Ummmm....It's Been Too Long!

Wow, over two months since I've last posted.  What can I say? Babies take up a lot of time and time just zooms by when you're a zombie!! Or what I like to say "Mombie"! Nathanael is now 5 1/2 months and we are in the thick of sleep training both for nighttime and naptimes.  I've had to try a number of different methods and try to steer away from rocking him to sleep as it's no longer effective. This lil' guy has had a number of issues that have interfered with him learning to self-soothe: mainly me, construction that had been going on for 3 months beside us, colic, GERD and well just being a baby.  So I've been attempting the pick up/put down method and going in every 3-5 minutes until he falls asleep on his and today for his morning nap...wait for it...I only went in once!! NO BATTLE TO SLEEP FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. SSH.....maybe I shouldn't have shouted that and jinxed myself.  Well, it's one small feat for a mamma who is at her tethered end.  I want to be able to craft again!! Speaking of crafts, I am almost finished the granny stripe, only 4 more stripes then the border! I finished the PS santa and put in some stitches in Sarah Chapple but that's about it.  Nothing else has been going on.  I feel bad that I have neglected this space and all of my stitchy friends.  Did you know it was my 5th blogoversary on September12th?? I missed that too! If I had more than a 1/2 hour stretch at a time to do things I would have planned something as I want to get rid of lots of charts and things.  Well maybe in the new year when he's a bit older.  

Would you like to see some stitching and baby photos? Well here's a few! Be prepared for an onslaught of photos!

First the stitching and crocheting:

Sarah Chapple's border meets which is always exciting for us stitchers!!
 

Sarah Chapple: the border meets!!!

Added a few stitches into Sarah Emery

 
 An autumn stitch which is sort of Halloweeny but since I like crows and don't celebrate Halloween, I consider this more of an autumn stitch

 Helped my mom start Autumn Fraktur by PPS

 Kinda jealous that I'm not stitching this...but perhaps I will be as she hasn't really stitched it since!

A finish...finally! I love this PS Santa!

Now onto crocheting.  I finished Nathanael's Granny bunting which looks great above his crib.  He enjoys looking at it too!

More Granny stripes have been put in since this photo was taken so no need for an updated one.

Now onto some Autumn and baby photos.  We had a deliciously warm October so lots of walks around my neighbourhood.  However, November has been cold and rainy so not as many walks as we'd like.

Shades of Red

A gorgeous churchin my neighbourhood with a brilliant sunset sun shining through the trees

Baby photos....

Ground control to major Tom...hehehe

Having a laugh with Great Nana

Well that's all my dears.  I hope you enjoyed the update.  If you want to follow me on Instagram my username is @annithadoll.  Much easier for me to post onto Instagram than find some time to do a blog post, although I do miss it! 

Hugs to you all and from Titus too!!

Blooms and Samplers

Hello again everyone!

Wow two posts in two days! A record for me this year.  I'm glad everyone enjoyed the Easter Hop Jo coordinated.  It was fun to take part in.  I still need to collect a few more letters then try to decode the message.  I thought I would give everyone a little update on my stitching, crocheting and Bean of course.  I have about 7 weeks left before Bean arrives and she/he is growing so much! There's little room left in me and I spend my days hobbling, wobbling around like a penguin.  My back pain is bad and the acid reflux just doesn't let up.  So I'm counting down for those to go away but I also want to sleep before Bean comes! I know I won't get much of it and even though you can't stock up on sleep, I need to be rested before I start my work days.  

I've been trying to make more progress on my WIP's and adding a few more lines in my granny stripe because I know those will all be put down for awhile when Bean comes.  I made two more Granny square bunting triangles and I think I'll make two more before I string them together.  Where I'll put them I don't know, but eventually they will go in Bean's room.  

I have about 14 more colours to add to my granny stripe before I start the border.  I hope to add a few more tonight.

I've thoroughly enjoyed making this blanket.  It's been almost a year since I started it and I hope to finish it soon.

Now onto stitching.  Sarah Chapple has been receiving some love.  She is just the prettiest sampler.  I love the colours and the honeysuckle flowers on the vine.  

I added the last few, little filigree details on JCS.  There's still so much of this lovely sampler to do I don't know when this will be completed.

I love how the backstitching really makes those flowers pop! 

I've been fairly faithful too to working on Knotgarden at least once a week.  The last knot has actually more progress than this picture but I'm too lazy to pull it out and take a new photo. 

As for smalls, I wanted to start a new little stitch but haven't yet.  There's just too many other things to work on for the moment!

Oops, almost forgot to add.  I stitched a wee bit last night on BOAF's Sarah Emery.  She's such a sweet sampler and so pleasant to work on.  

 
I did buy some stash....why I don't know.  I bought a sampler from Scarlett Letter to make at some point in my life.  Polly Phillip.  She's such a beautiful sampler.  I adore the blues! The amount of AVAS silks is crazy.  I'll have to slowly collect them and maybe when Bean enters school, I'll have the supplies and the time to stitch her!

Some yarns from Loveknitting asked to be bought.  I love using Stylecraft's DK for the granny stripe so I figured why not add more colours to the collection.

Fun colours to work with! I also got some baby wool to try out and I have some ideas of what I want to do with them. 

I also bought some charts from Maggee when she had her stash for sale.  They are older BBD charts and I would love to stitch them some day!

The other day, we had a visitor outside our window.  Not sure if he's a hawk or falcon.  He's such a majestic bird and I'm glad he stayed long enough for me to capture a couple of photos.  

Isn't he handsome?! I've seen him before but he flew off before I could get my camera.  A very shy bird. 

Okay, I'm signing off now.  We will be doing some pregnancy photos with my aunt next weekend so I hope to have some updated photos of us soon for you all.  I truly appreciate all of your comments and I know I have been bad in replying and commenting.  I actually caught up during Spring break but am falling behind again.  Anywho, lots of hugs and love to you all!!

Ciao!

Anne

Can't Sleep and Reminder About Giveaway

It's 3:30 am and I can't sleep.  I went to bed early but woke up wide awake.  Is this the "energy" burst you get during the second trimester? If that's the case, I'm not a big fan of it.  I like my sleep!! Give me energy during the day not when I'm sleeping!!

Okay, rant over.  Thank you all so much for your well wishes, hugs and hurrahs.  I mean to respond to everyone once reports are over, which I will be this weekend. We are thrilled about little bean and everything seems to be fine except this waking up early bit.  So as I was transferring over photos onto my computer, I realized I forgot to do a post about my little Victoria trip a few weeks back, for my sister's convocation at the University of Victoria.  The last time I had been in Victoria was when I was 12 so it was nice to revisit the city again.  We stayed in a charming B & B and wandered through the downtown, which I fell in love with.  Victoria has amazing old buildings and the most charming little shops, including a knitting and stitching store!!!! I hadn't been to a local needleshop since the one in Prince George closed when I was 11! I was in heaven, and did a lot of damage too...hehee.

Buttons Knitting Needleshop

Loved all of the framed stitching on the walls!

Carriage House Samplings...forgot to even look at the ribbons

Birds of a Feather Sampler Sarah Emery

 I felt sort of rushed since my auntie and sister's boyfriend don't really have an interest in stitching, so I completely bypassed the beautiful wools and ribbons, forgot that they were there until I saw the photo, and sort of in an elevated state, ran to the fabrics, threads and charts.  It was so nice to see and FEEL the linens! I bought a few.  Couldn't help myself, plus I saw the beautiful Sarah Emery on the wall and realized I have that chart, so I bought the linen and threads to stitch it with.  

I also found a Good Huswife chart and a cute PS Santa that I am going to make for hubby this Christmas.  My sister, who didn't want to come in at all...lol, came in and ended up buying the same Good Huswife chart, linens and threads to stitch it.  Here she is stitching on the ferry.  I got her started.

I took a lot of other photos of Victoria but it was getting dark already at 4 so not many photos turned out that well.  We visited the Empress Hotel and wow, is that an amazing hotel! I felt like I was transported back to 1882.  The Parliament building was all lit up but again, photos turned out crappy.

Cool little alley

A door from old China town

A really cool Irish Pub I want to visit when I can drink again

Parliament all lit up

The tea room where High Tea is $50

Next time I visit Victoria, I will have more time to explore and revisit the stitching store with ample time to peruse. Very charming city if anyone is interested in visiting.

Well, I have done a smidgen of stitching, but mostly crochet.  I have been stitching snowflakes like crazy and you never know, some of them may float into your home soon! I started a baby blanket but changed the pattern since the bamboo cotton I got is very fine and doesn't work well with crocheting from the back stitches.  Those who crochet will know what I'm talking about.  

I actually finished the vase on Sarah Chapple but the lighting right now is pretty dim so I'll post an older photo.  

I stitched a bit on the PS Santa and started Sarah Emery.

Low 3:30am lighting

Last but not least, I guess I forgot but I ordered two more charts and some black lugana  awhile back.  One of the charts is Beggar's Christmas and I want to pull the threads and stitch that one to add to our Christmas ornaments this year.  

Reminder!! My giveaway ends on the 30th so there's still time to enter! Click on the right side bar under the header Giveaways and it'll pop you over to the post.  Good luck to all who entered!

Hugs to all...maybe I can get another hour of sleep in?!

Anne