Check-In Post June 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: What's the most complicated project you've ever tackled?


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 have finished the cross stitch on the second pressed flowers piece, so all that's left to do on that one is a lot of backstitch.


Also started preparing some of the fabric pieces I've cut. That is going to take a while because there are so many.

[yarnofariadne]

Hooray! Well done :D

[badly_knitted]

Thank you!

[illariy]

Yaaay, a cross stitch finished, that is so good!

Good luck with preparing and cutting the fabric pieces.

[badly_knitted]

Just got to do the backstitch to bring out the details, then I'll be on to the last in this set =)

It's time consuming and tedious, but it means I can find my place on the fabric more easily so it's worth doing.

[wiseheart]

Preparation can be finicky, but imagine the joy when you're done and have material for many more projects!

[badly_knitted]

Yes, that's what's making me get on with it! I can't start stitching sheep, and dragons, and other things until the fabric is ready.

[yarnofariadne]

Two more rows today on the beach cover-up!

[illariy]

Ooooh, yay, some good progress! Is the beach cover-up a knitting or crocheting project? I am curious. Sounds like a fun project especially for the season. :D

[yarnofariadne]

It's a lace-knit! I wanted to have it ready for my holiday in Greece last October but just couldn't get it together in time, and then I lost momentum and only picked it up again recently. It's complicated and has taught me a lot, at least! Now I'm trying to have it done before the summer holidays begin (19th of July here).

[illariy]

Ooooh, a lace-knit! I've never done one of those. They sound challenging but also absolutely beautiful in the end. Keeping my fingers crossed that you can finish it before the holidays begin. Quite some weeks left so could work out! :D Looking forward to your updates here :-)

P.S.: I adore your icon. So relaxing and atmospheric.

[yarnofariadne]

Thank you! I'm optimistic I can get it done :D

And thank you again! It's one of my favourites.

[badly_knitted]

TWO rows? Wow, well done!

[yarnofariadne]

Thank you! I considered doing three; one was another complicated one, but this one only took me an hour now that I've got the hang of it, and then the second was an easier one. But I decided I needed to get some other things done this evening instead XD

[badly_knitted]

Yes, you shouldn't push too hard because that's when mistakes start to happen. Enjoy your other things!

[wiseheart]

Wow!

[illariy]

I'm feeling a little sad as I've been too busy with uni and paperwork for my new job to craft or write penpal letters all week. I'm taking tomorrow off from studying so hopefully can at least write one letter then. I am not feeling like myself when I don't write letters, hehe. Also gotta use those envelopes so I can decorate some more!

[wiseheart]

Hand-written letters are something special. A shame that they've gotten out of fashion.

[illariy]

Yeah, I wish they were still as ubiquitous as in the times before email and telephone.

But letter writing as such is alive and well. I have a ton of penpals all over the world and social media, especially Facebook Groups and Instagram - and I hear also Reddit but I haven't tried that one myself - are great places to find penpals. I'm aware it's a niche hobby but it is still so much fun.

And modern technology such as email or Whatsapp allows for quick communication when a reply isn't coming, to see if a penpal just needs more time or if a letter went missing. I find that very convenient.

[yarnofariadne]

Being too busy to do things you love sucks. I hope you enjoy your day off tomorrow!

[illariy]

Thank you! My day off from studying was lovely, it was quite restorative. The only downside was I was too busy with my to do list and had no time for letters after all. That made me quite sad.

Tomorrow, I work 6 hours and after that, I think I could in theory write a little but that would come at the cost of sleep so I'd better not. We'll see tomorrow.

[badly_knitted]

Life does sometimes get in the way of the more enjoyable things unfortunately. Hope you enjoy your letter-writing tomorrow!

[illariy]

Thanks for the good wishes! I had a lovely day off from studying but unfortunately had too many other things on my to do list so I didn't find time to write a letter after all. Very sad. This week looks too busy, too.

The only chance is tomorrow after work, I think.

[badly_knitted]

Fingers crossed that you do get a chance to write a letter tomorrow!

A minor setback

[wiseheart]

I started preparing things for those cute little lavender satchels. Today I decided to make one by hand, just in case we won't be able to cajole Louise into cooperation.

It started well enough. Blanket stitch along the narrower sides, check. Sewing on the decorative lace, check. Laying the pieces together inside out and sewing together the longer side... failure. The laying together part wasn't precise enough and one side ended up half a centimetre longer than the other one. So I had to undo the whole thing; and after that I just didn't feel like redo it. Perhaps tomorrow. There's always tomorrow. *sigh*

Re: A minor setback

[yarnofariadne]

Oh no :( I hope tomorrow is kinder!

Re: A minor setback

[badly_knitted]

Oh, how annoying for you! I hope it goes better on the second try.

[gala_kyklos]

I've been working on making something to store all my crochet hooks in. One of them actually broke while making it, but it's looking pretty good - I just need to source a new 4.5mm hook!

[badly_knitted]

Well done, except for the broken hook. That must have been annoying. Good luck getting a new one to replace it. Do you crochet a lot?

[gala_kyklos]

Yeah, though not so much right now because it's exam season, but once that's over I'll hopefully have time to do more.

I'm mostly just making little things because yarn's expensive, but I got some as a Christmas present that I've been using to very slowly make a blanket

[badly_knitted]

Ugh, so glad I don't have to take exams anymore. Hope you do well in yours. I'm sure you'll be glad when they're over and you have more time for enjoyable things.

Good luck with your blanket!

[gala_kyklos]

Thank you!

[badly_knitted]

You're welcome, let us know how you get on. We're a very supportive bunch here, for all things, not just crafting. The crafting side has brought us together, but it's not all we chat about.