2018

Hello everyone! Can you believe it is 2018?! It hardly seems like 5 minutes since the beginning of December and I was looking forward to Christmas and now here we are in January. The Christmas decorations are down and everything is so dull and depressing! I am not longing for Spring though as I don't feel like we've had a proper Winter and those of you who know me well will know I love Winter! 

First off I'd like to show you what I stitched for my dearest friends Barb and Lisa for Christmas. First of all what I stitched for Lisa ( thank you June for the inspiration)

Lizzie Kate A Little Stitch

Fabric as kitted

DMC

Started 6th November 2017

Finished 19th November 2017

Christmas gift for Lisa.

I am happy to say that Lisa loved it and it made her cry happy tears :)

Next this is what I stitched for Barb.

Abby Rose Designs Tea for Two

32 count Permin Lambswool linen

WDW, GAST & CC

Started 2nd November 2017

Finished 29th November 2017

Christmas gift for Barb.

I added a couple of Lady Grey teabags but thought Barb could use it as a small stitching pouch too. I am happy to say that she loved it :)

Of course I still had WIPs that I would have liked to have finished by the end of 2017 to give me a clean slate but it didn't happen. I did, however, finish 2 of them so that was pretty good really.

The December SAL I was doing with Chris got finished.

Little House Needleworks No Place Like Home

28 count Permin Amber linen

Crescent Colours and DMC

Started 1st December 2017

Finished 24th December 2017.

I then decided to stitch on Lantern Lane as much as I could and try and get it finished. 

Little House Needleworks Lantern Lane

36 count Lakeside Linens Vintage Pearled Barley.

WDW & CC

Started 3rd September 2017

Finished 31st December 2017.

As always New Years Day can't go by without a new start and I joined in the New Start, Old Stash SAL on the Stitch from Stash group I belong to on Facebook. I've had this one in my stash for a while now. It is Mani Di Donna Winter Cottage in a Ball. 

I have had two new starts this year but I can't show one as it is a gift.

I picked up LHN Born in a Manger again and don't have too much more to do. Barb has finished hers but I am a little behind. Maybe I can get it done tonight!

I am also still plugging away on Lizzie Kate Christmas Sampler.

As Mini Jolly Old Fellow got finished before Christmas I decided to get my dragon SK out the other night and I'll stitch on it one night a week until it is finished. It took me a while to work out where I needed to be etc and, oh boy, I hated it! Once I get back into it I am sure it'll be fine but never again will I cross country on a BAP with so many colours! It WILL get finished!

Lisa and I have started our 300 stitches a week SAL on a BAP we already have started. Of course mine is Guardian but once the dragon is done I'll move it into my rotation properly then do 300 stitches a week on Tilton Crafts Always. Fingers crossed I get the dragon finished soon before it drives me mad!

I still haven't got my socks blocked but my blockers arrived! Here are my socks before blocking and I'll show a photo of them blocked when I get them done.

I started a hat and finished it yesterday. It should be blocked but I'm fearful that if I do it it will end up too big. I think I will give it a wash and see if I can smooth out the stitches without blocking. Once I've done that I'll make a pompom and sew that on. I didn't use the recommended wool in case I made a mess of knitting it!

Donna Smith Designs Baa-ble Hat

Stylecraft Special Aran 

This year I want to try my absolute best to buy as few charts as I possibly can. I signed up for the LHN Farmhouse Christmas series a while ago and they are going to be my only chart purchases I hope for 2018! If I need fabric and threads for a project I will allow myself those. It is going to be tough as I love collecting charts as much as love stitching them but it has to stop. I have been doing better over the past couple of years especially as I just feel guilty having so many lovely charts in my stash. 

Finally I received some lovely gifts for Christmas from my stitching friends. I've taken a photo and the angel needleminder is from Lisa, The sheep shopper and card are from Mouse and the tea towel is from Christine. Thank you so much ladies :)

So that is all from me for now. Here's to a happy, healthy stitched filled 2018 and lots of friendship too :)

Until next time. With much love,

Sally xxxx

Stitching and Trying My Hand at Socks!

Seriously how did it get to be November already! Not only November but the 17th November!! Not long now to December!

So I have plenty to show since my last blog post but some bits that I can't show as they are ornaments for my private ornament exchanges with Chris and Barb and a couple of Christmas gifts that I'm stitching on too. Need to get those finished ASAP!

I've been doing a little finishing too. These bits were all sewn up and just needed the trim on so I gave myself a good talking to and got that done. 

I have had a finish :) Not sure I'll actually have anymore this month as I seem to be doing quite a bit of reverse stitching of late which is not good! As you will know Barb and I SAL together a couple of times a week and we have both finished our sheep SAL.

Country Cottage Needleworks Jump for Joy

32 count Permin Lambswool linen

DMC

Started 25th August 2017

Finished 6th November 2017.

It is just so cute!

So because we'd finished that we had to have a new start! well it would be rude not to wouldn't it?! We started Little House Needleworks Born in a Manger. I am stitching mine on 40 count vintage country mocha linen using DMC and Classic Colorworks. I love how it looks on 40 count and, of course, I love vintage country mocha linen. It is my favourite.

The new SAL on the LHN/CCN Facebook group has started so I've had another new start. It is LHN Christmas Angel. This is one I've had reverse stitching on! I didn't like the colour of the wings once I'd got a bit stitched on that so I took it out and used a lighter colour. Then I discovered I was out a little on one of her arms and it looked like it was broken lol! So that came out and I restitched it. Fingers crossed for no more mistakes!

I'm also using LHN Lantern Lane for the SAL as we can use Christmas/Winter ones that we have already started. I have also been reverse stitching on this one as I hadn't left enough space between one of the letters. I got them all restitched and a few more! 

I am still stitching away on Mani Di Donna Winter Days Sewing Basket and am so desperate to get it finished now. I am at the stage where I really don't want to stitch on it anymore. I don't know why as I love the design.

Final stitchy photo is..............................yep Mini Jolly Old Fellow. Ta-Dah I have finished page 8!!!! Just one more teeny page to go now :)

I was very lucky when my name was picked out on the LHN/CCN Facebook Autumn SAL group to win one of Vonna's gorgeous project bags. Let me tell you it is beautiful! It arrived the other day and I now have a project in it. This photo really does not do it justice. Thank you so much Vonna :)

I have picked up my knitting needles again. I haven't knitted anything since the aran jumper last year. I'd bought some tinsel chunky wool and a pattern to knit a snowman just before Christmas last year and had put it away in a cupboard. I decided it was time to get on with it and I now have a very cute snowman!

I think my plan is to use up my wool stash to give me room in the cupboard although I don't have much. So next on my needles is socks. I have had the kit for a few years and have been too scared to try. However it is one of the things that I really want to try so last week I cast on. I ended up having 3 attempts and on the 3rd attempt I was away thanks to a friend on Facebook who gave me a tip. I am now ready to do the heal and that is scaring me lol! Fingers crossed I can do it. I have heard many people say that socks knitting is addictive and I have already been looking at more sock wool! I am being good until I know whether I can complete a sock or not!

A couple of weeks my DH and I went up to Pickering to see my good friend Chris who has moved up there. It was so good to see her and her DH again and we had a lovely day. Then last Saturday my surrogate sis and dear friend Lisa was in Hornsea for the weekend so we had a stitchy afternoon. I don't think we've seen each other for 2 years at least so it was really good to get together and catch up. It makes me feel sad that my lovely stitchy friends live so far away but it makes it even more special when I get to see them. There are many I would love to meet that live too far away. 

That's all my news for now. I will catch up with you all hopefully over the weekend. Thank you for sticking with me even though my posts are few and far between.

With much love,

Sally xxxx