Check-In Post - June 30th 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: What do you like to listen to / watch while crafting?


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 have finished all three shades of blue on the border of the current design, all the first shade of yellow except for the swirly sunburst, and I've started the second yellow.


It was way too hot to do anything much outside, although I did cut some brambles early this morning before things heated up.

[nagi_schwarz]

Kudos to you for beating the heat on yard work and then getting so much stitching done!

[badly_knitted]

Thanks! Yesterday was too hot for more than that 20 minutes in the morning.

[wiseheart]

Go you, on both accounts!

[badly_knitted]

Thanks!

Now I have to put up today's post...

[yarnandglue]

No real updates on the craft front but I wanted to answer the question of the week! I am an audiobook junkie! Mostly non-fiction. I am a public librarian so I use all the usual library offerings (Libby and Hoopla) but I also use Libro.FM and Librivox.

[badly_knitted]

Audiobooks can be awesome, if the right person is doing the reading. Some readers are better than others.

Yay, librarian!

[nagi_schwarz]

Oooh I’ve not heard of Libro.FM (huge fan of the other three apps though) so thank you for the recs!

[yarnandglue]

Of course! If you do decide to get a Libro.FM account, you could use my referral link so I get a free audiobook :D https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm633553

[nagi_schwarz]

Ooooh, thank you!

[fadingfootsteps]

got like a thirdish of the row 20 scales done. Not a ton else, having finally gotten back home means I've gotta do the small chores yk.

A little goes a long way all the same

[badly_knitted]

Well done for progress!

There are always chores...

[nagi_schwarz]

Yes, a little does indeed go a long way. You can do it!

[marinarusalka]

I've finally made enough progress on my vest fronts to let me sew up the shoulder seams and try it on to check the fit. It looks good -- the armholes are a bit sloppy, but that should be fixed once I add the ribbing around the edges.

Not sure if I have enough stash yarn left for the bottom ribbing and the button band. I might need to buy one more ball.

Oh, and I was at the county fair yesterday, and folks from the local alpaca farm were there selling their wares. I bought three skeins of fingering-weight alpaca-silk blend hand dyed in this gorgeous golden brown color, like autumn leaves. Can't wait to knit with it! I already have some pattern ideas picked out, though it'll have to wait in the queue behind the next project I already have planned. :-)

[badly_knitted]

Great progress on the vest! Good luck on getting another ball.

The new yarn sounds really gorgeous!

[nagi_schwarz]

Way to go on the vests! And that new yarn sounds lovely for reals.

[yarnandglue]

Ooh, that alpaca-silk sounds beautiful! Are you thinking shawl?

[marinarusalka]

I don’t really wear shawls, but I have a pattern for a light summer sweater that I think will work really well.

[nagi_schwarz]

When I am crafting, I like to listen to audiobooks or podcasts, and of course catch an episode or two of a K-drama (I’m finally good enough at Korean that I can work on a simple pattern and watch at the same time). I also enjoy listening to podfic! I find I follow readers across various fandoms when it comes to podfic, so it’s a great way to check out fics I’d otherwise probably not read.

As for crafting progress, I am on the final row of the six-star baby blanket! Just in time to start the seven-star blanket…

[badly_knitted]

That's a great way to 'read' while crafting! And a good introduction to other fandoms through the podfics.

Yay, well done! Will the seven-star blanket be harder or easier than the six-star?

[yarnandglue]

Podfics are really fun! So far I've only used them to listen to fics I specifically wanted to hear, but I'd like to start just listening to whatever narrators I like (as you described) to get recommendations.