HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!

Hope everyone has had a good start to 2012 .

Ours could have been better , my little lad is not very well again . He had a rotten throat just before and over Christmas, just got over that to start with earache. Not sure if it's infected or not , so we may be going off to the doctors' tomorrow if it's no better.

No stitchy goodies for me this Christmas , me and hubby only got each other a couple of token gifts with things being tight , we mainly spent on the kids , but I did get some money from other family members , just not sure what I'm going to spend it on yet ,lol.

So , I have a few finishes to show now that they have been received .

A friend asked me to make her a scarf a while back , then asked if I could make a hat to go with it . I'd started to knit the scarf in chunky white with pastel flecks , and she asked for cream , lol, so I decided to do both. The colours are not obvious in these pictures though .

These were my first attempts to make adult sized hats , they could have been better , but thankfully my friend liked them both .

I also stitched her these little kitties as part of her Christmas gifts . A also got around to sending out (rather late) my blogoversary gifts to Dawn and Jane , and both have been received . I knitted a little red and white stocking and made beaded scissor fobs. I also included a pair of scissors (not shown) . Sorry I was so late ladies ,things have been very up and down here of late . A few people were wondering what I was going to make with those knitted strips , so here it is , a paper chain scarf , just to be different ,lol . I had almost enough strips left over to make two smaller ones for the kids , just need to knit a few more strips . They thought it was cool . I have to show you a lovely gift I did get for Christmas . My best friends Mum - in - law made me this lovely scarf after I admired one she'd made for herself .

This picture really doesn't do it justice , it is gorgeous, and in my favourite autumnal colours too . Love it. Lastly , this is what I'm stitching on at the moment , hopefully a finish soon . So , looking back at my aims for last year , I managed to complete a massive...... one. Ah well, the best laid plans and all that .

I completed 67 stitched pieces , 40 of which were for charity.

I knitted 4 adult size scarves , 4 kids scarves , 2 teddy scarves (got to include them , lol ) , 2 adult hats , 8 baby hats , 8 pairs of bootees , 1 teddy and 3 stockings.

I also read 100 books.

This year , I just want to stitch and enjoy my stitching . I would like to finish my WIP/UFOs , but we'll see .

Thanks for dropping by ,

Cath

Catching up and some thank yous

Hi everyone , I've been meaning to post for the last couple of weeks, but time is getting the better of me .

My hubby has had a positive diagnosis of Genetic Haemochromatosis ,and has started treatment at the hospital. He has to have a unit of blood removed every two weeks at the moment , and we are hoping that it will start to bring his iron levels down. It is very early days , so no real change with his symptoms as yet .

I will have to be tested to see if I'm a carrier of it as the kids will have automatically inherited one faulty gene from their Dad , so they at the least will be a carrier. If I am clear then it won't have any effect on the kids, but they will have to be aware that it could be passed on to their children should they have any .

I have been stitching a bit , done a tiny bit more on the snails ,

and started a new project but I will show that next time when hopefully I will have done a bit more .

I have also been knitting , and have a plan for these .

I made this, basically to see if I could and now I'm not sure what to do with it . I've had an offer of a good home , so we will see , lol. she just needs a nice scarf of some sort.

On to the Thank yous .

First to Becky who very generously sent me a bag full of tins and boxes to aid my finishing . I am looking forward to finding some smalls to add to these. Thanks again Becky .Then to Chris who passes on her charts when she has finished with them , and very kindly sent me this happy little snowman , again something to look forward to . Thanks Chris , I love him. And , last but not least thanks to the lovely Nia who sent me this lovely Christmas card and bunch of everlasting mistletoe . Nia , you brought a smile to my heart , thank you sweetie.

If you haven't visited any of these lovely ladies blogs , please do so .

I am seriously hoping to get back into the swing of crafting and blogging , but probably not until after Christmas now. The presents are bought , but not wrapped , most of the cards are written , but not sent , one nativity done , the other on Wednesday, then discos and parties . I am not joking , the kids have a better social life than me , at five and seven ,lol.

There are a couple of lovely giveaways listed on my sidebar , please have a look .

Thanks for dropping by ,

Cath

Birthday Season

Well , I can now share with you a couple of my secret stitches that were for birthday gifts.

First off it was Laineys' birthday last weekend , and knowing her love of sheepies and purple , I was well chuffed a few months ago when I came across the perfect chart for her.

You may recognise it , LHNs' Lavender Hill . I really enjoyed stitching it ,and will have to do it again at some point for me ,lol.

I was planning on making it into a pillow , but didn't have enough stuffing , and they didn't have any in , where I usually get it from , so came up with this instead.

A tote type bag , in lavender fabric. I'm pleased to say that Lainey likes it .

The day after Laineys birthday , it was Auntie Janes' at SFPSFC , and this chart was just crying out to be stitched for her. It's from the "Children of Southern Roots" chart book , and the little girl with a teddy and blanket just said what we do in the charity group so much. As I was on a roll , I made this into a little bag too .

Then , it was my birthday !

Lainey sent me this lovely mag ,

And this fantastic pillow . I just totally love this to pieces , and it is so well co-ordinated with the trims etc .

And here it is with a couple of other lovely hand made gifts from special friends. Love my new kitty , and the boys aren't even a little bit jealous , lol.

I also got these two fab books from my Husband and friend .

And I treated myself to this I have found a few charts that I like , but on first impressions, I don't think it is as good as last years issue.

Mostly , I got money for my birthday , so I've bought some fabric to make Spooky Row into a wall hanging , and now I'm on a stash hunt ,so look out for some yummy stuff heading this way soon .

Thanks for dropping by ,

Cath

Still here

Hi folks , I know I have been neglecting my blog of late ,the truth is , not done much stitching either .

We have had a couple of big stress factors since the end of February which seem to have infected everything at the moment , so my mojo for most things is pretty low.

Add that to the extra long holidays the kids seem to have had from school , and everything has gone to pot. With Easter being late , inset days and extra bank holidays added on, they were off for three weeks , and they're only back at school for three weeks before half term.

Anyway , I was one of the lucky people who received an gorgeous lavender bunny from Nia.

Thanks again Nia , I love it and have it on the shelf next to my seat .X

I have done a bit of stitching. Three chickens from Cross Stitcher issue 229 (before they changed it). They will be joined by a fourth (eventually) and hopefully turned into a couple of cushions.

I'm hoping to find some gingham's in black and red to make them up . Work on the fourth chicken is slow , but hopefully things will improve soon.

Thanks for dropping by ,

Cath

Gifties , thanks and pics.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas . Ours was better than expected , my daughter was ill with flu , but thankfully started to improve on Christmas Day . Of course , my son has now got it , but recovering , and I started with it Christmas Day evening . Hey ho , it could be worse .

I'd like to say a big Thank you to Jane and Tilly , who sent me a parcel of love just before Christmas . I saved it to open on the day , and what a lovely surprise it was . Jane had made me a lovely LK Christmas ornie , and sent a bunny cookie cutter . I will think of them every time I use it . Thanks Jane , and Tilly

Isn't this lovely .

Also , my exchange package from Lainey . I wasn't allowed to open it straight away as it was all wrapped in Christmas paper , so the kids said if I could open presents , then so could they ,lol . So , these were opened Christmas Day too .

Lovely lavender smellies (one of my favourite scents) and some DMC special threads.

Christmas fabby, photo ornies and some cute little buttons. Two gorgeous charts . I love the snowman before and after , and went on to the Sew and So site to price up the buttons for it . I think I will be waiting a bit before doing it , lol. And some lovely snuggly socks , which are keeping me warm as I write as my slippers collapsed last week , and no time to get some new ones yet.And a totally gorgeous snowman cube . He is so lovely. Well done Lainey on the finish and thanks again for a fantastic exchange.

On to some other gifts I received.

Kitty calendar ,two books and Eclipse DVD (yet to be watched as I've felt too rotten in the evenings ,lol)ScooterAnd Cooks Helper . Two Pocket Dragons to add to my collection . And here they are with the others. Gotta love the little guys.

And finally , some stitchy gifts .Lots of lovely WDW and GAST threads

all ready to stitch these. Though I need some more WDW now so I can stitch Spooky Row too.And these 21st Century threads are the ones I picked at the Harrogate show . Can't wait to try them out.Lastly , some lovely gifts from special forum friends.

I got lots more bits and bobs , but getting tired now. I was up pre 6am today as woke up with a rotten sore throat so got up to have a warm drink. Hence the dark photos , lol. It snowed again today , but it was the wet stuff so hasn't done much .

I will leave you with a couple of pics of the sunset on Christmas Day.

Thanks for dropping by ,

Cath