Author Archives: paulainauckland

WIP should-do-this-on-Wednesdays

Posted in cross stitch, goals, round robin by

HI everyone! I’m so glad it’s Thursday. This has been a looooong week.

20170115_145556Friday – shite day at work then a hot walk to the Domain as that tag season has started. Moved Lou from one flat to the next while S+B ref’d there.

Sat & Sun – S+B had refereeing commitments, so it was just Z, Mase the Ace and myself at home. None of us felt very energetic so we lazed around. Slept. Hurting a wee bit after getting back into bootcamps. The Stitch Maynia and Stitch from Stash SAL both featured red, so I did a small part of home♥stitch♥ness  Flowering Poinsettia pattern. This is on a 26ct navy Elixar, as it was in my stash. Planning a small hoop finish for my tree. Check out her etsy shop (link on the name) for some more cuteness.

I also put the next round robin piece to work and started Passione Ricamo – it’s the head and shoulders of Into the Darkness. Not my cup of tea but Andie had already done Artemisia, so this one will face that. Not enough progress to show, as I only spent 30 min or so on her.

Discovered the rabbit warren that is Audible. This has been the high-light of my work week, altho I see it as potentially quite expensive! If you know of deal sites, please do let me know. I have worked out that it is often cheaper to buy the Kindle book and add on the Audible file…

 

Monday – work early (before 6!) to get the internal and vendor reporting done, before I went with Lou for her surgery appt. Letter said surgery at 11, under general, so we arrived at 9. Huh. Surgery at 2:30 – we left at 4. And they did it under a local block.

Tuesday – work then bootcamp. I did an extra set of the finisher and managed to bear crawl (fast!) up the hill. I cannot do it backwards. That is something to practice.

Wednesday – Watchman tag started again last night, so while S+B ref’d, Z & I went to an Ankor class at Waitakere. It’s a bit intimidating, TBH, to be doing that among the fit young rugby and netball peeps that are also training but once I had my glasses off, I pretended they couldn’t see me. Plus, I’m pairing up with Annike who I find motivates me. I hope I entertain and motivate her as much!

And now we’re back to Thursday. No stitching since Monday, when I did a little more on Fireflies. I am now into the navy, which is the last colour before the beads. Fingers crossed I get this done to bead this weekend, I’m tired of it already!

WIP eh..Thursday. Yay, it’s Thursday!

Posted in Christmas, conversion details, cross stitch, family, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett by

So far, so good. I am swimming along at work (have counted to 10 a few times, but yesterday didn’t hit my self-imposed swear limit, so getting better) and at home. Great amusement is had by the adults of the house, removing critical pieces of the children’s equipment like laptops they try to hide at night…I am also upping the “mean mum” stakes in expecting the boys to monitor their own cell data useage – they do not have the password to the WiFi! Oh, this is fun!

On the stitching side, I am hitting my goals and then some. For the first week of the year, the StitchMaynia 12 Days of Christmas SAL continued, so I worked on the Hands On Design chalkboard Christmas, completing the first trilogy with Be Merry & Believe:

This week is my Magazine SAL week, as hosted by Heather Stitches on Facebook (that link is to her blog, BTW). Because the 12 Days SAL finished on the sixth, I started this piece a bit early, but I have a finish. This is Country Cottage Needlework‘s  Merry & Bright from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament 2010 issue (as I brought myself the DVD via 123 Stitch in December, I’m planning an ornie for each of this SAL’s entries). I’m planning on a cube finish with present buttons added:

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I did not use the threads recommended (Stitch From Stash, people!). If you want to copy, I did this 2 over 1 on 25ct ivory Lugana with the following DMC changes:

  • the circle is 3364
  • @ is 347
  • the square is 434
  • the dot is Kreinik 032
  • and the half circle is 895

And as that took me only 3 days, I pulled out one of my existing WIPS, Arezzo. All that 1 over 1! Add on Nora’s doctor’s scrawl of a chart, and it can be heavy going. I find it takes me a few moments to adjust even tho I have blown the chart up and use a high-lighter. I have frogged the error that caused me to put her away and made a lot of progress over about 4 hours. I don’t know the original stitcher of this version but she did a beautiful job. Me? I’m plodding along:

And at work, my focus is to finish the stitching part of the second variation of Mill Hill Fireflies. I’ve sorted out the blue thread, and expect to have this ready to bead for Saturday:

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What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Posted in Christmas, DIY home, family, grateful, Journal, me, photos, travel by

So..the family went away. The kids & Grandma flew to Invercargill on the Sunday, then (as regular readers will know) Si & I went the following Wednesday.

I’ve tried to select some different shots from what I posted on IG, and they should have captions. If you want to know more about a place/time, let me know in the comments.

Enjoy!

21/12 – in a pencil plane, overlooking the Rakaia River. Very low levels…
22/12 – the obligatory Bluff photo! It’s the southern most point of the Mainland.
23/12 – Dunedin. After the Cadbury factory tour, we went to Baldwin St, the steepest st in the world! And you HAVE to walk it…yay for bootcamp as prep!
24/12 – Milford Sound (actually it’s a fjord) – the most beautiful day of our holiday
25/12 – Wookie alert!
26/12 – every day we tried to go for a long, calming walk in Queen’s Park. Spot the rabbit…
27/12 – one of the replica World’s Fastest Indians, as found in EH Hayes in Invercargill. They have the biggest Bert Munro collection.
28/12 – one of the projects we attacked at the SIL’s – garden prep.
29/12 – as found in Arrowtown. Mase wanted to know how to use it…
30/12 – a gorgeous peaceful afternoon at Monkey Beach.

On New Year’s Day, Si & I then drove the Toy Car back up, along the West Coast, catching the ferry at Picton, spending time in Wellington then back home.

1/1 – lots of one lane bridges
2/1 – Punakaikei Pancake Rocks
3/1 – looking at the sailing conditions
4/1 – we walked a lot in Welly too
5/1 – Weta’s Great War exhibit really took you to 1914 Belgium.
6/1 – back home!

Book Review – The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford

Posted in books by

Format: Kindle (own purchase)

51lptbquyvl-_sx331_bo1204203200_Synopsis: Hoping to make a clean break from a fractured marriage, Agatha Christie boards the Orient Express in disguise. But unlike her famous detective Hercule Poirot, she can’t neatly unravel the mysteries she encounters on this fateful journey.

Agatha isn’t the only passenger on board with secrets. Her cabinmate Katharine Keeling’s first marriage ended in tragedy, propelling her toward a second relationship mired in deceit. Nancy Nelson—newly married but carrying another man’s child—is desperate to conceal the pregnancy and teeters on the brink of utter despair. Each woman hides her past from the others, ferociously guarding her secrets. But as the train bound for the Middle East speeds down the track, the parallel courses of their lives shift to intersect—with lasting repercussions.

Filled with evocative imagery, suspense, and emotional complexity, The Woman on the Orient Express explores the bonds of sisterhood forged by shared pain and the power of secrets.

 

I picked this one up in the new year sales on a whim, & started reading this weekend in my wait for the TV programme Maigret (yes, I know he’s not written by Christie, but it was the era that triggered my whim). And this has the hallmarks I love about historical fiction – the basis of the story is true, the side characters existed (in fact, it’s hard to pick which one of the main characters is fiction if you don’t know much about Christie, like me) & the period is beautifully written. I won’t really expand on the jacket synopsis, as I don’t think that I need to, but I will say this – READ THIS BOOK. Or listen. It’s that good. I’m going to be looking for more from Ashford very soon.

 

WIPocalypse begins!

Posted in cross stitch, goals, lavender & lace, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin, Smalls SAL, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

lk-hnyHAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

WIPocalypse is hosted by Mel at her blog http://measi.net/measiblog/ 2016 was the sixth year of the SAL, and my second year participating; let’s go for a trilogy.

 

January first is all about setting goals for the year, so that in early December I can go “oh crap!” LOL This year I intend to be multi-platform again, with the daily focus being on Instagram but at least the WIP Wednesday, Smalls and WIPocalypse posts here on the blog, and a monthly Flosstube. I have weekly rotation plans written in my diary to take me thru to the end of March & I will review then.

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The rotation plans are loosely worked around the following:

  • StitchMaynia’s monthly SAL e.g. Feb is “fandom” (I am thinking Cloudsfactory Labyrinth), March is Teresa Wentzler (Tapestry Cat). December/January has the 12 Days of Christmas, starting on Christmas day and finishing on the 6th – I will be taking my Hands On Design Christmas Chalk away with me. Mostly because I paid for the fabric (32ct!!) and I need to use it, so if it’s all I have with me I should see some progress.
  • StitchMaynia’s colour SAL (this is only on the 15th of each month).
  • The Never Ending Band Sampler (as my learning piece of the month).
  • The Magazine SAL (as hosted by Heather; click the image to the right for more info). This piece will double as my Smalls (click on that image for more info) post as I intend to use the JCS Christmas magazines all year, especially now that I have the CD with the past issues!
  • The Round Robin piece, whatever it is and whenever it arrives.
  • Focus on a Finish – whatever needs completing from the above or a current WIP that is nearly there. Mermaids of the Deep will be high on that list.

I am not going to start a New Year New Mira – mostly because I am away from home and I really do have enough started. Going into 2017, I have the following starts (listed in age!!):

  • TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!)
  • Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013)
  • Nora Corbett Arezzo (March 2014)
  • Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015)
  • Nora Corbett Blitzen (as part of my reindeer parade, Rudolph started in July 2015)
  • Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep Blue (December 2015)
  • Mirabilia Raven Queen (January 2016)
  • Tamara Blackwork (September 2016)
  • Never Ending Band Sampler
  • Lavender & Lace Celtic Winter (December 2016)

Ten’s not so bad, really!

WIP Wednesday

Posted in cross stitch by

By the time this posts, I’ll be in the air! My holidays would have kicked off and I am really looking forward to minimal computer time and massive family time over the next few weeks. I’ll still be on Instagram but maybe not here. So Merry Christmas to you all, and may you have a wonderful, fun-filled holiday season.

December’s StitchMaynia SAL was a finish line. After completing Wise Words, I moved onto Mermaids of the Deep Blue. As is usual with December, I over-estimated the amount of stitch time I would have and didn’t get to the goal. Nearly there tho!

It does show progress, and I think penciling it into the last week of January will see the stitching portion completed. But as I am doing SFS, and only have three packs of beads purchased, the finish itself will need to wait a bit.

fb_img_1482135970154The next SAL will start a bit early for me. I was really tempted by the Satsuma St 12 Days of Christmas but then I thought – I paid BIG money for the Hands On Design chalk ornaments and no, I don’t like that it’s 32ct instead of 28ct (my fault) but let’s get them done. They fit loosely into the “12 Days” theme and I have the chart copied, threads prepped, needle ready and it’s small enough to travel with. So I have these ready now, along with my pathetic start. I’m thinking I will do Cathy’s 12 Days series that she is featuring on IG right now – super cute!

12 days Cathy.jpg

 

 

December WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

Whoa. It’s December already! And I have just these two days left at work for all of 2016. I’ve taken a loooong break this year so won’t be back until Jan 9th. And – gasp! – I have some cover. Amazed.

WIPocalypse is hosted by Mel at her blog http://measi.net/measiblog/ 2016 was the fifth year of the SAL, and my second year participating.

Anyway, let’s get into the recap. In January, I had a few plans/goals.

  1. Keep a separate portion of my diary for stitching goals AND keeping my WIP blog page updated with pics as I rotate. MOSTLY ACHIEVED – I was much better about recording than I was in 2015.
  2. Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep. NEARLY COMPLETED – well, the stitching anyway. I had hoped to complete that in 2016 but there’s about 30-35 hours left, and it’s not going on holiday with me.
  3. Mirabilia Raven Queen. WORKED ON.
  4. Nora Corbett Cherub with Tree. FINISHED.
  5. Mirabilia Roses of Provence. DITCHED & FROGGED. I have a different fabric, so planning this for after I finish Persephone. Two Mira skirts would be one too many.
  6. Nora Corbett Blitzen. WORKED ON
  7. Mirabilia Persephone. BLITZED GOALS – currently in the middle of stitching the skirt. So far all conversions are working out.
  8. Nora Corbett Arezzo. DID NOT STITCH
  9. Semco Toy Story sampler. DID NOT STITCH.
  10. Teresa Wentzler Tapestry Cat. MINIMAL STITCH TIME.

I also completed a lot of smalls!

  • Jan – Chinese year of the Monkey
  • Feb – Nora Lily of the Valley RR, Noel mini sampler, Lizzie*Kate Up in the Treetops
  • Mar – nil
  • April – Hands On Design Plenty
  • May – Spring biscornu portion
  • June – Mill Hill fireflies kit, Pickle Barrel Noel, Cross Stitcher bunny kit
  • July – Mill Hill Holly kit x2, Mill Hill Berry kit x2
  • August – nil
  • Sept – Mill Hill Saxony Santa kit
  • Oct – Mill Hill Lapis kit x2, Mill Hill Merry Christmas Santa
  • Nov – Nora Petal Fairy RR
  • Dec – Plastic canvas trees

I also got a few “medium” finishes in. Country Cottage’s Afternoon in London, Cloudsfactory’s A Team and Emma Congdon/Stitchrovia Wise Words Tolkien quote.

For all the missed WIPs in the first section, I feel like I achieved a lot.

 

Sorting Jane Austen Characters Into Hogwarts Houses: The Definitive Guide — Carrots for Michaelmas

Posted in books by

images by Katherine Makowky You love Jane Austen. You love Harry Potter. So why not sort your favorite Austen characters into Hogwarts houses? I could not come up with a good reason not to. I’m the sort of person who wonders how Elinor and Marianne Dashwood’s Myers-Briggs personality types made their sisterly relationship complicated. And I’ve…

via Sorting Jane Austen Characters Into Hogwarts Houses: The Definitive Guide — Carrots for Michaelmas