Monday, Monday

I knew it was Monday by the way I felt when I woke up. It didn't get any better either, but that's neither here nor there and is not at all why you read my blog or anyone elses, so I won't dwell.

I wish I had a lot to tell you about all the lovely stitching and knitting I did this weekend, but I don't. I did knit on my Lyton cardi on the way to Tallahassee to see my Seminoles win another football game. My friend Sharon and I went over. Sharon's daughter, Anna is at FSU again this year. She's doing well there and is beginning to really get into being "at college". We took her to lunch before the game and did a little shopping at Bill's Bookstore. The game was fun, even with the 49 minute delay due to storms in the area that had lightening. We waited it out and I'm glad. I have this thing about leaving a football game before the clock has "double zeros". The drive back wasn't too bad, we kept ourselves awake talking and listening every once in awhile to the LSU-Gator game on the radio. Arrived home in time to see if LSU really had scored a touchdown to win the game in the last minute. There's really nothing as exciting as college football! Especially if you grew up in the south.

Sunday I worked on a little piece I hope to have done for my aunt's Christmas present. Not sure if I've mentioned it before and I'm sure I haven't taken a picture. Must do that. It's a fun, easy piece from Silver Needle. It was the Secret Needle Night piece from May 2006 and was a birthday present from my DF Vicky. I never get these kits, but I'm always intrigued by them. They always are so cute and seem to have such great fibers in them. Plus they look like they'd stitch up fairly quickly. This one sure has. I figured it went with this month's theme, since it's supposed to be a gift.

The only other news is about my hand. I think I am developing some arthritis in my right hand. This is especially bad since I'm right handed. I'm trying not to let it keep me from stitching or knitting or other things, but it's a little painful. I don't think all the rain last week has helped. I've taken some OTC meds and that has helped some. Hopefully it will go away for awhile. Doesn't it realize I have a stitching weekend coming up very soon????

Jill has suggested, after seeing the bag of stitched items that I really do need to do finishing for, that I should declare Tuesday's as finishing night until further notice. Tuesday's has been ornament night. I'm not sure I want it to not be ornament night. But I also want to have these ornaments finished so they'll look pretty on my little tree. Last year it was nice, but it would look FANTASTIC with even more ornaments. I'll see how I feel tomorrow and let you know.

SBQ

This week's SBQ was suggested by Jennifer and is:

What are your favorite online stitching supply sources?

I love, love, LOVE this question because it lets me tell you all about some places that you may or may not know about in the stitching world.

1. Needlecraft Corner - Drema is amazing! I've never gotten to visit her store, but I have made a promise to myself that if I'm ever in the Baltimore area I'm so there. You have to call to order, but believe me you'll love talking to whoever answers. And if it's Drema you'll find yourself having a friendly conversation and getting all the lovely stitching pretties you want. Plus she always has something on sale that you need. Oh, and don't forget to sign up for her birthday club.

2. The Silver Needle - Another great brick & mortar store that has a wonderful online presence as well. I have ordered from them in the past and have always been happy with their service.

3. Attic Needlework - in Mesa, AZ. This is one store I've actually been to, and let me just say it was worth the trip! WOW! The walls were full of great designs and the staff was fantastic. I've never ordered from them over the phone or online, but have a friend that has and had great service. They have a newsletter that's great.

4. European Cross Stitch - I haven't ordered from here in awhile, but it's another great site and I've always had great service from them. They carry a lot of the hard to find European designers, as the name implies.

5. Hand Dyed Fibers (a.k.a. Vicki Clayton) - I discovered VC several years ago and love her silks. Love the prices too.

6. Moss Creek Designs - I love all things Rae Iverson, so this is the site where you too can browse her beautiful designs. Rae and Ron, her wonderful husband, run their business from their home. They also have a lovely event twice a year called "A Stitchers' Gathering". I haven't missed a fall one yet. Rae invites two other teachers to join her and for the weekend stitchers from all over get together to learn, talk, eat, oh and we even stitch on occasion. In fact, the fall event is coming up weekend after next. (I'm actually counting the days until it's time to get on the plane and leave.) Take a look at her designs and the events. I recommend it all. I know, her designs look hard, but believe me, her instructions are some of the best you'll ever see. The only other designer that even comes close to having instructions as good as Rae's is....

7. Ellen Chester of With My Needle - and you should check out her site too. It has wonderful goodies on it as well.

There's plenty of others, but I need to stop and get to bed. Had a hard day today. Migraine that wouldn't play nicely and go away. Hopefully it's been banished though. Finally got out of bed this evening around 5-ish and made some dinner. Then sat in front of the TV and knitted on my Lynton sweater. Which reminds me....I finished the back last night and cast on the 2 front sides. So that's what I worked on this evening. I'm hoping to feel like going to Tallahassee tomorrow for the football game. If so, I'll be taking the sweater to work on in the car since the friend I'm going with offered to drive. YEAH! It looks like I just might make my goal of being able to wear it at ASG in 13 days.

Pink is In!

I think everyone I know has had to deal in some way with Breast Cancer. So, I give you Stitch Pink and the very cool contest that you should enter. After you do that, take a look through the whole blog. Great things are happening there.

After the weekend...

in which there was much rejoicing as my college football team won against University of Alabama, I find myself very blah. Blah because it has rained since Sunday afternoon. Today is worse then yesterday was. In fact, it's raining quite heavily right now. Not that we don't need the rain. Rain is good, it means the likelihood of a fire goes down. But this is what the weather people call a "nor'eastern" which means is well...blah. Not a lot of sunshine mixed with the rain. Just rain. Since I haven't quite finished the top of my "cubie" I won't regale you with that.

October's theme is "Obligation October". Which really has to do with anything you need to finish for Christmas presents. I'm not sure what I'll be stitching on. I do know I'm still trying to get my cardigan finished before I leave for Louisville on the 18th. It may happen, but I'm becoming doubtful. I also have some socks to finish for an exchange. Worked on them last night some. The only other thing I've been thinking of for a present is for my aunt. I may get that done for her for Christmas. I'm not feeling very Christmas-like, probably because of the rain. Maybe soon.

Earlier this week...

On Monday I participated in "The Great Doctor Visit Relay Race". This consists of being told multiple times that you have a doctor's appointment 36 miles from our house to the office in Jacksonville beside St. Vincent's Hospital. That's ok, I don't mind driving that far for my father to see a really good doctor. So, Monday we get there and find out that no, his appointment was really in Orange Park at their office that we DROVE RIGHT PAST on the way to St. V's. Luckily we were fairly early and had time to make it back to Orange Park and get to his appointment only 15 minutes late. And thankfully the nurses called and let that office know that there had been a mix-up. Apparently someone didn't tell me that the doctor had changed which office he'd be at that day.

We had planned on going by the used bookstore, the really BIG used bookstore, that houses all the great book "crack". This is one of my favorite stores to spend time in, and if you're ever in the Jacksonville area I highly recommend a trip to Chamblin's Bookmine . It's gloriously full of books. We ended up going back that way since my dad was without reading material and that could have meant the end of the world, or something similar as he might have had to find something to do with his time other then read. I always check the knitting and other crafts aisle and happened across this....I've been wanting this book for awhile, but haven't purchased. Couldn't pass up the 1/2 price, especially since I did have credit to cover the cost. I've already decided I need to make the Petal bibs for baby shower gifts.

My friend Jill is here for the FSU vs. 'Bama game tomorrow. We're tailgating with friends, as I think I've already mentioned. Made some macaroni salad this morning and will make more food later tonight. Right now we're off to run some errands and maybe hit Chamblin's. (Jill likes the books too!) Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Ever been on a "roll"?

Apparently I'm on one with "cubie"/"All Year Squared". As I stated last night, I managed to finish the Spring side. So with no further ado....
Isn't it precious with the bunnies and the flutterbi-s? I think the butterflies were supposed to be the same color, but that didn't really work for me. Plus, I love the yellow ones we see around here all the time and last year we saw one in that violet/purple color in the yard. Like with the frog, I haven't put the beads on the eyes. Don't want them to get messed up.

Even though I got home late tonight (after a day spent driving from practically one end of town to the other...and in Jacksonville, FL that can be a fair distance), I attempted to start on the bottom square. Let me state for the record that I started watching the PBS series "The War" by Ken Burns. (If you haven't watched this, you should. It's amazingly well done and tells the story of the war in a very different way, very personal, while still giving you the glimpses of the atrocities that happened. I wanted to watch because they talk not just about the European theater, but also the war fought in the Pacific and specifically the events that surrounded the bombing and sinking of the ship my maternal grandfather served on and died on.) So anyway, the bottom is composed of my initials and the year. and then a diagonal upright cross variation over 4 and then the double wrapped stitch around the entire thing. So I thought I'd be smart, and work my first initial, then count down and work some of the outline to figure out where to start my diagonal upright cross variation (DUCV for short). It was really cooking, moving right along, threads flying, needles skimming through the fabric with ease. The PBS show went off. We ran the tape back and started watching "Dancing With The Stars". (This is the only "reality" show I've ever really gotten in to. I mean, DWTS is just cool!) So here I am...stitching away and I get to the point where I can put in my "B", having worked some of the border and some of the DUCV, and what do I realize....yep, I miscounted. Of course it's way back at where the DUCV starts. I added an extra wrapped double backstitch set over 4 threads...I'm not 4 threads off. There's only 1 way to fix. FROG! Hey, at least the "T" was still right!

(After sitting through that little pity party, you deserve something pretty to look at....)Aren't they so pretty all lined up in order? So, tomorrow night I have a meeting and Wed. I always have band. Thursday my DF Jill arrives for the big football doings this weekend here in Jax. (For those not in the know, FSU (Jill & my alma mater) will be playing Alabama (as in "Roll Tide") The game of "dynasties" as some are calling it, although both FSU and Alabama have seen better days when it comes to football.) With both 'bama and the 'Noles looking to achieve the glory of years past (they still revere "Bear" Bryant, and we have our own guy by the name of Bobby Bowden with some glory attached to their names) this should be fun. We're planning some MAJOR tailgating action Saturday. I might even have some pictures. Even with all that going on, I may, just may, be able to finish the stitching on this one. The putting together, that's another story. I'm forgoing work on other stitching projects right now in favor of this one.

There is some minor knitting going on, but I'm going to have to buckle down on the Lynton sweater. I'm stalled on the back. I think I only have a couple of inches to go until I can bind off, but I need to measure. I didn't take it with me today when I went with my dad to the cardiologist. Took the August dishcloth instead. (Yes, I'm well aware it's almost the end of Sept., but I started a month late, so technically I'm not really behind...yet.) If, and this is a BIG IF, I can get the stitching done on "cubie", then I can knit on the sweater on Sunday while I watch football and racing. That should put a dent in the sweater.

Wow, the month is almost gone and I've not touched a couple of items on my list, not to mention I need to start thinking about October...and ASG...and seeing friends!

Finally a post and some pictures

To distract you from the fact that I haven't posted in almost a week I bring you pictures...
This would be a halfway decent picture of a 3 sided piece that has a very long history. It's the 1998 Commemorative Scissor Fob from Spirit of Cross Stitch. I'm sure that takes a few of you back.Here's another side. Don't you love my bunny? I though he'd do a fine job holding the fob. So, more on the story. I actually had this stitched in 1998, as you can tell from the next picture.
But for some reason I didn't manage to put it together. Well, if the truth were to be told it was more I was too scared to try and put it together. The finishing isn't all that hard, but back then I hadn't done much finishing. So, maybe last year, or the year before I found it in my stash and decided to put it together. Somehow I had a VERY LONG piece of twisted cording for it that I used and got it all done, except stuffed. At which point apparently I put it away until I could get to the bag of poly. I have. When I was going through all my stash for "September Smalls" month I found it and thought why not get this piece completely finished. So, here it is. It really is very pretty. I have no idea what I'll do with it. Right now it's sitting in a bowl with a couple of other smalls I have.

The rest of this week has been taken up with working on this...
That's the bookshelf my uncle made for the end of our kitchen island when he redid the countertops. That's with 2 coats of stain. I know, it looks kind of red now. The stain is "Dark Mahagony" or something like that. It will eventually turn black. That's eventually, after several more coats of stain. I wanted the black because, even though you can't tell, there is a black fleck in the countertops and we're looking at grey and black tile for the back-splash along the countertops and under the counters along the wall. So, it will all work together...eventually...when I've got enough coats on it.

The bad part is that between the weather we've had and the smell from the staining that's going on in the kitchen I've developed a migraine. So far, its staying somewhere around halfway bearable. Although this morning it descended into "must find a bed and cool sheets" for awhile before some medication kicked in.

Oh, I almost forgot! I finished something else last night....
Meet the "summer" panel for "cubie", or "All Year Square". That's right I finished. (If you want to see it a little larger, you can click on the picture to make it bigger, btw.) In the class she told us we could use several different options for the lily flowers. One was bullion knots, another was detached buttonhole. Now, knowing that I have something like 24 bullion knots to do on the pin cushion from Indigo Rose, I decided that if I did more here I wouldn't want to think about those. So, I opted for detached buttonhole. The only thing I haven't done is put the beads on the frog for his eyes. I don't want them to get messed up, so I'll wait until I'm ready to put it together. In a show of optimism, I started on the "spring" panel after I finished this one. Not much done, just the first row of long-arm cross and part of an "A". I've left this one for last since it has the rabbits on it, and I love bunnies so much that I thought it would spur me on to the finish. We'll see.

The weekend is looking interesting. I'm hoping the weather will be nice, but not sure what to expect. We've had lots of rain this week, which we needed, and they say we'll get more tomorrow. I'm not going to complain. My football team isn't playing this weekend, but we'll have a big game next week. I'm also hoping I'll do a little better with the blogging. But now you're all caught up!