Category: knitted cowl

I Stitched May Away
cross stitch · Cross Stitch Patterns · Fabric · Floss · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted cowl · Knitting · Mermaids · Mystery Stitch A Long · Pillows · Stitch A Long · Tiny Modernist

I Stitched May Away

My Time Stitching3 Comments

Hello my blogging friends! Happy June! Let’s hope it doesn’t go by as quickly as May did. Sadly, I only had one post in May. I was sick for about 2 weeks shortly after my last post. And then getting back to normal took a bit. Nothing serious, but it was my first time getting sick in 5 years and I guess my immune system was sluggish. Hubby was sick first with a sinus infection, and maybe shared with me? We had also made the decision to go without masks, so maybe we picked up something while out and about one day. Anyway, I am feeling much better now and thought I would hop on to the blog and share what I have stitched on during the month of May.

First, I did finish the Anchored Waves Cowl by Stephanie Shiman using a beautiful Wonderland Yarn Blossom cake.

Just look at that fade!!! Wonderland Yarns really do have the most awesome yarns that fade so perfect. It really turned out beautifully.

I look forward to wearing this one in the fall and winter. I don’t have anything else on my needles except for my Airplane scarf, which is my travel project. I didn’t get a picture of it for this post. I have been wanting to make some summer tops for myself. I picked a crochet top from Berroco. So cute. But you know how my crocheting goes. If I don’t have pictures and specific instructions, it’s pretty much not going to happen. I couldn’t get gauge and my sides were not straight on my swatch. So, I decided to purchase a book with some summer tops from Berroco, using the yarn I had bought called Isola. The one I wanted to make does not have written instructions. Maybe they all only have charts, so I nixed that one, too. So for now, no knitting. On to cross stitch.

I stitched on the Ocean Pearl SAL from Tiny Modernist Cross Stitching.

The reason I decided to do this SAL is the Mermaid, of course. She is so cute. And on the right side of the treasure chest, the pattern has a pirate there. I wasn’t sure if he would be an important part of the rest of the design, but I decided not to stitch him. Instead, I added another mermaid 🙂

So cute!! I really enjoyed stitching on this one while I was not feeling well. I am using all of the called for Fancy Flosses and stitching her on 16ct Aida Cascade from Fabrics by Stephanie. I received part 3 and started stitching on it last night. This is how far I have gotten.

The snow globe is full of ocean life and I know I will love stitching on it over the next few weeks.

I also stitched on Blossom and I am still loving all of her beautiful colors.

Even with all of the color changes, it has been a wonderful piece to stitch.

I just started stitching the next page, from the middle towards the top. So I guess I am about half way finished. I had to take her outside to see if I could capture her brilliant colors. For the details on this one: She is Blossom from Mirabilia. Fabric is 16ct Aida Busy Izzy from Fabrics by Stephanie. I have put her aside to stitch on the Ocean Pearl piece and a few smaller pieces. I look forward to getting back to her later this month.

A few days ago I pulled out my June pillow kit.

The threads in these kits just come rolled up as shown in the picture above. Since there is only a few colors, I decided to make my own Floss Drops to put the flosses on.

I die cut the tags. Pulled out some stamps and stamped a few summer images. I used some different sized circle punches to hang the flosses on and to add them to a floss ring. It gave me a chance to use my beautiful floss ring I purchased from @themermaidsdaughter6 on Instagram. I love the look of Floss Drops. I love seeing all of the flosses hanging all together. But I will admit, I am not a fan. Seems like a lot of work to me. It’s not to say that I will never use them again for a small project. But I am happy being a bobbin girl. Anyway, I finished the pillow yesterday, in perfect time for displaying in June. Kit is from Pine Mountain Designs. These pillows are from 2007, so I don’t think they are available anymore.

I am so happy to have another monthly pillow off of my project to do list. Only 4 more to go!

So that is all of my stitching for May. I am hoping for a couple of finishes in June, but we shall see how it goes. I have been spending my stitching time watching Flosstubes. I have a few favorites that I love to watch and one of them is Nichol Sophr LLC. She is a quilter, cross stitcher and card maker and I don’t know what else she does, but everything she creates is beautiful. I don’t necessarily stitch what she does, but I love watching her and seeing her projects. I am not a quilter, but I want to buy all the fabrics and make project bags (I probably won’t, but I really want to, LOL) She has wonderful tutorials on her channel and her card making videos are wonderful. Yesterday she started a Patriotic SAL and I decided I need some Patriotic pieces to decorate my house. You can find all of the details on her Facebook page group. If you want to participate and be in her drawings each week, you have to stitch on a Cherry Hill Stitchery Patriotic piece. Or you can stitch on whatever you want and hang out each Wednesday on her Flosstube Live. I haven’t had time to gather things for it in time for the start yesterday, but I did purchase a PDF from Cherry Hill Stitchery last night and pulled some fabric and floss from my stash this morning.

I will be stitching Stars and Stripes. The fabric I chose is 16ct Aida Everything Else from Mystic Fabrics and all of the flosses are DMC. So, yeah, another new start, LOL It’s ok. It’s a small 😉

So that is what I have been up to. How did your May go?

Happy Stitching!

ginny

When It Rains, I Stitch
cross stitch · knitted cowl · Knitting · Mirabilia · Pillows · Tiny Modernist · yarn

When It Rains, I Stitch

My Time Stitching6 Comments

Hello my Blogging friends! We’ve had a lot of rain where I am, so what to do when it rains? Stay in and stitch! On Saturday I pulled out my May Pillow kit from Pine Mountain Designs. These pillows are no longer available, but there are other cute pillow designs from Pine Mountain Designs that are so cute.

It didn’t look like it would take me too long to stitch. Could I get it done before May 1st?

So I pulled out all of my supplies and got busy. I stitched on it for quite a bit on Saturday. And then on Sunday I stitched on it some more. And then I ran into some trouble. I was one stitch off-after stitching the flowers and swirls on top and the letters M A and then the Y was going to run into a flower. I could have left it….but I didn’t. I ripped out all that I had put in on Sunday. Now I was doubting if I would get it finished before midnight. But I did! With about 40 minutes to spare.

So cute! I couldn’t wait to pull the pillow out of the April case and put the May inside.

So Happy May!! These pillows look like they would be pretty quick to stitch up, but they do take a bit of time. Both the April and May took me 2 days to stitch up. I have no idea what the fabric count is, but I used 3 strands of the included floss over one. Another pillow off the to do list and 5 more to go!

I also started a knitting project after not having a project on my needles since finishing my 22 Little Clouds shawlette.

This is the March Garden Society Ocean kit. I love everything about this kit. The colors are gorgeous and I really like the Cowl pattern so that is what I will knit with this Blossoms skein of Mary Ann fingering yarn in color Actiniae.

The yarn is so soft. I already can’t wait to get to the next color! And look at that cute but dangerous fish progress marker. So cool.

Finally! Some lighter green is starting to emerge. So exciting! Makes me want to knit more and faster.

I really love how these Blossoms very gradually change colors. It may take a bit to get to the next color, but it is so worth it.

So pretty!!

This is where I left it this morning. Just getting into the peachy/orangy color. So beautiful! I usually knit in the morning with my coffee. You can see my new coffee cup in the last picture. I purchased it from the Heidi Swap Shop. Stop the Blur is the name of her memory planning process. Days, Events, and vacations go by so quickly. Like a blur. Getting those moments documented is important to me. I am so far behind in my memory planning. Almost 8 months. I am hoping to get back to it soon.

Anyway, I also stitched on Blossom. When I posted about her last, I was here:

I stitched and stitched.

She is such an enjoyable stitch. Her colors are so bright and cheerful. Here is where I left her on Friday night.

I just love her! She is from Mirabilia and I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Busy Izzy from Fabrics by Steph. I will have to put her aside for a bit. Last night part 2 of the Ocean Pearl SAL from Tiny Modernist came out, so I will probably stitch on that one for the next couple of weeks. So that is what I have been stitching on. I did get a little bit of haul this week.

I watched a flosstube on Youtube (I do believe it was Sanctum Stitching) where someone was stitching on those cute Halloween pieces from Hands On Designs. I thought they were so cute and I just had to order them. Probably won’t get to them this year, but now they are in my stash. The little heart hoops are so cute. I also ordered some Hexagons and I do have some small round one’s from Stampin’ Up! in my stash. These will be so cute to put a tiny stitch into. I saw them made up on Nichol Sophr’s flosstube. I am not sure what I will be stitching for them, but I will find something. The book I ordered on Amazon. It is full of cross stitch patterns from the Tiny Modernist. Lots of cute things in there. And the thread is for a Halloween project that I was thinking of stitching later this year. It was the only thread I was missing.

So, that is what I have been up to the last few weeks. What are you up to?

Happy Stitching!

ginny

First Finish of 2023
knitted cowl · Knitting · yarn

First Finish of 2023

My Time Stitching19 Comments

Hello my blogging friends. The sun is shining here in Michigan and the temperatures have been above normal this winter. I am not complaining at all. The days have been gray, so it is nice seeing the sun the last couple of days.

I have finished my first project of 2023 and I absolutely love it! If you remember, I started this knitting project in November and hit a bump in the road and couldn’t get past the first couple of rows. I then went to my LNS where the knit expert there figured out my issue in no time. I wasn’t able to spend time really getting it going until December 1.

I finished knitting the length and then I put the stitches onto waste yarn and put it on the blocking mats.

I really love this photo. It shows the wave pattern so beautifully. After it dried, I pulled it off of the blocking mats and put the working stitches onto a straight needle. Then I had to carefully put the stitches from the provisional cast on, back onto another straight needle. If anyone has an easy way to undo the provisional cast on to get those stitches back onto a needle, I would love to hear about it. I have only done a provisional cast on one other time, and it was a bit difficult to get those stitches out then also. I think that is the hardest part of this pattern, LOL.

On to the 3 needle bind off. I have only bound off a project like this one other time. It was for the Market Bag I made. It is not a hard bind off, but a little tricky deciding which needle to use to bind off the stitch. I used the back needle. But it was easy to get into a rhythm and went rather quickly. I then wove in the 2 threads and it was finished.

I LOVE how this turned out. If I were to make it again, I would make it a bit longer as the I-cord edges are not very stretchy so I have to remember to take off my glasses before putting it over my head. I was nearing the end of the skein and didn’t think I had enough yarn to do another 7 rows of the pattern. But all in all, this was a wonderful pattern with so many elements involved. (1) The I-cord edges – makes for a very beautiful finish on the edges. This was knitted sideways, so the I-cord was created at the beginning and the end of the rows. (2) The Provisional Cast On – This was done so that the stitches can be put on a needle for binding off. (3) Putting working stitches on a waste yarn to be able to block the project before finishing. (4) 3 Needle Bind Off – A great way to seam the 2 edges together stitch for stitch.

I totally enjoyed knitting this cowl. The wave pattern is just beautiful and is quite visible even with the variegated yarn I used. I bet it would be gorgeous in a solid yarn, too. The details…The pattern is the Marina Cowl by Juliana Lustenader and is available on Ravelry. The yarn I used is Cozy Worsted by Speckled Finch Studios in color From the Deep.

I have already worn this cowl several times and it is so soft on my neck and keeps me warm. It has been the neck accessory I have been reaching for since finishing it. I may have to have a few more in different colors 😉

So that is my first finish of 2023. Hopefully I will have many more finishes to come this year. My craft room has been taking up a lot of my time this month. I have been replacing, rearranging, purging, and moving things around. That is for another post. What have you been up to this month?

Happy Stitching!

Ginny

Happy New Year!
cross stitch · Fabric · Fox and Rabbit · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted cowl · Knitting · yarn

Happy New Year!

My Time Stitching12 Comments

Hello my blogging friends! Happy 2023! I hope that your 2023 is filled with Love, Health and Happiness. The last few years I have chosen a word that describes what I want for the new year and this year I have landed on Determined. I am determined to finish things, determined to use things up, determined to be more patient, determined to cook more, get upset less and determined to be a better person. This last year I have been so overwhelmed with “stuff” so my biggest thing is to use up what I have, like yarn and cross stitch and scrapbook products. And to get rid of what “no longer gives me joy”. It will be a long process, but a process that I am determined to work on this year. I only finished 2 cross stitch projects this year, and both were early in 2022. I did not finish the 2022 MSAL from Fox and Rabbit. The December section is quite large. I am almost finished 1/4 of the section and the 2023 MSAL came out yesterday and I think I want to stitch that one, too. But not until I finish the 2022 one. Here is where I am with it.

I am almost finished the top of the border. I am stitching this one on 16ct Aida Winter Wishes from Fabrics By Stephanie. The threads are DMC 115 and 902 for backstiching. It seems like it has been very slow going, but I didn’t get to work on it much in December because I did do a lot of knitting.

I made lots of Fingerless Mitts for family and a few scarves which I didn’t get pictures of. The pattern for these mitts is a FREE pattern from Premier Yarns and is called Sideways Wrist Warmers. I loved making these for everyone in different bulky yarns. I added my new garment tags to each one, too.

I ordered these tags from The Beam City. They turned out so cute! I was so excited to see that they had a mermaid option. I will be putting these tags on all of my future knits 😉

Which brings us to what I am currently knitting on.

I pulled this one out of my stash in November and started it but couldn’t get past the first couple of rows. I was about to throw in the towel, but decided to go to my Local Yarn Shop and get some help. Cris figured out my mistake in no time. I had some purls and yarn overs which I know to go all the way around my needle for the YO, but I didn’t realize that I didn’t need to go around the needle the extra time when the next stitch is a knit stitch. With the repeats, that is where my extra 4 stitches were coming from. So I started over and have been fine with it since. Didn’t get to work on it too much with making all of those mitts, but I have made progress.

It is the Marin Cowl by Juliana Lustenader (Knit by Jules).

Just look at that cute little mermaid! She is actually a charm that I purchased at our local Aquarium when I visited there in November. I thought she would be perfect for a progress marker. And she is definitely perfect for this project.

It is growing. Can you see all of the waves? The yarn is Cozy Worsted from Speckled Finch Studios in color “From The Deep”. The yarn is so soft and squishy and the colors so beachy!

So that is what I have been stitching on. I hope to get more stitching in this year and I am going to try harder to post here on my blog more often. One other thing I want to mention before I end this post is for my cross stitching friends. Have you heard of the Design and Fabric Viewer? Have you used it in the past? For those that have not heard about it, it is a website where you can match cross stitch patterns to fabrics to see how designs will look on different fabrics. Today a new version of the site was launched and it is now FREE to customers to use and you can store up to 100 of your favorite selections. You do have to create an account so that your favorites can be saved. If you have not used this site before, you need to check it out. And for those that have, go check out the new version. I have firsthand knowledge of the work that has gone into developing this new version and it is awesome. I didn’t get paid for this review, but I do know the master behind the screen, LOL. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think. You can also join the private group on facebook to see updates and leave comments there.

Again, I wish you a Wonderful, Happy, Healthy, full of Love 2023 and I hope all of your dreams come true.

So that is what I have been up to. What are your goals for the New Year?

Happy Stitching!

Ginny

Wow! That Was A Quick Project!
Autumn Lane Stitchery · cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted cowl · Knitting · yarn

Wow! That Was A Quick Project!

My Time Stitching6 Comments

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 🙂

Getting Things Done
cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted cowl · Knitted Shawl · Mirabilia · scrapbooking · yarn

Getting Things Done

My Time Stitching9 Comments

Hello blogging friends.  It has been a little bit since I last was on WordPress.  Today is day 98 of our stay at home.  The days have all been running together and here it is mid June.  So much has been happening in the world, and we are all in it together so I think that makes it more relatable. There are days that I don’t do much except watch the news and cry.  Some days I wander from this thing to that thing and feel like I haven’t accomplished anything.  And some days I immerse myself into my crafting.  So, what have I been crafting?  Grab your favorite beverage and get comfy.  This may be a long post 😉

I have a couple of finishes.  First up is the Wilma Cowl.  I finished it.  I can’t say I am thrilled about it, but it is finished.

Wilma cowl complete

It is soft and I assume it will be warm.  It may be a gift.  We’ll just have to wait and see 😉

Next up is a knitting project I started back in September 2019. The Birds of a Feather Shawl by Andrea Mowry.

Birds of a feather shawl start

I finished it last week.  I love how it turned out.  So soft and warm and the colors look like candy!

Birds of a Feather shawl

I love the fan lacework in some of the rows.  So pretty.

close up of feather shawl

My attempt at modeling it, LOL

Birds of a feather shawl 2

The yarn used is AJHC Wools in color Unicorn Magic in both Basic Sock and Nephelai Veil.

birds of a feather shawl pile

I still need to weave in the ends and block it.  I hope to do that this weekend.  And then it will truly be done.

I have done a lot of scrapbooking and completed a coffee table album of my younger Son’s wedding.  It came out really beautiful and I am planning to make another for my new daughter’s parents.

6 x 8 wedding album

inside of wedding album

I have also scrapbooked 16 pages so far this month.  That means that I have eliminated 8 kits from my kit stash.  Yay!  That makes 66 pages for the year so far.  I am working on conquering all of those kits in my stash.   I am making progress!

I have also made a little puppy book for my older son and his girlfriend.  They just bought 2 little Havanese puppies and I can’t wait to meet them when we can travel again.  I won’t show the book, as I haven’t sent it to them yet, but here are my new grandpuppies!

Butter and Pepper

Butter and Pepper.  Are they not just adorable!!  I can’t wait to meet them.

I have also made more masks for family and friends that have requested them.  I have made about 100 of them and I still have not tired of making them.  knowing that they will be making my loved ones feel a little safer about going out.  And remember, I wear a mask for you, you wear a mask for me 🙂

sewing more masks

That brings me to my current project.  A cross stitch project that I started in 2018.  I am still working on conquering all of my WIP’s and have been so proud of myself that I have not started a new project yet.  This is Lady Mirabilia from Mirabilia.  I started her in July of 2018 and had put her away, probably to start a new project.  Here is what she looked like when I picked her up last week.

lady mirabilia start

Here is what she looks like as of last night.

Lady Mirabilia progress

I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Banshee Brown, a one of a kind from Fabrics by Stephanie.  Today I get to move the scrolls!  Woo Hoo.  So, that is what I have been up to.  Hubby and I also worked in the garage for 3 weekends in a row and finally went through the last of the boxes from when we had to redo the basement last year.  We gave away a lot, threw away a lot, and donated even more.  We have so much more room out there now.  We still have 2 corners to go through and clean up, but we have made great progress.  What have you been doing to keep busy these last few months? I’d love to hear about it 🙂

 

 

 

 

Stitching My Blues Away
cross stitch · knitted cowl · Mermaids · Shannon Christine designs · WIP · yarn

Stitching My Blues Away

My Time Stitching38 Comments

Hello my blogging friends!  We are only midway through January and so far the new year is not looking so good for me 😦   A couple of months ago I found a dark line along with a white line on our basement carpet.  Either hubby and I are in the basement just about everyday, but we couldn’t find the carpet wet.  Two weeks ago, I finally found it wet along the line, like a crack in the concrete line.  Oh No!  I just knew it was our foundation.  Last week we had the experts in and sure enough our foundation has been compromised.  As well as a crack in the block wall in the room where our well tank and water softener is.  So, we will need to have our basement waterproofed, which entails digging a trench around the perimeter of the basement, setting a sump pump into the floor and wrapping the walls from floor to ceiling, and pouring a new floor.  This also means that we will have to get everything out of our (finished) basement and storage room, have someone come in and tear off all the dry wall, wall mirrors and carpet, have the foundation specialists do their waterproofing and then having the guy come back and put dry wall back up.  During all of this our well tank will have to be unhooked and moved, so not sure how long we will be without water. We are also having new gutters installed, which is probably why we are in this position now.  Limited gutters on the house.  Then there is the task of painting the new drywall and getting new carpet.  And figuring out where we will put everything from the basement until we can get it all finished again.  Ugh. This process will start around the last week of February.  So not looking forward to it.  So, with this big expense, I am definitely looking to my WIP’s and stash to keep me busy for a long time.  So, here is what I have been up to, trying to keep my mind off of what is to come.

van goh pillow

I have been commissioned to do this pillow, so I started it on January 6.  It is definitely not something I would have chosen for myself. It has a color chart, which I absolutely hate and so much confetti stitching.  I have already had to rip several sections out and put them back.  I am blaming the color chart on this one 😉  It is being stitched on 11ct Aida, so I am hoping it will go quick, but so far it has been rather slow.  The 15th of January didn’t come soon enough so I could put this down and pick up this:

mermaid sal jan

Yesterday the last mermaid for this SAL came out and I had a start on her last night.  She is the January mermaid and I think she is my favorite.  Maybe because she is my birth month, or maybe because it is the last one.  Once I finish her, I still have all the beading to do and I just know it will be so sparkly and beautiful!  This was a very fun stitch for the year and I looked forward to each new mermaid every month. This is a Shannon Christine design and was put out by Fiberlicious.  The fabric is 16ct Aida Maldivian Dreams by Fiberlicious.  If you wanted to get in on this one, you may still be able to, not sure.  After the SAL, I do know that the charts will go up in price.

And lastly, I have been knitting on my travel cowl when I get the chance. And yesterday I had a chance to knit several rows while hubby had a little out patient procedure done .  He is doing well today.

teal and pink tweed cowl

I am using the Funny Rainbow pattern by Katia again.  The yarn is Kettle Tweed in Winter Blossom colorway.  I think this will look great with jeans and a black top.  I can’t wait to finish it.  Hopefully before winter is over.  It not, I will have it for next year.

So that is what I have been up to, trying to keep my mind off of other things.  I am really looking forward to Spring now.  The basement will be done and hopefully all back in place and warmer weather will be here.  So what have to you been doing so far this year?  I’d love to hear about it 🙂

Lot’s of Stitching Going On
cross stitch · knitted cowl · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Sampler · Shannon Christine designs

Lot’s of Stitching Going On

My Time Stitching16 Comments

Hello my friends!  Can you believe that today is the first day of August?  Where did June and July go?  Oh yeah, I was recovering from knee surgery.  Still am, but it is getting better.  Today it is 10 weeks since my surgery.  Doc says full recovery in 3 months.  So in just a few more weeks, we will see where I am.  In the meantime, I have been stitching…alot.  So grab your favorite beverage, this may be a long one.

First up is the Linen and Threads Mystery Sampler.  I finished the June/July section in June and I must say that I am pretty pleased with it.

Mystery Sampler June July sections

My fabric is more peach than the photo shows.  Just can’t seem to get the color to show.  Anyway, the August section came out yesterday and I started it last night.  I will update when I get it finished.  Next up is the mermaid SAL.

Treasures of the Deep SAL

I have finished the June mermaid and the July mermaid as well as all the gold outlines for the future mermaids.  This is the Treasures of the Deep SAL by Shannon Christine and can be purchased through Fiberlicious.  All of the mermaids and all of the gold sections are minus the beads, which will make them so beautiful and sparkly.  I will add them all when I am finished the stitching, probably in January after the last mermaid-my birthday mermaid 😉

Next up is lots of yummy knitting!  First we have the Funny Rainbow Cowl that I have been working on since April.  It is my car travel project since it is straight knitting with an increase at the end and beginning on the one side.

Funny Rainbow Cowl This cowl is so beautiful and the yarn is so soft.  I hope to do more with this yarn in the future.  The ball is getting smaller, so hopefully soon I will have a finish.  I started this with 3 stitches (I think) and am now over 215.  I definitely recommend this yarn if you haven’t tried it.  Beware, it does split, but worth the work 😉

Next up is a beautiful shawl-my first.  My local yarn shop decided to do a Make A Long and meet once a week through the summer.  I have only attended the first week, but am hoping to make it tonight.

Sea Grass Shawl

The pattern is Sea Grass Shawl by Woolenberry.  I am just past the first section of lace pattern, so I can breathe a bit while I do some straight knitting with a some increases. I am enjoying this one and can see more Woolenberry patterns in my future 😉

And the last knitting project is an heirloom baby blanket:

heirloom-baby-blanket.jpg

I am taking a class at my local yarn shop for this one that started last week.  Not that I need a class, but that was the only way to get the pattern that was created by the teacher.  It is beautiful!  The yarn I chose is nice to work with, but a bit pricey.  This will be an expensive blanket.  I will tuck it away for a future granddaughter???  Or keep it as a lapghan for myself 🙂  After all, it is pink and matches my craft room 😉

I have one more project to show…I started another cross stitch.  Come on, did you really think I could resist starting another project?  Well, I couldn’t, LOL

Lady Mirabila

Sorry about the crooked picture, but I was trying to capture the sparkle of the silver DMC E168 thread.  So pretty.  She is Mirabilia’s 25th anniversary piece and I just couldn’t resist starting her as soon as I received her.  I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Custom piece from Hand Dyed by Stephanie.  I received this fabric a few years ago and Stephanie called it Banshee Brown.  I thought it perfect for Lady Mirabilia.

That is all of my stitching for now.  Last weekend hubby and I took a trip to Indiana to the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art to see my favorite photographer’s work.  We took a trip to Wisconsin last year to see her show and when I found out it was even closer, I just had to go back.

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The photographer is Kirsty Mitchell and her Wonderland series is amazing.  If you get the chance to see her work, do it.  She also has 5 of her amazing photos on display in Italy.  Too far for me to go, but I am so geeked to have gotten to see her show again in Indiana.

So, that is what I have been up to.  What are you up to these days?  I will leave you with a beautiful sunset hubby and I saw at the beach this last weekend.

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What Have I Been Up To?
cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted cowl · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Shannon Christine designs · Uncategorized

What Have I Been Up To?

My Time Stitching30 Comments

Hello my Blogging friends.  It’s been a little while since I last posted.  In my last post in April, I had noted that I tore the meniscus in my knee.  I had surgery on May 23, and have been going to physical therapy since.  It was a more difficult recovery than I was led to believe.  And Monday I found out that my knee cap is not moving, so that is hindering my progress as far as going down the steps normally and going from standing to sitting and sitting to standing.  So yesterday my therapist taped my knee and I am hoping this will help with the pain in trying to  put more weight on it when bending the knee.  The stairs are the worst and I live in a quad level house.  Ugh. But I am getting around better and have ditched the cane.  Woo Hoo!  Tonight I am going to try to walk the zoo at hubby’s company family night.  We’ll see how much I can do.

But I have been crafting and am now able to sit at my desk to make cards and scrapbook for longer lengths of time now.  And I have been stitching.  Let’s see… where to begin…

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This has ben my travel project and go to project when I have a few minutes here and there.  It is a going to be a cowl.  The pattern is from Katia and the yarn is Katia’s Funny Rainbow.  When I purchased this back in April on a weekend trip, I wasn’t sure how it would knit up.  But I am so glad I decided to get it.  The yarn is so, so soft!  I am loving this. It is straight garter stitch, increasing a stitch each row on one end.  I love how the striping colors are coming out, too.

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Next up is the Mermaid SAL designed by Shannon Christine.  The June mermaid is out, but I haven’t gotten to it yet.  Mainly because I have been working on this:

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The Mystery Sampler from Linen and Threads.  I am working on the June/July section and just loving every stitch of it.  I am stitching this on 16ct Aida, OOAK from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.  It is more of a peach color than shown here.  I apologize for my photos.  I took them with my Surface and they didn’t come out very well.  Anyway, I am using DMC 53 and DMC 310.

Last weekend I picked up this beauty from the cross stitch shop:

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She is Mirabilia’s Ella, the Frog Princess.  I finished her in 2017, but recently put her in for framing.  And she turned out lovely.  I even picked her up on Mirabilia’s  25th anniversary, so I thought that was so perfect.  Happy 25th Miss Nora!! I can’t believe that I have been stitching Nora’s designs for nearly 25 years!!    I stitched her on 16ct Aida Pandora from Fabrics by Stephanie.

As if I don’t have enough to do… this happened:

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Yep, I started a new project.  I am stitching Enchanted Mermaid again.  I gave my other one to a dear friend, so I am stitching her again.  This time I am using a hand dyed fabric, 16ct Aida OOAK from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.  I can’t wait to get back to her.  She is so blingy!

And yesterday I received this beautiful piece of fabric in the mail.

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It is a OOAK 16ct Aida from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.  It is so gorgeous in person.  Now to find the perfect pattern for it.

Well, that is about all I have to update you on for now.  I have signed up for a knitted shawl MAL at a new local yarn shop I found in May.  The first session meets next week, so I will fill you in on that soon.  So what are you crafting on today?

Forced Finishes
cross stitch · knitted cowl · knitted scarves · Sampler

Forced Finishes

My Time Stitching39 Comments

Hello Friends!  11 days ago I tore the meniscus in my knee, so I have not been able to do much.  I see a orthopedic surgeon on May 1, so fingers crossed he can fix it.  So, while sitting, I have been able to do a few finishes.  First, I finished my Diamond Painting.

Diamond Painting finish

Sorry about the fuzzy photo.  I was trying to stand on my one leg and capture the sparkly of the tiles.  This was a wonderful, thoughtful gift from a dear friend.  It is a photo I took right outside my front door a few years ago.  It is a favorite of mine.   I love how it sparkles and can’t wait to frame it.  I have recently started a Diamond Dotz, which is the same concept, but the dots are circles rather than the square tiles in the Diamond Painting.  I definitely think that the Painting gives a better coverage than the Dotz, but both are beautiful and sparkly.  I am addicted 🙂

Next up is a scarf I knitted on the way to and from a mini vacation hubby and I took before I hurt my knee.

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I love knitting this type of scarf in the car.  It’s a no brainer.  One more to add to my stash for gift giving 🙂 And one more skein of yarn out of my stash.

I also finished knitting this cowl:

Aspen Cowl

I LOVE this one!  The pattern was a bit tricky to follow as far as what rows to do, so I had to be careful where I was.  In fact, in the beginning, I do think I left out a full 4 rows of a pattern, but it is not really noticeable.  And when I wear it doubled up around my neck, no one will no for sure.  It is knit with one ball of Ella Rae Season.  Very soft and squishy and very easy to knit.

And lastly, I finally started the 2018 Mystery Sampler from Linen and Threads.

2018 Mystery Sampler

My fabric is a OOAK from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics and is more of a peach color with hints of gray.  I am stitching with DMC 53 and Black and I absolutely love how the stitching looks on this fabric.  It is weird how the lighter rows appear to be lines.  I am not too sure about the black border yet, but that design really didn’t look well with the variegated thread.  I tried it several different ways, but it just didn’t look right, so I decided to go with black.  I probably should have went with a dark gray, but I am not ripping out now.  I will add more black sections and hope to balance it out.

I have a couple of other projects I had worked on, but it is too difficult to get to them right now for photographing.  So they will have to wait until they come back out.  So, what are you stitching on today?