Happy Birthday.

Today is my birthday spent it with my Hubby shopping in York, but it has rained all day. This month I have been stitching an Advent SAL, every day we have received a line of a sampler I managed to keep up for the 1st 7 days then a set of nights get in the way so I am a little behind, on Day 11 now, it is about 3 inches wide and takes about 1 hour each day to do will show a picture when finished.

At the beginning of the month I went with my mum to her Flower Club Christmas demonstration it was called White Christmas.

Here is a picture of the xmas lights in Knaresborough near where I live.

I have also received an exchange from Kate from the HOE site it was a stitchers choice exchange she stitched for me Merry Old Elf from Just Nan 2006, I love Just Nan patterns as they have great detail on them.

My Halloween exchange got lost in the post so I stitched another one which I posted today I hope that one gets there this is what I stitched this time it is a different pattern just in case the 1st one turns up,

It is called Hoot by Lizzie Kate.

Jayne

Exchanges received and sent

I received this in the post yesterday from Nicole in Canada it is a Lizzie Kate pattern from this years Just Cross Stitch Halloween issue it is stitched on 32ct mushroom lugana with DMC threads.

 I sent this out to the States but it has not been received yet, it is Fraidy Frog a Just Nan pattern from last years Just Cross Stitch Halloween issue I edged it with beads which you can not really see due to the dark background.

Earlier this year I went on a beginners workshop for crochet, I have been able to do the basics which were self taught, but I was having problems defining the end of the row, increasing and decreasing, the workshop covered these things I did it at Baa Ram Ewe in Leeds. I saw this pattern for these fingerless mitts so I decided to have ago, While visiting the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate I bought a new brand of wool called Drops which is very cheap and it was pure wool costing £2.00 per ball, I managed to get the pair out of 1 ball, the cuff was a lot  longer but I only did the first 2 rows as I did not want it long.

While I was on Holiday I did a Quilting workshop at the Vikingloom in York with Stuart Hillard of Sewing Bee fame, it was a Christmas Wreath wall hanging, I had a great day he was a very patient teacher I have signed up for a Machine quilting course next march with Stuart so that I may finally get some confidence with free motion quilting.

My Mum and I spent 2 days at the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate we attended several workshops which we enjoyed, I managed not to spend too much money as I have enough stash to last me a life time, did manage to pick up some Christmas gifts and a Birthday present for myself which is from my Hubby! The Tour De France is visiting Harrogate next year they are asking people to knit tiny jumpers as they are going to make bunting to put up, I have volunteered to make some so I picked up a pattern and they have been sponsored by a wool company so I was even given some wool I have Green,yellow and white all colours of the various stage wins.

Jayne

CNN Showcase blog

I have become a member of the CNN Showcase and SAL Blog so that it will inspire me to do Frosty Forrest which I have signed up to to receive as a auto ship from The Patchwork Rabbit here in the UK.

There was a WIP challenge this weekend this is what I did I was fortunate to receive this as an exchange this week but had already decided to stitch it already, so I will give it away in my next exchange.

It is the CNN Snow Birds from this years Just Cross-Stitch Christmas Ornament issue.

Jayne

HOE Exchange received

I have just got in from work and look what the postman has bought me, this came all the way from Australia from Karen Kirk, it is the Snowbirds from CNN from this years Just Cross-stitch ornament issue, she has even stitched it on my favourite colour which is purple.

Jayne

Been a busy bee

I have managed to stitch 3 exchanges and finish them in the last 3 weeks, I have attended I gold thread workshop, a bead workshop and a knitting workshop all in the last 4 weeks. I have received 2 of the 3 exchanges back. I also visited Yarndale held at the Auction Mart in Skipton with my Mother which was fantastic all the wool and associated goodies this was there 1st show I hope they do it again next year.

 This was the 1st exchange that I posted out to Amy in the states which she has received, I made it up in to a needle case it was an ABC exchange.

I received this wonderful Needle Case from Kaytona in the States it was all finished by Hand she didn't cheat like me and use a sewing machine, the pattern from Plum Street Samplers.

 I received this from Erin in the States she stitch it on my favourite colour it is a wonderful silhouette of a witch called "Vintage Witch" which is a freebie from The Little Stitcher.

I Stitched this for Becky which she has received it is called "Waiting" From the Halloween 2012 edition of Just Cross Stitch.

This was the last exchange to be posted this went out on Monday to my exchange partner a Country Cottage Needlework pattern from Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Magazine 2011.

Then I became inspired by the Knitting workshop I attend on Sunday it was at Barr Ewe Ram a knitted jewellery workshop using HABU thread which I wanted to try as it has a stainless steel core it is very fine thread to knit with, good for lace.

I had started a jumper which I had pulled back I picked it up last night I had a shrug pattern for the same wool so I have started it this was approx 4hrs work.

Exchanges

I have just done the Prairire Schooler Exchange on HOE I sent my exchange to Mylene in the Netherlands it is from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Magazines.

I received from a loverly finished Ornament from Edgar which was from booklet 177 January stitched with the recommended DMC threads.

I have also been busy stitching a present for my mother-in-laws birthday in August I did the Just Nan Owls of October which did take me a long time to stitch which she loves and has out on display.

I also did the stitchers choice exchange  exchange and received this from Rosa in Canada it is a lovely snowman embellished with buttons but she has not stated where the pattern has come from.

Next was the Summer Exchange from Lily in Malaysia, it is a fantastic pincushion finished in the shape of a tent, it is from the Brent Creek signature of summer series. I have also included a picture of the back, the shape reminds me of a big tent you would see at the circus.

Jayne N

Scotland

We have been here all week in Carrbridge which is just outside Aviemore, the weather has been overcast all week but mostly dry, we have been coming up here for years, tomorrow we are going to Orkney we went last year as well we had great weather last year but we may not be  as lucky this year.
We went up to watch the dolphins today on the Moray Firth but they were a no show so I spent the time beachcombing for broken pottery, as there was a lot, though I could incorporate it into my beading watch this space.

New Computer

We have a new imac desktop this is my first outing on it,  not easy at all, just used photoshop to do my photos to have to resize my pictures as they came out tiny once I published them so not impressed, everything is wi-fi so have to remember to switch the keyboard and mouse off.

Enough about that here is an exchange I have received from Amy it is a Shepherds Bush pincushion which is embellished with buttons with a loverly ribbon edging.

I also did the Lizzie Kate exchange and I sent Marie this Christmas Ornament.

I have also been working on the LHN Vanilla and Chocolate chart, this has been finished as a thread  wallet on the LHN site you could buy a pre-made thread wallet but was rather expensive as it is from the states so I have decided to make my own watch this space.

Jayne

Latest exchanges

 This is the Shepherd's Bush HOE Ornament that I received it has been embellished with charms.

 Here is the exchange that I sent out it was out of the Just Cross-stitch Christmas Ornament magazine.

This is the latest exchange that I have sent out it is a Prairie Schooler pattern the theme

 was spring and we could make it how we wanted this is a scissor/thread keeper I even made some thread tags not received my exchange yet.

Jayne

1st squares knitted

As soon as I received the wool I couldn't wait to start the 1st square also included beads so I threaded them onto the wool first,

then I started knitting, the first square was also a cable pattern, I love doing cables have always liked knitting Aran patterns I was on nights over the weekend so I took my knitting to do in my break,

I have decided to record how long each square takes to knit so that I can see how many hours the whole blanket has taken to knit, I find knitting very relaxing.

The above square was the alternative pattern, so far I have spent 6.30hrs knitting.

Jayne

1st pattern arrived

I received the first e-mail today from Debbie Abraham for the first 3 squares of the mystery blanket, the wool has been posted to us today do not know how long that will take to arrive itching to start,

Debbie has given you choices of squares some of them are fair isle, this is not one of my favourites but she gives you a different option thank goodness, two of the blocks have beads in, never stitched with bead done taster workshops at the stitching shows so watch this space should be OK,  just need to tell myself I have been able to knit for 40 years and I can do it.

UPDATE
This arrived 2 days later the 1st package of wool I love the colours.

Jayne

Hello 2013

It is already the 9th of Jan I hope to be more motivated with my stitching this year, last year I did a course at work which involved a lot of studying so I didn't get much stitching done, my shifts have got in the way so far worked too many evenings, I have signed up to knit a mystery blanket with Debbie Abraham the first delivery of wool should arrive next week I have bought myself some new knitting needles to do it, I have also signed up for a beginners crochet workshop in  Leeds which I found advertised in one of my magazines so I am looking forward to as this is the beginning of Feb.

Jayne