Check-In Post February 2nd 2024

[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.


This Week's Question: Looking back at last year, which of your completed projects (or WiPs) were you most pleased with?


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 probably won't get any crafting done today. I was in town all morning and I'm done in.


I did find a nice set of ten craft punches in a carrying case in one of the charity shops. They're only small motifs, but still worth having, and a good price, so I bought them.

[wiseheart]

You can never have enough craft punches! I wish I could find better variety in motifs in our shops.

[badly_knitted]

There are two different heart motifs in this set with a teddy bear, a duck, tiny cupid, palm tree, tulip, shamrock, another tiny one I can't figure out, and a heart border punch. Interesting selection.

[wiseheart]

What I'm constantly looking for are basic forms: plain circles, fluted circles, various tags and so on. Sadly, I never find the right size of those. The tags are the worst: they're so small, half the size what I'd need for my baby books, so I grit my teeth and make them by hand. It would save so much time if I could just punch them and use my energy for the decoration.

[badly_knitted]

I broke my 1 inch circle punch using it on felt, and they're so expensive! I think I've only got a small tag, but I'll try to remember to take a look. If I've got a large enough one I could punch some tags out for you and send them in a letter.

[wiseheart]

Oh, that would be lovely, thank you!

[badly_knitted]

That's supposing I have one of a usable size, but I haven't looked yet. I've got to move stuff to get at the drawer my punches are in and there wasn't time today to go digging. When I've looked I'll let you know.

[wiseheart]

Thank you. :) Whenever you get around to take a look. It isn't urgent.

[badly_knitted]

Hopefully I can go poking around later next week.

[darkcedars]

Oh nice, craft tools!

[badly_knitted]

I hadn't even planned to go in the shop, but there was a queue in the bank, so... Lucky me!

[sister_raphael]

Well done on picking up the punches!

[badly_knitted]

Thanks! I don't always find anything good in the charity shops, but sometimes I get lucky =D

[wiseheart]

Behold the big, honking picspam post on my LJ. It's a comparison of the template songbook and my two versions of it... well, the first half of them. The second one comes tomorrow.

[darkcedars]

Those are great! I like the birds a lot.

[wiseheart]

Thank you! :)

[sister_raphael]

They are absolutely wonderful! What a huge amount of work you've put into them.

[badly_knitted]

In the end I did do some knitting, I started the red arm warmers for my neighbour's daughter. I wanted something to do while watching the final of UK's Strongest Man, and also for Sunday while watching Dancing On Ice. Arm warmers are ideal for that. Hopefully I'll finish the sweater front tomorrow.

[wiseheart]

I'm sure you will. Your determination is legendary. :)

Me, I've already been caught by next Christmas's new project. Look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gbpq52xC8I

The cutest keyrings, ever!

[badly_knitted]

I should be able to if I'm not too tired/

Those truly are adorable!

[sister_raphael]

You are so productive!

[badly_knitted]

I just can't stand watching TV without something to keep my hands busy, lol!

[darkcedars]

I haven't had crafting time for a few days, but today I'm doing a lot of plant stuff!

Started repotting the African violets - did 6 this morning (there are 17 indoor plants, 4 are not African violets).

I am doing the winter seed starting thing, where you cover the seeds with milk jugs to make a mini greenhouse.

[wiseheart]

I so admire people who can do plant stuff! Me, I've got the dead thumb. Plants literally die when I get too close to them. The only one that lasted longer than a few weeks was something called a dragon tree (in Hungarian anyway; I have no idea what it might have to do with dragons), but even that gave up after half a year.

[darkcedars]

It's probably the same here. Long thin leaves. Dracaena

[wiseheart]

I hoped it would last longer, us being kindred spirits (you know, dragons among themselves), but no, it didn't work.

[badly_knitted]

That's a lot of repotting!

Good luck with the seeds. What kinds are you growing?

[darkcedars]

Lavender, agastache, evening primrose, milkweed, magnolia climbing peas, parsley. I also tried to start some lemon balm again, but that keeps dying off.

[badly_knitted]

Oooh, lovely smellies! I adore evening primroses but have trouble growing them.

*Falls down laughing at the lemon balm* I have that stuff growing out of the bottom of the wall along my driveway! I'm forever ripping it out but it just keeps coming back. I can't get rid of it (I have it elsewhere in more appropriate places) and you can't get it to stay alive. Irony is alive and well.

[sister_raphael]

I only have one African Violet, but I do love them! Yours must be such a wonderful display with so many!

[spacedogfromspace]

I wrote 3k yesterday! Had to stay up past 4am to do it but I got it done;

[darkcedars]

That's a lot!

[spacedogfromspace]

lol yeah but I'm doing MilWordY this year so its about time I got my butt into gear!

[badly_knitted]

Most I've ever managed in a year was a bit over 625k, so I wish you luck!

[badly_knitted]

Whoooo! That's a lot of words in one day, or night. Well done! Hope you got some sleep afterwards (nearly typed afterwords, which is oddly appropriate!)

[sister_raphael]

That's a great amount!

[althea_valara]

Tired, so I'm not reading the other comments for once but I cheer everyone on! *\o/*

I did some number crunching today, and have determined that:

* If I do 4 rows a week, I can finish Rebel Ripple by mid May. That's doable!
* If I want to finish Nordic Stripes by mid May as well, I need to do 2 rows PER DAY. Ugh.

I had already sat down and did 2 rows on Rebel Ripple early this afternoon before I figured this out. That took me an hour and ten minutes. So, even though I didn't *want* to because I felt like I had done plenty of crafting already today, I settled down in late afternoon and banged out 2.5 rows of the Nordic Stripes. That took me about an hour. So over TWO hours of crafting today.

Time to fall into bed, I'm exhausted...

[badly_knitted]

Wow! That's determination, well done! No wonder you're tired after all that. Get some sleep.

[sister_raphael]

That's quite a lot, but I admire the fact you've set yourself a schedule to avoid my last minute panic approach.