A Deep Dive Into the Chunky Boy Crochet Lore

[@CubeIsHorse]

Every time they said “chunky boy hook handle” i just kept going “man door hand hook car door”

[@BubblegumSocialClub]

This comment made my day

[@itsafroggytime]

i was scrolling thru the comments while the video was playing and i came across your comment, then later in the video when Em mentioned the hook in hand, i just lost it

[@Steelerebecca92]

Ah a person of culture

[@squirrelgadget3498]

*Whisper singing* mr sandmaaaaan

[@platannapipidae9621]

​@@squirrelgadget3498 young man! Take the bread sticks and run!

[@hello_again9149]

the hardest decision when it comes to these videos is deciding between eating while watching or knitting/crocheting while watching. The struggle is real :(

[@aspeninthemoment]

my ardent hope for you is that this video is long enough that you can do both 😎

[@shellinsanity9936]

meanwhile i'm somehow gaming while watching, lol

[@faeshyye6193]

i literally experience this every time too LOL

[@hello_again9149]

@@shellinsanity9936 that too, minecraft is open on the side lmao

[@hello_again9149]

@@aspeninthemoment I confirm that I did both 🥳

[@sophie427]

you said a complaint was the holes being misaligned and i assumed that meant a little off center. NOTHING could have prepared me for those pictures. absolutely no quality control indeed

[@donutcat5535]

40:53 like in this photo, that purple and green/black ones’ holes are SO OFF. I’m genuinely curious as to how things like that happen when you have a mold. If your mold has a hole in the center, how could you end up with it that far off? Unless she makes the holes after the silicone cures?

[@JayEyedWolf]

​@@donutcat5535 My guess is that the thing she used for the holes wasn't actually a completed mold piece, but she was instead just using, like... a dowel that she stuck in like a popsicle stick, or a knitting needle with mold release or something. Nothing to center it or keep it straight, something mcguyver'd and unsecured to hold it in place at BEST. This would also explain why complaints of the CB2.0 included "unfinished" and "raw" parts around the top opening-- if the mold was built with the top of the chunky boy pointing downwards and she inserted whatever she was using after, there would likely be silicone that needed to be trimmed off at the bottom of the mold/top of the chunky boy. Cut too deep or have too much excess there, and you have that issue. Some of the bottoms of the chunky boys also looked REAL sketch to me, so I half wonder if she had a double-length mold with something stuck haphazardly through it and then cut the piece in half once it cured. But that's pure speculation. It's notable that she cites the **DIY** "adult toys" subreddit and not, like, any person or group with experience manufacturing silicone-mold products at any measure of scale. Like, adult toys aren't properly regulated, so there's no GUARANTEE any indie studio in the field would have had much better advice for her, but a DIY subreddit simply is not the group to advise you on making reusable, replicable, scalable models.

[@simplypaul8681]

​@JayEyedWolf God that was annoying to read

[@AlexisTwoLastNames]

@@simplypaul8681why did you read it then? make better choices for yourself, dude.

[@InsoIence]

@@JayEyedWolf What baffles me is why she didn't: 1. Make a clay Chunky Boy (treat the surface properly with resin and mold release) 2. Make hard walls, put clay CB inside (suspending upside down it if needed to get that round top) 3. Pour silicone 4. Make a lid for the silicone mold using clay/wood/whatever and attach rod/dowel/crochet hook to it (make sure it goes all the way to the bottom) 5. Apply mold release to mold and lid+rod 6. Pour silicone and close lid thus putting the rod inside the future silicone Chunky Boy (could even make sure the rod goes into a recess, to ensure it goes through all the way, while any extra silicone can be trimmed after demolding) I'm no expert but that's what resin and silicone people do on YT and it turns out better than this product. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Research and Development are incredibly important when creating a product. If one doesn't put in the work as manufacturer, one doesn't get to put blame for failure on anything or anybody else.

[@doobat708]

So, someone I know at a distance, makes adult toys with body safe silicone in various shapes, colours, and levels of firmness. They're a business the same size as Beth's. They pour the toys in small batches, by hand. They have been doing this for, idk, nearly ten years? More than five, anyway. Sure, they have mispours, but those get sold at a discount, or completely distroyed, depending on what the flaws are. They're stringent about quality control, and it shows in their products. They've won awards for them! They took the time and effort to really get to know the material, which, I feel, Beth never did. It can absolutely be done. Just limit your drops, limit your pre-orders/custom orders, and check, check, check what comes out of your moulds!

[@prince_of_cats]

thank you for the knowledge that there are awards given out for adult toy manufacturers. makes the world a more interesting place to live in (:

[@cinnasauria]

Yeah, when Beth looked for advice on how to make silicone products and I think it would've gone a long way to look into how they're sold, too. This is how I've seen it done, and it really seems to be what works.

[@minchow1111]

link?

[@TBFjourney]

You will never meet a community more serious about silicone quality and finish than people who routinely shove things up their back door. And I don't blame them

[@texasford3726]

I can start guessing "big" name fantasy adult toys and might know your friend hahaha

[@TeenieTinyClown]

My problem with this lady is she thinks her handmade items are okay to be not good quality because they’re….handmade. She puts so much on getting into a manufacturer, as if her handmade items being awful is totally okay because they’re not made in a factory. If you’re running a business you have to have quality control and if you can’t make the same item even a little similar then you’ve just failed. You don’t need a manufacturer to make a good product. She is just making excuses for not being able to make a good product.

[@alxndria1]

Yeah, it’s entitled behavior.

[@draconicfeline6177]

The reason why we have factories is because there needs to be consistency. Customers of all sorts want consistency and affordability. These days, handmade should ALWAYS be about quality and 'love' shown to individual batches, and yeah, you do sacrifice some consistency, but I think that its perfectly reasonable to expect better quality items for the higher price of handmade.

[@jackpijjin4088]

Yeah. In general, "non-factory" items are expected to be SUPERIOR quality to those from factories. Look at hand-made woodworking or lutherie tools, or custom art supplies. Boutique guitar pedals and instruments. If somebody made a turd in any of those communities, they'd be obliterated.

[@LilyLewis771]

Yeah, I think it’s because there’s a lot of people out there who are really into spreading positivity over hand made projects with mistakes- which is totally fine if that makes them feel better about their projects, like yeah no human being is capable of being perfect. However, there’s a huge difference between ‘project you personally make for yourself/someone else’ and ‘product you are selling to customers’ and just because A and B are both handmade doesn’t mean the standards are the same. Like, a restaurant needs to have food safety certification, health inspections, and a liquor license if they serve alcohol, and I can just make my friends dinner and drinks in my kitchen without any of those things, and it’s because *I’m not serving a product to customers* not because my stuff is somehow ‘more handmade’ than a chef’s. Once you start selling something the standards change.

[@sluggytube]

Oh man, I can immediately think of like 5 plus companies specializing in handmade products that have been around for years, who are consistently doing well, have high customer satisfaction, etc. And it’s a combination of quality product (DUH!), high level customer service, not getting too big too fast, etc. Edison Pens, Rickshaw Bagworks, Field Notes, Schon DSGN pens, planner refills from Paper Qualia on Etsy, etc. So yeah, her whole “handmade = not great” argument is maybe not the mic drop she thinks it is 😂

[@princess_intell]

If you are a small business owner, quality control MUST be your #1 priority. The fact that people were getting their handles in flat-out incorrect colorways and/or with defects this glaring is appalling to me.

[@jessicamiller2899]

I was one of those customers…she did send me a replacement, but the quality issues were off putting, esp for what the cost.

[@Earendilgrey]

I understand slight differences because of the nature of mixing dyes and whatnot, but some were majorly off.

[@sapphirecamui6447]

I think clients should have been notified of the color mix-ups. The hole for the hook and instructions on how to insert the hook are unforgivable IMHO.

[@gotmilkbutt]

Yeah especially when these handles are like the lowest effort thing to make ever you just casting silicone into a cylinder shaped hole like I could make a hundred of these in a night it wouldn't even be hard. You just got to make a couple molds and do more than one at a time. XD

[@Broken_robot1986]

You can just say color.

[@ShawnaMerrill]

love learning lore about things that don't seem like they should have lore

[@Aster_Risk]

My favorite thing is real life lore! I can't get enough of this stuff.

[@awaredeshmukh3202]

Every topic in the UNIVERSE has fractal rabbit holes and more fractal rabbit holes. My actions suggest my goal is to find them all.

[@scream_kinh614]

Yes like dad lore or mom lore or granma lore. That shit is soooo good to find out ​@Aster_Risk

[@eiramu]

I’m not even interested in crotchet and yet I’m here for the lore

[@jbaby362]

​@@eiramuSame, it's incredible learning about other corners of the world

[@Notion_Hoarder]

This is a weird question: Why not try to get a manufacturer that specializes in…a certain type of adult toy…. They’re already specialized in the process with a…thicker…silicone.

[@jurassica2504]

Oh such a good shout. I was thinking why not use a different material like expanding foam, or have a foam core with a silicone outer layer

[@Spungbop420]

That is LITERALLY what I said to my gf before seeing your comment, lol. They know how this type of material works AND they’re familiar with this shape! 😂

[@sage7511]

I'm literally thinking about reaching out to my favorite indie ...toy... maker to see if they would be willing to work with me on making a custom set of something like these (but probably in a shape that's better suited to the human hand lol)

[@historianKelly]

​@@jurassica2504 when my mom developed numbness in her hands from a cancer treatment, an occupational therapist gave her this tube made from silicone & foam with a hole down the middle, that can be easily removed & reused, for silverware. After my mom died, I put it on one of my crochet hooks (the hole is quite wide, so I use it on my jumbo hooks, 8mm and larger), and now use it for ergonomic relief on my jumbo hooks. Otherwise I have Furls hooks & they actually help. I'm wondering why no occupational therapist mentioned this kind of foam & silicone thing (I wish I knew what they called it, it's just a tube with a hole down the center)?

[@knittingwithchloe]

Just made this comment without seeing yours first. Hear, hear!

[@rowan6650]

Something about her phrasing the store not succeeding financially as "we didn't get the support we needed from the community to stay open" feels really off to me. Like, it shifts blame off onto others for a perceived "owing" the store support. And she clarifies more in the interview and kind of owns up to not really knowing the area well/thinking it through much but it's still said in a way that makes it feel like she's shifting blame.

[@RogueAstro85]

That's actually the intended meaning of the phrase "The customer is always right." If you're selling something and it isn't selling well, the problem is with what you're selling or how you're selling it, the problem is not the customer

[@lucyjordan1953]

She was dropping 3 at a time......that cannot be successful

[@elaineortiz653]

Maybe it was the way she handled customers' legit complaints with a product that shouldn't have passed quality standards. I shared my story in the comments. She basically blamed the crooked hole and it tearing on me.

[@finnascrem4088]

Honestly if Bad Dragon can make silicon products of that size, width, and with holes through the center, Chunky Boys can be made, too.

[@Manakuuchiha]

Collab when

[@KeriBerry420]

And Primal Hardwere, Square Peg, Hodgepodge Entourage, And tons more on etsy

[@ms_ch]

A wrote dozens of paragraphs and you said it all in a sentence. Nice brain you have there.

[@cardinalartist]

finally, a deep dive into a niche part of a community im hardly a part of- my favorite way to celebrate pride

[@aspeninthemoment]

happy pride :)

[@arwarnt4005]

@cardinalartist exactly my thought!! 💝

[@im-just-kate]

that's exactly why I subscribed to this channel, lmao - happy pride!

[@CommanderWiggins]

The peak gay passtime is watching videos on drama in communities you aren't involved in and on people you don't know anything about.

[@anyjen]

​@@CommanderWiggins it's so delightful, isn't it? The emotional distance makes it so you can come in without any previously formed opinions and can (mentally) take and change sides with impunity.

[@longtailedbroadbill]

I'm an OT, no idea what study, but its about the same diameter as "built up handles" which are for people with hand dysfunction who have problems grasping narrow tools like pens, toothbrushes etc. It's a foam tube that can be fit to customize whatever. And the concept of designing something for someone with a disability and then finding society as a whole benefits from it is called Universal Design.

[@ragdollrose2687]

Yeah I cringed just a tiny bit hearing her saying "the tool I invented", cause no it's been around for a while, you're just making it prettier for a niche market (which is awesome but not inventing something)

[@longtailedbroadbill]

@@ragdollrose2687 well, if by prettier you mean penis shaped..... lol

[@gl990]

Special Ed Teacher here (who works very closely with my OT friends)-I was just going to comment about Universal Design, so I’m glad you already did!😊

[@sisuka6505]

I don't know if I am misunderstanding things, but this case I don't see it as Universal Design as it wasn't intentionally designed to be useful to as many people as well as possible. In UD the are additional benefits to society as a whole, but it starts with the the intention to be as usable as possible by people with varying abilities. The Chonky Boy designed for a very specific case, but found a wider user base, which I think has another term for it which that Emma used, but I missed.

[@blowitoutyourcunt7675]

Squishy foam shelf liners cut & rolled up are much better IMO cuz you can customize them to any length/width unlike these chunky boys which are way to big for my petit self! I've modified many pens/pencils, kitchen utensils, toothbrushes etc for my differently abled Toddlers and kiddos, as well as crochet handles for my tiny EDS hands! *Nanny who cares for medically challenged littles! Ps - Cutting triangles work better than rectangles! Try it!

[@mikwolf2236]

On the cockroach thing. Look, I am not an anthropologist, but knowing how it works, if anthropologists found chunky boys they would categorize it as a fertility ritual tool

[@princess_intell]

What about the crochet hooks they inevitably find fossilized in the silicone 💀💀

[@mikwolf2236]

@@princess_intell clearly fertility and domestic labor like textile creation had important cultural connections

[@ragdollrose2687]

@@princess_intellthey'll call it a primitive form of contraception 😭😭😭

[@princess_intell]

@@ragdollrose2687 OH GOD (I actually hope so)

[@vaporean_boylove.0w083]

That's sounds hilarious but also kinda horrifying xD

[@Pelicangirl218]

Hi Research technician here. The impaled hand injury is very similar to a laboratory injury that can occur when you insert a glass/plastic pipette into a filler ball. This injury is relatively common and I've seen it addressed in many lab safety training videos. All of this to say, it is extremely easy to get distracted by the need to complete a task and inadvertently perform the task in a dangerous way.

[@ana96683]

I had a similar accident at my lab, stabbed myself right through my finger and you don't really notice until it's too late cause it happens so fast 🥲 also depending on the sharpness of the object, you don't really think it's a possibility! A regular 3.5mm hook is not that sharp, and if it hadn't happened to me I wouldn't understand how easy it is to end up like this. We have a lot of strength and our bodies are really fragile lol it only takes a second. I will say that maybe it's my personal bias but I find it appalling that this incident wasn't taken seriously at all by Beth. Shocked it didn't end up with a lawsuit.

[@justlola417]

Ice definitely almost impaled my hand with a darning needle while trying to get it through a lot of material/tightly crocheted layers, I caught myself and put everything down before anything bad happened but it's so easy to get distracted

[@manic_girl]

Oof yeah watched this happen once. Not fun.

[@elenav.5470]

I was thinking the same thing when that story came up haha! J a bio student for now, but i was extra careful in the lab the next day fs. I feel so bad for that person, it really can be an honest mistake

[@1199kat]

Lab technician here. That is exactly what I tought of as well!

[@to1620]

I’m old enough to remember that back in the 70’s it was just recommended to cut a small X into a tennis ball, and insert your crochet hook into that. Nowadays it feels like everyone MUST have the latest talked-about fad item off of TT or whatever-when there’s usually a free and already well thought out alternative.

[@snokful]

Oh totally. And also professional solutions. A lot of people with EDS and autism/carers would know this, as would a lot of senior citizens, nurses etc. And even sports physios. There are cheap ways and professional ways and heavy flabby silicone is just not a good material. And apart from that, good quality silicone is quite expensive. Engineers would generally discard this candidate early on.

[@alibrousseau7663]

I use a tear drop shaped make up sponge. It's wonderful!

[@vnnnnnnnnnnn]

i use foam grip tubing, recommended by my OT, it's so inexpensive and versatile!

[@hadleymarie2452]

@@alibrousseau7663 I’m gonna do this I think! Right now I’m using a teeny Nee Doh ball in my left hand bc I had a lot of pain from holding my working yarn and my project and the little squishy little ball keeps me from forming a full fist and keeps the pain waaaaay down! I’ve been thinking about cutting into a tennis ball for my hooks but omg a make up sponge is such a good idea

[@PaperRaven11]

I tried the tennis ball thing first, it didn’t work for the way I hold my hook. At the point that I bought my chunky boys, I had tried everything and had actually given up crocheting. I grabbed one on a whim and it’s the only thing that’s worked consistently for me.

[@myshreksbox]

I’m in the squishy dice community and she probably poured too much money into the brick and mortar then realized soft grade silicone is REALLY EXPENSIVE and probably got the cheap soft silicone where it cures differently and at different rates so some of them cure in 24 hours and some of them take a week and they can all be poured at the same time

[@jessd3012]

Omg, yes. I do molding and casting and I was seriously over here going, "$15 isn't enough for good silicone." You'd have to have so many molds going at the same time and your overhead would be AWFUL. Also, seeing some of the mistakes she was making hurt me. I just kept thinking, "3D print a three piece mold! You can make dozens of them! Texture the inside! Nooooooo!" She seems like a very nice person, just in over her head. I hope she does well with manufacturing.

[@naurrr]

​@@jessd3012 I thought the exact same thing about 3D printing, seems like it would be a good investment

[@bag0k]

I'm losing it at her really sloppy trimmed seams. It's a freaking tube. She could pour up a one piece silicone mold with 1/2" walls and pop those bad boys out in one piece. No trimming needed! And take an hour to sand and paint your master copy, sheesh. "They're handmade items" only gets you so far.

[@CommanderWiggins]

Yeah, high quality soft silicone is EXPENSIVE. She likely thought she could save money by getting lower grade silicone but there's a massive difference in quality.

[@Portal2LabRat]

today i learned there's a squishy dice community

[@ProudToBeGeeky]

Mobility aids like this already exist - solid foam grips are extremely cheap and durable, come in a variety of sizes and YOU CAN REMOVE OBJECTS WIHOUT ASSISTANCE! Seriously, dont pay $30 when you could just pay $3. This can't be used as a mobility aid because of how hard it is to remove the hooks and is either a genuine attempt to help with a lack of knowledge or a horrendous grift hiding behind good faih. Also if she'd paid attention to the DIY toy community she'd have known you need to store silicon objects carefully so they don't attract hair and stay clean! These should absolutely come in some kind of storage, even if it's just a generic cardboard box.

[@leelooelle]

Yeah, I'm annoyed at her pretending that people having hand pain from even specifically crochet is something no one has ever thought about or come up with solutions for before she started making HER product, like she was the first one ever to do this.

[@purplebushie]

I have a great egg shaped one for my EDS that my mom got me

[@definitelynotashark1799]

Right! I'm pulling my hair out over this! Grip covers in various shapes have been around for decades. A lot of them can even be put in the dishwasher. They're usually plain, but they work. I use one myself. This is such a mess and I can't believe this wasn't brought up more in the video.

[@feldspar4190]

I was really put off when she was talking about this being her mission and helping people with disabilities, but she did it worse both in function and execution than already existing products.

[@snokful]

When the video started I thought it was like an adapted pool noodle. But not dissimilar to the sort of rubbery-yet-soft grip you can get for tools and mobility aids and gym equipment.

[@goblin_corpse]

Jaida has the passion and intensity of that one kid on the playground who would run over to you unmprompted and explain _at length_ why the t-rex is the best dinosaur ever. 😂😂

[@mrsmoonheaven]

LMFAO you know what, thank you. this is true.

[@amywillis770]

The energy and passion level is THRU THE ROOF ❤

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

Excuse me but ankylosaurs existed. (just stirring the 'fave dino' pot; I'm actually more into baffling Hallucigenia or those adorable wee Eocene horses.)

[@Youaveragecountryhumansfan]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@picahudsoniaunflocked5426I’m more of a Triceratops gal, but I agree, the ankylosaurs is is not to be slept on

[@annedavis3340]

Strongly recommend the Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong youtube channel if you enjoy getting in fights in the comments about the best cretaceous creatures 😊

[@NeptuneTart]

My Dad broke some bones in his hand DIYing some skirting board in our higgledy-piggledy home at the time. He was pushing down hard on the top of the skirting board to align it with the floor and his hand slipped straight onto the floor. He didn't go to the hospital right away despite it being RIGHT NEXT DOOR (and we're in Scotland, so no POS healthcare costs). He wanted to finish his skirting boards first and declared it "wasn't that bad" even when there was a VISIBLE divot in his palm where the bone had broken and was bending towards the back of his hand. Oh, and the man's a paramedic. Like a blue lights, nee-naw paramedic. With, at the time, about 20 years of experience. He eventually went to the hospital, got an x-ray and a splint, and had to admit that "maybe it was a little broken". He still has the little dip in his palm. TL;DR It's really easy to use just a little too much force and seriously injure yourself, even paramedics can hurt themselves by accident, and the seller really should have included some serious warnings about safely inserting hooks, ESPECIALLY smaller head sizes.

[@patperrier9640]

Hubby broke his wrist when a drill kicked back at him. Got to the doctor, got a flexible cast (who knew???) and said, "So can I finish the deck now???" Men. And yeah, HE is also a former EMT...

[@kwarra-an]

Medical professionals make the worst patients 😂

[@carriethejoyful]

I just love the phrase “blue lights, nee-naw paramedic” lol

[@strawberrywheels]

what i learned here is even in places with better healthcare, it is still like pulling teeth to get a medical professional to go to the hospital😭

[@shel722]

I feel very compelled to let you know that I too have gone to the ER for a "crochet in the hand" incident. Mine however was a much much smaller size 14 steel hook that I shoved in my thumb pad while trying to string 6/0 glass beads onto my yarn. Very little damage done to my hand, much more damage done to my wallet. But the best part was the follow up call from the insurance company wanting to make sure no one else was hurt in the "incident" because it got coded in the system as a stabbing 😆😆

[@Staci_Beard]

LOL at the end. It’s wild that ICD-10-CM books have so many random things you can be injured by (a zebra, for instance), but not a crochet hook.

[@kuhriynuh]

interesting that she chose to open a brick and mortar store instead of just add to her online shop presence where her customers are?

[@latronqui]

And on the other end of the country. I suppose she was moving for other reasons but still.

[@megan-mr9vk]

i keep thinking it’s like if the scrub daddy guy went on shark tank, got the deal, and then decided to open up a cleaning supply store in kentucky.

[@radishfest]

Having a bunch of molds and inventory at home would get old so fast. My mom had a shop when I was little, it was great. By the time I was a teenager, it wasn't economically viable to rent out space so she sold things from home. Definitely preferred having space for people in the house! Literally became a hoard when her mental health dipped. My mom's a terrible person, but that objectively sucked for all of us. We deserve better as a country tbh

[@ikati-elihle]

​@@radishfestthats understandable, I would think renting out a workspace would be great. Im just not sure why the storefront aspect would be needed. Seems like it would be a waste of money to dea with store sales, displays, front of house employees, etc. Maybe renting out a office space, or other non-store workspace would be more cost effective

[@cockatoode705]

​@@ikati-elihlemy guess is that the idea of a physical store front feels more like success than an online store. It just "feels" like the next step after a successful online shop, regardless of whether its the right move or not

[@kelath5555]

I bought one of these and found a lot of the issues mentioned here: massive air bubbles, central hole so off-center that it made the Chunky Boy hard to use, every particle sticking to it, and additionally it was shedding tons of silicone crumbs. I heard that no one ever got emailed back, but a few weeks after I emailed to complain, I got a full refund without having to return it. It went in the trash. I was stunned that anyone took that thing out of the mold and said, "Yes, this is absolutely the product I want to send out."

[@tangerine2205]

right like where is the quality control? if it’s all done and packaged by hand then someone should be looking at it right

[@mmmbepis8643]

@@tangerine2205 That's what's so baffling to me. People are paying more money to support a small business, and in return they expect good quality. With this quality you'd be better off buying one of those foam handles people who have difficulty grabbing small thin objects like toothbrushes use and save yourself some time for a similar effect

[@vertigo9364]

I’m coming at this from an uh. Different angle, let’s keep it vague and youtube safe, but degrading silicone can be a sign that the material isn’t true silicone at all, and especially when it gets slimy and sticky that means toxins are being released from material degradation. This can be really quite dangerous and poisonous, especially considering one uses their hands for so many things. I wouldn’t want to touch these things, especially not hold them in my hands for extended periods of time. Unless she can prove that they’re made out of body-safe silicone I’d maybe stop using it, or use gloves and store it in a bag.

[@draconicfeline6177]

@@vertigo9364 A good point!

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

@@vertigo9364 Thanks for adding info from your uh...niche use. Seriously I have been trying to convince a friend to toss some expensive toys that I suspect are counterfeit/not pure grade silicon

[@kvarner6886]

Beth is onto something here: There's GOTTA be people with wrist joints!

[@saintnikz]

I love that you mentioned this because that got a good chuckle out of me when she said it.

[@AnnekeOosterink]

I don't know, I'm skeptical. What's the evidence that there are people with wrist joints?

[@elizabethbeierle7464]

I am a chronic sufferer of Wrist Joints, I am the target audience 😂

[@Gigi_dragoncatz]

@@AnnekeOosterinkFR

[@Gigi_dragoncatz]

@@elizabethbeierle7464😂

[@Avelanna]

so upfront, i'm a knitter and not a crocheter. this item is not something i'd ever need to buy and thus i am not the target demographic. having said that: the way beth brushes over customer concerns as "cyber bullying," her constant high energy, and just those awful product pictures really puts me off her business. if it works for people, that's wonderful! but i'd be hesitant to buy from her personally. another fabulous video and congrats on coming out

[@catmomchantel]

Honestly, even with all the other problems with the products, I think I would still have considered one in the future UNTIL I heard that she said/wrote that. It's such a giant red flag for a creator/business owner to dismiss extremely valid criticism as "bullying". Especially as a small business owner, you HAVE to be able to take constructive criticism and listen to what your customers are saying because your reputation is everything. It seriously rubs me the wrong way.

[@lixyororke]

even if she was/is experiencing cyber bullying on top of the genuine criticism, talking about both in the same breath at the very least comes off as bad optics. lots of these small businesses seem to have this problem when they have a "face" of the company, because people are directly addressing them in a way something like a supermarket or something doesnt get addressed, so they tend to conflate feedback and genuinely unhelpful comments

[@snokful]

@catmomchantel Don't consider one, they're heavy for something with as many micromovements as a crochet hook. Websearch "ergonomic foam grip" and take your pick.

[@catmomchantel]

@@snokful oh I’m not, I’d rather not have something in a silicone material because one of the main reasons I want some sort of grip for my hooks is because my hands get sweaty and silicone sound like a nightmare lol

[@Indigoification]

I have to immediately roll my eyes at this creator's origin story. She almost definitely went down a rabbit hole and found that virtually identical grips were only marketed as pencil/pen grips, or sometimes grips for cutlery from companies that are explicitly targeting the market of folks with a disability (rather than a broader crowd who'd just appreciate ergonomic design). Credit where credit's due, she's obviously marketing savvy, but FFS, the people this appealed to to such an extent that it'd be a sellout product have clearly never come across adaptive equipment before.

[@snokful]

Yep, it's cynical imho. the way she talked about pride stuff too made me slightly ill. I'd say marketing is her main talent and not much else.

[@thatonedog819]

Ngl, I have been looking for MONTHS for something like a built up handle... And I only learned that's what I've been looking for by reading the comments in this video.

[@KatieCunningham]

As soon as I heard the town she moved to, I was like, oh. Death. My in-laws live up there, and the _McDonalds_ struggles to stay open. TBH, I'm surprised her husband's family didn't give her a heads-up.

[@gabsofine]

I love how she phrased it like "I guess in Austin people just like small businesses unlike here! 🥺" like an insightful person only needs to spend one day visiting southern new york to piece together that maybe the economic climate is kinda bad lol

[@snokful]

@gabsofine "uhh... lower tax bracket"

[@soogymoogi]

As someone from the area I'm shocked she didn't even try to open a business in schenectady, albany, or troy. there's actually people there instead of dust bunnies and tumbleweeds

[@TheBluestflamingos]

​@@gabsofine tbf, she did specifically explain the financial situation of the area directly after that Austin mention, so I think she just phrased the first bit poorly.

[@AlcyonStudios]

The way she's claiming the Chunky Boy is "too big" and "too thick" and "breaks all the rules of injection silicone molding" like theres not so many companies making Silicone Sculptures SO MUCH LARGER lmfao

[@Dumpknoedel]

sculptures

[@averyeml]

She literally mentioned that the DIY Adult Toy community helped her figure it out, which… how can they help if it breaks rules and shouldn’t work 😂

[@cantstopcray]

​@@averyemlBut that doesnt mean that the DIY toy makers are using injection molding.

[@averyeml]

@@cantstopcray I mean you’re right but I also imagine if it was that bad a deal breaker they could’ve come up with something else

[@MMHay16]

The DIY toy makers probably aren't using injection molding, but the more large scale toy makers might be. And there are definitely manufactured adult toys out there MUCH larger than 1.5 inches

[@tropezando]

Hi, I'm here to solve problems for cheap because I'm a poor, disabled person. I use bubble wrap, ace bandages, pool noodles, stress balls, chunks of craft/upholstery foam, and those foam can coolers (the neoprene type ones) to modify things to have more comfortable handles. Just wrap whatever you need and tape/glue/spray adhesive. Ta dah! Though, the polymer clay original idea works well too, but it's a little more spendy. It seems like it would have been faster and more accurate to make the hole a part of the mold rather than trying to individually drill a notoriously hard to drill material. Silicone shreds with traditional wood drill bits, you'd have to use a punch of some kind, or a sharpened empty tube. I'd be really curious to know how she did it.

[@lixyororke]

All valid points but one correction I have is I think its more likely that the hole wasnt drilled after the fact but rather was a free floating piece that just wasnt being properly aligned and secured. Same point that it shouldve been made part of the mould, but I think considering the material and how the holes look its more likely something like a dowel was just loosely placed in the mould and it got misaligned extremely easily, if it ever was at all

[@pottymouthedplanter]

I make figure candles and use silicone molds. I literally use a sharp pointed spear like thing and stab right through the molds to put in wicks. ❤ ummm and now I’m eyeing up my mold bins planning to make myself a “chunky boy”out of a mold I rarely use!

[@levi-young]

self adhering medical tape is used all the time on things like tattoo guns! I got some while practicing and it worked great when I put it on crochet hooks. one roll can also work for multiple hooks depending on how thick you need it, and it's pretty cheap compared to other things, esp in bulk!

[@cha0tic_neutral_system]

Me too, I’m disabled and have used all those hacks before and they work a charm. If you want to buy a disability specific product I’d definitely ask an OT as they have plenty of reputable companies they can source from and can even get places to custom print things if you need it

[@morphidae]

You can use silicone caulk (use cling wrap to cover thinly the object first) then add the caulk and cover with cornstarch or flour so you can mold it without getting stuck in your fingers. It works excellent and once you remove the cling wrap it will fit perfectly your object and last for years.

[@ellipszilonq]

"Mothman wrote" is an iconic line to hear in a crochet handle deep dive. Btw I would love a video about trying our hook handle hacks, like sticking them through make up blenders, tennis balls, pencil grips, etc

[@snokful]

BUT WILL IT GO VIRAL ON TIKTOK? it's not spicy and novel enough hey

[@beatriz6792]

omg this video and the comments are very validating. One of my best friends got me a Chunky Boy as a gift. It came in the mail just raw in the polymailer bag… it looked horrible, off-center hole, silicone chunks missing, etc. I messaged Beth for a refund and got the same BS as everyone else about returning it and having to pay for shipping… in what world should the customer have to pay for the business’ mistake and poor quality control?? She uses the fact that she’s a small business as a crutch to cover her poor customer service. There’s no way I’d purchase from her (even with it being manufactured now) and honestly, I am surprised other people are giving her another chance. She’s a very lucky business owner!

[@shadowkatt56]

I work with these materials, mostly platinum silicone, and the issues these have are crazy to me. Why are the holes always wrong? Why isn't that just part of the mold so that it's always centered? And while the color blending can be more difficult, there are hundreds of tutorials on how to do this - please lady, look it up before you sell these to customers 😭

[@eCodex]

i was just thinking this 😭 "breaks the rules of silicone"-my jaw dropped at that. there are PLENTY of small business manufacturers working in multidensity/complex silicone products [ie, the adult toy industry]. i think she was inserting a rod top-down into the pour to displace silicone and create the 'hole" [hence the offset]. really baffling all around

[@cyanthrope]

there's no way the hole is part of the mold, it has to be inserted into the pour, which is INSANE to me. Like, you're literally giving yourself so much more work for a much worse product? I understand it at a small scale when you're getting started, but once you make enough money, you need to upgrade your molds....

[@animosity9197]

I'm so confused as to how the manufacturing process can be this difficult. Like...lady...you know dildos are made of this, you said you used the DIY toy subreddit at the start. TALK TO COMPANIES THAT MAKE SILICONE SEX TOYS.

[@mewsli]

Exactly my thoughts re this device. . I have what my friend calls " an engineering brain" and if I can see these problems , so will many others.

[@mewsli]

Hmmmmmm, I have multiple conditions , and I felt that this lady didnt quite hit the mark with comments surrounding disability. I have to say I'm a cynical old bird and many years of watching and hearing people rave about how this new device will help YOU , and how I should be thankful for it .... really gets my goat. ( just my opinion folks don't flame me for it! )

[@torisandifer518]

My main takeaway here to just spend $15 on air dry clay and make grips for my hooks that way (or something)

[@charliemayfilms1550]

If you try that I recommend foam clay as it’s softer and less brittle

[@saraasmann4676]

Cheap beauty blenders are my favorite hack for grips

[@navahx9406]

​@@saraasmann4676Brilliant! I am going to try this! ❤

[@jamminjamie1]

There’s lots of tutorials on KZbin for hook covers, but i went hward and dipped them in “plasti dip”! It’s grip for tools like hammers and pliers so it’s super grippy but not sticky, and i dipped like a candle and just hung them by the hook to dry.

[@oofpossumbly8535]

I highly recommend going to a farm supply store and getting vet wrap. You can wrap it around as many times as you want to get the right size, it's cheap, and it's easy to remove if you decide it's not for you.

[@rachelv673]

I get why it's frustrating, but from a mobility aid perspective, it makes sense to me that the chunky boy makes it hard to remove the hook, because the most likely alternative is issues with the grip being too loose and causing more wrist pain/damage. I get why that would need a warning and would put people off, but as someone who's had mobility issues (and injuries resulting from them) my entire life, I would SO much rather know something I'm trusting with my mobility isn't going to randomly slip around.

[@elizabethduarte1334]

I think if it was advertised as being more of a permanent edition for a hook, that would be fine. However, this was advertised as something that would be easy to switch out. It seems to be less so about it being unable to switch it out, and more about it being advertised as such

[@rachelv673]

@@elizabethduarte1334 That's a reasonable complaint, good point

[@vaporean_boylove.0w083]

​@elizabethduarte1334 That's a good point. The way something is advertised is very important when it comes tothe product. Your ad needs to match up what it realistically and intentionally can do

[@TheEpicPancake]

I agree with the sentiment, though looking at the issues posed getting the hook into the thing in the first place... there's a give and take there, I imagine.

[@choccaracco]

tbh I think that problem could be fixed if Beth had just..maybe offered a resin or silicon hook that went with the chunky boy that just isn't meant to come out

[@jessicacroteau5600]

I feel like the chunky boy could easily be made out of high density foam. Also Jaida’s hair and outfit slaysss

[@souppowell3818]

I simply passed away when she said "people with arthritis... yknow... those people with wrist joints..."

[@ragdollrose2687]

Honestly, I don't think people are mad that there's small defects because it's handmade. It happens, we know that. But it's how often and how big the defects are that is bothersome. Especially with the center hole cause it definitely affects functionality. It's not defects in the product, it's defects in the quality control. Every business, even tiny ones, have some amount of products they just can't sell because of quality and the handmade factor just cannot be an excuse for that fact. If you cannot afford to not sell the defective ones full price (some businesses offer discounts on faulty items to avoid waste), you can't afford to run the business unfortunately

[@batty-bites3185]

i think the expectation of small businesses needing to 'pretty up' their products come from all the people who stream/make content from 'pack orders with me' stuff which has always annoyed me cos it's just like. yea okay get ur bag ig from doing something u were gonna do anyway but now ur setting the bar to be like 'every indie business should be aesthetic like this' social media really has been a poison to creatives and creative business in every way possible..

[@sweetpealee056]

Thank you! Am restarting my small business after many years and wondering just how expensive do my handicrafts need to be to cover the aesthetic packaging I see online 🤔😝 I hate when I get that kind of packaging so much waste even if I reuse packaging.

[@CommanderWiggins]

It's so crazy how high the expectations have gotten. I think it's nice when businesses take the little extra step to package an order all pretty and such, but its never something I expect or that I judge the quality of the business off of.

[@hkandm4s23]

Agreed. I think most small businesses doing this over the top packaging were doing so as a form of advertising so they can post a 'pack orders with me' asmr video filled with their brand logo. Unfortunately, some people apply these standards to all small businesses now. it's rather wasteful and i can't stand getting 'freebies' or unnecessary packaging that is just going straight in the trash. If your product doesn't need specific wrapping to survive the shipment id rather it be left out. I mean, no one needs another mesh bag or cheap keychain. There just seems to be much better ways to spend your time and money than that.

[@pinkscampi]

If I give you super fancy custom packaging I am going to charge you for the privilege.

[@hexaitine]

@@sweetpealee056 omg yes! I've received packages with stuff like loose little star cutouts and whatnot, or a cute but obviously cheap little drawstring baggy inside of another bag. The packaging is rarely something that can be reused any moreso than basic tricks for generic packaging, e.g. cardboard composting, and it's just really wasteful. It frustrates me especially because if you're so dedicated to aesthetic packaging, there are still ways you can get it without it being completely nonfunctional. Shipping tape with patterns on it, bubble mailers with prints on them, your own custom cardboard box prints if you're really that bold (or you could buy white ones and a stamp and stamp a pattern on them). Those are all things you need to ship ANYWAY so those are perfect for dressing up instead of just adding more aesthetic trash!

[@dwaalatticsalt7886]

I work with resin quite a bit and I have a theory on why the product pictures look much different than the physical products people were receiving. With resin, when I use mica powder to color something, if the mold is smooth, the product comes out super shiny, sparkly, and has dimension to it whereas if the mold is textured in any way the product looks solid and flat. So my theory is that the pictured products were made with a smooth mold and the products being sent out were made with a textured mold, possibly due to recasts if she were making multiple molds of the original base mold.

[@morgantrias3103]

I'm less experienced, but I'm wondering if using mica powder when she moves from prototype to product she is using thinner or slower curing silicone to save money or scale casting processes easier, and that causes the mica to fall out of suspension or realign in a way that changes the look.

[@AbriellaHall-jk6dh]

The thought of Cockroches crocheting with chunky boys in hundreds of years is now one of my favorite things

[@Crochetedbymichi]

😂

[@cinnasauria]

Honestly, I think it might've helped to take hints from how toy manufacturers run their businesses, not just how they make the product. People who work with silicone often work in batches, are up front with how many items they have in stock at a given time, limit how many they make to order, and then have another section to sell pours that turn out flawed at a discount. Less room for surprise if you're receiving the exact item you see in the photograph. People will still buy the imperfect ones if they KNOW up front what they're getting. It just sounds like a lot of the issue was a struggle to meet demand while juggling everything going on here. When you're working alone or with just one person to help, it's usually best to just figure out how much you can personally handle and put that out there, even if it makes the product a little more elusive. You can announce your restock days ahead of time once you're close to whatever quota you want/need to meet and people will wait for the stock to drop.

[@dinornis]

What surprised me is Beth said they were using a reddit forum for DIY toys; these issues wouldn't make it past the first drop for toys as it's essential to produce something body safe. As a result (in addition to silicone being used for other hobbies/professions), there's a /lot/ of information available on how to degas pours, make consistent & reliable glove moulds, and how to make batches with different levels of firmness (which is usually something toy stores usually do from the start). It costs more, but you can charge more in the beginning for those initial purchases (largely for making moulds & degassing) and there comes a point at which you need to do quality control regardless of how home-made it's marketed as - it's been frustrating watching it unfold where there's relatively easy fixes. In all honesty, toy makers couldn't afford their equipment or consumables at $15 for that amount of silicone. I was pretty shocked the first time I heard the price bc I couldn't expect anything quality from that. Unfortunately, investing in silicone as a hobby or profession has a pretty big start-up cost and tbh I think it's just something that could do with some competition from someone with experience in pouring as offering different shapes/sizes/etc is going to be of huge benefit to disabled folks. The cost is just the biggest barrier to both makers & buyers 😭

[@dinornis]

I'm also v v wary as a disabled person about products marketed at us that don't /actively/ take in feedback and the needs of their consumers. Using disability as a marketing device needs to come with a great deal of accountability, and you need to be prepared to be accountable if you claim to offer something of medical benefit. RE the 2.0: 'the same ergonomic benefits' is an immediate red flag, because the firmness will change how it's handled. Softer silicones are harder to cure, and the stickiness is unfortunately kinda a thing that tends to come with them. Some people are still going to be okay with the sticky because the soft is easier to use, but it's just about being honest with your marketing and not leaving people to discover surprises 🤷‍♂ (they might be able to do some kind of split pour or something for the stickiness but idk, I really enjoy the design/learning about the pouring process and have wanted to make handles for yonks but can't afford to do it lmao)

[@cyanthrope]

as something of a silicone product aficionado I was surprised by the price too. Even companies that occasionally make one-off april fools gag novelties that aren't meant to be used internally charge more than that for that quantity of silicone. And given she had such high demand initially, I think she could have gotten away with at least twice that price at some point. Like even though I'm sure she didn't need to use medical grade silicone or anything since hers weren't intended to go into a body, I can't imagine you could trim _that_ much off the price while still keeping the quality high enough for her purposes

[@Wereblood]

While I agree with you 100%, I'd also like to point out that it's very easy to make home made molds and buy (relatively) cheap silicone. If you're on a tight budget but you want to make this thing, you can get away with being (somewhat) cheap and scrappy to make that thing. I really think that's probably the case because of the misaligned holes. Cheap mold materials are prone to shifting, and the only way I can see what happened happening is scrappily trying to balance something on the top of a cheap mold to hold the rod steady, which you know, clearly didn't work. I've had to scrappily throw together a lot of molds, haha

[@sofiasofia-em]

Oh, the price thing! I live in a country where prices are significantly reduced than in America. Emma's videos always shock me with the prices that Americans/Canadians are willing to pay, but even for me 15 dollars for a small business starting off was way too little, adding on top of that, that the business has to consider American prices in its production? I'm genuinely baffled at how she was making any sort of significant income.

[@princess_intell]

​@@dinornisI heard her talk about accessibility and immediately got "universal design is my passion" vibes. well-intentioned, but ultimately doesn't actually know what they're talking about.

[@sheifapunla-green4223]

I actually hate when businesses send stuff in mesh or fabric bags just for presentation. Like what am I going to do with a random tiny mesh bag, I'd rather just have the thing in the poly mailer then have to store the mesh bag for eternity or feel bad about throwing it out.

[@clarehidalgo]

Use them for putting party favors in and make them somebody else's problem

[@rileym4056]

Exactly! I hate when people want them like for what? Just so you feel special?

[@ann5935]

Right! Like it only makes sense to me when there's small stuff In the order like jewelry in the order too. Then I use the bags as travel bags to keep my jewelry separate. For like different specific outfits or just to keep them from getting tangled with other stuff.

[@claryfairchild2816]

I get it but at the same time I actually LOVE those bags because I have found so many uses for them! They are great for storing small craft supplies, keeping spare stickers together, storing knitting needle tip protectors, jewelry when traveling, sewing bits and bobs, purse candy, yarn scraps, spare change, small video game cartridges like DS or switch are great in them especially on the go, wired earbuds, spare hardware like nails, bolts or screws and they are great for keeping crystals in too!!! There are so many uses i could go on and on 😊

[@ironicallynice]

I tried to explain that to a shop assistant "look no I am going to wear the necklace right away" "but what if you wasn't to store it..." 😔

[@amandamanshack]

Ah chunky boy…. The crochet accessory I was SO excited to get. During one drop I ordered a pink, glittery chunky boy and waiting anxiously for it to arrive. It arrives, I open the box and it was flesh colored and I was utterly mortified. I love to crochet in public and let’s just say that think cannot leave my house for obvious reasons 🙄 cmon, who would think that’s appropriate? I honestly can’t get into using it because it looks so inappropriate. They’re also so uncomfortable to use???? Mine is a very heavy, soft, and not smooth silicone in the slightest. It was the biggest let down I’ve had with something I purchased. I wanted to love it so much, and was so upset that I couldn’t.

[@rachelsnyder1772]

I'm at 39:22 and have been wondering how much weight the grip adds the whole time.

[@MidniteSpectre]

I couldn't get a chunky boy, so I improvised with make-up sponges. They worked really well, but quickly became dirty because I like to nom while I crochet...

[@TarisLuna]

​@@MidniteSpectre but that should be a quick fix by washing them

[@theoriginalburgandy550]

So wondering if anyone has gone the other way and bought an existing item (wink wink nudge nudge) and just poked a whole in the top

[@lucamannstein2587]

couldve used a packer that wouldve been cheaper/ or at least better quality xD a little more innapropriate though

[@ZoeAC]

As a small business owner, I would never let products go out like that. If you’re getting too many orders to keep up with quality then you raise the prices to slow down orders but keep revenue. It’s sucky to do for your customers but if you’re not making enough to go into manufacturing or to hire more people then something has to give

[@rileym4056]

So going off a diva cup concept, once you break the seal, you can get things moving. So there should be a pluggable hole in the side of the chunky boy so that you can maintain a seal and unplug from the side to break the seal!

[@maloreally]

Many people use an exact knife to cut a whole in the side along the seam. It seals up when in normal use, but then you can use it to break the seal as you said. Thought people were clever for thinking of that!

[@anaerobic]

The textures are not the same at all..

[@samanthazimmerman8198]

I had no idea about this chunky boy drama before I went to the store. I just thought it was cool to finally have a yarn shop near me that wasn't Joanne's, but I honestly was kinda disappointed with the inventory when I went. It felt bare (which i can understand when you're just starting out), but the yarn was like 70% upcharged hobbii yarn and common brands you could buy cheaper at chain stores 5 seconds down the road. I wanted yarns I don't normally see at chain stores, and not just the acrylic or acrylic blends I know aren't the greatest qualities. I would've visited more if there was something worth me visiting for, it's a shame too, i want a good yarn shop to support!

[@novalinnhe]

Everything I'm reading here makes me feel more and more like the entire thing was a low-key grift...

[@slowjamsformice]

@@novalinnhe I don't think it was an intentional grift, I think that Beth just is a little naive about what being a business-owner means and she thought she could have a successful LYS just because she was successful online. It's easier to assume ignorance over malice.

[@novalinnhe]

@@slowjamsformice Hey! :) Apologies if I was a little unclear, but I had actually been referring to the entire business - including the online portion - when making my comment. The red flags just seem endless. Extremely poor quality control on the products themselves; dubious claims of "accessibility" which stem from the owner misinterpreting a single medical study; various vague claims to authority with no evidence (e.g. "medical professionals have said they use the Chunky Boy" without naming said professionals or providing proof of this); continuous dodging of responsibility when reflecting on things that had gone wrong; blaming and gaslighting customers who were unhappy and/or wanted refunds; etc. The entire thing just screams "passion project turned grift" to me. Very similar to the Pink Sauce debacle, if you've ever come across that one before!

[@aw7145]

​@@novalinnhe100% agree. I think manufacturing was the right step and I'm glad that products will (presumably) be better quality now, but I imagine for a lot of people the trust has already been broken due to how she allowed so many low quality/broken/ugly products to be sent out and how she treated people when they were rightfully upset about it. Really not the behavior of a trustworthy and well-meaning businessperson or someone I would feel comfortable giving so much money to when DIY solutions are so much cheaper anyway. Just kinda sketch all around tbh

[@RissaLikeLisa]

As a person with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome I had seen these around online and immediately felt weirded out by the big push of "accessibility" about it. I often need accessibility devices to be able to participate in my hobbies, but as a disabled person I can also tell when it is being used as a buzz word to try to profit off of us. Glad that I never actually spent the money on it since my gut feelings seem to have been right lol

[@fionamclary7631]

Joint hypermobility spectrum gang 🤝 I am with you 100%. I think this person has good intentions wrt disability allyship but I fear that those intentions are built on a less noble foundation (namely one that contains unaddressed internalized ableism)

[@ThirrinDiamond]

Hey writing about her as if she's an ally and not actually disabled is very invalidating and ableist

[@lemonknife]

​@@ThirrinDiamond maybe i misunderstood the way she was talking but it seemed to me like she isnt physically disabled and just figured that if this tool helped her it could also help people who are physically disabled, which led to her selling it

[@lemonknife]

she did talk about having anxiety and depression but those are not physical disabilities and i think its obvious that thats what were talking about here

[@chadrific]

@@ThirrinDiamondas someone who suffers from both depression and anxiety but is able bodied I think her attributing these attributes to being disabled ableist and atrocious. She is not physically disabled she mentions this more than once in her initial explanation.

[@hello_again9149]

Also I found an article made by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety named "Hand Tool Ergonomics" where is says the handle diameter recommendations are in general, ranging from 1.25 to 2 inches for a cylindrical or oval handle. Also for a precision grip (not sure what that means) the recommendations are stated to be 0.3 to 0.6 inches recommended.

[@MizzBethiePage]

Not all heroes wear capes (or carry crochet hooks)

[@emmettrose5960]

We usually separate things that require hand dexterity into “power grip” or “precision grip.” Power grips are for strength, like if you want to grab something and swing it. Precision grips are for control, like writing with a pencil.

[@ragdollrose2687]

So in this case, crochet would be precision? And the Chunky Boy would be too big then... I work with disabled people and some of them use big handles on their cutlery to eat, similar to the CB. But I guess it's more of a "power grip" for short use than a crochet hook handle would be. I just find it interesting cause my work is in the arts education, so adapting regular tools for different grip abilities is key for my students' accessibility!

[@Wombletron]

I have seen at least two ways people hold their crochet hooks, funnily enough named "knife grip" and "pencil grip". I use pencil grip which probably uses my wrist too much but I feel more flexible, I can see using knife grip allows more arm strength to be used. (Don't worry about my pencil grip, crochet is not my main hobby.)

[@snospmoht3252]

Interesting. So like a spoon or fork or door handle would probably be something that required a"power" grip I imagine then. But a pencil, paintbrush or crochet hook would be more of a "precision" grip type in comparison to the intricacies of the work involved. That means that those things are way too big around in the first place.

[@bugandrews]

"And then catch it! :D" "...thanks for that jada" was extremely funny to me. I saw the text so I get it but it ironically kinda lined up anyway

[@Wasabineko]

Anyone who collects say, silicone-based creative sculptural works of a long, cylindrical nature knew where this was heading. My understanding is that strict quality control is a huge part of why those products are so expensive. Lots of products come out of the molds below standard and have to be scrapped, so a lot of labor and material costs get sucked up by items that never make it to market. She was never going to have enough product to sell at that $15 price point if she didn’t lower her standard, hence the large number of “flops” being sent out to customers.

[@jayjayjayjay5605]

35:33 re: packaging debate-as a customer, if your first exposure to a product sets a certain standard, but your own purchase doesn’t meet that standard, it makes you feel like you were cheated and that you got a lesser product than other people bc the business doesn’t care enough abt your order to take those extra steps. if a business doesn’t set that expectation at the start, then that disappointment will impact the customer experience less. even if small business products don’t have fancy custom packaging, things being packed neatly and tidily (using a box, stuffing with butcher paper, sealing fibre products in plastic to protect from wetness) makes it seem like the business cares more about the products themselves and takes pride in their work. if i had to choose between the two, id take tidy packaging over stuff being thrown in a plastic bag with confetti, stickers, and candy any day tl;dr-customers care that the business cares… fancy packaging makes a difference, but not having it will only hurt you if OTHER people get it and you don’t

[@amandavollema1705]

This is what I was thinking! Like it's not necessary but she had already set that standard in the past

[@TheElf_Online]

Exactly! I don’t expect to get freebies in any purchase I’ve made from a small business, but I’m always happily surprised when there is one. But if I saw reviews from others who got freebies and I didn’t, like yeah. I’d be a little disappointed too.

[@snokful]

I do think if the product had been superlative then it would have seemed less like it had been just plonked in there. Handmade dodgy below-commercial-standard quality is only really excusable when you feel there's a show of good faith and community, you know? You still paid them the cash.

[@septascope]

I had a terrible experience with my 2.0 chunky boy too! I had and loved my 1.0, but the 2.0 I received had a hole so misaligned I could feel the difference in angle. Beth offered to send me a replacement after I reached out, but then was unresponsive for a month and a half despite me reaching out several times. When the replacement finally arrived (two months after the initial 2.0 was delivered), it was blatantly a leftover 1.0. Despite sending her comparisons of the three chunky boys in my possession, she brushed me off and claimed the texture and size discrepancy was due to the pigment. The whole experience was so frustrating at that point so I just left it go and haven’t used any of them since!

[@dragonspoem]

The colors and rough edges are annoying but excusable, the holes being no where near centered is just mind boggling that those got sent out. I would br embarrassed if something i created was that far from where it should be. Like who the hell looked at that and thought, "yep, totally fine, I'll take your money for that"

[@chadrific]

I’d be piiiiiiiiiiiissed if I got one with a misaligned hole

[@icrochetedthething]

My day job is writing instructions for stuff and also make sure the written instructions are in the right place, and the fact that someone injured themself to ER level of injury is 1) terrifying and 2) absolutely fixable with one damn business card that says, "CAUTION: Make sure to put the hook in the chunky boy as directed by the video in the QR code to avoid possible injury." Business cards are cheap to print. You're covered for liability and also HAVE INSTRUCTIONS.

[@Cbbartelt]

I’m going to put everyone on a cheap built up handle-at dollar tree they have those rubber band foam rockets in the toy section, it’s a 2 pack. Pull out the rubber band and take off the triangles and you have 2 built up handles for under $2. For a better grip on the handle you are building up get some dycem and wrap it around the object then put it in the foam thing. You could also try rug grip if you don’t want a roll of dycem (but dycem is so great and useful and you just rinse it off when it’s dirty). My kid has poor fine motor skills and graded movement and I’ve been using those dollar tree rockets as built up handles for like 7yrs.

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

Dollar Tree is a treasure.

[@katherinetodd3022]

If anyone still has a chunky boy stuck on their crochet hook and you want to take it off or just want changing hooks to be simpler, you can take an Exacto Knife and cut along the silicone seam into the hole in the center. I did this to three of them and it makes them so much easier to use!

[@staypolychrome]

Not going to lie, I spent the entire video wondering why people weren't doing this!

[@circusclown63]

​@@staypolychrome Or why it couldn't come that way to make it more functional

[@snokful]

Silicone tears so much more easily once it has been cut. However, silicone is not what actual ergonomic products (of which there are already MANY) are generally made of.

[@limabean9228]

it might've been better to start a kickstarter or something to help cover the upfront cost of manufacturing (or to manufacture and sell one large batch first). it would also help gauge interest because if the fundraising goal isnt reached then there's no obligation to fulfill the orders

[@animosity9197]

I was wondering why she didn't...take out a business loan...especially since she has the patent and years of sales to bring and try and get one?

[@VicvicW]

​@@animosity9197presumably she took out a loan for the brick and mortar store that went under? Maybe that?

[@froggyringu]

49:49 ...I'm sorry, but NO. Being a one-person business should mean that quality control is higher than that of a company with a manufacturer. If you yourself are handmaking a product and sending it out, you can see if it is not up to par. She is intentionally sending out faulty products because she doesn't want to put any time into making them the best that they can be. I've had a one-person online business. I would not send out any products that looked like this.

[@emilystamey4502]

I've been missing your videos. I just wanted to let you know. No pressure if you're taking a break. I hope you're doing well!

[@steff-annedark3166]

I follow r/crochet. I do not crochet. They were discussing chunky boy handles. I was completely lost. Thank you for illuminating me on the subject

[@squitten.]

46:36 my dad is a pretty smart guy. But once he had to go to the ER because he impaled his hand on a steak knife. How you ask? Trying to pry frozen hamburger patties apart. Using his hand to stabilize the tower of patties. On the side. While trying to slide the knife between the patties with the tip pointed *directly at his hand*. So. Yeah. Sometimes smart people do dumb things 🙃

[@estybalyznunez8970]

my mom sliced off a piece of her thumb that way! damn those frozen patties lol

[@mchjsosde]

You're not smart when you're hungry

[@ragdollrose2687]

I cut my thumb on a ruler trying to separate two pieces of glass glued together. And the same week, I sliced my hand on the drawer of my oven. I cannot shame anyone for stupid injuries while annoyed 😂

[@anyjen]

I broke a bone in my foot falling from my bicycle because I stopped on an incline to take a picture of a really pretty rose trellis. I complained to the ER doctor that it was a really stupid accident, and she told me: "There's no such thing as a smart accident." So, yeah. We can all catch a case of the stupids and end up in the ER. 😂

[@fionamclary7631]

My mom stabbed herself in the palm with a paring knife trying to remove an avocado pit. She has a PhD and is bilingual.

[@arit8009]

As someone who's both into collecting "silicone objects" and fibercraft, you absolutely can get a level of quality control in your silicone pours. You can also get centered holes. What she's doing is making crap that's not even good enough for seconds most of the time? Like I'm not even sure you should be selling those at all with how bad the quality is. Like small air bubbles on bases are a thing that happens and can be expected, but she's just not good enough at what she's trying to do at all

[@itsafroggytime]

not "silicone objects" 😭 i absolutely have to tell my best friend who also collects them (and i definitely am going to throw that term in my vocabulary, thank you very much)

[@Star_Star_Starr]

As someone that's lived in Amsterdam for like 80% on my life I'm not surprised her store failed. There just isn't enough demand for a store that's just selling yarn. Especially since she opened right down the road from both a Joannes and a Walmart. I feel like maaaaaayyyyybeeee if she sold a broader selection of crafting stuff she could have had a better chance. As well as having enough savings to be able to not make a profit for longer so the word could spread. Amsterdam may be small but the rest of the capital region isn't. If she could attract people from nearby Rotterdam/Schenectady I feel like she could have made it work. But the way she did it was doomed to fail.

[@samanthazimmerman8198]

Exactly! I was from a half hour away and wanted a place with higher quality supplies I couldn't get outside of really far away shops. I was kinda let down when I saw all the lower quality stuff I already could get at those other stores or really cheap quality tools from online being sold there.

[@meaverly]

very strange to open a yarn store without - it seems - doing any market research

[@sofiasofia-em]

@@meaverly very strange to open any store without market research

[@duod7847]

​@@sofiasofia-emyou would (or not) surprised how common it is for an "entrepreneur" like this to do exactly 0 research before opening a store. My boss tried opening a web gallery/store where you can buy paintings - that are more expensive and worse than any competition store. Plus he wants the client to pay about 50$ shipping fee for a 250$ painting when all competition is just including the fee in the price, so 300$.

[@megan-mr9vk]

hearing her basically blame the community for being poor and not supporting small businesses was infuriating. she moved there and opened a store without doing any research of the market! i assume she’s just trying to save face a bit, but sometimes it’s good to just say “yeah i really goofed and didn’t do my research.”

[@tahliae]

NOAA-trained storm spotter and Midwesterner here! Watch means conditions are right for a tornado to form. Warning means one is either spotted on the ground or it’s indicated on the radar. Glad you followed your instincts, either way! Always better safe than sorry!

[@annedavis3340]

I had no idea till recently that one of the potential criteria for it being a severe thunderstorm is it might spawn a tornado. I take em a LOT more seriously now boy howdy

[@macmarten5527]

My first time seeing these was when the hand-painted designs dropped. I never gave it a second look since they did look like a child painted a giant tampon.

[@cocovcoco]

An hour+ about something I don’t know about and will never buy since I can’t crochet? Yes, I think I will. ☕️

[@charliemayfilms1550]

For real

[@LedyE]

I can't crochet, I will never crochet because I have no interest in learning, I don't know anyone who can crochet, I don't own anything that is crocheted. Will I watch the video? HECK YEA!

[@snokful]

I crocheted... about 20 years ago. But still got this in my feed. Why not, gimme some drama. I'm disabled so maybe that was the particular, umm, hook. I was fascinated by the idea that flabby heavy silicone would be good for dodgy wrists (I have those). Maybe some people, but I go for ergonomic foam (and strapping wrists when necessary), because I am trying not to let my wrists get in the way of getting stuff done!

[@impstolemyshoes4974]

I’m a small business owner of 6 years now- nothing that breaks easily or has such deviations gets past my quality control. I would not even let those ones that are so off center leave house. You’d be getting a refund or put on a priority list and I’d be fixing the mold immediately. She had such a huge opportunity most of us small businesses wish for and squandered it-

[@reaganneviska9937]

Okay funny story when I ordered these, the package got lost in the mail, and the local postmaster hand delivered the package. After they left I realized the package did feel like...something else.

[@sam-ky9sj]

I don't understand why she HAD to have a physical yarn store, when she could've probably just sold yarn on her website and made some extra money from people who would've just been like "oh well, I guess I'll also get some yarn while I'm at it!" If I was her, I would've started selling crochet hooks and yarn, maybe even a "kit" with a hook, 2-3 colors of yarn and a chunky boy. Also, on the one hand I do understand that people expect too much from small businesses but also, the product being left in a simple polymailer is just... not good enough. Imagine it ripped, or got scratched, the product could've easily been damaged - a little wooden box or even that small decorative baggie can help protect it from scratches and dirt. I'd be upset if I paid 15$ + shipping and the product was dirty brand new from the package lol.

[@jenseiinferno8444]

As someone from the Austin Metropolitan area, I feel like even if Beth opened a store here, they would’ve had the same outcome. Although the Austin Craft community is large and quite expansive, she would still have the same demand/financial struggles she did in upstate NY. I just feel like she used the move as an excuse for her business failure? That might just be my interpretation though.

[@ViaraVT]

As someone who is disabled and loves crocheting, thank you for doing this video! If you are disabled, especially if you are on government aid for your disability, you will probably not be able to afford enough Chunky Boys for each hook size/shape (assuming you need one per hook size because you won't be able to remove your hooks from them, so you can't reuse a single Chunky Boy on more than one hook). Others have mentioned in the comments that crocheting, for those with mobility issues, is usually under the umbrella of 'precision grip' rather than 'power grip.' Power grips are things like grabbing door handles or pill bottles, where the hand opens and all the digits are wrapped around it. For these types of movements, people with disabilities usually benefit from a larger target. Not so much with precision grip movements. I'm not surprised that Ty did not really see any benefit from using them, and that several people were actually injured. I have run a small business in The Before Times and I don't think there was an expectation of extras or anything. I sold etched glassware, so nothing like a disability aid, but I never felt that pressure. I think the issue people were having with the Chunky Boy is what you mentioned at around 35:30 - she had been sending them with cute mesh bags as seen in other TikTok unboxings, so I think it's reasonable to be disappointed about the 'new' packaging style. Also, about the painted ones - you really shouldn't be wanting to make an upscale product until your main product is considered 'good,' which it sounds like the original Chunky Boy was just kind of ok a lot of the time. The business grew to the point that no one person could handle it. Which means - she made a TON of money. She could have reinvested instead of moving across the country and opening a physical brick-and-mortar shop, could have hired someone for QC or even just packing and shipping them, etc. She also keeps saying that it's soooooooo hard to find someone to manufacture this product, but how can that be true when you can be dildxs on Amazon or even Temu? Unrelated: A tornado watch is fine - it just means conditions are right, so 'watch out.' A tornado WARNING is when a tornado has been sighted and called into the national weather service.

[@kbird6208]

Tornado watch = you have all the ingredients to bake a cake. Tornado warning = the cake is baked.

[@ViaraVT]

@@kbird6208 Hahahaha yes, exactly!

[@definitelynotashark1799]

Re: monetary accessibility: since these types of grips luckily have been around for several decades, you can find multipacks for 10-15 bucks at most. It's wild to me that she keeps insisting this is something she invented 😭. Like yeah the preexisting ones are plain af, but they last and they usually CAN BE REUSED.

[@ViaraVT]

@@definitelynotashark1799 Exactly. It was a pretty much solved problem that she just made... weird and exclusive somehow instead of being accessibility focused?

[@leahdavis9434]

Please never ever buy anything that goes into your body on temu

[@samiyarossini]

As someone who moved from Austin to (insert tiny ass town in upstate NY)... Why would you not give yourself some time in the new area to get to know the area before starting a new business?? It took me 18 months to find a job where I was, and that was only because I got lucky catching a new pet supply store opening.

[@evanmsouza]

still haven't finished, but that left me kinda gobsmacked too. i'm like "wait... you didn't do research into that area before you decided to open up a brick an mortar business there? really? you didn't visit several times, looked into what the traffic was like, what were the other similar businesses, all of that?" that just makes no sense, and i'm not a business expert by far. it was just that capitalistic mindset of like "the business has to GROW. NOW." like calm down, you know?

[@hp8685]

the facial expression for "i don't... mind buying things" was ✨👌 lmao felt

[@snokful]

"I... have money to dispose of on these things..."

[@lostagain-q3m]

The hole is probably causing a vacuum in the chunky boy, meaning it's sucking more on the hook the more you pull. Adding a hole in the side or bottom to keep the vacuum from forming would make the hook easier to remove

[@rileym4056]

Soooo funny to be like “I’m just one person” Cuz it’s like, oh so you saw the fucked up ones you sent out then!

[@Nonplayer-character]

This is perhaps the earliest i have ever been to a video and I am STOKED Edit: sorry cackling at “like this - and then catch it *throws the boy off screen*” and then the jump cut to made in the moment’s deadpan continuation of the video 😭

[@MrTypo-xv6xx]

“And catch one 😊” “thanks for that Jada 😃”

[@amandag8194]

I cackled at that part of the video, too. Jada was so excited about the idea.

[@hp8685]

"put some music" * dead silence * 💀💀 lmao

[@mellow_mallow]

​@@MrTypo-xv6xx it's giving news anchors

[@sproutoftheordinary]

thanks for including my review! i personally love my chunky boy 1.0 and was originally critical of people's criticism of some of the aesthetic imperfections, but man i was not aware of the depth and breadth of the negative side and there are definitely some very valid points. i'm super interested to see how people will like the manufactured ones. great video as always!

[@user-zv3qh8uo5d]

I heard the 1.0’s were good but the rest weren’t

[@belindaf8821]

I'm sorry, but "depth and breadth" for a product that looks like a donger has me rolling 😂

[@GabbyE423]

I was really hoping for a video on this! I had a pretty bad experience with her last year. I had just started getting hand pain and was super excited to buy a chunky boy to hopefully help the pain before it got worse. On August 25, I spent like $26 total on one handle, including shipping. I kept checking the tracking label and it only showed that it was in New York. For literally 2 whole months, I heard nothing, and my handle hadn't shipped. I emailed multiple times asking for a full refund, with no answer, sent a DM on instagram, with no answer, and resorted to commenting on her instagram, again with no answer for a couple days. On October 8, I DMed her again and finally got a reply on Oct 11 asking for my order number, which i promptly gave her. It wasn't until Oct 25, literally 2 months after I ordered, that she told me she'd issue a refund, and that my package must've gotten lost. I only got $16 refunded, so just had to eat the extra $10 for shipping. As much as a manufactured chunky boy *could* help now, I had such a disappointing experience the first time that I will not order another one.

[@chevvy427]

There are tons of ergonomic silicone crochet handles online, Etsy specifically if you'd prefer a small business!! The Chunky Boy is not the only version of this, and I will say that all of the other ones I've seen are a lot less phallic.

[@sofiasofia-em]

Make your own grip! There's ton of tutorials. They should work for your hand pain without having to resort to buying a product with questionable quality control.

[@munenightwing]

you can use cheap silicone to make moulds/handles/shapes. pour the silicone in soapy water and knead it in until it doesn't stick to your hands/spatula. get the silicone out of the water and place it over whatever you want. then wait for it to harden and pat it dry. you can find tutorials on here if needed. don't know if it can help you, good luck on your search. (edit for spelling)

[@munenightwing]

you can also use 50% cheap silicone, 50% corn starch and mix it all until it doesn't stick. place it over what you want. let it harden. this one has mold risks so be careful, add vinegar if needed.

[@cheyennebarton]

as a small business owner myself, who also sells/sold handmade things and had to make a switch to manufacturers at some point, I have a lot of empathy for Beth!! shit's hard!! however!! 1) she should have been charging WAY more for these hooks to start off with, if not for anything but to help curb demand 2) "they're all handmade by me" can only be an excuse/explanation for so long --I DEEPLY understand the desire to keep things "homemade" and to maintain complete control over the production process, but she should have outsourced the process a long time ago, to aid with meeting demand as well as quality control 3) in terms of packaging complaints, i think there is such a thing as too much packaging, to the point where it becomes wasteful. but!! there is also a way to minimally package items where you can still indicate that a substantial level of care went into it. hindsight is 20/20! and solutions that seem obvious to onlookers (or to Beth) now, perhaps weren't super obvious when she was in the thick of it. I know that I should have made certain changes to *my* business way sooner than I did, but I was stubborn and short-sighted. but again, the ongoing lack of consistency across the Chunky Boys should have been the first big !!!! for Beth that some big changes needed to be made

[@aspeninthemoment]

Agree with all of this!!! I think we all want small businesses like this to succeed and it’s so hard to see something that could’ve been great just struggle through so much !! Thanks for sharing all your perspective too 🫶🏻

[@WickieWorkshop]

in the middle of watching this i literally stood up to stand directly in front of my tv to get a closer look at those bird prints on your wall. i dearly hope to see them in your new place, as i absolutely adore them. ive been watching some of your older videos as well and am OBSESSED with your mallard sweater(vest?). also, much support and love regarding your coming out and (future?) name change! i hope you find one that really resonates with you! as a fellow they/them i love to see stuff like this. its so exciting to see others find joy in self expression. it warms my heart. good luck on your continued journey!

[@Lynsey17]

I was very prepared to give Beth credit as a small business who is struggling to keep up with demand and sent out a couple batches with QA issues bc it felt better than not fulfilling pre-orders. Maybe not the best idea, but well meaning & a genuine attempt to get products to customers (inconsistent customer service not withstanding). But then we got to the new painted options and it's a lot harder for me to believe that scenario.

[@qunariis]

I feel really torn on people complaining about the aesthetics on an accessibility tool; on the one hand that isn't the point, but it does seem like Beth leaned on the aesthetics in a lot of the marketing, and misrepresenting how the product actually looked. Either way, enjoyed the video a lot, and congrats on managing to slip in your coming out just before the end of pride month!

[@eCodex]

i make my own adaptive tools for crochet because i have a weird neuromuscular disorder that causes hand numbness/spasticity [among other much more major stuff] & aesthetics is actually a big part of it for me-soooo much accessibility equipment is downright ugly and feels very 'this is what able bodied people think the disabled body *really* needs' [boring, clinical, clunky]. at the same time, i agree, it feels weird. also sounds like so much effort went into aesthetics that the actual design and functionality [and accessibility] totally bombed. very disappointing

[@keenkuchipatchi]

@@eCodex100%. Making something accessible shouldn’t mean it’s plain or ugly. But the first priority in development should be the actual functionality for the aid it’s intended to be rendering. It doesn’t matter if it’s got a pretty swirl pattern if it doesn’t actually help people with dexterity issues because their hooks get stuck forever.😅

[@qunariis]

@@eCodex For sure aesthetics are important for all kinds of tools, whether they’re serving a specific function or not. In this case, especially for the 1.0, it sounded like a lot of the reviews were praising the chunky boy for helping people who experienced pain with most crochet hooks, with “it’s a shame it doesn’t look great” as an afterthought. But then there seemed to be a shift, both in design and in response for the 2.0, to being more about the aesthetics. It’s like Beth heard the critiques of the design and focused more on trying to address those than maintaining the accessibility aspect. Also if I had a crochet hook that attracted hair I would be pretty grossed out. Disappointing is definitely the word

[@imjustroleplaying]

I understand their disappointment in look. As someone starting to use a mobility aid that loves fashion and looks, it's very important to me I find something that fits my style. I hope that having a manufacturer will help with that! I wish her the best because she seems sweet and like she's learning and growing.

[@user-zv3qh8uo5d]

Yeah, lots of the marketing is FOR the aesthetic. Plus, as someone with wrist issues, I do also want to see pretty accessible items for us crafters

[@rachel3620]

I use foam dowels to make a handle for my hooks. You can get like 4-5 handles out of one foam dowel from a big box craft store. Cut to size, drill a hole slightly smaller than the hook. It adds nearly no weight to your hook and gives you a big diameter to hold.

[@nomical89]

Anything marketed as an accessibility device that was designed without input (interviews and product testing) from people with disabilities that the product can supposedly help is a big red flag. An even bigger red flag is that they were being sold as something you could swap between hooks, when taking the product off was difficult for people without disabilities and could be downright dangerous. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that she really does want this to be an accessibility tool, but at this stage of its development, I don't think she can call it one.

[@maloreally]

I am really put out by an able-bodied person rolling into a space and saying they invented a product for accessibility when that solution already exists and at a much more affordable price. Foam tubing of various sizes is lighter weight and very confortable, and it can be customized in various ways-paint, stickers, wrapping with patterned tape, etc. I dunno…it just really rubs me the wrong way that she is so forceful about making specifically a mobility aid for disabled people when access to the product is so limited and that it is difficult for able-bodied people to put on and take off. It all feels very gross to me.

[@sydewing]

As someone who is able-bodied, I hadn't really thought of it that way, it does seem a bit iffy now that you point that out.

[@snowyyzoe]

I’ve also seen crochet hooks designed for this purpose way before she began selling them…the whole thing feels pretty odd

[@dreamwalkercosplay6288]

I’m a seamstress almost exclusively but I’m always so excited for the fiber arts drama 🎉😎

[@saouer]

i read this as im a sexist omg??

[@dreamwalkercosplay6288]

@@saouer OH NO 😬 brb editing that to say “seamstress” instead of “sewist” 😅

[@jadeeagle8038]

Me too! I always watch them while sewing or ironing, which I am doing now 😅

[@dreamwalkercosplay6288]

@@jadeeagle8038 ahhh love that! Also same, I’m taping together a PDF pattern rn lol

[@Santiago-in1xf]

@@dreamwalkercosplay6288 I like sewist because there are some of us dudes around and seamster doesn't exist I think...I salute you for initially using the gender neutral term. 😅 Taping together a pdf pattern is the worst.

[@setheus]

I personally use the Addi Swing ergonomic hooks! They have an S-curve so they curl into your palm, and since the neck tapers back to the usual size, I can use my thumb for holding yarn when doing doubles/triples/etc. I really love them as someone who has a knife grip!!

[@snowpawzvideos]

I just looked these up & might go get one myself now 😅

[@DrLampshade]

I use these too! They look like plastic toddler silverware, but they are super comfy to use!

[@mellow_mallow]

Oooh looks kinda like a toothbrush

[@JessiNaka]

I tried to skip the injury bit but the timestamp provided did not protect me :') Skip to 48:45 y'all

[@cypressoaks]

Commenting for visibility

[@heatherlee2047]

+++

[@crowskinned]

+++

[@sealpup9341]

yes the timestamp is wrong in the video thank you for this

[@sari9645]

!!!

[@catie5939]

Upstate NY is such a particular place. I don't even know what else to say besides that. I grew up in the Idaho/Oregon area and we moved to central upstate during the pandemic because we had no other choice at the time. People here are very kind, but they are typically not friendly or interested in outsiders. I can't imagine trying to go from Austin to upstate. It would crush your sweet soul. Folks out here won't even wave if you drive by on a rural road. They'll warm up to you, but I've been here 4 years now and my neighbor across the road has yet to even acknowledge I exist lol

[@memorysdaughter]

I work in a field where I have access to things like occupational therapy publications, so I tried to look for the journal that she referenced for the handle diameter. I couldn't find it, but I did find that ergonomic specialists working with professionals to set safety standards for things like hand tools (California Department of Industrial Relations, for example) recommend a diameter of 1.25 inches to 2 inches for power tasks, like hammers and large screwdrivers. For precision tasks, .25 inch to .5 inch handles are recommended. For any tasks requiring frequent use, a handle made of a non-slip material that doesn't put pressure on major nerves in the wrist and hands is the best option. Cornell University's ergonomics department recommends a grip span of 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches for the best ergonomic design but notes it will depend on the user's dimensions... which is best practice for designing tools and grips anyway; this is why many OT-recommended items will have different sizes/lengths, to fit a variety of hand sizes and ability levels. Does this count? Technically, because OTs are always looking to find off-the-shelf items that can be adapted for disabled users. Are any OTs specifically saying "1.25 inches" for all handheld tools? Not that I could find.

[@dawert2667]

I have driven through Amsterdam, NY. Did I expect to drive through Amsterdam, NY? No. Was I aware of its existence for my entire 4 year life in upstate NY? No. Will I ever visit it again? Not likely. Does it haunt me even now? Yes.

[@dealred02]

I’m in upstate ny and have been to Amsterdam a few times for my son’s basketball games. The town is dead. No reason to go there.

[@vogelvrouw]

Fun fact: Harlem is named after Haarlem, another big city in the Netherlands

[@song5361]

So I have rheumatoid and I know that aids work differently for everyone but when tools I need to use with precision, something as big as the chunky boy actually makes it worse. Something about half the size of it works really well imo. The tool would work great for like, a can opener.

[@lit3home]

I feel the same. If it works for people, great! But that will always be baffling to me.

[@acotog9319]

using this vid to sit down and do my 15 rounds of 1x1 ribbing on my 300 stitches i hate ribbing-thank you for making it better

[@d.b2370]

As an engineer who took courses and basic training on human safety and environmental protection , I can say that chunky boy's effect on people may not be "real". The thing is when you start doing something in routine, such as crotcheting for hours with the similar tools you will experience pain. When people switch it to chunky boy , they may feel like they enhance your experience but their long term effects could be the same. Claiming that chunky boy avoids pain is not true because there are no long term studies regarding it. If you want to avoid pain , do small hand and back exercises in every 15 or 20 minutes. Also they look heavy little bit , I am not sure I have never used them. Effect of Heavier objects is worse than lighter in most cases. I do not work in human safety area these are just the conclusions i draw with the education i take. Also as a basic consumer, when you advertise something to people with sort of disabilities , you should design it that way. The hook problem is a huge issue in my eyes. Not only for people with disabilities but for rest of the people using it.

[@d.b2370]

English is not my first language sorry about the grammar mistakes.

[@not.me12380]

I remember when I was little I had this charm making kit where you would mix this silicone with glitter and dye and pour it into the mold and make little charms for headbands, necklaces etc. Obviously as a six year old, my crafting ability was not amazing. Seeing the chunky boy handles remind me of that. I don’t know what that says about them…

[@Chaosivity]

"You can still skip ahead; its not too late." 😂😂😂 That was too perfect, thank you!!

[@thelonleyUchiha1]

This is just something I’ve noticed recently is with regular people suddenly getting a audience on tik tok and then wanting to jump on it without truely understanding what that would entail. It’s like how many different events that people try to start and then they fail cause they don’t actually understand how to run an event and realizing it actually takes a crap ton more work than they realize. Same thing with people starting a small business cause they come up with a cool idea and people hype you up. She clearly got sucked into this and now it’s falling around her and she’s refusing to accept it and letting so many things slip since she probably had no clue what to do and didn’t do research before hand

[@snokful]

But it's not just cluelessness, because she clearly decided at some point to not really care OR has a very unhealthy/delusional level of self-deception. No, this isn't cyberbullying Beth. I would never seek you out to say this. With money comes responsibility to customers.

[@evanmsouza]

i get not knowing how things work, tbh. that's very normal. we all have to learn. what i don't get is when people very clearly have not sought out the expertise of other people who have been doing this for way way longer and know how to do that stuff. some people really just start and think or act like they know it all. not even necessarily in an arrogant way, but more in an incapability of recognizing your own ignorance. i find that extremely bizarre.

[@PokeArtistRichard]

Coming from an engineering, tools and product design background this just seems like a design that didn't go through an adequate prototype phase like as a diy project it works but a mass market products there's just so many issues

[@PokeArtistRichard]

Like I do a lot of silicone molds and most of them need a slit cut in the side to get stuff out of the mold I don't know there's somewhat simple solutions to a lot of these problems

[@foxboxtrot9436]

This video is a good example of why research is so important. In both development of a product and researching your target market when putting together a storefront.

[@ratking7219]

48:03 Re-watching this after a couple months and I fully thought you were going to say “So thankfully she didn’t lose her hook-“ 💀