Check-In Post February 15th 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]

Another 7 meeces completed, one of which is for a special order. Three knitted, including one for me =)

Had trouble with the ears trying to get away =/ And then the tails wouldn't twist, or maybe that was my fingers not cooperating, lol!

[smallhobbit]

Those meece ears are a major problem at the moment :D

[badly_knitted]

They kept jumping to the floor, and sticking to my sleeve this time. o_O

[peaceful_sands]

Still going strong despite escaping ears!

[badly_knitted]

So many yarn scraps to use up!

[obstinatecondolement]

Turned the heel on my sock! Instead of my usual French heel, it's something called a shaped common heel, where you knit a heel flap, work a few rows reducing by two stitches in the centre on every knit row and then fold in half lengthwise and graft the live stitches together with kitchener stitch. Here's a picture:

[badly_knitted]

Oooh, very pretty!

I haven't done grafting in years, unless you count sewing up shoulder seams.

[obstinatecondolement]

How do you like to sew up seams? I'm a big mattress stitch fan.

[badly_knitted]

I've been using an invisible seam method for years on side and sleeves seams, but it does mean knitting things slightly differently, then sewing up on the right side. It's simple to do, and very effective, even if it can require a lot of calculations when attaching sleeves, but I feel it gives a better finish than the method my mum used to use. In many ways it's really quite similar to mattress stich.

I do use mattress stitch on shoulder seams though. A bit fiddly when it's cables or lace pattern, but it works.

[obstinatecondolement]

Finishing is always a bit fiddly no matter what you do, isn't it? 😂

That sounds great though? Do you know what it's called? I would love to look it up.

[badly_knitted]

So true, it's the part of knitting I like the least.

I learned it as just the invisible seam technique. I think it was in a magazine, one of those crafting partworks, 30 odd years ago. You just, when you're knitting you cast on 2 stitches more than the pattern says, then on every row, slip the first stitch knitwise, then knit the last stitch. It leaves a line of nobbles down each edge which makes it easier to match up. Then you sew up like mattress stitch, picking up the pairs of threads beside each nobble, if that makes sense. It's easier to see in pictures, but I don't have any =/

[obstinatecondolement]

I think I know the technique now that you describe it.

[badly_knitted]

My description sucked, so I applaud you for understanding it!

The technique has served me well for almost 40 years, with the added benefit of not needing to block and press, which I'm too lazy to do anyway... I'm a terrible influence on other knitters ;)

[peaceful_sands]

It looks like it's progressing well. It's a lovely pattern and I like the colour

[obstinatecondolement]

Thank you so much! The yarn is from Third Vault Yarns. It's their Librarian Sock base in a now discontinued colourway called Niflheim.

[wiseheart]

My meeces have arrived and been welcomed with joy. :)
And i've bought some truly stunning paper, just because. It wasn'g a very crafty day.

[badly_knitted]

Yay meeces!

Craft papers are irresistible =)

[wiseheart]

They are very addictive indeed. :)

[peaceful_sands]

It's a day to consider the potential for the new acquisitions - that's still fun!

[wiseheart]

Or just admiring their beauty. ;))

[jenab]

I've been adding a few rows over here and there to my scarf. Realized I started out with the tension too tight but can't be bothered to start over again. I think it will turn out all right.

[badly_knitted]

I'm sure it will be fine. Scarves are very forgiving that way.

[peaceful_sands]

Still progressing and I'm sure the end result will be fine.

[peaceful_sands]

No progress today - I got out another new set of jigsaws (2 in the box this time with an Egyptian theme) thinking I could alternate the ones in this box with the other one which has four in it - only to measure up the working space and discover that again, it's not big enough - jigsaw is 64cm square, my workspace is only 52cm by 75cm - this ongoing issue is becoming frustrating - I'm beginning to think I need to get a bigger jigsaw board - not that I have anywhere to work on it - the one I have now is balanced precariously as it is when I put it on the coffee table which is about 40cm in diameter, so the fold out sections have to be balanced on the edge of the couch and then I hope for the best and when I put it on the open floor space I'm then having to pick my way around it. With working from home taking up all of the dining room table that space is also ruled out. *sigh*

No work done on the sweater - so much for making plans for the upcoming projects that need finishing - I'm having another flare up of symptoms and so my hands and wrists are in too much pain at the moment - this leaves me constantly tired and a little nauseous as well. When I finally do get through it, I'll probably put the other crochet projects on hold for the moment and try to go back to the cross-stitch or maybe the tapestry. I'll get there in the end - hopefully this will pass and things will go back to a more normal state of affairs.

[badly_knitted]

Maybe spread the jigsaw board out on your bed when you want to play? I've done that before. Sucks that your board isn't big enough for the jigsaws though. =(

So sorry your hands and wrists are playing up so badly. Hopefully they'll settle down soon. Hands and wrists are one of the worst places to suffer chronic pain because it makes everything so difficult and gets so frustrating when you want to do things but just can't. Taking a break from the crochet sounds sensible.

[wiseheart]

The lack of enough working surface is a never-ending problem. *commiserates*