It’s a Mitten Knitting Year!

I knit with a great group of ladies every Saturday afternoon at our local library branch.  Each year the Library puts up a mitten donation tree – and this year a number of us are knitting mittens for kids who need them.  Check out the mittens I have finished:

  I hope to donate 12 pairs this year, and if the other knitters add their own mitten dozens, that tree should be full this fall!

        There has been other knitting as well – this is the Lila Shawl designed by Gillie Parsons, knit in Drooling over Yarn’s Merino Fingering.  I love the crescent shape and the gorgeous lace border!

And this little sweetheart with matching hat is the Opal Sock Bunny by Susan Anderson, knit here in Patons Kroy sock yarn in Sweet Stripes.  She will be going to a friend for a new granddaughter later this summer!  At this point, one can only dream of summer.  March has been cold and snowy, with many dreary cloudy days.

Finally,  I have added a lovely damask tablecloth fabric to my Stash for Sale page.  Scroll down and check out all the details

This New Year

started out with lots of stitching!  I caught the ornament bug early this year, and stitched up these three in quick succession:

  Santa 1 from a kit of 9 Santas by Donna Giampa

  Baaa Humbug from The Cricket Collection – stitched over 1

and   Whitetail deer from Crossed Wing Collection’s Feed The Hungry!

I have also put an old piece back on the qsnaps and stitching frame – my Chatelaine’s Waterlily Quilt.  I cannot believe I started this in 2004 and still have not completed it!  My goal is to stitch every day – one stitch, 10, and 100 – doesn’t matter – just do something every day!

  So this is where I am starting from in 2013!  Wish me luck!

I had the pleasure of finishing Lynne Mc’s AQFB this month – loads of hand sewing in this finish – but it is so gorgeous!

     If you hear a big happy shout soon, that will be Lynne when it arrives home in the mail

I have been cleaning house too – just added some lovely gingham 22 ct aida by Charlescraft into the sale page – all the details are there, but here is a sneak peek:

 

Look for a knitting update in a few days!

Everybody inhale……. exhale…..

November and December are always such busy months – between my own stitching and knitting and finishing work, baking, get togethers….. it seems each day has something scheduled.  Yesterday I finished the last of my must do christmas painting, and this morning I wrote cards and mailed out packages.  I also finished the last section of my SAL with Novalee:

I think I will finish it as a quilted wallhanging in the new year!  I am looking forward to doing this SAL again in the fall of 2013!

I finished my own ornaments late last week – just a pitiful few this year as I did not stitch my normal christmas and halloween ornament a month, but enough to go around:

  The wood christmas ornaments for my own kids and a few special others are all done – remind me to take a pic of the collections my own kids have.  Painting one a year adds up!

And of course, the knitting continues as well.  The thrum slippers are a lovely warm pattern and will be for my oldest brother, while the cabled hat is probably the warmest I have made, given that it has a knitted lining.  The socks and shawl will be heading off to some special friends who appreciate knitting!

     

Tomorrow my ornament tree goes up, along with our usual assortment of christmas goodness, and then the baking starts the following week.  I hope everyone else is on track with their self-imposed deadlines!  Just remember to breathe!

Cheryl’s Sit and Stitch Chair

The chart was designed by Country Stitches.  Altho the chair seat is as designed, the finishing did not follow their directions.  I used drapery fabric for the chair construction, rather than covering it in linen, and I used a ruffle rather than fuss with the box pleats.  The chair box hides a delightful spot to store scissors and a pincushion!  It is about 11″ tall – perfect for a midsize fairy to perch on!

November is Finishing Month!

and look at these gorgeous things that Cheryl stitched!

 

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot

like a Christmas SAL!  Many thanks to Carole at  http://novalee02.over-blog.com/ for her lovely creation!  There are only a few more charts to come, and this one will be done.

  I am thinking of finishing it as a quilted wallhanging.   I must decide what to add in between the bows.  I finished this shawl as well -# 28 Lace Shawl from Vogue Knitting, Early Fall 2012 issue.  I am calling it my Indigo Blues Shawl – lol – a much more glamorous name!

We have had just enough time since the last snowfall to put away lawn chairs and garden hoses, and to sew the seeds that like to be in the ground over the winter.  The only thing left undone before today’s snow and cold are the leaves that gather under the carport.  My daughter and I have loved the shapes produced by the swirling wind.  Check out the latest creation:

   Anyone else see an alpaca here?

First Snowfall

while the weather has been doing this:

 

I have been doing this:

and Socks were knit using Ann Budd’s Basic Sock Recipe with Patons Kroy Stripes in Burnished Sienna.

There is also this Braided Toque, from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2012: knit with 1 and a bit skeins of Patons Decor in Winter White.  And then there are these gorgeous stockings that Jana stitched and sent for finishing:

  Seems like a good way to keep warm!