Postcard from Wanda Witch Wabbit

I received a lovely postcard today from Wanda, she's on her hols with Karan. It says ... Dear Julie, having a nice time with Karan, she's taken some pics of us on our outings. We visited some stone circle places but i think she blames me for the rain as she keeps asking if i've been doing a rain dance. Its not stopping her going out so i will ask her to post this card for me. Lots of love, Wanda x

Those little bunnys do have some adventures don't they LOL

Happy Birthday to me .......

I've had a lovely day and been thoroughly spoilt, just look at these wonderful gifts that i have received from stitching friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart to you all, such a lot of stunning work as i am sure you will all agree. Thank you also to everyone for their birthday wishes, and i will whisper that today i was 46 ...

Thank you Karen, i love your lovely handmade glass bead bracelets, love the 'wiffie' lavendar rabbit that is so cute and how did you know i adore the JN 15 sided biscornu chart and had been considering getting that!!! Furry cuddles to JJ and Gus for the pussy cat manicure set.

Thank you Barb (no blog) your stitching on the jewellery box is superb (all those french knots!) and thank you Seymore bunny who sent his 'knitty mum' the LHN chart LOL The card of my fluffy boys is a stunner with the paper flowers, you are so talented in your craftwork.

Karan, you have really spoiled me with this super package, i hope you are having fun on your hols. The lapis will be 'wetted' and put into my pocket, i will keep you informed on its/my progress. The charts are super as is your stitching on the little thread keeper. I am also the owner of a Karan creation card.

Rachael surprised me with my very 1st mail-art envelope, how cool that the post office frank the stamp on the front! Inside she included a gorgeous hardanger bookmark, isnt it just stunning. The birthday card arrived in a seperate envelope. Thanks so much Rachael for your kindness.

This cutie Kitty in the party hat together with the lovely pillow arrived from Sally, thank you so much Sally its such a pretty design and one i haven't seen before

Kathy (no blog) made me a cutie kitty bookmark and enclosed some finishing ribbons etc and some lovely backing fabrics together with a super card she had stitched for me.

This fabulous little pocketed pillow swam across the pond from Julianne, it is so perfect for me, well done postie it actually arrived today! Your stitching and finishing is stunning Julianne, thank you so much for the card and lovely threads that were tucked in the back too.

From Fi (no blog), Paula and Angi (no blog)

Thank you again for your kindness ladies, this has been a very emotional birthday for me with you all spoiling me. Much love to you all.

Socks & ornies

Woohoo ... my socks are finished and they fit!!! Not quite as neat as i would have liked but not bad for a first attempt, i will definately be making some more of these. They look really cool on my feet and are so soft. The knitter at the stitchy club was real impressed that i managed to sort out the mistake on the pattern myself. DD has asked me to knit her a pair so looks like another trip to the wool shop very soon.

I wanted to stitch something a little different for Clares Miss-Tree for the church display. Stephie kindly lent me this book with the Little Miss characters in. It was really nice to stitch something so bright and colourful.

Guard cat on duty!

Just had to share Midges latest portrait ... he's trying to impersonate a lion! He was sitting lovely and just as i snapped the button he yawned, a once in a lifetime pic!

Sock sorted - i think!

Had an afternoon sitting in the comfy chair and sorting out the sock and stitching, it was really nice and enjoyable singing along to the radio, certainly didnt want to be going out in the rain we've had today.

Does this look more like a sock now?? Had a lightbulb moment last night and realised the pattern is wrong. Knitters out there might think the same when they look at 2nd Row (clickable pic) after the bracket there is a s1 which i dont think should be there. I omitted it and the heel seems to have knitted up ok, not perfect but ok for a first attempt i think.

As well as making progress on 'le sock' i also did Part 1 of the hardanger SAL bookmark that Clare designed. Mine is the beginners one and is available together with 2 more advanced ones here all proceeds go to the MS society and St Cadfans Church for everything sold.

We have to show the back of this so i've been really careful to make sure it looks perfect. This pic is the front, the back is exactly the same *honest* The others that have been started look wonderful, a nice range of colours. Mine is DMC 3743 Perle 5 and came in the kit.

How do you all feel about other stitchers seeing the back of your work? Do you turn other peoples work and peek if they show you something? i know i do, i cant resist!



Only Julie (sew wilde) asked for the Dolly Mama chart so it is off in the post tomorrow to its new home

Is it Monday!

Not much stitching/knitting etc to blog about, sorry. I did get the Dolly Mama made up this weekend into a fridge magnet, although it looks a bit wonky to me now its done! Lots still on the 'to do' list this month, but being realistic i dont think they will all get done.

All the expectation and excitement of the socks has left me, i've knitted the heel part 5 times and undone it every time, i'm sure i follow the instructions exactly as it says, but you run out of stitches before you have knitted the required amount of decreasing rows!!! We have an experienced knitter at the stitchy club, so i might just have to ask for help when we return on 29th July, there is no club this week as they are having the annual deep clean so we are off to the local pub for a nice meal out.

Trying to keep my mind occupied with something simple and needing no concentration, been a strange week where i cant seem to concentrate on anything. I've spent a lot of time curled up in the chair with a book. Barbara Erskines House of Echoes was a real spooky thriller which grabbed the attention, a really good read. I've now started Lesley Pearse, Trust Me Thanks Barb (no blog) for passing this on.

We are also a bit worried. Davids not been well for a while and we finally persuaded him to visit the Dr last Friday eve, seems they need some speedy tests done today and we get the results Friday unless they send for him earlier.

Hope you all have a lot more enthusiasm for your crafting projects that i do...

Stripes!!

Stitching on Dolly Mamas is finished, just the making up to do over the weekend so i'll share that with you after its completed. Would anyone like the chart now i've finished with it? say so in your comment and i'll get DH to draw a name if there is more than one of you.

Looking forward to some excitment as i took the socks with me to the stitchy club last night. Cast on, begin to knit ... just look at it, how can that random wool be knitting up in stripes? even the cast on row and first row is a stripe!! If i wanted to do this i bet i couldn't, i guess its the size/length of each colour in the wool. It's long enough to start the heel shaping so that should liven things up a bit. Its lovely and soft though.

This cute funny was in my inbox today. Awwwww i can hear you all saying but do you remember the song first time round and can you sing along to it!!

Tonight i'm having an early birthday pressie, a night out with DH and DD. We're off to the theatre, a new one opened in our city last year and we haven't been yet. The performane is Phillip Pullmans, His Dark Materials Pt 1. I've read all 3 books in the trilogy and seen The Golden Compass film so am really keen to see how the professionals in conjuction with the community theatre groups bring this alive on stage.

Hope you are all well and thanks for your visit

Meowwy Christmas

The Christmas ornie for July is yet another one that has been in my 'to do' pile for such a long time. I love this, it reminds me so much of Mr Moe. Of course as you will recognise its a Margaret Sherry design, it comes from 'Country Friends' the free calendar for 2004 from Cross Stitcher magazine. The santa fabric is what i chose to back it with, quite appropriate for the saying i thought.

Part 2 of the Loopylou Christmas Wishes SAL. Not a lot to stitch this month, the pot under the tree, wording and pulled threadwork. 2 things can be crossed off from the sidebar for this month, now to concentrate on Dom Challenged, Amy's brithday is early next month so thats got a deadline. We've also had the instructions for the mail art exchange so i''ll be busy looking for some seaside theme charts this week.

As promised, here is what i bought at the LNS. I've wanted to knit socks for such a long time but didn't fancy using 4 knitting pins to do it or a circular needle. I had been looking on the web and found a chart that uses only 2 needles. Fate must have stepped in when i entered the LNS as i picked up one of the booklet folders and guess what was the first chart in there... yep, it was the one i'd seen on the web and they also had the 4 ply wool to go with it. A little pricey at £5.95 for a 100grm ball but how could i resist. There are 12 different shades of this wool each with a sign of the zodiac for the name, i chose the Leo one as thats my starsign. My knitting bag is shouting loudly but i have promised myself i wont begin them till Amys pressie is all stitched otherwise she might not get it till next birthday!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend whatever your plans

Happy Birthday Karan

Say hello to Wanda Witch Wabbit. Mr Stick and i decided that Karan needed a helping hand to get her stitching mojo back, what better way than a birthday gift that can give a gentle prod with a broomstick. No excuse now Karan for not stitching on UFO night, we have another spy on the loose to report back LOL

We had the most horrendous storm yesterday afternoon, this was the second day it happened, i dont like storms. On Monday i was chatting with Karen and she kept me company here while it passed over as i was home alone, not even a kitty in the house to cuddle up to. Thank you Karen for humouring me in my scarey moments. Yesterday, 2 cats asleep in the conservatory and me sitting reading a book to try and stay calm. Local newspaper today shows a picture of a lightning strike on a church in the city, what a great pic (under the pic of the house click the next button to see the lightning strike on the church)- right place, right time for the photographer.

A visit into town to the bank and i had to walk past the LNS. I was only going in to 'look' but i have bought something that i have wanted to do for a while now, i'll take a pic and tell you about that next time.

Enjoy your Birthday Karan, i hope you are being spoilt by your family and friends

It's Monday (oh so original LOL)

We've had some amazing sunsets while the weather has been so warm, DH took this one the other night.

Did you have a nice weekend? Were your 4th July celebrations fun? A quiet weekend for me, started a xmas ornie for the monthly SAL and finished reading my book, the rest of it passed me by. Davids mini keyring was a success, he loved it, they stopped by over the weekend whilst out celebrating with their friends and his family. A knock on my front door Saturday brought some sad news though, my next door neighbour passed away Saturday morning in the hospice, he was only 54, cancer sure has a lot to answer for!

Topless....

Did you wonder about opening this post LOL

It's Dolly Mamas Domestically Challenged that's sunbathing topless, she doesn't have a stitch on her upper half!! Not a whole lot of stitching going on here this week. It's been way too hot with super high temperatures and the humidity level has been undearable and i've also had a bad MS week too.

Have you seen the Rowntrees Random adverts? There are a couple of different ones and they are so funny. DH thinks that the person who thought up these must either be an MS sufferer or be a close relative to one. This is exactly how my week has been, my family are now awarding points to each other if they guess what i should have said! Good job i have a sense of humour and can see the funny side, whats wrong with calling a spoon a spade?? does the same sort of thing doesn't it LOL

Wishing you all a good weekend and Happy 4th July to my US visitors