Check-In Post November 18th 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's the one piece of crafting equipment you can't do without?


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]

Right now I have to say stitch holders. So many patterns say 'leave however many stitches on a thread'. Ever tried to do that? I did, before I got some stitch holders and I know which method I prefer!

Today's knitting - just the neckband of my lacy top.

[darkcedars]

Earlier on Reddit, I saw someone using a clothespin to hold the hook and the place they left off on an afghan before putting it away. I don't know where a these ideas have been my whole life. I certainly wasn't having them!

[badly_knitted]

I love these ingenious ideas that pop up seemingly out of nowhere! People can be so clever!

[darkcedars]

Probably hooks with thicker or longer handles added. I have Clover Amour for the common thread sizes and my husband has 3D printed some handles to add to my aluminum hooks.

Going to add one more row to this hat. I hadn't touched it since I started it on Sunday. Lucy has been helping, as you can see.

[badly_knitted]

Thicker handles really could be handy in some circumstances, providing a better grip. Crochet hooks can be slippery, and arthritic fingers can't always grip small things well.

Loving the hat, it looks very cosy, and Lucy is adotrable!

[darkcedars]

I'm also a larger person with big hands. It never occurred to me that a regular hook just wasn't long enough for me to hold easily.

[badly_knitted]

Having very small hands myself it never occurred to me that larger hands would have trouble gripping small hooks. That's quite a eye-opener, it's good to learn these things =)

[m_findlow]

Gorgeous (and the hat is cute too, ha ha!)I want to know why they always emboss the brand on the flat grip part. Is it meant to make it easier to grip because I just get a sore finger from pressing against it!

[darkcedars]

Right? All of them are pretty much like that. It mostly bothers me when I crochet with a harder yarn, because I have to hold tighter. When I made a little basket out of jute twine I thought my thumb would be permanently branded.

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

Elastic beading "string". When I used to sell my jewelry, people wouldn't go for the stuff with clasps. So I don't bother with clasps anymore on my bracelets; I just string them and knot them.

In Mom's case, sticks for her glue gun.

Mom has some baking orders coming up, one of which includes peanut brittle. So she has some Pringles cans that she's going to decorate to put the brittle in.

[darkcedars]

My husband recently discovered he can buy black glue sticks and is very excited.

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

I didn't know they made such a thing, lol! I've seen glitter ones, though. I imagine black ones would be pretty handy. :)

[badly_knitted]

I far prefer elasticated bracelets because I have really tiny wrists and hands so anything else just falls right off.

Pringles cartons are useful for so many things!

[m_findlow]

That's so interesting that people prefer the elastic bracelets! I always made mine with clasps because I thought they'd look more expensive but you're right, they are easier to slip on and off. I still like tiger tail personally because you can do more weaving designs with it.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I couldn't do without my ripper! Were that life's mistakes were as easy to rip out as a misplaced stitch.

[badly_knitted]

Oh yes, to undo what we screw up in life with a quick, painless rip so we could do it over and get it right. Someone needs to invent a ripper that works like that. I'd buy one!