Felting and More Felting

The knitting on big needles continues, and now DS has a new pair of felted clogs to keep his toes warm.  Can you stand to see more pics?   

I used up some of the wool leftovers making him a cozy for his ipod,       and then a small felted bag….. not sure yet who will receive this one.     I inserted a can of beans while the felt was still wet to give it this round shape.  I have plans for a few larger bags and totes in the new year.

Cheryl’s Lovely Garden Chair

is all finished – and here is proof!

      If I had thought of it, I would have opened the little drawer in the seat of the chair.  This clever design is by Cat’s Whiskers, and it is one in the series of furniture Janie has dreamed up!  I much prefer how the feet are attached on this chair, as compared to the Peacock chair, and I think the little parasol is simply too cute!  Great stitching Cheryl!

 These are Cheryl’s Shepherd Bush ornaments too – all finished as flange pillows:

 

and while I was busy finishing, I finally put together a little pumpkin needlebook/scissor fob kit that Cheryl sent a while back.  The kit was from Stitches ‘N Things

 

and then I simply had to  make some little pumpkins to go along with it   .

These are fun and quick to make, and are lovely scissor fobs or ornaments.

So Much for Fall

 we are having winter today – snow and ice and cloudy skies abound.  Seems like just two weeks ago we were having 34 degree C days and sunshine!  All of this gloomy cold weather has helped out with the handiwork, as being outside is not a pleasure at all! 

  This is the last little bit of autumn left in the house – loads of cherry tomatoes of the sunsugar variety – tasty little bits of tomato candy! 

and of course, there is the pumpkin my DD picked out after completing  the Run For the Pumpkins run last weekend:

    It was cold then too!

All this cold weather made DH’s wish for felted slippers a priority – so here they are:

     It always amuses me no end that those big boats felt down to normal feet size in the washer!  I did add a leather sole, so I am hoping these slippers will last the winter.  For those who need details – the yarn is Lion Brand Fisherman Wool, and the pattern is  Felted Clogs by Bev Galeskas

 Next on the needles is a pair for DS, and then a pair for DD as well.  Stay safe and warm everyone!

Treasure Chest Pics to Share

It has been such a long while since I have posted!  We have been busy since early August with some home reno’s, and our main floor is not quite finished yet.  Just some tile in the entry ways and the last bit of baseboard to go.

We have been hauling furniture back out of the other levels of the house tho, and we decided to move the cedar chest down into the living room to serve as a viewing seat for the cats.  Lucky cats!  Kelsey likes the new perch, and Charming likes having the loveseat to himself! 

  

We bought this cedar chest when we lived in Ontario, stripped it down to the original walnut exterior, and then wax finished it.  What do you think – pretty nice for $100! 

 

Most of my little cross stitch ornaments, smalls, and the lovely gifts I have received from other stitchers are stored inside. 

   It has become my cross stitch treasure chest

In Lieu of…

stitching – since there is very little

and knitting – since there is not much more

may I present my front lawn wildflower meadow, and flower beds,  for 2009

                 

Don’t let all that lush looking growth fool you – it was a long cold winter, and a cold dry sping here.  The garden is only just catching up. 

And now, for a little mystery, does anyone want to hazard a guess as to what color this clematis will be?  This is the first year it will bloom, and altho I think I remember the color, I am not totally sure!

 

What a month it has been!

since last I posted.  I had the pleasure of going on an overnight field trip to Drumheller -  a dinosaur lover’s paradise – with my daughter’s grade 4 class.  Check it out here:

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/  We slept under the big t-rex skeleton …. which was guaranteed to keep a few 10 year olds up past bedtime!  Upon our return, we attended my MIL’s funeral.  Even tho her death was expected, it was still a sad occasion.  Polly made us very welcome when we moved here to Lethbridge, and her garden lives on in my garden.  Finally, our old Taurus station wagon has become undriveable – we have another broken motor mount – and so this week was spent researching and purchasing a ‘new to us’ car from a friend and neighbor.  I think we have had enough for a while now!

Let me show you the wonderful things that Gaby sent for my birthday!  I absolutely love the gorgeous biscornu and scissors fob that she made – and she remembered that my favorite color is blue!!  And do you see that lovely Opal sock yarn??  That is destined to become a pair of Viper Pilot socks  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/viper-pilotshanks   – Ravelry store link.

    

Gaby crocheted catnip mice too : 

  and you can see how happy the hooligans were to be remembered!

Thanks so much Gaby for the stitching, and all the gorgeous goodies you sent along.

I finally finished my Ackworth Quaker Friendship Book – many thanks to all the ladies involved in this RR!  The linen is 28 ct Snowdrop by DMC, and the floss is Purple Haze by WDW.

     

And finally, a knitting finish too!  This is a Leaf Lace Shawl – the pattern is in Evelyn Clark’s Knitting Lace Triangles.  I used 4 skeins of Wildfoote Luxury sock yarn, and added beads to the edge to give it a bit of weight.  I love how this one turned out, and am very happy that Cheryl loved it too!  She sent me a bundle of stitching things in a trade, and agreed to have a surpise knitted item in return!

      That teeny ball of yarn is all that is left!

It’s My Birthday

and I feel no urge to cry whatsoever – LOL.  Fifty seems like a great number to me, and I would be delighted to add another few decades to that total!  After having stared at the alternative 5 years ago when I spent my 45 birthday recovering from a lumpectomy, and facing the prospect of months of chemo and more surgery, I have appreciated each birthday as it has rolled around.  Bring ‘em on!!

We spent Easter break at my mom’s house, enjoying the change in scenery and doing things with family.  My mom commented that my hands are never still – I am always doing, doing, doing something.  And you know, she is right.  I am never truly comfortable sitting and doing nothing.  So without further chatter, here are some of the things that I have been working on in the last little bit.

I sent this Halloween sewing set to Lody for her birthday exchange present:
     This is Giulia Punti Antichi’s Halloween sewing set stitched on 25 ct light cognac evenweave.  The cat scissors fob is a Blackbird Design stitched over one, and the spider on the back of the purse is a Tanya Meehan freebie.  I had fun sewing on the black bead balls along the top of the purse and the bottom of the scissors case, and I used one bead ball as a button closure for the needlecase!  Lody’s birthday was actually in January, and who ever heard of sending Halloween for a new years baby??  LOL -  Lody has much better pics here: http://lodyscreations.blogspot.com/

I love how Lavon’s Ackworth Quaker Friendship book turned out:

      The soy luster floss in teal is so vibrant!  I have now totally finished 3 of these books, and find that the pages are always slightly different in size.  This may well be due to the different tension at which we stitch.  Lavon mentioned that she thought that the size variation added to the charm of the piece, and I must say I agree with her!

I also had the chance to put together a tote for one of the Yahoo groups I belong to.  Several ladies stitched hearts – and for each heart they received an entry into a draw for the bag.  Congrats to Lisa – I hope she uses and enjoys her Heart of SNS2 tote for a long time!     As you can see, this tote will handle a BAP on qsnaps easily, and I added pockets inside for charts, highlighters, scissors and needles.

Finally, here is the ornament I stitched for March.  I am on a Crossed Wing Collection kick – this is Red Bird from the 1997 JCS ornament issue, stitched on Ruby Red Belfast linen.     

As my brother said when he called this morning, ‘it’s all good!’

It’s Spring, It’s Spring!

Can you tell I am a wee bit excited??  I spent yesterday working in the front yard, cleaning away all the debris from this very long, cold, snowy winter, and clearing away all the plants that I leave long in the fall.  There are a few crocus blooming, the daffodils are peeking up, and the Liver Leaf is about to burst into beautiful bloom!  We won’t talk about the snowdrift that is left in the back yard, or how soggy everything is back there.

We had a few visitors last month – our local neighborhood gang!

 These are the yearlings – the moms have kicked them out of the herd in preparation for the arrival of this year’s babies.  So this little herd wanders about looking for mischief!  I am happy to report that the snow on the ground is all gone! 

Are you ready for a knitting update?  I finished this lovely piece for my friend Cindy’s birthday gift

   This is the Print O’ The Wave stole pattern written by Eunny Jang – knit in Heritage Hand Dyes wool & silk laceweight blend in Aquamarine.  When Cindy was here last May I showed her this yarn and asked her to pick out a pattern.  Good choice, don’t you think?  Cindy was thrilled with her gift and actually wears it – lol – which is enough to make this knitter happy.

   I finished this Dropped Stitch Scarf as well – this is a 100% soy silk tape yarn called Phoenix – the color is Purplexed, by South West Trading Company.  The pattern is a freebie by Christine Vogel.  I love the finished product, but spent many hours unwinding the yarn so the tape was not twisted.  Many thanks to Jodi for sending the yarn!
  So who knits for the knitters in the world?  I made this stole for my SIL, who knit many beautiful baby doll and barbie outfits for my daughter.  This pattern is aptly named Lacy Shawl – another freebie, this time from Lion Brand Yarn, and the yarn is Paton’s Cotton Rich in peach.  Maureen was surprised and happy to receive her shawl too!

Finally, I finished this pair of Rivendell socks, from Janet Laidman’s ‘The Eclectic Sole: Socks for Adventurous Knitters’.  This was a fun knit – I love the patterning!  A vintage cone of Paton’s Kroy yarn in teal was used. 

It is time to get out and enjoy some of that sunshine.   Happy Spring!

Finishing Update

It was a busy start to the New Year finishing wise!  Lots of lovely pieces came in and were sent winging on their way home.  This first piece waited a bit for some attention, but look at it now:

    This is Cheryl’s Ackworth Quaker Friendship Book from an RR we were involved in during 2007 – 2008.  Cheryl chose the most unusual shade for her fabric – I just love that ruby red, and her book was gorgeous!

This fabulous stocking was stitched by Jana – I love the blues in this one.  She sent along  a blue velvet for the backing, and a lovely red for the lining.  Won’t this be a treasure?

Finally, the last piece was stitched by Lavon during a stitching retreat – the DMC highlights is so striking in this piece:

The stash diet is going well – friends have kept the mail carrier busy with trade packages, so I have not felt any withdrawal pangs!  I did rescue a bit of yarn in February – so have another $4.50 to add to my total.

On the Stash Wagon

There comes a point when the argument that the stash provides insulation for the house is no longer reasonable.  There comes a time when one realizes that there are so many wonderful projects already kitted and ready to go – stitching, knitting, weaving, painting, quilting – that it makes no sense to purchase new projects.  I have had stash beyond my life expectancy for many years now…. and so, it is with a certain amount of relief that I have decided that 2009 is the year to stop the madness!  Well, let’s not get carried away!  Maybe 2009 is the year to be a whole lot more concious of what already exists, and appreciate it.

So I have decided that I will not be making spur of the moment, take advantage of that great sale, retail therapy or the oh why not type, stash purchases this year.  It is the online allure that really kills my conscious control.  So the critical words here are online purchases - my rules say I can trade for goodies that I feel I realllllly need.  I can trade stash, time, finishing work…. you name it.  And if I cannot trade for the 2009 JCS ornament issue, that one I can buy.  Oh… and if I see some lovely rescue yarn that can be used for charity knitting…. then I might indulge.  Just to keep things interesting, I have added a widget to the right with my monthly purchase totals.  I am hoping that it will be under $100 at the end of this year.  Wish me luck!