Check-In Post March 29th 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: If you were only allowed one craft, which would you pick?


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

[malurette]

I've just finished a new scarf! The main part with rainbow stripes was so routine it got a bit boring but I'm rather pleased with the chevrons I did on its side.

If I were only allowed one craft... well for now I only know how to knit so if I don't have time to learn anything else I'll stick to it. But I've heard that crochet is more versatile so if I could learn it too then this could be my pick?

[badly_knitted]

Congratulations on finishing your rainbow striped scarf! It sounds lovely.

I can only crochet a bit, so I can't say whether it is more versatile, but it might be better for some things than knitting is. I suppose it depends on what you want to make. Good luck with learning. One you master it you can decide which you prefer =)

[celli]

yay for finishing!!

[wiseheart]

When I first looked at your comment, I read: yay for fishing! And then I started wondering what kind of knitting technique "fishing" might be. *g* I seriously need more sleep!

[celli]

There probably is a technique called that, fiber art is great like that. :)

[spiralicious]

Hurray for finishing! It sounds lovely :)

Crochet can be more versatile in that making large projects and making shaped/3d projects are sort of simpler. I say this as someone who learned to crochet before learning to knit and is very bad at crocheting, but took to knitting quite quickly.

[meridian_rose]

Yay for finishing the scarf :)

[badly_knitted]

More work done on the card! I finished the darker yellow, including redoing a bit where I made a mistake, and stitched all the orange, then started on the pale yellow. One daffodil is now complete except for the backstitch detail, two more to go, plus the rest of the vase because the two threads I ordered to complete this design haven't arrived yet.


I've also found online a chart to convert the old Anchor thread numbers to the new ones. Not all of them have matches in the old numbers, and some of the ones I still need I haven't found at all, but some are there, and since I have a whole boxful of old Anchor threads, it might mean there are a few I don't need to buy. I might try to find a more recent conversion chart as the one I've got is from about 20 years ago, but even so, it's progress of a sort.

[wiseheart]

Every single one you don't have to buy is a victory in itself. :)

[badly_knitted]

Indeed! Saving money is the goal ;)

[celli]

The card sounds great! And it's always exciting to find even a couple of threads you don't have to buy.

[badly_knitted]

Thanks, it looks very pretty already!

Considering the list of threads I'm still missing for the designs I want to stitch currently stands at 19, I'll take what I can get, and if a couple aren't an exact match to the original design, who's gonna know? Most of the designs are flowers, so slight colour variations should hopefully not be too big a deal. Wish I'd stocked up on Anchor threads better years ago though, back when I could get them easily through mail order.

[spiralicious]

Well done!

That is a very handy chart! Also, what wiseheart said :)

[badly_knitted]

Thanks!

Not all of the colours have exact matches, and some don't have matches at all, but I'll see if I've got any of them. Fingers crossed!

[wiseheart]

More culinary craftiness for me: I've baked an Easter bread with raisins, the pistachio sponge for my strawberry and vanilla custard cake and some savoury scones. That took all morning, so i feel quite accomplished. Oh, and I got thank-you mail from the cookie recipients, too!

[celli]

yum!!!!!!

[badly_knitted]

Oooh, that sounds like some tasty baking!

It's good the recipients are showing their appreciation.

[wiseheart]

It is a nice feeling, yes. :)

[spiralicious]

That all sounds so delicious :D

[wiseheart]

They turned out really well. I'm pleased.

[celli]

My hot glue gun came today, so I'm going to try the finishing work on an embroidery project. Then I just have to box a bunch of stuff up to take to the post office in the morning, and four whole projects will be on the way to their recipients!

If I could only have one craft, it would be embroidery, though I would be sad to leave crochet behind. But embroidery is where I live.

[badly_knitted]

Yay! I hope the hot glue gun does what you need it to!

Your embroidery projects are always amazing.

[celli]

Awww, thank you! :)

[spiralicious]

Huzzah! Good luck!

[celli]

It worked! I will post a photo!

[wiseheart]

What do you need the hot glue gun for?

[celli]

I had an embroidery project and normally I finish it by pulling the remaining fabric back behind the hoop and stitching it in place. But this one was a piece of fabric from a friend and it didn't have any extra, except some corners sticking out. So I used the hot glue gun to glue the corners down and out of view. I'll grab a pic of the back for when I show it to everyone!

[althea_valara]

Working on my doll today. I have finished the first arm, and am now working on the hair cap. Still left: hair cap, two bunny ears (he's a bunny boy), and other arm. I need to finish by late tomorrow afternoon. Thought I had Sunday too, but I forgot Sunday is Easter and I'm obligated to do family stuff, so won't have time to knit, curses!

This Week's Question: If you were only allowed one craft, which would you pick?

DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE AMONGST MY CHILDREN LIKE THAT! I don't know, it's a really tough question! I have done more crochet projects than knitting, and I'm one of those who believe crochet can do anything (I've made some lovely crocheted clothing!) but if forced to pick, I would reluctantly go with knitting, probably. Though I'd miss crochet desperately.

[badly_knitted]

So sorry you won't have time to craft on Sunday. Family is important, but not always convenient. Anyway, I hope you get your bunny boy finished tomorrow.

I know what you mean. I picked knitting, but right now all I want to do is cross stitch. I think for most people, choosing one craft would be almost impossible. Maybe you could just say you choose yarn crafting *grins*

[spiralicious]

Good luck with your bunny boy!

Fiber craft would cover both ;)

[wiseheart]

Ugh, that is not a lot of time to finish bunny boy. Good luck!

[spiralicious]

Funnily enough, because of a horrific anxiety episode, I was up early enough to actually get a ride to the store this morning and I was able to buy a couple of the miniature modeling kits I'd been eyeing while they were still on sale for Easter. I only bought two and I wish I'd bought more, but even at a discount, it's all the budget would allow. On a whim while I was there, I checked the mini mushroom toy machine and it was again broken, but there was one left behind by someone on the hole where it dispenses them in my favorite color. Lucky me.

No one has let me catch up on my sleep though. Every time I get settled, something happens and now I'm afraid to try because I have an appointment in the morning I don't want to accidentally sleep through it.

On that note, one thing that got me up was a panicked call from Lynne. They apparently had a fire yesterday and she is understandably very shook up. It was unclear if it was one storage building or all four of them, but devastating regardless as that's where she kept her family keepsakes.

All the people, animals, and the house are fine, thankfully. It was an electrical fire and the way she kept emphasizing the koi pond was fine, I wonder if the pond's pump started it. The main reason she called me was she didn't want me to be alarmed when I start house-sitting for her on Thursday. I reminded her I will be over there before that on Monday. I didn't go over today because she already has her daughter, her son, and her former handyman over there, and possibly her son in law. I'm going to try to check in on her tomorrow, but one of my sisters got into town tonight, she's recovering from major surgery, and she's only here for the day/leaving Sunday morning.

As far as Monday goes, I will still plan a very simple card in case she wants to do something as a distraction, but comforting her and getting her ready to go are the priority.

Tonight, I keep watching Downton Abbey, expecting my knitting to appear in my hands, but it hasn't happened yet.

[badly_knitted]

Well, glad you got to treat yourself a bit, and managed to rescue an abandoned mushroom!

Oh no, poor Lynne! That's the last thing she needs, especially so close to her surgery. Really hoping she didn't lose anything precious, it's so sad when something like that happens. =(

Try to rest and relax. Good luck with your appointment!

[wiseheart]

What a day! Sleep deprivation is a horrible thing. Good luck with you appointment!