April Projects and March Projects 2024: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group

Here is the new thread for the May projects:
May Projects 2024: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group





Dear users, dear designers,
here is the thread for your March projects.
You can read the earlier posts at the link:
February Projects 2024 + January Projects 2024: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group.
Have fun with it. 

Thanks, Josefa..... 

You’re welcome. 

👍

That’s nice. Then you don’t have to scroll all the way down to the latest updates.

Today I finished my embroidery. As you can see in yesterday’s picture, the Easter bunny is still missing

Steffi, what new creations have you conjured up with your plotter? I think it’s so exciting and I’m really curious.

Yesterday, a big Easter egg. I had a total of 19 DIN A4 pages cut and then put them together. 
We’ll see whether I have the time and patience in the near future. My mom was admitted to hospital on Wednesday; everyone thought it was a stroke... she could move and understand what we were saying, but speaking was very difficult... That was the situation yesterday evening... Then today came the shock: it wasn’t a stroke... The MRI shows a truly terrifying diagnosis... I still can’t even “grasp” what the doctor had to tell me and my sister... We are going to lose her... And yesterday there wasn’t much hope that she would get back on her feet... 
Today was actually supposed to be the start of an MKAL, but I can’t put it on the needles... It would be a “tear shawl”... 

Oh Steffi, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. And to you and your sister, too. I’m at a loss for words, because there’s no comfort to be found for you right now. My thoughts are with you, and I wish you lots of strength. 

Thank you.... We could use some encouragement. 

Oh dear, Steffi, that sounds really sad. I’m sending you a big hug from afar, and I can only wish you lots of strength—I just can’t find the words right now.

With news like that, dear Steffi, everything else fades into the background. It’s hard to believe. Just a moment ago, your thoughts were focused on beautiful, creative things, and then news like this. It really knocks you off your feet. It’s good that you have a sister. Her heart is just as heavy as yours; at least you have each other and can share your feelings and thoughts. No one is alone. Your mom has to come to terms with the situation, too. It’s a difficult time for everyone. I’m sending you my warmest regards and am thinking of you and your sister.

Best wishes, Ina

That’s really bad news, Steffi—I’ll message you privately.

I just took a photo of my new sweater, and it seems inappropriate to me right now to just switch the topic back to crafts here, so I’ll post the photo some other time. 

Let’s go... Show us... 
I finally started the MKAL last night after all. Oh, it was so hard to concentrate...
And I cut the “heart” for my mom with the plotter; it still needs to be put together, and it’ll go in a frame. I’ll add a “1 cm-high strip” between the individual layers to give the whole thing more depth. 

Huh, how does the 3D effect with the colors work? Are there several differently colored layers on top of each other, filling in the gaps? *puzzled*

All right. Here’s the crocheted sweater made from leftover yarn cake: 

Yeah… it’s 7 sheets of paper that were cut out… And between these layers go the 0.5 or 1 cm high strips for the depth… I’ll have to see what looks better.

I like the sweater… I’m curious to see what else you’ve got on your needles 😉

Steffi, the heart looks great.

Anja, the colors on your sweater really go well together. You’re lucky that your yarn balls match. All you need now is a spring/summer pattern. With a colorful top underneath, you’ll be all set.

  I’m knitting my very first RVO—I’m using yarn from my stash, so it’s a bit tricky with the colors. I had 8 skeins in total, one of each color. Last year I already knitted a loop scarf, and now I’m making a sweater out of the leftover skeins and colors.

Here’s the loop scarf (part of it)

 

Recently, a fun little chick made of chain stitches was introduced as a project for beginner crocheters. Since “our” third-graders are currently learning to crochet, I brought a picture of it to the teacher, and today the kids were able to take an Easter decoration home. With her permission, I photographed two finished pieces and would like to share them here:



Many thanks to the author!

They’re just so adorable

That’s a great idea ☺️

I finally got around to starting the MKAL… and I’ve knitted the first few rows. I started with a “triangle,” and now it’s turning into a scarf. I’m decreasing stitches at the edges and increasing one stitch before and after the center stitch.... 


I’m curious to see how it goes from here.... I really need a lot of patterns right now to “take my mind off things”.... Meanwhile, the doctors now know why my mom is so sick, so at least they can start treating the symptoms.... As for what’s triggering it, though, they’re still searching for the cause.... This waiting is taking soooo much energy. But we’re all keeping up the fight...
Now I have to wind some yarn first; otherwise, I might run out of time to knit tonight.... 

I’m glad the doctors have made a bit more progress. She’s definitely in the best hands at the hospital now.

Once again, you’re working on an exciting shawl/scarf. I’m really looking forward to seeing your progress.

After 4 days of knitting every spare second, I still have about 60 rows to go. I still really like it, and I’m looking forward to finishing it. 

Finished my girlfriend’s birthday gift. Plus, we spent some time together eating ice cream.

Dear Petra, you’ve really caught the embroidery bug. I just admired the Easter pillow on your blog. But this one is also very pretty. And a great gift for your friend!

Warm regards to everyone. Ina

A very lovely gift, Petra. 😊 Your friend is sure to be very happy about it.

Dear Steffi, I wish you all lots of strength and togetherness to get through this. I really hope they make it as easy as possible for your mom.
Your heart for her turned out beautifully.

I wish everyone who is ill a speedy recovery! 🌷

I finished a few things that had been waiting to be "assembled" for quite a while.

      

a washcloth and a dishcloth



  my spring gnomes


Some of the Easter decorations are finished, and I'm still working on a few things. A sweater for Niklas is still unfinished, and I've started a snuggly blanket.

If only you could do everything you wanted to.....🙄

Warmest regards
Marlies

My pillow for my little girl is finished.

I’m super proud that the sewing turned out so great.

Embroidery pattern by Karola

Petra, your embroidered kittens are great, and the bunny pillow is absolutely adorable!

Marlies, I like your gnomes—they look like little wizards.

  I crocheted an RVO top following a video tutorial. Unfortunately, I only had 5 skeins, and it’s a bit too short for my taste. I’m going to order more yarn, unravel the decorative hem, and make it longer. As it is now, my belly peeks out at the bottom—and I certainly didn’t want to draw attention to that.
🤪

The color is great. 

This is definitely going to be a great summer piece. 

With a top underneath, it works even this short, but I’m sure it’ll look just as good longer, if not even better. 

The bunny pillow is super cute. 
Anja, I actually don’t think the top is too short at all—the way you’re wearing it in the photo, I think it looks really chic.... 

I’m still knitting. The longer the scarf gets, the better my mom is doing 😉 and if I have to knit it another 5 km long.... 
A quick update: after the doctors had given us almost no hope and told us “it was a tumor”.... it turned out about three days later that it wasn’t. She had meningitis. She fought like a lioness, and with the help of cortisone and other meds, she’s finally on the road to recovery. Today we went out for a bit with her in the wheelchair.... Coffee tastes good again, too. ☺️

Now I need to recharge my “batteries” again—knitting is really helping me with that right now. 

Parts one and two of the MKAL are already finished, and I’ve started part three—it looks almost identical to the first part again... Somehow, it’ll all be knitted together into a scarf later.... I’ll let myself be surprised
Now the cat finally wants to get on the sofa and under my wool blanket. She’s making sure I get some rest. 

Steffi, I’m so happy for you that your mom is feeling better and, above all, that the doctors know what’s wrong and are treating her well.

Best wishes to your mom, and I hope she continues to get better.

Your scarf is turning out great. 

Yes Steffi, without crocheting/knitting I’d be completely falling apart mentally right now. 
Your scarf/shawl looks awesome; I always envy you for those complicated patterns you relax with—I’d throw them at the wall. For me, it has to be “simple” if I’m going to relax. I get distracted and lose focus so quickly anyway. 

So now I’ve reordered the color for the sweater and, as ALWAYS  - you know how it is - ordered a bit more so the shipping is worth it. Argh argh argh. So much for reducing the yarn stash. 

Right now I have a magpie in the garden that wakes me up every morning with its chattering, and wow, is that annoying. I hope it’s not building a nest anywhere there, or worse, trying to raid blackbird nests. 

I’ve already fed the hedgehog too. I wanted to fry it another scrambled egg today, but today I’m completely out of energy again. 

That turned out to be a really beautiful pillow, Petra, and those cute little pom-poms on the back...😘

Thank you, Anja. So now they’re colorful Gandalf figures 😉
Your top is chic. With a loose shirt underneath (because of the belly😊), the length works well. But I’d make it longer for myself, too.
Yeah, that’s how it goes with ordering yarn. I ended up adding more than I needed to my order list again.
Jackdaws have taken up residence near me. They’re really annoying and loud. There are crows nesting nearby—their “concert” is truly nerve-wracking. Here, the singing starts at 2:30 a.m. I just don’t know who’s up that early.

Oh, Steffi, what wonderful news! I’m so happy for you both. Wishing your mom all the best and a speedy recovery.🌹
Your scarf is sure to become your lucky scarf now.

Wishing you
all a lovely Sunday evening, Marlies

Anja, we also have a magpie’s nest in the tree. Ever since they started building it, I’ve been trying to chase them away. No luck. They kept coming back. Now they can stay. When they squawk really loudly, it means the cat is in the garden—unfortunately, we have four young cats from the neighbor. I’ve already caught them in the tree, and they’ve knocked over the birdhouse, too.

Loud squawking—I run outside—chase the cat away. I hope the cats will eventually get the hint; I don’t want any of them in the garden—and neither do my many birds. 

I do love cats, but four at once is a bit much. I have a mother and son (15 and 14 years old)—when they’re outside during the day, the blackbirds take over tracking the cat 🐱. Usually, both sleep in their cozy spots during the day, and late in the evening they head out to do their job.... catching mice
This morning, that special blackbird was back at the feeder—it has a white tail feather 😁. I’m curious to see if we’ll spot more of them soon. 

A few years ago, we also had a blackbird with a few white feathers around our house. For many years afterward, we saw its offspring with various white feathers. These blackbirds are really easy to spot. :)

It doesn’t seem all that rare to see birds with white feathers. Last year, I had a male blackbird with white feathers on its chest. He even had two broods last year. I haven’t seen him yet this year. I hope he’s still alive—he always sang so beautifully.
They built their nest in such a way that our cat actually sat on the young birds with its rear end right there in the hedge. I chased the cat away with a water gun, and the blackbird parents were always attacking the cat anyway. All the young blackbirds survived, from both broods. 

My flower children are finished.😊😊



They’re so easy to make that you can crochet them on an “assembly line.”

Aren’t they adorable?

Are you giving them away as gifts, or are you spreading some cheer around your home with them? 

Thank you, Petra 😊  I just gave one to my parcel delivery lady.
Reaction: “Oh, how cute,” two steps further down “That’s adorable,” downstairs at the front door “Aw, that is sooo sweet.”
That’s the nicest thank-you you can get.

They were actually meant for the Easter tree, but they’re also cute when they’re placed all around the apartment. I’m sure a few more will be added.

Yes, that’s right. Then it was exactly the right gift or gesture, and for you, a wonderful compliment and thank you. 



Now just iron it and think about what to make with it

That’s a really nice design, Petra. How big is it? Maybe it could make a pretty little picture for the kitchen.
The little crosses look very small. I’d never be able to pull that off.

Yes, that’s right—a picture for the kitchen would be perfect. I wanted a design that could stay up longer than just for Easter.

It’s only 2 cross-stitches larger than my bunny with a carrot or my cat picture

49 stitches wide and 43 stitches tall. But my fabric is also quite fine. There are also coarser embroidery fabrics available.

  Size-wise, it would fit in a small embroidery hoop. 

My flower children have a new addition.



And here’s the whole family



Have a wonderful week, everyone 🌼🌼🌹🌷

The flower children are really cute....
I’m still knitting away at my scarf. I’ll finish Part 4 this week, and then Part 5 will come at the end of the week. 

Parts one and two

Part three and a few rows of part four 

What needle size are you knitting with? They look so thin

Are those knitted-in patterns? The scarf is definitely great

With the exception of a single pattern, only one color is used per row, whether right-side or wrong-side... But even for that one, there’s a version with just one color per row. 
I don’t actually think the needles are that thin. I put on 3.75 mm needles, and the pure new wool knits up perfectly with them. 
The rows are so nice and short—129 stitches—so a pattern block like this is knitted up in no time.... 


Today in the garden ☀️ at least a little sun now and then 

That’s right, 3.75 needles aren’t really that thin. No knitting in? Then they’re probably slipped stitches?
Anyway, it definitely looks complicated and unusual. 

The sun was shining here all day today, but the wind was quite brisk. Beautiful how everything is blooming—pink 

Everything is colorful here now, too



And the first tulips are here

Things are slowly getting underway in the garden. The first bumblebees are out and about, and the squirrel is already quite active.
It’s starry and clear here right now, so also pretty cold/frosty.
These aren’t really “true” slipped-stitch patterns, though… Some are knitted with stitches worked into lower rows… Hard to describe—I just love special stitches. 

The sun was shining nicely here, too, but when I sat on the patio for my 5 minutes a day, it was freezing cold! 
People are just crazy. It was 6 degrees this morning, and the neighbor’s kid was running around barefoot in the driveway. Good grief! 
And to top it all off, two women walked by barefoot a little while ago. Hat, scarf, and a thick jacket on top, but bare feet. I know it’s supposed to toughen up the immune system, but just watching them gave me the chills. I think I’d get a bladder infection right away—my feet always have to be warm. 

Other than that, I’m totally into chickens right now. 

Marlies do you paint the faces on the flower children yourself, or are those ready-made balls? 

Petra, your embroidery is so stylish. I used to love doing that in school, too. I’m itching to try embroidery again. But by the time I’ve bought all the supplies again… I’m sure I’ll lose interest pretty quickly. 
And how beautiful everything is blooming at your place! 

Those are finished balls, Anja. Painting isn’t really my thing.😉

Just reading about it makes my bladder cramp up. I’m still wearing two pairs of socks because my feet are so cold.

How is the chicken fever affecting you?

Yes, Steffi, when it comes to knitting, you love what’s unique. You can see that time and again in your projects. I tend to prefer simpler things. I really like lace and cable patterns. But with you, it goes even further with the ways you knit—can I call it the project’s development? In any case, I think the things that come off your needles are amazing and one-of-a-kind.

I took Marlies’ idea with the picture and put my chicken farm in a small picture frame. I also brought white chalk paint up from the basement to paint it, but then decided on brown instead. I’m very happy with it and have already started the next picture (this time 10 stitches bigger).

Anja, I got the thread and fabrics from my mom. She used to do Hardanger embroidery, and with embroidery it’s just like with yarn—you keep accumulating more and end up buying way too much. With my little pictures, I’ve got enough material to last three lifetimes. 



Yes, everything is blooming beautifully right now. Whether in the garden or in the woods—if only it weren’t so cold and raining all the time. But I’m sure it’ll get better soon, and then I’ll move my workspace from the sofa out to the garden. I’m really looking forward to that. 

Petra, the embroidery looks soooo great in that frame—that was a fantastic idea by Marlies!

Marlies, try Googling “emotional support chicken”—it’s going viral right now.
Hehe, the pattern for the flower children was just suggested to me here, too.
And yet more great patterns for sweaters. There are so many wonderful things to make again... 

Anja, the flower children are quick to make, and Martina was right: they’re addictive! 😊
The saleswoman at Wollhimmel said she’s currently crocheting mini hamsters with really big eyes. It’s the trend on TikTok.

I really like your decoration, Petra. It looks great in that frame.

I’m already feeling overwhelmed just looking at it, Steffi. That looks absolutely amazing. 👍 I just can’t do something like that.

I Googled “mini hamsters with big eyes” but didn’t find anything. I don’t have TikTok. Maybe it’s better that way—otherwise I’d have my next project lined up right away... 😇

Today I’m continuing on the crocheted short-sleeve sweater—I thought it was too short, so I want to get that out of the way—and I’m going to see if one skein will be enough for the extension or if I’ll need two after all.

  And later, I’ll knit a few more rows on the chicken.

This weekend is that darn daylight saving time change again—ugh. I hate it. How are you guys coping with it, and especially your pets (if you have any)? 

That’s right, daylight saving time 🥴
Just what we needed—nobody needs that. At least my pets are easygoing about it, and I’m taking my time getting used to it...
Will we get another photo of Hennelore? 😊

This is Hennelore: 

I like them 😊💕 
Cheerful Hennelore 😊

I’m currently in the process of clearing out a pretty big sideboard—kind of like an apothecary cabinet.... Somehow I have to get this “monster” out of my room. But that’s actually where I store my yarn. There isn’t really much left. It’s not like I don’t want to put anything new in there—just arranged differently... I need space for a kind of desk where I can put my printer, plotter, and laptop, but with enough room next to it to do some crafting.... 
Maybe I should start by putting everything from the cabinet into moving boxes??? 
I’m so clueless—I don’t really know where to start. Or should I just clear out the whole room? But I can’t do that in a single day, and where would the cats sleep during the day? 🤔 
Where would you start? 

Hennelore is cool, Anja. A real eye-catcher.🤩

Steffi, have you made any progress with your “decluttering project”?

After all those flower children, I’ve caught a new bug: gnomes and elves.
I ventured into an English pattern for the first time:



Some patterns were marked down by 70%. So I went ahead and bought a few more.😊

I’ve crocheted two more, but they still need to be “put together.” I’ve already ordered some new cotton yarn, too...

It’s so quiet here....
I’ve started rearranging things a bit....
I almost fell off the ladder a few days ago and hurt my left hand—or rather, just my index finger. I had no idea how often you actually use it. Never mind. I can knit again now, and my scarf only has a few rows left... 

It’s about 1.90 x 0.50 when laid out loosely... 

Really quiet here. Where is everyone? 
@everyone: give a little peep 🐥

The last 3 messages passed me by; I don’t even know whether I didn’t get an email notification or whether I deleted it at my email provider because my MAILBOX was full again...? 

Yes Steffi, you really do need all your fingers more than you think. Last year I injured my ring finger, and thought it wasn’t that important, but nope. All your fingers move along with any hand activity. 

Marlies, congratulations on your first English pattern! 
You’ve really been bitten by the elf & gnome bug. What are you doing with so many of them? 

For a few days I couldn’t do anything at all, was stuck in a depressive hole and just stared into space and had a lot to brood over and cry about. 
For the last 2 days I’ve been crocheting again, not as much as usual, but I can bring myself to do it again. 
Then today I saw a lovely shirt on Pinterest and ended up on Instagram (I don’t have it as an app, but I was still able to look at it). The designer of the sweater said in a video that she found crochet when she was suffering from severe depression. That the colors, working with her hands, and inventing designs healed her, and that she’s doing well today. *sniff* 

I had started a 2nd knitted chicken, but shortly before the end the depression phase hit, and so far I haven’t been able to bring myself to continue. 

I’m working on 3 crocheted sweaters and really wanted to try making a self-designed granny square dress. But I find the yarn that’s crocheted with a 4 mm hook (Catania or Gründl cotton) much too thick for summer things. I’d already looked here to see what the others use to crochet their summer things, and they’re also crocheted with these or similar brands. Everything always looks so summery and fresh in the photos, and I’ve also crocheted various things with that kind of yarn (and very airy ones too, with lots of lace pattern), but I don’t like wearing it when it’s over 24 degrees. *sweat* 
I’ve now discovered thinner cotton for myself; we’ll see if that’s better. I think I basically have a problem with yarn in the heat. Then I prefer fabric and something flowy/airy. 

🥳 I’m done with it—the scarf is off the needles and all the ends have been woven in 🙃
Tomorrow I’ll wash it and lightly block it to dry. I knitted it with pure new wool, and I’m already so excited to see how the yarn looks after washing. With the poncho sweater, it really bloomed beautifully... Hopefully the weather will be nice tomorrow. It turned out huge 


My Easter gifts this year:




 

@Steffi—your scarf looks great. Both the colors and the pattern are unique once again.

@Christina—your little baskets turned out so cute. Were those the Easter baskets for your grandchildren? The dishcloth with the chicken is great—I’d like that, too. Right now I’m really into chickens and have already designed my next embroidery piece with Pauline (see the chicken farm above). Now I just need to find the right fabric—since snow is white, I’ll need a colorful fabric to go with it. 

You’ve all created such beautiful things....
I needed a break yesterday and did a little crafting. The result is a little spring greeting... 
It still needs a few finishing touches. 

Great. Perfect for me to welcome spring.

I spruced up the shady corner, but next week we’re only getting rain☔🌂💦

Hi everyone,

my internet is back!! 🤩🤩 I was without it for a few days again 😡

You’ve all been making some great things in the meantime.👍

What else do you want to “fine-tune” there, Steffi? It looks great already.

Thanks, Anja. Six more are finished and three are still in progress. I couldn’t resist the 70% off sale, so I “stocked up” accordingly. There are patterns for all seasons.
I’m now waiting for the nautical patterns announced here. I want to combine them with my gnomes and elves to create a nautical scene (on the windowsill). I’ll scatter the smaller ones around the apartment.😉
Well, I have more plans than I have space...

Have a lovely evening, everyone.
Marlies

There’s actually still a bit of work left to do—the Plexiglas panel still needs to be secured. The small board at the bottom is “just” glued on so far; I’d like to stabilize it with very fine screws, and the hanger on the back is still missing.
  Today I finally cut the frame for the plotted heart. Of course, a little mistake crept in, and I placed the strip the wrong way around in the cutting jig 🥴 Luckily, the strip was long enough, and I managed to finish the pieces. And of course, I couldn’t find any suitable glue… The Ponal had dried out, and the Uhu “Flinke Flasche” was the ultimate bad buy. It makes the paper totally wavy, and it doesn’t stick to anything else 😕
So tomorrow I’ll pop out to get some new glue—hopefully I won’t end up throwing all sorts of stuff into the shopping cart again that refuses to come out until we’re standing by the car 😁

Yeah, Steffi, that nifty bottle is really a waste of money. Did all sorts of things end up in your shopping cart again? In some stores, that seems to happen all on its own...😉

Here are the finished gnomes:
          



          

The gnomes really cheer me up 😍
I actually “found” some superglue. I really need to clean up my creative mess... 😁

You busy bees! 

I haven’t heard anything from Monika in a long time. It’s so quiet here in general. 
Question for Petra: As designers, you have a whole other level on this platform (which we customers don’t get to see). 
Are there themed chats there like there are here? 

I’m going to order some porcelain glue now; I want to try gluing back together a few terracotta pots that got shattered over the winter. 
You know, that kind of putty. 

Other than that, I can’t really bring myself to do much right now. Yesterday I crocheted a lantern and a wind spinner as garden decorations. 
But I didn’t like the spinner—I followed a video tutorial, but it was all made with double crochet, and it doesn’t look as good as the ones I’ve made before (those had just one row of double crochet, the rest single crochet and half double crochet). 

I have to take care of some job center stuff now, since my sick pay is running out. Ugh, I really don’t feel like dealing with all this bureaucratic nonsense. I never do, but when you’re feeling miserable, it’s even worse. 

Marlies, your gnomes are great. How big are they? What yarn? What needle size? So colorful and cheerful.

Anja, there’s a forum like this for authors, too.

I’ve been crocheting wind chimes since the weekend. I saw some at a flea market, and now I’m using up my leftover yarn.

It’s gotten pretty stormy here. 

Petra, I’m really caught up in gnome fever...😊😉
The three little ones are orange (10 cm), orchid (11 cm), and green (8 cm), made from Catania yarn with sizes 2.5 and 3. The lantern (also available in a larger size) is also made from Catania yarn and measures 14 cm with size 3. The ladybug is 24 cm, the lighthouse is 20 cm, and the watering can is 16 cm. These three are crocheted with size 3 hooks using hobbii friends 8/4 yarn, 160 m per skein.

Today my package arrived with the missing colors for my Sailor, the Angler, and the Dog Gnome. I’ve already started on the Strawberry Gnomes, too. The cake gnome is going to be exciting. He has a three-tiered hat.
And new deals have already come in again... but I think I’ll stay strong 🤣

Marlies they are so adorable. Yes, I can imagine that once you start, you just can’t stop. And being so colorful, they simply spread good cheer in the room. 

Looking forward to more gnomes 😍

That silly spinner/wind chime is the one on the far right. The wind somehow made it fold over in a weird way. Hmpf 

Anja, they can be different. I’m crocheting some myself right now. Number 4 is my favorite of the ones I’ve made. But I don’t have any pictures at the moment—they’re dancing all over the place because it’s so stormy here. 

Like the one on your right, my first ones also curve upward. But I’m leaving them as they are and will try to make the next ones straighter. 

You’ve got a pretty wild corner there in the garden. 

I like your bunting. 

Petra, my garden is more wild than manicured. I don’t use any fertilizer or chemicals either. So even though the garden is small, it’s a paradise for animals. I’ve had lots of hedgehogs so far (last year I fed 9 different ones). I just put some food in the hedgehog house again. And at lunchtime today, I ordered 50 euros’ worth of birdseed for the wild birds. 

I don’t like those “golf course” gardens. I let moss grow here—I love moss (and so do the birds, because that’s where the insects are). 

So, ladies,

I’ve crocheted some little flowers—they can twirl in the wind, or maybe I’ll put them by the window.

Do you think they look better with beads or without? 

I like it better without them.

Are those tassels at the bottom? In any case, they look great on yours.

They’ll definitely look very pretty at the window now that spring is here. 

Well, I like both versions.... 
The yarn arrived this afternoon, so I can wind it right away without any stress. Let’s see how the yarn winds up and whether that one skein is actually as “solidly dyed” as it looks in the skein—because that wouldn’t really be what I had in mind. I just really like the semisolid look, which is why I buy hand-dyed yarn. Here’s the color “Charcoal”—a dark gray, a very dark gray, a very, very dark gray, and at first glance, completely dark with no shading. But it still works for the project because the contrasting color brings it “to life.” I’m picking up my last project again—different yarn, completely different colors 😁 

I got my first strawberries yesterday... for the dollhouse kitchen and for the June decorations 

I’ve finished a few more gnomes...

         


       
The big Sailor is still missing his fishing rod with fish.

Right now I’m working on the strawberry gnomes, and after that there are a few others waiting.😊😉

Have a wonderful Sunday.
Best regards, Marlies




















         

That cow is so funny.

Great collection!

Wow, Marlies, there are sooooo many!
What is the one at the very bottom? 

I just love these little guys 🙃 
My plotter was running again today, though it had actually been at work quite often over the last week. I cut a few stickers 

And today, something made of paper again 

Wow, Steffi, that picture with flowers and butterflies is awesome!😘
I made something similar many years ago (during my crafty phase), but with scissors and a craft knife...

That’s a piggy gnome, Anja. It has a curly tail on its head because—well, it’s a gnome.😁

I’m thinking about adding more animal gnomes to go with the cow, dog, and pig. But first, I need to work through the patterns I’ve already bought. I’m translating them from English and writing them all down in my book. I wouldn’t have thought at first that I’d be able to handle this so well.

Best wishes
Marlies

I really like English patterns, too. Once you’ve memorized the abbreviations and figured out which stitches they correspond to, they’re really great. They’re written so nicely—short and to the point.
My knitting needles are taking a break right now; I’m still undecided about what I want to knit. I’d actually cast on the scarf again, but then unraveled it yesterday. Somehow the colors just didn’t match. Right now I’m toying with the idea of a summer scarf—a very small but lovely one… We’ll see. While I was tidying up yesterday, I stumbled across a few patterns 😊, and there was still a box of yarn under the bed. A “head” was staring at me—the matching yarn is there too—and I really asked myself, “Who are you?” No idea who that’s supposed to be. 🤔😕 

Here is the new thread for the May projects:
May Projects 2024: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group