{"id":11070,"date":"2021-09-24T22:41:07","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T19:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/?p=11070"},"modified":"2026-09-25T17:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T14:56:09","slug":"suur-ummargune-laudlina-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/suur-ummargune-laudlina-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Large Round Tablecloth, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

I received an order for a large tablecloth through my Etsy shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s going to Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The customer sent me their pattern request\u2014it’s considerably simpler than the previous one. Naturally, I want to follow the instructions. This time, it\u2019s a written pattern in clear English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That way, I\u2019ll really get the hang of English crochet terminology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, there\u2019s a picture too; I\u2019m relying on that more.\ud83d\ude0a<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This is what it should look like when it\u2019s finished \ud83d\ude0a<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I started crocheting. I actually have a month to finish it, but I want to get it done much sooner. Looking at the results of the first day…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Day one \u2013 September 23rd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

September 23rd<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah… no comment.\ud83e\udd28<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approx. 55 cm in diameter without stretching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, I\u2019m happy with today\u2019s progress. I\u2019ve completed about 55 cm (unstretched), so there\u2019s still around 100 cm to go. It might not sound like much, but each round takes increasingly longer to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been crocheting for about 8 hours. 15 cm done. Crocheting the 25th round took 50 minutes. So far, 29 rounds are complete\u20149 rounds in total today. But the day isn’t over yet; I\u2019ll have a snack and keep going. It\u2019s only 6:45 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right, the clock shows 12:20 AM and I\u2019m finishing up my crocheting. I\u2019ve probably crocheted for over 10 hours in total today. My fingers are sore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking shape<\/p>\n\n\n\n

32 rounds completed, approx. 78 cm in diameter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started at 8:30 AM. Internal inspection arrived immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yarn quality and workmanship checked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s first round or rather, round\u2014was number 33. It took 58 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evening is here\u2014or rather, a new day already, since it\u2019s 12:15 AM. Today was a crocheting marathon. In between, I went to the store, cooked, and ate. Let\u2019s say I didn\u2019t crochet for 2 hours; that means almost 11 hours were spent on continuous crocheting. A total of 42 rounds crocheted\u201410 rounds today. On average, a little over an hour per rounds. Rounds with more stitches take longer. My fingers are sore. The diameter is approx. 100 cm. 60 cm to go, but since it\u2019s a circle, that\u2019s effectively 30 cm. Maybe I\u2019ll finish tomorrow\u2014though I doubt it\u2014but in any case, I\u2019m on the home stretch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crocheting the final round\u2014the 42nd round\u2014took 60 minutes and 27 seconds today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 8:40, and I\u2019m starting to crochet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I placed a stitch marker so I could see the end of the round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, that\u2019s that. All motivation is gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A blunder\u2014a huge one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did I not notice it against the previous round. It couldn’t be fixed; I had to unravel two round. That means four hours of wasted time. I\u2019m so angry\u2014a helpless kind of anger directed at myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A depressing day. First, I had to unravel my work, and then I had to attend to other things. So, I crocheted a total of 5 rounds today. No, actually 6 rounds, but two had to be undone. Consequently, my productivity for the day amounts to just 4 rounds. A DEPRESSING ACHIEVEMENT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn’t even look like more than yesterday…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something feels wrong to me. Why is it holding its shape like that? Maybe blocking it will fix it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started late. After ten o’clock. And it seems some people thought there was collusion during the previous inspection (suspicion of corruption?), because today an older, slightly hard-of-hearing inspector arrived\u2014constant surveillance. He dozes off occasionally, as befits his age, but when awake, he watches intently. And he doesn’t budge from his spot. A real pain in the neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 1 AM and I\u2019ve finished Day 6. If I read it correctly, the goal was to complete the 55th round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The diameter is about 130 cm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I laid it out on my table. My table is 108 cm wide. I can see that this piece needs a good stretch, and I\u2019ll have to make it a bit larger than the pattern indicates. It actually specified 60 inches, so 152 cm. I\u2019m crocheting it to 155 cm and will gain the rest through blocking. It\u2019ll end up a bit bigger\u2014fine by me, as long as it doesn’t turn out too small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suppose I\u2019ll have to starch it, too. Gently\u2014not too stiffly\u2014just enough to hold its shape. But if I pack it away and it stays folded up for weeks, what will it look like then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got a late start today. Around half-past nine. Today\u2019s first round has the highest number of stitches so far; it took 77 minutes and 23 seconds to crochet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Didn’t get much done today, either. All sorts of other things to do. And I have to go to work tomorrow…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back at work. I crochet during downtime. I\u2019m not taking orders, so there\u2019s a lot of just sitting around. But the work isn’t really progressing much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m standing at the Tallinn bus station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only 2.5 rounds.\ud83d\ude15<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things are getting worse as the days go by… in terms of mistakes. And the worst part is not discovering them right on the very next lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn’t until the third lap that I realized what a mess I\u2019d made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started unraveling again and got carried away\u2014I unraveled a round and a half more than necessary. But now the final version has changed, too. Before, I was thinking of making a spiderweb-like pattern in the gaps; now I\u2019m making leaves. Just like everywhere else. I\u2019m actually still thinking about it, but since this mess happened… well, I\u2019m thinking. A round and a half\u2019s worth of time to think. \ud83e\udd28<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrapping up the ninth day of crocheting. It\u2019s already 1:16 AM. I\u2019ve stuck with the decision to do another round of leaves instead of the spiderweb pattern. I won\u2019t manage to finish it tomorrow, but it\u2019s very close to completion. I\u2019ve lost track of the number of rounds and don\u2019t want to count them\u2014at least not right now. There are two rounds of leaves and their stitches. First, 12 stitches per leaf, then 16 in the next round. And there are 20 leaves in each round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Day 10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s progressing\u2014slowly, but progressing. From here on out, it\u2019ll be more fun, since I finished the round with the highest number of stitches yesterday. All the leaf stitches are done; next come arches made of chain stitches, with stitches worked only between them. I\u2019ll take the work with me, even if I don\u2019t get much done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 11<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did manage to do a little bit. There\u2019s so much else to do\u2014we bought kitchen furniture, and the afternoon was spent on that. I\u2019ll do a little more now, and tomorrow I\u2019ll spend the day at home crocheting. It\u2019s unlikely I\u2019ll finish, but every round I crochet brings me closer to the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 12<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today is a crochet day. Not a marathon like at the start\u2014I\u2019ve taken breaks to cook, eat, and walk the dog. Honestly, crocheting is getting a bit painful now because the spot on my finger where the yarn slides is sore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It feels like a cut; the yarn keeps rubbing against that same spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end is quite near\u2014about 11 rounds left. So, roughly another 11 hours of work.\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 13<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes 77 minutes and 24 seconds to crochet one round. The rounds are getting bigger and bigger. 9 rounds to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 14<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A few more rounds to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The diameter seems to be around 150 cm. But it still needs stretching…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 15<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end draws closer with every round.\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was hoping to finish crocheting today. But… a slip-up\u2014a big one. I have to unravel 3 rounds. There\u2019s no way to hide the mistake. And I didn’t notice it right away\u2014like on the very next round…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can you do? You live and learn… There\u2019s no one to blame but myself, of course.\ud83e\udd28<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, the joy of unraveling…\ud83d\ude10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 17<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, I could have had it finished by now. No point on getting carried away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I crocheted one extra “pineapple” or “leaf” (depending on what you call it). The diameter was already getting close to 190cm. So, overzealousness isn’t a good thing at all. I got so angry with myself\u2014I think I could have finished three days ago\u2014but anyway, I stopped crocheting, sat down at the computer, and started playing World of Warcraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 18<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve got so far that I\u00b4mdeciding whether to do two more rounds or just one. I\u2019ll think about it once I finish one. But the end is in sight. That\u2019s enough for today; maybe tomorrow I\u2019ll get enough done to wash and block it.\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 19<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Didn’t get any crocheting done today. Figuring out the last round took time\u2014experimenting, checking, practicing, and trying again. I finally made a decision and that\u2019s how I\u2019ll do it. Hopefully, I can finish that *last* round at work tomorrow. It looks like this: lots of stitches, so it\u2019ll take a bit of time.\ud83d\ude01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The final round is figured out and is underway\ud83d\ude42\ud83e\udd70\ud83d\ude01\ud83d\udc4d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Day 20<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Really? It’s finished!!!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And just like that, it was done \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A quick calculation. The price is 200 euros. The client used a coupon, so they paid 160 euros plus 15 euros for shipping. That means I should have received 175 euros. But I received 140.42 euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also miscalculated the shipping cost; it\u2019s going to be more than 15 euros. I\u2019ll know for sure once it\u2019s sent, but it\u2019s estimated at 21.50, plus packaging materials, of course. If I deduct the 22-euro shipping cost from the amount received, I\u2019m left with 118.22 euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shipping cost was 14.95 euros, and the cardboard box was 1 euro. The weight was actually 525 grams, but I kept sighing about how every gram costs money, so the nice lady at the counter rounded it down to 500 grams. But the yarn didn’t come for free, either; I spent 20 euros on it. So the payment for the work came to \u20ac104.47<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I crocheted 72 rounds. I estimate 45 minutes per round; the initial rounds took less time, but from somewhere in the middle onwards, a single round took an hour or more. By my calculations, it took 54 hours to crochet. This means the hourly rate for the work was \u20ac1.93<\/strong>. It\u2019s not exactly a way to get rich, and I\u2019m wondering if it\u2019s even worth doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The package has been sent, and I included a small souvenir. It\u2019s a magnet of a little Estonian girl with blonde braids, wearing a folk costume and blue-black-and-white socks; it has “Estonia” written on it somewhere, too. That adds another five euros to the expenses, so I\u2019ve earned 99.47 euros\u2014that\u2019s 4.97 euros a day. Damn, I\u2019ve never had such poor earnings before :)\ud83d\ude01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The client was very happy with my work. I don’t care that my fingers are aching and stiff. I am absolutely thrilled.\ud83d\ude01<\/p>\n\n<\/trp-tag>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I received an order for a large tablecloth through my Etsy shop. It\u2019s going to Australia. The customer sent me their pattern request\u2014it’s considerably simpler than the previous one. Naturally, I want to follow the instructions. This time, it\u2019s a written pattern in clear English. That way, I\u2019ll really get the hang of English crochet\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9093,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tiina_en_title":"A Large Round Tablecloth, Part 2","footnotes":""},"categories":[204,51],"tags":[222,262,263,282],"class_list":["post-11070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heegeldamine","category-laudlinad-ja-linikud","tag-heegeldatud","tag-kasitoo","tag-laudlina","tag-pits"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11070"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11127,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11070\/revisions\/11127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.tiinabutiik.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}