Just a Peek and a Contest

     Yes.  Just a peek at what I'm stitching up at this time.  It's a gift for a friend and I don't want her to see a lot of it.  Another reason why I don't want to show anymore of it is because I thought it would be fun to see if anyone can guess what piece it is I'm stitching.  One hint is that it's a Jeremiah Junction chart.  Who ever guesses the correct piece first will receive a spring box from me.  Spring is on it's way and the box will be filled with springy things and stitchy things as well.  Fun things too maybe.
   
     Rules to Contest:
        You must be a follower of my blog.
        You must post this contest on your own blog for others to join in the fun.
        Please leave your email address and your blogsite address when you sign up to join in the fun.

The contest will last until someone wins, or I finish the piece, and in the meantime I'll be filling the Spring box.

     Now here's the only picture that you'll be seeing of the piece until either someone wins or I finish the piece itself.  I must say that as I used to enjoy Jeremiah Junction, I am also enjoying this one.

I really enjoy all the back stitching in them.  Just makes all the colors pop.

     This week has been cold and rainy some, but it's a beautiful day today with a wonderful blue clear sky.  The sun feels good as always this time of year.

     I may have mentioned that my sister, Georgia and I are planning an adventure, and we're preparing for it now.  We have joined Planet Fitness, and go three times a week.  We're looking for muscle growth above anything else as we're going to start some hiking in the future.  By the end of this year, I think we'll be ready to hike some trails in the mountains of NC.  She is now 67 and I'll be 70 in March, so we're no spring chickens as the old saying goes.  We're young at heart though and we would love to head for the Appalachian Trail in two to three years.  In the meantime, we'll just continue to prepare our bodies and minds for it and collecting things we'll need.  Here's a picture of us taken at the beach a couple of months back.  She has our dad's Italian complexion and beautiful

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dark hair.  She always has a hat on and I usually always wear a scarf.  I need to get her another hat knitted also.
   
     Need to let ya'll go for this time around.  My stitching is calling my name as well as a good book.  Until next time, ya'll be well, be warm take care and don't forget to "Feel the colors". Love ya'll.

     Get busy on my contest now.  I'm going to have fun getting a winner's box together.


   

   

Explanation of My Time Keeping

    About four years ago, I decided to start keeping my time on my cross stitched pieces.  The reason was I felt that if I told someone it took me six months to do a piece, it really wasn't the real time.  It may have taken me six months but I may have only put in a total of 38 hours on the piece itself.  So I decided to do something about that and picked up a notebook just for that reason.  Here's a look at just one page.  This was my time kept for the "Live Simply" sampler I just did.  You can see that I

had actually had it in the stitching process for six months, but, it took me only 24 and a half hours.

     We missed the storm all together.  Oh, we got rain and cold, but no snow.  No sleet and it's supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow.  I love living here!  At that rate, I should be able to nap out on my porch in the afternoon!

     Right now, I'm doing a little stitching on a gift for a dear friend on mine.  An old Jeremiah Junction chart.  Always loved them and I knew that this one in particular I would one day work up.  I'll show you as I progress on it.

     Will let ya'll go for now.  I do hope that all my dear friends and followers are warm and safe by now.  Shoveled and plowed out with heat and hot water.  It was an awful storm in so many areas.

     Until next time, and don't forget to "feel the colors".

Quick Gift 3

     Back to some cross stitching for this one.  I just saw this last night and thought it was so quick and easy, and what a nice idea.  The first picture is of a "happy jar".  I think it will help people to concentrate, or watch for the good and happy things in life.  You do the piece and apply it to the jar.  The picture shows that it's tied with ribbon, but you can always glue it to a plain jar and then add the trim.  When giving it as a gift, put a couple of your own happy thoughts in it to get it started.  Second picture is of the piece done up in a frame.  I'd use 16 ct Aida, and you choose the colors.

Have fun.

Live Simply

     Is what this sampler is all about.  It was fun to work on, using just one color of over dyed thread, and it was completed in 24 hours.  So you know it was an easy stitch.  Some who aren't into cross stitching may wonder why the "W" is missing.  Here is an explanation that may help ya'll to understand the reason,

Most sampler patterns include alphabets. It is very rare to find a complete alphabet in antique samplers. While there might be some errors, inversions or omissions due to the youth of the stitcher, some missing letters are no accident. A certain number of letters were often merged such as "I" and "J" as well as "V" and "W" and other letters, often the less useful such as "X" or "Y" were simply dropped out.

     Anyway! I enjoyed the quick stitch but am ready to get back into my colors again.  Here are two pictures of the piece.  First one is completed without the antiquing sprayed on it.

This second picture is after I sprayed it, and I do like the way it came out.  I wanted it to look a little rustic.

The dark bottom is from a shadow.  Not the spray.

One more picture of just a small portion of it.  I am always so happy in my stitching area on a sunny day.  This picture shows you how bright it is without any light at all on.  

     We are staying in during this cold weather.  A nice fire going inside and I love soups and stews this time of year.  We're so fortunate not to have snow in this area, and since down here, I am a bit spoiled, as I miss the warmer weather we were having.  I have plenty to keep me busy inside though..

     Welcome to my newest follower, Margaret Lind.  A real sweet lady who cross stitches as well.
     
     It's so amazing how time seems to fly by.  Here is a picture of a sampler that I did back in 2007.  I remember working on it when we were visiting my son, Guy when he was stationed out in Yuma, AZ.  It's in our hallway and I walk by it a number of times a day.  Today though I realized that it was done nearly twelve years ago.  My grandson who is 18 was just five at the time.  We were living in Shapleigh, ME at the time and I remember sitting on our back deck stitching on it.  I still love the colors in it and it brings back so many good memories.  The chart came in a "Just Cross Stitch" magazine that I was getting at the time.

     I'll let ya'll go for this time around.  Know that I love ya'll and until next time, be well and safe and "Don''t forget to feel the colors".

Quick Gifts 2

This is for a quick and fun knitted dish cloth with a crocheted border which I love.  The border prevents the cloth from stretching when wet.  Enjoy it.

Knitting Needle Size: 6 or 4 mm

Yarn Weight: (4) Medium Weight/Worsted Weight and Aran (16-20 stitches to 4 inches)

Materials List

I skein worsted weight medium , 100% cotton. 200 yards made 2 washcloths.

Size 6 knitting needles, or to fit your gaug

3.75 MM crochet hook

Instructions

Cast on 49 stitches Row 1: Knit all Row 2: Knit 1 *Purl the next 3 stitches together, but don’t drop them off of the needle. Bring your right hand needle from the back to the front, Yarn Over and purl the same 3 stitches together again and drop them from the left needle. Knit One.* See the video at the end of the directions for an illustration of this repeat. Row 3: Knit all Row 4: Knit 1, Purl 1, Knit 1 *Purl the next 3 stitches together, but don’t drop them off of the needle. Bring your right hand needle from the back to the front, Yarn Over and purl the same 3 stitches together again and drop them from the left needle. Knit One.* This row will end with a Purl 1, Knit 1. Row 5: Knit all Repeat rows 2-5 until you reach 9 inches. Bind off, but don’t cut yarn With your crochet hook, work approximately 25 (about half the number of stitches cast on and the rows worked) evenly spaced single crochet stitches into each side of the washcloth, working 2 single crochet stitches into each corner stitch. Single Crochet 2 more rows around the washcloth, working 2 more stitches at the corner of the next row and then 3 stitches in the corner of the last row. Bind off and weave in all your loose ends.

Quick Gifts 1

Knitted Coasters.

You can knit up at least four of these in an hour.  I've given many as a gift and people love them.  They're about four inches around using a size J crochet hook.

Any worsted weight yarn

J hook (5.5 mm)

Large Eye Needle

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as first DC), 11 DC in 3rd ch from hook. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. (12 DC)

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as first DC), DC in same stitch, 2 DC in each stitch around. Join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (24 DC)

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts of first DC), DC in same stitch, DC in next stitch, *2 DC in next stitch, DC in next stitch* around. Join with sl st to top of Ch 2. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Easy Peasy! :) Experiment with different yarns! The possibilities are endless!

Here are the four that I just made.

UGH!

     Just a short post today.  I sat late yesterday afternoon and got 49 stitches done and had to put my piece away.  So last night, I got my work back out and ready to continue, when I realized that there was a mistake somewhere.....So, 49 stitches taken out! Don't you hate that!

     Love you all.  "Feel those colors".

Winter Is Here!

     We have really been blessed with unseasonably warm weather for weeks now, so I really can't complain.  When I woke up this morning though and saw that it was under 20 degrees, I was thankful that Bill had a great fire going in the wood stove.  We use the stove to help with the regular heating system and we love the warmth of it.  We've sat in the living room many hours together with the stove going and a good movie on.

     I've been wanting to show you this basket that I did up for my sister  They just bought a house within eight miles of us, after living in Georgia for many years.  So when I saw this chart, I thought it would make a perfect gift for her.  Once the sewing was done though, I couldn't decide what to do with it.  I could just frame it.  Make it into a pillow.  The designer has it pictured on a small basket, but I decided to get a much larger basket with a lid and I used it on that.  My sister was happy with it and has it displayed on her enclosed porch for right now.

     I am so disappointed with the orts I have to show for this whole entire year.  This jar is probably  eight inches tall, and look at the measly little clump of threads.  I will say that I had lost my mojo off and on throughout the year.  Don't know why and when I wasn't stitching I was wanting to.....I just didn't!  So this is it for the whole year.

This year just better be different.  I mean really different.  I have a new ort holder, and if I don't fill it right up, I'm afraid he'll gobble me up.  He's a foot high and I just love this critter for the purpose he'll be serving.  I need to come up with a good name for him/her though.  Any suggestions....  I certainly can't miss that mouth! LOL

     This is what I'm working on now.  Only a few hours into it and the stitch is easy and fun.  Going with swamp water for the color.  I've been doing at least an hour on it each day since Christmas.  I know that I showed you a picture of it before.  It's called "Live Simply" which is another thing I want to accomplish this year.

     I hope to make this the year of finishes.  I used to do only one piece at a time, and how or why I stopped doing that is beyond me, but I have.  I want to finish all pieces that I have started, and once I do that, I'll start on charts that I have.  I won't order any new charts this year! Did I say that! Slap me silly!
     I do want to let ya'll go this time around.  Last year I was totally blessed, and oh! I am now in remission from the ITP.  My platelets are where they should be for the first time in over a year and a half.  Thank you Father.  Thank you Dr. Cho for not giving up on me, and thank you all my friends and followers for your thoughts and prayers.
     So this year I pray that each one of you will experience many blessings as well.  A wonderful 2016 to all of you.  I love you my friends and followers.  Until next time, stay well and warm and "feel the colors".