Check-In Post January 3rd 2022

[badly_knitted]

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, 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: No question today.


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]

5 more meeces completed, the next 5 knitted.

5 a day is getting a bit difficult to keep up with though so I'll probably slow production from here on, maybe 3 a day. I still need to crochet the ears for the next 5, might leave that for tomorrow.

[smallhobbit]

It's recommended to have five a day
At least that's what the experts say
But that applies to fruit and veg, your dinner and your tea
And where meeces are concerned you're safe with only three

[badly_knitted]

Heee! Love it!

With meeces, 3 a day is probably the healthy option.

[wiseheart]

Your little poems are so funny!
I do agree with the meaning of this one.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you!

[medievalrosalie]

haha such a cute poem!

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

[peaceful_sands]

If reducing the number per day increases the enjoyment and reduces the stress (in any form), it sounds like a brilliant way forward.

[badly_knitted]

That's what I thought. I started doing 5 a day to reach 100 by the end of last year, and then just kept going when I didn't need to, so it makes sense to ease back a bit now. There's no rush, I can continue at a slower pace and still get plenty made. There will be 5 completed tomorrow, because the putting them together stage is faster than the knitting part and all the bits are there waiting, but I won't knit as many tomorrow for the following day.

[medievalrosalie]

They just keep coming!! :)

[badly_knitted]

Because they're quite meecey to make *grins*

[peaceful_sands]

I've started the sweater I'm going to try crocheting - I did a gauge swatch using a smaller hook than recommended which came up okay, so now I've started on the actual sweater. I need to find the stitch markers that I got the other day as I've reached the point I'm supposed to mark! They shouldn't be too far away, I just need to rummage.

I also started a jigsaw puzzle that I got for Christmas - I've had to give up on one I had started when I realised that not only was it not going to fit on the board I had it on, but that I didn't have anywhere that it would fit apart from the dining table which I've had to set my WFH space back up on. It and another which was even bigger have been put to be donated - a shame but there really isn't any way around it (I looked up at B&Q today but buying a piece of wood that was big enough and thick enough not to bend would mean it was too big to store out of the way or move if visitors came around and I'd have to sit on the floor to do it which is uncomfortable if I try to do it for long.

[smallhobbit]

Hooray for starting the crochet. Hope you haven't put your stitch markers in a 'safe place'.

Have you tried using a jigsaw roll? I don't know how well they work, but they might be an idea.

[peaceful_sands]

Found them! Yes it was that kind of safe place - I hunted and hunted where I thought I'd left them...

Yes, I've tried a jigsaw roll but the experience I have with them is that they need to be on a solid surface (rather than on a carpet) and I don't have anywhere at the moment unfortunately.

[badly_knitted]

Good luck with your sweater, sounds like you're off top a promising start!

We used to do big jigsaws on the dining table but put this heavy cover over the top when we needed to use the table for anything *grins* Had to be careful taking it off, but it worked.

[peaceful_sands]

First 14 rows done which is great - it's going to take me a lot longer than the four hours the pattern designer suggests but I'm not worried by that.

Unfortunately my dining table doubles as my home office while I'm working from home and as there isn't likely to be a change in that scenario any time soon it rules out other activities. Mind you I'm not even sure it's big enough for one of the two which is almost a metre in one direction! It's also not my favourite room to spend relaxing time in (even when I'm not working in it all day). The two jigsaws were found in a charity shop so it's not the end of the world to just re-donate them without finishing just a bit of a shame because they were nice pictures - I have plenty of others that were received as gifts that should fit on the jigsaw board that I've got, which also slides under the couch when not in use.

[badly_knitted]

It's your first crochet sweater, there's no need to rush it. The pattern designer might be able to do it in 4 hours bur I bet they've made dozens of crochet sweaters.

Oversize jigsaws can be a pain. I've got a jigsaw board, which I've used for quite a few puzzles, but these days I do online jigsaws instead. I can't lose pieces that way.

[wiseheart]

Finding enough storage space for one's ongoing craft projects can be a real problem.

[peaceful_sands]

That is an ongoing issue with all of them! :)

[medievalrosalie]

Sad news about the puzzle, but great about the crocheting!

[pensnest]

In a startling development I can report that I have patched my torn jeans!

I've also started on a scarf called 'Shine' by Janina Kallio, using the pink/yello/magenta/cream yarn I got for Christmas.

[smallhobbit]

That's excellent news. The yarn for your scarf sounds lovely; I've forgotten whether you're knitting or crotcheting.

[pensnest]

I'm a knitter, though I recently learned a bit of basic crochet. The scarf looks like fun, with a mixture of mesh, garter and lacy lines.

[badly_knitted]

Well done! Now you have wearable jeans, and soon you'll have a very pretty scarf to keep you warm!

[pensnest]

I do! I am wearing them today, even.

[badly_knitted]

Wheeee!

[wiseheart]

Success on two different accounts - go you!

[pensnest]

Thanks! I am quite impressed with myself for summoning up the willpower to *do* the things.

[peaceful_sands]

Well done on the jeans and starting the scarf.

[pensnest]

I kinda need a knitting project on the go, so that if I watch rubbish television (which I do) I can excuse it on the grounds that I am also doing something worthy and creative!

[medievalrosalie]

Those colours sound very nice!

[pensnest]

It's a very pretty yarn - I probably wouldn't have chosen it for myself, so it's quite nice to have something that's a bit different from what is already in my top stash drawer.

[medievalrosalie]

I've upcycled a tea cosy! I had a lovely knitted tea cosy (knitted by the ladies at work in the Red Cross Shop)in yellow which I overdyed with coffee to make it a nice warm, brown and I stitched some crocheted/knitted woolen poppies (also bought from the Red Cross shop last Remembrance Day) onto the top. 4 poppies around the top and another a bit lower. I know I didn't knit any of it, but it looks super cute and I'm delighted!

The bath curtains for the medieval bath display have come to a halt as the fabric bunched too much and I need to cut a new top for it, but I've planned it in my head, so that's progress!

[smallhobbit]

Your tea cosy sounds very inventive.

[badly_knitted]

The tea cosy sounds lovely!

Ugh, I hate when things don't work right and have to be re-thought. Hope it goes right with the new top.