Check-In Post May 14th 2023

[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]

It was dry and sunny again today (two days in a row!) so I got a bit of work done in the garden. I actually started cutting back the shrub, after clearing more weeds from around it. My back is protesting now from all the bending and reaching though.

[wiseheart]

No wonder! Gardening is hard work! I envy you for the nice weather. We've had rain for days in a row.

[badly_knitted]

We've had so much rain everything us growing like crazy, and the rain is due back tomorrow for a couple more weeks. Good weather has been rare this spring.

[darkcedars]

Got all the way to the shrub! Glad you had 2 days to work.

[badly_knitted]

But I've only taken a fraction off the shrub, and we're due more rain... I can't win this year. So much to do outside but not enough time or energy.

[wiseheart]

My first attempts at knitting haven't ended well so far. In fact, I ended up unraveling what little I had done... due to the attempt of undoing a couple of rows. I think my new knitting needles have to bear part of the blame. They're made of bamboo or something like that, and pushing them back into the stitches after I've unraveled the botched-up parts is sheer impossible. I'd go back to Mum's traditional metal needles, but they're at least a foot long and I find it uncomfortable to work with them.

And I was doing so well, too! I've practiced on a simple checkered pattern, and the first one was exactly what it's supposed to be. Then I did something stupid (still no idea what), ended up with an additional stitch, and everything went downwards from that point on. It doesn't matter, I'll try it again.

[badly_knitted]

Sorry you're having to start over, but it's part of learning.

Picking stitches up again is often difficult after ripping rows back, which is why I tend to unpick stitch by stitch. It's fiddly and takes longer but it means I only undo what I want to, not the whole thing.

Personally I prefer longer needles. I tuck my righthand needle under my arm when I'm knitting so my hand is free for the yarn. The knitting end just rests between my thumb and first finger. That's what's comfortable for me though, something I discovered through trial and error. Everyone has their own preferences.

[wiseheart]

I use the ones that are connected by a plastic cord. I once had a perfectly good pair, a metal one with teflon coating (nothing to do with Gwen-bloody-Cooper, I want to emphasize!), but I have no idea where that pair has gone. I bought a three-pair-package on sale at Tedi, but they are made of bamboo, and the yearn doesn't slide on them easily enough.

[badly_knitted]

Bamboo can be good but it doesn't suit everybody. Maybe you'll find your pair eventually, or find metal ones at a reasonable price.

[darkcedars]

ah, surprise extra stitch never helps. It will probably click one day.

[wiseheart]

I hope so! Today I've produced one again, but I was brutal and simply treated two individual stitches as if they were one thick one, and that solved the problem. This is just a practice piece anyway, so it doesn't matter if it's a bit uneven here and there.

[badly_knitted]

Knitting two together can be a good way of dealing with an accidental extra stitch. Even experienced knitters do it.

[althea_valara]

I got done about half of the first piece for my Fan Fest entry! But woe, then I realized I had gotten the distribution of the colors wrong. :( So I had to start over. I was annoyed enough that I cast on for a different piece instead. That one should be easier to start with - the first piece gave me fits, math-wise, and it's just as well I had to start over because once I took it off the needles I realized it was too big and I had too many stitches because I didn't decrease enough. Anyway, I took a break for some gaming, and now am about to go back to the knitting.

[badly_knitted]

Well, at least now you've undone your mistakes and can hopefully avoid making them again. Making something up as you go along can result in a few false starts, but I know you can do this. Fingers crossed that the project will go more smoothly this time.

[darkcedars]

Fingers crossed for better luck on the second try.

[darkcedars]

I did a good couple sessions outside today, and I'm done except for planting two things! Last minute additions. We had the tastiest kabocha squash yesterday, so I am going to try to grow the seeds from it. And deciding to plant the squash means the milkweed needs a different location.

This iris bloomed this morning and it is super purple.

[badly_knitted]

Good luck with the squash seeds and relocating the milkweed!


That Iris is stunning.

[wiseheart]

How beautiful!