Check-In Post February 5th 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: Who do you most enjoy making things for: family, friends, yourself, a special someone?


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]

Late posting tonight, sorry =(


I have no crafting to report because I have to figure out the sleeve increases before I start and my brain does not want to cooperate. Today would have ben my mum's 91st birthday, so I'm a bit out of sorts.

[wiseheart]

Oh love, I'm so sorry! *hugs*

[badly_knitted]

Thank you. It's been almost 9 years, but things like birthdays are still hard.

[wiseheart]

I know. My grandmother left us back in 1996 but we still miss her.

[badly_knitted]

*hugs* The special people always stay in our hearts and minds, they're never completely gone because we carry them with us.

[sister_raphael]

Aw, be gentle on yourself.

[badly_knitted]

Doing my best, thanks. The next couple of weeks will be tough though. Mum passed away the day after my birthday, which has kinda sucked all the joy out of it.

[spiralicious]

*hugs*

[badly_knitted]

Thank you *hugs back*

[wiseheart]

It was cleaning day and a trip to the supermarket, but I worked a bit on the Christmas quiet book nonetheless. A bit being the key word here. I'm in the process of sewing the corresponding pages together with blanket stitch. Today I made one half of Page 2 (there are 4 altogether) before giving up and taking a nap.

[badly_knitted]

Half a page of blanket stitch is great progress for such a busy day. Well done for making progress!

[wiseheart]

Thanks. Actually, this was the result of sheer stubbornness. I didn't want housework to have the last word in our debate. ;))

[badly_knitted]

Very wise =)

[sister_raphael]

Progress then nap sounds really nice.

[wiseheart]

It's been my experience that the older I get the more necessary these short naps become.

[spiralicious]

That was a very busy day. You were doing well to get in any stitching. Never underestimate the value of a nap.

[wiseheart]

Oh, don't worry, I do value my naps very much! *g*

[spiralicious]

:D

[sister_raphael]

I had a friend over and we worked on making some jewelled circlets from leftover pieces from last time so now I've got 2 more that are started but need finishing.

[spiralicious]

It sounds like a good time, even if it means more unfinished projects.

[sister_raphael]

I will really make an effort to finish them so they're wearable, which will be nice!

[spiralicious]

*\o/*

[badly_knitted]

More pretties! Yay!

[tielan]

I'm sewing seams for one more backing to take to the quilter. I think I have seven or eight quilts for her this time. I've lost count. Again.

I really make stuff for myself - if I don't like the project in some way, shape, or form, then it's really difficult to keep going. But I try to pick things I like which work as gifts to family members.

[spiralicious]

You have been a very busy bee.

[tielan]

Yes, but now I have only 2 full-sized quilt tops that need quilting!!!

It's VERY EXCITING!

[badly_knitted]

Woohoo!


(Then you can make more quilts *grins*)

[spiralicious]

That IS very exciting!!

[badly_knitted]

*cheers you on* That's a lot of quilts!

A very sensible approach to crafting. It's no fun if you don't enjoy the process.

[tielan]

The quilter looked at my bag and (laughingly said) OH NO.

[badly_knitted]

The quilter is going to be VERY busy *grins*

[sister_raphael]

In answer to this weeks question... a little of myself, family and friends. I do love surprising someone with a handmade gift but I make sure it will be truly loved rather than put in a cupboard. Myself too. I enjoy making things for myself to use.

[badly_knitted]

There's nothing worse than giving a gift and never seeing it again. It's much better if the giftee wears what you made or has it proudly in display because they love it as much as you do.

[spiralicious]

I've been in a funk the last few days. I'd blame work, but I think it's more than that, I just can't put my finger on what all is wrong exactly. In that time, I have done a few things.

I finished the fussy bits of the last two cat postcards.

Mom started the egg crate dragon and we spent a lot of time arguing over what the head and tail should look like.

Technically, I'm doing the half a moon challenge, but while I wrote for the first two days, I absolutely hated those two fics and didn't post them. The third day I was doing well just to be out of bed. I had something for day four, but didn't have the energy to post and I couldn't remember what today's prompt was. It's not going great.

There was also some culinary crafting. I had to bake a lemon flavored cake that needed to be neon pink. I am working with someone on trying to post pictures. And yesterday as part of cooking my way through the Adventurous Eaters Club cookbook, I made "purple soup." It's essentially extremely bland borscht. Everyone who saw it asked if I was cooking blood for dinner. I have never had beets that red before. Even when I was chopping them, they were closer to the deepest, darkest pomegranates.

Today, I finally got back to knitting. I did the last couple rows of the cuff and the first couple rows of the body of the hat.

[badly_knitted]

*hugs* I hope your mood improves soon or that you can at least pinpoint the cause so you can deal with it.

I love the idea of an egg crate dragon. Or ANY dragon, to be honest!

Sounds like the writing is a bit of a struggle. Maybe the fics you hate might be salvageable at a later date when you're in a better headspace.

The cake sounds delightful! Not so sure about the soup though...

Yay, knitting!

[spiralicious]

*hugs back* Thanks. It is most likely a mix of things.

It should be a fun thing once it's done. :D

I have definitely saved them for later. They have potential.

Thanks :) Despite it's appearance, the soup tasted like buttered baked beets. The color was slightly alarming though.

*confetti*

[badly_knitted]

Hope you're doing better today.

Always wise, you never know how you might feel about them on a re-read. I've written fics I thought was awful and when I've gone back to look at them a few months later they've actually seemed pretty good.

Never had buttered, baked beets but they sound tasty. Very alarming soup though.

[spiralicious]

Thanks :)

That was a very alarming soup.

[tielan]

Ugh. I hate the creative funk. Especially the creative funk where you're productive but not satisfied! Worst feeling ever.

...I always intend to do the halfamoon challenge, and then I get to February and am just "WAIT WHAT ARGH NO TIME OR BRAIN BLEH"

I hope you overcome the funk and don't kick yourself over feeling the creative struggle.

[spiralicious]

It is awful.

This is the first year I both intended to do it and caught it in time (and remembered it was happening in time) to actually participate, but yeah, that is generally what my brain does as well. I am hoping to do at least one fill that gets posted and try to comment on other's stuff as much as I can.

Thanks. And I am trying my best as I know the kicking myself just makes things worse.