Yarns From My Crochet Hook

It's been a while since my last post and that's really because there has been very little activity from my stitching needle. Although it has stitched a small amount on "May", there isn't enough to justify a photo, and I also have some unpicking and re-stitching to do. However, my crochet hook has been busy and in just a couple of days I made this little mat to protect the top of a chest of drawers from a vase base. It's an old pattern by Twilleys that I've had for ages and I used an unknown crochet cotton.

This card is one I've made for my mum for Mother's Day, which, here in the U.K. is on the 18th March. I had intended stitching one and did make a start, but it soon became apparent that I was not going to have enough time to finish it, so it was abandoned in favour of this decoupage one using a kit from Hunkydory.

It's been a lovely spring-like day here today and my first daffodil is almost out. I hope this weather continues as Mr. L. and I are off on holiday a week on Saturday. Yes, you've guessed it, we're going to Swaledale again! After the awful December we had a change of scene is well in order.



There are some bloggers that have been unhappy with Blogger's updated word verification, I know I don't always find it easy to read those words, so I have turned off the word verification on my comments page. I still have comment moderation enabled so that should stop any spam.

Many thanks for your lovely comments on my last couple of posts, especially for the congratulations that you sent my son. Wedding plans are under way for a late April wedding next year. Paul and Carla are currently looking at prospective wedding reception venues.

I'll probably not have another post before we go away, so I'll see you all when we get back.

Nicola

A Very Short Post

As the title says this is just a short post to show you my progress on PS's May. I didn't do very much but did manafe to finish the wording. There isn't very much more to stitch now, just the little picture in the top left-hand corner and the rest of the border.

I need to put this down now in order to get on with my Mother's Day card. Once again this day is creeping up on me fast, but hopefully I'll get it stitched in time.

Before I go though, I must just share with you all a bit of very happy family news. On February 4th my son and his lovely girlfriend became engaged and are now busy planning their wedding which will probably be mid to late April next year.

Nicola

May

No, I haven't gone mad and fast forwarded to May, wish I could though, no I've been stitching on PS's "May" this week. It's been a while since I've shown this and I have worked a little on it here and there. The lambs at the bottom have been bugging me, I've not enjoyed stitching them at all, but I was determined to get them done and move up on the design. Here's where I left it yesterday.

I have now finished the stitching on side one of Jingle, I just have the pearls and beads to stitch on which I'll probably do once the second side is stitched.

Tuesday was Needlecraft Haven's TUSAL day and here are my ORT's for January.

Now a little bit of family news, mainly for my U.K. readers. This coming Saturday (4th Feb.) my son, Paul and his partner, Carla will be appearing on BBC's Saturday Kitchen Live, they'll be the members of the public sitting at the table along with the guest celebrity, who, according to my TV guide is going to be the actor Samuel West.

Thanks for all your lovely comments, they really make my day!

Nicola

It's Been A Quiet Week

Just  a short post this week as I've really not done that much stitching-wise. I did make a start on Just Nan's Jingle biscornu on Wednesday and also worked on it yesterday. It's a really quick design to stitch and I'm really enjoying working on it. I've changed the fabric from 28ct Cashel, as I don't have any, to 28ct white Jobelan, the threads are DMC as recommended.

Many thanks for visiting my blog and for all your lovely comments on my last post.

Nicola

More Stash and Merry Christmas

Yes, that's right I've treated myself to some more stash this week. Sew and So have a sale on at the moment so I treated myself to Just Nan's Jingle biscornu chart while I was ordering some other bits. I'm justifying it because it's a biscornu and doesn't need space on the walls. LOL

I needed another needle minder so bought this Hibiscus design by Kelmscott Designs.

I also bought another floss storage box and some more plastic bobbins. The winding, however, is going slowly!

I'm hosting a Greetings Card SAL on the Needlecraft Haven forum, and this is my first card. It's from Mary Hickmott's Cross Stitch Gallery magazine issue 4. I can't finish it off just yet as I've run out of the Krienik braid and it's out of stock at Sew and So. You can see that I only have the letter "C" to finish, but it will have to wait until I next go to Sew and So or Cotswold Needlecraft at Trentham Gardens.

That's all for this week. Many thanks for all your lovely comments on last weeks post, I really do appreciate them all. It was also lovely to see some new readers and followers of my blog.

Nicola

Hetty Child Gets An Outing and Some Stash

Before I get onto my stitching update I'd just like to thank everyone for their kind comments on my last post, and to welcome all new readers and followers of my blog.

Now to stitching. I thought it was time to give "Hetty Child" an outing. I've stitched a little on her now and then but not shown my progress on her. I've added quite a bit this week and this is where I'm up to now.

I've also received some new stash this week.  Julianne very kindly, and most generously, sent me a gift certificate just before Christmas for Anita's Little Stitches and I chose to spend it on Blackbird Designs Pink Hill Manor and all the Crescent Colour and Gentle Art Sampler threads to stitch it with. I'm not sure yet if I will dedicate this to anyone, but if I do it might possibly be my late parents-in-law.

My second piece of stash, which arrived yesterday, is the third and final Loose Feathers from BBD - Winter. I have yet to start the others, but may treat myself to a new start and do so soon. Of all three parts I have to say that Winter is my favourite, I just love the colours in it.

Well that's all for today. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Nicola

Last Years Christmas Stitching

Happy New Year! I hope it's a good one for everyone. Sadly last year did not end well for Mr. L. and myself. His mother died on December 8th and the funeral was held on the 28th, not the best Christmas for us. Anyway onwards and upwards as they say and here I am starting my return to blogging with my Christmas stitching from last year. I didn't get as much done as I had hoped to do, something which I'm going to rectify this year. Back in the summer, or what passed for it, I stitched LHN's 2011 Ornament of the Month - Deck the Halls using 36ct Edinburgh linen in Sand and the recommended Crescent Colour and DMC threads.

This next deign is a Christmas card from Derwentwater Designs that I stitched twice for friends. The kit comes with 16ct Aida but I swapped that for 32ct white Jobelan and stitched it using the recommended Anchor threads.

Another Derwentwater Christmas card, this one I gave to my parents. Again I swapped the Aida for 32ct white Jobelan and used Anchor threads. I did start another one for my MIL but it never got finished. I'll finish it off at some point and will frame it for us to display in her memory.

I have decided to join in with Needlecraft Havens own TUSAL, showing photos of my ORT jar on the last day of every month. Here's my empty Yankee Candle jar ready for filling.

Yesterday I made the decision to change my thread storage system. I was using three - Loran folder, bobbins and DMC Gold Concept stitch bows. However, the latter was taking up a lot of space and the stitch bows were proving not to be very practical, so I'm going back to bobbins. Mr. L. bless him, has decided to help me by winding my threads back onto the bobbins and made a start last night. I now have to get organised and round up all my threads from various projects into one place to make it easier to sort them all onto bobbins. Hopefully once all this is done it will encourage me to put them back in the storage boxes instead of leaving them in bags everywhere. Time will tell!

Nicola