Karin Wanderer Learns

I use watercolors, Krita, & pixel art/animation to paint flora & fauna & fanart. Self-taught & still learning; no AI, no NFT, & no ads. New post on Tuesdays.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Watercolor of upper case letter I in a lovely shade of green with gold swirls.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter I Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

Photo of a pretty iris, large white petals stained with gamboge yellow & soft violet inner petals. I is for Iris.

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

Those of us in the northern hemisphere are rolling right into spring, and in this particular part of that hemisphere we are bracing ourselves for taxes & tariffs & indulging in a bit of stress spring cleaning. This week I am making zokin, a cleaning supply I only recently heard about but am now completely obsessed with. This is a very easy sewing project. You don't need fancy supplies. You don't need skill. You could pick up a hotel sewing kit for the first time in your life & end up with a functional zokin.

... Zokin?

'Zokin' is Japanese for 'cleaning cloth'. Zokin are amazing! Before I made these I never would have imagined that putting a few stitches into the the cut-up rags I was already using to clean would make them better cleaning rags, but they absolutely do. This is part of my goal to use fewer paper towels. It is working! The same paper towel roll has been in my kitchen for almost 2 months now. Making zokin has become my recurring “sick day” project. I can make them when I'm trapped in an exhausted brain fog & even if they come out a bit wonky they still work great!

Photo of many finished zokin- rectangular cleaning clothes made from old t shirts in red, grey, blue, & black. There is blue, red, or pink embroidery thread forming an X & a series of concentric boxes on each of them. Don't make fun of my stitches, I was sick!

Supplies

  • Needles & Pins
  • Scissors
  • Something to mark the fabric, if you want things to be nice & neat.
  • Thread:I use both regular thread & embroidery thread in the example pictures, but I have made zokin in the past using entirely one type of thread. This project began as a way to use up my old, cheapest threads & even my oldest zokin hold up well, so use whatever you have.
  • Fabric: anything you would make a cleaning cloth out of. I use old t-shirts. Since the fabric will be layered and reinforced, it is OK to use cloth that is worn thin- but avoid cloth with holes in it. Again, these are cleaning cloths. You can get as fancy as you want & make them very pretty, but you certainly don't have to! I tend to keep things basic & utilitarian. This project can be whatever you want! You can even make zokin by hand or using a sewing machine. If you use a machine or know how to hand sew, you can skip the next sections & go right to 'Instructions'.

If You Have Never Sewn Before, Read This Section!

To Knot Or Not To Knot

How do you start & end each thread? You can't just leave the ends free & hope for the best. Sometimes you can just anchor the ends with knots, for that it is fastest to tie a quilting knot at the beginning & a finishing knot at the end. Sometimes you don't want a big ugly knot stuck in the middle of your sewing & that is when you use a backstitch.

Running With Stitches

The Running Stitich is the only one you need to know for this project. I use a very simple stitch pattern for my zokin. In my experiments I have found that a more complicated pattern does not make zokin work better or more efficiently, but it does make them look much nicer. If you want to make yours prettier, find a sashiko pattern you like! There are tons of them for free all over the internet & they are all made with a simple running stitch!

Whether Or Not You Have Sewn Before, Read This Section!

  1. Cut Your Fabric Cut rectangles out of 2 layers of thick fabric, or 4 layers of thin fabric. Since I make these out of old shirts I usually use 4 layers, and sometimes as I cut I have to swerve my scissors around holes. Some of my zokin are more blobby than rectangular! Just make sure they are larger than your hand is with your fingers splayed out, as shown here. Hand held with fingers splayed over rectangle of red fabric that is slightly larger than the hand . Side view at bottom shows this is actually two pieces of cloth folded to form four layers.

  2. Sew You Layers Together, Flip Right Side Out This is where you start with a quilting knot, sew almost all the way around, and end with a finishing knot. Leave a 2 inch gap in your sewing. Trim the edges & corners of your zokin, but do not cut into your stitches . Use the gap you left in your sewing to turn the zokin inside out, hiding the seam you just sewed inside. rectangle of fabric stitched most of the way around, with the edges and corners trimmed & pinked.

  3. Draw/Stitch Your Embroidery Pattern As you can see, I drew a line from each corner to form an X, then a series of concentric rectangles. Sewing this part gives the zokin a little more body & texture so it cleans better. Make sure you sew along the outer edge to close the gap you used to turn the fabric right sides out. Since you will be able to see both sides of your stitching for this part, use a backstitch to anchor your thread. Then get stitching! 2 side by side photos of zokin. Photo 1: Photo of an unfinished zokin- rectangular cleaning cloth made from old red t shirt, with blue chalk pencil forming an X & a series of concentric boxes on each of them. The pencil rests on the table next to the zokin. Photo 2: A finished zokin- rectangular cleaning clothes made from old red t shirt with blue embroidery thread forming an X & a series of concentric boxes on it.

  4. Revel In The Joy of Creating Something New Photo of a finished zokin- rectangular cleaning cloth made from red fabric with blue embroidery thread forming a series of concentric boxes and an X stretching from corner to corner. Also pictured: my needle threader that looks like a little pink bird.

  5. Put on your favorite music & get to cleaning!

Are you gearing up for spring/autumn cleaning? How do you get ready? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Watercolor of upper case letter H in a lovely shade of green with gold swirls.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter H Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

Watercolor of an octopus, squid, hagfish, cuttlefish, & worm arranged around a purple-red heart. H is for Heart. All of these animals have multiple hearts.

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

Hi Friends! I wrote about some of the human artists behind Ghibli’s beloved movies, just in time for Ghibli to become a popular target for AI. So that this article does not become a giant rant, let's be clear & concise: AI “art” is bullshit. It couldn't exist without theft & it also destroys the environment. Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki famously hates AI, considering it “an insult to life itself”. I agree. 💚 KW

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio whose name has become synonymous with the enchanting anime style that they have perfected over the years. Studio Ghibli has made dozens of movies, four of which are in the top ten highest grossing Japanese movies of all time! The sheer amount of films, books, clothing, home decor, toys, games, & all other official Ghibli merchandise is mind-boggling. They have an official museum. They have an official theme park. I was genuinely surprised to find out they don't have an official holiday dedicated to them. If we can have an International Pillow Fight Day (and we do, it's this Saturday), I think we should have a Ghibli Day!

Watercolor anime granny in a blue dress with black trimmings, with big gold earrings and lots of rings. She has a very large head, a long nose, and very big hair drawn up into a bun.

There is so much to celebrate about Studio Ghibli. I could talk all day about Hayao Miyazaki, who directed most of the studio’s biggest hits. I would give a TED talk on Ghibli’s extensive use of Yokai. I will probably write an article someday about the various movies' amazing casts of characters. However, there is one major aspect of every Ghibli movie that often gets overlooked.

Watercolor Ghibli landscape, with an enormous lake in the middle of a field of flowers and mountains in the distance.

The backgrounds in Studio Ghibli movies are practically an extra character in each scene. The landscapes, in particular, are so good! Some of the landscapes & backgrounds are almost as popular as their characters are. These iconic backgrounds are largely the work of one person: Kazuo Oga. You might think such an accomplished & talented artist is using top-of-the-line materials to make backgrounds for award-winning movies. Nope! He paints them using relatively inexpensive Nicker Poster Colors, which work like gouache. This gives him bold & opaque, yet still water-soluble, paint colors to play with.

Kazuo Oga is an inspiration & a reminder that we don’t need to splash out on every expensive artistic accessory being marketed to us- the basics can be enough if you have the dedication & patience to develop the skills. You can make art with limited supplies, or with cheap ones, what matters is that you make it.

A very small child in a pink dress & pigtails naps on a gigantic friendly grey monster, who is also sleeping. They are surrounded by lush greenery.

Another great form of art found in Studio Ghibli movies is the music! The soundtracks to Ghibli movies are amazing. Joe Hisaishi is a prolific musician who has, among other things, scored many Ghibli movies. I encourage you to look him up wherever you get your music! While you’re there, check out the overwhelming amount of fan-made musical Ghibli tributes. Most of my favorite covers can be found on Cat Trumpet’s album Relaxing Piano: Studio Ghibli Complete Collection.

Many Studio Ghibli movies started as children's books written by English authors. Mary Norton wrote The Borrowers & Diana Wynne Jones wrote Howl’s Moving Castle & Earwig & the Witch. And because I am never able to resist suggesting books, Diana Wynne Jones is an amazing author. Most of her books are speculative fiction for children. They are also a lot of fun! When I was little I read every one of her books my library had. One that didn’t end up as a Ghibli movie is called Fire & Hemlock, which I liked a lot. I recommend it both for being a fun story & also for name-dropping dozens of other really good books over the course of the narrative.

Yu-Bird & Boh

Which is your favorite Ghibli movie? If you haven't seen any before, where do you think you will start? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Watercolor of upper case letter G in a lovely shade of green with gold swirls.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter G Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

Ink drawing of a giraffe wearing a ghost costume, which only covers about halfway down the giraffe's neck. G is for Ghost

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

I have always been a total bookworm. I started reading early & never stopped! Last month I wrote about 'comfort books' – the books you reach for when you want a laugh or need a hug. All the ones on my list were Discworld books. Let's branch out a little. Here are some books Terry Pratchett didn't write:

Watercolor & Ink line drawing of an open book. Pink-purple-blue haze is rising from the pages, along with bronze swirls & stars. (Reminder that I am #NotSponsored by anyone, I just love books!)

Some Great Books I Read Recently

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor or anything by Science Fiction Queen Nnedi Okorafor, really. 'Noor' is my favorite so far, but I have only discovered this author this year. A woman ostracized for her prosthetics goes on an adventure & saves the day! Kabu Kabu is a book of her short stories that is also fantastic. If you like Cory Doctorow, you desperately need to check out Nnedi Okorafor!

Dead Water by C. A. Fletcher This is a horror thriller that takes place on a Scottish island. The writing is excellent, & the cast of characters sticks with you. It's not my preferred horror genre (that's zombies) but it does feature a very well-crafted monster. If that isn't enough to get you to check it out, you should know that the audio book is beautifully read.

Piranha to Scurfy by Ruth Rendell This is another book of short stories. I am not usually all that into mysteries, but these were fun to read! I'm afraid to actually say anything about it & risk spoiling the mysteries.

Some Great Books I Re-Read Frequently

The Rampart Trilogy by M. R. Carey You might have seen me ranting about M. R. Carey before now. I love so many of his books! I am shocked this trilogy hasn't been turned into tv/movies yet. It's absolutely brilliant science fiction. If it had been around when I was in middle/high school I would have been absolutely obsessed with it. People who liked 'The Giver' but weren't impressed by its sequels will like this trilogy. The audio books are read exceptionally well! The voices I came up with in my head when I first read the physical books have been completely supplanted by the ones in the audio books, which never happens.

The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken This is the first book series I remember becoming completely obsessed with, reading it over and over until I had my favorites (“The Wolves of Willoughby Chase” & “Is Underground”) memorized.I've loved these books since I was so very little, & I realize leaves me with a hopeless bias. Nevertheless, I think this is a good book series for everyone from the age they learn to read at a chapter book level on up. It takes place in an alternate history of the UK, it's a bit steampunk, & the main character changes from book to book so you can never be sure what will happen next! Aiken reminds me a lot of Dianna Wynn Jones, who wrote 'Howl's Moving Castle' among other things. Digital drawing of a brown cat covered in grey stars sitting on a book.

Which is your favorite comfort read? If you haven't read any before, where do you think you will start? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Watercolor of upper case letter F in a lovely shade of green with gold swirls.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter F Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

Watercolor of a frozen lake with far-off trees & mountains covered in snow. A fox is curled up on the snow, watching more snow fall. F is for Fox

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

Watercolor top down view of a fried egg on a blue plate.

Egg prices are skyrocketing, with no break in sight. I saw them for $10/dozen the other day! Now is a time for eggless recipes. Luckily, you are here!

Fully Eggless Recipes

Pantry Cake Jam Tarts Pizza Dough

Things You Can Make With Pizza Dough

Fougasse & Scallion Pancake Bread Bread Art More Bread Art

Have You Heard About our Savior: Flax Egg?

Flax eggs work great as substitutions in place of eggs. Flax eggs take a little time to make up, but most of that time is spent waiting. If you mix this up before you start assembling & measuring the other ingredients, it will be ready by the time you need it.

Instructions: Use a fork to mix 1 heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water very well. Let it sit 10 minutes, until it thickens. That's it!

Warning: this does not work for every recipe. I would not use this egg substitute make a heavily whipped recipe like a souffle, or a delicate one like choux pastry. Flax eggs do, however, work wonderfully for lots of baked goods and quick batter recipes! Try it with this recipe: Peanut Butter Bread

Would you like something to enjoy with your lovely new baked goods? Follow these instructions to Have A Cuppa Tea. Don't mind using eggs in your baked goods? Find more of my recipes here! What is your favorite eggless recipe? Are you going to try any of mine? If you do, share a pic with me! Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi!

Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky Cara

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

This year we're arting the alphabet from A-Z. Letters like æ, ñ, or anything with a diacritical mark can go anywhere you like.

Watercolor of upper case letter E in a lovely shade of green with gold swirls.

Congrats on making it this far into the year! We've reached the letter E Any art subject starting with that letter is fair game, no matter how abstract.

Finished embroidery hoop: blue cloth has a coin with a hole in it stitched into the center, with concentric rings of pink and blue embroidery radiating out to the edge of the hoop. E is for Embroidery

Let's make terrific art!

Each challenge lasts 2 weeks from the day this post was made. You can submit a new picture every day, work on one picture for 2 weeks, or post pics randomly. This is the most laid-back art challenge on the internet, & that means you have plenty of time to make your art however you want.

Use #ArtABCs & tag me @KarinWanderer so I see it!

Pick your social & post your art! Mastodon Bluesky

All art styles & skill levels are welcome- beginner to expert, renaissance painting to rough sketch! No AI, Yes alt text, CW as needed. Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.

I love Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. They are my 'comfort books' – the books I reach for when I want a laugh, or need a literary hug. I feel like we could all use a hug these days.

Watercolor of Great A'Tuin, the world turtle, smiling while swimming through space & supporting 4 giant elephants who in turn support the Discworld, a flat planet with a mountain range rising higher than the clouds. Water is spilling off the sides of the planet. A sun orbits the turtle. For, as the world tumbles lazily, it is revealed as the Discworld—flat, circular, and carried through space on the back of four elephants who stand on the back of Great A’tuin, the only turtle ever to feature on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, a turtle ten thousand miles long, dusted with the frost of dead comets, meteor-pocked, albedo-eyed. No one knows the reason for all this, but it is probably quantum. ~Sir Terry Pratchett, Pyramids

My Top More-Than-7-But-Less-Than-9 Discworld Books

Any Discworld book is comforting, but when I need a boost I always fall back on my witches. The Discworld is covered in many wild and interesting characters. Not every book features all — or even any — of the witches. It just so happens that all of my favorite do. Wyrd Sisters Lords & Ladies Carpe Jugulum All of the Tiffany Aching books (you MUST read these in order. I know, Sir Pratchett said you can read all of the Discworld books in any order- but the Tiffany Aching reading order is important! Trust me!): Wee Free Men A Hat Full of Sky Wintersmith I Shall Wear Midnight The Shepherd's Crown

Watercolor of the Death of Rats: A happy skeletal rat in Death's traditional robes, standing upright with a little scythe. His bony tail and one bony foot stick out from under his robe. Text reads "D is for the Death of Rats." Death was never quite sure why he allowed the Death of Rats to have an independent existence. After all, being Death meant being Death of everything, including rodents of all descriptions. But perhaps everyone needs a tiny part of themselves that can, metaphorically, be allowed to run naked in the rain, to think the unthinkable thoughts, to hide in corners and spy on the world, to do the forbidden but enjoyable deeds. ~Sir Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

NonDiscworld Discworld Books

I would like to take a moment to talk about some books that technically aren't part of the Discworld, but I love them all the same. Science of Discworld 1-4 By Pratchett, mathematician Ian Stewart, & biologist Jack Cohen. The Wizards of Unseen University have done an experiment and accidentally created Roundworld, an oddball planet where narrativium doesn't exist... or does it? It would be strange to call a four-book series a 'standalone' anywhere but the Disc, where the impossible happens with regularity.

Death's Domain By Pratchett & artist Paul Kidby. This book contains exactly what is says in the title: a deeper look into the place where Death, for lack of a better term, lives. It includes a lot of Kidby's art as well as detailed descriptions of things that get little attention in the books.

Watercolor of The White Horse of Uffington, an enormous chalk horse carved into the side of a hill. “It’s the White Horse,” said Tiffany. “Why do they call it that?” said Miss Tick. Tiffany looked at her. “Because the chalk is white?” she said, trying not to suggest that Miss Tick was being a bit dense. “No, I meant why do they call it a horse? It doesn’t look like a horse. It’s just... flowing lines...” that look as if they’re moving, Tiffany thought... “’Ain't what a horse looks like,” said Tiffany. “It’s what a horse be.” ~Sir Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Which is your favorite Discworld book? If you haven't read any before, where do you think you will start? What do you read for comfort that isn't a Discworld book? Let me know on Mastodon or Ko-Fi! Have a fantastic day, draw something for my art challenge, see you next week!

Get my art on mugs & vinyl stickers in my Shop!

Join us for #ArtABCs, the best art challenge on the internet!

Find me

  • All pictures posted are my own work.
  • All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.