My Body Chooses Violence
Posted by gr8tfulkaren@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 87 comments
As my body continues to degenerate, degrade and deteriorate at an ever alarming pace, I’m forced to sacrifice things like gardening and hiking for less physically demanding hobbies.
This thrift store score will keep me busy making old skool friendship bracelets for a bit. I’ve no patience to make a picture or a sampler. Unless the sampler was written by Samuel L. Jackson or the picture was a stick figure.
Anyhow, I’m still alive so I thought I’d see who else remembers making friendship bracelets by the dozens?
theblisters@reddit
I was doing that just the other days with my friend's kid!
Dick-the-Peacock@reddit
I got really good at making super complex and unique designs and sold them for pocket money at college! I also gave myself muscle spasms in my chest and back so intense I thought I was having a heart attack, from hunching over while I worked.
mechagrue@reddit
Heck yeah! I'm working on a cross stitch pattern of a reverse mermaid that says "Fish want me, men fear me." (Pattern by DissentStitch on Etsy).
But also I have to I view the pattern on a PDF on my computer screen and zoom it 200%, and I'm using a lighted magnifying glass to do the actual stitching. You work with what ya got, amirite?
housevil@reddit
This you?
reversedgaze@reddit
this is amazing and Patti Polk and I could be friends
reversedgaze@reddit
did you ever do the one that had five loops that made a square braid? I think we called them MOJES we never actually wrote it we just sounded it out....
midnightdsob@reddit
The problem with Gen X is that it may be the first generation to pass into elderly status that generally has a strong attachment to the idea of being young. I get the sense that previous generations (greatest gen, boomers and jones) look fondly on their childhood with a "that was a nice thing to have experienced before I became an adult and put away my childish ways" but mid to late Gen X really are just middle-aged children. I guess it's all those toys, Saturday morning cartoons, video games and the advertising and industry that came along with it that made us feel like childhood was more important than perhaps some previous generations experienced.
K-blue2332@reddit
I’ve always thought it was more of a we dgaf if it’s a ‘kid thing’ or supposedly childish. If it’s fun, it’s FUN and we’re going to do it no matter what anyone says. 😁
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Or it could be that so many of us were forced to grown up too soon too fast.
Foggyswamp74@reddit
I don't want to grow up. I'm a Toys R Us kid.
themundays@reddit
We're also Flintstones kids. 10 million strong
...and growing
Foggyswamp74@reddit
I totally just heard the jingle in my head 😆
kadyg@reddit
I was a broke bitch a few years ago and made friendship bracelets for Christmas. People lost. Their. Damn. Minds.
The Gen X’ers nearly died of nostalgia and the younger crowd (mostly work buddies) couldn’t believe I actually MADE something. By hand. Then I just GAVE IT AWAY. To them!
It was adorable. I hope you get a similar reaction from anyone you share with.
YeshuasBananaHammock@reddit
You know cross stitch, but have u tried cross fading?
Cycoviking69@reddit
No, but I have tried Darth fading 🤣
kadyg@reddit
I just sent this to a friend across the county and I think I heard him snort-laugh from here.
Simsandtruecrime@reddit
Lol this is the comment right here 🤣
YeshuasBananaHammock@reddit
We're old enough to choose our real hobbies now, amiright
Bladrak01@reddit
I don't know about friendship bracelets, but my wife just ordered a book on macrame.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Same idea. Friendship bracelets for walls and plants right?
Bladrak01@reddit
I think she just needs a hobby.
MuttsandHuskies@reddit
I still make them exclamation I made one for a friend in high school and probably 1989 and it finally broke three years ago. He wore it every single day. So I immediately made him another one.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Good friend
81FXB@reddit
This,image would make an excellent jigsaw puzzle, send it to Ravenburger !
Katesdesertgarden@reddit
I love their puzzles but I’d hate to complete this puzzle!
RedQueenWhiteQueen@reddit
I'm kicking myself for wasting my youth knitting with bulky/chunky yarns, and waiting until my eyesight and fine motor control started to go to decide that now I want to knit socks with size 1 needles and yarn barely thicker than embroidery thread.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
My son says my dexterity is like an 8 in his RPG. With 10 being the worst.
Dusty_Sequins@reddit
FYI: there are thousands of cross stitch and embroidery patterns available on Etsy for literally everyone. There are SLJ patterns, there are stick figures, if you can dream it, there’s a pattern for it and if there isn’t there are free programs that will make it for you. If you have issues with stuff that small there are larger grids to stitch on, and there are more ergonomic frames now to hold the fabric taut so you can stitch more easily. Just in case you’re ever interested in starting.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Thanks for this.
Katesdesertgarden@reddit
There’s also cross stitch with the pattern already printed on the fabric to make it super easy for your first time.
charliefoxtrot9@reddit
I'm just glad to read that it won't be cross(sss)sstitch or needlepoint. Friendship bracelets are rad
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
No patience for either. Too long to complete.
coldbrewedsunshine@reddit
ugh, i’m sorry to hear the body is betraying you in the meantime: r/friendship bracelets for more ideas than you ever wanted.
Carrollz@reddit
I totally thought you were leading up to say now you have all this embroidery floss you can't use because that's where I'm at... fine hand work just isn't happening for me any more, my doctor insists it's just a part of getting old, ugh. I loved making friendship bracelets, my grandma taught me to macrame when I was little, I had no idea what a useful skill to have that would become years later in school.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
I should have learned to macrame.
I_Am_Become_Air@reddit
I loved making these, but I am so stodgy now I don't care to put the holes in my pants from the safety pin. How ridiculous is THAT?
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
I use a piece of cardboard to keep me organized. I’m not even started obviously. Have to get some adult things like laundry and dishes after all.
sucks2bdoxxed@reddit
I remember tying them to my big toe
FloraSuena@reddit
Tied them to a toe ring 😹 not sure I’m that flexible any more…
go_west_til_you_cant@reddit
I use tape!
pkrkbk@reddit
Try the clipboard method: ) no holes!
CommaGirl@reddit
My daughter has been making friendship bracelets for a few years now. She follows all of these intricate patterns she gets from the internet and it makes me feel like I was in the dark ages of friendship bracelets. There are some really cool patterns out there so have fun!
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Thanks! I ordered a used book to help me along. I was only good at the basics back in the day so I need a refresher.
kteachergirl@reddit
Cross stitch is a fun hobby and you can make some great foul/political designs. I saw one recently that had the Oregon trail wagon and it said “you listened to RFK jr”
Diarygirl@reddit
I have cross stitched a John Waters quote: "If you go home with someone and they don't have books, don't fuck them." I also did one that confuses people who use my bathroom "Please don't do coke in the bathroom."
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Good advice all around.
prisontat@reddit
There is always someone who comments something political on every single post on the internet, even posts that have absolutely nothing to do with politics. Exhausting.
I_Am_Become_Air@reddit
I LOVE this!
Unfortunately, my shaky hands and blurry vision would make people think this sampler belongs to me. I survived cancer, but the pain drugs made/make me give up sewing and needlepoint.
Latest version of Make magazine had old school plastic grid used on the cover... I am kinda wondering if THAT would work for me!
PinkyLeopard2922@reddit
That is hilarious! Yeah, there is a lot of resist and dissent among the fiber arts community and I love that.
go_west_til_you_cant@reddit
Meeeeee! There are a bunch in my post history. Love the bright colors too. It's wild now that there are all these online resources more when back in the day, I just kept "samples" whenever I found a new pattern so I could repeat it.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
That is skill.
ONROSREPUS@reddit
Make them and sell them on Etsy. Bring in some extra money.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Since I only spent $5 on the thread total, that would be a good profit.
hpfan1516@reddit
Hi! I'm not GenX, but I saw this post and want to invite you to the very active r/friendshipbracelets! There is also https://www.braceletbook.com/patterns/?type=n for patterns if you want ideas!
Have fun, I love bracelet-making! :D
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Thanks for this!
Areia@reddit
Wow - agree with the other commenter who talked about friendship bracelets now having intricate patterns. I was doing chevrons and zigzags and not much else
olivefreak@reddit
This is so sweet!
SilentRaindrops@reddit
Try punch art. You can get small needles for embroidery thread.
StephDos94@reddit
I draw and paint, but I had to stop because of the pain in my hands. Just had surgery on the left one, then I’ll do the right… in the meantime I read a lot.
Good-Adhesiveness868@reddit
Underrated hobby. Smooth recovery and happy reading.
StephDos94@reddit
Thanks very much ♥️
assuredlyanxious@reddit
I never made the threaded ones. I loved making the gimp ones.
Carrollz@reddit
ah,a youngin!
assuredlyanxious@reddit
Haha yes...a younger gen X but still an X!
PinkyLeopard2922@reddit
I had never heard that term (gimp bracelets) and had to google it. We had kids making those when I was a counselor at girl scout camp what feels like 100 years ago.
SaltyBlackBroad@reddit
I'm so happy I can still paper craft. I've been making cards and photo albums for 20 years and not only is it friendly to the hands/shoulders, it keeps my mind challenged.
emmadonelsense@reddit
That’s a good score. And I’ll through in the PSA that you can in fact be injured by a pottery wheel. 🤨 I hate being in my ibuprofen phase of life. Fck this sht.
Andovars_Ghost@reddit
Jules: I want you to go in that bag and find my wallet.
Ringo: Which one is it?
Jules: It's the one that says bad mother fucker on it.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
I’m still waiting for his version of GPS. “You stupid mother fucker, turn left now.
Andovars_Ghost@reddit
I’d go for an AI that I can have a ‘Royale with cheese’ conversation with.
Perfect-District@reddit
Had his Amazon Alexa voice. It was so damn tame.
Moonsmom181@reddit
Have fun!
Puzzleheaded-Sky3141@reddit
I remember these! My favorite thing was the chevron pattern! Never learned any others though.
Ugh I'm not exactly negging but I remember how dirty they'd get after a while...and they'd stay wet after washing hands
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
I would wear mine until they fell off.
Puzzleheaded-Sky3141@reddit
I may be the only one, but I used to thread little beads into the rolling knot ones, it was kinda cute 😍
Subject_Doubt_3778@reddit
I loved friendship bracelets! One time I used yarn instead of embroidery thread to make this behemoth bracelet, it was pretty cool.
I too am degenerating at 48. In xray, so all I hear all day is to just wait till I hit 70. and that I’m too young for hip arthritis (with my congenital femur disease)
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
You are not alone. Psoriatic arthritis with several co morbidities. Life is hard. Then it’s amazing. Then it’s down right impossible. I live for the amazing.
howaboutanothergame@reddit
Taught my kids to make these…I’m now the go-to to help them bulk make them for school friends/sales etc!! (M, 53).
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
My husband is a pro.
AZSystems@reddit
Anyone?
I can learn and frankly don't have anything better to do with all this time, if you can teach?
figbash137@reddit
I still remember how to do the rolling knot, the chevron, and the zigzag!
AZSystems@reddit
Maybe I can, I know these knots. I guess it's just smaller than ropes/knots I've used. Hmmm
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
You can do it for sure.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Only the rolling knot for me.
gr8tfulkaren@reddit (OP)
Not sure I could teach but Thriftbooks has a few that look helpful. I ordered a book myself because I think I remember two patterns. Maybe.
Unlucky_Profit_776@reddit
I loved making them. I still think about making them
daydreamersunion@reddit
I had one that lasted a whole school year. I went lake swimming that summer and lost it.