been quiet awhile

Yes, I've been a bad little blogger and not blogged in a while... on my blog. How many times can "blog" be used in a sentence? Anyway, I took a break from some larger projects to attempt 2 things. First, a knitted hat for an infant. When that failed horribly, I attempted some crocheted toys. These were a lot of fun and surprisingly easy!! (Especially since I haven't crocheted a thing in years.)

I found this as a free pattern from Joann's.

So the pattern is really simple: make a donut and customize with color and sewn on bits.

The ladybug!

The bee, my favorite!

The worm, which actually started off as a frog post - this was to be a stacking toy, but I settled on a worm since the stacking bit didn't work so well.

chunky

It's fall, my favorite season. I love the colors and themes. And isn't fall all about new things? There's new school supplies and new clothes, not to mention the new foods! This is when we pack up the grill and switch to the crock pot, and in my house my husband and I switch cooking responsibilities (he gets the summer and I get the winter). I'm gearing up for projects to snuggle up with on the sofa while it's gray and drippy out in the months ahead, but until then I get to enjoy the wonderful change of colors and cooking aromas.

Maybe it's the daylight lessening or it could be my eyes getting worse, but I've been working on chunky things recently - and loving it! So I have two starts (one a bit older than the other). I've also kitted up a couple more projects, but as of yet haven't had time to start. This crazy time of year is even more hectic for me right now, but I've found some time to toss of few stitches into new things.

This is Bent Creek: "The Branch". It's been coming out in installments which have been curing in my bag, but I have managed to start it and to change a few things. I'm stitching it on Heatherfield Natural (16ct). Considering the woodsy feel of this project, I chose the fabric to bring that out more.

And of course, changing one thing means changing others. My tree, in which an owl will sit, has been changed to a white birch. The camera seems to have washed it out a bit, but I am very happy with the results so far.

Maybe it's not just fall, but owls that are catching my eye right now. I couldn't pass up this project. It's in the Nov 2009 issue of Cross-Stitch and Needlework, titled "Argyle the Owl". Isn't he great?! I'm stitching him on 16ct Fiddler's Cloth and have every intention of doing something similar to the picture shown here for finishing.

The fabric is a smaller count than called for, but I stayed with the thicker fiber (Watercolours by Caron: Graphite) resulting in a chunky little owl. Well, he will be when he's finished. The only other change will be doing the branch he's sitting on in a contrasting color to the light colored fabric (maybe the brown in his wings).

an interesting couple of weeks

Well I have just been so busy in the past couple weeks, but I have found time to throw stitches in different directions. I was able to attend the last 'official' Summer Stitch at Acorns and Threads. They have been so much fun to be at. Considering my crazy schedule it's been great to have weekly mini-vacations and I've probably gotten more stitching done than I would have this summer.

Well, this is a re-start. I started BoInk-ing (Ink Circles: "Book of Ink Circles") when the project started over a year ago: I got a bit of Barfy done as well as some of the frame in that corner when I decided I disliked it and pulled the whole thing out. That was the "Saturday of Shag" - I had so many bits of black thread/fuzz everywhere!

This is one strand of DMC 3371 over 2. I love how this is turning out and I am planning to do this pattern in browns and blues, though I haven't selected all the colors yet.

I've made some more progress on Chatelaine: "Alhambra Garden". I'm onto a second color! Yes, I'm celebrating the small advances.

I love this color fabric more every time I stitch on it. (Lakeside Linen 36 ct: Vintage River Willow)

A start!! This is the second page in "My Stitching Album" by Jeannette Douglas - Milanese Moment. It's going rather quickly at this point. I love the colors in this page! So bright and cheery.

This is a fun stitch. The stars are coming along and I spied pinwheels further down! Tension is something I'm getting a bit nervous about, but it seems to be going ok.

a finish

I've been going to Summer Stitch at Acorns and Threads on Saturdays and haven't posted much from them since it's been going mainly into the Mosaic page from My Stitching Album by Jeannette Douglas. It is done! And yes, this is 'soon' for me. Big cheers since I've heard this is the hurdle to overcome. I'm looking forward to starting the next page.

I did use the fibers called for in this page, just not in all the places they were called for. I changed the fourth medallion on the right hand side since I'm not a huge fan of pink. I also changed all the rows below "We can find..." Again, not a huge fan of pink.

I love the effect of this stitch, but it does take time. I'm so happy with the results.

taking longer

I was waiting to post again till I finished my Mosaic page from the Jeannette Douglas: "My Stitching Album". Silly me, thinking I would finish when I thought I would. And that mosaic stitch is time consuming. Well, I will put up photos of that page soon because I WILL finish it SOON! I just realized it's been a while since I've posted.

Other than that I've been working on organizing my cross stitching fibers using Annie's Keepers which I got at Acorns & Threads. It is a wonderful system and I just love how neat it all looks now. In conjunction with this, I've been creating a list on my iPhone of fibers to help me inventory what I have. I've found that I re-buy a lot. I was disappointed that there were no (free) apps specific for this. I suppose I should bite the bullet and pay for it, but I've found a list app that is working well so far. At some point I hope to do the same with charts (even more frustrating when I re-buy those).

knit and crochet beginnings

Here is a sampling of my beginning works in knitting and crocheting. I don't actually have photos of much since I've given a lot of it away.

I picked up a kit of chunky yarn and needles from a craft store and proceeded to let the project cure for a few years before I decided to disregard the pattern and make this hat. A friend helped me with the "ah-ha" moment where I finally figured out how to knit so I gave this as thanks.

This is one of my first crochet projects. A friend picked up a kit for a lap-ghan and we proceeded to modify the pattern and make out own blankets. Mine did stop at lap-ghan size, while hers got larger. It was a lot of fun and a lot of movies.

Here is a close up of the stitching. I've also modified this further by adding more corners and found that it pleats itself. Unfortunately, I no longer have that piece so no photo. I may have to make it again since it was so cool.

This is my current knitting project: a shawl out of the book Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle. It's the Simple Garter Stitch Prairie Shawl. The camera does not capture the true color, but it's close. I'm about half-way through.

I got the yarn at Yarn for All Seasons in Newport, OR. The yarn is "The Heathers 220" by Cascade Yarns - 100% Merino Wool. I just love the feel of it! I'm hoping to have it finished by winter when I'd want to wear it.

fairs and friends

This past weekend was great! Saturday was a marathon of stitching from open stitch at Acorns and Threads in the morning to stitching at the county fair with friends in the evening. I got a chance to work on two projects.

I put in some more stitches into my Chatelaine project: "Alhambra Garden". I just started it a week ago, before the heat wave. I have a long road ahead but I am really excited about this project.

I also worked on the the sidewalk for Little Leaf Designs: "Garden Welcome". I'm really happy with how it turned out.

This is another. I finished it on my trip to NJ in June. I was visiting my hometown and gardens definitely hold a special place for me since my mom had a wonderful flower garden.

Little Leaf Designs: "Tend Your Garden"

I changed the poem to something that suits me better. It reflects my little flower garden that is a collection of containers on my balcony.

This is a close-up of the work on the leaves, which was a lot of fun. I love how the colors worked out. The little flowers in the border were supposed to be white, but I love to add color.

my brief cross stitch history

Well, since I've just started a blog and I've been stitching for a while (just a few years now) I'll share some of my finished projects. This will be a long-ish post since there are a lot of photos with descriptions (I'll keep them short). A lot of my first works are small since the variety of fibers and fabrics are so overwhelming at first.

This is a sampling. See some close-ups below.

Simple Stitches: "So Many Flip Flops"

There were supposed to be flip flop buttons where the purple pair is, but I like my yellow heart flip flops. This would be my first improvisation. Also, I have no idea what color fabric it is, but I love the yellow shade. It's nice and summery. :)

This was one of my first cross stitch projects that didn't come out of a kit. Previously, I'd only tried a couple 2" x 2" holiday and dollar kits. I had fun, but they were kinda dinky. I really enjoyed moving on to nicer fabrics and fibers.

Lizzie Kate: "Flip-it: A Year With Charm"

Does everyone get addicted to monthlies? Well, I guess I didn't get addicted since I only finished 2, but I have them all and the best of intentions. I did these on scraps, but I have a nifty idea for finishing. If it happens, it'll be up here.

Eileen Gurak Needlework Designs - Handblessings: "A Little Nut"

This is one of my first projects with hand-dyed fibers. I love using them. The colors are so alive! Also, I did meet a little nut who I might frame this up for. He is the cutest little baby and was huddled up on the sofa when I met him at a friend's house, looking just like a "little nut".

This project also coincided with my planting of four blue spruce seeds. The seedlings are now a couple months old and doing well.

Hobnob Designs - Doodles for Leftovers: "Apples 25 cents"

I love little projects like this! No plans for it, but a good use of leftover everything. And the button is great! I can't wait to get my hands on more of these.

Sisters and Best Friends: "Ole!"

Again, the bright colors I love. Also, my very first beadwork - the sugar crystals.

shilly-shallying

Well I'm starting a blog. And as I sit here, I feel the name is aptly chosen. I am an indecisive stitcher. I can't settle on one thing. I can't even settle on the kind of stitching. I cross stitch, knit, crochet, and dabble a little in hand quilting. Also, I just bought a book on felting. I suppose I am a generic crafter, limited only by space, time, and money... but fabrics and fibers appeal to me most. This blog will follow, in fits and starts, my projects and experiences.