Things Are Happening!

As usual, things are happening in blogland. So, just in case you've missed them, here are some events.

Kaye at Kitten Stitching is organising an Easter Exchange, very simple and straightforward. Check out the details and join in the fun here

And there are a number of giveaways on the go.

Kaye is doing one of these as well. You have until February 5 to check it out and put your name down.

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler is having a Primitive Floss giveaway that closes February 15.

Sarah at Sarah In Stitches is having a blogoversary giveaway to celebrate 5 years. Check it out here - you have until the end of February to enter.

Have fun everyone, and if you enter, Good Luck!

WIP Wednesday 25 January 2017

Sorry about missing last week, but I hadn't done any needlework at all, not one X, one purl or one knit plus I was feeling miserable.. However, it's a better day today.

Last post, I had just finished knitting the doll's booties

And here she is in her finery.

She still needs her hat which I hope to do this week.

Retirement is beaded! Gone from here

to here.

Neither picture shows the colour properly - its DMC equivalent is 501. I'm hoping to talk my craft partner Cynthia into helping me make a wall hanging out of it and get it to the recipient ASAP.

I belong to a Christmas Ornament SAL hosted by the lovely Kaye at Kitten Stitching (who, by the way, is having a giveaway at the moment) and I finished my January design.

This is from Dragon Dreams' "12 Dragonlets of 2012", 2 over 2 on 28 count fabric from Silkweavers. The colour is good in this picture, but the gold sparkle in the fabric is not showing up well. If you're interested in checking out the whole set, they are on Facebook page Dragon Dreams Inc.

WIP Wednesday 11 January 2017

I'm running late - it's a little after 11 p.m. so I better get on with it.

Not a lot done on the crafting front, but Retirement Means has gone from here

to here.

It's done, except I've decided to do beads instead of French knots so have to wait for them to arrive. I had thought I was done a bit earlier, but as I was looking it over I realised I had missed the second E in Retirement, so had to frog and redo. I was not happy with me at that point.

The doll outfit went from here

to here, front

and back

plus booties that need to be sewn up.

Then a hat with a bow and outfit #1 will be done.

Thank you everyone for your kind words about my friend's husband. He had open heart surgery on Monday where a planned double bypass became a quadruple on the operating table. Surgery went fine, but he reacted badly as he started to wake up and they had to heavily sedate him to control heart and blood pressure. Today he is improving steadily and hopes to be out of cardiac ICU either tomorrow or Friday.

WIP Wednesday 4 January 2017

I am still not used to writing 2017 so I must pay close attention. And welcome to the first WIP Wednesday post of the New Year. So lets get going.

Retirement Means got a little attention going from here

to here.

Looking forward to her head and face being more defined.

The Great Blue Heron got just enough attention that I could say I started, going from a blank piece of fabric to this.

It's the very top of his head.

And Stormy got the same minimal start.

It's the uppermost leaf on the left.

Nothing like starting with Krenik!

And I did get in some knitting time, from here

to here.

I need to sew up the skirt, add 2 tiny buttons and sew in the ends. It does fit the doll (first thing I checked after I cast off) so hopefully next week you will see her wearing it with either the matching hat or panties or, deep breath, maybe both.

My oldest UFO didn't get touched.

I had hoped to do more, but my craft partner/best friend's husband had a heart attack around supper time New Year's Eve and another one around 3 a.m. New Year's Day. He and Cynthia (thank goodness there was room for her) were med-evacced to Vancouver, St. Paul's Hospital, where he is being fast tracked for open heart surgery as he has several blocked arteries. Needless to say I am worried about them both and feeling so frustrated and helpless as they are 500 miles away by air, double that by road. Any crafting for the next little while will be something that doesn't take concentration.