March Choosked Challenge

 The number for March is #2 which for me is a Retreat Bag. Now I have had the pattern for this bag, along with frames for both sizes, for some years now and have never got around to making it up. Could this be it's time? Well no actually as for some reason I have no great yearning to crack on with this. So instead I am making the crochet cardigan kit my project for the month. The pattern is for a jumper but I am splitting the centre blocks to make a cardigan.

So after last months frantic hooking and stitching I have slowed right down and am taking my time with these. My blocks so far.

Also catching up with some reading. My Book Club book of the month is this one. 

Not an easy read but somewhat appropriate considering the current actics of that awful man across the ocean. And then for something lighter lol

Well, you can't beat a good murder mystery.

My Wildshore blanket was finished on Friday - the border turned out lovely.

I am very very pleased with my blanket.

Well, of course I have been sewing and my Stitch Journal has it's first entries for March.

Here are some pictures of my finished section for February.

It has been a fairly dry week for a change and we have had two trips to the seaside. I had hoped to have some nice pictures for you but sadly the sun declined to shine! More rain to come this week.

That's it from me for this week. Happy stitching.

Chookshed Challenge February

 And yes, Ms Rabbit is a finish! Last stitches added this afternon - the scary bit, adding the ears! However, nowhere near as scary as anticipated thank goodness. So here she is.

A few more shots.

So pleased to have finally made up this rabbit - many thanks to Julie for sharing the pattern and to Deana for organising the Chookshed Challenge. I am looking forward now to finding out what our challenge for March will be.

I have spent most of my time this week working on rabbit but I have kept up to date with my Stitch Journal - just a gap left there for todays entry.

I will share the whole month next week when it's had a good press.

I have also finished the shell rows of my Wildshore blanket and thanks to some cricket yesterday afternoon, I made a start on the border as Lucy released the instructions yesterday morning.

I mentioned last week that Stylecraft were sending a replacement ball of yarn - the yarn I used for the original socks was no longer available so I chose something from a different range. On Monday a large package arrived from Stylecraft - not just a ball of yarn but a goodie bag!

Two balls of yarn which is called Sacred Earth, two pattern books and a tiny tin of stitch markers. Very nice, thank you Stylecraft.

In the pattern book I spotted this advertisement for Ammonite Yarns

and thought, that's a nice jumper! Maybe I could use the leftover yarn from Wildshore for the flowers in this jumper. So I wrote to Ammonite asking if they had the pattern and back came the reply - yes, and we also have the kits. Well, before |I knew it I had ordered the kit! Whoops. Oh well, I do love it. However, I am planning to split the front to make a cardigan for the summer and will order some dark yarn to make a winter jumper using the leftover Wildshore yarns.

Right, that is enough waffle from me, have a great week and I will see you soon.

Chookshed Challenge and sock update

 I have been busily stitching away on my rabbit - my Chookshed Challenge for the month. Here is my progress so far. The front which just needs the addition of some features on the head section

and the back which needs a lower border - todays task.

The scarf will cover the upper part of the wisteria so it won't look like it is sprouting out of nowhere! Next up will be the ears and then hopefully I can get her all sewn up before the end of the month - fingers crossed!

So my Wildshore blanket has taken another backseat this week but as I am not far from the last few rows and as this is a catchup week, I should be ready to start adding the border when the pattern comes out next Friday. 

My Stitch Journal activity for the week.

I wrote to Stylecraft regarding the strange repeat in my sock yarn and inviting their comments. I received a reply with a long explanation about knots in the yarn ( I didn't see any) and disruption to the dye sequence. At the end however, I was offered a replacement ball of yarn which I understand is winging it's way to me as I speak! So I am happy and hopefully I can show you what I receive next week.

We had a nice drive out this morning - partly in sunshine and partly misty rain - to deliver some books we no longer need to someone who collects for the Watchet Community Bookshop. The Bookshop is closed until the end of March but it was good to be able to clear away some unwanted books. Anyway, the journey involved narrow backroads with grass down the middle - always a good rural sign - lots of running water and a partly flooded road. Evidently had we wanted to visit earlier in the week we would not have been able to due to flooding. Anyway, the point of this is that it was so lovely to see masses of snowdrops and daffodils happily flowering despite soggy feet. Just beautiful in places.

So that is it for now, I must get back to my embroidery and there is a football match this afternoon to listen to and snooker to watch. Goodness, there is rugby too - well at least I can get my head down if that is on as it makes no sense to me whatsover! Happy Saturday.

A Quiet week (another!)

 Starting off with my Stitch Journal and we are halfway through the month already so here are my entires for the month so far. Jo suggested that I add an umbrella as we have had so much rain - happy to oblige Jo. And today we have had a mornings worth of sunshine so thought that was worth celebrating.

I have added some more rows to my Wildshore blanket but not many. Next week is a catchup week before we tackle the border so have plenty of time. The reason though that I have not done so much is that I realised the deadline for finishing the socks I started befoe Christmas was fast approaching. So I have spent quite a bit of time this week knitting. However!

This is the sock I finished before Christmas.

Rather an odd colour repeat I thought but heyho. So I wound on the wool to get to the yellow/navy and cracked on with the sock. All went well until I had turned the heel and then look what happened!

Oh well, I am not changing anything and as it is the foot it will not notice inside a pair of shoes but such an odd repeat. I will look out the label and add it when I post the finished socks as I shall be avoiding this maker in the future.

Small progress on my Chookshed Challenge, not worth photographing - I shall get back to it as soon as the sock is complete.

That is all from me for this week, happy stitching.

Saturday Roundup

 Welcome one and all to sunny Somerset! No, the weather has not changed - just a brief interlude after this mornings rain. We are told that it has rained every day this year so far. Enough.

My Stitch Journal for the week.

And my crochet progress.

Was getting nicely through week 4 and thought I might have caught up by Friday when the next instructions were released. However, felt a slight twinge at the base of my thumb so thought I might give it a rest for a few days rather than make it worse. For my yarn choice - the Yarnsmiths Merino, week 5 is the last of the main body and next week Lucy is talking about borders. So I will see how I get on and how much yarn I have left.

I have made a start on my Easter rabbit, this is the front.

However I am now thinking I might have gone too high as the scarf will probably obscure the top flower, so maybe it will be the back! Oh well, thats what you get for winging it. Having fun though which is the main thing.

Hope you are having fun too. See you next week.

Chookshed Challenge for February

 Deana has pulled #8 for February. #8 on my list is to use some lovely eco print fabrics that I bought at FoQ last summer. Sadly, inspiration has yet to arrive so I have swapped for #1 which is an Easter rabbit and which might actually be ready for this Easter.

A few years ago I spotted this post on Julie's (My Threadbear Life) blog and fell in love with with Wesberry Rabbit. Julie very kindly shared the instructions and this rabbit has sat in my pattern folder and at the back of my mind ever since. It is made using chenille fabric which I don't have although I have been on the lookout for a candlewick bedspread that I could use but with no success. However, I had also seen this delightful teddy bear by Jennifer Clouston.

I love Jennifer's books and used her Foolproof Crazy Quilting when I taught myself some years back. This bear is made from tweed suiting and beautifully embroidered. I thought perhaps I could do something similar for my rabbit. However, the collection of tweed I had in France seems to have gone missing - no doubt it will turn up when rabbit is finished lol. However I do have a collection of brushed cotton shirting which I salvaged from my Dad's shirts when I cleared out his wardrobe. Destined one day to become a quilt I am sure a few pieces for rabbit will not be a problem.

So there is my plan - hopefully I will have made a start by my next post.

And it's a wrap!

 My Chookshed Challenge #3 is complete. This was my January challenge, the little Sue Hawkins scissor stand kit.

I finished it mid week and am very happy with it. It stands just over 2.5" high and is 1.5" wide.

I had left the veg garden until last and the bullion knots were tricky as I was sewing through the canvas but I got there without damaging my hands which was a miracle!

From left to right - cabbage, carrots, cauiflower, radish and courgettes.

Here are the other four sides.

Now I am looking forward to learning the challenge number for February. In the meantime I have been crocheting away and am now about halfway through week 3 of the CAL. Week 4 arrived yesterday.

And of course my Stitch Journal. We are now at the end of the month and the first section is complete.

It has still been raining. Another storm passed through Monday night and on Tuesday a major incident was declared for Somerset with unusually high flooding in Taunton and the surrounding area. Thankfully it is all receding now but it is raining today and there is another warning for heavy rain on Monday.

I walked down to the river on Tuesday morning thinking to get some pictures of the floods sparkling in the sunshine. However, sods law decreed that by the time I got there (10 minutes walk) the sunshine had turned to rain and all I got were some dull pictures of turgid waters!

I walked along the main road and above was the view from the bridge to my left, below the view across the meadows to the right.

Here you can see the river which is nipping along at a pretty sharpish pace.

Although we are not far from the river we are fortunate that it floods on the side away from our village and out onto the meadows.

So that is all the news from here - have a great week everyone and happy stitching.