2013 - the year of the Happy Dance?

So these are the two projects I finished over the weekend:

Tatty Teddy 'A New Baby'. It's an anchor kit, but I substituted the aida for laguna.

And then 'Leafy' headband by Happy Living (I found it on Ravelry):

This is done in a lovely soft Debbie Bliss Alpaca and Silk blend - it feels WONDERFUL.

I've finally found my camera card, so I can share a photograph of the other ornament I sent out for the TWCOE - Partridge in a Pear Tree by Milady's needle, from the 2012 JCS ornament edition. I really enjoyed stitching this and was very pleased with how the finishing turned out:

On Sunday I picked up fruit bellpull again, and last night I finished the xs and started the bs on the pears block - a bout of insomnia helped speed the bs along - I'll share a photo as soon as I have completed the block - maybe tomorrow?

Happy stitching folks x

Happy New Year!

Hmmm, I've really got out of the habit of blogging, haven't I? December was mostly taken up with work, Christmas shopping, visiting family and making some Christmas gifts. When the festive season finally arrived I ate, drank and crafted, making great progress on a couple of projects. We did over 750 miles in the car visiting family and friends. Thankfully we realised that after all that busy, we would need a relaxing holiday... so Ed and I both took this week off work too. Yeah for extended holidays!

I had three happy dances in the run up to Christmas. All were knitted gifts:



The first scarf was for my friend Annia. It's actually a very late birthday present, but I posted it with her (bought) Christmas present. The yarn is Ranco multy by Araucania.



My second happy dance was my first ever pair of socks, which I made for my Dad. These were a big hit, he wore them the day after I gave them to him.




The second scarf was for my sister. I decided it was time I tried a more complicated lace pattern. This backfired a little, as it took me ages to get going... then a week before Christmas the pattern suddenly made sense. Which was great until I had to work out the pattern for the pretty ends, which took a while. I then learnt that I forgot how to do the pattern entirely when knitting late at night... I finally finished it at about 10am on Boxing Day - then wrapped it and drove to my parent's house - it was done JUST in time... It's knitted in a different colour of the same Ranco Multy yarn, and I LOVE it!

I've not had chance to work out my yearly recap, or to think about goals for 2012, but they will follow. Hopefully after not too long! I'll also share some photos of my current cross stitch and knitting projects, and what I hope will be my first happy dance of 2012, a Bedfordshire lace butterfly...

I hope everyone has a lovely, crafty 2012 xx

Now autumn is here...

I don't know about you all, but it's getting a bit nippy around here. So I'm even more addicted to knitting! I really do feel the need for lots of warm cuddly scarves... not to wear JUST yet, but I know it won't be long! Over the weekend I finally finished the chenille cable scarf I knitted over the summer - all I needed to do was sew in the loose ends! But this is now finished and ready to wear - I *almost* can't wait!!



I've also got a progress photo of the scarf I knitting my friend Annia as a late birthday present - the colours are fabulously autumnal. I wouldn't wear anything this bright, but the colours are exactly what Annia loves. I really hope she likes this once I've finished it.



I've just taken the last 2 days of work - a lovely four-day weekend, spent pottering around the house and garden - with lots of crafting of course. I knitted a fair length of Annia's scarf while watching Wallander on Sky+, have a cross stitch HD to share once it is dry and pressed, and we dug up the potatoes, ate chard, courgettes and tomatoes from the garden and planted up several pots of winter violas. It's my last chance for time off before Christmas - our term starts on Monday. Although I do wonder if once I've settled into my term-time routine I'll have a little more time for stitching.

Where does the time go?

First I should apologise to my regular readers - I've become very bad at writing posts. No particular reason, just life being extremely hectic (but then, it always is). I've not been stitching as much as I would like recently - I seem to have less time and energy than usual. Hopefully when term starts and I get REALLY busy at work things will settle down and I'll get back into my usual routine - and the lovely extended evenings developing a stitching ass...

So what I have I been working on? Well I've got the knitting bug again. I've started a lovely new cardigan (I bought the wool back in the winter last year) - given the state of the weather I should knit it quickly, it would be useful to have another snuggly cardy in my wardrobe! I've done the back, but that's all so far:



Last Thursday we had another stitch and bitch, this time at Sonia's. I really loved the crochet scarf that Heidi made back in June. She kindly gave me the a link to the pattern, and I tried it out - with Chrissie and Louise, my crocheting buddies, there for support in case I couldn't figure it out (they didn't need to help me out as much as I thought they might have to!). Chrissie lent me a lovely ergonomic hook (NEEEEED some of those) and some yarn, and I quickly made the flower. I then improvised and made a smaller flower and over the weekend I made it into a corsage, which I wore to work yesterday. I love the pretty button I found for it in John Lewis. I also bought some rather fabulous Debbie Bliss Alapaca in John Lewis, which I hope to use to make a scarf similar to Heidi's...



At the weekend I visited a new-to-me knitting shop, Saltaire Yarns (recommended by Chrissie). I left the very happy owner of a basic crochet book (I can never remember which stitch is which, so I can't read patterns), a book called 'luxury yarn one-skein wonders' and two of the aforementioned single skeins of luxury yarn. My credit card is in shock... two yarn shops in two days. Ouch!

Anyway I'm so far behind in the blogging stakes I totally forgot about the 29 August TUSAL. This is my current ORT jar status - most of the new ORTS are from Peacock Firescreen. The jar is sat on my new knitting project, a scarf for a friend using one of those luxury yarns, pattern out of my new book :)



I hope everyone had a lovely summer, and that you are all getting in some lovely stitching time now the weather is on the turn! Happy stitching x

Productive days off work...

I am enjoying the most fantastically relaxing and productive break from work! Since we got back from Margaret's we've slept late, read, gardened, watched TV and had friends over for food. I have also had time to do lots of cross stitch, knitting and even some quilting! The gardening is pretty dull at present - lots of clearing and digging, but nothing pretty (yet!). But the crafting is most definitely pretty!

First I should share a progress picture of Fruit Bellpull which I took this afternoon - although I haven't actually done any stitching on it since we were in Birmingham:



I actually remembered to take the photos outside in the sunshine today, so the colours look really lovely! I used my newly constructed garden bench as a back drop:



I bought the bench at Coughton Court last summer. We popped it in the loft over the winter and I finally unpacked it and put it together a few days ago. Turns out I only had to tighten 9 nuts, the easiest flat packed furniture I've ever put together!! Next to Fruit Bellpull is the scarf I've been knitting. It's about half done now - it would be much longer, but I had to pull out about 6 inches last night, as I realised I'm managed to reverse the pattern part way up. Grrrr! I love the middle cable:



I also pulled out a really old WIP - Eeyore's Problem by Designer Stitches. I last worked on it in September 2009. My taste in cross stitch has changed considerably over the years and I don't think I'd pick something this bright (or on aida) anymore, but I still love this design:



I've also started ANOTHER quilting project. For which I am blaming Joy - her lovely recent posts have been very inspiring! (I now have three quilts on the go, worrying as I've never, ever finished a quilting project bigger than my four hearts cushion... oh well, I do enjoy having lots of WIPs on the go). Yesterday I spent HOURS cutting it out. Not that it was complicated, it's just the first time I've used Moda fabric (Rural Jardin by French General), and I was petrified I'd cut it out wrong.... It's for a simple (and allegedly quick) pattern that I bought at Quilting Chicks in Cortez when we were on holiday in the US last year, called 'The Teacher's Pet'. Apparently the quilt top can be cut out and sewn together in five hours, but not at the speed I cut it out!!! I've done 2 of the 4 seams on each of the blocks so far - and I can certainly say that it is going together very quickly. This is how it looks so far:



It seems it's another month for Blogoversaries - Edgar is celebrating the fourth blogoversary of Blacksheep's Bit of the Web with a giveaway - do go and have a look at his blog, his stitching is truly inspiring!

I think that's it for now. Only two more days of my extended break to go... I really need to fit in some more quilting, gardening, cross stitch, do a couple of jobs around the house and finally get some lace out. I may be a little busy...

Happy stitching x

A weekend of happy dances

Wow, this week has just flown by! I worked far too late every night this week (leaving at 6.50 was early????), but made up for it over the weekend. On Friday night I set myself a little challenge - to totally finish three crafting projects before going to bed tonight - and despite spending most of the daytime running errands or gardening, I achieved it!!

On Friday I pulled out the lace Christmas decoration that I made at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate. Last November. All I needed to do to finish it was to sew in and tie off the ends... which I finished just as True Blood was coming on.



Yesterday it was the turn of Holiday Holly biscornu by The Sweetheart Tree. By bedtime I'd got it to the stage that it needed stuffing, and I finished it early this evening. It's my first ever biscornu, and I really enjoyed it - apart from the fact that the floss for the back stitch border and whip stitching was so close in colour to the fabric that I had trouble seeing the stitches. I see more biscornu in my future...





After that I put the last bit of sewing into my lovely blue cardigan, and added a pretty handmade button by Stuart Johnson, which I picked up at the lace event last weekend. The cardigan is lovely and warm (possibly a little warm for the current weather, but never mind - there's always a cold day not too far away!!). It fits brilliantly, but the sleeves are a little long. Not that that's a problem - it keeps my hands warm! The pattern is by Twilleys, and I found it very simple to follow. This is the first garment I have knitted since I was in secondary school.



In the garden, we planted most of our veggies, generally tidied up after the weekend, planted some primulas and I attacked (and beat) the snowberry bush that I hate in the front garden. RIP bush - you'll be replaced by a lovely rose next year, once we are sure you are totally beaten ;)

I can't believe it's April already. I'll pop online tomorrow and deal with goals and the TUSAL. I hope everyone else had as relaxing a weekend as I did.

Cardigan heaven...

Wow, it's a while since I've had time to post. Last weekend Margaret (Eddy's mum) came to stay for the weekend, and boy did we fill it with lots of things!!

Friday night we went out for a delicious curry. On Saturday we went to the wool shop in Leeds - I'd seen their stall at the Pudsey Lace Event, and really wanted to see the shop... more about that later :). In the afternoon we went to Leeds Industrial Museum then into the city centre for coffee. That evening we watched a movie and knitted. Well, Eddy didn't, but Margaret and I did! Sunday we went on the Keighley valley railway - we did the whole loop on a lovely steam train, then went to Riddlesden Hall for lunch and a good explore of the house. Afterwards we had tea and cakes at Salt's Mill in Saltaire and that evening we ate out at the Calverley Arms... I can't believe we fitted so much into a weekend (which is probably why I was so tired on Monday).

Anyway, the wool shop. The selection of wool was great - good variety of types and colours, and not too much really expensive stuff - which means making clothing wouldn't cost the earth. There was a great table to sit at and leaf through patterns, and lots of models on display, for inspiration. Best of all, the couple running the shop were lovely and really helpful. I came away with some 'sublime' wool in a lovely denim blue, which I'm knitting into a fitted cardigan/jacket. By the time Margaret left I'd already completed the back and one front. Since then I've done one sleeve, and started the other... it's a lovely design by Twilley's of Stamford, and a really easy knit! I especially love the crochet style edging:



While I was there I saw some 'Signature' wool by stylecraft - it's a now discontinued range, and was on offer. We found another great cardigan pattern it would be suited to, but sadly there wasn't enough left in the shop - I needed 24 balls! I did a quick google search at home, and found some going VERY cheap at rock-a-bye-baby... They only had 20 balls but this was the same dye lot as the stuff in Leeds - so guess where I went again this Saturday!! Overall I have to say that I received AMAZING customer service at both shops - which is so valuable in the current climate. I'll definitely keep both as favourite shops...

Speaking of good customer service, the threads I ordered from Thread Bear arrived this week - it's the first time I've ordered from them. I love the fact my stash was carefully wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a pretty red ribbon. Again, I will go back!

So I finally had the necessary Apple Cider for Hedgerow Birds. I've now finished the front, and I've made great progress on the back - it's probably about 3/4 stitched now.




Sorry for the crumpled state of these photos - I've been stitching this in hand.

Well, that's what I've been up to of late... now time to try and catch up on reading everyone else's blogs...

Knitting and stitching

I had a real urge to knit last week. All I had in the house was the super chunky wool needed to make a scarf identical to the one I did for 'knit the walls of York' last year. I finished it the following day, and sewed in the loose ends on Saturday:



Last week my mum came to stay for 3 days. We went to the Leeds City Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute, Hebdon Bridge and Haworth, then just before she left on Thursday morning we went to Texere Yarns. Mmmmmm, wool... I took along my scarf book intending to get some aran, but decided 6 balls at £3.10 a ball was a bit much for a scarf (ahem), I changed tactic, and went for a lovely chenille called 'Merlot' to make another scarf in the same book. It's taken me a while to be able to do that pattern without reading and checking every row, and I taught myself how to use markers (and made them from an old bit of ribbon), but now it's coming along nicely. I still can't keep track of the 22 pattern rows (many of which are the same), and because the chenille is flat and it twists I find counting to rows really tricky, so I have resorted to a tally chart on a post it note! Anyway, here it is:



I think I'm addicted to cables...

I've also been working on Hedgerow Birds. I'm still waiting for the extra skein of Apple Cider, because one of the extras I ordered to bulk up the order is out of stock, so I've left off the birds and date on the first side - so if the skein is a different shade it won't be too noticeable. Other than these bits I've finished the first side and started the back:




Happy Stitching!

Knit the York Walls!! - Part II

A while ago I posted about the attempt to knit enough scarves to wrap them around the medeival walls of York. As a group we knitted about 15 scarves, and sent them in for the big sale on 21st November. We decided to go to York to see what happened - so Eddy and I got the train (the morning after a-ha - boy was I tired!!), and we met my mum at York station.

We were too late (11am) to see the scarves wrapped around the walls (truth be told, only around a small area... a bit of a disapointment, but I guess it made it much easier to actually sell the scarves for charity!!!). But there was an article (and photo) on the BBC news web site.

We made our way to the scarf sale to pick a couple out for Christmas presents. Imagine my amazement when I saw one of the two I knitted (in the £5 pile, so not a bargain bucket scarf!!)! I had a lovely chat to one of the ladies taking money, giggling about the amazing coincidence.

Scarves for sale, mine is the pale pink textured stripy on the right of the photo, just in front of the sofa arm!

My mum had great fun picking out a scarf (and trying a few on):




Apparently, 3792 scarves were knitted, and at least £3000 has been raised so far!

After the scarf sale we went to Betty's for lunch (mmmmmmmm), then did a spot of Christmas shopping. It was a lovely day out!

Lots of scarves...

Remember those scarves we were knitting for RAW - who have been trying to get enough scarves to wrap them around the walls of York?? Well our little stitch and b**** group knitted about 12 (I think) - 10 are pictured here:



Julia's husband Ian dropped them off in York - they've had loads of scarves (over 3000 now) and therefore have enough to completely encircle the walls. I really hope we can get to York on Sunday and see this (and get lots of photos).

This week it's been all change at weight watchers - I'm loving the new pro points system (especially free fruit), and lost a whopping 3.5 lbs at the scales. Only 2 more lbs to hit the 4 stone lost mark. Woo hoo!!!

Scarf finish

Although I finished this at the weekend, I've only just sewn in the loose ends and taken a photograph tonight:



The scarves out stitch and b**** group have knitted will be heading off to York next week, ready for the wrapping of the York walls on the 21st.

This month is NatBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) - although I suspect national to the US or Canada, rather than the UK... Anyway, I know I won't manage to blog everyday, but I'm going to see how often I can manage it!!

FT Happy Dance!!

Yes, it's finally finished:


Fantasy Triptych, (c) Teresa Wentzler

I really slowed towards the end of this project. I think subconsciously I didn't want to finish it...

Last night we watched Wallander in Swedish - so once again I did some knitting so I could read the sub-titles!! I started my second scarf for Cancer Research UK:



After finishing FT tonight I picked up Pooh and Eeyore and finished the xs. And yes Avivah, there were a few more stitches in that gap!!! I've just started the bs, and will share another photo in the week. I seem to be having a very productive October, which is lovely... wonder how many things I can finish before the New Year!

Two knitting happy dances :)

Last night I finished the scarf I was knitting for me - it's a basic lace pattern, in a pretty variegated double knitting wool. This afternoon I finished the one I was knitting for cancer research UK. It's a very basic cable (pattern from the Skep knitting and quilting shop - my new local haunt), in a chunky magenta wool. Not as bright as in these photos... I love the cable so much I may have to knit it again for myself... I have about 1/2 ball of wool left - it took 2.5 balls, and is over 1.5m long!




The lighting at home is dreadful tonight, and don't do either scarf justice... but I really wanted to share these with you today!!! The ones with me wearing (I won't say modelling, as that's a real stretch) just didn't come out. But it is fabulous - lovely and long!

Knit the York Walls!!

As I mentioned in my last week, I'm knitting scarves for charity...

One of my colleagues, Julia, was in York over the summer and met a group aiming to get enough pink scarves to hang them around the walls of York. Apparently they had a scale model - a small scarf or two wrapped around a Barbie Castle!! Inspired by this, Julia asked if our stitch and bitch group at work would join in...

On Monday, Julia, Sonia, Chrissie, Emma and Louise came over to mine and we started knitting. Emma and I chose chunky wool, which was VERY CLEVER...

I'm hoping to knit 2 scarves. The first is bright magenta and has a cable. Not having knitted a cable since I was 18 this proved to be a bit of a challenge at first... I spent much of the first hour swearing and ripping out the scarf. Now I've got the hang of it, it's coming along nicely (just under a metre at present).

The scarves have to be sent to York, and will be wrapped around the 2.5 mile walls on 21st November. 2832 scarves, measuring 15 x 150cm are needed. Afterwards the scarves will be sold in aid of Cancer Research UK. So I'm spreading the work - pull out your knitting needles, find some pink wool, and help knit the walls of York!!! Details are here.

Jo the crafting butterfly...

Do you ever get in one of those moods where although everything you are doing is fun, you just can't stick with it? Well that's been me this last week...

After the last post I struggled for a few days to settle down to anything in particular... I did a bit of knitting on and off - my scarf is now 75cm long, about half way - which is good as it's freezing today, I think I'm going to need it sooner rather than later!

At the weekend I was in the mood for quilting again. But I was worried I didn't have enough of the paler shades... so I had a quick look online for quilting shops, and realised that there was a real brick-and-mortar (well, stone-and-mortar, this being Yorkshire) quiliting shop not 10 mins drive away... (I tend to buy myself quilitng supplies when I see them - as I don't generally actually do any quiliting, something I am trying to remedy). So I popped over to the Skep Knitting and Quilting Shop, where I got 3 fat quarters - one in white with lilac spots for the sampler quilt I am attempting to make (ahem), and two lovely bright ones to use as cover cloths for my lace - having stolen my cover cloths back from my lace pillows for use in the supposed quilt (it WILL be a quilt, it WILL be a quilt).

That night we watched Wallander in Swedish. Brilliant I thought, I can read subtitles while knitting. Except I can't very well, managed to get the knitting going the wrong way, and realised after I'd done about 6-8cm of knitting. I can confirm however that I can unpick knitting while reading subtitles....

Sunday I made a single block for the quilt, having spent most of the day thinking about the design and colour combinations (again).

Sunday night and Monday I picked up Fantasy Triptych. Which I am loving again... have made some good progress with the green:


Tonight, however, I fancied a change - and started the LHN ornament from last years JCS special issue.

Yup, I am a self-certified crafting butterfly...

Sunflowers

I've been having a lovely weekend. On Saturday we went to Hebden Bridge and then Haworth, for a nice pootle around some lovely shops. I found a shop selling AMAZING light shades, and may actually have found a wall light I actually like (I hate the one in our living room, but haven't been able to find one I particularly like anywhere, and I've been looking on and off for over a year!).

Saturday evening we went for a scrummy curry at the local Aagrah's, and watched movies. I picked up my knitting, and have now done about 1/5 of my scarf:



Sunday we went to Harlow Carr, had a fabulous lunch at Betty's, and really enjoyed exploring the gardens. And were all inspired by quite a few things... shame our garden isn't bigger! That evening we cooked roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for tea, and sat down in front of Sherlock. I worked on sunflower charms:



All in all a fabulous weekend, full of fun, and most importantly a real break for Margaret. We've just dropped her off at the station, and my plan is to be crafty for the rest of my day off - and maybe, just maybe, I'll achieve a happy dance!

Erm, knitting...

I'm having a lovely week - taken wed-fri off work, and monday next week too. Apart from the occasionally flurry of housework and food shopping, I've been busy being crafty, and enjoying food with friends.

I've finished making the lace for Krista's garter, and am busy joining it:


Heidi asked about the 'magic threads' - ordinarily I'd use either a fine crochet hook or a lazy susan to make the sewings in to join the 2 ends, but this time I'm using magic threads. When I started the lace I added loops of coloured thread looped through each pair of bobbin. Now I'm at the end, all I need to do for each sewing in is find the right magic thread (sometimes easier said than done), pass one bobbin through the loop, pull the magic thread and voila, the thread on the bobbin makes a loop through the start of the lace, ready to pass the other bobbin of the pair through, and then tie off. So no poking about with a crochet hook, which I'm dreadful at. I also tried to use magic thread to neatly sew the loose ends back through the lace, but found I'd not perfected my technique yet - so I gave up on them, and will have to use a needle and thread for that once I've got it off the pillow. This doesn't sound very clear at all... maybe I'll take some photos for an quick tutorial!

When I've needed a break from the lace, I've been working on Sunflower Charms - I'm about 1/2 way now, and am loving the wonderful summery colours. Shame the weather here hasn't been warm and sunny to match!


Today Margaret came to stay - we picked her up from Leeds station at lunchtime, and had a sandwich at a nearby cafe. After a short shopping spree, where I got a fabulous pair of trousers in the sale at Monsoon, and Margaret bought an AMAZING black jacket embroidered with cream chrysanthemums for a wedding we're going to in January, we headed back towards home - but carried on to Texere yarns in Bradford. I've been trying to get Margaret - who is a keen knitter - there for years. After much oooh-ing and aaah-ing, Margaret bought a pattern for a cardigan and some beige cotton yarn for herself, and Pam Allen's 'Scarf Style', some double knitting wool and knitting needles for me. Yup, I'm dabbling in knitting again.... I can knit, and made a wonderful cable knit jumper as a teenager... but I don't knit much now. A couple of years ago I made some dressy scarves using fancy wool, but it was all just plain knitting - and I wanted to try something fancier... having Margaret here meant I could ask questions when stuck.


So I'm knitting a scarf in feathers and fans (although just after taking this photo Margaret noticed I'd made a mistake, and missed out a row of knit. Hmmm, maybe I need to concentrate more :)

Food-wise, Sonia and Louise came over on Wednesday (allegedly also for lace making, but we didn't really do any) - we had green beans and potatoes, a lovely Greek dish; Thursday Sarah and Kat came over - we had chard paneer (our version of sag paneer, but with swiss chard, not spinach) and chana marsala (chickpea curry - our neighbour's recipe); tonight we had Moroccan chicken and Moroccan vegetable casserole. Best of all, each meal included some veggies from our garden.

Thanks for popping by, and happy stitching.