Progress on The Birds

Despite a distinct lack of enthusiasm for this project I am making some progress and have now added two more birds and some more of the feeder/planter box. 

I average about one hour a day into this before I can take no more and put down the needle.  As the DBEM has needed a lot of help with her knitting I have been well occupied and between us we are whittling down the number of projects-on-the-go.

I did complete an embroidered towel which is for a birthday gift in a few months.   I was amazed to find this linen banding in my stash as it isn't something I would normally buy.   There is enough left over to make a book mark so this coming week I will look through charts to find something suitable.

All in all it has been a good week which I will finish up by shortening the legs on the DBEM's new trousers before I hit the sack.

A Finish (or two)

Quakers in Japan is finished.   I put the last stitches in while watching a TV documentary of travels through Japan and mentally reliving my happy days there, all the while wondering when flights will resume and I will once again be able to visit.  Then I hear that Air New Zealand plans to start a once a week flight from July so maybe.....?

Anyway, my lovely sampler is finished and I may just wander over to Mr Van Uffelen this week and have him help me select a suitable frame:) The place on the wall is already selected.

Also finished is the small Christmas Ornament.  The black beads for the musical notes were a nightmare - I spilt them all over the carpet not once but twice!! This may be the only ornament this year.   With all that's going on I'm not sure I have the enthusiasm to make the usual quantity and distribute them. 
I'm back to stitching The Birds and want to get that finished.   Then there is a birthday gift which must be completed by the beginning of September.   After that there is only a piece of hardanger half done but which is not needed until March 2022 so I don't need to "bust a foo foo" on that one.

Progress to report

Finally I have a photo of the cardigan knitted for little Sophia and with the cold weather we are having lately it will certainly keep her warm.   The well matched buttons were a stroke of good fortune as under the shop light I thought they'd not match so well.   However I am very happy with this whole garment. 

Next on my knitting agenda is an Aran Cardigan for me, myself and I.   But there are several stitching projects that must be completed before I can start that. Besides which the DBEM has some sewing she wants -  a couple of merino tops.  We will go to the factory to purchase the fabric this week and I hope to sew them next weekend.

And despite having two major sessions of reverse stitching I have completed the third quarter of my Quakers in Japan SAL.   There is still the white to do in the dancing cranes cartouche but I will leave that to last so it doesn't get grimy.   Next is to complete the cherry blossom tree and the lake scene.   And the final pleasures are a Kyoto pagoda and some bonsai trees.   This stitch has been an utter delight from start to .... now.
Hopefully New Zealand will go to Alert Level 1 this week as we have now been 16 days with no new Covid cases and with the move to Level 1 we can begin the "new normal" of life.   I'm looking forward to that:)

Knitting completed and a new start

With half this year almost over I decided I had better make a start on the Christmas Ornaments for the nieces and nephews.   A pleasurable time was spent looking back through my large collection of JCS Christmas Ornament Editions and selecting several.   Size is one of the decision criteria so I had to be careful. 

The small cardigan for Sophia is finished and am really pleased with the way it went together.  I shall deliver the package of two knitteds to her mother later this week - when the rain has stopped?

Now I am back on the Quakers in Japan SAL and also The Birds.   Both of these need some undivided attention in order to make progress but an altercation once more with a carving knife means I have a bandage on my left forefinger which is slowing me down considerably and necessitating the use of rubber gloves to keep it dry.   A side benefit has been that my chapped and cracked fingers are having a chance to heal.  Yeah!