Meeting and knitting

Most of the past two weeks has been fairly unremarkable with not a vast amount of knitting or stitching going on. There have been a few good bits though.

A highlight was getting the opportunity to meet John Barrowman in a local bookshop during a book signing. For those who don't watchit, he is the star of UK series Torchwood and also appears frequently in Doctor Who. He speaks in TV with a very American accent but he was born in Glasgow so this was a home town event so there were a lot of people there and he naturally reverted into his very lovely native accent. He was very friendly to everyone and stayed until everyone got the chance to get a book signed. There were a lot of people there. Oh and he's even more handsome in person. I got a couple of pictures but it was pretty difficult as it was so busy.





I'm a big fan of Doctor Who so was a thrill to met someone who has appearred in the program. I'm eagerly awaiting the new series of Doctor Who which starts next month.

I did manage to finish my Cranford mitts inspite of not having a lot of knitting time. They are knitted in Yard yard organic merino in Mysteron and Sooty cherry. I have already started another pair in the same colours but with the colours reversed


Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post with my finished Grape thread keeper. Everyone made such lovely comments and they are very much appreciated. The pattern is indeed by Chatelaine designs and was an online class. Its not currently available to buy but the online classes do eventually come out as charts.

Grape threadkeeper HD

The title says it all really. I finished the stitching in January this year and I finally completed the finishing on it last night.

I made a couple of changes on it. No initials on the front and no year inside. Partly because they were stitched over one which I don't like doing and also because I felt it looked fine without it. I used a premade cord around the edges rather than making it mainly because I had the perfect colour in my stash. I also found some random oddments of Vikki Clayton silk in my stash to wrap on the thread rings.

Here is the outside.



And here is the inside.





I took some more pictures in the daylight today which I think shows it better.





Tonight I'm off to a local knitting group for a meet up. I'm hoping to finish the Cranford mitts that I'm knitting.

Holiday crafty progress

Well my time off work is nearly done. I'm back at work on Thursday for 2 days and then luckily I'm off for 6 days after that due to my roster and the end of the holiday year which means I have to use all annual leave.

The weather has been truly horrible. We had some snow at the start of the week and thereafter its been rain, rain and more rain. Still its Scotland in March and really its not that surprising lol.

As a consequence of the awful weather, there's been a lot of house based holiday activities. I have been spring cleaning which is not really my idea of fun but a necessary evil. I also have been spring cleaning and tidying my wardrobe so the local charity shops are going to benefit a little from my efforts.

I have been knitting a bit too. I finished my blue Monkey socks in the Sheldridge farm yarn.



I also have done a bit of internet shopping at the Yarn yard. Natalie had uploaded a lot of merino plus a lovely pattern for some lacy mitts designed by Jane. I started them as soon as the yarn arrived. This colour combination is Sooty cherry/Mysteron. I'm hoping to get them finished in the next day or so.



As well as the knitting, there's been some finishing being done also. I finished stitching You've been hatched by Teresa Wentzler in 2005 and since then I've been looking for a box to mount it in. I finaly found one in The Viking loom in York in November last year and yesterday I mounted it in the box top.


Today I framed up a Shepherds bush kit that I bought in Utah - Boo to you. The mount came with the kit and I had a frame made to size locally.



This evening, I'm continuing with the finishing kick. I started the finishing on Grape threadkeeper yesterday and I'm hoping to get it completed tonight. I'm working slowly on it as I don't want to mess it up.

February's crafty progress

Since my last post, the postal service has finally cooperated and delivered the Valentine's exchange that I stitched for Edgar. He is a fan of Quaker designs so I thought I'd stitch a quaker heart freebie for him. I used Gloriana silk in the shade Cranberry.






My only stitching finish for February was Autumn Silhouette, which I shared in my last post. I only started one project this month - Celtic heart by M designs. My parents celebrate their 40th Wedding anniversary in May and I'm going to stitch their initials separated by the Celtic heart design for them. Its a design idea that someone on the Wagon stitching board stitched for a wedding I think. My parents both like the stitching that I've done before and in fact quite a few of my framed pieces hang on their walls rather than mine due to lack of space.

Other than that I've still been knitting away. I finished a Clapotis that I started last year. Its knitted in Rowan Tapestry yarn.



I've also been knitting more socks alas not finishing a pair though but it should give me a head start for March.

This sock is in Lorna's laces shepherd sock in Rainbow.



And this one is the first of another pair of monkey socks in Sheldridge farm soft touch ultra, which is lovely to knit with in lacy patterns. I'm half way though the second sock and I might get it finished this weekend. I'm working on Saturday night and if the patients are sleeping, I can knit away.



After Saturday's night shift, I'm off work for just over a week on holiday which I'm in need of just now. I'm hoping the time off will give a chance to catch up with lots of household things that need doing plus just to get out and enjoy myself a bit. Last week I went to a local knitting group for the first time and really enjoyed it so I'm hoping to make a few of the meet up whilst I'm off. Oh and there's also a Craft show on at the local exhibition centre which I'm planning to visit too. The weather isn't looking too promising as there seems to be a chance of snow next week. We've only had a little bit of snow this year and I'm hoping we don't anymore.