Episode 22 - Successes and learning experiences

 

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by!  Show notes are below

Cross Stitch

Project Name: Petite Pumpkin scissor fob

Started: Sept. 2, 2024

Finished: Sept. 8, 2024

Designer/Source: Wrought Iron Stitching on Etsy. Chart was in Just Cross Stitch Magazine, Autumn 2024

Fabric: 18 count Aida I hand-dyed. Purchased from Walmart

DMC in called for Color: 434 

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Project Name: Rest in Peace

Started: Sept. 2, 2024

Finished: 

Designer/Source: Becky Noland of www.LucyBeam.com. Chart was in Just Cross Stitch Magazine, Autumn 2024

Fabric:14 count Rustico Aida in the "oatmeal" color. Purchased from Hobby Lobby.

Floss colors: DMC conversion: 931, 799, 902, 356, 221, 3688, 347, 152, 340, 415, 318, 535, 3865 

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Project Name: One Piece 

Stitch count (via pattern keeper) as of Sept. 19, 2024: 3,967 / 9029 - 43.94%

Started: March 30, 2024

Finished:

Designer/Source: Cross Stitch Bay on Etsy. Chart no longer available

DMC Floss: 310

Fabric: 14 Count Aida purchased at Walmart

Needle Size: 26

Making for my son. 

From previous update

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Knitting 

Project Name: Bly Cardigan
Started: Sept. 3, 2024

Finished: 

Designer/Source: www.Berroco.com

Yarn: My own handspun corriedale, purchased from paradise fibers

Colors: Grey

Needle size: U.S. 6 (4 m.m.) and U.S 7 (4.5 mm)

The pattern wasn't as easy to interpret and understand as I would have liked.  I knit about 6 inches and then realized I misunderstood the instructions and I ripped out and wound the yarn back up into a ball. 

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Project Name: Passenger Princess Socks
Started: June 3, 2024

Finished: 

Designer/Source:Vanilla sock pattern I use.

Yarn: Patons Kroy Sock Yarn

Colorway: Midcentury stripes

Colors: Peach, blue, cream, vintage looking colors.

Needle size: U.S. 1, 2.5 mm

Made For: myself.

Previous update

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Project Name: Autumn Socks
Started: Sept. 1, 2024

Finished: 

Designer/Source: Vanilla sock pattern I use.

Yarn: Malabrigo

Colorway: 858 Arbol

Colors: browns, oranges and olives

Needle size: U.S. 1, 2.5 mm

This is just a few of the Youtube channels I've watched the last few weeks and think you should check them out. Sharing is caring!

‪@StitchinMommy‬ ‪@Sarahthenorthwoodsstitcher‬ ‪@morganunraveled‬ ‪@TheCampingStitcher‬ ‪@norwegianknitter‬ ‪@MistyPursel‬ ‪@HandsOnDesign‬

Other channels mentioned in other parts of the video:‪

@disorderlystitcher‬ ‪@periwinklestitcher‬ ‪@MommaNevin‬

Weekend happenings

 Right now I think I'm *way* more exciting during the weekend. 

If you can call cleaning a car exciting. 

At least once a year I clean my hubby's vehicle. It's either a birthday gift or Father's Day gift to him. 

It usually doesn't last too long, given the line of work he's in.  But, for at least a few days, he can ride in a clean, sawdust-free car. 

That's what I spent Saturday afternoon doing.  By the time I was done, I was tired and was glistening just a wee bit. 

Then I was able to come in to the house to a tasty supper: smoked ribs.  Yum! 

We haven't had ribs in forever so this was a treat!

Bet you can't guess what I did after that. 

If you guessed that I settled into my chair and crossed stitched for most of the evening, you'd be correct. 

Other "fun" things on Saturday included working on my Princess Passenger sock while we went to town and picked up supplies for the week.

I also went out to the garden and heard all the bees buzzing while I pondered what plants and weeds to rip out. I ended up ripping out very few.  The bees seem to really enjoy the violas, so I left most of them, despite them looking a bit ratty. 

We also looked for a "new" spot to set up for hunting. We are going back to the beginning, so to speak, and put the game cam out where we used to hunt, to see if any critters were still traveling through. 

I was also entertained by the hummingbirds and the young hens.  A few of the "babies" of the flock figured out how to get on top of the open air coop and they were hanging out up there. 

Oh yeah, I made a batch of "Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup," which turned out really good.

Sunday the weather switched and it was humid out.  We checked the game cam and saw critters moving through so we spent a few hours out in the back 20 setting up a blind.  

By the time we were pretty much done with the set up, I was done with the day. Temps were in the upper 80s and so flipping humid.  I was going in slow motion, and felt itchy, moist and uncomfortable. We sweat off the bug spray and the mosquitoes found us irresistible. 

I may have been a wee bit cranky, too. 

After going in the house and cooling off in the air conditioning it was decided to stay in for the rest of the day. 

 Sunday afternoon I finished off a bobbin I was spinning and had a ply party. 

I'm not bothering to count yardage yet.  

When I have a decent amount plied up I'll give it all a soak and start counting yardage.  Plying took longer than I thought it would. 

Then, while watching "Columbo" with my man, I worked on the "One Piece" cross stitch. 

Over 300 stitches. 

Monday morning started off with a mild bang. My husband was taking the truck to work and the battery was dead ... stupid battery. 

It was moist out again. The grass was soaking wet and the air was like you were walking through a mist. 

There was a frog hanging out on my window this morning.  Fun! 

Work was kind of chaotic and made worse by all the alerts and notifications I was getting via emails, texts and such.  I ended up putting everything on silent for an hour. Then I was stressing because I couldn't find an article I thought I had laid out on a page last week. ... Turns out I hadn't. Ugh ...  It felt like such a Monday. 

I was pretty happy to punch out at the end of the day. 

My son *begged* for a specific soup to be made. He's feeling poorly and I guess only mom's hamburger soup will heal all that ails. 

For "real" supper, though, I smoked pork chops. 

Ooo, they turned out good.  There are no leftovers. 

It has the makings of being a busy week. Tonite there is chance of thunderstorms going through.  This doesn't surprise me because it's SO miserable outside. I feel really bad for the hens. They are panting and looking miserable. I made sure they had plenty of water and their favorite spot to be when it's hot out is under the deck. They appear to me moving slow today, too. When I saw the rooster coming out of the woods with one of the hens I realized I haven't had any good chicken stories.  Pity.  I haven't been outside enough.  Cause, you know, the weather this summer. 

Next weekend is Labor Day weekend.  Where did the summer go? I feel like I say that almost every year now. I'm looking forward to the long weekend.  And then, just maybe, the weather will behave until the snow flies. I have accepted the change in the seasons now, even though we are having season-appropriate weather. 

The fastest Monday in a long time

 This Monday FLEW by. 

I swear, this morning I blinked and it went from 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. 

Then I blinked again and my work day was almost done. 

Why can't all work days go like that?  I almost wonder if I forgot to do something. 

Re-entry to the work week wasn't near as rough as I thought it would be.  Nice!

Since the day went so fast there isn't much to chatter about, right? 

Um ... well, I did some spinning this evening. 

I finished the bobbin I was working on and started the next one. 

I didn't realize how soft and out of focus this photo is. Oops. 

This is my fourth bobbin for the year.  I am so behind on the goal I had set out for myself. Even so, this is probably the most spinning I've done this year than the last few years combined. I didn't do Tour de Fleece.  I'm not sad about it.  I wasn't one for sharing too much during Tour de Fleece anyways so I don't think I'm missed. 

Fin Wool Top - 32 ounces

Purchased: Paradise Fibers

Started spinning: Jan. 8, 2024 

Amount spun so far is unknown. 

If you watched my most recent video you will have seen I rambled a bit about wanting to pull a cross stitch project out of hibernation. 

I did that yesterday and put in 150 stitches, give or take a few. 

Project Name: Quilted Christmas

Started: Late November 15, 2023

Finished: 

Designer/Source: Emily Call

Fabric: Charles Craft 18 count Aida cloth

DMC in called for Colors: DMC Blanc, 168, 469, 3712, 3045, 816, 310

I started the second chart in the trio. If last night was any indication, this one will be a quick stitch. 

It rained today.  It's still raining. It's cool out there now.  The chickens were hiding under the picnic table, trying to wait it out.  

One of my little buddies seems to enjoy the rain.  Or it's guarding the feeder.  

Let's have a coffee date!

 This type of blog post is for when I have a lot of little things I want to share, or when I feel the need to catch up. 

So, grab your coffee/beverage of your choice and join me. 

It's been a while since I've written.  I have a few of little tidbits to say, so let's have a quick coffee date!

If we were having coffee ... I would give you a bit of a health update. I'm better.  I'm not going to say I'm healed.  Not yet, anyway. I've seen a handful of health care providers over the last few months, including one specialist. I've done a lot of reading and research and I've started some supplements that I think will help my body in the long run. Having a bit of a medical mystery going on has been incredibly frustrating and I think it's going to be a long time before I can say I'm healed. I have something going on that I think is the result of the long-term infection. So, for now, I'm better than I was. 

In the meantime some of my pep has returned and I don't feel a constant feeling of being worn down and exhausted. Just the regular exhausted. 

If we were having coffee ... I'd tell you my hubby woke me up one morning a few weeks ago and said "get in loser, let's go buy you a greenhouse."  

No, it wasn't really like that.  We were on vacation and it was a Friday morning. ... He walked into the bedroom, noticed I was awake, (I was processing being awake) and he said something along the lines of "Hey, let's go get a greenhouse for your birthday, and build it over the summer." Totally unexpected and a heck of a way to start the day. But I loved the idea and got up straight away and downed some coffee.  I've been wanting a greenhouse for such a long time. 

So we went and got me a greenhouse! 

We started working on it that day and thought we'd take our time.  It pulled together so much easier than expected. I belong to a few hobby greenhouse groups on the book of Faces, and to hear some people talk ... 

My husband got the foundation set up. (You like my sassy stance?)

Then the walls and roof went up lickity-split. 

The next day we finished the little things and ran to town to get materials for shelves. 

As soon as the shelves were complete I started moving a few things in. 

I'm really excited for the next seed starting season and I want to try my hand at starting some perennials this year and plant them in the fall. 

Unfortunately, we have had rotten weather the last several weeks. SO much clouds and rain. Which means not a lot of sun or desire to spend time outside.  In fact, last night the region had the next round of nasty storms go through. I've been keeping an eye on newsy things online and seen/saw there have been a lot of washouts, flooding and people needing help with flooded basements, etc.

This morning the newsperson said today is the 12th anniversary of the major flooding of 2012. THAT was a crazy time.  Maybe you remember hearing about the seal that was out on the highway? 

My work building flooded as well.  

I'm ready for things to dry out a little bit, for a little while. 

If we were having coffee ... I would say all the rain has been good for the garden, but it's also making the garden not grow very quick. It feels like the garden is a bit behind right now. 

AAAAnnnnndddd ... I don't have any recent photos of the garden. 

These are from a couple weeks ago. 

I have a few things that I'm experimenting with.  In this photo you can sort of make out the "little greenhouse" as I'm now calling it. I debated on taking it down. However, I have a few garden things that I need to store somewhere and I'm not willing to start filling the new greenhouse up with things that will make it cumbersome to be in there. 

I do like seeing all the green in the yard and all the trees. 

Way in the back I have cucumbers and squash plants growing in the containers in the back.  

Sometime soon I will take proper photos of the garden. 

If we were having coffee ... I'd chatter about how my crafting hasn't gone like I planned this year, thanks to the health stuff.  For a while I didn't touch anything.  Then crafting was sporadic.  

I was feeling a little bit of stress an anxiety about this.  Then I remember/reminded myself that there are no deadlines on the things I'm working on.  Only goals that I wanted to reach by the end of the year. 

With reminding myself of this I started feeling better about the whole thing. 

A few nights ago I completed the last block on my sandpiper quilt. 

Now to assemble the quilt top.  I have the sashes and borders ironed and ready to go.  I'm debating on the backing. Go with something wild and unexpected, or be sedate with my color choices for both the backing and the border? 

I do want to update my goals list.  That will be for another day.  I need to gradually get back in to the habit of writing. 

If we were having coffee ... Speaking of goals ... Social media is reminding me that the Tour de Fleece is just around the corner. Do I bother with it this year?  I can't remember if I did anything with it last year.  I haven't touched my spinning since ... February ?  Back when I first learned to spin (100 years ago), and heard of Tour de Fleece, online teams and whatnot were not nearly as ... "fun" as they are now.  Tiaras and T-shirts with fun logos and the year stamped on them.  Looks like TONS of teams you can choose to spin on, and a butt-load of prizes and giveaways. 

The one spinning group I'm a member of on Fa*ebook has been pretty quiet for months and months. I don't know what's going on there. I suspect there was a change in adminning and the new person may not be as active on social media. That's fine.  At this point I'm using social media now mostly to look at pretty things or to be inspired.  Sometimes to know what is going on. 

If we were having coffee ... Books ... I started listening to an audiobook yesterday, "A Single Thread." I'm about an hour and a half in to it. The voice actor is good. I heard about this book from a flosstuber.   It's been tough on the book front.  I haven't known what book genre I want to listen to.  I've started listening to a few audiobooks but haven't finished them.  One, "Speaker for the Dead," I had started listening to a few years back, and never finished it.  I started listening to it again and with being more "seasoned" of a reader, or more life experience (whatever you want to call it) I found myself hearing what  the author is saying about a few things and it basically left a bad taste in my mouth and I wasn't really enjoying the story anymore.  

If we were having coffee ... I'll give you little update on the chickens.  

We rehomed our older girls and Roo.  Someone called us up and asked us if we have any adult roosters available.  We said yes, and then said "Hey, do you want his girls, too?"  

"Sure, the person said."

We still have a Barred Rock rooster and 10 hens. The hens are fat and sassy. The rooster is a jerk to me.  It's the first time I've had a roo that sees me as a rival, I suppose you'd call it.  I have to walk around with a stick in my hand, at the very least. Otherwise he feels like facing off with me. My son named him but I can't remember the name, for sure.  James Charles?  I guess it's a youtuber, or twitch streamer? ?? I no longer know who or what is it and happening. Or, trending ... 

There are also some babies that joined the flock this spring.  Totally adorable.  They don't care for being held, though.  They are free and wild buns, apparently. 

Speaking of buns ... Feffer is still with us.  I think he's at least 6 years old now.  Maybe 7? 

He goes through spurts of being friendly and wanting scritches, and being an aloof bun.

Regardless of his mood, he's my good little boy and I tell him that every morning when I go out to see him and the chickens. 

I'm trying to think if there's anything else I want to ramble about. I'm sure there's something and I will think of it as soon as I hit publish. 

Crafty news I'm going to break up a little bit and put in a few blog posts so I don't overwhelm myself trying to write one massive blog post. My hope is that breaking this up will help me update my goals list, figure out what I'm working on, what other things I want to make, and maybe make a gameplan so I can get my ducks in a row and be bit more organized on the things I have on the mental "I want to make this" list. Like, I want to make some project bags and have the fabric for them.  Then there's a few little things I want to make that are crafty and will help me while I'm being crafty. Like a phone pillow and a little fabric ort tray. Oh, that reminds me ... do I want to buy the snaps or should I just sew the corners? I doubt I'll ever travel, so maybe there's no need for snaps.  See, what I mean? 

Okay, I think that's everything I want to blather about. Yeah ... I'm off to go get my ducks in a row. 

Later! 

Wednesday works in progress update #9 for 2023

 It looks like it's been a bit since I've done a WIP update.  I've had something in mind, but keep backing out of doing it, so that's why ... Yes, I'm mysterious. 

I've had the last few days off work and have been enjoying them.  House stuff has been caught up so that means time for vegging out and watching Fr. Brown and working on my knit and cross stitch projects a bit. 

When I'm not napping.  

Just kidding, I don't nap that much.  

In the last couple of weeks I've started a few new sock projects, a new cross stitch project and I've kitted up a few other projects, so to speak. 

My handspun.

Definitely a work in progress, despite my finishing it up this past weekend. Last night I decided I'm going to use it to make a cardigan. Specifically, the Bly cardigan by Berroco yarns. 

Photo is from Berroco's website. 

I decided I wanted to make something on the more easy side.  This seems perfect. 

Picture this pile of squishyness in a cozy cardi. 

I'll start this as soon as I get a few skeins wound up in to yarn cakes. Wish me luck! 

First sock project is my Monkey socks by Cookie A. 

Project Name: Monkey Socks
Started: Nov. 12, 2023

Finished: 

Designer/Source: knitty.com

Yarn: Forbidden Fiber Co.

Colorway: Tale as old as time, on the Fortitude base.

Needle size: U.S. 1, 2.5 mm

Made For: myself. 

Yarn is a pleasure to work with. 

Next up is a vanilla sock

Project Name: Vanilla sock
Started: Nov. 13, 2023

Finished: 

Yarn: Patons Kroy sock yarn

Colorway: Amythest stripes

Colors: dark purples.

Needle size: U.S. 1, 2.5 mm

Made For: myself. 

I started this project up for the times where I want to knit, but don't want to think of a pattern repeat. You can see I've got a LOT done on this sock so far. 

Up next is another Vanilla sock

Project Name: Vanilla sock
Started: Nov. 18, 2023

Finished: 

Yarn: Patons Kroy sock yarn

Colorway: Coastal stripes

Colors: variations of blue and some white or grey.

Needle size: U.S. 1, 2.5 mm

Made For: myself. 

I started this sock on a 9 or 11 inch chiaogoo mini twist. I recently started watching the Knitting Traditions podcast on Youtube, and she mentioned making socks on the small circs and I thought I would give it another try.  So far it hasn't been as tough as I remember. 

Cross stitch ... 

I started a new cross stitch project. A few weeks ago I saw Javagirl Stitches pop on with a new youtube video and an announcement of a new stitch-along and I fell in love with the Quilted Cross Stitch charts, despite my already having christmas charts to work on. 

*sigh* I was SO enabled. 

So I went to walmart and picked up some 18 count adia and dyed it myself.  I wrote about it not long ago. It turned out so lovely. 

Started: Nov. 15, 2023

Finished: 

Designer/Source: Emily Call Designs

Fabric: Charles craft aida cloth 18 count I dyed myself. Purchased at walmart.

DMC floss in called for colors

Blanc, 168, 469, 3712, 3045, 816, 310

Needle Size: 26

Made For: Myself. 

I'm not sure if I've worked on my snowflake cross stitch since I last shared it. So I'm sharing again, possibly. 

Project Name: #723 Snowflake

Started: Jan. 1, 2023

Finished: 

Designer/Source: Tiny Cross Stitches

Fabric: Aida cloth 14 count Hobby Lobby Zweigart. Aida has silver threads running through it. 

DMC floss in called for colors

747 ; 964 ; 995 ; 996 ; 3756 ; 3761 ; 3843 ; 3846 ; B5200

Colors: blues

Needle Size: 26

Made For: Myself. I've decided I'm keeping it for myself.  I told my husband that when it is done, I'm putting it on display year-round. 

It looks like I have done a smidge of work on it. 

Quilty stuff ... 

I haven't done any actual sewing on the two quilts I've had going. I'm cutting fabric.  If you are a quilter you know that cutting and prepping the fabric can take a good long time.  

I feel like I've been working forever on cutting fabric for my Dancing Stars quilt. I really need to make a hashtag for this one. 

I didn't look to see how many more fat quarter bundles I need to cut up.  Feels like a hundred. It's probably four or five.  Each bundle takes about an hour to cut.  I've been working on a bundle at night while watching "The Mindy Project" or "Burn Notice." 

Last night I decided to switch over and cut up some fabric for the sandpiper quilt. 

Project Name: Sandpiper quilt

Started: Jan. 21, 2023

Finished: 

Designer/Source: It's Sew Emma / Fat Quarter Shop

Fabric: Fabric from the Solid Fat Quarter Club

Colors: A different color palette each month.

Made For: Myself

I think I have four more squares to cut for on this quilt. Then I can start assembling.

I have a feeling January is when these two quilts are going to see a significant amount of love. 

Future projects ... 

I decided I'm going to make another Harvest cardigan.  The last one I made I made using carons simply soft. That yarn, combined with my lack of knowing how to care for big handknits like this, cause the cardigan to stretch out. It looked awful.  

I'm going to use acrylic again, but this time I'm using a hobby lobby yarn, and I won't be throwing it in the dryer. 

I purchased this yarn about a year ago. I think it's going to look great. 

Started: Soon

Finished: 

Designer/Source: Tin Can Knits 

Yarn: Hobby Lobby "I love this yarn"

Colors: Cinnamon Cedar

Needle Size: US #6 / 4mm & US #8 / 5mm

Made For: myself. 

This pretty yarn is going to be made in to something very soon, too. I saw a amigugrumi in a facebook group and decided I had yarn in stash that would be perfect for it. 

It will be a gift for someone.  Not saying who just yet. 

That is all in my bag of tricks, friend. Tomorrow is the big turkey day. We are planning on smoking a turkey (so yummy). My son will be working.  My hubby will be working on some projects he's been wanting to do for a while, and I'll likely be puttering in the kitchen and knitting when I'm not in the kitchen. 

So, until then, happy Thanksgiving to all of you!