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Hello to all members, 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.
Today's Question: What was your most recent crafty purchase?
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!
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>.<
Today's knitting - I finished the front of my white lacy top and abandoned it for the moment because I didn't feel like sewing up the shoulder seam and doing the neckband, it required too much thought. Turned my attention instead to the second red sweater, the one I'd already done the front for. I discovered I'd also done part of a sleeve, so I've done another 40 rows on that. It's a much narrower sleeve than on the other red sweater so far fewer stitches, hence the large number of rows. The whole sweater is more form fitting, not what I usually go for, but I had less yarn, only just over 400g, so I had keep that in mind when picking a pattern.
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I wear blue a lot, it suits me (I wear red and various shades of pink a lot too), but I only have one good blue sweater if I don't count the two tiger head sweaters with blue backgrounds. My other blue sweaters, one is now too small and like I said in the original comment, the turquoise one is falling apart. Made that probably close to 20 years ago and sadly they do not last forever. So now I can make new blue sweaters to go with my new red ones. Not that they'll be worn at the same time *grins* Guess it just means I need to get on with my knitting!
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What are you stitching at the moment? (If it's not a secret...)
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I'm going to do an intro post and respond to others soon, but at the moment, life is getting away from me. :/
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Life has a bad habit of doing that. There's no rush, we're not going anywhere. We're happy to have you here!
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Beads are so irresistible, I have WAY too many!
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And I have made a pencil drawing:
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My most recent purchase was actually a whole bunch of stuff. Proper blocking tools, a heap of embroidery thread, darning mushroom, new needles, and a few extra skeins for my yarn stash. Still filling in the pieces that didn't fit in suitcases but I'm almost about caught up now I think.
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Interesting selection of craft buys! Do you have plans for the embroidery thread?
Hard though this may be to believe, but in over 40 years of knitting I have never blocked and pressed anything. Maybe with a scarf I'd find myself having to, just to get it to look right, but I hate the thought of pressing handknitting, and blocking has never seemed important. I'm not even sure why it's done.
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By pressing do you mean with an iron? I'd call that ironing so just checking I'm understanding you right, but no I'd never press anything either. Is that really something people do? D:
Blocking I find really helpful though for getting the stitches to sort of... even out I guess? I do find it makes the finished knit look more uniform, and helps it keep its shape with less fussing when I wash it or to get something to behave eg if the edges of something in stockinette are curling. I believe it helps with getting the right gauge if you block your swatches first, so you can adjust for however much the knit loosens or stretches when washed. I'm still working my way up to sweaters and things so I've only somewhat put that to the test. It's hard to do right with just make shift things though anyway, so I'm very excited to be able to pin things properly to boards now.
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Yes, we say ironing too here in England, and yet on knitting patterns it always says to block and press, no idea why! Most of my patterns say that, but I'm lazy so I never do. I also never knit tension swatches, I can usually judge from the yarn and if it's a thinner DK I just knit the next size up if I think it might turn out a bit small.
Here's a tip if you don't already do it (but don't switch to this in the middle of a project). Slip the first stitch of each row knitwise (in other words don't actually knit it) and knit the last stitch, even on purl rows. Sometimes this might mean adding two extra stitches when you cast on so you have edge stitches that aren't pattern stitches, but it results in a much neater edge and makes sewing up really easy to do, sewn up from the right side and resulting in practically invisible seams. I learned this technique when I was just getting started with knitting and I think it's the main reason I've never found it neccesary to block anything. Pieces hold their shape a lot better.
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As I've said, I don't knit, but I do buy knitted things and have now ordered what is probably my fourth or fifth burgundy/plum jumper. Like our mod, I am bad, but really, sorry/not sorry because you need extras for when things need to be washed, don't you?
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I love burgundy and plum shades, I've made myself several sweaters in those colours, and yes, you really need enough of them so you have some to wear while the others are in the wash.
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