Small 2014 check-in

It check-in day for the 2014 Smalls SAL.   

I said my goal was for 6 smalls during 2014 , not one per month, knowing I wanted to do somethings over 1, therefore turning them into a Small.

And so I have a start, not actually a finish for the end of the first month.

Here's what it should look like at the end:

And here it is as of January 29th.

I'm stitching over 1 on a 26ct natural linen.   I plan on stitching all my Nutcrackers on this fabric. (unless my eyes fail me)

Meanwhile the new grandson is doing very well.  Just before he arrived, he swallowed a big gulp of fluid from the womb. He now seems to have it fully flushed out of himself and is feeding better.  He is definitely a keeper!

He's here!

The newest grandson (little guy) is here!

He arrived in the wee hours  (4:47 am) on one of the coldest nights of this winter.  It was minus 6 when I got to the hospital and minus 10 when I went home to get some sleep.   But he is healthy, everything's there and mom is doing ok.

He's a nice healthy weight  -  8 lbs 1oz   and 21 inches long.  Big brother was sleeping thru it all at his other Grandmother's house. 

The waiting is finally done!

Still waiting

We are still waiting for the new little one to arrive.  I really don't blame him with all this sub zero temps, gusting winds (making for horrid wind chills) and newly arriving snow.  Rather reminds me of my own son - due in January and arrived in February.  That was a snowy, cold winter too!

Meanwhile I stitch and read and wait.

It seems like all I do is report more snow.   We got 3 more inches on Saturday and at least another inch or so last night.  we also got plunging temps last night.  We are currently in the single digits again.  It was soooooooooo cold when I was cleaning the driveway this morning - my glasses froze up!  I don't even want to know what the wind chill was at that hour. 

So I am doing some stitching and watching the oldest grandchild while his other grandparents are at the beach  (way south).  Heck I could use a vacation too!  But then again, the newest grandchild is due any time  (due date is a week away) and I wouldn't miss that.

Not much new here, except a little more snow and cold temp again.  I did start a new project along with several other EGA members - a mystery sampler to be completed on either canvas or linen.  That was the first choice.  Second choice was the stitch to be used for the border.  I used both - the heavier one (Symra Cross) for the outer border and the lighter for the interior borders.

Back in December everyone had to draw three crayons.    You could put back one crayon and redraw but then you were stuck with what you had.  I ended up with three shades of green as you can see.

So I pulled a variety of fibers and decided this would be a shades of green sampler with very few other accents.  Your three colors have to be found in the sampler but not necessarily be the dominant colors.  I did the borders in a Needle Necessities overdyed greens, cotton floss so I used 4 strands since I am working on canvas.  I also found a Northern lights (A Needlepoint Inc Silk that is overdyed), two differenct Hand-dyed silk flosses (Vicki Clayton), some solid Soie Cristale, a Wildflowers and a Soy Fiber - all from my stash.  Depending on the interior designs, I will probably stick to these fibers but we shall see what the up coming months will bring.

Meanwhile, My borders are complete and await the next step.  On to the next project.

Not much new today. Just a morning visit from our oldest grandson and a new (posed) photo ofhimand Sly (his favorite stuffed animal that he NEVER leaves home without).  Hard to believe that he is 3 and a third already.  Baby brother is due 1 Feb but we are guessing any day from the looks of our daughter.  The newest one will make 4 grandchildren under the age of 4, all boys.  2 here and 2 out of state. 

I took a couple days off to clean and read and stitch some more.

Today I actually left the house for awhile.  OUr neighborhood is not so great, people have made ruts in the frozen snow, as well as the fresh inch that fell yesterday and as a result it's quite bumpy.  Itwill probably worse tomorrow because it got up to 41 degrees today.  I actually saw my driveway again.
Ironic sonce I took these photos yesterday.

 

 

I'm happy to say that this afternoon, the tree branch was no longer snow covered and starting to perk up.  I did not check on the icickles.

 

 

Below is where the Stitching row was a few days ago.  I'm actually up to U but no new photo.  Letters and hoop only.  I haven't done the "ribbon" that floats around it.

http://bap-attack.blogspot.com/p/2014-turtle-trot.html

Now for my Turtle Trot -2014.  Here is where Freedom Rings was on January 1.

And last night saw the last stitches.  I changed the "white" of the flag.  The fiber the kit had was the same color as the fabric and not visible.  I ended up with ecru floss.  The words were in this really, really dark blue so I used the same fiber from the flag.  I'm also changed the stitched stars.  The fiber was so close to the fabric that it didn't show.  I tried the gold of the "ribbon" but it didn't look quite right.  So found a color in my stash that actually looks like their photo - not too brown and not too gold.  I admit I'm not thrilled with the white stars - they are way too white for something done with more subdued colors. I need to go thru my stash to see what else I have.  But it really is completely stitched!

One done and more to go!

Have a great week-end.

The temps made it to slightly above 0 degrees today but the roads were ice covered and awful.  I did a lot of computer work, napped and read today.  I've finished my third book since New Years.   I'm really fed up with our cable company - over 48 hours without cable.  Thank God we don't have phones and internet with them as well.  Otherwise we would literally have to send smoke signals out. 
Nearby neighborhoods have their cable so it really makes me wonder why we don't have ours.  Agoodreason to start looking for alternative ways to watch tv.  Too bad rabbit ears won't work anymore.
I know I'm cranky so this is being kept short.

Snow, more snow and even more snow

W got a foot of snow, on top of the 6 inches we already had.  And now it is frozen.  The temps are hanging out in the negative numbers.

Here's during the snowstorm.  It came down anywhere between 1-2 inches an hour.

The trees look gorgeous, providing they are not bend nearly in half (like in the front yard and luckily none have snapped outright).  We have been very fortunate in keeping power and internet.  We have not had cable for close to 24 hours.  I finished another book last night as well as starting a new one.

Snow.  It's time for the snow to stop (hopefully).   As of 6 pm, the offical snowfall was 8 inches but here it is 3 hours later and it's still snowing (but finally deceasing).  Who know what the official total will finally be?  I'm not going out to measure anytime soon.  The high tomorrow is predicted for -15 degrees.  Not normal weather for winter around here. 

 I am grateful for power (thereby heat).  I know there are many without tonight and I hope they can find safe shelter.

Today has been interesting.  First I overslept which is not something I hardly do anymore.  I was great at it when I was younger.  But then I had to hustle to get to a visitation for a friend who lost her husband.  That was hard, I really hated seeing her so unlike herself.

From there it was on to to the errands - get coffee ground, pick up last minute groceries, etc, etc.  THe grocery store was a madhouse and the food was flying off the shelves.  You see, we are to be hit with a huge snowstorm.  When the weather channel starts talking about your area being in the storm center as part of their national coverage, you know it's not going to be pretty.   But we are doing ok and have all kinds of fun stuff to nibble on besides the regular healthy food, firewood sitting in the garage and power.  So, after dinner I will be pulling out the stitching and plan doing that most of the next few days.  I might pause to read occasionally too.

Speaking of reading, my final report for 2013 - I read a total of 92 books in 2013- a total of 30,067 pages.  Well beyond my goal of 80 books.  Though I admit I only read 7 chunksters last year.  A chunkster is a book over 450 pages in length.  In 2012 I had read 13 chunksters and a total of 80 books and only 28,120 pages.   Now I'm not sure what I should set my goal for - a total of books or pages or # of chunksters.  One thing is for sure, I already finished my first book of the year.

More of the Turtle Trot and the wanna be's


First up is Abigail by Ro Pace.  I love this piece.  I just need to sit down and finish those corners.

 

 

Next up is 4 season trees ( or something similiar) by Karen Kulba .   The top is my progress and the botom is the front of her chart.  I might be half way.

 

 

 

The last offical (10th) item for the Turtle Trot is Mediterranean Tile by Ro Pace.

I have the inside tile finished (but unphotographed).  Now it's time to get busy on the outside tile.

 



 Now for the wanna be's.   I have been gently urged to work on the next 4 items by vaious folks.  If I went along with the idea of 14 items for 2014 this will be a  "slower than a turle" stroll nwhere near a trot.  So we shall see.

First up, Tapestry Cat by TW.  It is a long running WIP.  I started it after it was in the magazine but before it came out in chart form.  The blended threads make it lovely but also tedious to work on.  It will get done some day.

Next is Saint Basil.  I know when I got this and where.  I was teaching at CATS in Minnesota in 2001 and bought it from the designer.  A very different interpation then Carole Lake's version (which is also gorgeous).

Then there is Lady Liberty.  I got ready fro beads only to discover the beads wer far too large for the 32 count fabric (which was recommended).  Now I need to find the petite beads in the right colors and this is what made me put it aside.

Lastly is a canvas Christmas tree.  The tree is done. The ornaments are not.  The ornaments are supposed to stitched as well, then hung on the tree.  Some of the snow at the bottom is incomplete as well.  That dark streak in the center is a basting line, not part of the tree.   And it looks as if I may have left the needle in when I took the photo ( which was awhile ago, I have since removed the needle). 

 

 

There you have the Turtle Trot, the "wanna be"s, etc.  Now I need to go and stich something.



Now for more of the Turtle Trot.


This is Whimsical Heart  - over1 on 32 ct pink linen.  Cute but slow going.

My on going Blackbird project - the months of the year.  Mine is a family genealogy for each month, limited to two generartions on either side of hubby and I.  I was working on this a lot in 2013 then realized I would have to wait on the baby (another grandson) due in 2014.  Now 2 of my neices are also due in 2014 plus the niece-in-law.    Between my husband and his brother - by the end of July there will be 14 grandchildren (from 6 of the 7 kids).  One is unknown, one is a girl and the rest are all boys!  So this could be waiting til the end of the year.

 

 

This is America by Little House Needlworks.I have changed the fabric, one of the threads so far.  It is nearly done.  It's been a lot of fun.

And that brings the total to 7 so far.  More tomorrow.

Already a few hours late and it's the first one of the new year!

Here's my Jan 1st TUSAL

I've been using a plastic container lately - not so see-thru- so I just placed everything on the lid.

A brand new year -2014

This starts my 4th year of blogging.  Hard to believe I've done it for 3 years now.  A few folks never thought I would make it thru the first year. Here's to this year and many more.

It has been a very good start in 2014.  I have spent the majority of the day stitching away.  I usually start a new project on the 1st of the year.  This year I was inspired by Dani's Blog  on December 28, 2013.   I actually bought the chart last April at the GLR seminar, the fabric in the summer at Fancy Works  and then inspired By Dani, pulled fibers on the 30th and started stitching on the 1st.

 

 

This is how far I got during the Rose Bowl parade.   The fabric is 32 ct Lambswool, the fiber is Cherry Cordial waterlilies.  My initials will be stitched in DMC 316.  I've made some other color changes as well.   After the Rose parade, I found a marathon of the Tudors, so I kept on stitching.

 

Now for the initial photos of the Turtle Trot.   The first few are nearly done - just need the little push to finish.  First up,  an Erica Michaels chart.  I have been using silk, DMC, other various threads - just not the recommended fibers.

 

 

Next is an autumn piece - actually stitched in an autumn overdyed but for some reason it keeps looking gray in photos.

Next is a Laura Perin piece called Autumn.  The last time I posted a photo of this was in July 2011.
I didn't use the recommend colors here either.

This one I started in late summer when I was mostly house bound with hubby  (that pesky shoulder which is finally starting to heal but still can't lift anything).  I had great fun with this but was always interrupted with other committments.

 

That is the first four of the Turtle Trot!  More tomorrow.