Check-In Post February 11th 2021

[badly_knitted]

Hello to all members, 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: Whereabouts in the world are you located?


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]

We have a question today, courtesy of medievalrosalie

I hail from England's East Midlands. I've lived here all my life, in fact I still live in the house I was born in.

Not much to show today craft-wise, but I was determined to do something so I knitted 2 rows on my arm warmers.

That's all I have the energy for thanks to having to shift a load of firewood logs from my driveway around to the back of the house and find somewhere to put them all. Logs are heavy and awkward and I really need a wheelbarrow *sigh* Stuffing them in bags and carrying them by hand took well over an hour and I'm really going to suffer but there's nobody else around to do the job and if I'd left them where they were someone would have nicked them, or they'd get wet.

[medievalrosalie]

*waves from Australia*

You really have been busy! Wow! I got sick of moving logs and bought a garden trolley and it's been so useful for moving awkward things like mulch and wood. Yay arm warmers!

[badly_knitted]

*waves back*

I want a wheelbarrow. My arms and shoulders are hurting now, and my back and hips aren't impressed either. I'm too old for log lugging, and nowhere near strong enough. *collapses*

[pensnest]

I'm also a UK dweller, living in East Anglia (coming up on six years!), the furthest north I have ever lived (!). It's a lovely place, and I'm really happy we moved here.

[badly_knitted]

Never been there, but I've heard good things!

[medievalrosalie]

I believe there's lots of history in East Anglia! :) I love medieval history and we have exactly zero of that in Australia. We have a different kind of Indigenous culture, which is amazing, but not medieval England!

[pensnest]

There's a Boudicca section in the museum in the castle - and it is the *dinkiest* little Norman castle you ever did see. Norwich was very wealthy during the Middle Ages, and has an abundance of churches built from wool money, though many of them now function as something else—antique emporium, fitness centre etc. In normal times, we also have a fantastic array of restaurants (and there used to be a pub for every day of the year, but some of those have closed too). Such a great place.

[smallhobbit]

It's a very long time since I went to Norwich. Probably 40 years. I remember liking it at the time.

[medievalrosalie]

oh WOW!!!!!

[smallhobbit]

Also from England, this time in the west in Gloucester.

I have begun knitting another owl. (I like owls.)

[badly_knitted]

Yay for another Brit, that makes three of us so far!

Yay for another knitted owl! I adore owls. This house was called Two Hoots, but the sign we had above the door fell down one day and just missed me. It never got put back up.

[medievalrosalie]

Hello Gloucester! I've not been there, but it looks nice in photos!

[pensnest]

*waves* I think the first thing I ever sewed voluntarily was a small owl. I didn't stuff it very well, so it was named Flaccidity. There followed Turgidity, and many others.

[smallhobbit]

I started knitting again last summer and have already made two owls. Clearly I shall have to name them.

[badly_knitted]

Do you have pictures of any of your owls? Love their names!

[m_findlow]

Yay for owls! I wasn't a big fan they were the popular craft animal, but now they've been replaced by llamas, I don't mind them so much. The more popular something is, the less inclined I am to be interested in it, lol.

[smallhobbit]

Although I wasn't crafting them I've been a fan of owl's for a long time, so knitting them was always going to happen once I started. Also penguins.

[badly_knitted]

You clearly don't like following the crowd!

I've always loved owls because they're awesome birds. They just also happen to be good crafting subjects.

[babs_bee]

South Central Pennsylvania in the heart of Amish country. We had snow again today and I did more cleaning inside the house instead of knitting. I'm so close to finishing my sweater--I just need to be more motivated. Maybe I'll spend tomorrow knitting and watching Netflix!

[badly_knitted]

*waves from England*

I don't envy you your snow! Watching Netflix and knitting sounds like an excellent plan for the snowy weather.

[medievalrosalie]

Ohh I've heard nice things about there! Lots of arts and crafts too!

[medievalrosalie]

I'm in a little suburb called Stones Corner in Queensland, Australia! We are enjoying summer right now, so it's really hot! I'm delighted to see people from all over here!Yay!

[badly_knitted]

Yay! I know of at least one other Aussie member!

[m_findlow]

*waves* ha ha, yes that's me, here in Melbourne. :)

[badly_knitted]

Other side of the world from me *waves back*

[medievalrosalie]

Oh Man! Lockdown weekend for you AGAIN! I saw the shops stripped bare again. Hopefully you guys will be out and about again. Our Queensland hospitals aren't so bad, but we still have to PPE up for every single patient who has crossed the border or has friends who has or has a temp and that's... pretty much everyone. I used to live down in Melbourne and I miss it so much. Brisbane is ok but Melbourne is great. Have you seen the Jimmy Rees "Meanwhile in Australia" Covid clips? Hilarious!

[m_findlow]

Haha, yes, lockdown again but hopefully not for too long. Hard to believe we were out at lunch just a few days ago and now back to working from home (not that I mind it, I get heaps done). I'm very much a homebody, but I do miss the odd day of heading into the city to wander around all the little arcades and laneways with all their odd little shops and cafes. I like taking photos of everything so people must think I'm a tourist!
Whereabouts in Melbourne were you living? I rarely ever meet anyone born and bred in Qld, they're all Melbourne expats headed north for some warmer weather!

[medievalrosalie]

I was born and bred in Melbourne too, sorry! My grandparents retired in Queensland and we bounced a little up and back to see them and stay a bit. I lived at East Ivanhoe behind the Boulevarde (because who could afford to live there in the 1980's). Back then it was leafy footpaths and great shops. I have family at Ferny Creek and out in the Dandenongs.

[m_findlow]

Haha, well there you go, just proves the theory! I'm in Nunawading so not too far away. My family ran a TAB in Ivanhoe at the top of Upper Heidelberg Rd for years so I spent most of my childhood weekends commuting there and back with the folks. :)

[medievalrosalie]

Wow! I know where that is. Nunawading. Pretty sure I had a cousin there. Small world!

[smallhobbit]

*Waves* lovely to see someone from the other side of the world!

[m_findlow]

Isn't it funny how it never feels like the other side of the world. We're all doing the same kinds of things. I love it when people post photos of their everyday comings and goings because it's like "yeah, just like here too!" though I adore spotting the little cultural nuances.

[smallhobbit]

Yes, I have several friends in Australia and enjoy sharing all the same activities. It's the seasons and the school year which I notice.

[badly_knitted]

I love the way we can talk to people and shares things over thousands of miles with hardly any time lag, as long as we're both awake at the time. The internet has made the whole world one neighbourhood. =D

[medievalrosalie]

Exactly! Same same but slightly different!
I'm enjoying low loads of people in lockdown are sad but my re-enactor friends the world all over are like ... MORE TIME FOR CRAFTS!!!!!

[m_findlow]

I had to look you up because I wasn't familiar with the suburb but now I know you're just in the south of Brisbane.

[medievalrosalie]

It's fairly close to the city but a little pocket of funky op shops, parks and cafes. I'm renting, but I love it there. I'm right across from a park with huge trees so it's a nice outlook!

[m_findlow]

I love those kinds of suburbs with their slightly hipster feel.

[moth2fic]

I'm in Greater Manchester, UK i.e. north west England, where suburbia starts fading, just on the edge of the Peak District. It will be nice to see where everybody is!

[badly_knitted]

Oooh, North of me!

I'm actually amazed so many of us are right here in England!

[medievalrosalie]

Hello! My geography isn't great, but I know where Manchester is, so I have a feel! *waves*

[moth2fic]

Most of the world knows where Manchester is - partly because of its football teams! I'm glad you have a 'mental map'! *waves back*