A finish or two.

 A dedicated effort on my hardanger tray cloth and voila, the end.  But wouldn’t you know it!?  I’m already dreaming of what hardanger piece I shall do next!

Several commented on my last post asking for details of the hardanger stocking.  I found the chart via Pinterest and the link to this blog.  Hope that helps.   It was really simple to do.  For the back I stuck two layers of felt together and stitched the hardanger (after all the beading was complete) carefully to it before trimming even more carefully.  

As a palate refresher I stitched this little Christmas Ornament.

And then as a result of gentle but consistent nagging by the DBEM I looked through my stash of fine linen.  The DBEM seems to think I will end up with macular degeneration like her and doesn't want me to "waste that high count linen".   There are no signs of any changes in my macular yet so I consider I have time but the nagging wore me down and I have tacked out the grid to do another needlework set for one of my great nieces on 38 count Graziano linen.   This one will be in Blackwork technique.   I have five great nieces and another due in August and with only two sets complete I'd better keep moving if all the girls are to get one:-)   So far there are only tacking lines to show so no photographs.  Perhaps tomorrow when I hope to make a start on the actual stitching.

Until then.

Christmas ornaments

 The hardanger bug has bitten again and I’m now absorbed in the tray cloth.   But before I got back to that I did finish off some more Christmas ornaments.

O Little Town of Bethlehem was from the JCS Christmas edition of  2021 and I’m pleased with how it turned out.  

The tree was Pinterest inspired but I did make a mistake and it is not as tall as the original showed.   Just as well because the linen scrap wouldn’t have allowed for more branches.   I want to try another with the correct height and have ordered some more beads for that.

The hardanger stocking was a joy to stitch and this one will definitely be staying on my tree.

Now I am back to the tray cloth and obsessed with it I must say.   So far so good and the rhythmical stitching is soothing as I have been rather unsettled lately.

Besides the stitching I have been busy in the garden removing a couple more rose bushes and bucket loads of ancient old bark from the corner of the back yard.   Then after spraying to ensure no weeds survived I laid around 30 square metres of black weedmat and have organised for fresh bark to be delivered on Tuesday.   My cousin obligingly lent me a shovel and I will use my wheelbarrow to cart the bark from delivery point to the back garden.   Once these Herculean labours are over that will be one less part of the estate that needs regular weeding/maintenance.  In late Autumn I plan to plant two dwarf fruit trees in super large pots in this area and to have smaller planters of herbs and flowers around the outer curve.  Pictures to follow when it looks less of a mess.

Meanwhile I’m off to keep the DBEM company with her audiobook - a biography of Barbara Bush.   

Christmas Stockings

 My thumb is almost 100% again and I’m back to practising picots.   I have the method firmly imprinted on my brain now so will have a break from hardanger and try some cross stitch again.   I'm making the hardanger sleeves into little Christmas Stockings -  here's one to show off.

Pinterest provided ideas for a couple of ornaments so I delved into my thread stash and made a start on this one.   Shouldn’t take too long nor will it use much thread but I rather like the effect.   Perhaps I will be able to use  some of my sparkly beads as decoration -  there are to be garlands of beads hanging from the branches and a star fixed to the wonky top of the tree.   A finished photo in a day or two.

Today I made some fruit for the first page of a Quiet Book for my new great niece Nell.   She’s only two weeks old so there is no hurry on this one😉.  I made some many years ago when my nieces and nephews were born but Nell’s mother didn’t get one to pass on so I’m rectifying that lack.    Surprisingly I have all the necessary sewing threads for this although I did buy some Heat N Bond and heavy calico for the pages.  No photos yet - I will show some soon I promise.

Our weather is cooler today and I spent 3 hours this morning in the flower garden and have scrapes to prove my tussle with an unwanted rose bush.  I won!!  

This afternoon is devoted to the DBEM.  We have discovered “LifeChanging” on BBC Sounds and are both enjoying episodes of that.   What amazing life experiences some people have.   We are both intrigued and inspired.

The thumb is healing

 Thank you for all your good wishes for my poor thumb.  I’m happy to report it is healing well but I’m still not stitching much yet and besides, it is too too hot.   I have been sitting in front of the fan with the DBEM and keeping her company while she reminisces.   She grew up in the very north of New Zealand and obviously experienced some very hot summers but now at almost 92 she doesn’t tolerate them so well.  Nor do I and even reading books set in snowy Scandinavia hasn’t helped!

Today I went to the next village which has a small sewing shop with a minuscule stock of DMC perle as I needed to replenish my stock of #8 in Blanc.   And I promised an ice cream as a treat if the DBEM comes with me for an outing.   Yes!  I’m resorting to bribery as despite taking care not to mix much during this Omicron outbreak she still needs to have some stimulus (and I’m a little tired of audio books).  No ice cream, which is better for my continuing weight loss but we had a pleasant outing together.

I found these at the little sewing shop.  I’m on the lookout for the whole nativity story in these buttons as I have a Christmas book planned.   Supply chains disrupted by Covid mean ordering from The States is out at present.  Just as well there’s no hurry.

An enforced rest from stitching

 Today I braved the shops and after much deliberation purchased a mandolin slicer.   Naturally I read the instruction book carefully, particularly noting "The blade is very sharp. Take Care".   And proceeded to slice up the zucchini my neighbour had kindly given me.  But...

A hunk out of my right thumb and copious amounts of blood later I have a bandaged right hand and the thumb is throbbing and there will be no hardanger, nor any other form of handwork done here for a while.

But Cynthia had asked the name of the Hardanger book from which I learned the knotted picots so here 'tis.

Early Style Hardanger - by Yvette Stanton   It is available from her website here but for reference the ISBN is 978-0-9757677-1

I have a couple of completed items so may be back in a day or two with some photos.

Until then.

Mastering Picots

 Although hardanger is my first love I am self taught and have always struggled with picots - even following Janice Love’s book I found myself always dissatisfied with the uneven results.   Just how did one get them all the same size?   I asked several other stitchers who almost without exception said “ picots are really easy; it’s just practice”.   Not. Helpful.   So I decided to never do picots and the years have passed by with that resolution basically kept.

But, I recently fell down a YouTube traphole and found Yvette Stanton’s video of hardanger picots.   I watched over and over and tried to follow but somehow in the time between looking at the screen and then doing the stitch I forgot what I had seen😂.  Nothing daunted, I checked and my local library had her book in which was printed step by step instructions.   NOW I can say I have imprinted on my memory the method doing a knotted picot and I’m super happy with the results.   So….new resolution.   I will not do loop picots and only do knotted picots.   With almost every stitch I say to myself, “I’m so happy I’ve learned to do these”.   

So…Thankyou Yvette Stanton.   Three cheers for your generosity in sharing your skills.

The Last Stitch

 Yesterday the DBEM completed her last row of knitting - at least so she says.   She has extremely poor sight now and has knitted by the feel of her fingertips for some time.   The result has been erratic and much "repair work" has been necessary.  But now the pain of arthritic hands has caused a halt to be called so yesterday we celebrated her last row with a commemorative photograph.   

Then we sat and nattered while I sewed up the garment and put on the buttons after which I brought out the pile we have stocked up to go to the Hospice shop.   23 in total this year which isn't bad is it?   

I have parceled them up and will send them off tomorrow.   There are at least 18 charity shops in our city but I am sending them back to the one she always donated to in Auckland and have included a letter announcing her retirement.   Nearly 30 years of knitted donations with around 25 garments each year which sell for around $25 each is a substantial amount isn't it?   I am really proud of my lovely Mother.