Check-In Post October 21st 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]

I am here! I'll probably be posting late on Sundays in future too, as a new David Attenborough documentary series starts tomorrow night. It's on before the Strictly results show, so I'll be watching TV from 6.15 until 8pm.


Crafting wise, I have trimmed and fringed the cross stitch piece, but that's as far as I got with the card because I didn't have time for anything complicated. Also added 40 rows to the first pink arm warmer and cast on for the second. I haven't cast off the first one because I don't know if I'll have to undo a bit, or if I'll be able to add more rows. Got to see what happens with the second one as I can't tell how much yarn I've got left on the cone. Not that it's ON the cone anymore, I pulled the cone out of the middle so I can work from the other end of the yarn for the second arm warmer.

[wiseheart]

Wow, you've been busy!

[badly_knitted]

Thanks! All that on top of dealing with the fire and fitting in a fair amount of writing! It's been a productive day.

[darkcedars]

Wow, that's a lot. This is the first arm warmer of the year? I should make another pair.

[badly_knitted]

I did manage to fit quite a lot in =)

Yes, first pair of the year. They're a good project for when Strictly Come Dancing is on. Simple rib, and short rows.

They're very handy to have when the weather gets cold.

[verdande_mi]

Enjoy your TV!

I have been thinking about some leg warmers myself. Here's to you not having to undo anything.

[badly_knitted]

I'm sure I will =)

Leg warmers are great, they just never stay up on my legs. It's my knees that get cold, but my legs are so skinny everything just slides straight down, lol!

[wiseheart]

My doughnut-shaped keyrings are complete.



Regardless what you see on the picture, the pale pink one on the upper left is as much (or as less) round as the other five; I'm just a rubbish photographer. Still, they are done, and I even made a few more little gift tags. Now I can pick up the (utterly boring) task of adding thread samples to the mini sewing kits... and to make even more surprise gift boxes. I've got enough material for at least fifty or so more, the only problem is to fill them all - and to get them actually done. *g*

[badly_knitted]

I think they look brilliant!

Good luck with the surprise boxes and their contents, and the gift tags.

[wiseheart]

Well, they are shiny enough, which is an important factor for underage customers. ;))

[badly_knitted]

They appeal to older folk too. Easy to get hold of with old hands.

[wiseheart]

True enough. :)

[verdande_mi]

These are great :)

[wiseheart]

Thank you. :)

[darkcedars]

Those are great! Kids will love them. Good luck with the mystery boxes.

[wiseheart]

Thanks. The boxes will mean a lot of boring work, but the kids love these little surprise gifts.

[verdande_mi]

After a long time of not doing much hobby-related beyond reading and photography I am both journaling and crocheting again. I finished a pillow I started in summer and have a started a on a new scarf to match my early winter jacket.

[badly_knitted]

Welcome back!

Well done for finishing the pillow. Making a scarf to match your jacket sounds like an excellent plan. You'll be colour coordinated.

[darkcedars]

I love having a new scarf.

[falkner]

Today I got started on the Christmas gift for a friend, which will also be my first real embroidery project. It's not going to be anything fancy (maybe once I get good at it...), just embroidering on a plain tote bag the name of her favorite Japanese idol, and then lining the inside with some colorful fabric.

I've been interested in embroidery for a long time, so I'm hoping I won't discover I'm absolute pants at it.

[verdande_mi]

Good luck with your embroidery journey! And the project for your friend :)

I haven't done any embroidery since my school days, but for a while now I have been thinking about perhaps giving it a go. Perhaps something for next year.

[falkner]

I used to do cross stitch as a kid, and was pretty good at it, so I was hoping some of that skill was transferable... But it has been about twenty years at this point, it turns out I can't even remember how to make the back of the work *not* a mess of thread. (This might or might not be reason #1 I want to hide it all by lining the inside of the bag.)

[badly_knitted]

Good luck! Embroidery looks so beautiful so I hope yours goes well.

[falkner]

Thank you!

[darkcedars]

Good luck! I need to get started on some gifts as well.

[falkner]

Thank you! It's the perfect time to get started now, spending the evenings on the couch with a nice blanket on your lap (optional add-on: a cat ready to pounce on any loose thread).

[darkcedars]

No crafting so far, only chores. Though I'm considering what color to make the next hanging basket. It might just sit next to me while I read though.

Today's weirdness? Squirrel attacked my dog! She's tiny and elderly. This squirrel had recently realized she's not very fast. I turned around to see the squirrel running around her in circles, and then jump on her! I chased it off. She wasn't bitten but was upset.

[badly_knitted]

Your poor little dog! Squirrels can be menaces. I haven't seen Cyril the Squirrel for a couple of weeks, but I'm sure he'll turn up again. He's completely fearless.

Good luck with the next hanging basket.

[darkcedars]

I sprinkled peppermint rodent repellent on the tree (inside the dog yard) and think I'll put a rag on a stick tomorrow so I can rub that stuff on the spots in the tree I have seen the squirrel sit!

This is war.

[badly_knitted]

Good luck with repelling your squirrel! Hope it works.