Check-In Post - February 13th 2025

[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: Have you ever made a Valentine gift or card?


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]

Only one pattern repeat — 8 rows — today because my thumb is being a beast, but I think one more pattern and I might be up to the armhole shaping!

[wiseheart]

Be gentle with that poor thumb, you'll need it yet in the future! ;)

[badly_knitted]

I've been doing stretching exercises, that will hopefully help.

[nagi_schwarz]

Oh no! I hope your thumb feels better soon.

[badly_knitted]

It will be fine, arthritis sucks, and I've probably aggravated it a bit with my dumbbell exercises. My thumb will just have to get used to it. I'm stretching it and massaging it, so that should help.

[yarnofariadne]

Finished row 150 on the blanket!

[badly_knitted]

Woohoo! Nearly there!

[nagi_schwarz]

Woohoo! Way to go!

[wiseheart]

I've worked a bit on Lilly,the baby elephant. She still needs her ears and eyes sewn on, then I can stuff her and add her to the herd.

[badly_knitted]

She's coming along well!

[nagi_schwarz]

Excellent progress! Can't wait to see her.

[matsushima]

I got a lot of crocheting done during our professional development (all meetings/ no students) day on Tuesday but I haven't touched my project since.

[badly_knitted]

You'll get back to it when you're ready to, but congratulations for Tuesday's progress!

[nagi_schwarz]

Congrats on progress! But also I feel that. Epic progress followed by lots of none...

[marinarusalka]

Hi, I’m new!

Currently working on a stranded colorwork vest. It’s knit bottom up, and I’ve done the main body and about half the yoke. It will be my first try at steeking, so I’m a little nervous about it…

[nagi_schwarz]

I...do not even know what steeking is, so you're miles ahead of me. Good luck on your project! It sounds like it'll look amazing!

[marinarusalka]

Thanks! Steeking is where you cut your knitting to make the armholes and collar. Knitting YouTube assures me that this won’t make the whole thing come apart, so I’m taking it on faith. 😅

[nagi_schwarz]

Ah, I have seen clips of this thing but didn't know that was what it's called. That would...absolutely terrify me. But I have confidence you can make it work!

[badly_knitted]

Hello and welcome, happy to meet you!

That sounds lovely, what colours are you using?

I would never be brave enough to try steeking, that is a scary prospect, hope it goes well for you!

[marinarusalka]

Here's a photo I took a couple of weeks ago to show the colors:



I've also been scared of stepping, but then I attended the SoCal Fiber Fair last year and took a class where the instruction had us practice on a swatch, and that reassured me somewhat.

[badly_knitted]

That is beautiful. I've never been good at colourwork, so I always admire anyone who can create such gorgeous patterns. Cables are more my speed *grins*

If you've done it before then you know what you're doing. I hope everything goes smoothly. Would love to see the finished result!

[nagi_schwarz]

I finished the body of the placemat and am halfway done with the border. Bet I can finish it totally tomorrow or tomorrow night. I saw a shiny new pattern for a fancy crocheted collar, and at first I thought I'd have no reason to make it, and then I realized a friend's birthday is coming up and she's totally the type of person who'd wear it, so instead of just making her a headband like I did for my sister-in-law, I'm going to make a fancy collar instead. Stupidly excited. Also I picked up supplies for my big wool endeavor. Waiting for a few more things to come in the mail and for husband to help with the making of one piece of equipment, and then my quest for homespun yarn will begin!

[badly_knitted]

Yay for placemat progress, good luck with finishing it!

Sounds like you found the collar pattern at exactly the right time! Have fun with making it, and I hope you get the rest of your supplies soon. Will you be dying your homespun yarn or leaving it natural?

[malurette]

Guess who will not be knitting sleeves anytime soon afterall? I just realized I'll need yet a new set of double-point needles and the knitting store I get my supplies at is out of this gauge at the moment. (Well, my wrists can take the forced time-off, I guess.)

[badly_knitted]

Oh, how annoying for you! Still, maybe your wrists will appreciate a short rest.

[marinarusalka]

I hate when that happens! No matter how many needles you own, there's always some new project that requires something you don't have, isn't there?