August Projects and July Projects 2023: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group

August Projects 2023. Part 2: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group 
Have fun with the new thread. 


Dear users, dear authors,
here is the new thread for the July projects.
You can read the previous posts at the link:
June Projects + May Projects 2023: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group, Part 2.

👍Thanks!

I have another question about the Karl blanket. As a Karl newbie, can I assemble the pieces so that I end up with a rectangle? 

Yes, that works. I started somewhere in the middle and worked my way outward. Just like with the sweater, straight edges are created at the edge by decreasing stitches. Best regards

I just took another look at this, and I’m not sure if I can pull this off as a NEWBIE. It’s like doing a puzzle, and I’m not very good at that either...

It would probably be smarter to start by making a sweater, but I don’t feel like doing that right now. I guess you really do need the experience, though... 

Monika, a reading pillow like that really is practical. You can squish it nicely into place wherever you want a bit of support.
And your fabric will let you know when it wants to be made into something.
I only started sewing because of the masks, and now I just can’t stop.

Steffi, there were lots of Dutch vendors there—though this time there were fewer booths than in previous years. Maybe also because school holidays have already started here in NRW. I always have a rough idea of what the fabrics should become. But sometimes the plan doesn’t work out, or I’ve misjudged how much fabric I’ll need… we’ll see; for now they’re getting washed first.

Katrin, I often use the material from pillows, duvets, sofa cushions, and things like that; they get replaced now and then, and then I wash and raid them. I also collect fabric scraps that are too small to use for sewing and cut them up really small. You can stuff things very firmly with them; if they don’t need to be cuddly, they give them good stability. Since I don’t like throwing things away, I look for ideas to use up materials I already have—like with the reading pillows, for example. Those used to be seat cushions for balcony chairs, with some ugly/dirty spots. But there was enough good material left, and I was able to use the filling too.

Thank you also for the kind words about my sister.

Katrin, I also prefer to knit with thin yarns using size 2.5 or 3 needles. Sock yarn, for example. :)

So, now I’ve finished the little jacket for the teddy bear, too. I just need to sew on the buttons. Then I’ll knit the second set, because now the second teddy bear wants a pair of pants and a jacket, too. Tsk, tsk… I just can’t resist. :)) Right now, I’m just in the mood for little things like this.

I’ll post a photo of it all put together tomorrow.

Good morning.... 
Did you all make it through the storm okay? Here, only one tomato plant got knocked over, and I “get to” climb up the ladder again this afternoon—the gutter is clogged, so water’s overflowing 🙄😝
In any case, the weather here was definitely an invitation to “curl up on the couch and knit.” Both sides of the sweater now have long sleeves—the original pattern calls for three-quarter sleeves—and all the loose ends have been woven in so far. And here’s how it looks so far.... 

The stitches still left in the middle will be joined with Kitchener stitch at the very end. But first, I’ll knit a few pattern rounds. Yes, in rounds across the neckline and “at the bottom”—that part will be steeked. 
I’ll have to take a forced break for a few days, though, since the yarn I reordered is still on its way.

What is steek?

Additional stitches are picked up so the whole thing can be joined in the round.... These stitches are knitted alternately in both colors, at the end, once you're done knitting.... Then it is sewn or crocheted, and then cut between two stitches.... 
The seam or the crocheted section then prevents it from unraveling... 
That's the theory; I've done it before, but it still feels very strange to take scissors to a finished sweater.... 

Steffi—as always, your knitting looks really interesting and is beyond my imagination right now. The colors and the pattern—absolutely fantastic. I’m really excited to see it when it’s finished and how it looks when worn.

I was once again a “wish fulfiller” and crocheted a balloon cover over the past few days. 



Otherwise, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the garden—which is actually a form of crafting, too. My vegetables are growing in the tub, and I think there’ll be a harvest



And I’m setting up a new spot in the shade. But there’s still a lot of work to do before it looks really nice.



Petra, that spot in your garden would be right up my alley. It looks really romantic in the photo somehow. Zucchini are growing like crazy over here. I’ve already harvested 15 of them.

Steffi, your jacket looks like a work of art. But I can’t quite picture it yet.

I’ve almost finished both sets for the teddy bears. I’ll post a photo in the next few days.
It’s berry-picking season here. Yesterday I picked over 2 kg of gooseberries, some of which I baked into a cake. I also picked jostaberries and the last of the currants. And the first raspberries are already waiting to be picked. I love this kind of gardening. But with the heat we’re having right now, I can only do it in the evening or very early in the morning.

Hope you all get through this hot day just fine!

Wow, that’s so beautiful. What a great gift. Those little doves are so cute 😍

That’s so cute, Marlies! And at least this one won’t get eaten.

Thanks for the feedback. The doves were a bit fiddly.

Marlies, this is amazing. ♡♡♡

Thanks, Anja. 🌼

Wow, Marlies, that cake is a true work of art—it looks just like the real thing. It’s bound to bring joy and is sure to be a special keepsake. I can well imagine that it took a lot of work, especially the tiny details.

Thank you so much, Monika. “Putting the pigeons together” was really annoying. Everything else wasn’t so bad. I sent a photo and people showed interest right away. Who knows, maybe there’ll be another cake soon 😊

Maybe I’ll make a birthday cake again first. Baby booties for sale are also on my to-do list. Plus, I’m continuing to work on my knitted blanket.

Marlies.... 😍😍😍😍
It turned out beautifully.... What a work of art 😍😍😍

Thank you so much, Ina.

Your sweater looks interesting. However, I can’t quite picture knitting it from the center out. My “knitting skills” probably aren’t up to that. 😊

Monika, your little jacket looks really cheerful.

Steffi, we’ve had two days of thunderstorms in quick succession here—the balcony planters look a bit ragged, and the walls were covered with potting soil that got splashed up by the rain—so everything’s actually fine. Your sweater is turning out great, but the thought of having to cut it somewhere at the end would make me nervous.

Petra, I’d like your shady spot, too. And the balloon cover is a lot of fun.

Marlies, that’s a great gift. The cake is sure to be a big hit. The work was definitely worth it.

I’ve been pouring concrete again over the last few days—this doorstop is still a bit damp, but it’s finished.
I’d been looking for an idea for a long time, because the door to the balcony has a high step, and until now, nothing had really kept it open. So whenever it was windy, there was always a chair there, but it was often in the way.
The lighthouse works well; it’s nice and heavy and stable. Now it just needs to be painted in bright colors.

The lighthouse is a great idea, and it turned out really awesome. 😍 

The yarn I reordered finally arrived today; I wound it up right away and then got to work with the needles.... I’ve already knitted part of the middle pattern. 
Before I reach for the scissors, though, I’m going to knit another swatch and steek it.... It’s been so long since the class. 
I’m so excited to see how the sweater will look when it’s finally finished... 

I need to take my mind off things, and I’m pretty good at doing that with craft projects. So I’ve been sewing and doing appliqué again—the pattern is from an old shirt, and the appliqué is just off the top of my head.

That’s because my sister’s surgery didn’t go well—a nerve was damaged, and it’s unclear whether she’ll ever walk again… she’s waiting for a spot in a specialized rehab program, but that could still take a while.
Patience is key. A lot of patience. That’s hard for both of us right now.

Claudia, that sounds awful! I hope she’ll be able to walk after all, even if it’s against all odds.

The shirt turned out great—you’re really talented.

And how wonderful that you’re there for your sister. ♡

Dear Claudia, I wish you lots of strength for your sister....
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that a spot in rehab opens up for her soon... 

To you, dear Claudia, and to your sister, I wish you all the very best, lots of strength, and that everything goes well with the rehab.

Your shirt turned out really great.

I took a chance today and reached for the scissors...

Now I just need to join the two halves of the sweater using Kitchener stitch (front and back) and then add the “ribbing” 🥳

Thank you for your kind words. Everything is still up in the air, so let’s try to stay positive. Today, one of my brothers and his wife, along with my other sister—who has just beaten her cancer—were visiting us… So there’s always hope.

Steffi, that sweater looks great.

.... I’ll be working on the cuff today....
This is what it looks like now—still pretty “shapeless” since it hasn’t been washed and shaped yet. ...
  but first things first—I need to figure out how best to pick up the specified number of stitches, or whether I should knit it completely differently 🤔 Actually, I’d like to incorporate the cut edges into the cuff using a “sandwich bind-off”.... 


Oh, that sweater is going to look great, Steffi.

I wore that top for many years until I could no longer mend the seams. Then I traced the sewing pattern.



A while back, I first sewed this shirt based on that pattern, using two 80x80 pillowcases I’d bought by mistake—it fits well and I really like wearing it.




Now I’ve lengthened the pattern to make a dress and sewed this piece for myself from our old jeans. I only had to buy new fabric for the sleeves, because the legs of our jeans aren’t wide enough for that.
I really love jeans and just can’t bring myself to throw away the old, worn-out ones. One of the tops even became a handbag.



That looks great.... I always envy those who sit down at the sewing machine and whip up such amazing things. For me, the sewing machine is truly a complete mystery...

My sweater just needs the bottom cuff.... then comes the tricky part.... washing.... I’m already so excited to see how well the yarn blooms... 

Wow, the dress turned out great. And it’s very comfortable.

And the sweater looks fantastic. Where exactly was it cut? 

In the middle of the sweater.... I knitted the pattern in the center of the sweater in the round, so I increased 7 stitches at the neckline and 7 stitches at the bottom, then joined them to form a round. Afterward, I cut between the two sections and sewed the left and right sweater pieces together—front and back, respectively... 

Oh, it makes me cringe just hearing what that poor sweater has to go through! But it turned out great! I never cease to admire your intricate knitting projects, Steffi! I don’t think I’d have the patience for that.

Steffi—wow, just great.

Just great. But I definitely wouldn’t have been able to bring myself to cut it. Your work is always special. I really admire that. I prefer to keep it simple, since I often pause my work and usually just knit one or two rows in between. 

Steffi, your sweater is once again in a class of its own! I admire your skill and perseverance—not to mention that I could never have pulled off a pattern like that. Reach for the scissors??? I would never have dared to do that.

Claudia, I wish you and your sister lots of strength during this difficult time. Don’t give up hope.
Your dress turned out great.

Yeah, that whole “reaching for the scissors” thing is a pretty awful feeling because if it goes wrong, a lot of work has gone to waste. That was the first sweater I made that way. Years ago, there was a Fair Isle course where we knitted a “sample” in the pattern, learned how best to hold the yarns, and how to make sure the tension threads didn’t get too long while knitting. Those are “woven in”.... and then, when we were done knitting, we got to “prepare it for cutting”.... But that was just a swatch, not a whole sweater....
It held up, even after washing 😁
Now, though, I have no idea what to put on my needles next....
Maybe a cardigan—we’ll see....

Girls, you’re amazing,
the sweater, the lighthouse, and the denim dress - I envy you for such creative ideas
and for how you make them happen 😉

I can do a little bit of everything, crochet, knit, sew - but I usually keep it simple,
I’ve often started things/bought patterns only to realize
that it’s too “complicated” for me 🙄 I need something that “makes sense to me,” something simple, preferably
something repetitive, then it’s perfect 😉
I’ve crocheted shirts before too, but I love shawls and scarves, and since the selection is almost
endless, I just keep trying something new; anything that isn’t really my “thing” (e.g. color-wise) gets given away or sold 😉

I think these little crocheted dolls or teddy jackets, etc., are great, but they’re too fiddly for me.

I’ve just had a go at a crocheted dachshund (as a birthday gift), I can
only say, I hope it’s finished soon, and then I still have to sew in the ends (I hate it 😩),
at first I thought about making 2 of them, we’ll see how long it still takes me to
get it finished 😇

So, if I’m supposed to make two of something, I’ll crochet or knit them at the same time—otherwise, they’ll never get done. That’s also why I don’t like knitting socks. Although gloves are a different story 🤔—but then again, I have different patterns for those too....

Yes, exactly, it has to be easy for me too, so my brain can relax. As Petra said, you have to be able to put it down and then pick it up again anytime without having to read much of the pattern or maybe even make a tally mark after every row or follow a stitch pattern—argh!
But everyone has their own preferences.

I do like these little animals, but I don't really enjoy making them either, because as I said, row by row, checking—ugh.
In a fit, I bought even more fluffy yarn to crochet even more cute geese and—of course—then immediately lost interest again. Oh well. Then I'll wait until it comes back and start 50 new projects in the meantime. hehe

@Anja
50 new projects—that could be me 🙄—I currently have 12 UFOs; every time I pull myself together and finish one, I start two new ones at the same time 😇.
I just unraveled some yarn (the shawl was finished!), saw it through, and finished it using the new pattern—but it’s still not quite right 😩, somehow the yarn is too “heavy.”
I think the yarn itself is nice, and the colors too, but somehow I haven’t found the right project yet; I’m already thinking about whether I should unravel the shawl I just finished too 🤔
I’ll never get my stash under control if I keep knitting with the same yarn over and over again 😂😂

@Steffi – I’ve been knitting my socks for years using a long circular needle with the magic loop method, and I always knit both at the same time. It takes a little getting used to at first, but after a while, the yarns no longer get in each other’s way while knitting. The advantage is that both socks are finished at the same time. This also lets you use up leftover yarn to make colorful socks, and both socks have the same color pattern.

@Brigitte57,
2 socks on one circular needle? How does that work?
Could you show some pictures of that? 

Susanne, then we’re sisters in spirit. 👻
12 UFOs? Come on! I’m serious about my 50 UFOs.
Terrible, terrible, terrible. 

Years ago, I found a book by Melissa Morgan-Oakes in a box of books: “2 Socks at Once: From Toe to Cuff.” That’s what I started with.
Unfortunately, I can’t seem to upload a picture.

I tried that once, too.... I guess I had the “wrong” book. Anyway, it was described in such a “complicated” way. I ended up selling the piece at a flea market at some point 😁

While knitting from my various English patterns, I’ve realized it would probably be a good idea to put together a kind of book with translations of abbreviations and different “special” stitches/patterns...  🤔 
Or does that fall under “copyright”? If I translate different techniques, are those considered parts of the pattern or just general “knitting stuff”? 
For example, if I translate a specific type of short rows....
I’ll never sell it or anything like that.... It would just be interesting to know. 
For now, time to work with the dog; it’s relatively “cool” here today. So I’ll quickly harness the dog up to the pulling harness and let him run a round...
My knees are already screaming, but whatever—afterward, it’s off to the couch to knit a few rounds 

I was finally able to upload the image.
When working with 4 needles, there are always 2 needles on one cable, separated by the Magic Loop.
You then knit in the following order: needle 1 and needle 2 from sock 1. Then needle 1 and needle 2 from sock 2. Then comes the loop. Then needle 3 and needle 4 from sock 2, and needle 3 and 4 from sock 1.
Until recently, I always knitted patterns without a heel. You have to knit the heels separately, then they come back together. It’s best for each sock to have its own ball of yarn. If you’re using up leftover yarn, you can run out of one color for both socks at the same time, since they’re being knitted together.

@Brigitte57,
here is some information about uploading images:
Uploading images in the forum: Info 
Maybe this will help. 

@Woll-zauberei-Steffi,
if you want to translate and use passages from patterns, you should discuss that with the author of the pattern beforehand. 

@Anja
- Sisters in spirit - I like that. If I weren't so disciplined, I'd probably have 50 UFOs too; I've made myself a list (for UFOs) so I'm always up to date on what's still "open" 😇. That helps me limit the UFOs. Well, yesterday another one was added 😂😂

@Brigitte
I got curious now (I still haven't dared to try socks "on my own"; I can't manage the heel 🙄)
I watched Magic Loop on YT. For a hat or something, I could imagine it, but for socks - HELP, I'd probably end up with a knot in it.
Do you need an extra-long cable for that? 🤔
I can already see the advantage: both socks are the same (also the same length, without a lot of counting rows 🙃), but whether I'd manage the needle-cable sequence 🤔

I just started a related thread:
UFO organization

@Susanne
I have an 80 cm circular needle. It should be that long. When you work with two skeins, the strands do tend to twist at the beginning. But over time, you learn how to turn the work so that doesn’t happen.
I’d start by knitting spiral socks without a heel again. They fit surprisingly well on the foot. And if you knit kids’ socks, they can even grow with the child—the leg just gets shorter.

@Brigitte
Well, we’ll see—maybe I’ll give it a try after all 😉
I really need to give spiral socks a try sometime 🤔
I’ve only ever seen the ones my mom knitted herself, but I can’t even count how many times I used to struggle with the heel and Mom would finish them off for me—otherwise they would’ve ended up as UFOs back then (and that happened twice 😂😂)
Some of my friends also like to knit socks because it’s quick 🙃
I love shawls 😇

I spent a little time at the sewing machine yesterday. This bunting for the garden was sewn up quickly. 

I tried making it with fabric for a wipeable tablecloth and hope it will last a long time in my garden. 

Hi, girls,

I’m still here… it’s about time I “check in” again…
With these hot temperatures and the weather going up and down, my head is unfortunately on a “roller coaster.” And often I end up getting NOTHING done and just lie around like a deflated balloon…
That’s why I’ve been a bit scarce around here. I couldn’t use the computer, knitting was only so-so, and I didn’t do much of my other hobby (stamping) either…
Still working on my RVO. I’ve since knitted the slip-stitch border for the turquoise section and got about 14 cm done there. I didn’t like how the third color (Tynn Line / regatta blue) looked against the turquoise, so I unraveled it. I’ll keep knitting in turquoise now. Hope I have enough turquoise. I still need to make the cuffs at the bottom, the I-cord trim, and the neckline… ??? Well, we’ll see…
Photo to follow when I get a chance. ;-)

There’s been/is a lot of interesting stuff going on here. Don’t be mad if I don’t comment or write to everyone individually…

Claudia: That thing with your sister sounds really awful. First of all, I wish her all the very best and hope her rehab works out. *Fingers crossed*
Your T-shirts are AWESOME, and the idea of repurposing pillowcases for them is suuuuper. Your denim dress looks amazing, too. I have quite a few old pairs of jeans lying around in my closet—but I don’t sew (yet)... :-/
Yeah, and I also think your idea of using things for darning that you’d otherwise throw away is totally AWESOME!
Oh, and that shirt with the appliqué just looks AMAZING!!!

Steffi: Wow, you were brave. I would NEVER have dared to cut into a finished piece like that!!!
Your sweater turned out sooo beautiful: *thumbs up*

@all:
I also knit my socks from the toe to the cuff. However, I use two 60 cm circular needles for each sock.
The method(s) of knitting two socks at the same time didn’t work for me... Maybe I gave up too soon!? But I’m (now) adamant about this: once the first sock is done, I start knitting the second one right away. I really need to cast on some socks again. *grin*

The wedding cake looks AMAZING, too!!!

Soooo—I’m sure I’ve missed a ton of things..., but this post has already gotten long enough. ;-)
Wishing you all a relaxing and creative time!

Best wishes
Katrin

A new case for my phone (kitten motif by a-mano):

Christina, your cover looks great. A must-have for every cat lover... Did you knit it from top to bottom and sew the sides together? Did you fold the top over? So far, I’ve only ever made crocheted covers. 

Petra, the case is knitted in the round in DF using the CraSyTrio, which, in my opinion, is only somewhat suitable. But the diameter was too small for the circular needle. The cast-on edge is sewn together, and I struggled with the sewn bind-off for the finish. The yarn for my daughter’s case is already waiting, but first I need to take her measurements.

Oh, of course, DF—I hadn’t even thought of that. I haven’t knitted with a CraSy Trio yet either; I’ve always used a set of double-pointed needles so far. I have them in different lengths and have actually been satisfied with them.

I finished a gift yesterday—using up leftover yarn again. This time it turned out very small—I accidentally crocheted one round too few and didn’t notice until I was already halfway through the granny squares. But the little guy is only turning 1, so the ball can be a bit smaller 🤣 

I was busy over the weekend:



It was really fun to knit those little booties again. 😊

Is the weather as awful here as it is there? Thunderstorms and rain every day—it’s turned into a steady downpour for the past two days and nights. You’ll grow webbed feet soon. 😡

Wishing you all a cozy evening.
Best regards, Marlies

Oh, you’ve been busy, Marlies! 

Yes, it’s cool here, with alternating rain showers and sunshine. I LOVE it after that unbearable heat, when I felt like I was growing webbed feet from all my own sweating. 

The body copes much better with weather like this than with heat. And I can get back to knitting my Karldecke. Win-win! 

Here we have a choice between: it’s raining a little or pouring down in buckets....
I’ve even turned on the heater already because I was just so cold.
...and I don’t really feel like knitting right now either. Somehow I can’t find “THE” pattern that goes with my yarn. Or is it because of the “main color”? I have 500g of one yarn, but somehow I don’t really like it. Or am I jumping to the “I don’t like it” conclusion too quickly again and should just give it some time to grow on me? 🤔
I think I’ll browse through the patterns here again—sleep is out of the question right now anyway. Right now, nighttime is when I find peace and nobody wants “anything” from me. … The dog doesn’t need to go out, the senile old cat isn’t “bothering” me because she wanted something but has already forgotten what it was…
my husband is asleep—in short, the house is quiet… Sooooo nice. 

Thanks, Anja. How’s your Karl blanket coming along? Are you making good progress?

Steffi, if you’re not entirely convinced by your yarn, I’d wait if I were you. I have a bag of yarn lying around because I thought the color was sooo great for a sweater. I ended up getting the yarn for my birthday. When it was sitting there in front of me at home... well, it’s still sitting there today.
Silence in the house is wonderful! In this four-unit building, it doesn’t get quiet until one or two o’clock. That’s become my bedtime. At 5:45 a.m., the front door slams shut for the first time. Apparently, no one in this building knows how to close a door normally.

Today I finally want to deliver my wedding cake. Hopefully it stays dry, because I’m traveling on foot and by train, and that thing is so hard to pack.

Have a wonderful, productive day.

Hi Marlies,
I hope you have dry weather for the delivery.
I’m curious to see the reactions—we were all already thrilled, so I can’t wait to see how the recipients will react 😉

Oh Marlies, I made a mistake in my stitches and had to unravel a section again. 
Plus, I’m using this fuzzy yarn that’s driving me crazy. I won’t keep using it, but unraveling it isn’t an option. Otherwise, it’s fun, but I still have my doubts about whether I’ll be able to arrange the shapes so that I end up with a rectangle. 

I took the train, and the cake was in a large fabric bag. The ticket inspector was really interested and thrilled. She only makes sweaters and so on, but we immediately exchanged tips on places to buy yarn.

The cake was very well received! An acquaintance was also invited to breakfast. At first she thought it was a real cake. So the work was worth it, and the sun even seemed to come out very hesitantly.
Then the rain came back from midday on.

Oh dear, that's awful, Anja. I'm curious to see how things develop and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Here are my two main projects right now:
Granny Cardigan & the Karl Blanket 

I’m really looking forward to seeing your blanket. It looks great.

Marlies, that cake looked good enough to eat, too.

I’m kind of taking a break from knitting right now 🤷, but I did order some yarn today for the sweater where the main color didn’t match. So I’ll be getting some sand-white yarn soon. I’ll try dyeing the other one. I was thinking “mud” or plum… both very dark. At least I’d still have some matching contrasting colors in my closet. 

That’s looking very promising already, Anja. You chose a great color for the Granny Cardigan.

The blanket looks great. Keep at it....

Marlies, I’m glad the cake was such a hit. It really was wonderful, though.

I tried my hand at a “reverse” patch—starting with a few stitches and increasing. 

...and which ones do you like better? Visually, that is... 

I think they look the same. 
But it’s more fun when there are fewer stitches; that makes you more likely to stick with it. 

I had to take a break from the blanket and wash it because one of the yarns was shedding like crazy. I hope that won’t be a problem knitting-wise. 

I also prefer to start with a lot of stitches and then decrease the number. That way, I feel like I’ll finish faster and it grows more quickly. 

Right now, I’m crocheting a blanket in rounds. At the moment, I have over 130 stitches on one side. So on some days, I only manage one round, and that’s not very satisfying. 

Anja - I can definitely see this square turning into a blanket or pillow. It would work well with a giant yarn cake or leftover yarn. 

Today I painted the first stones. Now they’ll dry, and then they’ll be laid out as a path in the garden. 


Now it’s time to find and collect new ones... 

The stones are absolutely gorgeous, Petra! ♡

Thanks

How’s your blanket coming along? 

Oh yes, the stones turned out very pretty.... 

My yarn finally arrived yesterday, a really lovely natural shade, sand/white.... 
Now knitting is fun again, motivated by the new yarn. 
Diamond Painting has also been ordered. And my paper for quilling will arrive in the next few days.
Actually, I’d much rather support local specialist retailers, but in the last few weeks I’ve heard “we don’t have it” so often.... 
Just on Thursday I was out and about, needing a part for my female dog’s training harness. So off to the specialist shop I went; the first one didn’t have the right size, the second had taken it out of their range entirely, and for the third I would have had to drive a good 10 km extra. And it’s definitely not an item that’s “rarely” needed or asked for; it really belongs on the shelf with leashes, harnesses and the like..... 
Anyway, I’m torn right now: order it or keep looking???? 
Somehow it’s a vicious circle. On the one hand, specialist retailers say the demand isn’t there because everyone orders online, and the next moment you can only get the bare essentials. My cats, at least, were pleased; now they’re getting senior food.... 🤷

I feel the same way. 

My grandson wants to do needle felting. I looked everything up online and gathered some information. Then I went to the craft store to let it all sink in. 

The range and selection were large, but the yarn was 5 euros more expensive than online. He wants a colorful bag; I wanted pink and white. That’s when you notice the price difference. 

Now we’re going shopping tomorrow. But only for my grandson. 

The blanket is growing. I’m working on a square right now, and it’s boring because there’s only one decrease. The number of stitches isn’t getting any smaller. 

Your blanket is turning out really great.

How big are you planning to make it? 

Thanks, Petra. 

As planned? *laughs* I still haven’t quite figured it out—I’m just keeping on knitting according to the pattern with size 6 needles. Then I’ll see where I end up. As for length, I’d say it’s enough; now I just need to get it wider somehow. 

Your stones turned out great, Petra.
Unfortunately, all the ones I collected stayed with my ex. Now I have to start collecting again for my windowsill decoration idea.

Wow, Anja, you’ve been busy. I really like your blanket.
Lately, I’ve only managed to make baby crib blankets.

My projects from the last three days:








my first baby spiral socks


Flowers still need to be attached.


Have a lovely Sunday evening.

Best regards, Marlies

I’d be curious to know which decrease technique you all use for the Karls? 
I work them by doing 2 together before and after the marker. I didn’t understand the other one at all. I’d just be interested to know what the decreases look like in the other version? 

Cats 🐱 🐱 🐱 would buy Karl: 

Marlis, you’ve been busy.

I like the hospital socks, too. I like giving them as gifts.

Your lantern—now we just need those balmy summer nights to arrive so you can enjoy it. 

Doesn’t the cat get tangled up with Karl, Anja?

Marlies, nope, it’s been going well so far. Phew!
Who are you making baby blankets for?
Cute little booties and socks! 

Those were—except for one—test pieces. I might add a few more so I can piece them together into a large blanket or a cold-weather rug for the hallway. I’m just tinkering around a lot right now 🙄

My sister-in-law asked about filet curtains. She needs new ones again. 😊

I’m looking forward to seeing your curtain.

I started back in the spring (oh, another UFO) to design a curtain for Easter and have started a few rows. I haven’t gotten very far yet, but the next Easter is coming up, after all...

What kind of design does she want? 

I don’t know yet, Petra. We want to get together to pick out a design and measure the window and door. Let’s see if we can make it happen this week.

Now that my two diamond painting pictures are finished, I quickly put together a beach party for my brother, who recently had a birthday.

😂

He must have been so happy

That’s such a brilliant idea. I’m sure everyone was thrilled.

Hey there,
I have something to show you again.
I’ve been knitting again. It’s going to be a triangular shawl made entirely of knit stitches. The white yarn is a joy to knit with.

Following a video tutorial, I tried making the mosaic hexagon. I’m quite happy with how it turned out.

The mosaic looks great—so fresh.

Was the white part added later? Slip stitches? 

Hi, I’ve been away for a while 🐑. Your blanket is turning out fantastic—you worried for nothing 👍. Keep it up!
Best regards from Anja

@Petra: Thanks for your feedback.
This is crocheted using the mosaic technique. You crochet each round in one color, working only into the back loops, and in the next round you crochet some post double crochets inserted lower down in a contrasting color, which creates the pattern.
Everything is crocheted together as you go.
So, one round in one color, the next round in the contrasting color... and so on. At the end of the round, you switch colors.

Continue here:
August Projects 2023. Part 2: the Crazypatterns craft group