Check-In Post November 17th 2020

[badly_knitted]

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!

Comments

[shopfront]

Still plugging away at my Christmas scarf, though I got past my first colourwork section and can now see now in comparison that my tension was really off so... Trying to decide whether to put in a safety line and try blocking the end to test how well it relaxes, or just giving in and frogging it to start over :/

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.

[badly_knitted]

I struggle with tension myself when working two or more colours, I get too tight unless I really focus. I hope you won't have to start over though, that's so demoralising =/

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.

[shopfront]

I've never learnt! So it's really just my latest lockdown/covid hobby, but I've always wanted to learn so I could pretty things up or turn mending items into making them more beautiful. Thus buying all the things, because I had no colours at all. I've picked out colours for a few cute small floral patterns that would go nicely over small mends, so I can practice them to start and then hopefully still have plenty of thread to replicate them on clothes later if I like them. And yeah, I'm hoping not to unravel the scarf too, though it is only a few days knitting so far so it wouldn't be the end of the world if it improves the final product.

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.

[badly_knitted]

You're going to have very pretty repairs!

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.