A few years ago (in 2022), I think because my hands were hurting and I was looking forward to hand surgery later that year, I decided to just step away from the Year of Projects group - not realizing at the time time I'd be gone for at least two years. Then in 2024 (after healing from yet another surgery, and cancer treatment), I wondered if it was worth it to come back at all. I missed the camaraderie of the group, but because handcrafts had gotten pushed to the back burner during moving, and then health issues), I was a little afraid I'd regret putting pressure on myself to post every week. I waffled right up to the last minute, but I finally decided to just re-join and if I fizzled, I fizzled. I knew there was no judgement in the YOP group. There was only encouragement. I am nowhere near the participant I was in my earlier YOP years, but I am so glad I decided to take the chance this past year and jump back in.
Even though I donβt post every week, just knowing that the weekly YOP thread will be created, and fellow YOPpers will be posting about their crafts, has (a number of times) prodded me to pick up my languishing handcrafts and do something creative. That alone, has made it a net plus for me. All the encouragement fellow YOPpers offer each other is sweet icing on the cake.
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Projects I've been working on in recent weeks:
A couple of knitted beanies to kick-start a collection of donatable items that will be distributed come autumn/winter. Rockport Double Brimmed Beanie
While these look okay (enough) in the photograph, I'd love to know if there are any special tricks seasoned knitters have learned for making neat decreasing at the crown. It seems like my stitches get looser and looser and the decreasing ribs at the crown go a little wonky. I think my first hats knitted years ago look much better. Is it just my aging hands that make keeping consistent tension more difficult?
One day a week or so ago more crocheted hexagons got made:
When I picked this back up, I decided this is a most excellent project to have in the background, ready to pick up and crochet however many I want whenever the motivation strikes. Or when I felt no serious motivation to work on anything, just making one hexagon resulted in six more being made before I decide to move on...
And since April I've been knitting dishcloths again. They are great to knit when my hands want to be busy, my mind needs a distraction, and I'm too tired to do much physically - often at the end of a day (or right before bedtime). Since I now only use two patterns or knit simple garter or stockinette stitch cloths, I've concluded my creativity with these is going to be in photographing them. This is just fraction of what I've knit since April: