Community Knitwits in the Fiber Arts Hobby - Drama in the fiber arts

[Kung Pow Cream]

Aww you reminded me of the acrylic Christmas stockings my grandmother knit for all us kids, not exactly used heavily but still, good as new. My dad’s was knit in the 60s but his is in great shape too. There’s something to be said for that.

My family literally has a gifted acrylic baby blanket that has been going on for 40 years strong made out of acrylic and it has withstood the test of time and general mess and still is in good shape.

 

[The Salt Mines]

How about a blend, best of both worlds?

Yeah blends are a good deal. Acrylic + wool blends make some cost effect and harder wearing things like blankets. I'm a sock slut so the vast majority of my stash is superwash. I think Knit Picks yarn really threads the needle between quality and value IMO. If anyone else has a fav supplier, share them here!

Tbh, I think a lot of the comeback in acrylic among younger knitters can be seen in dangerhairs yelling about knitting needing to be more "inclusive" and "accessible," but yeah...know your project. If I'm working on an heirloom piece like a wedding shawl, I'll invest the $$ on hand dyed wool. If it's a baby blanket, soft Hobby Lobby bargain bin looks pretty good.

Amigurumi getting on fire with crocheters is also a likely factor. Acrylic and other synthetics are perfect for things like that, especially since I've seen people knock out an entire damn squid plush while I'm over here just barely finishing the cuff on a sock. Ngl, I'm looking to learn to crochet just because amigurumi looks so freaking neat.

 

[Aunt Carol]

Aww you reminded me of the acrylic Christmas stockings my grandmother knit for all us kids, not exactly used heavily but still, good as new. My dad’s was knit in the 60s but his is in great shape too. There’s something to be said for that.

Not to pooh-pooh your conclusions, but this goes back to what @mold was saying, too. There's a good chance your dad's Christmas stocking hasn't been machine washed once in its 70-year lifespan.

 

[toilet_rainbow]

I only really like pure acrylic for toys, some decorations, blankets, and maybe winter accessories. Although I’m far more into cotton and wool (including blends) for even stuff like amigurumi. It’s mostly a sensation issue (mostly from sweating) for me if it’s clothing against my skin. Also a warmth factor in winter since I currently live in an area that is cold and/or snowing half the year). I have both 100% acrylic and wool/poly blend hats and find the latter both warmer and less likely to break me out in a clammy sweat when it’s freezing and windy out, for example.

I think acrylic has its place. It just doesn’t have as one for my style much of the time.

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

I think Knit Picks yarn really threads the needle between quality and value IMO. If anyone else has a fav supplier, share them here!

I really like Hobbii.com yarns, I haven't used a shitty one yet. I really like their 8/8 cotton, it's nice to work with without tearing up your hands. I'm working with their Amigo acrylic for a blanket, for pure acrylic it's really nice to work with, and it's regularly on sale for less than two dollars a skein!

I also like that most of their lines of yarn comes in a million colors.

 

[mold]

Not to pooh-pooh your conclusions, but this goes back to what @mold was saying, too. There's a good chance your dad's Christmas stocking hasn't been machine washed once in its 70-year lifespan.

well sure it's a decoration

 

[Adjustable Autism]

To weigh in, Acrylic has its place, especially now that it doesn't feel like touching a cactus. I made a baby blanket for my(now teenage) niece and even after countless times in the wash, it still looks alright. It is now in a box though, so the wear and tear days are over.

A little bit of funny: When browsing reddit, I got suggested this thread. The screenshots are on r/Craftycommerce, but OP posted this shit all over reddit.I highlighted the relevant bits.



So, to summarize. This person, who can't do hard physical labour wants to make an actual income from something she has zero clue about. Literally a poke herself with the needles beginner. Never mind the market being over saturated already, that there are pretty affordable knitting machines out there and knitting is extremely hard on the wrists and shoulders after a while.

 

[Cheesegirl78]

So, to summarize. This person, who can't do hard physical labour wants to make an actual income from something she has zero clue about.

I feel for her, but she needs to find a better hobby/craft.

 

[toilet_rainbow]

A little bit of funny: When browsing reddit, I got suggested this thread. The screenshots are on r/Craftycommerce, but OP posted this shit all over reddit.I highlighted the relevant bits.

View attachment 7520751
View attachment 7520752
So, to summarize. This person, who can't do hard physical labour wants to make an actual income from something she has zero clue about. Literally a poke herself with the needles beginner. Never mind the market being over saturated already, that there are pretty affordable knitting machines out there and knitting is extremely hard on the wrists and shoulders after a while.

I feel for her, but she needs to find a better hobby/craft.

Looking up the condition she says she has. It’s a form of arthritis where the spine fuses over time.



There are plenty of ways for people with arthritic or bedbound conditions to knit. Expecting an income from it when you haven’t even bought needles and yarn and asking for people to throw you a laundry list of tutorials is something else.

 

[Cheesegirl78]

Looking up the condition she says she has. It’s a form of arthritis where the spine fuses over time.

View attachment 7520903

There are plenty of ways for people with arthritic or bedbound conditions to knit. Expecting an income from it when you haven’t even bought needles and yarn and asking for people to throw you a laundry list of tutorials is something else.

I believe Mick Mars from Motley Crue has the same disorder.

 

[mold]

this happens all over the place though. people just have this vague sense that you can make stuff and sell it and then they make stuff and try to sell it and complain all over the internet that nobody wants to pay them an amount that works out to even local minimum wage for the amount of time they spent making the thing. part of this is the deepseated delusion of the labor theory of value but also it's because there's no real education about the industrial revolution. People really don't understand that there is no longer a market for craft production not because everyone is a big meanypants but because industrial production exists.

 

[𝕺𝖑' 𝕯𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖘𝖔]

Wool also doesn't need to be washed often since it's more dirt and odor resistant, so the washability thing only really comes into play if it's something that actually needs frequent washing like baby items. My scarves do fine with a wash like once a winter.

this happens all over the place though. people just have this vague sense that you can make stuff and sell it and then they make stuff and try to sell it and complain all over the internet that nobody wants to pay them an amount that works out to even local minimum wage for the amount of time they spent making the thing. part of this is the deepseated delusion of the labor theory of value but also it's because there's no real education about the industrial revolution. People really don't understand that there is no longer a market for craft production not because everyone is a big meanypants but because industrial production exists.

The best kind of craft to sell is one where you can make big batches at a time so that each individual item doesn't have hours upon hours of hard work put into it, even if the whole batch does. Like you can dye a ton of yarn at once and have dozens of skeins that sell for $20-30 each vs a single knit item that might take as much time to make as it took to dye a big batch of yarn.

 

[mold]

The best kind of craft to sell is one where you can make big batches at a time so that each individual item doesn't have hours upon hours of hard work put into it, even if the whole batch does. Like you can dye a ton of yarn at once and have dozens of skeins that sell for $20-30 each vs a single knit item that might take as much time to make as it took to dye a big batch of yarn.

and then you sell it to furries

 

[Otterly]

The only way to make money from crafting is to sell crafting supplies to crafters.
I saw a post pop up on a feed the other day slagging off petiteknit. PN is a teeny tiny slim white-blonde Dane, with adorable white-blonde children, who make simple but wearable patterns in the Scandinavian style. She appears successful in doing so.
Needless to say this is clearly unacceptable to the woke knitting community, and they’ve started dragging her for not being size inclusive. Her stuff seems to go up to a size 5xl (she’s probably never encountered a size 5xl danish female in her life) so I’m not sure where the criticism is coming from (well I am, it’s because she’s a tiny pretty little blonde lady doing well.) apparently her patterns aren’t made for POC as well. I’m not entirely sure why, since the last time I checked POC havent grown any extra body parts that would preclude fitting into a sweater but there we go.
Example insta account is knitty_up
I’ll try to find more drama

 

[toilet_rainbow]

The only way to make money from crafting is to sell crafting supplies to crafters.
I saw a post pop up on a feed the other day slagging off petiteknit. PN is a teeny tiny slim white-blonde Dane, with adorable white-blonde children, who make simple but wearable patterns in the Scandinavian style. She appears successful in doing so.
Needless to say this is clearly unacceptable to the woke knitting community, and they’ve started dragging her for not being size inclusive. Her stuff seems to go up to a size 5xl (she’s probably never encountered a size 5xl danish female in her life) so I’m not sure where the criticism is coming from (well I am, it’s because she’s a tiny pretty little blonde lady doing well.) apparently her patterns aren’t made for POC as well. I’m not entirely sure why, since the last time I checked POC havent grown any extra body parts that would preclude fitting into a sweater but there we go.
Example insta account is knitty_up
I’ll try to find more drama

I've seen a lot of people criticize her instructions for being too hard to read, her designs too plain, her patterns being too popular... A lot of it feels like jealousy or derangement syndrome from how nitpicky a bunch of the criticism is. If you find her Nordic style too simple or not your style, then go find something else? And if something like the Sophie scarf is so popular, then okay? Popular patterns are a good way for beginners to find or discuss troubleshooting since there would be much more info available. Etc etc.

Once you get to something like "PetiteKnit patterns aren't made for black people" then it's ass pulling just to complain about something, anything, no matter how ridiculous. Between the size range and all the languages many of her patterns are available in, she's likely one of the most inclusive designers out there. Hell, she even tries to accommodate for budget by suggesting cheaper but still nice yarns along with luxurious fibers. But she didn't have a fat Downie model a crop top pattern, so she's not inclusive enough for people that define inclusivity by that, I guess.

Spoiler: anecdote

FWIW the Sophie scarf was one of my first knitting projects. I appreciated that it taught basic skills beyond knit and purl and was a relatively short project. It was more interesting than a basic dishcloth and while I did end up looking up tutorials to better visualize certain techniques, the pattern itself was easy to follow. Just want to make sure that you’re doing a Knit Front Back correctly when you’ve never done it before, y’know? The next project I did, I felt a lot more confident because I recognized most of the techniques called for from doing the Sophie Scarf. I personally got my money’s worth from it.

 

[Lady Bizness]

To weigh in, Acrylic has its place, especially now that it doesn't feel like touching a cactus. I made a baby blanket for my(now teenage) niece and even after countless times in the wash, it still looks alright. It is now in a box though, so the wear and tear days are over.

A little bit of funny: When browsing reddit, I got suggested this thread. The screenshots are on r/Craftycommerce, but OP posted this shit all over reddit.I highlighted the relevant bits.

View attachment 7520751
View attachment 7520752
So, to summarize. This person, who can't do hard physical labour wants to make an actual income from something she has zero clue about. Literally a poke herself with the needles beginner. Never mind the market being over saturated already, that there are pretty affordable knitting machines out there and knitting is extremely hard on the wrists and shoulders after a while.

PL but I used to work at a rec center that had studio space for various arts. Always had people like this show up. The number of people who would plop themselves down on a kick wheel next to a production potter on an electric, and ask if they thought they could get $50 for their "mug" was way too many.
Conversely, the number of people who see an art I made and then start talking me up to sell my stuff is way too many too. Tank top I just finished was $80 in yarn and over 30 hours of my time. Ain't nobody going to give me more than $20 for it.

 

[mold]

The only way to make money from crafting is to sell crafting supplies to crafters.
I saw a post pop up on a feed the other day slagging off petiteknit. PN is a teeny tiny slim white-blonde Dane, with adorable white-blonde children, who make simple but wearable patterns in the Scandinavian style. She appears successful in doing so.
Needless to say this is clearly unacceptable to the woke knitting community, and they’ve started dragging her for not being size inclusive. Her stuff seems to go up to a size 5xl (she’s probably never encountered a size 5xl danish female in her life) so I’m not sure where the criticism is coming from (well I am, it’s because she’s a tiny pretty little blonde lady doing well.) apparently her patterns aren’t made for POC as well. I’m not entirely sure why, since the last time I checked POC havent grown any extra body parts that would preclude fitting into a sweater but there we go.
Example insta account is knitty_up
I’ll try to find more drama

this reminds me of the crazy bullshit directed at Heather Ross back in ancient days. she did a series of quilting fabric based on childhood memories and got viciously attacked for not including nonwhite children. this is a good writeup but sadly the links to crazy of days gone by are broken.

https://featherandfan.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/the-heather-ross-dogpile/

 

[Lady Bizness]

this reminds me of the crazy bullshit directed at Heather Ross back in ancient days. she did a series of quilting fabric based on childhood memories and got viciously attacked for not including nonwhite children. this is a good writeup but sadly the links to crazy of days gone by are broken.

https://featherandfan.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/the-heather-ross-dogpile/

At first I was surprised this was happening way back in 2011, but then I thought to myself, if this happened today the artist would have likely responded by making a pattern with little black girls and watermelon.

 

[Ballsack Pussylips]

Jonah's Hands got arrested for rape with a minor:

La Crosse 'crocheting prodigy' arrested for kidnapping, sex with a child​

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – Jonah Larson, "crocheting prodigy" renown in the La Crosse area, is currently in La Crosse County Jail.
He's being held on charges of False Imprisonment and Sexual Intercourse with Person Under Age of 16 With Force.
Larson once won a $10,000 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes award, and his crocheting skills brought him to appear on Good Morning America.
Larson's court appearance has been rescheduled for Thursday, July 23. 19 News will provide further details as they come.
This story was updated following additional court date information.

https://www.wxow.com/news/la-crosse/la-crosse-crocheting-prodigy-arrested-for-kidnapping-sex-with-a-child/article_e3311d5a-640b-4524-9f3a-dabf21864dd6.html

https://archive.ph/mPmZZ

https://www.instagram.com/jonahhands

https://www.facebook.com/jonahhands/

https://x.com/JonahHands

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

I always found his overly big smile creepy. Now I know why, I guess.

In Minecraft.