Knyttwytch's Crafts and Stuff

Getting there slow but sure

A slow nibble away at the tip otherwise known as the living room! But the main thing is that most of the stuff is now in the filing cabinet (one more box to go through)

My knitting bag is currently on top of two of the three going to the charity shop this weekend.

The coffee table is still dire! But I have done some of the shredding (a heck on a lot more to go though sadly, but I have emptied the shredder so I can do more tomorrow)

Dr Wytch bottled the wine so the demi john is now empty at least even if it is still on there.

I know it is sort of the same thing but this one has Toby (and a bit of Hamish) in it :)

Then the sofa (ah yes the sofa!) again this hasn't really changed much (oops)

The Ham known as Hamish got in this shot as well!

Finally my desk

A little bit has gone but again not much (I did say it was a nibble at the tidying!)

Not so much clearing but to show how small our house is for some US and Australia based friends!

I was stood with my back to the front door!

 

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!

Wine and Comfy Sweater

Okay over the past few weeks we have sampled some more red wines and for a while that was it! No knitting, no nothing (although I did manage to get some reading done last week which means I am ahead of the curve for my Goodreads 2017 challenge of reading 217 books), today though I managed to get some more done on the second side of the Comfy Sweater and I am now about one third up that.

I am hoping I can keep my stress at bay for long enough to get up to the sleeve cast on by the end of this week AND if I am really lucky (and can nab young Yarnscape!) I can get it sewn up and worn by the end of the month (wish me luck on that one - not only am I stressed but my hand isn't playing ball that well and I can only do a small amount at a time *sigh*).

So the wines

Very nice and smooth - I would happily have this one again.

This was okay as a fairly generic wine goes, not bad but not really great either - just ... pleasant.

This was a fun one but not my favourite out of the selection - that honour goes to

This one is a keeper! and I would very happily have more of it!

So plans for the rest of the week - meditate and knit!

Clearing and Knitting

Okay been looking around then things have been falling apart again

So first off I had a go at the sofa

Now it may not look fantastic but things are at least straightened up, my desk is a very gradual process but I am nibbling away at that.

Most of my time has been taken up with knitting

This was when I finally got the rib sorted!

Before lunch on Sunday and then

End of the day (I then managed to have a yarn over when I was working on it on Monday! but that can be sorted, I may just cast on the front and start working on that for a while until I feel up to sorting that out!)

This the the Sweet Orange Wine, about another week, 10 days and this can be racked off into another demijohn for a couple of months before bottling and speaking of wine

this is what Dr Wytch and I shared on Saturday night.

Just a quick update

Firstly no wine since last Saturday and I haven't missed it! I think it had become more of a habit rather than an enjoyment, but I do plan on having some tomorrow which I will enjoy I am sure! Speaking of wine we had an organic fruit box as well as an organic veg box for a while (we canceled the fruit bit and kept the veg box!) we started getting a glut of fruit and so we set off some Sweet Orange Wine a couple of weeks ago! Next time I have the camera out I will take a photo of it as it is at the moment (currently still in the demijohn)

My knitting is on hold as I mucked up the Heather sweater and seem to keep mucking up the comfy Caribbean sweater (picture of what it should end up like below!)

Finally a shot of Dr Wytch and the Cairn Terriers 

and a snoozing Toby

Just a quick round up of recent wines and where the sweater is at!

First off the sweater - this was how it looked when I picked up all the stitches for the collar/front

and this is after a few HOURS knitting on the rib

the length of the collar is about 60" and is 232 stitches, so it takes me a while *sigh*, however the end is sight so this is the yarn I plan to use for my next sweater

I plan on doing a sleeved, throw on tunic style sweater, front and back are the same so nice and straightforward I hope!

Now for the wines - I haven't posted for a while so there are a fair few!

I had slipped into the habit of having a glass pretty much every night - that has now stopped so hopefully there will be fewer wine pictures from now on in and more crafting and the dogs!

Dogs, weather and an update

1st off the dogs, once a quarter they go to a local groomer to get handstripped (ooer Missus!), they look very smart when done but at this time of the year I am sure they are glaring at us!

Both dogs pre groomer (and staring at a hand with treats in!) then Toby on his own before

and after

Very sleek! and then Hamish before

and after

Almost Strawberry Blond heh, heh. heh!

Then the obligatory wine shots! One from the Co-operative near to hubby's work

and one from an Independent Wine and Spirits shop

Hopefully on the next update I will have a knitting picture - I am getting on well with it thanks to Yarnscape - but I haven't taken any photos - next week or even before would be good!

A common theme namely wine and yarn!

More to the point I've not blogged for a while *cough*, so have some wine photos of new wines tried and also an update on the sweater!

First off the wines, all reds as that is my preference (hmm even if I do seem to be getting a few more migraines recently - might need to think on about that!)

Rather a nice one and unusual being from Verona

Not bad as a generic, can buy it almost anywhere wine goes

Hmm Tesco Finest it might be but I prefer the selection we get from Waitrose

which this one is and it went down very nicely thank you! (and I ended up with rather a late night as I was enjoying it and savouring it! oops)

Finally a few shots showing how the sweater is coming on - firstly this is how much I need to do to finish the main body

All things being equal I should be able to finish this off this week and then I will need help (probably from Yarnscape) to get the next stage started off.

Maybe not the best shot but this shows the whole sweater as it stands at the moment, I know there are errors but I am really pleased with how it is turning out as it is my first large project, roll on finishing it!

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!

Happy days!

Quite a few things to be cheerful about, more wine (always nice) and knitting - really happy about how the knitting is going!

Firstly the wine - two more bottles - the first of which is an old favourite, in fact this is the style of wine I nearly always ordered when I used to regularly eat in restaurants/hotels.

Secondly one got from our village shop. which sadly didn't compare so well with the one above but thinking about it, it was actually quite pleasant!

Next the sweater, thanks to the help (practical as well as general!) from Yarnscape I was (as stated before) able to get back on with knitting this, my challenge for the year (on my what to do in 2016 list) was to get to over half way and this I have now done, with this pattern you work up the back then split out from the neck line and work the two fronts individually, having treated myself to some Knit Pick needles holding the 80 stitches needed for the right front was a doddle and I am now working my way down the left front.

and a clearer view of the bind off for the neck (these pictures are taken from the wrong side)

So I feel happier putting this to one side for a while and getting on with other craft stuff on the afore mentioned 2016 list - next up the Crewelwork!

Oh and another thing will be ticked off that today as well - I am having a back massage and facial - lovely!