Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Progress...........

Yesterday was a productive day which always makes me feel good. After the stormy weekend I was anxious to get outside and see if the pool  had drained sufficiently and yes it did!  Yay!  I painted it some more on the inside and I am calling it done.  You can still see some of the green through the cream color but from a distance it looks fine.  I just didn't want my backyard to look like a permanent daycare center....lol!
Today I will fill with dirt and hopefully have enough of it to plant my plants which are flourishing..........
the cucumbers are taking over............
Remember how I cut the hydrangea down this Spring?  Well, obviously it didn't hurt it...in fact, it is bigger than ever and has really bushed out...........
I found my grass trimmer and had it charged and ready to go.  I trimmed and weeded this area and put my newly painted bench there with some  coreopsis and an elf/gnome statue I got at a garage sale.
One little area of my yard under control........the tiger lilies are especially beautiful this year and so far the deer haven't bothered them...
 The daisies are starting to bloom.........see that pretty little white flower?  It turns into a million burrs!  It's everywhere and I will be going out again today to work on eradicating it.....I think it's called cowslip but not sure and someone said it is what inspired the inventor of velcro....I wouldn't be surprised!  I already have them stuck to my socks and shoelaces.....what a pain!  Wish me luck on this mission!
After I had sufficiently exhausted myself outdoors I came in.  One of my priorities before YOP this coming year starting July 7th was to organize my knitting needles and cables plus my crochet hooks so I could easily check to see if I had the tools necessary for the patterns I was choosing.  This is before.........some are fixed and some are interchangeables...............

This is after...........I found a 3 ring binder and I already had see through plastic sheet protectors that I use for patterns and recipes.  I put them in the binder according to size with the fixed needles in the front and the cables for my interchangeables in the back of the notebook.  I labeled them with my handy dandy label maker.  I put the US size and the length of the cable.  I probably should have put the mm size also but I can always go back and do that later.  I put the cable length on it too.  Supposedly the length of a circular is measured from point to point and I found that not all are equal but close enough for me.   I have my needles organized finally.  I'm sure I will fine tune it as I still have the points for my interchangeables and the crochet hooks but this was my biggest problem.
At the end of the day I worked on my Monthly Monday project.........A Year in Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage Street Samplings.  I am separating the months and doing them individually.  I'm still on January! LOL!  I hope it's done by next January!  I do love it though......I did the champagne glass and bubbles, her hands, shoes and started on some lettering.
I hope you had a great Monday and that the rest of your week goes well for you.
Happy Trails!!!


Sunday, June 23, 2019

YOP Week #52


 This was totally a cross stitch week as I am busy gathering patterns, supplies and ordering for YOP 2019-2020 and I don't want to start any knitting, crocheting or sewing until then.  

 FO's (finished objects):
1. I finished Stitch Maynia project #5 of 19.......it was a strange pattern and it is not an FFO (fully finished object) just the stitching is done.  Now I have to do something with it! LOL!
   WIPs (works in progress):

1)  I worked a little more on my Quaker Flag..............one red flag stripe done and now a white one is starting.

2) Sew She Did .....I learned that if you outline areas first it goes much faster and no 'counting' as you just have to 'fill in' the outlined areas....brilliant!  When I was little, I loved coloring and I always outlined the pictures first before coloring them in so it makes sense to do it in xs too.
3) I worked on the black cat for Witchy Wednesday and he now looks like a bandit!  I can't believe I am stitching on 40 count....not well, but I'm doing it.  Probably won't do it again though.  I think it's the linen more than anything.  I prefer Even weave....as the name implies.
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4) I worked on Monthly Monday which is Hawk Run Hollow months of the year.  As you can see I am still on January.  I am not a fast cross stitcher or fast anything for that matter.  Her face looks like a skeleton...I need to go back and check the pattern.
5)  This will be a tea bag holder but again.....some of these free designs are a bit strange like why do designers put one single stitch out in the middle of nowhere?  What's up with that?  I have a bit more to go but not much.  There's a tea cup and kettle to stitch.   Next year I won't need to resort to free patterns.  By then I will have gotten my Stitch Maynia legs underneath me and be ready with projects I love!  Plus, all those wonderful patterns people sent me.
Acquisitions:  none but there will be!



 New Starts Planned: they're all secret! LOL!  There is planning a foot!

YOP Goals from last week:

1. cut fabrics for Pickle Dish #6
2. measure Grayson's blanket and work on
****4.  finish stitch Maynia #5
5.  work at least 4 square inches on Diamond Painting
6.  work on Frida Kahlo basket
***7.  finish plan for YOP 2019-20
****8.  finish planning gifts for July birthdays and Christmas
*****9. SAL for Sew She Did
10.  final finish a xs item
*****11.  get back on schedule with XS days


YOP Goals for this coming week:
1. finalize projects for YOP 2019-2020
2. finish Stitch Maynia #6
3. list supplies needed and order if budget allows
4. keep up with XS 'days'
5. prep for sewing pillowcases for the boys
6. work on sewing Amy's basket together!!!

TOP 10 (or more) WIP's:

1)  Pickle Dish
2)  Stars and Stripes Saturday - America x-stitch - done but needs finishing
3)  Amy's Frido Kahlo basket (July birthday) - done but needs to be sewn together
4)  Pin's embroidery
5)  C2C blanket for Grayson (July birthday) 
6)  Monthly Monday - HRH January
7)  Witchy Wednesday - Button-Eyed Cat
8)  Fall Friday -
9)  Santa Sunday -Old St. Nick - done but needs 'finishing' work
10)  Turkey Thursday
11)  Seasonal Sunday -Summer
12)  Santa Sunday - new house ornament

 Finishes so far in 2018-19: 
1.  4th of July cross stitch pillow/ornie
2.  Hitchhiker shawl
3.  Felici Hibiscus self-striping socks
4.  Felted wool loafer slippers with leather soles for me Sam
5.  washcloth (extra large) and back scrubber for Christmas or birthday for SIL
6.   Iowa Hawkeye hats for Sam and Grayson
7.  Techniques learned so far this year: a) knit cast on, b) reading a knitting chart, c) lace work, d) inserting and using a lifeline e) charting a graphghan
8.   dishcloth(s)...I need to count them
9. Cubs hat for Uriah
10. 12 days of Christmas Advent gifts
11. Cowl for Ben
12. Cowl for Tracy
13. Cowl for Natalie
14.  # 2018 Collectible ornaments for the grands
15.  Cowl for me or gift basket
16.  11 scrubbies for gift basket
17.  1 pot handle cover for gift basket
18.  Ben's Bear's hat
19.  Falling Leaves Scarf
20.  Tissue Box Cover - 5 of them!
21.  Granny Square Shawl
22.  Kathleen Tracy doll quilt
23.  Pumpkin Spice Farm xs
24.  Spring xs
25.  Blueberry Socks
26.  4 scrubbies for a friend


Miscellaneous Trivia:
 It's been a rough week without Nitty but it's getting better...there have been some more 'barks' which always makes me feel better.  I stay busy so it keeps me from constantly thinking about her and missing her. 
 Annie has had a rough week...she's eating fine (nothing will ever stand in the way of Annie eating! LOL!  The girl has food issues!) but she hasn't been her usual happy go lucky self.  I usually take my other dog ( I've always had 2 dogs at a time) with when one is being put down so there is no wondering where they went or why but I couldn't take Annie as I was  having enough stress getting Nitty there.  I think she knows she's not coming back now but I feel bad because she must wonder what happened to her.
Anyway, I received 2 beautiful cards with heartfelt sentiments on Nitty's passing.  One from Betsy and one from Connie who lost her Chance not too long ago.  Chance was a beautiful border collie and he and Nitty were about the same age.
I think this is a card Connie made as she takes beautiful nature photos.........
Thank you so much, both of you and all of you who posted and expressed your condolences.....it was much appreciated! 
There have been some pretty birds in my yard.  I don't feed them but my neighbor does and it gets crowded over there so they hang out in my yard until it thins out! LOL!  I am so lucky!  Not sure what they are but maybe one of you could tell me?  I think the blue one is a blue bird?  But not sure about the brown one....grossbeak?  What do I know?  Nothing!
The peas are done for the year..........it got way too hot for them!  So I let them dry and picked the rest for seeds for next year..........
We had a nice thunderstorm this morning and then there was a respite and now we have a real humdinger going on!  Severe thunderstorm and flash flood.  It's what they call a "frog strangler" down here.  I love a good storm so I am going to go do some relaxing and enjoy the storm and pray the power stays on! 

 Please stop by and see all the other fantastic projects that other YOP'ers are working on.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and I wish you all a happy, productive and creative week ahead!
Happy Trails!!!