It's Crochet, Knit & Natter 9: So Many Projects, So Little Time. (Oh well - I almost made it rhyme!)

[Fairislefandango]

A thread for woolly crafters of all types and levels.
Previous thread here

I have no idea why that photo posted!

@QuantumWeatherButterfly i thought it was your new craft room by the sea!

I’d risk the 150g but then I am a daredevil.

It's actually a photo I took on a holiday to Thailand, pre DC and pre DH. It's the first one on my camera roll, and the Mumsnet app seems determined to attach it to my posts

Meant to say - I'm going to do another square in a definite colour and see how much of that I have left before I decide on the cream. But I'm minded to go for it

What did you decide on @QuantumWeatherButterfly ?

I am sorry I haven't been around much. My phone is having great problems posting on MN.

I need to pick you crafty brains on two things: DH has asled for a hat. I think he will be much happier with one from Mountian Warehouse but he wants it made. Can anyone recommend a nice soft, cheap and hopefully fairly bulky yarn for it?

Also, our secret santa is a craft one so I ahve to make something for a colleague I really like but have no time or money. Any ideas for something Christmassy?

@MerylSqueak I think Stylecraft Special is good. Either aran or chunky would make a cosy hat for your DH

For the work thing I think this hat is beautiful although maybe not Christmasey.

Well, the plot thickens, @MerylSqueak

I finished square 2 in plum, and actually had a bit more of the yarn left so the cream is looking more of an option. However, I then wondered if a striped square, alternating cream with the other colours in order would look nice. I'd definitely have enough yarn for that. My only issue is what to do with all the ends - it will be a lot of weaving!

I'm going to do colour 3 (pink) first, while I think about it some more.

Oh, and I'm going to tackle a hat soon, probably this one: www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-hat-family-ribbed-beanie?fbclid=IwAR0waFUvNANeibNRBRXvAoJQ_SV8ucIJZsYzpVRWRZf7A8UYYsi5hcWrLMw

@MerylSqueak Urgh a craft secret Santa is a pain in the arse. It takes time to come up with something you would to gift and most crafty people are already probably busy doing stuff for Christmas and non-crafty people are just walking around hobby craft hoping someone will take pity on them. I would look at something quick and wintery that can be done with scraps - baubles, wrist warmers, hat. I don’t have enough wintery, scrap knit projects saved yet though.

I finished DD’s pillow for her birthday tomorrow. I’m not going to share a photo because I shared it on FB. However, I am working on a little bag I’m designing for MIL who is due a hip op soon so the bag will be an over body one that can take her grabbing tool and various things around with her to save her walking.

I also think I might need to LTB! Walked downstairs to find DH trimming the dogs fur around her eyes with my snips. Then he said “they’re too blunt to cut her fur” 🤬

What amount of your time and effort is expected for a craft secret Santa? Would something like a crochet chocolate orange cover with Terry's chocolate orange be suitable?

Well the awkward thing is that before we arranged the secret santa one colleague bought a scarf I'd made to give to out boss. I can't affort to make a whole scarf but it would be very awkward if it looked very much less. It's not quite the same as the other gift is nto secret santa.

Hello all - I'm back from the school exchange trip, which was a big success! I managed to do some knitting en route and while staying at my hosts' house. The sleeve scarf is coming along well, but it is a looooong load of stocking stitch!

My knitting and crochet club has settled down a bit now that the newbies are slightly less new! There are still over 30 students attending and most have now bought yarn and hooks/needles.

I feel like I need another, smaller project alongside the sleeve scarf, but not sure what!

Craft secret santa sounds a bit of a stressful commitment!

@MerylSqueak gift giving isn’t about matching someone else’s gift though, it’s about the thought behind the gift given with what you can at that time. If your colleague has bought something you’ve made, then arguably you’ve all ready out in the hard work. It’s also not as simple as a scarf is more work than wrist warmers - scarf in chunky and one colour is going to work up quicker than a pair of wrist warmers that are striped with 5 different colours in it because you’d have to sew your ends in and you can’t necessarily get into the same repetitive motion.

I was chatting to my Mum tonight and she has offered me the pick of her stash when we visit in a couple of weeks time. Apparently she has got loads of full balls bought for various kids/baby projects that she didn't need. I'm interested to see what she has! She uses a lot it Stylecraft special DK, so I'm hoping for enough to tackle a Granny Go Round jumper for either me or DD.

I am embarrassingly excited!

@QuantumWeatherButterfly ooh how exciting! I love going through my mums stash! She has 3 massive boxes full and did say I could take it all, but every time I go I take a couple of balls just so DP doesn't notice 😇😂

I'm making my DC a jumper and the whole thing is in Yarn Over Slip Stitch, it's taking forever! But the effect is really nice!

@sophs29 I had to google that stitch - it looked really lovely!

I still haven't really stretched myself beyond standard double, treble and half treble, so I do need to challenge myself a bit more. Hopefully, Santa will bring me the yarn I want for my poncho (I wanted something a bit nicer for that), and that will be a bit more of a challenge.

I’m glad to hear the exchange went well @Fairislefandango.

it’s always good to raid someone’s stash @QuantumWeatherButterfly !

I’m being very good at the moment and am finishing all my half completed WIPs in preparation for moving. Last week I felted a very small alpaca and have almost finished sewing a skirt for Christmas Day. I just need to catch up with my never ending temperature blanket and I’m up to date.

The plot thickens with the secret santa. Now, the rule is you can't spend more than a pound. I am just going to do some sort of Christmas decoration.

It's true @WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally but I find people are spectacularly bad a telling which knitting things take a lot of skill or work and which don't.

@MerylSqueak as a crafter I would point out that no handmade will “cost” less than £1. There will be several hours of work involved, even if you can find materials for £1 it’s assuming you will put several hours of work in for free.

At this point, I’d be drawing a Christmas tree with some old felt tips and a piece of junk mail. That’s about the cost of time and materials for less than £1. I was going to say I have a couple of blankets and small pair of hand warmers I could send but even postage would cost more than £1. I’m so mad for you, this is the worst secret Santa. I feel like the person who has come up with this has been watching those 5 min craft videos. You know, take two rolls of toilet paper, soak them and whizz it with a hand whisk into mush, add some food colouring and you can shape into a stylish lamp or plant pot I did watch that one yesterday and thought that no matter how hard times are, nobody wants a bog roll lampshade.

@QuantumWeatherButterfly happy picking!

Every time I see an ill-conceived craft project now, I will think of the mantra ‘nobody wants a bog roll lampshade’ 😂

@QuantumWeatherButterfly and @WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally 😂😂

@MerylSqueak I know what you mean! The amount of times people ask me to make something for them and are shocked at how much it would actually cost to buy materials..let alone the time put in! I'd make a Pom Pom in Christmas colours and be done with it 😂
I've just purchased a 'pig in blanket' pattern to make for my auntie who loves pigs actually! It's very cute!

A little Christmas make. But from now on I'm trying to be good, no new projects, however small, until a WIP finished or frogged. I'm also aiming to do a blanket stripe per day which should see me finish my current blanket by Christmas.

Very cute @tizwozliz !

Lots of people in the Facebook crochet group I follow seen to be making chocolate orange covers for Christmas. This confuses me. Why would you put a cover on your chocolate orange when you could just eat it?

Exactly @QuantumWeatherButterfly chocolate is for eating not decorating!

Well quite!

I have spent some time fiddling around with a star pattern which I think I can make nice. With some stash yarn, it'll do!

It seems to be impossible to post anything from my phone. That's why I am not around much.

Cute gnome @tizwozliz