Check-In Post October 7th 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]

Didn't do any work on the shed today, there's nothing I can do on my own and anyway, after yesterday I wasn't feeling up to much. Hopefully there will be progress tomorrow...

As for knitting, I did 12 rows in the front, which is now on 12 pattern repeats, and 7 rows on the back to bring that up to 11 pattern repeats. Hope to get that level with the front tomorrow, then decide whether or not to try for another pattern repeat before the front neck shaping... It's getting tense! The neck and shoulder shaping will require 24 rows, two pattern repeats. If I do another one before the neck shaping, at this point that would mean adding another three pattern repeats to the front and four to the back which is currently 12 rows shorter. I think there should be enough, taking into account the neck shaping, but...

[smallhobbit]

The shed will still be there tomorrow!

The sweater is coming on - it sounds like if you continue at your normal rate of progress the front and back should be complete within about a week.

[badly_knitted]

Yes, but will it be possible to finish putting it together? I wish my friend had waited until my neighbour was available to help him, because I think he was rushing it and not taking enough care. It wasn't cheap and I want it to last.

Maybe. I hope to get the whole sweater finished by the end of the month if I can.

[wiseheart]

It wasn't cheap and I want it to last.
I hope everything will go well. It's frustrating when you depend on other people to get things done.

[badly_knitted]

Yeah. He means well, but he goes at things like a bull in a china shop. He's always in such a hurry.

[nagi_schwarz]

That sounds like a complicated sweater, but I know you've got a handle on it. You can do it!

The shed can wait, methinks.

[badly_knitted]

The pattern is fairly simple, it's just been an issue of whether I can finish it to my satisfaction before I run out of yarn...

The shed will have to wait for a little while, but not too long as I need to get it painted with two coats of wood preserver before the rain returns. That means I've only got a few days, and I can't do the painting until all the pieces are in place.

[peaceful_sands]

I misread that twice about the pattern repeats - amazing how much more sense it makes when I read what you actually wrote! You are doing a grand job nonetheless and I still have my fingers crossed it will be straightforward to get matching lengths front and back.

[badly_knitted]

LMAO! I misread things all the time and get confused, so I can empathise!

Thank you, I'm really hoping I can get done without having to unpick because I just don't have quite enough for the last couple of rows, or something equally annoying. I have yarn set aside for the neckband (a bit left over from the sleeves), so I've the rest of this ball to finish back and front, and from how much I did with a single ball on the back (10 pattern repeats plus the ribbing), there should be enough to add 5 pattern repeats altogether, including what I've already done with this final ball, on both the front and the back. Fingers crossed!

[smallhobbit]

I finished the right front of mini hobbit's cardigan today - no photo, it's a reflection of the left front. Now for the sleeves, which will be pink apart from the rainbow stripes at the bottom to match the cardigan. I'm wondering whether to also have a second set of stripes partway up the sleeves.

And I found myself ordering another cross stitch magazine - not a subscription, just a special.

[nagi_schwarz]

That cardigan sounds like it's going to be so pretty. Go you! And enjoy that magazine. :)

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much!

[badly_knitted]

Yay! You're really making good progress on the cardigan. Personally, I'd just go with the stripes at the bottom of the sleeve, but it's not up to me. You'll do what feels right to you.

Ooh, what special is this?

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. You may well be right, I haven't decided yet and won't need to until I'm partway up the sleeve.

It's a Christmas cross stitch favourites. I love looking at Christmas patterns even if I don't stitch most of them.

[badly_knitted]

You'll figure out what works best.

Oooh, lovely!

[wiseheart]

It sounds colourful - exactly what little children like. :)

[smallhobbit]

Yes, it should be :)

[peaceful_sands]

You’re doing well with the cardigan. Enjoy the magazine

[smallhobbit]

Thank you :)

[nagi_schwarz]

I finished one dragonscale hand warmer and started on the other. It's a pattern I've made before but it's been a while since I've done it so it's a bit slow going, but honestly it only takes about four hours to make one, so I expect to finish the second one this weekend. I'm debating whether I want to try to engineer a detachable mitten portion for when it's colder. We shall see.

[smallhobbit]

That sounds really useful - and decorative too!

[badly_knitted]

Your handwarmers sound cosy. I'd be tempted to do the extra detachable part, hands aren't much use when they get really cold so anything that helps prevent freezing fingers is worth making.

[peaceful_sands]

Good luck with finishing so far at the weekend . You’re doing well so far

[slightlymotheaten]

Oooh, is that one with the metal scales? Or a stitch that mimics the look?

[nagi_schwarz]

It's the one with the stitch that mimics the look. I've been tempted to try the actual metal scales, but haven't gotten around to it yet. One day, maybe.

[wiseheart]

I've been baking for the last two days because I'll get visitors tomorrow... or so I hope. A birthday party would be a bit lonely without party guests. *g*

[badly_knitted]

Yay! I wish you a very happy and fun party. I'm sure everyone will appreciate your baking!

[wiseheart]

One of my friends arrived with a humble request from her husband for some samples be sent to me - which I did, of course. That way he'd never object when his wife comes over to our house. *g*

[badly_knitted]

Well, I hope he enjoys his free samples! They should keep him happy.

[wiseheart]

That was the idea, yes. ;)

[smallhobbit]

I hope you have a lovely time!

[wiseheart]

We had, thank you. I was deliriously happy to do something *normal* again, after all this time.

[peaceful_sands]

Have a wonderful party and well done with all of the baking

[wiseheart]

Thanks, we had a grand old time, chasing after two one-year-olds in-between mouthfuls of cake. *g*

[slightlymotheaten]

I love a good baking session. It's getting very autumnal here and I'm thinking of making chocolate chip cookies :)

[wiseheart]

Baking is very therapeutic. *nodnod*

[peaceful_sands]

More work on the tapestry- lots of little bits finished - gaps and then working at the edges of what I’d already done to extend. Rolled up almost three inches (7cm approx) so can almost see the top of the picture. I’ve exposed lots of fairly large areas that will need working on as well as a bunch of unstarted flowers and leaves.

When I estimated 6 weeks to finish, I’d miscounted the bands - there’s one more than I thought, and there’s a lot more to do, so I think each remaining band is likely to take more than a week. Still at 2 weeks in, I’m where I hoped at this point.

[smallhobbit]

You're making great progress!

[badly_knitted]

Sounds like you're making excellent progress even if there's more to do than you thought. I hope you've done most of the unpicking you needed to do so it'll be reasonably smooth sailing from here on.

[wiseheart]

Excellent progress! It is impressive that you can keep up your schedule, despite the miscalculation.

Socks!

[slightlymotheaten]

I won a pretty skein of sock yarn on eBay and cast on for some basic ribbed socks tonight before my Zoom class. I'm hungry for an instant gratification project! :)

Re: Socks!

[smallhobbit]

That's good. What colour is the yarn?

Re: Socks!

[slightlymotheaten]

It's a self-striping black and purple. I'm loving it so far!

Re: Socks!

[badly_knitted]

Woohoo! What colour will the new socks be?

Re: Socks!

[slightlymotheaten]

The yarn is self-striping black and purple :)

Re: Socks!

[badly_knitted]

That sounds gorgeous!

Re: Socks!

[wiseheart]

I'm hungry for an instant gratification project! :)

Don't we all know the feeling! Have fun!