donutsweeper

"Ocean Swells" as originally published in "Crochet: The Complete Guide" by Jane Davis was flawed and incomplete (it was missing row 11 entirely and contained other errors); along with correcting all of that, this version is designed to use two different colored yarns simultaneously, bringing them up the side. The brought up yarn, along with first/last stitch and slip stitch, will be worked over when making the border.



I did 5 pattern repeats for a 50"x62" (ish) result and used approximately 550g of Knitpicks Worsted Weight Brava in Dove Heather for Color A and 480g Knitpicks Worsted Weight Brava in Asphalt Heather for Color B, about 2,245 yards of yarn in total. I used a L hook for the foundation and J hook for the main project.

This pattern uses American terms (ch= chain, st= stitch, sc= single crochet, slst= slip stitch, hdc= half double crochet, dc= double crochet, tr= triple crochet, sk= skip stitch, etc). Gauge does not matter, just be careful not to do too tight a stitch or there will be a noticeable ripple to the blanket.

Note: if desired a ch3 can replace the stacked sc at the start of the rows. See additional notes for tips (and pictures) on how to easily tell that the pattern is being done properly.

Foundation: with color A chain a multiple of 28 sts plus 6, turn. (either chain very loosely or use a hook 1 or 2 sizes larger than for the rest of the blanket)
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, slst, 5sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, *9 sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc; rep from * across, ending with 5 sc instead of 9 sc, sltst, sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc, slst, 3 sc, *ch 1, sk 2, dc, (ch 1, dc) 4 times, ch 1, sk 2, 5 sc; rep from * across, ending with 3 sc instead of 5 sc, sltst, sc.
Row 3: Ch1, turn, stacked sc, slst,*(2 dc in next ch sp) twice, 3 dc in next ch sp, dc in dc, 3 dc in next ch sp, (2 dc in next ch sp) twice, sk 2 sc, sc in next sc, sk 2 sc; rep from * across, sc, sltst, dc change to color B when completing last st.
Row 4: Ch 1, turn, sc, slst, sc across until 2 st remain, slst, sc.
Row 5: Ch1, turn, stacked sc , slst, ch 4, dc in 1st st, hdc in next st, sk 1, sc in next 9 sts, *sk 1, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sk 1, sc in next 9 sc; rep from * across, sk 1, hdc, dc, tr, slst, dc, change to color A when completing last st.
Row 6: Ch1, turn, stacked sc, slst, ch 4, dc in dc, ch 1, dc in hdc, *ch 1, sk 2, sc in next 5 sc, ch 1, sk 2, (dc, ch 1) 5 times, sk 2, sc in next 5 sc; rep from * across, sk 2, ch 1, dc in hdc, ch 1, dc in dc, ch 1, dc in 4th ch of ch, sltst, dc.
Row 7: Ch1, turn, stacked sc, slst, Ch 3, (2 dc in next ch sp) 3 times, sk 2, sc, *sk 2, (2 dc in next ch sp) twice, 3 dc in next ch sp, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next ch sp, (2 dc in next ch sp) twice, sk 2, sc; rep from * across, sk 2, (2 dc in next ch sp) twice, 3 dc in ch sp at end of row, dc in 3rd ch of ch, sltst, dc, change to color B when completing last st.
Row 8: Ch 1, turn, sc, slst, sk 1, sc in each st across, ending with sc in ch sp near end of row, sltst, sc.
Row 9: Ch 1, turn, sc, slst, sc in next 4 sc, *sk 1, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sk 1, sc in next 9 sc; rep from * across, ending with 4 sc instead of 9 sc, sltst, sc, change to color A when completing last st.
Row 10: Ch 1, turn, sc, slst, ch1, sc in next 2 sc, *ch 1, sk 2, (dc, ch 1) 5 times, sk 2, sc in next 5 sc; rep from * across, ending with 2 sc instead of next 5 sc, sltst, sc.
Row 11: Ch1, turn, stacked sc, slst,*(2 dc in next ch sp) twice, 3 dc in next ch sp, dc in dc, 3 dc in next ch sp, (2 dc in next ch sp) twice, sk 2 sc, sc in next sc, sk 2 sc; rep from * across, sc in the ch1 sp, sltst, dc, change to color B when completing last st.

Repeat rows 4-11 to continue pattern

When blanket is desired length, finish off color A, do not finish off color B as it will be used for the border.

Border- note: For a nice, even finish the border is stitched over the first sc/stacked sc and last sc/dc of each row. Insert hook in the space above the sltst (after the sc/stacked sc/dc and before the first st of the row's pattern).
Round One:
left side: With color B ch1 at the top of its last row, 1dc in each of color B's rows (2dc total per color B section), 2 dc in each of color A's rows (4dc total per color A section), repeat to last color A section (at the bottom of blanket) 2 dc in each of last 2 rows and (2dc, c1, 2dc) in corner.
bottom: 1dc along bottom until last st, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in corner.
right side: 2 dc in each of color A's rows (4dc total per color A section), 1dc in each of color B's rows (2dc total per color B section), repeating until last of color A's sections. Work 2dc in first row then work (2dc, ch1, 1dc) into the stacked sc to make the corner.
top: dc, *2dc, 2 hdc, 3 sc (in set of 3 dcs), slst (in single dc in dc), 3sc, 2 hdc, 2dc, 1tr, (in sc) repeat from * until last swell ending with 3 dc instead of 2, tr in slst, (dc, ch1, 2dc) in last stitch to make the corner
finish left side: 1dc in last row of color 1, slst to first border dc
Round Two:
left side: ch1, sc in each dc, (sc, ch1, sc) in ch1 space of corner
bottom: sc in each dc, (sc, ch1, sc) in ch1 space of corner
right side: sc in each dc, (2sc, ch2, dc) in ch1 space of corner
top: dc in each st, (dc, ch1, 2sc) in ch1 space of corner.
finish left side: sc and slst to the first sc of the row and finish off.

Additional notes with (not the best, sorry) pictures:

When switching yarns make sure to not pull too tightly, it should match the length of the rows and have a little give. It should look, give or take, like this:

Quick ways to make sure the pattern is working out properly:
Rows 4 and 8: the 5th sc of 9 sc repeat should be in the center of the swell (in the previous row's dc in the dc in between the 3dc in chain spaces).

Rows 6 and 10: the 3rd sc of the 5 sc repeat should also be in the center of the swell

Rows 7 and 11: the single sc will be directly above the swell as well


also in Rows 6 and 10: the placement of the first dc of the (dc, ch1) repeat will be in the previous row's hdc which is the stitch above the second to last dc of the ending (2 dc in ch sp) part of the swell


(the underlined sk1 in row 8 and ch1 in row 10 are to emphasize the subtle differences between the pattern in those rows and those of rows 4 and 6 as I noticed I had a tendency to forget about them)

And I just noticed the blanket was placed on the couch bottom to top so was photographed upside down and it's too dark to take another photo now. Whoops, sorry!

If you have any questions feel free to ask here or on discord.

We've always been a household with pets. We got our first kitty only a few months after getting our first apartment and had him for 16 years and less than three months after losing him we adopted 2 kitties and then added a dog and another cat (this one a stray who adopted us). And then the past few years lost them all, lastly that stray this past September. With the chaos here this winter it never seemed the right time to go to the Humane Society or one of the adoption events other local rescues run and then we never had the time but then...

There was a stray that had been hanging out around daughter's place for a few months who was very friendly and always going up to everyone for pets and then July came and it was stupidly hot here, highs in the 90s and 100s with high humidity and terrible air quality due to the fires in Canada and upstate. And, thanks to working with neighbor of hers who was able to grab him and keep him until we could come and pick him up we now have a kitty! Everyone, meet Sancho Panza!



So named because he's always wanting to accompany you on your adventures and walk with you wherever you are going, even if it's just into the other room (but especially if he can trip you on the way). Given how most of our cats wind up, it's very likely he'll eventually be Sancho Pangzi ('fatty' in mandarin) but for now, he's still just Panza, not that he knows his name yet but it's only been a week.

He also has not sat in the cat bed I made for him again after posing for that picture but that's neither here nor there.

Crafting-wise, other than the cat bed and a few cat toys I just made son a huge (24" from nose to tail) amigurumi whale whom he has named "Fishmael"

I think there were other things I was going to post about but no idea what they were so I'll close off with two weeks of recthething recs (tumblr art for dmbj, dungeon meshi/backrooms, murderbot, ACD Sherlock Holmes, ST:TOS, and X-Files, and 1 MDZS/Untamed fic):

DMBJ/Lost Tomb:
- Iron Triangle Cats
- More DMBJ as Cats (both of these DMBJ as cat doodles are hilarious)

dungeon meshi/backrooms crossover:
- dungeon meshi but they end up in the back rooms, a cursed idea that was eating away at my brain (so on point for them all, especially Laios)

Murderbot:
- AU in which murderbot is a very normal terracotta soldier and ART the dragon spirit of a chinese junk who dwells in the ship’s keel. they meet in the ming dynasty perhaps, when ppl are sailing places extra willy-nilly. (absolutely amazing comic)

Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
- ahhh nothing better than taking a break between the cases (this made me laugh)

Star Trek: TOS
- Star Trek (TOS) Studies (really love the art style of these)

X-Files
- some x-files studies (a colored pencil and a gouache painting, the Queequeg and Scully one is amazing!)

fic rec:
MDZS/The Untamed:
Xue Xiurong lives Series by ShippersList (7 works, 15k)
Series Description: So...what if Madam Lan escaped the Cloud Recesses before ending up to taking her life and Lan Wangji never returned home after retrieving A-Yuan? This is a story of both how loss and grief change people and what family really means. (lovely short fics about Madam Lan and her life after escaping the Cloud Recesses and what happens when LWJ and A-Yuan literally crash into it)

eta- AHA, I remembered. Babylon 5 is officially being uploaded to youtube, one episode a day by JMS himself. Its channel is here. It only started going up on August first so not much to watch yet but still! Yay! B5!!
eta # 2 - fyi - apparently B5 is region locked to the US. booo. :( but, as another fyi, VPNs work to get around that.

Base:
Start - ch 29, into the back bump make 27 sc (putting a st marker in first st), turn chain to front and do a 3 sc inc in last st of chain (put stitch marker in middle st), 27 sc around on other side of chain. (See Tuula Maaria's youtube video demonstrating this technique here if needed)



Row 2 - sc in first sc, 3 sc inc in second sc (put stitch marker in middle stitch), 25 sc, 3 sc inc in next (the st just before the stitch marker) and put stitch marker in middle st, sc (the stitch that had been marked on previous row), 3 sc inc in next (st after where the stitch marker had been (put a stitch marker in middle st) 26 sc, 3sc inc in last st (put stitch marker in middle stitch)



Row 3 - 2 sc, in stitch marker corner 3 sc replacing st marker in center st, 27sc, 3 sc in st marker corner replacing st marker in center st. 3 sc, in stitch marker corner 3 sc replacing st marker in center st, 28 sc, 3 sc in st marker corner replacing st marker in center st.

Row 4 - sc until st marker at corner, 3sc inc in that st (replacing marker in center st), sc to next corner, 3sc inc at corner (replacing marker in center st) etc

Repeat row 4 until size desired, approximated 12"/30cm

Ending row - when base reaches 12"/30cm (9-10 rows) sc to corner just past start of newest row (top right on the opposite side from the end of the starting chain) and do an inc of (sc, hdc, dc) in corner, putting marker in the hdc, and then a round of dc like the sc row repeat described in row 4 (one dc in each sc and 3 dc in the corner stitches) but when return to corner where the DCs began do only single dc (in the sc) ch1 and do a stacked sc to start next round OR 3dc and change color in last st

Sides:
Side Row 1 - stacked sc, ch1, dc into next sc, ch1, skip st, dc, c1, etc with (dc,ch1,dc) corner end with dc in corner, ch1, st to stacked ch

Row 2 - ch3, (dc into dc, ch1, sk ch1 space) repeat until at corner sk dc, 3 dc in ch1 sp, sk dc, skip ch1 sp, ch1, (dc into dc, ch1, sk ch1 space) etc until last corner where only do 2dc and slst to ch3

Row 3 - ch3, (dc into dc, ch1, sk ch1 space) repeat until at corner, dc into first dc, ch1, sk second dc, dc into third dc, ch1, skip ch1, (dc into dc, ch1, sk ch1 space) etc until last corner, dc in first dc, ch1, sk dc, slst to ch3

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until desired height is reached, ending on row 3. Change color if desired.

Solid row side finishing band row 1 - sc around in each dc and ch1 until the ch1 space before corner, skip dc before corner sc+ch1+sc in corner, skip next dc and sc into ch1 space, continue around repeating the (skip dc before corner sc+ch1+sc in corner, skip next dc and sc into ch1 space, sc into each dc and ch1 space) slst to first sc

Solid side finishing band row 2 - ch1 (counts as 1st sc) sc around, sc in every st and ch1 over the ch1 for the corners.

Repeat second finishing band row 3 or 4x

Handles: (will be made and attached long side to long side)
to start - sc 13 from the corner of last completed row.
Switch to a hook one size up from what had been being used.
Turn work and bring up a loop in the next 5 stitches (there will be 6 loops on hook - any regular crochet hook can be used for this, there is no need to have a Tunisian hook)

Do 75 rows of Tunisian simple stitch.

to attach - put one one stitch marker 8 st from corner's ch1 and another 13 st from the ch1.
Switch back to original hook.

With final loop still on hook, put hook through the marked 13th sc on bag, yo and bring loop through the sc and then through the loop on hook





put hook through next bar on strap



and through the 12th sc on bag



YO and pull through sc and bar (2 loops on hook)



put hook through next bar and 11th st on bag, yo and bring through both (3 loops on hook), through next bar and 10th st on bag, yo and bring through both (4 loops on hook), through next bar and 9th st on bag, yo and bring through both (5 loops on hook)



turn strap slightly to work hook through end and then through 8th st on bag, YO and bring through both (6 loops on hook)





chain 1 (6 loops on hook)



Remove 6th hook and put hook through the post of the bag's sc



place loop back on hook and pull through (6 loops on hook)



YO and through 2 loops (5 loops on hook)



repeat working back to end of strap, after final yo and through last 2 loops then slst to same st, the 13th st.

For second strap - put stitch markers at 8 and 13 st from end of row's ch1 corner space. Slst to the 13th stitch marker. Slst into stitch marker, switch to larger hook. bring up loop in that and next 5 st (to other marker) resulting in 6 loops on hook. Do 75 rows of Tunisian simple stitch.

Attach the same way as first strap.

Put one one stitch marker 8 st from corner's ch1 and another 13 st from the ch1. Switch back to original hook. With final loop still on hook, put hook through the marked 13th sc on bag, yo and bring loop through the sc and then through the loop on hook (1 loop on hook). Put hook through next bar on strap and through the 12th sc on bag, YO and pull through sc and bar (2 loops on hook). Put hook through next bar and 11th st on bag, yo and bring through both (3 loops on hook), through next bar and 10th st on bag, yo and bring through both (4 loops on hook), through next bar and 9th st on bag, yo and bring through both (5 loops on hook). Turn strap slightly to work hook through end and then through 8th st on bag, yo and bring through both (6 loops on hook). Chain 1 (6 loops on hook). Remove 6th hook and put hook through the post of the bag's sc, place loop back on hook and pull through (6 loops on hook), YO and through 2 loops (5 loops on hook), repeat working back to end of strap, after final YO and through last 2 loops then slst to same st, the 13th st.

For extra sturdiness then slip st across to other strap and slst into first attaching st (13th st from other corner) and continue all the way around, adding a row of slip stitches over the scs. FO.

Congrats, you have made a bag!



(The bag pictured was made with Knitpicks' Dishie cotton yarn, a worsted weight yarn and it used nearly two entire skeins, with only a small bit of the grey remaining. It had 15 rows of blue for the sides in total and its approximate measurements are 14"x6" for the base base, the sides are 10" or so high (9" of mesh, 1" of solid finishing edging) straps are about 2' long in total.)

whumpex just had author reveals. I picked up a PH for it and wrote a Detective L fic for the lovely facethestrange:

The Kindness in the Morgue. Summary: When Ben comes across and storm-battered and bruised Luo Fei he steps in to help. (1,320 words)

I finished another blanket, one mostly made to try to use up yarn I got when a (furniture maker maybe?) company went out of business and had a crazy good sale and I picked up a stupid amount of yarn for next to nothing back in 1991 or so (it was all 100% wool on huge cones and despite making many, many things and donating half to my kids' school when they were little munchkins I still have some left and wowsa I am tired of trying to use it up). Unfortunately the pictures I took of the whole thing came out awful, the colors and patterns just washed out, but here's a mediocre photo of the corner I held in the sunlight from the window that actually shows what it looked like

And now I need a new project. I might try making a more hefty version of a market bag with regular cotton yarn as opposed to the typical thread string bags I keep making and losing. I have a lot of yarn from a black friday sale a few years ago I should try to get through.

And, last but not least, have two weeks of recthething recs (tumblr art and vids)

Doctor Who and The Backrooms crossover:
- The TARDIS has landed in the backrooms (excellent eeriness in this)

Jeeves and Wooster
- Dancing (just lovely)

Merlin
- a little tribute piece to anthony head (amazing Uther sketch)

Muppets/Princess Bride crossover:
- Dread Pirate Frogerts (incredible kermit-as-westley muppet build)

Murderbot
- Home is a place, home is a person. (wonderfully wistful)

Nirvana in Fire
- i have to believe he’s never coming back (xiao jingyan and the pearl, oh my heart)

Star Trek (TOS and AOS crossover/comparison)
- Old Man by Neil Young (excellent Spirk vid)

Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9, Enterprise, Academy and Picard)
- ✨🏳️‍🌈🌈 Star Trek Pride🌈🏳️‍🌈✨ (clips of various canon scenes set to Acid Tunnel of Love by Toby Fox)

I finished the blanket I'd been working on. I'd misjudged when buying the yarn (from 2025 black friday sale) for size son wanted and have two skeins left but oh well. Blanket!

the pattern was "textured groove" and that was very valid, it has a great texture to it. 45"x60" give or take

David Burke died earlier this week. He was the original Watson in the Jeremy Brett Granada Sherlock Holmes series. Most of the obits talked about how he brought a competent, strong, true-to-canonness back to the character which I didn't think was quite fair since while Nigel Bruce (Basil Rathbone's counterpart for those movies) was a bit of an audience insert bumbler, H. Marion Crawford's Watson in the 1954 Ronald Howard's Holmes tv show was lovely. That said, Burke's Watson was absolute excellent! Granada!Holmes has the reputation it does for a reason and I loved that the Burke->Hardwicke switch was timed perfectly with Burke's last episode being The Final Problem and Harkwicke's first The Empty House and Burke's Watson had a young, twinkle-in-the-eye energeticness to him while Harkwicke's was more world weary and brokenly gentle which was perfect way to show how the character might have changed post-Holmes' and Mary's death.

RIP David Burke, may his memory be a blessing.

I may do a rewatch of my favorite Holmes' this weekend. Youtube has so much of it: the Rathbone movies, the Howard and Crawford series and, of course, all the Granada episodes. I don't think my favorite version of Hound is up there anymore (Ian Hart's Watson from 2002 with Richard Roxburgh as Holmes) but oh well, lots of other great Watsons and Holmes to spend time with there.

Have *sighs* three weeks of recthething recs (lots of tumblr art and one MDZS/Untamed fic)

Daredevil:
- Ben Urich (love the coloring on this)

Discworld
- Death and Binky (really nice)

Heated Rivalry
- the only place worth sleeping is one right next to you (adorable hollanov comic)

MDZS/The Untamed
- No one struggles like teenji (no he was not trying to make the rabbits kiss, Lan Xichen, that would be silly :D )
- portrait series by echo-bleu - Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Nie Huaisang so far (all gorgeous with amazing use of lights/lighting)

Star Wars (a whole bunch of art was posted for May the Fourth, here's some I really liked)
- You Will Be A Jedi, I Promise (prequel art, Anakin and Obi Wan)
- chewbacca (adorable chibi)
- Han and Chewie (so cute)
- Skywalker twins and force ghosts comic (utterly hilarious)

Word of Honor
- something changed (absolutely lovely zhou zishu art triptych)

MDZS/Untamed fic:

Written, never said by sandorara (6.6k)
Summary Snippet: Thirteen years of correspondence, understanding and friendship. (loved this mostly epistolary Luo Qingyang&LWJ fic)

In news the first - Archive of Our Own is officially out of open beta! It looks so wrong to not see the little 'beta' there after site header in superscript on the top left corner. (I do wonder if the timing was done on purpose, considering April's Fools "omega" joke where they changed it to say omega instead of beta there so when they removed the omega they just didn't have to replace it with anything.) Reading the article, I also realize I was mistaken, I'd always thought I'd gotten my account the day it went to open beta but it turns out it was the day after.

Kind of hilarious they put out a badge for it:



In news the second - all of Farscape is legally on youtube!! (here's the playlist)

In news the third - useful links update has been completed!! All links checked and either work or mention that they do not and a backup is provided if possible (I leave up links to sites that appear to just be having hiccups rather than being closed down to check randomly later on and will remove if it turns out they're down for good, but since I've had ones that were down when I started checking but up by the time I finished I try not to delete them unless I'm sure it's gone and anyway, it's only a dozen overall.) I am always amazed at how many links *do* die between checks, even in the 6 months since I did it last this time, and how alternate/backup links had to be chased down or resources removed. As always, if anyone finds a freshly dead link (or has a great resource for me to include) please let me know!

Between the twelve posts there are just shy of 2.5k links. Slightly over 250 of those are wayback machine links. Thank you internet archive, you are a wonder.

And in news the fourth - have two weeks of recthething recs (MDZS fic and and tumblr art in a bunch of different fandoms):

all the lies on your resume by someitems (58k)
Summary Snippet: After Wen Ning is cursed at his workplace under mysterious circumstances, Wei Wuxian goes undercover as his replacement to help find out what’s really going on. He unearths a web of nepotism, lies, malicious cultivation and evil schemes. But his biggest discovery of all may be that his feelings for former college crush (and current coworker) Lan Wangji refuse to stay buried in the past. (interesting modern-with-cultivation AU where WWX is a curse investigator and ends up being reunited with LWJ)

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
- He’s just too cool to not draw him, okay?… (Roy and Riza with neat fire affect)

MDZS/Untamed
- Visitor (gentle and touching art of a-yuan and LWJ when LWJ was recovering after the whipping)

Merlin
- Something eternal (gorgeous)
- Merlin and Gwen (love the depth B&W adds to this)
- Emrys: The Greatest Sorcerer; The Biggest Liar (love the dual look of this)
- Fuck You Kilgharrah! (Merlin's only yelling what most of us were thinking at various points during this show, 2 part comic)

and, while not exactly a fandom, fannish at least:
Happy 15th birthday to Nyan Cat! (the original animation and a cake for it, drawn by its original artist)

Another exchange, Battleship, announced it won't be running this year :( It's totally understandable since even before it had so many signups it was so intensive to run but with the #s it had and all the chaos from last year it makes sense they'd want a break but I'm still sad it's skipping this year, I really only do three exchanges a year (h/c ex, battleship and yuletide) with two not running it's such a change for me and leaving me frustrated and wrong footed.

Being totally out of touch with current popular fandoms and fannish trends doesn't really help either. I have tried more popular/commonly found in exchanges canons but either they are very much not my thing or something that I enjoyed enough but have no interest in delving into fanfic/fandom-wise (like Heated Rivalry, I enjoyed the show but was perfectly content with the story it told, I don't have the desire to fill any of the plot holes or explore any other aspects of the sandbox it exists in or AUs of it, etc). And I haven't had a fandom I truly wanted to dive into on my own in a while either, there's been a few where a story idea here or there called to me, but once I wrote it I was good and if there were requests I might treat them but if not I probably won't be engaging with it much outside of reblogging a gifset here or there if I happen to find one.

Oh well.

Crafting babble under the cut (nalbinding babble and a recently completed rug)

I did stick with the nalbinding long enough to figure out a lot of the stitches. It is an interesting craft but I mostly wanted to learn it for making socks and while I liked the coptic stitch (which was how Romans and Egyptians made their socks) I could *not* get the increases to lie flat (apparently this is common according to the vids I watched) and while I could get the york stitch ones to do so, in general working it (and all nalbinding actually) just took so much attention I couldn't really do anything else while crafting and there also was quite a bit of eyestrain. Glad I gave it a serious try, might pick it back up some day, but for the moment it's a done and dusted thing for me.

After that I decided to try to replace the rug we'd had under the rocking chair that the moths got to. It was an old wool round one we'd inherited and while I've gotten pretty good at knotting rugs these past few years I tended to focus on oval ones since my first two attempts at round ones hadn't been great. But, I had a lot of premade strips that actually matched to use up (3 men's button down dress shirts (white, grey, and royal blue) and a bunch of random white strips left from two different sheets I'd previously made into rugs) which I quickly realized wasn't going to be enough so cut up two crappy pillowcases in the to-be-rugged drawer (green and a blue/grey) but then *that* wasn't enough so grabbed 3 more pillowcases (scratchy dark blue ones) and some more random stained white fabric and stripped all of that. (Strip prep actually takes a while, tshirts and sheet fabrics are different enough the method/result isn't all that similar, for sheets it involves cutting measured notches along one edge and then tearing down to the other end and then I roll the strips into discs to make sure they ripped evenly and also collect all the wispy flyaway schmutsy scraps so the strips will be cleaner to work with later - usually I gather it into a little bags and then use that for fillings when making amigurumi later). So it took a lot longer than planned but still, viola! Rug! 39"/100cm ish circle!

Very happy finally figured out how to make a circle rug; I don't think it'll be something I make often due to lack of place to put it and also the amount of space needed to make it but still. Yay, rug!

Here's a few weeks of recthething recs, all MDZS/Untamed fic recs:

A-Yuan Talks to the Police and Finds His Baba a Friend by fieldofvision (2.5k)
Summary Snippet: Police officer Lan Zhan helps A-Yuan find his Baba at the farmers market, and A-Yuan finds his Baba a friend (cute little ficlet)

Honey, ginger, and the warm flavor of care by by Anaxyat (2.3k)
Summary: Jiang Yanli used to be the first person Wei Wuxian would call whenever something was wrong. After her, it would be Wen Qing. However, she had not received a single call in the past few days that could explain what was now unfolding before her eyes. (cute JYL modern no-powers AU sickfic)

Frame the Halves, and Call Them Brothers by Bodldops (41k)
Summary: Lan Xichen meets the Jiang's new (and terribly young) head disciple. A relationship blooms from there, and though he doesn't mean anything by it in particular, it is the small stone that starts an avalanche involving three of the great sects. (wonderful WWX&LXC friendship no-war AU)

I'd known about The Bibliotheca Fictiva (the world’s largest collection of literary forgeries, maintained now by John Hopkins) for a while now thanks to an NPR article from 2014 but it was very interesting to see this more recent article discussing it and looking at it via an AI and updated lens. Very interesting.

In exchanges news, Candy Hearts exchange had reveals- I wrote an angsty triple drabble for S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV):
- To Banishing Memories Summary: It wasn't a bedside vigil, it was more that Bai Yutang just couldn't make himself leave.

hurtcomfortex also announced it would not be running this year :( but will be back in 2027 :)

Since the beginning of the year I got it in my head to teach myself nalbinding (an incredibly ancient technique, while now thought of mostly as a Viking era thing it actually predates the Vikings by thousands of years, with textile fragments made using the technique found at the Nahal Hemar Cave (modern Israel) dating back to 6500BCE and from 4200BCE in Tybrind Vig (modern Denmark) but there's lots of evidence from many places more "recently" like socks from 4th C CE Egypt and hats and shawls from Peru from 300BCE to 300 CE) and post-Birthday Bash really threw myself into figuring it out. There are SO many different stitches and techniques and very little standardization and there's very, very little out there about it (i.e. NO patterns basically whatsoever). After watching approximately eleventy billion videos and trying to muddle my way though some articles and books I have sort of figured out a few different styles/stitches but who knows if I'll manage to actually make anything. It's been fun (and frustrating but whatever) to attempt though!

And, as always, recthething recs (tumblr art for Bridgerton, Doctor Who, Merlin and Under the Skin):

Bridgerton
- Sophie at the ball (gorgeous)

Doctor Who
- Sillies (cute doodle of Ten and Thirteen interacting)

Merlin
- Happy Valentine's Day!! (adorable modern!au doodle)
- I once read a fanfic with a modern AU where Arthur is a restorer. Now I think about it all the time (I haven't read that fic - it's in Russian and incomplete - but I really like this art for it)

Under the Skin (TV)
- Cuddle (adorable Du Cheng hugging Shen Yi and settling in Shen Yi's lap)
- uno reverse of the cuddle (so gentle and sweet of the two in reversed positions)

If, like me, languages interest you, I thought these two Old English/Middle English/Modern English story telling techniques were a fascinating way to show the way English has changed through time. How far back in time can you understand English? (posted story) and From Old English to Modern American English in One Monologue (video).

Quick post because I wanted to get these recs posted while it's still Threshold day. In the past two weeks I finished two rugs (pictured below) and am about half of the way through a third. Rugs:

21.5"x14.75"ish rug made from sheets


23"x13"ish rug made from three t-shirts (one white, two tie-dye)

Assorted tumblr recs (Batman/DC, Doctor Who, Heated Rivalry, MDZS/Untamed, Merlin, The Mummy, and ST:Voyager)

Batman/DC comics:
- Red Hood (amazing digital art of Jason)

Doctor Who:
- Nine (love his expression, perfectly him)

Heated Rivalry
- ilya destroying that plate of spaghetti right before this sweet moment is so fucking funny (adorable comic version of the e6 spaghetti scene)

MDZS/The Untamed
- Personal time with their little radish/little bunny (adorable WWX & A-Yuan and then LWJ & A-Yuan)

Merlin
- I have absolutely no time to draw, but I have the silly little ones in the silly little costumes (adorable Merlin and Arthur doodle)
- Not your type? I'm everyone's type! (hilarious Methur comic)
- The power couple they would have been… (gorgeous)

The Mummy
- I am a librarian! (gorgeous)

Star Trek Voyager: (assortment of arts celebrating today which is the 30th anniversary of Threshold Day)
- you know how it goes (doodle of cute threshold baby wearing a party hat)
- Happy Threshold Day! Animal Crossing Threshold Baby design. (wearing a cute little starfleet outfit)
- Happy 30th Birthday to the Threshold babies! (neat take on a character card)
- This is a new blend. I’m calling it Paris Delight. It’s in honour of you. (Janeway and a threshold baby, drinking coffee - adorable)
- Janeway is off doing Captain things and Tom is left to babysit the kiddos :3 (adorable #1 dad 'photo')
- Good morning and happy birthday babies🥰🥰 this years threshold craft is embroidery! (love the embroidery, the lizard babies and the quote chosen)

Oh, and nearly forgot to mention, but I managed to rec something every week again last year, that means over 4.5 years of weekly recs! No idea how long I'll be able to continue that but still, quite the achievement!