Plantation Sampler finished!

My Plantation Sampler is finished! I promised myself to have it done by the end of the year, so I think I can be proud to have it finished two months earlier. Here she is!

I did some alterations, like the saying.
The original sampler (the link is going to a much clearer view)

I also changed some DMC for other threads. Crescent colours (CC), Sampler Threads (ST) Simply Shaker (SS) Week Dye Works (WDW) Gentle Art (GA).
225 CC Little Pink Peony
760 ST Pink Azalea
761 CC Blushing Beauty
435 WDW Pumpkin Pie
437 GA Brandy
502 GA Ltd ed. Green
319 GA Blue Spruce
3012 SS Chamomile
3013 CC Dandelion Stem
Ecru ST Roasted Marshmellow
504 ST Sea Spray
869 ST Picnic Basket.

A few more weeks ....

Yes, I think I need a few more weeks to finish my Plantation Sampler. There are some items I have to add. First of all the saying. I'll add another saying, to make this sampler mine. For now it is an empty space.

And then there is part three of California Dreamin'. I think this will be another beautiful shawl. You can't see the design quite clear for now, but when I spread it between my hands I can. Only that makes it difficult to hold the camera LOL

Update on Plantation Sampler, knitting and sewing

This week I have been using my spare time (surprise, surprise) for stitching, knitting and sewing.

My Plantation Samplers border is finished. I love it, it looks already like a real sampler.

Now it is time to add letters and a saying. I love that!

Last week I started a mystery KAL from Renee Leverington. I received part two last Sunday and I try to keep on track, so I knitted part two this week. Its name is California Dreamin'.

Part one, showing the original colour. 

Part two is a bit lighter than it really is. Due to some sunny days!

And I have been sewing a new purse. This is such fun, it only takes one afternoon to make a purse like this. And so I have projects bags for my knitting, a purse for sewing accessories, another one can be used for ..., well name it and you can use this purse for!

Plantation Sampler and sewing

Life is coming to normal again and so I had renewed energy to stitch and sew.

My Plantation Sampler has a nice border now, not completely finished, but I can see quite some progress.

So is my sewing. Since quite some time I was planning to make a framed sewing purse. I had ordered the frame long before summer holidays, but my head wasn't clear enough to start this little project. Some weekends ago I cut the fabric, and this weekend I found myself behind my sewing machine. I think it's an adorable purse and I ordered some more frames today. 

Not only knitting ....

It looks like knitting is the only thing I do. I admit, I knit a lot, but in between two shawls I also do some stitching. Here is Plantation Sampler, with two added trees and a part of the guirlande on the side.

And my Call of the Raven. I added at least 1000 stitches since last time, I think. But a finish is still far, far away!

During my vacation another shawl is started, Brittannia. Blue, like the waves ;)

All animals done!

Wow, I am proud of myself! I stitched all the animals on the lawn and also all the grass! Plantation Sampler is now going to be a quick finish, I think. Doing the alphabet is a job I like, filling in the saying (I will add another saying, I think, but I'm not yet reveiling what saying). I want it to be done by the end of the year. I have so many new designs waiting for me!

There's also a new shawl casted on, Feels Like Rain. The same design as the latest two shawls, I really love the design. This one is a lovely shade of blue silk and I'm adding lightblue beads. I think it will turn out lovely!

It took some time ....

It took some time, but I think I am back to earth now. I had some trouble getting New York out of my mind and I feel like I'm a bit homesick. Strange, being homesick about a city that isn't your home.
Ah well, in the mean time summer vacation started and that means I have lots of time doing nothing. So when I'm not reading, of stitching, or knitting I am busy doing nothing LOL
Apart from reading (I already finished five books this week) I have been stitching on The Plantation Sampler. Again the grass grew and grew and I almost had to mow it every week. And a little fence is added on the left side of the house.

I also knitted this week. I did a testknit fot Dutch Knitting Design. You can find her here or here.
It was a fun knit! That much fun, that I have a second one on my needles already and a third one in my mind! Let me introduce you to Raindrops Keep Falling

Another happy event

There is no ending on happy events this week! Last Thursday we breathed a sigh of relief, when we got notice our youngest DD has passed her high school exams! Now, in a few months,  she can move to Nijmegen and study at the University there. But first we celebrated!

After coming down to earth I took up my stitching again, Plantation Sampler. The house is done, a cow and a bird added.

And some knitting done. I have to main projects on my hands, the new Thistle o'Scotland and the KAL Galileo. As for the KAL, I am cheating a little bit. The (translated into dutch) clues come up every two weeks. Clue three is up now and clue four is coming up when I'm in NY! I know the pattern is available on Ravelry, English version. So I downloaded that and am knitting clue four now. That way I hope to finish this pair at the end of the week.

And here is another update of Thistle o'Scotland. If you take a good look, you can see the colour change.

Writer's block

Even if you're only writing a blogpost, you can stumble upon a writer's block, that is, I think that's what happened to me this morning.
I wanted to show several things and write a little message, but my mind is full of thoughts, so I couldn't find the words to start.
And as I sat down to tell you, I am finding myself back writing a blogpost LOL.

First of all this is a post of happy events! DH is celebrating his birthday today and I realize how happy I am to be his wife. So this morning started with decorating the room (while he still was asleep).

Second happy event is the good news I received about my friend. She is the special person to which I dedicated the flower on my blog. I now know she doesn't need it anymore, life turned out to be good again. So today I remove the flower, but not the thoughts I send to her on a daily basis.

Now on to needle work! I did some stitching on the Plantation Sampler, building a home. It's kind of symbolic to me, stitching houses. They make me feel safe and while stitching I often realize how good it is to have a home, a place to live, to celebrate family life and to rest from all kinds of social obligations.

There is a new project on the knitting needles, named Thistle o'Scotland. You can find it on Ravelry.

Clue two of the KAL Galileo is finished. Tomorrow clue three will come up, so I am just in time.

I almost forgot to tell you a third happy event! Only two weeks and DD and I will start her big adventure in the US, starting with our week in NY. I am happy for her, refusing to think about how much I will miss her!

Back to normal ...

After a vacation I always wonder what it is that people are back to normal again so soon after coming home. This week I only had to work three days, but in those three days memories of Berlin faded away already. Luckily I know that in a while they come back and give me that relaxed feeling again.

This week I have been stitching on two projects. One is meant to be an entry for a bloghop, so I can't show that yet. The other is Plantation Sampler. A house is under construction. and the yard in front of it becomes greener and greener. Filling in the green is kind of relaxing. I don't have to count any crosses, don't have to look for the right colour, just stitch my stitches....

Of course there was some knitting too, this week. I finished clue 3 of Three Times a Lady. This is going to be a beauty, in fact it already is!

And sock number two of a pair is casted on and is coming along nicely. I have to hurry on this, because next  Monday a Dutch KAL is starting. Another pair of socks it will be, Galileo. 

Am I boring?

Am I boring you with my complaints about winter and still no spring? My apologies for that, but we had snow again last week. Even yesterday. It is Easter, so we should enjoy some sun now! Nevertheless I continue to make my own spring in stitching on Plantation Sampler. 
A horse is born and even a cow! The grass is growing and becomes greener and greener, so to my joy, on Plantation Sampler spring arrived.

There was also some time for Call of the Raven this week. The month is ending, over 1000 stitches are added again. Her dress is almost finished!

Clue 3 of Ebony and Ivory is done, I started clue 4 this week. I am behind and I don't like that at all, but I have to live with that. I wanted to do Renee Leverington's Spring Mystery too and another nice KA, provided by Deby Lake, is waiting for me.

But instead of being wise I started another project yesterday. I am feeling down a bit, these days, so I decided I needed something new, something challenging and something fresh. So I started to knit my first sock! It is on my wishlist for quite a long time and better start something that cheers you up than finish something that drags you down. (New motto LOL).
I never ever before knitted a sock (new to me), I hardly knitted with four needles (challenging) and I choose a lovely springy colour (fresh). The pattern is available for free at Ravelry, Gänsemagd. I knit it with Opal Sweet & Spicy, colorway Pflaume. 

Soon I will start another small project. I told you already, DD is going to travel to the USA  and I am going with her for one week to New York.  After that she will be on her own (okay, she stays with trusted people, but she has to do without her caring, loving family and friends).

So I am going to stitch this for her . I want to finish it as a little purse for make-up or something like that. It says: Promise me you'll always remember you're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. 

I know she is!