March Chookshed 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.

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.

Rain Rain Rain

 Well yes, it has been a wet week here and we have just had a warning for heavy rain again on Monday. Today we have Storm Ingrid bringing more wind and rain. As The Levels are already flooded as are many roads around Taunton it does not bode well. However, as an area prone to flooding, in fact The Levels flooding relieves the pressure elsewhere, houses tend to be built above flood levels. But of course the run off from these new developments just adds to the problem elsewhere.

It has therefore been a quiet week at home and everywhere is a little cleaner than it might have been! I would have done a lot more to my Chookshed Challenge and crochet had it not been for the latest Cormoran Strike novel. Having started it I just couldn't put it down!

Here however is my progress this week. My Stitch Journal was worked on every day, there is just one more week to go on this section and I have reached the original embroidery which you can see top left.

My Chookshed Challenge has progressed and I just have the vegetables to add not to the top of the box and the little fob. On track for a finish next week.

And I have been crocheting while watching TV.

I am about 3/4s of the way through last weeks instructions. The new colours arrived yesterday and hopefully I will get as far as them this week sometime.

So that is about all from me today - happy stitching from a soggy Taunton!

UPDATE - I have just been online and seen how much damage has been caused along the south coast by Storm Ingrid. Including the railway line at Dawlish being damaged again - they have only recently completed the repairs from the last big storm to hit it. And sadly the loss of the pier end at Teignmouth, an irreplaceable structure.

A Quiet week

 It is taking longer to get over this cold than I had hoped. And that, combined with Philip catching it and the cold weather means we have hardly been out this week. Which means one positive thing! - yes, plenty of time to sew.

My Stitch Journal is well under way - day 10 already!

My main focus this week has been my Chookshed Challenge - the Sue Hawkins kit. Having investigated further into the envelope I was given I found this picture of the finished scissor stand - much clearer than the one I posted last week.

Having spent about 10 minutes trying to unpick what the previous owner had started, I gave up and pulled a new piece of canvas from the drawer to work on. I have made really good progress as you can see.

So far I have done the top and two sides. I have decided to complete all the background stitching before adding the raised vegetables and flowers so that I can avoid catching them with stray threads while I work. I cracked on with this project because I knew that with the Attic 24 CAL starting on Friday I would be turning all my attention there for a while.

The first set on instructions for the Wildshore CAL arrived yesterday and I made a good start.

If I want to keep up with the CAL I will need to do about twice this amount before next Friday but I suspect that I will lapse to concentrate on other projects. I am very happy with how it is looking so far, the Yarnsmiths merino is lovely to crochet with and the colours gorgeous. I love Lucy's shell pattern too.

You can find the instructions for the shell pattern on the Attic 24 website under Wildshore CAL if you fancy trying it out. It is quick to work and if you can count to three then you are good to go!

So that is all from me today. I has been a beautiful sunny day but back to the rain tomorrow. Have a lovely week.