Starting a New Project

Last Sunday I had my stitching peeps over for a stitch day. With the big sampler project done, I realized I didn’t really have any UFOs to work on so I started a little donkey cross-stitch project. It was just a scrap of 28ct white Monaco cloth. I may use it for a little zippered bag with sashing using some other fabric.

I finished it on Monday morning with my regular stitching group. It was originally supposed to be at Kim’s but she was getting over a cold and her daughter came home from work with what might have been the flu so I offered to host it at my place. I still had the table set up from the Sunday stitching - I just put in the last leaf.

Then I started the Plum Street Samplers ‘Hello Fall’ that I bought a while back at A Stitcher’s Garden.

I found some 28ct DMC linen in my stash which I thought would look good with the Classic Colorworks threads.

I’m so used to stitching on 40ct I found the 28ct to be too big. The linen is also very see-through.  Someone suggested I do the tent stitch over 1 thread with two strands. It’s like doing needlepoint in that you only do the first diagonal. I tested it on the margin and liked the look of it so that is what I’m doing. It’s filling in quite nicely but I’ll have to block it firmly and pin it firmly to keep it from skewing in the one direction.

It’s pretty teeny but will make a great flatfold ornament or little pillow.

Last night, Skip and I went to an all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant then home to watch TV, drink fizzy wine, and ring in the new year at midnight. We have fond memories of other New Year’s Eves whilst at sea on two of my knitting cruises.

New Year’s Eve 2017 on the Crystal Serenity

I’ve been quite lazy. Skip put away his tree and the snow globe inflatable from the front porch.

Apparently it is quite the hit with people (especially little people) in the neighbourhood. Inside the clear part are little styrofoam balls that are blown around by a blower. There’s also a light in the presents inside the ‘globe’. I had to repair it last year (the duct tape is visible between the white part and ‘globe’ towards the left) as a bunch of the ‘snow’ blew out. I only had to repair a little leak this year. 

Anyway, he got all that done and all I did was watch soothing, Swedish homesteading videos on YouTube and snooze on the couch.

Tomorrow I have shopping to so and some sewing to do. I made a project roll from Vonna Pfeiffer - The Twisted Stitcher’s tutorial.  The roll is a great way to hold and transport unfinished projects. It can also be used to store finished projects before they’re fully finished. I highly recommend using a mailing tube with a small diameter (2” or so) so most of the fabric goes to the roll and not the wrap around the tube. I bought a rather skinny pool noodle at the dollar store last summer for this purpose but it was too big, in my opinion. 

I didn’t take pics of  the roll as I gifted it shortly after I finished it but am working on a couple of others. That’s why I need some more mailing tubes. 

I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since Y2K. And today I just realized it’s a leap year. Since I was born in the 50s, this makes it my 8th decade. Everything just needs to slow down!

Happy New Year 2020!