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

HOE stitchers choice

Well this is the end of another year, I have not done much stitching this last year not really been in the mood, I did this exchange just before Xmas and received this from Carol which is beautifully stitched and finished, which I hung up with all the other exchanges I have received this year, it is from Pickle Barrel Designs from this years just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments and I also received a little extra a Shepard's Bush kit.

This is what I stitched and sent out to the states which fortunately arrived before Christmas.

Jayne

Sunday

Started the day with a good breakfast then it was off to explore, we started off with the Rennibister earth house I was presented with this square hole in the ground with a metal ladder, my first thought was I will never fit through that as I have rather large hips!! But I did and found myself in an under ground store which was built 1000BC(Iron Age) then it was off to Stromness to visit the museum and it was interesting walking through the streets looking at the architecture. After lunch we went to Skara Brae and Skaill House they where very interesting.Unstan Cairn was next this was a burial mound which we had to crawl into my first and last. After tea we went to the Standing Stones of Stennes and the Barnhouse Neolithic Village we then went to see the Ring of O'Brodgar which is a circle of standing stones, we arrived back 9 pm so we had been out approx 12 hours sight seeing.

Saturday

We were up early today as we were going to Orkney, we drove up to St Gillies bay to get the Pentlands Ferry across to Orkney,we visited the Italian Chapel on the way to the B&B which is called Bellavista just outside Kirkwell. We had a walk around and a visit to Tourist information for ferry times to visit some of the other Islands, then we found somewhere to eat.

Friday

Another lazy day we went to the Potting Shead for more cake and coffee, then off to see the Ospreys at Loch Garten then we went to Grantown on Spey and had more coffee and cake!!! I have been stitching this week I brought a UFO with me that was from Sue Hawking it is a beach house scissor keep I will stitch it together once I am home as I have no stuffing with me, I have also started something else but it is a gift so cannot say too much at the moment. We have been swimming most evening as there is a swimming pool on site.