Stitches

It's been a while since I've did any amount of x-stitch. Last week I've finished two long term projects and started another one.

First project was my Sampler Game Board.


I've got a plan for this, eventually, to incorperate this into a small couch table. Just need to find the right table now.

Second project is called Bethlehem by Diane Arthurs

I know Christmas has been over for a while now, but at least I've started this *before* Christmas (on my flight to Florida to be precise). Nice, almost mindless, stitching that and I do like the effect.

As I couldn't have no stitching project, I've started with Nefertiti by Lanarte, the companion piece to my King Tut.

Socks, socks, socks

I do have socks ...


... plenty of socks.
And even though I've took a picture of only one sock per pair, I asure you, there's a second sock to every one here shown. And those are only the socks I've kept. There are still a few more out there that ended up on the feet of other people.
This leads to the question, why knit more socks?
My answer (at least for the moment) is: I don't!
I've decided I leave the land of the sock knitters and wander over to the land of cloth knitting. Now, I'm not exactly size S (or even M, not in a long shot), so I've shyed away from the knitting of pullovers and cardigans for quite a while. A long time ago, I did knit pullovers, and some of them I loved dearly (some of them ... well, probably better not to think of those). If I remember correctly, the last pullover I've knitted was when I was in college, and I only remember something went very wrong and when I picked it up from the clothline after washing it for the first time, there were big holes all over it - moths, birds, I have no clue. Since then, I stuck mostly to socks. They also tend to get holes eventually (as I just saw in my favorite pair), but at least that's because of the wear and tear I put them through.
Well, nothing like a new start.

(I did mention I'm not a size 10, right?)
The pattern is, once again, from knitty. It is a somewhat modified version of Boogie from the spring 2004 issue. I changed the neck shape a little, making it wider. The wool is from a sale a few years back in my favorite yarn store. I originally bought is for a cardigan, but then realized that it would never be enough. For an experiment I'm not too displeased on how it turned out.

Having taken the step to this new country, I knew I couldn't just stop there. So my next project is a cardigan. And again, it's a knitty pattern: Oblique. Found some nice wool/angora/mohair mix pretty close to the one from the pattern. I've just started today after the swatch showed I'm not too far off with my gauge. I have to see how it developes ...


One last pic for today. King Tut in his frame up on the wall:


I'm still pondering if I should get the queen from the same series, so Tut is not so lonely ...

Two New Starts And One Old Finish

My cross-stitch project free time is over.

New start no. 1:

Castle Sampler by Teresa Wentzler.
I've noticed that there are as many different ways to start this as there are stitchers. Many do the outer frame first, then work their way inwards. Some (like me) start at the very center, then work there way outwards. I decided to start with the castle first, simply because I have the feeling this is going the be the most painful part - more blends than there are letters in the alphabet and not a single stitch next to a stitch of the same color anywhere. Confetti at it's best.
Well, I have to see where my mood carries me.


New start no. 2:


Eulentischdecke (German magazine pattern). I've made a few changes to the pattern before I started in order to make it fit the table cloth I've got (spread the owls a bit more apart and also added two owls inbetween).
I'm stitching over two, using three strands of thread for better filling. So far, so good. I got all the threads in Anchor, as I didn't felt too sure about the conversion I've made into DMC. Besides, with Anchor I've got a better chance on replacing the threads quickly. Forgot, though, how expensive stitching material is here - Euro 1.20 per hank. *gulp*

King Tut came back from the framer. Need to make a picture as soon as he's up on the wall.


I also finished a long time strangler - a pair of socks.

Minutes away from being finished:


And a shot of the socks in action (I was playing around with the remote control for the camera)


A very basic sock pattern, 2x2 rip for the cuff, short row heel, the rest plain stockinett.
Wool is Regia 4-fold, color surprise 1267

On the reading front, I've stopped with Friday Night Knitting Club as well as with the Charlie Bone book - both, for some reason, couldn't keep my interest any more. The Knitting Club book wasn't really what I expected - it was more about yuppy women in New York and their endless relationships. Just not something I'm that interested in.
With the Charlie Bone book - don't know why it didn't work for me. I liked the first one well enough.
Instead I've gone back to the 'Cat who ...' series. I'm at book 13 and got two more here. I just love them :)

Long Live King Tut

Happy Dancing!!!


It took me a good year (with a couple of longer interuptions) to finish this one - and it has been worth every minute.

It was a kit by Lanarte "Tutankamum", design is by Joandoor.
I used the fabic in the kit (it's a printed fabric and it really adds to the piece) and all threads, except the metalic gold - I have no idea how the little that was in the kit should have been enough. I needed two spools of Kneinik 102 #4 braid, and there's not much left on the second spool. Of most of the colors there was plenty of thread left, though for a couple it was a bit tight. One color was missing when I got the kit (well, I got it half price in London, so no reason to complain), but a quick e-mail to Lanarte got me the DMC number I needed.

The week after next I'll see that I get a frame (I've got a long working week ahead of me, away from home, else I would be in the store tomorrow morning). From the very beginning it was slated to go to my guest room, as it has a bit of an Egyptian theme (well, honestly, it's more Stargate than Egyptian, but the colors are perfect)

If I ever come across Nefertiti in the same series in a sale (at least 25% off, prefered more) I'll get it too, but till then King Tut will be on his own.

Hah, best bit of finishing such a big piece (size is 39 x 49 cm - 15.5 x 19.3 inches - stitch count 209 x 230) is that now there's a new spot free on my schedule. I haven't decided yet, but best chance has the Castle Sampler by Teresa Wentzler. I need to check if I have a suitable fabric here. Though I'm not going to rush anything, and probably try to clean up a couple of other (much smaller) projects I've got in my basket. Maybe some knitting .... (wanders off to check my options)

just a quick update

... on King Tut (update no. 11)


The lady on the left has a head now :)

Finish 1/2008

First finish of 2008: Needlecase Guardian by Teresa Wentzler. Stitched with all recomended threads on a 32ct anitque white linen. Didn't have the correct beads, but found a good replacement in my stash.

( I whited out the name as this is going to be a present)

I finished it as a needle book, following the instructions.


I really do love those smaller TWs - just enough to be a bit of a challenge, but not so much you're getting frustrated.

Following the early happy dance, I'm now back to good ol' King Tut.

I finished the head dress, so 'only' (*cough, cough*) the left side lady is left to stitch.

Hot off the Needle

I've been thinking very hard (well, maybe not too super hard, but I've been thinking) if I ever made a hat. And I'm pretty sure I didn't. Not in the last 20 years anyway. But given the amount of snow I saw last week and the fact that winter is going to be long, I decided to give it a spin. I looked at patterns and then I made something up (inspired by some, but not following any 'official' pattern)

I had the wool in my stash. It was one of those typical sales buy - no idea what to do with it really, but, hey, it was cheap. I did a pair of fingerless gloves of the middle blue wool, so I was not sure how much I had left, which is the reason I added the stripes - which I seriously like :)
Of course, still got plenty of wool left ...
The hat is a bit on the short side, and I was thinking about ripping it up and start again, but then I decided that it's okay as it is and if I want a warmer hat, I always can knit another one (I did mention that there's still some wool left, right?)

I did buy some sock wool last week, and I'm going to start a new pair tonight. And, no, I don't have enough sock wool already, why do you ask?

Also, I did promise a new pic of king Tut and here it is:



In case you wonder, I worked on the left had side of the picture, a lot of the background there and a good part of his head dress. Still some way to go, though.