Check-In Post December 3rd 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: Do you follow patterns exactly or adjust them to suit your requirements?


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'm a fiddler, I'm always looking at patterns and thinking 'this could be better if I...' On one knitting pattern it annoyed me that al the cables twisted in the same direction; it wasn't symmetrical so I reversed half of them.

Second pair of arm warmers finished and I'm 52 rows into the first of a shorter pair. I'm thinking 80 rows for the shorter ones. For anyone thinking it's amazing I've done so many rows this evening, I should perhaps point out that I have very thin arms so the rows are only 47 sts for a good close fit.

[darkcedars]

What's this one, after shocking pink and rose?

[badly_knitted]

A nice blue, lighter and not as bright as royal blue, sort of a mid-blue I guess. =)

[smallhobbit]

I've started sewing up my granddaughter's jumper.

Patterns end up being adjusted even when I start out following them, although I have followed the jumper pattern (apart from changing some of the colours).

[badly_knitted]

Yay! Great progress!

Same here. I always make the sleeves longer, even if I follow everything else. I really hate sleeves that aren't long enough.

With any knitting pattern, you can use whatever colour or colours you like. I love that =D

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

[darkcedars]

Yay for almost done!

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

[shopfront]

Still plugging away at my Christmas scarf, though I'm probably about 2/3rds through now despite ripping the start out whoot. I don't tend to alter much, but I've been so out of practice that it didn't make sense to get too adventurous and I'll probably start tweaking things more the longer I've been knitting again. I am generally an avid customiser with most stuff, so it's just a matter of time before that extends to knitting too I reckon.

[badly_knitted]

I was just thinking about you, wondering how you were getting on!

That's great progress, I hope we'll get to see the finished scarf!

I'm sure you'll soon start customising your knitting projects once you get into the swing of it. There are always little things that aren't quite the way you want, or there are for me. In my case the sleeves are never long enough, or the neck is too high, something like that.

Any idea what you'll do when you finish this scarf?

[shopfront]

I impulse purchased an extra skein of the red I'm using right now once I saw how prettily it knits up (it's a lovely mottled deep red hand dyed yarn) and I'm tossing up whether I want to try and speed knit a hat or mittens to match for Christmas Day. Might depend how much longer it takes me to finish off the scarf... But if I don't try and squeeze something red in I have a stack of hat and sock patterns I want to try (to match my new scarves and to replace my current ailing sock drawer respectively), or possibly a rainbow shawl. Decisions, decisions.

[badly_knitted]

The yarn sounds scrumptious!

Sounds like you have plenty to choose from! I've never knitted adult socks, only baby ones. My worry is that handmade ones wouldn't stay up.

[shopfront]

It's actually going to be an experiment for me! In terms of usability/washability and how many I should make vs. buy. I tend to prefer ankle socks with a substantial cuff though anyway, so a bit of snug ribbing that sits my ankle should be more than enough to keep things on in a pinch. I'm enough of a homebody that if I just end up with a few pairs of slouchy lounge/bed socks and end up buying replacements for everything else it'll be just fine and they'll see plenty of use.

I'm excited at the idea of being able to make pretty socks for myself though so I'm crossing fingers it works out.

[badly_knitted]

Well good luck with that, I hope it works out for you! I have permanently cold feet and prefer long socks but they're really hard to get these days, like the manufacturers think women only wear thin ankle socks. Also have small feet so men's socks are too big.

I wish you many pretty and cosy socks!

[shopfront]

Ironically, that's the same reason I'm excited to try knitting socks just in the opposite length direction. There's a sweet spot for me where the sock actually sits on my ankle, all those thin women's socks without a proper cuff that are meant to sit close to the edge of the sneaker are torture, they always slip down my heel, and I find anything that goes more than an inch or two above the top of my shoe annoying and/or uncomfortable. I also had a heck of a time finding good wool winter socks before we first moved, I had to settle for hiking socks that have all that grippy athletic shaping in them and urgh. Not comfortable at all (to me, anyway.)

Socks might be the first patterns I seriously tweak, I have Opinions, haha.

[badly_knitted]

Let's hope your pattern tweaks have the desired effect! Comfy socks that fit real feet (that is feet that don't conform to the manufacturer's idea of what a foot should be), are tremendously difficult to find. If you can make them yourself you'll be ahead of the game.

[darkcedars]

*do you have a next project?*

Yes. All of the things. :D

[shopfront]

Heh, I must admit I keep a well-stocked Ravelry queue for Reasons (and the reason is that I am very indecisive!)

[darkcedars]

I alter things a lot. One of my long term WIPs has flowers, and called for double trebles. Um, no thanks.

Getting a little crochet done but not much. I took some African violet photos today though.

[badly_knitted]

Oh dear, I'm not even sure what a double treble is, but I don't think I'd want to attempt it!

Even a little is still progress.

Those are just stunning! You definitely have green fingers.

[darkcedars]

I keep thinking I will have a lot time, but husband is home on a vacation. He is running around doing things.

Double trebles are common in vintage doily patterns. Tall, fiddly, it was a fad. I do a regular treble and see no difference.

[badly_knitted]

A busy man underfoot...

Why do fiddly when you don't have to?

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Answer: I try to follow patterns but best laid plans...*shrugs*

More cross stitch today, and I rediscovered the obvious, namely, I am getting quicker with all this practice.

[badly_knitted]

Heee, yeah, sometimes it's harder than it should be.

The old skills are returning! Keep on stitching!

[moth2fic]

I'm hopeless at following patterns exactly. Same goes for recipes, etc. And writing. I'd never get anything done because I invariably find I lack a specific ingredient/fabric/whatever and have to improvise. Plus I like designing, so I will tend to take an idea and use it tweaked to my own design. I've never really been one for following other people's rules! Though I do think the very first time you do something you need to follow at least some of the rules - after that you know which ones you can break!

I'm half way through the cushion covers - I should finish them today but will wait till the inner pads arrive on Monday before photographing.

[badly_knitted]

Patterns are just guidelines, let your imagination flow free! It does suck when you're missing one vital thing to complete a project though.

You're so fast! I look forward to seeing the dragon cushions once they're complete.

[babs_bee]

I usually adjust the arms in sweater patterns. I like my sleeves to end before my wrists--I have this thing about getting anything wet against my wrists when it's cold.

I often change the edgings on shawls although I don't have any particular reason for doing it other than I think another edging will look better or the pattern is a bit too lacy for me.

[badly_knitted]

I hate anything wet against my wrists in cold weather too, but I just push sleeves up when necessary to avoid getting them wet. I like my sleeves to be long enough to pull partway over my hands. I need my wrists covered for warmth, which is why I'm busy knitting arm warmers.

Shawl edgings are very much subject to individual tastes.