October WIPocalypse

Here's my WIPocalypse post for this month. I didn't actually think I would get around to any stitching at all this month so these two pictures are pleasantly surprising.
First up I'd my Elisabeth Lillie sampler. Such a sweet design with lovely bright colours just right to brighten up these dull autumn days.

Secondly, here's my little SAL start of the Sampler Girl's Glad Tidings. Really loving how this is working up and I am thinking there is a possibility of getting this finished before Christmas! One can hope!

Speaking of Autumn, we had a wonderful walk round Yorkshire Sculpure park on Saturday. There are some quite bizarre sculptures but the weather was exceptional and autumn was out in all her glory. Here's are a couple of snaps. 

 

 

 

 

Other news is that I have ordered some more yarn for a new blanket I am going to be starting. One can never have too many blankets. It is going ot be Cath Kidston inspired so look out for that soon.

Also want to say a big hello to all my new followers. I have been taking some time to visit your blogs back. Loving the inspiration.

Have a good week everyone.

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iPod touch blogging? Let's see if it works.

Well hello! I am seeing if I can blog via my iPod touch this morning. I have downloaded the google + app and have downloaded all my pictures onto it so I thought I'd see if it actually works. It's a bit of trial and error tbh. Please let me know if you can see my pics okay.

So pic above is some of the Tiny Owl Rosie wristies I made for dd. I also made some for myself with two roses on. Really love them and they are so warm. Made mostly from Rowan Cocoon yarn.

Also been making a gorgeous rose brooch which was so quick and easy to do. Pattern can be found on my Pinterest in Crochet Stuff. I have made this for a dear friend and I hope she loves it as much as I. I think I could see myself making a few of these for Christmas gifts for people.

Well it's just a quick post to see if it works. Back later folks. Xxxxxxxx

New SAL starting and what I have been up to..(linkies sorted)

Hi all. I haven't found the cable for my phone but I have found another one so all is well and now I can pop my pictures onto the computer at long last.

Well, what a miserable month this has been weather wise. The air in the UK has gone decidedly chilly and downright drizzly to boot. Just the right sort of weather for scarf wearing I figured so off I went and gathered up supplies.

I continued to work on the flower scarf and although it is just long enough to wear, it is not quite long enough for me so I will hold off from posting until I have got that one fully completed.

I did manage this one though:

It's from Nicky Trench's book "Cute and Easy Crochet" and took me about 3 nights to put it together.

I also made up this one:

Now I cannot remember where I got this pattern from so I will let you know as soon as I find it but it was super easy and took me an hour to make. Gorgeous snuggly cowl using a hand dyed yarn I bought from Woolfest a couple of years ago.

Edited to add: This is the Pavement Infinity Scarf but I only made it short.

I also got those pinky/purpley squares together and made not only one granny cowl but two! I found the inspiration for finishing this from here.

I can wrap it around me three times!

Here's the other one I made for DD as I had enough squares left. This time in the cream I originally wanted to do. Not as thick as the purple one. Just a simpler design.

I look very tired in these pictures!

Okay onto some stitching if you are still with me! I recently took part in a birthday exchange on the Friends Through Threads blog and I was partnered with Jill. Here is what I sent her. I made a pincushion with a Blackbird Design from One of their books - again I am so tired I have forgotten and need to check! I looked at her wishlist and got her a few things I thought she would like and fortunately Jill seems very pleased. So Happy Birthday to you Jill for the Big day. xxx

I stuffed it with some walnut shells that Jill had actually given me as part of my birthday gift.

Right, onto something a little bit different then. I decided not too nlong ago that I wanted to stitch a design for Christmas that wasn't too taxing or too ambitious that would be a fun stitch. Tina (no blog) and I decided we would do The Sampler Girl's Glad Tidings design together as an SAL. Then Tracy agreed to Join in and then my neighbour Sue - a recent convert to the needle also said she would join in too. I have set up a little SAL board over on Needlecraft Haven - a YUKU board so if anyone wants to stitch this wonderful design then hop over to Tanya's shop and buy it and then come along to Needlecraft Haven and join in the fun! No rules. No pressure. You know me ;) Just a bit of Christmas fun before the big day. If you need any other info then feel free to email me. Please don't ask me for a copy. The designs are available through Tanya for, I would say, a very reasonable price. Anyway, you are all very welcome to join in with us. The more the merrier. Here is my before pic:

We are planning to start this very soon - possibly even this weekend so if you want to join in then don't delay!

Right. It is late and I am tired and I have to be up and out early so I will publish this then pop back tomorrow evening to put in all the missing links to people's blogs and patterns etc. Please forgive me for the delay but I will get it sorted for tomorrow.

PS What on earth has happened to Webshots???? Arggghhhhh I could scream!!!

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just a quickie..

...to let you know I am okay - if not a wee bit tired - but I have lost my cable to download my photos onto my comp. As soon as I find it, I'll do a post of all the lovelies I have been making. Soon peeps. xxxxx

Long awaited update

 Dearest blog readers, I am lay in bed whilst I write this update. I am a wee bit poorly you see. Three weeks at work and I'm exhausted. I have a very sore throat - no doubt from all the talking I do in the classroom - and I am very bunged up and full of a cold. Hubby is away again so I am left to play the single, working mum again. Poor kids have had to entertain themselves this weekend as mum has been lay flat on her back in bed. Dvds to the rescue. Yesterday, I couldn't talk at all and dd made me a fine notebook to write all my messages in to her. Oh and a little bell to ring if I needed anything. They were so good. Today I am feeling a little better but need to take it easy so I can be right for work tomorrow.

Work. Such a harsh word for this job I have undertaken. I see it more of an extended hobby. It's really great. The pupils are great. The staff are great. The leadership is great. Even though I have been away from teaching for nearly nine years now, it s as if I have never been away. It is all coming back to me. Things that I get worried or nervous about don't actually happen. There are the natural stresses and it is very tiring. Unfortnately the drive in was made much worse last week as they shut some of the roads due to the two policewomen being murdered - it was in the news and it is on my way to work - so traffic was backed up and one day it took me an hour to get in whereas normally it would take 25 mins.

My brood have settled in really well as well and don't want to leave at the end of the day. They have really made that school their own and there is such a lovely sense of belonging there. It is like one big, happy family. So, so far so good. Just need to get some extra vits in me I think to keep the bugs away.

Onto crafing then.... I have been a busy bee this month it seems. Just when I thought I wouldn't get any time for stitching, here I am with a finish. This is Ann Taylor from Heartstring Samplery.

This was such a joy to work on. I coffee dyed my own fabric - Brittney I think it was - 28 count and used the called for DMC threads. Really nice to work on and I see Beth Twist has two lovely new ones out as well... ho hum... I also managed to finish a baby blanket for my friend who has just had a new baby boy. I am not too sure if the pink makes it too girly but hey ho - modern times and all that - I have bought her a little extra thing just in case she hates it. I am really pleased with it. I used Lucy's bobble edging from Attic 24 to border it and love the overall look of it. So here is my Elmer baby blanket:

It is mostly Stylecraft special with an odd square of Hayfield bonus thrown in for good measure. I have also started the japanese flower shawl/scarf I have been meaning to do for ages as well. All this time in bed hey??? This is using Debbie Bliss Angel which is a kidsilk mohair. I am using a 5 mm hook for these ones and guess what?? This one is going to be for me!!!!! No giving this one away I can tell you. I will finally own my own flower shawl. Now sure if I am going to make it triangular or straight yet. Time will tell. It took me a while to finally decide on how I was going to crochet this so I went with cream centres. Do you like it? Do you think it will look okay?

And lastly..... since this post is going to be my September entry into the Wipcocalypse, having finished the Ann Taylor, I thought I would show you which samler I am working on next....

It's the Elisabeth Lillie sampler! She is such a joy to work on. This is a reproduction sampler by McIntosh samplers and I am stitching her on 34 ct Legacy linen in Oaten Scone and using the called for DMCs. Hopefully, I will make more progress on her this year too. Some of you may be wondering where the picture is taken at the top of this post. It was taken a couple of weekends ago when the sun came out for a final peek before the Autumn breezed in. It is the top of Mam Tor which is quite near us. We took some crackers and cheese and a hot flask of coffee and butties and biscuits for the kids and trundled off for a walk up the hill. It was lovely and so nice to have some good quality family time. Here are a few more shots. There are lots of interesting artifacts up there as it is an ancient Anglo Saxon/Celtic site.

So thats me for now. Hope you enjoyed my little update. Now I am getting back to some stitching or crochet whilst I can. I wish I could go out as it is now officially Autumn I am told. Autumn being my absolute favourite season. Snuggly times and the smell of crisp fallen leaves and that smell of leaf decay in the air mingled with frost. LOVE it. Have a lovely Sunday one and all.

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A Very Quick Wipocalypse post

Just a quick one to post August 31st's wipocalypse post. I haven't managed to finish Ann yet and time is in very short supply at the moment. Life IS good though and as soon as I get some proper time, I'll write up all my goings on.

Here's Ann Taylor as she stands at the end of August. I have managed to complete the bottom section. Just the border to go now.

Thanks for looking!

Oooh another crochet blanket of gorgeousness!!

Don't mind if I do!! Here is my latest finish. I am soooo happy to have another finish under my belt before I go "back". Back to work that is. Now if I could just get Ann Taylor done as well....... oh and A Most Noble Pursuit and A Quaker Christmas and Helen Bell's Multiplication Sampler.... and ..... and.... oh you know.... all those ones I started way back in January....

But this will do for starters. I started it way back here.I was inspired by Lucy's blanket here although mine has two rounds in the centre not one. It is crocheted in Sublime Cashmerino Silk DK mmmmmm.... utter loveliness. Sublime indeed. Now I am manking a cushion to match withe the remnants. :)

I'll be back with an Ann update soon... very soon.

Muchas Lovas xxxxx

Summer 2012

I can hardly believe that this summer is nearly over! I have to say that this has been the best summer yet. Last year was a total washout. Weather wise it wasn't great. Kids were bored. Nobody was around. Holiday was, well, hard to endure. But this year has been great! Kids have played out lots and lots although there has been buckets of rain here and there. We have visited tons of people and been on several mini trips which has worked out brilliantly.

One day we headed up to Formby for a trip to the seaside and it was lovely. Golden, sandy beach. Hot sun. Buckets and spades. Warm sea. We could have been abroad.

One weekend we headed up to the Lake District for a mini trip and, once again, the weather proved glorious. We stayed in this lovely place in Eskdale. The food was great and staff were helpful and friendly.

We walked the kids up Irton Pike (one of the smaller mountains) and went to the beach and just crammed so much into 2 short days. It was wonderful. Just being together as a family and doing family things was refreshing and did everyone the world of good.

Wastwater views

View from the top of Irton Pike

A little spot of fishing in the river

Husband has been away a lot again and during one of his latest trips to Japan, I decided to do the four hour drive to South Wales to go and stay with some friends I haven't seen in a few years. It was just like visiting old relatives. They made us feel warm and welcome and it was a relaxed and restful time.

Llandovery in the evening

It is a beautiful part of the country and as our host's Uncle owns a lot of land and farm land down there we took ourselves off for a little visit.

There were plenty of dogs and puppies to go around and the children enjoyed the Quad bike rides and tractors!

Goodbye folks. Thanks for a lovely time. See you soon.

In between all the holidaying, we have visited Lyme Hall park, Staircase House (oldest house, now museum, in Stockport - well worth a visit) and Larkhill Place (victorian street and museum in Salford - free and definitely worth a visit). So, all in all, we have had a fun filled holiday and I am looking forward to getting us all back in to a routine.

Going back to work is going to be a major change for all of us this year. Daughter is moving to my school and son is just starting school as well so we will all be travelling together in the mornings. I am so looking forward to starting back to teaching. I have loved every minute of being a stay at home mum for the last eight years but I have a definite need to be doing something that takes me out of the home environment. I have developed a lack of confidence and insecurity and dependence on staying at home all the time. I became almost reclusive or was verging on it. This job opportunity has definitely come at the right time and has given me the kick up the butt I needed to move out and move forward in life. It is honestly God given and I feel well and truly blessed. It is a Christian school, which reflects all the values I want my kids to be taught, the staff are so supportive and it feels so very exciting. Am I prepared? No, not quite but getting there. Am I kitted up with uniform, children and myself? No, that'll be next week's job. Am I nervous? Oh yeah. Am I happy? Most definitely. A lot has happened to me this year but I can honestly say things are on the up and up.

So, it's onto pastures new and although I will do my very very best to keep up with stitchy and crochet projects, I think my posts will not be as many as they have previously been. I do hope though, that you will join me in my new ventures as I let you all know how it goes. I'll be back very soon with some crafty finishes. Thanks for the friendship and all the smiles.

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