Basket Band #2

 Progress on the Basket Band is slow with a great deal of reverse stitching but I'm liking how it looks.

This is designed for a rectangular basket and as mine is round the panels will not be so obvious in many ways.   However I am following the instructions with only one or two changes.   The first being that the Florentine (Bargello) cartouche should have been up higher and the stitcher's initials go below.   I am leaving out my initials at this point and will instead highlight them in the alphabet which comes in a different place on the band.

The pulled work panel was a real tribulation but it eventually turned out well and the little leaf stitch flowers are lovely.   So far this is my favourite part.   Certainly the over one cross stitch for the words was not at all comfortable for my eyes :)!

The DBEM has completed the knitting on another small garment so one of tomorrow's chores will be to sew it up and do the final finishing.  Meanwhile she has started another and is talking about needing more yarn so she won't run out of things to do over the Christmas / New Year holiday break.   I foresee a trip to our local Knitworld.   Funnily enough on Friday we went for a drive out to a nearby village and found a lovely wool shop but the DBEM didn't purchase any knitting yarn.   Instead she succumbed to the temptation of a lovely blue Possum Merino cardigan.   I think this yarn may be unique to New Zealand so Mr Google's definition is as follows -

Possum Merino is a wonderful blend of possum fur and superfine New Zealand Merino wool with a texture similar to cashmere - luxuriously soft, incredibly lightweight, exceptionally warm and easy to wear.

I thought the purchase rather out of season but today has been bitterly cold with strong winds and the DBEM has been making good use of her new purchase :)