#80 ~ Some progress

Progress as at 30/4/19

HAED Alpaca

Working on Page 2

200 stitches tonight worked towards the #50kxstitchchallenge ... and I've updated the time stats page.

I'm still waiting for the Enchanted Needle order of floss for Colin the Crow, and as soon as it arrives I will swap out projects, but I don't think I will manage any #magicalstitches homework this week.

It's so busy at work, that I think I will turn in as I am tuckered.

Hugs

Kay x

#sussexstitchwitch #flosstube

#79 ~ It gets a bit messy ...

Progress as at 28/4/19

HAED Alpaca

... when I'm working on a diagonal, and I have cast on threads to the right and parked and ending threads on the actual diagonal I'm working on.

When I finish the diagonal, I'll turn the frame over and thread in the cast-ons (or cut them off if they are caught down under stitches well) which will give  me a clean diagonal to continue with.

I'm currently waiting for my order from the Enchanted Needle for Colin the Crow, and can't go any further until it arrives, so the Alpaca will be a focus this week.  To be honest, I am not sure if I will get a chance to do any SMSL #magicalstitches homework, but if I can work the Alpaca in then all the to the good.

Looking at the photo you can see that it will only take another couple of diagonals (albeit long ones) to get me over to the next page - all in all, it's going well and I'm so pleased to be back working on 1 over 1 25 count.

We've had a busy weekend here, and managed to do shopping hell, gardening and housework.  As soon as dinner is out of the way I will see if I can get a bit more done on Alwyn the Alpaca.

I hope you've all had a good weekend.

Keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay x

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch #magicalstitches #50kxstitchchallenge

#78 ~ Colin the Crow Marches to his own beat

Progress as at 24 April 2019

Mini Crow on Crescent Hill (aka Colin the Crow)

HAED Chart

25 count evenweave from Katzxstitch

Zweigart Easyguide stitched 2 over 1 tent stitch

... although with DMC Tin (#1), it is fairly difficult to see what that beat is!  Keeping to the diagonal is a challenge as Tin is about 1 shade darker than the fabric, and about the same shade as the little x's marked on the lines.

Now I'm getting the hang of tent stitch (not continental, that was a step too far) it goes pretty quickly, and apart from one small section on the left hand side where you can see that I have run under the stitches at the back, I'm happy'ish with how tent looks.

It's been a busy old day today, and I am bushed out so only managed 220 tent stitches.  The #50kxstitchchallenge page and Time Stats have been updated, and I'm off to catch a bit of Location, Location.

Keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay  x

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch #HAED

Page HAED Finish

#77 ~ Racing for a page finish on HAED Alpaca

Progress as at 19/4/2019

HAED Alpaca

Sorry about the horrendous sunbeam across this ... but I was rushing out of the door to Wickes for some vital DIY supplies for the upcycling project we have underway in the garden.

I did do some more when we got back at lunchtime, but then had to down tools again to help Hubby with the project.

I'm racing towards my very first HAED page finish, and have to admit that I am super excited about it.  I should achieve that tonight.  A page finish means that I've achieved my first goal with this WIP, and can take it off the frame and overlock the edge (as it is fraying a bit).

If Colin the Crow fits on another frame I will put the Alpaca back on the 36" scroll rod again, or if not Colin will go on until I get another set.  

Colin will then become my focus piece in the week until I get a page finish, and I will work on the Alpaca at the weekends as much as possible.  Hopefully I can use these two projects for SMSL homework, and just take the penalty stitches.  It's worked so far with Alwyn Alpaca.

I hope you are enjoying this glorious Easter weekend.  I will try and film a quick flosstube video when I reach the page finish.

Hugs

Kay

x

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch #magicalstitches

#76 ~ New HAED

Purchased 16 April 2019 from Heaven and Earth Designs

I crumbled and bought another one.  This adorable little guy is Crow on Crescent Hill.  As some of my flosstubers would say .... 'I can't even'.  I love him so much.  I am going to call him Colin.

He's a mini design, which in HEAD terms is huge to most peeps:

Finished Design Size 225 W by 283 H (9" W X 11-1/4" H inches and charted for 25ct fabric, containing 87 Colours.  I will be stitching it on Zweigart Easy Guide 25 count in 2 over 1 continental tent stitch.  I should have added hopefully, as I intended to start Alpaca and went to 1 over 1 full cross, but I will give it a go anyway.

As soon as I reach my page finish on Alpaca I will pop him on the frame and get going.

Keep calm ... it will be difficult for me with Colin the Crow waiting for me ... and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay

#75 ~ SMSL Homework for Y3W8 (Option 1) ...

As at 17/4/19

... is completed early doors this week, thanks to a day off yesterday.

We had two options to choose from.  I went for Option 1, which was 1,000 stitches on a project from a list of shops that we could visit at Hogsmeade.  Obviously, it had to be 'Gladrags and Wizardwear'.  We also had to add an explanation of why we made that decision:

'At last a little bit of down-time, and a change to pick up my custom order from Gladrags and Wizardwear. I've been hoarding my allowance and eventually got a chance at Xmas break to order a beautiful cloak made from the magical Golden Alpaca of Peru, which has a silk embroidered Hufflepuff logo on the inside. This fleece is light, warm and endows and endows the owner with extra reserves of strength and will-power. If wrapped around an injured person it will aid healing. I would love a pair of lovely leather boots lined with it too, but that will have to wait until I save up some more coins.'

I managed 1,021 stitches on Alpaca, which has pushed me to an almost page finish.  I should get some more stitches in it this morning too, so watch this space.  If I get to a page finish I will celebrate with a quick flosstube too.

Keep calm, and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay x


#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch #magicalstitches

PS:  I've updated the Time Stats file on #50kxstitchchallenge page in header.

#74 - SMSL Ultimate House Points Reading Challenge

The School of Magical Stitches and Literature Extra Credit - Ultimate House Points Reading Challenge **UPDATE**

Start date: 25 February 2019 - Kindle Unlimited

Finish date: 12 March 2019

The full details of the Ultimate House Points Challenge are on post #31.

Start date: 25 February 2019

Finish date: 12 March 2019

Kindle Unlimited

* * * * *

S - Suddenly Susan/Caught Up in me - Virginia Gray

L

Y

T

H

E

R

I - Into the Darkness - Sibel Hodge

N

R

A

V

E

N

C - Cuckoo's Nest (The) - Gordon Reid

L

A

W

G
R
Y
F
F
I
N
D
O
R

H

U

F

F

L

E

P - Perception and Illusion - Catherine Kullmann

U

F

F

H

O

G

W

A

R

T

S

Keep clam and carry on reading.

Hugs

Kay x

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch #schoolofmagicalstitchesandliterature #ultimatereadingchallenge

#74 ~ Hot load of stitching tonight

Progress as at 15th April 2019

See original post for details on count, fabric, etc.

which will be part of my #magicalstitches homework.

I've been super busy today at work, and so can hardly keep my eyes in.  I've updated the Time Stats (apart from adding the stitching time tonight), and so this is a quick post to add my progress.

Tomorrow I will add details of the homework - which I love this week - and 'fess up on a bit of gratuitous chart buying ... just because and an idea I have for Heath Robinson affair for my camcorder to film a stitch with me.

Keep calm and carry on stitchin'.  I'm off up the wooden hill.

Hugs

Kay

#sussexstitchwitch #flosstube

#73 ~ Minimum stitching time today ...

Progress as at 14/4/19

... as we had a family lunch.  By the time our company had gone, and we'd cleared up I just about managed 70 stitches.

Oh well, I'm at least going in the right direction, and will hopefully get some more done tomorrow after work.

I hope you all had a good weekend, keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay x

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch

#72 ~SMSL Y3W7 Task 2 Homework completed

Progress at at 14:43 on 13 April 2019

See original post for details on kit, etc.

After a week of pretty much hopping on and off the Struggle Bus, I've finally stitched my way to the end of the journey.

I love this WIP, but it is not a quick stitch as there is so much stopping and starting of threads.  Still, it's worth it.

Note to self .... you need to un-pick the last lot of 'B' flower stitches on the righthand side as they are too far over by one row.

Having finished my #magicalstitches Year 3 Week 7 Task 2 homework, I'm free to stitch something of my own choice.  Let's not kid ourselves, it will be the Alpaca!  However, there is a small bit of me that wants a nap this afternoon, so it might have to wait until this evening.

Have a lovely weekend, keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay x

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch

#71 ~ Finally off the struggle bus ...

Progress as at 11/04/2019

Teacup Stack

... and working on Task 2 for this week's #magicalstitches homework.  Although, I have just had to frog a few stitches.  Still I got 144 done this evening even after the weekly shop torture.

I am seriously looking forward to the weekend, it's been a looonnnngggg week.

I've been remiss with keeping up with my Time Stats on #50kxstitchchallenge, so I am going to nip over to Google Sheets and fill in the blanks.

Keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch

#70 ~ Round trip on the Struggle Bus

HAED Alpaca

Progress as at 09/04/2019

See the original post for details on fabric, count, etc.

#50kxstitchchallenge time stats on separate page

with the day getting off to a really bad start.  Although I have to admit that it has improved somewhat this evening with a lovely supper and some super stitching.  I may have done enough to cover the homework on SMSL over the past few days too.

I reached the bottom of another diagonal, and decided that to get over the problem of stitching over 2 pages I would stitch upwards.  I don't like it, and switched back to the top again.

I will have to have a word with my BFF to see is she can talk me through splitting the screen, if not I will just print out a zoomed in copy of the last join and use a paper copy.

The photograph looks a distressingly small area, but in real life it's a sizeable chunk.  Ideally, I'd like to get to a full page finish before I start my new HAED, even though it's killing me peeps.

Keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay x

#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch #magicalstitches

#69 ~ Journey on the Struggle Bus

As at 08/04/2019

HAED Alpaca - see original post for details on fabric, count, etc.

All aboard the struggle bus, I'm driving ... and the least said about today the better.

The only thing that has gone anyway nearer okay is tonight's stitching, with 210 stitches done in 2 hours - it feels like a lot of progress too.  I can also use these stitches towards my Y3W7 homework (which I will post about tomorrow).

I'm off to update the Time Stats on the #50kxstitchchallenge in a minute, drink a hot blackcurrant and snuggle into bed.

Night all.

Keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay

#68 ~ SMSL Y3W6 Task 1 - completed

My little stitching companion is guarding the floss cards.  I decided to make individual ones for each floss, as my thread organisers are all in use for other projects.  They are laminated in extra thick business/ID pockets with a hole on the side and one on a top corner so that they can just be popped on a book ring.  I can then fill them up for the master set for the project.

I was so tired last night that I didn't pick up a needle, which is really unusual, but I have made up for it today.  I managed to complete the 600 (more than that actually done) for Task 1 of #magicalstitches.

Progress as at 06/04/2019

It is doubtful if I will get any of the other tasks finished this weekend, and that will be the first time that I haven't finished my homework since I joint SMSL.  Although, it will be worth the miss this time, as my youngest baby is coming home from up 'north on Easter break from Uni.

There will be a lot of housework and washing done tomorrow as well as picking him up from the station as the oldest baby is off to the USA on business and needs to pack.

In all that madness I might get a chance to start a project bag instead of stitching.

Have a good Sunday, keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay 
x


#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch# 50kxstitchchallenge #magicalstitches

#67 ~ SMSL - Homework - Y3W6 Task 1

(As at 03/04/2019)

See original post for details on fabric, chart, etc.

Wow, super busy day at work today, and so I have only just got the chance to post last night's progress on the HAED Alpaca.

It's getting there, and the diagonals' are getting shorter as I race for a page finish.

#50kxstitch challenge stats can be found HERE click on the link and it will give you a spread sheet of cumulative stitches, and on another worksheet the SMSL challenges.

I should have taken this piece out of rotation by now, but I would really like to reach a page finish before I swap over to the other HAED.  Although, I/we will get a bit of variety when I can finish Task 1 for the week and move on Task 2 and 3.

I'm off to keep calm and carry on stitchin'.

Hugs

Kay

x

#66 ~ SMSL - Extra Credit Task 6 complete and homework Y3 W6

(Progress as at 2/4/2019)

March/April - Task 6

See original post for HAED Alpaca for details on fabric, stitch count, etc.

That's Task 6 Extra Credit completed, now I can move on to the Homework for Y3 W6.

'Students, we have had some trouble at Hogwarts. The Fat Lady has vanished from the Gryffindor Dorms. Professor Snape has decided to abandon the lesson plans for Defense of the Dark Arts and is now teaching werewolves. The Dementors are roaming the campus and invaded the Quidditch matches and causing people to black out!! So this week, we are going to remain calm while all these troubles are happening. Your homework is as follows and ; requires 300 stitches for each assignment and double that amount for penalty stitches. You do not have to stitch directly on the item but you must tell how it fits. Each task is worth 5 pts for a total of 15 points. 

1) For the Fat Lady Vanishing - Stitch on a project that is very close to a finished (at least 75% completed)
2) For Professor Snape abandoning the lesson plans: Stitch on a project that has gone of course ( a mistake you have run with; a project you have changed)
3) For the Dementors that caused us to black out: Stitch on something with DARK threads'

 It will be 600 penalty stitches on HEAD Alpaca for Task 1 ; 300 stitches on DMC as it is riddled with mis-counts, etc.; 300 stitches on Russian Icon DARK stitches, that should be pretty easy to do.  If I get time I will try for Extra Credit of stitching DMC 310 stitches, I thought I could stitch a black and dark grey border around the frame of the Russian Icon.  Northern Lights and Russian Icon are on Aida, so it will feel like a breeze after 600 penalty stitches on HAED Alpaca.

Oh well, it's been a hectic day today, and frustrating for reasons that I can't get into, so endeavour to keep calm and think about carrying on stitchin' tomorrow when I get home.

I'm on the countdown for youngest son to get back from Uni ... so excited.

NB:  Check out #50xstitchchallenge page and click on Time Stats to see how well I'm doing.


Hugs

Kay

x




#flosstube #sussexstitchwitch #magicalstitches