Check-In Post November 30th 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 4 meeces have ears, leaving 10 more to do. I may not be getting them done fast, but at least I am getting there.

[darkcedars]

And you don't have an imminent deadline!

[badly_knitted]

That's true, I can take my time.

[wiseheart]

It is the journey that counts... or so they say. *g*

[badly_knitted]

An endless journey in this case!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Well done!

[badly_knitted]

Thank you! Don't know if I'll get any done today, Thursdays are bit busy.

[yarnofariadne]

Hooray for meece ears!

[badly_knitted]

The meece appreciate them *grins*

[darkcedars]

Since the heart ornaments are done but I didn't feel like blocking, today I started some dishcloths (I pad out mom gifts with kitchen crochet because they don't really want much).

I also washed the inside of the small drawers cabinet which is meant to hold the crochet thread. Might finish it up in a bit. Need to put on the drawer pulls and I want to put in some scraps of shelf liner.

[wiseheart]

Sounds like a work-intensive project. Good luck!

[darkcedars]

The cleaning was the worst part at least, and finished. I think I will put the pulls on but not do anything else until tomorrow, to be sure all the nooks and crannies are dry.

[badly_knitted]

Definitely don't want damp nooks and crannies *nods*

[badly_knitted]

Blocking is a chore. Knitting or crochet is far more enjoyable.

Yay for getting the crochet cabinet a step closer to being usable.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yea for dishcloths. That cabinet sounds like a lot of work.

[yarnofariadne]

It sounds like the cabinet's coming along!

[wiseheart]

I baked four different kinds of cookies today and made a valiant effort to untangle the unholy mess of a lovely, silky grass-green yarn that has been tangled for the last three years or so. The latter is still a work in progress. *g*

[darkcedars]

That's a lot of cookies! Untangling is both frustrating and fun at the same time, somehow.

[wiseheart]

I do it while watching crap telly with one eye, that way time doesn't seem fully wasted, on either side. *g*

[badly_knitted]

Yay for cookies!

I wish I was there; I like untangling yarn. I know, I'm weird. It's just so satisfying turning an impossible tangle into nice, tidy balls.

[wiseheart]

Believe me, I wish you were here, too. I could entrust my tangled mess into your capable hand, could feed you cookies, and we could have fun together.

[badly_knitted]

Shame we're so far apart =(

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Cookies! Yum. Untangling the tangled web (good luck)

[wiseheart]

Untangling is still in progress. Too many other (more important) things to do.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Yarn ramen. 0_o Good luck with it.

Re: Thoughts

[wiseheart]

Thanks. Thinking of it - perhaps it is thread and not yarn? The thing you need for stitching? I mess up those two all the time. English is complicated.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Thread -- a very fine smooth twist of fiber, often not much bigger than a hair. Thread can be many materials.

String -- a slightly larger diameter than thread, often with 2-3 plies (strands) twisted together for strength, and with a firm texture. String is often cotton.

Cord -- ranges from somewhat thin to somewhat thick, and can be woven or twisted. Cord is used in many knotted crafts, so you see things like macrame cord or paracord.

Yarn -- twisted fiber in a huge range of diameters and materials. If it'll twist, someone has made yarn of it. The challenge is that yarn goes from barely more than thread (laceweight) to rope thickness (bulky or chunky). Yarn is usually 2-3 strands twisted together, but occasionally single-ply.

Floss / embroidery floss -- usually six strands the size of threads, loosely twisted together, so you can use all of them at once or separate however many you want for finer uses. Floss is usually slippery, often made from glossy synthetics like nylon or acrylic, silk is popular but expensive, and cotton is cheap but not as smooth or shiny. Sometimes it is blended fiber.

Those are the basics, without getting into more complex terminology about materials designed for specific crafts, or the long and diverse terms for different sizes of things. Sizes and vocabulary differ a lot between countries even speaking the same language, so pinning down details can be challenging. If you need details, look for a page that shows pictures and/or gives actual measurements.

And how does this relate to untangling things? Different techniques. With thread or any other smooth narrow fiber, you can often pull through long strands easily. You may need a magnifier to see the tangle better. With yarn, even laceweight, it tends to be fuzzier and will cling to itself more. So you may need to use your fingers or a pick to separate loops, and you can't pull as much through a loop before it gets hung. The diameter determines what needs tools or you can work with your fingers. The fuzziness determines how much it sticks to itself.

... yes, I have unpicked many tangles of things.

[yarnofariadne]

That's a lot of cookies! Best of luck with the untangling.

[wiseheart]

I won't put my hopes too high. Fortunately, I don't need the stuff immediately. And cookies are more important. I bake them for half a dozen other families, too, as Christmas gifts, so they need to be finished on time.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I have started on Xmas cards. I am having fun.

[althea_valara]

Pretty!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you!

[yarnofariadne]

Those are beautiful!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you!

[badly_knitted]

How wonderful!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you!

[wiseheart]

They are amazing! I'm almost sorry mine are all done, it is such fun to make them. But I needed to finish them for the fair, and I doubt I'd make more this year. It's cookie time!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you! Oh, wow, you're already done!

[althea_valara]

I did some knitting today on a project that was intended for Nerdopolis, but opted not to finish it as I probably would have had to knit all afternoon and I was tired and cold and my bed and blanket were calling me. So I napped instead. No regrets.

I have posted my monthly crafting update in my journal, here:
https://xnera.dreamwidth.org/1112816.html

I'm glad I posted it because I had thought it was a light crafting month, but actually I tried many projects that didn't come to fruition for one reason or another. So not that bad, actually!

[badly_knitted]

So many successes and a few things that didn't work out or are unfinished. Still a great month's work. Even if things don't work, at least you tried them!

[wiseheart]

That's a lot of stuff you've done in just one month!