Check-In Post September 7th 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]

No work on the spiders today because first, no more white elastic, and second, I had a doctor's appointment this morning. That made for a very bust day because I did laundry last night to take advantage of a brief spell of hot, sunny weather, so I had to get up extra early to get all that hung out before going to the shops to run some errands. The hardware store chain my mum worked at for many years is going under, so I went in there to grab what I could — not much left but I did get suet pellets and bird seed for the birdies. After shopping, I went to my appointment, and I was home by 11.30.


Put the car away, went to put my bike away, and decided that since it was still quite early I'd cycle down to the fabric shop, see if they had any shirring elastic since I couldn't get any in town. They did, so I got two reels of white and one of black, plus a reel of white sewing thread, and a half metre of black cotton fabric so I can make some more black spiders for next year. I only have 33 black ones and I'm pretty sure they'll be popular. I also grabbed a sizeable remnant of black velvet. I want to see if I can make fuzzy black spiders.


Then, since I was that end of town, I went to the craft shop, which sadly is also closing. I was browsing the peel-off stickers, usually £1.25 a sheet but priced at 10 for £1, looking to see what I could use, and the shop owner asked if I use them a lot. Well, I do use them a fair bit, so I said yes. Then he says, "Would you like the whole boxful for £13.50?" My brain near exploded, he was literally offering me the whole lot at a penny each, and that is not the sort of bargain I was going to turn down. So heavy though, and I was on my bike so I had to walk home pushing it. 1350 sheets of stickers! I still have to sort them out, and I know there will be a lot that are surplus to requirements, but I'm still stunned by my good fortune 😶😮😂🙃

[wiseheart]

Holy cow, that's a lot of stickers! So, while it was a very busy day, it was worth the effort, wasn't it?

Damage control

[wiseheart]

... was being done today, and the birthday books for the two boys are getting shape. I wasn't able to correct all mistakes, and I still have a lot of cosmetic surgery to perform, but all in all, the covers look nice enough.

Here they are:



They are actually the exactly same size, I just couldn't place them so that they'd also look the same size. I don't know why; except that I'm hopeless as a photographer, apparently. Still, I'm relieved that they are at least acceptable; as a role I wouldn't give such failed products away, but I simply don't have the time (not to mention to energy) to restart everything from scratch. The boys would hardly mind, and I hope their mothers will be in a forgiving mode.

Re: Damage control

[badly_knitted]

The covers look great! I hope your cosmetic work will cover up what you're not happy with.

[badly_knitted]

It really was! At least half the stickers are probably ones I can't use. Lots of wedding ones, Happy Father's Day, a couple of dozen sheets of Get Well, Graduation, Happy Retirement, and Good Luck. But there are lots of letter and number ones, flowers, borders, Christmas designs... And I've only looked at half of them.

[wiseheart]

You're making me envious! :)
A real shame that the craft shop is closing, though. It's always the best places that get closed.

Re: Damage control

[wiseheart]

Those were some gorgeous paper sheets that I've been saving for a special occasion.

[yarnofariadne]

My goal was row 100 today but I actually completed through row 102 and finished part C!

[yarnofariadne]

That's a very exciting amount of stickers! I'm glad you got more elastic, too.

Re: Damage control

[yarnofariadne]

I think they look lovely!

Re: Damage control

[wiseheart]

Thank you! I've lucked out with those cardstock sheets, really - they came complete with the pattern. All I added were the boys' names.

[wiseheart]

Woot! Go you!

Re: Damage control

[badly_knitted]

It's great when you find a good use for something special.

[darkcedars]

Holy moly, that's a lot of stickers!

Re: Damage control

[darkcedars]

I'm also a hopeless photographer. Glad that you got the book mostly straightened out!

[darkcedars]

Great!

[badly_knitted]

I'll try to come up with a better list, because the great thing about stickers is that a few sheets will post as a letter.... If there's anything I've mentioned that you could use, let me know. I have some new baby ones, It's a Boy / Girl. Loads of Congratulations, weddings, engagements, retirement, driving test, invitations.

That shop has been there for as long as I can remember, which makes it even more of a tragedy.

[badly_knitted]

Woo hoo, that's amazing! How many parts do you still have to do?

[darkcedars]

I may have just now finished using up scraps - will take another look through the project basket. There's some extra dishcloths in stripes, scrubbies, and the humidifier mineral catchers.

[yarnofariadne]

Parts D, E, and F, and then the straps!

[badly_knitted]

Excellent! Sounds like you're stocked up with such things for a while =)

[yarnofariadne]

That's a great accomplishment!

[badly_knitted]

You should be proud of how well you're doing on such a huge project!

[badly_knitted]

It's phenomenal! There are a lot I have very little use for, but I've still got my money's worth with the ones I can use.

[badly_knitted]

It is! Way more than I can ever use, but at that price I wasn't about to say no.