Check-In Post December 24th 2023

[falkner]

Hello, lovely crafters! Welcome to our daily check-in post, where you can tell everybody all about your most recent progress (or lack thereof). Feel free to also chat with other members and generally enjoy yourself!

Check-in is not compulsory, you decide if and when to take part in these posts.

No optional questions today, but in exchange I'd like to encourage everybody to share pictures of their favorite projects! Whatever it's old or recent, show us what you're proud of having made!

If you have questions or suggestions about the community, requests for tags, or want to host the daily check-in posts, head over to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment there.

Comments

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I have made a few ornaments this year.



And I tried my hand at something new: hot cocoa bombs:



but the main craft this season has been cards and I made a lot:

[badly_knitted]

Your cards are so much fun! Merry Christmas!

[wiseheart]

Your cards are lovely! Merry Christmas!

[shaddyr]

Wow, those cards are great!

[darkcedars]

Those are fun, also will be interested to hear how the cocoa turns out.

[spiralicious]

Everything looks great, but I especially love your cards.

Merry Christmas :)

[badly_knitted]

The only crafting I've done so far today is to sew up the replacement arm warmer for my neighbour. It's a very dark navy blue so it had to be done while I had daylight, so I could see what I was doing. There was actually a bit of sunlight, so I took advantage of that.

The plan is to do some more knitting on the neighbour's daughter's arm warmers later this evening. For now, have a picture of one of my favourite sweaters. I've made this one 5 times, twice for my sister on a sage green background and three times for myself on dark blue, medium blue, and rust. The design is stitched on afterwards using the Swiss darning technique because I'm useless at knitting complicated multi-coloured designs. Plus, stitching it afterwards gives extra thickness, which can be an advantage in cold weather.

[wiseheart]

Wow, what a sweater!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes I echo above. That is a sweater!

[darkcedars]

Glad you had a tiny bit of sunlight. Rainy gray for 3 days (and probably 2 or 3 more) here.

That's quite a sweater! Wouldn't have guessed the design was added afterwards.

[althea_valara]

Oh my. I am mightily impressed by all that Swiss darning. I've never tried that technique, I don't think, but I imagine it can be tedious at times. Great job!

[spiralicious]

That sweater looks amazing :D

[wiseheart]

I also worked a bit on the snowman page in the morning. It now has its head and arms (tree-branch arms) sewn on and his clothes box fixed. It also got a small squirrel for company, but that was bought ready-made. All I have to make now are some clothes and perhaps add a few sparkly snowballs, and then I can start putting the book together. I've got time till next Christmas, after all. *g*

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Next Christmas!🤣 Sounds cute!

[darkcedars]

Hmm squirrels can be inconsiderate, will see if he's good company. :D

[spiralicious]

Very nice!

[badly_knitted]

Sounds like a fun page!

[shaddyr]

I finally got back to the slippers I was making for my son and finished one of them the other day. I did about half the other one last night and have no doubt I'll have it ready for Christmas morning.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Nice! Slippers are perfect for Christmas 🎁🎁

[darkcedars]

Glad you're getting them done under the wire.

[spiralicious]

Excellent work!

[badly_knitted]

Well done! Hope the second one was finished in time!

[darkcedars]

I might make a couple more snowflakes tonight. I've finished baking cookies and making the green bean casserole for tomorrow. The dishes are done.

Here's a project I've made in the last few years I really liked. I hope to make another doily soon.

[spiralicious]

That is gorgeous!

[althea_valara]

I'm working on two things today, both of which I'd like to get done before the end of the month:

1. Crochet QR code - this is for a Nerdopolis challenge. I will explain it once I have it finished. I was going to knit one, because I thought it'd work better, but I don't have *time* to do a large double-knitting project so instead I am doing stranded crochet colorwork. I anticipate finishing it either tonight or tomorrow.

2. a C2C crochet thing, which I'm being vague about for Reasons.

Some favorite things I've made:

ALISAIE!!! - she is my very favorite character from Final Fantasy XIV, so I couldn't resist making her. She has a place of honor on top of my PlayStation 4. Here's pictures shortly after I finished her:




Windy Storm - This is a doll of one of my FFXIV characters. I don't really play the character any longer, but I'm still glad I made her. She remains a favorite because I feel I really nailed her look, and ESPECIALLY the clothes. I do not wish to ever knit box pleats again, but trust me, these clothes look spot-on:



Orchid Top - the second piece of clothing I ever made, and it's crocheted! I love this top, except I screwed up when doing the button band and didn't put enough buttons on. I compensated for this with magnetic snaps. Sadly, I can't wear this any longer (stupid meds caused weight gain) but I still admire it.


Peppermint Swirl blanket - A labor of love, for ME. It's currently on my bed for the winter holidays.

[spiralicious]

Good luck!

The dolls are adorable.

Love the rug.

You should be proud of that top.

[spiralicious]

Happy Merry Everything!

Technically, I am still baking, but it's just the last tray of dough. There will be more to come, but it's the last of what I need for Christmas Day and good timing as the power flickered not too long ago.

What I have made today:
- peanut butter cookies
- the ginger cookies that bite back
- coffee shortbread cookies
-disco cookies
- fudge
- snickerdoodles
- and I'm finishing up the mini pecan turtle delights with rolos shoved in the middle

I briefly went home this evening to help my mother make cabbage rolls.

It's been fun watching the cats I'm taking care of try to help me bake and argue over my knitting bag. They don't want in it, they just want to sleep on it. They have dragged it off to another room and the shy one has it at the moment.

Get the cookies cooled and put up, some more clean up, and glue a card together, then I will be off to bed.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Cookies! I would eat them all but am intrigued by coffee shortbread.