Check-In Post - April 4th 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: Do you change crafts with the season or stick to the same crafts year round?


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]

I managed to squeeze in 4 rows of knitting! Not much but it's still progress.


Other than that, I've been outside cutting back holly and ivy and brambles, and clearing dead holly leaves off the steps up to where my aviary used to be. The slabs the shed stood on are still there, but they need taking up and levelling so I can have a place to sit and craft on sunny day

[wiseheart]

Progress is progress! Besides, you did a lot of other work, so you can be proud of your achievement.
And you had an aviary? Do tell more!

[badly_knitted]

We used to have two aviaries in the garden. One belonged to my sister's then fiancé, he bred and showed budgies. I had a smaller one where I attempted to breed zebra finches, with very little success. I did show them though and won a few rosettes. Also had a couple of Bengalese finches that did fairly well in shows. They had to shown in pairs, unlike the budgies. Both aviaries are long gone, but it was a fun hobby while it lasted.

[darkcedars]

Making that spot into a little patio sounds very nice. Cutting back holly and ivy to make it so sounds less nice.

[badly_knitted]

It's still quite enjoyable working away outside and seeing gradual progress, but it will be nicer having a sheltered spot where I can sit.

[nagi_schwarz]

Progress is progress on knitting! It sounds like the garden is a bit more pressing anyway, and you're making excellent progress there.`

[badly_knitted]

Only in one tiny corner, unfortunately. There are still areas of wilderness.

[wiseheart]

I managed to prepare all remaining toilet rolls to be turned into miniature egg baskets, preferably soon. I still have to actually make them, paint them, let them dry and deliver them at the last choir practice before Easter. Theoretically. If I don't manage, the girls will get them as a belated Easter gift. It can't be helped.

[badly_knitted]

Well done for making as much progress as you have! Hopefully you will get them finished in time.

[darkcedars]

Good luck getting finished!

[nagi_schwarz]

Way to go on getting everything prepped! And I am sure your choir friends will be grateful for the gifts whenever they receive them. Handmade gifts are always a lovely touch.

[darkcedars]

I just finished the last round on the lavender doily. Since there's another wedding this summer, I'm going to do the doily for it now and only need to do blocking/starching once.

Doing blue for the next. Looking at patterns in the same book as this last one, as they're all about 11-15 rounds and well charted.

[badly_knitted]

Yay, congratulations on finishing the doily and good luck with the next one. Blocking and starching both together sounds a sensible idea.

[nagi_schwarz]

Oooh fun! That doily sounds lovely. Way to go on getting it finished!

[nagi_schwarz]

I think I have yet to answer this week's question: truth is, I do pretty much the same crafts all year round, but which crafts I do when are affected by birthdays and holiday seasons and also how much time I have. If we're going on a long drive like for a road trip (usually in summer when school is out) then I'm more likely to work on a bigger project because I have time in the car, like a blanket or a larger garment, whereas tatting tends to be smaller and faster and more portable, so I just sort of take it everywhere with me and work on it when I can (most projects can be tucked into an altoids tin), sort of all the time. I tend to work on winter-y stuff in advance of winter, but also working on big cozy blankets I can snuggle under during winter is nice. Stuff like washing wool for spinning is definitely more of a warm weather thing, because shivering on the back porch as I dump out soapy water is no fun. But overall, most of my crafts are year round!

Today I managed to get some tatting in and have rounded the third corner of the hanky, so progress is good and I can go back to just cruising along without having to squint at the pattern.

[badly_knitted]

Some crafts are more portable than others, it's true. But things like blankets and large knitted / crocheted garments can be a pain in hot weather because being draped in them can make you hotter. That's why I ttend not to knit in spring / summer. I overheat.

Yay, great progress!