*aggressively posing*

thE FUCKING TEXT IS STILL SO FUCKING FUNNY TO ME IM GONNA FUCKIGN PSIS MYSELF

i think about this post often

i want to add some organic stripes to a crocheted animal. this animal is very intricate and does not lend itself kindly to the medium of the stuffed animal.

✖️ changing yarn color is NOT an option because it would be an actual nightmare to deal with the ends/mid-row changes.

✖️ fabric paint is also NOT an option because the texture it creates would ruin the cohesiveness of the piece as a whole.

❓️could I 'paint' the stripes onto the animal with fabric dyes? I am worried about it drying properly, especially with stuffing involved.

❓️would I be better off using an extremely variegated yarn?

Without going into too much detail, the animal in question has stripes like a zebra, but is extremely delicate. ✨️delicate✨️ is the key word here. I don't want to weigh the piece down with embroidery, paint, or anything that could obscure the stitches in any way.

I realize that if I am going to publish a pattern that requires painting the damn thing, I would be much better off just using a variegated yarn.

I would really really like for the stripes to be perfectly placed though...

Guys... the solution was in front of me the whole time... (marker)

still used heavily variegated yarn though

thE FUCKING TEXT IS STILL SO FUCKING FUNNY TO ME IM GONNA FUCKIGN PSIS MYSELF

i think about this post often

truly

My OCs

If level of surprise varied between multiple family members, select whichever option applies to the majority.

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We ask your questions anonymously so you don’t have to! Submissions are open on the 1st and 15th of the month.

There will come a point where you will stop being 18-22 and your art output will slow dramatically, either from life circumstances, work, or schooling, and you will feel the urge to blame yourself for it. Don't!

how it feels to have no social media presence as an artist

Hey, if you do crafts (especially things like crochet, knitting, embroidery, etc), make sure to look up how to identify when a listing is AI generated. You do NOT want to waste money on an incredible looking kit or pattern that is physically impossible to make, especially if you're on sites like etsy hoping to support an actual artist.

OP's tags:

#as an embroiderer: big red flags are curved straight or satin stitches #stitches that you cannot identify or figure out at all #thread that fades into other colors #backgrounds that match the piece weirdly well (like a floral embroidery piece with a matching vase and flowers on the table) #and a lack of videos of the piece and photos from other angles

Here's a guide for identifying real freaking cross-stitch patterns that are doable, and not AI-converted confetti:

A guide for crochet patterns:

And one for embroidery:

I don't knit, but I'm sure someone has a comparable guide somewhere. I know crochet and knitting seems like more of a problem- the crochet "patterns" make vastly different items than what's pictured, and you can find some of those on r/CraftedbyAI because some people do follow those "patterns" to make a point.

Cross-stitch and embroidery seem like they'd be easier to fake, right? Like, cross-stitch patterns are basically pixel art, so what's the harm?

The cross-stich often has dozens or hundreds of colours and they change every single pixel, which is basically impossible for a human to reproduce. It's just not a pattern, dammit.

The embroidered ones break my heart, though:

Wherein someone is making a lovely embroidered piece but they end up dissatisfied with their work because it doesn't look as impossibly plush and bright as the fake.

It makes people who are new to these crafts feel like they're not doing it right, or gives them insane expectations, and it can drive people away from the craft.

I know of several cross-stitch pattern shops on Etsy that have closed because it's just not worth the investment when they're competing with AI-generated nonsense that can charge pennies because it doesn't take any time or effort to make.

Fuck AI-generated patterns and crafts.

I'm actually knitting right now! Most of the resources I can find are targeted towards crochet because amigurumi and crocheting cute little creatures is super hot right now, but this information definitely applies to knit pieces as well.

Most (if not all) AI-generated images that feature knitted objects possess at least one of these traits:

-Rows (or even entire components of the project) splitting or merging in ways that make no sense. This sweater looks impressive until you try to make sense of that lump near the left shoulder or whatever is going on with the collar. You can even see one row splitting into two near the bottom for seemingly no reason at all.

-Impossible stitches. Those lumpy squares (?) in between Mario's eyes are not real stitches. Neither are the stitches that fade seamlessly into tufts of material on the lion's mane.

-Impossibly huge projects. This elephant is almost twice as tall as the person next to it, and you'll realize that the stitches are actually massive when you take the time to think about how you could make it yourself. If you look closely, you'll also see a fifth leg on the elephant!

-The overall "vibe" of the image is glossy, shiny, plastic-y, or smooth to a degree that is almost unnerving. Yarn comes in lots of different colors and textures, but what's depicted in the image below is a bit too vivid and perfect to be real. Excessive blurring/out-of-focus areas on the project itself can also be signs of AI use.

Apologies for the long addition, I just loathe this stuff with a passion. The only people who benefit from the proliferation of AI images in fiber artist's spaces are scammers, and they make things worse for literally everyone else.

Ceasefire announcement, by photo journalist Majdi Fathi

tumblr friendships are hard to maintain like im sorry i know i havent talked to you in 5 months but you’re still super rad and i still consider us friends im just dumb

#if you’re wondering if this is for you #it’s probably for you

If I have ever messaged you or messaged me and never heard from me again, I still consider us friends. I just suck

To everybody I’ve done this to I’m VERY sorry

Me sending vibes to my tumblr friends instead of talking to them:

HAPPY LAO BAN SANTA DAY