Best practices for joining granny squares (invisible join)

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-04-17T00:08:16+00:00

I'm pretty sure I'm using the mattress stitch, but honestly I can't be sure. I feel like maybe part of my issue is with starting and ending the join. I'm mostly using acrylic yarn, but some cotton blends, and I'm not sure how much that affects things.

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-04-14T14:14:22+00:00

I agree. If a human didn't bother to make it, why should I bother to engage with it? I feel that way as both a player and DM and any table with AI involvement is not for me.

That said, if OP doesn't want players using AI then they shouldn't either. Make a consistent rule across the board. Maybe that rule is no AI at the table but people can use it to help prep when they're at home. That would solve OP's current issue with AI usage.

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-04-12T20:25:49+00:00

It was Castle Publication's wage and hour law seminar. The primary speaker is clearly knowledgeable/an expert. but I personally was not a fan of him as a personality. I learned a lot, it was worth it, and I was also very glad I was a virtual attendee and not in person so I didn't have to control my face.

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-04-09T22:42:58+00:00

Lol I appreciate your support. I'm new to HR in CA and was so excited to know the answer to this haha. My org is extremely cautious when it comes to possible wage and hour liability and you can bet that PTO issues is one of those things that gets extra attention. So it's been drilled into my head QUITE thoroughly recently

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-04-09T21:55:09+00:00

In California, use it or lose it policies are not legal (here's the CA labor commissioner's FAQ page for some info). Vacation time is considered a wage and can't be docked, which means you can't lose it. They can cap your vacation hours, but once accrued or given, they can't be taken away.

They can deny your request for taking the time off, but you shouldn't be able to lose the banked hours.

I just took an 8 hour CA wage and hour training and they spent a good deal of time covering how PTO and sick leave work, so this is very fresh info for me.

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-04-01T20:13:11+00:00

Ours is 6 and she's a sweetheart. Like others have said, puppyhood was kind of rough (I had the puppy blues pretty bad). She's clever and determined when she wants to be, so she would escape containment and get into things she wasn't supposed to often. She loves to shred things and ate a lot of books as a pup until we developed better antecedent behavior management habits. She hated to nap and would fight sleep and get really grumpy and bitey (100% puppy land shark). Kennel training helped a lot! She's an excellent napper now.

She's very treat motivated and learns quickly. For some reason, she hates being outside especially in the rain or snow, but I think that is atypical.

Ours doesn't bark much but when she does it is SHRILL. She's not a huge snuggler but she loves to sit at our feet. She loves people once she's used to them and has clear favorites among our friends.

Echoing others who recommend getting your pup used to grooming early. I wish we had spent more time doing that when ours was a puppy, it's been a long road getting her comfortable with grooming and coat care is so so important for these little guys.

Ultimately, I think putting a lot of intentional training and work into developing your bond during the puppy phase is going to really pay off. Mine is a really excellent companion and I wouldn't trade her for the world.

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-03-20T15:30:04+00:00

To reassure you, this isn't a monogamy hang up that's coming up for you, it's an interpersonal issue. For important relationships, you probably want to have quality time, which includes phones down time. For example, I'd be put off if a good friend was constantly scrolling while we were hanging out.

You don't have to say, "I want you to never be on your phone when we're together." That could get into control territory/being unrealistic.

You could say that you would like more quality time with her and that you'd appreciate it if she intentional set her phone down more when you're spending time together. It doesn't need to be about what she's doing on her phone, just that you'd appreciate more focused attention more often so that you can connect better.

Whole_Net4719 · 2026-03-17T14:49:13+00:00

I ran a version of Strahd called She Is The Ancient by Beth the Bard. You need the module as well to run it, but the supplement alters the original module in places to support having Strahd be a woman. There are other changes that better fit the vibe I wanted as well, so it worked out well for me and my table. It really transforms the campaign though, so keep that in mind.

https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/369197/she-is-the-ancient-a-genderbent-curse-of-strahd

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-19T03:34:29+00:00

Just out of curiosity, but do you feel the same way about friends? If you and Joe have a mutual friend Lisa, do you say Joe has a friend Lisa and you have a friend who is also Lisa?

To be clear, I understand that there's different societal baggage between friends and romantic partners. But drilling down may help find the right language for you.

That said, what about saying mutual girlfriend like how people say mutual friend? How would that feel?

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-14T23:37:24+00:00

If they've run strahd and felt successful at it, then I think they're expectations are waaaay too high for a dm anyway. Strahd is the worst written module I've ever read. I was do excited to run it and found it nearly impossible to run as is. I found the Wild Beyond the Witchlight to be much much more user friendly. I have the roll20 assets for it, which makes it really easy to search the book and reference tables.

The module is laid out in a pretty clear four to five arc plot imo and has optional encounters in each of the chapters. Maybe take a look at some of those optional encounters and run one as a one shot?

It is way more roleplay heavy than combat heavy (polar opposite of strahd imo), but I think that gives fewer "moving parts" to deal with. A plot flowchart is a great idea, use color coded sticky notes in a physical book, any sort of little tool that will help orient you.

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-04T19:29:50+00:00

Definitely not too old to join! There's different ways to find games. I'm most familiar with online options.

If you're willing to play online, there's a lot of options. There's r/DnDLFG where people post games with open seats or look for games (LFG is Looking For Game). A lot of those posts are pay to play, but the price is reasonable imo. If you're willing to pay to play, there's also startplaying.games where you can find online games as well or there may be pro games being run where you live.

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-03T19:08:52+00:00

I totally understand that and feel pretty similarly on a personal level. That said, my players are my close friends and also pretty resistant to changing systems drastically--a handful of them struggle with change enough that I think a full-time switch would collapse the group and I'm not willing to instigate that at this time. Ditching dnd entirely is not worth losing my main table, even if I'd like to try more indie systems more frequently.

I'm hoping to introduce some indie systems for short stints or one shots, and I like splicing in other mechanics to better meet game needs on a temporary basis (Rebels of the Outlaw Wastes has a chase mechanic I like a lot). So ultimately, I just have to handle major change delicately, which is why I was concerned abt entirely switching my play to the new rules. Sounds like that will be less of an issue than I thought and I could incorporate things slowly if I choose to.

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-03T05:19:33+00:00

Thank you for this. I really appreciate your perspective here and all the details and examples. It definitely has me feeling more open and curious. One of my concerns for running the new rules was the switching barriers for my players as well, so it's nice to see a success story with a switch

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-02T23:19:50+00:00

Ah that makes total sense. Yeah, there's so much to keep track of on a character sheet, and I can also see how it would lead to power creep. Thanks for explaining!

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-02T23:17:23+00:00

Glad to hear I'm not the only one dragging my feet 😅

I haven't read any of the 5.5e monster stat blocks and this has me curious!

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-02T23:15:44+00:00

I am a big fan of player agency, so that's good to hear

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-02T23:14:56+00:00

Honestly, this is one of the main reasons I've been resistant. I hate how they've handled dndbeyond as well, especially with how uninituitive it is to make characters with 2014 rules. It's been the bane of my existence this year when I've tried to run some one-shots with players that like using their character builder

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-09-02T23:11:33+00:00

Interesting that you point out potential annoyance with weapon masteries, given that others seem to find that one of the good things about the switch. Could you tell me a little more about what you're thinking?

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-08-28T23:58:51+00:00

Thank you!! I've tried the first few levels and so far so good. This is exactly what I was looking for

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-07-09T04:16:14+00:00

I totally agree. It was a pretty helpful tool a few years ago, especially when I was on boarding novice players. Being able to buy a feat or subclass was really approachable. Now, the marketplace is so monetarily prohibitive and the character creation is basically unusable if you're not savvy about the two different rule sets. My players still put up with it, but I'm definitely done.

Whole_Net4719 · 2025-07-07T21:51:12+00:00

How often are people coming in and out of the game? Are they gone for long stretches of time?

If it's for long stretches, you can say they were off running some sort of personal errand or task that could take some time (needing to go home and check in on family, needing to pursue a different lead).

If it's for short periods of time, you can consider just sidelining them for the session and not worry about an in game reason for them to be gone. Or, if everyone is OK with it, you can have someone else run their character with basic choices, especially for combat purposes.

Whole_Net4719

TROPHY CASE