Latest Forum Posts by: Bastelfan

Hi everyone,

I read on another craft forum that they’re doing a “Christmas Secret Santa” there, but with beaded animals.
So I thought we could do something similar here on the CP forum.

I’m just not quite sure how it should work. My idea would be:

Let’s say, for example , there are 10 people who sign up for the “Secret Santa” and are added to a list (similar to the “yarn package” event). I’d roll up these names like lottery tickets and put them in a bowl.
The registered participants will be added to a list in the order they sign up.
Then I’ll, for example , draw a slip of paper and send a private message to the first person on the list with the name on the slip—the other participants shouldn’t know who it is, otherwise it won’t be a surprise anymore who’s sending them a Secret Santa gift.
This process continues until every participant has a Secret Santa partner without knowing who the others are.
Then, for example, December 6 (St. Nicholas Day) is set as the date for mailing the Secret Santa package so that it arrives on time on December 24 and may only be opened then.
As for the contents, it’s up to each person to decide what to include—ideally something homemade as a small token of appreciation, along with some treats and a warm greeting from the Secret Santa or something similar.
Each participant can also list any preferences so everyone has a rough idea of what the other person likes.

What do you think? I hope I’ve explained this reasonably clearly, the way I would go about it.

Warm weekend greetings from me

beautiful. A lot of work

Thank you so much. It’s great to be able to share joy with others.
I’ve always wanted a glass display case—more for my beaded figurines, actually—but the crocheted ones look great in there, too.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend

Well then, I’ll join in too.
Well, I’m always really happy to receive birthday wishes, just like on my own birthday.
But what I noticed was that I couldn’t read any of them—or rather, I couldn’t find the thread.

I was starting to think no one was wishing me a happy birthday—what’s going on? Until Josefa wished me a happy birthday and sent me the birthday link, then I was able to read all your birthday wishes and thank you all. Or did I miss something?

is supposed to have it.

Many of the series listed sound familiar. I always liked "Little House on the Prairie," "Miami," "Gunsmoke," "The Magnificent Seven," "Winnetou" (with Gojko Mitic, Pierre Brice), so lots of cowboy and Western films, "Treasure of Silver Lake," "Once Upon a Time in the West," "The Mummy," "Mission: Impossible"... "The Streets of San Francisco"...

Of course, like Ina, I also watched "Bonanza" and "Women's Prison." The other day, reruns were on one channel, and I absolutely had to watch them, but I couldn't keep watching because I had to get up early the next day. Too bad.

Because of my husband, I watch a lot of "SOKO" shows; we also watch Pilcher films together, "Katie Fforde" films, anything to do with romance.

I also used to watch series like "GZSZ," "Unter uns," "Frauentausch," "Farmer Wants a Wife" (but not anymore)

"Nordsee- und Ostsee-Report," "Crazy About the Sea," "Crazy About the River," also those series "Trucker Babes," "Die Straßen-Cowboys," or those English series where they tear down houses, those auctions of the contents of those garage units, or the "tax investigators," those English "customs inspections" series, "Patrol"
We also like watching animal documentaries, so it's a colorful mix of everything.
Computer-animated cartoons too. I used to enjoy watching Maya the Bee, the "Augsburger Puppenkiste," etc. I could list even more. I used to watch "Tatort," but when it's that exciting, I can't fall asleep afterward. Also the Hitchcock films "The Birds," "Rear Window," "Marnie," "The Indian Scarf"... but I don't like them as much anymore today.

Tearjerkers or quiz shows. The range is wide.

Yay! Thanks for your feedback.

I was amazed myself—so many figures, and all crocheted by me—it’s crazy. I haven’t counted them yet, but maybe I’ll do that just for fun.
Today at work, I showed this picture to my new coworkers; they were just as thrilled, and I’ve already gotten requests to crochet one or two of them for them. I’ve already infected them with the “crochet bug.”

I’m not quite done arranging the display case yet. Unfortunately, there’s no room for another one—everything is filled up with furniture. No chance. So I’ll just have to change the display every now and then.
It’s kind of crazy to see all the figures piled up together like that.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to crocheting soon.

Hello to everyone from me too,

I took a little nap; I was totally exhausted today after work. I’m on the early shift for the next two weeks, then alternating with the late shift.
Thanks, thanks—my start at work went great. All my coworkers are nice, and we’re getting to know the residents better and better; it’s actually pretty fun. Many of them are still “clear-headed,” so we can have a little chat during morning care.
I just have to get used to getting up early again—I’m a bit of a morning grouch, so it takes me a while to get going, but once I’m up, I’m good.

That’s why I won’t be able to make things as often to show you all. But I have the weekend off, which I’m really looking forward to.
Admiring your amazing creations always puts me in a good mood.

Have a lovely evening,

Your stories are kind of cute.

Well then, I’ll jump in here too. I think each of us has put our foot in it at least once.

My husband and I actually met online. For a while, we could only Skype via the computer. He was already in Norway, and I was still in Germany. We were basically “living” together every day, but the computer was in the way, and he was far away. Everything always looks a little distorted on the screen anyway.

Anyway, the time finally came when he could visit me. The big day arrived, and there he was, standing right at my door. What a joy.
Instead of saying, “Yay, I’m so glad you’re here,”… no… I said, “Wow, you’re really short.”

It just slipped out in that moment—so embarrassing. Even though my husband is 11 cm taller than I am. Every now and then, I still get teasingly reminded of it. It was embarrassing back then. Today, we can both laugh about it.

That’s how it goes sometimes.

Best regards
Andrea

This is just a fraction of the pieces I put away today. I'm slowly running out of space.

Just me again briefly:

these projects were finished long before the move. A small wash bag, a melon-shaped bag, and decorative hearts.


Your new creations look great again—the washcloths, the wonderfully colorful temperature blanket—absolutely beautiful.

it is. But suddenly...

You all have great ideas. I also always love photo albums—they’re so personal.
I’ve heard of a white elephant gift exchange before, but I’ve never taken part myself.
At work, we always did a Secret Santa at our Christmas parties. We’d put all our coworkers’ names in a pot, and everyone would draw a name; then you’d put together a small Secret Santa gift for the person whose name you drew, anonymously. It was really fun.

I don’t have a plan for Christmas gifts yet. I think the greatest gift is when the family can celebrate the holidays together again. Of course, there are little things—something homemade or crocheted. The younger ones usually want money. But it’ll all work out.
There’s still time until then. More than anything, I’m looking forward to a real Christmas market again, with real mulled wine and a shot in it.

Other than that, we don’t really give each other big gifts. The main thing is that everyone is healthy.

ruthk, you were the first to enjoy some new yarn. You made a very good choice.
I would have liked the light blue one from Katja, too.

We’re excited to see what new yarn will be sent on its way next.
It really feels like Christmas.

Have a lovely evening, everyone!

Best regards, Andrea

The Color Line can hold 2,315 passengers—that’s the one we took across. It’s truly massive.
The very first time I traveled on the Color Line, I really felt like I was on the Titanic or in a shopping mall. It was an overwhelming experience. I had just started working at the hotel when the anniversary cruise was organized through work. The food there was like at a gala dinner—small bites, multiple courses—and yet you still ended up feeling full.
I still think back on that experience often. There was even a show and cocktails; everything was reserved just for us. That was in early 2013.

That’s kind of you, Monika. :-)

Christina, it was exactly 9 years. How quickly time flies. I still can’t believe I put up with it there for so long. It was still a nice time, though.

Okay, now off to bed—I have to get up early tomorrow. You want to be on time, after all.

Well, I’ll join in too. I was born in 1963, and I’ve loved crafting and painting ever since I was a child. We had needlework classes in school, and that’s where it all started—crocheting pot holders and learning to embroider with that school yarn.

I can still remember that as a child, I was once given a kind of Barbie doll as a gift (we didn’t have those in the former GDR), and I sewed clothes for her by hand out of fabric. I made a bathrobe and even sewed on little pockets. I also had scraps of curtain fabric and trims—everything was put to use somehow.
I crocheted little dolls and placed them in the middle of the bed as so-called “bed dolls” for decoration, complete with crocheted ruffled skirts and little hats.
Later, during my apprenticeship, my mom taught me how to knit, and I even practiced knitting motifs (a children’s sweater with Pumuckl on it), as well as small cable patterns on my own sweater. Back then, those glittery fringed yarns were all the rage. Today, I can’t really get the hang of them anymore. Simple patterns, sure.
I’ve become more into crocheting ever since I Googled “amigurumi” one day to find out what it was—and ever since then, I’ve been hooked on those little crocheted figures and dolls.

I’ve tried a lot of things, including through former coworkers who did crafts (casting and painting with plaster or Keramofix, paint-by-numbers, decorating Styrofoam shapes with ribbons [the “artichoke” technique], Window Color paintings, and cross-stitch patterns). As a child, I had an embroidery kit (small pre-printed handkerchiefs or doilies that you could embroider) and a weaving kit (a wooden frame with wool inside).
Then I remember a kit where you could thread leather straps through holes around the edges to make coasters out of a kind of leather.
Most recently, I’ve taken up bead crafts. I’ve always been interested in glass beads and glass buttons because they sparkle so beautifully.
You’d need a zillion hands to do it all. Diamond painting is also “on hold” again—I still have two pictures waiting to be finished.

I also bought a sewing machine for my own use after I did a job creation program at “Bad Kösener Plüschtiere.” It was so much fun once you see how a stuffed animal or doll comes to life—from the design, through shaping, to the sewing. I picked up a lot of tips and sketched them out myself, since they’re not allowed to share the patterns (trade secret).

That’s how it is with our beloved hobbies. Lots of ideas, little time, but plenty of variety.

Have fun!

Thank you so much for sharing this, Marlies.
It’s always amazing what people create with pumpkins, and the variety of colors and shapes. My favorites are the orange ones, too—especially the ones with the funny faces.
My mom always makes pumpkin soup. I’ll eat it with her sometimes, but pumpkins like that aren’t really my thing (only as decoration, not for eating). Back when I was at my grandma’s, she always served pumpkin compote—I never liked that.

Christina, oops, in all the excitement I completely forgot. Here are my heartfelt congratulations on your grandchild, too. You can’t help but be happy for the parents.
Unfortunately, somehow there are no grandchildren coming our way. Oh well. I can crochet things for my doll grandchildren.

Anja, that looks interesting, but at the moment I can’t quite imagine what it’s supposed to look like when it’s finished. Wishing you continued success.

Monika, you’re turbo-fast again. The baby outfit looks so colorful. The dishcloth has a great pattern. Is it only knit and purl stitches? Seed stitch around the edge, as far as I can tell. I can still manage simple knitting patterns like that.

Somehow cats and balls of yarn do go together. Cats are playful and like things soft and cozy, just like us. But luckily you were able to untangle the yarn mess.
I don’t like doing that, too impatient.

I know what you mean about Google Translate with patterns; it often comes out as gibberish.

Have a nice rest of Sunday

Oh man, you guys always put things into words so beautifully that it brings tears of joy to my eyes when I read them. I’m so happy.

It’s true, Marlies—that’s exactly how I walk around here, seeing how much has changed for the better, as well as for the worse. Anyway, it’s interesting.

it wasn’t like that...

Thanks, Marlies

I almost forgot about the time change, too. I think this whole back-and-forth with the time changes is terrible. Everyone is against it, but no one “up there” is doing anything about it. It totally throws off your internal rhythm—older people especially struggle with it.
Sleeping an extra hour is fine, but somehow it feels weird today.
Let’s see how the residents are doing tomorrow when I start my shift.

Marlies, Ina, ruthk; yes, that’s right. There was a bit of tension, and when we arrived in Kiel, we couldn’t quite believe that we were back on German soil. We couldn’t help but jump for joy. We made it. The weight of the last few days just fell away.

On this big ferry, you need a cabin. After all, you’re traveling overnight.
I spent my last few kroner on a wonderful perfume. I saved a small amount of kroner as a souvenir.

So we’re turning a new page in our lives. Despite some initial disasters, there’s nothing better than being back home with parents, children, and relatives.

I’m glad I got to share those last moments with you.

Fresh asparagus

Nauen

I wish you all a great weekend.

Today the sun is shining beautifully, and the colorful trees are glowing so beautifully. I kind of missed that a bit in Norway.
Today we’re invited to my cousin’s place for a belated birthday party, and tomorrow at noon we’re having lunch at my parents’ house.
Monday is the big day—my first day at work. I’m already nervous, but I’m looking forward to it.

Warm regards

Wild Boar

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone,

You’ve created such amazing pieces again.
After a long time, I finally got my crochet hook out again. It just feels great. Nothing big, but I need to use up all my leftover yarn.
Maybe it’ll be enough for a little doily to put on top of the hallway bench. C2C technique.

Oh, Monika, that’s such a lovely compliment. Thank you.

I’d never seen so many pumpkins all in one place before either. Such a variety of shapes and colors. Almost everyone in the family had already been there, and now I finally have too.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

We’re invited to my cousin’s birthday party on Saturday, and the glass display case I ordered is supposed to arrive then, too. We’ll see. But then we’ll have all our furniture.

Best regards

Hare

Coffee break—mm, delicious Donauwelle

doesn't smell so good

Tomato soup with rice

can find some leftover yarn.

That cardboard tube idea isn’t bad either.

For smaller yarn scraps, couldn’t you also use those plastic sorting boxes with lids, like the ones used for beads?
There are also boxes where you can customize the interior compartments with removable dividers.

I’m familiar with this problem, too. I just wrapped a rubber band around the ball and tucked the label (if there is one) underneath it.
Maybe that’ll help—it works for me.

If the balls are too small, wouldn’t those Loops rubber bands work? They’re very stretchy, after all.

looked in the basement to see if...

I once crocheted a cosmetic bag—or rather, a small toiletry bag—(following a free pattern, though I don’t remember where I found it).
I haven’t used it yet, though. I’ll take a photo sometime if I can find it amid all the chaos of moving.

Thank you, Ina —this is going to be both exciting and thrilling.
ruthk, I believe you when you say you’re eagerly awaiting the yarn package. Then I hope the mail carrier hurries up.

    Kois  That's where the slide was  Radio  DJ  Elvis, me, and my mom      Record player  Wood carvings    That was the biggest pumpkin    Sooo many kinds of pumpkins   

Hi ruthk, it’s an overnight trip. You leave Oslo at 2:00 p.m. and arrive in Kiel at 10:00 a.m.
You’ll need a cabin since you’ll be spending the night on board. It’s the large ferry, the Color Line. The Stena Line is the smaller one.

eating our way through the cake selectiona Waldmops (by Loriot)the doll doctor used to be hereMillennium Bridge steamboat dockobservation tower in the backgroundback side of the employment officesunrise from the kitchen windowSteintor TowerGreek restaurant, formerly school mealsmy school used to stand hereflowers from Mom for the move-inview from the balconyview from the kitchen window, left

view from the kitchen window, right

finally uploaded the pictures at last.

best wishes from Brandenburg

You have to “read” the pictures from bottom to top—that’s the correct order.
We had wonderful weather when we set sail.

Arrival in KielKielView from the cabinPromenade on the ferryCoffee and cake on the ferryFram MuseumOslo Harbor

A walk in Tranbyin downtown OsloView of Drammenfjord Oslo, Karl Johan Street

apply lotion

Job opening

new shoes

I’m really looking forward to it, too. I’ve never been able to take part in other swaps before because of the high shipping costs/customs fees.

One more question: are we talking about yarn in general, or does crochet thread count too?

Hi Veronika,
that can vary. C2C stands for crocheting from corner to corner.
Some people use the so-called “graphic” as a regular image, like the kind also used for embroidery, and also write out the color combinations row by row. I haven’t quite figured it out myself yet either.
Usually, the pattern just contains numbers and colored boxes.
Personally, the pixel color image is enough for me.

Maybe someone else can explain it to you in more detail.

Best regards, Andrea