Sweater Weather
Ýr Jóhannsdóttir, better known as @yrurari on IG, is a Berlin-based Icelandic artist and textile designer. I love all her sustainability-centered work, but I’m low-key obsessed with the way she turns old sweaters into new friends and teaches others to do the same with workshops on upcycling pieces with needle-felted eyeballs and other weird and winsome stitched details.
Just Glue It
We’re longtime stans of Sam Reece, aka @shittycraftclub, and now the utterly delightful crafter and comedian has a book. Shitty Craft Club: A Club for Gluing Beads to Trash, Talking About Our Feelings, and Making Silly Things is funny, bonkers (DIY rhinestone-encrusted decorative shrimp! A “smooshed ’n’ sculpted” clay menorah!), and surprisingly vulnerable. Reece writes about the weirdness of Internet virality, crafting as therapy, and coming out with endearing wit.
Malt Magic
For thousands of years, women dominated the realm of beer-brewing. But in medieval England, men decided to take over, spreading rumors that many “alewives” were witches, forcing them out of the trade. Beer Witch, a Brooklyn craft beer bar and bottle shop owned by Christa Sobier, reclaims this history while serving up an accessible and sensory experience, welcoming beer nerds and novices alike.
Now Serving
Soft Serve, Inc.—“two homos creating hand-painted greeting cards for all your fucked-up thoughts”—is a boon for analog communication lovers and snail-mail aficionados. Each card is one-of-a-kind and created by Jazzmyne Robbins (@jazzmynejay), who also takes commissions ($10 each, @soft_serve.inc) so you can customize the occasion, the recipient, and even the vibe.
Crushing It
Attention, kitchen goths! What we do in the culinary shadows gets infinitely cuter with this little vampiric garlic crusher designed by Lilach Eytan ($19.95, ototodesign.com)—one twist of his tiny head will mince your cloves faster than you can yell “bat!” Use it long after spooky season for chili peppers, ginger, nuts, and spices, too.
