Check-In Post June 15th 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: Do you like to finish one project at a time or do you prefer having several on the go?


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]

Early post tonight because Doctor Who is on early tonight.


Finished the backstitch on the last pressed flower design, yay!


Took photos of the three fairy designs but still got to upload them to my computer.


Started to stitch my first sheep (there are 9 altogether, plus a sheepdog puppy). So far I've stitched the grass and flowers, two hooves, and the head. As I've already mentioned, these are small designs to start with, and even smaller of 18 hpi, so this one will be about 2 inches by 1.5.

[illariy]

Wow, congrats on finishing all the pressed flower designs! That was quick. :D

Very much looking forward to maybe seeing the fairies, if you decide to post them.

The sheep also sounds cute. Very delicate work, though, being that small and 18 hpi! Hope you have good light this weekend for that.

[badly_knitted]

Thanks! I have no idea when I started stitching them, I forgot to make a note in my diary. I know when I finished the first one so I guess I can figure it out if I really want to know.

I WILL get the photos up at some point, it's just my little camera is very old and finnicky. I charged the battery, took 5 photos, and the battery was empty. Still need to upload the pics to my computer, edit them for size, upload to dreamwidth... It's finding time to do all that though, when I'm juggling so many other things.

I hope so too. The last couple of days have seen a lot of grey skies and pouring rain with occasional bursts of sunlight, but the evenings have been too dark for much stitching so it's afternoons for most of my crafting.

[illariy]

Oooh, what kind of diary notes to you take on your crafting projects? I am just trying to get into projects that last longer than one day again and wondering how to track progress there, mostly a) to motivate myself and b) get some time estimates on how long stuff takes me.

Hoping your weather is better this weekend!

[badly_knitted]

Mostly, just when I start something and when I finish it, so I get some idea of how long it takes. Anything more detailed gets posted here. If it's a knitting project, I'll make notes on when I started and finished each part, and sometimes how many rows I knitted.

I also have a sheet of paper where I make notes of how many stitches I cast on (good if the pattern has several sizes, so I know which size I'm doing), and also which rows are increase rows on the sleeves, so they both match. Anything that might be useful if I use the same pattern another time. Then I leave the paper tucked inside the pattern when I'm finished, so the notes are there for future use.

Tracking the number of rows is vitally important in knitting, because you want front and back to be the same length, and the sleeves to match.

[wiseheart]

Wow, that sounds like delicate work!

[badly_knitted]

I've been stitching on 18 hpi for most of the recent projects, so it's not too difficult, the finished designs are just going to be on a smaller scale.

[illariy]

I am still swamped due to uni and starting a new job this week. No day off at all this week. :-/

But I want to answer the new question anyway: Honestly, at this point in time I prefer projects I can finish in a single sitting. At least to the point that I have a completed object or more and can put aside all materials, having the option to restart and make more at a later date. This preference for one-day projects is also why I am hesitating to get back into crochet even though I want to. I have been the stereotypical crafter back in the day with a plethora of UFOs. >.>

[badly_knitted]

*hugs* So sorry you're so swamped, but at the same time, yay job! Sucks that you haven't had a day off this week though.

There is a definite appeal when things are busy and stressful to do things that can be finished in one sitting so you can get that all-important sense of accomplishment. There are also times when most of us like having several things on the go at once so we can switch between them mas the mood takes us. I suspect there isn't a crafter in existence who's never had a bunch of UFOs, lol!

[wiseheart]

It is hard when you are so swamped! No wonder you prefer things that are quickly and easily finished.

[illariy]

Yes, I am happy that one of my crafts allows for this type of project easily.

But I want to get back into either crochet or knitting and am not interested in amigurumi and also own too many hats already so I think I have to get used to the idea of taking more than one day for a project. I am currently looking for a suitable pattern that I'll actually wear plus the yarn to go with it.

[badly_knitted]

I always say the best way to get good at knitting is to find a pattern you love and then just keep trying until you figure it out.

[malurette]

Finished my green & black scarf, started a new one with the colours of the iconic Fourth Doctor's Scarf, arranged like a pride flag.

Right now it's one at a time but during high knitting season I usually have at least two projects at the same time: one easier scarf with a simple pattern and few colours I can take with me to keep my hands occupied wherever I'll have to play the waiting game (cine club, trains, parallel playing sessions with friends?) and one more complicated with many colours and/or a tricky pattern I keep at home where I can really focus on my knitting.
And then, stuff gets paused time and again whenever I used up a colour and I start something else to keep busy until I can go to the yarn shop to restock.

[badly_knitted]

Who Pride, dual purpose! Sounds like it will be awesome!

You have everything planned out to make the best use of knitting time =D