Latest Forum Posts by: Bastelfan

A really beautiful poem. I like it.

I’ve always written poems for birthday cards, too, or for my parents’ golden wedding anniversary.

Nadeleule, wow, that looks great. I love all sunrises and sunsets anyway—colorful lights that glow in the dark...

I always had these awesome bows in my hair that my mom still ironed for me.

It’s wonderful to see your old childhood photos—thank you so much for sharing them. I found another photo with my mom. I have no idea how old I was in it.

This is what it looked like in Oslo over the weekend—completely deserted. It’s like a ghost town right now.
In the background, you can see King Harald’s castle.

Thanks so much, ruthk, for sharing. I always find it interesting to see photos from other decades (especially before 1960). You look really chic. Back in my day, we still had pleated skirts and white knee-high socks—I really loved wearing them. Those were the good old days.

Wow, I’m really amazed at all the beautiful things you’ve all created again. You don’t check in here for a few days, and then you just can’t stop being amazed.

That doll kitchen is absolutely amazing—it makes you want to be a kid again! And there are plenty of crocheted ingredients, too.

So, Monika, the speed at which you knit all these things is record-breaking, and they’re so even—I can’t keep up; I prefer crocheting.

And I think Petra’s rugs are wonderful. Your place looks so cozy—your terrace, too—everything’s so idyllic. Unfortunately, it’s still a bit chilly outside here, even though it was pleasantly sunny today—perfect for window cleaning.

I tried out a new crochet pattern (that Polish star). It’s easier than it looks. My test crochet piece still needs some work, though.


Have fun here, everyone, and have a lovely evening together

Thanks, Ina, and everyone else. It can also be another photo of you as a kid. Doesn’t matter. Or a Halloween picture—yeah. I’m looking forward to seeing them.

Get well soon, dear Elke. We’re all here for you—together, we’re strong.

I’m starting a thread here showing us as first-graders, and I’ll go first.
I’d love to see your photos to admire. I’m sure it’ll be fun.

Who’s hiding there?

AL from the Simply "Cuddly Amigurumis"
book is actually a duck, but I turned it into a chick

Here’s a spring greeting from me to everyone, to cheer you up

I’m home for two weeks for now too—on furlough, or “short-time work,” as you say.
The hotel is closed; no guests. No one knows how long this will last...

This morning I went shopping; we needed a few little things, but in the end I ended up with two big bags full. Not panic buying. The store was almost empty, no lines, and I had no trouble getting almost everything—except for canned tuna, which was sold out, and the large packs of pasta, which were all gone. So I just picked up different ones. As for toilet paper, they only had the 6-packs left instead of the 12-packs. No big deal. We don’t need much anyway, so we’d be fine for a week.
There’s still plenty of yarn, too—I crocheted an Easter chick today; it’s almost done. There’s plenty to do, so I definitely won’t get bored.

Despite everything, have a pleasant week, everyone!

Hi Ina, I just read this late at night. You’re going through a lot—of course I wish you a speedy recovery and hope everything heals well as soon as possible.
We’re all thinking of you. For me, too, it would be a bummer at first not to be able to crochet or knit. But things will surely get back to normal once you can move your fingers—that’s already a good sign. In the meantime, just take a little creative break and find some new inspiration here with us, which you can then put into practice once you’re feeling better.
In any case, you’re not alone. We all stick together—sharing stories, encouraging each other, and joking around.
Even just a quick “Hi” every now and then is enough—it lets us know you’re reading along. Then we’ll pass around a virtual latte macchiato for you, and you’ll feel better in no time—you’ll see.
In the meantime, I wish you a pain-free good night.

Warm regards from me
Andrea

Oh, thank you so much for the beautiful spring pictures—they’re a treat for my eyes, because there’s still a bit of snow here and there. Today it’s drizzly and windy, nothing’s blooming—everything’s black and white,

so to speak. But… tomorrow I’m going to bring a little spring cheer home with me and buy myself a gorgeous bouquet of tulips. That’s right, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I think it’s a good idea that we keep sharing our thoughts on crafts here. Distraction is the best medicine.
All you hear everywhere is “coronavirus.” 

I had to work this weekend, and when I arrived in Oslo by train, the city looked like a “ghost town”—hardly anyone on the streets, and quite a few shops were closed.
I work at a hotel, and starting Monday, it’ll be closed too—no more guests, so no work for us.
There’s a silver lining,
though. Now I can do whatever I want for two whole weeks. I can finally finish all my unfinished projects, continue my crochet projects, sleep in... I still need to buy a few small things—let’s see what’s left :-)

Anyway, I hope you all have a pleasant week, and keep sharing and showing off your crafts regularly. Together, we’ll get through this with positive crochet energy.

That was a kind gesture, Marlies. Tears of joy immediately welled up in my eyes—I know exactly how that feels, because I’ve worked in many nursing homes in Germany, and I always put my heart and soul into it. It felt so good to see the elderly residents happy when I was on duty.
They’re so grateful, and they deserve our respect and love.

No way—you still have the Sandmännchen dice game? I hope we’re talking about the same one. Were the game pieces little figures with pointy hats, arms, and legs? And Struppi in the basket—meaning you skip a turn?
Oh man, I loved that game. Unfortunately, I don’t have it anymore—such a shame.
I still have the Fix & Fax book, Tuppi’s bow, the three rascals, and some funny stories.

Thanks for sharing, schnatter. Sewing thread—exactly, I think I still have some of that lying around, or rather, this embroidery thread.

It’s always interesting to see what others have kept from that era. Everything back then was still high quality.

Thanks so much, Petra. I hope soon—we’ll see.

We hardly had any snow at Christmas either—which is unusual for here—but then we’ve had some in January up until now (though still less than usual).

That’s why we’re going to crochet something great with colorful yarn.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

Wollbaerli, that’s been a very long time. I’m sure a lot has changed since then.

Petra, yes, it’s still here—the snow. I’d be happy to send some your way, but I want flowers, green meadows, and warmth. I’m tired of thick jackets and gloves.

My warmest congratulations on your birthday—all the best, good health, and may you never run out of ideas for your projects.
Keep up the great work.
Have a wonderful celebration today with your loved ones. Cheers—to you

Warm regards from me

This is what it looks like in Oslo

Do any of you still have old treasures from the GDR era, maybe even in their original packaging, like I do?

Since everything is green and blooming in your gardens, I’ll show you what it looks like here right now.
Tomorrow, it’s supposed to be -6 degrees early in the morning, with black ice, then sunshine at noon, and then everything will thaw again.

Here are the pictures

I’m still working on a crocheted elephant for a coworker, which I’ll finish soon so I’ll have time for my own projects again.
I also still have some unfinished projects lying around (a crocheted blanket and a crocheted vest).

Not here yet, but bare ankles are “in.”

I actually saw a guy in shorts at the train station the day before yesterday—seriously—and there was snow on the ground. He must have just come back from a sunny vacation. I just wanted to tell you that; unfortunately, I don’t have a photo to prove it.

I'll answer too, a bit late. I had to work over the weekend, but now I'm doing well because I have 3 days off to relax and crochet, and I want to try a few exercises (joint mobility).

Peppermint tea, for me it's more the other way around. As long as I'm crocheting something for myself, everything is great, and I'm motivated too, I can let my creativity run free, but as soon as I crochet something for someone else, e.g. for a colleague, you have to work more carefully, with as few mistakes as possible, and wonder whether they'll like it the way they wanted it—then I lose motivation now and then because the project “drags on,” since I really want to make something for myself again.

All these vibrant colors really put you in a good mood.
I also love all the neon colors, especially when paired with a dark contrasting color.

I really like the colorful caterpillar, too—it immediately catches your eye with its gorgeous colors,
and Ina’s color palette is definitely one of my favorites.

The sun is shining today, but it’s chilly outside. On February 29, I have to work, and winter is coming back with lots and lots of sleet and sub-zero temperatures—yuck.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

In Germany, everything is already blooming and turning green, and for most people, gardening season is just beginning, but there’s no sign of spring here—the weather keeps changing constantly. Still, as soon as the sun peeks out this weekend, we’ll definitely go for a walk or a short bike ride, even if we still have to wear gloves.
That’s just how it is here in Norway.

You don’t have to follow every trend, of course. Today I happened to pop into a boutique again, and it looks like pants with elastic at the bottom are back in style. Not my thing, though—nor are fabric trousers that tie at the waist.

I’ve never liked culottes either.

As CreatOwl says, if the two go well together, that’s fine; otherwise, I’ll just keep looking until I find something I like or until it’s “in” again—or I’ll crochet it myself.
Most of the time, I like clothes that I feel comfortable in and can move around in, or that are practical or versatile.

Nadeleule, that’s a good idea with the frame and the balloon. I’ll have to remember that, thanks. I also need great inspiration now and then.

I knew the idea of making a million out of banknotes too, but I did it with play money.

That just gave me another idea: you could also make a kind of novelty raffle as a quick gift. You often have small items at home, such as a ballpoint pen = a travel typewriter; 2 packets of soup and 1 small mini candle = a candlelight dinner for two; 1 box of matches = an evening by the fireside for two; 1 spring from the ballpoint pen = so there’s always some spark between you, or something like that;

I made a kind of survival suitcase for my parents’ golden wedding anniversary (an ordinary children’s cardboard suitcase), with little things inside wrapped in a funny way. Take a look on YouTube for “funny emergency suitcase”; maybe you’ll find something there.

I once made this little couple using beads and wire. Not sure if that’s your thing, though.
Making a nice card with an origami suit and wedding dress is really easy—just follow video tutorials—and it goes quickly. Spice it up a bit with a punch or embossing machine (if you have one).

Or make a small wooden chest or box and perhaps put a gift certificate inside, or give a small bottle filled with white bird sand and seashells—decorated with little cocktail umbrellas—for an upcoming vacation… there are lots of ideas, but on such short notice?
Or a little beaded tree as a symbol of the tree of life for their marriage.
Buy a large, thick candle and decorate it with candle wax (hearts, clover leaves, or the names of the bride and groom).
I hope I’ve inspired you with a few ideas. Good luck!

I still have some yarn left, too. Plenty of it. I’m working on a crochet commission right now, though, so I’m not sure if I have enough purple. It has to be enough. After all, I’m still sticking strictly to my yarn diet.

Socks over pants—never heard of that. This trend completely passed me by. I’m just not into it at all.

The current trend—sneaker socks, sneakers, and thick jackets “on top”—is just as silly and not healthy at all.

You don’t have to go along with everything, but to each their own.

Yes, I’m still taking part too, and so far I’m doing well with it.
It’s easier with you guys too, yay!

Thank you for your feedback. I'm glad about that.

Wollwunder Petra, I think every child would love to be in Legoland with their favorite characters, and as a child you're right in the middle of it yourself. That must be wonderful.
We always wanted to go there with our children too, but now they're grown up.

Hang in there until Friday—then it's the weekend :-)

You’ve already been hard at work, Monika. I haven’t done that many yet. I just did a rough estimate—it might have been around 500 stitches.

Oh, so that’s what it looks like. Thanks for showing me. You never stop learning.

It always makes me happy when I can bring joy to others, too.
It’s fun, but with this technique, your hands get tired quickly, so I need to take more breaks.

I’m not sure exactly how this works for larger pieces—I’m stumped there. Crochet hooks aren’t even that long, are they? :-)
As you already said, Ina, it’s no problem at all with the small squares.

Well, I mostly crochet for myself, too. I put my figures and dolls on my wall unit and enjoy looking at them every time. Or when I have guests, they have something to marvel at. I’m also attached to many of them and can’t bring myself to give them away.
I like to crochet for family and friends who appreciate it, or when I need a little gift for someone.
I occasionally take orders from coworkers, but then I have to work more precisely and neatly than usual. After all, I want it to be well-received. Sometimes it just happens by chance. When I show pictures of my work at the office, I often hear: “Oh, I want one of those too—can you crochet that for me…?”
I turn down difficult crochet requests that I can’t manage. I don’t want it to turn into stress—after all, the point is to relax.

Oh, Ina, I just had to smile at the topic of winding yarn. That’s exactly how it used to be for us, too—those two old methods. I didn’t like doing that.
Today I buy my yarn in ready-made balls or yarn cakes. If I do have to wind it, I use the usual, tried-and-true manual technique. A yarn winder isn’t worth it for me, since I mostly crochet with thin yarn, and those come in ready-made balls.
Ah, those wonderful childhood days. It’s nice to look back on them.

My first attempts at this Entrelac technique. I hadn’t dared to try it before. I gave it a shot, and it’s really fun. However, I still need to get a long crochet hook, size 2.5 / 3.0. With the thick yarn, I used these plastic hooks—they worked great.

Here’s the swatch


and here’s the finished pillowcase (front and back)



Buttons for the opening

Good morning, Petra, thank you.

Yes, these arches are created by these “extended” double crochets.
The tallest one was an extended treble crochet, or a regular double treble crochet. You also crochet partly into the front loop and back loop.
I’m not very good at explaining it, but it works.

For example: You crochet an extended double crochet; crochet the regular turning chains; insert the hook into the stitch of the previous row; pick up the yarn (there are 3 loops on the hook); yarn over again; and pull it through only 1 loop on the hook (this is actually the extended part of the stitch); then finish the stitch as usual.
I hope this helps.