October Projects, September Projects + August Projects 2023. Part 2: the Crazypatterns Handcraft Group

Here is the new thread:
October Projects 2023, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Handcraft Group

Dear users, dear authors,
here is the new thread for the September and August projects.
You can read the earlier posts at the link.
August Projects and July Projects 2023: the Crazypatterns Handcraft Group 
Have fun.

👍

Thanks, Andrea, for the explanation. I could see myself really enjoying crocheting this kind of granny square. I’ll have to check out the videos when I get a chance. 

That reminds me of my mosaic pot holders again... some of them aren’t finished yet... I haven’t worked on them in so long that I’ll have to watch the video again.
I’ll wait until it gets cooler to continue working on the blanket.
I’m looking forward to that, too. 

Hey there, you lovely hardworking folks, I’m back again. Right now I’ve got a lot going on in my personal life that isn’t exactly easy to handle. That’s why I’ve barely had a chance to participate here. Thankfully, the intense heat is over now, and we can breathe freely again. So I’d like to say a warm hello right away.

I just marveled at all your wonderful August projects. Congratulations on every single one! Please understand that I can’t go into as much detail as usual.

We’ll be heading to visit our granddaughters soon—after a whole year, we’re really looking forward to seeing them again. After that, our next trip is already coming up to northern Germany. There’s quite a bit to do there… let’s just say I need to get my sister-in-law’s estate in order.

Lately, I’ve only been able to knit in the evenings. But I’ve managed to get quite a bit done. I’ll show you quickly.

My Karlos is finally finished—I’ll post a photo of it being worn later, too. I still need to add buttons to the front:



For the friend who got the green Karlos, I made a shawl from the leftover yarn:



And then the shawl with sleeves that Linja wanted—we’ll take that with us for her:



And of course, I had to make outfits for two teddy bears again. The white one was a gift:





Two days ago, I started the next Karlos; I’ll keep knitting it on our trips. It’s the one with the dragon patches. But I’ll post photos only once it’s grown a bit.

Sending you lots of love,
Monika

Wow.... Such beautiful things.
I’m still on a “yarn break.”
But today I finished gluing my second diamond painting; the frame is coming next week. Hopefully my son’s move will be wrapped up by then, and the stress will ease up. That’s the plan... 

Another hexagon using the mosaic technique is finished.
Made with gradient yarn and glittery white.
I think the pattern is suitable for working on while watching TV.

What are you doing with the hexagons?
It’s crazy how different they look with other colors. 

Andrea, these are beautiful again. Someday I’ll get around to making one of these too.
Steffi, your patience is incredible.

Anja, I’m not sure yet. Maybe I’ll use them as coasters.
I ordered some even thinner yarn (Alize DIVA Silky Effect), which arrived today, so I’ll crochet several hexagons together to make a small doily—let’s see how that turns out.
Monika, just give it a try—you’re very talented when it comes to crafts. You can do it.

Hooray, after my CTS surgery, I can finally knit more than just a few stitches at a time again! Now I’m also free of the splint on my hand and wrist, which makes everyday life a lot easier (with my left hand, everything takes me way too long—if I can do it at all!). I haven’t dared to try crocheting yet—I already have several projects on my knitting needles at the moment: a baby washcloth in double-face, a wash mitt for a friend’s birthday, also in double-face, a mini-scarf (actually intended as a project for when I’m on the go), and then there’s still my sweater...
My little granddaughter needs a new little jacket; I’ve already bought the yarn and the knitting pattern, and now an old UFO has fallen into my hands: a little jacket in the right size, still in five separate pieces for now, with the motif on one front piece almost finished being embroidered… Unfortunately, I set the project aside back then without the necessary materials, so now I have to check whether I still have the right yarn and what type it is. I hope this serves as a lesson to me! And what should I do with the finished back piece and the yarn that was actually supposed to become a sweater for my husband? For me, the sport yarn (125m/50g) is too thick for a sweater, and I don’t really have an urgent need for a jacket.

Christina, well, that sounds great. You’ve got quite a few things planned.
It’s nice to have you back.

Best regards, Andrea

It’s so nice that you can get back to your hobby, Christina. You really do miss it when you can’t. ♡
And crafting is just like occupational therapy. 

Christina, I’m so happy for you. Without knitting, I’d feel like something important was missing, too.
I’m sure you’ll find a solution for the little jacket you started.

We’ll be seeing our two granddaughters again in the next few days and are really looking forward to it.

Yes, it really feels right again! And it’s therapeutic, too! But I still miss cycling!
Monika, enjoy seeing your granddaughters again! I know what it’s like to see the little ones only rarely: The two older boys were born in Munich, so I could only witness their toddler and preschool years at longer intervals, and for now, I only know the three-year-old in America from photos and Skype!

Oh Christina, that’s so sad that you haven’t seen your grandson in America yet. Luckily there’s Skype, so at least you get to see some of him live.

Yes, we’re really looking forward to seeing each other, too. It’s been a year now. I’m sooo excited to see the two of them.

I hope you all have a lot of fun with your crafts. I’ll check in from time to time, of course.

Monika, your Karlos looks great. The teddy bears are so cute in their new outfits.
I hope you have lots of fun with your granddaughters.

Steffi, that looks great. Have you ever calculated how many little stones you’ve used?
For each of my two pictures, it was 10,080.

Andrea, your hexagons are fantastic. They’ll definitely be an eye-catcher as a pillow or blanket.

Christina, it’s great that you can do crafts again. You already have quite a few things planned. I’m sure you’ll find a solution for the little jacket, too.
Enjoy being able to be part of your grandson’s life, at least via Skype and photos. I’ll never get to meet my granddaughter (4 1/2), and after the separation from her grandpa, there aren’t any more photos either.

I’ve been knitting for the last eight days. It was so much fun, even though I’m usually more of a crocheter.

Also a kind of craft... 1.5 kg of pears turned into jam




Monika, have lots of fun with your grandchildren.

Marlies, are you making a blanket? 

Marlies, what’s this going to be? A blanket? Or individual gift scarves? 

Petra, pear jam—I’ve only heard of pear sauce (like apple sauce). 

I fell head over heels in love with a crocheted jacket—the pattern is in English. The first part went pretty well, but now I have to crochet triangles onto it and I haven’t quite figured it out yet. I have to look closely and count a lot—which I don’t really like. But hey, just three more to go and then I can move on in a square—thank goodness. 

Pear jam is delicious. 😊 It’s also great for cakes or pies.

Some of it is for me, and I’ll probably give the rest away. I’ve also been thinking about making a short curtain (3 or 4 squares high).

Anja, you’re familiar with triangles from your blanket. Is crocheting them harder than knitting them?

Just triangles aren’t hard to crochet, but here they’re crocheted onto a square and I haven’t quite grasped the technique yet. In the end there have to be X stitches, and I only manage it if I count the sts backward from the gap, so to speak, so I know where I have to insert the hook first. I prefer it when I can see that right away and get started. When I then crochet back down on the other side, there’s that weird spot again where I’d like to crochet 1 more dc, but then there isn’t one there at all. 
Sometimes I just need a little while to internalize some things. 

I could use some homemaker experience from you, please. I had just cooked a stew and had already sliced 2 bockwurst sausages from a jar into it, and then noticed that they had already expired 8 months ago. I smelled them and tried a little piece—everything was as usual. But then I got unsure after all and fished the sausages back out because I was scared of food poisoning (silly scaredy-cat me). By then, though, the things had been in there for 10 minutes. Then I googled that salmonella die after 10 minutes at 70 degrees. 
I would have smelled or tasted it if they weren’t good anymore, right? What do you think? 

I’m pretty sure you would have smelled or tasted something. A “frugal” friend of mine once bought a box of sausage jars that were a year past their expiration date. He told me that after we’d finished eating. They still tasted great.

Your triangles already sound triangular to me. I don’t think I need them. I’m not really into anything that complicated right now.

Thanks, Marlies! You’ve been super hard at work—wow! The shawls all look great. I know—it can get kind of addictive and is really fun.
We know what it’s like to be out of touch with a daughter and granddaughter—that’s my husband’s situation. But he’s come to terms with it now.

Petra, pear jam—that would be right up my husband’s alley. You really had your hands full there. I got a lot done before our trip, including making some spreads. It’s just so nice to eat your own food.

Anja, most of the time it’s just a “best by” date. We eat stuff like that too if it still smells good. Especially if it’s from a can or was sealed. I’d throw out any cans that are bulging, though.

Thanks for your feedback. So far, I’m still alive. :-) 

Do you know that feeling when you’re crocheting/knitting something and notice something isn’t right, but you can’t figure out where the mistake is? 
The whole time I kept thinking something wasn’t right, and then on the 4th of 4 triangles I finally realized where my mistake in thinking was! Ugh!!!! On the very last part, phew. I didn’t want to unravel it all again, so I cobbled something together with decreases. I hope it doesn’t pull the fit too much out of shape now. 
And NOW that I’ve figured out what I did wrong have, I can’t believe how silly I was not to see THAT! It was so obvious! Such a total beginner’s mistake, argh! 
That’s enough for me for today, though; here’s the back piece: 

Wow Anja, that looks great. Is it going to be a jacket? I’m curious. But I could also imagine it as a blanket or a pillow. 

Are we supposed to see a mistake? 

Regarding your sausages—it’s called the “best-by” date. We eat a lot of things past that date. First we look at them, then smell them, then taste them carefully. If everything looks fine—not sour or fermented—then we’ll eat them anyway. 

Marlies —a short curtain made from the scarves—won’t that be too dark? 

Petra, it should really be square; because of the mistake, the points are pulled farther outward, so now it’s more like a diamond. 
I thought the 3 ch at the beginning weren’t counted as a dc because you basically “lay it down,” so there was 1 st more on the way out in every row. arghhhh 

I also wanted to use up leftover yarn, and now the white is all gone, and I don’t dare replace it with another color because I’m afraid it’ll look stupid. So I’m wondering whether I should buy more matching yarn after all. 
But then my stash will never get used up. :-(
Same thing every time you try to get rid of leftover yarn... 

Anja, I think that looks great. You’re the only one who knows about the mistake. ;-)

Petra, it’s getting dark, but not too dark. That’s exactly how I pictured it. Right now, though, I’ve got a lot of other things on my mind again. If I were to do all of this, I’d need a bigger apartment with lots of windows—preferably a big house... 😉
My sister-in-law is still dragging her feet on her curtains.

Anja, that already looks great. The eternal problem with using up scraps... I’d buy more—that way you’re on the safe side and won’t be annoyed later.

Dear all... after a long time, I’m going to pop into a yarn shop in Friedrichshafen later today. I’m really looking forward to browsing through the yarn again. I’ll let you know how it goes… It would be a minor miracle if I managed to walk out of there empty-handed.

Have a wonderful late summer day, everyone. It’s absolutely gorgeous here!

I’ll also post a photo of my Karlos wearing it later on.

Maybe I’ll replace the white with dark gray? But I only have one of those, too. Oh man...
Don’t want to go shopping. I should have just started right away with kunerbunt.
Maybe I’ll rip it out after all—I’m not happy with the shape. I need to press it flat downward so it doesn’t end up bulging in the end; that would be annoying 

Anja, I think that looks great. Stretch it out a bit while it’s still damp and pull it into shape. I’m sure there are still some sections to be crocheted on the left and right, right? It’s hardly noticeable.

For your white, I’d still go with a light color, like yellow, for example. But that’s a matter of taste.

Anja, I also think it can definitely be blocked. It’s worth giving it a try.

I took some photos with my Karlos today. I knitted a button placket onto the front—that’s how I like it.



And here’s what it looks like from the back:

Hey Moni, it looks great. It suits you perfectly.

It turned out great, Monika! 
Once it gets cooler and I can continue working on the blanket, I might even try my hand at this pattern. But first I need to finish the other cardigan I started in the winter. 

I started my crochet cardigan over from the beginning, this time in really bright colors, since I don’t have enough scraps for fewer colors and don’t want to buy any more yarn. And HOW GOOD that I started over—now everything is just as it should be, nothing is wavy and nothing is warped. 
Just 2 more rounds around the edge, then I’ll start on the front pieces. It’s been a lot of fun so far; I hope I can stick with it (before my enthusiasm and energy fizzle out again). 

Your Karlos looks great on you, too, Monika. I’m also starting to like the button placket more and more.

Good decision, Anja. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your enthusiasm and energy stick around. 😉

Monika, your Karlos turned out great and looks fantastic on you! I really hope I’ll get around to knitting a Karl for myself someday…

Last week, I turned a pair of long pants into summer pants.

Then this morning, I sewed a storage basket out of the pant leg.

And there you have it—a little gift!

Petra, you always have great ideas! 

Dear friends, thank you so much for your feedback on the Karlos! :) My second Karlos—this time the one with the dragon patches—is already coming along nicely.

Anja, keep at it with your squares. It looks great, and I can totally imagine how much fun it is.

Petra, that’s right—you really have some great upcycling ideas.

We’ll be on the road again starting this weekend… so I’ll only be checking in every now and then next week.

By the way… I was in Friedrichshafen at Rödel’s yarn shop. Can you believe it—I actually didn’t find anything there that I liked. Instead, I ordered some solid-color sock yarn from mein-filati, which is arriving today. I’m going to knit some of it into the new Karlos. I’m already excited to see how it turns out.

Have a wonderful time, everyone.

You didn’t find anything at the yarn shop??? That’s just not possible!!!!!! 

But Anja, it works. I wouldn’t have thought so either. The selection there just wasn’t my thing.

But the sock yarn I ordered arrived today—here’s a photo. For the Karl/Karlos patterns, I definitely need solid-color contrasts.

Those are great colors you’ve picked out.

I didn’t find anything at Wollrödel last time either. I wasn’t really convinced by what I had in my hands. 

Those are really pretty colors, Monika. I’m sure they’re great for knitting and soft? Could you also use this yarn for crocheting, or would it be too stiff?

I hope you have a relaxing few days, and after that you can look forward to the 10-kg swap package.
It’s rare for someone not to find anything at the yarn shop.

Have a great rest of the week, everyone!
Hugs, Andrea :-)

Yeah, it’s really amazing that I didn’t find anything at the yarn shop. The big swap package will more than make up for it. :)

This yarn can certainly be crocheted with, too. It has a certain firmness (it is sock yarn, after all), but it’s also nice and soft. And the colors are totally my style.

These days certainly won’t be relaxing, since we have to sort through my sister-in-law’s estate after her passing. Maybe “going through and clearing out a hoarder’s apartment” says enough for you. At least it won’t be boring. I’ve come to see it as a little adventure. The worst part for me is the long drive—almost 1,000 km in two days. We haven’t done that in a very long time. Andrea, we’ll be driving past Brandenburg, too. Don’t you live somewhere near there?

Have a lovely evening, everyone, and a relaxing weekend!

Love from Monika

Wow, it’s quiet around here.... 

Can’t find anything at the yarn shop… That’s definitely possible here in Schleswig, too 😁

I’m still experiencing “knitting block”—I don’t know why. I knitted a few rows the day before yesterday, but somehow… I just didn’t get into the “groove” of it.
Today, I finally finished my fourth diamond painting. I spent the rest of the evening browsing the web without ordering anything.... 🤷
I finally want fall weather—real fall weather.... And not that “fake fog” in the morning at 18 degrees.... It still feels more like a laundry room..... 

I can’t believe it: Just a moment ago, I was hiking in the mountains for three days, and no sooner was I back home than I broke my pelvis in a stupid bike fall!!!

No... What are you doing....
I’m sending you my very best wishes for a speedy recovery and hope you’re not in too much pain. And may you have someone by your side who supports you through it all.

Oh, Christina—I’m so sorry to hear that.

I hope you get well soon and that it heals quickly. Are you in the hospital? 

Oh dear, Christina, I’m so sorry to hear that. Do you need surgery, or is it a minor fracture that will heal on its own? I hope you’re not in too much pain.
I wish you a quick and full recovery, lots of strength to get through this, and above all, a hand to hold yours and support you.
Warmest regards
Marlies

Hi everyone,

Ouch, Christina, that doesn’t sound good. Wishing you a speedy recovery, and I hope it’s nothing serious and that your family is there for you. You really do get yourself into situations. Well, sometimes these things just happen.

Monika, that’s crazy. Yes, that’s where I live.
Well, I hope you manage to deal with this “hoarding” situation. It’s often emotional too, because you get a little glimpse into how that person lived.

Warm regards from me

Demand is high right now...... we'll see how long my supply lasts. 

The smaller one with the yellow edge is staying with me. For my container to keep the washed radishes fresh. With vegetables, I like to put a cloth in with them to absorb the moisture. 

Now I'm going to try making a wash mitt as a Christmas gift. 

I think these cloths are great... 
I have two of them in the kitchen, but my husband always complains that "it’s unhygienic," while his sponges are okay. And I wash the cotton cloths really often.... 
Hopefully someday he’ll get used to it; I still have sooo much cotton lying around here, I don’t even know how I’ll ever "use it up".... 

Christina get well soon!!!! 

Petra I can’t tell right now whether that’s crocheted or knitted? What kind of stitch is that? 

I went to the hospital today for a follow-up exam; my eye was completely red over the weekend—I had scleritis. I had no idea something like that existed in the eye (it’s the white part you see). Apparently, it’s common among women going through menopause. Ugh, what else? 
Because of that, I didn’t feel like doing anything for days, but now I’ve tried my hand at this project: knitting a square starting from the center. It’s fun and not too challenging. 
As always, I’ve lost interest in the other projects. I should keep working on that pretty crocheted jacket, but I’m not really in the mood—as always when it’s time for the final push. 
I’m somehow always so eager to start something new—it’s terrible, terrible... 

Anja, I hope your eye gets better soon

The dishcloths are crocheted. The pattern is quite simple and only goes over one row. There will be a pattern for it soon 😊

You can wash the dishcloths at 60 degrees, which is enough to keep things clean in the kitchen. Otherwise, I use dishcloths made from old towels. But they’re nowhere near as pretty. 

Anja, what happened to your beautiful blanket? You were already so far along. 

I finished a washcloth today. I’m on vacation and spent the day crocheting by the lake

Petra, what’s that great pattern on your washcloth? It looks really pretty.

Anja, I hope your eye gets better soon.

...and the colors go perfectly with a vacation by the lake 😍

Of course I wash the scarves at 60 degrees, but “that doesn’t count.” 
But I don’t really care anymore; I’ll crochet or knit them anyway. They’re also much prettier in these colors. 

I really don’t feel like picking up my needles right now. I got a new diamond painting today, a tiny 20x30 cm one... the last one for now, I think. Then at some point the swap package will arrive and hopefully reignite my love for yarn. This weekend, it’s time to declutter the craft room. It’s not actually that much, just total chaos 😟 It’ll be fine, and then there’ll be space again to get “really” creative. 
What can you make out of gears? I have tons of them, all in brass tones, different sizes and shapes. I thought they were so cool, I just had to have them 🙈😁 

The blanket is already so big, it just wasn’t suitable for the hot days. It’s still 25 degrees in my room. I’ll get back to it once it cools down. 

Please let us know here when you’ve finished the pattern, Petra. 

I don’t get the whole 60°C washing debate. I wash my microfiber cloths at 60 too. And my bedding as well. 
Nobody washes at temperatures higher than 60 these days anyway. I think washing machines soon won’t even have that option anymore, because of the environment and saving electricity. 

...it was about the homemade dishcloths.... my husband claims they’re unhygienic, even though I wash them regularly at 60 degrees.... he says “his beloved” dish sponge is much better....
That’s the only reason for the 60-degree discussion.... 🙈😁

I’m always over the moon when I get household tips from my husband. 🙃😇🤪

No more 90 degrees in the washing machine? Phew, I’m still part of the generation that has cloth tablecloths. My white tablecloths need 90 degrees and stain remover. So I’m hoping my washing machine will last a long time yet.

Steffi —I know what you mean. “Little Petra wants…” Sometimes there are things you just feel you absolutely have to have.

  How big are your gears, anyway? Could you maybe use them like an embroidery hoop or a thin wire ring? Then you could crochet around them and put a picture inside—embroidered, for example.

Or wrap something around them like this


These are pretty small.... this is the contents of one package—I definitely needed two of them 😀😉
Let’s see what I can come up with—a lampshade, maybe 🤔 

Hi there, I’d turn this into a wall hanging. Light-colored background, arrange the pieces decoratively, attach them with hot glue, and frame it😊. And no, I’m not buying any gears right now😂
Best regards from Anja

But they do look tempting. I couldn’t resist either.

I just can’t say no to keys

There were keys there too 🙈😁🙈
Even in such a small size, as decoration...
Wall art.... and then decorate it with beads and colorful glass (I still have some pre-cut pieces left over from my father-in-law’s Tiffany hobby)
I really need to clean up my craft room so I can let my creativity run wild.... 

@Steffi – My keys are from real doors. From back in the day. And if they sit in the garden long enough, they’ll rust away nicely.

@Anja – You can now find the pattern and instructions for my dishcloths on my blog here at CP. It’s a pretty simple pattern and perfect for doing while watching TV.

So, my first Christmas gift is finished. 

Steffi, those gears look really interesting. How big are the smallest ones? You could make some fun earrings out of them. The big ones (with the three bars inside) look like steering wheels. Some of the small gears could be used as little belt buckles.

Thank you dear Petra ♡♡♡

The chestnuts are falling...... 

Steffi, I’m already curious to see what you’ll make with those beautiful gears. I could also imagine them as a wall hanging.

What are you going to do with the keys, Petra?

Yesterday I picked up my yarn package from the post office. I now have all the yarn I need and am still deciding whether to make a sweater or a jacket.

My short curtain is finished for now, but of course the rod I had planned doesn’t match it. So I’ll get a suitable one next week.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

Best regards
Marlies

@Marlies – what do I do with the keys? Many are scattered around the garden. Many are lying around the apartment as decorations. I enjoy them.

I’m curious to see your short curtain. I hope you’ll show us a picture of it 

My new “knitting-while-watching-TV” piece made from suuuuper cozy yarn.🐑🥰

What’s that going to be, Marlies?

This is going to be an extra-wide and long scarf, Anja. Then I won’t need a hat anymore. The yarn is so soft and cozy. With size 6.5 needles, it’s growing very quickly.

I’m checking in again: I’ve been home for a week now and am just barely getting by! Cooking is going pretty well (when I have an appetite—that’s the problem with painkillers!), but housework is harder since I don’t dare pick up a broom or vacuum cleaner yet. The nights are a bit of a struggle because I can’t sleep in my usual position. Luckily, I have helpful neighbors who take me to the supermarket or invite me over for a meal every now and then. The day before yesterday, my sister came by and hung up and took down my laundry; on Sunday, my younger daughter is coming over and will take care of the essentials around the house.

I wish everyone a wonderful fall weekend with summer-like temperatures, just as the forecast says here!

Get well soon, dear Christina ☆

Dear Christina, that’s wonderful news. I’m glad you have such nice neighbors—someone who’s keeping an eye on you. I wish you a continued speedy recovery so you can be back on your own feet soon. 

I bought a little picture. It’s really fun to work on it here and there

Hi everyone.

Things aren’t very busy here right now—are you all going through a creative slump too?
I was still able to admire a few beautiful pieces, though.

Christina, you’ve really caught yourself something nasty… I wish you all the best and hope you feel better soon.

Monika, you’re still in Karlos fever—but it really suits you.
Have you finished clearing out the house by now, and can you finally put that behind you? I certainly hope so.

I was worried we’d have to manage my sister’s move without her help, but now she’ll actually be able to move back into her old apartment by the middle of the month. During her 10 weeks of rehab, she learned how to at least walk down stairs backward with an elastic-strapped leg brace and move around her apartment on her own. She’ll probably still have to move into an accessible apartment, but now she has time to look for something suitable. And she can start sorting through her things on her own…

I brought back this tweed yarn from my vacation in Ireland this spring—three skeins of virgin wool, 250g each, from a small local shop. Even though it’s quite itchy and there was no yardage information, I just had to have it.



I planned to make a jacket—I didn’t want the wool right against my skin…
I kept unraveling and reworking it, first because I hadn’t found the right needle size and later because I just didn’t like a few of my attempts. 



But now I’m happy with the result. Yes, it could have been a little longer… but this short, it actually looks really good over a dress, and I’ve used up almost all of the wool.




In the meantime, I’ve crocheted quite a few baskets using all sorts of different yarn scraps. I’ve accumulated quite a lot of them here, and I wanted to put them to good use.
I like to use the baskets as gift wrapping.
And that works out just fine without having to think too much about it. I’ll take some pictures of them in the next few days…

Claudia, that was really spot-on with your yarn.

I really like the jacket this short. I like it when jackets are short. You can see the shirt or blouse peeking out from underneath. I like to wear jackets like that.

I’m happy for your sister that she’s managing in her apartment for now. Moving away from familiar surroundings is no small feat. Now she can get used to the idea and maybe handle a thing or two on her own.

Your baskets as gift wrapping gave me a new idea. I still have a few sitting in my closet waiting for a purpose—also crocheted from quite a few yarn scraps.

Right now, I’m just working on little things. Something with simple stitch patterns. I’ve got my new wash mitt to show you. I’m curious to see how it holds up in use. 

It looks great, Petra.

Oh Petra, a sloth picture. How lovely! I love sloths.🥰

The washcloth looks great.

I like the jacket, Claudia. The length is perfect for a dress.

Those city planners are crazy! Now four stores in our town center are being torn down and rebuilt 🙄
Now I’ll probably have to travel halfway around the world (by train to Stade and then by bus from there) just to find the right curtain rods for my curtains. Whatever’s left here is too short.
I’m curious to see how they plan to finish the new building by early December. That’s when sales are supposed to start up again.

... they’ll never manage that.... demolition, new construction, and “ready for occupancy” in such a short time.... it’ll turn out something like the Schlei Bridge in Lindaunis.... they wanted to build a new one next to the old one. Since train traffic has to cross it too, it’s just a shame that the old bridge was so damaged by the new construction (driving in the new supports) that only pedestrians are allowed to cross it now. The old one is gone now, but the new one is still far from finished. And even when the construction work is done, it has to stand unused for another year so everything can “settle.” By the way, it was supposed to be finished last year… new date: unknown....

Claudia, I think your jacket is really chic…

Where can I get a sloth picture like that? 🤩 It’s totally cute

And the washcloths—are they made of cotton? I still have a “terrible” amount of it lying around here… 

Yes, the washcloths are made of cotton

But I haven’t tried them in the shower yet

Let us know once you’ve had another shower 😁
I’ve made it to the sleeve by now. I still had some lovely virgin wool lying around here, so I’m knitting the poncho sweater again. Basically, it’s my last project, just in a more colorful version. It’s going pretty slowly, though. I’m feeling so “burned out” and empty right now… it can only get better 👍 I’m used to phases like this. 

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Steffi, I hope you feel better soon and get your energy back. Maybe it’s good to slow down for a change.

I was at the sewing machine today and finished the first farewell-thank-you gift:

A coaster for the coffee mug at the office, made from the back pocket of an old pair of jeans

That’s such a great idea with the coaster.

  At least I’ve figured out why I’m not feeling so great right now. I’m just not quite sure how to deal with it yet... People can be so disrespectful, unreasonable, and hurtful. And it was all just about an MKAL 🤷 that ultimately turned into accusations and hostility....
I’m just so glad you’re all here on CP.... 

@Steffi 🫂😘

Petra, your wash mitts are a great idea. They look way nicer than my old store-bought ones—though I still have quite a few of those…
The jeans pocket used as a coaster is also awesome.

Marlies, they definitely won’t meet the deadline. It seems to be the same everywhere; there are a few construction sites here too that should have been finished a long time ago. I think they’re just rolling the dice on the target date.

Steffi, hang in there. I know, it’s easier said than done—I always end up doing something that doesn’t require much creativity, like crocheting baskets :-)  
I’m also finding a lot of people really exhausting right now, as if they’ve all gotten up on the wrong side of the bed in droves.

So, here are the pictures of my scrap baskets. For these, I simply used whatever I had lying around, all mixed together—stuff that wasn’t enough for bigger projects. I didn’t even pay attention to matching the materials.

My scrap stash has shrunk significantly as a result, but it’s still not completely gone.






I also wore my jacket for the first time. It’s wonderfully warm… but I’ll probably have to sew the buttonholes a little tighter; the buttons slip out every now and then.

Wow, Claudia, you’ve been so busy! 😳😳😳

The little baskets look great.... and there are so many 👍

I decided to take a break from being “creative” today and gathered up the paperwork for the tax advisor’s office 😜
Now I’m going for a walk (about 3.5 km) with the dog, hoping not to run into anyone... She’s in heat and really “unbearable” 😁🤷 
After that, I’ll head to the sofa with my poncho-sweater project, put on an audiobook, and have a cappuccino.... That sounds perfect. 

Claudia, the little baskets are wonderful. I like the blue series best. 

Steffi, have a lovely walk. Your plan for the rest of the day sounds good. 

I'm currently waiting for a call from the garage to see whether my 21-year-old Hugo has passed the vehicle inspection. And this evening I'm going to have someone take a look at my back. Unfortunately, it's not getting better on its own. 

I have a question for you all. I want to add fringe to my current shawl. But I’m a little worried that it’ll get tangled during washing and never untangle again.
Do any of you have any experience with this? 

Not me. I’ve never made a shawl with fringe before. 

It depends on how long they’ll be and what material they’re made of. I’d put the finished shawl in a laundry bag if you’re putting it in the washing machine. If you wash it by hand, then (actually) nothing will happen... 

.... Does anyone have any idea where I can find a horse template for a fretsaw project? I’ve been searching online for templates the last few evenings but haven’t really found anything. Here at CP there are some really great designs, but they’re embroidery patterns and they’re too small....
My mom would love to have a horse on her house wall... 

Maybe you can enlarge an embroidery pattern. That’s what I do with appliqué designs when they’re too small for me.

....the problem.... they don’t come as PDFs.... They’re in a format for embroidery machines 🤷
Maybe try contacting the designer to see if she can help.... 

Oh Steffi, that doesn’t really cheer you up either… but at least your plans for the evening sound good.
Have you tried searching for “horse coloring pages”? There are quite a few out there—just enlarge them when you print…

Petra, our 19-year-old managed to make it through last month with a few repairs. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you, and hope you get well soon.

Anja, I have a store-bought poncho with fringe here. It’s definitely at least 15 years old and gets used a lot on the sofa, yet nothing on it has knotted up. It’s made of polyacrylic, and the fringe looks like it was cut with a hot wire. I can’t say how it would be with a rougher material…
I’d just give it a try—worst-case scenario, you can always cut the fringes off again.

Over the weekend at the supermarket, some sock yarn jumped out at me, in wonderful fall colors. As if they’d just put something like that right in my path…
Over the last few days, I’ve been crocheting pumpkins out of it. As if I didn’t already have enough of those… well, I’m sure I’ll find a place for them.

Hey Claudia, don’t your hands just fall off from all that assembly-line production?
I just can’t stop being amazed.

And yeah, it’s totally mean of fate to throw such irresistible temptations right at your feet! ;-)

That reminds me, eBay just caught my eye with something, too.... düdeldidum

Here’s the new thread:
October Projects 2023, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Craft Group