@lady-merian yes, the cardigan looks really good now!

@valiantarcher it's not a priority so I haven't got round to it!

I usually prefer the smaller, more delicate crafts like cross stitch and embroidery but a new yarn shop has opened near me and I was inspired to unearth my crochet/knitting supplies. So far I've made a crochet cardigan (although I still need to finish the edging and sew in the ends) and began knitting a scarf to practice my cable stitch. 

Yesterday I saw an exhibit at the Museum of Flight called the MiG021 Project. The artist, who's from South Africa, assembled a team of beaders and craftsmen to cover an old fighter jet in a skin of glittering, rainbow-hued glass beads, the message being to create a machine of death into an object of beauty and celebration. It combined two of my interests, aircraft and hand crafts. Really wonderful to see! You couldn't touch the plane, but there were close-up samples of the same beadwork you could rub your hand across and look at close-up. If you're in the Seattle area I recommend it.

@valiantarcher I tried, but it's still curling horrifically. It looks like a cup.

@starkat how are the circles going? I don’t crochet, but my sister does. I hope these help! The first one is a youtube video and the second is an article that lists different possible reasons for the curling.

Crochet a Perfectly Flat Circle: Solve Bulging Issues Easily

https://craftinginthenight.com/why-wont-my-crochet-circle-lay-flat/

Posted by: @valiantarcher

Do you have a default lace pattern you use then?

 Not a default exactly but I do have a handful of favorites that I rifle through when I want to test a yarn in lace. I have some others I’ve never yet incorporated into a sweater but I really want to. A lot of them look more complicated than they are.  

@moonlit_centaur Ooh, cross stitch is something I appreciate but have never done. My sister made me a bookmark for my 7th birthday with a Precious Moments ballerina wearing a purple tutu. I still have it. That is excellent about the new yarn shop! The cardigan looks great, and hurrah for a cabled scarf! 

The very day after I last posted, I ripped out most of the red cardigan I was working on. I realized I had put so much work into it, and yet I would not be happy with the fit based on how it hung on me and so it would likely not get worn much. It was hard to tell in the photo how much too big it was but it would’ve been about 9” larger than I wanted it to be! SO I ripped back to the collar, and just a little into the collar, and did the math like I really should have the first time, and got to work on it again. I finished the yoke in two weeks (as opposed to the roughly six weeks it took me last time)! Since I now know for sure I’ll have enough yarn for the sleeves I decided not to start on them right after that, but instead to work on the body. I’m 3” past the armholes and working my way to the waist. Overall it is going so much faster and I’m so much happier with it.

I actually still think I will finish it in November. Maybe October if I really push it. Either way, plenty of time to wear it this winter.  

I have also been doing a little sewing. I fell in love with a chambray shirtdress that I found at a thrift store, but it was two or three sizes too big for me. It would have cost me a lot more to buy the fabric to make one, and I wondered if I could cut it down to my size without it looking weird. I learned a lot in the process and while it’s not perfectly done (I actually still need to iron the seams ) I love it and I’ve been wearing it all day. Pictured here with my sweater so far. 

As the elastic waists on my two baggy pairs of trousers have always been a bit tight, I'm replacing the elastics. It's not as simple as just rethreading elastic, as the waistband and wide elastic are all attached to the top of the trousers. I've cut the first one off, and hope that what I put back will look nice too!  (longer elastic, making it looser, but they have drawstrings as well, so I can tie a bow with them if it's too loose).

Posted by: @lady-merian

I have also been doing a little sewing. I fell in love with a chambray shirtdress that I found at a thrift store, but it was two or three sizes too big for me. It would have cost me a lot more to buy the fabric to make one, and I wondered if I could cut it down to my size without it looking weird. I learned a lot in the process and while it’s not perfectly done (I actually still need to iron the seams ) I love it and I’ve been wearing it all day. Pictured here with my sweater so far. 

I've been sewing for almost 20 years at this point (which is weird for me to think about). Unless I want to be super precise with seams matching up, I don't do a lot of ironing.

I'm almost finished knitting a short sleeves sweater and hope to have it finished by the end of the month.

@Moonlit_Centaur, your cardigan looks great! I really like the purple striping. How is your scarf coming along? And do you have some favourite projects you've done in cross stitch or embroidery?

That exhibit sounds really fun, @Cobalt-Jade!

Sorry to hear you're still having trouble with the crochet circles, @starkat.

Ahh, I see about the lace pattern favourites, @Lady-Merian. Sounds like you have a whole bunch more sweaters you want to make then. Too bad about having to frog your sweater, but it looks like it's coming along quite well! And the shirtdress looks nice (and I've now learned a bit about chambray ).

@coracle, I hope the redo on the elastic waists goes well!

Oh, nice, @lu_valient! What colour is the sweater and are you following a specific pattern?

I've put the current knitting project on hold and am working on a gift cowl for someone since that one is on more of a timeline. I'm fairly far along, but have hit another temporary snag since I was hoping to learn the Russian join to join the second skein and that didn't work out. I may try again in a few days and see if I can get it; otherwise, I'll just do my usual knot and weave in the ends and hope it doesn't make too big of a mess.

@valiantarcher I'm using the Tolsta Tee (the author's YouTube is The Creabea). It has green, pink, and blue stripes.

@lady-merian I got some help in modifying the pattern. I've managed to complete two that didn't turn into cups.