yet another plan change

I was not enjoying stitching on 25 CT fabric. I had a small clip on magnifier that i constantly had to move to get into the correct position.    I decided to restart on 20 count.  That meant a trip to The Ribbon Rose for fabric.  They had a sale on magnifying lamps, so I treated myself to a Triumph Led light magnifier.

What a difference this has made.  I can see the stitches much more clearly and enjoying it much more.  You can see the tiny start I made on At the Steps. 

Before purchasing fabric, I had a small piece of 20 count that is just big enough for Iris Keeper, so tested that first. I did a mix of tent and full cross and decided i enjoyed full cross much more. I will stick with full cross in future.

Before the HAED  sale ended, I ended up buying another chart.

Mini The winter reading nook, by Aimee Stewart.  I may start this on Christmas day instead of childhood sweethearts 

MKAL finish. cross stitch plan change

Every year in October Stephen West runs a mystery knitalong.   This is the fifth year I've taken part.  This years shawl is the MusiKal.  I finished in record time, less than 4 weeks.

It is currently on the blocking mats and is too big to fit in the frame, so I took a video. There was an option to make it bigger, which i intended to do, but wasn't going to have enough yarn.

I love the bright colours.  The yarn was a kit from Mamawooling. 

Now onto cross stitch.  I decided i wanted to try scroll frames. I've used qsnaps  for years, but all the excess fabric on a project was annoying me.  So I  bought a set of 3 Frank A Edmunds handiclip.   I also wanted to use a higher count fabric,  so have gone back to 25 count.  Mini Minervas Melody was on 16 CT and would have been too big to fit the scroll rods.   I didn't want to restart the design as it would mean restitching what I'd just done.  Maybe one day I'll go back to it, but for now I'm going to start some new projects.

In the recent Heaven and Earth sale I bought 3 patterns.   Iris Keeper Storykeep by Josephine Wall,  Mini At the Steps by Leonid Afremov and Mini Childhood sweethearts by Jim Warren.  

Each will fit onto a different size scroll frame.   I have just started At the steps and will start childhood sweethearts at Christmas.   Iris Keeper may be my birthday start.

I am stitching on 25 count fabric 2x1 tent. I just started yesterday, so no photo yet.  I need to use a magnifier and am considering buying a magnifying lamp for my Christmas present.   In the meantime I have a small clip on magnifier and readers and am experimenting to see which I like best.

The plan at the moment,  is to have At the Steps as my focus piece and work on it every other month and do a minimum of 2200 stitches each month to have it finished in 2 and a half years.  I'll work on it every weekend, knitting during the week. Other cross stitch will be done the month its not being worked on.

experimenting on 25ct

I have a lot of 25 count easy grid fabric.   I wasn't sure how my eyes would work with the fine count these days.   I started Minervas Melody on 16 count for that reason,  I decided to experiment.   I stitched a small corner on 25 count,  8 started with 1 over 1 full cross, then switched to 2 over 1 tent.  I liked the 2 over 1 tent, so think I will start future projects that way.  It stitches up so much quicker.  The advantage  of 25 count over a larger grid is the thread goes further, so not as much rethreading is required .

I do have readers that fit over my glasses. I don't know the strength, but think it was quite low.   I will try to get some at a higher magnification just to make it easier

I also stitched in hand in the hoop, and didn't mind that.  The huge amount of excess fabric didn't seem to get in the way.   It may be easier to get out than the Lowry stand.

I'm back!!!

 Wow, nearly 2 years since I last posted.   Because I've been really just knitting, I've found ravelry and Instagram to be good ways to document my work, so havent felt the need to blog.

However, I've recently got back into my first love,  cross stitching.  I had the urge to start.  In my chart stash was mini Minervas Melody . I bought it in 2019.   I've always loved this so decided to start. 

Artwork is by Josephine Wall and charted by HAED 

I'd like to finish this in 3 years.  Since knitting is still my main craft, I'll need to stitching 2400 per month.  I'm not including October in that, as that is Mystery knitalong month which takes all my crafting time. 

My progress so far

I'm stitching on 16ct Aida easy count from Stitch NZ.  So far I've done 2633 out of 80115, 3.29%

End of year roundup

 This year I made 28 items and used 12,503m of yarn.

The breakdown is

Hats. 5

Socks. 6

Mitts 1

Dog jumpers 2

Jumpers  2

Cardigan  1

T's/cami/vest 3

Wash/dishcloths 3

Cowl/shawl/scarf 5

Hot water bottle cover 1

This was my make 9 for 2023.

These were current wips . The blanket and shawl have been frogged.  I finished The cardigan and hat.

These were my to be made, not wips at the end of 2022

I made the lento,top right, and the shawl and cowl.  I didn't make or start the other 2 jumpers.   I still want to make them though.  But probably not this year. 

The Year so far

 It's been a long time since I last posted.   I am now mainly using Instagram to record my progress.  

So what has happened this year.   We have had terrible weather events.  In January we were hit by a huge storm which caused flooding and loss of life.  Just a few days later we were hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.   This was the scariest Cyclone I've ever experienced.   Then a month or so later we got slammed by an atmospheric river.  I'd never even heard of such a phenomenon.  

Personally it hasn't been so great.  My optometrist picked up a potential macular hole.  I see a specialist at the end of July to confirm it and find out if and when I'll need surgery.

At the end of May, I slipped and fell while walking my dog and broke my wrist in 2 places.  I'm now into week 5 of wearing a cast, so next week get the cast removed and start physio.  I am really hoping I'll be able to knit again by August, but I will probably have to only knit for short periods to start with. 

I broke my wrist 3 days before Woolfest so missed that.  Ribbon Rose moved into a massive new building and added art and dressmaking departments on Kings Birthday weekend.   So I still haven't been there.   And Stephen West is doing his first Mystery Sockalong on 6 July.   My cast comes off in the 4th but I won't be able to hold small sock needles by then.  I would love to take part as a sock is so much more doable than a shawl and his Mystery knitalongs are so much fun. 

So what have I made.  Just a quick summary of what is off my needles. 

Sockhead hat

Hot water bottle cover 

Sirona sweater

Dog jumpers

Hipster shawl

Vanilla socks 

Pressed Flowers cardigan 

Mitts

Shiftalong hat

2022 advent and other haul

 I just got 1 advent this year,  from Marmalade Yarns.  It is a pretty fade.

I also treated myself to a very special limited edition  of chiaogoo needles.

I again got West Yorkshire Spinners Christmas box. I haven't taken photos,  just of the yarn, gingerbread. 

Ribbon rose were having a sale and I couldn't resist getting an umbrella swift and fancy ball winder.

These are 200g skeins caked up. My other ball winder was only for up to 100g skeins.