Check-In Post May 23rd 2021

[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: No question today.


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]

10 rib rows on the first sleeve. It was more but it was too small so I had to unpick and start again. I have tiny hands, but even so, the sleeve cuffs wouldn't have gone over them.

[wiseheart]

Your knitting projects are impressive. I'm hopeless at knitting; which is why my friend Erna offered to knit me a new waistcoat. ;)

[badly_knitted]

Thanks! Knitting is something I've been doing since I was eighteen. Mum taught me when I was younger but I didn't really get into it until my sister was expecting her first child.

We all have different talents, which is what makes crafting so much fun. There are so many crafts to explore and find out which suit us and which don't.

It's good that you have a friend who can knit for you.

[annofowlshire]

I haven’t done any embroidery in the last three or so days, although I did order two more crewelwork kits yesterday so I’d have them when I’m ready to start them XD I have this scheme to basically work my way up from beginner kits through intermediate to advanced as a sort of self learning course. (I’m still wanting to do the RSN program, but this is what I can do right now.)

We had our first guest to stay this weekend, and it was wonderful and exhausting, and pretty much had no downtime for needlepoint.

I did get to finally meet the medieval reenactment folks in person on Saturday at a picnic and that was awesome, and I met a lady who is totally #embroiderygoals.

(This particular British woman had also, at one point in her career, lived in Seattle; and there was another American there (but has been in the UK for two decides now) who asked from which “kingdom” I had come (as the SCA is broken into kingdoms/regions) and was delighted to learn that I’m originally from hers! I wasn’t actively of the SCA back then, but I did attend open-to-the-public events with SCA friends, so it’s very likely that the three of us all were at the same event at some point or another in the PNW... Small world is small.)

[badly_knitted]

That sounds like an excellent plan! Learning by doing always works best for me, although I tend to throw myself in at the deep end.

Yay for visitors and fun, even if it was exhausting too.

And yes, sometimes the world can be very small indeed!

[annofowlshire]

Oops. Can’t edit out all of my typos now XD I need to post after my morning tea...

I tend to research a topic to death, but I can’t really understand it until I start doing it, and then suddenly all that has context.

I’m a deep ender, too XD This is a much more reserved method of exploration than I usually do, I think in part because when I’ve tried to get into embroidery before I had too much trouble on the deep end* and eventually gave it up even though I really loved doing it. So I thought I’d ease in more gently on this attempt.

(*Grandiose ideas such as “I will create my own designs and practice that way!” and then get stymied on the design and the stitch choices and then it just became Too Much for an already quite full stage of my life.)

[badly_knitted]

Theory as opposed to actual practice *nods*

With knitting, I've always picked a pattern I liked, then figured out how to actually do the stitches as I went. I think embroidery is rather more complex than knitting.

I did design a couple of baby outfits from scratch, and I designed Pierrot motifs for the front, back, and sleeves of a sweater I knitted for myself. The idea came in a dream.

[annofowlshire]

Yeah, I tend to learn as I go with knitting, and I never swatch XD I’ve made some pretty wonky things along the way!

I don’t think embroidery has to be more complex, but I’ve certainly managed to make it be!

[badly_knitted]

I never do test swatches either, and I don't block and press. I've had the occasional disaster, but for the most part things have turned out wearable.

Embroidery looks wonderful when it's done right, but I pull threads too tight and I get impatient. Somtimes complex is more fun than simple.

[wiseheart]

I'm actually cheating as I probably won't be online later today, but I wanted to proudly tell you that I've finished Cuddly Pillow #1 - and it turned out rather cute. Once I'm done with the second, there will be pictures.

[annofowlshire]

Congratulations on finishing Cuddly Pillow #1!

[wiseheart]

Thanks.:) It was an heroic feat, if I say so myself. At least that's what my fingertips think. *g*

[badly_knitted]

There's no such thing as cheating here, just comment whenever you want to whatever post is convenient. I post check-ins every day, but the time varies because it depends on when I've finished my knitting (or whatever) for the day.

Well done for finishing the first pillow so fast! I'm looking forward to seeing them when they're both finished!