Dare To Dream.......

I am so pleased this kit is finally finished.  It's been touch and go if it ever would but I am glad I stuck at it and got it done!  The feathering especially started to get a bit stressful and confusing, the chart for the kit had all kinds of errors and I had to improvise a few bits to make it look right where the errors were!  BUT I got there in the end!!!

 I have a friend who has fallen in love with this picture so it may well be framed and end up finding itself in a new home :-)

Uguns The Dragon.....Hello!

Sorry it's been a while but I have come back with some finishes!!!  Firstly I take no credit on the one I'm about to show off other than getting the kit out the foot stool upstairs!  My partner Bob did the whole kit, it's his 1st cross stitch and I'm really proud of him!  Even more so that he did it to keep himself occupied while off work and completed the kit in approximately 4 days!  I think you'll all agree how lovely it is and that he should be very proud of his work!

 The finished picture will be washed etc then framed and mounted by a local framer who does a wonderful job with cross stitch pictures, then hung up in our boys bedroom :-)

Dreaming.......

I have NO idea how long ago I started this cross stitch but I have picked it up again and am making good progress with it!  It has been an utter swine at times, I have miss counted areas and had to improvise and re-stitch parts where there are glaring errors in the charts!  But I am winning with it at last!  The pic above is how it looked Monday morning, I was off work so I had a lazy day sewing and did a bit more last night too so below is how far it has progressed.  Just some wording then a lot of long stitch and backstitch detailing to add to finish the design.  I hope to have it complete by the end of January......I can dream!

Life Gets In The Way......

.......Like with everything life gets in the way sometimes so the crafting has been a bit non existent the last few days this week!  I do miss it when this happens so I make a point of getting something out and getting on with a bit of it.  In fact I think the most I managed to do this week was to make 1 of 2 squares for the friendship blanket swap we're doing on the Phoenix Forums that I frequent.

What I am working on at the moment along side the 8 inch squares (I make 2 a month at the moment for the swap) is the summer top I was getting cross with in a post below.  Also a cardigan in a lovely chunky green yarn, I am knitting the back at the moment but was struggling with the armhole shaping so now I have the advice I need I must get cracking with it!

In the cross stitch world I am working on a dream catcher picture that's been long over due finishing (surprise surprise!!!) Then there is another heap upstairs of half done ones so I'll pick another one when the dream catcher is done.

Add to that list my son has asked me for a new scarf and I think I have more than enough to keep me out of mischief for a while!

I was hoping for some crafting time over the weekend but we were busy with my partners kids and I baked a cake saturday then spent today doing a mass of ebay listings, let the flinging commence lol!  Anyone interested my link to my ebay sales is over there on the right :-)  Hopefully I'll have a new post for you all tomorrow maybe even with a couple of piccies of the cross stitch and my chunky cardigan in progress :-)

The Power of Fluff......

It's amazing what a group of friends some of whom have never met can do.  I had a surprise parcel yesterday through the post from my wonderful forum friends to send me a huge hug for the loss of my mum.  They sent a Sushi Sock Roll Kit! I will knit it and snuggle up in it with pride and feeling very lucky to have some utterly amazing friends.  

I've never seen anything like the kit, you un knit the dyed knitted fabric to knit the wrap in the pattern!  The colours are amazing, I look forward to the challenge of knitting it up :-)

Massive thanks again to all my wonderful friends on Da Fluff forums {{{HUGS}}}

Diamonds - A Girls Best Friend?

So they say anyway!  I have to disagree tonight!  I'm currently clicking away at a summer top that I started in June 2009 (yes I am a bit lapse at times!)  It's a nice simple halterneck top, the pattern has been beautifully clear to follow.....Until now!  I've never used charts before and this pattern has a charted section for the diamond detail on the front!  Add to that my novice with cables and Diamonds are not my friend tonight!  I'm winging it and so far I think it's going as it's supposed to be!

On the plus side I still love the pattern and am determined I'll have it done for summer this year.  The yarn is a discontinued Debbie Bliss - Stella, it's a very soft silk, cotton rayon mix that is a pleasure to knit with and gives beautiful stitch definition.  I've attempted to capture a pic to show it off!

Pull Up a Chair.......

...........Firstly hello!  and thanks for stopping by my blog!  I can't promise it will be filled with humour or well versed etc but it will be me chattering on about my crafting, whether it be through gritted teeth when it just doesn't want to go well or sharing the triumphs of finished creations.

My name is Kirsty, I am a busy mum of 3 small people (all of whom are growing far too fast!)  I live with my partner Bob (he also has 2 small people that visit us regularly).  Our busy house hold is also ruled by the crazy antics of my 2 cats Phoenix and Zephyr where as the garden is ruled by M'Ladies - our 5 ex battery hens!  When I'm not at home crafting I work part time in a local pub restaurant and I am also an instructor with the army cadet force.

I was always creative growing up, usually found scribbling away in a corner or helping my grandmother with her sewing and so on.  Mum was also an inspiration with the crafts, when I was younger she did hours upon hours of cross stitch, latterly she steered towards card making on a big scale.  My grandmother tried to teach me to knit when I was younger but it didn't go so well!  On the other hand I started cross stitching when I was 12 and have stuck with that on and off right up to today!  I taught myself to crochet after I had my 2nd child in 2004 using online resources and books etc.  Following on from that I picked up the pointy sticks and something clicked!

For me now I craft for pleasure, I love to just wittle away an evening curled up with some knitting, crochet or cross stitch.  I also do some sewing now and then, predominantly small comfort blankets with taggy ribbons for babies etc.  The other craft I took up in a big way is beading.  I have an enormous bead stash and a vast array of hand made earrings, phone charms and stitch markers lurking in a drawer!  That is just to name a few of the items I have stashed away that I've made!  I do have a web site (see my links to the right) Rainbow Crafts, I also sell on ebay (link is also over to the right) I would love to do more with it and sell more etc but it seems I'm missing a niche somewhere or just going about it all the wrong way!  But I keep trying and pottering and we shall see what happens!