Check-In Post November 26th 2020

[falkner]

Hello, lovely crafters! Welcome to our daily check-in post, where you can tell everybody all about your most recent progress (or lack thereof). Feel free to also chat with other members and generally enjoy yourself!

Check-in is not compulsory, you decide if and when to take part in these posts.


Today's optional question:

Do you enjoy having company when crafting? Knitting groups, drawing with friends, in person, video call?

If you have questions or suggestions about the community, requests for tags, or want to host the daily check-in posts, head over to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment there.

Comments

[badly_knitted]

I'm a solitary crafter, I've always tended to work by myself with no one distracting me.

No knitting so far today, but soon.

I've abandoned the projects I'm working on in favour of knitting some arm warmers, sort of narrow fingerless mitts. I don't have a pattern, just making basic ribbed tubes that should be close-fitting and help me keep warm while I'm without heat. I've sort of finished one, but I might make it longer. I've started the second from the other end of the ball and I'll see how much is left when this one's the same length.

[falkner]

Is this related to needing to get your chimney swept? I know what it means to be cold at home...

[badly_knitted]

The sweep got one of his tools stuck, I had to have two of them today trying to retrieve it, and they succeeded, but the chimney is still mostly blocked and I've ben told if I use it at all I have to use kiln dried wood, not coal because the dampness in it is what's blocked the chimney and I must only burn completely dry stuff. I don't have any dry wood, I have nowhere to store it in the quantities I'd need, I have to keep the fire going continuously because it runs the radiators, so now I don't know what to do. I won't be able to afford the amount of wood I ned to stay warm. It's a nightmare, plus my computer died and what I've been given as a replacement (early Christmas gift) has the new windows on it which doesn't do the things I need it to, and I hate everything about it. *sigh*

[yossi]

It depends on the craft, but I do like cross-stitching while hanging out with my partner while they knit or do whatever. Drawing I mostly do alone, although that's generally because 1) it's always been a way for me to cope with being an introvert in a house full of people, and 2) my drawing table is in the studio, so it's not in the common areas of the house where other people would be anyway.

[badly_knitted]

I lose my place when I try to cross stitch and talk to someone. knitting is easier if it's not a complicated pattern but I still prefer being by myself. I'm not really a people person in person, only online.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Answer: In general, no, unless it's a kids craft which I'm doing with the kids. There isn't anyone to craft with, though. Maybe if someone was nearby, I'd feel differently, but the only people I know who craft are online friends who live in other parts of the world.

1. Cross stitch gift done. Here's the final:



2. I also made two landmarks from this book: Buildings, Bridges, and Landmarks, which has paper versions of about 25 famous landmarks around the world. The first is Chichen Itza, a Mayan temple in Mexico, and the other is the Taj Mahal in India.

[falkner]

Those are amazing!! I've seen something similar in a bookstore before, and I was very tempted to get it, but I wasn't sure I had the manual ability to actually manage a decent result.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I found this at the craft store Michael's in the US in the book section. The first few were pitiful, but with practice they start looking more like what they are. The two I've kept are the Grand Mosque of Mali and Angkor Wat of Cambodia.

[badly_knitted]

Wonderful! Well done.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you, thank you!

[froodle]

Incredible! What an amazing job on both projects!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you, thank you!

[froodle]

I like to craft by myself. I tried a couple of crafting groups and the people were very nice, but something about social groups plus crafting doesn't work for me. Which is weird, because I go to a writing group where the whole point is you literally don't speak for an hour, but can socialise before and after and I find that perfectly lovely. I guess I need the divide between speaking and doing and that's kind of anathema to a social craft group?

[moth2fic]

I don't really like company when I'm crafting. I find I get distracted by the conversation and stop or slow down what I'm doing! But I do like music so I normally have the radio on, or Spotify on my laptop. Otherwise it's too quiet! I like groups like the flower arranging classes I attended, where you can discuss what you've learnt but go away to practise at home! I can cope nicely with company when I'm just repairing something or sewing on things like cub badges. Or when I'm preparing something, like making the strips and curls for quilling. I suppose that sort of activity uses a different part of my brain.