On my Hook...

My crochet hook has been non stop of late. My dear friend Tracy ordered a blanket for her Aunt and because she is coming to visit shortly, I thought I would try and get it done as quickly as possible so as I wouldn't have to "cram" it in at a later date. Here is the finished piece! I got rather taken with it. The colours and the order and the pretty border. I really love it. I hope Tracy does too. 

Something else I started just last night and inspired by this one, is shown below. I love Chris' colours of beige and greys and creams but I do seem to have an inordinate amount of pastel pinks and purples and thought it would be just as well to use them up on a similar blanket. So this one may go to daughter, if I can bear to part with it. Because I am doing solid flowers with no colour changes, the flowers are crocheting up pretty quickly with only two strands to weave in. I am doing it randomly and joining as I go. It is a pleasure to work on and can't wait to get off here and make a few more to add to it. More progress pictures to come soon!

Flower blanket using the Japanese Flower pattern.

I also started a small pram blanket for my neighbour who has recently given birth to her 3rd baby boy! I am running out of navy though so a few more rows and a border and I think it will be done! 

So you would think I would be all hooked out, wouldn't you? But I'm not! Just loving the hook at the moment. Thanks for popping by! I'll be back soon. 

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ETA: the japanese flower pattern can be found in this book by this wonderful etsy seller. Yes it was a bit of an expense  I bought 2! But she is very reliable. I thoroughly recommend. http://www.etsy.com/listing/82863690/motif-book-vol-4-japanese-crochet-book

And the winner is............

Marlene!! Congrats. You have won the Tree of Life kit by Yiota's Cross Stitch. Please email me with your mailing address and I will get it sent off to you as soon as possible. Thanks everyone for joining in the fun. Look out for another giveaway soon.

Crochet Snuggle Day

I have been in much need of a snuggly crochet day and this morning it finally happened! I have been run off my feet what with the new job (even though it hasn't officially started yet!) and hubby away (he is back on FRIDAY oh joy!!!!) and kids and housework and projects and everything!!! So, after a not so very nice examination at the docs this morning I thought I would give myself some time out and look at what I collected from my boy's nursery that arrived today:

Cute and Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench

Oh yes, it's THAT book. I have been hankering after this book for simply ages and when I saw it for £4 at my son's nursery's book club, I just had to snap it up. So this morning, I have been dreamily browsing through some of the pages and eating a bit of this:

Here are some favourite projects that I would like to have a go at. There are so many of them. I would love to crochet them all!

As well as drooling all over my new book, I am also in a whirlwind about getting this blanket crocheted up for my friend Tracy who has asked me to do one for her Aunt. I love working on it. Each round is so relaxing to work and I love the colours. I have a sort of a pattern repeat going on - sort of. I am doing 3 colours then white, 3 colours then cream etc.. I am hoping that the white and cream will give it a calmer, more vintage feel. 

And just for fun, here a pic of my two beans having their ice creams when I recently visited my mum's. 

Happy times! At long last!!

Don't forget about the giveaway. I'm drawing a name tomorrow!

May Wipocalypse and another Giveaway!!!

It has been a very productive month for me this last month! I got the job I went for - yay!!! so I am going to be a busy bee as I have about eight years of not working to catch up on. I think with this realisation, I have got super busy with my needle to try and get my wips down whilst I can. I have so many charts that I have kitted up ready to stitch and want to stitch and if I don't get going on them now then I fear I will never get a chance to do them. 

First up, I finished my Sampler au Bouquets by Jardin de Prive. Oooooh I loved working on this one right through to the last stitch. It was such a pleasure and joy. A simple colour palette which truly worked on the Vintage Country mocha linen I used. All the motifs were nice to stitch and I loved the little bunnies and birds and flowers. It was quite difficult to photograph in its entirety so have chunked it up into smaller pictures as well:

My next WIP to pull out to work on is CHS Helen Bell's Multiplication Sampler. I am using Silkweaver's Dark Tan 32 count fabric and Victorian Motto Threads in Heathers. Speeding along quite nicely with this one I think although I am hoping I am counting correctly for the backstitch grid as it is quite difficult to see. 

So I think that's great progress for the WIPocalypse if I may say so myself!

Next up is a terrific giveaway from Yiota's Cross Stitch who specialises in converting works of art into Cross Stitch Kits. I know you have all been waiting for this one!!

Yiota has very kindly donated one of her beautiful kits to me to give away on my blog to one of my darling followers. The kit she has sent is Tree of Life by Klimt and retails at £24.50. It contains everything you need to get started including, chart, fabric, threads and a needle. It is beautiful. If you want to see me review of one of her other kits, check out my previous post here.

So, all you need to do is leave a comment specifying that you would like to be entered - if you do not specify then you won't be entered - saying that you are indeed a follower of my blog and you will be entered into the drawing. I will pull a name out of the hat in one week's time on Wednesday 16th May. No hoops to jump through. No need to mention it or anything like that. Just leave a comment and the winner could be you! Entries accepted from anywhere in the world. 

So that's me. Hoping to find some peace today to stitch up an exchange and think about how to finish it :-S. Thanks for reading and popping in. 

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And the winner of the book is....

Karen from My 4 Lil Girls!!!

Hey Congrats Karen. Please email me your mailing address. Thanks to everyone who entered and look out for another giveaway coming very soon. 

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Cross stitch book review and give away

Some time ago, I was asked to do a review on my blog of this book you see below. It is called Two Hour Cross Stitch - Flowers 300 quick and easy designs by Trice Boerens. 



Here is the blurb on the back:

"If you have limited time for crafting, Two - Hour Cross-Stitch: Flowers is the perfect book for you. It's brimming with 300 classic, vintage and retro-inspired blossoms that are not only beautiful, but also quick and easy to stitch. The colourful motifs are shown finished and are accompanied by a chart and a list of suggested colours. Perfect for stitching on the go, these flowers are sure to shine on any project you design."



It is a sturdy paperback book with full colour charts inside. The instructions are very limited which suggests it is aimed at people who already know how to stitch but because of the simplicity of each design, this book would be suitable for the beginner. Each design has been stitched and is photographed alongside each chart. The colours in the list are DMC.



I think each design would be great to use for smalls like pinkeeps and scissor fobs and such like and would make lovely RAK gifts. There is potential to collate them together and make into a bigger sampler as well if you are the creative type.

I am offering this book as a giveaway to one of my followers. If you like the look of it and think you might use it then please make a comment below. This is open to all my followers - wherever you are in the world. I will pull a name out of the hat  on Sunday 6th May.

Thanks for reading! Look out for another giveaway very soon. A full kit from Yiota's Cross Stitch!

April WIPocalypse and catch up

Not much stitching to show for having been away for over a month - blogwise I mean! Here is where I am at with Bouquets - slowly but surely. I was hoping to get it finished by tonight but I have had so much on my mind at the moment, my mojo has just disappeared completely! If you find it, please send it back to me. Thanks.Here's my wipocalypse for April then. Sorry it's a bit late!

So so close to finishing this sucker! Go go go!!!! I want to start another Sampler Girl one. 

Thank you so much for all your kind comments on my last post and the lovely emails and messages you have sent me. You really are the world's dearest friends! I have been up and down and they say time is the greatest healer but I am not so sure of that one. I am working things through one day at a time. 

A special Thank You to Karen from My 4 Lil Girls for this amazing gift to cheer me up. I bought one of Karen's bags from her last year and I love it! These are just perfect additions. I know I am a little late in publicly acknowledging this but Thank You Karen from the bottom of my heart. xxxxx

A Tissue Holder:

A Patchwork cushion cover:

A Patchwork Heart:

Some good news is that I have an interview for a job on Friday. I had prayed about going back to work as littlest starts school in September. I had prayed that a job would "come to me" and that I wouldn't feel stressed about trying to find something. Well, something did come to me. The Deputy head of an independent Christian School not too far from me had also been praying about a position needing filled and my name had dropped into his mind. I am certain that I am right for that job. It means also that my children will be able to attend it as well which is a bonus as fees are expensive. (Not as expensive as other private schools but still expensive to me!) So I have had to think about getting my teaching head in gear as I haven't used it properly in a good few years. Saying that, I have been doing a little bit of tutoring this year so I am half way there already I guess. For those of you who don't know, I am trained as a secondary English teacher. Crafting has definitely taken a back seat this last month. 

Hubby and I managed to get away this month as well. The first time we have been away on our own without the children in about 3 years!!! Thanks to my dearest friends Michelle and Mark who kindly ran them ragged for us. We decided to head Northwards and went and stayed in a quaint place called Alston - north east of Cumbria along the Penines. The Pub we stayed in was small and cosy and all the locals seemed to appear that night. Everyone was warm and friendly and the food was delish. All local and home cooked etc. Log fire burning. You get the idea. We stayed at The Angel Inn which I would highly recommend. The next day we went a walking around a few local places which did us the world of good. Just wish we could get a few more of these times away. Hubby is working away now for a good few weeks so it's home alone time for moi. Here are some snaps of where we stayed and visited. 

Well, that's me although I do have a book review to do - which will be a giveaway and also Yiota from Yiota's Cross Stitch has also asked me to do a giveaway from her so please look out for those posts coming very, very soon. Much love to all my readers and commenters. 

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Quick update

Hi all. Just a quick update as it's been a while since I posted. I have had the worst week of my life - I tell no lie. I thought things couldn't get any worse but they did. I have been emptied of everything inside me and have become numb to any sense, any feeling, any emotion. I would like to think things are on the mend but I have been destroyed by hurt and pain and trust is not an easy thing to replace. Once it has gone, it takes a loooong time to build again and I don't even know right now if it can be. I still have my faith and hope so I AM okay. Obviously, any form of crafting has taken a back seat but I think, tonight, I might be able to do a little. I am taking things one day at a time. Thanks for all your positive thoughts, prayers and emails. I appreciate every one. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

March Wipocalypse update and a beautiful RAK!

Wow hasn't the time just flown? Perhaps because February is a shorter month? I'm not sure but time does seem to be flying by at the moment. Life has passed me quite a few downs this year already but now and again I get a few ups. This was one of them:

The cutest little RAK ever arrived in my post last week and I have only just got around to posting about it. This was so unexpected and it is so nice to get this in the post instead of the usual bills. This little beauty was gifted to me by Cath at The Stitchin' Chicken. Thank you so much Cath, it made my week!!!

Okay, so March Wipocalpse time is here already and I am actually ready to post on time! I have been keeping very very busy on my Sampler au Bouquets and well into the third and final part of this stunning sampler. I even resisted the urge to start a new Sampler Girl one - Tina!!!! - bad influence that girl - oh I wish she had a blog and then we could all harass her!! Just kidding my sweet friend and I will start that new one soon I promise but I really want to get this one finished this month if possible. So, here's my progress....

Please 'scuse the crumples!

And a close up of the progression. 

So that is all I have for you at the minute. My hyacinths have started blooming. I have been doing a little more knitting on my waistcoat - slowly, surely. I have also been inspired to knit a skirt by the lovely Staci so that might be another project in the bag. Thanks for all your wonderful  comments and emails. They make my days easier. 

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