fox

“Wow that adult was being a jerk”

“That sounds really frustrating”

”Good job handling that, I would have lost my mind”

“It’s cool, I don’t expect you to remember me”

“You don’t have to hug me if you don’t want to”

“Yeah sometimes (authority figure you can’t avoid) doesn’t know what they’re talking about, it’s not your fault, just do your best”

“I don’t totally understand what you mean but I get that you’re upset, is there anything I can do?”

”Wanna go yell and break stuff with me?”

“You don’t need to be friends with that kid as long as you can still be polite”

“If an adult tells you to do something that will get you hurt, you don’t have to listen.”

“My number one goal is to keep you safe, but I don’t know everything and sometimes I’m wrong, so let me know if I make a mistake.”

“Man. Today sucked.”

“Yeah I also kinda wanna cry right now”

“Whoops, yeah, my bad”

fox

Fascism thrives best in the cesspool of hopelessness. They want us so confused and hopeless that we give in. When you give in, you don’t fight back.

If you wait for life to look good to do the things that bring you joy; life will still be bad - you will just have less joy.

As someone who has struggled with my mental health a lot for the last thirty years, I know this struggle firsthand. And changing this belief system - the one where you spend all of your time expecting bad things so you won’t be surprised when they happen - it’s the hardest work that I have ever done. And I’m not perfect; I still have setbacks. I still experience really real fears about the state of the world and the US, in particular, because that’s where I live.

But I made a vow to myself that I will not let the choices of others ruin my life. When I made that vow, I was thinking of my parents - but it applies to the state of the government right now, too.

There are still flowers in my garden, and ripe tomatoes, and it’s almost pick-your-own apples season, and I have plans with my friends to go to as many cemetery ghost walks as we can find this October.

I still deserve to live. I still deserve to laugh. I still deserve to love. I still deserve to be as happy as I can be.

Invader zim crochet pattern

IMPORTANT INFO (PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU GO ON TO THE PATTERN):

THIS PATTERN IS WRITTEN IN U.S. TERMINOLOGY

PLEASE DO NOT SELL MY PATTERN ON ETSY, RAVELRY, OR ANY STORE OF THE LIKE, BUT YOU CAN REPOST IT AS LONG AS YOU LINK IT TO MY BLOG (millys-craft-corner) OR TIKTOK/YOUTUBE (fiestywyvern) FEEL FREE TO SELL ANY FINISHED PRODUCTS. Be sure to link me if you post your Zims as I’d love to see them.

Zim stands at about 5 inches tall or 12.7 cm, not including antennae

Techniques used

Sc

Inc

Dec

Triple dec

Triple inc

Magic ring

Chain

Basic embroidery and sew techniques

Not so well known techniques used

Triple inc- an increase with 3 stitches in one stitch instead of 2

Triple dec- a decrease going across 3 stitches instead of 2

Materials

3.5 mm crochet hook

size 3 or light worsted or light yarn weight in these colors light green, black, deep ruby red, light grey, and light pink

aluminum wire in size 14 or pipe cleaners

black embroidery thread

a medium sized sewing needle

tapestry needle

pliers if you’re using wire

hot glue

light pink felt

stuffing

Head and torso (make 1)- start with green

R1: 4sc in mr (4)

R2: triple inc around (12)

R3: 1 sc, (triple inc, 2sc)x3, triple inc, 1sc (20)

R4: 2sc, (triple inc, 4sc)x3, triple inc, 2sc (24)

R5: 3sc, (triple inc, 6sc)x3, triple inc, 3sc (36)

R6: 4sc, (triple inc, 8sc)x3, triple inc, 4sc (44)

R7: blo

R7-16: sc around (10 rounds) (44)

R17: blo- 4sc, (triple dec, 8 sc)x3, triple dec, 4sc (36)

R18: 3sc, (triple dec, 6sc)x3, triple dec, 3sc (28)

R19: 2sc, (triple dec, 4sc)x3, triple dec, 2sc (20)

R20: sc, (triple dec, 2sc)x3, triple dec, sc (12)

R21: dec around (charge to light pink at the end) (6)

R22: inc around (charge to red at the end) (12)

R23: sc around (12)

R24: inc, sc around (18)

R25-30: sc around (6 rounds) (18)

R31: blo- dec, sc around (12)

R32: dec around (6)

F/o, leave a long tail and 3 embroider stripes, using black yarn, so they cut the torso into thirds

Use the tail to close up piece

Shoulder pads (make 2)- light pink

R1: ch 5 and sc down from the 2nd chain from the hook, ch 1 and turn (4)

R2: 2 dec, ch 1 and turn (2)

R3: dec

F/o and leave a long tail for sewing

Arms (make 2)- start with black

R1: 3sc in mr (3)

R2: sc around (3)

R3: inc around (6)

R4: sc around (6)

R5: dec around (3)

R6: sc around (change to pink at the end) (3)

R7-10: sc around (4 rounds) (3)

F/o leave a long tail for sewing and embroider stripes using sewing needle and black thread

Legs (make 2)- black

R1: 4sc in mr (4)

R2: inc around (8)

R3-7: sc around (5 rounds) (8)

F/o and leave a long tail for sewing

Feet (make 2)- black

R1: 3sc in mr (3)

R2: sc, inc, sc (4)

R3: sc, inc, 2sc inc (6)

R4: 2sc, inc, 2sc, inc (8)

F/o leave a long tail for sewing

Pak (make 1)- light grey

R1: 4sc in mr (4)

R2: inc, sc (6)

R3: 2inc, sc, inc, 2sc (9)

R4: 2sc, 4inc, 2sc, slst (13)

R5-6: sc around (2 rounds) (13)

F/o leave a long tail for sewing

Big pak spot (make 1)- light pink

R1: 4sc in mr (4) Sl st into 1st stitch

f/o and leave a long tail for sewing

Small pak spot (make 2)- light pink

R1: 3sc in mr (3) sl st into 1st stitch

F/o and leave a long tail for sewing

Eyes (make 2)- red

R1: 6sc in mr (6)

R2: inc around (12)

R3: 4sc, 2inc, 4sc, 2inc (16)

R4-5: sc around (2 rounds) (16)

Antennae (make 2)- black

R1: 3 sc in mr (3)

R2-19: sc around (18 rounds) (3)

Assembly

Sew arms to shoulder pads

Sew bottom of feet to the sides of the legs so they create an “L” shape

Sew pak spots to the pak

Sew pak to body

Sew arms to body

Sew legs to body

Sew eyes to the lower left and lower right sides of the head

Cut out eyeshine out of light pink felt and hot glue it or sew it to the eyes

Cut 2 pieces of 5 inches of pipe cleaner/wire and fold in an inch on both sides so it’s 3 inches long. Insert them into each the antennae and sew antennae towards the back of the head. Fold back 1/4 of the antenna so it creates a right angle.

Congrats you just finished your irken invader, now go take over the earth!

Rat by Kylie Slee

The Walkman Bag by Delilah Crochet

It's beginner friendly and so relaxing to make since you don't really have to count or anything, just have fun!

Here's a comparison video between two pieces of the same cat! I started hand embroidery at the beginning of 2023, and seeing them side by side is my favorite. Enjoy!