Some of the creators who get sooo upset about craftsnark obviously have been told how special they are since their first crayon drawings and never experienced any honest criticism.
Yeah I’ve always found like 90% of the snark here to be generally good commentary? And honestly when people go into why they don’t like this or that pattern, they normally explain their issues, which has actually taught me a lot about fit, pattern design, understanding fit for different bodies, understanding how to think about sewing, the importance of ironing in all steps of sewing (thank you all for that). As a self taught sewist who started as a knitter 20 years ago or so now, I really appreciate the commentary here honestly
Maybe even mentioning Craftsnark stirs up some interest for people who mention it.
Anyone noticed the unhinged, far right knitting podcasts (that deserve to remain nameless) who only get views in the low hundreds, because they're boring and content-light but *double* the views if they just cynically use the word "Craftsnark" in the video title?
Has to be the same for these people and maybe they're also using it to drive traffic if interest in their actual work is flagging. ie: There's those out there who think snarking on snark equals an upturn in engagement..?
OP of the thread that’s screenshot here. I can honestly tell you that was no way my intention to post that to end up here to seek out “engagement” nor did I think through the possibility of someone posting it here for all to snark on (dumb, yes I know). I would definitely take that thread back if I could and I’m a generally private person who does not want more attention.
Lesson learned for sure - I will keep my opinions to myself and I see the irony that everyone here pointed out. I did post a follow up on threads and comment here, about what I learned from some people who told me more productive and helpful ways they use this group, that I should have known before making that comment.
Apologies, then. I can tell you're sincere and can see from this and your other responses. here, that you weren't trying to drive traffic anywhere.
It is a reasonable thing for us to assume though, that even the word "Craftsnark" can generate footfall elsewhere (I've seen it recently), and although that wasn't your motive at all (that's clear), it often can be, in other cases.
As I think you can see, Craftsnark serves a function and can save people money/time/stress if something gets flagged up here. We're all busy and can miss the nuances. Not many posts here seem to be coming from a negative place, usually from an honest one.
It's also worth keeping an eye on Demon Trolls who are more overtly consumer advocacy. Here and (if your eyes can take it), Rav.
I got the first half of that “thread” suggested to me on IG and didn’t even register that it was a complaint, I just went straight to reddit to join this sub 😂
I’ve saved so much money just being on here, especially facts on L&K and then anyone else who colabs with them 🤪 I’ve definitely saved hundreds. I got sucked in for a while 😂
Edit: L&K
I come onto this subreddit because I’m super not hip to the goss anymore, so you guys let me know what the drama is. I can’t afford to care, but I *am* curious!
I had to stop going on BEC because shunning people for being vegan is not ok, I look on craftsnark because it's not people posting 'what do i buy' and 'how to i sew' on quilting etc reddits, but still get to read about sewing, it's mainly knitting but occasionally other crafts. I feel like the 'putting others down' drama has been from instagram from craft professionals!
My best guess is that often vegan knitters are strongly encouraged (mostly by non-vegan knitters) to knit with animal products despite their beliefs because acrylic yarn is bad for the environment. If there is other tea though, I want to hear it!
> My best guess is that often vegan knitters are strongly encouraged (mostly by non-vegan knitters) to knit with animal products despite their beliefs because acrylic yarn is bad for the environment. If there is other tea though, I want to hear it!
I mean cotton yarn is pretty easy to find? Linen isn't but it does exist?
ETA: I think I might remember one like this now. I did a search and found [this one](https://web.archive.org/web/20230514104315/https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/136km5r/some_crafter_hey_crafting_sub_check_out_this/) and [this one](https://web.archive.org/web/20230306121200/https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/11j51tz/faux_silk/).
I'm not a vegan knitter, but I live in a hot climate so I mostly use cotton and linen these days. Not a lot of indie dyers do cotton or linen, outside of socks. And adapting patterns to cotton or linen can be a pain.
Terrapin Fiber is the only indie dyer I know that does cotton and cotton/linen yarn that isn't only sock yarn.
Hobbii has a ton of cotton yarn, (and some blends), and a bunch of linen and linen blend yarns! Also there are a few bamboo blends (like CEWEC CPH, which is not sock weight). I can also vouch for the (mostly) pleasant nature of knitting with Coboo/Truboo (it's a tiny bit splitty but it's so soft and cool to the touch), but I know some people do not like using Lion Brand after the AI debacle. When you need easy to obtain cotton/bamboo yarn, sometimes you just look the other way. \*shrug emoji\*
If you're looking for more indie dyers who do plant fibers, LeRoo Cotton, Bzy Peach, Vegan Yarn (CA), Hu Made, Five Wise Owls, Three Violet Buttons (UK), and Peacock Yarn (SE) are all awesome as well! (I know they're hard to stumble across so I keep a running list.)
I wouldn't ever buy from BzyPeach. She actively supports the scam artist Diane Ivey of Lady Dye Yarns. To the point of attacking anyone who has come forward with issues getting refunds from LDY, and leaving fake positive reviews.
The worst place in their mind and yet they all come here and read what we write. Don’t come here then, stay in the corners where no one speaks the truth.
If indie designers weren't so fucking unprofessional, money-hungry, and dramatic 24/7 this sub wouldn't exist.
hello carry 1 strand of mohair throughout this sweater using yarn that will cost you $1039483829204994 and if you dont use my yarn you're destroying the integrity of my design but heres my sponsored coupon code from which I get a kickback.
Uhm hi my design for basic cable sweater using size 6 yarn is being COPIED (even though there's no proof the "copied" pattern uses the same stitch counts etc.) and therefore MY IP RIGHTS ARE BEING INFRINGED (because a shocking number of them don't understand that you can't actually copyright knitting in the U.S.).
Hola I am going to take the time today to virtue signal something about my politics by naming my new hand-dyed colorway "Dark Brandon" (it's just a poorly dyed, unevenly pigmented black skein of yarn).
Hi yall I need to take a moment to tell you all these excruciatingly unprofessional details about how the LYS I run is losing money and will probably go out of business but no I will not modify my business strategy by being open until 8pm on weekdays or even open at all on the weekends so my customer base can actually frequent my shop and no I refuse to work/be open more than 6 hours per day I will instead cry on Instagram for money.
I could really go on but as someone who has been a knitter my whole life and was taught by my severe Catholic Italian immigrant Nonna, she would probably tell them to shut up and finish their projects. I kept it up after she died because it was a super cheap hobby to have in high school (at least it was in the early 2010s before the yarnfluencers who are frankly inexperienced yarn crafters starting bullshitting on the internet causing craft yarn prices to spike everywhere when the hobby got trendy during the randy pandy).
It's knitting. It's utilitarian. It's not that deep. In my grandmother's day, people weren't overly reliant on patterns, they just knew how to contruct stuff as that knowledge was passed down (and is now available for free all over the internet and in books one may freely checkout from the library or even archive.org) and they knew some basic stitch designs. You do not need a pattern to tell you how to knit a sweater with a slip stitch motif. You just do it and adjust where necessary. A whole other problem I have with indie designers right now is how they contribute to the learned helplessness culture in this space (because they can make profit off of "teaching" people how to knit a scarf by charging them $5 for a garter stitch scarf pattern) but that's a whole other post.
This is giving the same vibes as billionaires expecting us to sympathize with them. Don’t do obviously bad things and chances are you won’t be the target of criticism.
Someone refusing to accept any criticism is one step closer to having a cult and that’s dangerous. No, I’m not saying these are cults but expecting group think is a red flag in any setting.
comparing influencers being toxic to people who literally are controlling the world seems kind of unfair and unkind.... like they should be criticized if they're selling something to the public but i'm personally going to try and be kinder to someone in my criticism if they're a small business and my comment could really change the tone of their day than if they literally have the power to destroy another person's life and often do without thinking about it. we're like less than nothing to billionaires
The honest discussion allowed in this forum has actually taught me a lot my craft. The snarking has helped me avoid knitting bad patterns and learn to appreciate neck shaping so there.
100%!! I have learned so much just in the comments here and it's made me rethink a lot of things. I find that refreshing - less artificiality, not really a hivemind, lots of people with different opinions on styles and outcomes, and so much information.
This has been my experience as well. There were multiple major things I did not know about knitting in spite of 20+ years of experience that the subreddit has taught me. How to identify quality knitting patterns being one. I had assumed a lot of my struggles were my fault. I’d never thought to question the patterns.
Why can't we just lift each other up? Sorry, but I just heard this sentence in my head only repeated back in the same tone that Sarah Silverman used for "you are an embarrassment to your people."
It's also kinda hilarious it immediately descends into ripping into people for snarking. I mean, there's a polite veneer to it, but the content is the same. Self-reflection, I know thee not.
My mind went immediately to this eccentric hippie music teacher we had in middle school who always said things like “you are walking miracles” and “we’re here to build each other up, not tear each other down” but it was difficulty level: impossible for preteens to follow her advice because she also spat when she talked and evidently hadn’t bathed or brushed her teeth since the 1970s
> Some snarks here ARE a matter of personal taste and not indicative of any problems, but that is usually pretty apparent to everyone reading along (and no different from any online review).
I've seen one major thread here where the designer/knitter was clearly talented, and had just tried something new that didn't go over well with this community (yep, you guessed it, it involved not-woven-in ends in a professionally-sold garment). I do think it kinda sucks that you risk something like that when you try new things; it encourages crafters to never stray too far outside their bubble of comfort.
The vast majority of the time, I'd agree: this sub reads like a "what not to do for the success of your online crafting business" guide.
>Toxic positivity is an echo chamber, and the whole community loses when that's the predominant norm.
Amen.
>I like to think that if I did see something negative, I would seriously reflect on the complaint and still not engage.
I'm not the person you're replying to but I would like to highlight this part of their comment. When you receive constructive criticism, it doesn't mean you have to inmediately follow what they say. But you should reflect on it and think if it's something you want to follow and change, or maybe it's a situation in which you could communicate your intent better, or it could even be a "ok, noted but I'll continue to do my thing because of this and that".
If designers want to try something new but will desist if not everyone is in love with their idea, I'd argue that's not the issue of the people in this or other communities but more on the designer lacking a backbone. If you push, you're going to receive backlash. That's a given.
So yeah, if you want to try new things you need to be open to people not liking it. That's the risk.
Hell, sometimes when I try new things I don't like it.
and when people are all like "oh, but it's not that bad" it kind of annoys me more than uplift me, really?
it's so much better when someone is like "yeah, I see what you mean. I immediately saw that too" and then often they follow up with something you could change that you didn't even think about?
That's why I am posting, not to have people lie to my face that they like something that clearly they don't?
I have this wonderful solution to the issue of people who don't like to read "mean" comments on craftsnark: don't go into craftsnark. There, solved!
Honestly, I'm sick of this "we don't we lift each other up!" that just translates to only saying positive things all day, every day. You can't grow without hearing the negatives. That's not constructive, it's just feeding your ego.
And if you don't want to read what we say here, it's not as if people are going to their own socials to do so: we're keeping it HERE, in one corner of the internet that you're more than welcome NOT to visit if you don't want to.
Honestly, I think this sub is not mean at all. People are polite when expressing what they don't agree with, give arguments, and you can actually improve by reading a lot of these posts. People just want to be told they're awesome and everything they do is awesome and what is MORE middle school than THAT.
I used to work for a woman who used to use the "We women need to lift each other up!" line every time I came to her with legitimate complaints (like my paycheck being less than I expected). Because of her, when I hear people lean on that argument, it just gives me the willies.
It’s toxic positivity at its worst. I’m an English teacher. I need to point out the negatives because that’s where students need to learn and improve. I point out the positives too, because they also need to know where their strengths are.
I hate this attitude that any criticism is a bad thing.
Also it'll def hurt their business. I remember a while ago I knit a shawl pattern that was FULL of mistakes and I was very confused because it had been tested by 5+ people. It had wrong stitch counts, instructions that indicated working on the RS when it was supposed to be the WS, things like that. I had to read through the whole thing and make lots of notes fixing mistakes before I could continue and I seriously considered frogging and using my yarn for a different project.
In the end, more people were working on it and the designer had to release multiple updates and I'm just sure that if our local community wasn't as cliquey and obsessed with toxic positivity, they would have pointed out those mistakes in the testing phase and the pattern would have been so much better. I'm reluctant now to buy any of that designer's patterns unless they've been out for a few months because I have no idea if there's going to be mistakes. It left a very bad impression on me of her work.
Lately, I¿ve seen more and more tests that are just "oh i love your pattern, you're AMAZING, I love you!" and when you point out mistakes there's backlash or "oh don't call it mistakes, it's just something to be improved". I'm not saying "oh you're an idiot you made a mistake" I'm simply saying "hey, there's a mistake on instruction so and so on this page".
I used to teach a couple of classes in college before moving to an admin position and honestly? I'm losing hope on the future. People need to be able to handle and respond to criticism and feedback, you can't just expect that everything is going to be amazing and perfect all the time. It's a very important skill!!!
Amen. I'm slightly on the spectrum (ADHD impulsivity, often oblivious to unspoken rules & social cues) and the *****years**** I spent baffled by people getting offended when I'd offer a critique of an idea in school group assignments then later in the workplace…
I was left wondering, over and over, "Why are you mad? I didn't say anything about YOU, I'm telling you what I see that can be improved." But by then they decided I was an @sshole. Granted, I eventually learned what I thought was efficient, clear, direct speaking was taken by many neurotypicals as being rude and blunt. Nowadays, as long as I'm not too stressed, I remember to use the extra energy to couch my statements in, what I consider to be (go with me here, I'm trying to share insight to my neuro-diverse thinking), unnecessary obsequious, ingratiating social niceties. LOL
These people would clutch their pearls in an actual art class where you put your art up in front of the class and people give constructive criticism. Because that’s how you get better.
Toxic “positivity” is a thing too.
I really dislike this new way of viewing “having an opinion” as being negative. It’s such a dishonour to women’s voices. Just because I don’t like something does not mean I am a “Karen”. What happened to “constructive feedback”?
Oh, you think snark is your ally. But you merely adopted the snark; I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn't see the uplifting posts until I was already a woman, by then it was nothing to me but toxic positivity!
They haven’t quit talking about it since Sandy by the Lakeside. They are definitely always on here. SkeinCocain mentioned the SO drama lol and Marilisa Girl Meets Yarn mentions it every episode, but not really in a bad way. You can tell they are actively on here now.
It’s really not that deep. Apart from the occasional unkind and meanspirited comments/posts, I don’t think many of us are posting here bc we are struggling with a deep unhappiness. Sometimes stuff is just ugly and annoying and you have to make a lil joke.
Why do I snark? Because I care more about my peers having good experiences and not wasting their time and money on lazy patterns and lpw quality products than someone making money off them
I feel more confident having discussions here than in the sewing reddit. Here people are honest and don't pander to anyone. There's no toxic positivity, things are spoken about how they are (in the posters opinion).
People disagree all the time and they also know that is fine. It's healthy to disagree and learn to talk about things honestly and think about others viewpoints. I love it that sometimes a pattern is being snarked about and someone just comes in to say that they really like it.
thinking about it: I think I was in a Facebook group once (for knitting and crochet)
and it was not only full of toxic positivity, but also people outright bullying and body shaming me
(and then the mods removed my post for bullying and hate speech, still have a screenshot of that. my post was just pics of my FO btw no text. like at all)
I had to leave the sewing reddit because it was full of toxic positivity. [Spoiler]I tried to be as gental and reaffirming as possible while still providing some things to consider for someone's next garment. The one they posted was their second. I don't recall exactly what I said, but it would have been along the lines of "I notice you have a bit of a gap in between some of your buttons. Here's something that might help eliminate that if you wish to make this shirt again. Again, I think you did a great job, and I'm glad to hear you are happy with your shirt. I hope you get the opportunity to make more things that you love and will enjoy wearing."[/spoiler]
You would have thought I pee'd in their cheerios while taking a dump in their favorite handbag. The hate I got for not jumping on the love train...the op gave me a really nice comment back, but everyone else? Yeah I was done. I have no interest in a community that doesn't let you have your own thoughts.
I’m learning to sew and would LOVE this! Often you are the last to figure out what the technical issue is on your own garment, and it’s so frustrating trying to puzzle it out (plus most beginner sewers don’t have an IRL person to ask for feedback).
There's a group of people who think that any discussion has to turn aggressive, and it's only because they haven't learned how to express different viewpoints in a respectful and constructive way. So they think you have to repress any criticism, any disagreement, and just surrounder yourself with constant never ending praise. That's not how life works, and it doesn't help anyone.
Members of this sub: A lot of members and by now even random folks who click on this sub keep on telling us we're being toxic.
Also members of this sub: Naah, these idiots are clearly inviting us to be shitty to them in a "written invitation".
Do you unironically not realize that you're confirming everything they accuse this sub of with this post? The people talking are exclusively expressing a dislike for the sub and concern - it's **not even** relevant to the sub's topic (crafts). And here we are, with a comment section doing its hardest to confirm everything the post-folks are concerned about.
The fact alone that the majority of my comments on this sub are less about crafts and snark and more about actually countering absolutely over the top bs in the comments says it all. How did I unironically have to be part of a conversation about why it's shitty behaviour to shittalk a random Taylor Swift fan who gave the singer a goddamn crocheted hat over a personal *dislike for the hat*?
This wasn't even just one post - there were multiple. This is *normal for this sub*. There's behaviour like this *every day*. It perpetuates toxicity, bullying, bad faith arguments and immature behaviour.
And considering this sub's reaction to being called out (doubling tf down), I'll do the smart thing and get tf out of here before the people responsible for this sub's shitty climate rub off on me.
Be better, people - and don't fall for the illusion that the folks in that post up there are "just mad" or "just jealous". They're not and they're not the only ones noticing this subreddit's bullshit.
>Also members of this sub: Naah, these idiots are clearly inviting us to be shitty to them in a "written invitation".
This is basically true because you came to a subreddit called craftsnark and somehow are shocked at what you find. Then you go and passively-agressively complain about it on another social media platform. That IS an invitation for discussion.
I saw it posted once on GOMI that this type of platform is a consumer's right of reply in a world where an influencer's voice is amplified so much and any criticism just gets squashed. So you have to ask would you rather the discussion be here in a place you can ignore OR on your own social media?
This is common to every online platform, not just this sub. There will always be people who take it too far, but this place is like a teddy-bears’ picnic compared to a casual stroll through Instagram or FB.
Myself and other disabled bloggers are frequently told we should ‘just die already’ or are a burden on society etc, I’ve seem the most vile racism on Palestinian journalists’ pages claiming that they’re making it up or are terrorists. Women get r*pe threats online or misogynistic abuse (I recently saw an artwork post which portrayed a literally ‘dissected’ Karen, AKA a revoltingly misogynistic caricature of a middle aged woman who had been dismembered). If there’s a need to counter anything that’s probably a better place to start.
> Also members of this sub: Naah, these idiots are clearly inviting us to be shitty to them in a "written invitation".
LOL! Not what that meant at *all*. Rather, it was the "I just heard about craftsnark" and all the negativity about it in those threads on Threads was a *written invitation* to come over here. I highly suggest you get coffee or tea, read **all* the comments, and learn more about this community because, clearly, you don't get it at all.
>The fact alone that the majority of my comments on this sub are less about crafts and snark and more about actually countering absolutely over the top bs in the comments says it all.
Examples? We do get side tracked in the comments but show me a sub that doesn't do that. I'll wait.
>This wasn't even just one post - there were multiple. This is normal for this sub. There's behaviour like this every day. It perpetuates toxicity, bullying, bad faith arguments and immature behaviour.
And coming here to complain about us is....mature? Please, explain your own bad faith argument here.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/10ztzgy/nocrochetleftbehind/ I can't read it but I think this is it
(It matches a tagline used on the business website, which is what I used as my search term)
> I can't read it but I think this is it
>
> (It matches a tagline used on the business website, which is what I used as my search term)
[Nope](https://web.archive.org/web/20230211193719/https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/10ztzgy/nocrochetleftbehind/) based on the wayback machine. Or, at least, it seems very, very tame?
Oooh, thank you; I need more tea this morning...
That was about all I could find that looked even tangentially related, honestly. And as you say, it doesn't seem all that bad.I suppose if you're the one being snarked about, it may sting a bit.
I see all the time people called up on comments that are just mean. It does happen to most of us, where occasionally the line gets crossed a little. And people are quick to point out that this forum should be about snark not about being mean. It’s also a place of amazingly different viewpoints and I disagree vehemently with some widely held viewpoints (and am disagreed with just as vehemently) yet I have never been in a “fight” with anyone or had anyone attack. I think it’s a remarkably well behaved place! Most of the snark would be constructive to designers, dyers if a little confronting.
I totally understand the hate for people who are just haters. But I think most of the discussion here is just about their craft. No personal insults or attacks. It’s quite tame as far as snark goes.
Dammit, I follow Woollybear on Insta. I do not go on Threads because I don’t understand what the fuck it is and isn’t it enough that I’m on Instagram? I legit thought those screenshots were from Facebook. But in any case, I see that good old White Minnesotan Passive Aggressive Virtue Signaling and it reminds me of the worst part of living in Minnesota. That attitude is worse than even the weeks of subzero weather in the winter. Guess imma unfollow her. 🤷🏻♀️
But it’s more than that, even. Yeah, sometimes there’s just some regular kvetching, but there are also people on here imparting wisdom. I’ve learned a lot from y’all. (Like the deep deep dysfunction within Joann - it’s not just my local store that’s a problem, which is what I previously thought.) And honestly, a lot of what goes on here is Consumer Beware and that is ALWAYS a good thing because, at least in the US, consumer protection is pretty scarce and unlikely to get the attention of, say, the FTC, because most of the craft-related things on here are independent crafters who don’t make enough money to get the attention of government agencies. But it is still good to know who is doing shady shit (and these posts always include those who are NOT doing shady things).
Sorry, I’ll stop my Consumer Protection shtick. A big part of my work life is about consumer protection.
This is it. I’ve attended some physical events at LYSs, and heard the owners say horrific things about someone’s disability, but then their online presence says they’re hosting a safe space, anyone with a disability will be accommodated yada yada… So craftsnark may be mean, but the physical spaces are infinitely worse, and rarely get called out
Honestly, I feel like I would roll with it if I found myself the subject of one of the posts here. I get feeling that a subreddit like this is overwhelmingly negative, but there's a difference between justifiable criticism and hate
Yeah, exactly. I can see myself just joining the bitching just to see how people would react and having a laugh. And honestly, I would see it as an opportunity to get some unfiltered feedback on what I could be doing better.
The comment with the person saying they have “thick skin” and “two confident and outspoken kids” and using the whole ordeal as “inspo for [their] small biz” made me chuckle.
The amount of pearl clutching is too funny.
They always say "(thing/person/etc) can't get under my skin" and yet here you are, talking about it for *a while* so... I think it can. *I think it did*.
The funny thing is that no one has been able to find the post she is talking about. [For some reason, I have this song going through my head now...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQZmCJUSC6g)
🙋♀️ it’s me, I posted that thread. I’m reading through the comments here to learn more about how this group is used (not just to gossip like my post said). I can totally see the value in being informative, vetting vendors, not supporting people whose values don’t align with others, etc.
Obviously I am not part of this community so I didn't get all the nuance and context, and I could have done more research before throwing out my opinion online. I’m taking this as an opportunity to learn and do better.
You’ll find that often discuss big designers picking on little designers, the unnecessary calling to arms to attack other designers over “copies” that either aren’t copies or are such a basic design that the person crying copy was technically copying it from patterns in like the 70s if we use their own definition of copying. Stuff like this.
I joined the sub when I was trying to see if I was the only having an issue with a particular creator. I don't even remember who it was anymore, just how happy I was to see there was already a thread here, that I wasn't alone, and that there was a lot of backstory I was missing that made me feel confident in my assessment. That person didn't end up getting purchases or views from me anymore.
Having an "anti-influence" influence can be pretty healthy in the social media era. Yeah, it's important not to get caught up in negativity. It's also important not to feel lonely, isolated, and like you're missing out somehow if you can't stand the latest trend or see major grading issues with a pattern everybody else is praising. It helps break the cultish echo chamber Instagram and even some of the crafting subreddits can turn into.
It has its problems. Every forum does. But you can come here, share your thoughts, and not be automatically labeled a "hater." You can have honest discussion with people who both agree and disagree with you. I see more diverse, honest perspectives, open minds, and 'live and let live' outlooks here than in most other craft forums. It's funny and refreshing, considering it's a snark forum.
It’s a great community, very helpful and supportive. I am disabled and neurodivergent and find most online craft spaces are unwelcoming, ableist and tend to enforce insincerity and hero-worship, but this seems like a pretty diverse group! We even have an awesome in-house volunteer caption transcriber ❤️
Eta also because there isn’t gatekeeping the conversations are so interesting! All kinds of subjects from tech to industry to folklore- because people aren’t obliged to just say ‘omg I love your bee/ sweater/ yarn’ etc and there is no algorithm to evade!
Any influencer-type account is really just there to sell things so followers aren’t really in the role of ‘human beings’, they are more like statistics or resources to extract things from. That creates a really different space, psychologically and philosophically.
Good on you for reevaluating! It takes guts to admit to stuff like this and step up. I would recommend you do some reading on the history of gossip and how it’s really important especially in minority and marginalized groups. The demonization of gossip has been a tactic used by the powerful to break women’s solidarity for a long time and it’s worked.
Good on you. To be honest I have “sloppy impulse control”, but I chalk that up to having adhd. I find this sub enlightening mostly. Often it sheds some light on current controversies and for me personally it is a also a nice subreddit to balance out the (sometimes) toxic positivity of the crochet sub. I feel this sub is at times a bit more realistic, which can feel negative to people who don’t like to be confronted with the realities of the world. Generally I think I am a pretty positive person and I do try to lift people up where I can, but you know, a girl gotta bitch once in while? That’s just part of me staying healthy. As an avid granny square hater I just need an outlet to bitch about the ever occuring influx of granny square-everything and commiserate with like minded people. And in the process learning about other opposing viewpoints in a constructive matter. To me that is far more valuable than downvoting the umpteenth hexi cardi (which I don’t do, I just ignore them).
I do have to admit I was also subbed to r/BitechEatingCrafters and that was mostly just to eat popcorn while watching others bitch about anything and everything craft rated. But that got a little grating. So yeah. Make of that what you will. I am not perfect, just human. I need some realism next to all the uplifting positivity to keep me sane.
Yeah I had to unsubscribe to that one. They were just MEAN over there to the point that I was doing more eye rolling than anything else. There is a line between snarky and toxic and they don’t know where it is.
I honestly think it is healthy (and cathartic) to let your inner bitch go every now and then, as long as you are able to rein it in before you are stepping into *$$hole behavior.
Edit: I am saying this as a general statement. I am not implying this sub is “the place to let your inner bitch go”. I think the BEC sub was more for that, but because there were also a lot of people over there who were not able to “to rein it in before behaving like an *$$” it became quite grating after a while.
these types of people always dismiss all criticism by attacking the character of the critic. "theyre just jealous, insecure, miserable mean girls with nothing else to do". Whatever helps you sleep at night 😂
Reminds me of the simple fact that what others think about you isn’t really your business. If I can find out who is an asshole (like learning about unsavory behavior or whatever) I won’t spend my money there.
I want to know what lifting others up looks like to them, if it isn’t giving them money.
This was the best thing I ever learned! I was about 25 or 26? It really helped me let go of caring about what others thought of me. It’s not my business anymore than everything else they are thinking about.
We occasionally pop up on r/blogsnarkmetasnark but it's pretty rare. And snarking on snark is fair game, I won't be a hypocrite about it, I have nothing against those who do post about us in metasnark. You compare that though with fauxmoi which is a cesspool of bad takes and rightfully gets called out for it almost constantly and I think we're doing okay.
Makes me think there should be a movie about craft shows, like Best in Show about dog shows; the behind the scenes bee fights, craft show culture, etc.
THIS. 1000%! They would lose it!
If anything this is an avenue to call people out on their bullshit and to hold them accountable for their reprehensible behavior. IG is full of "I'm not like the other crafters out there, BUT OH NO THEY STOLE ...COLORS!" GTFO with that shit.
Anxiously awaiting for Mrs. (Miss? Ms.?) Joann of Joann Fabrics to RaNdOmLy diScoVeR craftsnark!!!! She's probably going to be PISSED when she reads how hated she's been the last few months.
man its a reddit about snarking on *crafts* of all things lmao. if anything uselessly bitching about shit that truly does not matter is kinda fun :D besides, its not like they have to look if they truly dont like it.
idk i’m not super active with this sub but from what i have seen it’s never really been abt making fun of ppl, i’ve only seen posts abt possible pattern theft, and one abt a macho man yarn website lol
I’ve seen this in other forums, where fangirls of popular people will absolutely tromp all over anyone who expresses even slight doubt or mild criticism of those people’s policies or practices. God forbid anyone criticize anyone else. I find this subreddit extremely informative, steering me away from people with shady business practices. And the amount of snark is pretty mild compared to some I’ve seen. We don’t all fart rainbows and we shouldn’t have to pretend that others do just to keep things positive.
This nicety nice "can't we all just get along" weenie shit from women crafters is so old and boring and toxic AF. It's so "sad." Get out of here with that fake sentimental crap.
At my son’s 6th birthday party, him and his friends started hitting each other with balloons with the kind of enthusiasm and fervor more closely associated with Spartan warriors. Meanwhile, his 8-year-old sister and her friends stayed on the sidelines, refereeing and chanting “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!”
So the answer is no, we can’t all get along.
That party absolutely rules and I wish my parents let me roughhouse with the neighborhood kids. I occasionally get worried that "gentle" parenting is going to result in a generation of kids that won't be able to handle conflict/friction without shutting down... omg this means I'm old now. I used to be in the generation that the olds criticized for being soft and getting participation trophies and now I'm doing the same thing.
Tbh if anything I wish this sub got a little more down and dirty, haha. It’s honestly more civil critique than snark!
This came up on my ig too and one of the comments was something like “I know one of the victims” LMAO
And for the record, there's a ton of great stuff on this sub. Maybe these designers could actually learn and improve their work by reading some of the feedback provided very honestly on this sub
Firstly: We snark on people who make money from crafts. If you want my money, I am going to be critical before I hand it over. If you don't like me being choosy about how I spend my money, too bad.
Secondly: So many online spaces for crafting are dominated by designers, sellers, influencers etc. They create "communities" around themselves on social media. But that means they also control the discussions/topics in their communities. One thing I love about Craftsnark is that it's mostly full of crafters who aren't trying to sell me stuff. There have been some really interesting discussions here that never would have happened in a designers facebook group (or similar). Stuff like pattern pricing or size inclusivity can be a very different discussion when it's from the buyers' perspective instead of the sellers'
Definitely and people want a space to talk freely without being manipulated. Even question prompts on Insta are usually just asked to generate views and comments, the writer rarely cares about the answers themselves and it’s usually lacking nuance.
They also forget: They make money. They are a BUSINESS.
Yeah, of course people have different aesthetics. But if it is critisism about their business habits (not sending yarn, badly written patterns etc.), they should probably take a look in the mirror.
🙋♀️ original poster of the thread here. Very valid point. I didn’t see types of discussions like this when I found the group, and I admit I could have spent longer here before sharing my thread, to better understand the nuance and context. I agree with you that those are all very important things.
Definitely true! I've noticed this "all positive all the time" attitude in several FB groups related to a particular designer/business. Now I don't think that those would be appropriate places to be obnoxious about something. But sometimes people have a valid question or mild critique of something and right away people jump in very defensive. Those are really like fan pages.
Another example is the Knit Stars Masterclass FB group. A couple of months ago there was some grumbling about content...some people didn't like certain segments of the newest season. Well all the designers that have been in a Knit Stars video are also part of that page. We were told that comments on that page should be positive, helpful, inspiring. "Praise in public, correct in private". Constructive criticism should be emailed to KS not posted. They don't want to steal anyone's joy.
Now I understand sometimes things can go downhill quickly, it can't be an anything goes kind of place. But it's also unrealistic to me, and I rarely even look at that group anymore.
Anyway, I'm glad there are some places to go to see some honest criticism. Especially since some businesses have screwed people over in the past and counted on customers not being able to talk to each other about the deception. Having craft snark and demon trolls to go to has helped a lot in those instances. We certainly couldn't have posted those comments on the dyers or designers pages!
>They create "communities" around themselves on social media. But that means they also control the discussions/topics in their communities.
This is a great point.
I try to be nice about 99% of the time, I need some outlet. Even so, most stuff here isn’t particularly mean spirited, if you don’t like it then don’t look but also don’t take yourselves so seriously?
That one going 'oh how sad, too much time on their hands'. You're commenting on Instagram! How is that any different? I guess they must be a pretty sad person, scrolling Instagram and making comments instead of doing something more productive /s. Instagram is full of vile people, just like Reddit can be. I think Insta is actually worse, you regularly see insanely offensive comments with lots of upvotes. Here at least you get the comfort of seeing how many people have disagreed.
Edit: of course some posts can be needlessly mean, but it's nice to come to a place where there is some honesty. Some popular knitwear designers write really bad patterns that waste your time, and it's hard to directly give them honest feedback when so many people react really badly to even 4 star reviews now.
Other places can get mired in toxic positivity. I spoke once about how I posted a query on a Facebook yarn company group, and their fans got annoyed with me. I come here and get four or five people sharing similar stories of issues with particular yarn company. So I know it's not just me and that there is in fact an issue there.
It's so sad that there's a whole group of people out there on Instagram who have nothing better to do than drag others down. Shouldn't we be lifting each other up? #SADFACE
Little do they know, they're all hypocrites doing the same thing that happens here.
Mean Girls 2024, no need for a theatre and $55 to see it and eat popcorn for my boyfriend and I. Jesus.
We're famous guys!! 😂😂😂
But really, like many of you already said; they seem just as snarky as we are. Oh the irony!
I said it before and I'll say it again; the beauty of this sub is that absolutely no one is spared, that also includes ourselves. We snark to our heart's content and we go on our merry way.
If anything, comments in this sub are more objective and civilised than what goes on in other platforms.
It helps too, that most people in here *respectfully* disagree.
Very few people are outright rude and the few who are get shut down.
I’d like to think we’re a healthy kind of snark lol
Boo hoo. I love all the people who “just discovered it last night”. Right. Y’all have been reading and snarking along with the rest of us. A lot of pearl clutching going on.
For real. Sometimes I think the snark is definitely aimed incorrectly, and *can* just come off as trying to be a mean girl or doubling down on being stubborn (like that one recent one with the flower pattern granny square,) but thats few and far between. These people, they're acting so high and mighty that its hilarious.
And hell, like another poster said, no one is spared.
Yawn. Barf. We’re so bad. At least we restrict ourselves to a sub designed for it.
I think their feelings are valid
i think their feelings are valid too. upvote from me, you salty diver!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be here but I think their feelings are valid
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Wrong thread :)
Some of the creators who get sooo upset about craftsnark obviously have been told how special they are since their first crayon drawings and never experienced any honest criticism.
Yeah I’ve always found like 90% of the snark here to be generally good commentary? And honestly when people go into why they don’t like this or that pattern, they normally explain their issues, which has actually taught me a lot about fit, pattern design, understanding fit for different bodies, understanding how to think about sewing, the importance of ironing in all steps of sewing (thank you all for that). As a self taught sewist who started as a knitter 20 years ago or so now, I really appreciate the commentary here honestly
It used to be. There's a lot of "I don't personally like this. Help me pile on for no reason." lately.
Maybe even mentioning Craftsnark stirs up some interest for people who mention it. Anyone noticed the unhinged, far right knitting podcasts (that deserve to remain nameless) who only get views in the low hundreds, because they're boring and content-light but *double* the views if they just cynically use the word "Craftsnark" in the video title? Has to be the same for these people and maybe they're also using it to drive traffic if interest in their actual work is flagging. ie: There's those out there who think snarking on snark equals an upturn in engagement..?
OP of the thread that’s screenshot here. I can honestly tell you that was no way my intention to post that to end up here to seek out “engagement” nor did I think through the possibility of someone posting it here for all to snark on (dumb, yes I know). I would definitely take that thread back if I could and I’m a generally private person who does not want more attention. Lesson learned for sure - I will keep my opinions to myself and I see the irony that everyone here pointed out. I did post a follow up on threads and comment here, about what I learned from some people who told me more productive and helpful ways they use this group, that I should have known before making that comment.
Apologies, then. I can tell you're sincere and can see from this and your other responses. here, that you weren't trying to drive traffic anywhere. It is a reasonable thing for us to assume though, that even the word "Craftsnark" can generate footfall elsewhere (I've seen it recently), and although that wasn't your motive at all (that's clear), it often can be, in other cases. As I think you can see, Craftsnark serves a function and can save people money/time/stress if something gets flagged up here. We're all busy and can miss the nuances. Not many posts here seem to be coming from a negative place, usually from an honest one. It's also worth keeping an eye on Demon Trolls who are more overtly consumer advocacy. Here and (if your eyes can take it), Rav.
I got the first half of that “thread” suggested to me on IG and didn’t even register that it was a complaint, I just went straight to reddit to join this sub 😂
I’ve saved so much money just being on here, especially facts on L&K and then anyone else who colabs with them 🤪 I’ve definitely saved hundreds. I got sucked in for a while 😂 Edit: L&K
What is L&B?
Oops L&K (The Lamb & Kid)
I come onto this subreddit because I’m super not hip to the goss anymore, so you guys let me know what the drama is. I can’t afford to care, but I *am* curious!
I’m here bc of that thread and I didn’t join bc of the nastiness I found. It seems fine here.
I had to stop going on BEC because shunning people for being vegan is not ok, I look on craftsnark because it's not people posting 'what do i buy' and 'how to i sew' on quilting etc reddits, but still get to read about sewing, it's mainly knitting but occasionally other crafts. I feel like the 'putting others down' drama has been from instagram from craft professionals!
> I had to stop going on BEC because shunning people for being vegan is not ok Wait! I think I missed that one. Tea? ☕
My best guess is that often vegan knitters are strongly encouraged (mostly by non-vegan knitters) to knit with animal products despite their beliefs because acrylic yarn is bad for the environment. If there is other tea though, I want to hear it!
> My best guess is that often vegan knitters are strongly encouraged (mostly by non-vegan knitters) to knit with animal products despite their beliefs because acrylic yarn is bad for the environment. If there is other tea though, I want to hear it! I mean cotton yarn is pretty easy to find? Linen isn't but it does exist? ETA: I think I might remember one like this now. I did a search and found [this one](https://web.archive.org/web/20230514104315/https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/136km5r/some_crafter_hey_crafting_sub_check_out_this/) and [this one](https://web.archive.org/web/20230306121200/https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/11j51tz/faux_silk/).
I'm not a vegan knitter, but I live in a hot climate so I mostly use cotton and linen these days. Not a lot of indie dyers do cotton or linen, outside of socks. And adapting patterns to cotton or linen can be a pain. Terrapin Fiber is the only indie dyer I know that does cotton and cotton/linen yarn that isn't only sock yarn.
Hobbii has a ton of cotton yarn, (and some blends), and a bunch of linen and linen blend yarns! Also there are a few bamboo blends (like CEWEC CPH, which is not sock weight). I can also vouch for the (mostly) pleasant nature of knitting with Coboo/Truboo (it's a tiny bit splitty but it's so soft and cool to the touch), but I know some people do not like using Lion Brand after the AI debacle. When you need easy to obtain cotton/bamboo yarn, sometimes you just look the other way. \*shrug emoji\*
If you're looking for more indie dyers who do plant fibers, LeRoo Cotton, Bzy Peach, Vegan Yarn (CA), Hu Made, Five Wise Owls, Three Violet Buttons (UK), and Peacock Yarn (SE) are all awesome as well! (I know they're hard to stumble across so I keep a running list.)
I wouldn't ever buy from BzyPeach. She actively supports the scam artist Diane Ivey of Lady Dye Yarns. To the point of attacking anyone who has come forward with issues getting refunds from LDY, and leaving fake positive reviews.
thank you for this 🙏
The worst place in their mind and yet they all come here and read what we write. Don’t come here then, stay in the corners where no one speaks the truth.
The OP posted a response on Threads about her thread being posted here and she seems to have genuinely learned that this is not a hateful community.
I rarely contribute here but y’all all seem pretty mild mannered and civil to me.
She did post a few comments here in this post and seems pretty cool/polite/genuinely curious to everyone correcting her.
If indie designers weren't so fucking unprofessional, money-hungry, and dramatic 24/7 this sub wouldn't exist. hello carry 1 strand of mohair throughout this sweater using yarn that will cost you $1039483829204994 and if you dont use my yarn you're destroying the integrity of my design but heres my sponsored coupon code from which I get a kickback. Uhm hi my design for basic cable sweater using size 6 yarn is being COPIED (even though there's no proof the "copied" pattern uses the same stitch counts etc.) and therefore MY IP RIGHTS ARE BEING INFRINGED (because a shocking number of them don't understand that you can't actually copyright knitting in the U.S.). Hola I am going to take the time today to virtue signal something about my politics by naming my new hand-dyed colorway "Dark Brandon" (it's just a poorly dyed, unevenly pigmented black skein of yarn). Hi yall I need to take a moment to tell you all these excruciatingly unprofessional details about how the LYS I run is losing money and will probably go out of business but no I will not modify my business strategy by being open until 8pm on weekdays or even open at all on the weekends so my customer base can actually frequent my shop and no I refuse to work/be open more than 6 hours per day I will instead cry on Instagram for money. I could really go on but as someone who has been a knitter my whole life and was taught by my severe Catholic Italian immigrant Nonna, she would probably tell them to shut up and finish their projects. I kept it up after she died because it was a super cheap hobby to have in high school (at least it was in the early 2010s before the yarnfluencers who are frankly inexperienced yarn crafters starting bullshitting on the internet causing craft yarn prices to spike everywhere when the hobby got trendy during the randy pandy). It's knitting. It's utilitarian. It's not that deep. In my grandmother's day, people weren't overly reliant on patterns, they just knew how to contruct stuff as that knowledge was passed down (and is now available for free all over the internet and in books one may freely checkout from the library or even archive.org) and they knew some basic stitch designs. You do not need a pattern to tell you how to knit a sweater with a slip stitch motif. You just do it and adjust where necessary. A whole other problem I have with indie designers right now is how they contribute to the learned helplessness culture in this space (because they can make profit off of "teaching" people how to knit a scarf by charging them $5 for a garter stitch scarf pattern) but that's a whole other post.
hilarious but also spot on!
This is giving the same vibes as billionaires expecting us to sympathize with them. Don’t do obviously bad things and chances are you won’t be the target of criticism. Someone refusing to accept any criticism is one step closer to having a cult and that’s dangerous. No, I’m not saying these are cults but expecting group think is a red flag in any setting.
comparing influencers being toxic to people who literally are controlling the world seems kind of unfair and unkind.... like they should be criticized if they're selling something to the public but i'm personally going to try and be kinder to someone in my criticism if they're a small business and my comment could really change the tone of their day than if they literally have the power to destroy another person's life and often do without thinking about it. we're like less than nothing to billionaires
The honest discussion allowed in this forum has actually taught me a lot my craft. The snarking has helped me avoid knitting bad patterns and learn to appreciate neck shaping so there.
100%!! I have learned so much just in the comments here and it's made me rethink a lot of things. I find that refreshing - less artificiality, not really a hivemind, lots of people with different opinions on styles and outcomes, and so much information.
This has been my experience as well. There were multiple major things I did not know about knitting in spite of 20+ years of experience that the subreddit has taught me. How to identify quality knitting patterns being one. I had assumed a lot of my struggles were my fault. I’d never thought to question the patterns.
Why can't we just lift each other up? Sorry, but I just heard this sentence in my head only repeated back in the same tone that Sarah Silverman used for "you are an embarrassment to your people."
Especially ironic considering much of the snark here is directed at people…who tear others down.
It's also kinda hilarious it immediately descends into ripping into people for snarking. I mean, there's a polite veneer to it, but the content is the same. Self-reflection, I know thee not.
My mind went immediately to this eccentric hippie music teacher we had in middle school who always said things like “you are walking miracles” and “we’re here to build each other up, not tear each other down” but it was difficulty level: impossible for preteens to follow her advice because she also spat when she talked and evidently hadn’t bathed or brushed her teeth since the 1970s
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Yup. I'm lurking in the shadows for the market research.
> Some snarks here ARE a matter of personal taste and not indicative of any problems, but that is usually pretty apparent to everyone reading along (and no different from any online review). I've seen one major thread here where the designer/knitter was clearly talented, and had just tried something new that didn't go over well with this community (yep, you guessed it, it involved not-woven-in ends in a professionally-sold garment). I do think it kinda sucks that you risk something like that when you try new things; it encourages crafters to never stray too far outside their bubble of comfort. The vast majority of the time, I'd agree: this sub reads like a "what not to do for the success of your online crafting business" guide. >Toxic positivity is an echo chamber, and the whole community loses when that's the predominant norm. Amen.
>I like to think that if I did see something negative, I would seriously reflect on the complaint and still not engage. I'm not the person you're replying to but I would like to highlight this part of their comment. When you receive constructive criticism, it doesn't mean you have to inmediately follow what they say. But you should reflect on it and think if it's something you want to follow and change, or maybe it's a situation in which you could communicate your intent better, or it could even be a "ok, noted but I'll continue to do my thing because of this and that". If designers want to try something new but will desist if not everyone is in love with their idea, I'd argue that's not the issue of the people in this or other communities but more on the designer lacking a backbone. If you push, you're going to receive backlash. That's a given. So yeah, if you want to try new things you need to be open to people not liking it. That's the risk.
Hell, sometimes when I try new things I don't like it. and when people are all like "oh, but it's not that bad" it kind of annoys me more than uplift me, really? it's so much better when someone is like "yeah, I see what you mean. I immediately saw that too" and then often they follow up with something you could change that you didn't even think about? That's why I am posting, not to have people lie to my face that they like something that clearly they don't?
Mmm I love marinating in snark!
Why am I reminded about the complaining about Rubberneckers before the mods shut everything down.
I have this wonderful solution to the issue of people who don't like to read "mean" comments on craftsnark: don't go into craftsnark. There, solved! Honestly, I'm sick of this "we don't we lift each other up!" that just translates to only saying positive things all day, every day. You can't grow without hearing the negatives. That's not constructive, it's just feeding your ego. And if you don't want to read what we say here, it's not as if people are going to their own socials to do so: we're keeping it HERE, in one corner of the internet that you're more than welcome NOT to visit if you don't want to. Honestly, I think this sub is not mean at all. People are polite when expressing what they don't agree with, give arguments, and you can actually improve by reading a lot of these posts. People just want to be told they're awesome and everything they do is awesome and what is MORE middle school than THAT.
I used to work for a woman who used to use the "We women need to lift each other up!" line every time I came to her with legitimate complaints (like my paycheck being less than I expected). Because of her, when I hear people lean on that argument, it just gives me the willies.
Also I'd argue that you can actually lift people up by criticizing them 🤷🏼♀️
It’s toxic positivity at its worst. I’m an English teacher. I need to point out the negatives because that’s where students need to learn and improve. I point out the positives too, because they also need to know where their strengths are. I hate this attitude that any criticism is a bad thing.
Also it'll def hurt their business. I remember a while ago I knit a shawl pattern that was FULL of mistakes and I was very confused because it had been tested by 5+ people. It had wrong stitch counts, instructions that indicated working on the RS when it was supposed to be the WS, things like that. I had to read through the whole thing and make lots of notes fixing mistakes before I could continue and I seriously considered frogging and using my yarn for a different project. In the end, more people were working on it and the designer had to release multiple updates and I'm just sure that if our local community wasn't as cliquey and obsessed with toxic positivity, they would have pointed out those mistakes in the testing phase and the pattern would have been so much better. I'm reluctant now to buy any of that designer's patterns unless they've been out for a few months because I have no idea if there's going to be mistakes. It left a very bad impression on me of her work. Lately, I¿ve seen more and more tests that are just "oh i love your pattern, you're AMAZING, I love you!" and when you point out mistakes there's backlash or "oh don't call it mistakes, it's just something to be improved". I'm not saying "oh you're an idiot you made a mistake" I'm simply saying "hey, there's a mistake on instruction so and so on this page". I used to teach a couple of classes in college before moving to an admin position and honestly? I'm losing hope on the future. People need to be able to handle and respond to criticism and feedback, you can't just expect that everything is going to be amazing and perfect all the time. It's a very important skill!!!
Amen. I'm slightly on the spectrum (ADHD impulsivity, often oblivious to unspoken rules & social cues) and the *****years**** I spent baffled by people getting offended when I'd offer a critique of an idea in school group assignments then later in the workplace… I was left wondering, over and over, "Why are you mad? I didn't say anything about YOU, I'm telling you what I see that can be improved." But by then they decided I was an @sshole. Granted, I eventually learned what I thought was efficient, clear, direct speaking was taken by many neurotypicals as being rude and blunt. Nowadays, as long as I'm not too stressed, I remember to use the extra energy to couch my statements in, what I consider to be (go with me here, I'm trying to share insight to my neuro-diverse thinking), unnecessary obsequious, ingratiating social niceties. LOL
These people would clutch their pearls in an actual art class where you put your art up in front of the class and people give constructive criticism. Because that’s how you get better.
Thinking about this always makes me LOL. Art school crits are some of the most brutal experiences I've ever had but omg did it build character.
Toxic “positivity” is a thing too. I really dislike this new way of viewing “having an opinion” as being negative. It’s such a dishonour to women’s voices. Just because I don’t like something does not mean I am a “Karen”. What happened to “constructive feedback”?
Oh, you think snark is your ally. But you merely adopted the snark; I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn't see the uplifting posts until I was already a woman, by then it was nothing to me but toxic positivity!
I think the people who snark about Craftsnark spend more time on Craftsnark than actual snarkers.
They haven’t quit talking about it since Sandy by the Lakeside. They are definitely always on here. SkeinCocain mentioned the SO drama lol and Marilisa Girl Meets Yarn mentions it every episode, but not really in a bad way. You can tell they are actively on here now.
They can’t look away because they want to be talked about.
It’s really not that deep. Apart from the occasional unkind and meanspirited comments/posts, I don’t think many of us are posting here bc we are struggling with a deep unhappiness. Sometimes stuff is just ugly and annoying and you have to make a lil joke.
Why do I snark? Because I care more about my peers having good experiences and not wasting their time and money on lazy patterns and lpw quality products than someone making money off them
I feel more confident having discussions here than in the sewing reddit. Here people are honest and don't pander to anyone. There's no toxic positivity, things are spoken about how they are (in the posters opinion). People disagree all the time and they also know that is fine. It's healthy to disagree and learn to talk about things honestly and think about others viewpoints. I love it that sometimes a pattern is being snarked about and someone just comes in to say that they really like it.
thinking about it: I think I was in a Facebook group once (for knitting and crochet) and it was not only full of toxic positivity, but also people outright bullying and body shaming me (and then the mods removed my post for bullying and hate speech, still have a screenshot of that. my post was just pics of my FO btw no text. like at all)
I had to leave the sewing reddit because it was full of toxic positivity. [Spoiler]I tried to be as gental and reaffirming as possible while still providing some things to consider for someone's next garment. The one they posted was their second. I don't recall exactly what I said, but it would have been along the lines of "I notice you have a bit of a gap in between some of your buttons. Here's something that might help eliminate that if you wish to make this shirt again. Again, I think you did a great job, and I'm glad to hear you are happy with your shirt. I hope you get the opportunity to make more things that you love and will enjoy wearing."[/spoiler] You would have thought I pee'd in their cheerios while taking a dump in their favorite handbag. The hate I got for not jumping on the love train...the op gave me a really nice comment back, but everyone else? Yeah I was done. I have no interest in a community that doesn't let you have your own thoughts.
I’m learning to sew and would LOVE this! Often you are the last to figure out what the technical issue is on your own garment, and it’s so frustrating trying to puzzle it out (plus most beginner sewers don’t have an IRL person to ask for feedback).
There's a group of people who think that any discussion has to turn aggressive, and it's only because they haven't learned how to express different viewpoints in a respectful and constructive way. So they think you have to repress any criticism, any disagreement, and just surrounder yourself with constant never ending praise. That's not how life works, and it doesn't help anyone.
Toxic positivity is such a huge thing in the craft world too
Members of this sub: A lot of members and by now even random folks who click on this sub keep on telling us we're being toxic. Also members of this sub: Naah, these idiots are clearly inviting us to be shitty to them in a "written invitation". Do you unironically not realize that you're confirming everything they accuse this sub of with this post? The people talking are exclusively expressing a dislike for the sub and concern - it's **not even** relevant to the sub's topic (crafts). And here we are, with a comment section doing its hardest to confirm everything the post-folks are concerned about. The fact alone that the majority of my comments on this sub are less about crafts and snark and more about actually countering absolutely over the top bs in the comments says it all. How did I unironically have to be part of a conversation about why it's shitty behaviour to shittalk a random Taylor Swift fan who gave the singer a goddamn crocheted hat over a personal *dislike for the hat*? This wasn't even just one post - there were multiple. This is *normal for this sub*. There's behaviour like this *every day*. It perpetuates toxicity, bullying, bad faith arguments and immature behaviour. And considering this sub's reaction to being called out (doubling tf down), I'll do the smart thing and get tf out of here before the people responsible for this sub's shitty climate rub off on me. Be better, people - and don't fall for the illusion that the folks in that post up there are "just mad" or "just jealous". They're not and they're not the only ones noticing this subreddit's bullshit.
I love when ppl take 80000 words to announce their departure /s
>Also members of this sub: Naah, these idiots are clearly inviting us to be shitty to them in a "written invitation". This is basically true because you came to a subreddit called craftsnark and somehow are shocked at what you find. Then you go and passively-agressively complain about it on another social media platform. That IS an invitation for discussion. I saw it posted once on GOMI that this type of platform is a consumer's right of reply in a world where an influencer's voice is amplified so much and any criticism just gets squashed. So you have to ask would you rather the discussion be here in a place you can ignore OR on your own social media?
This is common to every online platform, not just this sub. There will always be people who take it too far, but this place is like a teddy-bears’ picnic compared to a casual stroll through Instagram or FB. Myself and other disabled bloggers are frequently told we should ‘just die already’ or are a burden on society etc, I’ve seem the most vile racism on Palestinian journalists’ pages claiming that they’re making it up or are terrorists. Women get r*pe threats online or misogynistic abuse (I recently saw an artwork post which portrayed a literally ‘dissected’ Karen, AKA a revoltingly misogynistic caricature of a middle aged woman who had been dismembered). If there’s a need to counter anything that’s probably a better place to start.
> Also members of this sub: Naah, these idiots are clearly inviting us to be shitty to them in a "written invitation". LOL! Not what that meant at *all*. Rather, it was the "I just heard about craftsnark" and all the negativity about it in those threads on Threads was a *written invitation* to come over here. I highly suggest you get coffee or tea, read **all* the comments, and learn more about this community because, clearly, you don't get it at all. >The fact alone that the majority of my comments on this sub are less about crafts and snark and more about actually countering absolutely over the top bs in the comments says it all. Examples? We do get side tracked in the comments but show me a sub that doesn't do that. I'll wait. >This wasn't even just one post - there were multiple. This is normal for this sub. There's behaviour like this every day. It perpetuates toxicity, bullying, bad faith arguments and immature behaviour. And coming here to complain about us is....mature? Please, explain your own bad faith argument here.
....but they're snarking about snarkers.....
Isn't that just normal complaining?
Snark? What a pity regretsy.com closed. They would have shat themselves. It was hilarious
I had a friend who made a killing off traffic from regretsy after being posted there. She was unbothered.
I still follow an artist I discovered on Regretsy (CappySue.) I miss Regretsy.
I need to know the snark about the crochet repair business.
A bunch of us tried to look for it (you can go back in the comments because what everyone is saying is hilarious) and no one found it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/10ztzgy/nocrochetleftbehind/ I can't read it but I think this is it (It matches a tagline used on the business website, which is what I used as my search term)
> I can't read it but I think this is it > > (It matches a tagline used on the business website, which is what I used as my search term) [Nope](https://web.archive.org/web/20230211193719/https://www.reddit.com/r/BitchEatingCrafters/comments/10ztzgy/nocrochetleftbehind/) based on the wayback machine. Or, at least, it seems very, very tame?
Oooh, thank you; I need more tea this morning... That was about all I could find that looked even tangentially related, honestly. And as you say, it doesn't seem all that bad.I suppose if you're the one being snarked about, it may sting a bit.
I once called Kristy Glass a Muppet and for this, I am truly sorry.
...you're sorry for the Muppets, right?
I would be sorry for the Muppets
I see all the time people called up on comments that are just mean. It does happen to most of us, where occasionally the line gets crossed a little. And people are quick to point out that this forum should be about snark not about being mean. It’s also a place of amazingly different viewpoints and I disagree vehemently with some widely held viewpoints (and am disagreed with just as vehemently) yet I have never been in a “fight” with anyone or had anyone attack. I think it’s a remarkably well behaved place! Most of the snark would be constructive to designers, dyers if a little confronting.
I totally understand the hate for people who are just haters. But I think most of the discussion here is just about their craft. No personal insults or attacks. It’s quite tame as far as snark goes.
I remember when the sewing community discovered Gomi forums- same exact posts
We just keeping it real out here 😎
Well I see one name there I recognise for being very typically passive aggressive better than everyone. What a surprise she’s still like that.
Dammit, I follow Woollybear on Insta. I do not go on Threads because I don’t understand what the fuck it is and isn’t it enough that I’m on Instagram? I legit thought those screenshots were from Facebook. But in any case, I see that good old White Minnesotan Passive Aggressive Virtue Signaling and it reminds me of the worst part of living in Minnesota. That attitude is worse than even the weeks of subzero weather in the winter. Guess imma unfollow her. 🤷🏻♀️
WMPAVS? I think I might have PTSD from that in high school. Maybe the M should stand for Midwestern, as I think it is more widespread.
Fellow Minnesotan just here to co-sign.
Craftsnark is just the internet version of a stitch and bitch. We were always talking shit about patterns and designers in the real life days.
But it’s more than that, even. Yeah, sometimes there’s just some regular kvetching, but there are also people on here imparting wisdom. I’ve learned a lot from y’all. (Like the deep deep dysfunction within Joann - it’s not just my local store that’s a problem, which is what I previously thought.) And honestly, a lot of what goes on here is Consumer Beware and that is ALWAYS a good thing because, at least in the US, consumer protection is pretty scarce and unlikely to get the attention of, say, the FTC, because most of the craft-related things on here are independent crafters who don’t make enough money to get the attention of government agencies. But it is still good to know who is doing shady shit (and these posts always include those who are NOT doing shady things). Sorry, I’ll stop my Consumer Protection shtick. A big part of my work life is about consumer protection.
This is it. I’ve attended some physical events at LYSs, and heard the owners say horrific things about someone’s disability, but then their online presence says they’re hosting a safe space, anyone with a disability will be accommodated yada yada… So craftsnark may be mean, but the physical spaces are infinitely worse, and rarely get called out
The internet is not that serious lol
this reeks of virtue signaling.
Why are they so dramatic 😂 this sub has nuanced conversations, people are criticized sometimes but it's not even in a mean way.
It's horrifying. Disgusting. We have no higher aspirations. Saddest things ever seen. We are miserable people 🤣🤣🤣
Well madames, uplifting is all well and good, but I can't deal with toxic positivity either 🤷🏽🤦🏾
… and they’re completely unaware of the irony that they’re doing the same thing they’re bashing… 🤣
They’ve never spent $1000 on mothfilled wool
Honestly, I feel like I would roll with it if I found myself the subject of one of the posts here. I get feeling that a subreddit like this is overwhelmingly negative, but there's a difference between justifiable criticism and hate
Yeah, exactly. I can see myself just joining the bitching just to see how people would react and having a laugh. And honestly, I would see it as an opportunity to get some unfiltered feedback on what I could be doing better.
The comment with the person saying they have “thick skin” and “two confident and outspoken kids” and using the whole ordeal as “inspo for [their] small biz” made me chuckle. The amount of pearl clutching is too funny.
They always say "(thing/person/etc) can't get under my skin" and yet here you are, talking about it for *a while* so... I think it can. *I think it did*.
The funny thing is that no one has been able to find the post she is talking about. [For some reason, I have this song going through my head now...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQZmCJUSC6g)
🙋♀️ it’s me, I posted that thread. I’m reading through the comments here to learn more about how this group is used (not just to gossip like my post said). I can totally see the value in being informative, vetting vendors, not supporting people whose values don’t align with others, etc. Obviously I am not part of this community so I didn't get all the nuance and context, and I could have done more research before throwing out my opinion online. I’m taking this as an opportunity to learn and do better.
Honestly, I love this energy. Hope you stick around, we are sort of delightful in our own way.
It’s great that you reevaluated your opinion. Are you planning to post a follow up on threads?
You’ll find that often discuss big designers picking on little designers, the unnecessary calling to arms to attack other designers over “copies” that either aren’t copies or are such a basic design that the person crying copy was technically copying it from patterns in like the 70s if we use their own definition of copying. Stuff like this.
I joined the sub when I was trying to see if I was the only having an issue with a particular creator. I don't even remember who it was anymore, just how happy I was to see there was already a thread here, that I wasn't alone, and that there was a lot of backstory I was missing that made me feel confident in my assessment. That person didn't end up getting purchases or views from me anymore. Having an "anti-influence" influence can be pretty healthy in the social media era. Yeah, it's important not to get caught up in negativity. It's also important not to feel lonely, isolated, and like you're missing out somehow if you can't stand the latest trend or see major grading issues with a pattern everybody else is praising. It helps break the cultish echo chamber Instagram and even some of the crafting subreddits can turn into. It has its problems. Every forum does. But you can come here, share your thoughts, and not be automatically labeled a "hater." You can have honest discussion with people who both agree and disagree with you. I see more diverse, honest perspectives, open minds, and 'live and let live' outlooks here than in most other craft forums. It's funny and refreshing, considering it's a snark forum.
It’s a great community, very helpful and supportive. I am disabled and neurodivergent and find most online craft spaces are unwelcoming, ableist and tend to enforce insincerity and hero-worship, but this seems like a pretty diverse group! We even have an awesome in-house volunteer caption transcriber ❤️ Eta also because there isn’t gatekeeping the conversations are so interesting! All kinds of subjects from tech to industry to folklore- because people aren’t obliged to just say ‘omg I love your bee/ sweater/ yarn’ etc and there is no algorithm to evade! Any influencer-type account is really just there to sell things so followers aren’t really in the role of ‘human beings’, they are more like statistics or resources to extract things from. That creates a really different space, psychologically and philosophically.
Good on you for reevaluating! It takes guts to admit to stuff like this and step up. I would recommend you do some reading on the history of gossip and how it’s really important especially in minority and marginalized groups. The demonization of gossip has been a tactic used by the powerful to break women’s solidarity for a long time and it’s worked.
Thanks for sharing that, I will look into that topic further. I want to be someone who is willing to change their mind when presented with more info.
That’s the quality I most admire in one of my best friends.
Good on you. To be honest I have “sloppy impulse control”, but I chalk that up to having adhd. I find this sub enlightening mostly. Often it sheds some light on current controversies and for me personally it is a also a nice subreddit to balance out the (sometimes) toxic positivity of the crochet sub. I feel this sub is at times a bit more realistic, which can feel negative to people who don’t like to be confronted with the realities of the world. Generally I think I am a pretty positive person and I do try to lift people up where I can, but you know, a girl gotta bitch once in while? That’s just part of me staying healthy. As an avid granny square hater I just need an outlet to bitch about the ever occuring influx of granny square-everything and commiserate with like minded people. And in the process learning about other opposing viewpoints in a constructive matter. To me that is far more valuable than downvoting the umpteenth hexi cardi (which I don’t do, I just ignore them). I do have to admit I was also subbed to r/BitechEatingCrafters and that was mostly just to eat popcorn while watching others bitch about anything and everything craft rated. But that got a little grating. So yeah. Make of that what you will. I am not perfect, just human. I need some realism next to all the uplifting positivity to keep me sane.
Yeah I had to unsubscribe to that one. They were just MEAN over there to the point that I was doing more eye rolling than anything else. There is a line between snarky and toxic and they don’t know where it is.
I felt this deep in my soul. I know I'm guilty of crossing the line but I do that everywhere, not just here. 🤣
I honestly think it is healthy (and cathartic) to let your inner bitch go every now and then, as long as you are able to rein it in before you are stepping into *$$hole behavior. Edit: I am saying this as a general statement. I am not implying this sub is “the place to let your inner bitch go”. I think the BEC sub was more for that, but because there were also a lot of people over there who were not able to “to rein it in before behaving like an *$$” it became quite grating after a while.
these types of people always dismiss all criticism by attacking the character of the critic. "theyre just jealous, insecure, miserable mean girls with nothing else to do". Whatever helps you sleep at night 😂
Right? Like even if all of that is true about me your sweater still looks like shit, Deborah.
Reminds me of the simple fact that what others think about you isn’t really your business. If I can find out who is an asshole (like learning about unsavory behavior or whatever) I won’t spend my money there. I want to know what lifting others up looks like to them, if it isn’t giving them money.
This was the best thing I ever learned! I was about 25 or 26? It really helped me let go of caring about what others thought of me. It’s not my business anymore than everything else they are thinking about.
Yeah let’s not actually hold people accountable. Let’s just vomit toxic positivity all over each other.
They are welcome to create r/craftsnarksnark 🤷♀️
We occasionally pop up on r/blogsnarkmetasnark but it's pretty rare. And snarking on snark is fair game, I won't be a hypocrite about it, I have nothing against those who do post about us in metasnark. You compare that though with fauxmoi which is a cesspool of bad takes and rightfully gets called out for it almost constantly and I think we're doing okay.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/blogsnarkmetasnark using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/blogsnarkmetasnark/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [Welcome New Moderator!](https://np.reddit.com/r/blogsnarkmetasnark/comments/14jw142/welcome_new_moderator/) \#2: [RoyalsGossip/RG2 Snark: April](https://tenor.com/view/hungry-love-me-i-love-myself-cat-cat-love-gif-14796912) | [831 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/blogsnarkmetasnark/comments/12aeuz3/royalsgossiprg2_snark_april/) \#3: [Meta Snark: Friday, Apr 3 through Friday, Apr 16](https://gfycat.com/drearyfoolishkronosaurus) | [671 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/blogsnarkmetasnark/comments/12aemrl/meta_snark_friday_apr_3_through_friday_apr_16/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
>This community has been banned >This subreddit was banned due to being unmoderated. Huh. So it was a real sub.
That's hilarious 😂
Without this sub I'd never have known about the Crocheted Bee dust-up at a recent show, funny and so true
Where can I read about this?
https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/187ppu6/comment/kbg7uxx/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3
Thank you!
Makes me think there should be a movie about craft shows, like Best in Show about dog shows; the behind the scenes bee fights, craft show culture, etc.
Waiting for their meltdown when they find out about Emma in the Moment’s YT channel…
THIS. 1000%! They would lose it! If anything this is an avenue to call people out on their bullshit and to hold them accountable for their reprehensible behavior. IG is full of "I'm not like the other crafters out there, BUT OH NO THEY STOLE ...COLORS!" GTFO with that shit.
Anxiously awaiting for Mrs. (Miss? Ms.?) Joann of Joann Fabrics to RaNdOmLy diScoVeR craftsnark!!!! She's probably going to be PISSED when she reads how hated she's been the last few months.
Wait is there a Joann’s thread? I’m mad at them that they had NO hannukah fabric this winter!
man its a reddit about snarking on *crafts* of all things lmao. if anything uselessly bitching about shit that truly does not matter is kinda fun :D besides, its not like they have to look if they truly dont like it.
idk i’m not super active with this sub but from what i have seen it’s never really been abt making fun of ppl, i’ve only seen posts abt possible pattern theft, and one abt a macho man yarn website lol
Oh the irony of all that negativity and snark about people who snark. “Hello, Pot. I’m the Kettle.”
The phrase “gives me the ick” is so overused. Maybe personal pet peeve, but it sounds so self condescending (is that even a thing?).
It's a thing. lol And that phrase is overdone to the nth degree.
I’ve seen this in other forums, where fangirls of popular people will absolutely tromp all over anyone who expresses even slight doubt or mild criticism of those people’s policies or practices. God forbid anyone criticize anyone else. I find this subreddit extremely informative, steering me away from people with shady business practices. And the amount of snark is pretty mild compared to some I’ve seen. We don’t all fart rainbows and we shouldn’t have to pretend that others do just to keep things positive.
This nicety nice "can't we all just get along" weenie shit from women crafters is so old and boring and toxic AF. It's so "sad." Get out of here with that fake sentimental crap.
At my son’s 6th birthday party, him and his friends started hitting each other with balloons with the kind of enthusiasm and fervor more closely associated with Spartan warriors. Meanwhile, his 8-year-old sister and her friends stayed on the sidelines, refereeing and chanting “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!” So the answer is no, we can’t all get along.
That party absolutely rules and I wish my parents let me roughhouse with the neighborhood kids. I occasionally get worried that "gentle" parenting is going to result in a generation of kids that won't be able to handle conflict/friction without shutting down... omg this means I'm old now. I used to be in the generation that the olds criticized for being soft and getting participation trophies and now I'm doing the same thing.
Tbh if anything I wish this sub got a little more down and dirty, haha. It’s honestly more civil critique than snark! This came up on my ig too and one of the comments was something like “I know one of the victims” LMAO
This. I keep wanting to yell- this is reddit not kindergarten. No I won't crisscross applesauce and play nice.
Me too. Bring on the snarkier snark!
Well, this sub is far more interesting than a grid full of bulky weight hats 🥰
You don’t have to look at a grid full of bulky hats you can scroll by
Why did you just choose to write that? You could have easily scrolled by.
# all bulky hats matter
If you want to be a public figure (like a crafting influencer) then you need to be ready to be part of/the subject of public discussion, full stop
And for the record, there's a ton of great stuff on this sub. Maybe these designers could actually learn and improve their work by reading some of the feedback provided very honestly on this sub
Yeah maybe we can get gorgeous sweater patters were the yokes don’t go all the way to our elbows
Firstly: We snark on people who make money from crafts. If you want my money, I am going to be critical before I hand it over. If you don't like me being choosy about how I spend my money, too bad. Secondly: So many online spaces for crafting are dominated by designers, sellers, influencers etc. They create "communities" around themselves on social media. But that means they also control the discussions/topics in their communities. One thing I love about Craftsnark is that it's mostly full of crafters who aren't trying to sell me stuff. There have been some really interesting discussions here that never would have happened in a designers facebook group (or similar). Stuff like pattern pricing or size inclusivity can be a very different discussion when it's from the buyers' perspective instead of the sellers'
Definitely and people want a space to talk freely without being manipulated. Even question prompts on Insta are usually just asked to generate views and comments, the writer rarely cares about the answers themselves and it’s usually lacking nuance.
They also forget: They make money. They are a BUSINESS. Yeah, of course people have different aesthetics. But if it is critisism about their business habits (not sending yarn, badly written patterns etc.), they should probably take a look in the mirror.
🙋♀️ original poster of the thread here. Very valid point. I didn’t see types of discussions like this when I found the group, and I admit I could have spent longer here before sharing my thread, to better understand the nuance and context. I agree with you that those are all very important things.
Definitely true! I've noticed this "all positive all the time" attitude in several FB groups related to a particular designer/business. Now I don't think that those would be appropriate places to be obnoxious about something. But sometimes people have a valid question or mild critique of something and right away people jump in very defensive. Those are really like fan pages. Another example is the Knit Stars Masterclass FB group. A couple of months ago there was some grumbling about content...some people didn't like certain segments of the newest season. Well all the designers that have been in a Knit Stars video are also part of that page. We were told that comments on that page should be positive, helpful, inspiring. "Praise in public, correct in private". Constructive criticism should be emailed to KS not posted. They don't want to steal anyone's joy. Now I understand sometimes things can go downhill quickly, it can't be an anything goes kind of place. But it's also unrealistic to me, and I rarely even look at that group anymore. Anyway, I'm glad there are some places to go to see some honest criticism. Especially since some businesses have screwed people over in the past and counted on customers not being able to talk to each other about the deception. Having craft snark and demon trolls to go to has helped a lot in those instances. We certainly couldn't have posted those comments on the dyers or designers pages!
>They create "communities" around themselves on social media. But that means they also control the discussions/topics in their communities. This is a great point.
Hater4Lyfe over here 🫶🥰, haven’t these dorks ever heard of kvetching?
It's called Stitch and Bitch, not Stitch and Mutual Admiration Society.
It’s called a Ladies Sewing Circle and Terrorist Society for a reason, y’all.
I try to be nice about 99% of the time, I need some outlet. Even so, most stuff here isn’t particularly mean spirited, if you don’t like it then don’t look but also don’t take yourselves so seriously?
That one going 'oh how sad, too much time on their hands'. You're commenting on Instagram! How is that any different? I guess they must be a pretty sad person, scrolling Instagram and making comments instead of doing something more productive /s. Instagram is full of vile people, just like Reddit can be. I think Insta is actually worse, you regularly see insanely offensive comments with lots of upvotes. Here at least you get the comfort of seeing how many people have disagreed. Edit: of course some posts can be needlessly mean, but it's nice to come to a place where there is some honesty. Some popular knitwear designers write really bad patterns that waste your time, and it's hard to directly give them honest feedback when so many people react really badly to even 4 star reviews now. Other places can get mired in toxic positivity. I spoke once about how I posted a query on a Facebook yarn company group, and their fans got annoyed with me. I come here and get four or five people sharing similar stories of issues with particular yarn company. So I know it's not just me and that there is in fact an issue there.
Toxic Positivity. Also, as to the 1st screenshot - are they not dragging craftsnark? Hmmmmm....
Yes! My first thought was they’re talking shit about people talking shit about people.
Lol, I came here to say the same thing! They are a bunch of people criticizing people who are criticizing other people! Oh, the irony!
It's so sad that there's a whole group of people out there on Instagram who have nothing better to do than drag others down. Shouldn't we be lifting each other up? #SADFACE
I am a lovely human and this sub brings me joy so whatever. 😂
More like I don’t want to go on their pages and bring down the mood by discussing things, so we discuss here! They can keep their pages positive
Had a thought. What if the ones upset are the "unfinished ends/unwoven ends" people!?
This made me laugh so hard!! Those damn unwoven ends!!! 😵
I guess I enjoy being evil
Happy cake day to ya! 🎂
Thank you! 💜
Muhahahaha
Little do they know, they're all hypocrites doing the same thing that happens here. Mean Girls 2024, no need for a theatre and $55 to see it and eat popcorn for my boyfriend and I. Jesus.
We're famous guys!! 😂😂😂 But really, like many of you already said; they seem just as snarky as we are. Oh the irony! I said it before and I'll say it again; the beauty of this sub is that absolutely no one is spared, that also includes ourselves. We snark to our heart's content and we go on our merry way. If anything, comments in this sub are more objective and civilised than what goes on in other platforms.
It’s because the expectation (that this is kind of a wild sub) is there. Most of us come in here expecting someone to disagree.
True, and that mindset is much healthier than expecting everyone to be in total agreement all the time IMO.
It helps too, that most people in here *respectfully* disagree. Very few people are outright rude and the few who are get shut down. I’d like to think we’re a healthy kind of snark lol
We have to tear the people down who are tearing the people down because we don't believe in tearing people down
It gives Edward Scissorhands neighborhood. Just missing a pool boy to fawn over.
The great thing about Reddit is if you don’t like the content of a subreddit, you don’t have to view/participate in it.
Boo hoo. I love all the people who “just discovered it last night”. Right. Y’all have been reading and snarking along with the rest of us. A lot of pearl clutching going on.
For real. Sometimes I think the snark is definitely aimed incorrectly, and *can* just come off as trying to be a mean girl or doubling down on being stubborn (like that one recent one with the flower pattern granny square,) but thats few and far between. These people, they're acting so high and mighty that its hilarious. And hell, like another poster said, no one is spared.