February's Picture!!!

Here is another scene from the Nile. To make it more manageable I decided sometime ago to complete a scene each month, the border another, title another etc. therefore giving me something to aim for. This would mean that it should be done around October/November this year. Good progress was made last summer and I was a little ahead, but I ran out of some threads which slowed me down partially due to a lack of motivation and also having to source more thread - which has now changed numbers. 

This weekend I completed another scene but as the title says it was planned for February!

Having said that, good progress is now being made on the next scene thanks partly due to being away a couple of days and no chores getting in the way :-)

Shopping

Yesterday I had a lovely day out at Castle Donington with Lady R. We decided it was high time we investigated a new knitting shop so off we went to Threads of Life where we spent a very pleasurable hour browsing their patterns, wools and other lovely bits of knitting and sewing paraphernalia. I found a lovely book - 'More bags to knit' - it was VERY tempting but as I have not sewn a bag from the '25 Bags to Make' book that I purchased at Harrogate some years ago I did manage to resist this temptation. In fact I managed to resist ALL temptations - ok not quite!
After our browsing and purchasing by Lady R we went exploring around the village - a upholstery fabric shop - bargains to be had there and I purchased stuff to make a bag - from 25 bags - if only I could find that book! More of that another day. We also looked at the local craft fayre, several dress shops and even a very brief nosey in a bridal shop. Next stop a very nice lunch. Anyway after being told to live a little I decided that living a little involved the returning to the knitting shop and purchasing of something. I had taken a liking to some wool - Rico Pixel - a lovely cotton and polyester wool that on the test piece the shop's owner was knitting did feel lovely and like it had some weight to it.
So I happily left the shop with 10 balls of said wool and the above pattern - suggested by Lady R rather than the one I had originally looked at. I can't wait to start this but feel I should press on with the Sphinx  or the slippers - don't think I have posted those yet? Also got 2 balls of wool this week to knit the sole and lining of those so nothing holding me back now! Except domestic drudgery, work, etc. etc.
I feel some knitting is inevitable this week and it is both the knitting and stitching groups and the old Sphinx may be too tricky for these social events. :-)

He who is upon his mountain

Well he is according to Wikipedia - or better known as Anubis. This was lovely to finish off after doing the camels - not many colours so quick and easy to do - just need to add his name now then it is on to the Sphinx.
Yesterday I resisted the temptation to buy some wool and a crotchet hook from the local wool shop that has moved premises. I thought my mum might be able to teach me to crotchet whilst she was here today - ha ha - hardly enough time to cook dinner so crotcheting was never going to happen.
Next Saturday I am off to visit a wool/needlework shop with my good friend Lady R.. Might take in a tea shop as well - wonder if I will be able to resist shopping there? Doubtful.

Camels and Jockeys

So here is the Queen's Pyramid again with the camels and jockeys outlined now - is jockey the right word for someone who rides a camel??? I think the camels and their riders must be twins as they are exactly the same - no variation at all. I forgot to put the name on the picture but when that is done that will be another scene closer to finishing :-)
I started a new project this week - knitted slippers but that is now on hold as I went to buy the wool for the inside and the shop doesn't sell it  even though they do stock a lot of other Rowan wool. I guess that means I will have to venture out one day and find a new wool shop - it's a hard life. Still without the inner wool it did mean I went back to the cross-stitch last night.

Camels and Half-Stitches

Can't say that I like camels or half-stitches after doing this picture. It may not be obvious but this is Queen's Pyramid and has two camels in front of it. This picture has lots of half-stitches - twice as much effort and quite tricky to fill the space of one normal stitch. Most of these half-stitches here are for the camels legs. Just got the back-stitching to do now and it should improve the picture no end and mean the camels don't blend in to the pyramid.
In fact I have started the back-stitching - and it is already wrong :-( So off to unpick or finish knitting a square that Guides started yesterday at a craft day.

Ta-Dah!

Finished at last - the scissor keepers from previous posts - and fastened on to the recently discovered scissors :-) That should stop them disappearing between the sofa cushions.
The finishing off of the roof was really quite tricky and it is not perfect - but what is the opposite of perfect? Yes, finished!!!
So what next - well probably another unfinished project, however I have had two people say I can start a new project - and one of them was none other than the Lady of the Rules - yeeesssss! So I see this as a great triumph and a cause for celebration. So far, despite having had the go ahead for 48hours, I have resisted a new project - wow! But that will not last much longer as this week it is both knitting and craft group meetings, and experience tells me not to do anythng complicated or I will only end up unpicking it when I get home. The Nile picture, well much of it, falls into the complicated category so I think I can justify a simpler project for these evenings out with like-minded ladies.

Almost there

I was hoping to finish this for today's post but the really good weather meant we went out so there was no time to finish off the fiddly little bits like stitching the roof. Also need to make the cord to fasten it to scissors but that requires two pairs of hands so bribery might be involved somewhere. Anyway there cannot be too many hours(??) left with this so can I start something new then? Pleeeeaaaassseee?????