February Projects 2023: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group

Here’s the new thread:
February Projects 2023, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group 



Dear users, dear authors,
here’s the new thread.
You can read the earlier posts via the link.
February Projects + January Projects 2023: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group. 
Have fun with it. 

Now I’m hooked, too. I love granny squares—those little square units are addictive. Casting on—great! I hate sewing them on. I’ll have to see if there’s a Karl jacket, too; with my hot flashes, I can’t wear a sweater. 

Anja, the author, also has a jacket—just take a look....

Monika, thanks—that’s great! You’re letting us see the work you’ve started, and it really makes me want to get started right away.
I’m going to finish my two smaller projects first, and then I’ll go for it. 

Hihi, I think it’s really funny that Karl fever has broken out here. :)) And I’m also amazed at how many of you have already noticed it.

We can knit Karl tunics together here, each of us using different colors. Awesome!
Once I’m done, I’m going to treat myself to Karl No. 4 as well. Take a look at it—it looks really great.

I’m about to start the second big piece, and tomorrow I’ll keep knitting on the color challenge on the side.

I admire all the Karls. They’re just something different. You can play with colors and use up leftover yarn. I’m looking forward to seeing your photos. Maybe I’ll get carried away too 

Yes, Petra, I also think it’s something completely different. I’ll definitely knit a Karl out of leftover sock yarn, too. For now, I’m working on one for the summer.

It would be great if you could join in, too.

I’m leaning more toward Karl No. 2. 
I’ve actually knitted something like that before, as a scarf. 
But this is going to be a mammoth project. You hard workers will pull it off again, and I... 😐

I really need to finish my long coat, otherwise it’ll be summer again. 

I’m really curious to see your “Karls.” In the pattern, it’s much too colorful for me...
Monika, I’m curious about your color combination, about how the colors work together.... 
I started knitting a jacket ages ago that was also knitted in Granny squares. I could already wear it as a vest; the sleeves are still missing, and I was sure I’d finished one and started the second. But I can only find the one I started. 😕 I’d still have enough yarn 🤔 but first I need to finish the blanket...... 
Round 110 😁 By now I can cover my legs and crochet on it at the same time.... 

"on the sofa" 😇

After all, Karl is “only” two-colored. 


This is supposed to become a jacket someday.... 

Wow! Awesome, Steffi 😍😍😍 This is exactly what I’m looking for—better than a sweater for hot flashes. Where did you get the patterns, please?

Wow, that jacket is great. Awesome color combo. Yeah, I could definitely see it working as a sleeveless version, too. 

Dear Andrea,

I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to you in our group. It’s great to have you here now as the creator of the Karls. As you can see, many people here are enthusiastic about them. That seems to be very contagious. :)

Best regards to you and everyone here
Monika

@ Anja..... the pattern is actually only available in a book.... you can’t get it separately (at least I haven’t found it separately). The book is called
“Knit the Colors of Australia”
“Swing, Swagger, Drape” by Jane Slicer-Smith. ....
Maybe you’ll have better luck with your search.

 Hi Andrea, it’s great to have you here....

Since you’re all mentioning Karl here, I took a look too. These are really something different. I’m curious to see what color combinations you’ll come up with.

I’m actually still working on crocheting a nativity scene and using up my old acrylic yarns. I can show you a king today.

Wow, 25 euros for the book. No way!

Steffi, that vest—or jacket later on—looks interesting, too.

It’s great, Andrea, that you found your way here. I had to grab some yarn from you today, and I’ve got my materials ready for the cardigan—that’ll be my TV companion, since I won’t be working on my own patterns then.
I’m also curious to see the different color combinations. I myself opted for a combination of gradient yarn and matching solid colors; I was able to use yarn I already had in stock for both. 

Wow, Ines, you’ve snagged a Karl too! Awesome! So it looks like each of us “Karl addicts” will be knitting a different version. So exciting! I just can’t stop—the second big patch is already taking shape. It’s almost like a new toy for me that I can’t put down. And I find it very relaxing to follow a pattern for a change instead of just designing my own.

Claudia, it’s great to have you back here after such a long time. I’m so happy about that!

Steffi, your vest looks great. Is it going to be a jacket after all? I really like that zigzag pattern at the bottom. I’ll probably do something similar on my Karl. Your blanket is looking great, too. You really get through a lot of stitches.

Claudia, I’m really looking forward to seeing more nativity scene figures.

I’m also excited to see lots of patchwork photos. Please post often so I stay motivated, too. 😊

Claudia, I also think your nativity scene figures turned out absolutely fantastic. You’ve got quite a bit planned before Christmas.

Anja, you’ll be seeing lots of patchwork photos from me in the future. I just bought Karl 4 and 5. I just couldn’t decide, so I got both. It’s a ton of fun, I’m telling you. Precisely because the pieces are always small, it stays interesting and exciting.

Have a productive and lovely evening with your needles clacking away.

I knitted an MP as a patch:

Oh, it looks like a highly contagious disease has broken out—Karlitis (or Karl fever). Since I couldn’t picture what a knitted Karl would look like at all, I did a quick Google search. Wow, what a riot of colors! Well, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight, but maybe your creations will inspire me to give it a try someday—just a little less colorful. My patchwork sweater is going to be much more subdued—if it ever gets finished! Right now, I’m in the middle of a sock craze: On Sunday, I discovered the Gum Gum pattern and, of course, had to try it out right away—it’s great for using up my many leftover yarn scraps! And today I stumbled upon the Patch Socks by appelino… I definitely need at least four hands—and ideally a second head as well…

Yeah, Christina, you’re right. Sometimes I’d love to clone myself, too. Somehow I’m always running out of time. What you’re planning sounds really exciting, too. I’ll have to look it up right away. I’m just fascinated by this “piece-by-piece knitting.” Of course, you can do that in a single color, too. I just saw a picture in the gallery of a set—a top and skirt (Karla and ...) in blue with a splash of color on the side. It looks great.

Anja, what’s an “MP”? If you can do that, you can knit Karl, too. It’s knitted with relatively thin needles (size 3), though. Maybe it’ll work with thicker yarn, too. I’m going to try that out myself.

My second patch is definitely coming along. I’d like to start on the next section tomorrow.

Monika, I knitted a “Ministerpräsident.” No, just kidding: a gauge swatch. I thought that was a common abbreviation. 

Yuck, thin needles! I converted my pattern from 3 mm needles to 4 mm needles, and even those are still too thin for me. If I start again, it’ll definitely be 5 mm needles. 

So here’s a big patch (and I hope I converted it correctly); I’d like to finish it today and start knitting the second one. 
I 

I’m curious to see which “Karls” show up here in the forum.
It seems to be catching on.

I’ve finished the second king; things are going pretty well right now.

Oh wow, Anja, that was quick! You’ve already finished a second patch. Thanks for the clarification (MP). I really should have thought of that myself.

Claudia, you’re really on the ball, too. The second king looks great as well. It’s great to have you back here.

Well, now you’ve got me hooked on your “Karlitis” too, and I’ve bought the pattern for Karl No. 4! I just need to decide which yarn to use. 

Well then, I wish you all the best of luck. And you’ll see—Karl knitting goes by in a flash and never gets boring. I promise ✌️ 

Oh Ruth, I’m so glad to hear that. Believe me, it’s a really wonderful and exciting addiction. And it’s truly fun. Karl No. 4 is still going on my needles too. But first, I have to finish No. 1.

I’m really curious to see what yours will look like.

It’s going to be a lot of fun here, and I’m sure there will be plenty of colorful creations to see soon.

Littlecherry, why are the patterns actually called “Karl”???

I haven’t made a “Karl” (yet)—I’d like to make a longer, looser jacket or coat. 

Hi Littlecherry,
Can the Karl 4 be lengthened as well? I’m pretty tall (1.78 m) and might like to lengthen it a bit. (I have to admit, I haven’t looked at the pattern very closely yet.)

Thanks, Monika, for the tip. I can definitely see myself making a Karl (or a Karla). I’ve actually been hooked on patchwork knitting ever since I made the slippers from appelino: First of all, it’s really exciting because you don’t really see how it’s turning out until the very end; second, you never have that many stitches on your needles; and third, there’s nothing to sew together (which is a “yuck” for me). And unlike Anja, I prefer to knit with needles between 2.5 and 4!

Christina, I feel exactly the same way as you do. I’ve also got the slippers from appelino on my wish list. But that’ll have to wait a while. Right now, it’s Karl’s turn.

Yes, Andrea, I have the same question as Ruth. I’d also like to knit the Karl a little longer. I’m sure you have some tips on that, right?

Everyone’s caught up in Karl fever.... 😁🙈😁

I still have 8 rounds to go, and then the blanket will be ready to be “fluffed up” in the washing machine.... 

Today I took a look at it and took some photos outside in daylight.... 
I’m already so excited to see how it turns out after washing.

My next project was actually supposed to be the socks (okay, maybe as a side project), but I think I’m actually going to knit the patch vest as a jacket after all. 
I’ll join in with the “patching” 😁😂

This is going to be a dreamy blanket. It was definitely worth continuing with it.

I still love cable patterns. Finished a headband this morning

Hi everyone.
I just had to chuckle a bit. “Why is Karl actually called Karl?”
That’s entirely the fault of my phone’s autocorrect. I’d written the pattern for the short-sleeve tunic early last year as a mystery KAL for a small knitting group on Facebook. As is usual with a KAL, there was a new section added every week. One time I wasn’t paying attention, and thanks to autocorrect, the headline read “Karl Part 5” or something like that instead of KAL. That had the ladies in the group in stitches, and from then on, the piece was called Karl. I simply numbered the different Karls because 1. I’m not good at coming up with names, and 2. if you type “Karl” into the search function here, all my Karls will pop up alongside various cute little crocheted animals.

Regarding lengthening Karl No. 4: Yes, it’s possible. You have three options.
Either, for the side dragon patch 14, only decrease every 6th row. This makes the patch 1/3 longer and gives the tunic a slightly more flared shape.
Or, instead of making patch 15 asymmetrical, knit it as a rectangle. This will automatically make Patches 16 and 17 larger as well, and the tunic will be approximately 8–10 cm longer. This will also result in a triangular Patch 18 on both the right and left sides.
Or simply knit a few straight garter-stitch rounds at the bottom until you reach the desired length. Repeat the same process on the sleeves, and they’ll match perfectly.
Best regards, Andrea

A funny story about Karl. But I think it’s great that this type of pattern has a common name.

I finished my first little project in February. I’m still working on cables. This time, it’s a really thick and warm headband. I’m always so cold, so now I’m trying it with double yarn to see if that will finally keep my ears warm. 



Claudia, I’m really looking forward to seeing your nativity scene. I hope you’ll show us pictures of all the figures that are already finished. How big are they, anyway? 

Yeah, autocorrect really has a way of messing things up… That’s quite a story. I’d also been wondering how that name came about. In any case, it’s handy now because you can go straight to the right patterns.

So, I’ve used up a 100-gram skein, but it wasn’t quite enough to finish the third patch. 

Steffi, first of all, as always, my admiration for your perseverance with your beautiful blanket.

Then the nativity figures—they’re lovely; I’m looking forward to seeing the finished nativity scene.

My goodness, you’ve all been so busy with your patches, and it seems a few others have caught the bug now.
  Smile—that’s how names sometimes come about.

I’ve been knitting the “Karlos” jacket since yesterday; Patch 1 is the largest piece, and at size 44/46, it has quite a substantial number of stitches, but I’m making good progress in my spare time and will be able to show the first photo soon.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone—keep those needles clicking!

Steffi, your blanket is a dream. I also admire your perseverance. A piece this big really requires it—you have my utmost respect.

Petra, your headband is great, too. You can really use it now. It’s getting cold again.

Anja, that looks really big with all your patches. What’s it going to be?

Ines, I’m already excited to see the first photos of Karlos. It’s great that you’re joining the Karl group now, too. I’ll get to Karl 4 as well.

Andrea, that’s such a funny story about how your Karl family came to be. It couldn’t be more brilliant—chance just handed you the best advertising. That name in particular has already become something of a trademark. You have to come up with that first.

Thanks for your answer about extending the length, too. I also like it a little longer. I’ll do the same with Karl 1; it’s quite easy there. By the way, I’ve finished all four Patch 2 pieces and have Patch 3 on the needle. I plan to finish those tomorrow, too. Then it’s on to Patch 4. Here’s a photo from when I had finished Patch 2 once.

Monika, that’s going to be a long jacket. 

Anja, I’m really curious to see your jacket. You’ve gotten quite a bit done. Congratulations on sticking with it!

I’m really caught up in “Karl” fever now. I’ve at least knitted one side up to Patch 4, so the front and back are now joined. The individual sections aren’t very visible here because I started each one with the same color—without casting off, by the way. I just pulled a thread between the rows so I could count better on the other side. Tonight I plan to knit patches 3 and 4 on the other side. Tomorrow I’ll start on Patch 5. That’s going to be a bigger project, though—and I’ll have to do it on both sides. My brain was really tied in knots today, but Andrea patiently helped me figure it out. Knitting patches is totally new territory for me, so I have to get my head around it first. But now it’s going great.

Here’s what one side looks like now:

Thanks, Monika :-)

I wanted to get a lot more done today, but then I felt nauseous all afternoon. 

Wow, that looks complicated with Karl. Is that the asymmetrical one?

Thanks, Andrea, for explaining the extension of the “Karl”! I’m really looking forward to getting started. I’m just waiting for my yarn to arrive.

To pass the time until it gets here, I’ve been crocheting little Carnival masks for my granddaughters’ dolls. You know I love these little “in-between” projects.




Oh, Monika, you’re already so far along! The rest of us will have to hurry to keep up.

Oh Ruth, the masks are great; they'd also be something for living dolls.

Monika, my goodness, you're so far along. I'm still on the first patch because it's so big. I think I'll manage it tomorrow and can then show it this week. 

Have a lovely evening, everyone

Anja, this is the first Karl—the simple one. It just looks complicated, but it’s actually easy.

Yeah, Ines, now I know what knitting addiction is. :-) Haha.
Once I finish the other side under the arm (I’m working on it), then I’ll tackle the two biggest sections: extending Patch 1 upward—front and back.

By the way (haha), I also need to keep working on the color challenge...

Ruth, I just wanted to say that your idea with the Carnival masks seems to have come at just the right time. It looks great!

Yeah, Monika, I’m afraid the costumes will have to follow as well 😄

Ruth, Carnival masks—you always come up with such great ideas!

Monika, the “Simple Karl”? Wow. It seems to go faster with my pattern. How many stitches do you have on your needle for this big patch? I have 81 stitches per square.
I was planning to finish one every day. That’s not going to work out today. And the next patch I’m working on is a smaller one. 

I’ve just spent hours getting my Alexa (speaker) back up and running—it hadn’t been working since yesterday. I just spent an hour on the service chat, but now it’s working again. She’s my “memory,” after all. Otherwise, I’ll miss my physical therapy appointment again tomorrow. 

Oh, the blanket… beautiful. 
The masks are great too, but they must be terribly fiddly.
You really don't know where to hold them. 

Monika, your Karl looks kind of puzzling right now… I'm curious to see how it turns out. 

I've now completed my kings with King Number 3.

Claudia, your kings all turned out beautifully. You’ll be busy for a while yet until all the pieces are finished. 

Ruth, the carnival masks look great, too. Thanks to your grandchildren, you’re never short on ideas. 

Anja, I’m curious to see how your jacket turns out in the end. You’ve definitely chosen some very pretty colors. 

I just finished another pillow. On the back, I really went all out with the Karl pattern, 
based on my own idea. 

I liked the Karl pattern right away, which is why I chose No. 4. 
I’m excited to finally get started on it. 



Wow, what a great idea, Marion!
It’s amazing how different the colors look in these two patterns.
And how well the colors go with the green! I have a green like that too and never know what to combine it with—now I do. 🥰

Claudia, you’re incredibly fast! You’ve already finished the 3rd king—wow!

Anja, the individual patches are different sizes. I started the large one with 240 stitches.

Marion, your pillow looks absolutely amazing! You really divided it up beautifully, including the colors. It’s funny that the patch technique is now even being called the “Karl pattern.”

On my Karl, I’ve now finished everything up to Patch 4 on both sides—both the back and the front. Today I started knitting Patch 5 and spent almost two hours fiddling with picking up the stitches so I could distribute them correctly. I thought I was done—then I realized that the stitch count didn’t match the other side. So I unraveled it and started over. Then I realized that, according to my count, the pattern didn’t match on both sides. The stripes meet in the middle, after all, and they have to line up exactly. So I unraveled it again, then pinned out and counted the individual steps up to the stripes. Now it fits—finally.

This is what my Karl looks like now with the four finished sections on the front and back. The picked-up stitches on the front for the largest piece, number 5, which comes next, total 258. That will keep me busy for a while. The same thing will then follow on the back. By the way, for this piece I’m using the gradient yarn that fades from pink to blue.

Whoa, so many stitches! I’m actually glad I only have a few. Monika, I can’t keep track of all your Karls anymore. Is that jacket in the photo??? 

Anja, this is still Karl the First—the one that’s actually knitted with lots of colorful scraps. What you see looks exactly the same from the back—it’s right behind it.

I’ve finally finished my biggest patch—I had 390 stitches on my needle here.

Monika, you’ve already made quite a bit of progress. I’m taking a break now until my yarn arrives.
I’ll finish crocheting my little patterns and then I’ll continue.

Marion, I love your pillow—the green alone makes it so cheerful.

Claudia, the kings are tumbling off your needles every day—how many figures will you end up with in total?

Wow..... You’re all so hard at work 😍
I don’t even know where to start...
The kings, the tiny little masks, the “Karl pillow”...
and all the “Karls” that are being worked on here right now. 
Just awesome... 💖💖💖

I just had to rip out two rounds 😤😝 Somehow I lost my focus and “misread” the pattern three times—four stitches each time in the round.... so the following rounds didn’t line up... So I had to do it all over again. Now I’m starting round 114 (of 120) 👍
My dog is sleeping comfortably at my feet, the fire is dancing in the fireplace, my audiobook is playing in the background, there’s a candle on the table, and a few “gummy animals” to snack on.... Now nothing can go wrong anymore.... 

Good morning, everyone 👋
I spent half the night experimenting with dragon patches. Now I’m actually way too tired to go to work. But there’s nothing I can do about it. I just wanted to show you this quickly—I think it might turn out well. It’ll probably be a jacket or an oversized slipover. Let’s see how it turns out....

Oh Andrea... That already looks absolutely beautiful. 😍 
Please let it become a jacket 😇 then it would be “mine”...

Andrea, that looks really promising—I’m really curious to see how it turns out.

....what kind of yarn did you use? I really love the color/color gradient... 

This is Samba by Garnmanufaktur. But it doesn’t stop at red and yellow—the color gradient transitions into green and blue.

My friend has a whole bunch of yarns from Garnmanufaktur 🤔 Maybe I can check them out in person at her place 😊 

Wow, Andrea, that looks amazing—I’d love to have that as a jacket, too. Dragon patches—even the name alone sounds exciting. And the yarn—it’s a dream. I’m really curious to see how this turns out.

OMG, Ines—390 stitches! What a huge patch! And I thought mine was big. I only managed a few rows last night, but I’m making progress. I still have a piece like that waiting for me on the back, too. 

Patch after patch after patch 🚧

Your colors are beautiful 😍 

Good morning, I’m not very tech-savvy and usually only go online using my phone, so here’s my question: Is there a quicker way to get here? I go to “Forum,” then I scroll until I find this topic, then I scroll down forever—and it’s only February 8th, so there are still 20 days to go... Is there a shortcut? 

You can set up notifications if you’ve posted a comment—just check the “Notify me of replies” box above the Send button. Then you’ll receive an email whenever someone replies to the thread, and you can click directly on the link to go to that specific post. 
On a tablet, you’ll see an option to tap the corresponding topic “next to” the forum threads on the right; it will say “Craft group, new by ‘...’.” If you then tap “new by...,” you’ll be taken to the most recent post.... 

Thanks, Steffi—I’ll give it a try 

Monika, now I understand a little better how your Karl piece fits together. You really have to think outside the box.
These colorful patches are such a cheerful sight after all the gray of the last few weeks.

The sun is finally out again, which makes me want to spruce up the balcony—it’s not easy at all to resist the urge to buy plants.

My kings have gotten their camel now, too—the chances of having a complete nativity scene for next season are looking pretty good. I’m curious to see how far I’ll get with my box of acrylic yarn scraps.

The camel is awesome 👍😃

Wow, Claudia, that camel is amazing! How big are your figures?

Yay, the yarn for my Karl has arrived! I’m going to start the gauge right away 😖

Wow, Ruth—your yarn is absolutely amazing! I really love it. What brand is it, exactly? Could you show us the label or write down the details—which yarn, color, gauge, etc.—and where you bought it? I’m curious!

Claudia, your camel looks incredible, almost lifelike. You’re so fast—you’ll have the whole nativity scene finished in no time.

Anja, you’ve already come a long way too—keep at it, it’s worth it. I like the colors, too.

I’m on the first patch of Patch 5 right now. As soon as it’s done, I’ll show you what it looks like. It’s slowly taking shape and looks great.

Andrea, I do the same thing—I have the posts sent to me by email and then just click on the links, just like Steffi described. That way, I don’t have to scroll and I always find the post I’m looking for right away. Because scrolling is really a hassle. 

Hello ladies,

I made a silly mistake today: on patch 9 of 40, I simply forgot to cast on more stitches after picking up the stitches, and then I was surprised to end up with a triangle. So, rip, rip, rip. That’s why I don’t have much to show today. 

Oh Ruth, you’ve picked out some really beautiful colors for the Samba....
My friend says it doesn’t feel as nice to knit with—what do you think?

@Claudia, I’m really curious to see how “they” look together. 😍

Anja... I really love your colors. Keep it up. 

That camel is amazing, Claudia.

Ruth, the yarn is really beautiful—is it from Garnmanufaktur?

I’m going to keep working on it today; I’d ordered some yarn to go with what I already had, and it arrived today. I don’t think this will be the last jacket—it’s really fun to knit with patches, and who knows, maybe the next one will be even more colorful.

Anja, that almost happened to me, too. I had to really wrap my head around this special way of knitting patches at first. My brain got all tangled up a few times... You have a total of 40(!) patches?? Wow—that takes some stamina. But it works well with patches, since the next goal is pretty small and manageable.

This is how far I’ve gotten with the front piece—the back piece is underneath it. You can already get a sense of what the sweater will look like. I’ll probably finish the last few rows of Patch 5 tonight.

I’ve made up my mind. My new project will be a Karlos No. 2—a jacket. I’m well on my way 😃

Yes, my yarn is the Samba sock yarn from garnmanufaktur. Since I didn’t have any yarn for the project, I ordered the suggested yarn, but in a different color.  Mine is No. 4275, with black (899) as the contrasting yarn. And because it was a bit too green for my taste and I wanted to add a few shades of pink, I also added 2 skeins of No. 4230.
I don’t find it uncomfortable to knit with, though I did split the yarn a few times while casting on. But that was probably more because I usually cast on the stitches differently. I’ve also just done the gauge swatch. Let’s see how it feels later on.

Monika, you’re already pretty far along—it looks great.

Anja, what you’re knitting isn’t a “Karl,” is it?

Andrea, your Karlos No. 2 is already looking promising. The colors, in particular, are amazing.

Thanks, Ruth. Yeah, I really like it so far, and I can slowly start to see the finish line.

You’ve really piqued my curiosity about the yarn from Garnmanufaktur. I’ll have to check it out. That said, I also really like the gradient yarn I’m currently working with from Rellana. It’s actually recycled yarn, and it knits up beautifully. I’m tempted to order some more of it… but I’ll hold off for now.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone.

Andrea, tell me—does Garnmanufaktur sell your patterns? You can also see the photos of your Karls there.

Whoa Moni and Andrea what kind of knitting “machines” are you? Bam, zap, boom, you’re churning out stitch after stitch. Crazy. 

Andrea the colors of the dragon jacket and the shape of the dragon scales—just looking at it is a joy. 

Thanks for the compliments on the colors of my yarn, but it just came that way on its own. When I ordered, I took whatever was cheapest, frugal fox that I am. I have the same yarn in white, pink, and gray, too. I’m only afraid that the 5x100 g won’t be enough for the base. The shoulder and sleeve section will be solid-colored. And as I already mentioned, it was still a bargain; meanwhile it’s gotten more expensive too. We’ll see—maybe my estimate is off (then I’ll have to reorder after all). 

No Ruth, mine isn’t a Karl. I wanted something long (my bum always has to be covered). 

I’m excited to see what the dragon Karlos will look like. 

Hi Monika, everything’s fine. Garnmanufaktur is providing me with the yarn, I’ll knit something beautiful with it, and write up a pattern for it. It’s a win-win arrangement for both sides 😃. Garnmanufaktur sells the yarn, with my pattern as a bonus. And I earn some extra vacation money just from the pattern—plus, everyone can choose the yarn they like 😊

@Anja, knitting is my daily yoga—I need it to unwind and relax. The more stressful my workday was, the more I get hooked on my needles in the evening 😅

Andrea, I almost knew you’d do it that way with the yarn manufacturer. I love swaps like that.
I totally get why you say knitting is your daily yoga. It’s exactly the same for me. It totally relaxes me.

Anja, this time I’m really on a knitting kick because I want to finish it soon. It’s so exciting to see one section after another come together. I’ve got the big back piece on my needles now. Next up is the shoulder. Let’s see how far I get this weekend.

I’ve finished it....
150x150 cm, 120 rounds, about 1000g....
Now I just have to wait for a “good” day so I can wash it and let it dry properly...

Now it’s definitely getting “smaller”... 

This is “almost” the first sleeve 🙈
I took a look at my notes yesterday—this jacket has been sitting around here as a UFO since 2020.... 

Wow, Steffi!!!! That blanket is so awesome. I just fell head over heels in love with it 😍 

Wow, that blanket, Steffi! It’s beautiful! I admire your patience!

I’ve now finished the first two patches from Karl 4:

Hi, Steffi, the blanket is beautiful 🎉 I admire your perseverance.
You guys have slowly gotten me hooked on the Karls, too 😚
Best regards from Anja

Steffi, your blanket is an absolute dream. Wowww... there are sooo many hours of work that went into it. It almost looks like it’s woven. Your sleeve looks promising, too—so you’re “patching” now, right?

Ruth, that’s so exciting. Now I can see how Karl 4 starts. I’ll be getting to that one later, too. It definitely looks really good with that yarn.

Hi Anja (Sallyware), nice to have you here! I’m curious to see which Karl you’ll have on your needles soon.

Since the largest piece on the back is currently on my needles, I can’t show much yet. That’s the part that grows the slowest. As soon as it’s finished, I’ll post a photo.

Hello, everyone

I’ve just been admiring all your wonderful creations.
😀😍👍
The gorgeous blanket, the camel, the many patches—square, pointed, or already shaped like sleeves. They’re all beautifully made and feature lovely colors.

RUTH, you’re so fast! You just got the yarn and you’re already this far along.

I’ve also started on Karl 4 now. Here’s what he looks like so far.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Be careful with patchwork knitting!!! You’ll never be able to stop 🤣. It’s really addictive. It got me back in the last millennium. My first child was still in kindergarten back then (he’s 31 today) when I stumbled upon Horst Schulz’s book. I’ve been hooked on patchwork ever since. And for the past half a year, I’ve just been writing down what I’ve been patching together—and voilà, a new pattern 😅. I do knit and crochet other things now and then, but I’m completely hooked on patchwork—body and soul.

Horst Schulz’s technique is truly brilliant. I’ve had one of his books for a very long time. So far, I’ve only made patchwork quilts. If I can figure out how to upload the photos from my phone, I’d love to show you some. 
Have a great weekend 🎉

Andrea, I received the book by Horst Schulz yesterday. I found it on eBay for a bargain price. I was 24 when the book came out. But I don’t think the book actually makes you that much smarter. It’s great that you’ve mastered it and are now writing it down for everyone to use. There are also some really great other shapes… half-round or hourglass-shaped. But that was beyond my intellectual grasp, because it doesn’t say how to get the edges straight.

I think it’s great that everyone’s patching now—I find it incredibly motivating to keep going and stick with it.

Since I need a change of color, I’ve started another jacket that’s really made from scraps and will be a real rainbow of colors.

  Unfortunately, my arthritic thumb is acting up right now, so I have to take a break. I’m getting really fidgety having to put this aside for a bit.
I just stretched my old bones a bit—it’s not exactly healthy to sit and fiddle for hours on end. Everything was creaking quite a bit when I moved. :-)

Yeah, you know, Andrea, your warning is unfortunately too late! ;-)
I’m already totally hooked on patchwork. Actually, I have another project on the back burner and really need to get back to working on it. Buuut… I just can’t shake the excitement about Karl. It’s really crazy—I’ve never felt this way before, honestly. :) You’ve totally infected us. Luckily, it’s a very creative virus, and it’s a ton of fun, too.

Marion, your Karl looks absolutely gorgeous with that color combination. Even though they aren’t my favorite colors, I still like it incredibly much. The beginning looks pretty simple, at least.


It seems to be working💫
It’s not exactly in the style of Horst Schulz, but it used up a lot of leftover yarn.
Best regards from Anja

@Sallyware,
wow. Great blanket. 

Here’s the new thread. Please continue posting in the new thread. 
February Projects 2023, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group