Friday

Week two of the Christmas Wishes CAL, the snowflake section was released last Thursday and  I've just managed to complete it today.  The snowflakes are worked using tapestry crochet which I've never done before, the stitches are only double crochet but as it's done by following a chart It did take a while to get my head around changing the colours at the right point.   There are probably some mistakes in there but on the whole I'm happy with how it's looking.

There was loads of chatter on the fb group of people struggling and the fact that you can see the white carried yarn through the red, I must admit that I initially thought It looks a bit weird too and the snowflakes definitely looked wrong, but the more you did the better it looked.  Actually, now I don't mind the white showing through, it gives a fair isle look to it.

Week three was released yesterday but I'm going to have a break from it over the weekend.

I hinted at a new hobby a couple of weeks ago, can you guess what it is?

Sew With Holly is a lovely little haberdashery shop in our local town.  I popped in for some needles some time ago and found out that they run sewing classes.  I put my name down for when a space became available and got a phone call a few weeks later to say that there was a place starting in September.  I was very nervous because I've not really done any sewing since school, and I wasn't very good then, lol.  But I needn't have worried, Holly, the owner, takes our class and she is lovely.  There are usually only six of us on a Friday morning, (she runs classes on other days too), and everyone is either a beginner or improver.  Holly lets everyone carry on at their own pace but is on hand to help with anything you might need help with.  I needed a lot of help, of course, especially with deciding on size and cutting out.

I decided to make the Stevie tunic again, you may remember I made this pattern a few years ago but didn't really know what I was doing.  With Holly's assistance I've been able to make something wearable and modify the pattern to what I wanted.  I added in seam pockets and darts to the front and back so it is slightly more fitted, and I made it longer.  

The class is only paid for four weeks in advance and at £9 per class I think It's really good value.  I've just paid for another month and bought my next pattern to start next week, so watch this space, lol

I had a winning streak in September.  The lovely and very talented Martina had a Autumn chart giveaway, and I won Welcome Autumn by Primrose Cottage Stitches.

Thank you Martina, I shall look forward to stitching this as soon as I can.

I also won a yarn giveaway the same week on the podcast Little Likac.  Unfortunately It hasn't arrived, I know she mentioned that she had posted the two giveaways she had but it was around the time of the postal strikes, it's been well over a month now so I imagine that's got lost in the system somewhere.  It's so annoying when things get lost like that, postage isn't cheap, I have let her know today so that she can claim her postage back, if she's able to.

I've got tickets to the Creative Crafts show at the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow, I was going to go by train as the parking is very expensive but guess what?  There is a train strike!  So looks like I'm driving.  I have a list of bits and pieces I need want and I shall be on the look out for some fabric for my next sewing project.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend

-X-