#gavii makes stuff

[gaviicreates]

FO: "Postmortem" in Pink Skelly

Here she is in full. Fun fact, remember when I blocked upside down? Well my reel, I did the same thing. Whoops.

Once again - pattern: "Postmortem" by Ann Wanamaker, available on Ravelry here.

I used a 1.8mm crochet hook and a mix of crochet thread from Hobbii and Aunt Lydia's.

Happiest of Halloweens from my corner of the internet!

#crochet #gavii makes stuff #crocheting #doily crochet #crochet doily #crochetblr #Halloween #skeleton

[whatgaviiformes]

Friends, learning a new skill is the best, and I can't get over the little joys over the most basic of things. So, last night I started a sock, knitted, which includes learning the following: smaller needles, smaller yarn, knitting with DPN, knitting in the round, ribbing (k2 p2), and long tail cast on. And all that's before I even started a heel. So, here are some things overheard while Gavii made a sock cuff. Keep in mind crochet is my home base craft, and I've never made a sock on that craft either.

"Oh my gosh this is like low stakes yarn chicken"/longtail [and I won]

"Ooh! This maths perfectly" / DPN [20 stitches on each needle]

"It's a triangle"/DPN [and yes the twilight zone started playing in my head though no one could know that]

'A rib! A rib! It's doing the texturing thing!"

"Agshdfjdhz this yarn is doing the dot thing! Little cute colorful Vs where they belong."

"Okay this is really satisfying now. It's a circle!"/knitting in the round

"I can't wait to do this again with a color changing yarn where how it works up is a total surprise."

"It'll be so nice to have something practical to make. Not just doilies that sit on a table."

"Ugh/[fond] it's so cute."

And finally. "It's a cuff!!!" ^and the rows that gave so much joy.

Also, this is the good stuff. I also dropped stitches, accidentally removed a whole needle with loops, made a few mistakes with my k and p. But I got there. Learning is a journey. And I appreciate @onereyofstarlight for her patience helping me with my questions.

It's gonna be a sock!!!!

#gavii makes stuff #knitting

[gumnut-logic]

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

::rolls up sleeves and brainstorms all over the keyboard::

If you want to do it, do it. Don't hide. Everyone had to start somewhere (wanna see my first ever fic? I was 18 and the internet did not exist, also, it was really badly written; you can find my second ever written fic here - its TOS Trek). We've all been there and we are all learning. Don't be scared, Thunderfam at least is here to support. For you fanartists out there, check out How I learnt Portraiture and then check out this post to prove that I can paint, honestly, really I can :D

If you do encounter negativity - block/ban. In fandom, if you can't say something nice, shut up and go away. Don't like, don't read, and mind your own business. I'm all for self curating your online experience. The only time constructive criticism is polite is when you know the person and they've asked. Like I have several members of Thunderfam I come screaming to while writing with the question, does this suck? These are my sanity checkers - Gavii, unfortunately you have taken on this mantle and suffer on a fairly regular basis. Nutty by name and nature.

Works in Progress - anyone who has known me here at all knows I leave a wake of WiPs behind me. Some I get back to, some, not so much (I promise to pull Alex out from under that building, I do!). WiPs are part of the way an artist works (I have so many in so many media, omigod). Because fanfic is published close to the leading edge of creation, its gonna happen. Fanfic is written for fun, after all. The key is to not let them beat you up in the head. Yes, there is unfinished stuff, but it doesn't mean you can't write something else in the meantime. Don't let it stop your muse. I am notorious for unfinished stuff and the real world hates it. But this isn't the real world, THIS IS FOR FUN. I know the marketing theories and the regularity of posting and popularity and what is at stake if either not enough is published regularly or if too much unfinished stuff disappoints the reader. But again, if you let the WiPs hang around your neck too much and badger you, they will drown you. It will become a job, a burden, something you hate. So don't pressure yourself. Work with your muse and see what you can wrangle out of it...at your own pace. You might be surprised what works.

The Terry Pratchett method - I don't know if it is true or not, but there is a post flying around Tumblr somewhere that claims Terry Pratchett, famous author, only aimed to write 400 words a day. This is something I have found extremely useful. If you want to write something, don't set the bar too high so you fail. Set it at a reachable level, even 200 words or 100 words. Honestly the hardest part is actually sitting down and starting. Before you know it you will have passed your low goal and blown it out of the water 3000 words later (my highest number of words in one day was 7000 - I tend to edit as I go, so it slows me down). Rarely do we have an entire day we can write, cos life keeps getting in the way. So do it in little bits. I'm doing this method with my crochet at the moment. Lots of little bits make big bits. This is how I've written many of my longer fics. Heh, I used to have fifteen minutes in the car before work, so I'd pull up on the side of the road and write as much as I could in that time. Sometimes having a limited time helps with that as well.

But the biggest thing you can do to improve your writing is to get to know yourself very well. I'm on the autism spectrum and likely have some forms of ADHD or Executive Dysfunction (I literally cried the day I found out it had a name as to why I couldn't finish things). It's taken me years to work out how to get work out of myself. How to avoid fighting myself (a fight I never win). To learn what works best for me and how I can herd the cats in my brain into them doing what I need them to do. Find out what makes you tick. Find out what sparks your muse, what way best enables you to write. Try different times of the day, different places, bribe yourself, time limit yourself, lock the family out of the room, go to the beach, write on paper, go mobile, write on your phone, scribble notes, anything that can get your brain doing what you want it to do. Sometimes reading fic can do it, showers and manual work are great for idea sparking - let the brain idle and it comes up with all sorts of interesting things. Very late night writing can be a doozy of a trip :D Find what works then do it - until it changes and you have to find it again because yes, my brain does that too, drat it.

And that is probably enough babbling from me :D I need to go find Virgil and a pick up with his name on it...or Gordon's...it's still gelling in my brain :D

I hope this helps someone, even just a tiny bit. Writing is hard work, don't let it drown you. Also, we all have up and down days, just because something sucks today, doesn't mean it will feel the same tomorrow. Never give up, never surrender, and if you do give up on one thing....ooh, look there's another one to play with.

Thank you for asking ::squishy hugs you lots::

Nutty

(who despite this will still have days where the writing will not work...in which case, I'm gonna do something else for a bit until brain decides it wants to play....stupid brain, do it on demand, you pile of goop)

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderfam #nutty is nuts

[tracybirds]

18 + 22 of writing asks

Thanks Gavii <3 I had to do much thinking for these it was fun!

18. how do what you look for in your own writing vs someone else’s coincide? how does your writing influence your reading?

I find it really hard to read stuff when I'm actively writing. On the flip side, when I'm struggling with writing, I love to read other people's works because they're a good way to just enjoy the characters and the world :) I think that's the main place my writing and what i like to read coincides - at the core of it all, I just want to have fun. I'm not particularly interested in canon or reality beyond using it to suit my own ends, and I love when I read a story where the writer has taken a risk beyond canon. Like don't get me wrong, I enjoy canon-compliant stories and a good character study is outstanding stuff (honestly, blows me away what people put out there!!) but it's also super fun to go "hey you know this widely accepted (canon or fanon) concept of this character? let's throw that away for a second and see what happens!"

It's something I wish I wrote more of and I love love love when it gets pulled off! And it's also why I have little to no interest in consistent characterisation across stories (within? yes! between? eh...)

I think that answers both parts, albeit back to front a bit ahaha :D

22. how much of your own self/experiences do you believe pours into your projects? if this differs per project, which projects have the most and least of you?

really hitting me with those introspection questions xD I think it's difficult to say. There are stories that seem to be wholly and completely me at the time of writing them, and even when time and distance have weathered them down, they still reflect who I am/was at a very specific moment in time. To be honest, although those stories are cathartic, they're not my favourite to write or to reread. I grew up loving stories because I could inhabit new worlds, new ideas, new people and that's what I like best. Of course it's nearly impossible to not have my own unique experiences influencing the stories - many are inspired by daily life and daydreams and only I (with my own experiences) get to decide which projects are worthy of development and that's wholly influenced by who I am and my history. And growing up with three siblings of my own, plus a verified village of extended family and friends to add to the chaos 24/7, I relish drawing on those experiences to write for a family that's close in size to mine. But even so, slipping into someone else's world is what makes writing fun for me, so I tend to pause when writing something that aligns too closely to my own self. I know I COULD self promo here but I will not because pointing out the me bits is too much like loaning my diary out from the library like no thanks :P

#long post #sorry friend i wrote this in between classes so it may be a little all over the place #but i tried to edit it into sense :D

[gaviicreates]

FO: Emotional Support Chicken

Not sure why I decided, having never really done crochet amigurumi, I was going to knit this sweetheart. But I guess the "hot right now" on Ravelry hit my FOMO. (all to say... I learned a lot).

The yarn is Happy Place - 50% cotton, 50% wool, DK.

#knitting #knitblr #dont look too closely at the sewing #gavii makes stuff #beginner knitter

[gaviicreates]

FO: Filet Crochet - Tall Ship

~Heave her up and away we'll go~

Pattern: Sailing Ship Doily by Crafty Sasha Hook size: 1.75mm Crochet Thread: Aunt Lydia's Size 10 GaviiCreates - 2023

Progress Pics and Blog Post available here.

#age of sail #tall ship #crochet #crocheting #filet crochet #nautical #nauticalcore #piratecore #sailorcore #finished object #passion project #crochetblr #yarn crafts #crocheters of tumblr #gavii makes stuff

[gaviicreates]

This is what I get for not taking pictures with the good camera and relying on the phone, but here a few low quality captures of the Shamrock Soiree doilies before I sent them off to a friend made here.

The pattern is by the wonderful draiguna/Julia Hart, available for free online here.

<3 I love the sage.

#gavii makes stuff

[gaviicreates]

Sky Blanket 2024 - Q1

Hi crafty friends! I am incredibly overdue on sharing an update on my sky blanket for 2024. If you are new to this project, some things to know:

This is my version of the temperature blanket this year - one row a day. Except instead of temperature, I am using "what is the sky doing today?" as my scale. The palette is all blues and greys based on how sunny or cloudy it is, going all the way from turquoise blue for the sunniest of sunnies to a dark grey for thunderstorms.

It's based on the year between two dates, not the start of the year. So my Q1 actually begins mid-October '23 and ends mid-January '24. So I am only a month behind sharing. I blame it on the weaving in of ends.

I am actually staying decently caught up! I don't always do the rows right away, but they are fairly quick to work up so I'm finding I can bring myself to current just within a single Sunday if I need to. The harder part has been making sure I record the weather, and there have been more days than I'd like to admit where I barely had a chance to go outside at all. I've been using timeanddate.com if I need to check dates I might have missed to make my best guess for cloud cover.

In Q1 - 92 days total:

Sunny - 30%, 28 days Partly Cloudy - 27%, 25 days Mostly Cloudy - 15%, 14 days Overcast - 12%, 11 days Rain - 13%, 12 days Snow/Ice- 2%, 2 days

I have not yet had a chance to use my granite colorway for thunderstorms. Meanwhile, the cream border will always be around every square. Admittedly in different number so I can get the month to the same consistent 33 rows.

Pattern: Toni Lipsey's/TLYarnCraft's linen square stitch pattern The Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK

The pattern The yarn

(yes I still love the colors of the sky... even though it forces me to weave in too many ends to count)

#crochet #gavii makes stuff #skyblanket2024 #crocheting #yarn #stylecraft dk #temperature blanket #wip #crochetblr

[gaviicreates]

FO: Christmas Doilies

🎄🎀🎄Simplyyyyy haaaaving a wonderful Christmas time. 🎄🎀🎄

I've made two of the poinsettias and two of the green trees with the off-white border, and only one so far of the trees with the variegated border. But I like it so much, I might make one for me.

Patterns: Handmade by Raine's tutorials for "Christmas Tree Doily" and "Poinsettia Doily"

Tools: 1.8mm crochet hook tulip etimo

Yarn: Assorted size 10 thread.

#Gavii Makes Stuff #crochet #crocheting #crochet doily #doily #homemade #fiber arts #finished object

[gaviicreates]

Sunday Stitchin'

Yesterday I caught up on my squares for my sky blanket 2024, which as a reminder is my version of a temperature blanket for the year. I started in mid-October, as I've chosen to run the project for the year between my anniversary. So Dec-Jan is block 3, and I'm trying to stay mostly on top of weaving in ends as I finish sections.

Today it snowed! So I got to use another row of that silver you might be able to see in only two stitches up in the top righthand corner. So far, there's still one color I haven't used it all, which is the darker grey intended for thunderstorms. I'm sure that'll come with Spring.

Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK

Pattern: Linen Square Temperature Blanket

#skyblanket2024 #sunday stitchin #crochet #crocheting #gavii makes stuff #works in progress

[gaviicreates]

FO: time flies by in the yellow and green...

...Stick around and you'll see what I mean

(there will also be more pictures under the cut)

Remember literally yesterday when I mentioned I was doing a stretchy bind-off purlwise, and I loved the fluidity of it? Well, obviously a bind off pretty much heralds the end of a project in sight so here we are. I was so eager for this one to be completed that I lightly washed the shawl and pinned it overnight so that, by today, I'd have my first finished, knitted shawl.

Pattern: Mara Shawl by Madelinetosh, available here through Ravelry

Yarn: Arcane Fibre Works, "Calm Waters" -80/20 Extra Fine Merino Nylon Super Wash Fingering Weight. (2 Skeins)

Tools: Clover Takumi Bamboo Circulars - US 5 3.75mm, Eucalan Lavender Wash for blocking

This shawl is a garter stitch shawl with yarn overs down the center and sides to both increase and add a bit of lacy interest. I had actually started on this before I finished the throw blanket, so these two pieces together were so critical for my knitting journey thus far, and I've learned so much already.

While the throw maintained the upward structure of its rows, this shawl gave me the experience of increasing along the center and sides, working outward as well as up. Once I figured out the yarn-over and the cadence from row to row, the location of the yarn-overs was easy to remember. Simple, but elegant on the piece. It did take me a few rows in to figure out that a stitch marker for the RS vs WS would probably be helpful, and from there it was smooth sailing.

Almost too smooth, because I just kept going. I don't remember the cord size I used, but eventually working the stitches scrunched up on the needles, and the work curled into itself. Once that started, I had a hard time imagining what it would look like finished. I had no idea what the shaping would look like once it was off the needles, so my plan was to hope I just figured out when would be a good time to stop. Low stakes winging it, if you will.

She's big. This is no shawlette you behold. The length surpasses my wingspan on both sides, and the drape down the back is lovely and full while the fabric itself is light and breathable between the stitches. I think because the needles were a bit bigger than recommended size for fingering weight, this resulted in some space between the stitches.

I'm dreaming of that first cool day of fall, and wrapping myself up with her covering my shoulders pinned with a nice brooch, or rolled into a scarf around my neck over denim. She's going to be a wonderful addition to my wardrobe, and I am ecstatic with the final length and look.

I mentioned above I used two skeins. Another learning curve for me - one I intentionally played with here - was the way the colors fell. I don't think it's a crochet thing specifically because I know opinions still vary, but coming from a craft that tends to create potentially less ordered fabrics with variegated yarns, I'm kind of open to color pooling at times. It's not for everyone, but I think there's a fun little magic in letting the colors land the way they want to in both crafts it seems.

I started with one skein, then switched to alternating after a while to learn that technique, then ended with one skein again as I finished out the project. I was nervous about this choice, especially as I started seeing entire blocks of yellow forming. But in the final garment, I don't feel like these larger streaks take away from the color combination. I'm loving that it's not uniform and there's a bit of fun and randomness to how the colors fall.

Towards the final rows, the pattern switched from garter to 1x1, then 2x2 ribbing, which I could see being a great opportunity to switch out to another color to complement. But I really wanted to have my yellow and green shawl, so I decided to keep working up with the same yarn. Plus I am kind of in love with seeing how different stitches create a new texture that gives the colors in a variegated yarn a bit of a different life to them.

Now - I do have one more skein of this colorway, as I had bought a just-in-case extra. I am thinking my big shawl needs a little something else to go with it - maybe a hat or some fingerless gloves, oooh! or some socks.

Now, I have... how many more months till I can wear this?

#Gavii Makes Stuff #knitting #knitted shawl #knitblr #arcane fibre works #mara shawl

[gaviicreates]

Sunday Stitchin'

What's that? Why, you're looking at my second ever cast off in progress. It was more stressful than the making of the project itself, and that came with a number of pattern mistakes along the way. I've learned a lot though. In any case, the cast off is one step closer to finishing, so be on a FO post soon to come!

[Did you know?! I have a crochet bingo you can find here. Currently working on: Make an Amigurumi]

#Gavii Makes Stuff #knitting #knit #knitblr #WIP #lapghan #throw blanket #yarncrafts

[gaviicreates]

Blog Post: Filet Crochet - Tall Ship

It's April 2022 and I've just added "Wellerman" to my playlists. Like most trends, I've discovered it late, but that doesn't stop my fervor in finding as many shanty bands as I can get my hands on. I re-watch "Master & Commander" and "Pirates of the Caribbean", I start and finish OFMD in a weekend, I buy the fancy vinyl of The Longest Johns' most recent album, I make up stanzas for Drunken Sailor, and I start reblogging ship after ship after ship - ships at sea, ships approaching pirate islands, ships in the mist and at night and with sails gloriously unfurled.

I tour a tall ship for my birthday, then spend the afternoon at an Irish pub listening to familiar songs that aren't shanties but come from similar traditional roots.

At some point, I admit... yep, I'm drawn to the aesthetic of tall sailing ships. And I celebrate it.

I celebrate anything that brings joy. So this time last year (Sep 18 if you are curious), my daydreams about ships chasing the horizon led me to pick up my crochet hook, start a row of chains and some double crochets, and make one of those vague, ominous posts: a simple: it begins.

And finally, I can say, it ends.

Reel version of the progress pictures available here. (Warning: For Photo movement sensitivity, I use zoom transitions)

This was my first big filet crochet project, and in full transparency, I learned the technique just so I could make this pattern. I first picked a few free patterns that were symmetrical between rows, as one of the challenges I had was reading left-to-right, then right-to-left in sequence based on whether I was on the right side of wrong side as the pattern progressed. My first non-symmetrical pattern was HandmadebyRaine's dolphin table runner. Fairly soon after I decided I was ready. I was probably less ready and more eager... but what's a better way learning a new technique than working on something you know you're going to be really passionate about?

Filet Crochet is a technique in which the pattern creates a mesh with filled in and open blocks, where the filled in spaces (or the inverse) makes an image. The only stitches you need to start learning is the chain and the double crochet, so in some ways it is quite beginner friendly. I'd recommend starting with a symmetrical pattern like I did until you are used to switching the reading direction with the rows.

Another challenge I had along the way: I lost the crochet hook I was using about halfway up. I think I actually was using a 2.00mm originally, but the challenge with these small hooks is that you can't really buy them on an individual basis - at least from what I've seen. This is the reason I have 3-4 .5mm's which I never use, but the 1.75mm and 2.00mm that I use all the time have a habit of walking away.

From there, the main challenge was keeping motivated, especially after that lull in the middle of the project. At the beginning and the end, the stitches were flying off the hook.

Pattern: Sailing Ship Doily by Crafty Sasha Hook size: 1.75mm Crochet Thread: Aunt Lydia's Size 10 GaviiCreates - 2023

So my year long passion project finally comes to end. I haven't yet picked a space in my home for this project to live, so it's not yet on display. It is such a statement piece, I'd like to make it somewhere visitors may see it. I'm proud!

As far as filet crochet - I really liked the technique! It's another way for me to use my thread, another style for doilies or table runners. I definitely think it will be added to my rotation. What do we think for next? A chicken?

#gavii makes stuff #crochet #filet crochet #age of sail #tall ship #yarn crafts #yarnblr #crochetblr #crocheting #doily #crochet doily #finished object

[gaviicreates]

Only just getting started, but the center star of this doily is GORGEOUS.

The pattern is Tallulah by Grace Fearon, and I am using Rainbow Lace crochet thread from hobbii in Malachite.

#crochet #crocheting #wip #gavii makes stuff

[gaviicreates]

Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - A Crochet Adventure

Note: This post may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker

Good Morning, fellow Warriors of Light and Darkness! And/Or my fellow crafters.

After creating my simple G'ra-hat, I was inspired with more rampant ideas for ways I could combine my love for Final Fantasy 14 and my love for crafting. Mix in a little bit of yarn collecting - which I think we all might agree is its own hobby - and the Blanket of the Seventh Dawn project was born.

It's still in baby stages - I want to bring you on this journey, if you'd like to follow along. And I'm happy to share yesterday my yarn arrived, which means I can finally get started.

Yarn: Arcane Fibre Works | website

I started with matching each of the Scions to a colorway, as well as choosing two additional for my and my husband's Warriors of Light. For my craftyfolk - think of these people as the main characters, the characters you play as well as the friends you meet along the way. In introducing the project, I've made all of my skeins greyscale, as I will reveal each of the characters and their colors as I started working with their skein.

But to give you a small hint - here's the list of characters I'm including: Alisaie, Alphinaud, Estinien, G'raha Tia, Krile, Lyse, Minfilia, Papalymo, Tataru, Thancred, Urianger, Y'shtola. Just in case, I'll continue to tag these posts under ffxiv spoilers, and for full disclosure, I am currently in Endwalker MSQ content.

All of the yarn was purchased from Arcane Fibre Works. I've worked with their yarns before, and I knew they had a large variety for me to search their colors for those that sang Scion.

I'll be turning all of these colors into granny squares, which I am thinking of doing solid to let some of these chaos colors shine. Once all of the squares are complete, the plan is to combine them into one large blanket. Each character should have a few squares. But that's for later along the project.

For now, I am super excited to get started and to share this journey with you. As far as who we start with...? Let's roll a d12 and find out, shall we?

TBC...

#ffxiv spoilers #ffxiv #ffxiv blanket #blanket of the seventh dawn #scions of the seventh dawn #crochet #crocheting #yarn #gavii makes stuff

[gaviicreates]

Blanket of the Seventh Dawn - 11

Note: This post may contain spoilers up to FFXIV Endwalker.

Introduction: What is this project? Or, for the tl;dr - one colorway per Scion = Big Blanket. #blanket of the seventh dawn to follow along.

Minfilia Warde

Yarn: Arcane Fibre Works, "Serene Oasis" in DK

"Please. you must go on! You are the Warrior of Light. You are hope - for the Scions, and for all the realm! As long as your flame continues to burn, the light of the dawn may ever be relit!"

For Minfilia, as much as l love burgundy, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to lean into the pink and purple of her top as a way to pull together the reds and the blues, connect them, and soften them, just as she does in story as the Antecedent. So much of our story as the Warrior of Light hinges on Minfilia's dream, and she helps form the bond with all of the Scions.

#gavii makes stuff #ffxiv blanket #blanket of the seventh dawn #ffxiv spoilers #crochet #scions of the seventh dawn #yarn #arcane fibre works #granny square #crocheting #minfilia warde #ffxiv minfilia