Check-In Post - May 10th 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]

Got outside early and started cutting back the forsythia. Made good progress, but only stayed out for an hour or so. Then it was back to the cross stitch, for a couple of hours. Also stitched a bit before breakfast. I've completed maybe a tenth of the design? Perhaps not quite that much.


A mere 9 caterpillars! Should have been one more, but one got catapulted off its leaf.

[wiseheart]

Wow, you had a busy day! So much work! A shame the 10th slimy beast has escaped, though.

[badly_knitted]

No worries, I caught two more this evening so that made up for losing one earlier.

[darkcedars]

When I cut back my forsythia, I needed a chainsaw. The center trunks were wider than my forearm. I cut it down to the ground and it's sprouting back like mad.

[badly_knitted]

This has got to somehow be killed, and yes, some trunks are as thick as my forearm and I only have a hand saw, so it's going to be quite the workout.

[darkcedars]

I I'm going to try really hard not to let this one get big again. Even if every 3rd year or so I just chop it down entirely again.

[badly_knitted]

They do grow fast. This one started life further down the garden, but the stems root when they touch the ground, so now it's everywhere. The worst of it is right up near the house though. Not good.

[nagi_schwarz]

The catapaulted caterpillar. Sounds like a children’s book. Well done for your progress in both the garden and on the stitching!

[badly_knitted]

It does rather... Maybe I should write the story... Except I have WAY to many ideas to work on as it is.

Thanks!

[peaceful_sands]

Well done on your progress - and flying caterpillars into the bargain! Numbers are dropping well though.

[badly_knitted]

They have gone down a lot from the first few days. Losing them doesn't help though. Slippery little suckers...

[wiseheart]

I'm back! After a few craft-less days I finally decided not to wait for inspiration to hit as it didn't seem likely in the foreseeable future. So I took out my felts and cut out the basic decoration items for all 12 sewing kits. Oh, there will be additional appliqués, I'm sure about that, but the basics are now done. And I even know which part I'll start the work with. I consider that a victory.

[badly_knitted]

Well done! At least you know where you're going with it now.

[wiseheart]

With the lids, yes. The side parts... well, that's another question.

[badly_knitted]

You'll figure it out!

[darkcedars]

Doing prep like cutting is a good way to get back in the groove.

[wiseheart]

That was my hope, yes.

[nagi_schwarz]

Glad you were able to get back to crafting! The sewing kits sound like they’ll be super cute.

[wiseheart]

We'll see when they are done. I always have such grandiose ideas, but the end results are usually a great deal more... modest.

[peaceful_sands]

Well done on all that preparatory work.

[wiseheart]

Thanks. It was one more thing out of my hair, which is always a relief.

[darkcedars]

Finished packaging the doilies - this is a piece of foam poster board cut to size, covered with plain scrap fabric, pin down the doily. I piled it with all the dishcloths, scrubbies, and the flower trivet and even wrote the note for cousin #1.

Tomorrow my parents and brother are coming over fora birthday dinner. Mine was last weekend and mom's is tomorrow. We just do one dinner whichever day is convenient.

[badly_knitted]

Well done with the impressive packaging!

Happy Birthday to your mom, best wishes fir a lovely shared birthday dinner celebration!

[darkcedars]

I'm making a cherry crisp (crumble might be what you call it).

[badly_knitted]

That sounds delicious!

[wiseheart]

Happy Birthday! I hope you'll all have a nice time.

[nagi_schwarz]

Kudos to you for getting everything packed up to mail. Sometimes that’s a hard part to get done. Hope you have a lovely birthday dinner!

[peaceful_sands]

Well done on finishing the packaging and I hope you have a lovely dinner today.

[glinda]

Mostly today I've been slowly (there's like 120 stitches) casting on a cowl and setting up the pattern repeat.

However, my main reason for commenting is that I think I might have accidentally become a shawl person. I like knitting shawls but I never feel that I suit them, I never know how to wear them, I think they look great on other people but not on me. But I chucked one on today to protect my shoulders when I was out in the sunshine today - it was too warm for the blazer I normally wear it with and the bag I was taking always seems to lead to sunburn in that dress, no matter how often I reapply sunscreen - so far so normal. But, I have never in my life received so many compliments in one afternoon from people I don't know, on any knitted item I've made. Several different women stopped me - in shops, in a cafe, on the train - to admire my shawl and ask if I made it myself. All at times when I wasn't knitting myself. I'm baffled but delighted. Might become a shawl person if I can figure out how to wear them without a bag to hold it in place!

So my actual question for the group. Has anyone - particularly a stranger - changed your opinion/perspective on a item you've knitted, for the better, in a big or small way?

[badly_knitted]

Well done getting the cowl started!

That is so cool! It's always great to have things you've made admired, but it doesn't happen often.

I can't even remember the last time someone complimented something I made, except the novelties at Halloween.

[glinda]

It's coming along nicely! It's just a two row pattern repeat but the wool is pretty so it looks nice!

I don't think I saw the novelties, but I'm sure them were compliment worthy, but the rest of your knitting deserves compliments too!

[badly_knitted]

Pretty wool always adds an extra something to any design.

Thank you! Mostly it was the meeces (see icon) and bouncy spiders.

[peaceful_sands]

I know what you mean about not knowing how to wear shawls while others seem to do it effortlessly! I've never had any compliments on a clothing item I've made and worn although my brother in law did seem to like a hat I crocheted for him (I've never seen him wear it since then) and my Dad asked for one like it for him because he said it was good.

[glinda]

yes! I see people looking elegant and comfortable in them all the time, but I normally just look like I'm wrapped in a too small blanket!

Your crochet deserves compliments! The hat you posted a picture of recently has lovely neat tension. (I'm just learning crochet and my tension is all over the shop so I'm a little envious of your consistency.)

[nagi_schwarz]

Only managed one row of crocheting, but I managed to wash two batches of wool (and prevent curious kids from sticking their hands into buckets of hot water). All my paper is dry, so I can fold it and cut it. After another batch maybe I’ll have enough to make a little journal!

[badly_knitted]

One row is great progress considering the wool washing. That sounds like hard work.

Yay for paper!

[peaceful_sands]

You achieved a lot even if only one row of crochet was in the count.

[wiseheart]

Wool washing sounds like a dangerous undertaking, especially with curious kids around you. What kind of journal are you planning to make?

[nagi_schwarz]

Apart from hauling heavy buckets of hot water it’s not that dangerous. I usually do it when the kids are asleep. The oldest daughter knows to stay out of my way less for the danger and more to make hauling the buckets more expedient. It was little sister, who woke up from her nap early, who was the curious one.

As for the journal, I think I’ll just do a simple Coptic bind.

[fadingfootsteps]

Forgot to check in yesterday. Brought my bag to work yesterday but not today. Scales were slow but going yesterday.

Today? Shant. Zero will get done. 12 hour shift bad enough. 13 also bad. Conned i tell you, conned (i totally couldve said no to the +1 hour but we did actually need the stuff done sooner rather than later.)

Seam ripper still at large, wherabouts unknown

[badly_knitted]

Well done on making progress with the dice bag.

13 hour shift sounds BRUTAL!

Alas, the seam ripper has obviously run away from home.

[peaceful_sands]

Sorry to hear that you had a heavy work day and still can't find the seam ripper.

[malurette]

I've finished my bérêt! I completed the stripes with off-white, a darker grey and a bit of steel blue wool I had on hand; the colour scheme is not perfect but it's good enough. I should add a pompom on top... if I remember how to size the cardboard bit to make one.

[badly_knitted]

Congratulations! It sounds lovely. Good luck with the pompom!

[peaceful_sands]

Well done!

[peaceful_sands]

Stayed up until silly o'clock last night to finish the cushion cover - photos later of both once I've stuffed this one. Once I have filled this one, I'll do one final check over looking for patches and then wrap it ready for the birthday and be relieved that it's done - I can get back to my cardigan then!

[badly_knitted]

Yay, congratulations on finishing the second cover! Looking forward to the pictures. I'm sure you're glad it's done and you can get back to a less frustrating project.