Check-In Post November 21st 2020

[badly_knitted]

Hello to all members, 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.


Today's Question: What was the last thing someone made for you?


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]

Last Christmas a friend sent me a beautiful handcrafted bookmark, so I think that was the last thing someone else made for me.

No knitting done yet, I'll be doing that soon, while I watch Strictly Come Dancing so I'll update this comment afterwards.

Managed 28 stocking stitch rows on the blobby sweater. Hurrah!

[falkner]

Handcrafted bookmark sounds amazing!

[badly_knitted]

It's really pretty! I collect bookmarks of all kinds, so that made it extra cool =)

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

Mom still has some of those bookmark cards. ^.^ They were a pretty big hit, I think.

[badly_knitted]

That's hardly surprising!

[falkner]

Today I got started on a pair of mittens. This pattern here. So far it's a relaxing pattern to work on, and I got really caught up in it, but I was sitting in a bad position and by the time I finally stopped and got up my neck was incredibly sore... (It even made a scary cracking noise...) I really need to start sitting in better positions when doing any crochet or knitting.

> What was the last thing someone made for you?
I don't think anybody ever made anything for me, which is kind of sad, in hindsight. But when I was working at the local elementary school I got tons of drawings from the kids, which was always nice. It kind of counts, right?

[badly_knitted]

Oooh, they look cosy! I'm a sucker for cables, I love them.

I know how that feels. I have problems with my neck, the cracking and crunching can be quite alarming, and mine gets especially sore when I'm sewing up, because I have to look down at my work in my lap. There has to be a better position but I haven't found it >.<

That's so sad! Now I want to make something for you. I could send you a cross-stitched card!

Getting drawings from kids is always rewarding.

[m_findlow]

Those look so cute, and warm!

[darkcedars]

A cross-stitch from a friend that says "don't believe her lies, the dog has been fed." It is on a shelf above the dog dish. :D Lucy can be a terrible liar, to the point my husband won't feed her unless I've specifically said to.

I just finished hat #2 and am starting hat #3 in cranberry & navy. I will take a finished photo for the project when it is done.

[falkner]

The thing about pretending they haven't been fed is really a constant among the animal kingdom, uh. I think I realized it when a friend once mentioned her leopard gecko acting very dramatic about their feeding regime.

[badly_knitted]

A gecko drama queen *laughs*

[darkcedars]

That is an image!

I learned quickly that her water and food dishes have to be in separate rooms. She flips the water in protest of empty food dish.

[badly_knitted]

That's so cool! Dogs can be sneaky like that, they're very good at making out they're starving even when they were just fed.

I've like the other two colour combos, but I think this third one will be my favourite. It sounds yummy! Looking forward to seeing the pic!

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

The last thing was probably a large junk journal a friend of Mom's made for me. I don't remember. The last thing from a family member was a replica (with some liberties taken) Fourth Doctor scarf. ^.^

[badly_knitted]

That's a lovely gift!

I envy you your scarf!

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

I love it! Now that the weather's colder, I'll probably need to dig it out soon. :D

Et voila! (This is actually a photo Mom took when it came three years ago, to show her cousin how much I loved it.)

[darkcedars]

That's great!

[badly_knitted]

So awesome! It must be great for cold weather!

[nagi_schwarz]

I totally failed to craft at all today but the last thing anyone made me was a pair of really cute K-pop themed beaded key rings!

[darkcedars]

I don't think I've had a fun keyring in ages.

[badly_knitted]

Yay for cute keyrings!

There's always another day for crafting.

[m_findlow]

I haven't checked in for a few days so this is a catchup.
I had to answer the question "what tool could I not do without". It's the world's thinnest stanley knife. Super lightweight plastic from a two dollar shop but it's been my constant cardmaking companion for twenty years. It's perfect for all the fidgety foil stickers and wording, for pulling away the backing from two-sided tape, making holes for split pins and using it to position pre-taped pieces into place. I use it for everything.
Todya I braved getting out all my cardmaking stuff, only to find heaps of stuff I don't even remember buying. It was a bit like Christmas. :) I made a couple of cards but didn't feel they were very good. I didn't have much inspiration, it was more just a desire to get it all out. Not the lounge room is filled with big boxes and two fold out tables. There's two more boxes but these had the stuff I was most likely to use. What a mess!

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

Ah, the creative process...it's always a messy one! ;D

[m_findlow]

And that's after I tidied it up for the day! You should have seen it earlier!

[darkcedars]

Once you know what's in there, you'll be able to come up with projects.

[badly_knitted]

That sounds like the world's best all purpose tool!

And yay for getting out the crafting stuff, and for surprises!

[moth2fic]

None of my projects are going anywhere - apart from some trying out of new recipes. I've been wrapping Christmas and birthday presents galore whilst husband was away and I could leave the diningroom table in chaos overnight. So that's my excuse. He's home, and I made him a special birthday dinner, and some of the wrapped presents are now unwrapped! I think I should now start to think about Christmas cards - and definitely those scrunchies.

I think the last thing anyone made for me was some chutney. Since I make chutney myself I now have even more jars on the shelf, but I do appreciate the work and thought that went into it! Oh - and my sister in law, who is a keen painter, painted me a beautiful watercolour birthday card which i must frame.

[badly_knitted]

Wrapping presents surely counts as a craft, right? Folding paper and sticking things...

You'll get to the scrunchies.

How lovely to have a handpainted card! That must be wonderful. Hope you enjoy the chutney!

[moth2fic]

Yes - and I used some of my new wasabi tape to decorate some of the wrappings!

I seem to be in baking mode. Banana and walnut bread, refrigerator cake, date marzipan, rhubarb crumble. I have a new parkin recipe, a fudge recipe and one for frozen yoghurt with red currants all begging me to start.

But the scrunchies are becoming urgent and I unearthed some fabric I'd forgotten about that has dragons on it - my daughter is a dragon lover so I think I'd better turn the fabric into cushion covers before I bury it again.

[badly_knitted]

I adore rhubarb crumble! Anything rhubarb really. You're very busy with all your new recipes.

Oooh, dragon fabric cushion covers, I hope you'll post pictures! Maybe there'll be enough leftover fabric for a couple of scrunchies!

[moth2fic]

The dragons are too big to show up on a scrunchie! But I have plenty of pretty offcuts for those anyway. It's more a question of having the sewing machine set up and that will happen with the cushion covers. And yes, of course there will be pictures.

[badly_knitted]

Pity they're too big for the scrunchies because dragon scrunchies would be fun, but still, dragon cushion covers will be awesome!

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

OMG, dragons!!! They're awesome! :D

[moth2fic]

The fabric is all cream, with panels of Chinese dragons in a different weave but the same colour. I think they'll look really good made up and will go well with other furnishings. I'm tempted to quilt so as to make the design stand out, but I really want at least one ready for Christmas so maybe one quilted later, and one not! Also, there's enough fabric for two double sided covers or four with a plain backing. My mental jury is still out.

[badly_knitted]

I know what I'd go for (if I could sew), four with plain backs so all the dragons could be on show. The fabric sounds lovely.

[moth2fic]

Thank you. You just made my mind up! I was tending that way anyway. The only thing that is bothering me is having to use a different fabric for the plain backs (or possibly patterned but not dragonish) but I have plenty and I don't think washing/cleaning will be too much of a problem.

[badly_knitted]

Glad I could be of help!

[froodle]

I got an adorable Eerie Indiana themed scarf and unicorn plush crochet'd for me by eviinsanemonkey a while back!

[badly_knitted]

How lovely!