Whoosh! and another month flies by

I am beginning to wonder if the time is going quicker as I get older or is it my imagination. No sooner is it the start of a month we are at the end of it or so it seems.  Next month will fly by no doubt , we have Caitlins 15th birthday to celebrate on Sunday and her brother Jack will be 18 a week today. My goodness it hardly seems possible that the baby I saw come into the world is now going to be 18.
A fine young man (although some may say I am slightly biased).
Sitting here I am coughing and spluttering ,Martin thought he would share his germs with me.He feels a little better so I am hoping this will not be hanging around for long.
After all the wet we have had recently it has been nice to see the big yellow duster in the sky. It has turned cold but I would rather it be like that. Martin has been out making wig wams in the garden . All our tender plants have been fleeced as we expect a frosty night. So watch out ,watch out Jack Frost is about ,he is after your fingers and toes.

I am a little premature in showing you this as it is not January yet, I did say the months fly by , but this is my latest finish. Sally and I are doing these Wordplay doorbells months. I am pleased by how this has turned out. Supposed to use rusty pins and bells but I wanted bright ones.
I have also finished my winter exchange piece for Needlecraft Haven but you will have a whole month to wait to see that as opening day isn't until the 31st of December.
I will be able to show you the christmas ornie exchange next time as the opening day for that is this Saturday.
Tomorrow I hope to feel like cleaning the house and having a de-clutter before the tree goes up ,maybe on Saturday. It will feel as if no sooner as it is up it is time to take it down . So the sooner it goes up the better as I do like to see it in all its splendour and it will have its few new ornies this year.

I was over in the parlour last night with the parlour maids and some stitched and some didn't .Here is my progress anyway a before and after.

 The colour of the fabric is more the lower pic. I think this will be pretty when finished almost half way.
 I have ordered a couple of charts that I could not resist so may be able to show those soon. I have also received this week the new Jane Austen knits ,but I do not think I shall bother with these anymore. Lovely to look at but not much I would knit .

 Talking of knitting I had some Malbrigo wool come this week .

The one on the left I could see a shawl draped over a piece of driftwood. I do like knitting with this wool. and maybe in the New Year I shall have a giveaway of a hank of this  wool,enough for you to make socks or a shawl, for those who arent knitters I shall have to think of something for you before then. So look out in the month of January.It will be a late blogaversary giveaway.

I had a lovely suprise this morning ,not a christmas present I was told!! How cute is this calendar ,sent by my friend Miss Julie. I have been so lucky in finding this family through Needlecraft Haven , so many lovely ladies on there.,but Julie is rather special and I know she will be blushing when she reads this. Thanks for being a friend Julie just wish we lived nearer. I have the book of these bears to knit,some of you may remember i made one from it for my bear collecting Mother in law,  so I am offering it to anyone who would like it as I now have a calendar from Julie to keep. It will have to be someone in the UK.Please reply to this post if you would like it. If more than one person wants it then I will choose a name from the sorting hat.
Well folks must away as a hungry man will be demanding dinner when he gets back with Ollie dog, and I would hate to disapoint.
Take care my friends and followers ,December is hovering around the corner !!
Thanks for comments and I shall talk to you again soon. Please excuse any grammatical errors as I won't have chance to check this.
Much love and hugs
Barbx

An addition to the family

This is Misty,she is a rag doll kitten. Ella our granddaughter has taken ownership of her this week as an early Christmas present. We haven't seen her yet as it is a problem with Ollie dog as he is not a lover of cats and as they do not live around the corner he has to come with us, I think too that Martin is afraid to let me see her as she may get catnapped.  She is apparently an indoor cat so they will have to keep a close eye on her for a while. At the moment she has the conservatory to herself and at the weekend will be allowed into the other rooms. I have a lovely pic of her and Ella but I cannot turn it round as it is on its side ,so have to wait for help. Misty has a nose like a Koala bear.
Well what wild and grey weather we are having, I just ventured out with the dog and it is blowing a gale out there.
I have been so lucky to win a giveaway on Andreas blog,  http://thecraftroom.blogspot.co.uk/ she apparently does ornies every year although it is the first year I have seen them and they looked so lovely I thought well I may be lucky.AND I WAS!!!!
Thankyou so much Andrea ,my tree will be quivering with excitement this year it has another ornie coming from the NH christmas ornie exchange too.Anyway here is the lovely ornament I had from Andrea.

Oh damn and blast it is on its side. sorry .Just turn your computer or head on its side!

She had also made me the lovely card next to it, which is just so pretty,thanks again Andrea.

I finally got around to making up the Its snow cold ornie ,but I think I should have stuffed it a little more . The bottom is a bit wavy. If I put it at the back of the tree no one will notice. I seem to have a bit of a thing about this ,has anyone got a solution.
I also got Sallys happiness in the post to her yesterday,now I have apologies to make to Shirlee and Margaret. Angela has hers as she had been in hospital so I needed to send her a little something to cheer her.I have done the other 2 as promised but , last week I had almost finished the last one when I noticed a mistake, so I stupidly took the scissors to it and yes you guessed it I made a hole ,grrr so that went in the bin and I stitched yet another to replace it. Thought I would have a make up session and I got to the two backs that I had cut out with the two fronts an hour before . Gaily stitching things together came to the backs and no fronts. Searched high and low ,but no fronts !! Heavens knows where they have gone, so I now have to do the stitched two AGAIN!!!! I know my own happiness and it is not stitching things again,and again . So ladies you will get them one day ,I am just not saying when ,meanwhile enjoy yours Angela and Sally you don't know how lucky you are lol.Also forgot to take pic of Sallys.
I have another no show pic too as the ornie exchange over at NH has been stitched and will be winging its way soon as will the Winter exchange. Phew.

Wips continue , with Sally I am doing the January wordplay -oh I LUV this one and I know Sally is itching to start hers. This is how far I have got.Well this was before Mondays stitching with Sally. Now this weeks progress.

I am really looking forward to next Monday .Wednesday too is a good day over in the Little House in the Country with the Sampler  girl  in the parlour.This is where it was when I started on Wednesday.

Here is where I finished last night.
Another work in progress is Quaker Diamonds but this week I don't know why ,but I just couldn't see it properly and did not seem to do much at all so not going to show you that .

So that is my stitchy news for this week .


I hope you are all as well as can be expected with all this dampness about , thanks for the continuing comments and encouragement to continue with this ere blog of mine. It does mean a lot. Well thats it from me for this time and I hope to be back with you again soon if the naughty elves stay away.
Much love and many hugs
Barbx

Well hello my blogging friends ,I thought I had better give you an update on my doings or undoings as the case may be. I had a rather unwelcome visitor this week ,who caused a rip it hole in my last Know your own happiness.So fed up was I that it went into the bin as it was unrepairable. Then on Monday it hopped out again and this progress I had made on my Wordplay ,was found to be out by a thread.

So I am inbetween 2 minds do I start it again,or rip it out? Shall make up my mind by Monday when I see Sally again. So I got my magic wand out and this is what happened to the frog,

Hee Hee I am not really a witch. I did have a finish this week over at the Parlour in the Little House in the Country I had a new start,firstly though both Miss Julie and I finished the same design ,here is mine.

Thia is Daisy Lane Cottage by little House Needleworks. After some deliberation I decided on Vintage Christmas by Country Cottage Needleworks as a new start this week.

I did have another new start, but as that is for an exchange I cannot show you that. On Saturdays we have over at NH a ufo night with Julie and Mr Stick ,Julie has been very clever on getting us to KEEEEP Stitching whilst watching Strictly. A favourite programme of mine ,as is Merlin and Casualty that I stitch now all evening on Saturdays, then it is the results show on Sunday and Downton so it gets and airing again. I have made a bit of progress on it and now I shall show you the before and after 2weeks.

After this last weekends stitching. Quaker Diamonds by Rosewood Manor stitched over one.The bottom pic is more true to life colouring wise.

I am so pleased I turned that frog to stone! I have so much to tell you this time so better get on with it. Martin had a craft fair last Saturday ,this was his stall.The day was a little slow he said but he did sell some things.

I think maybe it is a little early and will book for the end of November next time. When Jack saw his grandads woodturning he asked if he could come and have a go whilst on half term. This is said Jack in Martins very messy garage. Couldn't get a car in there even if you wanted to lol.

I was going to show you a pic of the bottle stop in ash he made and a redwood candlestick holder. He is supposed to be sending me a pic but it has not materialised yet.!!
He has been to lunch today with Katy (girlfriend) they had spaghetti bolognese. I do like Thursdays as it is so nice to see them.

Yesterday I was collected and taken into town with Kate (daughter) and we were very naughty went to M&S and had tea and cake. Oooh yum.Kate couldn't believe I was taking a picture of the cake. Now maybe she was right and I shouldn't have as  it will be held in evidence against me .

Martin and I took a walk round the garden the other morning and just had to show you this. It is a Fatsia Japonica Varigata and it is in flower . Isn't it fab, looks very alien like and it is laden with flower as you can see all the little round flowerets waiting to burst open. Do not take too much notice of the spelling of its name ,I think I shall have to find her a name of her own. Any suggestions.

I have been knitting too and another finish means I now have some fingerless gloves.I am not sure what I want to knit next ,I had an urge to knit Martin a cable jumper but the price of the wool was frightening. So a rethink on that one.
I am sure I had lots more to tell you but the brain is being addled by pain, so I think I shall call it a day. Thankyou so much for coming over to keep me company it is always good when friends call. If you left me a little comment thanks, I was thinking should I carry on with this blog ,but had such nice mail from Sally and Angela that I had second thoughts, oh well it cannot be that bad.
Hope you are all well and if not get well soon .Loads of sniffles and snuffles doing the rounds. A few of you have worrying times - apparently we are not given more than we can handle so just hang on to that handle.
Big hugs for you all
Barb.x