What Kirsty did next!

Well, here we are at the end of another week, and autumn seems to have landed with a vengeance! The lovely crispy sunshine has been replaced by miserable rain, and my fleecy penguin pyjamas have been dragged out of the wardrobe once again. The good side of this, of course, is that its boot season once again - I love pretty flipflops and sandals but you can't beat a good boot. So far I've resurrected my beloved pirate OTKs and the black biker boots from last year, and I'm looking forward to the arrival of some new ones.

Today has been my weekly day off (I love this part-time stuff...) and while I started the day with good intentions about doing some beading/knitting/stitching I just went and had my hair cut instead: a bit of pampering does cheer you up!

I haven't been lazy all week though, I've been making gemstone bangles in tourmaline and amethyst, and have started one in jade...

...as well as making a replacement dangle for a kilt pin, finishing the autumn necklace for a friend's mum, and a mother's bracelet for my own mum's next door neighbour in France.

I also held a giveaway on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago and have posted off a Sugar & Spice set to a little girl called Madeleine in South London. Keep an eye out for the next one by becoming a fan...

When I put it like that it looks like I've done lots this week!

Finally, I'm really excited about the bags that Rose over at Victoria Rose Crafts made for me this week! Go over and see her at her blog, she makes some gorgeous stuff. You'll find her at the Epping Craft Collective stall at the Christmas Market on 4 December, along with me and Lily Roses's Luxuries - stop by and see us if you're in the area!

Happy New Year!

Haven't made any resolutions but if I had...it would be to finish my WIPs. Instead I've spent Christmas knitting a scarf for my mum's birthday (another UFO) and yesterday I started knitting a mobile phone case for my new phone as I can't find a silicone one for it. I adapted a pattern for an ipod case that I've done a couple of times already and am using a Lorna's Laces sock yarn in 'Iris Garden', a pretty pink self-patterned yarn that's coming up lovely. Will add photos when I'm done.

Some lovely people added to my stash with presents at Xmas - a wolf and a Lickle Ted as well as a small DMC kit with the new scented threads - and an even lovelier person gave me a superstitcher.com voucher which I'd managed to spend by Boxing Day on a Bothy Threads kit and a penguin & chicks kit. Will I ever find time to do them all? No.... Do I care? No.....

Pick up a penguin...

Finished the penguin bag last night! There were four stitched penguins in the corners but after stitching the top right-hand one two squares too far over I decided I didn't like him anyway and replaced him with a button I found in my stash. Just need to iron vilene onto the back and then he's usable.

I'm also going to add a bag charm - which involved rediscovering eBay and all the wonderful things there are out there! I probably didn't need 25 silver penguin charms, and I definitely didn't need the ladybird beads, the daisy beads and the mobile dangles but I'm sure they'll come in useful....honest.

Started another Margaret Sherry free kit last night as well - a cat in a hammock - but now that Tove is sleeping for longer I'm going to try and get Maggie finished.

Penguin bag

Have almost completed the baby penguin at the centre of the bag's aida panel, and having decided that I need some kind of border I'm thinking about what. The options are - plain stitching, small penguins in the corners or something else, maybe a 'wave' effect or fish or something watery. I'd hate to do the border and then decide it looks wrong so am thinking carefully...

Inquisitive Kitten

This freebie from Cross Stitcher has been in the stash for about 2 years I think - one of the few cover kits I've kept rather than passing on via the forum or to friends. Quite fiddly to do as the fabric was too small for a hoop and I'm too lazy to tack it onto another piece of fabric :-). Not sure what I'll do with it yet as I'm not doing cards this year. Head start on 2009 maybe!

Have started the large bag today - decided on a cute baby penguin from the David & Charles Polar Bears and Penguins book. Will need to add a border, maybe snowflakes or something like that.