Ravelympics Update, and a little cross stitch

On February 12th I cast on a project for the Ravelmpics - insane knitting olympics madness. The Olympics began, and I plowed through, changing from 1 color to 3, handing my knitting over to a master for a fix of a skipped stitch 13 rows below (thanks Cassandra!), and changing out a broken circular for a spare. I had houseguests for two full weekends, a medical crisis, and chose eyeglasses (believe me, it's stressful!) and I am just now picking up my knitting again. I'm not done. It was a difficult goal for me if I had had nothing to do for two weeks. If I was on vacation for the full two weeks and did nothing but knit, I'm not sure I would have finished. I do like the pattern, but I've never done stripes before and that a little confusion. I am making the 6 month old size, but I think it's more likely going to fit a 2 year old. Time will tell. Here is a photo how my progress so far.

Now, I'm also supposed to be working on my big cross stitch project, Soul of the Rose. I belong to this other site, 2010 Weekly Stitch A Long, where people keep track of their main project and post updates. I've made some progress, added that long dark blue stripe, and the sort of green to the right of it. Hopefully now I'll at least work on it every week a bit.

Busy Sunday

Oops. I think I went a bit overboard. I meant to roast some chicken breasts and veggies, but I ended up with 2 roasting pans full of veggies. See what happens when you're busy watching Superbowl commercials?

Roasting Vegetables - 375 degrees, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, parsnips, onion, salt, black pepper, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder (didn't have any real garlic). I had intended to roast chicken breasts, but I wasn't really sure how to cook them roasted since they're boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I think I'll end up subbing the parmesan salmon recipe I use a lot.

I've been knitting a lot lately - working on a lace scarf that's slowly growing, starting a new lace scarf, and finally, starting on my first sweater. It's the Top-Down Raglan Cardigan by Laura Chau. Two of my knitting group friends made this sweater last fall and I've been gathering my nerve to start. I only have 12 rows so far, but I'm still figuring out how the pattern is written. I am using Caron Simply Soft in Charcoal Gray Heather. I bought 7 skeins, and I know that's overkill but I don't want to run out, and you can always find a use for Simply Soft.

Speaking of Simply Soft, for the Ravelympics I'm going to use that yarn in Orchid to make the Little Sister's Dress for my friend's daughter. Her 1st birthday is in June and I want to make sure I have something ready. This dress has been on my list since I first learned to knit and I think it's something I can manage to knit during the Olympics. I know for most knitters this wouldn't be a challenge, but I am very slow!

I've been reading a lot too, the Uglies series. I'm on book #2 Pretties. It's a fast read.

I also post weekly updates on my big cross stitch project, Soul of the Rose, on the 2010 Weekly SAL blog. Go over and check it out!

2010 Stitching Project - Soul of the Rose

For the past two weeks I've been thinking a lot about all the projects I have going - cross stitch, knitting, home improvement, gardening, self improvement, etc. I start lots of things, and I even talk myself out of starting a lot more than I have started. I'd like to chip away at the projects that are laying around, but you know starting a new project is more fun! I've decided I can start one new cross stitch this year, and I'm going to use it as my stitch-a-long project to post updates on every week. That means I have to actually work on it every week. Even if it's just 10 minutes. I think I can do that.

Making excellent progress so far - I finished the stitching on 2 santa ornaments from the same pattern and I even put the away the remaining lengths of floss. Now I just need to do the finishing on these - find the backing fabric, stitch them up and stuff them. This time I'll be ready with an extra finished ornament for a swap or a gift. Yay! This is the same pattern I used for a swap last year and I wanted one for myself.

I bought a kit from the Dimensions Gold collection called Soul of the Rose, a Waterhouse painting January 19, 2009. I had wanted this kit for ages, and I even bought the mat and gold frame to go with it, so I was all set. But did I start it last year? No. Did I even sort out the floss in the kit so I was ready? No.

Today I managed to sort out two of the four bundles of floss. This is a very well put together kit, but it still takes time to pull the threads out and put them in groups.

5/365

5/365
Originally uploaded by bareblueskin

I know it's early for Christmas but I've been wanting to stitch and I remembered about the ornament exchange in a group I belong to. I made this ornament for last year's exchange and wanted one for myself. I just signed up for the new exchange and will find out more next week.

Eating Fresh

The farmers market in my neighborhood started at the beginning of June, and my goal is to buy some or all of my produce each week at the farmers market instead of buying it at the grocery store. I know selection will depend on what is ripe that week, but that's how everyone used to do it, certainly I can try it out.

June 10 - 4 kale plants, 6 basil plants, 1 head of bibb lettuce

June 17 - Garlic and Basil goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm, 'Flute' bread from Hi-Rise Bakey, and kale from the first stand on the corner (I have their name somewhere). The bread is long like French bread, but holier and sort of like sourdough.


June 24 - kale, zucchini, carrots, and corn bread. No, not like regular corn bread, but yes, corn bread.


My new issue of the Cross Stitcher came today, and for once I thought I would stitch the kit that came with the magazine. It's vry cute and I think I could use it for a welcome baby card, if I actually stitch the thing. It says the the magazine that it takes 10 hours. Here is my progress after 1 hour. Can you tell what it is yet?

I'm trying to be productive today, I really am. It's a Saturday morning and what am I doing? Going to have some bloodwork done that I was supposed to do before my physical in March. I've been either sick, busy, or forgotten until now, since I have to fast the night before and I tend to be a night owl. Just routine checkup stuff, like cholesterol. Then it's off to COmcast to return the cable box and modem. I switched to RCN two weeks ago and I've gotten 3 prerecorded phone messages about returning my box. Sheeh! I'm going already!

On the craft front, I've now cast on three times for the Lace Ribbon Scarf, and I thnk I've got it. The first time was when I was still working on the baby gifts, and I wanted to have a new project to carry around. Part of the cast on got stretched out, and it still bothered me 4 rows in so I ripped it out last night. Cast on again, went along merrily, and realized that my cast on was waaay too tight. RIP. Now I have 8 rows, can see the pattern emerging, and the yarn is even getting soft. Amazing! I'm using Plymouth Yarn's Sockotta, which I bought a year ago for socks, I think. Now that I've started this scarf I have found a sock pattern I want to try this year, but it needs a self-patterning yarn that makes a clearer stripe pattern so the stitches will show up better. Broadripple by Rob Matyska

I thought that I would spend this entire week cross stitching, since I felt I needed a break from knitting after cranking out baby gifts one after the other. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed making them. I would think about the parent(s) and baby to be and try put my love into the piece. It all turned out beautifully and is posted on my Ravelry, and I've put the finished pictues below. I did end up working on a hibernating cross stich, the 18th Century Band Sampler (or Long Dog Mystery Sampler). I really like the colors in this piece, and someday I'll get this one finished and framed. I'll post a picture this weekend.

I love packages!

And there's one waiting for me at home right now!!! I put a UPS alert on an cross stitch order I placed, and I just got an email that it's there! UPS does not always leave packages. Last time they delivered to me they actually never delivered my package. A neighbor tried to sign for it, then changed his mind, and UPS told me they could not do any more attempts. I had to find out where the commercial warehouse was and walk 1.5 miles to get there (it was that or take three buses that would take over an hour).

This time when I placed my order I forgot to change my shipping information to my work address, but it's HERE!

Nearly There...

Only one more day until I can order the "Soul of the Rose" cross stitch kit from Herrschners. I have been wanting this kit since this time last year. At the start of the year I told myself that if I set up goals and meet them, I can reward myself with things I want but don't need, like this cross stitch kit. I just have to bring my lunch to work tomorrow and eat it and I'm set. Hooray!

Checking in

Health/Fitnes Goals -
1. Bring lunch and snacks all this week and next.
Reward - buy Soul of the Rose cross stitch kit
2. Cook dinner and right away put away portions in fridge for lunches/dinners.
3. Work out for 30 minutes each week of January.
Reward - buy mini-trampoline to further my workout progress goals.

Mini-trampoline? Yes. I'm a bit obsessed with them right now really. I've been researching 'rebounding' online and the health benefits. I have been trying to think of fun ways to exercise and I think this will be something I can do at home for short bursts along with weight training moves, yoga, and my bicycle pedaler.

I've also been reading up on Curves and their whole program design. I don't know that I want to join Curves. I've not had great luck with gym memberships, mainly because I hate working out around other people. There's a whole list of reasons that go along with that, but I won't bore you any more today with that!

Craft-wise
1. Working on Babette Blanket - consists of afghan squares in 17 different colors. Some color combinations look nautrual and other make your eyes bleed. The finished result should be a delightful mess that brightens up a room.

2. HAED Frog Prince QS3 - This is the crazy over one stitching on 25 count evenweave. So far I haven't moved out of the maroon tapestry background. I love working on this piece, but after 3 bleary eyed nights of stitching, I see progress but it's very hard to measure. I read in the newest issue of The Cross Stitcher that their formula for figuring out stitching time is this - a 1 inch by 1 inch square on 14 count Aida cloth, fully stitched, takes 1 hour. I can't fathom how many stitching hours this pattern will take - it is fully stitched, no open spaces, over one, and I think the size is 6x9, I'll have to check. Eek!

3. Floral Potpourri(hate the name - I call it Peony cross stitch) -


Started this up again Wednesday night. This is the first cross stitch project I started when I renewed my interest. I must have started it in 2001 or 2002. Not even halfway, is it? I do like the pattern, and now I am working on this alternately with Frog Prince. I see now that my stitching has improved a lot since I started this piece. I've learned a lot of stitching techniques from The Cross Stitcher, like using one long thread and doubling it for less ends on the back of the piece. Works like a charm.

Christmas Ornament Exchange Received

Today in the mail I received my ornament from Gillian in The Gift of Stitching Christmas Ornament Exchange. It was just the thing to get me in a good mood today. She also sent a nice card with hollyberries and a skein of silk floss. I believe the color is called Blue Lagoon. I'll have to find a biscornu chart for it.
I like this style of stitching more and more, and I'm glad someone else used over-one stitching. I have been working on an ornament for the past month that is have over-two and half over-one, and it's been driving me batty. None of my friends cross stitch and they all think I'm crazy for pursuing these tiny stitches.


Check out my first successful toe-up start. I did this Monday night with LOTS of help from Cassandra. At this point the stitches for this sock are parked on pens and spare needles while I use the size 11s to start the second sock. For some reason I couldn't finish off the sock. I want to make sure it is long enough in the cuff for my dad, so I want to see how long I can make them, and make sure they end up the same.

Last but not least, here's a view of Harry parked for the day on my bed in the middle of the Christmas wrapping mess.

Stitching plans

A lot of my friends are making gifts this year both as Christmas presents and for selling at craft fairs and a sci-fi convention that's happening in January. They flurry of actvity is high - with yarn, beads, thread, origami paper, and more being turned into beautiful wearable art. I myself have been stitching teeny tiny stitches on cross stitch ornaments. One was for an exchange I took part in (see earlier post). I have stitched one more and am trying to wrap up the tiny lettering on a third. Can't post pictures just yet as there is the chance that the recipients might see them here.

Oh, and I've just decided to add a knitting project into the mix as a Christmas present too. What am I thinking??? I don't even have the yarn yet. Tonight after work I am dashing to Windsor Button to get the yarn and needles, and meeting my friend Cassandra so she can show me the pattern. Nevermind that before I went away for Thanksgiving she wrote the pattern down for me and demonstrated the difficult bits on one she was making. Nevermind that I already made a gauge swatch, I have no memory of the pattern!

Christmas Ornament Exchange 2008

This year I participated in my first exchange. This was a Christmas ornament exchange on the group of The Gift of Stitching Magazine.

Here is the front and back of the ornament I made for Jane in West Virginia. The pattern is from The Prairie Schooler Pamphlet "December". I stitched the pattern on 14 count white aida with 3 strands to make sure the stitches covered and gave it a plump look. I wasn't quite sure how to do the finishing, so I just did it like a normal sewed item would be, inside out, then reversed it and stuffed it. I made my own cord this time, but I feel like it should have been tighter.

This is also the first stitched ornament I've ever made. I was kind of sad to see it go, but I have the pattern still and can make one for myself if I feel like it. I don't usually go in for this style, simple country sampler sort of stuff, but it's growing on me.

Crafting Efforts

Lately I've been bouncing from one project to the next,

Prairie Schooler pamphlet December - Just started 11/13
TGOS Magazine Winter Wishes - Started 11/10. set of 4 ornaments. I've started one of them and already messed up the colors. It's one over one for all the wording and I'm NOT picking that out.

Snowed - In: Stitching complete, now I have to pick fabric for the back and sew it up. Is this a gift? for an exchange? For me?

Irish Hiking Scarf: This is really only knitting project I have going right now. I was initially hoping to finish it by Christmas, but I don't know who I would give it to. Apparently all the men on my list (dad, brother-in-law, future brother-in-law) don't really wear scarves. I will still keep working on it becuase it's a beautiful scarf.

Last week at the library I found a copy of Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee on the new reads shelf and snapped it up. Yesterday I started reading the stories about knitting, stashing yarn around the house, and working on old unfinished projects. I know I've talked about UFOs before, but the story about Stephanie's pile of works in progress that threatened to take over her bedrooom when assembled caused me to wonder - how many porojects do I have in my apartment?

Two apartments ago I invited my sister Gretchen for a visit and we launched an attack on stuff. One of the things she had a hard time with was my amount of art/crafting/hobby stuff. Gretchen does not really have hobbies that accumulate stuff, as expecially craft activities require. I can imagine what she would say if she saw the sheer volume I now have in my space, just from adding knitting to my list of likes.

At least with my knitting/crochet projects, Ravelry allows me to keep the 'in progress' stuff in check. All the project shown in the top row are unfinished. I can enter all the stats of a project - needle size, yarn, progress, problems, and pics.



I wish I had a similar system for tracking my cross stitch projects, as though take much longer to complete. I try and post about them here on the blog, but as you can see I've had a hard time posting frequently.


In the past week I've been working on:
Love My Cat by Lizzie Kate (cross stitch)
Historic Countries Mystery Sampler in The Gift of Stitching Magazine (cross stitch)
Babette Blanket from Interweave Knits Magazine (crochet)
Basketweave Scarf from Lion Brand website (knitting)

Bunnies!

Bunnies that bake cupcakes, that is! OH MY GOD!

Office 2007 site interview

www.bunnyblab.com

Last night I started a new cross stitch project, Love My Cat, on 32 count natural linen. I don't seem to have the right size hoop for this project so I'm just holding it in my hand. I haven't done a project this way in a long time.

I've also been thinking a lot about plastic lately. How nearly everything has some component made of plastic. It's funny, when I first went vegetarian I was staying away from all things leather, but now I would rather wear leather shoes so that least the origin of the materials is natural, not oil or synthesized in a lab. I guess what I'm trying to do really is to reduce waste, not necesarily plastic, though plastic contributes greatly to the waste problem. Maybe I've been reading too many Eco blogs. Lately one of my faves is Fake Plastic Fish where Beth blogs about her crusade against all plastic and keeps a chart of her own plastic consumption. There's also Living Plastic Free that has tips about how to reduce your own plastic use.

I guess I feel like I've really slipped on living my environmental ideals in the past few years. Maybe so much of it has been part of mainstream thinking, or part of my everyday life, that I forget I'm doing it.

Here's a list of tips for being more eco-friendly that I've absorbed from various tv shows, magazines, blogs, etc:
Things I do-
-RECYCLE
-stop using plastic bags/bring your own bag
-use a water filter instead of buying bottled water
-take short showers/time your showers
-use public transportation

Things I don't do yet-
-compost your waste
-turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth
-only buy products in recyclable/reusable packaging
-unplug electronics when not in use

Catching up on posts

I am taking a two-week class called Knitting in the Round to learn, what else, but circular knitting! Last Thursday (yes, it was Valentine's Day, which shows you what my love life is like if I'm living it up in a knitting class) I went to the first class and learned how to gauge my stitches and how to make a piece circular. Pretty easy actually, though I seem to be dropping a lot more stitches than before. Maybe these needles are slipperier than I'm used to....Anyway, I've got to knit in the round for 6 inches by this Thursday. Only 2 inches to go, and then I will learn how to decrease. Yay!

Here is a picture of my last finish, a dishcloth made from Lion Cotton. It looks nice, but after all that work am I really going to use it to scrub pots? Don't think so. Maybe I can give it to someone so they can scrub with it.






Here are shots of my two current cross stitch projects.




Last but not least, I went to DSW this weekend and bought some funky shoes. I'm not sure what to wear the sparkly shoes with other than jeans. When I bought the shoes I was thinking I could wear them to work, but with what? I don't have a sparkly shirt...or do I? I have a white round neck shirt with big glittery stones along the neckline. That would work, right?

Starting SBQ

Now to something new...SBQ

This week's question ~ What was your favorite finish of 2007?
Well, I'm not sure I finished more than one thing - it's hard to remember at the moment, but I have to say the wedding sampler for my sister is my favorite. It's also my biggest finish, and my first framed finish.


Here is the answer to last week's as well - Are you starting something new to celebrate the New Year or participating in “Guilt Free January?” If so, what are you planning on starting?
I am working on the historic countries mystery sampler, featured monthly in The Gift of Stitching. It started in September and I was really excited, but the wedding sampler had to get finished before I could really get going on this big challenge. Now I hope to work on this as my main project. Maybe by the end of January I'll finish the September piece? I doubt it, but it'll be fun trying.

At last, it's finished

This is a picture of my sister Kristin and her husband Doug. I stitched this wedding sampler for them originally as a wedding present for their wedding on October 20, 2007. When I realized that I wasn't going to finish in time, I got them somemthing else for the wedding, and instead I gave this to them for Christmas. As you can see in the picture, I'm not very good at framing. This is the first time I've framed anything, and I used the sticky mounting board. There must be a technique to it, because it still doesn't look straight within the mat. I hope they like it. I enjoyed stitching it, but there was so much tiny detail it took forever! I think I worked on it every night for a month, but then I would need a break and avoid it for two weeks. I started it in April I think, so it took me 9 months.

January Goals

I am so tempted to post here a super long list of resolutions, such as getting up earlier or learning to knit socks, and participating in the SBQ posting and blogging on a regular basis, but a long list of resolutions tends to intimidate me and I just think about all the things I haven't done. I hope to create a list of things that I'd like to try instead.
Okay, forget it, here's the start of my list. I'll add to it as I go...

- Take medications regularly
- finish three scarves for donation to Rosie's Place (with my knitting group)
- cross stitch some easter cards
- Go to the gym
- Go through my apartment and clear out stuff for donation
- Take donations to Goodwill
- Knit a pair of socks
- Backup all music on computer
- Visit my friend Amy
- Visit my sister Gretchen
- Complete Historic Countries Sampler
Funny, now that I'm writing the list down, I'm blanking. Well, I'll fill this in as I think of things.


Here is how far I've gotten on the Historic Countries Mystery Sampler featured in
The Gift of Stitching Magazine. It's a massive twelve part sampler that started back in September. The January issue just came out with parts four and five and now I am WAY behind. The main reason I haven't made any progress is that I was working on a gift for my sister, which I'll post more on later. I also chose to order natural linen, which is coarse and darker than I had wanted. I was so eager to begin that I cut the fabric, ran the edges through the sewing machine, and got started. I would start over with a new piece of fabric, but the fabric was really expensive. I've never spent $50 on fabric before. I'm hoping that the darker fabric will look nice in the end, but right now I'm wondering if I should just give up. Ugh.

Starting a new sampler

I started my first cross stitch sampler recently, and I've realized that it's much hard to keep your place than on a regular design. I have just spent an evening unpicking a single stitch border. No fun. Apparently in the repeating pattern I missed a stitch, and so half the work I had done needed to be undone. Now I'm back at the place where I messed up, but I think I'll take a break and start something new.

In April I discovered The Gift of Stitching, an online magazine for cross stitchers and had to subscribe right away. One of the features of the magazine is publshing a sampler in parts, a 'mystery sampler'. Well, The 18th Century Band Sampler by Long Dog Samplers was their 4 part myster sampler. I dicovered it at Part 3, and decided to take this one on. Now I finally have all the items I ned to start, and I've stitched the edges of the fabric with my handy dandy new Stitch Pro tabletop sewing machine (bought it for $30 on Amazon).