New Project

Great progress so far on my new project.   The Gloriana Silks are so smooth to stitch with.   I am really enjoying this....although the Inspirations Magazine charts are not that easy to deal with.
Progress shot.

A profitable day

This morning the DBEM and I went to the Hospice Shop to deliver the knitteds.   Before we went I calculated that it is 15 years since she began this project so it felt worthy of a photograph.   The manager of the shop was delighted with the garments and quickly grabbed her phone for a photo too. Who knows if the DBEM will have enough oomph for knitting in the year ahead?

This afternoon I ventured into the stash cupboard and sorted out charts and threads and bits and bobs. Fabrics are already in their place - large boxes labelled >32 count, 32 count, 28 count and miscellaneous.   Works for me :).  Anyways the cupboard is now ultra tidy and I found several charts that I will attempt to sell on TradeMe (New Zealand equivalent of  Ebay) and more significantly I found a project.   So when the elf has his other boot and bells and is finished I will start on this....

And would you like to see the tidy cupboard?   How long it will stay so neat is anyone's guess.

Off to another item on the extended list.

Breeding rabbits

My experiment in sewing children's clothing is off to a good start.   Buttons on and now I have topstitched around the edges in Perle #8 thread.   Then with a good press this will be complete.   Its twin is cut out ready to go when I have decided how I am going to make it "the same but different".  Perhaps pockets and a bunny on each?

I have been plodding away on the Christmas ornaments and the elf needs only one more boot and it will be goodbye.  

The delivery truck is finished (some poetic licence with the colours of the snow since I used antique white linen)

and the small Advent Tree is also complete.  

Tomorrow I am going to delve into the stash cupboard and do some sorting out, in which process I hope to find a large project with which to challenge myself. 

A week and two days left of my annual leave and I already have everything crossed of my list so will have to make a list extension!   One job is to take the DBEM for her flu vaccination and also for the annual trip to deliver the knitted sweaters and cardigans to the Hospice Shop.   This year there are only 18 - proof that she hasn't been so well and is slowing down.   At one time there were twice that.   Even though the cardiologist says she is doing well I know she is doing less because I am doing more:)  Evidence for this is that we have now reached an arrangement where not only do I do the sewing up of the knitted garments but I knit the bottom bands, the cuffs, the neck bands and in some cases the backs of the garments.   I want to go on record as vowing that I will not be taking up knitting for the Hospice shops in my retirement!!   Do you think they might sell stitched Christmas Ornaments?   I am relatively expert at those:)

Today's stitching

Having failed to read the instructions correctly I ended up choosing a Christmas Ornament to stitch which is on 32 count linen and over one.   This. Is. Not. Relaxing.   I am determined that when the elf's hat is finished he and I will take a break and I will stitch something else.   And this time it will be over two!!

But I did manage to make a start on the child's vest.   The handwork is done and all that remains is a session at the sewing machine.   So far I am satisfied with this trial run of the Twig and Tale Pathfinder Vest.   The DBEM persuaded me not to use the wool blanket fabric recommended so I am trialling this in polar fleece and inwardly regretting that I was so easily persuaded to veer off course.
The lining is this pink bunny fabric so I had to make a bunny decoration for the front, all the while thinking that the pompom may not be very practical for a three year old?!

It does feel good to be back stitching with small silver needles that have a hole in them :)

And now I can get back to needles with eyes

For the past week or two I have been busy knitting on behalf of the DBEM.   One of the great-randaughters needed a replacement jacket.   Apparently she loved the purple one knitted a few years ago and refused to take it off even for washing.   So Great Grandma to the rescue with a different colourway of the same jacket.   Well to be brutally honest, I did the knitting.   But it all turned out well in the end.   Here's proof....

Knitted in a five five rib variation this will be cosy to wear in the winter.   It has kept my lap warm over these past days as I've knitted!   And I have learned that even though I can knit fast and well I don't enjoy it much and have been itching to get back to my "needles with eyes".   I have no warm relationship with knitting needles.

Tonight I will start a small Christmas Ornament project after which I will go through the stash cupboard to find something bigger as a challenge.   I have the next two weeks off work ('boss-inflicted use of annual leave' again) and plan on crossing everything off the list which currently covers one side of an A5 sheet of paper.  Perhaps this is a little ambitious?