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crochet

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2026 6:11 pm
by belacqua
i've gotten REALLY into this over the last while (have worked up a full outfit for a plushie, a couple odds and ends for other toys, totebags, have two sweaters (one mostly done) and a king sized blanket in my work in progress lineup-) but am currently working on a messenger bag to tote around two small plushies come summer when i'm out and about and don't want to lug around my backpack, cause ew, hot weather

currently finished up a white and blue patterned thermal stitch strap for the bag, and am working on the base in a cool toned pink (unsure if i want to work it in the round to reduce sewing, or follow along to some cobbled patterns where its worked flat and then sewn together- i could just slip stitch it, now that i've learned this stitch too) but the plan is to have the fold over flap in a complimenting blue, and use a cute confetti sprinkle yarn with bits of pink/purple/blue as an accent (maybe for pockets!). I Love Colors

it's my first time working with all cotton yarn for a non-wearable and i did NOT account for the shrinkage from thermal stitching (first time i'm using it) so i may have to increase the length of the strap and add it on, in which case i'll probably do it in a contrasting colour rather than trying to hide the imperfect join) and its brutal on my hands compared to the glide of more acrylic heavy mixes i've been playing with, but hopefully it reduces the stretch (even if palm sized plushies are quite light)

anyways! that's my fun little offline activity i've gotten obsessed with :-) i love having it as an idle/downtime thing in between roleplay writing replies with my best friend and in dry lectures

Re: crochet

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2026 2:33 am
by acdw
I love crochet :) I haven't done too much in a while but it's always a good time. I've made hats and scarves mostly, but I don't live in a cold climate so I have no real opportunity to wear anything

Re: crochet

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2026 4:33 am
by belacqua
it's really relaxing!! and it's nice to have something to occupy my hands with that isn't doodling mindlessly and painting my fingers various shades of pink and purple from fountain pen ink splotches :boogie: very nice for helping to focus and stay awake when the professors are droning on and it all congeals into a slurry of mind numbing despair during those three hour slogs

scarves are so fun!! i have yet to get a hold on how to do hats properly but the kitty ear beanies are SO cute... i have a little red knitted hat that i love already, so i'd have to really fall in love with a beanie to consider replacing it, but i do love my silly little pink scarf with a ruffled edging i made :nod:

guess i never thought about how much more annoying it would be in a hot climate - it's cold more often than not for most of the year up here! but maybe there's some meshier designs you could wear? or if all else fails, maybe you have some plushies or journals or something laying about that could do with cute clothes or covers too :giggle:

Re: crochet

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2026 6:02 pm
by dozens
I went to a Learn To Crochet workshop a few weeks ago! i can see the appeal, it seems very relaxing and soothing.

So far I basically only know how to turn yarn into slightly thicker yarn. But I want to keep practicing!

My goal is to make a little white blob Moby Dick plushy, and then also a little Ahab plushy to be his friend, and then they can chase each other around my room.

Re: crochet

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2026 10:06 pm
by belacqua
thats super cute as an idea for a pair of plushies LOL! i havent attended that kind of workshop before (self taught entirely off of youtube) but they sound really fun! i've been meaning to put together a proper blog post of all of the online resources i used / have been using to learn how to crochet, this is a good reminder to get on that sometime soon haha

Re: crochet

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2026 4:07 am
by mifuyne
There are some lacy crochet designs that I've wanted to make to wear during the summer. I tried to do it back when I was still learning and it was a pretty big endeavour. Never finished it. I might try it again, since it's been a while and I've gotten more comfortable with crocheting :boogie:

I even started learning to knit. It's interesting, on the surface you're forming interlocking(?) loops to form a fabric. But how I've had to approach crocheting and knitting was very much not the same at all! I will say, if you want to make amigurumi, it's more straight forward crocheting than knitting. I've only knitted an egg amigurumi and I remember closing it up was very annoying. To be fair, I'm not a fan of having to sew attach things. Your mileage will definitely vary if you're not as put off by it as I am. I will go out of my way to find a "no-sew" pattern until I have to admit there isn't one that won't over-complicate the process!

Re: crochet

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2026 3:35 pm
by acdw
I am self-taught as well, mostly, for crochet. I did one plushie without a pattern and it came out a little cursed, lmao. I know crochet was originally done for lace, so maybe I could try doing some lace! Thanks :)

Re: crochet

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2026 12:46 am
by belacqua
i've been working on my giant queenish kingish (its kind of middling in between, i cant be bothered to whip out the measuring tape, i just know the dimensions are large enough for me to snuggle up burrito-kitty style inside of) single stitch crochet blanket. it's got like 12 caron blossom cake skeins set aside for it (in the color blossoms) - at 481 yards per ball, short a bit for leaving ends to weave on and sometimes balls of yarn kinda explode into unsalvageable yarn barf. i will most likely need to purchase MORE yarn (likely as an edging and working it around as a square for a pretty border) but i figured i would stick with this for now. takes me about ~20 minutes per row so its slow growing, but satisfying work! i usually take milestone pics per ball finished, my best friend loves the periodic updates

it cracks me up how every experienced crocheter i know is shocked i jumped head first into massive projects but i'm like that's the point! the meditation of repeating one basic stitch on loop is sooooo soothing and mindless, i love spending passive time in the evenings like that in between conversations or written replies to people, and i dont see the point in having a bunch of tiny fiddly projects when i know very specifically what i want. the time will pass anyway <3

Re: crochet

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2026 4:03 am
by acdw
Wowweee that is a big blanket! Esp for crochet I think it makes a lot of sense to do a big project -- my scarf was a *lot* of single-stitch, so I got a lot of practice right off the bat :) So yeah I 100% agree

Re: crochet

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2026 3:53 pm
by belacqua
yes!! i'm about 7 balls down out of the stash and i've been working on it for about a month... but really only about two weeks of actual stitching time, since ive been bouncing around various projects like a messenger bag or a sweater. everything i love will inevitably give me carpal tunnel syndrome lmfao

learning how to hold the tension differs a lot for me depending on the yarn that i'm holding, so that's honestly been the biggest adjustment- that and how badly natural fibres dry out my hands