Latest Forum Posts by: Bastelfan

Wishing everyone a lovely Sunday. The sun is shining here, the temperature is finally pleasant, and the birds are chirping. Maybe I’ll even sit out on my patio. Finally.

I did another knitting swatch.
Here in the gallery, I admired this striped knitted shawl and promptly found a pattern that explained it really well.
Now I also know what an I-cord edge is. Learned something new again. No, I didn’t know that before, and it’s so simple.

It’s just that this black yarn—which I had left over from my stash—isn’t really my thing. It has glittery threads in it. It always feels so scratchy. Oh well. It’s good enough for trying it out.
Here it is.

Wow, Monika, that looks delicious—and it smells so good in here.

We had fruit flan again. Baked today—half of it’s already gone. Simply delicious.

Bake any kind of cake

The weather today is wonderfully sunny, but there’s a cold wind.
We took a short drive earlier to the other side of the Drammenfjord. We had a nice walk around there, stayed by the water at a seating area, climbed around on the rocks along the shore a bit, and let the wind blow in our faces.
Standing on the shore with our eyes closed, listening to the sound of the waves—it felt a bit like a Baltic Sea holiday. One can dream, after all.

I still have to upload the pictures.

Next time we’ll bring folding chairs, a thermos, and some cake. This was just a short trip, after all. We can’t really do long trips anyway—because of COVID, the public toilets are closed. Pretty stupid.

Thanks, Josefa, and have a lovely weekend too, everyone.

I don’t like jute at all. I think it’s scratchy, and it reminds me of the old days, of those coal sacks.
You used to get your loose coal delivered in those sacks—dirty and dusty.
As I’m writing this, I can practically feel that coal dust in my nose.

Have a lovely evening, you busy bees,

once again, such wonderful things have been created for us to admire. I’m always amazed at how fast you all are.

Christina, your dishcloths look really interesting with that pattern. I’d love to know how you made them too; I can’t quite tell.
Sandra, your candy jars are great. Your crumb-cookie monsters are totally funny.
Monika, I’d love to be a doll at your place too, if I were dressed so prettily. Your potholders are a lovely eye-catcher in any kitchen.
Sonja, your DF projects keep surprising us again and again. You can already make out the patterns. Could that be the Eiffel Tower?
Ina, your jackets look great, and I’ve already spotted the AL. But it may be a while before I get to that point. I really like the one in orange, though, and I’d love to have one like it. The stitches are easy. I had to look up the horizontal strand first; I wasn’t familiar with that.
Your temperature blanket is growing and growing; the colors already look interesting.

I’m not making any progress on my crochet blanket right now. Crochet break. I didn’t crochet anything yesterday; I was out and about (doctor’s follow-up appointment) and also stopped by the hotel, where two colleagues are still working. They were happy, and so was I. Checked out the situation a bit. I got out for once, and the weather was sunny too.

By the way, yesterday was my lucky day. I chatted with my gynecologist (she’s German) about everything under the sun, and along the way I got a tip for a place to visit. We also got onto the topic of “pimples,” since I had one on my face, and she said her colleague (a dermatologist) could take a look at it, and he removed it right away without an appointment. Great

While I was waiting in the waiting room, I checked out the skincare products on the shelf. And the receptionist promptly spoke to me. Afterward she brought me a bag with samples in it; that was a lovely gesture. I thought that was really nice
I felt so happy all day. That’s how it should be. Those little moments of success.

Next time there will surely be pictures of my crochet progress again.
Now I have to make dinner first.

Have a lovely evening, everyone

There’s a lot going on here again. It’s hard to keep up.

I’m taking a short break from crocheting. I’ve been spending some time in the world of miniatures.

Savoy Cabbage Stew

Hungarian Goulash Soup

Wow, Ina, those are absolutely beautiful examples.
I used to do a lot with stencils and that embossing stylus, too.
With embossing, I always thought the final result was great, but I never did it myself. Plus, I already had so many supplies for other techniques. It just seemed too complicated to me.
But I still have a die-cutting machine at home that can emboss and cut. You place the stencils between two plates with a piece of cardstock, and then you run the whole thing through, just like a pasta machine.

I’m also familiar with that pricking technique using a pen and stencils, which you can then embroider with thread.
Oh my gosh, all the things we used to try! (Ceramofix and casting molds, and those clay pot figures, the artichoke technique, Skubidou, Window Color..., decoupage)

Oh, I misread that, Monika. All right.
My parents used to grow them in their garden, too—they tasted delicious. But due to their age, they gave up their garden—or rather, sold it—a long time ago.

That makes me happy, thanks

Meatballs

The letter Y from “Russisch Brot” — delicious!

It’s so nice to look back at your old photos.
Awesome, Ina. Yeah, I think we all used to look like that. Right now, I can’t find a photo of myself with that hairstyle.

But do you guys still remember those blow-dried, tousled hairstyles?

That’s me at 14 or 15 years old


And in the other photos further up, yes, that’s me too

Wow, I’m green. Thank you.

Oh my goodness, Monika, yes, there’s really no comparison.
I just hope your pretty mandarin tree survives this.
A mandarin tree sounds interesting. Did you grow it yourselves, buy it, or how should I picture it? Trees like that are pretty rare in gardens, after all. I certainly like eating them.

The weather is going crazy everywhere right now.

Exactly. Now the sun is shining again, with wind and thick black clouds. Typical April weather.
It changes like this all the time here.
Spring is still a long way off. The forsythias haven’t even bloomed here yet; in Germany, they’ve long since finished blooming. It’s just too cold.

Rolled Roast

Hey, your grandpas look great. Personally, I like the one on top best.

nadiwagn Maybe you could crochet a small pillow with a nice design for your grandpa, or a little granny square blanket that he can drape over his legs.

I always thought these shoulder pads were awful, too, especially when you could see them through thin blouse fabric. I cut them out, too. But they work great as stuffing or padding for dollhouse bedding.

These pictures are from the ’80s and ’90s. Do you remember those glittery shirts?
In one picture, I’m wearing a blouse made of diaper cloth, embroidered by me, with crocheted edging on the sleeves and a cord at the neck. 
The other picture was taken at work; I’m wearing a sweater I knitted myself. Oh man, those were the days—with the fashion and the hairstyles.

It just started. This is what it looks like here right now. The sun was still shining a little while ago. 

Christina, she’s not really supposed to look skeptical. I thought the upturned corner of her mouth looked cheeky. I’ll have to change that. The facial expression really defines the whole crocheted figure.
Sonja, the motif looks great when crocheted. Sure, knitted items are softer and finer, but as a coaster or pot holder—maybe incorporate the motif into a bag.
Sandra, your grasping bunny looks cute. Is it based on a pattern or did you create it yourself? I ordered some wooden rings like that once, too, and wanted to crochet animals on them—I still need to experiment with that. For Christmas, I crocheted a wreath out of them.


So, back to the doll. For the 1.75 crochet hook, I use thin crochet yarn from Rico Essentials Crochet, 50 g – 280 m, or the Mandarin crochet yarn from SandnesGarn, 100 g – 590 m—that works best.
I still have some old leftover Diana yarn, but it’s too thin even for me to use on such large dolls. I use it to embroider the eyes or for hair on mini amigurumis, or to make little tassels. Somehow, I find a use for everything.
Every now and then I crochet with 2.5 or 3.0 needles—a nice change of pace for my fingers.

The socks are crocheted right into the doll. You could also crochet the shoes right in—start with black, then switch to white for the socks—that works too. But I’d like to change the shoes, just like women do :-))

Have a lovely afternoon, everyone!

Hello, you hard workers!

Here’s Puppi for now—I’ll leave it at that for the time being. I still had some other shoes lying around (they were originally meant to be bag charms) and they fit, too. Actually, she wears lace-up shoes in the AL. But I did give her a necklace. 

Lasagna

Wow, ruthk , you’ve been really busy. That looks great.
I wouldn’t go with a black frame either, since the embroidery is already quite dark. I’d imagine something lighter—beige, a light wood tone, or even red. As for white, you’d have to see how it all looks together. Great idea with the grandchild embroidery design. Did you use a pattern for that? There are programs out there that can convert designs, or did you order it (the embroidery design and kit)?

My doll is about 35 cm tall, crocheted with a 1.75 needle.

Vegetable soup

That’s true, Ina always puts things into words so beautifully; it really does a world of good.
Thank you.
To everyone else, I hope you’ll be able to hug your loved ones again soon.
Wishing your family members a speedy recovery.

It’s always a relief when it’s finally your turn to get vaccinated.
It might still take a while for us. They’re only up to “Group 4,” and we (ages 50–60) are “Group 8.” They just can’t seem to get their act together.

My parents (ages 74 and 76) are finally registered with their family doctor, too. I’m glad about that.

It’s nice that we can share our thoughts here. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Have a lovely afternoon, everyone

First of all, thank you Monika, for the signature. I didn’t even remember that anymore. It worked.

ines, I already like your potholder. I love those heart-and-paw motifs.

Weather-wise, we never get above double digits. Sleet, rain. Just uncomfortable. No sign of spring.
Only yarn helps with that :-)

Kebab

Hi Katharina,

I’ve had this problem before with 2-ply and 3-ply yarn.
But ultimately, it depends on your yarn. Some 3-ply yarns are pretty thick, and in that case, it probably won’t work.
Some 3-ply yarns are quite thin, so the difference isn’t very noticeable. It can be a tad thicker, but not by much.
As I said, it depends on the thickness of your yarn and the material. Pure cotton 3-ply is much thicker.
As Michaela already suggested, just do a gauge swatch. Good luck!

Oh, that looks lovely. What a beautiful display of flowers. Thank you so much for sharing, Marion.
We’re missing that here. It’s all cloudy and gray, not a single flower in sight—really dreary. It’s way too cold for anything to be blooming.
That makes it all the more delightful to look at. Thank you

Hello again—it’s me.

No problem at all, Anja . It happens to me every now and then, too. It doesn’t matter. There are more important things.
I’m glad your bunny is now complete. You’ve brought it to life, and it looks great.

Some of the hair wigs are crocheted following patterns (in German or English). You can also crochet your own. It’s really easy.
You basically crochet the “head” again in the hair color for a few rows until it fits.

If you want short curls, crochet the rounds directly into the back loop only (BLO); at the end, simply crochet the curls into the front loop only (FLO) to the desired length.
If you want long, wavy hair, crochet the stitches of the rounds as usual plus the chain length of the hair strands, and then crochet back along the chain (e.g., 2 single crochets in each stitch; this will make it curl). Between the hair strands, you can crochet 2 single crochets as usual, then repeat this chain, and so on.
I hope you can follow along.
If you want braids , crochet a chain of chain stitches as long as “from the forehead to the back of the head,” then crochet back along that row; next, crochet the hair strands to the left and right of the chain, or tie them in on the left and right. Then braid the left or right strands into plaits—and you’re done.

There are so many hairstyles. That was just one example.

Yes, the doll will get a red mouth, and maybe some hoop earrings (small metal rings or split rings). I like to experiment. I have so many “little bits and pieces.” We’ll see.

My rainbow blanket is crocheted with Catania yarn; yes, that’s why it’s a bit stiff but sturdy. That’s exactly what I wanted for my purposes. It’s not soft enough to snuggle up with.
My yarn had been sitting in the closet for at least 8 years—it gets dull over time and is hard to crochet with. But it’s just right for the blanket, since all the skeins are uniform.
With the Järbo yarn, I had varying yarn thicknesses despite the skeins being uniform, and that looked weird (I’d already started this blanket once with Järbo—it didn’t work out).

I crochet 10 rows every day, with breaks in between.

Have a nice rest of your Sunday. At 2 o’clock, there’ll be coffee and apple cake with whipped cream
:-) :-)

Oh, by the way, Ina, the blanket is about 67 cm wide

I wish you all a wonderful Sunday—and once again, you’ve all been so hard at work.

My blanket has grown a bit more.

For now, the doll is wearing a wig from another doll as a temporary solution. I’m mainly concerned with the hair length right now. What do you think? Should I make it longer or leave it like this?
I wanted to crochet wigs in several colors so I can switch them out. It’ll be a sort of “dress-up doll.”

 

Mmm, it smells so good in here.
Homemade pizza—it looks delicious. I’ll have to try that sometime.

On Saturday, I baked that apple crumble cake again. It only lasts two days for the two of us. It’s so delicious.
Just a regular batter, apple slices on top, and the crumble topping.

 

Here’s a closer look

I just noticed that the beautiful colors of the blanket don’t really come through as well as they do in real life. They’re much more vibrant, of course.

Oh, thanks, Anja. Yeah, I’ll use those as a fringe edge right away. I’ll wait until the end to join them together because I don’t know yet how many strands I’ll tie together.
Otherwise, I usually crochet them in right from the start. I hate having to weave in lots of ends.

How’s your tunic coming along?

The tunic I started is still sitting in the corner—it turned out a bit too wide somehow. But I’ve already crocheted the two hexagons together and worked around the edges. Unravel everything again? I don’t know. First, I’m going to finish this (doll, owl, blanket)

I really need to set aside a specific day just to keep crocheting my UFOs. Otherwise, they just keep piling up.

Have fun, everyone, and get ready for the weekend.

Oh man, ursulapetra, yeah, I can’t understand that either.
That as a family member, you’re not allowed to go there.
That’s what I’m afraid of too—if something happens to my parents, I can’t even fly over to Germany quickly.

It’s all really taking a toll. I can definitely imagine how awful you feel. Especially at a time like this, you just want to be there for your loved ones, right? It’s good for both of you.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you that everything goes well and that you’ll be able to go to your husband. I really hope so.

Warm regards

Good morning, lovelies,
this is the current status of my projects. The owl UFO, the doll still needs a wig and shoes. The blanket is crocheted from someone else's pattern; there was a CAL for it years ago at "Schoenstricken". I crocheted this piece in 3 days, after all 144 sts per row. For that I used my Catania, which I had still been saving for "best". I'm still on a yarn diet, after all.

  

There’s a lot going on here again,

you’ve all been busy again, and such great things have been created. It’s hard to keep up with how fast your needles are clicking away.

Ina, Your new jacket turned out great, but the colors of the first one would be more my style. It’s amazing how fast you knit.

ines, you’re also incredibly fast at crocheting and knitting. The crocheted motif looks great. That’s true, crocheting with thick yarn doesn’t turn out as fluffy as with thin yarn or when knitted.
I like your little sleeping doll. I also have more crocheted dolls than animals or the like. No idea why.

Anja, that already looks promising. I’m curious to see how it turns out when it’s finished.

Monika, you’ve been busy again too. Knitted motifs simply look much more delicate. I admire how fast you work.

Right now I’m working on a rainbow CAL crochet blanket, and on my little doll—she still needs hair and shoes. But every now and then I have to take a crochet break. I want to finish soon so I can show you my creations too. There are also some UFOs lying around somewhere (an owl that still needs one foot and wings). They’re all just little things, but I just can’t quite bring myself to work on them at the moment.

Wishing you all a lovely afternoon of crafting.
It’s couch weather here, with a cold wind.

Best regards
Andrea

April, April—it just can’t make up its mind.

We know these kinds of weather antics all too well here in the far north. It’s not much different here either. But... the snow is finally gone here. There’s still some further north.

If you’ve got enough wool at home, you don’t need to go out.
(That just occurred to me :-) )

hello everyone,
at this late hour I wanted to stop by here again, and once again you’ve all been so busy. Compliments to everyone on your wonderful creations, which I once again got to admire.

I hope you all still had a reasonably nice Easter, or a quiet one, because of the contact restrictions and all that.

Oh Anja, I hope your “low” passes soon. Things will get better. Sometimes you really just run out of “steam.” But you found a clever solution for your ch chain. I wouldn’t even have thought of that. I’ll have to remember it.

Unfortunately I still can’t show anything yet; it’s still in progress. Right now I’m continuing to crochet a little doll that had been “parked” because of the police officer project.
I need to take a little break.

Have a relaxed evening, then

best wishes from cold Norway,
with strong wind, rain, and briefly some hail in between. April weather, basically.

see you tomorrow

I’m still on a yarn diet, even though I’m sometimes tempted to buy new yarn again. But I still have enough in my stash.

Thank you, Anja

Dear Inge, dear Marion

I wish you both—and everyone else here who’s reading along—a wonderful Easter too. Stay healthy, everyone.

Best regards, Andrea

That’s wonderful. Nature always reclaims everything.

Thank you, Marion—I’m so glad!

Thank you so much for your feedback