Spring is here!

Finally spring is here! Lots of sun this weekend and I enjoyed as much as possible. Last few weeks I enjoyed an extra day off work on Friday and in future I will too. Only four working days a week, quite a luxury!

Last Friday we went to Amsterdam, DD went to a concert and we, her parents, went with her. Not to the concert, it wasn't our kind of music, but to Amsterdam. We left at 13.30 and arrived there at 15.30. As the concert was until late at night, DH and I went walking through the city. We listened to some music at Rembrandtplein, went to a movie and met the girls again at 00.15 to drive home together.

Saturday was a sunny day too, so I cleaned our terrace, washed the windows and enjoyed reading a book in the sun. And I got a surprise, but about that later.

Some pictures now. First of all a flower grew, block 9 of Flower Garden. The pictures (front and back) are too light, the colours are brighter than this. The lines are for blocking the quilt block, look here for an explanation.

Here's an update on VHRH. I'm constructing a house again, but it isn't ready to live in yet.

And as I was travelling a lot these last weeks (I went on a train trip with DD too, a week ago) I had a lot of knitting time. So here's a little slouch hat again, it's now on its way to a girl that liked the picture of the one I already knitted for DD. This one is lilac, picture is also too light :(

To end this post I'll show the surprise I got Saturday morning. I just woke up, a bit late (due to our trip to Amsterdam the day before) and there the florist was at the door. At first I thought the bouquet was meant for my neighbours, but no, it was for me. But I'm not ill and it isn't my birthday, I said.
There was a card inside that said I had been working for the company for 12,5 years now! Isn't that nice, receiving flowers for that?

It's been a while

As I have a job and a family, I mostly use my weekends to do some household jobs, go for a walk or something and update my blog. These last weekends I simply didn't have time to take some good pictures. And without pictures no blogpost .... Today, right after work, I took my camera. I will add in alphabetical order some pictures of my knitting, quilting and stitching. More than a week ago I finished Flaming Red. And a little slouch hat for DD. She wanted something in spring colours and chose this lilac. I had to adjust the pattern, for I used a different yarn. Right after the masterclass I took, I ordered some background fabric for the Civil War Bride Quilt, in future posts to be known as Bride Quilt. Waiting for the fabric to arrive I did some preparation for the first applique, so I started with this ostrich. This weekend my fabric arrived. There's also some stitching done. Block eight of VHRH, flowers are planted. And Call of the Raven is progressing little by little.

Remember this?

It's some time ago, but it still is here, in my livingroom, waiting for quilting. And this weekend I got the mojo back, so I did a whole block! Three finished now in addition to some rows. Way to go!

Block number eight, the flower I showed you last week, is now finished. And boy, does this look way better than the earlier finished blocks! I think I have to do them again, my teacher won't be happy, seeing those ;)

Last weekend I was busy knitting and all of a sudden one of the needles broke. I use KnitPro needles, so I emailed the shop where I bought them. No problem, after sending the broken needle he resent a new one. so now I can knit again. Not being able to knit on my collar I knitted the last square of row 1 of Expectation.


Today I finally finished the top of My Tweets. Ah well, not completely finished, I just prepared the applique of the borders. At least I know what to do next weeks! Picetures are a bit pale, due to the sunlight(!) in my bedroom.

For those of you who think I quitted stitching, don't worry! I still stitch every evening, but progress is slow, since I also do the other crafts. Next week there will be an update of the VHRH again!

Applique and knitting

As expected, I stayed tuned on applique, after the masterclass. After sending pictures of my finished tulip to our teacher, she told me I could embroider a little bit around the lighter leaves to add some contrast with the background. So I dis this week and here it is (approved by Ted!).


I had the courage to go on with the next flower of Flower Garden by Kim Mclean. Quite different colors. I made a little mistake in trimming the background so all of a sudden there was a little hole in one of the leaves! No panic, as I learned in the masterclass, I could solve this problem quite easily ;)


Yesterday I visited the Handwerkbeurs at Zwolle, where I saw the perfect background for my nes applique project. Unfortunately there was't enough at the shop, so today I ordered it. Just wait until you see my new project! I did buy some other stuff (how could I not??)

And for my knitting, this project is coming along nicely, don't you think?

Masterclass

Wow, saying "masterclass" isn't enough. You can follow a masterclass, or you can follow a masterclass given by an excellent teacher. There definitely is a difference. And Ted Storm makes the difference.But lets start at the beginning. Sunday afternoon I went by train to my friend Karin. She waited for me at the railwaystation and the welcome at her home was heartwarming. I stayed there for three days and never felt supernumerary. Thank you Karin!My head is still spinning from all the information I got and I have been practising the rest of the week. Here are some pictures (taken by Karin)

Listening to the explanation (this is the third day, I 'm tired as you can see)

Practising

There are more pictures here.
At the end of three dazzling days I finished this tulip. Front and back (yes, I even dared to trim away the excess fabric on the back!)


Seeing this you probably understand the lack of time for knitting this week. But I managed to did some stitching done this weekend. Block seven of VHRH is done!

It's still winter

Like this blogtitle says, it's still winter here and yet my cowl and shawl aren't finished. Oh well, there will be plenty of winters after this one LOL
I have been mainly stitching on VHRH.


I want to finish this one this year and with six blocks to go that means I have to do at least one block in two months. That doesn't seem too much, but with other activities as work, quilting, knitting, it means that I have to hold on to this schedule.
Block seven is coming to an end. I hope I can show the finish next week.

There's only one obstacle, I am going to follow classes from Ted Storm. Three days of fun with friends, paying attention, doing applique (homework included!) and learning all the ins and outs of applique needlework! I will be staying at a dear friend's these days, leaving DH and the children to their own ;)
I am starting off with these FQ's. At the end of the week I'll show the result of three days with Ted ;)

As for my capelet, the crocheting part is done, so I am knitting .... and knitting ... and knitting.

I also try to add at least one square to Expectation and until now I succeed. I don't take it with me these days, so no progress next week, I suppose! To be able to take this picture I had to lay it down in a bow. In fact it is twice as long.

Too late, winter is here ;)

Today, much later than weather forecasters predicted, winter came. And as I started knitting at the end of november for some projects for DD, scarfs and capelets and other woollen stuff aren't ready. Besides that, I also have some stitching to do and my goal was to finish block 7 at the end of this month. I didn't make it ... There is some progress on other things too, look for yourself:

Broomstick Scarf

Expectation

And a new start, a capelet.

This is the original, mine is going to be red.