Check-In Post February 8th 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]

I managed to complete the first 20 row pattern repeat on the sleeve last night. Haven't done any knitting so far tonight, but I might do some in a bit.

[wiseheart]

Somehow I'm sure that you will. ;))

[badly_knitted]

I'm working on research for a fic so I might not have time.

[peaceful_sands]

That sounds exciting! (Not that knitting isn't but you know what I mean)

[badly_knitted]

Mostly I was sending some questions to someone who offered to help me with info on Goth clubs. One of these days I'll learn not to write about things I have next to no knowledge about. I have another unfinished fic where my characters go skiing. Never skied in my life. That's another one I need to finish using information someone else supplied. I never learn, and I'm hopeless at research so I try to find Someone Who Knows and is willing to share their knowledge.

[sister_raphael]

My guess is that you will 🙂

[badly_knitted]

I did manage 10 rows in the end. Took a break from the WiP I'm trying to finish writing this month.

[wiseheart]

I've sewn together the both sides of Page 3 of the Christmas quiet book. One more to go - and then I'll have to bind *two* books. Joy, joy, joy - not!

[badly_knitted]

Well done. Keeping busy does help a bit.

Two books to bind, yikes!

[sister_raphael]

Binding sounds like a chore but the books are so cute you'll be happy to see them bound!

[peaceful_sands]

The end result will be worth the hard work.

[althea_valara]

As I said in one of my Discord groups:

I'm attempting to work on the Nordic Stripes blanket right now. I'm not having much success. It's mosaic crochet, and the instructions read like this: Ch 1. SC in next SC. Working in front of color C, DC in next st 3 rows below. Ch 2. Skip next sc. Working in front of color C, DC in next st 3 rows below... etc etc. My eyes swim, attempting to read the written instructions.

There's a chart that I blew up on our printer/copier, and that's helping SOMEWHAT, but my eyes are still swimming. It takes forever to complete one row because I keep questioning if I'm doing it right and keep ripping back.

I tried for an HOUR to complete this row, and didn't even make it past the first horizontal repeat. I gave up after an hour because I had a headache.

A friend recommended finding a YouTube video of someone working it, and so I dutifully checked: the Crochet Crowd has done this pattern. I'll probably try following along with them. Hopefully that works better. I know I can always change to a different pattern, but I like how this one looks, and I think mom would be disappointed (blanket's not for her, it's for my nephew, but mom REALLY likes this pattern.)

[badly_knitted]

I'm not up on crochet patterns, but just reading that is giving me a headache! I really hope crocheting along with a video will help you master the pattern. Once you get the hang of it maybe it won't seem so difficult, but first you need to figure out what you're doing and it sounds like a tough one. Good luck!

[sister_raphael]

Crochet has always been in my too hard basket, so I admire you for giving it a go.

[peaceful_sands]

Some patterns are sent to try us. I hope you find a good video to help and that it gets easier once you're in the flow of it.

[sister_raphael]

I stayed up late ladt night hand sewing the sleeve cuffs and hem on my niece's silk dress (pic of that earlier this week) so now it's just the neckline to go!

[badly_knitted]

Woohoo, well done! Don't stay up too late tonight!

[sister_raphael]

But it's Friday...

[badly_knitted]

Ah, of course, you're a day ahead of me, I always forget that! It's only Thursday night here.

[peaceful_sands]

Sounds like things are going well (I shall have to check back through the week to see the photos)

[peaceful_sands]

First time this week that I've had a chance to make any progress on the tapestry - it doesn't look like much - all very fiddly and the pattern and colours aren't great - there's a lot of colours that look almost the same on the pattern so trying to decide which of the threads it applies to (no numbers to tell me which colour is which). Hopefully it will all work in the end.

I shall answer the question today as I haven't been around this week - I like to make things for other people although I also like to make thing because they look interesting to try and then I don't have enough people to give them too. The tapestry I'm working on at the moment, and many of the cross-stitch patterns that I do would all fit as the kind of thing that I struggle to find someone to gift them to. I gave up on trying to make jewellery because I didn't have anyone to give it to and I tried selling it at a craft fayre once but I priced to cover my costs (not my labour) and people still thought it was too expensive so I gave up.

[badly_knitted]

That's always the trouble when there's no colour key. It's why I prefer counted cross stitch to printed ones and tapestries. I'm sure it will look great when it's done. I seem to recall it was dolphins against a sunset sky and sea, so even if you don't always get the exact right shade for a few stitches it hopefully won't make a noticeable difference.

Making things for other people is great, but sometimes we want to make something just because. I have tons of sweaters because I enjoy making them, but I have no one to make them for, so I make them for me even though I really don't need more.

I feel you on the jewellery. I never made anything really fancy, just a lot of simple dangly earrings for pierced ears (this was back in the late 90s). I think I have 200+ pairs. I took them to craft fairs, priced at £1 a pair, and I think I sold 3 pairs. Even if they're dirt cheap, people still don't want to buy.