When spring doesn't seem to come ....

When spring doesn't seem to come why not create your own spring? I stitched part of a tree this morning, with lush green leaves and little birds on its branches. I can't wait to see them in my backyard!

The shawl I am knitting for my sister-in-law is coming along. Only four times to knit the report and then I can start the border.

A new Mystery KAL by Renee Leverington is casted on. I am a little behind, but clue one is done. Here is the beginning of Ebony and Ivory.

And Call of the Raven has its monthly progress of about a 1000 stitches.

Three finishes and a short trip

Thanks to my job I have several vacations in a year. And I enjoy them all! I always think I am able to finish more than usual (I have some extra time, so that thought might be right LOL). Evenso this week. I have three finishes to show.
As a RAK I stitched a little Halloween item and finished it as a small pillow. The receiver let me know she loves it, so I can show it here.

 This week I also was able to finish my Red Wine Shawl. It is knitted in fair isle technique and it was quite a challenging project, not only because of the steek you have to cut, but also because it was long time ago since I did some Fair Isle knitting. But I am very happy with the result. It has become a very wearable, warm shawl that can I can wear instead of a coat when temperatures outside get a little bit higher!

DH and I went away for a few days. This time we stayed at a hotel in Weert, province of Limburg, were we had some lovely days. Sightseeing at Weert, Den Bosch, Roermond and Hasselt (Belgium). At the end of this post I'll add some pictures. 
On the road I had a  little knitting project, finished it today. Frangiflutti, or, as I call her : Waves.

Some pictures of our trip, as promised at the beginning of this post.

 

Weert,  in front of our hotel

Roermond, of course I visited a needleshop

 Germany, Heinsberg, a field of snowdrops. Spring is coming!

  Someren, LNS

 Den Bosch, St. Janskathedraal

 

Almost ...

June 2012 I casted on 6 stitches. Now, eight months later I have 814 stitches on my needles. And only 8 needles to go. Note, one needle takes at least an hour ;) But I am almost there!

So before I have a finish and don't know what to do I casted on a lace shawl I promised to knit for my sister-in-law. She herself  decide she wanted brown, so brown it will be.

A finish again!

Last week was a pretty quiet week. At work things go steady, arrangements for our future trip are made (we also rented a room already) so we can relax and enjoy cozy hours with needle and thread.
The SAL is finished.  I did the last stitching on Thursday, and was able to finish the little purse on Friday.

The other spare hours I used to take a good knit at Red Wine. All the flowers are knitted now and today it was time to cut the steek. So after securing everything by sewing I took my scissors and, together with a deep breath, I started to cut.

Now it is on the needles again, to knit the border. 'Only' twenty rows to go, all around....

Sal part four and Kal finished

It took some time before I realized I am really going to New York. The flight is booked and payed for. Payment took some time before it was shown on my bankaccount so I really got a bit nervous. Can you imagine, being nervous about a payment? How nervous must one be to fly to the Big Apple!

But in spite of all those nerves, knitting and stitching went on. So I can show part four of the SAL I'm in. Only one part to go, it is printed already and beside my chair to be continued this evening.

The KAL I'm in is finished. It was a fun knit and turned out beautifully! My sister did not ask for one, but the way she told me she liked it, was obvious. so I am going to knit one for her also.

Call of the Raven. Did you miss her lately? Well, she is still on my hands (almost) every month. Another page done. 

Commitment, stitching, knitting, NY!

Exciting news! This summer youngest DD is planning to go to the USA. She starts in New York and as I don't like the idea of a young girl (especially when it concerns my own daughter) all alone in NY, I asked her  if she would like me to come with her. And she does! So next June we will discover NY together!

And as I have to raise the money for this trip I made the commitment to decrease my expences. So I won't be buying yarn and stitch-related items for the coming months. Only when I visit  the Handwerkbeurs, next month, I am allowing myself to buy some small things. I even sold some of my stitching kits, never thought I would do such a thing!

For future projects I will be shopping in my own closet. And I started to do so when I casted on this New Beginnings Shawl by Deby Lake. The yarn is Malabrigo, beads are Delica beads, Amethist-Purple lined.

The SAL I started last week is also done from yarn and fabric I already owned. The cross stitch fabric was ordered just before the idea of going to NY together came up. The first clues are done.

KAL finished

Last Friday I got a big surprise. My Mary Wigham was shown as a topic on Needleprint. I did send an email with an attached picture when I finished my stitching, but I already forgot I did. I feel honoured!

Last week I joined another SAL on a Dutch group. The stitching will be finished as a purse. Here is the example, mine is in a different colorway.

And, right on schedule, I finished another Mystery KAL by Renee Laverington, Winter Winds. It's knit from a greenish soft yarn, Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Lace 

Also my Red Wine Shawl is getting progress. Only one row to add and its time to cut and add the border.