Check-In Post June 15th 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: At the request of new member cora... In light of new members, where are we all in the world? No need for exact locations, just general country is fine! Leaving this question open for a few more days so anyone who hasn't answered it yet still can.


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]

There weren't quite as many euphorbias as I thought; I pulled up the last 81 this morning, so the final count is 301, although I had pulled up a few at other times so there would have been more to start with.


In crafting news, another 10 spiders made!

[wiseheart]

Well, 301 is still a handsome number! How are your hands doing?

[badly_knitted]

My hands are okay but my upper arms hurt!

[wiseheart]

That is unpleasant, too. *hugs*

[badly_knitted]

I'm used to it. I already hurt from the physio so what's one more aching muscle? Everything else hurts anyway.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Good going! On weeding and spider-making!

[badly_knitted]

Thank you! Still have to tackle the other weeds, but at least the giant euphorbias are dealt with, even if the compost heap is now 5ft tall.

The spiders are coming along, still a lot to make though.

[cora]

Where are the spiders going to live once they're done?

[badly_knitted]

They're for Halloween. Kids love them, they get something they can keep as well as the usual candy. Last year I re-stocked knitted mice, this year I'm re-stocking the spiders.

[alexcat]

My daughter loved those little black spider rings that came in bags of 4 or something... they turned up everywhere! Do share some photos of your spuiders!

[badly_knitted]

I'm planning to. Mine are rather larger and will hang from lengths of shirring elastic so they can be bounced. I haven't got to that stage yet though. I have 15 spiders that have no eyes yet, just a body and 8 legs. Still a lot more to make.

[wiseheart]

I've worked on Songbook #2 all morning, cutting out the bases for 6 crows, 6 cats, 2 donkeys, 2 chickens and 2 foxes. These are now at a phase where I can start sewing them together whenever I find a bit of time. Waiting for the cutting out are the cow, the ants and the bears. But this is the easy part. Making the background and then the binding will be really hard. And one of the books is due by September, so it will be a lot of work to finish it. Fortunately, the other one can wait.

No work on the baby book today, even though that, too, is due by September. That means I've got the rest of June and August, because I'm determined to do some quality writing during picowrimo's July session. That is the plan anyway.

[badly_knitted]

That's a huge amount done! Are you cutting out the animals for both books at the same time?

I'm sure you'll get everything done in time. You always succed!

[wiseheart]

Yes, when making felt items in great numbers I usually cut out the basic forms first. That makes things easier and the progress appears better than it actually is. *g*

I'm sure you'll get everything done in time. You always succed!
I hope so, although it would be more reasonable not to start so many things at the same time.

[badly_knitted]

At least you're not trying to make 250 of the same thing.. I only have another 235 to go.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Sounds like a busy season ahead!

[alexcat]

I'm from western North Carolina in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Yes, I am a hillbilly.

I have accomplished dreaming about doilies and buying some doily thread plus I knocked out another potholder. I also scored some scrubby yarn to make a, well, scrubby.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Ha! Dreaming of doilies! That's great. Good luck with the scrubby!

[alexcat]

I'm debating hunting a pattern or just making a simple dishcloth.

[badly_knitted]

Hillbillies rock!

Dreaming and getting the thread still counts as progress! And a potholder to boot, well done!

Good luck with your scrubby!

[alexcat]

The scrubby yarn is rather intimidating looking.

[badly_knitted]

Yikes! It's lurking in your stash, be careful!

[cora]

"Dreaming about Doilies" would be a great band name!

[alexcat]

I can't sing or play an instrument but I yield a mean crochet hook!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

It's the first day of summer break for my sons so I am instituting Craft Hour and/or Game Hour. Today we made a...baby shark...doo-doo-do-doo...baby shark!

[badly_knitted]

That is a very cool shark!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you!

[wiseheart]

A little bit scary perhaps, but impressive nonetheless!

[alexcat]

I love it. Now I have to sing the song though.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes, we've had the song going all day in our heads. That's the hazard!

[cora]

I am from Western New York. "Toronto is only a few hours away from me" kind of Western New York.

[badly_knitted]

*waves from the other side of the pond* Hope you're not suffering from the wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada.

[cora]

*waves back*

By the time I realized I was, it was mostly over. It felt mostly like terrible allergies. It didn't help that I had the windows open the first couple of really bad days, too 😅

[badly_knitted]

So sorry, a lot of people have been affected and it can't be fun. I'm lucky to live where I do, the chances of wildfires are a lot lower here.

[alexcat]

It seems to be back - the smoky haze, that is, down here in NC.

Newbie

[chasesshadows]

TN checking in!

Re: Newbie

[badly_knitted]

Hello, and welcome to the community!

Do you have any crafting projects on the go at the moment?

Re: Newbie

[chasesshadows]

Currently working on a felt needle point. It’s been more challenging than expected and it’s ridiculously simple but first project in a long time.
Baked fresh babka this morning for Father’s Day. What are you working on?

Re: Newbie

[badly_knitted]

That sounds like a fun project! I'm not good at needlepoint though.

At present, small spiders to hand out to the kids at Halloween. They'll be hung from thin elastic so they can be bounced. I also have a sweater I need to finish. It just needs the neckband and sewing up, but that will have to wait. Also want to get back to some small cross stitch owl designs, but the spiders take precedence. I want at least 150 ready for Halloween. I know that's months away, but I have other non-crafting things taking up a lot of my time =(