Last of the socks

This is the last of the socks - the last I shall be knitting for some time.   The ten pairs I have is enough for one person's feet!!

Aren't the small pair cute?   I have put them with the DBEM's finished knitting and they can go to the Hospice Shop next time. 
Today the DBEM had her check at the doctor and stocked up on her prescription medicines again.   I had a pacemaker check and then crossed off a few chores from the list which included taking the remainder of the sock wool to the charity store so someone else can have the pleasure of knitting some small pairs :-)   All in all a good day

Sock Wool

Lenore asked what yarn I had used for the berry pink socks.
I always use Opal Sock yarn and this is no exception.   Here's a photo of the ball labels.   I have no idea if it is still available or not.

This evening I have completed a pair of children's socks in the same yarn - photo to follow when they have been blocked and pressed.   I am in awe that my Grandmother managed to decipher the complicated knitting instructions but the DBEM assures me that Grandma knitted her school socks.

Diversion into sock territory

After finishing the 2019 Christmas Ornaments and being unable to decide on which one I want to stitch for my tree, I meandered into the knitted sock territory.   Two balls of Opal Sock Yarn were calling to me so I found my double pointed needles and got started.   One pair are now finished and I am happy to say that they turned out identical twins!  

The other pair are almost done and it looks like there will be enough yarn left to try a child's pair from an ancient book which once belonged to the DBEM's mother.

And this diversion has been worthwhile.  Not only producing two pairs of warm socks but also the inspiration for my next project.   I have the book.   I purchased a piece of beautiful twill fabric and today ran that through the overlocker.  

Now I can make a start.   This is to fulfill a promise I made to the DBEM to stitch a notebook cover for her favourite niece's 60th birthday.   Watch this space.

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Finishes

It has been a productive weekend and finally the Christmas Ornaments are crossed off the list.   Creative finishing is not really my forte but here we go -  all but one are from 2018 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue
I really liked the wreath style finish used for Noel and happened to have one - re-purposed from a greeting card - so here's my attempt to copy the finish that JCS used.   Rather an amateur copy but .....

The pompom trim seemed to suit this ornament and I am quite satisfied with this one.

The elf has turned out well with a simple hanging finish.  I like him but stitched over one means he won't be repeated too soon:-)   A simple gold cord hanger and pins with gold beads holding a red ribbon edging he looks really cute.

And this one came from a chart on the internet and the finish is certainly not professional.   But for a brief appearance on a Christmas tree once a year this will have to do.

Now I have to decide on what to do next.   No hardanger inspiration yet but I am wanting a new mat to go on my bedside table so may revisit my charts and see if there's anything suitable. 
The Betsy Morgan etui needs construction but that is currently put to one side.   I need energy to concentrate on that.

A good place for a break....

Progress has been made.   The stitching is complete now for the Betsy Morgan Etui box.   I have enjoyed the stitching - both the linen count and the silk floss.   The only substitution I made was for DMC for the squirrel as I just could not get the prescribed overdue thread  to come out looking less than patchy or stripey.  For me a grey squirrel should be a uniform shade of grey so I chose but now am wondering if I did not choose well.   Still it is what it is.

Next weekend is a long weekend here so I will begin the construction then.

The temperature chart is going well too.   We are in to green/blue now as the temperatures drop a little.   Although so far it has been a warm Autumn.
I'm getting that hardanger itch again so will have to go through my stash of charts.   I don't want to make a doily so will be looking for some other project that will scratch the itch and be more useful that the infernal Hardanger Mat.   A bag?  An apron?  One can have too many of those also.   Maybe a notebook cover?  Even in this computer age I use a lot of notebooks.   I do need a new cover for my toaster but Hardanger seems a bit OTT for that:-).

Sometimes life gets in the way of stitching

My secondary career as "carer for the DBEM" sometimes gets in the way of my stitching time and there hasn't been a lot produced over the last little while.
The DBEM has painstakingly knitted a small sweater for the newest great grandchild and I have duly sewn it up, added the buttons, wrapped the parcel and conveyed it to the Post Office.   The final great grandchild in this current batch is due this week and the DBEM is on tenterhooks with excitement!
Apart from cooking, cleaning and general life administration I have completed another Christmas Ornament.
I know I said I wouldn't stitch another ornament over one thread on 32 count linen but I needed to do so to get the appropriate size for the finish I have in mind.   So after some teeth grinding and a few sighs here we are....

And I finished off the Elf - after a long and methodical search for the teeny tiny bell I knew I had somewhere....

And I have now completed the top and the bottom of the box for the Inspirations Etui.   This may be a Betsy Morgan design but the chart is not identical to the photograph in the Inspirations magazine.  And although I am using the specified Gloriana Silk colour floss the School House red is not at all like the variant photographed in the magazine.   I did make a change from the red on the top as it was too "in your face"   I also swapped out the variegated silk specified for the squirrel as he came out stripey and I couldn't abide that - so he's done in a DMC matching the lightest shade of the variegated and I will live with this.

There are supposed to be initials - one on each side of the base of the tree - but I have yet to make my mind up about those so at the moment the 'forest floor' is bare. 
This week promises to be really busy and apart from my daily Temperature Chart I don't anticipate getting any stitching done.   Oh well there's always the next week...

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.