Several finishes, knitting, beach trips and more

Hi friends, lots of stitching and putting the final touches on previous stitching finishes has been happening lately. The craft sales event I'm donating some items to is now only a few weeks away. I gave myself a deadline to have everything finished by the first Friday in November.  Whew, I made it! Now I can get back into some of my own stitching projects and finish a few gifts.

These ornaments were fun to stitch and make up.

Lori Holt - Vintage Christmas sampler, a selection of the little squares. 

Little House Needleworks - Gingerbread Cookie, one of my all time favourite ornament designs, which I think I've stitched about four times now.

Lori Holt - Vintage Christmas sampler, a section of the design.

Stitching with the Housewives - Santa's Pals

Finished earlier this year, the 2024 Christmas Stitch along by the Tiny Modernist

Stitching with the Housewives - Claus Christmas, stitched in late 2024

Cottage Garden Samplings - Christmas Parade, stitched in 2024

I also knitted up some booties over a couple of nights. Pattern can be found here

We did make it out to Porangahau Beach late last month for four days.  The weather had been terrible all week, and there had been wind warnings too.  It was pretty much windy the entire time we were there but we still had a good couple of days with our friends and enjoyed the break.

Last week we decided to go out to the beach after work on Friday afternoon, this time we went to Pourerere Beach.  The weather was the complete opposite to our previous trip - sunny and hot, just perfect. 

It was a very relaxing weekend, I read one book, read half of another, and watched a couple of movies. 

Glenn was happy with his fishing efforts, and Hannah and her friend enjoyed several swims in the sea and going boogie boarding.

This past week has seen the first of the roses in my garden bloom - I always like to see which one is first. This year it was "Courage", the rose given to us by friends when Glenn's dad passed away earlier in the year.

The gorgeous smelling Freesia was next, 

When we got home on Sunday,  the stunning Blackberry Nip was out too, just divine.

This coming weekend, Glenn and I are heading to Auckland with my brother in law and sister in law for a concert.  There might just be some time to start some Christmas shopping!

See you soon x

Latest Crafty Happenings

Hello friends, how quickly the days seem to be going at the moment. It almost feels like spring is in the air, but late August/September can get very chilly and cold. I have noticed that the mornings are getting lighter now too, when Glenn leaves for work around 7am it was pitch dark a week or so ago but this week it's now light. 

So what's been on the go here over the past few weeks?

I finished the red work embroidery ornaments that my friend stitched - these are to be donated to a craft sales event later in the year. 

I also pulled out  my "Merry Christmas" banner red work project to work on over a couple of evenings, I hadn't stitched on this for absolutely ages.

Some lovely new fabrics arrived from Stitchbird in Wellington.  I purchased some of the new French General Sacre Bleu fabric range, and also some wool felt, for when I'm ready to make up Stacy Nash's Gingerbread House needlebook, which I've been stitching on recently. 

I added a new goodie to my sewing toolkit—a By Annie Stiletto & Pressing Tool from my local sewing shop. I can already tell this is going to be incredibly useful!

A lovely parcel also arrived from Rainbow Stash, I finally ordered some fabrics so I can made up the Lori Holt bags panel that I bought a few months ago, as well as some new charms and a vinyl bag - so cute!

I pulled out my knitting bag for the first time this year, as a friend has asked me to do some knitting for a grandchild coming in the new year.  This is the Bappity Jacket by Mariana Lazy Daisy, pattern can be found here. 

Stitching lately has included finishing some Stitching with the Housewives ornaments leftover from Jolly July, and also working on some older sampler projects, including Humming of the Bees by Blackbird Designs. I'll be back soon with some stitching pics but I'll finish here for today with a photo of these two cuties.

See you soon x

Latest Crafty Happenings

Hello dear friends, welcome to August. I'm so happy as we're having some perfect winter days right now, a bit frosty to start - it was 0 c when I left for work this morning, and then a day of sunshine follows. It almost feels like spring is in the air, but August can get very chilly and cold. I have noticed that the mornings are getting lighter now too, when Glenn leaves for work around 7am it was pitch dark last week but this week it's noticeably lighter.

So what's on the go here over the past few weeks? My friend is due to have her baby later this month and just loved the knitting I gave her at the baby shower so I've got a couple of other little baby projects to make for her. I started this simple little blanket last week. The wool looks a bit pink in this photo but the colour is more like the second photo. 

I also started some more socks for my sister in law. This ball of Opal sock yarn was some of the first sock yarn I bought, can you see the sparkly thread running through the colours? I'm knitting Christine from Winwick Mum's basic sock pattern. 

I pulled out this stocking project on the weekend to stitch on, so enjoyable. 

Next up are three ornaments I stitched earlier in the year but only recently completely finished. All finished as flat ornaments with DMC thread handmade cording for the trims.

Mistletoe Kisses by Erica Michaels, this is Hannah's 2024 ornament.

The Prairie Schooler's 2024 Santa, I loved stitching the green stitching in this design.

From the 2023 Just Cross Stitch Ornaments magazine, a design by Karen Kirk from Fox & Rabbit.

What else do I have for today? My current reading pile, including some new books I purchased last week.  Looking forward to getting into all of these. 

See you soon xx

Stitching in July and more

Hello friends, 

this month I've been Jolly July stitching, a Christmas design stitch along that has been running each July for a few years now.  

My first choice is Claus Christmas by Stitching with the Housewives, this design has been in my stitching basket since it first came out. I'm using the recommended DMC threads on 32 count black linen.

 

The second design I chose to start is the Green Coat Santa by Teresa Kogut, a Patreon chart released back in July 2022. My fabric is 32 count natural linen and I'm using the recommended threads.

Priscilla and Chelsea's latest little series is so cute - I had to add these to my July stitching bag. 

We are very excited as a family friend and her husband are expecting their first baby, a daughter, in a few weeks time.  I started knitting a few little hats a few months ago and also two little cardigans.  If you ever need a baby knitting pattern, do check out Mariana Lazy Daisy's blog. I have knit so many of her lovely patterns over the years. 

We recently travelled to Wellington for the weekend to catch up with our friends and to go along to their baby shower. It was a lovely afternoon, lots of delicious snacks and drinks, and fun baby shower games.  Hannah and Glenn did very well at one of the games and won me a bottle of wine ha ha.

The rest of the weekend was spent mostly at the mall shopping, and we enjoyed a lovely meal out with our friends.  A trip to Wellington is so much quicker now you drive through Transmission Gully, it was just under three hours from home to our motel.

It's school holidays right now here in NZ so Diesel has been enjoying hanging out with Hannah, lots of snuggles together as its been quite cold some days.  Here he is, waiting patiently and watching out for either Glenn or I to get home from work, so cute.

Diesel will be two years old this coming Friday, he's just such a joy, he brings us so much fun and laughter.

Have a fun week, see you soon xx

World Knit in Public Day and more

Last Saturday morning I went to our local library for Worldwide Knit in Public day.

My friends Clare and Sonia came along too and we had a lovely morning chatting and knitting away, and meeting some new friends.

Our library is a wonderful space, it's way more than a library with lots of other services operating from there and activities happening. The staff that work there are amazing, always so chatty and friendly and they go out of their way to be helpful.  We do have two libraries in our small district, the other one ten minutes away is just as amazing, I love going there too.  

And the great thing about Saturday? I've joined a new knitting group, how fun! We're going to meet up monthly on a Saturday morning.

Now for some recent finishing and stitching.

Cup of Cheer by Brenda Gervais was stitched earlier in the year, it was started during my summer holidays. 

I used the recommended threads and 32 count Flax linen, natural ric rac for the trim.

Next up are some recent ornament finishes.

Mistletoe Kisses by Erica Michaels, this design has been kitted and in my stitching bag for quite some time. Stitched on 32 count vintage mocha linen with the recommended threads.

From Country Cottage Needleworks Pastel Ornaments Collection, Christmas Bird. I used the recommended threads and 32 count cream linen.

This year's Prairie Schooler Santa  - I loved stitching this, recommended threads and 36 count vintage mocha linen.

Have a happy week, see you soon x