August Projects 2022 + July Projects Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group

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September Projects + August Projects 2022, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group

Dear users, dear designers,
so here is Part 2 of the July projects.
You can read the earlier posts in the link.
July Projects 2022 and June Projects 2022, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group 
Have fun, everyone.

Marlene: The soul warmer looks really great.

That thing with your book project is so frustrating.

Monika: I’d also like to wish you all the best, belatedly. Glad to hear you had a great day. The bead gift is really cute.

We got back from the Harz Mountains on Saturday. It was lovely, and we did a lot of things.

I finished two little projects using leftover yarn:


These are candy jars. Just in case I ever need a last-minute gift.

Now I’m getting back to working on the dinosaur decorations for Anton’s birthday... September is coming up soon 🤣

Sandra, you really have some great ideas. They’re sure to be a big hit as gifts—and they can even be filled with other nice presents. Glad to hear you enjoyed your vacation. I love the Harz Mountains too. I used to go there often.

I’ve knitted another home for baby squirrels, which will go to the rehabilitators. It just needs to be felted. I used some swap yarn for it.

Sandra, the candy jars turned out beautifully again—they’re sure to be a hit.

Monika, you’ve been hard at work again and have made the squirrels a lovely, cozy little nest.

I’m still knitting a sweater; I’ll be able to show it to you soon. In the meantime, I just had to work on a little project, and I can already show you the result today. This is a great way to use up individual skeins.


Have a wonderful Friday! Best wishes,

Ines, your shawl packaging is both practical and decorative.

Sandra, I really like these unique candy jars. I enjoy giving them as gifts using the decoupage technique.

I’ve now crocheted some letters for myself. I have an exhibition coming up in October, and I’ll be hanging up my “PETRA” there. It’s a bit addictive, and they’re quick to crochet. 

Hi everyone,

all these endless UFOs were getting me down, so I finished Petra Perle’s wrap cardigan. I actually stopped on the second-to-last row—orrrrr. 
I need to be more disciplined in the future; working on a whim is getting completely out of hand here. Often I don’t even remember what I was trying to make in the first place if there isn’t a note with it. 

As for the granny square pants, I’m not even sure anymore if I should finish them… they’re all so incredibly warm. It feels like 58 degrees, and then putting on a pair of wool pants on top of that—phew!  

The cat liked the cardigan, too:  

Anja, that’s a really cool photo of you in that jacket. Aaaawesome!! You can be really proud of yourself for sticking with it.

Petra, those letters are a great idea, and they’re so versatile.

Ines, your tissue cover looks great, too.

I’ve started a new project from scratch and it’s almost done, but another one still needs a bit of work. I’m lacking the motivation right now to keep working on the second one, so I’ve started a third project. When it’s ready, I’ll show it to you.

For now, I hope you all have a wonderful summer day.

There are some great things to admire again!

Sandra, your candy jars are so funny! It’s nice to always have something homemade on hand as a little gift!

The squirrels will definitely feel right at home in your colorful swing, Monika! I think it’s great how you always think of the little rescue animals and make something for them.

Ines, the tissue box with the delicate bellflowers turned out really well! The colors would fit right in any bathroom.

Hi Petra, will you have gone through the whole alphabet soon? You can definitely create lots of great decorations with those pennants!

Your jacket turned out beautifully, too, Anja! I’m glad you stuck with it! And keep working on those pants, too—in the cold winter, when we can’t heat as much, you’ll definitely be glad you did ;-))

I can’t seem to get myself motivated for any big projects right now, so I’m just doing little things. Even though I have a ton of new ideas in my head...

Today I finished this dish sponge:

I’ve already got quite a collection by now. But I also find them super practical—since I have so many of them now, I always toss them in the washing machine after 1–2 loads of dishes. That way, I always have a hygienic dish sponge on hand.

You’re all so hard at work! You’ve conjured up a very special jacket, Anja! And your dishwashing fish, Ruth, immediately made me smile! I love these watercolor hues, and they’re a perfect fit for a fish! I definitely want one in my kitchen—someday!

Yes, Ruth, that’s really cute! I don’t like the feel of the yarn on my hands. It rubs against the skin! 

Thank you so much for your kind feedback ♡ 

Ruth, your fish looks absolutely adorable. I feel the same way as Anja. I don’t like working with sponge yarn.

It’s supposed to be a little rough, Anja—that’s why you use it as a scrub sponge or for washing dishes. I wouldn’t want to crochet a sweater or any other large piece with it either, but small items work great. It’s not that unpleasant when you’re crafting.
And the finished pieces are always decorative.

Good morning,

Anja—the jacket turned out great. It might be a little warm right now, but we’ll definitely need something warm in the winter, so keep working on the other projects too, smile.

Petra, I think the pennant idea is great—you can use them to decorate for all sorts of occasions.

Ruth, I’ve also used a lot of this sponge yarn—especially for dish sponges. I like them, and they add a personal touch to the kitchen. I’ve noticed there are two different qualities: one is a little softer, so I made bath sponges out of it once—though I only followed one pattern; the others were from a book that featured this yarn.I still have a bag full of this yarn—I really need to put some thought into what to do with it.

Right now I don’t have anything to show you; I’m working on two projects alternately. Unfortunately, I can only tinker with them sporadically at the moment, since I’m very busy with other personal matters.

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Yes, Ines, I think the softer sponge yarn is from Rellana, but it sheds quite a bit, at least when you’re working with it. I prefer Creative Bubble.

Ruth, I really like your sponges. I have some yarn like that in a drawer, too, but I’ve never tried it. I’m inspired....

I’ve crocheted a picture now. All that’s missing is the picture frame to go with it

Oh, how lovely Petra ♡

Wow, that picture looks great, Petra!

I think the crocheted picture is a lovely idea, Petra.

I’m fully immersed in my winter projects.
This time, it’s a knitted hat.

Marlene, I admire you: With this sweltering heat, you’re knitting cozy winter clothes! I really like the colors of the knitted hat—is that gradient yarn?

Yes, it’s gradient-colored yarn, Christina.

Fortunately, the yarn works up well despite the hot and humid weather.

Working on winter projects in this heat—wow! I couldn’t do that.

I still haven’t made any progress on the granny pants because I still think they’re too warm for summer (even cotton is too thick) and too cold for winter (the holes let the draft in). Something else I hadn’t considered… what do you wear underneath them? You can see everything. Oh man… maybe I’ll pick up my needles again and make another one of those great wrap jackets.

I saw that I still had a pattern I’d never made (one of many) and started a soul warmer. Phew, that’s going to be a lot of work. I’m knitting with acrylic yarn from a 400 g big ball—I’d even ordered two of them at one point. Why on earth did I do that? Always that fear that there won’t be enough in the end, and then you end up with leftovers. And if you calculate too tightly, there isn’t enough. How do you even do it, pffffff.....

It’s finally cooled down here. Wonderful! 18 degrees outside. What did I do? First, I turned on the heating pad for my tense back—I couldn’t do that at 38 degrees; I would’ve melted. The heat doesn’t do the muscles any good—it just wrecks your circulation.
I drink and drink, and run to the bathroom nonstop. Unfortunately, I’m never thirsty. So I chug 2–2.5 liters. If I don’t do that, I get a headache and feel dizzy. How do you guys handle the heat? 

I’m drinking plenty and have my feet in cold water.
The curtains are drawn, and the blinds—where I have them—are partially lowered.
I don’t want to lower them all the way, though, because otherwise I won’t be able to take pictures of the little birds:

The heat outside is getting to me, too. Sometimes I’m inside my room at noon; it’s not even comfortable in the shade under the trees.

Yesterday there was a storm with a little rain, but temperatures are now a nice 22 degrees this morning.

Marlene, has the whisk idea worked well for the fat balls?

Very good indeed, Petra :)
The dumplings can easily be replaced there.

Marlene, you shouldn’t feed suet balls in the summer—they’re too greasy and aren’t good for the little birds in this heat. Google it. They need protein-rich food right now. Yeah, I know, in this heat insects are scarce and they’re hungry, but it’s definitely not good for them. Basically, they don’t want the fat anyway—they want what’s embedded in it—and you can feed them that separately.  

Otherwise, I’m feeling a bit frustrated with the pattern right now. I bought one full of enthusiasm, started right away, and now it doesn’t fit. I don’t understand it at all—I even used a larger crochet hook. Maybe it’s because of my voluminous upper arms. Now I’ve started over and am adapting the pattern, hoping that my experience will be enough so I can finally get my arms into the sleeves. However, I suddenly lost my motivation because I had to start over. It wasn’t until after I’d started over that it occurred to me I could have crocheted in a gusset at the end. Darn. Well, now I’ve started over and keep thinking to myself, “You could already be on the second part.” My frustration tolerance isn’t very high when it comes to stuff like this.
I wanted to use up some leftover yarn with this project and, while I was at it, found a tunic I’d started that looks great with this pattern, but it’s such painstaking work—I don’t think I’ll ever finish it. I don’t like it when I have to constantly crochet or knit from a chart. It’s so stressful. I know some of you like these challenges—I don’t. Often, I lose my notes or the row counter goes missing, and I can’t remember where I was. 

I have dumplings for year-round feeding, Anja.
They won’t touch the loose feed.

You’ll be seeing more of the glittery yarn.
I bought a total of 600 g of it.

Great colors for the hat. I like them

Thanks, Petra :)

Now Lisa wants a big, wide scarf made from this yarn.
I’m going to knit it in mock brioche stitch.

I’ve cast on a sweater for myself. I’m curious to see how it turns out—it’s knitted from just one big rectangle. 

Wow, some beautiful things have been created here again. Since our internet connection has been acting up for a few days and is very unstable, I’ve only been here sporadically. Uploading was practically impossible.

Marlene, your knitted hat looks great with the gradient yarn, and so does the pattern.

Anja, I’d also prefer to knit a soul warmer. As for the pants, I guess that’s a matter of taste.
I’m managing the heat just fine by drinking plenty of fluids. That’s important, too—otherwise you get a headache—even I do.
I’m keeping the blinds on the sunny side half-closed, and I might turn on the fan.

Petra, your sweater looks like a lot of work. And with such warm yarn, too!

I’ve started a project as well—this time, a hat for myself made with alpaca yarn. I’m almost in the same boat as Anja; somehow, I lose my enthusiasm after the first ball of yarn. But I’m going to keep going anyway and see what it turns out to be in the end. Here’s the beginning:




And I have something else to show you—my little covers for the glasses. Now insects like wasps and the like, as well as leaves, don’t stand a chance, and we can relax and enjoy a drink outside in the garden.




I’ve also finally finished another home for squirrels in care. It’s now felted and ready to be sent off.




The next project is almost done, too—I’ll show it to you soon. Plus, the bag for Juna is almost finished as well. I just need to embroider it. For some reason, I’d lost my motivation for that, too. As soon as it’s done, I’ll post a picture.

Oh gosh Monika, those little covers are amazing! Great idea!!! I have either those silicone discs for putting on glasses or plastic circles for when you want to drink with a straw. However, neither the reusable plastic straws nor the glass ones fit through the hole. I was already so annoyed, but those little covers are a MEGA idea! I can just leave a hole in the middle for the straws. Oh yes, and with the silicone discs the drink tastes strange after a while (like the way the silicone smells, yuck). 

Otherwise, I'm on vacation right now; today the first week is over. I love just drifting through the day and doing everything however I feel like. I wanted to do more exercises, but in this heat... phew... I'm glad if my circulation doesn't give out as it is. So I read, crochet or knit, do a bit of yoga (while 2 fans blow on me at the same time). Earlier I played rummy with my daughter and realized once again that I'm really clumsy at holding playing cards. I'm going to treat myself to a card holder to take the strain off my hands. Or I listen to an audiobook while crafting. 

Don't let the wasps sting you! One got me 3 weeks ago. 

Inspired by Monika: 

Yeah, that’s great, Anja, that you put the idea into action right away. It looks fantastic. And yes, it’s a good idea to leave a hole in there for the straw.

You’ve got a great daily routine. Playing Romé—that’s another great idea. We also enjoy playing games, and we love being able to plan our own day. Retirement certainly has its perks, which we really enjoy.

Thanks, Moni :)

Oh yeah, wasp stings are nasty, Anja.

Let’s see how long it takes me to finish Lisa’s scarf—she’d like it as a birthday present.
Since the pattern repeats every two rows, I’ll probably squeeze in a project or two in between so I don’t get too bored.

Anja, your glass cover turned out beautifully—it’s pure summer vibes.

Be careful with that sting so it doesn’t get infected. My husband was stuck doing nothing for a week after a single sting—his hand was so swollen and red. And always keep an eye out for signs of blood poisoning. The insects are so toxic these days that getting stung is very dangerous. 

Monika,  Anja: Your covers look great. I still have so many ideas for Anton's birthday that I want to make first, and by then wasp season will probably be over🙄

Monika: Your homes for the squirrels turned out great again too

Anja: get well soon 
Steffi: Hope you feel better soon too
Can you crochet again by now?

Anton is invited to a birthday party on Saturday, and I crocheted a candy jar. 
It's a police party

We saw a mandala in a yarn shop in Holland that my husband(!) really liked. I tried fitting it into a hula hoop (80 cm), but it’s missing 9 rounds.
Now I’m making it again in different colors that my husband picked out, in its original size. I’ll wait to buy the hoop until it’s finished so it fits this time. The “small” one shown here is going in my craft room; the large one is meant for the living room.

That’s awesome! How did you attach it? I saw these mandalas on TV once. Ballack’s ex-wife apparently makes them for her VIP friends.
But you’d have to crochet a huge one for that—phew.
I’ve got two hula hoops lying around here, too... 

I’ve also managed to finish something again: 5 forest creatures as finger puppets:

Ruth, your hand-knitted figures are so cute. You really captured the little forest animals well. I also love the mix of materials.

I lost a stitch... somewhere around the 142 cm mark.... But since the yarn is so hard to work with, I hope the stitch doesn’t run away from me 

@ Everyone I’d like to give you all a big shout-out for all the beautiful things you’ve been crafting lately! I’m always amazed.

Petra, have you tried carefully pulling at it while it’s spread out to see if the dropped stitch might become visible? Then you could secure it. It worked for me.

Best regards, Marlies

You’ve all been very busy again, despite the heat. You’ve created some really beautiful pieces, even some models for winter already.

I haven’t been doing much lately—no time, or sometimes simply not in the mood.
I got to test-crochet the little hats for glasses for Monika. They’re very practical and quick to make.
Here’s the picture of them.


I also have something else to show you. My summer top is finally finished, so I can still wear it now in this warm weather.


I’m already looking forward to seeing the next things you’ll be sharing here.


Have a lovely week, everyone, and have fun with whatever you’re up to.

Wow, you’ve all been busy again!

Sandra, you always have great ideas for kids’ birthday parties. You could easily turn that into a business idea. The police-themed glass—you’d have to think of that first. That’s a really cool piece.

Mel, that mandala looks amazing—especially on such a huge scale. But something that big takes a lot of patience and hard work.

Ruth, you never seem to run out of ideas for such little things. The finger puppets are absolutely adorable once again.

Petra, oh dear—with that yarn, and then you dropped a stitch. That’s not as easy as it looks. It’s certainly pretty to wear something like that, but knitting it...? No, thanks. I haven’t had the best experiences with that.

Marion, your glass covers turned out beautifully. Thanks for test-knitting them. :) We use them all the time. No wasp or anything else stands a chance.
Your top looks absolutely amazing. The colors aren’t really my style, but the pattern—very elegant. You can still put it to good use, since summer’s going to stick around for a while.


I practiced unraveling my work again. I’d already finished crocheting a hat for myself, and then I didn’t like it at all. So… I unraveled the whole thing. And that was really tedious with pure alpaca wool because it kept getting caught. I realized in the process that I much prefer knitting to crocheting, at least for larger projects.

Still, I did finish something. I dressed my doll babies in cute little summer hats. They look so adorable in them. The pattern is in the works and should be ready by the weekend.

Oh, those little doll hats are just adorable! ♡♡♡

I still have my kids’ dolls up in the attic… I’ll have to go take a look sometime.

Marion the top and little hats turned out really well too. I think I’ll make some myself. 

I haven’t started my second mandala yet; I still need to crochet a shawl first, and I’ve decided on the “Semplice” by Krea_Tina because it’s simple but still beautiful. I’m crocheting it in two colors using sock yarn, which will also help me chip away at my sock yarn stash just a tiny bit.

Hi everyone, you’ve all been really busy again.

Monika: the little hats look great.

I just took a little break from crocheting to make the invitation cards for Anton’s birthday. They turned out to be dinosaur heads. But I forgot to take a picture of them, and then I also made a dinosaur toss game:

Wow, great idea Sandra.

I fell head over heels in love with a super cute cat pillow on Pinterest. As always, I’m working in parallel, only to realize that I don’t like how the granny squares are turning out. So, four hours of crocheting down the drain, grrrrr! Oh well, one granny square is done—now I’ll have a coffee and do a few stretches. My back and my thumb.... owwww 

Sandra, you always have great ideas for birthdays. It’s going to be another great party for Anton and his friends.

Anja, your cat granny square looks funny. 

Sandra, I really admire your creativity when it comes to kids’ birthday parties. Wouldn’t that be a good business idea for you? Since you enjoy it so much, I could definitely see that happening. There’s certainly plenty of demand. It’s really lovely what you’re preparing for Anton’s birthday.

How cute is that, Anja! Congratulations on sticking with it. The granny square is already turning out great.

My hat is almost finished—it’s going to be a very simple one. Since I only have thick hats, this one will be a regular thin one made of alpaca yarn (from a yarn swap). At the same time, I’m also finishing the bag for Juna (motivation, where are you...). And for Linja’s first day of school, I’ve started a counting chain. When it’s done, I’ll show it to you all.

Have a great weekend, everyone. We’re going to a fish barbecue at some friends’ house tomorrow.

Anja, your jar lids turned out really cute, too. I also like your cat granny square—is that going to be a pillow, or is it a one-of-a-kind piece?

Sandra, you’re being very creative again. The dinosaur game is a great idea and will definitely be a lot of fun at the birthday party. 

Nope, nope, these are going to be several cat grannies. I’ve made two more, but now my thumbs and back are giving out. 

Your granny squares turned out great, Anja. Your cat is clearly good for you if you’re already incorporating her into your granny squares. I’m so happy for you.

So, now I can show off my hat, which I knitted from swap yarn. It’s a very simple one that I can wear as a beanie or as a hat with a rolled brim.

Uh, yarn prices have already gone up, too. At my discount store (which sells Gründl yarn), every single skein across the board is 50 cents more expensive.

I’m still working on the cat granny squares—I’m making a long pillow with just 8 squares; a big one would need 16—no way! Just one more cat to crochet, then three cats to embroider, and the prep work will be done. Then I’ll crochet them all together, and for the back I’ll make two large granny squares—and then it’ll be done.

How do you guys handle pillowcases when it comes to washability and taking them off? With buttons? Ties? A zipper (does that even work with crocheted items)?

Hopefully fall will be here soon—I’m so over this heat. All this constant sweating. I don’t even know if my hot flashes have gotten better or if I just don’t notice them because I’m sweating constantly...? 

If you add a washable pillow, you can wash them together. On my last pillow, I sewed on buttons.

After the letters come numbers..... 

Petra that takes forever to dry... I tried that once with owl granny squares. It didn’t even dry in the dryer—it took days! 

So, today I’m working on two things: continuing the cat pillow and working on the French knitting rug. I really got into the latter while on vacation, but it’s an incredibly labor-intensive project! 

You can also make an envelope closure. 

So many great things have been created again :)

My first dishcloth is finished.

Anja, I’m doing the pillows the same way as Petra. Otherwise, I’ll fold over one side and sew buttons on it. I’ve made sewn pillows just by folding them over like that without a closure. It works great. Maybe that’s the “hotel closure”?

Marlen, your dishcloth has a beautiful pattern—it could also be a coaster or a doily.

I don’t have anything to show yet. I’m going to start a tunic soon—I bought the pattern here at bunte-fussel. It just caught my eye. And since I unfortunately couldn’t find any suitable yarn in my stash, I bought two skeins in my favorite colors from her shop yesterday. I’m really looking forward to it and will finally get started on it.

For now, I’m finishing up the counting chain for Linja’s first day of school and a few more glass coasters. Because mine keep getting snatched away from me. :)

For Linja’s first day of school, I found two books in my swap group that she’ll definitely like. She loves the Conni books. These ones will be hers to keep as a keepsake. She can write in them, draw, and paste pictures herself. Since she loves crafts, this will surely be something special. These are the books:

Those are such pretty books, shaped like “school cones.” I would have loved something like that as a child too. I haven’t seen anything like that before. She’ll definitely be delighted.

The knitted dishcloth looks very pretty.

Anja, I use buttons or a zipper.

Thanks, Moni :)
Versatility is always a plus.

I’m tinkering with something new again—something to use up leftover yarn.

I’m trying my hand at a snowflake.

I finally finished something today for my granddaughters.

For Linja’s first day of school, I crocheted a “math snail” (math chain). I found these letters in my swap group, so I was able to personalize it right away.



The bag for Juna is also finished. She’ll get a patch with her name on it—I ordered that through my swap group.




And I also crocheted a little summer hat for Juna’s doll.

Well, now I've fallen in love again. For one thing, with a pattern, as I've already written. But also at the same time with two Bobbels from bunte-fussel. One of them is already in progress for the tunic.

Here are the two Bobbels when they arrived. They were packaged so lovingly, it was like Christmas unpacking them.



And here is the tunic I've started. You can't tell from this little piece, but I spent hours on it. I had to pay very close attention to the pattern—partly because of the threads, and partly because of the stitch pattern. The picot edge wasn't exactly easy either. But I think the result will be worth it. I'm really excited to see how the color gradient turns out. It already feels very good. And yes, it's going to be a labor of patience. No turbo knitting here; that just won't work for this.

Hi Monika, you’ve picked out a really nice color for your tunic.
You’re right, it doesn’t knit up quite that fast.
I’ve gotten through the worst of it by now; I’m working on the sleeve now.

Mine looks like this.
By the way, it’s pretty funny that we both chose the same design with matching yarn at almost the same time.😂

Mine looks like this now.




I hope you have fun, and I wish everyone here a wonderful weekend.

Wow, Marion, you’ve come so far!!! I’m amazed! That looks great! I’m just starting the second pattern section now. I’ll have to pay close attention again. With the increases, I actually have one stitch too few in the round—I’ll have to squeeze it in somewhere now, otherwise the pattern won’t work. It’s a bit complicated to space out the increases so that it fits. How do you figure that out?

Yeah, I think it’s funny, too, that we both fell in love with the same design. Now that I see your color choices, I really like it that way, too, of course.

I wish you all here a wonderful weekend!

Marion and Monika, once the tunics are finished, we’d love to see and compare photos of you wearing them! :-))

Ruth, I promise a picture of the finished piece will come later, though it’ll take a while.
I’m just starting on the sleeve now, but it’ll get easier from here on out. 

I’ll post a picture too, but it’s still going to take a while. First, I have to finish the lace pattern at the top—phew! I have to be extremely careful and keep count. I can’t just do it casually like I usually do—that won’t work at all here.

It just takes patience, and it’s really fun.

I’ve also started a knitting project. I’m making a scarf with an illusion pattern for my daughter—the Munich skyline. It involves a lot of counting, too.

Hi everyone,

I forgot to check the notification box again, orrrr.

Haha, funny that you two have the same two patterns, Monika&Marion. You’ll definitely stay on track if you spur each other on. 
How about tandem knitting as an idea? You post in the forum which project you’re currently working on and who else is working on it (or would like to), and then you could show each other how far along you are—as a little incentive? 

I still have to crochet one side of my cat pillow cover together and maybe add some buttons. I was making such good progress, but as always, my motivation left me on the very last stitches. Bummer. 

Last night I actually dreamed about a cardigan I’d started and wanted to continue working on it today. But while searching through about 20 boxes, another old project got in the way, so I got stuck on that and am continuing with it. It’s a similarly labor-intensive project, kind of like your tunics. I’d already knitted my pattern once, and because I liked it so much, I cast on another one in a different color—but then I lost interest (BECAUSE it’s an insanely labor-intensive project requiring a lot of PATIENCE). Okay, next attempt. 

Petra how far along are you with your rectangle sweater? It sounds like I might like it. Will you show pictures soon? 

Anja, my mannequin is currently wearing my sweater. I stuck to the specified length of 145 cm and sewed the whole thing together using circular needles. I’m not entirely convinced yet. Since I wasn’t immediately thrilled with it, it’s been sitting in the corner for at least two weeks now. I’ll post pictures as soon as I know what I want it to look like in the end. 

A joined rectangle—I can’t picture that at all right now, except for joining it at the cast-on edge and the bind-off edge. But then there wouldn’t be any armholes, would there? I don’t get it.

I forced myself to finish the cactus pillow today.
The front was crocheted with a size 4 hook, but I somehow misplaced it and crocheted the back with a 3.5 hook. Now I’m not happy with it because it would’ve looked better with the thinner hook, hmpf. Oh well, I’m not going to rip it out and start over.

Anja: I think your pillow is fun and colorful 

Monika, Marion, I’m really excited to see your tunic.

There will be a dinosaur excavation at Anton’s birthday party. The bones were finished yesterday 




I still have one or two ideas for games ... let’s see what else comes up 

Anja, I like your pillow—it looks so cheerful. I like the big, cuddly cat best.

Sandra, you always have such great ideas. The bones are so original again. Did you use a pattern
and what are they made of? It’s sure to be exciting for the birthday.

Petra, I’m also looking forward to seeing your sweater. 

Sandra, you have great ideas and are doing so much to make the birthday one-of-a-kind. Digging up dinosaur bones... Awesome. Were they cast? 

Anja, even though I’m not a cat person, your pillow is great. Your cats look so colorful and funny. It would make a nice gift for my friend. I’ll have to remember that idea. 

This is what my sweater looks like right now. The arms will go through where the circles are. According to the pattern, it’s probably too tight for me. So I’m not closing the seam quite as far. It’s too loose at the top around the neck; it keeps slipping down too far. I’ll probably close the seam a bit more toward the neck. Or I might knit a ribbed band. We’ll see. 

Well, the first cat (top left) looks more like a hamster—that was my first attempt, hehe. Yeah, it’s colorful; I tried to use up some leftover yarn, but there were only weird colors left…

Hunting for dino bones! What a wonderful idea!! Hopefully you’ll remember where they’re all buried, so dinosaurs don’t start growing there ;-) Sandra.

Petra, I understand your problem with the fit. Two rectangles would probably be easier to handle in terms of fit. 
I’m sure you’ll manage it. 

How are you all doing? Are you also escaping into the world of crafts with all the horrible stuff going on in the world? 

Once again, I’m in awe of your creations.
At the moment, I’m knitting on and off on Lisa’s scarf and a new dishcloth.

Monika, which tunic are you knitting? I’ve seen so many great patterns on bunte-fussel that really catch my eye. I’ve had a few on my wish list for a while now. Someday I’ll probably be able to decide on one…

Ruth, I’m really looking forward to seeing your scarf. I think illusion knitting is absolutely beautiful. So far, though, I’ve only dabbled in it a little. I think I really need to clone myself after all... ;-)

Anja, it’s really great when two people are knitting the same project. It’s so nice to chat about it. You’re already dreaming about unfinished projects?? Oh dear, you poor thing! It’s on your mind more than you realize.
Your pillow looks aaaamazing! So beautifully colorful and with the cats on the front. Your kitty seems to like it, too. That furry friend is clearly good for you. If I could, I’d throw a round of applause for your perseverance. You can be proud of that.
Escape into the world of crafts? Nah, I don’t need that. Everything’s going great for me right now. Most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing my two granddaughters again soon after such a long time.

Petra, now I can picture your sweater better. I can understand why you’re stuck. Sometimes I feel exactly the same way. Especially when things don’t turn out the way I imagined.

Sandra, how cute! A dinosaur dig—what a great idea! And then homemade—maybe crocheted (??)—bones, too. I’m cracking up… You really have a talent for organizing kids’ birthday parties. You’re the absolute best at that.

Christina, we’re both knitting the Aosta tunic. It was love at first sight. But I’ve also got others on my wish list that aren’t quite as complicated.

Well, last night I was completely busy carefully unraveling two rounds (240 sts) because I’d made mistakes counting. Two rounds because I also lost a stitch along the way. Goodness, I really needed patience for that. And on top of that, with that 3-ply yarn! I’m really only making slow progress because I have to pay such close attention when counting. Once I get past that part, it’ll get easier. To be honest, I’m already looking forward to it.

The tunic is definitely worth it, though. The yarn is a real dream. I’ll probably use the second skein I ordered for my next tunic. This could actually be addictive... I have a few on my wish list. It’s really not going to be an easy decision. But for now, I want to finish knitting the one I’m working on. It’s going to look gorgeous with these colors, too. I’m a little envious of Marion that she’s already so far along.

Have a wonderful week, everyone, and take care.

Ugh Monika, knitting back is even worse to me than unraveling. Especially that many sts as you, argh! 

I downloaded a wonderful pattern for a cardigan, raglan, and I'm more than surprised that it's knitted in separate pieces. Such nonsense, when raglan in particular can be knitted so nicely in one piece. I'm sad. Such a beautiful design and then this. I hate sewing or crocheting pieces together. Yuck! 😥

Oh dear, Anja, I wouldn’t feel like doing that either. Wasn’t that mentioned in the shop description? I love raglan sleeves because there’s nothing to sew there.

It wasn’t here; it was from a yarn manufacturer. It didn’t cost anything anyway, so no big deal. But the pattern was just great—I could already picture myself in it… However, I also found the same pattern as a paid pattern. Burda is seriously charging 7 euros for it. I’m so glad I found it for free. 
I just wasn’t aware in general that you can also knit raglan in separate pieces.

By the way, I practiced for a loooong time until I finally mastered that pesky Frankfurt knot, and over the weekend I saw a short video on Pinterest showing how eeeasy it is. That’s the only way I’m doing it now—I wish I’d seen that video years ago! 

I love the Frankfurt knot, too. So far, it’s never come undone—though I was a bit worried at first

There’s also a really great, simple video on YouTube for the Frankfurt knot. But who knows—maybe there’s an even easier way.

Anja, did you happen to come across a pattern for “raglan from the bottom”? I’ve knitted that way before, but I much prefer it from the top.

No, Monika, it’s actually divided into the front, back, and sleeves, and at the end it says to sew all the pieces together.   

Oh my goodness, Anja, I really don’t understand why it has to be that way.

The hat is now finished.
There are also fingerless gloves / short arm warmers made using the same pattern.

Marlene, I love the hat—everything about it. The matching wrist warmers are great. That color combination would be my choice, too.

I’m going to keep knitting my tunic now. I’ve gotten really motivated and want to get to the start of the armholes today.

Have a great day, everyone.

Hi there, I’m chiming in again today—COVID-19 had us in its grip for a while, but except for my mom, we’re all feeling better now, and we’re hoping she’ll pull through this too.

I’ve been reading along here more or less sporadically, and I have to say, you’ve all been so hard at work—so many beautiful things have been created again.

Monika and Marion, your tunics are sure to turn out beautifully; we’ve already gotten a little glimpse of Marion’s.
But all the other projects are lovely, too.

Sandra, the idea with the dinosaur bones is wonderful—I’m sure the kids had a blast at the birthday party, and no one got bored.

I’d also like to show you my finished sweater today—since it’s quite thin, I knitted it with 3/4-length sleeves, and the little basket is for my friend’s bathroom; she loves blue.


Here’s the pattern zoomed in a bit.





Right now I’m busy finishing up a blanket—it’s an autumn-themed table topper—and I already have an idea in mind for Advent, but that still needs to simmer a bit, especially since my household chores have fallen a little behind this past week.

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the week.

You’ve all conjured up some amazing things again.

Sandra, where do you always get these great ideas for kids’ birthday parties? I’m constantly amazed.

Anja/Monika: I’m currently at war with raglan sleeves—both top-down and bottom-up. It’s sitting in the basket for now until it starts to annoy me again that I can’t get it right.

We were invited to a 70th birthday party. Five years ago, I crocheted “Grandpa Rolf.” This time, there was a birthday cake.

     


His partner's birthday was the next day, and she received something “sweet,” nicely wrapped.





Best wishes and get well soon to everyone who’s sick
Marlies

Thanks, Moni :)
The yarn is available in other color combinations—but I thought this one was the best fit for winter.

I have a hard time imagining a raglan started from the bottom for myself, since I’m broad but, because of my short back, I get along better with RVO, Marlies.

Hey everyone, checking in again.... 
Now I can finally find some peace and quiet to do my crafts—the roof is on, the gables are clad, and there are no more contractors running around the house or up on the roof.... I didn’t even know where I could sit without someone walking past the window.... 
@Anja, I guess some designer wanted to come up with something “new”—raglan with a seam.... I’m trying to imagine how they plan to knit that so it actually looks like raglan.... 

You’ve all knitted and crocheted such beautiful things again, and the idea with the dinosaur bones is a total hit... 

Last night I got the “cabled circle” off the needles. Knitting it wasn’t a problem, 68 stitches in back-and-forth rows, but sewing it together with Kitchener stitch 😝
....and it turned out way too big, too—it’s supposed to be the back of a cardigan... I’m not even that wide. 
Maybe I’ll knit a blanket out of it; I’ve got plenty of yarn 😁

I washed and blocked it today.... to see just how big it actually is.... 52 cm in diameter, a whole 8 cm too big....
Now, time for a ☕

“Raglan with Seam 2” isn’t really anything new. This was mainly knitted in the past, back when people didn’t work with circular needles as much. Back then, it was more practical to have smaller sections on (straight) needles, which were then sewn together at the end. “Raglan” simply means that the sleeves don’t end in a round cap, but have straight seams. You see this in sewing, too.

I was familiar with seamed raglans. It was new to me that you can also knit them from the top down.
I don’t think I particularly like either method, but I’m not giving up yet.

I love your braided circle, Steffi :)

It’s not knitted from the top down, but from the bottom up.

The Rolf cake is a blast—I’m still laughing. The curlers, the bust! 😂

...so "raglan" doesn’t refer to the knitting technique but to the "cut/style"? ??
Learned something new again 😇
Thanks to the "cable circle" pattern, I’ve now also "learned" that there’s a duplicate stitch for knit stitches and one for purl stitches.... I only knew "one" of them before, but I don’t really like either of them.....

Marlies.... Your cake is amazing.... 

Ines, I’d like that little basket, too.

Steffi, the circle with the cables—I love it!

Marlies, his gifts—great. I’m sure they were a big hit. 

I’m working on a different kind of craft project today—the second coat of primer sealer in my little cottage. It’s finally not so hot today. 

Yeah, Petra, and then there were always those furtive moments when someone wanted to peek under a bra but didn’t dare… that was pretty funny.

Wow, Ines, I’m thrilled with your sweater—especially the pattern! It looks great. The little basket is very pretty, too. It’s amazing what a bow and some ruffles can do.

Marlies, that raglan is really easy. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough. And then it’ll fly off the needles—you’ll see. Your crocheted cakes and the cute packaging—wow, those are masterpieces! And they’re fun, too. What a highlight for a birthday!

Steffi, your braided circle is a massive project—it definitely looks great. I can totally picture it as a blanket, too.

Petra, you have such a pretty little house; it looks very cozy.

I want to knit my tunic up to the sleeve tonight—I got quite a bit done in the garden. I’ll probably show you the progress so far tomorrow. The colors are absolutely gorgeous; I’m really thrilled with the color gradient.

Here’s the new thread:
September Projects + August Projects 2022, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group