Just a really quick update (I have been lax again) with a few pics of what I have been up to lately. There hasn’t really been much stitching for the past week but I did participate in the Challenge SAL and I also have an update of cirques because i seem to have not given one for a very long time. I have almost used one skein of waterlillies on cirques now. The twelve stranded skeins seem to last forever especially with 1 stand over 2 on 40ct.

It seems so many of the designs I am stitching of late have large amounts of 310 in them.. no real surprise there really but it is kind of amusing going from one wip to the other essentially stitching the same thing with the same thread .. and in some cases if you were to campare the grids it is basically the same spots getting filled in too The wip this time was of course Lost by Lisa Victoria. I picked him up for the HAED BB QS SAL (how’s that for a string of acronyms), I am desperate to get him finished as soon as possible. Especially seeing as Lisas Hubby (hope I got the association right) let it be known they have sent images to HAED for the pirate and marshmallow dragons as well as the gorgeous little merdraggy. Once these are released I am not sure I would be able to hold out for too long before a new start and I promised my self no more HAED starts until I at least finish a QS.

So 700 stitches in one night I am more than happy about. I am still only stitching this on wednesdays for the SAL but that may change later if I am going to really push to get him done I made it all the way over to the right hand side of page 2 which was unexpected but nice. This week was background so next week I will probably tackle some of the more detailed sections in the dragon again.

Well this weekend I started, finished and even did the finishing on my cthulhu biscornu. The design is from Periphaeria Designs and is actually called Ia!Ia! and is a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft.

The perfect “eye” for the center is still eluding me. Significant searching through buttons and beads at the stitches and craft show on the weekend yielded nothing so I am going to be forced to try the toy eyes at spotlight. I wanted something more realistic with a stylised iris etc but I don’t think I will be finding what I am after any time soon. The finishing went well adn was surprisingly easy, it needs more stuffing though I think. I didn’t want to over stuff but think I went too far the other way.

It is stitched on an unknown hand-dyed (probably evenweave but i could be wrong)from a countrystitch grab bag. I woudl say it is probably 28ct though and stitching over 2 was odd. The thread is a Vikki Clayton silk and I am quite sure it was Dragon Scales but I have misplaced the tag and can’t be sure. It is a lovely ever so slightly varigated deep blueish green though.
It was loads of fun to stitch has only increased my recent obsession with biscornus so I suspect there will be quite a few more in my future

I’ve done it! The first page of Lost is completed! I thought those single stitches were never going to end they seemed to take forever. I was determined to get it done last night though and even managed about 40 stitches extra into page 2.
I am going to continue to the left and do the rest of his head becasue I just can’t wait to see more of this little guy. That and page two still has some significant solid blocks of colour unlike pages 3 and 4. the blocks are so much faster and help me feel like I am making progress each week, especially when my stitching time is limited.

I am still having issues getting used to my new camera. I can’t seem to get pictures of my stitching that I am happy with. It isn’t helped by that fact that the colour on my monitor at home is so different to that at work or on my laptop so I am often confused as to if the pictures look anygood. On one monitor they look fine but then when I look at htem from somewhere else they look dull. Lighting is most likely the isssue seeing as I often take pictures at night. Hopefully I will find judt the right combination of seetings and lighting soon.

Well it is that time of the month where I get to laugh at what I said I would try and achieve stitching wise in april. I already know what the verdict will be. I had five days off work where I planned to stitch my life away but unfortunately I was all busy on my days off catching up with all the things that haven’t been done in ages. So no stitching for me.
so lets start this crazy ride in april I april I said I would:

1. Get the RR out on time  I will say yes to this even though it technically was a couple of days off thanks to not getting to the post office. The stitching was completed though.
2. SAL challenge – Return of Spring (even it was only a teeny tiny bit)
3. Easter Creature SAL (i guess this is cheating because it is already done :p ) Yep
4. QS Wed 3 times hopefully finishing page 1 of the draggie yes and no. I think I managed to participate 3 times but I just missed out on that first page. QS SAL today should see it complete though so watch for an update.
5. CC on 3 try and at least participate umm no
6. Ornament SAL same as last month. start the name tree and do the finishing on the ones I have completed. I am so slack with this… no
7. Get some stitching time in on Japanese garden Nope but i did look at it and put the thread in a new box.
8. Stitch a big circle for cirques No. I think I may have about a 1/4 done of the first one. Will post an update soon anyway.
9. 1000 stitches into Violet No more like 100
10. 500 into St nick Nope
11. 5th weekend SAL for aredhel again *boogie* Yes.. well sort of as per post below.

So about 5 out of 11. Could have been worse, lol. There is a stitching show on this weekend which Nic may or may not come along with me to. She has to be good and write PhD type words onto pages before she is allowed to come. But other thean one day at work and the show this holiday weekend is mine for stitching… oh and maybe a little WoW playing too (but only a little).

With that in mind time for some marvelous May Goals:

1. Finish that circle in cirques! third time’s a charm
2. 1000 stitches into violet
3. Challenge SAL Retuen of Spring. I want to get 1000 stitches in this time.
4. QS SAL 3 times
5. CC on 3 at least participate
6. Ornament SAL (probably the cthulhu biscornu from Periphaeria designs .. gotta love lovecraftian biscornus *squee*)
7. 500 stitches into St Nick
8. Gt a start on Dianes RR already have the chart pickes out.
9. Stitch on Japanese Garden
10. Stitch a small design for the cancer morning tea auction.

I think most of those may actually be doable *giggle*