YOP Week #48

Are you having a nice Memorial Day weekend?  I hope so.  Well, let's get to it!
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FO's - (Finished Objects) -
1)  Remember my Memorial Day pillow I started last year?  Well, it's done for this Memorial Day.............I think the Stitch Maynia idea is a good one but instead of all cross stitch I will have something going in each area and for each craft........now that I have a Patriotic project finished...I will start another one!  This is a pattern that I mentioned last week if you want the details and  I will ensure it is on my Ravelry page too.

2)  Yesterday, I cleared my calendar so I could do some dyeing but this time it wasn' t yarn.  I tea and coffee dyed some flags and some cross stitch fabric..........BEFORE

DURING..................

AFTER................

 I know some cross stitchers 'bake' their fabric after dyeing and also scrunch it up so it gets more mottled looking but I just skipped that part and put the flags outside to dry and threw the fabric in the dryer with a color grabber sheet.  The flags didn't absorb as much color as the fabric but I am okay with it all.  The fabric was so soft after it came out of the dyer which gave me the idea of washing and drying the Springtime Flowers fabric.  It was so much easier to stitch on too! 
3)  This is a little 'finished' piece of cross stitch I did years ago and found it while digging through my supplies......

 


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 WIP's (Works in Progress) -
1) And here it is....my next Patriotic project............this is a free pattern but when I went to her website it was no longer there but she does have some other freebies and designs you can purchase at
www.thestitcherhood.com

I just started it last evening so not much done yet...............I have been watching several cross stitch podcasts and I am learning some new tips and techniques....such as working without a hoop.....so much easier!  Also, I am completing each 'cross stitch' as I go as opposed to doing a whole row in one direction and then doubling back to cross them.  I really like these tips and they are working for me.  If you remember my Springtime Flowers cross stitch that I started from Alicia Paulson...well, I was having a dickens of a time with the fabric it was so stiff so I am going to wash it...stitches and all and 
hope that gets rid of whatever starch or fabric stiffener they used on it. 

2)   This is a WIP but I have decided to not use the Lorna's Laces yarn for this scarf and I ordered yarn similar to what the instructor used.  I used Yarn Sub to find a comparable yarn as the yarn the instructor used is no longer available.  I got this yarn at Hobby Lobby which was much less expensive and should show the lace pattern to advantage. Now I'm just waiting for the straight needles to start using this new yarn.

3)  Meanwhile, I started the Hitch Hiker Shawl again which I wasn't going to show you in case I messed up but what the hay....it is what it is.  I also realized that whether or not I frog something or start over a zillion times, those stitches and the time they took are not wasted.  Practice makes perfect or at least close enough.  All those 'do-overs' just add to my experience as a knitter and whether I realize it or not it is making me a better knitter...mile after mile!

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What's in the Queue -
#1 - Some Valentine's Day socks -
 #2 - Something for St. Patrick's Day...socks or cowl...not sure.  I think I found a cowl pattern with a Celtic design but I would like socks too!
#3 - Still more washcloths as I have plenty of Dishie and Peaches and Creme worsted cotton
#4 - Some leaf book markers

There won't be anything more added to the queue now since it is getting so close to YOP Year 2018-19 that any new projects will go for next year. 
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What I'm "wishing upon a star" for -  These will also be going on the YOP 2018-19 list if they 'make the cut'! This is way more exciting then the NFL Draft!

#1 - My Valentine and St. Patrick's Day yarns for socks or cowls and mini's for cowl and Granny Stripe Blanket.
 #2 - Susan B. Anderson has her 2 kits back in stock..........The Loopy Sheep
and her Spring Chicken kits  just in time for Spring but where do I get the dough for all these great items?
#3 - my new over the top obsession I discovered from Little Bobbin's mother who does the most beautiful stitchery from Jesse Chorley
I'd like to do her Friendship Quilt  if I live long enough! LOL!  I may try just a little sampler on my own but check out her website for lots of other wonderful and unique items and projects.
#4 - Knitting at the Library Cowl - a pay for pattern on Ravelry.  I'm thinking this may be the year of cowls or slippers....we'll see who wins out! The cowl looks like different shelves of books!  So cool!
#5 - A crochet square blocker either a DIY or to buy.......anyone have any experience with these or recommendations?  I saw this Crochet blocker with instructions to make and it looks pretty simple
You just need wooden shish-kabob skewers and a gardening knee pads

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 YOP Goals from last week:  I got none of these done!  But I did have a great week!

1) finish sewing top for I Spy quilt #2...
2) felt slippers........again
3) sew first project for Sewing School
4) frog Christmas Eve socks and cast on a new pair
5) continue on with Falling Leaves scarf and class
6) who knows as there are treasures coming!!!
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YOP Goals for this week:  same as last week! LOL!
1) finish sewing top for I Spy quilt #2
2) felt slippers........again
3) sew first project for Sewing School
4) frog Christmas Eve socks and cast on a new pair
5) continue on with Falling Leaves scarf and class when my needles come in
6) set up goals and milestones for YOP Maynia 2018-19!!!
7) work on Hitch Hiker shawl

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Acquisitions:
1) I posted about most of these this past week when they arrived so if you want to see them check back in this weeks posts.  I did receive 2 more yesterday.  I had ordered this sweet kit from Me and My Stitches but she accidentally reversed the addresses on my package and another one so I got the other gals package and she got mine.  Julie emailed me right away and apologized and said she would email me another label if I would just repack and put it in the post which I did.  So, I got my package and besides what I ordered which was Lil' Punky pattern and a misting bottle she sweetly included another pattern to thank me for re-mailing it to the other gal.  What great customer service!  She didn't have to do that as mistakes happen and she was 'right on it'.  I highly recommend you visit her website at Me and My Stitches  She has lovely pins, pendants and quilt patterns plus these new 'mister' bottles that I may need more of!  Whatever you mist with you use less like spray starch and she also uses them for tea dyeing.....I will be trying that one too!  I forgot to take a picture of the 'mister' but they are on her site.
I ordered the Lil' Punky pattern and she sent me the other one too...........they are paper piecing patterns which I really enjoyed doing but that was so long ago I may have to 'bone up' on that technique before attempting these.

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   Podcasts:  I'm still catching up with Stitching the High Notes (knitting, sewing and cross stitch) and also catching up with The Twisted Stitcher (cross stitch and finishing) and Priscilla and Chelsea (cross stitch and finishing and re-purposing items they find at thrift stores and flea markets to use in displaying their cross stitch)
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 To see other fabulous projects from YOP members click here
Happy Trails!!!