Stitching round-up

Ugh. For some reason this past month every crafty thing I try to do goes wrong D: Also I'm back to my normal stitching speed (which is to say, super-slow), so I feel like I've got absolutely nothing done...

I have finished the sampler tote. After I had miscounted the border and had to un-pick it all. I seriously need to stop watching Miss. Marple whilst stitching. I just need to attach the stitched patch to the tote, which I am leaving in my mums capable hands as I am certain there will be a disaster if I attempt it ^^;

I have also made a little progress on my tapestry cushion front. I've forgotten to take a progress pic as I've tidied it away again but I managed to complete one small leaf. I feel more determined to finish this now I was stitching it for my room (which is now all pretty).

Because I was getting a little frustrated with cross-stitch (couldn't concentrate, kept going wrong etc.) I decided to do a quick stitch to get me back in the mood. I was excited for the latest issue of Cross Stitcher magazine as the free-gift was a wooden keyring kit...

Let us use the word 'disaster' again...

It is hard to stitch on wood! It is very slow going too - originally I was filled with the naive enthusiasm that I could stitch this in a day. That quickly turned to bitterness! (Quite dramatic today, no?) My stitches look messy - it was only when I got to the right-hand side that I had developed something of a technique. That was when I ran-out of blue thread. How I didn't throw the thing across the room I don't know as I had a major strop *lol* I don't have any colours that are remotely similar to this blue so I was torn with buying another copy of the magazine or un-picking and starting again with a blue I have lots of :/ After more stroppiness I'm going with un-picking and starting again ^^

Because I have an ever increasing 'to-do' pile, I thought that I would start taking one of the smaller projects into work so that I can have a bit of a relax at lunch. I've decided to start with a project for my room called 'Coming up roses'. The design is stitched on 28ct pink evenweave and I'm using DMC threads. Once complete, the stitching will go in a wooden hoop that I'll hang with a ribbon. It will be very pretty ^^ Here's where I'm up to so far..

Finally...this weather! What's happening at all please? I have a cold house (even with the heating on) so sometimes my fingers are too cold to stitch :( So I thought I would start knitting my heart jumper ^^

This is one full ball of wool! I love how super chunky knits up so quick.

This is the second time I've knitted this piece...I got to the end of the ball yesterday afternoon when I thought  it was a good time to decide that I hate my cast-on row. My usual method of casting-on, what I like to call 'the gun-method' does create something of a baggy edge. Normally this doesn't bother me but yesterday it massively bothered me D: So there was nothing for it but to unravel and start again... I didn't know any other cast-on methods so I had to learn a new one - I went for the 'cable method' and it does make a much nicer and neater edge. It takes much longer but the end effect is much better. I then knitted this up in the evening watching Harry Potter ^^

Hopefully I'll be less dramatic next week and will actually get some more stitching done :)

♥