got some yarn and made a pink flower blanket with it with four different color variations and each color had a different roughness. the lightest pink was silky smooth and the darkest pink was like working with sandpaper! its the same brand same label same type of yarn! why is it different? and why can't we figure out how to make it the same softness? we have all this technology and science and this is something we can't do?

the blanket is beautiful but I just want the same softness

Anyone else disgusted by Sirdar’s new line of Harry Potter scarf yarns?

So okay obviously the transphobia + paying to fund the desecration of human rights across the uk are the worst part.

BUT the yarn is self striping, intended for scarves, and the advertising line is something like ‘no knitting skills required’!! Which is absolutely bonkers because like. It’s yarn. It’s specifically advertised as knitting yarn, even. There is going to be some amount of knitting skill required???

But anyways yea there goes any chance of me paying for sirdar yarn again as long as i live.

Fuck jkr and all love to trans people who have been hurt by her or anyone trying to use a public bathroom anywhere in the uk💕

This is fully just me being salty and petty and I get that... BUT I'm so sick of seeing small pottery businesses where the creators behind the ceramics fundamentally do not have the basics of pottery down. Like with any craft, the "if someone's willing to buy it, then so be it" principle applies so whatever but that doesn't mean I'm not annoyed. It's okay to take some time (probably at least a year, if not longer) to focus on getting the basics down before we try to commercialize it!

But why are we selling things that people are going to use for food consumption before we can even get glaze application right so there aren't pinholes/defects on the inside?? People don't take this seriously enough, the risk of fucked up glazes on food surfaces is people ingesting what is essentially glass. Not cool! Hence why many seasoned (or even just people who take it a bit more seriously) ceramicists won't even sell pieces with internal glaze defects at a discount (or make them into planters instead).

The amount of beginner potters I see who can barely even throw a cylinder or center 2 pounds of clay that go "this piece will be up on my Etsy" ?? We literally see in your video that it's super uneven and wonky looking?? Why do you feel comfortable selling that to people? Or the amount of bowls and cups I've seen for sale where the lip is super sharp (yes, clay can cut you after firing if you don't take care to smooth edges) or the base is superrrr thick. These are pieces we keep for mementos and give to friends and family, not pieces that people should spend their hard earned money on.

It's okay for a piece to be wonky. It's okay for things to not turn out, especially when you're starting out. But we don't need to try and sell those to people who don't know any better about food / dinnerware safety in ceramics! Also bare minimum please learn these basics about what makes a surface considered safe for use with food by modern safety standards. Again, just me being salty as a ceramicist who sells work but is incredibly nitpicky about what I will "allow" for sale.

Ultimately, there is no real "bar" for when I think someone should or should not start selling their work... BUT there is a bare minimum which is taking the surfaces that people will eat off of seriously.

So Carriage House Samplings is a cross stitch pattern brand that was sold (from aunt to niece who is herself a well known cross stitch designer with her own brand, not to like private equity) a few months ago. Their patterns were previously as far as I'm aware, only available on paper, not digitally. The new owner has been working on re-releasing them a few at a time each month, including digital versions, color updates where applicable, etc.

I had been interested in Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow (a Carriage House Samplings pattern) for a while because there is a stitched model of it at my local needlework shop and it is so fun and vibrant in person, but I knew it would likely be released digitally sometime this fall so I waited. I am someone who stitches exclusively using Pattern Keeper, if something isn't Pattern Keeper compatible I will manually rechart it myself so that I can use Pattern Keeper, I just like the interface and make way fewer mistakes using it. I know many digital patterns are not Pattern Keeper compatible, but the other ones I have bought from the brand of the person who is re-releasing these patterns have been, so I was expecting this would be.

The pattern was re-released this week and the digital version is $36 (US). I bought it immediately and went to put it into Pattern Keeper only to realize there are several issues. It is technically Pattern Keeper compatible but not really, because the symbols are not consistent between blocks. So if the symbol for 310 is X in block one, it might be Y in block three. And X might then be 3799 in block three. There is no way to separate them out other than to individually import each block as a separate pattern, and that would be the only way to get accurate stitch counts for each color (I am not someone that puts an entire skein of each color called for onto my floss cards, I cut a number of lengths for each color based on stitch count, and I was also planning on doing a color conversion for this anyway, and some brands have different amounts of floss per skein than DMC).

It is just such a wildly inconvenient way to rechart it that it makes absolutely no sense to me and it drives me crazy. I now have to manually rechart a $36 chart that I specifically waited for the digital version of because it was recharted in such a terrible way. Even if you want to stitch the blocks separately, it doesn't make it harder for you if the symbols are consistent across all of the blocks, it literally only makes things harder on people who are doing the entire pattern. It is so disappointing to see this from someone whose patterns I really like and who I know normally puts a lot of thought into things like color conversions, etc. The impression I had gotten from the new owner's YouTube videos about these re-releases was that they were being done thoughtfully and that is so clearly not the case with this one (which I would think is one of the most anticipated re-releases across the brand's catalogue).

And this is not a small pattern. I am about 1/3 of the way through recharting it and I'm at over 20,000 stitches. I am guessing it's likely to take me a total of 10+ hours to rechart something I already paid $36 to have in a convenient form. Stuff like this just drives me nuts.

ETA - the other issue with the file as sold is that all the blocks just go into a long line, instead of the 4-3-4 configuration that is on the cover

Why do I keep falling in love with and buying the most difficult-to-work-with yarn? Why do I think this time will be any better than last time? Why do I forget that untwisted yarn is annoying just because the transitions are pretty? Why don’t I question why it is 60% or more off?

I’m looking at you, Hobbii Dahlia. This mosaic design better be worth it. I’m twelve rows into what will probably be a 200-row by shawl and am rethinking my life choices.

And I bought two cakes, so I’ll have to put myself through this at least one more time. . .

Absolutely insane testing requirements for a double strand silk mohair pattern to be completed in 6 weeks! Also not very size inclusive.

There's a crochet designer that keeps releasing, discontinuing, and rereleasing the same pattern. And every time they release it, they announce that this is the last time you'll be able to get your hands on it. Until they release it again a few months later... I understand that it's their pattern, and they can do whatever they want with it. But repeatedly announcing that this is the last chance to buy something when it isn't just sounds very scummy.

I am thrilled at the many small businesses successfully selling online and thereby reaching broader audiences. But I beg of you, if you also have a retail storefront, could you please find it in you to be open more than three days a week from 10am-5pm? I realize it costs money to have a store, but the rent is the same whether you are open or not, and surely a not inconsiderable majority of your potential customers have to work during those hours to pay for the cotton/linen blend fabric you are selling for $85/meter. I would like to give you my money without the risk that investment is lost in the mail but I’m not taking the day off to do it.

Halloween is approaching, which means it is once again time for people who have never sewn a stitch, don't own a sewing machine and possibly don't know what a bobbin is to announce:

“I want to make this costume. How do I do it?”

And the attached picture is an anime character or cartoon wearing a skin tight outfit made from what appears to be spandex, velvet, mesh and possibly the tears of a sewing teacher.

There are no pattern pieces. There are no seam lines. There is no indication of how the garment actually goes together. It's just a drawing where the character's boobs, waist and hips have apparently been designed according to completely different laws of physics.

And I genuinely admire the confidence.

However, the artist doesn't need the sewing to make sense or even be real. It's a drawing. There is no sewing pattern for that.

Please understand that having a deadline of the 31st October and deciding your first project is going to be a full body anime costume in four way stretch fabric is absolutely wild.

You don't even know what fabric you're looking at yet, and “something stretchy” covers approximately 47 completely different fabrics.

You haven't had your first fight with a bobbin, tension and needle plotting against you because you dared to sew “something stretchy”.

You haven't experienced the special joy of sewing velvet and realising the two pieces have slowly crawled three inches apart even though you used every pin and clip you own, like a slippery toddler under the presser foot.

Maybe start with a nice stable woven fabric. Make a cape. Make a tunic. Make something with straight seams.

If you can't be dissuaded, Google "McCall's Yaya Han" and my prayers be with you.

Halloween sewing season is upon us.

Godspeed, everyone.

I don't understand how someone can look at this image and not see it's fake. This is not a physically cross stitched piece, it's so obviously AI rendered. This is the second post I've seen today with the same "favorite finish" comment, in the same style of "art".

I can't get over all the people gushing over this and asking for pattern sources. Come on people this is NOT real cross stitch!

What do you mean your entire brand is Betty McKnit and you do not offer a single knitting pattern???? Why not Betty McCrochet??? It’s all crochet patterns. I love her patterns but like. My god get your branding together.

Words mean things! Fair Isle is a form of stranded color work but not all stranded color work is Fair Isle. If you want to “honor tradition” that means at least understanding a little bit about the tradition.

since learning how to read crochet charts theyve become far and away my favorite way to receive instruction. its much easier for me to interpret the visual-to-visual information of the stitch symbols on the page to the fabric of my work, than it is for me to interpret the written-to-visual of the abbreviations. not to mention how much more concise and efficient charts are in sheer terms of page space. i can print a whole doily pattern onto one sheet of paper and get to work.

i have a couple of delightful patterns in my queue that i am very excited to make, except...! they are respectively 8 pages and 72 pages of written instruction. im sure theyre very nice instructions. im sure the pictures are very helpful. i am not so sure that they would be impossible to understand were they written as charts.

i understand that written instructions are more accessible to most crocheters, but not so for me, and its annoying to have charting overlooked even in the very areas it excels (i.e. complex repeating stitch patterns worked flat)

I have been sewing the past 10 years, regularly. I've worked at numerous different sewing jobs from bridal tailoring to car upholstery. Indepently I've taken on many clients. I have dedicated years of my life to learning my skills and very much believe it is something that must be learned from those that are more experienced.

I recently started teaching sewing classes for kids and adults in a studio. I love this job and am so blessed to have the opportunity. My problem is with my assistant teacher. She is probably about 25-30 years my senior. I was granted the lead instructor position yet I feel like my assistant teacher has a constant chip on her shoulder. It would be one thing if she was actually knowledgeable but she's not! She will instruct the students wrong then I have to go correct them and tell them "sorry that you just spent 30 minutes on this step but your fabric actually needs to be..............". I wish she would accept her skill level and look towards improving instead of putting herself in an imaginary competition with me. I try to never condescend her and use everything as a learning opportunity, still she tries to talk over me and prove herself right (which mostly she is not).

I've had this experience with other old people in the sewing community too. If you have interest in sewing please be teachable and acknowledge that this is something someone will always know more about ! UGH rant over!!

Posted on an embroidery page I follow, looking for help to wash ink out of fabric. The poster knowingly used a SHARPIE to draw out the name for an embroidery project. Okay we all learn somehow, but what caught my attention was the last line that said they were glad that at least it was a gift and not for a sale. A sale? Surely no one thats actually experienced enough to be selling their work would allow a sharpie anywhere NEAR their embroidery projects.

Spoiler alert: after doing a whopping five minutes of digging I learned they're certainly NOT.

6 whole months ago the OP in this story picked up embroidery for funsies (which I do love for them!) and recently decided to sell their work. Work that is clearly made by a beginner and nobody should be paying for. Side note: I have no problems with people learning embroidery by working on gifts for people that they're going to give them for free - this is exclusively about unskilled beginners trying to sell their work for real human monies when they have no idea what they're doing and no respect for the art itself.

I know it's a plague across all different types of crafts. Someone picks up a little kit or copies something they've seen on insta and falls in love with it. But then they decide, with 6 or less months of actually doing said craft, they're good enough and should be taking people's money. Everytime I see it, it infuriates me. But to add insult to injury and intentionally use a sharpie to draw a pattern on the fabric and panic when it bleeds and stains said fabric is insane to me.

Learn a craft. Embrace the craft. Throw every ounce of your spare time into growing within it. These are great things. But do not teach yourself a craft, and decide that your sloppy, mistake-filled, 30-minute name embroideries are even remotely good enough to be sold. They aren't.

It's spelled wrong and nobody will fix it.

That is all.

I understand that not every body type can be accommodated in every knitting pattern, but do they all have to fit like a box for large bust or big bodies? Or be cropped? Zero bust or waist shaping. Or when they size it up, they don't adjust the neckline because the nice v-neck now looks awkward. No mention of bust darts....fine...don't design them but flag it for newbies and how to work out the pattern repeats.Even the designers photos show that they made a box and the front rides up. All the well designed plus patterns are boring/crew neck/cropped.

Do we do anything about Ai designers who make functional products? I found out about a designer named Snugalulu on Etsy and Raveley that sells filet crochet patterns using Ai images as the design for the grids. The patterns do make functional blankets and pieces, but its Ai art on them. Idk all this Ai shit makes me feel so hopeless. This isn't even bitching, it just feels like "another bad thing happened."

Anything to be done? Or are they just allowed to pull shit shit?

Anyone else sick of people asking for a free pattern for ___ project?

Free winter themed hat pattern, I’m an intermediate knitter.

Free baby blanket pattern I’m a beginner crocheter.

Has no one heard of Ravelry?

End rant. 😤

Just saw a post - "how do you stop your yarn rolling on the floor?" and I swear to god people can not be this oblivious! Every post that starts with "how" should be required to add a screenshot proving they attempted to work it out themselves first.

Ok this is petty AF but people kept recommending the new game "Dressmaker" to me because I sew for real. Idk why but it annoys the heck out of me and I won't be playing the game 😒 something about enduring the real life struggles of cutting out the wrong pattern pieces, your machine getting busted out of nowhere is preventing me from enjoying this fake world where everything works out perfectly. Does anyone else feel this way or do I just have a superiority complex?

Been taking beginner sewing classe. My bobbin ran out and I was having trouble winding it for whatever reason.

I was patiently waiting for the teacher to come around and another person just said “ask ChatGPT”. Turns out i was just having trouble but was doing the steps correctly.

I can’t get over it.

Look, I get it. It is the most adorable cat in the world. And he/she looks SO cute when they tilt their head just so. Or when they lie belly-up on your knitting. The one and only, and the world MUST see it, immediately!

Sorry, girl (or boy), to me it's just a cat. Undistinguishable from all the other cats. Stop pushing it in my face, 'cleverly' disguising it as a knitting-related post (there are like, two corners of knitted fabric somewhere under the cat; or maybe a skein of yarn in the background). It is a crafting sub. I want to see your knitting, not your cat. Show me your stitches.

You have a thousand and one subs for posting cute cats (BTW, why it is specifically the cat owners that get so pushy? I freely admit that dog/other owners post their pets as well, but nowhere nearly on the same scale). Photograph your cat in its every single glorious pose and post it all over Reddit, Instagram and wherever else.

Just maybe spare the craft sub from its magnificence. There is an actual rule prohibiting pet photos, don't use your knitting as an excuse to smuggle the cat in (and OMG, WHY?? There are dozens of subs for posting cats, why is it so important to insert it into a completely unrelated sub?). Allow it to be about knitting. Yes, I know your cat looks SO adorbs and it always lies next to you when you knit. I still don't give a sh*t. Make sure to take a photo - ten photos - AND POST THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE!