December Projects Part 2: the Crazypatterns Craft Group

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December Projects Part 3: the Crazypatterns Craft Group (No Advertising)



Dear users, dear authors,
so here is Part 2 of the December projects.

You can read the earlier posts here:
December Projects + November Projects Part 3: the Crazypatterns Craft Group (No Advertising )

No UFO week in December.
Happy holidays :- )

Good morning to you all

Monika, first I had to check what kind of yarn this is / was, because it has been lying around here for 1-2 years, but I was lucky and found a ball band for it (I had already knitted something with it before and unraveled it again... it is a blended yarn, 45% wool
27% alpaca, 28% polyamide/nylon, called Cara by Junghans Wolle. Yesterday I made good progress again.
Oskar is such a handsome one.......the name Oskar puts a smile on my face, I’m curious to see how he will be dressed.
The coaster is a nice eye-catcher because of the colors, I like it.

Arni / Sandra I really like this bottle cover as gift wrapping; it is always well received by the recipients.
Hm, with the amount of stuffing, I always have a problem in the patterns stating the right amount; one person stuffs more, another less :)

Ina, yes, it gets warm on the legs while knitting, haha, especially since my couch corner is not far from the fireplace. I’ve made good progress and will surely be able to present the result soon.


Today I still have quite a bit to do; now I want to wrap the rest of the gifts, and in the afternoon we’re going to the hardware store. Since the bathroom renovation starts in January, we want to have all the material together; starting Monday, everything except grocery stores will be closed here. Luckily, we already moved the doors in November and got a good bit of preliminary work done.

Have a lovely Friday and a good start to the weekend

Best wishes,
Ines

I’m so glad you like my cards. I treated myself to a die-cutting and embossing machine.... But there’s still work to be done... my husband is still coming up with a good Christmas saying to go with them 🙊
Yes, I think the sayings on the little cherry bags are so great, but I’m not artistic enough to write them by hand, so I’m doing it with the embroidery machine 😂. 
I can give the items to an acquaintance to sell, as is possible now because of COVID—a sort of self-service setup.... ..... As soon as it’s set up, I’ll take a photo; I’m curious myself to see if it’ll work out, if people will stop by..... 

Wow, a lot has happened here. I don’t know what’s the nicest. 

Sandra has been quite busy. The wine bottle makes a lovely Christmas gift wrapping. 

I also really like the embroidered little bags. The saying adds comfort too, or gives motivation right away.

I’m curious to see Ines’s soul warmer; I like the colors, and sometimes you need a fluffy jacket to wrap yourself up in. 

Monika, I’m looking forward to your first real item when you’re done practicing. Don’t your bears/dolls need hats or blankets? That would be a great way to practice. 

I’ve finished my first Christmas gift, and it’ll be on its way soon. A balloon cover for playing ball in the children’s room. A great idea for using up my leftover cotton yarn.

Petra: The balloon cover is a great idea.

I finished another pair of pliers yesterday. Now Anton has enough tools for the time being.

I can’t upload regular photos right now. But collages work. 
Now I’m making a mulled wine gnome 

Sandra, your tool is great. Hope you'll need to fix something after Christmas so he can help out too. :-) 

Sandra, your bottle gnomes are a real hit. I just saw them now. What a great idea!
And the tool for Anton... just awesome. He really has a huge selection now.

Petra, the balloon covers are a really great way to use up scraps.
Yeah, I’ll be starting a real project in double-face soon. I’m making pot holders with cats on them to give as gifts. Today I ordered one of those thimbles that lets you separate multiple threads. Let’s see how I get along with it. I really want to give it a try.

Ines, wool with alpaca—I love that kind of blend. I still have a few skeins of that lying around, too.
My Oskar had his fitting today; he sat really still. I’ll probably have the sweater finished as early as tomorrow. Here’s what it looks like so far:



I hope you all have a cozy evening.

wow Monika, your Oskar is getting a really smart sweater. It reminds me of a camouflage look. Looks great. What is the yarn called? It looks fantastic knitted up.

You have all been so busy again. I’m still using up leftovers. I crochet a bit here and a bit there, depending on what I feel like doing. My yarn stash is only shrinking slowly. That’s a good thing too; then it will last me a while longer.

Wishing everyone a lovely, relaxing weekend and already a happy 2nd Advent.

Best wishes from Norway

Wool with alpaca— I spin it myself when I get around to it, though unfortunately not at the moment: baby alpaca wool, wonderfully soft and warm 😊

I can/am allowed to put my embroidered items in a Christmas farm shop for sale. I’m curious to see how they’ll be received. 

Bergli, I’m sure your items will be bought and loved. That’s a great offer with the Christmas farm shop. I wish you lots of success with it.
Wow, baby alpaca—that’s a dream. I think that when I buy yarn again (someday), I’ll choose exactly what I want. And alpaca will definitely be part of it.

Andrea, the yarn for the sweater is a very affordable acrylic yarn that I received as a gift. It’s surprisingly easy to work with, even though I don’t usually like acrylic. It’s called “Royal Melange” and is made by Zeeman. The color number is 89. By the way, the purple yarn for the jumpsuit was also from that same line.

Have a cozy weekend, everyone, and keep those needles clicking.

Warm regards from Monika

Monika, I already like the sweater, and I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Oh, baby alpaca, that’s something special. We have an alpaca ranch here with direct sales, and it’s been well received.

Bergli, I’ll keep my fingers firmly crossed for good sales. I think it will sell; people are placing more value on individuality these days.

And Sandra’s tool too... we’ll soon need a handyman; maybe Anton will come by :)

Petra, I hadn’t heard of the balloon idea before either. I think it’s lovely. I only know that sort of thing for crafting; we used to make piggy banks as lucky pigs, haha

So I don’t have anything new to show yet. Have a pleasant weekend and a relaxing third Sunday of Advent, and let your needles click.

Good afternoon, everyone,

everyone is busy - just as it should be: either shopping for Christmas, wrapping gifts, cleaning the house, or the nicest activity: crafting. There is so much to admire again!

@Sandra
Your bottle packaging looks very rustic! It’s hard to believe there’s a bottle hidden under that overgrown gnome. In any case, you get the surprise effect, and it also looks decorative.

Anton’s tool assortment is really impressive! A very well-stocked set, and you’re guaranteed not to hurt yourself with it. I wonder if he’ll enjoy working with real tools later on because he was introduced to the subject early? My grandson Oskar also has a children’s workbench and “works” with it. He holds the rotating drill up to the screws in his toddler bed like a pro. He copied everything from his dad, when his dad built his toddler bed with him. It has a low fence and an opening so he can get in and out by himself. Here’s a photo - the building plan came from the internet:



@Monika
Your Oskar is happy that now it’s his turn for a beautiful hand-knitted sweater. Your preferred colors (red, yellow, orange) wouldn’t have suited him. He is already a big bear and all grown up, so he needed different colors. And the ones you chose suit him.

@Petra
I think the crocheted balloon cover is a brilliant idea! Doesn’t the inflated balloon inside it burst? Or does it not burst because the crocheted cover protects it? Or is the cover around it because that makes it easier to hold? That would also be a lovely idea for my garden playhouse. I could have several of these balloon balls in there to play with, and the kids would have fun.

@bergli
I would definitely stop by your self-service Christmas market sometime. You make such beautiful things; there’s always something you like and could give to yourself or someone else. Thank you very much for the information that the cards are embossed and die-cut. If you want to make 150 cards, a little machine like that is really a good thing. I think embossed cards look especially beautiful.

***************************
I have decided to finish two projects I’ve already started in December. One of them will be finished this weekend: a knitted cape for dolls.

Yesterday I had a photo shoot with my ladies. You can take a look already. I’m about to get started on finishing the pattern.

I wish you all a lovely weekend and a cozy third Sunday of Advent.

Best regards from Ina

Oh, Ina , I’m thrilled by your enchanting Christmas outfits. Just like in a fairy tale...
And I’m just as thrilled by the bed. Where can you find instructions for something like that online? I’d really love to send that to my son, since they’re currently setting up the child’s room.

It’s unbelievable how much has been created in the two or three days since I last checked in. Huge compliments to everyone—you make up for every “Sternenweihnacht” (our Christmas market in the city center, in “normal” years, of course!) with your wonderful creations.
  mowi, how big is your cute Oskar? That sweater looks great on him—my bears have to look away quickly so they don’t get jealous!
  I just finished another little Christmas gift: a lantern for a neighbor.
In recent years, I’ve made the mistake of not writing down exactly who got what, and I’d really like to avoid repeating myself. For example, I can’t remember who I crocheted the angel pendants for… 

Yeah, Wollbaerli, we should keep a log—haha—that would make things easier.

Ina, your Barbies are absolutely adorable. The capes are beautiful. Bring on the snow!

My balloon cover protects the balloon so it doesn’t pop (as) easily. So far, I haven’t received any complaints. I’ve given away many of them, but so far always with a granny square pattern. This time I wanted to keep it simple, so I crocheted them in the round. But I’m not sure if I’m completely satisfied, because it takes me much longer to crochet them, and the ball is also much smaller and doesn’t fit the balloon as well. When my grandson was still little, I would inflate it just a little so he could grab it and hold on to it. Later, I’d inflate it a bit more, and he’d always have to crawl after it to hold on to it.

Here’s my first pattern for the balloon cover. One customer also wrote that she’d crocheted one for her dog. 

Hi Monika, I’ll ask my son where the blueprint came from. Oskar used to never want to be in his bed with the high rails—he felt like he was locked in. Ever since he’s had the little railing and the extra entrance, he absolutely loves his bed and even goes to bed on his own—and of course, he also gets out on his own to visit his parents in their bedroom at night ;-)
I’m glad you like my new doll capes.

@Christina,
yes, I know what you mean about duplicate gifts. I actually gave someone exactly the same thing once—it was pretty embarrassing.

I’m done with my theory work for today. My printer is currently printing out the final version of the pattern. Tomorrow I’ll take another look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. Now I’m going to have some coffee and eat some speculoos cookies. And after that, I’ll pack a Christmas package for my dear friend.

I hope you all have a lovely afternoon.

Very good, Petra. Thank you so much for the information about the balloon ball. That’s really a beautiful and practical idea that I’ll try out next year. Thank you also for the link to the pattern. I also think that using individual crocheted pieces gives you more flexibility in terms of size—and it’s more fun because of the variety of colors. But you have to try it out for yourself.

Petra , your balloon cover looks great. Perfect for toddlers and even for dogs. Though I’m not sure if the balloon inside will actually last very long.

Christina , my Oskar has pretty short legs (in my opinion). He’s about 45 cm tall from head to toe. But his torso is so long that his sweater could even fit bears up to 60 cm tall. It really depends on the belly circumference, too. In any case, the pattern is already in the works. It’ll include the teddy’s exact body measurements. This will be a project that’s really easy to knit. Now I just need to knit on the sleeves and the bottom hem. I unraveled that part again because the yarn was too thick. Now the bottom hem will be green. That way, I can use up a bit more leftover yarn.

Next week, my dear acquaintance—who once made Oskar for me in her teddy bear workshop—is coming to visit. She’ll surely be happy to see that I’m dressing him so lovingly. 

Ina , my two granddaughters haven’t had a crib yet. They had a bed that was right next to their mom’s bed. Now Linja is getting her own bed. And of course, it should be interesting enough that she’ll want to climb into it on her own. As a child, I would have been thrilled to have a bed like your Oskar. I loved caves, just like Linja.

Oh Monika, I don’t even need to ask my son. I found the instructions myself online. I’ll send you the link by email, since it’s not allowed to be posted here.

Best regards, Ina

Thank you very much, Ina. I’ve already passed it on. :)

Today, my Oskar had a photo shoot and is now showing you his new sweater. He can easily pull it over his head, even though it doesn’t have any buttons.

 


Christina, here are Oskar’s body measurements. From the neck to the bottom, it’s about 20 cm, and his belly circumference is 45 cm.

I’ve just fallen a little bit in love with Oskar :-) He looks really stylish in that sweater, Monika!

Oh, there are so many great ideas shared here in the forum...

Bergli, your cherry pit pouches are wonderful! Especially now, many people will appreciate such encouraging words. And homemade Christmas cards for 150 customers—all I can say is: wow! Such a lovely gesture.

Ina, those capes are awesome! You’re going to make a lot of doll moms happy with them :-) I think it’s amazing how you can whip up such delicate little things.

Sandra, that gnome is amazing! I’d almost be more excited about the packaging than the contents (though, of course, I’d be excited about the contents too). Will the mulled wine gnome get a red nose then? :-)

Petra, the idea with the balloon cover is also great. I’d totally make one, but our two cats would probably destroy the balloon in no time at all.

I’m currently working on another loop scarf in double knitting, this time in black and red for my 10-year-old goddaughter. She really loves animals, so I tried to design something suitable for her. We’ll see if she likes it. Unfortunately, I’m having no luck with this yarn (merino). Right after my first gauge swatch, our cat snatched the red skein and chewed right through it. So, I ordered some new yarn. The new yarn arrived, so I started the loop. Around round 10, I had to step to the door briefly because the doorbell rang, and I set my knitting aside for a moment. When I came back, my little daughter was already standing there with my knitting in her hand (by then it was just a tangled ball...), she wanted to save it, but it was too late. The red skein—chewed right through. So, I ordered more yarn again. Kept knitting. Last night I found a knot in the red yarn, which is annoying enough on its own. Three rounds later, the knot unfortunately came undone :-( I couldn’t save the stitches, so I had to rip back three whole rounds to then reattach the yarn at the broken spot. Now I’m curious to see what’s in store for me in the final stretch ;-)

And no, our cat isn’t bored—she’s allowed to go outside. And no, she isn’t going hungry. She just really enjoys stealing my yarn ;-)

I hope you all have a lovely, cozy Sunday evening!

Oh Sonja, that’s really no fun at all with the red ball of yarn and your cat. I can imagine that knitting back doubleface is quite a hassle. You’ll probably need a little protected room with no access so you can finish knitting the cowl. That cowl is really using up a huge amount of yarn. She probably just likes red that much.

Yes, Oskar—I’ve fallen even more in love with him now with the new sweater. He’s very happy with it, and it shows. :)

Good morning,

 You’ve all been busy again...

Ina, the capes are so very, very beautiful; I really admire how you always manage to make such delicate clothing so well, and the bed is great too

Monika, Oskar is simply adorable, and he certainly feels good in his new sweater—you can see it a little right away.... I especially like the colorful accents, although the black and white already add accents on their own; the colors really liven the whole thing up. By the way, the wildlife foster animals have accepted me, and in January I’ll take a proper look at everything.

My soul warmer is finished now, but unfortunately I’m not really happy with it. It keeps me warm and I can really snuggle into it, but I still always have to adjust everything first, and it’s heavy too. I knitted it from a pattern and, as always, made a gauge swatch, but it will probably just become my couch companion. My friend said they have to have that much volume.... what do you think?




Yesterday evening I was able to finish the first storage basket for my bathroom. I don’t know yet whether it will be displayed with or without a lid; we’ll see what fits in it. Two other shapes are still to come: a narrow, taller container and one vase are in my plan




Now I wish you all a lovely start to the week

Ina, your capes are absolutely charming. Are those the new little dolls they’re showing off? I don’t think I’ve seen the two on the left in the picture before.

Monika, your Oskar looks so chic in his new sweater. You must have quite a collection of teddy bears! How many do you have, anyway?

Ines, I think a soul warmer like that is really more for evenings on the couch. I have a poncho that I like to wear in the evenings during the in-between season, when you might still (or no longer) want to turn on the heat, but it gets chilly in the evening.

I’m currently crocheting my surprise bobble yarn Advent calendar. But I don’t like the color combination at all (dark green and red)—at least not for a loop scarf. Plus, it’s turning out to be pretty heavy. I don’t think I’ll ever wear it. But that’s just how it is with surprises—sometimes you end up with a dud. Now I’m thinking about unraveling the whole thing and turning it into little gift bags. The Christmas colors would actually work well for that.




A picture of my suitcase full of items for sale at the Christmas farm shop.... 

I didn’t check in here for just two days, and so many great things have been created.
Monika, your teddy bear Oscar looks cute in his new sweater. The colors and the pattern—great.
Ina, your capes look absolutely gorgeous, and that pretty ball gown on the middle Barbie. I’d love to be a model for you, too. Awesome.
Bergli, your suitcase full of slippers looks so funny. Hope you have good sales.

I’m still working on my project—crocheting with leftover yarn. Now it’s time to crochet around the edges and then join the individual squares together. It might turn into a bath mat. We’ll see. So I still have some work to do.

Andrea, your leftover-yarn project looks really pretty; I like it. It’s a great idea to make a bathroom runner out of it. 

Bergli, your suitcase for the farm shop Christmas market looks very inviting. I’m sure not many people will be able to walk past it. 

Ines, your soul warmer looks pretty, but I can understand you. I don’t really like wearing something that heavy either. And it can’t be too wide for me, either. 
I also think your storage basket is very pretty; it must look great in the bathroom, and quite a lot fits inside.
You’ll like the wildlife care group. When I look at the photos of the animals, it really warms my heart. I’ll probably knit my felt wool into dreys for the squirrels after all. And some leftover yarn will be crocheted into nests, too. But I won’t get to that until spring.

Ruth, my bear family has grown quite a bit already. My favorite bears sit in my living room, and by now there are already 10 of them. Some of them already have knitted outfits. But there are even more that I have in another room. I’m currently sorting them out and have already released some on my swap platform. They are collectible bears from the company ty. There was a time when I couldn’t leave any of them behind. Now I need space for other things, for example  yarn.

mowi, the Oskar sweater turned out great and looks fantastic on him! Thanks for the measurements—I haven’t decided yet which of my teddy bears should get dressed first!
bergli, in a normal year, I’d stop by your place right away to check out your stuff… In any case, I wish you lots of success.
Sonja, your cat seems totally smitten with the red yarn. I just hope our little kitten will prefer other toys…

I admire everyone who’s already finished their Christmas gifts. I can never manage that—and at the last minute, I always think of other people to give them to. They’re “just” little things, but even those take time. 

Andrea, you’ve really been busy crocheting — will you show us the finished bath runner? I think it’s a great idea.

Bergli, your suitcase really appeals to me too. I also think that, despite these difficult times, you’ll find buyers for it. Everything looks very appealing. Wishing you lots of success.

Yes, my soul warmer, haha — today I lit the fireplace late, and the heating was on low during the day since I take a break around lunchtime and watch my show, Shopping Queen ... my family usually laughs at me for that, but I’m usually crocheting or knitting while I watch, and it was really nice and warm. I’ll definitely knit myself another one like that in thinner yarn. This yarn had already been unraveled once, so I’ll leave it at that. 

Now I wish you all a lovely evening 

Bergli: The suitcase looks great... good luck.

Andrea: I’m also looking forward to seeing the table runner.

Ines: I like your storage basket, also with the lid

So, the mulled wine gnome is finished. Thanks, Sonja, for the idea with the red nose. 😃
My husband had the idea to add eyes.  


And now here comes an Amarula gnome 😂

Thanks, Arni, I’m glad you like my storage basket; I’m sure all those little things you need in the bathroom every day will disappear into it.

Your little gnome is very pretty again, and although I enjoy Amarula every now and then, I’d enjoy it even more with such a little gnome on top of the bottle. I’m looking forward to it.

Today I won’t get quite as much crafting done, because I still have to do nails 3 times today.

Have a lovely day

@ Bergli, your suitcase looks really inviting! Really beautiful. At least one suitcase market is taking place this year :-)

@ Sandra, the mulled wine elf is cool :-) The eyes are the icing on the cake! And with the Amarula, he might have to squint a little more *laughs*

@ Andrea, wow, you’re really putting a lot of work into this. But it’s worth it—the colors go together beautifully. And a colorful bathroom really puts you in a good mood in the morning. I can’t wait to see the finished piece!

@ Ines, I get where you’re coming from—if something’s too heavy, I don’t like it much either. But the colors of your soul warmer are so great; it’d be a shame if you only used it rarely. Maybe that’ll be an incentive to spend even more time crocheting and knitting on the couch :-)

Last night I finished the pattern for my loop scarf and added a border using fringe yarn. It was my first time doing that, and I really like the effect. I’ll be adding the fringe yarn to the bottom as well.

Wow, Sonja, I’m thrilled by the beautiful things you’ve designed and knitted again! The bunnies, the two cats… soooo cute. I could totally imagine this as a tapestry or pillowcase. Or even as a chair cover. The fringed edge is perfect for a cowl!

Sandra, your elves are very pretty. I’d be happier about them than about what they’re hiding. ;-)

I’ve actually taken a two-day break from knitting because I’m not sure what to make next. It’ll definitely be two projects. As soon as I get the thimble in the mail today for the two strands of yarn, I’ll continue with the cat coaster or pot holder in double knitting. So that’ll be my first real project. I still have to pick the yarn for it, though, and with so many options, I can’t make up my mind. The second project isn’t clear yet. I have too many ideas…

Have a great day, everyone!

Oh Sonja, I’m blown away—that looks so beautiful! I have a question right away: Is the double-face technique the same as tapestry crochet?
I still have two projects I’d like to bring to life, and I plan to explore this technique in the spring. I saw that you explained it really well—I’ll have to look for that post again :)

Moinka,you’re spoiled for choice—at least that’s how I feel about my yarn. I have three big bins full of it, which I sorted through thoroughly in early December by material, and I actually could have reordered already—especially cotton yarn—but that’s not how it works; you have to work through what you have first.

Yeah, exactly, Ines, I want to catch up on my projects first, too. For the double-knitting pieces, I just can’t decide which yarn to use. I haven’t made any progress today. And I’m slowly starting to get withdrawal symptoms—three days without knitting. It’s been ages since that happened! But there were so many other things to do. Today, for example, I finally baked some cookies.

I think double knitting is so special and so beautiful that I absolutely want to learn how to do it. And when I want something, there’s no turning back. Today I got the two finger yarn guides, and I have to say, it’s working out pretty well with them. I’ll take some photos of it tomorrow.

Ines, with your leftover yarn, you’ll be able to crochet nests soon. I always crochet them with 2 or 3 strands, usually 1 thicker one and 2 thinner ones. It works really well. The Facebook group also has patterns and tips on what the nests and dens should look like.

Monika, I hadn’t even noticed that there are patterns in there, but I haven’t really had a closer look yet. I think that will be more likely in the New Year. At the moment things look a bit rustic here, haha, since the bathroom renovation is still coming up in January. All the prep work is done, and now we hope the company will be allowed to start work from January 10.

You’ve really made me curious about Double Face; I’ve discovered so many beautiful things that really appeal to me. I’ll definitely start with exercises first, like you. I didn’t even know there were special thimbles, since I work without one.

Best regards
Ines

So, my cowl is finished and the pattern has been uploaded :-)

Monika: The last time I took such a long break from knitting was during the summer holidays! I deliberately didn’t take any yarn with me because otherwise I’d have been glued to my needles like an addict ;-) How’s the finger topper coming along? I’m really curious to see it!

Ines: I haven’t tried tapestry crochet yet. From what I know about it, it’s not really comparable to double knitting. First, in classic double knitting you only use two colors (you can use more, but that’s not usual), and second, you knit "two sides" at the same time, with the colors reversed on each side. With tapestry crochet, if I’ve understood it correctly, the front and back are the same color. But I’m sure there’s someone here on the forum who knows tapestry crochet better.

Thanks, Sonja—I’ve learned something new again. Now I’ve decided to tackle both topics in the spring; I like both of them.
We’ll see which one I end up getting along with best.

Sonja, your new loop scarf is absolutely amazing!! It’s a true masterpiece. I just looked at the photos. Simply wow!! I like the motif so much that I can easily imagine it as a placemat or table runner—though in different colors.

Ines and Sonja,
I’m getting more and more excited about double-faced knitting. This could easily become addictive. Now that I have these finger thimbles, I had to try them out right away last night and continued working on my test piece. And I have to say, I’m thrilled. It went great and is now really fast. Even changing colors works perfectly with the thimble.

Here’s what my test piece looks like now:

 

And then today I finally picked out the colors for my next project. I’ve made my decision—it’s going to be the flamingos. After the first few rows, though, I noticed that the thick yarn I’m using for this far exceeds the specified measurements. And since I don’t feel like unraveling everything, I’ve decided to turn it into a placemat—two of them, of course. My husband thinks this is a great idea, too. 



It’s going really well, and knowing me, I’ll be able to show you the finished project soon. 
Here’s what the special thimble I’m using looks like: Since you can flip it open at the top, the threads can be moved around very easily.

 

And this is the second thimble, which also opens at the top. It’s too wide for me, though.



One more thing to mention. The first row after casting on is a real challenge—at least for now. But practice makes perfect. I messed something up somewhere on my current flamingo project, but I’m going to leave it like that for now. The second set will be perfect. I might add a crochet border around everything. Tomorrow I’ll show you how far I’ve gotten. My fingers are itching to keep going.

Wow, Monika, I think the color combination for the placemats is really cool. I definitely wouldn’t have thought to mix those two colors, but I think it’ll be absolutely perfect for the flamingos.

As for the first row after the invisible cast-on—I find that really tricky, too. It happens to me every now and then that I realize while knitting that it’s not going to work out. Then I just rip it out and start over. There are other cast-on methods for doubleface that make it easier to work with. Try Googling the “two-color cross cast-on.” If you’re planning to crochet around it anyway, that would be a great alternative.

The thimble looks great. May I ask where you got it? 

Sonja, it really comforts me to hear that you’re also having a hard time with the first row. But it’s worth sticking with it. Yes, I really like the color combination, too. It’s a rich dark orange with peach. It looks really elegant because it’s mercerized cotton. I’m really excited to see what it’ll look like when it’s finished.

I ordered both thimbles from am.....n. I really like the blue one because it’s open in the front and I just have to slide it over my finger. Knitting with it works great, and I’m almost just as fast as when I knit normally.

mowi, I also tried knitting with the thimble, but I gave it up pretty quickly… somehow I just couldn’t get the hang of it, and having that thing on my finger bothered me. We’re all different, after all, and that’s a good thing! I’m glad the circle of Double-Face fans is growing! My second pair of cat potholders has to be put on hold for now, though, since more little angels are in demand. Today, when there wasn’t much to do in the retirement home’s cafeteria, I was crocheting the skirt of an angel, and when a resident saw what I was making, she said, “I want one too!” Of course, her wish will be granted—and her daughter will get one too. Soon these heavenly creatures will be ready to fly away; eight are already ready to go (eight have already been given away)—and one little one will stay with me. Meanwhile, I think I’ve become something of an angel addict…

wow Monika, your practice pieces have turned out really well already, and the color choice for flamingos is perfect, I think.
The finger covers look interesting, but I think they would bother me too, since even when embroidering etc. I can't stand a normal thimble, but for someone who gets along with them, they’re definitely a nice thing.
You’re really getting me hooked, even though I prefer to crochet, and on top of that, I knit quite loosely—who knows whether it would look that nice then. I should try it, then I’ll know, chuckle
Yesterday evening I finally managed to finish all the individual parts of a meerkat. I still have to make a hat for it and then put everything together. My mom loves these little animals and her clay figurine broke, so I tried to crochet one. We’ll see how I like it; I’ll show it off in the next few days.

Wishing all of you here a lovely day, I hope I can finally do my own nails today; everyone else has been taken care of, and now I’m not allowed to do anything

Christina, it must be such a joy to give your angels as gifts. Everyone can use an angel, and that’s a really lovely idea. When my mother was in a nursing home, I always gave the caregivers there homemade surprises, with a small bill hidden inside. They were always sooo happy about them. And it was a great joy for me, too.

As for the thimble, I don’t usually like that either. I can only knit with the yarn holder that’s open in the front. I don’t feel it on my finger at all, and it makes knitting so much easier. I wouldn’t have thought so. I usually knit relatively loosely, but strangely enough, I’m knitting this one pretty tightly. Now that I’ve finished my practice piece, though, I’m back to my normal style.

Last night I was so hooked that I’ve now finished half of the legs. Before going to bed, I kept having to knit “just one more row”—until my eyes closed. It’s already looking really great. I’ll post a photo today—let’s see how far I get.

Wishing you all a wonderful day, Monika

You quickly lose track here if you don’t check in for a few days. But now so many other things are waiting for me that I still want and need to do: after all, Christmas is just around the corner. At least I took the Christmas presents to the post office today.

We’ve been looking after our lively grandson Oskar for 3 days because daycare is closed and both parents have to work full-time from home on a tight schedule. He certainly keeps you on your toes, and you’re busy all day. But starting tomorrow we’re “off,” and then it’s my yarn’s turn again.

That’s why I really can’t go into your things in much detail today. In any case, there are so many beautiful things here to admire and enjoy. And your comments are all worth reading and entertaining too—but you need a bit of time and quiet for that.

I especially liked the cowl with the double-face motif by a-mano. It looks really good! And you can depict such delicate scenes visually. I’m very enthusiastic, and I also understand Monika’s ambition to master this technique just as well. With it, you can depict motifs beautifully and not just knit patterns.

But I’m also excited to see Andreas’ bath mat. You’ve already crocheted quite a lot of individual pieces.

*************

I had left off after the photo shoot with my doll capes. I hope I can get the pattern finished tomorrow or the day after. Yes Ruth, 3 new dolls have moved in with me. Because of the trademark discussion here in the forum too, I recently bought 3 no-name dolls at Kik. They all have exactly the same face and are otherwise not very movable.

I still had to make a few felted shoes for my grandson in size 21, because the ones I made before are still too big for him. So I quickly turned another 60 g of felting wool into a pair of felted slippers in the evening. Luckily I still had two appliqués.

I wish you all a lovely afternoon.

Best wishes, Ina

You’ve all been so productive again. You’re really making me curious about this double-faced knitting. I looked into it for crocheting too—knitting seems easier to me, but I’m a bit out of practice with knitting. I’ll stick with crocheting for now.
But I have to tell you, my bath mat project using leftover yarn is finally finished. At one point I almost gave up, but I bravely persevered. Some of the leftover yarn was really just barely enough for a few rows.
I’m going to add a non-slip
rubber mat to the back, which I’ll then sew on.
Here’s the finished piece.

Here are my crocheted pieces before they’re finished

Oh Andrea, your bath mat turned out really beautiful—those bright colors are sure to put you in a good mood first thing in the morning.

Yes, Ina, I’d almost started to miss your comments; I just love reading them so much. I can totally believe that—when the grandkids are around, things are different; otherwise, you’re stuck in your routine.

Have a lovely evening, everyone 

I think Sonja has inspired us all a bit with her wonderful double knitting patterns. I think in the new year I’ll dust off my knitting supplies and give it a try.

But first, I want to make the loop scarf from the amazing yarn that Ina introduced to us (if I actually get the yarn for Christmas—but I have a feeling it’ll work out ;-) After all, I’ve made my wish known loud and clear)

And then I’ve set myself a long-term project for the coming year: a temperature blanket. You never know what it’ll look like in the end, and since I love surprises, this is just the thing for me.

In the meantime, I’ve finished two new crochet projects: a candy jar with a penguin and a lucky pig. You may have already seen them in the “New Arrivals” section, since I also wrote up a pattern for them right away.
 

Okay, now I just need to wrap a few more gifts. I always do that little by little—that way, it’s not so stressful.

Wow, what beautiful things have been created here. I’m thrilled!

Ina , I can totally imagine that a two-year-old keeps you on your toes. On the other hand, it’s also a nice change of pace. The little ones grow up so fast, and then you love looking back on these moments. Knowing you, I’m sure you’re enjoying it in your own way, too. The new shoes look really great—just like all your creations. By the way, my friend received her package yesterday and is thrilled! After felting them again, they fit perfectly now—even with thick socks on.

Andrea , I’m also thrilled with your bath mat. That’s quite a labor of love—hats off to you! I really love colorful things like that. If we didn’t have so many bath mats, that would have been a great idea. But for now, I’ve got a lot of other things on my plate.

Ruth , you’re just tireless and always come up with such wonderful ideas. I like the penguin best. It’s a really nice idea to put it on a glass, and then have a child next to it, too. So cute! The little pig is perfect for New Year’s Eve.

Hey everyone, when it comes to double knitting , I’ve really gotten hooked. I’m about two-thirds done on the first piece with the flamingo and I just can’t stop. I spent many hours on it today and put a lot of other things aside. It’s so much fun to watch the picture come together row by row. And I can assure you, practice really does make perfect here. I’m getting the hang of it now, and it’s actually going pretty fast. Next, I think I’ll tackle a hat. It’s even easier when working in the round.

Here’s what the first flamingo piece looks like now:

 

@mowi19
I’m going to order a thimble like that (as soon as I order something from b... again—it’s already on my wish list) ...... that might make things easier; I’ve got a “mess” with all the different threads. Thanks for the tip

Doubleface has really grabbed my attention, but unfortunately I haven’t had much time for it lately..... I’m too tired in the evenings, and so much else is going on during the day. Winter is still soooo long.....

@Bastelfan
Your blanket looks wonderful.
Are you sewing it together or crocheting it together?

Thanks for liking my suitcase. I mean, the people who’ve already seen it—whether in a photo or in person—think it’s great, too.... Something has already been bought, which makes me happy.
The Christmas farm shop market opened today.... It was already open last week, but not officially yet.

Wow, Monika, that’s going to be beautiful! It looks very even!

Andrea your rug turned out great. I really like granny squares too, and your rug is a lovely idea.

@Bergli I wish you lots of success with your suitcase market and many interested customers. There are so many beautiful items in your suitcase; they’re sure to find buyers. The exhibition I go to every year was canceled here. I’m already sad; it was always so nice when the customers came, with all the conversations, the praise, the interest. I’m hoping for next year 

Monika your flamingos already look great. I don’t know if I could stop there. You can see so clearly how the picture is taking shape. And one more row, and another. Isn’t it a bit like torture when you’re only allowed to keep knitting the next day? 

Many years ago I once knitted socks—I’ll have to look for them, because I kept them—with lots of different colors and patterns. I also had something to keep the threads apart, but it was made of metal and you slipped it onto your index finger. I’ll have to look for both things over the weekend. 

I don’t have anything new to show. We’re back on reduced hours because of the lockdown, and that means a lot of work for me. I’m just exhausted, and I don’t manage more than a few rows. 

Yeah, Petra, it really is kind of like torture when I have to stop. I feel like I did as a kid when I couldn’t stop playing.

Of course, I’ll keep knitting tonight as soon as I’m done with other things. My fingers are already itching because I want to finally see the flamingos finished. 

Thank you all so much for the positive feedback. I always crochet these squares together—it’s more fun than sewing them together.
I’m already thinking about what to crochet next.

Monika, your flamingos already look great, and they’re so neatly knitted. I can’t wait to see the final result.
ruth, your penguin and the little pig look so cute, even with the baby—awesome!

Well then, I wish everyone a cozy evening. See you tomorrow

Bye-bye
Andrea

Good morning to all you hard workers

Moinka, I can already picture the flamingos :), it’s looking great already—I’m really looking forward to seeing your finished piece; I wouldn’t be able to stop working on it that easily either.

ruth, I always really like your ideas too—I love giving homemade jam as gifts, so I think I’d really like the penguin with the child as well; very cute. I actually spotted little Felix (the pig) in the news yesterday and had to smile—he looks so cheeky.

bergli, I’m so happy for you that something from your suitcase has already been purchased; it did look very appealing. Wishing you continued success!

 I hope you have a wonderful day

Wow, Andrea, the bathroom rug is amazing—it really lifts your spirits! All that hard work was worth it. And it’s great that you were able to use up some of the leftover yarn.

Ruth, your crocheted animals are adorable. The penguin with the baby... *swoon* :-)

Monika, you’re a real Doubleface pro now—the flamingos look absolutely perfect. And I still think the color combination is brilliant.

Bergli, I’m glad your suitcase is going over so well—it’s well-deserved! Where we’re from (the Zurich wine country), what you sometimes have with double-faced knitting is called “Gnusch” :-) 

Petra, it’s really unfair how the workload is distributed right now :-( Some people are at home on short-time work and would love to have a meaningful task, while others have to shoulder twice the workload. It’s a shame that the workplace isn’t more flexible and doesn’t reassign employees who are willing to help out elsewhere…

School’s out here as of today. We’ll see if that means “more” or “less” time for me to knit ;-) Right now I’m knitting a headband for myself—a quick little project to work on in between—before I get back to the gifts for others.

Hi everyone,

today I have more time for myself—and for you all. I have a lot to catch up on.

@Andrea
your bathroom rug turned out really great! It looks so fresh and cheerful. It really wakes you right up when you stumble into the bathroom early in the morning. So it’s a “wake-up rug.” You absolutely have to sew on that non-slip thingy; otherwise, it’ll slide all over the bathroom. Now that you’ve finished this big project, I’m curious to see what you’ll pick up next and want to try out.

@Ruth
The little guys on the candy jars look absolutely adorable. I’m always amazed at how detailed, lovingly, and delicately you design these things. It’s not just a penguin coming along—he’s bringing his little one along too and taking it protectively under his wing. I also love the big feet. This design really radiates warmth and care. It makes the candy in the jar taste even better. The lucky piggy looks funny, too. Equipped with a lucky mushroom and a horseshoe, it can only bring good luck.

Since you’ve been well-behaved and hardworking all year, Santa will definitely grant your yarn wish :-)

@Monika
You’re getting us all hooked on double knitting. And even I—who say I’ve tried it before and it wasn’t for me—am almost tempted to give it another shot in the new year. And it’s all because you’re showing us that, with practice and perseverance, this technique can be mastered—and that it’s really exciting and leads to great results. I totally believe you when you say it’s thrilling, row by row, to watch the motif gradually take shape. The flamingos’ necks get a little longer every day… until the head finally emerges, row by row. We’re all a little on the edge of our seats, wondering what the finished piece will look like.

********************
On my agenda today is finishing up my winter cape pattern. I’m a little behind schedule, but oh well. Besides, it’s almost Christmas, and there’s always so much else to do. So I’m going to get right back to work.

I wish you all a wonderful day and a lovely weekend. It’s time to light the fourth candle. Unfortunately, our homemade speculoos cookies are already all gone, so I guess I’ll have to bake some more...

Warm regards from Ina

Oh, I still wanted to ask Ruth what a temperature blanket is. Dear Ruth, what exactly is a temperature blanket?

A temperature blanket is a blanket where one row is crocheted (or knitted) each day.
   You assign colors to specific temperature ranges, check the temperature at a specific time each day (e.g., noon), and then work the row in the corresponding color. (You can also use the highest temperature of the day.) This results in a blanket with completely random colorful stripes. I’ve already seen a few examples of this online, and I found them very interesting. 

Ruth, that’s exactly what I wanted to ask today—it sounds really interesting to see what’s out there. When I have plenty of time again, I’ll have to Google it, but I’m sure you’ll show us your work. 

I did some research myself and looked up “temperature blankets” online. It’s pretty interesting.
Here in cold Norway, we’d probably only use “cool” colors because it never gets that hot. :-)
But I had an idea. You could put together a color scheme on a scale of 1–12 and use two dice. Every day, you roll the dice once, and whichever number comes up—that’s the color you’d crochet or knit. It’d definitely turn out really colorful.
It would make for a fun forum CAL for everyone. At the end, everyone shows off their finished blanket.
I imagine that would be a lot of fun.

Wow, what a great idea, a temperature blanket like that. In any case, the color choice is predetermined. I’m not sure if I’d go along with that. I think I’d rather decide for myself. But it’s still interesting. Andrea’s idea sounds exciting, too. But my dice would need a joker space where you could choose the color freely, so I could at least have a little say in the matter. So the 6 would be my joker, where I’d have free choice of color.

I just finished knitting a blanket where I could have tried that out very well. You might remember my box full of merino wool from Drops that I traded for. Now the blanket is finished and the yarn is all gone. I chose all the colors freely as I pleased—no dice rolling involved. It’s also a temperature blanket, because the merino wool helps it retain heat very well and keeps you warm :-) My grandson already tested it on a recent outing and found it nice and warm.

That temperature blanket thing is really interesting. I’ve never heard of it before either.

Ina, your blanket looks very pretty and cozy. I really like it, and as you can see, it can even be used in a stroller.

I’ve almost finished the flamingos now. Just a few more rows to go, which I’ll knit tonight. Now I’m ready for the next project—Sonja’s kiwi hat. I’m going to knit that for myself. I found four leftover skeins of merino yarn in the specified weight that I can use for it. It might end up being three-colored, though. The second set of flamingos will follow later. I need the hat first, after all.

Oh, and then I received some yarn as a gift: 8 skeins of alpaca in denim blue. I’m going to treat myself to another sweater with that and combine it with a leftover skein of colorful sock yarn. If I’d bought it, it would surely have been red or orange, but this way I’ll just make the best of it. The yarn is so cozy and soft—I’m already looking forward to knitting with it. It’s easier to work on this in the evening while watching a movie than the double-faced project. I’d rather do that one during the day now, because there were a few mistakes in that set where I had to unravel and reknit. I left two others in because they’re barely noticeable. It’s just handwork—these things can happen.

Tomorrow I’ll show you the finished result.


 
Monika, your flamingos are turning out great! I’ve barely had time to craft over the last two days because our younger daughter was here to bake. We made seven kinds of cookies, though the anise rolls still need to rest so they’ll develop nice little feet. That’s why my double-faced kittens still have to wait to be finished. And on top of that, a new resident (or rather, a female resident) moved in with us today: Nala is tiny and still very shy…

Sonja: The cowl looks really great. I took a look at your patterns. They’re all very special. But I can’t knit at all. 

Andrea: The rug is a great eye-catcher. 

Monika: The flamingos turned out really well.

Ina: The excavator shoes are cute. Could you please send me a PM with the link for the patches?

Ruth: The lucky pig turned out very cute again, but the penguins top it all... so lovable.

Schnuckelina: I like the blanket’s colorful combination. It’s nice that your grandson likes it.

Christina: What are Guetzli? Anise rolls sound interesting. Do you have the recipe for us?

My shimmering Amarula gnome is finished too. 🤣

Now I’m making a few more screws, nuts, and nails for Anton’s tool belt, which he’s getting from a friend of mine.

Of course, I meant “cross-eyed elf”… stupid autocorrect

Oh, how cuteeee, Christina. Your new roommate is really pretty. Does she have blue eyes? You’d better keep a close eye on your yarn now.

Sandra, your squinty little elf looks so funny. Just looking at it makes you feel dizzy...
Anton’s going to be a tool master, the way he’s already being equipped. ;-)

I’ve finished the flamingo shawl now; I just need to close up the edge at the top. Tomorrow I’ll start on the hat—that’ll be the next challenge, since there are a lot more stitches to pick up. 

Sandra: We call cookies “Guetzli.” And the anise rolls aren’t actually rolls—they’re also cookies made with eggs, powdered sugar, anise, and flour. I’ll take a picture once they’re done baking.

Monika: Yes, the kitten is really cute, but right now he misses his mom and siblings. I hope he’ll get over it soon.

Good morning, everyone!

Oh, we have a new addition—a little bundle of joy. Nala is here, and she’s absolutely adorable! Dear Christina, that little kitty is a real heart-warmer. You just want to love and pet her right away. I hope she gets used to you all quickly. Does Nala have any other animal companions in your household?

It’s early Saturday morning and I have a lot on my plate. Let’s see how much of our plans for the day we can actually get done. For now, everyone, enjoy your breakfast.

Warm regards, Ina

A little kitten—how wonderful! I wish you lots of joy with your new little housemate. Let’s see whether she loves your yarn as much as you do :-) (After Sonja’s stories above, there may well be a few surprises)

A lovely good morning to all of you,

oh, the little kitten is so cute, I would love her too, Wollbaerli....

Sandra, your cross-eyed gnome turned out really well again too

Monika, I admire your determination with double-face knitting, and so neat, a very beautiful result

Ina, I really like the blanket too, especially since the colors harmonize so wonderfully with each other. Oh, you’re really getting me hooked, even though until now my focus has more or less been on figures, but I like the idea you and Andrea had of rolling the dice for colors  :)

I surprised my mom just a little while ago. She was actually supposed to get the meerkat for her birthday back in October, but I was never really satisfied and kept tinkering with it. Yesterday evening I was finally able to finish it, and it has already had its photo session too


She was very happy; now she has a replacement for her clay figure.

Now I have another project that I’d like to work through; it’s going to be a floor vase for artificial flowers, and I want to try out my double-ended crochet hook for that.

Today I still have a few things to take care of, but I guess that’s the case for most people here. I wish you all a lovely day; enjoy the 4th Advent weekend.

Best wishes, Ines

Good morning, everyone, or good afternoon

Crafting is really wonderful—and when you can bring joy to others with it, it just makes you feel so much better.

Oh, little Nala the kitty is just so adorable. I love cats, and little ones even more. I hope she gets used to her new surroundings quickly.

I’ve finished another sample piece. This is the pattern by Streifgetier, the SnowWhite scarf. That’s 50 g crocheted so far. Unfortunately, I only have one skein left. My main goal was to test the pattern—I’d tried it before, but it didn’t work out so well. But now

Ina, I actually wanted to comment yesterday to say that I really like your blanket—I think the colors are so harmonious and beautiful!

About the temperature blanket: A few years ago, there was a woman here who knitted a weather scarf using the exact same pattern as the temperature blanket. There was one color for sun, one for rain, another for fog, and yet another for snow… The result was fantastic, and if I remember correctly, the chosen colors went together really well. The knitter eventually gave the key to the Swiss weatherman, who was very happy about it. 

I found this online. I’ll call him Fridolin. Done. He looks kind of funny, doesn’t he?

Well, I’ve finished my to-do list for today. I actually managed to upload two patterns I’d started a while back and had been letting sit around. I really wanted to get that done in December so I can start something new. I don’t really like having so many unfinished projects going at the same time.

@Sandra
The tipsy Amarula bottle gnome is sure to be a “life of the party” at any celebration. Sometimes the mood isn’t quite right, but when you lift the bottle gnome’s cap, the ice is immediately broken. You just have to laugh and even roll your eyes to imitate him. It’s amazing what a little facial expression can do.

Anton will surely love the tool belt and everything that comes with it. I can’t imagine this kind of detailed work being all that easy—it’s all tiny parts. Or has anyone here ever crocheted a nail? In any case, it’s a very special gift for little crafters.

I’ll send you the link to the patches for the felt figures right away. I could definitely see him thinking these are cool when the time comes. I think I also saw a little drill as a sticker in that shop.

@Ines
The meerkat for your mom looks great. I’d say the wait and the finishing touches were worth it. It’s great that you posted a large picture—that way, we can take a close look at everything. You used different shades of brown; the little tail has colored rings, and the hat, ears, and face—it all goes together wonderfully. The color of the hat also matches the collected nut—everything is done with such attention to detail, which makes it especially beautiful to look at.

@Andrea
Your swatch already looks great! Too bad it’s just a swatch—actually, it’s far too good to be just a swatch. It’s also a shame you only had one ball of yarn. The “Alpaca Silk” yarn seems like a good one; it would have been perfect for the scarf. But at least you’ve got the pattern down now. I’m guessing you can’t stop thinking about it now, and you’ll have to get the right amount of yarn for the scarf soon. It would probably look good with a gradually fading gradient yarn, too. That would make the waves in the pattern stand out even better. We’re still excited to see what you’ll conjure up with your crochet hook.

I wish everyone a wonderful 4th Sunday of Advent. I’m going to settle in right now in my sunroom with some coffee and marzipan stollen.

Warm regards, Ina

@Christina
while I was typing away, you were commenting at the same time. I'm glad you like the blanket. Yes, I like it when the colors harmonize with each other. There mustn't be any "wrong" color in a colorful blanket; that would bother me.

In the meantime, I also knitted the blanket one size smaller. I still had a few colors left over from the yarn package from the swap board that didn't match the first blanket. I have now knitted them into a "chalk colors version." Yesterday evening I just trimmed the fringe, so it's fresh off the needles. Here are two snapshots for you to look at.

But now the coffee and the stollen are calling me ...

The blanket looks really great, Ina. The subtle colors go together perfectly. Did you knit each row with a new color? I could also imagine this as a runner in the hallway or something similar.

Hope your Stollen tasted good :-)

so, all the work is done for now, and there are already a few lovely things to admire here again....

Ina, the blanket seems to be going smoothly if the second one is already finished, but I read your pattern description earlier, and if it’s all knitted in garter stitch, that must work really well while watching TV too. Do you tie an extra row for the fringe? It almost looks like it.
Yes, I like it when everything matches in color, nice that you like the meerkat; it has already found its place at my mom’s. My dad got his cook, and now she got the little animal


Andrea, the duck is wonderful; I’ve seen it on P...t before, such a real newspaper duck, lol. I really do like crocheting ducks. Did you make it, or are you just showing it here?
Your test piece is also very beautiful. Alpaca Silk sounds like wonderful yarn, but I’m going to reduce my stash first too and not buy anything new; I don’t have any free containers left.

Now the Bundesliga is on again, and I’m going to make myself comfortable on the couch with some handwork. First I’ll do some test crocheting; I have to try out my new crochet hook, after all. Wishing you all a cozy evening

Best wishes, Ines

My goodness, there’s so much going on here. I can’t even keep up anymore.

Ines, your meerkat turned out great. To me, though, it looks more like an anteater. Do meerkats have such a long snout? In any case, it’s very cute!
You did a great job on the chef, too. It’s sure to bring joy. Both are works of art with lots of pretty details. 

Andrea, your sample piece looks fantastic! But it’s pretty big for a sample. Are you going to rip it all out again?
And your Fridolin—with a cactus in a pot! So adorable! It’ll definitely be a joy to give as a gift… or to keep for yourself. Did he just jump right off your needle? 

Ina, I really like this blanket, too. I really like colors like these. So now you have two sizes and are wonderfully set. :-)

Christina, your little kitten will get used to you quickly and will soon come to get its cuddles. You’ve really treated yourselves to something special.


I’ve actually finished the flamingos now. Today I finished off the edge, and here’s the result.



And since it’s now too small for a set and too big to be a pot holder, my hand-crocheted teddy bear is happy to have a new blanket:



Maybe my granddaughters will like it as a blanket for their little doll carriage, too. 

Today I drafted my new sweater using the measurements and will start on it tonight. 
Tomorrow I’ll start on the kiwi hat. I need to do that during the day when my head’s clear.

For now, I wish you all a lovely evening and a cozy 4th Sunday of Advent.

Ines, your chef looks great, too.
Thanks for the feedback. I wanted to show you this newspaper duck here—it was from an English pattern.
As for my test piece, I don’t know what to do with it yet.

But I wanted to show you this as well. It actually came together by chance. It’s actually two UFOs: a little star and a gingerbread man’s head. With the hat on, arms, and legs adorned with beads, my little star man is complete—made with glittery yarn.

Wow, works of art are popping up here at lightning speed :-)

Christina, first of all, congratulations on your new roommate! Nala is a really, really cute kitten! Has she warmed up a bit yet? Is she already getting into mischief?

Ines, I think your meerkat and the chef are great. The colors on the meerkat are really well chosen. I’m sure your parents were thrilled!

Sandra, your gnomes are top-notch. Each one is cooler than the last. The packaging is actually worth more than the contents :-)

Ina, I think your chalk-colored blanket is beautiful. The fringe makes it look really professional. It’s amazing how perfectly even you got all the strands!

Andrea, Fridolin is just great. Those awesome details—especially the glasses that have slipped off his nose :-)

Monika, the pot holder that would rather have been a blanket now has a wonderful new purpose :-) It’s so cute how the teddy bear is cuddling with the flamingos! The knitting picture is really beautiful. We can get started on the kiwi soon!

I worked really hard on my headband yesterday while my husband was making paper-cut stars with our girls. Great division of labor, right? :-) Anyway, I managed to finish it. Now at least my ears are warm again!





I wish you all a wonderful 4th Sunday of Advent!

Hello there,

Are you all eagerly awaiting :-) … Christmas, of course. I just finished lovingly wrapping the last few gifts while listening to some lovely Christmas music. Oh, it’s always so nice—while wrapping, you imagine how the recipient’s eyes will widen and light up when they unwrap their gift.

In our family, we always stick photos on the presents, and the youngest child—who usually can’t read yet—gets to hand out the gifts. The presents sit under the Christmas tree all day, so you can take a peek at them in advance :-)

*************

Some lovely things are coming together here right alongside the Christmas preparations.

@Ines
Yes, the fringes have a second knot. One alone wasn’t enough for me. Since the pattern itself is simple, I wanted to make the edge a little more elaborate. Take a closer look here:



But the fringes aren’t tied on separately—they form naturally from the loose ends of the yarn. That’s why you don’t have to weave in any ends. Yes, you’re right—since the whole blanket is knitted entirely in knit stitches, it’s a wonderful “evening-on-the-couch” project.

The chef for your dad is great, too! It’s so lifelike and lovingly designed with the mustache. You can almost picture him in action, waiting with his wooden spoon for the signal to start cooking. Why did your dad ask for it? Does he like to cook, or is he a chef? And does the chef look like your dad?

@Sonja
You’re wondering why the fringes are cut so straight—I made a template for that. That way, I don’t have to measure anything, and every fringe ends up the same length.

Your headband looks really, really good. I zoomed in on the picture so I could see everything clearly. The stitches—even where the colors change—are knitted very finely and so evenly; it looks very professional! And the fact that the family is busy making Christmas decorations in the meantime is just perfect—that way, everyone’s occupied, and in the end, everyone has something beautiful to show for it.

@Monika
Wow, your flamingo doily is finished! You did a great job. Of course, you can still see a slight difference in the stitch pattern compared to a pro’s work. But we’ve all been rooting for you as you’ve familiarized yourself with this technique step by step. If everyone’s first project using a new technique turns out this great, we’ll all want to give it a try too. I’m really looking forward to seeing more projects like this. Maybe I’ll give it a shot myself in the new year.

In between, though, you always make other things that you’re used to finishing more quickly. With double-faced projects, you really have to concentrate more.

@Andrea
Your little star man is an enchanting little fellow. If I’d made him, he would’ve become a bag charm. Then you could always have fun playing with the beads while you’re out and about.
I’d probably embroider a face on him, too. I really like the design with the big head and the jointed body. It’s definitely a fun little toy. I could also imagine it as a gift tag on a Christmas present.

I wish all readers a wonderful 4th Advent evening. Make yourselves comfortable and cozy. A nice glass of cold white wine and a crackling fire in the fireplace are waiting for me now.

Warm regards, Ina

Wow, you’ve all been so productive! It’s amazing what you’ve all created in such a short time!

Ina, your second blanket turned out beautifully, too!

Monika: The grandkids were here today—we decided to celebrate Christmas only in separate, small get-togethers this year—and they could hardly tear themselves away from the kitten, which, contrary to expectations, didn’t hide under the sofa but thanked them for all the petting with a loud purr. 

Today I only got around to weaving in four ends on an embroidered angel, but tonight I’ll be knitting the kitten pot holder. I have to crochet the washcloth in daylight; in the evening I can barely see the stitches.

A lovely good evening to everyone,

So, where do I start...

Sonja , your headband is once again a real eye-catcher, beautifully done. 

Andrea , the little star is really pretty; I can also picture the little one on gifts or bags—especially on the latter I’d have something to play with when my impatience gets the better of me. 

Monika, how nice that your teddy got a cuddly blanket. I really do admire you for how easily it seems to come to you, and I don’t know whether I could manage it. As I already mentioned, I’m rather impatient; I do like trying something new, but if it doesn’t work right away, oh dear...

Well, my dad also said the meerkat’s nose was a little too long, and so he calls it Nosey.

Ina, ah, so that’s how it works with the fringe. I really could imagine making a blanket like that; I’d have enough yarn. I also think a second row of knots is very nice; maybe I would choose a macramé knot for it. I’ll take a look at my yarn to see which I could use and whether the colors match. I’ll give you a sign now and then, chuckle. 
The idea to make the cook for my dad came to me because he really loves standing at the stove most of all, and now, thanks to his retirement, he can indulge in that too. He’d always love to have the whole family around him so he can cook for them. There is a bit of a resemblance, as far as the beard and figure are concerned; I even tried to capture his mischievous look.

I could only do a little crafting today; I had a few things to do, so I only continued working on my floor vase for 1 hour.
I finished my test crocheting for an Easter project yesterday; it went well with the double-ended crochet hook.

Now I’m going to enjoy the evening a little more. Wishing all of you here a lovely 4th Advent evening.
Kind regards, Ines

Christina , your kitten is really adorable. We used to have a tomcat, but back then we had a garden. Now a kitten would have to stay inside my apartment, and I’d rather not do that.

Sandra, your gnome turned out so funny! It looks like he’s already had a little taste of the bottle’s contents. 

Ines, the chef is really great, and if he looks a bit like your dad, he was definitely a hit.

Monika , you did a really great job on the flamingo blanket. It’s unbelievable how quickly you picked up the technique!

Andrea, that little star man is so original! The things you can make out of UFOs!

Sonja, your headband is another standout piece. I’m itching to give it a try myself.

Ina , I think both of your blankets are beautiful! You have a great eye for color combinations—I really admire that.

I haven’t had time for crafts the last two days because I’ve been busy with Christmas preparations. For some reason, it’s taking me longer now than it used to. Maybe I’ll start decorating the tree tomorrow. 

It’s me again…

Andrea, I completely missed your little star man earlier. It turned out to be a really lovely serendipitous creation :-) How fiddly the work must be—crocheting a tiny little hat for such a tiny little man! And I really like the beads for the legs and the ends of the arms! I can totally picture this as a Christmas tree ornament, especially with the glittery yarn!

Ina, the tradition of putting photos on the gifts is great. That way you can peek ahead to see what you’ll get to unwrap later. Even we adults still enjoy doing that :-) And for the youngest child, it’s surely a lot of fun to hand out the gifts to everyone! Thanks for your enlarged photo of the fringe row—now you can really see the beautiful linked finish. I can’t quite picture the template part yet, though—how exactly do you do that?

Christina, it’s great that Nala is already so trusting! Some cats tend to be a bit more reserved around kids, but she seems to be turning into a real sweetheart :-)

Inspired by Monika’s ambition to learn something new, I actually wanted to knit my first real pair of socks after finishing the headband. But since I haven’t received the sock yarn I ordered yet, I decided on the spur of the moment to crochet a little elf. Thanks to the clear instructions, it was done in no time. I’m just not entirely happy with the face—I didn’t have the recommended materials on hand, and ordering them and waiting for them to arrive would have taken too long. So I improvised by embroidering it, but as you can see, that’s not really my strong suit. Monika’s pattern actually had plenty of tips on how to make it look nicer… But my girls will love him anyway, and I like him too :-) I’ll probably have to crochet a second one tomorrow, or else there’ll be a fight.



Good night, and have a great start to the week tomorrow!

Oh wow, there’s a lot going on here. I couldn’t get here during the day today; it was time for a nice get-together. But now I really have to take a quick look in here.

Andrea, your little star man turned out really well. Yes, the random projects are usually the best ones. I also think he should get a face, at least eyes. Then he’ll really start to come to life,

Ina, I’m interested in your knotting too. I admired that as well because it looks so accurate. It almost seems to be a kind of cabling. Thank you for your motivation about double-face knitting. That feels really good and spurs me on even more. Tomorrow you’ll already get to see the next project in progress.

Christina, your little kitty really has settled in after all. Since she is still a child too, children may have easier access to her. You’ll see, she will love you, and of course you will love her.

Sonja, I’m thrilled with your headband. You just whipped that up out of nowhere. It turned out very beautiful. If you could see me knitting DF, you would be amazed. By now it goes just as fast as normal knitting. More on that in a moment...
I think your gnome is very cute. You improvised wonderfully. One tip would also be to draw on the face with pens, at least partly.


Now about double-face knitting. 
Yesterday evening I had started my sweater, but today I was totally drawn back to DF. There’s some kind of magic behind it... really strange. So this evening I finally started Sonja’s kiwi hat. Since I’m knitting the hat from stash yarn, it will be light blue with dark blue—made of merino wool.

Oh, I was so amazed at how easy it is now—with the yarn! I found it much more difficult with cotton. On top of that, I’m now knitting in the round, and that makes everything simpler again too. What can I say, it actually works with the knitting thimble and the 2 colors just like normal knitting. My enthusiasm has grown even more. I’ve almost finished the border pattern with the leaves, and it looks really good. I already know the hat will be finished very soon. And after that I absolutely will knit another project with DF.

Yes, the beginning really did take some getting used to. But I have to say, practicing was truly worth it. The results are simply fantastic. I’m already getting a few ideas for Sonja too... 

The photo will come sometime on Monday. At least I want to finish knitting the border pattern and show it to you.

How do you handle yarn that doesn’t have a label?
I have some here with sequins.

My current project:

Since I see this separator (or whatever it’s called) on your post, Moni—would that also work if used on the right hand?
I actually have the thread on the right instead of the left.

Marlene, that looks really interesting. How did you do the lace pattern? It seems kind of complicated to me.

Yeah, this piece would definitely work on the right hand too, since you can put it on in any direction you want—it has two openings, after all. I don’t even feel it on my finger anymore. It was a great buy for just under 4 euros. You can find it on am......n. 

Then I’ll take a look on Amazon, Moni.

I’ll post a tutorial on the lace pattern.

Here’s the Kiwi hat I’ve started. It’s looking good so far.



And I’ve also started my sweater.



I’ll continue working on them tonight. Make yourselves comfortable.

Well, there’s quite a bit going on here, chuckle....Good morning.....

Yesterday I had some trouble and couldn’t even get to the computer, let alone do any crafting.....

Monika, I’m totally thrilled by your double-face knitting, it looks wonderful. Now I’ve already got Ina’s blanket in my head, and your reports about your success with double-face knitting are really contagious, while I still have a few crochet ideas in my head, haha.. oh, one would need a thousand hands and, above all, much more time. But you’ll surely keep us updated with more ideas, and Sonja certainly will too.....

I got this yarn yesterday, 300g, and I’m thinking about what I could make with it. Do you have any ideas?


I like it very much and it also feels nice,

wishing everyone here a lovely Tuesday

Hi everyone,
it’s amazing how quickly you’re finishing your projects.

Monika, I’m thrilled—that looks great. I really like the dark-and-light-blue color combination. I can’t wait to see the finished hat.
ines, your yarn has such a pretty color gradient, and it looks so cozy. I would definitely have crocheted a cozy scarf or a triangular shawl with it—I love those shades of purple.

So keep on crafting, everyone, and enjoy your coffee, stollen, or cookies.

Warm regards from me

Ines , I like that yarn too. My first thought would be to knit a vest from it. Or a cozy soft cowl with a hat.

Dear friends, you really spur on my ambition with the DF. That’s actually what I most enjoy knitting at the moment. The hat has grown again, and I’ll post a new photo tomorrow. Next, I’m thinking of knitting hats for my grandchildren in DF. Sonja has such lovely patterns for that. It’ll most likely be the sheep.

Now I just have a yarn problem because I don’t have any in exactly that weight left in my stash. I’m thinking about using thinner yarn (sock-yarn weight) and knitting a hat for the younger one first. I do have thicker yarn too, but then the hat would be too big. In any case, I now know which yarn I’ll stock up on next time I shop. But for now, I’m still reducing my yarn piles and would rather improvise.

Monika, your hat already looks great! Last night I also picked up the double-sided pot holder again and, first of all, unraveled everything I’d knitted the night before, because on one side (strangely enough, really only on one side) the edge had remained open in two places over several rows… So now my neighbor will just have to settle for half of her Christmas present for now! (I wouldn’t have finished it even without unraveling it, but there’s plenty of time for crafts over the holidays since most of the visits are canceled.)

Ines, that yarn looks really beautiful—I’d love it too! Those are my colors :-) Has it told you yet what it wants to become, or are you still thinking about it? If it’s very soft, I’d actually make something cozy to snuggle up in, like a shawl, scarf, or hooded cowl. Whatever you come up with, I hope you’ll show it to us!

Monika, I really like the shades of blue for the pattern—it’s turning out really well. I’m already curious to see how much the kiwi has grown today!

Thanks to Monika’s tip about painting, the second gnome ended up with a much prettier face—I obviously have a better knack for that than for embroidering. 

Christina, maybe it will comfort you to know that I made quite a lot of mistakes at the beginning when practicing DF. I had exactly that issue with the open edge too. I then just kept knitting my practice piece and did it better—until it worked.

Don’t give up! It’s really worth it, because it looks so great when it’s finished. And your dexterity keeps getting better. At first I felt like a beginner, so awkward—and now it just flows completely naturally.

You can do it just as well as I can, and as Sonja can. You’ll see.

Wow, Sonja, your second elf looks totally cute. I had no idea painting worked so well. I just figured that out myself. However… you can only wash it if the paints are wash-resistant. But an elf like that should actually stay clean.

With the hat, I’ll definitely get to the increase row tonight, and then I’ll keep going. 
After that, though, I’ll have used up the dark blue yarn, so I’ll switch to dark red. They’re all leftover skeins, and I’m making the best of them.

I have one more idea for you next. I’d like to knit some arm warmers. The pattern can definitely be playful. Since I’m a Pisces, maybe that would be a good idea?

Monika, the zodiac sign arm warmers are available here on Crazypatterns: by Strickfee 1211

Monika, the Doubleface wrist warmers are already available for all zodiac signs—and, as far as I know, socks too. I’d rather work on something else. There’s never enough time for all those ideas anyway :-) Wow, that hat is going to be really colorful. Just my style.

Christina, what went wrong with that side—were you able to figure it out afterward? That’s annoying. But I’m actually glad that things like this still happen to you, even as a longtime Doubleface pro—it’s incredibly reassuring ;-)

In the meantime, I’ve started on the hat for my godchild. With the yarn our cat loves so much. Which means I’ll be taking yarn to the bathroom with me again whenever she’s around :-) :-) :-)

Good morning, everyone here,

Oh Sonja , I’m picturing it in my head, lol, taking yarn to the bathroom....but that’s just how it is when cats have “fallen in love” with yarn—I hope it doesn’t turn into a mess.

Monika, I don’t think it’ll turn into a vest, since your poncho is still on my own to-do list—my mom has already finished hers, and I’ll post a picture of mine later. I’ll probably make a set consisting of a loop scarf and a headband; hats aren’t really my thing. I have one for really cold weather, and that’s enough for me—plus, the yarn on my head keeps me warm, haha.....But I’d like to put that off for a bit too and finish the two projects I’ve started—my vase and Ina’s blanket. I’ve already gathered the yarn and want to start on them tonight; it’s a nice project to work on while watching TV. The sweater you’ve started looks good color-wise—will it stay in those blue-green tones?

I haven’t done anything at all the last two days—we had two birthdays—and now I’m almost experiencing withdrawal symptoms, haha.

I wish you all a wonderful day; warm regards from me

Wow, look at all the things you’ve been working on :o)

I combined DF and lace—though socks are the ultimate challenge.
Will I make any more?
Maybe, if I get the urge someday.

 

Here is the new thread
December Projects Part 3: the Crazypatterns craft group (No advertising)