Check-In Post May 14th 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]

No crafting again today, it was sunny and hot so I made the most of that and did some more clearing of weeds. I've mostly cleared the surface weeds off the patch where I've been scattering old seeds for the past few years, and now I'm working on a section that's been left until now because it was under a shrub that has since been cut back. The weeds in this part are well established so it's hard going, but I cleared a 2 foot square area. It's very stony though, because it's where I was tossing the big stones that I dug up from the rest of the plot. My garden grows stones as well as weeds apparently.

The next two days are supposed to be rainy so I might get some crafting done tomorrow...

[wiseheart]

You can always make a patch of stone garden - with cactus plants perhaps. *g*

[badly_knitted]

This is England, cacti would never survive outdoors, poor things. Maybe I'll spread plastic to stop the weeds and then cover it with stones. We'll see. It used to be grass under the shrub, but the weeds took over.

[darkcedars]

Established weeds take forever. I slowly pulled them from the flower bed last year, and there's some coming back here and there. Exact stuff.

[badly_knitted]

I've got docks, dandelions, brambles, and buttercups, so I'll have to dig to get the roots out, over the whole plot. I've had dock roots going down 18 inches. Hopefully a bit of rain will help to soften the ground.

[peaceful_sands]

I can sympathise - I have an area with brambles, pampas grass (don't ask - somebody prior to me thought it was a great idea and they are vicious to get rid of so I just leave them be). I also fight a constant battle with bindweed. I have a gravel area which loads of small low growing weeds seem to love smothering and being really hard to clear properly.

I've got an area covered with ivy and virginia creeper but they are 'supposed' to be there - unfortunately some of the ivy has died and it's going to be a massive job to clear it and then try to get it out of the ground and plant something similar (the original developer wrote into the deeds that the 20 feet tall wall which is the back of the parking area for all the houses would be hidden by ivy - without considering the keeping it under control!).

[badly_knitted]

Our pampas grass died years and years ago, but I have another grass that is just as much of a menace to get rid of and I don't even know where it came from, although I suspect the bird seed we used to feed our cockatiels when we still had them.

Bindweed I have literally EVERYWHERE, even in the lawn *sigh* That stuff is impossible to get rid of. The tiniest bit of root and it grows back.

Developers never think of the people who will have to deal with what they decree gets planted.

[peaceful_sands]

Well done - it's no mean feat to clear through that kind of ground. Could you make a rockery of sorts? Or plant Alpines?

[badly_knitted]

It's flat ground around the base of a shrub in a part of the garden that floods, so that probably wouldn't be practical, but I might lay a couple of paving stones because it;'s also right at the bottom of the steps to the lawn. We didn't plant the shrub there on purpose, it just grew there and it's so lovely we let it stay. Berberis Darwinii. The leaves are horribly sharp, but the orange flowers in spring and the blue berries in summer are glorious.

[sister_raphael]

Ah, but gardening on a sunny day is the best thing for clearing the cobwebs and feeling fresh when you get back to crafting.

[badly_knitted]

Must admit my preference in good weather is to be out in the garden, doing whatever needs doing - which is a lot. I enjoy it, even when it's hard work.

[wiseheart]

One of the deep sea pages is finished, the other one almost - 2 more octopus arms to sew on are left. I hoped to do those today as well but I found it's hard to do lots of sewing without the telly running in the background. And the programme I was not-quite-watching ended right after arm #6. ;)

[badly_knitted]

Ah well, they'll keep. The arms aren't going anywhere, with luck you'll get to them tomorrow. Great progress even though you have a six-armed octopus ;)

[wiseheart]

Would that be a sextopus then? Sounds like the title of an X-rated film! *g*

[badly_knitted]

Quite possibly! Definitely sounds like something Jack would enjoy!

[wiseheart]

I remember something about a tentacled alien being mentioned once, but I might have read that in fanfic.

[badly_knitted]

I can't remember if tentacles were ever mentioned in the show, but I toss them into Torchwood fanfic at every opportunity. It makes Jack happy ;)

[wiseheart]

And here I was thinking that Gwen's bulging eyes were what caught his interest - reminding him of that tentacled alien.

[badly_knitted]

Heeee! Maybe that's what subconsciously caused him to hire her!

[peaceful_sands]

You're doing well - not much more to do to finish the octopus arms and hopefully you'll be able to find something else to watch on TV while you do.

[sister_raphael]

Those octopii are soooo cute!!!

[darkcedars]

Have worked on the afghan just a bit today between chores. Wentworth to my yarn storage to confirm I have enough green for the afghan. Nope. I then recalled using this color to make the Legend of Zelda hat.

I need to order, I can't stop now that I'm finally making progress!

[badly_knitted]

Ooops! Hope you can get the colour you need, because that would be too demoralising...

[darkcedars]

It's still common, just the local Joann's doesn't have it in stock. I am really glad I picked standard colors in a flagship yarn.

[badly_knitted]

For a project that size it was definitely the sensible way to go.

[darkcedars]

Yarn purchased. Also, looks like posting from my phone while monitoring the dog doesn't work that well. Wentworth?

[badly_knitted]

Yay!

And I figured that was some kind of autocorrect glitch. *grins*

[peaceful_sands]

Glad you were able to get the right type of yarn to continue with the project.

[sister_raphael]

don't stop! Don't stop!!

[sister_raphael]

A busy day of sorting things out outside has cut into the crafting time, so I've done a few bits and pieces, but not finished anything. Still 5 buttonholes to go on the hood. Miles of seams on the cloak, but I've been watching a science dvd from the early 70's (and this guy is quite the snappy dresser: worth watching the show for his clothes alone) so I'm getting through it, and I've cut two metal circlets so one is ready to add embellishments. It's sounds like lots, but it's really just bouncing from project to project. Hopefully I'll do better this week.

[badly_knitted]

But that's still lots of projects in various stages of completion, so you'll get them all finished eventually. Some days it's best to do what you're in the mood for rather than forcing yourself to do what you think you SHOULD be working on.