April Projects: UFO Week from April 23–30, Best of Leftovers, Yarn Diet: Final Sprint for World Domination, all April projects and of course baby and doll designs as well as spring designs

Continue here:
April Projects: Final Sprint and Awards Ceremony


Dear users, dear authors,
the March projects were wonderful.
You can read up on them here:
March Projects: All Easter and spring designs UFO Week March 21–28 Yarn Diet:
Final round for world domination Tunisian crochet continues
Best of Leftovers

Final sprint and awards ceremony for March projects / Best of Leftovers / UFO Week

So here is an overview of all April events with info:

learn Tunisian crochet for free - Part 2
Tunisian crochet has become a perennial favorite here in the forum. Newcomers are always warmly welcome.

Make more shawls by hand:
Making shawls by hand ******chat thread******* / long-term project:
triangular shawls, stoles, loops, scarves for winter, for spring, for
summer and fall blankets

UFO Week April 23–30
Start gathering up your UFOs, then you can work through them all together and deservedly earn the title of UFO King/Queen.

Become the Best of Leftovers
Anyone who uses up lots of leftover yarn in April will be crowned Best of Leftovers by me.
Using up leftover yarn is inexpensive and makes room for something new.

Yarn Diet: Final round for world domination
It’s getting exciting; we have quite a few users and authors here who have been dieting for a very long time. World domination is within reach. Keep going, Pe-Ka, Wollefaden, Mowi19, Arni and CarosverrueckteHaekelwelt.
Diet newcomers can of course work toward the title of "Yarn Emperor/Empress"; all you have to do is avoid buying yarn from April 1 to 30 and use yarn from your stash.

Inner-Pig-Dog Tamer
CarosverrueckteHaekelwelt, how’s it going for you? Are you still at it? A year without buying yarn is a very impressive goal.

Learn new techniques and win
This category is new. Anyone who has learned something will also be honored as a winner. :- )

Take notes on material usage
Yarn usage / material usage 2018 Notes on each project
Have you already written down your total usage for the first quarter?

All April projects
There is room in this thread for all the projects you work through in April.
Info and photos are always a good idea.

Possible focus areas in April:
- baby designs and doll designs of all kinds
- everything for spring and summer
- new decor
- garden designs = handmade projects you can take out into the garden with you.
--> Does that inspire you?

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May
- Best of Leftovers project
- UFO Week
- Yarn Diet
- summer designs
- tunics, mesh shirts, etc.
- garden designs = handmade projects you can take out into the garden with you.



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A W A R D S C E R E M O N Y for the April events:
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If you are busy, your name and your new title will soon appear here.

Okay, the plan is set.
You can get started as soon as you’re done with March.

Hi Josefa. I’m still on a yarn diet. And that’s even though my husband forwarded some tempting yarn deals to me. But you all know how much stash I have. And I love that, thanks to you, I’ve been able to finish quite a few UFOs. That has to continue. But I’m very optimistic about it.

very nice :-)

@Josefa,

“Leftover Yarn Is Best”: Should I weigh the leftover yarn? Like before and after? I’m in^^


I’m sitting here with my box of leftover yarn, crocheting whatever I can - it’s been bugging me for a while now.

If you want to, you can do that.
But you don’t have to.

Too late to weigh it now—I've already crocheted part of it^^

Caro, that’s great that you’ve stuck with it! I’m also getting through April with ease. I’ve set my sights on making a summer sweater for myself this April and am currently designing it. I’d actually bought the cotton for this project a while back, and now I’ll be able to make a big dent in my stash drawer once the sweater is finished. After all, I’ll need the space later for new yarn. ;-)

Hi, 

I just wanted to quickly let you know that I
haven’t bought any yarn up to today and am still
working through my stash.

Best wishes, Heike

Heike, you’re awesome! I’m so glad you’re joining us! Yay!

I’m reducing my stash too. I picked up a UFO today and am knitting on it again.

Kind regards, Marion

So, this month I’m joining in on everything again. Unfortunately, I had to sit out March. I still haven’t bought any yarn, though.
I can hold out for the rest of the month. But after that I’ll have to, otherwise I won’t finish the gift for my coworker’s 60th birthday in time.

I’m going to combine the UFO project and the leftover yarn project. Months ago, I started a mobile for my cousin when I found out she was expecting her first child.
Little Anton is already over a month old now. It’s going to be his christening gift.
I have to say, I’d already finished fish and squid twice, but then they swam away - to various friends of my children, and I gave a few away as Christmas gifts....

Hey Dagmar and Marion, how nice that you're still on the “wool diet” in April too! :-)
The more of us there are, the more fun it is.

I’m already looking forward to your finished projects.

Right now, I find myself wondering why I’ve stockpiled so much yarn. It’s practically begging to be used, and it’s really fun to watch it dwindle.

Over Easter, I started a summer sweater for myself with lots of different knit-and-purl patterns. We’ll see when it gets finished. I also want to start a baby project on the side now. I really hope neither of them turns into a UFO, because I’m actually UFO-free at the moment. ;-)

Have a lovely week, everyone!

Warm regards from Monika

Hey, great! You’re all in on this. I’m pretty happy. I finished a few UFOs in March and am still working on my shawl. There’s not too much left to do. I’ve got three more yarn cakes lying around here—not to mention the 1,000 kg of yarn I have. I’m going to start making slippers for a social project this month. Let’s see if I can pull it off. I also want to learn how to sew.
What else are you all working on?

I know why I have so much yarn. So that when my children draw another fantasy creature, we don’t get held up for long. Then they rummage through the mountains of yarn for exactly the right color. And of course it has to have exactly the right “fluffiness level.”

Judging by the mountains of yarn (yarn boxes) at home, I don’t need to buy anything new for the next two years. Only on special occasions do very dear people get something special. And one of my very favorite colleagues picked out a very specific gradient yarn cake for her 60th, and I’m going to make her a beautiful shawl with it. I even want to finish it before her birthday in mid-June.
Because her husband is giving her a trip at the beginning of June, and I want her to be able to take the shawl with her then.
And you know, when I browse around in the shop there, it says that shipping is free above a certain amount. And then she has such beautiful gradient yarn cakes, and I know exactly which color suits whom and what I’ll make for each person from it, and before you know it, instead of one gradient yarn cake there are 5–6 gradient yarn cakes in the shopping cart and then already on their way to me......

Oh yes. I know that thing with the Bobbels all too well. I once browsed a website too and immediately saw soooo many beautiful Bobbels that were calling my name. 
Right now I’m steering well clear of yarn shops. That’s better for me.

Now I have to laugh. I’m just imagining it: when I open the box, five little balls of yarn will call out “Mama” to me. Like little chicks hatching from their shells.
But since I’m still at home working on a cape and the animals for my kids, I’m really holding back.
Still, I can’t resist browsing around.

As a side project, I’m currently making a little blanket for my cat. She loves lying on my crocheted and knitted shawls, so now she’s getting one of her own ;-) Plus, I wanted to try out the waffle stitch—it feels like EVERYONE is crocheting it right now.

Michaela, I like your cat blanket.
I was very busy in the garden today. This is what my UFO looked like two days ago; I’ve since reached the armhole.

Michaela, your cat blanket looks great! :-) I also love crocheting the waffle stitch.

Caro, it’s great that you’re still with us. We really are a great group, don’t you think? :-)

Wow, Marion, you’ve been really productive! I’ve also made quite a bit of progress on my summer sweater yesterday and today, and I’m currently thinking about which pattern to use next. That’s always a tough decision ... haha.

Actually ... I don’t even know what it’ll look like when it’s finished yet, because I keep coming up with new ideas as I knit. That’s what I love most about my projects.

I’ll send you a photo later of what the sweater looks like right now. Have a lovely evening, everyone!

Monika

Here’s the photo from this afternoon. I’ve already made a bit more progress.

Hi Josefa,

I’m still hard at work on my yarn diet, too.

After all, I want world domination ;-)

Best regards, Heike

Monika
Your sweater is definitely going to turn out great. It just goes to show that you can make beautiful things even with simple knit-and-purl patterns.

My lace pattern is also easy to knit. I found the sweater in a really old magazine; the pattern is so timeless that it’s still modern today.

Marion, your pattern looks really great—I love it! I also love timeless designs because I don’t feel like knitting or crocheting something that’s only in style for a year.

By the way—the yarn for your sweater looks great, too.

This afternoon, I’m going to enjoy the garden again and keep knitting. I’m sure I’ll make good progress.

Hi Michaela, I’ve been thinking about making a cat blanket for quite some time now. I think the waffle pattern is really pretty, but I can just picture my cat, when she wants to get really cozy, happily pulling out the stitches...
Marion, I really like your very old sweater pattern; I also prefer classic pieces that I can wear for years to come.
I’m also really excited to see Monika’s finished sweater! I still have a couple of unfinished sweater projects sitting in my box... I’ll probably rip out the red one and see what I can make of it. As for the other one, I didn’t like the dropped shoulders at all.

Well, I’m out of the running for world domination. I just ordered gradient yarn cakes for the shawl for my colleague.
And then some as a Mother’s Day gift, too.

I’d think that would be a great gift for me too, but I think my kids are making something for me. My daughter’s hint was something involving embroidery. My son is keeping quiet.

@Haekeltrulla,
I added you to the yarn diet in the final sprint thread.
Compliments on sticking with it.
Final Sprint and Award Ceremony for March Projects / Best of Leftovers / UFO Week

@Pe-Ka,
it's a shame you're out, but we'll repeat the final sprint for world domination in the fall. Timing-wise, we'll set it up so that yarn can be bought again in time for Christmas preparations.

Who is joining the new final round for world domination in the fall?
--> Carosverrueckte Haekelwelt will surely be happy to have fellow participants; her yarn diet will be going on for a while yet.

New category:
In April you can also be a winner if you've learned a new technique, etc., and write about it here in the thread. Is that something for you?

Garden projects = projects that are crafted in the garden or on the go can also be listed here.

Here’s the current progress on my new summer sweater with a mix of patterns. This is what it looks like now:



Since this morning, I’ve been working on the calculations for the upper section and trying out different options in theory first, including creating various pattern charts. Phew ... sweating ... racking my brain ...

From now on, the front and back pieces will be finished separately. For the front, I want a special two-tone paneling with an integrated V-neckline.

Does this also count if you're refining a technique—for example, learning new stitches in Tunisian crochet? That's exactly what I plan to do.

Monika, you’ve been especially hard at work. Your sweater is looking better and better.
Will it have sleeves, too?

I haven’t gotten much further yet—I haven’t had any time. But I’ll continue tonight.
Instead, I started another project yesterday that I’m crocheting on the side.

@ChristinaE.
Refining counts too.

Ah, great—if there’s another “World Domination Round” with a yarn diet, I can join in.
If I’m happy with the new Bobbel supplier, I’ll order more right away. She has such beautiful things on offer.
And then I’ll easily make it through to the end of the year with that. I still have yarn at home that needs to be used up, too!

Thanks, Josefa! I also just stumbled upon something else I’d like to try—but I’m not revealing any more about it just yet!
I’ll definitely be joining in for “World Domination” this fall—I’m buying the baby yarn for summer now, and I have plenty in stock for winter! I’m super motivated and just hope I’ll have enough time for everything!

Yeah, once I’ve stocked up on yarn in the summer, I want to go on a “yarn diet” again from fall through spring. I think it’s totally creative to whip something up from my stash. And I don’t give the moths any chance at all... *grin*.

It might be that I won’t need new yarn until June, so I’ll stick with this for another month...

The longer the yarn diet, the greater the honor. :- )

ok, more yarn diet:
How about from the beginning of July to the end of September / end of October?
Then you can shop for whatever you want from the beginning of May to the end of June, unless you’re staying on the diet anyway.
September as the end: For back-to-school projects, fall decorations, fall clothing / transitional clothing, you might need to stock up on yarn during the diet break.

October as the end for extra-brave crafters: There will still be enough time for Christmas projects then.
--> I will offer both September and October as the end. You can choose then.
October as the end of the yarn diet naturally brings more glory and honor than ending in September.

Of course, shorter periods—a few weeks, a month—are also possible for the yarn diet. You can decide that individually then.

But I want to avoid holding the diet so close to Christmas that things get too tight with Christmas preparations. So I won’t hold a diet campaign in November or December.
In the new year, of course, we’ll do it again, but timed so that it doesn’t conflict with the Easter projects.

What do you think?

Oh great, a long lead-up to the next “yarn diet,” so I can still stock up on enough materials.

I’m definitely in, and I’m really hoping there won’t be any yarn shops nearby during my vacation in July!

Wool diet just doesn’t fit my way of working at all...
For me, it’s like this: I have a project in mind (either my own design or a purchased pattern), then I search through my stash and, of course, don’t find the right yarn or enough of it, so I buy the yarn for the project. Most of the time, something is left over (1 skein or even less), and my yarn stash has grown again.
The yarn I already have rarely inspires me to come up with new ideas. Most of the time, I have an idea in my head that I want to realize exactly that way and no other, and I’m not willing to compromise on the material or the color. That’s artistic freedom!
But I also don’t let myself be tempted in yarn shops to buy yarn “just because.” It would only end up sitting around for years anyway.

Well, I think this is great and I’m definitely in!

But we should know beforehand what colors we’ll need for the summer color campaign. That’s why the “yarn diet” can’t start until the colors are set. I’d hate to buy a color palette that I’ll never use.

So if the color campaign isn’t finalized until July, the “yarn diet” would have to start after that.

Since there are always sales in November/December—at least in my online store—it’s great that we’ll be able to stock up again then.

I’m already excited to see how it goes. And I can already tell that my next yarn purchase is going to be more of a yarn binge. The joy is even greater than before; it feels like a reward. :-)

One more addition, Josefa:

I’d also skip July for the yarn diet and then let it run until the end of October. Partly because of the color challenge, and partly because of the vacation season and the many special offers available in July.

I always think the yarn diet is great, too. But I’ve decided not to stop the diet until I’ve worked through almost everything. So I think I’ll be on the diet until July or so anyway… We’ll see. 

Arni, it’s great that you’re so enthusiastic about this too! :-)
I don’t want to buy anything yet either—probably not until June at the earliest. I’ll definitely be able to make it through May as well.

I’ll definitely be sticking with this for a while longer.
With my stash, I can easily keep it up—I’ve firmly resolved to work only with stash yarn during the diet. I also still have a few UFOs that I want to finish.

How are your April projects coming along?

With the beautiful weather this weekend, I took a break from knitting.
But today, my UFO sweater has grown a bit more. The front and back are finished, and I’ve already started on the sleeves.

How far along are you?

I’m currently using up my leftover baby yarn.

A roasting bag is worked into the car, which is why it crackles.

Now I have an idea for a new jacket. :-)

Arni, that car is really great; Anton is sure to love it.
I think the idea with the roasting bag is good. I bought some film especially for this purpose. I’ll have to remember that.

I’m curious to see what else you’ll conjure up for Anton from leftover yarn.

Arni, you’re so hardworking and make such lovely things for your Anton. Very pretty, and what a great idea with the car—it crinkles. Little babies love that. :-)

I’ve been busy in the garden these past few days working on my mixed-pattern sweater. On my third try, I finally liked how the upper front section turned out, and it’s finished. Here’s what it looks like now:



Tomorrow I’ll finish knitting the back piece. Then I’ll knit the shoulders together and sew up the seams—and the new summer sweater will be done. I’m really looking forward to it. Of course, I used up some “diet yarn” on this one too; I estimate it’ll be about 5 skeins in total.

I haven’t started the next project yet, so the sweater doesn’t turn into a UFO. ;-)

I’m planning to make a pair of short cotton baby pants. I’ll start working on the design the day after tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to it!

I have to admit, I’m out of the running for world domination. I bought two skeins of sock yarn over the weekend.
To those who do go on to achieve world domination: I hope you won’t be too strict as rulers!

Marion: Yes, roasting bag film crackles really well. I’ve already sewn a few crinkle cloths with it—they’ve been through the washing machine countless times and still crackle. :-)

Mowi: Your sweater is looking really great, too. I like the color and pattern combination. It looks pretty complicated, though (but then again, I can’t knit at all :-))

Oh, Ida, don’t worry about it. The main thing here is having fun. And if you’re happy with the new yarn, then that’s totally fine, too. :-)

Arni, the patterns on the sweater are really easy to knit—you just have to know the arrangement. Unfortunately, the photo here is pretty small. In real life, the sweater looks absolutely great. The lace pattern at the top features little hearts.

The trickiest part was figuring out the front panel with the V-neck. You have to pay a little more attention there while knitting. But other than that, it all goes by in a flash and it never gets boring. ;-)

I’m joining in again this time. Here’s the pile of leftover yarn for Reste-Beste.
I plan to turn it into fruit and carrots for the doll kitchen for my friend’s daughter. It should all be washable, because when the doll mom feeds her children in the garden, it should be reusable afterwards.

Oh, and as for those “treasures,” I’ve given up on world domination.
But there’s supposed to be a new attempt this fall. I’ll try to stay strong again then.


From the unpacked items, my colleague will get her shawl for her birthday.

Dagmar, seeing your yarn cakes like this… it really makes me want to get some for myself (starting in May, of course). I already know this could become addictive. ;-) I’m totally into the color gradients, too.

For me, it has to be shades of red combined with yellow. Or just a rainbow of colors.

I wish you all a lovely, sunny day. I’m going to finish knitting my summer sweater today and then show it to you. The garden is calling!

Anyone who sticks with it until the end of April will make it to the final round for world domination.
Would you like a runoff vote to determine the winner here in the forum?
How would you like to handle that?

What would you do with your world domination if you won?

I’m definitely sticking with it, and I’m glad I’m not the only one. :-)

As far as I’m concerned, there doesn’t need to be a single winner, because I think we’ve all done our best—each in our own way. For me, it’s about mastering myself—that I’ve managed to overcome my “impulses” (like buying yarn on a whim) so successfully.

Overall, it makes me feel good that I stuck with it so well and that there’s room for new yarn again. I probably wouldn’t have used up so much without this motivation.

That’s why I’m happy to start again in August. In the meantime, I’ll stock up enough to get me through the winter.

I feel exactly the same way. I don’t need to have all the power to myself either. I rule over myself and my new creations that have been conjured up 

Oh, I just pulled some new yarn out of the drawer and it left a really big hole—yay! That means there’s room for a few new skeins, which I’m really looking forward to.

My summer sweater is pretty much done. I just need to sew up the shoulder seams and weave in the ends. I’ll do that tomorrow. And then I have two projects in mind. I’m still designing the baby pants. And the second one will either be a pillow or… I have no idea. Once again, I’m having a hard time deciding.

Our RV is ready to go, and we’re heading to Lake Chiemsee this weekend. I’ll need something simple to knit there. That’s why the pillow. As a stopgap, so to speak, until I finish my new designs.

Here’s what my summer sweater looks like from the front now:

So, apart from weaving in the ends, the summer sweater—I’d actually call it more of a tunic—is finished.
Here’s what it looks like from the front and back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take a better photo today—I’ll post one later.



And here’s a close-up of some of the patterns. This way, you might be able to see that it’s a heart-shaped lace pattern.

I don’t want to rule the world all by myself—we were all so brave, after all.

My first April project was finished this morning. It was a UFO that has now landed.
Here’s the before-and-after picture.

Monika, your sweater turned out great—I really like it.

Have fun at Lake Chiemsee—maybe you’ll even get to wear your sweater already.

Best, Marion

Marion, thank you! :-)
Your sweater looks great, too! It looks like we finished our sweaters at almost the same time—awesome!

Yes, I’m actually looking forward to wearing the sweater for the first time at Lake Chiemsee. It’s supposed to be nice and warm this weekend. We’ll see. 

I don’t need world domination all to myself either.

I’m just proud of myself for managing so far not to
buy any new yarn.

And seeing how many projects you can make with the yarn you already have.

Just great.

To everyone still participating in the yarn diet:

I think it’s just great that we motivate each other so well here and are
working together to achieve world domination.

Keep it up!

Best, Heike

Yeah, Heike, I totally agree with you. :-)
I probably wouldn’t have stuck with it on my own (and why should I?) and it wouldn’t have been any fun either. Achieving something together is really great.

I’m definitely going to keep up the yarn diet well into May. I’ve already got the next skeins ready and can’t wait to turn them into pretty things.

Right now I’m knitting a few gauge swatches and trying out some new patterns with them. I already have a pretty clear idea for the pillowcase. I want the front and back to look different.

Something else that’s tempting me—as quick little projects in between—are guest towels and small washcloths to go with it. I already have a few ideas floating around in my head. ;-) That’s a great way to use up leftover yarn, especially when there isn’t enough for a bigger project.

@mowi

I’ve already picked out my next projects.
They will be:

a stacking bear for a little boy’s 1st birthday
a dragon girl for our couch decor
a vest for me

And the nice thing is that I already have the yarn for all the projects at home.

Oh, this is such fun ;-)

Best regards, Heike

Yeah, Heike, that’s exactly what I love about it—that I already have the supplies for everything I plan to make. After all, when I bought them, I already had a pretty good idea of what they could become.

Right now, I could use at least six hands to bring my ideas to life. ;-)

Sorry, Monika, but I can’t lend you my hands.
I need them myself for my next project.
I’ve dug out my next UFO and am now continuing with it. It’s going to be another summer sweater.
Here’s the UFO

Hey Marion, how cool! :-) That’s going to be a great piece!

Well, I know you need your hands. I’ll try cloning them… grin…
In any case, knitting and crocheting have never been as much fun as they are with you all here. I just had to say that. :-)

Yeah, I feel the same way. Sending photos back and forth. Being happy about your own success and that of others—it’s just great.

Although I’m currently having a bit of a moderate crisis.  I’m crocheting a jacket for Anton right now, using leftovers, of course. The plan was a light blue jacket with waves at the bottom and a ship appliqué. There’s absolutely no way I’ll have enough light blue... Let’s see how I can salvage this. Maybe with white...
We’ll see. I guess I’ll end up using up some other leftovers this way, too

Arni, white goes wonderfully with light blue. I’m sure you’ll find a fantastic solution for Anto’s jacket so it becomes a truly one-of-a-kind piece.

I designed my pillowcase tonight. Another pattern mix—I’m totally into that right now. And a color mix, too—wine red with natural. Just the thought of it fills me with pure excitement. And when I placed my sample piece on a pillow earlier to test it out… oh man, the feeling of stroking the wool is incredible. I can already picture it so clearly once it’s finished. My sample piece is actually as big as half of one side of a pillow. I’m already in love with this pillow. :-)

Wool is just so lovely and definitely an essential part of life. :-)

Tomorrow (Friday) we’re setting off on our first campervan trip of the year. I’m really looking forward to it—including knitting on the road. I’ll only be online via my tablet until Saturday evening, and probably just briefly on Friday evening.

Have a great start to the weekend!

Love from Monika

Arni, that’s right. The photo part is really nice. I’ve definitely felt really motivated to keep knitting my UFOs, and this year I actually haven’t produced a single new one yet.
Your blue jacket for Anton will surely be lovely again; you’ll definitely find suitable yarn in your stash. 
Brown also looks good with light blue.  You made such a lovely car, and I’m sure you still have some left over.
Let me show you a picture of light blue and brown

Yes, but it’s supposed to be the sea and the sky :-) I want to have a sailboat sailing across it :-) and brown clouds are silly. :-)

I only have a tiny bit of brown left, too. The car was already made from leftovers. I think I’ll use my white.  We’ll see.

It’s so frustrating when you have a clear idea and then it isn’t enough, but that’s just how it is when you want to use up leftovers.

The little shoes are incredibly cute, too. 

That’s true, though. White is probably the best choice there. I’m sure you’ll come up with another solution.

Have a nice weekend.

So, by the time I finally get around to taking a photo of my April project, you’ll all have long since finished what feels like a hundred projects. I’ve lost track a bit, so you all deserve the warmest praise!
Here’s my April shawl:



That was still “World Domination Yarn.” The “Shame Yarn” is currently being turned into a summer top. I hope I have enough of it. Worst-case scenario, I’ll have to buy more, but at this point, it doesn’t really matter anymore.

But “shame yarn” isn’t a very nice word.

I ruined my UFO Week yesterday by finishing a UFO :D
The Calin shirt.
There’s a picture of it in the gallery :)

If it was a real UFO (= has been sitting around for a while), you can still count it toward the challenge.

Yay :)

It’s been sitting unfinished in the closet for at least a few months now ;)

Congratulations on becoming the UFO Queen :-)

I’ll go ahead and report a finished UFO right away. My marled sweater—the picture is further up.
I’ve even already started on my second UFO. It’s another light blue summer sweater—the picture is also further up.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Congratulations :-)

Wow, you’ve all been busy. I’m back online now and have started catching up on all the important threads. Yesterday I just relaxed and did almost nothing. I really needed that.

In the evening, I worked on my new pillowcase. It’s already looking really great. I’ll show you a photo tomorrow. Maybe I’ll manage to finish knitting one side today.

Ida, your shawl turned out great. “Shame wool”... where did you come up with a word like that? It really doesn’t sound very nice. Every type of yarn wants to be loved—didn’t you know that? ;-)

The little booties are also absolutely adorable in this color combination.

I wish you all a great start to the week and will check in again once I’ve finished one side of the pillowcase.

Warm regards, Monika

Hooray, I finished knitting one side of my pillow this morning. The other side will look completely different. I like being able to switch things up however I feel like it.

This is what one side looks like now. Both colors have different patterns.

UFO Week, April 23–30: Don’t forget. Start gathering your UFOs now.

Monika, your pillow already looks great.

My second UFO sweater is coming along slowly. With this lace pattern, you have to be careful and keep counting stitches. I’ve already made a few mistakes and had to unravel it. But it’s worth the effort—it looks good.

You’re right—"shame wool" really doesn’t sound good. But I was actually referring more to my own shame for not sticking with it long enough to achieve world domination. The wool isn’t to blame at all—it’s perfectly well-behaved anyway :-)

August through October = a second chance at the final round of world domination.

Oh yeah, I’ll have to go shopping first!

So that’s how it works: stock up so you can go on a “diet.” :-)

That’s the famous yo-yo effect :-)

UFO Progress Report:

It’s coming along—I’m almost at the neckline. 

Marion, that looks really great! I absolutely love the pattern!

Marion, that’s looking really good already!

Here’s a picture of what I’ve just learned: left Tunisian knit stitch and star stitch! Warning: Highly addictive!

Christina, that looks great! What will it be when it’s finished? ;-)

UFO Week starts on Monday, and all the other April projects—including the Yarn Diet—are slowly entering the home stretch. :-)

So, I sewed something for Anton. The crib bumper is finished.
Now I just need to sew a nice play mat soon. :-)

So, the next jacket is finished, too. Made entirely from leftover yarn. I’ve completely used up 3 different shades of blue. 

Arni, that jacket turned out really pretty—congratulations!

Thanks. My husband thinks they’re totally kitschy :-)))) but I don’t care.

Oh, I think it’s totally fine for babies to be a little “kitschy”! Once Anton is a few years older, he won’t want to wear stuff like that anyway. So you’ve got to make the most of it while he still doesn’t have a mind of his own when it comes to clothes. In any case, I can’t get away with giving my grandchildren (almost 6 and 4 years old) crocheted clothes anymore. I think the jacket is totally cute!

Arni, you’re going to become a serial finisher here! That jacket is totally cute! Especially with babies, it’s okay to be a little kitschy—you won’t be able to do that later anyway.
(I just realized I’m repeating exactly what Ruth already said...)

Wow, you’ve all been so hard at work. One project more beautiful than the next.

But I haven’t been slacking off either. My second UFO from April was finished this morning.

Wow, you guys are so industrious! You’ve made such wonderful things!

Arni, your jacket for Anton turned out really cute. I think it’s a truly lovely creation. That’s such a creative way to use up scraps.

Marion, I really like your sweater, too. A chic piece!

I think I’m creating a UFO right now, actually even two. Because my new project is tempting and calling me so loudly now that I can’t pull myself away from it anymore - it’s the baby summer pants. I finally know what they should look like after unraveling them twice.

Let’s see what I can get done next week. I definitely still want to finish knitting the pillow by the end of April. Tonight I’ll show my results here.

Well, and then I started a new doorstop figure. I’m still tinkering with it a bit. I’ll probably take that into May as a UFO.

And as for the yarn diet, I’m really proud of myself for simply clicking away all the special offers from my favorite shop. It wasn’t easy for me, I have to admit honestly. But I really enjoy seeing my stash shrink for a change.

And do you know what ... I feel such great anticipation when I think about my next yarn purchase!! I’ll probably enjoy that anticipation until mid-May and only order then. There are already a few colors on my list that I absolutely need for some new project ideas.

So, now I’m going to finish writing a pattern, and then I’m off to the garden to knit.

Wow, Marion, that’s a great piece! I’d love one too—how much and what kind of material did you use for it? And will you be writing a pattern for it?

@Christina

I’ve always liked this sweater; I actually started it a year ago. Then, unfortunately, it became a UFO. Now it’s finally finished.
It’s once again from an old pattern magazine, namely the
Wollratgeber by Junghans Wolle from Spring/Summer 1999. 

For size 42, I used just under 300g of cotton yarn, with a yardage of 125m/50g
and knitted it with size 4 needles.
Maybe send me a PM.

Your Tunisian crochet piece looks lovely too. I’ve bought more books again, and I’ve already picked out a few items.
You really need more hands.

Have a lovely weekend in Switzerland.

Hello to everyone active in this thread,

I’ve been browsing around a bit and can see that some great pieces have been created here. Personally, I find it a bit too confusing here—one moment people are talking about UFOs, then about a “yarn diet,” and then about yarn consumption again. I guess I would have had to participate more actively to really follow it all.

I have one UFO; if I understand correctly, the challenge doesn’t start until Monday. As for the rest of the activities, I’m probably not really in the running for those.

Petra, you can showcase your UFO here with a before-and-after photo, and you’ll be crowned one of the UFO Queens. :-)

@Monika
Yeah, I guess I’ll do that then. 

I didn’t manage to post any photos yesterday. Here’s the current state of my cushion - the back this time (I’d already shown the other side here). There’s still a section missing in dusty pink. I hope this doesn’t turn into a UFO.



And here are the baby pants I’ve started. I’m much more tempted to work on them at the moment. Whether I’ll finish them this week ... who knows.

Please continue the discussion over there, as this thread has gotten very long.

April Projects: Final Sprint and Awards Ceremony