March Projects 2021, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group

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March Projects 2021, Part 3: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group (No Advertising)



Dear users, dear authors,
here is Part 2 of the March projects.
You can read the earlier posts at the link:
March Projects 2021: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group

Anja, I’m amazed myself—I’ve never knitted this fast before, but the yarn is just wonderful to work with, and maybe I’ll still be able to wear it in the spring. I don’t have any other projects on the needles right now, though,

even though my head is bursting with ideas. But I’ll probably tackle a few small things for the Easter bouquet or something like that, so I can keep it going a little longer into the spring—we’ll see. For now, the jacket takes priority.

Marion and Ruth, your Easter decorations look lovely, just like everything else you make.

Sandra, that orchid looks amazing. I’m amazed at how beautifully flowers can be crocheted.

Ines, your jacket has really come a long way—wow! How do you manage to do that in just one weekend? Is the yarn that thick? It definitely looks really good already.

Yeah, Anja, taking a “neck-rest day” is a great tip—I should do that sometime, too. Eventually, you’ll feel like working on your RVO project again. If it’s not going smoothly right now, it surely will another time.
That automatic text feature is pretty funny—you never know what it’ll come up with.

I finished another nest yesterday. Everything else is currently doing a few spins in the washing machine. I’m curious to see how it turns out.

This is nest number 5—the 6th is on the needle. The edge is twice as high—it’s folded over here.

I just took the Kobel out of the washing machine and I’m absolutely thrilled with how it turned out after a 60-degree wash.

This is what it looked like before the wash.



And this is what it looks like now—exactly as I’d hoped:



The bottom and the hangers are crocheted, and the rest is knitted. The diameter has shrunk from 28 to 22 cm, so it’s the perfect size. The round shape turned out perfectly, too.

Monika, that turned out great—I’m so happy for you that your work wasn’t in vain.

You’re always so quick at knitting, and to be honest, I really enjoy test knitting—plus, this wonderful yarn is so easy to work with that the project practically knits itself. The yarn itself has a length of 240 meters per 150 grams, so it’s not excessively thick. I’m going to tackle the cuff right after this, which means I still have to knit another 5 cm in total length first.
However, today I had to work on my neck muscles a bit first. Unfortunately, I don’t have a wall at home like at the gym where you can specifically massage the trigger points, so I used a spiky ball and rolled it up and down along the wall in my neck area—that helps a little.

Monika, that’s great that your drey turned out exactly the way you wanted it to after washing.
It definitely turned out very nice.

The nests all look lovely, too.

Anja, autocorrect sometimes comes up with the craziest things; heaven help you if you don’t proofread the finished text: “Mützchen” turns into “Mätzchen,” or a “stitch marker” mutates into “Heranmarschieren.” 

Ines, you’ve been super productive, the jacket looks great.

Monika, you must have been jumping for joy when your nest came out of the washing machine so perfectly! I’ve never heard of that kind of wildlife rescue effort here…

Sandra, you’ve been busy again too, and your orchid really does look “real.”

The trousers I’m test-knitting for Petra are finished apart from weaving in the ends (which I unfortunately do tend to put off!). Now I can cast on Sonja’s teddy-bear shawl, as the right needles arrived today.
In between, I’m experimenting with a bookmark for a colleague (of course the computer first turned it into “pöble”!) The recommended yarn is too thick for me, so now I’m trying fine crochet thread. And then I finally want to crochet some Easter chicks!

My goodness, what a hard-working group we have here. Everyone’s as busy as little bees. :)

Thanks for your feedback, Ines and Marion.

Yes, Christina, I was really jumping for joy. It turned out exactly as I’d hoped. I’m going to send it to the Päppler group for testing now, and then a few crafters (like myself) will get the pattern to test. After that, it can be added to the group.

I designed this new type of squirrel nest because I couldn’t find any pattern that I really liked. The base is actually easier to crochet in rounds, and it’s easier on my joints when I can work upward—it’s faster, too. The felting caused the base to curve upward slightly, giving the nest a really nice, rounded shape. Plus, it’s nice and stable at the bottom. Simply perfect.

I left a hole at the top because squirrels like to have multiple entrances. It’s then hung up by the two handles.

As soon as I get the go-ahead from the test crafters and the group, I’ll post the pattern here for free. Keep your fingers crossed that everything works out.

Compliments, Monika, the squirrel drey looks fantastic! Even the squirrels couldn’t have made it any prettier. If I were a squirrel, I’d make myself right at home in there. It’s sure to be accepted.

Monika, the way the drey is made sounds good, and I can definitely imagine that your pattern would be easy to follow.

Ruth and Ines, thank you for your feedback.
I still need to tweak the pattern a bit, though. For the second one, I’ll make a few changes after consulting with the group. Then it’ll be truly perfect.

What I’m already really happy about is the technique. Because everything else I found in terms of patterns was pretty complicated. For the next Kobel, though, I’ll close the top, knit it a bit bigger, and also change the hanging loop. I’ve now received some good information on that, which I’ll put into practice. As you know, this was just a test run.

I’ve now received a great offer for the Kobel on my swap platform. A swap partner sent me 600 g of brown felting wool, plus about 100 g of thick leftover yarn. I can now knit 2 Kobel from that. I might make a swing for the little squirrels from the leftover yarn.

The cable is awesome!!! Oer KOBEL... !!!
(Buy squirrel cables now. They’ll recharge your squirrel in no time!)

AND: Get the latest pattern for Babymätzchen now! ;-)

I once sent a message to a friend: “I’m really in the mood for a delicious Italian right now.”
  My friend briefly doubted my marital fidelity. But I just wanted to buy a kebab!

Last night, I did feel like casting on the RVO again. It’s supposed to be something you’ll actually wear afterward, right?

Darn, I can’t upload any photos here... it keeps saying the file is too big. It only works if I upload collages. 

@ Anja, almost every photo-editing program has an option to reduce the size of the files.

Anja, I always have to resize the photos too; that makes uploading them much easier.
Yeah, those pesky typos—who doesn’t know them...

Monika, the swap group sounds great—I’ve read about it here a lot already. How does it work? 

Ines, I’ll send you a PM, okay.

Anja, that’s really funny—those word mix-ups. :-)
Thanks also for your cable… uh, Kobel feedback.

Good evening,

Wow, there’s a lot going on here again. You’re all so busy.
I’m also busy crafting/crocheting and reading along in the background. I can’t—or rather, don’t want to—upload pictures yet; I’ll wait until the projects are finished. That’ll take a little while.
In the meantime, I’ve crocheted some little hearts (picture to come).

About uploading pictures. If you have pictures saved in your folder, they’re usually too large for the forum. I click on the picture in the folder, then on “Edit” — a window opens — and in the “Pixels” column, I enter the number “350.” That’s exactly the right size. Click “OK” and “Save,” then you can upload it here. It has to be under 200 KB.

Monika, I’ve also read about your swap group here many times, and I’d love to have more information — or does it only work in Germany? Who would want to pay a lot to send something to Norway, or vice versa? It’s not worth it.
I remember “Tauschticket” from when I still lived in Germany. That was great. Does that even still exist?

Kind regards

Tauschticket has been gone for a long time now.
I liked it too.
I’m currently using up a few different yarns for a sweater:

CreatOwl: I’m curious to see what the sweater will look like. I’ve been itching to crochet an RVO for a long time, but so many other, more urgent things always get in the way—plus, I actually have enough to wear, especially now that we can’t really go out anyway!

Wollbaerli—not an RVO this time, but still knitted from the top down and seamless.

CreatOwl: Sounds exciting! Maybe I’ll give it a try after all—my yarn balls are waiting!

Dear all,

I downloaded an image resizing app, so the pictures should work out fine from now on. Thanks for the tip!
♡
I was just enjoying some knitting, and the sun was shining warmly on my back from behind—wow, I could see the wool fibers dancing in the air as I knitted. Quite a bit of activity in the air! I have allergies—my nose is usually stuffy and I’m sneezing a lot. Hopefully I’m not allergic to wool! That would be cruel.
I went to the ENT today for a blood test. Let’s see what the results are.
Keep your fingers crossed for me—I wouldn’t know how to live without my hobby. 

Dear Andrea, yes, it still exists and it’s going really well. It’s a shame that you live in Norway; it’s only available in Germany. Maybe there’s something similar where you are?

Have a lovely day, everyone. I’m going to carry on working on a pattern now, and alongside the Kobel, I’ve now started on a pair of trousers for Sternchen.

Hi everyone,

I’m taking a break from knitting right now—that is, I only worked on my jacket for a little while today; I’ll continue this evening.

Monika, thanks for the tip (link)—I stopped by to check it out today, but got interrupted. I’ll sign up and definitely offer something; I don’t just have yarn to trade—maybe someone needs something.

Anja, oh no—allergies! I’ve been dealing with hazel and the like too; that’s how it started for me as well—stuffy nose, sneezing. Maybe you’ll get lucky and it’s not an allergy.

It snowed here this morning and it’s gotten really cold, so I’m going to light our fireplace now. I love that warmth—it’s different from central heating.

Have a wonderful rest of your Wednesday!

Moni set me straight—I had confused this with another swap site.

My autocorrect blooper of the day (message from my mom to me): “…she got someone on the stripper today.” It was about the vaccination hotline. It’s nice that there’s something to laugh about in this context, too.

Anja, I had to laugh so hard at your rechargeable squirrels! Hopefully your sneezing turns out to be nothing serious! A wool allergy—I can’t even imagine... :-(

Marlene, I’m curious to see how your sweater keeps growing!

Ines, that’s great that you get to test-knit for Ina! That jacket is really great, too—the yarn, the cut. It’s going to be awesome!

I keep seeing travel reports and stops from a travel app pop up on my phone right now, since we traveled around New Zealand two years ago. Out of sheer longing, I’ve started knitting pot holders with New Zealand motifs. The first one has a kiwi family, and the second one will have a fern leaf. It brings back such lovely memories :-)

Hopefully, we’ll be able to do all that in real life again soon.

Oh Sonja, when it comes to traveling, I couldn't agree with you more; I do love going far away. I haven't been to New Zealand yet, but I like Latin America, and Cuba is still on our list too. Asia is something else we'd still like to do as well—well, it'll be possible again someday. This year it's supposed to be Lake Constance, and we'd like to visit my friend in Rohrschach, St. Gallen. We haven't seen each other in over a year now, so we simply have to find a day for that, although the holiday itself will be on the German side.
Your pot holder is very beautiful again; I'm looking forward to more motifs.
So now my needles are really clicking away! 

Hahaha! A stripper at the vaccination hotline—I’m cracking up. Wonderful!

The pot holders are so cute.♡

We humans really are all so different. I love being at home best. Traveling is pure horror for me.

How about if we had a section here for swapping things? I have so much yarn that I’ll probably never use, and maybe someone else would like to trade for it?
Or thin knitting needles that I don’t use. It’s all just lying around taking up space.
If that’s not possible here for legal reasons, we could think of something else... ???

I’m not on Facebook, so that’s out of the question. :)

Sonja , your kiwi pot holders are once again to die for (unfortunately, I’ve already given away DF pot holders to all sorts of people—even multiple times—but I haven’t gotten any for myself yet, and now I’m spoiled for choice!)

Ines : Yes, I’d love to travel to South America (Chile) again—we lived there for several years and still have dear friends there. But for me, of course, the U.S. is the priority right now, with my little grandchildren. If you go to Rorschach, say hi to the town for me! I haven’t been there in over a year either: We always visit my in-laws’ gravesite between Christmas and New Year’s, but this year the trip was canceled, for reasons we all know. We’ll probably skip any trips abroad this year, but we’ve rented a vacation home in the Grisons region for the end of August and are really looking forward to a few days of hiking.

Sonja: the kiwi potholders look great. 

Anja: I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you that it isn't an allergy. I actually have a wool allergy, so I only work with cotton or synthetic fibers 😬

My last chickens are finished. Just before I give them away, when they’re all filled with eggs, there will be a family photo 

Sandra, your kiwis are very cute .... I know them from somewhere, don’t I? ;-)

I also enjoy traveling in our old RV, especially to visit friends and the children. I haven’t seen the little one in almost a year and completely missed her entire second year of life.

I also like being at home, especially in winter. But in spring, I’m drawn out into nature. Luckily, we have country paths and the forest just 100 meters away.

Anja, that’s a great idea about swapping. I sent you a private message. I can’t imagine it being that easy here. But who knows...
As for allergies, I had them as a child and then until I was an adult. Nothing helped; on top of eczema, I also had severe hay fever. Then, luckily, I found a homeopathic doctor who gave me the right remedy. And then it was all over - to this day. That was over 30 years ago.

Sandra, your chickens are adorable again. I’m already looking forward to the family photo. I can just imagine how lovely they’ll look spread around the apartment over Easter.

Sandra, your family portrait is sure to be really fun. The chickens all turned out so beautifully colorful.

Sonja, your pot holders are lovely once again. You always create such beautiful patterns with doubleface...

I feel the same way. I’ve already crocheted quite a few pot holders and, unfortunately, given almost all of them away. I’m still using some really old ones myself. Maybe I should give doubleface a try after all.  I still haven’t tried it yet.

Yes, Sonja, your kiwi potholders really make me feel wanderlust... I really like the black-and-white contrast.

Sandra, how many chickens did you end up with? I’m also really excited to see the group photo. I’m sure there’ll be a bit of melancholy when some of them leave the house!

I’ve now crocheted a cover for a jam jar and decorated it with my Easter appliqués. It’ll be covered with chocolate eggs and given to the nice neighbor who sometimes does my shopping for me when it’s too icy outside for me.

Sandra I’m also excited to see the chicken family; I’m sure quite a number of them came together. I can just picture how colorful they’ll look as decor.

Christina, Chile is surely very beautiful, but I’m not thinking that far ahead yet. I’m already happy at the thought of maybe being able to take a vacation in Germany.... To be more precise, my friend lives in Rorschach Berg, but I’ll say hi for you, haha

Marion, I only have older-style pot holders too; my grandma crocheted them a long time ago. Whenever I make some, I give them away. I’ll make a few for myself soon, but who knows when......

Ruth the appliqués look really nice on the glass now; your neighbor is surely happy about the little gift. Because of this whole pandemic, there’s definitely a bit more neighborly help going around again—at least that’s what I’ve noticed.

Monika, it’s really a shame that you can’t see your grandchild very often; time flies by so quickly and you miss out on so much. I’m sure the bond between grandparents and grandchildren suffers somewhere along the line.....I can’t speak from personal experience yet, but I sometimes notice a sense of sadness about it in my friend.

What nonsense have I written again? Of course, the jar is filled with chocolate eggs and not covered with them 😆

...uh... glass

@ruthk I was starting to doubt myself because I didn’t quite understand it. But now everything is clear. A very nice thank you. The appliqués are very pretty. 

I think this image resizing app is handy too, Anja.

A vacation far away... it’s been ages for me.

The sweater’s coming along almost on its own;

Oh Ruth, your decoration on the jam jar looks absolutely charming. It really makes me want to crochet some jars—what a great idea! I’m sure everyone would love a gift like that.

Oh yes, Ines, a year with a grandchild—especially the second one—is something you can’t make up for. She doesn’t really know me yet. With Linja, I also noticed that it took her some time to really reconnect with us. She was here with her dad for two days right after Christmas. Our first trip this year will be to Ravensburg to see the kids. It’s also sad that Linja can’t really celebrate her 5th birthday with her friends for the second time in a row. She can’t make up for that either.

Marlene, your sweater already looks great! I’d love that color combination, too. It really makes me want something colorful...

It’s bitterly cold here. The heating broke down last night, and we’ve been sitting in the apartment with a small space heater ever since. Today we’ll find out if the broken part can even be delivered that quickly. That would mean we’d be living in a freezer during the coldest weekend, with temperatures as low as minus 7 degrees. I’m still holding out hope that it’ll work out. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Right now, I’m really realizing how precious it is to live in a warm apartment. That’s pure luxury.

I wish you all a warm and cozy weekend!

Oh Monika, I’m really keeping my fingers crossed that you’ll be warm again soon. I’m very glad myself that we have a fireplace in our living-dining area, even though the mess it causes bothers me.....

This morning I thought, “Oh no, something terrible’s happening to me—the coffee machine’s broken, and I’m without coffee.” Luckily, my parents are home… So I bought a new machine via Click & Meet—great! Should we pick it up, or maybe not? I was able to cancel the order because my coffee machine suddenly decided to start working again…Now it’s been descaled and cleaned—well, let’s see if it was just a user error at 5:00 a.m. or if it really was broken. Anyway, I’m going to treat myself to another little cup of something hot and stay optimistic......

Marlene, I’m curious to see what the final product will look like—so far, it’s a beautiful combination of colors, but we all need that these days, don’t we?

Ruth, yeah, the typos—sometimes I think, “If only I’d proofread it one more time.” It’s just that you fly over the keys and—boom—it’s sent... But basically, we all know that, don’t we? I had a picture in my head of eggs glued together, but I knew it was going to be filled—anyway, it’s very pretty... I really like that with homemade jam; now they’d have to be ones with ginger and lemon......

Ladies,

Ugh, this cold without heat—what a nightmare! It’s freezing out there. I just went to the door to pick up some packages—brrrrr. Poor delivery person—he’s even driving around with the side door open to deliver the packages.

Yesterday, a friend sent me a photo of crocheted baskets made from T-shirt yarn. Very pretty. I got started right away—I still had a skein of that yarn lying around. Watched two videos on how to do it (knit stitch) and got going. Yeah. Okay. It’s all a mess.

The way they’d crocheted it, it started to curl. I redid it twice, starting from the beginning—my hands were already hurting because it’s way more tiring to always crochet into the center of the stitches. Then I added stitches using my old method (double on the 1st round, every 2nd stitch on the 2nd round, etc.—you know the drill), and it still curled. *sob* I’ve now put it away in sheer frustration. And my finger joints still hurt SO BAD today—I had no idea you could get sore muscles in your hands.

And when you Google it (“circular base is curling”), you get great tips like “crochet hook too small or too big.” Uh, yeah. That doesn’t really help.
In any case, I totally admire that woman who photographed a zillion baskets. How did she do that without her hands falling off???

And I’ve started my RVO cardigan again with a thinner yarn (NS 4). YOU guys, who all knit with such thin—and even thinner—needles—I admire YOU too!!! It looks nice, but it’s never going to be done, guys! I admire your patience and your diligence. Seriously!

Ines, good luck with the coffee machine. Ours was also away for a week recently for repairs because the grinder was broken. We made do with a pod machine in the meantime. We were glad when it was back. :-)

I was just thinking how nice it would be if we could have a craft session together via a streaming service. Like virtual knitting and crocheting while chatting... Would that be a good idea? Or would you rather stay anonymous?
Always just having those boring online staff meetings isn’t much fun either.

@Anja, I’m not very good at that. At work, if I ever have to talk to several people via video, thankfully I have a nice coworker who helps me out. But I’d definitely be interested—it would surely be fun.

I’ve already crocheted seat cushions and placemats from old fabric. I usually just do a few stitches until my hands start to hurt, and then I set it aside again.

Unfortunately, our old coffee machine also gave out at the end of last year. We’re not really happy with the replacement, but I hope we’ll grow to like it over time. @Ines, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your machine holds out a little longer. 

@Moni – Fingers crossed about the heating.

I came up with the idea of using different yarns because I wanted to crochet a sweater but didn’t have enough of any single skein.

@Ines – I’m in for the ginger-lemon jam.

Yes, the colorful mix is really fun to work with.

Sandra, how nice that you’re going to take another family photo of the chicks before they fly the nest. It’s sure to be a great picture. One is really prettier than the next—I couldn’t possibly choose...

Ruth, that crocheted jam jar is such a great gift. Whether it’s covered with chocolate or not *laughs* You could always just lick it off if necessary ;-)

Monika, that’s really mean that the heating has broken down at just this moment :-( Hopefully you’ll get it sorted out by the weekend! I’m keeping my fingers crossed, anyway. Yes, you know the kiwi motif :-) Hat season will (hopefully) be over soon, so I had to use the New Zealand motifs in a way that would let us enjoy them every day. The idea of pot holders was an obvious choice. They’re both finished now, and I’m so incredibly happy with them!

Ines, life is pretty miserable without a coffee machine too. Is it working again? At 5 a.m., I wouldn’t be capable of pressing the right button either. I can’t even get my eyes open yet ;-)

Anja, I generally think the idea of an online meetup is really funny. That would be something :-) However, I’d have to give up either chatting or knitting—I can’t do both at the same time, since I usually have to count stitches for the pattern. 

Maybe we can manage a get-together at Lake Constance this summer too. If by then we’re allowed to enter from Switzerland for a holiday without quarantine, we’re planning a week of camping in Hagnau. If by chance it works out and the timing suits Monika and Ines, there would already be three of us :-) Who else would like to join?

Here are my two pot holders together. Ah, dreamy....

@sonja, your pot holders are beautiful. I think the birds are enchanting. Anyone who’s been to that country will be thrilled. 

Hi ladies,
there’s a lot going on here again. I wish you all a wonderful weekend anyway.

Monika, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your heating too—yes, it’s rough being without heat. We didn’t have a heating outage, but when it was so freezing cold here, you really notice it, and you’re shivering the whole time. So just snuggle up nice and cozy in a blanket with some hot tea and yarn. It’ll be fine.

Sonja, I always love your DF motifs. I like it when the contrasting colors are really different, like with your potholders—that makes the motif stand out better and looks great. I envy you all for this knitting artistry. I’m not quite there yet. I’d love to snag that DF iPad case right away—I think it’s fantastic.
And Monika, as your test knitter, is even giving you a run for your money.

Stay healthy, everyone—crafting distracts us and hopefully helps us relax. And take breaks often, for the sake of your wrists :-)

Warm regards

Yeah, Ines, that’s the thing about technical devices. I was quietly hoping our heating system would change its mind. But it’s being finicky - and it’s a mystery even to the repairmen. Well, at least your coffee maker is working properly again.

Anja, crocheting with old fabrics? That’s new to me, and I imagine it’s really difficult. Yeah, sore fingers - I get that a lot, too. Especially now when I’m knitting with that thick felting yarn. I need to take a break every now and then. And now with cold fingers..... well, you know. I’m honestly glad I have the DF wrist warmers; they’re a huge help right now.

Yeah, a meeting like that, live and in color, would be really great. Let’s see what might be possible. We’ll just have to wait and see. I can’t really picture it online. I wouldn’t get any knitting done at all because I’d be looking at the screen the whole time. For me, watching films is at least half like listening to an audio drama. ;-)

Sonja, your pot holders really look great. It was a good idea to use that design for them.

By the way, I talked to my friend on the phone today. She was really pleased with the cover for her e-reader. It fits in it perfectly. She likes the colors too. That made me happy in turn. :)

Our heating technicians are at their wits’ end. Even with three of them, they still haven’t found the problem. The burner just won’t ignite, and it’s a mystery to everyone - despite having replaced a few parts.

Well, that’s how it is with electronics. The more computers there are in devices like these, the harder they are to repair. Tomorrow a fourth technician will step in and try his luck. So we have no idea how long we’ll have to live in a refrigerator. Temperatures are dropping to minus 6 degrees on Sunday. Our little mini heater will already have a hard time, because the walls are getting colder and colder too.

Have a lovely warm weekend, everyone!

My sweater is taking shape:

Marlene: The sweater already looks really chic.

I’ve stuck with birds. I ended up making two wedding doves. 😊 I’ll make the cake decoration once I know what color it will be; then I’ll also decide whether the bride will have a veil. But that’ll take a while. The wedding probably won’t take place until next year.

Marlene, your sweater looks aaaawesome with that color combination. I really like the shape, too.

Oh Sandra, those little birds are so cute, and the cake already looks promising. What a beautiful gift. A really great idea. You should show us your flock of chickens sometime. I think I’d have a hard time giving any of them away.

Imagine this… when we just got home from our afternoon visit, the heat was back on! We’re sooo happy about it. Since everything had already cooled down quite a bit, it’s taking a little while now. But I’m looking forward to knitting tonight. Yesterday, wearing wrist warmers, I wasn’t really in the mood for it. Now we can face the next few frosty days with peace of mind.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Warm regards from Monika

Monika, that’s great news.

Marlene, your sweater looks great. I’m really curious.

Sandra, your cake is such a great idea for the wedding. You can crochet lots of little details and really let your creativity run wild. Awesome

Marlene, your sweater is definitely going to turn out beautiful—at least from what I’ve seen so far, I really like it.

Sandra, that’s a great idea with the cake. Our daughter is getting married in June—unfortunately not quite as planned. The big party will be next year, with a renewal of vows and all that; that seems to be the latest trend, I guess—I’m not sure—but I could definitely see a cake like that there, too.

  Oh, Monika, I’ve been thinking of you, especially since it’s been pretty frosty. Well, enjoy the warmth again—and knitting will be fun once more.

  I’m still hard at work on my cardigan, but I needed a break from it for a bit, so today I made some delicious ginger-lemon jam. Oh, it turned out so good! The jars are still upside down—I’ll post a picture in the next few days.

Have a relaxing evening, everyone. 

@Petra and Ines, thanks :)

@Sandra, your cake won’t go bad—I’m looking forward to seeing the decorations 

Monika that sounds like magic! Glad you’re warm again. You completely forget what a luxury warmth is!

Sandra are you going to finish up the pattern for the cake?

Marlene I really like the sweater, too. I’m curious to see the other colors and what it’ll look like when worn.

I just discovered a pattern that I’d really love to try—on a whim—and I have everything I need for it. But I looked at a customer’s photo of the finished project, and now I’m put off. The photos are worlds apart.

Oh man, and if I start something else in between, I’ll never finish anything. It’s too bad I can’t stick with my projects. Unfortunately, after a while, I just lose interest. It’s annoying. :-(

Thank you, everyone, for the lovely feedback on the kiwi pot holders. Every time I see them or need them, they bring me joy :-)

Monika, I’m so glad your heating is working again! I actually can’t really picture knitting while wearing wrist warmers either… Good thing you can manage without them now ;-)

Sandra, the cake is sure to turn out great—that’s a fantastic idea! I’m really looking forward to seeing the result. But obviously, you can still take your time. I can well imagine that a few more weddings will be postponed this year, unfortunately.

Anja, what was it you wanted to do?

I’d like to show you what I’m working on right now—and I’m hoping for your feedback. A while back, I was asked if the Doubleface motifs could be crocheted. I had to say no, since the stitch size is different when knitting than when crocheting, meaning the pattern chart wouldn’t work. But (of course) I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so over the last few days I’ve been experimenting to see if it would be possible by adjusting the pattern—and to see how it looks. Here’s the current progress (front and back):





Unfortunately, the crocheted version doesn’t turn out as cozy and soft as the double-faced knitted version, but that’s just how it is. Also, the motif isn’t as delicate and defined, since the stitches aren’t as precisely defined as when knitting. What do you think?

Sonja wow, those little bears are great! The motifs stand out more clearly when they’re knitted.

A bag. I decided to make it after all, and lo and behold, mine also looks like the promotional photos. Once I’m done, I’ll post my project with the designers. And give it a good review. 

Anja, your bag already looks promising. It’s sure to be great when it’s finished. Keep at it!

Sonja, I’m surprised at how lovely the motif looks crocheted. Knitted, though, it is much finer and prettier. But it is definitely an option. I do imagine it’s easier to knit with 2 colors when doing DF.

By the way, my son also finally got married shortly before Christmas 2020, though the celebration isn’t planned until next year. Somehow it’s a strange feeling—so unreal.

Today I’m enjoying the warm apartment; the day somehow went by very quickly. Have a lovely start to the week, everyone.

Sonja, the experiment with the crocheted DF motif is interesting, but the result never quite measures up to the knitted version—for me, it’s too blurry, not defined enough.
I’m currently working on DF arm warmers (Aries zodiac sign for my sister, who celebrates her birthday on April 1—no joke!), so unfortunately, the little bear comfort blanket has to be put on hold. At the same time, I’m also knitting a sample teddy bear sweater for Monika, which I had to unravel again because it didn’t quite fit right. Teddy bears are tricky to knit because they have such odd proportions. But now it seems to be coming along nicely—picture to follow. 

Hi, I’m Aymo, and I really need a sweater, too!

Sonja, it’s true, the little bear pattern comes out much better when knitted. But anyone who can only crochet will surely be happy if the pattern is also available in crochet. And if you’re making a pot holder, for
example, it can definitely be a little stiffer.

Good morning, everyone.....

Sonja I have to say, I personally like both versions, whether knitted or crocheted; of course the motif is more defined when knitted. For me, as someone who doesn’t knit DF yet, that would be a motif to crochet, maybe with fine, soft yarn. For potholders you use somewhat thicker yarn anyway, and I would certainly choose a different motif then, e.g. the kiwis....

Anja, oh, I know that too, when something doesn’t quite work out, it goes into the corner for a while, but then my ambition grabs me and I have to keep going. In the end the result does turn out well after all. Your bag will surely be lovely, keep at it, and I’m curious to see the result. You’ll definitely find a sweater here among the patterns; Monika has some very beautiful ones on offer, no sneaky advertising, haha

Monika, I can well believe that you enjoyed the warm apartment first.
At the moment I’m also facing this “strange” wedding of our daughter’s: it’s supposed to be a registry office ceremony followed by a meal, but then the real party next year. That’s their decision and probably also the trend right now because of all the circumstances, but we, who are used to things being different, probably have to let the thought sink in first.

Yesterday I had a “tasting” of my new jam, and so I immediately got rid of 2 jars,
I have to say, it really turned out delicious. At first I thought you would really taste the ginger strongly, but it’s only slightly noticeable in the finish.
Besides test knitting my cardigan I’ve also started a crochet project that will be finished in the next few days, so I’ll show that later. Every now and then I need to take a break from knitting and look for something to tinker with.

Now I wish you all a good start to the new week

Good morning everyone,
so much has happened here again. I first had to spend a while reading so I could even catch up.
Marlene, I really like your new leftover-yarn sweater. That’s a wonderful idea of yours; the pattern and the colors look very nice. I’m already excited to see the final result.

Monika, I’m glad your heating is working again and you don’t have to be cold anymore.

Sandra, the wedding cake is sure to be beautiful; it already looks lovely.

Ines, I really like the cardigan; what you’ve done so far is great. Your jam is sure to taste delicious. Will you share the recipe with us? I’d be very happy.
Some time ago I was also given ginger jam as a gift. It was tasty too; if I remember correctly, it had pineapple in it
.
Anja, the bag is definitely going to look good. The piece already looks good in any case. Is it going to be
something like the Edda bag?
Your Aymo is such a handsome one. Luckily he has such thick fur, so he can probably wait a little longer for a new sweater. 

Sonja, your kiwis are very beautiful again.
It’s true, knitted, the bears’ pattern comes out more delicately. But I like the crocheted ones too
.
They are probably harder to make.
I have a silly question: Did you crochet them in double-face too, or are they two pieces that are then crocheted together?     
        

I wish you all a lovely week and lots of fun with your needlework.

Marion, yes, you’re right—it’s basically the knitted version of the Edda. I’ve made quite a few Eddas myself. 

Anja, how is the pattern for your bag knitted? 
I can understand that your Aymo would like to have a sweater - with just a bib, you're not exactly well dressed! I just bound off the lower cuff; now only the sleeves are left.

Marion, I’m happy to share the recipe, I just didn’t want to start a new thread. I made it in the Thermomix, but it also works in a regular pot; then you just have to stir it yourself

Ginger-Lemon Jam for 6 jars of 250 ml each

500 g lemon
400 ml orange juice
1 piece of ginger, approx. 5 cm
500 g jam sugar 1:2

Chop the lemon and ginger finely and put them in a pot, add the orange juice and first stir everything well, then add the jam sugar on top and stir it in well too. Cook the whole thing for about 20 minutes while stirring, then fill into hot-rinsed jars, close them, and leave them upside down for 1 night. The spread should set nicely and will keep for approx. 6 months.

Since we really like the ginger flavor, it doesn’t last that long at our house.

Best wishes

Thanks, Ines, for sharing the recipe. I’ll definitely give it a try.
Since I don’t have a Thermomix, I’ll just have to stir it by hand. Don’t you think it would work with lemon juice too? Then it’ll just turn into jelly.

Thanks, Anja, for the tip. The bag is sure to look great.

Oh, Anja, your Aymo is just too cute—I could fall in love with him. Take good care of him! :)
Yeah, he’d definitely love a sweater.

Ines, wow, your jacket is already looking really promising. Suuuper!!
And I can imagine your jam is delicious, too. I might try making it with real oranges. We always order them from Mallorca in a 10-kg box, along with lemons and other goodies (from fetasoller).

A big Kobel is almost done—the 7th ball is on the needle. I’ll show it to you before I felt it. And I still need to keep knitting the pants for Sternchen. So I definitely won’t get bored.

Have a great start to the week, everyone!

Marion, with “just” lemon juice, it’ll surely be a bit more tart—or do you mean lemons instead?
We’d have to try that.

Monika, I’ll google that first thing tomorrow morning—it sounds tempting to order it, and maybe it tastes better that way, too?

I’d like to head out again before everything closes down again; I spotted some yarn but didn’t buy it, so I’ll go get it :)

Thank you all so much for your feedback! This exchange here is so wonderful and valuable. It’s great to have you all here :-)

Here’s what the shawl looks like now that it’s finished:


So, to sum up, we all agree that the motif turns out finer and clearer when knitted in DF. But I felt the same way as Monika—I was pleasantly surprised that it actually works with crochet (and is even fun!). Without a direct comparison, I also think the crocheted version is very pretty. And Ruth is, of course, right that not everyone can do DF or knit normally. Maybe someone who only crochets would actually enjoy crocheting a motif for a change. Working on a motif—whether by knitting or crocheting—feels completely different from working a repetitive pattern.

The “technique” is super simple—the shawl is crocheted in single crochet stitches, and the color not currently in use is worked into the single crochet stitch. You don’t need to practice this beforehand—you can just jump right in. The back side looks the same in terms of color; it’s just a mirror image. And individual stitches look different depending on whether they were crocheted in the right-side row or the wrong side row (you can see this, for example, in the little stars). But you have to enjoy counting stitches—there’s no getting around it ;-)

Ines, your jacket made from Ina’s pattern is turning out really, really beautiful. The colors scream “spring”! Thanks for the recipe—my husband would probably spoon the jam straight into his mouth in one go; you could chase me away with it :-) Ginger, brrrrrrrrrr *shudder* Did you manage to get your yarn yet?

Anja, the pattern on the bag looks great. Glad you decided to go for it after all.

Monika, wow, 7 skeins for a little nest? What kind of animals is it for, then?

Best wishes, and have a lovely Monday afternoon from me, too!

Have a lovely afternoon, everyone!
I had to read through everything first to catch up. You’re all always so quick with new things and ideas.

Sonja, that’s so nice of you to try this out for us crocheters. I’m not that familiar with DF yet either. This crochet technique is also called tapestry technique, quite simply. I love crocheting motifs. Thanks for sharing!

Oh Andrea, that’s great, thank you so much! Now it has a name, too :-) I didn’t know what the technique was called, but it really is simple.

Ines, at fetasoller.com they have sun-ripened fruit (not stored for several weeks) and vegetables that are in season right now. It’s organic, and we’re totally thrilled. It tastes completely different from what’s available here in stores and has more vitamins, too. So I can definitely recommend it.

Sonja, I’m really amazed at how pretty the crocheted shawl has turned out. The border makes a huge difference.

The nest is meant for squirrels. A few are already living in one of these nests temporarily. This is the biggest one so far. The next one will be a bit smaller, and 6 balls of yarn should be enough for that.



Hi, I’m Sammy, and I’m super proud of my sweater!

That colorful sweater looks great on your Samy, Christina—no wonder he’s so proud of it!

Oh Christina, your Samy looks great in that new sweater. I really love the colors and the pattern, too. You did a fantastic job.

Christina, your Sammy looks great in his new sweater.
You chose some really beautiful yarn.

Sonja you’re right, finished like that it looks very pretty crocheted! 

The little bear sweater is super cute. I’ll have to take a look at Monika’s. 

Monika yes, Aymo was sitting in the drugstore around Christmas time. I couldn’t resist. 

Unfortunately I didn’t get around to knitting today. Tomorrow again :-)

Monika, I just took a quick look at fetasoller—it’s amazing what’s out there. I’ll have to check it out more thoroughly later, but thanks for the tip.

Christina, that sweater is so pretty—I’m sure Sammy feels very comfortable in it.

Sonja, I really like the pot holder/scarf now that it’s finished, and as Andrea already said, that crochet technique has a name—haha....I couldn’t think of it yesterday—I’m too caught up in knitting fever and can’t wait to wear the cardigan, but good things take time, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy it over the weekend and hope that, once this cold anorak weather is over, the next kind of weather won’t arrive again without any transition.

Thanks for the compliments! Yes, I like the yarn too, although I actually prefer to use a slightly thinner and softer material for doll and bear clothes. 

Anja, I wouldn’t have been able to resist your Aymo either. Bears like that just scream out, “Take me home! I want to be loved!!” That’s why I usually steer clear of these offers… ;-)

Today I’m going to finish knitting the Kobel and the legs of the doll’s pants. Little projects like these go by quickly if we stay on track.

Have a great day, everyone!

Christina, I think your Sammy looks really cute in his colorful sweater, too! The bright colors go great with his brown fur :-)

Monika, I just checked out fetasoller.com as well. Mmm, that really whets your appetite! Unfortunately, they don’t ship to Switzerland :-( I would have loved to order one of those crates of oranges, too...

I hope you all have a wonderful, sunny afternoon!

Sonja, I imagine that shipping to Switzerland would incur high customs fees. That’s probably why it’s not an option, unfortunately. We love the fruit from Mallorca—it tastes so much better than what you find in stores. I just can’t live without these delicious oranges anymore. Luckily, they’re available almost all year round—there are always different varieties.

So, I’ve finished the largest basket, and it’s now waiting for one of the next washing machine cycles. I’ll start on the next one tonight. This one will be a bit smaller. Here’s what it looks like now before felting:

Monika, you’ve been working hard crocheting those little nests—I really admire your perseverance. The little animals are definitely happy to have such warm homes.




Well, the pants (based on Petra’s pattern) are finally finished. Now I’m just looking for the right baby!

Yesterday I knitted a sweater for my teddy bear.

Christina, the pants turned out really cute—I had to smile about the matching baby... I often say that to my daughter too when I see such pretty things, but I guess I’ll have to be a little more patient.

Marion, your teddy bear in his sweater also looks very cute and very happy with his new outfit.

I’m now in the final stretch with the cardigan; on the one hand, I’m happy that it’ll be finished soon, but I also regret that knitting together online with Ina will then come to an end. That was a completely new experience for me, and I learned a lot from it.


Starting tomorrow, I’ll get back to working on my ideas; one figure is ready for a photo shoot and will probably get a spot here tomorrow.

Now I wish you all a lovely afternoon, with just as much sunshine as we have here

WOLLBÄRLI SORRY, I’m terrible at remembering names...: Those pants are so cute! You’re all so hardworking.

Marion, that bear sweater is sooo cute!!! Did you follow a pattern from here or go freestyle?
Aymo I’d definitely love one too, but I’m a little hesitant. I don’t like all that fiddly work.

  Yeah, Ines , I’m speechless at how fast you knit—faster than lightning.
I’d be so curious to see how it would look in a different color... Now you have matching jackets. 

Marion, your teddy bear looks so cute in that colorful sweater. What kind of yarn did you choose (yarn length, gauge)? And how many stitches did you cast on? I had to decrease one stitch from both the back and front pieces and add them to the sleeves so the sweater would fit over the chubby arms. 

Wow, you’ve created some lovely things. I’m thrilled!
Christina’s baby pants, Marion’s teddy bear sweater, and Ines’s jacket.

That’s funny, Christina—you don’t know any babies for those beautiful pants. Well, I’m sure there’ll be one who’ll be happy about them.

Marion, your teddy bear is clearly delighted with his new outfit. The colors really suit him. It’s a great way to use up leftover yarn. I’ve sent you a private email—you did a fantastic job with the pattern.

Ines, your jacket is a hit. It turned out absolutely beautiful and is surely cozy, soft, and warm. How exactly did you manage that shared knitting on the computer? That sounds really interesting.

Good morning,

Monika, the “knitting together on the computer” was meant more symbolically—I got the necessary instructions from Ina and knitted in my size, so Ina can adapt it later. It wasn’t knitting via Skype or anything like that—I don’t even have that; my camera is covered—you really never know, after all :)


Anja, yeah, yeah—remembering names. I have a note here in my desk so I can look them up—haha—I couldn’t possibly remember them all anyway.
I’m amazed at my own pace—it is quite a large project, this jacket... I can’t offer a different color—I wanted the original, even though I had 16 yarn colors in front of me—but who knows, maybe another color will be added in the fall. The yarn itself is very nice to knit with.

So, I had a photo shoot yesterday and would now like to introduce you to my crochet worm, Irmi—I made her during my knitting breaks


Best wishes and have a sunny day, everyone!

Ines Irmi—a knitting addict instead of a bookworm? That expression is priceless! ♡

@Sonja - every now and then I try DF crochet, and realize that DF knitting suits me better.

My sweater is almost finished:

Anja, my sweater for the teddy bear was knitted using a pattern by Monika (mowi19). The teddy bear is 39 cm tall, so it’s not too fiddly to knit.

Christina, your baby pants turned out great.
My yarn for the sweater has a yardage of 135 m/50 g. I needed more stitches—my teddy bear is a little chubby. The back and front each have 6 more stitches, and the arms each have 4 more stitches than the larger size.

Ines, your crocheted worm looks so funny—the face is adorable. You should send it to me sometime; it would definitely feel right at home in my mountains of yarn.

Marlene, your summer sweater looks great. I think I’ll have to try making something like that myself—I have soooo much leftover cotton yarn.

Have a wonderful day, everyone—it’s supposed to get warm again. .   

Marion had already looked in Monika’s shop. But there are 2 patterns there that it could be. Which one exactly is it, please? 

Creatowl is the crochet sweater becoming a knitted sweater now? 

Oh my gosh, Ines, your crocheted worm is so cute. It’s sure to win over lots of fans.
Thanks for explaining the online knitting... ;-)

Marlene, I really love your rainbow sweater. It’s the perfect project for using up leftover yarn and nice and airy for summer.

Anja, the pattern Marion means will be available in the shop soon—it’ll be ready in a few days.

@Anja – Only the cuff is knitted.

@Moni – Thanks. It was a spontaneous idea.

Anja , you’ve already received a reply from Monika.

The two patterns by Monika that you found include measurements in the text. Have you checked yet to see if one of them might fit your Aymo?

The advantage of being small: Sweaters are finished quickly.

Your sweater turned out really nice, Marlene—the colors give it such a fresh look, perfect for summer 

Wow, Marlene, that sweater is gorgeous! For me, a few more rounds would need to be crocheted onto it, since I’m pretty tall.

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March Projects 2021, Part 3: the Crazypatterns Handicrafts Group (No Advertising)