Month: November 2021

Stitching, Knitting and Shopping
Bella Filipina Designs · cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · Mermaids · Project Bags

Stitching, Knitting and Shopping

My Time Stitching8 Comments

Hello blogging friends. The temps are getting cooler here after a few days of surprisingly wonderful warm and sunny days. The dreaded white stuff is coming though. About an inch or two of snow is predicted for this weekend 😦 Are you a fan of snow and cold weather? I am not looking forward to winter and can only hope that it will fly by as fast as my summer did.

I need to plan out some projects for the winter. But for now, let’s talk about what I am stitching on right now.

Pearl’s Tail

I finished the tail on Pearl of the Orient Seas, minus the beads. I have moved scrolls to the middle of the design to work upwards.

Progress on Pearl

While I am enjoying the stitching on this one, the colors are starting to bring me down and I am getting the itch to start something new. I am trying really hard to resist, but I do see some smaller projects creeping into my plans. For now, I stitch on 🙂 Just to remind you, the design is Pearl of the Orient Seas by Bella Filipina Designs. Fabric is 16ct aida, a one of a kind dye from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.

The Marit Shawl by Amy Christoffers is still on my needles. It is going well, but still looking a little small to me.

Marit shawl

I am actually on the decrease tier now and making half triangles for the top edge.

Almost finished!

Maybe blocking will give me the size I need. This shawl will also have tassels.

Now onto the shopping as mentioned in my title. Last week Shop Hop started at local yarn shops. I decided not to shop hop this year, but just visit my very local shop, The Knitting Nest. I picked up some yarn for the newly published on Ravelery, Urchins and Scallops shawl from Soft Yarn Designs. This one should definitely be put into my winter knitting plans 😉

Shop Hop Haul

After getting home, I realized the yarn colors are very similar to the colors used in the pattern. I think they are perfect. The lovely shop owners also pointed out that they had some new stitch markers that they knew I would be interested it. Mermaids! Yes, please. And I couldn’t help but pick up another Project Bag by CleverGirl Designs. This one is a little bigger than the bags I usually order from her. It just fits into the bin I keep them in, but is taller than the other bags. I don’t think I can ever have too many of Kristine’s bags. Hubby ordered me another year of the Bag of the Month from her in August. I have received August, September and October, but I cannot find the pictures. Today I was surprised with the November and December bags and they are Awesome! Here is my November bag…ready?

Front of the Gnomie bag

Oh my gosh! It’s Gnomies!! so stinking cute! I LOVE it! And here is the back;

Cute Gnomes project bag (back)

My December bag was just as awesome.

Mermaid bag and Floss Catcher

She knows my love for mermaids and I do love this one. In fact, it matched the mask I was wearing when I went to the yarn shop to pick them up. Did you catch that cute Seashell zipper pull/progress marker? So cute! And check out that cute wallet looking matching piece! Have to show the back and the open wallet, too!

Mermaid set

Just look at that cute little Floss Catcher! I just love all of Kristine’s bags. They are so well made and her attention to detail and choice of fabrics is amazing. You can find her on Instagram @clevergirldesignsco

This is how I store my CleverGirl Project Bags.

Bins of Project Bags

There are 20 bags in these bins. It doesn’t include the one I am using for Pearl or the 2 new ones I picked up today. I can still use some more, LOL

Another bin full of projects

This been is full of not so pretty bags filled with wonderful projects. Some day it will be filled with pretty CleverGirl Design bags.

While at the Yarn Shop today, I was looking for even more yarn. This time for a sweater. Yep, a sweater, not a shawl! I haven’t made a sweater in years and I think I need to add one to my winter stitching plan 😉 I didn’t buy any, as I need to figure out what I want to use. So, I am off to make a swatch. What are you up to? What are your crafty plans for the weekend?

A Mermaid and A Shawl
Bella Filipina Designs · cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · yarn

A Mermaid and A Shawl

My Time Stitching17 Comments

Hello, friends! So today I am going to chat about what is on my needles now; both knitting and cross stitch. Let’s start with the knitting. When my Mother-in-law visited in September, we went to the local yarn shop. The shop was having a Berroco Trunk show, and MIL found a shawl that she loved. She asked if I would knit it for her. Of course I agreed. I already had the book that the pattern was in, and she purchased the yarn. Last week I started it.

Marit Shawl

The pattern is the Marit Shawl and is in Berroca Book 428 – Topaz. It is also available on Ravelry. So I started it and it is the weirdest construction I have ever done. I am told it is Entrelec knitting. It is a little confusing at first, but I have learned that if I look ahead to see whether the next row is knitted on the right side or the wrong side, I am good to go. I think I just start second guessing myself and then confuse myself. The diagram included also helps. So I started knitting away on a 7 US needle.

Lovely colors

I was getting the hang of the pattern and enjoying the knitting. I am not so sure about the yarn. It is Topaz from Berroco. It goes from thin to thick, hence the lumpy look in many spots. I need to grow to love this yarn as I purchased quite a bit of it in another colorway for a cardigan for myself. And then I happened to look up the pattern on Ravelry (I don’t even remember why) and noticed that my squares were a bit smaller that the picture. So I started looking at the stats and the Ravelry pattern suggests a size 9 US needle. What?? The book pattern suggests a 7 US needle. Oh my gosh! So I had to rip it all out. Yep, frogged the whole thing, and it was not easy. This yarn is a bit fuzzy, so it took me quite some time to try to carefully rip it all out. OK. On to start number two.

Second Start

So on Tuesday I re-started the shawl. My squares are definitely bigger and it is going faster this time around.

Marit Progress

This is where I left off last night. I will say that this pattern is so fun and at times, I say to myself, “one more block.” And then I have knitted 3 more. I just want to keep going with it. But usually I knit in the morning while having my coffee. I didn’t get to do that this morning, so I may be knitting “a few blocks” tonight. But evenings and nights are usually reserved for cross stitching. Which brings me to talk about what I am stitching X’s on these days.

When I finished The Dark Queen, I immediately went to my WIP stack and pulled out Pearl, of The Orient Seas from Bella Filipina. I started her in August of 2019.

Start on Pearl in August 2019

This is what she looked like when I picked her up in October.

Pearl

This pattern is very heavily beaded and has lots of Kreinik threads. So there is going to be lots of holes left for adding many, many beads in the end.

Pearl

She has a very skinny body leading down to her tail. Oh good, that should go rather quickly. And then there is beautiful tail! Here is where I am at now.

Pearl, Of the Orient Seas

She is coming along nicely and I am determined to stick with her until finished. I am stitching her on a one of a Kind 16ct aida from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.

So, that is what I have been up to. What are you working on?

Catching Up With Some Finishes
cross stitch · Fairies · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · Passione Ricamo · yarn

Catching Up With Some Finishes

My Time Stitching11 Comments

Hello friends! Today was a lazy day and I didn’t get much done. It looks cold and gloomy outside, maybe that explains my mood today. Anyway, I promised a photo of my finished 20 Year Celebration piece.

20 Year Celebration

Please excuse the wrinkles. It was on the scrolls for a long time. I can’t tell you how happy I am to finish this piece. It is so beautiful in person. I love the Round Robin feel to it. A little bit of 12 different designs by Passione Ricamo. I am still looking for a framer, but this piece definitely has to be framed. Another one out of the WIP pile!! I stitched this on 16ct Aida Nantucket Sky from Fabrics By Stephanie.

While I was finishing up the Jolie shawl, a local yarn dyer, AJHC Wools, posted a picture of her yarns in a pink to black fade that I absolutely fell in love with! So I checked my stash and ordered what I needed to make the Grevillea Shawl by Ambah O’Brien. Here are the yarns in all of their gloriousness:

AJHC Wools Yarns

Isn’t it just fabulous? I couldn’t wait to get started on it.

Grevillea Shawl start
My Progress

With every repeat of this pattern, I fell more and more in love. The pink section was so long. I was so happy to have added my first mini skein, Blizzard. And did you happen to see that adorable progress marker? A Starbucks coffee cup from my Best Stitchy Friend ❤

Pink fade!

The colors are looking so awesome together! Four out of 10 so far!

Grevillea Shawl

Almost finished! Just one more mini skein to go!

The knitting is finished!

I am so in love with this shawl! I love the long section of the light pink and the fade is so perfect! Just the blocking left to do. This shawl is the perfect example why blocking is necessary. The pattern is so blocky and lumpy. Here is a close-up.

Close up of Grevillea shawl

The pattern is broken up into puffy squares and the lace pattern is barely visible. Blocking allows the fabric to lay flat and opens up the lace pattern. And here is the finished shawl, which I have already worn and LOVE it!

See how that lace opened up and the pattern isn’t puffy anymore. Love how this one turned out. Again, the pattern is the Grevillea Shawl by Ambah O’brien. Yarn is from AJHC Wools.

So that is it for my finishes from over the summer. Stop back again soon to see what is on my knitting needles and what I am cross stitching now. What are you stitching?

November??
Autumn Lane Stitchery · Fairies · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · Passione Ricamo

November??

My Time Stitching12 Comments

Hi! How can it be November already? The last post I made was in July! Everything is fine, just busy I suppose. I spent part of the summer getting the spare bedroom ready for my Mother-in-Law’s visit in September. That was fun. I turned it into “The Mermaid room”. My MIL really liked the room. She visited for a month and we had lots of fun. We visited the zoo, went to a wedding, went up north, did lots of shopping, knitting and I taught her to do Diamond Painting, which I think she really enjoyed.

So, let me back-track and see where I left off over the summer…Oh yes. The Jolie Shawl. I finished it and it turned out very nice. So soft and sparkly.

Jolie Shawl

The pattern was from the July 2021 Seed Club from the Yarn Garden in Charlotte, Michigan. I don’t think the pattern is up on Ravelry yet, but you can contact the shop if you are interested. The yarn is from Britty Rae Knits and is just scrumptious.

I have also finished a cross stitch I was working on.

Dark Queen of the Seas

The Dark Queen is finished. I did leave off the corner elements and the crown. I also left off a ton of back stitching on her tentacles. Lots of gold lines and symbols. I thought her tentacles looked fine as is and that would have been way to much backstitching for me. I am not a fan of backstitch, so the less, the better 😉 Design is by Autumn Lane Stitchery. Fabric is 16ct Aida Iris from Fabrics by Stephanie.

I also finished these:

Galatea
Summer Lady
Spring Fae
Iris Goddess

I have a few more finishes to share next time, including the full 20 Year Celebration.

So what have you been up to the last few months?