Get the violins out please!!

So, in chronological order, the following photos show what I’ve been up to since the beginning of last weekend.

First, I finished off a set of underwear for my little Waldorf doll (now named Annie – thank you Vivi). This is part of the Facebook MAL I’m following with Astrid. And as it’s getting a bit chilly, I thought I’d better knit her a little bonnet too :0)

Then on Thursday, I went into hospital for my knee replacement surgery – see before and after photos. All sympathy very welcome as it’s still quite painful ……. Ouch! I was so brave ….. NOT!

(I've edited the last one a bit by the way, because I didn't think you'd want to see the bit of blood oozing through the plaster!)

As soon as I could show the Physiotherapists at the hospital that I could climb the stairs, I was discharged yesterday afternoon ….. they don’t waste any time I can tell you – plenty of other patients lined up for my bed.

The next image shows just some of the exercises I must endure at least a few times a day for the next 6 weeks or so – and I’d be a fool not to follow them. But I do HATE exercise!!

And so to reward myself for all that hard work, I have started my ‘Mr Frosty’ cross-stitch by Brenda Gervais. There’s not much to show I grant you. It didn’t help that I started with the Eggshell colour in a very dull electric light, but I’ve started it and will soon get on with it.

So, that's been my very exciting week!!

A little red car :0)

I get up to no good when I have a day off work:0)

Now don't ask me why, but I have a thing for rustic style metal cars (and other things); and I have long since wanted a red one ........... I'd actually like a red truck, but a car will do for now. I'm rubbish with cars, but think this is a Volkswagon??????? So, having been to the dentist first (ouch - had to have a filling re-filled and I'm such a baby!) I thought I deserved to treat myself. I called into a favourite garden centre and sadly ended up in their Christmas section - I don't 'do' Christmas early, honest! Thankfully, the Christmas tree can be removed, which I have, but maybe it'll come in when the season arrives.

So, there it is, my lovely red car!!

Ye Old Crow Sampler

I saw this cross-stitch made up on somebody's blog, or Instagram feed or Facebook ...... I really can't remember now, but I liked it a lot and decided it shouldn't be too taxing, as it's small and only one colour thread, so no chopping & changing threads constantly! Actually, I thought I'd seen it on Wendy's blog recently, but I can't see it there, so it must have been somebody else's idea I'm nicking!

Cheap too! The pattern comes together with the three small buttons needed and i only had to buy two skeins of Weeks Dye Works thread. Of course, it won't be ready for this Halloween, but hopefully next year. I'm doing what Wendy said I should do and prepping plenty of craft things ready for my recuperation period after my knee replacement operation .......... next Thursday - it's getting close now!!!

.... and with a beanie hat!

I decided to knit my nameless Waldorf doll a beanie hat to match her hooded coat - I rather like it.

Any ideas anyone of a name? I was thinking of starting to name through the alphabet (for no particular reason), so maybe something with 'A'. All suggestions gratefully received :0)

EDIT: Well that didn't take long! Thanks to my lovely and talented friend Vivi (a brilliant card maker), my doll is now called Annie - and doesn't it suit her very well? Thank you Vivi :0) xx

Easter Parade all made up:0)

Just a short post to show my lovely 'Easter Parade' cross-stitch made up into a small cushion. It is bigger than it's meant to be, but that's down to having done it on the 28-count linen instead of the 40-count. Fortunately, I had some of the same kind of olive green ribbon needed for the edging. I know I didn't have to do it exactly the same, but I like it.

Easter Parade

This post really is especially for Wendy – and I hope she doesn’t faint with shock!! :0)

Approximately four years ago, lovely Wendy sent me many wonderful gifts (see 18th May 2014 post here) including not only a complete cross-stitch kit (pattern, linen and the threads), but it came in an exquisite piece of Wendy’s own work; a cross-stitch pocket. Anyway, after about a year, I put needle to linen and managed probably about 50 stitches …… fully intending to continue with it at the time; however, you know how these things go. Who does not have many WIPs? I always say you’re not a true crafter if you don’t have a least six different projects on the go LOL

So life (and other crafting) got in the way until a few weeks ago when I had the chance of a few days away down in Devon; and I wanted something small to take with me. I thought of taking my new overlocker, but realised that was going a bit far – still haven’t tried it out yet! So my cross-stitch came to mind. And because it was a nice quiet relaxing few days in Devon, I got on quite well with it. And now, after a few more sessions of working on it, late yesterday afternoon (hence the bad light of the photos), I finally finished it. Tada!! So there you are Wendy – I bet you thought it was never to be seen again? The pattern (picture below) is called Easter Parade by Brenda Gervais and I loved it as soon as I saw it – my kind of thing you know :0)

All I have to do now is to make it up into a little cushion, so there will be further pictures – hopefully later in the week. I have some backing fabric and some of that lovely frilly ribbon all ready to go. The only difference from the original is that I did it on 28-count linen. The pattern requirements are to use 40-count – well you have to be joking LOL – I can just about manage 28-count, which Wendy was aware of, so she sent me the 28-count. It was white when it arrived, but I did a bit of coffee staining to make it a similar colour to that in the pattern.

So, after four long years, I say again a big ‘Thank You’ to my very kind and generous friend ……. and I’m sorry it took me so long. Wendy’s actually been badgering me recently about whether I’d yet started on the ‘Mr Frosty cross-stitch kit I bought myself recently (see earlier post), which I’ve bought to keep me entertained after my knee replacement operation on 25^th October, but I didn’t want to tell Wendy what I was really working on :0)