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:
GalateaSummer LadySpring FaeIris Goddess
I have a few more finishes to share next time, including the full 20 Year Celebration.
Hello my blogging friends! We are over halfway through June already! The days are just flying by. The last 2 months we have had some work done in our back yard, so maybe that is why the days have gone by so quickly. But I am still filling my days with crafting. In fact, I have 2 finishes this month so far. On June 1, I finished Mermaid Perfume! Yay!
Mermaid Perfume
Please excuse the wrinkles. I was just so excited to finish her and get her photographed on a beautiful sunny day. Sadly, I still have not ironed her. But, having her on the Qsnaps for beading did help pull the fabric and she does not pucker in the middle anymore. That makes me very happy.
Sweet, sweet mermaid
I am really pleased with how she turned out. Again, she is Mermaid Perfume from Mirabilia. I stitched her on 16ct Aida Hidden Cove from Sunny Dyes Fabrics. I am still searching for a framer, so it may be some time before I can get her framed.
My other finish is only a partial finish, but a finish in my book.
Merfolk Fade Shawl
Yep, on June 3 I finished this beautiful shawl. I still need to block it and weave in the ends. The table I use for blocking has been covered with all of my cross stitch fabrics for reorganization. And now it is covered with a very large Diamond Dotz I have been working on. So, I hope to get that table cleaned off and get this shawl blocked soon so I can really call it a finish. This shawl was a joy to knit. The pattern was easy to follow and the yarns wonderful. The stats on this one: Merfolk Fade Shawl by Jennifer Owens. The yarn is from Cape May Fiber Co. all in DK weight. Colors are Nessie, Mermaid Mane and Sea Swords.
So right now I have nothing on my knitting needles, but I am going to remedy that soon. And as for cross stitching, I have picked up The Dark Queen of the Seas and am trying to catch up before the next section comes out on July 1. I neglected her while working on Mermaid Perfume exclusively for 14 1/2 weeks. Here is where I was when I picked her up a couple of weeks ago.
Dark Queen of The Seas
And here is where I am now:
Dark Queen Progress
I am working on section 9 at the moment and still have section 10 to do before section 11 comes out on July 1. There are a couple of sections I have decided to leave off; the crown and coral on her head and the top left and right corner ornaments. I like the way she looks without those things. And she is definitely not a mermaid. While I am disappointed in that, I do like her. And I love her face. So, again, she is the Dark Queen of the Seas Mystery SAL from Autumn Lane Stitchery. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Iris from Fabrics by Stephanie.
So that is what I have been up to. Join me next time for some organization updates 🙂 What have you been up to?
Hello my blogging friends! It has been a long time. Not sure why, other than while crafting, time just got away from me. I can’t believe that just about 4 months have gone by since my last post. But I am doing well and still crafting away.
So, where to begin…How about I share with what projects I am currently working on? A couple of weeks ago I started stitching on Mermaid Perfume by Mirabilia.
Mermaid Perfume
I couldn’t wait to get everything I needed to get started on her. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Hidden Cove, a hand painted fabric from Sunny Dyes Fabrics. I can’t wait to see how she emerges on this fabric.
I found this fabric on the Design and Fabric Viewer. This is a site where you can see what fabrics would look good with a particular design. If you have never been, you should go and check it out. You will have to create an account (just an email and password) and then you can play with the designs there along with many fabric dyers’ fabrics. And if you haven’t visited this site in a while, I urge you to check it out. It is all new, with a subscription level to allow you to save more than 3 picks. The first 3 are on the FREE viewing. And with a subscription, you can upload your own fabrics so that you can see how your favorite designs there will look on your exact fabric. It really is a great tool for cross stitchers and I encourage you to check it out. You will have so much fun matching fabrics to designs.
The other cross stitch project I have worked on is the Dark Queen of the Seas MSAL (Mystery Stitch A Long)
Dark Queen of the Seas
This MSAL is by Autumn Lane Stitchery. It started in September 2020 and each section is released on the 1st of the month until August 2021. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Iris from Fabrics By Stephanie. This photo was taken after I finished section 6 a few weeks ago. Section 7 just came out on March 1, but I am not a fan of the added pieces, so for now I will leave them off. I may add them later when I see more of the design, but for now, I am leaving them off. I hear that next month we will start working on the lower portion of the design. I can’t wait! She is such a beauty! Just look at her face!
Close up of Dark Queen of the Seas
The designer has done a great job designing her. That face is so awesome. And those eyes! The shading is fabulous, too.
Last month I started knitting on Fairies In The Snow Shawl MKAL (Mystery Knit A Long) I have really been enjoying this knit.
Fairies in the Snow MKAL part 3
This MKAL is by Softyarn Designs and is on Ravelry if you want to join. The last part, clue#4 just came out on Thursday, March 4, but there a lot of people in the group that are on different parts of the pattern. There is a chat group on Ravelry, too. The yarn I am using is from Speckled Finch Studios in colors Kismet 4 Magic Stone (the darker color) and Champagne Wishes. I love how these 2 yarns look together and the yarn is so soft. I should finish the last clue this week, and then decide if I want to add another section to use up yarn, or leave as is.
Last month I finished a scarf that I started in January. It turned out gorgeous and I have to say it is now my favorite scarf and have worn it several times already.
Adventurer Scarf
I call it my rainbow scarf, but the actual name of the pattern is The Adventurer Scarf and Wrap by Ambah O’Brien. I knitted the scarf version in Basic Sock Mini’s from AJHC Wools. I love everything about this scarf; the yarn, the colors, the weight, the knitting, the pattern.
I have many, many more knitting projects and cross stitch projects I want to work on, as well as stamping and scrapbooking that needs tending to. For now, I am enjoying whatever it is I am working on. I have missed all of you and I hope that my blogging mojo is back. I look forward to hearing from you and catching up on all of the blogs I have missed in the last few moths.
So, what have you been up to? What are you working on today?
Hello my blogging friends! How are you doing? Still keeping your distance and wearing your mask? Are you keeping busy while inside, like cleaning or crafting? I am still crafting and have recently worked on a couple of projects that have been pretty quick.
Dissent Cowl by Carisssa Browning
As soon as my yarn arrived, I began working on the Dissent Cowl in hopes that I would finish by Election Day to honor the late Justice Ginsberg. I am happy to say that I finished it the day before. I washed and blocked it, and since I blocked it flat, it was still damp on Election morning. But when I went out that afternoon, I still wore it. Along with my pearls because it was unusually warm in Michigan that day and I ended up taking it off. This pattern knitted up pretty quickly and I enjoyed it. The yarn was Yowza minis from Miss Babs in colorway Mad Hatter and Ebony.
Spiced Cider Hat by Lindsay Potter
I then worked up this Spiced Cider Hat pretty quick, too. This was the October Seed Packet kit from the Yarn Garden in Charlotte, Michigan. The yarn for the hat is from Adelaide Fiber Company in Ada Super Bulky and colorway Apple Smash. At first I was not fond of the color of the skein. But after rolling it into a ball, it grew on me. As I knit with it, I was reminded of smashed apples I had seen at the Cider Mills. The yarn is super soft and the added Furreal Pom was the perfect finish.
Nec(k)tar Cowl by Lindsay Potter
This super cute project is from my November Seed Packet kit which I just received. The yarn from Northern Bee Studio is so beautiful! It is Little One in colorway “My Sedum Brings All The Bees To The Yard”! Love the name!! First I had to knit 3 Icords. How have I never knitted I-cords before? I loved making them and I can see myself making cute little embellishments in the future! The icords will be made into 3 cute flowers with some wooden buttons for centers that were included in the kit. I should be finished with this cowl in the next day or 2.
Dark Queen of the Seas by Autumn Lane Stitchery
My evenings have been spent stitching on the Dark Queen of the Seas and I am still hoping for a mermaid (chances are slim that it is a mermaid) but I am still hoping. I am stitching this one on 16ct Aida Iris by Fabrics by Stephanie. Loving this and should be all caught up before the next section comes out December 1.
As you can see, I am still keeping busy. Much of it has been sitting as I spent the last 4 weeks with back issues. It is still sore, but it is much better and continues to improve each day. I was even able to go to a local lake on Saturday and walk quite a distance and see an amazing sunset with my sweetie ❤
What projects have you been working on? Are they quick? Are they for Holiday gift giving? I’d love to hear all about them 🙂
Hello again! Two days in a row! Wow! Yesterday I told you I would share what I am cross stitching. Cross stitching is very calming to me. I usually save my cross stitch time for evenings. But there are days that I just can’t wait to start making little x’s so I will stitch in the morning. But whenever I sit down to stitch, it always helps me to relax and let go of what is going on around me. So, what am I stitching on?
20 year anniversary from Passione Ricamo
When I finished stitching Lady Mirabilia, I pulled this WIP out and have been working on it ever since. This is the 20 Year Anniversary Piece from Passione Ricamo. I have finished the Prosperity block, minus the beads which will be added when the entire piece is finished.
Prosperity
Then I went on to stitch the Calypso block and the Once Upon a Time blocks.
I have started the last block in this row, but just barely, so nothing really to show. And since I have been so good the last 10 months in not starting any new cross stitch projects, I decided to treat myself to a mystery SAL from Autumn Lane Stitchery. It is called Dark Queen of the Seas. It started on September 1 and once I started seeing all the cute fish popping up in the facebook group, I could resist no longer. So I purchased the pattern from Autumn Lane’s Etsy in September and ordered the fabric and beads and specialty threads from Under the Sea Fabrics. I was so excited to get this and get started, you know, with the hint about a mermaid. People were tagging me in the post, too because they knew I love mermaids. But, after purchasing the pattern, and reading the welcome letter and the details, I was disappointed. In the details were instructions that if you wanted to post on social media, use the hashtag Dark Queen of the Seas or hashtag It’s not a mermaid. What? How? Why? Oh I was so deflated. I probably would not have purchased the pattern if this info was up front. I did receive my products and started stitching on it this week. I purchased Opalescent fabric from Under the Sea Fabrics and after stitching half of a fish, decided no way. I love the look of Opalescent fabrics, but I just can’t stitch on them. I think it is the light reflection in the sparkles and then it makes it difficult for me to see the holes. So I ditched that fabric and picked up a fabric I was originally thinking of stitching it on, 16ct Aida Iris from Fabrics by Stephanie.
Dark Queen of the Seas start
I think it will look fine on this fabric. It is much lighter than the recommended fabric, but I think it will work fine. I had done a floss toss on this fabric when I first pulled it from my stash. I should have stuck with my original choice 😉
So I will continue stitching on it, even though it will be an Ursula type character and not a mermaid. The MSAL runs for a year, so a small section each month will give me a nice break from the 20 year anniversary piece. I have also ordered a special project bag that a lot of people have received and are using for this project. I can’t wait! I will share when I receive it.
I have received my September “Christmas Gift” project bag from Clevergirl Designs.
September Project bag frontSeptember Project Bag back
A fun travel themed bag. And yesterday I received my October Bag..
October Project Bag frontOctober Project Bag back
Love the October bag!! So cool looking. And my little pumpkin that I crocheted last year.
So that is what I have been up to. What are you doing these days to relax?
My Time Stitching 