Under Pressure!

As the title suggests I am feeling a little bit under pressure at the moment, college is drawing to a close and it's been a bit frantic getting all the last bits and bobs done and handed in. I've sat soo many exams this last wee while my head is spinning......but the end is in sight just one more big exam to go and in a fortnight I will be FREE let me just say that again ....cos I like how it sounds.....I will be FREE!! To do whatever I like....well ok..almost anything ;0) I did have a break this past weekend I had just had enough and I was missing stitching so I dug out Forget Me Not by BBD and made a start would you like to see?

I found this a really relaxing project to stitch and I am loving the colours. I have chosen to stitch it using the recommended threads and colours but I am stitching it on 40 count linen using one strand of floss over two threads and I like how it's turning out. It's not going to be a big project but right now that is just fine with me!

Ah those mellow and soothing colours good for the soul. I can't wait to come back to this project not long to wait!

I like to have a mix of projects on the go to pick up something that takes my fancy be it a big project or little ones. Iam a huge fan of  Maja of The Snowflower Diaries designs and have stitched a few which you can see in early entries on this blog. So I was tickled pink when I saw that she was having a giveaway  on her blog just check this little lot out!

Not only can you win three copies of her newest patterns but also 2 pieces of 32 count linen hand dyed by Maja and 15 skeins of gorgeous Nina's Hand Dyed Threads! Wow! Who wouldn't want to be the lucky recipient of that lot! Certainly not me which is why I've added my name lol and hope you will all pop over and join too cos if I don't win I would love one of my lovely blog buddies to :0)

Just click on the link above or the picture to take you to her blog and good luck if you decide to enter.

New stash

Following on from my last post regarding my trip to Dundee, I paid a little visit to a wool shop and added to my stash. I got some cheap wool ( it was reduced honest! ) to practice knitting two socks at the same time, here's hoping I can get two matching socks. I've already made a wee start on them even though I haven't finished the last pair off, naughty me.

I just had to start them off to see how the wool was knitting up. I am using Drops Fabel and liking them so far.

I also bought this ball of sock yarn by Schoppel as I really like the colours but will make sure I can knit a matching pair first before I start using it.

They will be bright and cheery for cool autumn days. I know we are heading into summer and the days here are starting to warm up but I am slow at knitting and need to plan ahead.

I've also been doing a little online shopping to add to my stash. It was exciting when the parcel arrived through the post even though I knew what was going to be in it I was like a child at Christmas  full of anticipation. Oh boy the parcel didn't disappoint. Would you like to see what I treated myself 

too? I thought so ok then.

I've had my eye on the BBD Forget Me Not pattern for quite a while but it has been out of stock every time I've gone to order it but luck must have smiled on me cos I've got one now. While browsing, cos it just seemed silly to buy one little chart when there was shipping to be paid, I fell in love with this Stacy Nash Primitives Tribute to Summer Sampler. There is just something about the colours in this one that just called to me. Ok you will have noticed that I didn't just buy the charts I thought I may as well kit them out so they are ready to start when the mood strikes. I don't know about you but I hate wanting to start a project then having to wait while I order the necessary threads 

and linens...inevitably I go off the boil....and start something else.

Forget Me Not will be stitched using the recommended threads but will be stitched on 40 count linen as they didn't have the recommended count I don't mind will end up a little smaller but that's ok.

Summer Sampler with there commended threads and linen. The colours look lovely here don't they? Well I have one teensy wee gripe about some of those colours.....

These two threads GA Apple Cider and GA Lambswool are according to the chart the colours for the outer border leaves and flowers. Now I know that computer screens and chart colours can be a little misleading but do these threads look remotely summery to you? Cos they certainly don't to me!

This one in particular really had me scratching my head, I've been on line searched for images of this sampler completed, looked at colour samples for GA Apple Cider and they are all GREEN or various shades of green but definitely green folks! I know colour lots can change but this is pretty dramatic. Now the above thread to me looks brown no green not even a snifter of green in it and there is no way, no how, nuh uh that I will be stitching a border of dead brown leaves on my summer sampler. Whew! Glad I got that off my chest lol! So what to do? Well I am just going to have to look through my stash for a green that I do like and a lighter shade for the flowers simple.

Now this combination is much more pleasing to my eye, lighter coloured flowers and green leaves, much more summer like.......and breath....

A finish and trip to Dundee

It's been a while since I last posted don't know what happened to the time a mixture of the Easter holidays spending time with the family and college work I guess but I do have something to share and I see I have some followers, oh my goodness! well hello and welcome *waves* thank you for joining me, guess I had better get on and write something now!
I have managed to finish my Sampler House project by With Thy Needle and Thread.

Really pleased with how it's turned out.

The soft white for the windows really lifts this. I've just got to 'finish' it properly now which should be *mumble mumble* well let's just say soon...ish.

Iam still working away on my socks I am nearly done with the second sock.

 I just have just one eensy weensy, teeny weeny problem......

my knitting tension, obviously I must be knitting tighter than I did the first sock as the second is definitely smaller......sigh!

Ah well I am going to look on this as a learning curve albeit a steep one! For future sock projects I plan to knit both socks at the same time. Fortunately daughter two still wants the socks maybe when I wash them they won't be too noticeable in size difference? Or they may end up as binners.

So why did I mention Dundee in my post title? Well yesterday hubby needed to make a trip to Dundee so we all decided to go as well cos it's not like I don't have anything else that I should be 

doing such as writing up reports and studying for some fast approaching exams eeek!!!

Anyway this is where we ended up

This is Dundee's waterfront looking up the estuary towards Newburgh. As you can see the tide was out and the water was eerily still.

This photo is looking down the river and you can see the Tay Railway Bridge and if you look closely at the picture at the other side of the bridge you can just make out the stumps of the bases of the original Railway Bridge, the famous Tay Bridge Disaster, they stand there as poignant  reminder of that tragic night. The original Tay Bridge collapsed on the 28th December 1879 killing all passengers and crew. There is a memorial here at the waterfront for all the victims but I was unable to get a photo as there was a family looking at it. 

The reason I am showing you pictures of the waterfront is because this is where we had lunch, not in the lovely looking restaurant housed in replica Victorian railway station, no we need to go round the back of the station to this...

An authentic 1870's railway carriage (apparently it was operational around the time of the Tay Bridge Disaster) which has now been converted to a fabulous little take away.

If you look closely you may just be able to make out hubby and daughter placing our lunch order which for me was the most amazing bacon and egg roll oh my it was good, so good I forgot to take a picture before it was gone!

Goodness I haven't half waffled on well done to anyone who has made it this far down the post without falling asleep. I do have more to share about the point of my trip to Dundee and some new goodies I would love to share with you but I will have to leave that for another day as I have to get on with some college work boo.