Early Christmas!

When I moved to Prince Rupert 3 decades ago (did I just type that?) there was a store called Grand Trunk Hobbies that I frequented A LOT. The couple who owned it, Laura and Dave were lovely people and kept a really wonderful cross stitch section of the store (Laura's hobby). Fast forward 10 years and they are closing shop. Fast forward again to yesterday. I get a call from Laura saying she can't stitch any more because of her eyes and would I be interested in the bits and pieces of cross stitch stuff she has left. I say yes and shortly after they arrive. WELL! This is what the 2 of them call "bits and pieces".

3 binders of cross stitch patterns and a large roll of vinyl weave.

A large tote with towels and cooler cup.

DMC and Bangor thread books.

Hoops, stretcher bars, tubes of fabric and at least 8 full floss boxes, bobbinated and labelled.

Not to mention some charts that hadn't made it into the binders and a few small kits.

I'm still sitting here in shock and with no idea why they would think of me after all this time. Can you yell SPOILED?

WIP Wednesday, 26 October 2016

The last Wednesday in October! How did THAT happen? It's been a good week for crafting, so here's what's happened.

Retirement Means has gone from here

to here.

The fabric colour is still not right - the description on the bag says "28 count Jazlyn, deep teal green, DMC equivalent 501" so you can check what it should look like. It's from Silkweavers.

And the rug has gone from here

to here.

Finally took a picture with it right side up. I'm pleased with my progress, but I'm going to have to hustle with the rug.

Have my supervisors/inspectors left me alone? Not a hope. This time it was the softness test

and it must have passed because Snowy is sound asleep.

WIP Wednesday 19 October 2016

Well, I haven't had much crafting time since the end of IHSW, but here's what I've managed. My cross stitch is still sitting here

but my rug has grown a little from here

to here.

All progress is a good thing.

It Was IHSW

Well, Hermit & Stitch #10, 2016 is in the books. How did your weekend go?

I'm quite happy with my progress. I worked on the rug I'm hooking and my latest cross stitch piece which actually was the plan! How did that happen?

The rug, which eventually should look like this

started the weekend here

and finished it here

in spite of the quality controllers who came to inspect the work and didn't want to leave.

The cross stitch which will end up like this

(a small pillow though, not a card) started the weekend here

and finished here.

Neither picture shows the fabric properly - it's a darkish green colour. I'm a happy stitcher tonight.

WIP Wednesday 12 October 2016

The nights are getting chillier, the dark is coming earlier and staying later, so it is definitely fall. We have had gorgeous sunny days though, so no complaints. So the question is, have I done anything? The answer is, yes.

For those of you who were following my sweater progress, here is Orin wearing it.

I am really glad now that I decided the size 4 was going to be too big, pulled it out and did the size 2. As you can see, even the 2 gives him some growing room.

And I have a finish! Halloween bunny went from here

to here.

So I had to start the next project, right? It was here by the 8th

and here when I went to bed last night.

Didn't get a lot of time on the rug except to finish the row I had started, so it now looks like this.

I mentioned sunny days at the top of the bog - and what do you do when there is sunshine pouring through windows?

You sleep in it of course!

IHSW Coming Up!

It's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend coming up.

Check out Random Ramblings if you're not sure what I'm talking about, sign up and join in on a weekend of stitching, stitching and more stitching!

Hope you can join us.

WIP Wednesday 5 October 2016

Well, here we are again. How was your week?

Bunny got some attention and went from here

to here (excuse the wrinkles please).

All the cross stitching is done and the back stitching is started.

Now, since the sweater is done, I decided to start another non-stitching project. Flash back to my late teens, early twenties before I had discovered cross stitch. This is as far as I got for the first session.

It's 90 stitches high and I just couldn't get it all in one picture. And this will be the finished rug.

A good friend uses a lot of snowmen when she decorates at Christmas and mentioned in passing that she wished I still did hooked rugs as she would love one for her downstairs bathroom. Well, I couldn't resist that. Hopefully for this Christmas, but next for sure.