January Projects: Kicking Off with the Popular Title Highlights

Here we go on
January Projects: Part 2







Dear users, dear authors,

We’re starting the new year with a thorough spring yarn diet.
It starts today and runs until the end of March.
Who’s joining in?

Of course, we also have all the popular title highlights again.

Extra points for
- photos of your projects
- handmade items you’ve given as gifts
- and for feedback to the authors of the respective pattern, for comments, reviews, etc.
--> The more extra points you collect, the better for your karma. :- )

UFO Queen: Finish at least one UFO and the title is yours.
UFO Week from January 24–31. The awards ceremony will then be on February 1. But I’ll also add latecomers later.

ResteBeste = use up leftover yarn and win.

and much more. More info to follow.

There’s room here in this thread for all January projects.
Anyone who has an account here can take part, users and authors.

Hi Josefa,
you’re quick! Thanks so much for the new thread. I just finished crocheting the last stitch of the baby blanket. Hooray!!!!
It’s in the washing machine now; I’ll post a photo once it’s blocked.

Now I’m going to crochet a giraffe again

I’m back after a long break from the forum. Last year, I finished a few projects, used up dozens of balls of yarn, and stuck to my yarn diet. Those are also my New Year’s resolutions. I’ll keep finishing UFOs, using up yarn, and not buying any new yarn. Here’s to a successful New Year.

By the way, I’m also trying to declutter my home in other ways. It’s going pretty well so far.

Caro, so glad you’re back! :)

I’m happy to join in again. These days, I’m finally finishing my leg warmers (if weaving in ends counts as finishing a UFO). Photo to follow. They were knitted from leftover yarn.

Plus, of course, I’m continuing my yarn diet—probably even longer than until March. I think I’ve been on this diet since October.

Right now, I’m knitting up some unwanted yarn into socks, for which I’m currently figuring out a new heel that’s super easy. I’ve had the theory in my head for a long time, and now I’m putting “learning by doing” into practice. I’ll show you the result when it’s finished. This is also a UFO, since I started it back in December. And it’s going to be a gift for my husband.

I’ll also be knitting more of this unwanted yarn into socks. The leftover yarn from my current socks will be turned into baby socks.

And if I’m really in the mood, I’ll finally finish that UFO that’s been hanging around for ages… the crocheted cuddly bear.

I hope we all have a lot of fun with our January projects. And I’m already really excited to see everything we’ll be sharing here.

Sandra, I’m also looking forward to seeing your finished blanket… or rather, the photo of it.

New Year’s greetings to everyone!
Monika

I hope you’ve all had a great start to the new year, and it looks like many of you are already full of plans (and New Year’s resolutions) for 2019! I just finished weaving in the ends on the last Christmas gift (my sister and I agreed to meet up during the quieter times at the start of the year, so I’m not too late!) and actually managed to finish a UFO in December: the wrist warmers I started in September are finally done! I’m happy to join the yarn diet, though it still depends on whether my niece would also like a pair of arm warmers—and for that, I’d have to buy some more yarn. But after that, no more buying for a while! Is there actually a winner announcement for December, too? I’d love to see a roundup of all the beautiful things that were created!

Warm New Year’s greetings to everyone from Vienna!
I’m back for the new year and knitted a winter wrap skirt over the Christmas holidays. It went so smoothly that I started a second one right away—it’s currently on the needles, waiting to be finished.
I’m looking forward to admiring your projects here on the forum again, and I hope the new year will be a good one for everyone here.

Right now I have dark gray socks on my needles; I sewed myself some gray pants, so now I need socks that match.

So, as I said, you can forget about me when it comes to a “yarn diet,” but otherwise I’m happy to be back this year and hope I’ll be able to show off my UFOs and finished projects here more often. I’ve already finished one hat this year, and another is in the works.
Speaking of which, for everyone who isn’t so keen on “diets”: What do you think of a “yarn indulgence thread”? One where you can show off your new purchases? I’m just saying, as a counterpoint to all the sensible folks here :-)

@Iglinz,
there you can indulge in yarn:
Woolly Wednesday: Who bought yarn? Christmas yarn, leftover yarn, yarn diet,
and yarn stash update + yarn wish list

This is fun... the yarn-indulgence thread. :-)

I’ve finally finished my new leg warmers made from leftover yarn—my first UFO completion of the new year. Here’s what they look like. This is one of them—but both are finished.

It’s all mixed up on Woolly Wednesday—shoppers and dieters ;-) It’s just like when there are always people sitting among the Weight Watchers, munching on chocolates ;-)

I really had to laugh out loud at that one, Michaela. :-) :-)

But you know, that’s exactly the strength we “dieters” show. Staying strong amidst mountains of yarn. Yeah, yeah.... ;-)

Best, Monika

If you’d like, we can have a thread every Wednesday on the topic of “Woolly Wednesday” or a “Wool-Indulgence Thread,” but I also want those on a “wool diet” to be able to join in, so I’ve just lumped everything together. :- )
After all, no one should be left out.

I finished my first pair of knitted socks yesterday. That’s now my first completed January project. The second pair for my husband is already in the works—the first sock is half done.
After the socks, I’ll start on my next coat. I don’t usually have any UFOs, but I bought two skeins of sock yarn because I was out.

I’m really hoping to finish my dress project before the end of January.
The top is done—I’m working on the skirt now.

My other UFO is my spring scarf.

I’d also like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, good luck and good health, and plenty of new
ideas for your crochet and knitting projects.

A “yarn diet” sounds good. So I’m back on board, and I want to test myself to see how long I can keep it up.
I did get some Christmas yarn, but starting this year, I want to slowly
work through my yarn stash (there are three personal reasons for this).

So let’s get started :-)

Mel, your socks look great.
I’ve finished my first pair too—they’re for my husband.
They’re a test project for a simple heel that I’m currently tinkering with.

Here’s a photo of me trying them on.



Monika, your sock looks great! Let me know when your heel idea is fully developed—I don’t have any problems with the heel myself, but it would be interesting to hear about it.
I wish there were more patterns for the Crasy Trio. Then we wouldn’t have to keep rethinking things all the time.

Mel, this is actually already well thought out and fits great. My husband is thrilled with his new, perfectly fitting socks. By the way, I also knitted them with the Crazy Trio.

Before I write a pattern for this—including for the Crazy Trio—I’d like to try out other sizes and test how they fit. Especially with yarn where you can see the fit better.

I can knit the standard heel too, but I also like to keep things simple. And I’m well on my way to finding a solution. I think I’ll be turning a lot of my stash yarn into socks for the whole family. It’s so much fun.

Here’s the blanket! About 150 hours of work

I’m joining in again this month, too.

You’ve all been busy again—those turned out to be some beautiful socks. I’m also curious about the heel.

I’m supposed to knit some socks for a good friend of mine. She gave me a sample pair, and I’ve got the yarn too, but somehow I still haven’t felt like getting started.
I’ll show you the sample sock.
But I still have to fix it up first—that means new toes and a new heel.

I just saw this now.
Sandra, your baby blanket turned out beautifully.

Oh, I’d completely forgotten about the existing yarn indulgence thread! But I have to take photos of my new additions first anyway.
Monika and Mel, beautiful socks! And Sandra, your blanket is sensational! I admire your patience!

Sandra, your blanket is absolutely gorgeous! :)

I’m already knitting the second pair of my new socks in a kids’ size. They’re looking great so far. I’m thrilled with them myself!

Thank you so much! I’m really proud of this, too.

I just finished the next project.


It’s supposed to be a replacement giraffe for Anton while I wash the other one. Let’s see if he’ll accept it. It certainly looks different. 

@Arni
I'm really curious to see whether he'll accept them. My granddaughter had 3 plush mice (industrially made) that all looked the same: one for sleeping, one for daycare, and one as a spare. But she knew exactly which was which. And heaven help us if the sleeping mouse was in the wash!

@Arni
your blanket turned out great!
Quick tip: Be sure to put the “new” giraffe with Anton’s things. Small children notice different smells right away. Our daughter also had two identical stuffed animals, but she wouldn’t accept the replacement. It smelled different. She still uses her main cuddly toy today (she’s 13 now), and I think it’s made of more sewing thread (from all the mending) than anything else.

Mel: Thanks so much for the tip. I’ll put the giraffe in the bag on his stroller tonight. 

Yeah, I totally agree. Replacement stuffed animals just aren’t the same, and kids notice that right away.

My son always used to have a cloth handkerchief as his comfort blanket. I changed it every day and, of course, washed it. Since he’d known from a young age that he got a new one every day, that’s just how it was. And he accepted it. 

But his monkey—the one he fell in love with when he was 2—must never be washed, and he wouldn’t accept anything else. No matter how similar it looked.

Since I’m a teddy bear fan myself and have two of my own, I’m speaking from experience. Even though that bear still exists, I wouldn’t trade it, because mine somehow have their own identity. It’s hard to explain in words. From a child’s perspective, it’s as if we were exchanging a child for one that looks exactly the same. We’d notice that it was a different one too.

By the way, I wrote a really sweet story about this called “Felix, the Foundling Bear.” If you’d like, I can post it here in a separate thread. Then you’ll surely understand what I mean.

Have a lovely day!

Monika

Oh, I completely forgot… Sandra, your giraffe is absolutely adorable and so cute you could just fall in love with it.

Here’s the first sock for my husband:

Mel, your sock looks great. I really like the pattern.

I hope the second one will be the same.

Progress update on my dress:



I still have a few rounds to go.

CreatOwl, that looks great—even at this stage. You could wear it as a sweater. You could easily turn that into two projects.

Thanks, Mowi :)

I’ll do the same.

@ CreatOwl

Your dress already looks great.
The colors are really nice, too. I’d also like it as a sweater or tunic.

Thanks, Marion :)

@ arni: I think the giraffe is really cute, too.

@ Mel: I like your sock as well—knitting socks is on my to-do list here, too. Specifically, I have this crazy idea to make reversible socks.

Wow, you’ve all been so busy and made such wonderful things! Things aren’t quite going the way I’d like for me at the moment, but I have lots of plans and very little time…

Monika, my teddy bears and I would very much like to get to know your story about Felix the Foundling Bear! 

Mel, I really like your sock! I also bought some new sock yarn for my husband, though it’s very discreetly patterned in grey and black. I actually didn’t want to add to my stash, but my husband liked it… Stupidly, there were also some tempting balls in the shop that I want to turn into socks for myself, although… (see above!) Oh well, I’ll try to be sensible in the new year!

Thank you so much for your compliments—and yes, the giraffe was actually accepted. But that’s probably also because Anton hasn’t quite made up his mind yet. He cuddles with anything that’s nearby. Sometimes even with my socks :-)
CreatOwl: I really like your dress.

Mel: I think the sock pattern is great, too. Unfortunately, I can’t knit.

My next project is already finished. It’s up and running right now. 

It’s a doorstop. Anton broke the rubber parts on the metal doorstop in his room, so it wasn’t usable anymore. I just stuck it in the head.

Now I’m going to focus on my neglected yarn. I’ve had this weird textile yarn lying around here for about three years.  

Sandra, you make such super-cute things. What a cute doorstop! I’m sure Anton will love it too.
You’re lucky that Anton hasn’t settled on a specific stuffed animal yet... Maybe he’ll like both giraffes. I hope so for you.

Wollbärli, I’d love to dig up that story and start a separate thread for it. I’m sure many people here will enjoy it. :)

So, I’ve used up my neglected yarn for January too :-)

a storage basket for my sofa, so my crochet stuff doesn’t lie around everywhere.

Ah, little projects like this are great. They’re finished so quickly. :-))) Now I’m dedicating myself to a UFO, a door wreath for Anton. I’ll probably need a little longer for that. But I’ll still finish it in January.

Now I can finally show off something I’ve finished. Things aren’t quite clicking for me yet, though. I have quite a few ideas and can’t decide on one just yet.
The little bear will be given to a young boy at the end of the month.

Sandra, your storage basket turned out really pretty!
Marion, that little bear is absolutely adorable—someone’s going to be so happy!
I’ve almost finished the second sock for my husband, but I’ve had enough of this fiddly little stuff for the next few days—otherwise, my wrists will be done for. I’m already looking forward to the “big” needles when I start my coat.

Sandra, I really like your storage basket, too.
And Marion, your little bear is so cute ... he reminds me of the bears I had as a child. By the way, the colorful look really suits him.

I’m still tinkering with the socks. I keep coming up with more improvements ... even though I thought they were already fully developed.

For now, I’m knitting a few sample socks to test them out.
 
Mel, by now I’ve gotten so used to the Crasy Trio that my wrists don’t hurt anymore. It was only like that at the beginning. But I’m also going to knit something bigger now and then, probably a new baby sweater design that’s already buzzing around in my head.

My project for the color campaign is finished too, and I’m really delighted with it. But I can only show it to you after January 11. ;-) I’m already looking forward to that.

Wishing all of you here a creative day!

Best regards
Monika

Marion, I almost didn’t recognize you with that new picture. So cute!
You’ve all been so hard at work again. Some great things have already been created. I finished a hat—well, not quite yet, actually; I still have to weave in the ends.

Yes, Ida, I changed the picture. I really like the doll clothes, too—they're crocheted in Tunisian crochet.

Sandra, your storage basket turned out great and is very practical.
I finished knitting the socks for my friend today. 

Marion, I really like your new picture with the doll and the great outfit, too. I had to look at it twice the other day.

Your socks look great. You finished them quickly.

Thanks, Monika.
The socks don’t really have a pattern either, and they were done really
quickly. But now I still have to mend the damaged socks. That means reknitting both heels and both toes. Basically, almost the whole pair.

Ugh, I really don’t like mending at all. I’d much rather knit it again from scratch.

I finally said it—and I didn’t like having to. But I promised I would.
The socks belong to my acquaintance’s husband.
She’d already thrown them in the trash once, but he fished them out again. They were knitted by his late mother many years ago, and he’s just really attached to them. I’ve mended them before, but now they’re worn out again. Apparently, he mostly wears them as slippers.

Oh dear, that almost sounds like a child whose teddy bear needs to be mended over and over again. Well, you’re sure to make this man very happy.

The second pair of socks is now finished too!

Yes, Monika, that’s right. I’ve finished one sock.
Before photo

Once there are 100 posts in this thread, I’ll start a new one for you. :-)

Oh wow, Marion, you did a great job on that! :)
Do you cut it off at the front and knit it on, or how do you do it?

Mel, I think your socks are great too—the pattern really appeals to me.

I still have so much sock yarn that I’m all set. Solid colors and multicolored ones, too.
You can also knit cotton socks for summer.

Mel, you’ve been really busy, very nice.

Monika, that’s exactly how I did it. So much was broken that it was the best and fastest solution. Luckily, I’ve finished the second one now, too.

So, the first pair of baby socks is now finished with the new heel I designed. I’ve already had Paula try them on, and they fit perfectly. That means our new addition to the family will have warm feet right away.

Here’s what they look like:



The next pair of socks for myself is already on the needles. I’m sure they’ll fit just as well.
I’ll show them to you when they’re done.

I’ve decided to invent a new title.
The title is for authors who have revised and spruced up their patterns / images / texts so that
- the craft type and the material / gauge are listed in the title and in the text
- the photos show the complete model and, if applicable, also show the front and back
- if applicable, photos that were too dark / blurry have been replaced with better photos taken in daylight.
etc. etc. Suggestions for criteria?

--> Users / buyers are also welcome to write down suggestions for criteria here.

I will call this title Optimization Champion.
What do you think of it?

Josefa, that’s a great idea—like most of yours. :-)

Ooh, I still need to figure out a bit more about how this works here, ????

So, I’m on a yarn diet and am currently knitting up sock yarn scraps
No. 1/2019: I started on January 6 and, today, January 10,
finished knitting it, size 45/46, for the homeless shelter. 

When I see all those great socks, I get really jealous: I actually have quite a lot of sock yarn waiting to finally be knitted, but unfortunately, once again, I have too many ideas and not enough time. Someday I’d also like to knit socks for men at sea: One of our pastors works from time to time in Hamburg and at sea as part of the seafarers’ ministry and has asked for socks.

 Wollbaerli, you're in luck, sock yarn is pretty forgiving. 
Also a great idea: knitting socks for sailors 
they're surely very grateful for warm feet
Greetings from Switzerland 
Edith 

Great, Edith, that you’re here with us now too! :)
As you can see, you’re in good company.
Your socks look great!

Greetings from snow-covered southeastern Bavaria!
Monika

Good morning.
Your socks look great.

I’ve finished something else, too.   The door wreath for Anton’s room.
Best wishes from rainy, grey Hamburg
Sandra

Wow, Sandra, your door wreath turned out absolutely lovely. 

Sandra, that door wreath is fantastic!

Sandra, the wreath for Anton turned out great.

Edith and Christina, I think your sock donations are wonderful.

I’m currently knitting and crocheting baby booties. Some are finished, but I need to make more. I got an order for triplets yesterday. 

Now I can also show you my new January project. It’s a reversible pillow knitted with two different patterns. Here’s what it looks like:

Monika, I like your pillow.
The patterns are simple, but the result turned out really nice.

I also bought two pillows and want to make matching covers for them myself. However, I plan to crochet them using the Tunisian crochet technique. I’ve already found the pattern, but I haven’t had the time to work on it yet.

Thank you so much, Marion! :)

The pattern is simple, that’s true. But I actually had to reknit a small section of the pattern to be able to write it down. I couldn’t figure it out anymore.
It just happened that way while I was knitting ... like so many things with me.

I wish you all a cozy, soft day of knitting, crocheting, or crafting.
I’m going to get back to knitting my own socks now and use up another ball of unloved stash yarn.

Warm regards
Monika

Great pillow, Monika, and a beautiful wreath, Sandra.
Have fun knitting the baby booties, Marion. They’re really in demand right now - I knitted 3 pairs myself in the first week of January.
I’m curious to see what yours look like.
 

Thank you so much, Edith! :)

Your baby shoes are absolutely adorable! They’d be just the thing for triplets.

Who knows, dear Monika :)
I knitted these booties on commission for a regular customer who has a shop and a market stall.
I’ve just finished these little socks in size 19/20, and I’ve
listed them for sale today.
Now I’ve got Hutzel socks on the needles again.

Those look really pretty, too, Edith!

Thank you, Edith Strigg-Grossmami, for the greeting from Switzerland (from Basel?), which I’m happy to return (also from Switzerland!). Your little shoes and socks are very colorful—I really like them!

Edith/Christina: What on earth are “Finkli”?
As a northerner, I’m stumped by that one. I did figure out “Lädeli,” though. :-)

Best wishes
Sandra

Arni: “Finkli” are baby booties; “Finken” are what we call slippers. In Swiss dialects,
“-li” is used as a diminutive or affectionate suffix, which is why we also have “Söckli” and “Lädeli.” Best regards

Christina

Hutzel socks 2/2019 = leftover-yarn socks for the homeless shelter
started on Jan. 10, finished on Jan. 13

@ Sandra, Christina explained it nicely, sorry, sometimes I’m not aware that I use dialect words

@Christina, thanks for explaining ; )

Edith: I think that’s normal when you use certain words all the time. You usually don’t even realize that others might not understand them. :-) But I can ask.
The socks look really colorful.

I just finished another cup. The wings crinkle again (roasting bag), and the head rattles. 

Hi Arni, your rattle is super cute. I just took a quick
look at all the beautiful things you make. I admire your
crocheting skills 

Thank you so much. I’ve taught myself a lot—with plenty of tips from here. I love this forum; you can ask questions and get great advice. Everyone here is super nice and happy to share their experiences. Since my son was born, I’ve naturally had a great little guinea pig.  He can’t fight back yet, after all. :-))))

And for me, crocheting is just a wonderful way to unwind. There’s nothing better than doing it in the evening while watching TV

Here’s a little gift—it was quick to make.

Edith, the Hutzelsocken turned out really pretty—a great color combination.

Sandra, you make such beautiful things. The butterfly is enchanting!

Marion, I’m amazed at how easy it is to make gifts. Kids love simple cuddly toys like these.

I’m currently knitting my second sock, but every now and then I’m back in bed in between. After many years, it caught up with me too two days ago, but actually only very mildly. I’m just more tired than usual, so I’m giving my body the rest it needs.

As soon as I finish the pair of socks, I’ll show them to you.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone!
Monika

Get well soon, Monika—thanks for the compliment. I love knitting socks this
colorful. They’re meant to be something unique and show their new owner that life can be colorful and joyful, even if you don’t always see it that way. A nice side effect is that my scrap box never overflows ;-)
Hutzelsocken 3/2019 just off the needles



Here’s a picture of my gift for my coworkers. Unfortunately, you can’t really see the post double crochet on the side very well in this photo.

mowi19, I’m slowly getting the hang of this—thanks for the pattern and your suggestions!

Edith, you’re amazing at knitting socks and deserve a new title: Sock Queen! ;-) Not everyone here can keep up with your speed.

Christina, your bags turned out really beautifully in all those different color combinations! It’s great that you managed to finish them after all. That was some real hard work. You’ve definitely earned some extra diligence points for that.

Josefa, that would be a new award... Sock Queen and ... extra diligence points for everyone who completes lots of projects.

I’ve now finished my socks (with the newly developed simple heel) too. Here you can now see (apart from the socks for my husband, which I already showed) my socks and the baby socks:



Now I’ve also started the children’s socks (for 3- to 4-year-olds). That way I’ll have three different sizes in sock yarn.  

Award for everyone who completes lots of projects = a hardworking little brownie. So we already have that one.

Sock Queen: Are you all joining in?

Thanks, Josefa. Yes, that’s right—the hard-working little elves are already here.

Since there’s so much talk about socks here and Edith knits like a machine for good causes ;-), that’s what gave me the idea. There are definitely already three of us sock knitters here.

I’m in, too. I’m currently working on my fourth pair of socks, and they’ll definitely be finished in January.

Sock Queen, grin, I've never heard that before, but it sounds great :-))
Yes, I knit quickly and a lot; maybe I also have a bit more time
than many of you.
Now I have Hutzel hats on the needles, for the same purpose.
I'm knitting them with 4-ply leftover sock yarn and one strand of machine-knitting yarn. Hats are always welcome; I've already tried several models, and here with you I stumbled across the knit-purl hats. I find them very practical and they always fit. I adapted the pattern a bit for myself and my materials
I'm curious whether you like them too :-) these are 1 and 2/2019
No. 3/2019 is on the needles

Oh yes, Edith, I like your hats too. It’s a great idea to knit them from leftover yarn.
You’ll get the title “Reste-Beste” for that at the end of the month. :-)

Hutzelmützen ... that sounds funny. :) It’s great that you’re knitting them for a good cause.
By the way, you also get extra points here for giving them away. You’ve really earned them for everything you’ve shown here.

Best wishes
Monika

Progress update on the reversible sock—I was just testing to see if my idea worked.

I’ll post the pattern once I’ve knitted the socks with proper sock yarn.
The yarns I’m using now vary in thickness
I don’t even remember what material each one is made of.

.

Half the sentence is missing: I was just testing here to see if my idea works.

@Wollbaerli, beautifully crocheted, your colleagues will be delighted

CreatOwl, reversible socks are also an interesting variation.

@CreatOwl, reversible socks—that sounds exciting and looks very interesting. I’m curious to see what they look like when they’re finished. 

Monika, I’m already getting a little basket ready to collect the points :-o
Things are getting more and more interesting here, and I’m glad there are so many creative and nice people here **

Wow, you guys are so hard-working! @Monika and Efith, your socks look great!
In addition to knitting my coat, I’ve crocheted a pair of cozy slippers. Unfortunately, with all these big projects, I don’t get around to doing as many little things. And there are still so many projects just waiting to be made. I have the yarn ready, but there’s just not enough time. I think for my birthday I’m going to ask for a gift certificate for more time to do crafts...

Continue here:
January Projects: Part 2