The meme of fours...

No one tagged me directly, but since I'm probably the last person in blogdom who hasn't done this, here goes:

Four Jobs I Have Had in My Life:
1 - Marketing Engineer (What I do now. I slice and dice monthly order activity for our control systems. I'm like a bean counter pharmacist with one of those cool knives they use to move around the beans)
2 - Quality Engineer (I oversaw our inline inspectors on the manufacturing floor. They inspected printed circuit boards we manufactured to go into our control systems)
3 - Instructor (I taught engineers and operators in power plants and water wastewater plants how to use the control system my company designs and sells to run their plant)
4 - Mary Kay Consultant (I still do this. A great way to be non-technical, make some money and get makeup at wholesale!)

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again:
1 - Love Actually
2 - Napoleon Dynamite
3 - Steel Magnolias
4 - Pride and Predjudice (The A&E version - Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle)

Four Places I Have Lived:
1 - Pennsylvania
2 - Pennsylvania
3 - Pennsylvania
4 - Pennsylvania (How exciting!)

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch:
1 - Midsomer Murders
2 - Americas Castles
3 - Sherlock Holmes
4 - The Weather Channel

Four Places I Have Been on Vacation:
1 - Las Vegas, Nevada
2 - Negril, Jamaica
3 - Shangai, China (actually business, but I had time to sightsee)
4 - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
1 - My Bloglines Feeds
2 - The Animal Rescue Site
3 - The Weather Channel
4 - EZboards

Four of My Favorite Foods:
1 - Sushi (this could actually be all four!)
2 - Fillet Mignon
3 - Good cup of tea and a scone
4 - Pecan Pie

Four Albums I Can't Live Without:
1 - The Best of New Order - New Order
2 - Paint the Sky with Stars - Enya
3 - Staring at the Sea: The Singles - The Cure
4 - Pop! 20 Hits - Erasure

Four Places I'd Rather Be:
1 - At home with DH and the kitties
2 - Charlotte, North Carolina
3 - San Diego, California
4 - An alternate reality where I was independently wealthy

There she goes....

...talking to her yarn again.

I pulled out the Snowball Armwarmer to add the third motif during lunch today. I just love this project, but stitching the motifs has been trying. The cream yarn wants to stick to the blue yarn, the blue yarn likes to curl up around itself, stitches fall off the needles...all kinds of mayhem ensues.

I keep trying not to remind myself that I have ANOTHER one still to make. Do you think she'll wear just one? You know, an updated Michael look?

I didn't think so, either.

Anyways, here it is.

Stitch-A-Thon Progress!

It was a Stitch-A-Thon weekend at Friends Gather, and so I stitched, but why do I feel like I've run a marathon??? I finished up my stitching last night and even dreampt of stitching! I had to keep reminding myself that this was not any kind of race, because I'd find myself trying to hurry up and stitch.

I started Teresa Wentzler's Harvest Sampler and my weekend goal was to complete the alphabet. I got a bit 'alphabeted-out' and worked a little on the outer border (the lone tan vertial line on the left) and started a specialty stitch row (just above the alphabet). It was fun and I'll definitely be participating in the next one!

Another stich in the project

Here's the story line so far (don't you feel like you've been watching Law & Order?): I knitted the Snowball's Chance in Hell Armwarmer far enough to add the first motif, then knitted far enough for the second. Just before knitting the second, I realized that I made my descreases ever 7th row rather than every 8th row. So, I ripped out all the rows up to the first motif (I was NOT ripping THAT out!) and re knitted. FINALLY, on Wednesday, I was ready to stitch the second motif.

Another note: Since this was far enough down the arm, and the opening was not as wide as at the top (all those decreases to delicately follow the shape of the arm), I had to cross stitch the second motif all on top of the fabric. On the first one, I 'sewed' the stitches, pulling the needle above and below the fabric so that I had more control forming the stitches. You can really see the difference on the second one. The stitches are a little puffier and not as uniform as the first motif. Acceptable, but not my first choice.

SAL Progresses

Monday was Teresa Wentzler SAL Day on Friends Gather BB. We've been having really wonky weather, mild and rainy, then cold and windy, each punctuated with a strong Low Pressue System that gives me a migraine - typical January weather. This was my Monday.

Now, it's a mild description to call a TW design challenging, even when my brain capacity is close to it's maximum, let alone when I'm sinus impaired. So, it was a slower than usual go, but I did make some progress.

I started this back in 2000 and put it down soon after and just picked it up again. The majority of the stitching you see was done back when I first started it, but I had some of those pesky onsie-twosie stitches I needed to fill in, so I did a little of those, and I decided to start some of the back-stitching (at the bottom left), because there's about as much back-stitching as there is regular sttiches!

If you click on the Floral Bellpull link to the right -------->
you will see how this design will look when finished, then look below to see the speck of it that I've been working on. (I console myself that this is actually 6 designs that are just coincidentally connected)




Tuesday was 4 Seasons SAL Day, also on the Friends Gather BB, and so I worked on Spring Arches. Besides feeling better, Bent Creek is a less challenging stitch than TW (and why I love them both!). I do, however, admit with no shame, that I have taken some a lot of creative liberty with the arches themselves. They are arches in the academic sense, they are curved and are the correct dimensions, but I don't believe that one of them is exactly stitch for stitch as the chart suggests.

I worked on the Momma Robin and her chicks at the far right. Momma still needs a beak and breast (is there some kind of statement there? ;o).



And, yes, I am a Weather Nerd!

You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone...

Or, in my case, 'You just don't know what you've got PERIOD'. I didn't get a bunch of stitching done this weekend, but I did discover a huge box of Xstitch stash from before my Great Cross Stitch Hiatus of 2002-2006. I'm glad I did, because I've got way too many projects in states of completeness to do any stash enhancement. (I think I really did keep my old LNS in business!)

I took a select few (maybe 15) and brought them down into the Ladies' Stitching Parlour. (There are a BUNCH more still up in the box)



I did find that I had purchased The Best of Teresa Wentzler a few years ago. I totally forgot that I had this. So, I think my next new start (like I really need another project started!) is going to be the Harvest Sampler.



This will look perfect in the dining room, which sorely needs something on the walls. I was planning to do Fairy Flora by Mirabilia for my Ladies' Parlour, but I've already got the Floral Bellpull started for that room, so I'll hold off on the Fairy until I can no longer stand it for now.

And lastly, we watched Midsomer Murders (the first without Troy, bummer! :o( ) on Biography this evening, and I got some more done on Snapperville. (Click on the pic to see it bigger and it will be clearer)



I also realized that I've really messed up The Rotation. Big Time. (Or, Snapperville has some sort of magnetic draw on me) So, starting tomorrow, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good will follow The Rotation'.

2 For 1 Bonus!

I found a really cool free alternative online Knitting Magazine, called The AntiCraft. My sister asked me to make her the Snowball's Chance in Hell Armwarmers.

I was working on the right armwarmer today, thinking, 'Cool, I'll have some neat-o knitting to display on the blog', when I realized that 'Hey, I have some neat-o cross stitch, too!'

You see, while knitting the arm warmer, there are six motifs to cross stitch along it, a snowflake morphing to a skull. I knitted just enough rows to add the first image. It took a bit longer than I thought it would, because the blue yarn kept getting caught on the points of the DPNs. So, here is my knitting AND cross stitch for the day:



Here's a closeup of the stitching:



For these armwarmers, I'm using Lion Brand Wool Ease Sportweight yarn in Fisherman and Blue Mist (the blue is really cool, because it has some subtle pink and green to it) on US#3 DPNs. I'm not sure how this will work as I come to the fingers, because my row gauge is bigger than what's called for in the pattern, so I've been working the stitches a bit tight to make up for it. My stitch gauge, however, is dead on. We'll see how things go. Stay tuned!

An update with a past

First up, on Monday, I worked on Purr-Pals. I was hoping to get the black kitty done during lunch, but found that I left my #310 somewhere that I wasn't, so I finished the black thread I had started and began the grass.



For all you multitaskers: Combine the excitement of cross stitch, the fun of exercise and the entertainment of a movie!! Monday night, I was continuing on the grass part of Purr-Pals, working those abs on my balance ball while watching a really good Victorian murder mystery (Masterpiece Theater - The Blackheath Poisonings. Madam Hooch from Harry Potter was in it.)

Last night, I worked on Santa of the Forest. Now there's a story behind this WIP. It's old enough that it's reached puberty, so it's old enough to have a past... I started this design a LONG time ago (maybe '96 or '97), and happily stiched away on Mr. Bear's face until I noticed (after he was mostly complete) that he was oriented incorrectly on my fabric.

He was Landscape while he should have been Portrait!

It was way too much to rip out, so it became a present for the garbage men. I didn't start that design again until some time in 2001, making positively sure that he was oriented in the correct direction. (Don't you wish life had an UNDO button???) I love that design, so when I picked up cross stitch recently, that made it into the Rotation Queue.

First Happy Dance of 2006!

Woo hoo! Here's my first completion of 2006, Autumn Arches from Bent Creek:



I started this series sometime in 2000. I can't wait to get all the seasons completed. The wall over the couch in the family room has been bare since we moved in because I've wanted these for that space. I completed Winter a while ago, so two down and two to go.

Once this set is complete, here's my next planned project, Fairy Flora from Mirabilia:

Panta

Here's some actual knitting content! I'm knitting Panta, which is a ribbed, winter headband. It covers the top of the head and ears, and you pull your hair out the back. I believe (but don't quote me on this) that Panta is Finnish for 'hat'.

This is my progress so far on Panta:



I found a link to the Panta pattern on Beth's Site. It's a very quick knit. I've only worked on it during the commute to and from work. And, no, I was not the one driving!

Details:
Pattern: Panta from crafster.org
Yarn: Lion Brand Jiffy in Denim
Needles: #9 Addis
Modifications: As Beth noted on her blog, I also didn't work all of the increases (I wanted a slightly thinner headband than was called for in the instructions). I'm not on the decreases yet, but I plan do follow Beth's notes for that as well, by making the decreases in the middle than at the end.

And so I promised

Yes, Virginia, there is a UPS Guy!!! He brought me my USB cable yesterday! I can FINALLY post pictures!!! I can have a real blog now!

I did promise some pictures.

I updated my Flickr album. See the sidebar badge for some of my older pieces. I keep thinking of more projects that I've forgotten, so I'll be adding more in the near future.

I mentioned my color snafu with Snapperville in my last post. I'm trying to keep with my rotation schedule, but since it takes me so long to rip out my mistakes, I'm sticking with Snapperville until I actually make some forward progress. I think I'm there now, so tomorrow, onto the Arches.

You'll need to look closely, but there are some swirls along the top of the picture, between the stars. I did these swirlies in the wrong color. Now they're fine and all is right with the world.

Stitch Blogger Question

Do you do your stash shopping at your LNS, ONS, or both? Which do you like better? Why?

I've been very fortunate that there were three excellent LNS within three quarters of an hour's drive. There's a fourth that's about an 1.5 hour drive that is so worth the drive. It's in a small town with boutique shops and a gazebo in the town square (and a great knitting store, too). All four typically had what I wanted, but if not, they've been very responsive to get me what I needed. I've always bought my floss at JoAnn Fabrics. I've spent more than my fair share at the LNS's to not feel bad about that!

I like going to a LNS because you get to see projects up close and completed projects. The rapport built up with the owner (and those who work there) is another benefit, like going into Cheers. If I have a question, I can stop by for help, and they've put aside projects they think I'll like (because they know my tastes in projects).

Since getting back into cross stitch, the closest one (and my favorite) had closed. (oh, I hope it wasn't my lack of patronage that led to the shop's demise - I was a VERY good customer! LOL ;o)

Recently, I saw a project I wanted to do (Snapperville, actually), and ended up buying it online - my first. It felt...odd, probably because I've always shopped in a LNS.

I think I will continue to get my supplies from my LNS unless I can't get what I need. I guess it's the principal of supporting local businesses.

Out with the old!

Well...ahem...it's not what you think.

Ignorance is bliss until you find that all the stitches you made in superhuman time were done with the wrong color! Today, Snapperville is the stitch du jour, and along the top is a swirly line punctuated with stars along the way. I made wonderful time with the swirlies until I found that I used the wrong color. hmph.

So, rip, rip, rip, out with the old and look twice to make sure I'm in with the proper color!



And lastly, a note. To anyone visiting this site hoping to see actual sitching/knitting evidence in pictures, I WILL have pictures beginning tomorrow. On time, UPS delivery scheduled for 1/3/06 of one USB cable for the camera (because moi lost the old one)!!

This is not going to be a boring, pictureless blog...


You know, one that will put you right to sleep...


(Previous pics of the Puddies)

Happy New Year!

Happy 2006!

I've been thinking of my crafty ambitions for the new year. I don't like to plan out every project I'll be doing, because then the list is confining and becomes work. But there are some projects that I do need to get done.

Knitting:
Colinette Ab Fab Throw

XStitch:
Spring Arches
Summer Arches
Autumn Arches

I hope you all have a fantastic new year and finish all the projects that you desire!