Check-In Post June 3rd 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]

Only 10 sets of spider legs today. That's partly because I was doing other things, and partly because I didn't get much sleep last night. My physiotherapist told me the pain would get worse before it go better, and he wasn't kidding. I couldn't find a comfortable position to lie in, plus I was cold because I let the fire out a couple of weeks back and of course the weather immediately turned cold. I think it was about 6C last night. So I'm worn out.


Anyway, I cut spider bodies out of the larger piece of black fabric, got another 16, so I have 30 altogether. Yay! Then I decided to punch the bases, but my punch jammed up completely and is now unusable. So I've been cutting bases out by hand. They're not perfectly circular but they'll have to do. I cut out a few green bases too for the orange spider bodies.

[darkcedars]

Being cold doesn't help with pain either. :/ Sorry

And ugh that the punch is completely jammed!

[badly_knitted]

No, it doesn't, gets me all tense *sigh* I can hardly walk, and the stairs are a nightmare.

I'm not happy about it, that's for sure, but it I splash out on a new one, chances are that'll just get jammed too and I will have wasted money =(

[darkcedars]

I hope it warms up so the cold isn't adding to it.

[badly_knitted]

Keeping my fingers crossed, maybe next week. I should not need a hot water bottle in June, but it did help my hip last night so I'll be having one tonight as well.

[wiseheart]

A jammed punch is a serious setback. :(
Your colour combinations sound... interesting, to say the least.

I hope your pain will ease off, soon.

[badly_knitted]

Spiders come in all colours, when I'm making them ;)

Thanks, so do I. I can barely walk at the moment but I still have to do my exercises >.< I have a high tolerance for pain, but this is just exhausting and I'm scared my leg will give way when I put weight on it.

[m_findlow]

Argh, I hate when punches jam or break! I lost my favourite one during lock down because the handle snapped. The punch is fine but no way of exerting enough leverage to make it work now, and they don't sell ones like that anymore. Grr.

[badly_knitted]

Yes, it's really annoying. The punch does actually move up and down, but not far enough to get even a sheet of paper in, never mind felt =(

[spiralicious]

Oh, dear. I hope it warms up a bit, so at least that won't be contributing to things.

You are making a lot of progress.

This might be completely unhelpful, but when you say jammed, is it locked into cutting position and won't release or is something stuck in it so it won't complete the cutting action? Because sometimes a good, hard smack to the side (possibly with a rubber mallet) can get them to release if it got locked while cutting and won't open back up. Granted, it can also finish breaking a punch completely if you do it too hard or in the wrong spot, and it doesn't prevent future jams, but I thought I would toss it out there.

[badly_knitted]

Still waiting for properly warm weather. It's only 14C at present. Might reach 18 later.

It's neither really. The cutting action is working, but the cutting edge isn't lifting high enough to even slide a sheet of paper in, and I have no idea why =(

[spiralicious]

That's about our average here year round. (Our winters have been getting really cold though.) Hopefully, it will warm up for you soon.

That is weird o.0

[badly_knitted]

I prefer temps of at least 20C in summer, but not into the 30s. When I let the fire out the house cools down fast, and then stays cold unless the weather is warm enough. Not fun.

Yeah, I'm wondering if the springs have got stretched.

[spiralicious]

I can see that. That would not be fun, no.

That would make the most sense.

[badly_knitted]

I shall take another look at it at some point.

[darkcedars]

I'm making another dishcloth, ha!

BUT I have also made progress on removing the hardware from the bathroom door. There are at least 15 layers of paint on this door. So much it doesn't actually close!

[badly_knitted]

Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you with that door.

[wiseheart]

That door sounds like a serious challenge. Good luck with it!
But yay for another dishcloth!

[m_findlow]

That is one very over- renovated door!

[spiralicious]

Huzzah! O.O that is a lot of paint layers.

[althea_valara]

Poking at my nephew's graduation blanket, but it's boring as hell because this part is just straight rows of single crochet in one color. My attention span isn't the greatest right now, probably due partly to being sick still, so I can only handle maybe half a row before I get bored and either wander off to do something else, or curl up to sleep.

(if anybody's wondering "who dis?" this is xnera, I changed my username to the name I more commonly go by now.)

[badly_knitted]

Well, at least you're making some progress. Not surprised that it isn't holding your attention since you're sick, but every little bit helps.

[m_findlow]

Staying motivated is tough when you're now feeling your best, but hang in there!

[darkcedars]

Makes sense that you can't stick with it while sick. Hopefully you'll feel up to it soon.

[spiralicious]

Being bored and sick is a horrible combination when trying to finish anything. I hope you feel better soon.

[wiseheart]

I've made one single tag today, since I spent my crafty morning hour baking. But that's okay, I'm happy with both the tag and the soft chocolate cookies I made.

[badly_knitted]

Cookies still count as crafting *nods* Edible crafting.

[wiseheart]

Haha, yes! And they have the advantage that they won't be lying around long, collecting dust - unlike some other craft projects. *g*

[m_findlow]

Those sound yummy!

[wiseheart]

They are. Not sweet enough for my taste, so I'll add just a tad more sugar next time, but still yummy.

[darkcedars]

Yay cookies!

[wiseheart]

Cookies are good for the soul. *nodnod*

[spiralicious]

Cookies count as crafting, and they count double if they are chocolate.

[wiseheart]

Chocolate is the secret way to happiness. Besides, since cocoa beans grow on trees (or is it bushes?) it's kinda fruit, too, so... very healthy. *g*

[spiralicious]

Not only healthy, but an essential food group, really.

[spiralicious]

A lot of knitting today while we tried to watch through some of the DVDs we got from the library. Also the very tip of one of my knitting needles broke. It's still perfectly serviceable as a knitting needle, but that end hurts worse against my fingers than when they were fresh out of the package sharp.

Oh, and all three baby crows are running amok now.

[badly_knitted]

Excellent! My advice on the broken needle is to take an emery board to it, smooth off all the sharp bits and blunt the tip.

Yay for young crows!

[spiralicious]

Thanks! I will definitely be doing that.

:D

[badly_knitted]

Hope it helps.

[spiralicious]

It did! It was very helpful advice.

[badly_knitted]

Yay! Emery boards are multi-purpose ;)

[darkcedars]

Baby crows!

The ones here live further down the road. I see the adults but if there are babies they don't come this far.

[spiralicious]

Normally, the babies hide silently on the ground after they leave the nest, until they are big enough to start flying. So, that's actually a good sign.

I'm not sure what is up with the hooligans we have here.

[wiseheart]

Oh, and all three baby crows are running amok now.

How, exactly, are they doing that? *g*

[spiralicious]

So, essentially, crows leave the nest before they can actually fly and all three of them are out of the nest. They are spending their time either bouncing around tree branches or randomly showing up around the neighborhood on the ground, seemingly out of no where, exploring. Their mother seems very distressed trying to keep track of all of their locations.