Tossing the Floss

Hi everyone,

Thanks very much for all the lovely comments on my last post - I'm glad you like him as much as we all do. Certainly finding him brightened up a grey day, and your comments brightened up another dull day!

All images via my trees board on Pinterest.

Not that I'm complaining about dull days! From now until Christmas is just about my favourite time of year. I love watching the trees change colour and the leaves fall. I've been noticing recently that the area around where I live and work has quite a lot of trees and a walk outside always throws up something worth looking at. I have to keep reminding myself to carry my camera with me all the time!

All images via my trees board on Pinterest.

I have a couple of stitchy designs in my stash featuring some gorgeous trees and they've been calling out to me recently so much that I've dug them out!

La Pineta di Classe by Renato Parolin

Il bosco di Bengtsson, Renato Parolin again!

I've planned, since before I bought it, to stitch Il bosco di Bengtsson on a greyish background using white floss with a touch of blending filament to give a frosty feel. But I've suddenly started thinking about doing La Pineta di Classe in autumn colours.

Don't you just love those autumn shades?

But which to choose? I've managed to narrow it down to about 5 colours, but none is exactly right - I can have greens and golds or browns and reds, but not all at the same time!

Choices, choices! I'm not quite sure what to do yet - a mixture is probably the answer, but how? Any ideas, suggestions or useful thoughts welcome!



And how do you like my latest new start? Shock horror - it's knitting! I've been planning to knit a monkey for a nephew's Christmas present and got started yesterday. It was very strange to be knitting at 10.55pm last night, and enjoying it!

See you next time!

Titch

Once upon a time there was a monkey. He lived in a nice house with a nice family and some lovely knitted friends.


The humans who lived with him were very kind. They played games with him, took him on holiday and named him Zero-X1.


However, this was not a happy monkey. He did not know any other monkeys made of knit and this made him sad. He was a sad monkey, a lonely monkey, a blue monkey.


But one day, Zero-X1 was in for a surprise. Suddenly, Titch appeared.


Titch was a lively little fellow and Zero-X1 loved him.



Zero-X1 was now a happy monkey – he was no longer a lone monkey of knit. He and Titch played together endlessly.



Zero-X1 was happy.


And they lived happily ever after. The End.

Pressure's rising

... my blood pressure, that is It's been gradually going up and up over the last 2 or 3 weeks. This week it's got to the borderline stage where I'm having to repeat readings and rest in between. Not the simplest thing to do while I'm at work, but at least they're sympathetic.

Generally, however, I still feel fine, if very tired. I feel as if suddenly everything's catching up with me - I'm starting to realise just how tired I am and that I really need to slow down. Easier said than done, of course!

I just want to make it through to next Tuesday when I have my next hospital appointment. I feel that after that I can work out how to take things forward and start to think more seriously about stopping work.

Next week is also a big landmark for me as I reach the 34th week of my pregnancy. My son was born at 34 weeks, so if I get to 35, I will have been pregnant for longer than last time!

Anyway, with all that going on, I haven't been doing a lot of stitching. However, I did manage to finish this at the weekend (the knitted one, that is, the other one has to be a long term WIP! LOL).


DS was rather pleased with him and couldn't wait to introduce him to the other knitted residents of our house.



Yesterday, I finally managed to get to the post office to collect my parcel from Kae in Lucy Locket's Valentine Swap. Look at all the goodies she sent me!


She's really spoiled me including a sock person, yarn, knitted heart keyring, ric rac, ribbon and trims, and a gorgeous heart pendant! And, of course, lots of yummy chocolate. Thank you so much Kae - I love it all!

I sent her a parcel of goodies last week which included this little fob/ornament.


The large heart is based on one of the hearts from A Celebration of Love, the small hearts are just a couple of Rhodes hearts and a satin stitch/cushion heart.


(Just including this photo 'cos I like it!)

An apathetic week

I’ve been having a bit of an apathetic week, sleeping badly, feeling tired and run down, so I’ve been struggling to achieve anything much or find anything I feel like stitching or knitting or whatever. The exception, of course, is when I’m at work and I’d love to get out Nova or Paradigm Lost or MTM for the odd hour, or knit another limb for the latest gnome, or start another monkey! Unfortunately, by the time I get home, the enthusiasm just seems to have drained away.

I’ve felt in need of a new start, something fairly small with a variety of stitches for interest, but nothing too demanding. Thanks to the postman, I’ll get that going this evening as I now have my fabric for ‘A Celebration of Love’ which I’ll be stitching as a ring pillow for my sister’s wedding in May.

As a bonus, the postman also brought me my first set of Q-Snaps and I’m dying to try them out. Up until now, I’ve mainly used scroll frames and a hoop in smaller items. I’m looking forward to putting Paradigm Lost on the Q-Snaps as it’s big enough to let me see how I can arrange all the extra fabric!

I was digging out some yarn last week to knit DS a gnome, and I brought this out with me to have a look.


This is a shawl I started knitting for DS when I was expecting him over 7 years ago now, and have never got around to finishing. I have worked on it from time to time over the last 7 years and there really isn’t a lot waiting to be done – just finish knitting up the one side and then complete the border. I really have no excuse for not finishing it.


However, much as I really would like to finish it, I have a sneaking suspicion that it certainly won’t happen before this baby arrives!


Finally, the lovely Deb gave me a You Make My Day award. Thanks so much, Deb, I really appreciate it!


I’m supposed to nominate 10 blogs that make my day when I read them. However, I’ve seen this in so many different places over the last week or two, I’m not going to do that today.

Instead I’d like to make this award to everyone who reads my blog and leaves me comments – you all make my day. It’s the communication with other bloggers, whoever and wherever you are, that makes blogging worthwhile and that’s what it’s all about for me. I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave a message.

A Monkee's work ......

...... is never done!

Well, I can't have him sitting at home all day doing nothing while I'm at work!


Looks like another gnome on the go there.


More about his stitching next week after I get some more photos.

My weekend plans this week include sorting out what I'll be sending Kae in Lucy Locket's Valentine Swap. I've already stitched something, but I need to get out the sewing machine for a spot of finishing.

My husband also informed me last night that we're going round to the neighbours for a curry on Sunday evening. I'm in two minds about this right now as I just don't know how my stomach will stand up to it! The haggis last week gave me all night heartburn and if I'm to avoid that with the curry, I don't think I'll be eating much. On the other hand, do I really have the self control to actually achieve that goal? Curry nights round our way are infamous and the home made curry simply gorgeous!


Edited a bit later to add:
I've just downloaded February's 'The Gift of Stitching' and I LOVE Banu Demirel's table runner - it's gorgeous! We'll probably be getting a new dining table before too long, and this would be just perfect! Ooh, I want to stitch it NOW! And Yvonne Horn's Spanish Satin Pinkeep is beautiful too, but at least it should be a fairly quick stitch!

Gnome Time

Before I get started properly, I just want to show you this -


Every time I look at it, I'm convinced it's some kind of hairy knitted thong - but I can assure you it isn't! As you'll see below, it's something quite different

Anyway, I've finally finished my first knitted gnome! And he's such a cutie!


I think he's really supposed to be a Christmas decoration, but as I started him on New Year's Day, he has to be my New Year's Gnome. And I have to confess that he was much simpler to make than the monkee!


The pattern has the body knitted in one colour and the hands, feet and hat in a different colour, but every time I looked at him, I thought he looked rather naked and cold, so I knitted him a matching waistcoat to keep him warm and we're all happy now. Except for DS who keeps straightening out the kinks I put in the wiggly end of his hat!


With all this knitting going on, you'd never believe I've been making good progress with my stitching this week and starting to plan my PIFs and other things. However, I have orders (from my Mum and brother, at least) to knit more monkees, but I'll fit them in as and when I feel like it.

Meet the Monkee

Here he is - my first monkee! He knitted up quite quickly but seemed to take ages to put together and stuff!

I had thought his name was Malky, but he and DS took an immediate fancy to each other, and after a short discussion, DS announced that his name is Zero-X1.

After reaching this understanding, Zero-X1 was quickly put to work as a contortionist's assistant.


After that he made himself at home getting to know the other residents of our house.


He seems to fit in very nicely.



Did someone say shopping?

The monkee bag came last week courtesy of Monkee Maker's shop. It arrived all parcelled up like an early Christmas present!


Thanks Monkee Maker! More monkees are planned but I think I'd like to work out how to make the half pint variety first. So it might take a little while to work out the pattern amendments first! And I want to knit a gnome too, and there's my stitching, and it's nearly Christmas .......

Lost the plot

I feel like I've lost the plot a bit over the last week or two. I just don't seem to be able to settle down to doing and enjoying anything particularly well at the moment. As a result, very little has been achieved.

On Friday, in attempt to find something vaguely interesting to do, I dug out my knitting needles and began my first attempt at knitting one of these.

Originally uploaded to Flickr by monkee maker

I've got a back, a front and two arms so far. If you haven't seen it before, take a look at monkee maker's blog. It always makes me smile!

Also on the knitting front, I've discovered these!

Originally uploaded to Flickr by KnitYoga

The pattern for these gnomes originally came with an issue of Simply Knitting, I think in 2005, and I'm seriously having to restrain myself from spending a ridiculous amount of money on ebay to get hold of the pattern! But they are very cute!

I have done a little stitching over the last couple of weeks, but nothing I'm ready to share yet. I'm working to get Donna's RR finished and I've also made a (very) small start to my Paradigm Lost for the Snowbird SAL. But then the lethargy set in!

Maybe I'll have some photos of my own to post next time!

Oh, and there are still PIFs available if anyone's interested. See this post.