M making stuff

Lizard coaster Pattern

Body - 00:00:45

R1: MR ch2, 10 dc in MR, slst, ch 2 [10] R2: 10 dc inc, slst, ch 2 [20] R3: (dc, dc inc) *10 slst, ch 2 [30] R4: (dc, dc inc, dc) *10 slst, ch 1 [40] R5: Reverse sc in every stitch

Tail - 00:10:30

R1: MR, ch2, 4dc in the magic ring, slst, ch 2 [4] R2: (dc, dc inc)2, slst, ch2 [6] R3: 6 dc, slst, ch2 [6] R4: (2dc, dc inc)2, slst Cut off long tail for sewing [8]

Mouth (red yarn) - 00:16:47

ch 10 R1: skip 1st st, 8 sc, (3 sc in 1 st), 7 sc, inc, slst, ch1 [20] R2: inc, 7 sc, 3 inc, 7 sc, 2 inc, slst ch 1 [26] R3: (sc, inc), 7 sc, (sc, inc)*3, 7sc, (sc, inc)*2 [32] Cut off and weave in yarn

Tongue (pink yarn) - 00:27:52

In the third stitch from the red chain, ch 10 skip 2 st, 8 hdc [8] slst and cut off extra yarn, weave in from behind

Head (green yarn) - 00:31:00

R1: ch 14, slst in the first ch making a circle R2: ch1, hdc2tog, 10 dc, hdc2tog, slst ch 2 [12] R3 dcinc, 2 dc, 6hdc, 2dc, dcinc, slst ch 2 [14] R4: 2 dc, 3 hdc, 4sc, 3 hdc, 2 dc, slst ch 1 [14] Cut off yarn

Upper lip - 00:40:15

At the 5th st from the head, insert green yarn R1: ch2, dcinc, 6dc, dcinc [10] R2: ch2, turn dc2tog, 6dc, dc2tog [8] R3: ch2, turn dc2tog, 4dc, dc2tog [6] R4: ch2, turn dc2tog, 2dc, dc2tog [4] ch1, cut off extra yarn

Lower lip - 00:47:44

R1: ch1, 6 hdc [6] R2: ch1, turn hdc2tog, 2hdcdc, hdc2tog [4] ch 1 turn Attach red mouth piece and tongue by sc in every stitch, slst, Cut off extra yarn and weave in Stuff in

Eyes (white yarn) x2 - 00:53:40

R1: MR, 6sc in MR [6] R2: slst, ch1, 6 sc [6] slst and cut off extra yarn Glue on eyes and heads for pupils Attach head and tail at opposite ends, Put stitch marker 4 st away from each direction for limbs

Legs x4 - 01:01:24

ch7, slst, skip 1 st st, 2 slst, (ch2, skip 1st st , 2 slst) *2, 4 sc, slst Cut off and weave in yarn

Abbreviations + additional links under the cut

Spun another 25g; putting me ahead of my goal, which is comfortable. Halfway through the black and white alpaca. It's a bit coarser than the brown and cream, but still nice.

I actually need to go to the shops first, THEN eat, THEN spin.

But look! I found pretty rolags!

Note on the text regarding the arrowhead stitch on page 27. This is a very pretty common basketry weave, and if you decide to use it please do not call it Native American "inspired" or "Indian design" basketry. There are hundreds of different tribes, with many of the designs specific to those tribes and to the regions. Purchase baskets from actual Indigenous owned stores instead instead of giving money to people who steal, stereotype, and monetize another's culture, or making "inspired" creations yourself that do the same.

Ive been vegan in terms of diet at multiple points in my life, and am a lifelong vegetarian. Also im lactose intolerant so my diet is mostly vegan, although I do not avoid non-vegan lactose free foods (such as eggs, and some cheeses) because my diet is very limited by allergies, intolerances, sensitivities, and cost.

But im guessing, since this is a fiber arts blog, that you are actually asking me if I will stop using wool. Easy answer: absolutely not, and I never will.

Not sure if youre aware, but sheep need to be sheared. There are some exceptions; some primitive breeds are able to molt, either with or without help from humans. But either way, the wool needs to be gone by summer. A sheep keeping its wool over the summer, especially for multiple years, can lead to a variety of issues like heatstroke, flystrike, infections, mobility issues, etc.

Even in situations where the shepherd isnt raising the sheep for wool and doesnt want to try selling it, they still pay to get the sheep sheared or do it themselves, because the health of the sheep require it.

It also does not hurt the sheep at all, and is comparable to a vaccine jab both in terms of botheration and health benefits.

So, we've established that the sheep cannot remain in their wool.

In terms of me using it, yeah obviously I am going to--its being produced and shorn anyway, and, unlike all synthetic alternatives, not an environmental disaster. The production of synthetic textiles like nylon and polyester are toxic--the environmental damage varies based both on the synthetic textile and also sometimes on the production method. The dyes used for these textiles are also toxic as fuck.

The dyes used for wool and plant fibers are also toxic, again to varying degrees, and a significant source of pollution. One of the very few ways to make non toxic, or considerably less toxic dyes is to use plant or animal dye material and do it yourself. So, for example, dyeing yourself some wool with onion skins and spinning it up and making a pair of mittens is, and i mean this literally, the best possible way for a new pair of mittens to enter the world. It is miles better than buying a pair of polyester mittens made of petroleum, dyed with disperse dyes (which are not readily biodegradable, are harmful to whatever environment they end up in, and also can be harmful to humans while being used), and sewn together in a sweat shop with what is often essentially slavery. And as soon as you start wearing and washing them they shed microplastics everywhere, and will continue to disperse them either into the groundwater or the ocean, depending on what kind of midden they end up in, until they eventually decompose after a very long life of fucking up literally everything they touch.

Im not sure how any of that is supposed to be better than my wool mittens. In fact I would say it is much much worse. And I will continue to use wool until the day I die.

Hopefully this makes sense.

Sources:

https://www.nwvetstanwood.com/site/blog/2022/06/30/shear-sheep

https://nhspca.org/the-importance-of-shearing-your-sheep/

https://fibershed.org/2019/07/11/shearing-and-welfare-why-are-sheep-sheared/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306035547_Ecological_and_Sustainable_Natural_Dyes

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9135010/

https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrylgvr77jo

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969723054797

(If any of these sources dont work, no worries, you can find a ton of information and research about pretty much all of this stuff freely and widely available online.)

BronzeAgeMom finished a sweater for BronzeAgeSis featuring Bronzie‘s handspun! Mixed with some DROPS kid silk in ivory for extra floof. I am quite proud, this turned out beautiful :)

it’s called braceletbook.com and it appears to be a resource for like…friendship bracelets? And making cool patterns for them? Which is super cool and I do want to try it. But all of these patterns absolutely work as cross stitch patterns

Like. Look at this!

Again it’s geared towards bracelets so they tend to be long and skinny, which is the only major limitation. But you can search and filter by number of colors, I’m making myself a frog bookmark.

anyway I thought you and your followers might enjoy!

[ID: close up photo of back strap loom warped with grey yarn and tabby (plain) woven with grey yarn with natural speckled variations. /end ID]

Large loom is up and running >:3 (evil cat smile)