yarnfish
Hello there! I'm Cora, and this is my personal site to share my love of crochet, pixel art, and the indie web!
Current Projects
2026.02.28
Crochet
I'm taking a short break from the doily study to work on another scrappy project. I've got a dedicated bin for worsted yarn scraps, and I'm turning all of it into a throw blanket! For this, I'm using Tunisian crochet, specifically the Tunisian Simple Stitch.
Tunisian crochet is like a hybrid of knitting and crochet. You use a crochet hook, but—like knitting— you hold a row of open loops and work stitches into them one at a time. In knitting, one needle holds the loops while the other needle works the stitches. In Tunisian crochet, the hook does both jobs but in two steps: the forward pass (pick up all the loops) and the return pass (work stitches into the loops). The resulting fabric is more like knit fabric than crochet fabric in terms of texture and drape. However, because of its construction, it's not nearly as stretchy as knit can be.
That said, if you love the look of knit fabric but struggle with knitting itself, give Tunisian crochet a try! I've created a new category of links in my digital garden for Tunisian crochet if you want to learn more! 
Miniblog
2026.02.16
Honestly, I often don't know what to write here. Sometimes I have big life events or silly little adventures that feel obvious to share. But oftentimes, my life is simply plodding along as usual: work, play games, craft, hang out with loved ones, sleep, repeat. So, to mix things up a little, I figured I'd throw in a Tarot reading every now and then to brush off my skills! Here's what I drew for myself today:
What do I need to pour my energy into today? The Ace of Wands
Deck: Sefirot - The Spheres of Heaven Tarot
Aces represent beginnings and potential, while Wands represent passion and creative energy. My eyes are drawn to the flower bud at the top. It seems to be buzzing with energy, eagerly awaiting its time to bloom. But my eyes are also drawn to the hands at the base of the plant. In contrast to the electric energy of the bud, the hands are gentle and careful.
Today, I need to dedicate energy to my creative projects like my website, art, or crochet. I've been dreaming up a lot of ideas and adding tasks to my to-make lists. Now is a good time to develop and explore those ideas. However, I shouldn't rush in and burn myself out. A blazing fire will extinguish itself if it has no fuel left to burn. Good work takes time and care. I need to be gentle with myself and practice patience when cultivating my creativity. The results will come with time.
Pic Log
My boyfriend saw this shrimp keychain and bought it for me (among with some other cute, silly things). The chain it came with was too long for my keys,but I'll find a replacement one for it soon. I love how realistic it looks!
Latest Garden Update
Latest Pixels
Valentines Mailbox. Made this cute, little mailbox for a Colors TCG challenge.
Latest Craft
"Sweetheart Soiree" by Julia Hart. Click image for more details.
Media Log
2026.02.28
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 4 by Natsu Hyuuga
"Though her main duty is still looking after Consort Gyokuyou, Maomao finds time to help her friends and acquaintances in the rear palace, including Xiaolan, who will need a job after her term of service ends, and Consort Lishu, who's convinced she's seen a ghost! ... Meanwhile, Maomao begins to discern what seem to be links between otherwise unrelated incidents in the rear palace. But what if her dawning knowledge makes her the next victim?" (Kobo)
My thoughts so far: This is the current book for my light novel/danmei book club. It's another re-read for me, but I've been looking forward to this one. I feel like it's the book where the major plot elements start coming together to form the overarching story. I adore this series so much. My friend and I can easily spend 2+ hours discussing just one-third of these books. There's just so much to unpack in each volume, particularly with regard to the lives of women in a deeply patriarchal society.
I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin
"Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC. But there are rules: He cannot look inside the box. He cannot ask questions. He cannot tell anyone. They must leave immediately. He must leave all trackable devices behind. As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war..." (Kobo)
My thoughts so far: This is my "breakfast book," the one I read with my morning coffee and eggs. The book so far has been a critique on the toxcitiy and absurdity of online life, particularly how small internet rumors can snowball into overblown, "trending" conspiracies and how someone's entire life can be upturned from one bad interaction online. It's been an entertaining read so far, but it has its heavvy moments.
Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed History of America by Michael Harriot (Audiobook)
"America's backstory is a whitewashed mythology implanted in our collective memory. It is the story of the pilgrims on the Mayflower building a new nation. It is George Washington's cherry tree and Abraham Lincoln's log cabin. It is the fantastic tale of slaves that spontaneously teleported themselves here with nothing but strong backs and negro spirituals. It is a sugarcoated legend based on an almost true story... In Black AF History, Michael Harriot presents a more accurate version of American history. Combining unapologetically provocative storytelling with meticulous research based on primary sources as well as the work of pioneering Black historians, scholars, and journalists, Harriot removes the white sugarcoating from the American story, placing Black people squarely at the center." (Kobo)
My thoughts so far: I'm actually restarting this book as an audiobook! I bought it originally as an ebook, but Harriot is such a masterful storyteller that I didn't get far before I realized that this book should be heard, not just read. Fortunately, Harriot himself did the narration for the audiobook version, and it's been an excellent experience to hear it in his voice.
fantasy
Lord of Mysteries, Volume 1: Clown by Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
"In the storm of steam and machinery, who can achieve the extraordinary? In the fog of history and darkness, who whispers? When Zhou Mingrui wakes up bloody and dazed, he finds himself in a world of guns, factories, airships, and difference engines. But underneath the surface of all this industry, there exists a secret society revolving around potions, divination, sealed artifacts, and much more. As Zhou Mingrui tries to find out what brought him to this place, he quickly learns that mystery is lurking around every corner—and danger is never far behind!" (Yen Press)
My thoughts so far: I learned about this series just last week. Specifically, I heard about its anime adaptation, which was lauded for it's detailed wroldbuilding, which I'm an absolute sucker for. I knew I was going to be in for a treat when YouTube gave me so many "Lord of Mysteries: Explained" videos and top comments screaming, "If you love this, READ THE BOOK!" I've only just started, but I'm hooked!
Site Updates
- 2026.02.28: Updated Current Projects and Media Log
- 2026.02.22: Updated OW shrine
- 2026.02.16: Updated Index and Crafts pages.
- 2026.02.09: Updated Garden and Media Log. Added contact form to Exit page.
- 2026.01.28: Updated Index and Crafts pages.
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