Check-In Post - December 21st 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: What's on your holiday wish list this year?


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]

More knitting on the red arm warmers. I had two 20g balls of the same dye lot so I figured I'd use them up. Slightly longer than usual, the first arm warmer is 94 rows, but I might have to adjust that if the second ball doesn't stretch as far. We'll see. I'm 30 rows into the second of the pair, and I'll continue tomorrow while watching the next strongman heat. Got to have something to fiddle with!


Also done some measuring of the white card, and if I'm careful I should be able to get 6 scallop-edged squares out of each sheet. Just need to cut them in half lengthwise because A4 card is too wide to go through the cuttlebug. I'm thinking of just cutting 3 or 4 sheets to start with. See how I get on with those.

[wiseheart]

Scallop-edged squares sound pretty. I assume you have a corner punch for that?

[badly_knitted]

I have a die-cutting machine (my Cuttlebug) and cutting dies, which is better than a corner punch, but the cutting dies can be a bit pricey. The problem is keeping the die and the card from shifting as I'm putting it through the machine and turning the handle. I haven't quite got the hang of that yet. I feel like I need about four hands. I should look up some youtube videos for hints and tips.

[spiralicious]

The problem is keeping the die and the card from shifting as I'm putting it through the machine and turning the handle. - I've had some luck using a tiny bit of tape to hold things in place, but it depends on the paper and the die on how well it works.

[badly_knitted]

The tape would keep the die in place, but I'm always worried about damaging the card. I can't afford to waste it, lol!

[wiseheart]

I've decorated and put up the Christmas tree today. It isn't custom in our family to do so before Christmas Eve, but I didn't want to be dead on my feet on that day, so I thought a couple of days earlier won't be such a breach in the centuries-old tradition. I've managed to put away the box with my best felt ornaments so well that I didn't find them, but I think the rest looks good as well. See for yourself:



Everything save for the small pappmaché bird sitting in its nest is handmade by yours truly. It is a very crafty tree. *g*

[mrs_sweetpeach]

Very nice! Your tree looks great!

[badly_knitted]

Well done! It looks beautiful!

[spiralicious]

Your tree is lovely :)

[mrs_sweetpeach]

I knit about another inch on a hat during today's TubaChristmas concert. Now I hope to finish crocheting a cat bed.

[badly_knitted]

Well done!

Any idea how many hats and cat beds you've made this year?

[althea_valara]

SO MUCH CRAFTING AND CLEANING. Pretty much all I did today, though I did take a break for a short stream tonight, doing the holiday event in Final Fantasy XIV. But we're here to talk about crafting! I switched gears from mom's poinsettia because I determined there was no way to get it done before Christmas, so I'll try to finish it by our party on the 29th. Instead, today I worked on one of the wall hangings. I've got just 12 rows left, and am going to try to finish those now.

There's a lot of ends to weave in, and I've got plans to line the wall hanging with fleece (that I got on say super cheap). So I spent some time doing web searches for best practices for that. My wall hanging is just in a big box craft store brand 100% acrylic, so I'm not sure a wet block will help. Usually, I "block" acrylic by throwing it in the wash/dryer, but I'm a little worried about this one due to all the ends. I'll decide. I am definitely going to pre-wash the fabric.

I had bought some pre-cut dowels for the hangings, but the dowels are slightly too short. :( so I'm going to need to get longer dowels and cut them myself. This means that mom will likely see me walk in with a dowel, and might guess at what I'm making, which displeases me somewhat. But it can't be helped. At least she won't be able to guess what the final result looks like?

[badly_knitted]

Good luck with the blocking, and sneaking the longer dowels in without your mum seeing them. Hiding things from people you live with can be really tricky.

Also hope you manage to finish the poinsettia by the 29th. That would be a fun surprise for your mom.