Latest Forum Posts by: Bastelfan

I wish you a wonderful weekend too, Josefa. We’re going to make the most of the sunny, warm weather before the rain clouds roll in. Crocheting, crafting—whatever takes our fancy.

Wishing everyone else a wonderful weekend as well

Hey Akela, that’s great. And so neatly done. I think it’s wonderful when you still have treasures like these. It brings back memories. Awesome. Thanks for sharing.

Does anyone else remember these tissue holders?
A school friend of mine from back then crocheted this one for me. It’s been around for 40 years now. I keep my treasures in it, like those Chinese handkerchiefs that used to be available—the ones with such delicate embroidery.

When I was a child, I had this embroidery box, an embroidery hoop, and various little doilies. Some of the embroidered pieces or works in progress still exist.
See for yourself

I still remember exactly how to crochet around handkerchiefs. My great-grandmother used to do that. One example still exists—see the picture of the open handkerchief.
Later on, I tried it myself—see
the picture of the handkerchiefs at the top. These days, it’s hard to do that with such thin needles. These handkerchiefs were far too pretty to actually use.
Does anyone else remember this, or have you ever tried it?

Thank you, Ina. Yes, there’s a No. 3 and a No. 4 as well. I already have a frameless picture frame that both pictures fit into, but in landscape format my frame doesn’t fit in the spot where I first thought it would. I’m still thinking about it. Maybe I’ll just hang one up first; that would fit there. We’ll see.
Have a nice weekend in advance.

Right now, I’m also on a “yarn diet.” Since I usually plan smaller projects and can crochet, my yarn stash will last for a while longer. It’s also enough for a few large projects where I don’t need stuffing. My stash is only slowly dwindling. I’ve decided to stick to crocheting things from my existing yarn stash for now.

Picture No. 2 is finally finished. This time, I took my time.

I’m in the same boat as ruthk. I have the bottom 6 fabric boxes on our wall unit shelf filled with sorted wool and yarn.
I don’t have shelves as nice as those, though.

Thanks, Ina. You won't believe it, but my mom still has that red-and-white darning mushroom. I think she still uses it every now and then.

That all sounds pretty funny with your four-legged friends. Yeah, you definitely experience quite a bit with them.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any pets—they’re not allowed in this apartment. I used to have a few animals (a hamster, a budgie, fish, a turtle). My budgie was always pecking holes in the pages of my books.
You can watch cats for hours on end.

Happy birthday! All the best and good luck. I hope you were able to celebrate a little with your family. Cheers to you!

Hey Josefa,
I’m still sticking to my yarn diet. I’m using up leftover yarn to make a colorful blanket or something like that—granny squares…
but I get the impression it’s not actually getting any smaller. So my current yarn stash will last for a while yet.

I’ve never even heard of a darning egg. I still have one of those darning mushrooms from my mom. I’ve had it for over 40 years, but I hardly ever use it anymore. It’s more of a keepsake. Here’s the trusty old thing.

Health-wise, I’m okay; work-wise, not so much. 2020 has been a real challenge.
I’ve been on short-time work since March and am expected to remain on it until the end of August. No guests at the hotel. The hotel is open again, but there’s still nothing for us to do.
I had to wait a long time for my money from NAV (Norwegian Social Security Administration)—they had so many recalculations to do. I applied for an advance, which arrived within three days, but I had to pay it back because I’d received my benefits.
We also had to cancel our vacation to Germany (flight, ferry, lodging). We did get some of the costs reimbursed. We wanted to go to Hamburg in August to see the Tina Turner musical, but everything’s up in the air. We’re a non-EU country, and Norway still has its borders closed, so we’re still not allowed to fly or travel there. We’d have to pass through three countries anyway.
But shopping here is no problem—no mask required. There are bottles of hand sanitizer at the entrance, and people keep their distance. It’s not as crazy here as it is in Germany. That’s the only good thing. Sports and outdoor exercise are all allowed. Travel within the country is allowed, too. But I really miss traveling to my beloved homeland.
I can only keep in touch with my parents or see them via Skype or WhatsApp. Hugs will have to wait. It’s really not easy.

What amazing things you’ve created again—it’s incredible.
At Monika, the stitches just seem to fly off the needle—it’s wonderful what you’ve made in record time.
The flamingo made from sponge yarn looks great. I haven’t tried working with that yarn yet either.
Fun-Design, the colors of your yarn cake are gorgeous. I especially like this kind of color combination; unfortunately, we don’t have such nice ones here.
I’m still working on using up my leftover yarn (a colorful striped blanket, trying out Petra-Perle’s granny squares...). I don’t have any pictures right now.
So keep crafting, everyone, and I wish you all a pleasant week.

Best regards, Andrea

Heartfelt congratulations to you. Have a lovely evening

Best regards, Andrea

Please, please, Monika.
No, my husband’s driving; I’m sitting in the back. :-) I don’t have a motorcycle license—just a car and moped license.

You can use cut-off or leftover threads as fringes or to make a mane for a horse or something similar.

There are front and back post double crochets (you can look up the explanation).
These are often used to add texture to a crochet piece or to create certain types of cable patterns or other patterns, such as checkered designs. For example, a checkered pattern might alternate 5 front post double crochets and 5 back post double crochets.
I often use them as a cuff finish on garments. In knitting, they’re like knit and purl stitches, so to speak.
I can’t really explain it very well right now.

We went on a little motorcycle trip over Pentecost. The weather was great. We packed some snacks and hit the road.
We didn’t take that many pictures. When we stopped for a break and needed to use the restroom, there was a big sign outside saying it was closed due to COVID-19. We hadn’t expected that. We came across the next gas station soon after.

Here are the pictures
 

I’m turning my leftover yarn into a pretty, colorful blanket (CAL: “schoenstricken”).

I think this popcorn stitch is crocheted with single crochet (sc), and these cluster stitches are made with double crochet (dc).
If I’m wrong, I’d love to learn more.
I love both types of stitches. This cluster stitch is also used to crochet a “thumb” on crochet figures (on the hand), and this popcorn stitch is used as a texture pattern on blankets or pot holders...

I did it. I managed to finish my sweater, and it fits.

   

I also wish everyone here a wonderful Pentecost weekend. Just do whatever you feel like doing.
Summer has probably arrived here. It was nice and warm today, so we spent time outdoors on the patio.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we want to go on a motorcycle ride—the sunny weather is just perfect for it, and of course we have to make the most of every ray of sunshine we’re given.
We’ll pack some meatballs and cappuccino, and off we go. I’ll definitely take some pictures, but more on that later.

Have a nice evening!

Happy birthday, Michaela

Warmest congratulations on your birthday today—enjoy it with your family.

Best wishes from Andrea

Thanks so much for your tips. I’ll definitely give it a try.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and a happy Pentecost!

My question is, can you also crochet figures with yarn cake yarn? Has anyone tried this yet? I have a lot of leftover yarn now, and for once I didn’t want to crochet shawls.
So far, I’ve been using cotton yarn for my crochet figures.

My watchlist is doing well, too. Most of the items, of course, are crocheted dolls, scarves, sweaters, and tunics—

small projects first, and long-term projects for later, as time and interest allow.

For me, the feasibility limit is already at treble crochet.
From double treble crochet and beyond, I don’t think the stitch pattern looks as nice anymore. If you like it “airy,” that’s fine. I just don’t really like crocheting them.

It looks funny with the frogs. I think it’s great.

Monika, every now and then there’s already a little bit of summer too. :-) Finally.

That's true again, dear Monika.

Oh, how nice—and there are still so many of them. Awesome!

Yeah, the dolls are still wearing the same clothes as back then. I haven’t changed a thing.

Does anyone else still have childhood treasures at home?

I found these. Dolls for the dollhouse, and the few children’s books I had.

    

Sun today


Hail 2 days ago

I forgot to include two pictures.
1. Lilac tree
2. I thought this one was so funny—that tree that’s bent over there

 

The weather was great today—cloudy, but warm (by Norwegian standards). Here are a few impressions
       

   
The 3rd and 5th photos are at the Drammenfjord
The 4th photo: central storage facility for timber transport

We don’t have a garden, but I had my camera with me on our outing today.
I found some flower photos here too (the beach on the Drammenfjord).
  

Thank you so much for the great photos. So many turtles. They really are beautiful animals.

Thanks, Petra

That’s certainly true. Nature has so much to offer—you just have to look closely. You can find joy in even the smallest things.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you very much, and have a wonderful holiday, everyone.

I’ve always admired this sky phenomenon, ever since I first saw it. But it really does look like that when the clouds clear.

Hi everyone, here are some more gorgeous sunny photos from my bike ride to the Drammen River in Drammen (the nearest major town to us). It takes 20 minutes by bike and 2 stops by train.
 

Well, the people around me react positively to my hobby. I always show my mom what I’ve finished, and she then shows it to her friends when they get together. Everyone admires it, and then I end up having to crochet this or that one more time to give as a gift.
Recently, I crocheted a lucky pig for my son’s colleague and sent it to her (she was in quarantine); she was so happy about it that she sent me a little package of German treats as a thank-you. That really makes it enjoyable.

A lot of people also ask me if I even have room left for all the figures (I mostly crochet small figures—otherwise there wouldn’t be any room left) :-)

Right now, I’m working on some beadwork in between other projects; the finished pieces don’t take up much space, but all the materials for them do.

My husband has several hobbies of his own, and we share our hobbies with each other. We ask each other for suggestions on how to improve our work.

We’d normally be on vacation in Germany right now, and we’re a little sad about not being able to meet up with friends and family/kids or shop for local products. Or enjoy a real ice cream sundae at an ice cream parlor.

But… despite all that, we’ll make up for it all later.
If the weather cooperates, we’ll go on a little motorcycle ride here, or bike around with a picnic and stuff. After all, we live in a beautiful country where nature has so much to offer. It seems so clear and unspoiled. There are plenty of wonderful photo opportunities when it comes to the scenery.

Above all, we also have time to tidy up and “declutter” by sorting through paperwork and such. That has its good side, too.

I wish everyone a wonderful Sunday.

Today is a national holiday here in Norway, and the Norwegians aren’t about to let that one slip by—they’re celebrating anyway, with social distancing and on a manageable scale.
We’re watching it all on NRK TV

Gratulerer med dagen
Hip hip hooray

Edit: No information about obtaining patterns for characters protected by design rights is permitted.

Have a nice weekend

Hi Sarah, I’m not a doctor, but here’s how I’d explain it:
If, like me, you crochet with your right hand and have the yarn draped over your left index finger—and you don’t move that finger much—it might not be getting proper blood flow, which could be causing the pain.
Maybe try moving it around more often, or keep your hands lower rather than higher while crocheting.

I can’t really help you any further than that. Did you have this problem before?