Valentines Meet and Greet

[ysabetwordsmith]

I've been participating in snowflake_challenge, where lots of folks want to see more activity on Dreamwidth. While researching community activities, I came across the idea of thematic meet and greet events. That seemed like something which might work here, given a membership of several hundred people and a new theme each month. So I made one for this month's theme.  It gives people a place to meet folks with similar interests, and to squee about the current theme.

Here is the basic outline. Fill in as much or as little of it as you wish, depending on your interests as they relate to the Valentines Fest.


Name: Whatever you wish to be known by.
Sex/Gender Identity: Share any descriptions you wish people to know about you, including pronouns.
Sex/Romance/Other Orientation: Who you connect with and how.
Find Me At: Your other blogs, services, or venues.
What I Love About Valentines Day: Favorite activities, traditions, decorations, stories, etc.
What I Hate About Valentines Day: Things you wish would go away, in real life or entertainment. Die, trope, die!
What I Love to Do By Myself: How do you treat yourself when you're alone? Self-love, self-romance, favorite sex toys, favorite snuggly things, places you like to visit alone, your One True Chocolate, whatever.
Heartbreak: Ways you enjoy breaking your characters, canonical breakups and betrayals, favorite fanworks about breakups, that time you got your heart broken, creative revenge ideas, horrible ex tropes, and such.
Romantic Favorites: Romance movies or novels, fandoms, tropes, etc.
Erotic Favorites: Sexyfuntimes in fiction, movies, art, or whatever. Slash all the things!
My Kink(s): In person, writing, or reading; favorite toys, pervertables, plausible deniability, kink-friendly fandoms, best kink scenes in movies, and the like.
Platonic Favorites: Nonsexual intimacies, situations. tropes, sex-free movies or books, ace/aro-friendly fandoms, and so on.
Favorite Blogs or Communities: Anything on Dreamwidth, or other venues, relating to the above topics.
About My Blog: A general description of your blog metaphor, what your blog contains, common formats / media, activity level, typical rating level, featured fandom(s) or original work, etc.
What I Create: Anything you make that relates to the Valentines theme or above topics; fandoms, formats, recurring motifs, and so forth.
What I'm Looking For: Things you would like to get from this activity; readers, comments, recommendations of fandoms or fanworks, new friends, wider representation of something, etc.


Feel free to copy this Meet and Greet into your blog as well as filling it out here -- you may catch some of the holiday traffic.

<br /><strong>Name:</strong> <br /><strong>Sex/Gender Identity:</strong> <br /><strong>Sex/Romance/Other Orientation:</strong> <br /><strong>Find Me At:</strong> <br /><strong>What I Love About Valentines Day:</strong> <br /><strong>What I Hate About Valentines Day:</strong> <br /><strong>What I Love to Do By Myself:</strong> <br /><strong>Heartbreak:</strong> <br /><strong>Romantic Favorites:</strong> <br /><strong>Erotic Favorites:</strong> <br /><strong>My Kink(s):</strong> <br /><strong>Platonic Favorites:</strong> <br /><strong>Favorite Blogs or Communities:</strong> <br /><strong>About My Blog:</strong> <br /><strong>What I Create:</strong> <br /><strong>What I'm Looking For:</strong> <br />

Comments

Re: Hi!

[ysabetwordsmith]

1) The flat style used to be popular on the back of stuffing bags. Later they did more challenging ones. Try searching for "easy" patterns. Or use art references where you draw things by assembling geometric shapes.

2) To practice for the more elaborate models, I suggest:

https://mspremiseconclusion.com/2010/03/14/the-ideal-crochet-sphere/

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ideal-sphere

Add two small triangles for ears: you have a cat.

Add two long floppy triangles for ears: you have a dog.

Add two half-circles for ears: you have a bear, tiger, or lion.

Fill with a bag of sand, rice, polybeans, etc. and you have a stress ball or juggling ball.

This poem has links to hyperbolic crochet, which sounds difficult but is actually quite simple:
https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/11308073.html

Re: Hi!

[fuzzyred]

>>1)...<<

That's a really good idea. I have a few blankets saved on Pinterest that use flat animal heads on some of the squares for added interest :) There is also a pattern for a hexagon blanket/fawn lovey that I really want to try.

>>2) To practice for the more elaborate models, I suggest:<<

Spheres sound like a good place to start. I sort of did the beginning of a sphere for the pokeball bag, so it shouldn't be too much harder.

>>This poem has links to hyperbolic crochet, which sounds difficult but is actually quite simple:<<

I've actually used the pattern Shiv described to make Christmas ornaments of my own. It was a surprisingly easy pattern.

Re: Hi!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I have a few blankets saved on Pinterest that use flat animal heads on some of the squares for added interest :) There is also a pattern for a hexagon blanket/fawn lovey that I really want to try. <<

Go for it!

>> Spheres sound like a good place to start. I sort of did the beginning of a sphere for the pokeball bag, so it shouldn't be too much harder. <<

There is a subtle but definite difference between the typical ball (rounded ends but a flat middle) and a proper sphere in creation, shape, and performance.

>> I've actually used the pattern Shiv described to make Christmas ornaments of my own. It was a surprisingly easy pattern.<<

*glee*

Well, you validated my vocation for the day. :D

Re: Hi!

[fuzzyred]

>>There is a subtle but definite difference between the typical ball (rounded ends but a flat middle) and a proper sphere in creation, shape, and performance.<<

Perhaps I will give both a try, for comparisons sake. I haven't made any spheres yet, just the hyperbolic Christmas balls.

>>Well, you validated my vocation for the day. :D<<

Yay! I always seem to learn such interesting things from your poems and our conversations. It's awesome :D

Re: Hi!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Perhaps I will give both a try, for comparisons sake. I haven't made any spheres yet, just the hyperbolic Christmas balls. <<

That's a great plan.

https://www.supergurumi.com/crochet-shapes-crochet-balls-and-spheres

As you can see here, the easy version has a couple advantages of its own:
1) It lends itself easily to stripes.
2) You can use it to make a capsule shape, like for bolster pillows.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170928141653/https://stitchesnscraps.com/free-pattern-simple-crochet-balls/

I also found a beach ball pattern with vertical stripes:
https://www.craftpassion.com/beach-ball-amigurumi-crochet-pattern/

And a soccer ball, this looks super easy:
https://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2018/05/crochet-soccer-ball.html

>> Yay! I always seem to learn such interesting things from your poems and our conversations. It's awesome :D

That makes me happy.

Re: Hi!

[fuzzyred]

Oooo! That soccer ball looks really fun to make! Thanks for the pattern ideas!

Re: Hi!

[ysabetwordsmith]

You're welcome!

In fact, once you have base patterns for the basic geometric shapes, you can make any sort of structure that uses them, just by making the pieces and then attaching them. Look at modular origami, gamer dice, quilt patterns, stained glass, or even architecture for ideas.

Re: Hi!

[fuzzyred]

Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun! And making shapes then combining them sounds like it might be easier than trying to make a complicated 3D shape all at the same time.

Re: Hi!

[ysabetwordsmith]

It is a LOT easier to build things from flat geometric shapes (or frilled one, if you like granny square flowers or whatnot) than it is to make a fully shaped piece with complex sculpture.

Quilt patterns:
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/quilts-designed-with-squares-and-rectangles-4051124
https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/free-quilt-block-patterns.html
https://quiltingcubby.com/quilt-ideas-for-10-inch-squares-that-make-beautiful-quilts/
https://newquilters.com/9-nine-patch-quilt-block-patterns-precut-squares/
https://blog.shopmartingale.com/quilting-sewing/give-me-quilts-with-squares-and-rectangles/
https://www.favequilts.com/Patterns-for-Quilting/Simply-Stunning-Strip-Quilt-Patterns
https://www.createwithclaudia.com/2019/04/half-square-triangle-tutorial/
https://www.coralandco.com/blog/2019/09/13-free-triangle-quilt-patterns-for-beginners.html
https://www.favequilts.com/Patterns-for-Quilting/Terrific-Triangle-Quilt-Tutorials-Triangle-Quilt-Patterns
http://finitegeometry.org/sc/16/quiltgeometry.html
https://blog.accuquilt.com/inspiration/patterns/quilting-patterns-using-circles
https://www.internationalquiltmuseum.org/sites/default/files/pdf/geometric_patterns_at_iqm_lesson_plan.pdf
https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/quilt-block-patterns.html
https://www.fatquartershop.com/free-quilt-patterns

One approach would be to print out or buy some quilt templates and then use those to make shapes. Circles you just go in a spiral, squares or triangles you go back and forth, until it's the right size.
https://www.ebay.com/b/Quilt-Templates-Stencils/116680/bn_7562967

Modular origami:
https://gurmeet.net/origami/
https://www.polypompholyx.com/2017/01/modularorigami/

Stained glass patterns:
https://pdqpatterns.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=27

Re: Hi!

[fuzzyred]

Those are some awesome links. I'm definitely going to save them to peruse later, there were some really pretty patterns.

Re: Hi!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'm happy I could help.

You might want to explore freeform crochet or knitting to gain skills for filling in odd shapes, as opposed to things you can make in a spiral or back-and-forth.

https://www.craftsy.com/post/10-freeform-crochet-tips/

https://cypresstextiles.net/2019/05/29/freeform-crochet-basics-the-ultimate-beginners-guide-featuring-abstract-blocks-and-much-more/

https://craftscrazy.com/learn-freeform-crochet-15-free-tutorials-to-get-you-started/

https://www.instructables.com/Freeform-Crochet-bag/


https://www.knotjustknitting.com/freeform/

https://ontheneedles.com/tag/free-form-knitting/

https://rensfibreart.com/what-is-freeform/quick-freeform-tutorial/


Then you can make things with geometric shapes.

https://www.treevalleyacademy.com/geometric-animal-art/

https://d1e4pidl3fu268.cloudfront.net/b432f73a-3ffd-471e-9f27-8cb018f8f3f4/GeometricHorses1.crop_655x491_72,0.preview.jpg

http://www.yedraw.com/pictures-animals.html

Re: Hi!

[fuzzyred]

Oooooooo! So many cool things that I never thought of. I'll definitely have to give this a try at some point, although I will admit that I don't feel creative enough for a lot of that. I suspect starting small will be the key for me, and using other ideas for inspiration, before trying to create something all on my own.

Re: Hi!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Hats, balls, and cushions are all great small projects. If you're a gamer, or know gamers, polyhedral dice are easy to make in a variety of sizes.

Most of the common methods of freestyle are small things later pieced together into bigger things. You can make stuff like flowers, leaves, and popcorns then assemble them; or make squares and rectangles until you get something the size of a quilt block or a cushion.

Re: Hi!

[fuzzyred]

>>Hats, balls, and cushions are all great small projects. If you're a gamer, or know gamers, polyhedral dice are easy to make in a variety of sizes.<<

Oo, those are all good ideas :D

>>You can make stuff like flowers, leaves, and popcorns then assemble them; or make squares and rectangles until you get something the size of a quilt block or a cushion.<<

That sounds like a good idea. Indeed, I have a few crochet quilt ideas saved that seem to use the "make squares and rectangles and stick them together" method. That feels like a more realistic starting point for me, then I can get to the more abstract stuff later.