WIP Wednesday – A Pathway

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Heather

Hello, Stitchy Friends. It is time for another WIP (work-in-progress) Wednesday update. This past week I was able to dedicate quite a bit of time to stitching, in fact, I spent almost all day Saturday stitching. It was wonderful!

All Hearts Come Home Stocking, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

All Hearts Come Home Stocking, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

My hard work is really paying off! I’ve made so much more progress than I was expecting, thanks in part to all the half stitches in this section. There are a lot of whole stitches in the toe, but I have high hopes that I will make my Christmas deadline.

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Smalls SAL – It is almost time for this month’s Smalls SAL check-in. The post will be going live at about 6:30 am Eastern time on Thursday, October 27th. I need to get stitching! I haven’t even started my small for this month yet. Yikes!

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Sparkly Shawl

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Heather

At the end of last month I headed back to my hometown to attended a wedding. The dress code was very casual, with sundresses being suggested for the ladies. (This was the dress I wore.) Of course, at the end of September the weather can be very unpredictable and I wanted to make sure that I would be warm enough. So, what else can a knitter do by knit a shawl?

Haruni Shawl, designed by Emily Ross

Haruni Shawl, designed by Emily Ross

The pattern is Haruni, designed by Emily Ross and available for free on Ravelry. The yarn is Blue Heron Rayon Metallic in colourway Aubergine, which is a black with just a hint of purple threaded through with silver metallic thread. It sparkles so wonderfully in the light.

Haruni, designed by Emily Ross (centre panel detail)

Haruni, designed by Emily Ross (centre panel detail)

The pattern worked up much more quickly than I thought it would. It looks very fancy, but the pattern is actually quite simple. And, it didn’t use as much yarn as I was expecting. I did the pattern as written and ended up with about 25% of my (oversized) skein left. I wish I had done a couple of more repeats of the centre panel so that I could have used up as much of this lovely yarn as possible.

Haruni, designed by Emily Ross (detail of border)

Haruni, designed by Emily Ross (detail of border)

And, as often happens, my good intentions came to nought. It ended up being rather chilly on the day of the wedding, and I wore a cardigan over my dress instead of the shawl. 🙁 Oh well, at least I have a very pretty shawl for the next time I go somewhere fancy.

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WIP Wednesday – Still Stocking

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Heather

Hi, Stitchy Friends. We are well and truly into the fall weather here in Southern Ontario. The nights are cold enough to require warm sheets and the furnace has been turned on, but the days are still warm and sunny. This really is my favourite time of year, although I wouldn’t mind a couple of rainy days since they are perfect for tasty homemade soup and bread.

Cool nights also make for great stitching nights. I’m still working away on All Hearts Come Home Stocking from Dimensions, which I hope to have done for my dad before Christmas this year. I haven’t got as much done as I would have liked, but I’ve been sick with a nasty cold for nearly two weeks. (My son, who brought the cold home, was sick for two days…)

All Hearts Come Home Stocking, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

All Hearts Come Home Stocking, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

A lot of the stitches in the remaining part of the stocking are half stitches, so it is going a lot more quickly than the top of the stocking which was almost solid regular stitches. I feel like I’m flying along now. Yay!

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Instagram- Did you know that I post pictures of my WIPS on Instagram? You can find me there using the name @stitchinglotus. If you are on Instagram too, please leave a comment with your username. I’d love to follow you. 😉

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Baby Purse

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Heather

When I was a very little girl I had a cute little purse that could be converted into a bed for a baby doll. I remember loving the purse so much. Unfortunately, my little guy isn’t interested in purses or baby dolls. But, thankfully, my cousin just happens to have a little girl just the right age for little baby dolls.

Cradle Purse, designed by Mary Maxim

Cradle Purse, designed by Mary Maxim

This little project is a kit from Mary Maxim. It came with the little doll, the pattern, and a ball each of two different types of Mary Maxim yarn. (Sorry, I didn’t keep the labels.) The kit is available in both kit and crochet version here, and in a more subdued, slightly different version here.

Cradle Purse doll with blanket and pillow

Cradle Purse doll with blanket and pillow

The little doll has removable clothing. Although, it is a tight fit and I think the snap on the back of the top will be difficult for little fingers to manage. Still, it looks so cute!

Cradle Purse, designed by Mary Maxim

Cradle Purse, designed by Mary Maxim

Best of all, it gathers up into a little purse to carry around.

The little girl I gave it to seemed to love it. She carted around the little baby the whole evening, and seemed to delight in showing it to people (often in exchange for a bite of their food). It is so nice to be able to share things I loved from my childhood with the younger generation.

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Smalls SAL – September 2016 Check-In

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Heather

Hello, Smalls Stitchers! I’m so excited because it is time for another Smalls SAL check-in day. I’m sure some of you think I’m exaggerating, but I really do look forward to this day all month. I love seeing all the designs you’ve worked so hard on. It is very encouraging, and also helps to add a little more whimsy and beauty to my month. (You can find more details about the Smalls Stitch Along here.)

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And, speaking of whimsy, I went with two cute little Halloween designs from Lizzie*Kate this month. Haunted and Scary are two of the three bonus designs from the 2012 Halloween mystery Very Scary. It has taken me ages to get around to finishing them, but I am so glad I did.

Haunted, designed by Lizzie*Kate

Haunted, designed by Lizzie*Kate

They are stitched using whatever fabric was part of the kit. I wish I could remember what it is. (If you know, please leave a comment.) The thread is WDW in colour kohl.

Scary, designed by Lizzie*Kate

Scary, designed by Lizzie*Kate

So, what did you stitch this month? Are you working on Halloween projects too, or are you already in the mood for Christmas? Maybe you stitched up a flower, or a cute kitten. I can’t wait to see! Please head down near the bottom of this post to add your link to the list. Please be sure to use the permalink for your post and also please use the picture of your finish. If you are having any problems adding your link send me an email and I will do what I can to help.

The link list will stay open to new additions until about midnight Eastern time on October 6th. Remember, for each month that you share a finished small you get one entry into the end of the year draw for a prize full of stitchy goodness.

Next Month – The next check-in will take place on Thursday, October 27th. The post will go live some time around 7am Eastern. I know this is quite late in the day for some of you (or even the next day!). I appreciate your patience and understanding. And, of course, I always leave the list open for at least a week, so there is lots of time to get your link added.

Until next month, Happy Smalls Stitching!

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WIP Wednesday – It’s A House!

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Heather

It is time for WIP Wednesday again. Before I share what I managed to accomplish this past week (at the expense of many other responsibilities…), I want to say thank you very much for all the encouragement and kind words. It is really important to me to get this stocking finished before Christmas this year, and it really should be my focus.

All Hearts Come Home Stocking, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

All Hearts Come Home Stocking, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

So, not bad, eh? The house itself is now complete. I estimate that the stocking is likely about 1/2 stitched now, perhaps a little more. The bottom section is larger, but there are more unstitched areas and a lot of half stitches. I hope I will be able to stay motivated and power forward. Of course, that means that other pieces, like the Joyful World SAL, will have to be put aside for the time being.

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Smalls SAL – Tomorrow is the check-in day for the Smalls SAL. The post will be going live around 7am Eastern time. I can’t wait to see all your smalls!

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Review – Beadpoint Kit

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Heather

I’m always on the lookout for some new craft to try. I mean, I don’t already have lots on the go, right? 😉 Since I haven’t done too many projects with beads beyond little Mill Hill kits, I thought that giving beadpoint a try would be fun.

Beadpoint Kit

Beadpoint Kit

I picked up this beadpoint (bead embroidery) kit off of AliExpress for about CAN$20. It includes 11 count printed fabric, beads, and a big spool of thread, and instructions in Chinese. The printing on the canvas comes off with warm water.

Contents of beadpoint kit

Contents of beadpoint kit

It was pretty easy to figure out how to do this project, but I did make use of the Google Translate app to make sure that I knew exactly what to do. Essentially, you just apply the beads row by row using half stitches. I tie a little knot at the end of each row just to make sure everything stays tight.

Beadpoint progress

Beadpoint progress

It is a pretty slow process though. I’d say that this little flower took somewhere around 6 hours worth of work. I’m sure I’ll get faster with practice, but I don’t think I will ever become as quick at this as I am at cross stitching.

All the beads

All the beads

It can also be a little difficult to keep all the supplies neat and organized. I’m using a little container I picked up from the dollar store. I’m so afraid that I’m going to drop it or knock it and then I will never be able to re-sort the beads!

I do really want to finish this up since it looks really great, but the whole process takes so much time. It will probably be ages until I finish it up, but I am so glad that I gave it a try.

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