Merry Christmas!

I'm looking forward to a relaxing time spent with family. I hope whatever your plans are for the holiday season that it is a happy and joyous time, reflecting on all the Lord has given us. Take care!

Monday Cross Stitch Progress

I am almost done the Christmas Chorus ornament; I just need to purchase some black beads. I haven't made it to my LNS yet, and now it will probably need to wait until the new year.

In the meantime, I started something new from my Christmas List: "Snow Family" from Fat Flakes by Jeannette Crews.

Stitched on 28 ct Lugana, Barely Blue by Wichelt Imports, using DMC floss.

Friday Favorite

Today's favorite is crochet: Elegant Christmas Tree Skirt by Kim Guzman. I've been searching for a tree skirt I like at a price that I find reasonable. So far I haven't found it. I've found plenty I like, but at a price I'm not willing to spend on a tree skirt. I started thinking this year that perhaps I'll just have to make one. If you're on Ravelry, I really like the way this one was done.

A Friday Favorite...

...except it's Saturday.

In an effort to post more regularly, I'm challenging myself to post a favorite new design each week, preferably on Friday, since that's when Hoffman posts new design releases. Nothing caught my attention in this week's listing, which was rather short, likely a reflection of the rapidly approaching holiday. I did find a design this morning that caught my attention: Snow White by Little House Needleworks. I think that will be going on my wish list!

Christmas Chorus and a Scarf

A few weeks ago I finished a pair of mittens for my son (no picture yet, as I seem to only think of taking a picture when he's out of the house and wearing them, lol), and he promptly asked me to knit him a scarf. Thankfully he currently has a useable scarf, as this one is taking me a while. It's the One Row Scarf by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

In cross stitch, I started a new ornament: "Christmas Chorus" from the 2006 JCS Ornament Issue.

My Christmas/Winter Stitching List

It's a pretty long list, and I don't think I'll even finish a quarter of these this year, but at least I have a list I can pick and choose from. I'll need to remember to do this for other seasons as well, and also a list for those designs that don't fall into a seasonal category.

Stitcher's World Nov 2005

• Christmas Village Sampler
• Victorian Village House
• Victorian Village Church

Cross Stitch Christmas

• Let It Snow
• Stuffed Snowman

Cross Country Stitching Dec 2007

• The Holly & The Ivy
• Christmas Angels Ornaments

Just Cross Stitch Dec 2005

• Snowy Stroll

The Cross Stitcher Feb 2008

• The Bird Feeder

The Cross Stitcher Dec 2005

• A Showcase Christmas Tree
• Sugarplum Bakery

Stoney Creek Magazine Dec 2007

• Winter Snowman
• Joy Ornament
• O Come All Ye Faithful
• Home Sweet Flaky Home

JCS Ornaments 2002

• Shepherds Watched
• Peace Joy Love
• Star of Wonder

JCS Ornaments 2006

• Mary and Joseph
• Winter Joy
• Winter's Eve
• Christmas Chorus
• A Merry Stocking
• Cross Stitch Christmas

JCS Ornaments 2007

• Sweet Baby
• Winter Love
• Snow Bunnies

JCS Ornaments 2008

• Frosty Friends
• Let It Snow
• Let It Snow (not a typo - there are 2)
• Bluebird of Christmas Happiness
• Snowy Night
• A Christmas Song
• Wish Upon a Star
• Be Merry

JCS Ornaments 2009

• Snow Wishes
• Snow Merry
• Peace 2009
• Christmas Stitching
• Swirly
• Chilly Frillys
• Visions of Sugar Plums
• Joy

JCS Ornaments 2010

• Christmas Robin
• Windows of Faith, Hope, and Peace
• Hope
• Tweet Gift
• I Love Christmas
• Snowy Nights
• The Frolicking Continues
• Love
• Frosty Blue
• Oh Joy!
• Small Packages
• Peppermint Latte

Cross Stitch & Country Crafts

• Holiday Kitchen Stocking, July/Aug 1987
• First Christmas Family, Sept/Oct 1987
• Shepherd & Sheep, Sept/Oct 1988
• Stitcher's Studio Stocking, July/Aug 1989
• Wisemen & Camel, Sept/Oct 1989
• Holiday Workshop Stocking, July/Aug 1990
• Music Room Stocking, July/Aug 1991
• Christmas Joy, Nov/Dec 1991
• Sugar 'n Spice, July/Aug 1992
• Winter Wonderland, Sept/Oct 1992
• Christmas House, Sept/Oct 1994

Leaflets

• Celtic Christmas, Lavender & Lace
• Oh, Christmas Tree, Lavender & Lace
• City Flakes, Jeanette Crews Designs
• Fat Flakes, Jeanette Crews Designs
• Some Assembly Required, Stoney Creek
• Love Snow, Stoney Creek
• Rain with Attitude, Stoney Creek
• Home Sweet Home, Stoney Creek

I should be in bed

...but my mind just wouldn't stop when I was lying in bed. Instead I am up enjoying a cup of tea which will hopefully relax/calm me, and I'll be ready to sleep when I go to bed in a little bit.

I spent some time this weekend going through my piles of cross stitch magazines, making note of any wintry/Christmassy designs I'd like to do. I'm giving in, and I am going to start something new that is wintry/Christmassy. (Maybe I should post that list here; it would be interesting to look back in a year or two, and see whether I've done anything on the list, or if those designs still make it on my "must do" list.) I think I'll start with an ornament for a quick finish - I really think it's been too long since I've finished something - and then get a start on one of the larger projects on my list.

I just might be adding to that list, as I just may head out to the needlework shop tomorrow, and who knows what will catch my attention, especially with me being in the mood to start something new ;)

Resisting the urge

I'm resisting the urge to start something new. I finished knitting mittens for my son a couple of weeks ago, and then he asked me to knit him a scarf. How could I say no? I'm halfway done that. I've done some stitching on "Living with Charm." I don't feel like starting any new knitting projects, but I really, really want to start something "Christmassy" or "wintry." I'm trying to resist...I have enough in my wip basket. In the meantime, I'll see if changing the blog to a wintry theme will appease the urge. What is it about starting new projects that is so appealing?

In Crafting News...

It's been a while, so I've got a bit of progress to report.

In cross stitch, I've been working diligently on Living with Charm and Sunflowers.

In knitting, I finished some dishcloths for my mom, and some slippers for my husband. Also, I've started a new scarf and some mittens for my son.

In crochet, I finished two dish mats, the first of which was previously seen here.

A Garden Post

I'm interrupting the craft posts to share my garden and flowers.

Pansies and Lobelia:

Dianthus and Marigolds:

Snapdragons:

Osteospermum:

Tomatoes and Peppers:

The Hanging Tomato:

Knitting and Crochet Progress

This: has turned into this:

While I really enjoy making a simple knitted dishcloth, apparently I find adapting that pattern into a large dish mat extremely boring. That, and knitting with cotton is really hard on my hands. So, I frogged it and decided to try a crocheted mat. Crocheting the same size mat, however, is much quicker, and the cotton doesn't bother me. I did recently read that using aluminum needles makes working with cotton easier, so I'm planning to try that. With the quick progress I've made on this mat in a little more than a week, I anticipate this will be done soon.

Last month I finally finished my scarf to go with my mittens, so I'll have a matching set for this winter.

Happy Mother's Day!

Monday Progress

A drive by posting today, complete with pictures. No finishes, just some progress to show on my projects.



The first picture shows a project that when finished will be a dish mat for washing dishes. It will be nice to have one large, decently absorbent piece of fabric rather than putting together a bunch of tea towels. Depending on how I like the finished piece, I'll be making a couple more of these.

Friday Progress Report

This is a bit of a drive-by posting - I just didn't want to let a week go by without posting. I've been stitching and knitting, including starting two new knitting projects, although I haven't taken any pictures yet. I started a dish mat for my kitchen, modifying a scarf pattern to fit my purpose. If you're on ravelry, you can see the scarf here. I also started a summery cardigan; again, if you're on ravelry, you can see it here. I will hopefully have some pictures of my progress to show you on Monday.

Monday Update

I spent this week mostly working on Sunflowers. I did stitch a little on Fish City and Living with Charm, but no pictures this week, since I didn't feel I'd worked on them enough to show much progress.

I also did some knitting on my scarf, but since the pattern is the same all the way along, it felt pointless to take a picture. I did measure it, and it is now 31 inches long. So, what is a good length for a scarf? I know at 29 inches I thought I was about halfway done, but I admit I've been working at it long enough that I'm quite ready to be done with it, but I know that this length is definitely not long enough. I think I need to plan to knit at least one pattern repeat each day until it's done - just enough to keep making progress on it, but also allows for me to spend some time working on something else :)

2 Starts

I have wanted to start these two projects for quite a while now, and I started them on the same day! I hope to have some significant progress to show on Monday.

1) The project: Sunflowers by Annie Beez

Materials: DMC threads, 28 ct Nordic Blue Jobelan by Wichelt

Started: March 22, 2010

My progress:

2) The project: Living with Charm by Lizzie*Kate


Materials: DMC threads, 28 ct Lambswool Jobelan by Wichelt

Started: March 22, 2010

My Progress:

In knitting, no further progress on my scarf. With the weather turning nicer, it's hard to get motivated to knit winter items. Instead, I'm thinking about spring and summer items to start. Now, I'm anxiously waiting to find the Spring/Summer Knit Simple in stores. I've found at least two tops that I'm interested in trying to knit for myself. See a preview here.

Fish City Update

I stuck it out working on the big blue building on the right, and at least finished it onto the next page. It was a nice change working on the orange fish yesterday, and I went back and finished up some of the eyes on the other fish that I'd had to set aside because I was out of white. I'm not sure how much progress I'll make on it this week - I'll be starting a new project today, I think. I need to buy some new fabric first though, so I'm off to the LNS soon.

Startitis

I feel like starting something new. I'm still enjoying stitching Fish City, and I'm not ready to set it aside, but I have two other projects that I would love to get started on. I just would need to figure out a rotation that would work well so that no project gets neglected. The projects: Sunflowers by Annie Beez, and Living with Charm by Lizzie*Kate. I think I'll kit them up both up, and maybe start them sometime this week.

I have been working on Fish City this week. Update coming tomorrow!

The 15 Year Project

The 15 year project is so dubbed because I honestly think it will take me that long. I've been progressing at less than a page per year, and unless I give myself a kick in the pants, it will likely take me even longer than that.

The project: Fish City

Materials: DMC threads, 14 count White Aida

Started: May 27, 2006

My progress thus far:

The Scarf

I am knitting myself a scarf. This scarf will match the mittens I knit just before Christmas. Since the snow is nearly gone, I am finally recognizing that this scarf will not be ready for this winter liked I'd hoped. My new goal: have it ready before the temps drop below zero in Oct/Nov 2010.

The pattern: Grandma's Scarf by Andrea F. Sommer

The yarn: Ram Wools Selkirk in Quoddy Blue

Started: January 30, 2010

My progress: currently measures 29 inches, so about halfway done

Welcome To My Journal!

I've tried blogging before, and it's been sporadic. I've tried keeping a journal of craft projects (specifically cross stitch projects), and I've struggled to update it when I finish a project, or start a new one. I've decided to combine the two, and we'll see if this endeavor proves more successful.

To start, some goals:

1. Post weekly progress updates on craft projects, with pictures.
2. Post the start of new projects, complete with details on materials used.
3. Keep up goals #1 and #2 for 6 months.

The first progress update...hopefully tomorrow.