Sew knit stitch

I've managed to get a few things finished off recently, one of them is a cross stitch piece which I haven't been in the mood for doing lately but there was such a small amount to do for it to be complete, and I'm glad it's done now. 

First though are the two cushion covers I made for the caravan.  Just some simple envelope back covers made using a table cloth that I bought in a charity shop years ago.  I do like a bit of gingham, and I think these go quite well.  It was a big table cloth so I've still got plenty left for something else, just don't know what yet.

Next is a pair of socks, these are knit using King Cole Zig Zag cotton yarn in the watermelon colourway.

And the big finish is my Hoot in a Boot by The Needles's Notion.

I used the recommended threads but not the recommend fabric, I didn't like the called for fabric, it was quite dark. 

The fabric I used was a 28 count evenweave in storm grey, (don't know what make), It has a lovely washed mottling.   The colour is coming out  more on the blue side here but it's defiantly grey in real life.

Here's a closer look.

That was a lot of black stitching but it was okay and didn't seem to take that long.

There is a separate chart, included in the pattern, of an owl to stitch, you sort of attach it along with some greenery to a piece of dowelling and it sits atop the stocking when the stocking is made up.  I haven't stitched that yet, and i'm not sure that I want to, I'll decide once the stocking is made up. 

Hopefully I can find some black felt and get it fully finished ready for Autumn.

I cast on another pair of socks yesterday, and have sorted out some yarn from stash to start another Salty Air Tee.  No new cross stitch project planned at the moment, I'm finding knitting easier to pick up.

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The finishing post

 I had a steroid injection in my knee last Friday morning, hopefully it will be as successful and give relief for as long as the previous ones have.  Surprisingly It also gave me two full days free of pain in my hip, sadly that was temporary and it was back again on Monday, but I have persuaded the doctor to send me for an MRI to see whats going on so that any exercises can be targeted and not guessed at, that might be a few weeks away yet though.

Orders were to rest for two or three days, no walking and nothing strenuous for five days so I took the opportunity to sit and finish off some projects that had been lingering.

A half completed dishcloth was an easy finish.  I'd forgotten that I'd made dishcloths in-between projects last year, I found them when I was having a sort out, and I now have eight new ones to use, and I can move some of my more worn ones to the cleaning cupboard.

Just before Christmas last year my eldest daughter, Jenny, decided to tell me how much my son in law loves the socks I've knitted him previously.  It was too late then for me to get a pair knitted in time for Christmas so I thought this year I would get ahead of myself.  These will go in the gift box for James ready for Christmas 2025.

These are knitted in Stylecraft Head over Heels yarn from their Walking In Nature collection, the colourway is Saunter.  

I haven't got sock blockers large enough for these so excuse the baggy look.

 The yarn was a fairly recent purchase when I went for a day out to Cirencester but when I got home I realised I had already got a ball exactly the same in stash!  Obviously I liked it, lol.  Not to worry though, Stevie said she liked the colourway so I can knit her a pair too.

And I have a cross stitch finish, yay.  

Since Christmas this is the only stitching I've picked up, and I'm glad it's finally done!

Winterbourne Farm by Derwentwater Designs

Not what I usually stitch, but something about it appealed to me, I think maybe it was that cottage with the red door, and who wouldn't want to live in a cute cottage with a red door :-)

It was a kit I bought on a visit to Nimble Thimble a good few years ago so I'm glad it's out of stash at last.  I enjoyed stitching on it to begin with but as time went on it became a bit of a chore, it's not my best work but I'm happy enough, I doubt anyone but me would look at it closely enough to pick faults.  I must remember that I'm not someone who likes lots of colour changes, blended threads and back stitching when I'm tempted by a kit again!

Happy Valentines Day, if you celebrate it, we don't, lol but I do like to put out some Valentine stitching.  I haven't added any new ones this year, these were all made last year apart from the Lizzie Kate February ornament which is old finish.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment last time and for sending well wishes for Stevie and Darren, your words were very much appreciated.

She is doing ok, after half term next week she will go back to work, although they have said she can have more time if she needs it she feels ready to go back.  She has accepted an offer for counselling through work, I think It will do her good to talk through things with someone who isn't family as she does suffer with anxiety and It will hopefully help her.

Hope you have a good weekend, I have a lovely one planned, which I'll tell you about next time 😉

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Rescued - Not my work

 I do love a mooch around a charity shop, It's not often I find anything other than books but sometimes I get lucky, like with the Fat Face skirt I found for a fiver a few weeks back, I was pleased with that find.  

But back in the Summer I came across this finished cross stitch in a basket with some paintings, I thought It was perfect to put with my other Autumn pieces.  I paid just £4.00 for this, which is a lot less than the kit would have cost, not to mention the hours it took to stitch.

This is one of the Four Seasons by Derwentwarter Desings.  If you look very close you can see that It wasn't professionally framed, but It's not too bad.  There is a sticker on the back saying Handmade by Jean Knowles, so thank you Jean :-)

I believe Bothy Threads bought out Derwentwater Designs but you can still by the kits for all four of the seasons.

I saw this next one hanging on the wall behind the charity shop counter in a local town, and you can see that I paid £3.50 for this one.

I'm not sure but I think this is/was a DMC kit, the only thing I can find similar is called The Christmas Window and is for sale on AliExpress, but that piece is larger than this one, perhaps whoever stitched it only stitched half the chart?  I've no idea about that but I do know that It was framed by my local needlework shop where I get my framing done because there is a sticker on the back with the their information.  Whoever stitched it wrote the year 2010 on that sticker so we at least know that it was framed fourteen years ago

I always think It's so sad to see someones hard work sold for so little, but at least these two pieces have found a good home with me.

We've had the boys staying over for the weekend as Jenny and James have been to London.  Goodness can those boys eat, lol.  You forget that having children around is a constant round of preparing food, tidying up and breaking up squabbles!  I love them to bits but It's been a noisy few days so I'm looking forward to some quiet time tomorrow.

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Stitchers Day Out

 Today was the Quarry Bank Stitchers day out, this is their third day retreat and the second one I've been to, they have been a great success.  The food was lovely, and the company even better, we had lots of laughs.  People got to show their finishes, which Is always lovely to see, there was a de-stash table and a freebie table as well as a couple of sellers, including our local needlework shop, Betty's.

I took my Carriage House Samplings girl, Mary Margaret to work on.   I'd made a small start a few months ago and haven't picked her up since, until today.

And this is her after todays stitching

This was just what I needed to get me in the mood to stitch again, there's a long way to go on this one but I think I'm in the stitching zone again 😉

There was a lovely gift for us from the organizers, Karen and Annabelle, thank you ladies.

And I did make a purchase.  I've had my eye on this for a while and because I sold quite a bit on the de-stash table I went ahead and treated myself.

It's a kit, not something I usually go for but I really like it, not sure when I'll make a start but Sharon was offering a 20% discount on everything today so It was a good buy.

I've had such a great day today, being with like-minded people, chatting and laughing and seeing what others are stitching, It's just what I needed.  The weather has been glorious again, I have a couple more garden jobs planned for this coming week so fingers crossed the sun continues to shine.

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