overview for pedantichedgehog

Singer is one of the most popular brands so will be easiest to find parts for. Husqvarna and Brother are slightly less popular but still pretty popular. I've never heard of any other the other brands you listed. Some parts, like needles, are standardized. Others aren't.

You can't sew with two needles at once, but there is such thing as a double needle that's used for special cases. More than likely you won't need one. The second spool holder is most likely for 1) use with a double needle, 2) quickly swapping out thread colors or 3) actually a bobbin/spool winder and not actually for holding a spool you're using.

As for stitch pattern symbols, each symbol is supposed to look like the stitch it creates. I would recommend trying to find a video showing all the stitches for whatever machine you pick. If you can't find such a video, you can experiment with some scrap fabric.

Second darned sock in c/sewingrepairing

[–] pedantichedgehog 2 points 10 months ago

Nope, but YMMV

Second darned sock in c/sewingrepairing

[–] pedantichedgehog 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

https://sh.itjust.works/post/1057350

How do FOSS enthusiasts sew? What hardware do they buy? in c/sewingrepairing

[–] pedantichedgehog 3 points 10 months ago (4 children)

So...the first thing you need to understand is that there are different types of sewing machines, as someone commented on your original post. There are:

"Regular" sewing machines, which can be either mechanical or computerized. These are the type of machines virtually all hobbyists use and can handle a huge range of projects, from linen napkins to ballgowns. It's important to note that either the computer or the mechanical system determines stitch length and width.
Serging machines, which cut the fabric while sewing it, and make a single specialized stitch.
Embroidery machines. These are similar to "regular" sewing machines, but with a wider table and extra parts for stretching out the area you're embroidering. They also have a computer to track/calculate the stitches in a given embroidered image.

As far as I'm aware, software is only available for embroidery machines. The computers in anything less than the most expensive of home sewing machines are pretty simple, and I'm not even sure how you would access them. They don't connect to wifi, and there are no ports in the machines except for power and the foot pedal.

For the use cases you listed, I recommend a basic "regular" sewing machine such as this one. Any regular sewing machine built in the past several decades will be able to use a variety of stitches out of the box.

For repairing socks specifically, I agree with the other poster who talked about zigzag and stretch stitches.

53

Second darned sock (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by pedantichedgehog to c/sewingrepairing

6 comments fedilink

I've recently started darning my worn-out socks (shoutout to that one poster who posted a tutorial) and so it's going really well! My socks are still comfy, and the woven patches do the job.

27

SV: lost the weight I gained over vacation (self.loseit)

submitted 10 months ago by pedantichedgehog to c/[email protected]

1 comments fedilink

I had a week-long staycation while relatives visited recently, and weate out several times. I gained a couple of pounds. As of this morning, I have officially lost it all and am down to 152lbs.

4

Turns out my toddler DOES like spaghetti, but only if it's MY spaghetti. (self.parenting)

submitted 1 year ago by pedantichedgehog to c/[email protected]

0 comments fedilink

My toddler has been going through a incredibly picky phase. He's been turning his nose up at foods he's consistently eaten before, and...it's been a struggle.

Recently, I made myself spaghetti for dinner. My partner had already coaxed our son into eating some eggs and fruit, and my son had shown no interest in spaghetti two days earlier, so I didn't make any for him.

Turns out the toddler does like spaghetti, and is very insistent on eating it if he can eat it off my fork, out of my bowl, while I'm also trying to eat from the same bowl. If I give up, give him the whole bowl and look for something else? Nah. Then it's no good anymore apparently.

Why are toddlers like this?

12

SV: 7 lbs down since mid-May (self.loseit)

submitted 1 year ago by pedantichedgehog to c/[email protected]

2 comments fedilink

I started CICO, once again, mid-May at 160 pounds. Now at the end of June, I'm down to 153 lbs.

6

[vent] does anyone else get frustrated at larger folks who want to lose weight? (self.loseit)

submitted 1 year ago by pedantichedgehog to c/[email protected]

10 comments fedilink

I'm a short person. I'm also sedentary and classified as overweight but not obese. As such, my TDEE is around 1600-1700 calories. So, to lose weight at the pace I'd like, I have to restrict myself to 1200 calories a day.

My partner is taller, fatter and has more muscle mass than me. He's talked about wanting to lose weight to get healthier, but when it comes down to it he won't do anything. Which is baffling to me, because his TDEE is high enough that he could eat waaay more than me and still lose weight.

Ugh. It's frustrating.

6

how long does it take to learn a song + process question (self.piano)

submitted 1 year ago by pedantichedgehog to c/[email protected]

1 comments fedilink

How long does it take you to get from never seeing a sheet before to playing at the recommended tempo? Just wondering what's typical.

It typically takes me several weeks at a minimum, with the caveats that I have little time for practice and am self-taught because I don't have money for a teacher.

My process is this: practice each hand independently in chunks, bring each hand up to the 'normal' tempo, then put the hands together at sloooow tempo and gradually raise the tempo. The last part takes the longest. Does anyone have suggestions for improving my process?

24

Is learning programming worth it? Outside of a career, what can I do with programming? (self.python)

submitted 1 year ago by pedantichedgehog to c/python

19 comments fedilink

I learned a little bit of python back in college with the hope that it would give me a competitive edge in the field I hoped to enter. Lo and behold, I got a job in a different industry entirely and any knowledge of coding I once had became irrelevant.

Would it be worth it to pick up my python textbook again and self-teach in my free time if I don't want to make a career of coding? What exactly can python be used to create?

13

Progress, not perfection (or, why I'll consider it a win if I'm still tracking calories at the end of this month) (self.loseit)

submitted 1 year ago by pedantichedgehog to c/[email protected]

2 comments fedilink

So I'm currently on my fifth or sixth attempt to lose weight. Historically, I've tracked my calorie intake for a few weeks or a few months, lost a few pounds, fallen off the wagon and gained it all back.

There are a number of things going on this month that I'm choosing to participate in that are going to have to be cheat days or cheat meals. Without disclosing too many details, my workplace is holding an event where there's going to be a lot of free food. Another one is that I'll be traveling for work for a few days and I'll be eating out since I won't have access to a kitchen.

Progress, not perfection is the mantra I've been repeating. I'm gonna want to stop counting calories on the work trip - a work trip was the hurdle that made me give on my last weight loss attempt. I'm trying to give myself some grace - it's okay if I gain some weight, because I can lose it again if I keep tracking my intake. Even if I don't limit what I eat at all on the trip and the other events, if I get back on the weight loss wagon that's still progress.