My first HAED Happy Dance - Hickory Dickory Dock QS

I am so excited to have just put the final stitch into Hickory Dickory Dock.  I started this in November 2010 and finished today 15th July 2012.  It's also another one I can cross of my WIPocalypse list!

I've loved stitching this design and I think the colours are gorgeous.  It is stitched on 20 count aida 3 over 1 tent stitch.  It's a birth sampler for my niece so I am going to add her name and birth details to the bottom before I get it framed.

I'm so glad to finally finish a HAED I have so many WIPs that sometimes I don't think I'll ever finish anything!  The good news is I also managed to complete it in time to submit it to the HAED reward program.  I've not decided which chart I will get yet but am enjoying looking through all the lovely designs while making my choice.

Here are the WIP pictures and of course the final completed picture.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 17.06.12

I managed to get another 10 hours stitched on Hickory Dickory Dock and did another 1,800 stitches which means it is now 88.83% complete.  I really don't want to put this down but I'm going to rotate and do 10 hours on my Chatelaine.

So here's the latest picture.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 07.06.12

It has been a long time since I stitched on this piece but it is now my main focus piece and I am hoping to have it finished before the end of August so I can submit it to the HAED reward programme.

In this 10 hour rotation I have stitched just over 1,600 stitches bringing the total stitches done to 21,960 out of 26,775 which means it is now 82.02% complete.

I'm going to be away for the next week so I am taking Rules for Life with me to stitch on as it is one of my simpler WIPs.

WIPocalypse - 09.01.12

So here's my first WIPocalypse update.

Cinnamon Cat Birth Sampler - started 21.12.11 - 2,957 of 11,068 stitches - 26.72% complete

Gerbera Daisy Cushion - 23,726 of 28,224 stitches - 84.06% complete

Hickory Dickory Dock QS - 20,344 of 26,775 stitches - 75.98% complete as of 02.01.12

Living with Charm - Part 9 complete as of 03.01.12

Secret Project 1 - I won't be able to publish any pictures of this project but will update my stats - 11.49% complete

Secret Project 2 - I will be able to post pictures of this later this year -  not yet started

Six Fat Men - 3 out of 6 complete

Forbidden Doorway SK SAL - not yet started

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 02.01.12

I've now completed a further 1,078 stitches on Hickory Dickory Dock which makes it 20,344 of 26,775 complete which is 75.98% complete.  I can see the outline of the second mouse coming out from the bottom left of the clock face I've decided that I want to get this completed by June so I can submit it for the HAED reward program.  At my current pace I should be able to achieve this as long as life doesn't get in the way.

I've also completed part 8 of Living with Charm and am pretty close to finishing part 9.

Next I am going to work on Six Fat Men again.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 20.12.11

I've finally picked up Hickory Dickory Dock again, it must be at least 6 months since I last worked on this.  It is one of my WIPocalypse goals for 2012 and I am determined that it will be finished next year.  My niece will be 3 in August and as it is her birth sampler I think it's about time it was finished.  I did 1,583 stitches on it this time which brings it to 71.96% complete.  I have now reached the bottom left hand corner so this is the full height of the piece.

Thanks for reading.  I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and  Prosperous New Year.

September Goals

These are the goals I set myself for August:

1. Complete second page of Hickory Dickory Dock - Done
2. Spend half an hour a day on chart inventory - Didn't do half an hour a day but I'm still making progress
3. Knit at least 20 rows on jumper for Hannah - Did not do
4. Do at least 200 stitches on QS Blue Rose Fairy - Did 200 stitches and made it a UFO
5. Pick a small chart to work on next, grid it and make a start - Done

I'm pleased with the progress I made with these goals, I didn't even start Hannah's jumper, did a tension square but just haven't had the knitting urge recently.

I'm going through my chart inventory and splitting them into categories - some I don't like anymore, some I like the picture but don't think I'll stitch, some I would like to stitch and some I would love to stitch.  The only ones I am going to be listing on my stash page are the ones I would love to stitch so that when I want to start a new project I will have a shorter list to look through.

I'm really happy with my progress on Home of a Needleworker and have been surprised at how a seemingly simple design has caused me so much trouble.  I don't normally frog if I have put a stitch or two in the wrong place but just kind of work round it but with this design even one stitch wrong shows up and needs to be redone.  Having said that I am really enjoying it and it is nice to be doing a project where I can see the end in sight.

So my September goals:

1. Complete fourth page of Hickory Dickory Dock
2. Spend some time each day on chart inventory
3. Start jumper for Hannah
4. Do at least 2000 stitches on SK Treasures
5. Complete Home of a Needleworker

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 20.08.11 - PAGE 3 COMPLETED

So I decided to carry on working on Hickory Dickory Dock and think I will carry on until I finish this piece.  In the last week I've done 733 stitches which means I have now done 17,181 stitches which is 64.17% complete and I have now finished page 3.  There are only 3 partial pages to do now and I'm really hoping to have this piece finished before the end of the year.

I've also made some more progress on Home of a Needleworker.

It's really relaxing to stitch something where I can glance at a pattern once and then stitch away for ages without needing to look at the pattern again.

I don't know if I mentioned on here but I've am now the proud owner of a millennium frame.  They were mentioned on the HAED bulletin board and I watched the video showing how to use one and it looked amazing.  I placed my order last Saturday and was pleasantly surprised to receive my order on Wednesday morning.  It took me a while to get into the packaging as it was so well packaged but when I did I was amazed by the quality.  All I can say is that they are well worth every penny.  I have to say it wasn't quite as easy as it looked to get the fabric on the frame but it was the first time I'd done it and I am sure it will get easier.  If you're interested here's a link to the site that sells them.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 13.08.11 - PAGE 2 COMPLETE

So here's the progress I've made since my last post on those August goals

Complete second page of Hickory Dickory Dock

I've done 2,106 stitches on Hickory Dickory Dock since my last post and have completed page 2.  I have now done 16,448 of 26,775 stitches which means I am 61.43% complete.  There are only four partial pages left to do on this design now and I must have done over 50% of page 3 already so I'm well on my way with this.

Spend half an hour a day on chart inventory


I've spent over 4 hours going through all the charts I have.  A lot of them are stored electronically and they are all over the place so I am going through making sure they have names so that I will know what they are at a glance, making a list of them and my intention is then to split them into small, medium and large projects and try and make some sort of priority list otherwise I just know I will have lots of charts I would love to do that I never get round to.

Knit at least 20 rows on jumper for Hannah

I didn't manage to get much knitting done this week but I did complete the tension square so should be able to start on the actual jumper next week.  I think I am going to do it in a bigger size than I originally planned to and then if it takes me a long while to complete it will hopefully still fit.

Do at least 200 stitches on QS Blue Rose Fairy

No stitching done this week on Blue Rose Fairy but she will be the next one on my frame to work on.

Pick a small chart to work on next, grid it and make a start

So I chose to start stitching Home of a Needleworker by Little House Needleworks as my small chart.  It's a great project on as I can outline areas and just pick it up and fill in a few stitches whenever I get chance.  I am stitching it on 18 count cream aida 2 over 1 full crosses.  Here's how it should look when it's finished.

This is the picture of my progress so far.

Lastly I have had a major splurge this week.  Someone mentioned earlier in the week on the HAED BB that they had purchased a Millennium Frame and how great it was.  So of course I had to have a look!  The website that sell them have a great video explaining how easy they are to use and I was immediately hooked.  Granted they are expensive but a number of other people who use the frames have told me that they don't think they would ever need to buy another frame again.  So I've bought two sizes of the top and bottom bars and one set of the side bars.  I'll let you know when they arrive and how I get on with them.

Monthly Goals - August

So I decided I would set myself some small goals each month and this is what I've decided for August:

1. Complete second page of Hickory Dickory Dock
2. Spend half an hour a day on chart inventory
3. Knit at least 20 rows on jumper for Hannah
4. Do at least 200 stitches on QS Blue Rose Fairy
5. Pick a small chart to work on next, grid it and make a start

I'm not sure how realistic these goals are as I haven't set monthly goals before so I'll just have to see how I go.

When I say a small chart I'm thinking of maybe doing one of the Lizzie Kate's I have or maybe a Little House Needlework design.  Anyway we'll see how I go I don't really need a new project right now but I would like something I can stitch on during the day when I can't give my stitching 100% attention.

Hickory Dickory Dock QS as of 30.07.11 - 50% COMPLETE!

I've not posted for a while as I have been concentrating on achieving some of the goals I set myself on this blog and the HAED bulletin board.  I decided to put them into order of the least to do to complete the goal so I felt I was achieving something.  So the first goal was to complete 50% of Hickory Dickory Dock and here it is.

So the next goal is to complete two pages of this design.  I'm only about 2000 stitches away so I'm hoping to have it done in the next couple of weeks.

Here's the stats.  Since I last worked on this I've completed 880 stitches and in total I've completed 13,384 of 26,775 which is actually only 49.99% complete but I've only got to do 4 stitches to make it 50%!!

Hickory Dickory Dock & Blue Rose Fairy as of 05.06.11

I was off work last week and managed to work on two projects.  The first was QS Hickory Dickory Dock I completed just under 500 stitches and this is how it now looks.

I then spent some time on the HAED BB QS SAL Blue Rose Fairy.  I did just over 2,100 stitches which means I have now completed 8,337 of 34,595 which is 24.1% complete.  One of my BB yearly goals was to complete one page of this and although I haven't physically completed one page I have done an equivalent amount of stitches so I am counting this as having completed this goal (although I don't think it will count on the BB).  I've done quite a lot of the sparkly stitches which aren't showing up on the photo but for the first time in a long time I am actually enjoying working on this which is good.

We should be getting the information soon about the SK SAL.  I chose the black and white SK called Treasures.  I'm looking forward to working on another black and white as I love working on Shy Baby.  Here's a reminder of what Treasures looks like.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 05.05.11

I've been working on Hickory Dickory Dock this week and I just love it.  I did over 1,600 stitches on it and have completed 41.08% of the total design.  I'll honestly be quite sad when I finish this and might have to look at Nancy Faulkner's other designs (like I haven't got enough to stitch already!!).  Anyway here's the progress picture.

I thought you might like to see the card my mum made from the Brushstroke Butterfly I stitched for my colleagues retirement.  My mum makes some really great handmade cards but I think she excelled herself with this one.  I honestly just expected her to cut out a square and put it on a card but I love what she did.

I made the carrot cake again last weekend and am pleased to say that it actually turned out ok this time.  I did have to cook it a lot longer than it said in the recipe but at least it cooked through this time.  The cream cheese frosting didn't seem sweet enough to me but everyone else said they enjoyed it.  I'm a bit conflicted at the moment about my new hobby, I love baking and obviously love eating the things I bake but being diabetic this is obviously not the best thing.  So I've decided to limit my baking to once a fortnight and then will try and give the majority of the baking to my family so we only have a small amount in the house to tempt me.

The HAED BB has just released the new images for the upcoming Story Keep Stitch A Long.  I was determined that I wasn't going to take part in this SAL as I have far too many projects on the go already but now I've seen the pictures I think I'm going to have to take part.  The difficult decision now is which one to stitch.  The good thing is in the end I will end up with all four charts as long as I publish enough pictures of my work in progress but I know I made the wrong decision for the QS SAL as I am really struggling to stitch on Blue Rose Fairy - but I am determined to keep going so I can get those charts as well.  I'm just a chart addict and can't miss out on an opportunity for more stash (especially free stash!!).  So the pictures below are my choices, please let me know what your preference is and that might help my decision :-)

      



Hickory Dickory Dock as of 12.02.11 - PAGE 1 COMPLETE!

It feels like it has been so long since I have completed something and even though I haven't completed the total design the fact that I have completed one page feels great.  I love how you can just see the eye peeking out from the clock.

So I have now completed 10,347 stitches which is 35.37% of the total design.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 14.01.11

This week I am really really happy with the progress I have made on Hickory Dickory Dock (sorry about the slightly out of focus picture).

I am really close to completing the first page.  I've now completed 26.33% of the total design.  I am really enjoying the colours and the pretty details on this. 

I am now about to start on my new project.

I am sewing it on a hand dyed fabric called "Love in the Mist" from Crafty Kitten.  This picture really doesn't do the fabric justice.  It is a gorgeous blend of blues and purples and absolutely perfect for this piece.  Dawn at the Crafty Kitten helped me choose exactly which fabric would be perfect.  I would highly recommend going to her if you need any hand dyed fabric or advice in choosing what would be the perfect fabric for your chosen piece.

This is all the floss in the piece.  I've never done a floss toss before and found it really interesting to see all the colours which will soon be blended together. 

I am stitching this piece as a memorial for a good friend of mine who  unfortunately lost her son last year to a congenital heart defect.  She and her husband are doing a sponsored sky dive in March to raise money for the hospital who cared for her son.  I hope you don't mind but below I have copied the e-mail she sent asking for sponsorship.  Should any of you be able to donate even a few pennies to help this extremely worthwhile cause it would be very much appreciated.

Dear all,


On March 11th 2011 our son Matthew should be here celebrating his 1st birthday, on 12th March Stephen & I are taking part in a Skydive to raise money for Birmingham Childrens Hospital as part of their heart appeal, I don't know if you're aware, this is the hospital where Matthew was looked after until he died. It is the most amazing place, the nursing staff are honestly heaven sent so we are trying to raise as much as possible, believe me when I say every penny counts.

I've unfortunately not been able to set up a JustGiving account as we have to raise a certain amount prior to the Skydive to pay for the jump itself, unfortunately the company don't offer these events for free :-( so I have set up a Paypal account and an email account so all the money is in one place and once we have raised enough to cover the costs, every single penny after that goes directly to Birmingham Childrens Hospital.

I appreciate not everyone likes having a sponsorship form shoved under their noses so please don't feel obliged to sponsor us, I just thought this was a way to reach a lot of people quickly and like I say, please don't feel obliged to do anything, but if you can spare even a few pennies please log onto Paypal and deposit whatever you can. The email address is skydiveformatthew@hotmail.co.uk I think if you send the money as a gift there isn't a charge.

If you would like to see the confirmation that we are actually taking part in this event let me have your email address, I'm more than happy to forward the emails confirming our places.

Thankyou,

Jo x

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you don't mind me bringing this to your attention.  I know times are hard everywhere at the moment and especially at this time of the year but as Jo says every penny helps.

HAED BB 2011 Full Year Goals

A few days ago I set myself my stitching goals for 2011.  Having thought a bit harder about it I think the goals may be a little too much.  So today I have set myself a few less goals on the HAED BB, they are

1. Complete two pages in tent stitch of QS Believe not currently started
2. Complete two pages in tent stitch of QS Hickory Dickory Dock currently done 10.44%
3. Complete in full crosses SK Masquerade 2010 SAL currently done 61.83% 
4. Complete one page in tent stitch of QS Blue Rose Fairy 2011 SAL currently done 3.64%

I will still keep the original goals I set myself here on my blog but will be working mainly to complete the HAED BB goals.  Looking forward to seeing how realistic any of these goals are!

Stitching Goals for 2011

So I've been thinking recently about what I would like to achieve with my stitching in 2011.  I have 8 projects on the go at the moment and when I add in the 2011 SAL that will make 9.  I enjoy having lots of different things to stitch so I don't get bored but I do sometimes feel like I am not getting anywhere with any of the projects.  So the goals I am setting myself for 2011 are to:-

1. Masquerade SK - complete - this was the June to Dec 2010 SAL and I have currently completed 61.83%
2. Butterflies Galore SK - complete 75% - I have currently done 45.21%
3. Christmas Stocking - complete by Christmas 2012 - I find this quite hard going sometimes as it is a very simple pattern and has huge blocks of the same colour so my goal is to have completed it by Christmas 2012 when Samuel will be nearly 3
4. Hickory Dickory Dock QS - complete 50% - I have currently done 10.44%
5. Christmas Cards & Bookmarks - I would like to have 5 bookmarks for my mum to sell at next years Church Christmas Fair and I would like to have 6 Christmas cards to be able to send to family members
6. Train of Dreams - complete 1 page - I have currently done 3.51%.  I am finding this project quite hard to motivate myself to stitch.  It's a strange one because I love stitching it when I get started but I never want to start sewing it.  The really odd thing is it is one of my most favourite designs so I can't understand why I find it so hard getting started on it.
7. Shy Baby - complete 3 pages - I have currently done 6.86%.  I love stitching this design and have to stop myself from stitching on it all the time to do some stitching on other projects.
8. Samuel - complete 20% - I have currently done 2.63%.  This is a photo of my son that Michele charted for me.
9. Blue Rose Fairy QS - complete 2 pages - this is the 2011 SAL so I haven't currently started it.

So it will be very interesting to look back this time next year and see how much I have accomplished in relation to these goals.  I don't know if they are realistic or not as I have never set goals for myself before.  If I complete half of the goals I will be very happy.

I have been working on the photo of my son this week and am going to work on it a couple more days before I post an update.

Two Updates in One

Well since I last posted I have been working on two of my projects.

Firstly I started working on QS Hickory Dickory Dock by Nancy Faulkner.  I managed to complete 2,796 of 26,775 stitches in one week which means I have completed 10.44%.  It was quite a lot of background using only 3-4 colours so progress was quite quick.  I am sure my progress will slow down once the confetti starts.

The second project was the SAL SK Masquerade.  I have now completed 10,613 of 18,919 stitches which is now 56.1% complete.  I still haven't completed the first page but I love how you can see the details coming through.  I haven't decided yet whether to carry on stitching Masquerade for the time being or rotate onto something else.

Just a little update

Well I've finished the birthday card for my niece and here is the finished article.

I've also decided to change how I work my rotation.  I found I wasn't getting enough accomplished in a week to see any progress which was getting me down a bit.  I have therefore decided to work on each project until I either complete a page or get fed up working on it - which ever comes first.  So the projects I have on the go now are:-

1. Shy Baby
2. Butterflies Galore - SK
3. Masquerade - SAL SK
4. Train of Dreams
5. Christmas Stocking (Non HAED)
6. Christmas Cards (Non HAED)
7. Charlie's Ark (Non HAED)
8. Hickory Dickory Dock - QS
9. Samuel (Photo of my son charted by HAED)

So I probably won't be posting every week but will just post every time I change project.