January update

Here we are nearly at the end of January and I haven't posted! Being back at work is great but it is a real drain on your time. So, as it is my day off today, I thought I would give you a quick update on my crafty makes this month. 

Most of my spare time has been beavering away on this blanket, trying desperately to get it finished for my sister's birthday. I feel pretty safe posting on here. I am almost 99.9 % sure she doesn't read my blog. I finally finished it the other night and I guess it was the quickest blanket I have made to date. I think I made it in less than four weeks! I did 71 of the 84 stated rows as I felt it was quite long enough and plenty big enough to sit on at picnics and wotnot. 

I followed Lucy's pattern and colour placement as I did for the Cosy blanket and it worked out fine. For some reason, I thought the colours would be a bit more subtler than they have turned out to be. I thought it would be a bit more pastelly but no matter, it is still very very nice and snuggly. 

Cottage Ripple blanket by Lucy of Attic 24

Wool - Stylecraft Special DK

And on the stitchy front, I did manage to get some GAST Piney Woods from the lovely Ann at Beadlework blog. Thanks so much for sending me some thread Ann. So I finally managed my first finish of 2015! The Stars are Shining Brightly by Heartstring Samplery.

I was so excited by my finish that I just snapped it without ironing it first! I will get a better picture soon. I loved working on this. 

My next project is one I started a couple of years ago and never got around to getting it done so I am trying to complete Lizzie Kate ABC of Christmas as my next Christmas design. It is kind of quirky and cute and not really my style but it is nice to be able to do one of the letters and feel a sense of accomplishment. The threads are Crescent Colours (are they called something else now?) and a re soft and pretty to work with. 

Two more charts were added to my stash as well - both Christmas ones. I couldn't resist the Season's Greetings one by LHN so I bought the threads to go with that one. The other is my autoship from The Patchwork Rabbit. It is the next in the series of Classic Ornaments by CCN. I must say, I am a little disappointed at these charts. I thought they would be more, well, "classic" but they seem a little twee in my opinion. I do really like the sampler ornies that are coming out by LHN and I should have waited and opted for these designs instead. Ahhh well, maybe I will get them after this autoship finishes. I will still stitch it up though and add it to my collection. I also spotted two small charts by New York Dreamer ( I think it was Carol's blog Stitching Dreams where I saw it first) which I have on hold for my also by the lovely Karla of Patchwork Rabbit.  

Finally, I thought I would end with a very cheeky picture of April. Look what she dragged home! A magpie! She has caught them in the past and we thought it was dead but when she dropped it it flew away! It's the look of innocence in her eyes that gets me. 

And on a different note, my DH and I have decided to go walking this year and so to encourage us, I have set up a separate blog of pictures of our walks here in the UK. We have been on two already. If you would like to take a look then please do but please don't feel like you have to comment as it is really just something for me and DH to do together. It is still in its infancy stage so there is a lack of words and bumfff on there but pictures are up and you can see how much snow we have been getting. Please go to Between Heaven and Earth to see. 

Thanks for reading and big welcome ad hello to all my new followers. Please leave a comment with a link back to your blog so I can visit you back.

Have a great week everyone. 

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