Knyttwytch's Crafts and Stuff

Stitching happened briefly!

I managed to stitch for two days before exhaustion kicked in again - the above was the end of the first day and below the end of the second.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks the Doc will be able to help me with the brain fog, shattered ness etc and I can get back on with this! At the moment though finishing my adjusted 2017 list is not looking hopeful.

1. Read 217 books (204/217)
2. Do 13 new recipes (13/13)
3. Go to Clinique for a make up lesson
4. Medieval Dog colour 1
5. Medieval Dog colour 2
6. Medieval Dog colour3
7. Medieval Dog colour 4
8. Medieval Dog colour 5
9. Medieval Dog colour 6
10. Start Medieval Hare
11. Knit long, comfy sweater
12. Finish gold on Winnie the Pooh
13. Finish red on Winnie the Pooh
14. Finish brown on Winnie the Pooh
15. Finish lavender on Winnie the Pooh
16. Finish pale pink on Winnie the Pooh
17. Finish yellow on Winnie the Pooh

Mind you I have over half done and another near completion - it is just the stitching really that is letting me down *sigh*

Yay another finish!

It has taken a while but I have FINALLY got the Medieval Dog needlepoint done and dusted.

as well as that I have started the companion piece (Medieval Hare)

this has now been put to one side though so that I can get on with (and hopefully finish!) the Winnie the Pooh year cross stitch, I have a LOT to do on that so I really do need to crack on with it!

My plans for the year now look like this

1. Read 217 books (113/217)
2. Do 13 new recipes (13/13)
3. Go to Clinique for a make up lesson
4. Medieval Dog colour 1
5. Medieval Dog colour 2
6. Medieval Dog colour3
7. Medieval Dog colour 4
8. Medieval Dog colour 5
9. Medieval Dog colour 6
10. Start Medieval Hare
11. Knit long, comfy sweater
12. Finish Jan and Feb on Winnie the Pooh
13. Finish Mar and Apr on Winnie the Pooh
14. Finish May and Jun on Winnie the Pooh
15. Finish Jul and Aug on Winnie the Pooh
16. Finish Sep and Oct on Winnie the Pooh
17. Finish Nov and Dec on Winnie the Pooh

So reading and cross stitch it is then lol, the cross stitch is a lot trickier with the finer needle and finer fabric - but I will persevere and get there! Knitting might take a back seat (apart from meeting Yarnscape in the pub) until the cooler weather - see how I do!

Woo hoo! finished my sweater :D

All sewn up and ready to wear - it has taken me three months longer than I hoped for but it is finally done and I am rather pleased with the result!

Maybe not the best shot but it gives some idea of what it is like on (and it is very comfortable as well!), I have the Heather Sweater sewn up and just the collar to do so that could be the next one (oh and I have the cotton/linen mix which I want to make into a simple shrug - come to think of it that might be best next as that could be useful during the Summer whereas the Heather sweater is more Autumn/Winter weight).

My next challenge though is to complete the Medieval Dog needlepoint, I am beginning to see light at the end of the proverbial tunnel with that so I really want to crack on and get it done - closely followed by the Winnie the Pooh cross stitch (which is best worked on in the Summer months when the lighting is better and my hand works reasonably well!)

So 2.5 months to get the shrug done, the needlepoint done (and the Hare started!) and lots done on the cross stitch - wish me luck!

March already!

Hmm and I still haven't finished the comfy sweater! But after a couple of weeks of serious stress I knuckled back down to it yesterday and today and I am cracking on again.

This shows how long it will be as that is the completed side then

This is it as I started off again and finally

Close of play today - I reckon tomorrow I should be able to get up to the cast on for the sleeves/start of the pattern and if I work on it then I SHOULD have it ready to sew up early next week! 

After that is sewn up I want to concentrate on the needlepoint at home (until the better weather when my hand will be able to use the smaller needle for the cross stitch ... I hope!), although I will take the heather sweater to the pub and get the shawl collar done on that - and then I want to work on more of the knitted sampler squares.

So crafting plans are sorted out more or less, I need to try and get more stuff sorted in the house and some coats etc sorted out and out of the house! I need Dr Wytch's help with that though.

No I am NOT planning on drinking the 2nd from a pint glass! I am on a bit of a Malbec kick at the moment, fruity, rich and drinkable - works for me!

Finally Toby and Hamish because they are cute and I can!

Quick Crafty Update

2017 I have decided is the year of finishes! I can only start a project if I have finished another one off, I have two knitting projects on the go - the heather sweater and the comfy sweater - this is how the latter looks at the moment

and that is only side one - so a fair way to go on that! The other two things are the Medieval Dog needlepoint and the Winnie the Pooh Cross stitch, the former I have about half a dozen colours to finish on it - one of which I completed yesterday this was before I started

I needed to finish the orange which you can see in the medallions at the bottom (two filled in a few to go) and this was at the end of the day

All that orange is now done so I need to get the rest of the colours done and then the rather large expanse of white!

Today I plan to knit, tomorrow I will work on the cross stitch (if my hand plays ball, it is a smaller needle and a lot harder for me to cope with, if I can't then I may work on the needlepoint again)

1. Read 217 books (4/217)
2. Do 13 new recipes
3. Go to Clinique for a make up lesson
4. Medieval Dog colour 1 - done
5. Medieval Dog colour 2
6. Medieval Dog colour3
7. Medieval Dog colour 4
8. Medieval Dog colour 5
9. Medieval Dog colour 6
10. Start Medieval Hare
11. Knit long, comfy sweater
12. Finish Jan and Feb on Winnie the Pooh
13. Finish Mar and Apr on Winnie the Pooh
14. Finish May and Jun on Winnie the Pooh
15. Finish Jul and Aug on Winnie the Pooh
16. Finish Sep and Oct on Winnie the Pooh
17. Finish Nov and Dec on Winnie the Pooh

Crewelwork and a 6 month update

Firstly the 6 months in (well as near as makes no odds!) update for my challenges for the year

1. Read 216 books (198/216)
2. Read the Inspector Morse books (13/13) - DONE
3. Finish stitching Medieval Dog
4. Start stitching Medieval Rabbit
5. Finish Winnie the Pooh year (0/12)
6. Start stitching Map of Cambridgeshire
7. Finish small Crewelwork piece - DONE
8. Get knitting done to over half way - DONE
9. Knit 13 sampler squares (2/13)
10. Knit a cowl - DONE
11. Go to a Clinique counter and get my skin assessed!
12. Wear make up 26 times (20/26)
13. One day get to 2,000 steps (this one will be tricky) - DONE!!
14. Do 13 new recipes (13/13) - DONE
15. Have a facial and back massage - DONE
16. Blog weekly (or more often if possible) (52/52) - DONE

So half way through my challenges and very nearly at the stage of more being finished (namely books and make up), hopefully this Saturday I will be able to get into town and the Clinique counter - so that would be another one done as well :D

One of the things finished off over the weekend was the Crewelwork - this was how I had left it when I stopped working on it a while back

Then by the end of Saturday (well part way through Saturday at any rate!)

and then by mid afternoon Sunday it was all done

Possibly not the best job in the world but I am happy with it.

Speaking of being happy - my wonderful husband makes home made pizza

Which goes very well with red wine

Earlier in the week I had some white wine 

Okay plans now are to really crack on with the cross stitch whilst the light is still reasonable (although I may spend the rest of this week knitting again to give my hands a rest from the close work, and speaking of knitting I will take the sampler book and yarn with me on holiday and will get the other 11 sampler squares done!) - it would be nice by the end of next week to have the first really big colour done on the cross stitch - and even better to have the first month DONE!

More knitting

After a good friend sorted out my knitting I have been back working on it a bit this week (I also want to work on the crewelwork). so this is the sweater so far

Not the most exciting of pictures I grant you! but another few inches knitted and I will be able to start shaping the next and working down the front - which would also mean that I have met the goal for this project for this year as well :D

So depending on the weather (and basically how much light there is!) I will either continue with this or get back on with the afore mentioned Crewelwork (which is the next stitching project close to completion).

I may take the sampler squares away with me later this year, as I am close to finishing my reading challenge!

1. Read 216 books (189/216)
2. Read the Inspector Morse books (13/13) - DONE
3. Finish stitching Medieval Dog
4. Start stitching Medieval Rabbit
5. Finish Winnie the Pooh year (0/12)
6. Start stitching Map of Cambridgeshire
7. Finish small Crewelwork piece
8. Get knitting done to over half way
9. Knit 13 sampler squares (2/13)
10. Knit a cowl - DONE
11. Go to a Clinique counter and get my skin assessed!
12. Wear make up 26 times (18/26)
13. One day get to 2,000 steps (this one will be tricky) - DONE!!
14. Do 13 new recipes (13/13) - DONE
15. Have a facial and back massage
16. Blog weekly (or more often if possible) (26/52)

So four out of 16 are completed (hmm and nearly 50% of the way through the year and 25% done - eeep!), three are near completion (this knitting, Crewelwork and the reading challenges) and one other is due to be finished by the end of June - which means I would be back on track BUT the stitching projects left are biggies!

 

A Crafty Finish

This is one of the items I wanted to get done on my 2016 list so I am happy that I have it done! I knitted a Cowl using a pattern from Ravelry and yarn from Yarnscape (it was actually sock yarn but worked well for this!)

and this is me wearing it shudder hate photos of myself

Try not to look at all the rolls of blubber please!

Any how now I need to decide which project I want to finish next, I have a toss up between the Medieval Dog. the Crewelwork and the Cross Stitch of Winnie the Pooh (suggestions welcome!)

Just general stuff!

Okay the first of another month, so how am I doing on my list for the year?

1. Read 216 books (175/216) - well ahead of the game here
2. Read the Inspector Morse books (13/13) - DONE
3. Finish stitching Medieval Dog - hmm need to crack on with this so that I can ...
4. Start stitching Medieval Rabbit - see above!
5. Finish Winnie the Pooh year (0/12) - err right, yes well ..... *cough*
6. Start stitching Map of Cambridgeshire - dependent on the above being done!
7. Finish small Crewelwork piece - hope to have this done by the end of July
8. Get knitting done to over half way - HELP!!!
9. Knit 13 sampler squares (2/13) - might take these away and get them done in the mornings after a swim
10. Knit a cowl - third times the charm - about a third of the way through again
11. Go to a Clinique counter and get my skin assessed! - hope to get this done either in June or very early July
12. Wear make up 26 times (15/26) - sort of on track
13. One day get to 2,000 steps (this one will be tricky) - DONE!!
14. Do 13 new recipes (12/13) - yay! nearly there!
15. Have a facial and back massage - booked for this month
16. Blog weekly (or more often if possible) (20/52) - on track with this

So the crafting has slipped a bit (LOT) so that needs to be my focus I think

Me wearing a new top, in a larger size than I would like but I think it looks okay (close up follows!)

oh and this is how the knitting is third time around

Getting there and this week I seem to have the "oomph" to actually crack on and get it done!

Finally as I was taken very promptly off the tablets that meant I shouldn't drink alcohol I can post another couple of bottles of wine that we tried :D

Both very pleasant and well worth getting again (particularly the Madiran), right time to have some lunch and then more knitting will be calling my name!

Oh and a gratuitous dog shot (Cairn Terriers RULE)

Cowl progress report

Okay been plodding away at this (I still love the colours and the yarn mind you!) and I reckon I am about a third to a half way through (looking at how much yarn is left in the ball), the needle where it joins the plastic cord has kinked which makes a less than smooth run of the stitches! Which is to say the least annoying - but I will keep going and I will get this finished as soon as possible.

A very pleasant bottle of wine, slightly more expensive than we have been getting £14 rather than £10) but it was well worth paying the extra.

This one came with a meal deal and you could instantly tell the difference, it was no where near as smooth and indeed was quite tannic to start with (the old adage you get what you pay for!)

So plans for this week - try and get as much of the cowl done as possible! Ideally I would like to have this done by the end of May (along with the last Inspector Morse book read) - oh and the current state of play for my 2016 plans?

1. Read 216 books (165/216)
2. Read the Inspector Morse books (12/13)
3. Finish stitching Medieval Dog
4. Start stitching Medieval Rabbit
5. Finish Winnie the Pooh year (0/12)
6. Start stitching Map of Cambridgeshire
7. Finish small Crewelwork piece
8. Get knitting done to over half way
9. Knit 13 sampler squares (2/13)
10. Knit a cowl
11. Go to a Clinique counter and get my skin assessed!
12. Wear make up 26 times (8/26)
13. One day get to 2,000 steps (this one will be tricky) - DONE!!
14. Do 13 new recipes (9/13)
15. Have a facial and back massage
16. Blog weekly (or more often if possible) (18/52)

So finishing the cowl, the Crewelwork and the afore mentioned book are the immediate plans - this would then have me feeling better about how the list stands!