January Projects 2022, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group

Here is the new thread
January Projects 2022, Part 3: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group

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

Have fun.

You can read the earlier posts at the link:
January Projects 2022 + December Projects 2021, Part 3: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group

Ladies, I’m still alive! Fastest vaccination ever—they didn’t even want me to wait 10 minutes afterward. That made me feel a little uneasy… My arm hurt a bit that evening, and the next day I felt nauseous in waves.

I tried making one of those Japanese gloves. Interesting concept, even if it gets a bit fiddly toward the end. I can’t knit with double-pointed needles, so I used two circular needles and switched to three toward the end. The needle size was too small, though—I’ll make it again with a larger one, but I had to order shorter ones first; it doesn’t work with a normal-length knitting needle.

I’m glad you got through it okay. I like the glove. With the color gradient, you can really see how the rows/rounds run diagonally. I’m not familiar with this style myself. Interesting

Anja, maybe you should try the Crasy Trio knitting needles? They’re flexible, short knitting needles—sort of a cross between a set of double-pointed needles and circular needles.

But there’s a longer one and a shorter one, right? I think that’s why I decided against them. 

Anja, I’ve also been using my set of double-pointed needles less often; I treated myself to the Crazy Trio, and lo and behold, it works wonderfully. They come in different lengths, too.

Hi everyone,

I’m still alive, too. I got my booster shot on Wednesday—the doctor came to the nursing home because more people needed to be vaccinated.
My arm’s a little sore, but that’s it. My husband’s down with a fever, headache, and so on today.

You’ve all been so busy crafting again in the meantime—that’s great. Don’t be sad if I can’t respond to every single one of you.

I’ve been working on my CAL UFO blanket again. Too much of a good thing. Now my neck hurts.
And I tried a mosaic pattern (English video tutorial by Tinna Thorudottir). It’s sort of the English version of Petra Perle. It’s a lot of fun, but I’m taking a break from crocheting for now, unfortunately.

  

...just a silly question... What exactly is a Japanese glove? I mean, what makes it “Japanese”? :P

@Andrea: Your UFO blanket is so beautiful! Super colorful. I love that.
And I really like the mosaic pattern, too :)

Best wishes to everyone and have a great start to the weekend! 

One of you also has something like this as a pattern… a Japanese glove. Who was that again?
No idea—it’s probably the knitting technique. I Googled it too, and you come across some really pretty and interesting things. I’m not happy with how the crochet is joined together, though. Whether I use single crochet (sc) or slip stitch (sl st), it creates this raised edge. :-(

Yeah, I basically just had a little vaccine arm soreness, but I’ve been feeling nauseous in waves for the third day now. It was worst on the second day, better yesterday, and just a little bit again a little while ago. No idea if it’s from the vaccine or hormones or what… I’d love to go for a walk today in this gorgeous sunshine, but I feel really awful when the nausea hits, especially when it’s paired with weakness. I hope it goes away soon.
The numbers are high here—soon it’ll be 700. What a crappy time.  

Get well soon, Anja. Hopefully this will pass quickly and you’ll be able to enjoy the sunshine again. At least here, it’s supposed to last a few more days.

Yesterday we met up again to knit. For my “fellow crafters,” I crocheted snowflakes (pattern by Elke Eder) and then looked for some matching paper. I found what I was looking for at Inna’s—you can see the result here. The little gift was well received, and now I’m going to crochet three more; two of them disappeared without a trace over Christmas, and one of the ladies I visit at the nursing home is getting one as a little pick-me-up—she broke a vertebra and is getting bored at home.

We already know you can be addicted to yarn... but can you also be addicted to needles? The short needles arrived today; they were inexpensive in a set of 6, so I ordered two sets (I always need two of the same size instead of a set of double-pointed needles). But now there are also intermediate sizes that I’d like to have... but hey, one needle costs €7, so two would be €14, which isn’t worth it (see the set I ordered earlier).

They also included 2 size 2 needles that I’ll never use. Does anyone want them? Total length 45 cm, the metal part is 10 cm. It’s not polished Addi quality, but the transition to the cord is really good. 

Christina, those snowflakes are gorgeous.♡

Knitting group, you’re so brave! I’m trying to avoid running into anyone and catching anything—booster shot or not, we can all get it.

So, here I am again.
I’ve had a lot on my plate lately; the week before last, I started working through a lot of leftover yarn, and I’ll continue with that tomorrow. Last week, I finished a unicorn pillow. It’s going to be a birthday gift for one of Anton’s friends. 

That turned out beautifully, Sandra! 

I had to sneeze a lot last week, so I packed this fluffy yarn from Hobbii back into its bags, and now I’m feeling better. How am I ever supposed to knit this when I’m sneezing so much? Do you think it’ll get better once it’s knitted and washed? 

Anjs... I hope you're feeling better. 
I do think the yarn will get better after washing, because then it will “shed” less.... But sneezing while knitting is annoying.... 
Why aren’t you knitting with the size 2 needle???? I’m always annoyed that I don’t have such small ones; I really need to check soon whether I can get 1.5, 2, 2.25, etc.... I need them for gloves in a Fair Isle pattern.... I only knit everything with magic loop; a set of double-pointed needles doesn’t work for me at all. 

Andrea, your blanket is lovely, it looks so nice and colorful, so cheerful...
.
And Sandra, the pillow turned out absolutely beautiful....

I’m in crafting mode right now.... 
Actually, yesterday I only wanted to glue one or two pieces together. And somehow it ended up being quite a few more after all...

these are the first 30 pieces out of 95 🙈😇🙈
This morning I cut out up to piece 40, and this evening I’ll score the fold lines and keep gluing it together 

Sandra, your unicorn pillow turned out beautifully. How did you make the red border? Did you crochet it or sew it?

Anja, maybe it’ll look better after washing—the loose threads should be gone by then. But maybe you’re allergic to that type of yarn 

@Steffi - what are you making there?
@Anja - I had to go and check out the "Japanese glove" right away, great idea, and luckily there are crochet tutorials for it on YouTube too 😍
@Sandra - great pillow
@Christina - I already "downloaded" the little stars, but somehow they got lost in the Christmas rush - luckily Christmas comes every year 😂😂
@Andrea - your blanket looks great - so cheerful

I got my booster on Thursday too; luckily, apart from arm pain and a bit of a headache, I had nothing 😉
I'm busy using up my leftover yarn, and my "Frankie" blanket is growing too 😉

Argh! Once again I was typing, deleted a photo, and whoosh, everything here was gone. *snort* 
So, once more: Steiffi whoa 95 pieces!!! A nightmare for me... so much patience... well, I don’t like puzzles either. It’s sure to turn out great—how big will the dragon be in the end? 

Petra the yarn is poly-something. 
As of today, I’m the proud owner of an air filter. Maybe it will pull the yarn fibers out of the air too. I hope my allergic nose will finally recover then (from whatever it is). I once knitted a mohair shawl (just remembered, I never photographed it and posted it here with the pattern...), and I had to sneeze and cough constantly then too. In the sunshine you could clearly see the blue fibers happily sailing through the room. The shawl is beautiful; I think I’ll never wear it... for the reasons mentioned above... What a shame. 

I ordered some modeling clay because I saw such funny little clay monsters on Pinterest. Too bad I’m not allowed to post the original here, so only my version. No idea how to get the modeling clay as smooth as it’s supposed to be... I kneaded it with gloves on because it said not to touch your eyes afterward, and I’m such a face-fidgeter, so maybe it was because of the gloves? You can also bake this stuff to make it durable. Unfortunately, the little clay packets are really tiny tiny. 

So, now I’ll digest for a bit. We had potatoes with ground meat and savoy cabbage. 

Your little clay figure is cute. That wouldn’t be my thing—I can’t do pottery, sculpt, or paint freely.

But puzzles? I love those.

Steffi, I’m excited to see your dragon. What I’ve seen so far has me in awe. 


It’s already grown a little bit again....
My “papercraft” 3D model.... 
According to the pattern, it’s supposed to end up about 58 cm tall 😇
I’m really enjoying this right now. A little cutting, a little folding, and then thinking carefully about which glue tab goes where. The pieces are all numbered, but the numbers are pretty hard to read on the dark blue 🙈🤷
Oh yeah... Petra, doing puzzles is great 😍👍
I love the really big ones, like 5,000 pieces.... Unfortunately, doing puzzles here is always a bit “tricky” because the big 7-kg tomcat just loves lying in the box, and then I can’t get to the pieces anymore 😂 

Oh.... Anja, I forgot about your modeling clay monster.... that little guy is really cute 💖
You must have used Fimo, right? I remember that from my time working at the kindergarten—we never wore gloves.... not even the little ones. You have to knead it until it’s super soft, and then it’s really easy to shape.... 

Wow, a dragon is so cool 😎
Is it meant as decoration, or does it serve a specific purpose? I’m kind of a “newcomer” here 🤔

I’m about to lose it! I just spotted my dream cardigan on Pinterest, and it turns out to be a design from a knitting magazine from August 2015. The magazine is out of print. ARGH! I’ve emailed a yarn shop, a woman on Ravelry who’s knitted it, and Lana Grossa! Hopefully one of these three options works out... I’m usually lucky on eBay, but unfortunately not this time.  

Hi Susanne....
  The dragon is meant as a decoration and will be my “beginner’s project”.... It’s worked just like those craft templates in kids’ magazines “back in the day,” just with a “few” more pieces....

Anja, which magazine exactly are you looking for? I’ve already “thrown away” countless issues, but I still have quite a few from Lana Grossa.... 

Good evening at this late hour,

first of all, a big thank you for your feedback on the blanket.
Let’s see when it’ll be finished.

Oh Anja, that’s such a cute little clay figure. You could even make a cookie out of it with legs, arms, and a face.
I’ve still got some Fimo lying around (I wanted to try it out too), but that’s as far as it got. I’ve also got some silicone molds. The day only has 24 hours.
It used to be called Suralin.

Steffi, is it supposed to be a dragon? What a huge project. Hang in there. I’m looking forward to seeing the final result.
I didn’t even manage to finish my Bascetta star in time for Christmas. Too little time left.

Now I’ve started crocheting a triangular shawl from a gradient yarn cake; the ball has been sitting in the closet for over three years too.

I use every free minute for crafts when I get off work and am not too tired.

I hope you all have a relaxing weekend.
I’m on the early shift again.

Warm regards from me

Steffi, doesn’t your cat help you with your crafts? And that puzzle box issue would be our problem too. Except that Nala doesn’t just lie there peacefully—she also has to test her teeth on the cardboard…
What do you use to glue the kite pieces together? I always have a bit of trouble with the glue—liquid glue doesn’t work at all, and the glue stick is sometimes too weak for certain materials.  

The cat has already tried that.... He lies down on the cutting board, or he squeaks his front paws across the pattern 🙈.
I use regular liquid Uhu glue and always spread it out nicely with a small piece of paper. I don’t have any other kind right now.
The one from 3M is usually really good; it dries without leaving any visible marks. 
I finished making the head last night; now I just need to cut out the pieces for the neck and put them together..... 
Somehow it’s addictive 😇

Hi,
I’ve always liked using hot glue—I almost gave up on my godchild’s school cone back then; I’d tried UHU, then clothespins in between… even my husband had to help out until I got the tip about hot glue—there’s also a kind that “doesn’t get too hot for kids”—it was available at Jako-o back then.
Ever since then, we’ve been using hot glue for anything that needs to stick quickly—you just have to be careful with how much you use!

Ladies,

I’ve never knitted a jacket pocket before. I know you can just knit a little patch and sew it on from the outside. I just watched a tutorial on YouTube where she put the stitches on hold and then inserted a separately knitted patch at the held stitches, sewing it on from the back. Now, I’m not exactly a pro at sewing things on without it showing from the front. Can’t you just knit a sort of pouch or sleeve instead, insert it, and have it dangle on the inside? Do you know what I mean? 

Do you mean a “bag lining”.....? I haven’t knitted one myself, but a friend is doing one right now.... completely without sewing it on.... 

Susanne.... the tip about the hot glue is great; I’ll keep it in mind for larger things. It isn’t suitable for these projects; it takes up too much “space”. I have very small adhesive tabs here, and they have to fit to the millimeter, and because there are so many folds in it I also have to shape the whole thing while gluing, so a bit of flexibility is quite good..... 
But I’ll soon have it finished.... the “last” parts of the neck. 
I’ve been browsing online again and already have a new project I’d like to make..... 

Andrea.... I wish you lots of time for crafting; you actually do soooo many different things. 

Thank you, Steffi, for your kind words. I’ll be off work again soon, and then I’ll devote myself entirely to crocheting—or whatever else I feel like doing.

Right now, I just want to go to bed; it was a tiring day at work today.




Have a great rest of the week, everyone. Warm regards from me

So am I really supposed to knit a bag like that? Like a phone case?

Hi Anja....
.....I think so 🙈 My friend put some stitches on hold, then cast on new ones in the next row, continued knitting the front piece, and at the end “somehow” knitted the pocket bag together with the stitches she’d put on hold and the ones cast on in the next row. ....
Oh man,........... if only I could go back to the knitting meetup, then she could have shown me how to do that... stupid virus 😤
But with the numbers the way they are, I’m hardly going to drive to a restaurant and sit at a table with 10 people! And that’s starting to really get on my nerves, even for someone with social anxiety like me. 

....what on earth is my tablet writing today????? 🙈
I guess you know what that was supposed to mean?

Don’t worry—there’s a video showing how to knit it back on again. 

Oh my, is it Christmas again already? It’s so quiet here...

No, that’s long over… but it’s true. It’s very quiet here in the craft group. I check in every day, but I mostly just read. 

Anja, did you get the pattern for that great jacket? Was the magazine still available?

I’m working on dressing a teddy bear at the moment. I thought it would be easier than this. There are “Hope Bears” that need clothes. Yesterday I knitted a jacket; today I wanted to sew a pair of pants. But there’s that tail… and there’s no room for it in the pants.

To all bear owners: How is it with your bears? Do the pants/skirt have an opening in the back so the tail sticks out? 

Other than that, I’m currently working on a headband for my little daughter, a scarf for my sweetheart, and knitting and designing baby booties. A pattern with slipped stitches. 

We also had the “tail problem” when we wanted to dress up our forum bear, Kuddel. A friend had tried to sew him a pair of pants but had to give up. So I knitted him a pair of pants with an opening for his little tail.

  

We created stories and photo galleries featuring our little Kuddel and shared them in the newspaper forum. That was really fun.

Kuddelchen is so cute....
I would have solved the “problem” with the little tail the same way.
Petra....you’ve got quite a few projects on your needles. I really like slip-stitch patterns.

Starting today, I’ll continue knitting my sweater 👍
I’ve finished making the dragon.... and for a first project, it looks pretty decent 🙈—there are a lot of little spots that aren’t quite perfect. The next one will be better.... 

Wow Steffi that’s a real eye-catcher!!

Because of that lousy bear tail, my bear is only getting a jacket too. 

That’s amazing, Steffi. You did a great job!

Good morning,

Wow, Steffi, you’ve really created a masterpiece there. Awesome. It’s truly something to be proud of.
We could start an “origami thread” here where everyone can show off their finished pieces—you’d definitely take first place.


To everyone: My time is pretty tight right now because of my late shift; I don’t get a chance to do any crafts in the mornings, and in the evenings I fall into bed dead tired.
Especially yesterday. The late bus left right in front of me—by just 4 minutes—and the next one wasn’t coming for another hour. So I walked the whole way home. Half an hour later, I was home. We don’t have a car. But my husband came running out to meet me. I was really “footsore.”

Have a nice afternoon, everyone!

Steffi, your dragon is awesome. I’m sure it’s a real eye-catcher in person.

I wanted to knit Marlies first, too, but that takes so long. I’m supposed to dress two bears, after all. I’ve been thinking about making a buttonhole with the sewing machine and threading the little tail through it.

We’ll see.

  Poor Andrea—having to walk home at night after a long day at work is brutal.

I’m doing a little needlework now. The headband is almost done. The buttons are on the bear jacket now. I’ll take some pictures—the sun’s out today—and then I’ll show you everything tonight. 

Steffi —that dragon is just amazing 😲😍😍😍😍
I’m such a big “Eragon” fan 😍😍😍—I’d totally hang this on my wall,
but I’m not a fan of “folding”—I already had a really hard time with my godchild’s school cone (and to make matters worse, it was made of corrugated cardboard—it was a space shuttle 🙄). Luckily, my son then asked for an “easier” school cone (a rocket) 😉

Thank you all so much.....
I just found some really great “digital paper” online—the kind you can print out yourself—with a leather look and 100 colors..... Now I’m wondering how that would look on the kite 🤔😇 because then I could use regular/plain paper—I’d print the leather pattern on one side and the “cutting pattern” on the other—and I wouldn’t have any trouble seeing the folding and cutting lines on the darker paper 😇😍
By the way, I have a printer that’s filled with whole bottles of ink—no cartridges—and according to the manufacturer, it needs to print a lot so nothing “dries out”.... how fitting 😂, right???? 

To the “Bear Knitters”: the buttonhole tip for sewing pants is a good idea, but when knitting, you could just put a few stitches on hold and then pick them up again in the next round—or knit a wrong side row and then in the following row.... You just have to be sure exactly where it’s supposed to go 🙈

Oh, Andrea… How mean of the bus. At least your husband came running to meet you—that makes the last few meters not quite as exhausting... 

Steffi – Leather-look paper—well, wouldn’t the dragon look really cool 😎 with that? 🤔
Of course, that would give the printer something to do; it’d be a shame if it dried out 👍😂😂😂

Steffi, the dragon turned out great!

Petra, the headband looks very promising, and of course I’m also excited to see the baby booties.

Well, those cute little bears and their fluffy tails… Luckily, we have quite a few without them, but I remember knitting trousers with a hole in them before, too.

Andrea, missing the bus at night—and especially in winter—is even more frustrating—luckily, you didn’t have to walk the whole way back alone.

Today, while on cafeteria duty, I was able to finish my first UFO and even knit a few rounds on the new foot of the broken sock. Tonight, I can finally work on the DF shawl again—I’m really looking forward to it.

Have a good night’s sleep, everyone.

Everything went smoothly today. I arrived at the bus stop way ahead of schedule.
Luckily, there’s no snow yet.

Now I can head off on my day off in high spirits, and tomorrow I’ll start my crocheted bunny order for a coworker.

Waving goodbye!

Dear friends, I’m back again—just briefly. You’ve woken me up from my (winter) slumber with all this teddy bear clothing. You’ve been incredibly hard at work—there are so many beautiful things to see. Please forgive me for not being able to go into detail about everything. To be honest, I just don’t have the time right now.

What particularly impressed me was the crafted dragon by Steffi. Wow! I wouldn’t have the patience for that anymore. Crafting isn’t really my thing anyway. But I also really like all the other things you’ve shown here. Petra’s lifted-stitch pattern. Anja’s clay figurine and Japanese glove, Sandra’s unicorn pillow, and Andrea’s colorful blanket with the mosaic pattern. Everything is beautiful.

Marlies, your Kuddel is so cute. I’d totally steal him from you. Take good care of him. ;-)

As for how you knit the hole for the tail in a pair of pants: I did it by splitting the work and leaving a gap open in the middle. Luckily, I only have one teddy bear where I have to do that. The others just have a little stub of a tail, which I don’t have to worry about at all when making pants. Here’s a photo of the pants with the tail.



Now I’d like to introduce you to a new baby who came to me through my swap exchange. A little Baby Born doll, just over 30 cm tall. Juna will get her for her birthday in May, since she really likes dolls and loves dressing and undressing them all the time. Of course, I’m going to make some clothes for her first, which I’m really excited about. The clothes she came with are a great guide for me. I’m curious to see what I’ll come up with. Luckily, I still have a little time.

I actually thought this was the larger Baby Born, but this is fine too. I don’t have a model like this yet. Take a look—this is what she looks like:




And my shawl is getting bigger now too. Here’s what it looks like at the moment:



I couldn’t quite capture the color well in this gloomy weather, but you can get an idea of what it will look like.

Have a lovely day with your handicrafts, everyone.

Monika thank you very much for your picture with the bunny tail. I wouldn’t be quite so helpless with knitting, but for time reasons I’d like to sew a pair of pants. But with the seam in the middle—that would be a solution too. I didn’t quite dare to try a buttonhole as the opening. Then I’ll try altering the pattern accordingly. 

I like your shawl, especially the pattern in the middle. Did you knit slipped stitches farther up? It’s sure to turn out great. 

Petra, another solution for the pants would be to simply cut a slit in them, which you can then bind with bias tape.

Monika, thanks....
Your shawl is already amazing 💖😍—the colors and the pattern, I’m totally in love with it right now.... Will there be a pattern for it????

I like the question about the little bears....
Maybe—just maybe—I’ll dig my sewing machine out of the farthest corner someday and give sewing another try... 🙈

But first, I’m working on my first “commission” 😇 My son ordered a “dragon,” so to speak—we browsed around and found one that I really, really wanted to make, but it’s so big that I could never have hung it up at my place. So he’s giving me the pattern and the paper—I can make it, and it’ll have a home right away.
Did you know you can even buy paper that looks like it’s “knitted”? 😲😂
The things you find… There are still so many new things I “have to” try out—so I guess the sewing machine will stay in its corner after all. 

Once again, so many great things.

I’m crocheting a long foundation chain from a single skein—it’s the prep work for my next project: a knitted doily.

Petra, I’m glad I could help you. A seam down the middle is definitely the best solution.
Yes, the shawl has slip stitches at the top. I just love those... :)

Steffi, thanks for sharing my excitement about the shawl. Yes, I have to say, I love it too. There will actually be a pattern, because the shawl can be knitted with any yarn. My friend asked for it in this particular yarn. The pattern makes it less boring to knit. ;-)
I’m really curious to see your new kites. Paper that looks like it’s knitted? I’m amazed! And I’m also amazed by how much joy you get from crafting these huge pieces. I’m curious to see how it’ll turn out. Knowing you, it’ll definitely be great.

Marlene, you’ve been busy again. Crocheting doilies just isn’t my thing at all. It’s nice that we’re so versatile here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I also have printed bedding that looks like granny squares: 

Yeah, variety is good, Moni :)

At first, I was torn between knitting a shawl or a doily.
The doily won out because after using some yarn for crocheting, there probably wouldn’t be enough left for a shawl.

Bedding with a granny square pattern is pretty cool, Anja :)


Mine is “knitted” with a cable pattern.... 😂
Even when I’m sleeping, I’m surrounded by yarn 🙈—whether it’s crocheted or knitted.
Now I’ve downloaded a PDF file for paper, with 100 different leather-look colors.... what can I say, I just can’t seem to find the right color for my dragon 😂
I’m going to keep knitting on my sweater for a bit.... 

I’m currently knitting the side with the sleeves attached.... it still looks kind of “shapeless,” so wide. It would certainly look different if the bottom ribbing were already attached.... but that comes at the very end... 

Steffi, your sweater is really coming along nicely. The pattern looks great. Wow, do you have a knitted blanket on your bed? It looks super fluffy. I love my wool bedding too, but it has a different cover on the outside.

Anja, bedding with a granny square pattern—how cool!

Monika.... this is my bed linens with this print.... I saw it in the store and fell in love with it right away, and somehow it just wouldn’t leave my shopping cart—it clung on for dear life 🙈😂🙈 I had no choice but to take it home 😇
But the yarn from the sweater is so lovely to knit with... a blend of nylon and acrylic, and so wonderfully soft.... It really makes knitting fun 

Your bedding is great. The granny fabric—perfect for summer. I would have knitted it in the winter.... Oh, I’m so jealous..... 

You’ve all made some amazing things again. I’ve finished a baby book.  


It used up a nice amount of leftover yarn 

Oh Sandra.... How cute is that 😍😍😍😍

Your bedding is amazing!

Sandra, your book turned out great. That’s a really nice idea.

I’ve finished almost all the individual pieces for my puppy, and tomorrow I’ll start sewing them together. I plan to give it as a gift next week.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

My “Hope Bear” No. 1 is all dressed up. I altered the pant pattern and made everything a little bigger after my first draft was too tight and there wasn’t even room for the little stubby tail. 



Now I think this little guy is ready to show himself to the world 

Your “Hope Bear” looks cute, and you’ve solved that problem perfectly, Petra.

I think Kuddelchen needs some new things again, too.

Turned out great, Petra! The jacket is so lovingly knitted too. With buttons—I’d never put that much work into it...

I sent my Alexa a voice command 😂, who can guess what I want to do? 

Petra, your “Hope Bear” (why the name?) looks chic in its new outfit!

Christina, try searching online for “Hoffnungsbär.” It’s a project organized by a colleague of mine. I happened to hear about it and said I’d dress up two bears. They’ll then be given away to bring comfort and hope. 

Steffi, that’s amazing. Bedding that looks like it’s knitted. That would’ve probably ended up in my shopping cart, too.

Sandra, that baby book is a real hit! You really make such special gifts. Did you design all of that yourself? I wouldn’t be surprised.

Marlies, are you sewing a puppy? I’m really curious to see what it looks like.

OMG, Petra! The “Hope Bear” is so cute in his outfit. He looks really proud in his new pants, too. Absolutely adorable! I was actually planning to wait until tomorrow to post again. But photos of the little bear—I just can’t resist. Your bear is sure to be a great comfort.

Anja, you definitely want to show us a photo—right?

I finished the shawl for my friend tonight. Tomorrow I just have to weave in the loose ends.

Sandra the baby book is a great idea! 

Almost, Monika, I was just about to post one on Ravelry. And Turbo-Monika has struck again with a shawl finished in no time. Fascinating.  

Monika, I’m really looking forward to seeing that shawl 😇

I had to “search” for the Hope Bear at first—such a great idea! 💖

I actually wanted to sit on the sofa and knit a bit this morning… but my two “divas” had other ideas. The cat just knows exactly how to quietly get the dog to finally pay attention to her 😤

....what, you want to sleep???? ....well, then I’ll just roll around in front of you until you finally start “nibbling at” my back.... 

Oh Steffi, your two fur babies are quite something and very cuddly. It’s nice that they get along so well.

So, the shawl is now pretty much finished (except for the last few ends). But I’ll probably crochet an edging along the very top with the dark yarn. That will make it a bit sturdier there. In any case, otherwise it doesn’t need to be blocked. The photo didn’t turn out as nice color-wise as I would have liked. But at least I can show it.




And now the little new baby keeps looking at me as if it’s freezing. It really needs a sleeping bag first. My fingers are just itching to start... At least I was good this time and finished knitting the shawl first.

Oh, Monika.... I’ll just quickly cast on a sleeping bag for the baby 😂
I really like the shawl 👍

Does anyone here know the “modified 3-needle bind-off”? 😲 It looks really good, but it’s kind of “silly” to knit—I watched a YouTube video on it after I couldn’t make heads or tails of the written instructions.... The result: I’m knitting a swatch now, just to try it out.... 

And, once again, I typed something here and accidentally hit a button somewhere else—the text is gone. Steffi, I watched a video like that too and have actually knitted this before; I didn’t find it hard to knit, but I didn’t know that’s what it’s called.

It’s light out for a really long time today. Right outside my front door, the first green tips of the bulbs are already peeking out.

Anja, I already have two snowdrops blooming in the garden. The rest are really just waiting to bloom. The primroses in the garden are also pushing their blooms out. In the morning when I head to work, the birds are already singing. Spring is on its way. 

Wow, spring’s already here for you? We’re seeing snowdrops too—they’re popping up despite the snow. And I spotted a few tips of bulb plants today as well. But the birds aren’t singing here yet; they’re still in the throes of winter blues and don’t even want suet balls anymore.

Your knitting technique—I’ve never heard of that before; it sounds interesting.

Yeah...... 😁
I "managed" to do it, the "modified 3-needle bind off" actually looks pretty good 🙈

the sweater with one side panel (sleeve will still be knitted on) 

and what I bound off together. Like a foundation chain lying on top..... (The stitches next to it are still pulling; those are from the short rows) ..... 

I’m still puzzling over the Ravioli jacket, Anja :)
At our place, the hazelnut and walnut kernels are being gobbled up. 
The fat balls aren’t interesting, Moni.

I originally wanted to knit a doily.
I think it’ll end up being a (small?) triangular shawl after all.

Oh, sorry—it was in the text, but I accidentally didn’t post it... Ravioli = Ravelry

I’m much more in the mood for ravioli right now 😂 I’ll probably make some again in the next few days, with homemade pasta dough, classic Italian style 💖

Our bird feeder is really popular right now—tits, sparrows, blackbirds, chaffinches, and the like.... and for the past few days, Mr. and Mrs. Pheasant have also been dropping by to see what the tits don’t like and throw out of the feeder.... 🙈😇
Yesterday morning, pretty early, I wanted to put out some more.... I walked over to the wooden board where the suet balls usually lie and wondered, “Hey, little wren, you’re up early.” I went a bit closer; it didn’t fly away, just hopped onto the trunk of the cherry tree and stayed there.... It was a tiny little mouse.... The ones my cats sometimes drag home are definitely twice as big.... 

Steffi, your paper dragon is really great. I could never get it to turn out that precisely. My paper crafts never turn out that nice. It starts right with the cutting. I just don’t have enough patience or a steady enough hand.

Sandra, the baby book turned out so cute. I used to make something like that for my kids, but I sewed it. By then, though, they were already a bit older and could practice using zippers, tying bows, Velcro, buttons, and so on.

Petra, your “Hope Bear” is sure to bring a lot of joy—it’s so cute! The jacket and pants look great on him. Is that a new bear or one that’s been played with?

Your shawl has really grown a lot, Monika. I’m sure it’s all finished by now. Your friend will definitely be very happy. And your next project is already waiting for you. Your needles are always hard at work.

I’ve been busy too. I’ve finished a few things and have others in progress:

I’m currently knitting a shawl as well. I got the yarn and pattern from my daughter for Christmas. The nice thing about the pattern is that you start with the wide side and then gradually decrease. That way, it goes faster and faster, even when your motivation starts to wane over time.
Here’s a close-up of the pattern:


In between, I’m back to embroidering. Now that the embroidery piece for my granddaughter has been framed and given as a gift—
here’s what it looks like now:
(she was very happy with it), it’s now my youngest granddaughter’s turn. But I’m still right at the beginning with that one and can’t show anything yet.

In between, I also knitted a little sweater for my granddaughters’ Barbies:

I’m currently writing up the pattern for it.

And finally, I made an owl mask out of a few scraps:

Well, Monika, is the sleeping bag finished yet? ...grin

Ruth, your embroidered picture is simply amazing!

I’ve finally finished my puppy. Tomorrow I’m driving to Altes Land, and there I’ll give it to my neighbor and dear friend. I think the little one goes so well with his Frieda, at least that’s what I think.

    

Ruth, the bear itself is new. It was a defective batch that they received as a gift (3,000 pieces), and that’s how the idea came about. So I handed it over today. Now a second one will follow. 



I also really like shawls that get smaller with every row. You feel like you’re almost finished. 

The sweaters for the dress-up dolls are great. Such tiny projects—I could never manage that. 

Marlies , your dog turned out great. Let’s see who is happier. 



I also crocheted a headband for my little girl. But the pattern was so annoying; I’m glad it’s finished. I still have yarn for a second one. I’ll look for a new pattern that’s more fun. 

Hi everyone,

you’ve all been so busy again. You’ve created so many great things. You all get a little gold star.

I have a little something to show, too. The bunny from “Schneckenkind” is for a coworker.
This one will be the “girl version”; the second one will be in blue.

I’m going to make the bib purple after all—it goes better with the yellow

While sorting through my photos, I found some “leftover photos” of a knitted sweater I made about 30 years ago. It was my first “cable-knit project” back then.



 

Wow, that sweater is great. Did you knit it for yourself? 

No, Petra, that was a Christmas gift for my husband at the time. That guy really wasn’t worth all that work.

Wow, you guys are so productive. That’s just amazing!

Steffi, I’ve never heard of that “3-needle bind off” before. I’ll have to ask Google about it... ;-)
A mouse at the bird feeder? Well, I’m sure it was hungry, too. It doesn’t usually find anything else to eat. It’s actually rare that it even stayed put.

Marlene, you’ve been hard at work again—your shawl is sure to turn out beautiful.

Ruth, your shawl has lovely colors and looks cozy. Your photo turned out absolutely gorgeous again. There’s so much patience that goes into it—it wouldn’t be my thing. The gratitude of your grandchildren really does motivate you. That’s a gift for life. Your Barbie clothes turned out very pretty again, too. You’re just an expert at these mini projects. The owl mask is also a great idea now that it’s Carnival season. Awesome!

Marlies, that little dog is super cute. I’d adopt him in a heartbeat. Maybe the real-life version will do the same and think the baby is for her.
The knit sweater with the cables looks great, too. It’s nice that you still have a photo of it.
No, I haven’t started on the sleeping bag yet. Right now, I’m working on that cute cloth with the cuddly bunnies. It’s going to be an Easter washcloth for one of my grandkids.

Petra, the teddy bear looks absolutely adorable—you fall in love with it right away. I’d adopt that one in a heartbeat, too. The pattern on the headband looks great.

Andrea, such a cute bunny has come into the world thanks to you. It’s truly a very loving gift.

This morning, my cuddly bunnies were finished: the blue ones are a gift for the birth of our friends’ grandchild, and the red ones will stay with me until Easter, then they’ll hop over to our granddaughter Selina.



Oh Christina, they turned out so cute.

Now I need to pick up stitches from the edge... since the day before yesterday...
I didn’t knit a single stitch yesterday—I just didn’t feel like picking up the stitches... there are so many: the front, shoulder, and back...
But I cut out over 80 pieces of paper for a second dragon 🙈😇
and the head is almost finished being glued together.

Christina, your bunnies turned out absolutely adorable in blue and red. I’m also almost finished with my first shawl. I just had to get it on the needles for a bit in between other projects.

Steffi, you’re amazing—a second dragon!! Awesome, I admire your patience.
Picking up stitches from the edge... ahem... isn’t exactly my favorite thing either.

So, now I’m going to start thinking about what the sleeping bag for the little cutie should look like.

.....maybe one with bunnies 🐰🐰🐰.... Dear Monika????

Just ordered some paper.... Needed printer paper at 220g/m2.....
  that works best for crafting 🙈 but I can’t get it here, and I didn’t want to go to what feels like 100 stores.....
For me, crafting is very relaxing—listening to an audiobook on the side, with the cat curled up on my feet under a wool blanket 😇
I have this lovely little tray-table, so I can craft on the sofa.... I just have to make sure my cat doesn’t suddenly snatch my craft paper and run off—especially with the pre-folded pieces, since those are easier for him to “grab” 😲😂

We don’t have mice in the bird feeder here, but a tiny little one always climbs up the tree and chews through the net around the suet balls. My husband always wondered why those things kept falling down until he spotted the little mouse.

Christina, your cuddly bunnies turned out super cute!

Steffi, a second dragon—kudos for that.

Monika, after the little dog was unwrapped with a cry of “Oh, a little Frieda,” the big Frieda naturally came over to sniff around. She was just about to grab the little one, but her owner scolded her: “No, Frieda, don’t take it—just sniff it; that’s mine.” But to make it up to her, I had some treats in my jacket pocket. You can always lure Frieda with those. My boyfriend was super happy, and even my usually critical husband thought the little one was great and cute.

When the rain stopped at noon, we were still out in the garden—despite a light storm—trimming the spent hydrangea blooms, because they’re already budding like crazy. A hyacinth is already peeking out, and lots of crocuses are starting to pop up. The green of the grape hyacinths is growing vigorously.
Now the storm is really picking up.

Have a lovely evening.
Warm regards from the Altes Land.
Marlies

Hi everyone,

unfortunately, I’ve completely fallen behind due to COVID—but I really need to vent right now, so I’m going to unload it all on you. You’re strong; you can handle it :-) :-) :-)

Last weekend, my older daughter was allowed to invite three friends over for a sleepover to celebrate her birthday. The girls see each other at school and during their free-time activities anyway. On Sunday evening, one of the girls tested positive for COVID-19 at home. That means we’ve been in quarantine since Monday. On Monday, Lucy had a fever and was vomiting all day. On Monday night into Tuesday and throughout Tuesday, Nily had a fever and was vomiting. Both parents are working from home—exhausted, with one sick child and another who’s bored because she’s feeling better again but has no one to play with. By Wednesday, both kids were back on their feet and felt like they were on vacation. Too bad it’s not vacation but school, and that nice classmate is also kind enough to bring over the homework every day. Endless arguments—which is really tough because I’ve had a bad cough and a sore throat since Wednesday, and I’ve almost lost my voice. Then there’s filling out the contact tracing forms online—and of course, three times, one for each person. Today I got the first call from contact tracing (for Lucy, since she was tested a day before Nily and me), so I’ll probably get two more calls tomorrow.
In between, I placed an online grocery order, since none of us is allowed to leave the house. At least that service is available in Switzerland, even in rural areas. I’m already feeling stressed by all this, even though I’m doing relatively well. I wonder how someone lying half-dead in bed with a 40.5°C fever is feeling???

And now I’m getting back on track, because of course I’m happy and grateful that none of us is seriously ill. But I’ll be so glad when the quarantine is over and my girls can go back to school on Monday!!! ;-)

You’ve all been so busy crafting (that dragon turned out so cool, Steffi!), embroidering, and knitting, and you’ve created some enchanting things that have really delighted me :-)

Have a wonderful evening, everyone! I’m going to start my first stitches for today and already feel much more relaxed, ommmmmm :-)

Get well soon, Sonja.

Thanks, dear Josefa :-) After knitting two rows, I’m already feeling better—now I can happily fall into bed... Good night!

Good night

My ball of chain stitch yarn is on hold for now, since I haven’t really come up with anything I like yet.
Now I’m using up my leftover yarn.
It’s going to be a DF bookmark:

Oh, Sonja, hopefully this ordeal will be over soon! In any case, I hope you get well soon! Yes, my son said the same thing last Sunday: we’re really hoping that Nicolas can go back to preschool on Wednesday—then at least only Marc will be at home. After all, both parents are supposed to be working from home… From what I’ve heard, the little one is as lively as ever despite testing positive! Now we’re eagerly awaiting the latest updates over the weekend. In Zurich, the family has been spared so far—next week, even the youngest will be fully vaccinated and ready for the ski vacation.

Dear Sonja, get well soon to you and everyone else, and all the best.

No matter how careful we are, it can still happen and catch us off guard. I hope you can enjoy the weekend with your family and your knitting needles, and that you’ll feel better very soon. 

January 2022 Projects, Part 3: the Crazypatterns Craft Group
Enjoy the new thread.