost or ovewhelmed if the margins are too big? Then you have to choose the frame colour, which will depend on the matting colour, which will depend on what colours in the picture you want to pick up or harmonize with...
Personally what I would do is go to a frame store with the picture and tell them you need a matte board. They can help you choose an appropriate size and colour for the matte, which itself is usually very cheap, often just a couple of quid - maybe a bit more if it's a non standard size so they need to cut it specially.
Then you just need to make the frame dimensions to match the exterior of the matte.
They might also help you pick a frame style even if you're not buying it through them. When in doubt, a medium width black bevel is usually a safe option.
lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
I hadn't knit a single stitch since October 9th or so. When it became clear to me that the knitting family i had built up, the folks that were my entire community and social circle, had only thought I was a good Jew because I was a Token Jew. Having a complicated opinion on anything that didn't fit with them and their SJW white woman world was verboten and I was quickly, and without any ceremony, tossed out, ostracized, excommunicated.
I couldn't work on the things that I had been working on that they had been supporting me through. Every stitch reminded me of the hurt.
So I started to crochet. I grabbed up every mini and leftover nugget I had for 4ply yarn that was 20g-30g and started crocheting.
I made 4 round granny squares on a 3.75mm hook. I have pretty close to 200 by this point. and I still have about 5 more nuggets to go through.
But then one of the few who made space for me and allowed me to be a human of complexity shared a free Mystery Knit Along that is being done this year in relation with Advent.
Well, I have a few advents sitting in stash. and since I'm not buying any new yarn any time soon....
So I've been knitting again.
It's essentially a log cabin type pattern, with lots fo picking up stitches from garter ridges (I'm at least getting practice on that) and I'm just using the colours from my Winter Solstice Advent from a local indy dyer (Heavy Metal Theme) and making the largest size (this is going to be almost 500g of yarn, it's going to be fucking huge).
So anyways, yeah. That's why I've been so quiet.
Here's the shawl, up to the Day 7 clue
Yarn colours are
Day 1- Smoke Machine
Day 2- Freezing Moon
Day 3- Oxide
Day 4- Silver
Day 5- Skulls
Day 6- Battle Vest
Day 7- Goats
I hadn't knit a single stitch since October 9th or so. When it became clear to me that the knitting family i had built up, the folks that were my entire community and social circle, had only thought I was a good Jew because I was a Token Jew. Having a complicated opinion on anything that didn't fit with them and their SJW white woman world was verboten and I was quickly, and without any ceremony, tossed out, ostracized, excommunicated.
I couldn't work on the things that I had been working on that they had been supporting me through. Every stitch reminded me of the hurt.
So I started to crochet. I grabbed up every mini and leftover nugget I had for 4ply yarn that was 20g-30g and started crocheting.
I made 4 round granny squares on a 3.75mm hook. I have pretty close to 200 by this point. and I still have about 5 more nuggets to go through.
But then one of the few who made space for me and allowed me to be a human of complexity shared a free Mystery Knit Along that is being done this year in relation with Advent.
Well, I have a few advents sitting in stash. and since I'm not buying any new yarn any time soon....
So I've been knitting again.
It's essentially a log cabin type pattern, with lots fo picking up stitches from garter ridges (I'm at least getting practice on that) and I'm just using the colours from my Winter Solstice Advent from a local indy dyer (Heavy Metal Theme) and making the largest size (this is going to be almost 500g of yarn, it's going to be fucking huge).
So anyways, yeah. That's why I've been so quiet.
Here's the shawl, up to the Day 7 clue
Yarn colours are
Day 1- Smoke Machine
Day 2- Freezing Moon
Day 3- Oxide
Day 4- Silver
Day 5- Skulls
Day 6- Battle Vest
Day 7- Goats
That was a rollercoaster. I don't really have much to add, except fuck them. I personally have a very hard time making friends IRL, let alone a community, so I can only imagine how much that must suck.
I've been seeing a bunch of really cute crochet plushies and have been considering it. With a toddler though, it's been hard to work on anything really. Oh, I did make this ring for my husband for our 10 year. It's got Ahsoka's lightsabers, and crushed opal in the blade. I wanted to put black enamel in the hilt, but he didn't want it.
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
that ring is gorrrrrgeous!
happy anniversary! My 10th with my hubby was this year as well.
Personally what I would do is go to a frame store with the picture and tell them you need a matte board. They can help you choose an appropriate size and colour for the matte, which itself is usually very cheap, often just a couple of quid - maybe a bit more if it's a non standard size so they need to cut it specially.
That's a really good idea that I definitely wouldn't have thought of myself
Personally what I would do is go to a frame store with the picture and tell them you need a matte board. They can help you choose an appropriate size and colour for the matte, which itself is usually very cheap, often just a couple of quid - maybe a bit more if it's a non standard size so they need to cut it specially.
That's a really good idea that I definitely wouldn't have thought of myself
This guy frames.
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
I am so generally burnt out, I have been a member since January, and my only participation has been to borrow a wheel for 6? weeks. And reading some of the email chains (omg so chatty!); who knew BBS was still a going thing. I keep meaning to attend one of the virtual meetings, but yeah. I'm simultaneously starved of social interaction and have no energy/motivation to engage with family or regularly talk to new people, so I'm in an odd place. I've only occasionally been handknitting on one of my macaron-style Caron Cake shawls.
But, I got a new toy shortly before Thankstaking.
Double-layer straight off the machine, whipstitched and cinched.
Double-layer; ribbed brim picked up & knit on the bias. Cinched but there's a noticeable hole since it's 4 thick layers. Might need a pompom.
And a third that I didn't manage a picture of before it was claimed. But it was single-layer with an attached folded brim, and the crown decreased on dpns & kitchenered closed.
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
Ohh I've been daydreaming of an addi machine like that.
But for tubing up naked yarn to dye gradients with
Staring at the video tutorials on this like an 18th century weaver regarding a textile loom.
The various mass brands plastic versions can apparently be very particular with the weights or textures, and you can only vary gauge through yarn choice & tension, as regardless of diameter, they all use the same size needles -- so as conceptually neat as it is, you'd need several machines to even approach the versatility of hand knitting. (Which is why those seriously into circular machines or the faster production for markets, charity, or gifts tend to have multiple sizes. Also why those into flatbed knitting machines suggest a flatbed machine...) But for the niche of churning out stockinette, especially in the round, oh my yes.
Mine is supposed to be good with medium up to bulky weight yarn, and I plan to put it through its paces -- thereafter likely to just make the occasional hat or pumpkin and jazz them up with duplicate stitch or handknit techniques (or to make dye blanks like ahava mentions, house socks or whatevs.) But it's real nice having an option to transfer the effort to my shoulder instead of my wrists and fingers. Easier for me to protect and strengthen that big joint, as I'm learning from physical therapy.
Apparently these large versions have been around since at least the 60s, and the Victorians had sock machines (aka CSM among collectors), which were invented in 1816, as an iteration on a knitting machine invented and in continuous use since 1589. https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/history-of-knitting-machine/
I'm kinda surprised there aren't more books for the circumar machines, but it's neat to see how creative people have been in pushing within the machines' limitations, and also recreating handknit effects for those who can't or won't grok it.
pooka on
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
We've got a person down here that has several antique sock sizes ones.
They take any and all donations of leftover yarn, churn out such
Sock tubes, and then those tubes go to local guilds to get turned into socks for homeless donations
minor incidentexpert in a dying fieldnjRegistered Userregular
(Cross posted over from the 3d printing thread)
I wanted a Game Boy ornament for my Christmas tree. Specifically the DMG version. Unfortunately all the models I found online kind of sucked. They’re mostly all either low quality, overly simplified and generic looking, or just slightly off. So I broke out the calipers and my own DMG and got to work modeling an anatomically correct Game Boy.
I think it came out pretty well. I didn’t have quite the right color filament for the AB buttons, but otherwise close enough. It friction fits the parts together pretty well, but can also be glued. If any of you want to print it, I tossed it on my MakerWorld account for free. ( https://makerworld.com/en/u/1562300782 )
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
I've decided I want to get back into knitting in 2024. Have ordered some yarn to do a hat for myself and make my dad some birthday socks.
I still have this half finished jumper that I started back in 2020, which I keep thinking I'll pick up again. But I really don't want to, I don't like how it's turning out at all and I resent the idea of finishing it, and if I did get it done I wouldn't want to wear it. The only reason I haven't totally ditched it already is because my mum bought me the yarn and it probably cost a bit so I feel guilty wasting it.
The idea occurred to me today to unravel the entire thing and just start fresh with a new pattern. Maybe that's crazy because it would be a lot of work done for nothing but I also don't want to sunk cost fallacy myself into having a jumper I hate.
Do it. Just unravel it and make something out of the yarn that you'll like.
I will edit this to say that I've had to do this several times with garments I've made. It's disappointing, but ultimately, if the fabric/yarn is a thing you like, better to just suck up the loss of time on the thing that didn't work out and find something good to do with that fabric/yarn. A half-finished thing that isn't getting used isn't doing you any good anyway.
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
Part of the problem is I don't really like the yarn. I asked for yarn for xmas that year and suggested grey, green, blue or dark red, but what she got me is purple. I don't know if that was a mistake or if it's a colour perception thing and it just doesn't look as purple to her. It's a nice enough colour but not one I ever wear. But like I said I feel guilty not using the yarn so I should probably just suck it up.
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
You can also view it as your mother gave you materials to learn a thing and you spent that time/yarn in learning a thing. I don’t think you need to feel guilty about throwing it out especially as it will free up some mental space to do other things, rather than always, I want to do more knitting but I need to do this knitting I don’t like first.
That’s like a full on block to you having fun and enjoying yourself and you shouldn’t feel bad for removing the block.
lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
there will absolutely be a spinners/weavers/knitters guild or something near you that would happily take that yarn for doing charity knitting. hats for babies, hats for unhoused folks, twiddlemuffs for dementia patients, etc.
fi the pattern's not right, and the yarn's not right, and you're not happy, you're not going to use it, and it's just going to sit there and do nothing but take up space in your place and in your brain. You used it to try things out, it's not a good match for you or your wants/needs.
There's no harm in letting that yarn go to others who can/will use it up.
Please do not look at me not listening to my own advice...
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
I'm definitely not going to get rid of the yarn, I don't want to offend my mum. If I make something and still don't think I'll wear it I will donate the item but I want to use the yarn.
Smof, I don't think anyone wants you to feel harassed, so I'm going to clarify what I think people have been trying to address -- if I'm projecting, well, it's at least what I perceive.
It's fine and good if you want to recognize or acknowledge that your mom tried to get you something you'd like.
But your feelings about her and your feelings about anything she gives you are not equivalent.
Multiple times you have said you "feel guilty" about this yarn.
This is a pretty common, generalized reaction. But it is learned, and not the most healthy thought habit.
Same thing with not wanting to offend your mum.
If someone gets upset about how a gift is used by the recipient, the responsibility for those feelings is on them, not the giftee.
If I perceive someone is using a gift 'incorrectly', or devalued by them giving it away, I'm being selfish -- it's about my feelings, not theirs. If they expressed authentic gratitude when they received it, we have had an appropriate, equal exchange. They do not owe me the continued care for something they now possess; it does not matter how much time, effort, thought, or expense went into it, it is now theirs. I get to choose if I want to repeat the experience, and if I'm upset, it's appropriate to have a conversation so I can try to understand rather than assume their motivations.
Fulfilling obligations, transactions... these are not the same as gifting. It's worth evaluating the expectations.
Sidebar:
There are tons of craft forum posts about this, but I'll stick to the heartwarming versions. So many stories about giftees seemingly truly adoring their gift... and passing it on to someone needy, or someone else they want to treat with a beautiful thing, or destroying it through their own use (best case) or letting a beloved pet snuggle it. Maybe they have so many loved things, they need space more, and cycle things through!
I try not to be too precious with gifts, because then I'm policing others' enjoyment. I love gifting people well --I put a lot of thought in, and I enjoy the hunt-- but I can enjoy that process without needing my giftee to perform emotionally for me, much less on a continuing basis.
And in trying to be fair, I try to apply those standards to myself. My people would not want me holding onto things I don't need or want out of a sense of obligation to them, they gave it to me for happy feelings. They would not want me to subjugate my emotions or impede daily life for the mere idea of their displeasure.
It's a learning opportunity, not a reflection on poor (gift) choices.
I one hundo percent have very nice yarn in colors I like that my sister gave me that is waiting for a project, and others that are... maybe just biding time in my storage.
I'm unpicking some of my people-pleasing mentalities, and I hadn't thought of myself as particularly in the habit.
So this idea of guilt or shame creating faux sentimentality around objects is a sneaky aspect of it. I think it's something a lot of us have worked on --or recognize because they never got saddled with it-- and that's the unsaid drive behind people's suggestions to move the yarn along or similar.
It's always your choice what to do with a gift, and how to deal with people who give you things. But a lot of people haven't given themselves that permission, or even recognize that there are choices. So that's the reason forumers keep cropping up with suggestions.
On a related note (draft from the other day):
I'm pretty sure that knitting has helped curb my perfectionist tendencies; in my head, this directly relates to sunk-cost.
From a Psychology article:
Honoring sunk costs can be explained by
loss aversion—you don’t like the idea or feeling of losing;
commitment theory—you get stuck in a commitment no matter the cost;
cognitive-dissonance theory—you try to make sense or justify a cost by exaggerating the benefits;
prospect theory and loss frames—you frame change as a loss rather than a gain;
fear of wasting—you want to prove that it was not a waste so you stay in hoping things will improve; and
inaction inertia—it’s easier not to change rather than initiate change, partly because of fear of immediate regret.
In each case, it is the absence of reward that makes this puzzling until we recognize that it is the “interpretation” of change and the “need to explain” the past that keeps us trapped.
[...]
Fear of:
waste [the idea alone is upsetting, even without personal impact]
regret [need to prove we've chosen correctly, hope things improve]
unhappiness [hurt from giving up material progress]
criticism [from self or others]
So for me I guess... In a bad headspace, if I put in effort and it's disappointing, it feels like I am inadequate, incapable, or otherwise lacking in some fashion. "It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools", and all. I chose all these things, so if there's error, it's my fault regardless. A combination of all those fears above. ADHD follow-through means I have any number of tasks-in-progress, so "unfinished" is my default state, and I am varying levels of at peace with that aspect, at least. I live both in Now and on a nebulously long Not-Now timeline.
So in trying to avoid sunk cost, I can hyperfixate, and that has a tendency to express itself as perfectionism. Does this track for anyone else, or just me?
I can easily get frustrated with myself. It's especially ridiculous when I get self-critical on tasks that I seldom perform; we like to say that relearning how to ride a bike is natural and easy, but telling ourselves, "This should be easy!" when that flies in the face of lived experience is asinine. Should, maybe, but what does that matter?
I kinda go through this whole process when I make jewelry, because as much as I love it, I do it at most a couple times a year. My techniques are pretty fiddly, so there's always a period of refamiliarizing myself, and sometimes I'm impatient with that.
With knitting, there are projects that I will put the effort in to make error-free as possible, and I enjoy when I improvise something cool, or a plan works out as intended.
But there's something both humbling and empowering to the act of creating as long-term effort. Maybe I just don't have the attention span to beat myself up about this aspect of my life, but I've found it much easier with knitting to let go and let god.
It's also freeing in that, even if I cut the yarn, I can tie it together and reuse it or make pompoms or sommat; I can't really waste the material, because even felt can be repurposed.
I knit inconsistent, and sometimes the time investment is harder to release. But I am generally more into the process of knitting, so if the product is not doing it for me but I adored the yarn, I am more inclined to let it sit in timeout and eventually use the yarn for something else.
Now, if I also disliked knitting with it, I'd just donate the thing or the yarn on to someone who might enjoy it -- which I did with a pretty little lace shawl that my sister apparently lives in now. It's been easier to counter the sunk cost guilt when I think or know it'll get used, and having a great craft op shop available speaks to that.
I also have yarn that's just for looking. I will (probably) never handknit with it, either because it would be difficult or unpleasant, but it's a pleasure to see; I have some that displayed in a vase for a long time. (Black, skinny novelty yarn with rainbow flecks!)
Learning that it's okay to have a collection to admire as art apart from the expectation-obligation-guilt of functional use has allowed me a beautiful stash of crafty things that I will hopefully use up. It's also part of what's allowed me to curate more, rather than hoard things I kept only because I had and anticipated nothing else. (Don't look at my books, my library is still very much a WiP in this regard.) Impulsivity or FOMO can still be a challenge, but at least it's more stuff that I enjoy and want in my life rather than making do.
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But I need to buy 5 paints to use from a specific brand they carry on the first, and only use five colors of that brand plus a black and white and primer.
Also I need to finish the base and I've never done that before.
Also I'm not super good at painting so it's not like I'm likely to win anything.
It sounds fun though.
I need to pick out what model I would want to paint to enter...
Top is the v5 fully loaded, bottom is the all-leather version with nothing in it.
Also ran into a little issue with the dye and my attempts at fixing it... did not.
Which is a shame, because I kinda like the inside look.
I might do an all-black version, if I can find a good, firm black skin. But yeah, this is definitely getting scavaged for parts when the time comes.
When is it? Want me to send you some things?
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Yes, turns out, it does look kinda good in all-black.
This is just me going over it with the edge dye, so not actually workable, but neat to see.
Edit: I just tried loading it up, and fully loaded it's a monster compared to the others. A good inch thick and yearning to spring open. The v5 is 0.4 inches fully loaded and I've really come to appreciate slimness in a wallet.
As someone who doesn’t paint enough. You may as well enter it will be an excuse to do some painting and focus of making them look nice. Only using five colours seems like an overly restrictive thing though.
Satans..... hints.....
One assumes I can blend in black or white to achieve different shades though I'm not very good at doing that
I think I know what model I want to paint or I have it narrowed down to two, but I'm not sure what colors to use on either.
Are they suggesting you can't mix the paints? 5 + b/w is enough to cover pretty much the whole spectrum outside of some specific super bright colors.
So to test my new workholding I may as well see if I can get these pallet wood scraps flat and nice right? Rather than chew up decent wood stock.
And then, as I'm here, why not glue those flat bits to each other and then machine them again?
And so I present one smol tray/dish:
There's a neat zen pond/ripple effect on the bottom that I'd love to claim was intentional. Saw it forming and considered "fixing" it but really liked it once it was finished.
The tray needs a bit more sanding but the two cutoff ends got a couple test finishes today. The top one is linseed danish oil and the bottom beeswax. Annoyingly the oil looks far better which is a shame because the beeswax is moderately easier to apply and smells nicer.
Pleased how that came out as I was really just noodling about. I've been in a funk at work lately and a bit of learning progress and actually making something with my hands (well, ish, I told the robot what to do though) has defintely got my spirits raised somewhat.
Looks awesome? Did you use a ballend bit?
What CNC did you get?
For finish you could oil and then beeswax after. Also I'd recommend checking out walrus oil products for finish. Pretty good line up, and the company seems pretty solid.
Nothing on the outside.
Unfortunately the design leads to quite a bit of thickness when fully loaded, despite only really being two pieces of leather (and some skin). It's 0.8 inches, so almost as thick as the all-leather version of my previous design.
There's also no hidden features. Well, if you only put in some cards, it does kinda look like an optical illusion.
I'll use it for a while, but I think I'll go back to the v5 for my EDC.
It's just two pieces sewn together to create a pocket, each side with a slit to create a quick access slot. You can kinda make out where the stitching ends top left and bottom right, to make sure the cards don't slide out in your pocket. I only have six cards, but it holds that without issue, I currently have five in it. Gonna be weird to use a cardholder for a while, but let's see how long until I go back to the full wallet.
Also nice to have a project that came together in only about an hour, for once.
Sounds about right. I feel like at my local frame shop it's normally at least 2 weeks, less than a month. If you've got about 4 weeks and you let them know your deadline, unless they're unusually swamped, I'd bet it wouldn't be an issue.
this book is great
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Ink-Foragers-Natural-Inkmaking/dp/1419732439
But this means I have to make all the decisions about what style of frame, how thick, how wide the matting should be, what colour, etc, which the framer would have made. And I don't really know where to start with all that. Like are there guidelines about how wide a frame should be in proportion to the framed piece? Or do framers just eyeball it each time because they know what looks right?
If I were in your position, I would go to my local Michael's and look at their frames that hold something about the same size as what I'm framing and copy measurements from there. You could even take pics of different styles you like to send to your brother.
But there are definitely online guides about mount::picture ratios you can consult.
@Brovid Hasselsmof A lot of framing choices come down to the picture itself, not just the raw dimensions - is it hyper detailed and would benefit from a lot of restful space between the image and the frame? Or is it a stylized, abstracted piece of art that might get lost or ovewhelmed if the margins are too big? Then you have to choose the frame colour, which will depend on the matting colour, which will depend on what colours in the picture you want to pick up or harmonize with...
Personally what I would do is go to a frame store with the picture and tell them you need a matte board. They can help you choose an appropriate size and colour for the matte, which itself is usually very cheap, often just a couple of quid - maybe a bit more if it's a non standard size so they need to cut it specially.
Then you just need to make the frame dimensions to match the exterior of the matte.
They might also help you pick a frame style even if you're not buying it through them. When in doubt, a medium width black bevel is usually a safe option.
I couldn't work on the things that I had been working on that they had been supporting me through. Every stitch reminded me of the hurt.
So I started to crochet. I grabbed up every mini and leftover nugget I had for 4ply yarn that was 20g-30g and started crocheting.
I made 4 round granny squares on a 3.75mm hook. I have pretty close to 200 by this point. and I still have about 5 more nuggets to go through.
But then one of the few who made space for me and allowed me to be a human of complexity shared a free Mystery Knit Along that is being done this year in relation with Advent.
Well, I have a few advents sitting in stash. and since I'm not buying any new yarn any time soon....
So I've been knitting again.
It's essentially a log cabin type pattern, with lots fo picking up stitches from garter ridges (I'm at least getting practice on that) and I'm just using the colours from my Winter Solstice Advent from a local indy dyer (Heavy Metal Theme) and making the largest size (this is going to be almost 500g of yarn, it's going to be fucking huge).
So anyways, yeah. That's why I've been so quiet.
Here's the shawl, up to the Day 7 clue
Yarn colours are
Day 1- Smoke Machine
Day 2- Freezing Moon
Day 3- Oxide
Day 4- Silver
Day 5- Skulls
Day 6- Battle Vest
Day 7- Goats
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That was a rollercoaster. I don't really have much to add, except fuck them. I personally have a very hard time making friends IRL, let alone a community, so I can only imagine how much that must suck.
I've been seeing a bunch of really cute crochet plushies and have been considering it. With a toddler though, it's been hard to work on anything really. Oh, I did make this ring for my husband for our 10 year. It's got Ahsoka's lightsabers, and crushed opal in the blade. I wanted to put black enamel in the hilt, but he didn't want it.
happy anniversary! My 10th with my hubby was this year as well.
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That's a really good idea that I definitely wouldn't have thought of myself
This guy frames.
December 1st. so the first day of Summer down here in Aotearoa
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Silly upside down country that gets left off maps disgustingly more often than you would think.
Gorgeous colors on that shawl... love some garter squish and log cabin, so I hope it's soothing with just enough interest.
The local spinners' guild turns up some gems: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1512956811/heritage-sheep-of-india-rare-wool-breed
I am so generally burnt out, I have been a member since January, and my only participation has been to borrow a wheel for 6? weeks. And reading some of the email chains (omg so chatty!); who knew BBS was still a going thing. I keep meaning to attend one of the virtual meetings, but yeah. I'm simultaneously starved of social interaction and have no energy/motivation to engage with family or regularly talk to new people, so I'm in an odd place. I've only occasionally been handknitting on one of my macaron-style Caron Cake shawls.
But, I got a new toy shortly before Thankstaking.
Double-layer straight off the machine, whipstitched and cinched.
Double-layer; ribbed brim picked up & knit on the bias. Cinched but there's a noticeable hole since it's 4 thick layers. Might need a pompom.
And a third that I didn't manage a picture of before it was claimed. But it was single-layer with an attached folded brim, and the crown decreased on dpns & kitchenered closed.
But for tubing up naked yarn to dye gradients with
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Staring at the video tutorials on this like an 18th century weaver regarding a textile loom.
Mine is supposed to be good with medium up to bulky weight yarn, and I plan to put it through its paces -- thereafter likely to just make the occasional hat or pumpkin and jazz them up with duplicate stitch or handknit techniques (or to make dye blanks like ahava mentions, house socks or whatevs.) But it's real nice having an option to transfer the effort to my shoulder instead of my wrists and fingers. Easier for me to protect and strengthen that big joint, as I'm learning from physical therapy.
Apparently these large versions have been around since at least the 60s, and the Victorians had sock machines (aka CSM among collectors), which were invented in 1816, as an iteration on a knitting machine invented and in continuous use since 1589. https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/history-of-knitting-machine/
I'm kinda surprised there aren't more books for the circumar machines, but it's neat to see how creative people have been in pushing within the machines' limitations, and also recreating handknit effects for those who can't or won't grok it.
They take any and all donations of leftover yarn, churn out such
Sock tubes, and then those tubes go to local guilds to get turned into socks for homeless donations
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I wanted a Game Boy ornament for my Christmas tree. Specifically the DMG version. Unfortunately all the models I found online kind of sucked. They’re mostly all either low quality, overly simplified and generic looking, or just slightly off. So I broke out the calipers and my own DMG and got to work modeling an anatomically correct Game Boy.
I think it came out pretty well. I didn’t have quite the right color filament for the AB buttons, but otherwise close enough. It friction fits the parts together pretty well, but can also be glued. If any of you want to print it, I tossed it on my MakerWorld account for free. ( https://makerworld.com/en/u/1562300782 )
I still have this half finished jumper that I started back in 2020, which I keep thinking I'll pick up again. But I really don't want to, I don't like how it's turning out at all and I resent the idea of finishing it, and if I did get it done I wouldn't want to wear it. The only reason I haven't totally ditched it already is because my mum bought me the yarn and it probably cost a bit so I feel guilty wasting it.
The idea occurred to me today to unravel the entire thing and just start fresh with a new pattern. Maybe that's crazy because it would be a lot of work done for nothing but I also don't want to sunk cost fallacy myself into having a jumper I hate.
I will edit this to say that I've had to do this several times with garments I've made. It's disappointing, but ultimately, if the fabric/yarn is a thing you like, better to just suck up the loss of time on the thing that didn't work out and find something good to do with that fabric/yarn. A half-finished thing that isn't getting used isn't doing you any good anyway.
wish list
Steam wishlist
Etsy wishlist
That’s like a full on block to you having fun and enjoying yourself and you shouldn’t feel bad for removing the block.
Satans..... hints.....
fi the pattern's not right, and the yarn's not right, and you're not happy, you're not going to use it, and it's just going to sit there and do nothing but take up space in your place and in your brain. You used it to try things out, it's not a good match for you or your wants/needs.
There's no harm in letting that yarn go to others who can/will use it up.
Please do not look at me not listening to my own advice...
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It's fine and good if you want to recognize or acknowledge that your mom tried to get you something you'd like.
But your feelings about her and your feelings about anything she gives you are not equivalent.
This is a pretty common, generalized reaction. But it is learned, and not the most healthy thought habit.
Same thing with not wanting to offend your mum.
If someone gets upset about how a gift is used by the recipient, the responsibility for those feelings is on them, not the giftee.
If I perceive someone is using a gift 'incorrectly', or devalued by them giving it away, I'm being selfish -- it's about my feelings, not theirs. If they expressed authentic gratitude when they received it, we have had an appropriate, equal exchange. They do not owe me the continued care for something they now possess; it does not matter how much time, effort, thought, or expense went into it, it is now theirs. I get to choose if I want to repeat the experience, and if I'm upset, it's appropriate to have a conversation so I can try to understand rather than assume their motivations.
Fulfilling obligations, transactions... these are not the same as gifting. It's worth evaluating the expectations.
Sidebar:
I try not to be too precious with gifts, because then I'm policing others' enjoyment. I love gifting people well --I put a lot of thought in, and I enjoy the hunt-- but I can enjoy that process without needing my giftee to perform emotionally for me, much less on a continuing basis.
And in trying to be fair, I try to apply those standards to myself. My people would not want me holding onto things I don't need or want out of a sense of obligation to them, they gave it to me for happy feelings. They would not want me to subjugate my emotions or impede daily life for the mere idea of their displeasure.
It's a learning opportunity, not a reflection on poor (gift) choices.
I'm unpicking some of my people-pleasing mentalities, and I hadn't thought of myself as particularly in the habit.
So this idea of guilt or shame creating faux sentimentality around objects is a sneaky aspect of it. I think it's something a lot of us have worked on --or recognize because they never got saddled with it-- and that's the unsaid drive behind people's suggestions to move the yarn along or similar.
It's always your choice what to do with a gift, and how to deal with people who give you things. But a lot of people haven't given themselves that permission, or even recognize that there are choices. So that's the reason forumers keep cropping up with suggestions.
On a related note (draft from the other day):
I'm pretty sure that knitting has helped curb my perfectionist tendencies; in my head, this directly relates to sunk-cost.
From a Psychology article:
So in trying to avoid sunk cost, I can hyperfixate, and that has a tendency to express itself as perfectionism. Does this track for anyone else, or just me?
I kinda go through this whole process when I make jewelry, because as much as I love it, I do it at most a couple times a year. My techniques are pretty fiddly, so there's always a period of refamiliarizing myself, and sometimes I'm impatient with that.
With knitting, there are projects that I will put the effort in to make error-free as possible, and I enjoy when I improvise something cool, or a plan works out as intended.
But there's something both humbling and empowering to the act of creating as long-term effort. Maybe I just don't have the attention span to beat myself up about this aspect of my life, but I've found it much easier with knitting to let go and let god.
It's also freeing in that, even if I cut the yarn, I can tie it together and reuse it or make pompoms or sommat; I can't really waste the material, because even felt can be repurposed.
I knit inconsistent, and sometimes the time investment is harder to release. But I am generally more into the process of knitting, so if the product is not doing it for me but I adored the yarn, I am more inclined to let it sit in timeout and eventually use the yarn for something else.
Now, if I also disliked knitting with it, I'd just donate the thing or the yarn on to someone who might enjoy it -- which I did with a pretty little lace shawl that my sister apparently lives in now. It's been easier to counter the sunk cost guilt when I think or know it'll get used, and having a great craft op shop available speaks to that.
I also have yarn that's just for looking. I will (probably) never handknit with it, either because it would be difficult or unpleasant, but it's a pleasure to see; I have some that displayed in a vase for a long time. (Black, skinny novelty yarn with rainbow flecks!)
Learning that it's okay to have a collection to admire as art apart from the expectation-obligation-guilt of functional use has allowed me a beautiful stash of crafty things that I will hopefully use up. It's also part of what's allowed me to curate more, rather than hoard things I kept only because I had and anticipated nothing else. (Don't look at my books, my library is still very much a WiP in this regard.) Impulsivity or FOMO can still be a challenge, but at least it's more stuff that I enjoy and want in my life rather than making do.