Check-In Post December 12th 2020

[badly_knitted]

Hello to all members, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


Today's Question: How often do you craft? Every day? Every week? Every month?


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Comments

[badly_knitted]

At the moment I'm knitting every day. I got back into it sometime in early October and I haven't missed a day yet, but before that I hadn't done crafting of any kind in months, not since I did a bit of cross stitch back in the spring, somewhere around April I think.

Today I knitted about 62 rows on my current arm warmer.

[darkcedars]

Needing arm warmers probably encourages you to keep up the crafting trend!

[badly_knitted]

It helps, but I would have kept knitting anyway because I have several other projects already on the go, and lots of yarn I want to make sweaters with.

[bunn]

October to mid-December is an impressive streak.

[badly_knitted]

Thanks! I'm so glad I was inspired to start knitting again. Helps me keep warm.

[nagi_schwarz]

Kudos to you for knitting every day! And wow that’s excellent progress.

[badly_knitted]

Thanks! I had hoped to finish three of my big projects before Christmas, but I've been sidetracked by making arm warmers so I've only almost finished one, mostly finished a second, and made significant progress on two others. Things happen to derail plans, this year more than usual.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Answer: I am also doing something every day these days. Mostly cross stitch. I don't expect things to slow down until January.

I decided to do one more cross stitch. A tricky spider. Will post a photo when it's done, hopefully tomorrow. And them I'm out of aida! And taking that as a natural stop.

[badly_knitted]

Yay! Keep on crafting!

Spider? EEP! O.O

You'll have to get more aida ;)

[darkcedars]

Ha yes, not having any aida would be a bit of a hurdle. Will look forward to the spider!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Hee. Yes, I am not buying more aida at the moment. The spider is ugh but I will forge ahead.

[badly_knitted]

You'll get more when you find something else you want to stitch!

[darkcedars]

I craft in bursts usually. It might be every day or every other day, then a rest of a week or two. Sometimes there are forces beyond my control though. :)

Too many shenanigans around the house today, but I've been re-reading all the directions for my doily this evening. There are several pages just of special instructions before the beginning of the pattern. Here's my colors, not showing too well, but it's a dark peacock blue and a light cream.

[bunn]

I feel you on the forces beyond your control particularly today, it's pouring with rain and my dog is making his hopeful for a walk face!

[badly_knitted]

I think that's probably true of a lot of people. You get into a crafting rhythm, then something breaks you out of it, life gets in the way or you run out of materials, so it takes a while before you can get going again.

That sounds complicated! Great choice of colours though, it'll be lovely when it's done.

[nagi_schwarz]

That doily will be beautiful! You can do it!

[moth2fic]

Love the colours - and I'm like you! Bursts followed by fallow periods...

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I like those colors!

[m_findlow]

I've been super busy with work but I've managed to get a lot done. Things always pick up this time of year, trying to squeeze everything in on the weekends. In the last two weeks I've made gingerbread cookies to give as gifts at work, and three kinds of rum balls. I wanted to make chocolate melting moments but I didn't have any energy left.
I also put up some lights out the front of our house which must be the first time in 15 years. I know it was definitely pre-ptsd the last time I did, but it was exhausting and hot work and I got a little sunburned after months stuck inside. There's not too many but almost everyone else in our street does something and the couple across the road aren't doing anything this year because they got divorced. All the families wander up and down the street every night admiring them, and with no community covid cases people can do that which makes it more important this year to do something. The kids deserve it after the year we've had.
I made a few Christmas cards in the last couple of weeks too, but don't have anyone to send them to. They'll just get added to the box with all, the others. Mostly I find them too pretty to give away for the time it takes to make them.

[bunn]

I do like that red black and gold one in the top photo particularly. It does feel particularly good to have lights up this year of all years.

[m_findlow]

Thank you! I get bored with sticking to traditional colour schemes sometimes, but those sticky back felt flowers are a bugger to remove the backing and get them to stick down in the right spot as it's just one long piece!

[badly_knitted]

Well done with the baking and the lights. It's very important this year to do things that will brighten people's lives. That's why I did the Halloween goodie bags. So hard for kids not to be able to go Trick or Treating in the normal manner. Christmas lights are a joy to behold.

Your cards are lovely!

[nagi_schwarz]

Those Christmas cards are gorgeous and wow, you have been super busy.

[moth2fic]

I do so feel for you about the cards! I only, now, craft cards with a specific recipient/occasion in mind! And I still don't always want to give them away!

[bunn]

I feel like I want to make a crafting effort today, so I'm checking in early for Sunday wiht my intentions, we will see how much I actually achieve.
1) get started on this year's Christmas Carving. I make a carved decoration every year from a chopped-off spare bit of the tree. Here's the 2017 effort :

2) draw some more characters for my husband's present of a Book of OCs.

3) bake some bread!

[m_findlow]

Good luck. Those all sound awesome! :)

[badly_knitted]

What a great idea! Carved Christmas decorations are so unique =D

Good luck with all your plans.

[nagi_schwarz]

Those are epic goals and I salute you.

[moth2fic]

Those carvings are awesome!

[nagi_schwarz]

Now that I’m playing Pathfinder again on a weekly basis I can craft on a weekly basis but honestly before this comm I hadn’t crafted in months but before that I just sort of crafted in...bursts. Now I have so many crafting goals and I am very excited. Just now I knitted a couple more rows on that basket weave baby blanket and only have about...11 more rows left, but I finished my mother’s apron in a Zoom crafty hangout with my uni friends on Friday night and turned her accompanying Christmas story into a book yesterday (complete with cover art from my very baffled husband).

[badly_knitted]

Yay for crafting time, inspiration, and exciting goals! You'll get that blanket done, so close to the finishing line now!

An apron with a story behind it, how cool! I love all the novel ideas people are coming up with here, it's very inspirational! Love the cover art!

[moth2fic]

I think the only possible answer to the question is: at random. If I start a project I work on it every day till it's at least 75% done. Then I might leave it alone for a couple of months... While I start something else erratic!! As this also applies to my writing and my cooking I think we can safely say it's an aspect of my personality! LOL!

[badly_knitted]

If it works for you... I'm assuming things do get finished in the end?

[moth2fic]

They do. The embroidery I've designed for the dress I made is languishing because summer is a long way off and this last summer I had no need of the dress because of our lockdown. The cushions got finished for Christmas. I get all excited about cards round about now but then don't have time to do anything about it because I shift into cooking mode. I make online cards - using Photoshop etc.- for my f'list's birthdays and then I design and make my own book covers for self publishing. I haven't done as much photography this year (surprise surprise) so I might run out of material.

[badly_knitted]

Yes, this summer was a bit of a dud for going anywhere or doing much.

Hopefully next year will prove better for photography. I'm so impressed you design and make your own book covers. Amazing!