Check-In Post March 23rd 2021

[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: No question today.


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]

Managed 10 rows on the arm warmers, despite my arms feeling like they're about to fall off.

Got my log delivery this morning. Took me an hour and a half without a break to move then all from my driveway around to the back of the house where I had to find places to put them. I'm done in.

[smallhobbit]

What colour did you say these arm warmers are?

[badly_knitted]

Blue-grey? Kind of the colour of Jack's coat.

[medievalrosalie]

Pretty!

[badly_knitted]

It is rather lovely =)

[pensnest]

Logs! That sounds like *hard* work. I think I'd have spent the evening in the bath instead of knitting!

[badly_knitted]

It was tempting, but I was so exhausted I might have fallen asleep in there and as I live alone, it wasn't a risk I was prepared to take. I don't want to accidentally drown myself.

I still hurt all over though, and I will for some time. I'm really getting too old and arthritic for log lugging.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

More arm warmers! And sore arms!

I am working on a miniature felt cupcake.

[smallhobbit]

That sounds very sweet!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I'm not counting it among my successes. Lop-sided and fiddly but it's for Minisculus' birthday and made to his specifications. Will post photo on Friday.

[badly_knitted]

Whee! Little cupcake!

Yes, right now I wish I could knit new arms. Even typing hurts.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Heh, heh. New arms!!

[badly_knitted]

Knit your own body parts. It could be a thing.

[medievalrosalie]

Aw cute!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you!

[pensnest]

Rejoice with me, for I have finished the First Side of that thing that has to be done for next week!

[smallhobbit]

That's good - only the Second Side to do!

[badly_knitted]

WOOHOO! *throws streamers* May the second half progress both swiftly and smoothly.

[medievalrosalie]

Woo hoo!!!!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Hurrah! Hopefully it doesn't have many sides!

[pensnest]

Hee! No, just the two. It's knitted longways, back and front over the shoulder, so once both sides are done I have to join them together, and join the sides under the armpits. It's a nice design, quite simple... just, 248 stitches in a row.

[smallhobbit]

A frustrating time. I miscounted on my cross stitch and had to unpick some of the stitches I had just sewed - fortunately not that many, but I decided not to redo them tonight. And then I began an Easter egg cosy with a pattern that requires double end needles, but it's so fiddly that I pulled it all off and restarted with normal needles and will just sew up the seam - I really don't think an egg cosy for one of the family needs to be that perfect.

[badly_knitted]

That really is frustrating. I hate unpicking cross stitch because it's so fiddly. Trying to kjnit something small on double-pointed nededles is just as bad though. I've done that with glove fingers and it's horrible. I'm sure no egg would mind a seam in its cosy. Eggs seldom complain, in my experience ;)

[smallhobbit]

It's just so much easier with normal needles.

[badly_knitted]

Agreed. Just not possible on glove fingers because seams in them would be a nuisance.

[medievalrosalie]

That's super frustrating! I've never heard of an egg cosy before, but it sounds cute!

[smallhobbit]

They're designed to keep your boiled egg warm. This will be for a small Easter egg.

[pensnest]

Egg cosies can be very cute! http://planetpenny.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/egg-cosies-32.jpg

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

What kind of eggs do you kept cosy? Boiled?

[smallhobbit]

Traditionally boiled eggs.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Traditionally boiled eggs

Heh, heh, now you've got me thinking about UN-traditionally boiled eggs or, say, kinkily boiled eggs...hmmm

[smallhobbit]

There are all sorts of possibilities ...

[pensnest]

I read a thread a while back about Americans Don't Have Egg Cups, which may or may not be true. But if a person has an egg cup to hold her boiled egg, an egg cosy is a very cute way to keep it warm.
https://www.stylemotivation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/16-Adorable-Handmade-Easter-Egg-Cozies-16.jpg

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yeah, no egg cups [unless the rest of the country has been hiding from me for the last four decades]. I do, however, own a deviled egg plate, which admittedly gets very little use except at Easter.

[pensnest]

I would do them with a circular needle, Magic Loop style. But I strongly suspect that crocheting egg cosies is the easier path, provided one can crochet.

[smallhobbit]

Ooh, what is this magic loop style? I am Not Crocheting egg cosies - or anything esle for that matter!

[pensnest]

I don't crochet either (though there have been times I've envied the crocheter's ability to Just Stop when they get to the end of a row of blanket—where I'd need to spend half an hour casting off!). Magic loop uses a longish circular needle to make a small circular thing, it's great for hats and socks. Instead of aiming to have a circular of the right size to fit the knitting, you use something longer, and create a loop of needle about half-way round, opposite the working end of the needles. I think it's great—I'm terrified of those sharp, pointy sticks that always seem to me about to let all my painstaking work slide right off.

Here's an example on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mqIqRdJc68 but there are several other tutorials as well if this one doesn't convince you!

I have even been known to knit Both Socks At Once on the same circular needle using a very long needle. Well, it solves second sock syndrome!

[smallhobbit]

If only I'd known that when I was doing the last few rows of my hat - I ended up using double point needles. I will certainly try that next time I'm in that position. Egg cosies however will just have a seam because the family will simply be grateful for them!

[pensnest]

I suspect egg cosies would be a bit small to do magic loop - I mean, you could, but it probably wouldn't be worth while. And while I am not in favour of seams, the seam of an egg cosy would be *very* short!

[smallhobbit]

I've sewn the first egg cosy up, and I think it was quicker than the time it would have taken to do frequent magic loops. And it looks fine - no-one's going to be looking too closely at the back of an egg cosy.

[badly_knitted]

That's very clever, thanks for sharing the link.

[rellephant]

i do not knit at all and the concept of knitting two socks at once is beyond witchcraft to me. that's just. so cool omg and might even make me try to take up knitting again!

[badly_knitted]

You'll find plenty of suport here if you do!

[pensnest]

It does get some fascinated looks if you're knitting them on a bus!

[badly_knitted]

I'll bet!