Flosstube #51 - The kindness of friends (Sept. 26, 2026)

 

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Hello, dear friends! I have been busy with the garden and a few other things around the house.

I will have more complete shownotes, with photos, over at my blog, AmniconStudio.blogspot.com.

Read my writing over at https://amniconstudio.blogspot.com/ 

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Email: AmniconStudio at gmail.com

Free Patreon for project cards.

Current Works in Progress (WIPs)

Project name: USA 250

Started: April 12, 2026

Finished:

Designer: Wrought Iron Stitching

Chart purchased: Etsy, 2026

Fabric: 14 count Aida, brown hand-dyed by me

Floss used: 832, 824, 3866, 3777, 898

Currently at 3,355/5446 stitches; sitting at 61.60 percent complete

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Project name: George's Green Frog

Started: May 1, 2026

Finished: 

Designer: Mudpuppy Stitchery

Chart Purchased: Mudpuppy Stitchery patreon freebie

Fabric: 14 count Aida, "toast" fabric purchased at Hobby Lobby

Floss Used: B5200, 09, 11, 223, 304, 610, 644, 906, 907

Started this during #MudpuppyMay. 2,000/4697 Stitches; sitting at 21.29 percent complete (?)

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Finished Objects (FOs)

Project Name: Love is Patient, Love is Kind

Started: Aug. 5, 2026

Finished: Sept. 5, 2026

Designer: Artful offerings

Chart Purchased: Gift from Denise of Black Ribbon Studio

Fabric: Aida

Fabric Color: Ivory

Fabric Count: 16 count

Floss Used: DMC 349, 606, 310, 646, B5200.

SAL with Denise at Black Ribbon Stitch Studio. Chart is 3,761 stitches. The plan is to finish it as a pillow and keep it out all year. 

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Project Name: Picking Strawberries

Started: Aug. 8, 2026

Finished: Aug. 22, 2026    

Designer: LumiStitch

Chart Purchased: Gift from Jessica, the designer

Fabric: Aida

Fabric Color: Spa (kind of a green)

Fabric Count: 14 count

Floss Used: DMC 169, 310, 743, 815, 816, 869, 987, 3031, 3078, 3347, 3865

1,886 stitches. The plan is to finish it in to a flat fold. 

No yarn crafts this episode

Haul

Needlework Market

New charts from Hannah of Ladybug Stitches. 

Charts from Becca, over at Sambrie Stitches.

Labor Day Sale at Sambrie Stitches

Purchased charts and a photo print.  She also sent me a few project cards

Sale at AZ_Family Zoo

New bag and bracelets, along with a few charts. Sharing the bag. 

"Glorious Earth" 

The freebie chart the seller included. 

"Silent Flight"

Cross stitch kit I won from Megan over at MJsitches23

Stitchy kindness I received from Wendy over at Wendy's Whimsical Stitches

Miss Wendy, who has already been introduced on the blog.  She's to the left of Furby Jr. 

** Winners announced **

Life update

Channels mentioned in video ( I hope I didn't miss anyone)

Kenzie @mudpuppystitchery 

Denise @BlackRibbonStitchStudio 

Jessica @LumiStitch 

Mair @sincity_crossstitcher 

Becca @SamBrieStitches 

@GaRonStitchery 

Hannah @LadybugStitches 

Alison @Mrs.AZfamilyzooStitchesAlison 

Robin @Robin-thriftyArtiststitching 

Sarah @Sarahthenorthwoodsstitcher 

Patty @StitchingWithMyKitties-xe8qz 

Bridget @dawsonsstitchery 

Bethany @Bethany.BirdStitcher 

Katie @Jeremiahs_Mom 

Heather @themirrorimagestitcher 

Megan @MJstitches23 

Wendy @WendysWhimsicalStitches 

Andrew @therunnerstitcher 

Furby's Favorite TV person 😆 Kimberly @FatQuarterShopTX 

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Hunting, preserving, and homestead projects

 I have been a busy girl. Hunting, pulling bounty out of the garden and canning and preserving it as salsa and marinara, and helping (when I can) with some projects around the homestead. 

In my last update I wrote that I was getting ready for hunting season. 

Opening day was a success for both my hubby and I.  It ended up being my shortest hunting session ever. 

My hunt was successful shortly after 7 a.m., not too long after my husband filled one of his tags.  I didn't even make it out to the hunting blind. As I was walking out there I saw an opportunity, and I went for it. I still have a tag to fill.  No idea when I'll be heading back out, as I'm still taking care of garden produce. 

It was long, hard work to process two deer at once. Fortunately my son pitched in and helped with the really hard stuff.  And then I heard what one place was charging for processing and I am *very* thankful none of us are squeamish about this sort of thing. 

Basically the whole weekend, and a part of that following Monday was filled with processing the venison meat. 

After that I turned my attention to tomatoes. So many tomatoes ... 

This past week I processed more than 15 gallons of tomatoes in to salsa and marinara sauce. 

After last year not being such a great garden year, I was super pleased with the bounty this year. 

I don't know how many jars of salsa I've processed this year.  A lot of it was enjoyed almost as soon as I pulled it out of the canner. 

Let me update you on the projects around the homestead. 

The garage project ... all we are waiting for now is the tool chests that were ordered back on Aug. 10. We ordered the tools chests from Harbor Freight. They have a "new system" and apparently it's mucked up the whole system. Yeah ... everything was supposed to be here last week. We've been told that everything will be ready for us to pick up this coming weekend. At this point we aren't holding our breath.

I have to say that the biggest jewel in the crown of last week was the carport project my husband did. 

Something that he's been wanting to do since he first put the carport up, I learned. 

He decided to finish the carport off and make it in to a shed. 

I realized I don't have a very good "before" photo, so this one will have to do. Yes, I know it looks like he's standing on the bike. 😆

Did I forget to mention that he had last week off from work? He did.  He took full advantage of the "free time" and got 'er done. 

I did help him, when I could. Which wasn't as much as I would have liked. I had to work. Boo.

It's looking pretty damn good, right? 

And just when you think it's over, we've got one more trick up our sleeve. 

A more recent big reason why my husband wanted to get the carport converted was because we needed a space to put a tire machine. 

Yup.  No more having to go and sit and wait, and wait, to have tire work done!

This past weekend I help him mix concrete so he could pour a slab to set the tire machine on. 

Sixteen bags of concrete make a pretty nice little slab. 

Yup, I helped make that *pointing above* 

Here the shed is, all buttoned up. We are both so very proud of it. 

Then yesterday, at lunch time, (I know, I was shocked too) the tire machine was delivered. 

There was some rigamarole with the shipping information.  We thought it was supposed to be delivered today. Suddenly it was in Duluth and then it was out for delivery 45 minutes ago. Someone had to quick leave work so he could pull the load off the truck. 

Oh, but it was worth it. 

This little machine is going to save us so much time and money. 

With all this going on, I haven't had as much time to craft as I normally would. I'm stitching and knitting in moments, here and there. Usually knitting is in the early a.m., as I'm sipping coffee before work.  I'm lucky if I get a few threads in on cross stitch projects during a session. 

So I guess that is it for now.  I'm hoping to have a flosstube out in the next day or so. 

Even though it's still September, my mind is already in October.  I've got some stuff coming up next month, and I am sure it will all be here before I know it. 

Garden Journal #9 - Let's make salsa! (Sept. 10, 2026)

 

Hello dear friends! It's been a bit since I last shared a garden journal. In this journal video I decided to take you along with me while I make a batch of salsa.  There is a bit of garden chatter, an adorable bee moment in the snapdragons, and chickens! 

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Email: AmniconStudio at gmail.com

The chopper I use: https://a.co/d/0guJ05u5

Youtube channels I was watching or mentioned during the video:

Corrina @corrinaiscrafty 

Andrew @therunnerstitcher 

Heather @SageandStoneHomestead

Oline @norwegianknitter 

EJ and Sheila @SunshineStitchers 

Barb @barbolivieri-soshesewsquil4867 

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Season of salsa

 Last week I was busy with stuff, man, stuff. ... (Do you remember where that line is from?) 

The mundaneness of the harvest season.  I could tell you what I was doing, but ... well, it's all sort of a blur. When I wasn't working, I was working on preserving, prepping for preserving, feeling overwhelmed or tired, or thinking about hunting. Which is coming up right quick. 

I was also working towards an early deadline for work since we had Monday off for Labor Day. 

A three-day weekend looked really good by the time I signed off of work on Friday afternoon. 

The weekend was a productive one. 

Saturday we went to town to get some needed staples and once we got back home I did a quick tidy up before heading out to the garden, to give it some attention after ignoring it almost the entire week. 

Tomatoes! 

So many tomatoes were ready for picking, and I said to my husband "Salsa time!" Well, salsa time again. I've made a batch of salsa already and was waiting for the next flush of tomatoes to come in. 

Red and ready to be made in to something delicious. 

My husband came out to the garden and helped me harvest what ended up being five gallons of tomatoes. 

Some of the slicers were HUGE.

I saved these two for sandwiches. 

This is just the start. There are still a ton of tomatoes on the plants, waiting to blush red. 

I've made a few batches of salsa this weekend. Yum! 

When I started prepping for salsa I had an idea ... Oh boy did I have an idea. 

I decided to scrap my original garden journal idea and make a video of myself making salsa. 

Eeks! 

I've never done anything like this. I haven't looked at the video clips yet.  

It's coming soon, to a Youtube near you. I hope.  Unless the clips are dreadful.  Then I'll go back to my original idea.

Other aspects of the weekend included a foggy trip to town. I do believe this was Saturday. How dreary!

Then, on Monday (happy Labor Day) we got up at our usual time.  Well, my usual time, I don't know what time he got up. 😆 We made an early trip to Menards to buy some supplies for a project. 

Check out that sunrise.

When we were at the store I meandered my way over to the Halloween decor. 

I also saw one of those shelves that is in the shape of coffin. It's interesting.  Not for me, though. I decorate for just Christmas. Plus, it was $30. 

When we got back home my husband started working on his project.  Pictures to follow in a later blog post.  I went out to the garden and did something new-to-me. 

I've never planted anything in the fall.  My growing zone is too short to have a second grow season. 

However, it's not too short to try growing a second crop of radishes.  

Radishes and lettuce.  I forgot to take a picture of the container I tossed some mixed greens lettuce  seeds in. Don't worry, you aren't missing anything. 

I know I've said it before; my crafting has slowed way down. I've also been focusing on one cross stitch project. Mostly.  

"Love is Patient, Love is Kind," by Artful Offerings. This is a stitch-along piece I'm working on with Denise over at Black Ribbon Stitch Studio. 

I started a new vanilla sock. 

Toe-up this time. 

It's been ages since I've done a toe-up sock. I suppose I'll have to dig out my Wendyknits book when it's time to knit the heel. 

What else .... Oh, yes, I worked a few rows on my Porkie Island Shawl.  No photos at this time. The shawl was in time out for a bit because I messed up a row.  I had to rip back four rows.  It was not a fun time. I seem to be back on track now. 

Today was back to work. I woke up to rain. It started raining sometime last night and it helped me sleep.  I slept very soundly. 

My sense of time is a bit off, thanks to no work yesterday. This week is going to be a busy one, I'm thinking.  If I have a successful opening weekend, next week is going to be even more busy. Wish me luck on that one.  

Well, Hello there September ...

 When I was busy doing other things, August went by in a blink. 

That's how it seems, anyway. 

The garden bounty is starting to come in. Check out these tomatoes!

I've been busy with canning and fermenting. 

My fellow flosstubers were keeping me company while I was making sauerkraut and fermenting radishes.  If you haven't had fermented radishes, I encourage you to give them a try.  They are so good for your gut health.

I've also done some dehydrating. 

This past weekend I was able to participate in a zoom yarn circle hosted by the two women in the Yarn Over With Us Podcast.  It was so much fun! I wasn't able to participate as much as I'd like because I was busy making salsa. I had so much fun sharing what I was doing and showing off my progress.

Yup, I'm the queen of multitasking, or some such thing. But look at that salsa! 

I pulled some salsa out to check the heat level, before adding the cilantro. My husband tasted it and deemed it the perfect amount of heat. Yay! 

I probably haven't spent as much time out in the garden as I should. 

The tomato plants are still growing and producing. 

The marigolds are in their prime. 

I've been working on a garden video. I'm hopeful to get it out by the end of the weekend. 

What else ... 

Last week I had a work trip. I attended a meeting. Mostly to observe, but I did end up speaking for a few minutes. 

It rained after I made it to the destination.

I think we are pretty much ready for hunting season. I picked out yarn for vanilla socks to work on while I'm out in the blind. 

I may have already started that pair of socks ... *whistles and looking innocent* 

And then I broke into my snacks. ... I'm probably going to have to get more snacks for when I'm sitting out. Darn me for having such tasty snacks. 

It's still pretty green out there in the back 20. 

The first signs of fall are here. 

I've been crafting in between the things.  Not as much as I would like, of course, but enough that I feel progress on some things. 

One morning, before I started doing the weekend things, I crocheted on one of my Maeve Squares while watching an episode of Kinda Loopy. 

I did a cross stitch birthday stitch along with my friend Mair, and stitched "Picking Strawberries" by LumiStitch.  

All done!

I'll post the stats in the shownotes of my next flosstube. 

I'm back in PT.  For a short amount of time. I hope. *fingers crossed* 

In my last flosstube I mentioned going back to PT and trying a few new things to see if any of it helps what I'm dealing with. I'm seeing some improvement. 

I thought I'd never see this tapestry again. It gives me something to stare at in the waiting room, if I don't bring my knitting. 

So I guess that's brings everyone up to speed.  Works been busy-ish. Life is busy-ish, while we do the things. Oh, I just realized I forgot to write any kind of update of the garage remodel.  I'll save that for another day. It is super close to being done. 

Oh, one last thing.  Last week a friend contacted me and asked for my address. I thought she was sending me one thing, and she did send what she said she would.  BUUUUUUUTTTTT, she also included something else. 

Oh my gosh, isn't she precious? 

I knew right away where I'd put her.  Next to Furby Jr., of course. 

Furby Jr. is thrilled to have another hen in the house. She's got a friend to have girl talk with.  Furby's Boyfriend looks like he's not sure what to make of having another hen in the house. Or, he's getting ideas in his little pea brain. 😂

The new girl has a name, too.  Everyone, meet Miss Wendy.