Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, peaceful, very crafty 2017, with strength for the not so good times that may show up.

I've actually made a stitching plan for 2017. I'm shocked at myself, I never do that, but I am inspired by all of you who do. So, the overall aim is to reduce my WIPs, most of which are big projects so even a couple of finishes would make me happy. I've joined 2 SALs on Facebook and I want to keep on with the Christmas Ornament SAL (and actually stitch something) run by Kaye at Kitten Stitching and work on my oldest UFO (how often have I said that?).

So this is what my months should look like.

Days 1-7: Ornament SAL. I have a plan this year - and patterns - Dragon Dreams version of 12 Days of Christmas called 12 Dragonlets of 2012 - and fabric! But I'm short floss so January will probably have 1-7 and 22-28 reversed. Hmmm, this is NOT an auspicious start!

Days 8-14: One of my Facebook SAL new starts Crossed Wings Great Blue Heron. I have everything to start him.

Days 15-21: My oldest UFO. This was the last progress picture I took 26 July 2015. Eek, I didn't realise it hadn't even been touched in 2016.

Day 22-28: The second of my Facebook SAL new starts HAED Stormy.

I have everything to start this and because there is no background I'm stitching it on a piece of Colour Cascade Fabrics called Midnight Blue.

Day 29+: I'll concentrate on my .non-cross stitch projects. If my ornament doesn't take all of Week 1, I'll have some "whatever I want" crafting.

Now to see if I can stick to this.

WIP Wednesday 28 December 2016

24 hours late! Here we are, the last Wednesday of 2016 and I'm late!

I did get in a little craft time this week, which makes me feel so much better. I finally got the repeat pattern in the doll costume sorted out, so my knitting now looks like this.

It doesn't look like it, but I have started the shaping to make the dress top.

Retirement Means has gone from here

to here.

Not a lot of back stitch, but at least the shovel and hose look like what they are.

I'm hoping to get some stitching time this weekend, so we shall see how things go.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Joyful Celebration of whatever tradition you follow.

May you experience love, laughter, the joy of family & friends, peace and hope.

WIP Wednesday 21 December 2016

And I have nothing. Nothing! I didn't put one stitch in Retirement Means and I have pulled out the start of the doll outfit TWICE now as I keep screwing up the pattern repeat. Hopefully the third time will be the charm.

We've been having some cold (for us) weather and there was this lovely winter waterfall just outside my apartment block.

Such a sad little post. LOL  I will try to be back on track next week.

WIP Wednesday 14 December 2016

Well, we're still dealing with minus temperatures and it's supposed to snow again this weekend, then rain for four days. That won't be so bad as long as it doesn't freeze again after. Oh well, excellent excuse to snuggle indoors, stitch and pet cats. Speaking of stitching, what's happened?

Well, I had a small finish

for a friend whose daughter is Eeyore crazy.

Retirement Means went from here

to here.

Cross stitch is complete, back stitching about to start.

And I started my new non-cross stitch project.

There is only one doll in the kit, but enough yarn to make all 3 outfits and blanket. I haven't knit with such small needles and wool in years, but if it turns out well I will probably give it to the Seniors' Centre to raffle at the Spring Tea.

Is everyone (anyone?) close to being ready for Christmas?

WIP Wednesday 7 December 2016

Well it happened this weekend - Mother Nature decided to remind us west coasters that it was winter and blessed us with this.

And it wasn't any better looking up the hill.

And from then until at least next Friday we are going to be in minus temperatures, so brrrr. However, it does make for good stitching weather. The rug went from here

to TA-DA, a finish!

Now I just need to bind the excess canvas underneath and it can be off to its new home.

And Retirement didn't get totally ignored, going from here

to here.

As you can see, the hoop got moved again. There's a little wagon and another bee to be added in, then finish the border so the back stitching can begin.

Spoiled Again!

I've been unusually lucky the last couple of months with giveaways. Back in October, Riona who blogs as Oubliette was hosting a giveaway of 10 Halloween charts and I won. Well the charts have arrived and look what I got!

Five charts here - and I want to do them all. But there was so much more.

Two charts in this picture.

Love the different finishes.

I've seen this one stitched on a couple of blogs and I love it. This may be my first stitch.

But then look at all these wonderful Celtic patterns - how do I choose?

And this one made me smile. I want to stitch him, but definitely not buy from him!

Thank you SO much Riona! I'm just thrilled and quite happy about falling over to the dark side.

WIP Wednesday 23 November 2016

And it's another Wednesday and time to review what's been done.

Again, the rug got most of my attention, going from here

 to here

with a softness check when I took the picture. I think it passed as Yoda took a lengthy nap before I was able to put it away.

Retirement went from here

to here.

WIP Wednesday 16 November 2016

Well, I'm pushing on with the rug, It's gone from here

to here.

And while Retirement has gotten less attention, I haven't completely ignored her - had to move the hoop. She's gone from here

to here.

She now has 2 legs to stand on and a couple more bees buzzing around.

So, all in all a good week!

WIP Wednesday 9 November 2016

And here we go with another Wednesday report. My rug got most of the attention this week and went from here

to here.

I'm a couple of rows passed halfway.

Retirement didn't get completely neglected. She went from here

to here.

It's nice to see her boot attached to her leg - and know she does have a second leg!

WIP Wednesday 2 November 2016

Welcome to November! Somebody flipped a switch yesterday and we went from unseasonably warm temperatures and sun to cold wind, black skies and cold rain. Fall in Prince Rupert is back to normal, darn it.

Had a pretty good craft week. Retirement Means went from here

to here.

The rug didn't get quite as much time, but still went from here

to here.

How about you, has it been a good week?

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.