Tag: Linen and Threads Sampler

Summertime Stitching
cross stitch · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · mystery sampler · Nora Corbett · Sampler · Uncategorized

Summertime Stitching

My Time Stitching21 Comments

Hello my friends!  The summer is getting away from me and I know it’s been a little while since I last posted.  Our basement has come along nicely.  The waterproofing is done, the construction is done, it has been painted and carpeted, finally.  It is furnished with a couple of chairs and tv.  Office furniture has been put together and the computer and printer set up and files in the filing cabinets.  Mostly my cross stitch patterns, but some files, too, LOL.  Book shelves have been put together and books on the shelves.  They were filled pretty quickly with both hubby’s and my book collection.  And my Scrapbook cabinets have been brought down and filled with the scrapbooks.  The only thing left to do is get the doors sanded as they don’t fit now with the carpeting, and go through all the bins and boxes in the garage and bring down what we want stored in the storage room.  That will be a slow process as it has been so hot in the garage, and up and down 3 floors is taking a toll on my knees.  But it will get done.

I have been stitching whenever I get a chance.  Mostly evenings and when I am not so tired.  So I will share what I have worked on the last month or so.

Wherefore art thou progress 3

Nora Corbett’s Wherefore Art Thou came out for a little bit and I got quite a bit done on her.  Hopefully the next time I pull her out I will get her finished.  I am stitching her on 16ct Aida, a one of a kind from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.  I am using all hand dyed threads on this one.

wingspan progress

I haven’t worked on this one in a few weeks, but so far so good on this one.  It is the famous WingSpan Shawl by Kyle Vey.  There are about 45-50 rows on my needles, even though it does not look like it.  I have finished row 24-1 and am looking forward to getting back to this one.  I am knitting this one for someone and maybe I will get it done before X-mas, LOL.    I have ordered yarn from Blue Brick to make one for myself, and hopefully I can get through this pattern without any problems and want to do it again for me.  The yarn I am using on this one is Mirasol’s Qulla in Moonlight colorway.  This pattern is available on Ravelry if you want to give it a go.

mermaids garden mkal

A couple of weeks ago I joined the Mermaid’s Garden MKAL from Softyarn Designs.  At first I thought my knitting was too loose.  I was getting gauge, but it just seemed off for me.  Not sure why, as it is a mystery and  I really didn’t know how it was supposed to look.  So after about the 5th start, I decided to keep going and busted butt to get caught up this week.  I am LOVING this shawl!  I’ve learned some new stitches with this one like Sea Urchins, Little Sea Shells and stitches that look like mermaid scales.

close up of mermaid shawl 2

I can’t wait for Clue #4 to come out tomorrow, and then the final Clue #5 next week.  So there is still time to get in on this one.  It is available on Ravelry. The yarn I am using is Mermaid’s Ass from A Whimsical Wood Yarn Co.  How appropriate, right?  I also purchased some yarn from AJHC Wools in DK in Tawaret colorway to make this one again.  It is a mauve color with some blue/purples specks throughout, but more of a solid color.

2019 Mystery sampler progress

I added the June section (lower left corner) to the 2019 Mystery Sampler from Linen and Threads.  I am stitching this on 16ct Graceful Gray from Wichelt and using DMC 3810 and Gloriana thread in Rainforest.

sunflower pillow progress 2

And in between all the projects, I have worked on the pillow.  I don’t want to show all of my progress because I want it to be a surprise for the recipient.  This one goes slow, with so much confetti stitching.  But it is really growing on me and I am liking the colors right now.  So bright and cheery.

I have also put a tiny few stitches into a new afghan project, but there really isn’t much to show on that one, so I will share when I have more to show.  I have also tried my hand at Tunisian Crochet, but not having a lot of luck with it.  As with all of my crochet, my edges are wonky and I still struggle with where to insert my hook.  I have 2 more classes left, so I’ll see what I can absorb and if it will finally click with me. My teacher, Jen, says I can do it, so I keep trying.  Wish me luck!

So that is what I have been doing with my summer so far.  What fun projects are you working on?

So Many Beautiful Stitchings, So Little Time
cross stitch · Nora Corbett · Sampler

So Many Beautiful Stitchings, So Little Time

My Time Stitching13 Comments

Hello blogging friends.  The days are flying by.  I guess it is true that once Halloween is over, the holidays are just about here.  Thanksgiving is almost here and then it will be Christmas and I haven’t even begun to plan.  So, I will think about my stitching instead 🙂

Wherefore Art Thou progress 1

If you remember my last post, I was so excited to get caught up on a couple of SAL’s.  So while I waited for the next sections, I worked on this beauty.  This is Nora Corbett’s Wherefore Art Thou piece that I picked up again.  I am stitching on 16ct Aida Pink Impatiens  from Silkweaver . I just love the colors in this one.  So rich and elegant.  I have just put her aside to get back to the Sampler.

Sampler half of november finished

I have finished one row of the November section.  I have another row to go and then I will be ready for the December section, which will be out before I know it.  And today the last section of the Chandelier was released, so I had better get stitching!  I want to stitch on them all and also on the other WIP’s that have not seen the light of day in such a long time.  But I am making progress, and progress is progress 🙂

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On Wednesday of this week, we had our first frost.  And today is quite cold.  I am now wearing a winter coat and not happy about it.  I guess winter is here.  Even though it is cold today, the sun is shining and that makes me happy.  So what are you up to today?

Getting Caught Up
AAN Chandelier · Crochet · cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted scarves · Sampler · vacation

Getting Caught Up

My Time Stitching20 Comments

Hello friends!  It’s been a little bit.  So much has happened in the last 2 months.  I can’t even seem to recall it all at this minute, so I will write about my stitchy stuff 🙂  First, I am now caught up with the Chandelier SAL from AA Needleworks.

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I am stitching this one 16ct Aida Winter Solstice from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.  While the holographic thread doesn’t show up well on the fabric, I decided to go ahead and stitch with it, hoping that it will give some added shimmer to the beads.  I believe that the last section is to be released on November 1, 2017, but not much has been posted in the group.  I am also supposed to be receiving a bead pack from the designer, but haven’t received that either.  I guess there are only 7 people that signed up for this one, but it really hasn’t been covered or updated well in the facebook group.  I LOVE chandeliers, so I knew I just had to do this one.

Next up is the Mystery Sampler from Linen and Threads.  I finished the October section yesterday.

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I am stitching this one 16ct Aida Castleview from Silkweaver.  I am using Sullivan threads “London Fog” and DMC 3888.  This is an amazing sampler.  I have loved every stitch of this one.  You can still get in on this one, for FREE!  All 11 sections (November was released a couple of days ago) are on the Linen and Threads website.  And I hear the designer is working on one for 2018!!!  And it will also be FREE!  How generous and awesome is that?

Remember the Temperature blanket I was working on?  Well, I have abandoned that project.  It seems I still don’t have the hang of ending and beginning my rows without a pattern.  So rather than tear it all out, I ended it and will figure out something to do with it.  I really didn’t like the colors anyway, so no sweat on ditching that one.  I have started “The Spicier Life Blanket” from Sandra at Cherry Heart Blog.  I have the first section done.

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I’m not sure I like the bottom colors, but hoping it will look better as a whole.  Sections 2, 3 and 4 have been released, but I haven’t been confident enough to pick it back up as of yet.  I hear there are some difficult rows in those sections and I don’t want to get frustrated right now.

I have also worked on the cowl I started with the Lion Brand “Shawl in a Ball.  It is getting quite long.

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This project has been deemed my “travel project”.  So I pretty much have only worked on it in the car.  I am nearing the end of the skein, so I may pick it up a bit more to get it finished.  It has knitted up soft and I just love the colors.  I can’t wait to finish it so I can wear it this winter, which is coming soon I hear.  But, fall is still here and I will leave you with a couple of photos I took last week while hubby and I visited Northern Michigan to see the beautiful colors.  The first day we were there was beautiful and sunny.  After we had driven through the tunnel of trees for about 1/2 hour, it started raining.  I didn’t get as many nice pictures as I had wanted.  Instead, I chose to breathe in the beauty not behind the camera.  And it was hard to get good pictures through the windshield of the car anyway.

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This was the view from our hotel room.  I wish it had been a sunny day, as the view of the bay was beautiful the day before.  But here you can see the beautiful colors of the changing trees.

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So what have you been up to lately?

 

Stitchy Updates
cross stitch · knitted scarves · Sampler · vacation · yarn

Stitchy Updates

My Time Stitching22 Comments

Wow! It’s September 5 and I don’t even know where Summer went.  It’s been exactly 2 months since I last posted and I am sorry about that.  Obviously life took over, LOL.  But I have been stitching and doing I don’t even know what else.  I took a little vacation, but other than that, I can’t remember everything else I did the last couple of months.  Good thing I have a planner 😉  So, what have I been up to? Well, grab your favorite beverage and pull up a chair.  I have a feeling this will be a long post.

I have been stitching mostly on the Mystery Sampler by Linen and Threads.  I have been trying my best to get caught up and last night I started the second row of the August section.  I am quite pleased with myself for actually having started the August section in the month of August.  I am still loving this piece so much.  Here is a picture of my entire piece so far:

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For those of you seeing this for the first time, it is a FREE SAL from Linen and Threads.  They release a section the first of each month.  It started in January 2017 and runs through December 2017.  If you are interested in doing this sampler, you can go to their website and print off the sections, pick your own fabric and threads and get started.  They also have a facebook page you can join and see all the different ways people are stitching this one.  I am stitching mine on 16ct Aida Castleview from Silkweaver. I am using Sullivan thread London Fog and DMC 3888.  I am hoping to be caught up with this piece sometime this month.

I also took a little vacation with my husband, to Wisconsin.  He took me there so I could visit the Paine Art Center and Gardens.  A couple of years ago, I fell in love with photos from a wonderful photographer, Kirsty Mitchell.  She is from the UK and created a wonderful series of photos for her Wonderland series that are just amazing.  When I found out that she was having a showing in Wisconsin, I knew that I had to go.  So I mentioned it to my husband and he set the plan in motion.  But first, he surprised me with a wonderful gift in July.  Her beautiful Wonderland book.

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He bought me flowers and gave me the invoice showing he ordered the book for me.  I balled my eyes out!  I couldn’t believe he ordered the book for me.  A week later, it arrived in the mail and it is as amazing as I knew it would be.

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One of my favorite photos.  And seeing the photos, life-sized, at the Paine Art Center, did not disappoint either.

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I was so, so happy to be there, at the Paine, standing in front of this amazing banner that I had only seen on facebook up to this point.  We arrived before the Center opened, so we were able to walk around the mansion a little before the doors opened.  The Art Center is actually a Mansion that was built by Mr. & Mrs. Paine in 1927.  The history about the mansion is interesting and the mansion itself is gorgeous.   The different gardens are so lovely, too.  I am so glad we visited in the summer while most of the flowers were still in bloom.  When we walked into the first room where Kirsty’s exhibit is, it literally took my breath away.  It was so emotional.  The photos, the video, the music, the lighting, everything was so perfect!  Yes, I cried.  Her photos do that to me.  If you love photography, and Kirsty’s work, you have to see her show.  It will be at the Paine until October 15, 2017.  I am Not sure where it will go next, but I could not risk it being too far away to drive, and Wisconsin was a day drive for us and one that I would do again in a heartbeat.  So we visited the 2 rooms where Kirsty’s photos were on display. We sat and watched the video’s and  then we walked around and looked at the entire mansion.  I  then went back to see Kirsty’s photos.  I couldn’t resist a second look.  And then we visited the gardens.  It was a wonderful day.  One that I will remember always.  I can’t wait to scrapbook my photos. Here is a layout I did when I received my beautiful book.

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We also visited some lighthouses on this trip.  Here is the St. Joseph Lighthouse.

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And, we visited the Hackley and Hume houses in Muskegon.

IMG_0917 (2)I first heard about these houses when I saw cross stitch patterns of them.  When I found out that they were real houses in Muskegon, Michigan, I decided if I ever got near Muskegon, I would have to stop and visit them.  And so we did and they were amazing.  And now of course I want to cross stitch them 😉

Since the drive was a long one, I decided to do some knitting while in the car.  On the trip to Wisconsin, I knitted this scarf:

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One more ball of scarf yarn out of my stash 🙂  Love the beautiful fall colors.  For the trip home, I visited a craft store and purchased a ball of Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball and started this pretty:

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At 1/2 off, I couldn’t resist.  I even used the hotel computer center to print off a pattern from Lion Brand.  I thought it was a shawl pattern, but when it actually came up and I printed it, it is a cowl.  It is straight stockinette stitch, so it was perfect for the car ride.  I didn’t have much done when we arrived back home.  I have been adding a few rows here and there.  My needles are 10″ long so I maybe have about 20″ done now.  I am looking forward to seeing all the color changes in this yarn. I have a couple of skeins of this yarn in my stash that I hope to knit a shawl with someday.  So far I like knitting with it.  The yarn is an uneven yarn and has some white fibers throughout.  I like the look of it and hopefully I can get it done so that I can wear it this winter.

So, that is what I have been up to.  I told you it was going to be a long post. If you are still here, I thank you for reading all about my vacation and what I have been up to.   I have also collected more things to cross stitch in the last couple of months and I have to admit that I am anxious to start something new, but I have been a good girl…so far, sticking mainly with the sampler 😉   So, what are you stitching at the moment and because it is September, do you feel like starting a new project?