A new year, a new start ...

I really couldn't help myself. This chart has been "yelling" at me so what could I do, but start it. I was going to wait until mid January, but at the end of November out it came.

So here it is, this is my first page completed on "Eldar" by Randal Spangler. I am making this as a special request from my daughter for the baby's room. (I think it will look really great in there).

I began on the 20 November 2010 and completed the page on 2 January 2011, it is stitched on 28ct Cream Lugana and is stitched in full cross stitch with 1 thread over 1.

I didn't work on it every day because some days were much better than others healthwise. I really wanted to get page 1 completed before I moved on to this years SAL project.

I also received and began the 2011 SAL from the HAED BB. It is a year long project and I was so overwhelmed with the choices that were offered, but I think I chose well. I picked another Randal Spangler chart "QS Curl up with a good book". I will post a picture next update because I haven't done very much on it, so I would rather wait. You will all have to wait in suspenders (oops, I meant suspense).

Until next time, happy stitching

Famous last words ...

I got caught up in the fun and decided that I just "had to" set some project goals for the year. I have tried to be realistic about what I want to achieve, so here goes ....

• 2011 SAL - QS Curl up with a good book (pages 1, 2 & 3)
• Eldar - (pages 1, 2, 7 & 8)
• 2010 SAL - SK Masquerade (pages 2 & 3)
• QS Dragon Luck (pages 1, 2 & 3)

All things going well I may be able to add to this list before the year ends.

Until next time, happy stitching

Wow! Another year gone ...

I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by. But I am sooooooo glad it's over. I think as far as I'm concerned the lows were definitely more prominent than the highs. From my Dad almost dying back in January to both my husband and I losing our incomes within six months of one another. But the highlights were our daughter turning 21, getting engaged and then finding out six months later that she was pregnant. We did have some bright spots on the horizon. But I know that someone else has probably had a more difficult year than us. We are all thankful that tomorrow we can all still spend Christmas together and as a rapidly growing family (22 members as of the new arrival in November, my parents, my brother, sister and our families), these times are much appreciated. So to all my readers out there in blogland, from my family to you and yours we wish you all a Merry Christmas filled with love from all those that you cherish and hold most dear.

Until next time, happy stitching

No more goal setting ....

So it seems I'm not very good at completing goals. So reality check, if I have to set them they are going to be small otherwise I don't think I should touch them with a ten foot pole. We are just not meant to be.

I've been so caught up in my knitting that my stitching has suffered and ultimately I have too. I am so glad that I have completed the baby shawl I was making for my nephew's new daughter. Now I can move on and do my own stuff, which includes stitching and lots of it. This was going to be just a short note, next week I plan to have a few pictures of my progress on Masquerade SK and I've been considering a new start for 2011.

Until next time, happy stitching

Stitching along ....

I finished page 1 of MSK. YAY!!!! That is another item checked off my half year challenge. I have come to the realisation that I am probably not going to be able to complete my half year challenge but if I do some of the things on the list that will be ok.

I wasn't too good with my goals for October (I made an executive decision not to do my hand quilting goal), but I will persist and set a goal for November, even though we are almost half way through the month.

• Finish page 1 of QS Dragon Luck

I think that will be enough for this month. I probably should have started out small in the first place and then made the list longer as I made progress. See, that is the thing with being in charge you can may changes when you feel like it.

I haven't quite finished the baby shawl for my nephew's new baby. She arrived before I could finish it, but that's ok. I have about half a ball of wool left and it will be complete.

My daughter is now into her 5th month of her pregnancy and everybody keeps asking if she is sure that she is going to have a baby, I keep saying, "SHE IS" I was at her last two ultra-sound scans. The excitement is growing, we have all begun buying things, my husbands parents are really excited because it will be the first great-grandchild, and my wonderful mother-in-law is so over the moon, she couldn't wait to tell her older sister, who has just become a great grandmother at 90, my MIL is only 69. How funny I'm saying "only 69" like she isn't ageing at all.

Anyway, I can't be sitting here all day, I need to get a wriggle on. I want to get page 1 of QS Dragon Luck completed before the end of the month.
Until next time, happy stitching

Whats happening ....

I brought my Masquerade SK out to make some sort of progress on it and I have managed some. Every little bit helps. I will probably carry on working on this so that I complete page 1, this will help with my half year challenge. I need to get a move on with that, I haven't looked at PBF for a while now. That will have to move up in priority.

I have also been madly making lists because it will be my birthday shortly and I would prefer that my family brought me "stitchy" things, so I have all these little lists stuck on the fridge, so when DH or one of the kids asks, I can just refer them there. Sounds logical, will let you know if it actually works though.

I am one third of the way through the baby shawl I am knitting for my nephew's partner. She had her baby shower last weekend, and when she saw the rabbit I made she was so happy because nobody had given her a toy, but mine was that much better because it was made with love. I had also given her a knitted jacket with a hood for baby and a baby book (sorry, forgot to take pictures). So, hopefully I get the shawl finished for baby's arrival at the beginning of November.

In other news, I am going to be a Nana!!!! YAY!! My daughter is four months along and yesterday we had a visit to the Midwife and heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. This is going to be such fun preparing for this new little addition to our family. My daughter doesn't realise it but Dragon Luck is for her little one and when we were discussing Train of Dreams and Eldar last week that was also going to be for the little one. Oh Wow!!! So many things I want to do, but only so much time in which to do it.


Until next time, happy stitching

October Goals ....

It's time to get some order in my life, or I'm just going to be overwhelmed by all my WIP's

• Complete page 1 of Masquerade SK (this is one of my half year challenges) done
• Put 1000 stitches into page 8 of Polar Bear Fun
• Quilt two blocks on Heart Quilt Made an executive decision not to do this
• Prepare block 5 of Baltimore Reminiscence Quilt done
• BONUS - kit up "Train of Dreams" or "Eldar" Eldar is kitted up ready to go

Until next time, happy stitching

Still no joy ....

Well, I haven't had any joy in the allergy department, but the medications that I have been taking are helping a lot and my cough is sooooo much better. Yipee!!! Thank you so much for all your kind thoughts for my recovery they have been much appreciated.


Now on to fun things, I have completed some more on Dragon Luck. I am full steam ahead on this and I am thinking that I really would like to finish this by Christmas of this year (thought that it might be a good idea to say a year, that way it has a finish date. Hehe). He is going to be a present for a special little someone.

When I reach the half way point with this project, I am going to treat myself and add another HAED into my rotation, (I think you can only call it a rotation, if you actually "rotate" your projects - oh well), my daughter and I have been considering two projects - either "Train of Dreams" or "Eldar" by Randal Spangler, I so looove his dragons. Any input you can offer would be appreciated, I do realise that I will probably have to do both charts eventually.


I have to invest in another set of Q'Snaps because I can't bring myself to remove the set that I already have on Dragon Luck, so that I am able to work on my Masquerade Storykeep, I still have my half year goals to achieve and I am feeling the pressure. I was hoping to give my storykeep as a gift to my Mum for Christmas, now I'm convinced that a visit to my favourite ONS is required.

Until next time, happy stitching

Itching to do some stitching ....

 

This has been a horrible week. I have wanted so badly to play with my little dragon, but I have had this horrible cough, that just seems to start and not want to stop, and then it just makes my chest hurt. Really uncomfortable, not great when trying to put your needle into little holes, most of the time I end up sticking it in myself and to top that all off I have an allergy that I didn't even know about.


I am madly trying to find the cause so that I can eliminate it from my diet.


So not as much stitching, but I do have progress and he is coming along nicely. (This is how he looks after working on him for 14 stitching days.)

Until next time, happy stitching

License to create ...

I don't need another WIP but when the opportunity presents itself, you grab it with both hands. The most recent SAL theme on the HAED BB was "A New Start Stitch a Long", but not just any old one, it had to be one that had been there for a year and you never really got around to it, for one reason and another. But because I only found out about Heaven and Earth back in about May of this year, I think, I was allowed a bit of leeway so that gave me the reason to start another project, (as if I needed an excuse. Haha).

 

So here is QS Dragon Luck (you can see in my sidebar what he will look like when he is finished). I was meaning to begin this project as part of my half year challenge anyway, and I am so fond of this little guy I haven't been able to resist working on him at any chance I get. I started this on 27 August, I forgot to take a photo after the first week, so this picture is after 2 weeks. I read a book during that time so I didn't do as much as I could have. But  what does that matter, I'm back playing with him again this week.


My son turned 18 over the weekend and this is part of my dessert. It was sooooo YUM!!!!

Until next time, happy stitching