Still playing catch-up

Hope all of you have had a very nice and memorable time over the holidays.

For me, it was not so great. My husband and I always enjoy this time of the year, but this year, it was marred by a lot of drama from the in-laws. It was unfortunate. It turned out to be really quite unpleasant, and it left me feeling a bit shaken. It is amazing to me that such mature adults have not yet come to appreciate what really matters in life. Petty squabbling over nothing at all!

Oh well, you can only attempt to control what happens in your own life.

I was working on knitting a sweater right up to the holidays. I thought I could finish before the holidays, but realized it would take much longer. When I started working on some ornaments, there wasn't a lot of time. I did manage to finish a few.

Here are some Mill Hill ornaments that I finished up. The candy cane and the ice skates are done on both sides. The elf and Christmas tree are backed with red and green felt.

Mill Hill Ornaments

I have quite a collection of these tiny beaded ornaments. Next year I am going to set up a small table-top tree to display them, as they seem to get lost on the larger tree.

I am still playing catch-up from my recent blogging hiatus. While searching for the ornaments, I found a few more projects that I finished.

'Feed the Birds' had been in my stash for years. I finally got to it in 2022.

Feed the Birds

Also, earlier this year, I finished 'Bluebird Family' No. 4, from Crossed Wing Collection. Here is the photo.

Bluebird Family - Crossed Wing Collection No. 4

For now, I will be working on my sweater. I hope to finish it up soon. It is a cardigan, and I am currently working on the button and button hole bands, always a tricky part.

I am looking forward to saying good bye to this year, and turning the page to the New Year, always a time for a new start!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Erica

Catching Up

This posting is more than overdue!

This year has not been without challenges and sorrows. It has taken me a while to be able to write about it.

In a year's time, we have lost 3 of our cats,

Hermie

Hermie enjoying the sunshine

Hermie was a stray. He made up his mind that he was going to live with us, and wouldn't take no for an answer!

He had cancer in his intestines, and also on his face. By the time it was found, it was too late for him.
I feel very bad about him because I think he was in a lot of pain and we didn't know it. Cats are very stoic.

Several months later, McGruff was diagnosed with heart failure. He was a stray who had a very hard life. He had been living outside for quite a while. He was missing teeth and had other health problems. He warmed up to us very quickly, but unfortunately it was some time before we could let him in the house because he always wanted to fight with our cats. We have a cat-door going into our cellar, and he spent about a year coming and going. Finally, he stopped fighting with the cats so we could let him in. Unfortunately, soon after, we lost him.

McGruff

McGruff, the tough guy

About a month after we lost McGruff, our Furrytail was diagnosed with lung cancer. We made an appointment with the vet to get an ultrasound done on the mass. While we were waiting for the phone call from the vet, to come pick up Furry,  I noticed that Blue had started acting odd, turning in circles. First, I thought he was playing, but I soon realized that something was terribly wrong. We rushed him to the vet, but there was nothing they could do for him. He had to be put down. We have been just reeling from this!

The shy Blue

 

Our cabinet cat Blue

Blue's death was so unexpected. He was our youngest cat about 8 years old, also a stray. He wandered into our yard, and was living under our shed. We would see him coming and going, but it took us months to coax him out to get food. We started putting the food closer and closer to the deck. He got to know the time we would feed him, and would wait on the deck for us. During a snowstorm, I threw a towel over him, grabbed him,  and brought him inside. Blue never quite got over his shyness, but he did like to follow us around and peek at us from the top of the cabinets. He was just becoming a real member of the family when he had the stroke.

So now, we are watching poor Furrytail like a hawk. Furry is all over my blog. He always has to be in all my photos! He is older now, 16-1/2 years, but he seems to be doing ok. We decided against surgery because of his age. The vet thinks that because the cancer is fairly slow growing, that he may be able to live out his normal lifespan. I certainly hope so. I cannot stand the thought of him being in pain. 

UGH! As I said, quite a year!

I will remember these little faces forever!


Ok, on to some stitching.

I finished up Cape Cod's Girls.

Cape Cod's Girls - The Primitive Needle 36ct linen

Then I decided to stitch the companion piece, Cape Cod's Boys.

Cape Cod's Boys - The Primitive Needle

 Here is the completed stitch:

Cape Cod's Boys - The Primitive Needle 36 ct linen

Next, I started work on one that I have had in my stash for ages!

The Industrious Bee Sampler - Theron Traditions

I have been plodding along on this one. This is what I have so far.

 It is very slow-going. The two yellow flowers, under the birds took forever. They are done in Queen stitch. The visibility gets very limited doing this stitch, especially towards the end when it is so crowded with stitches, but it does give it a nice 3-d type effect.

I took a little break here to work on some holiday stitching.

I am stitching The Ice Crystal ornament from Mill Hill.

Mill Hill Ice Crystal

I am designing this to be hung in my bay window. I love the Mill Hill ornaments, but in the past, I haven't liked how they looked from the back. For that reason, I decided to make two, and put them together.

I finished the first one, and attached the charm at the bottom and the hanger at the top.

I am working on the second one now. I have finished all the stitching. Now I have to finish up sewing on all the beads. This should go faster because I will not be sewing on another charm, or making another hanger.

Mill Hill Ice Crystal - Front and back 

After I finish up the beading, I will whip-stitch them together, and hopefully they will hang nicely in the bay window.

This has been a very long post. I will leave it at that. I will be back to show the finished ornament soon.

2015

What a blur!

I had always heard that time passes quicker when you get older, but this year went by at a dizzying speed!
I felt that if I turned my head, I would get vertigo!

I did keep working steadily on my projects though. Warning! This is going to be a long post to catch up on 6 months!

I finished Sarah Elizabeth Brooke.

I love the verse on this one. A girl after my own heart!

No glory I covet no riches I want

Ambition is nothing to me

The one thing I beg of good Heaven to grant

Is a mind independent and free

She is still not framed of course.


Next I decided to work on a few Christmas presents. I had planned to knit the Winter Wonderland socks for Martha, my mother-in-law.

This one took a lot of planning. I had to find just the right color yarn, and send away for the miyuki beads. The pattern called for a cream color, but I didn't think the mohair "snow" would show up well enough against it. I chose a gray-blue cashmere blend yarn. Unfortunately the "snow" didn't show up as well as I had hoped on this color either.

This is a very interesting pattern that presented quite a few challenges. All the beads all had to be counted out and placed on the yarn (backwards in order of use) before the knitting could start. I had to string 1144 silver-lined clear beads, and 480 green-lined crystal beads! I was in fear the whole time that I hadn't counted right, or I had placed the wrong color bead in the wrong place!

The next challenge was the provisional cast on. I had never done this before. The top part of the sock, with the crystal snowflakes, is knitted sideways in stocking knit stitch.

The piece is then sewn together. Then the stitches are picked up to complete the body of the sock.

The mohair is knitted along with the blue yarn to create the snow drifts. Again, I was a little disappointed that it didn't show up better.

So far, so good. Now all I needed to do was knit my way down the foot.

It went well. The only thing was, now I had to do it all over again for the other foot!

In the end, thankfully, they turned out very well.

Now, it they only fit!


Next, I knitted a simple pair of socks for Keith using an Opal self-striping yarn.

He liked these. He wore them on Christmas day.

Then, I knitted him another pair in brown merino wool.

Hard to tell from the photo, but this was gorgeous wool, very luxurious to work!

Then, I knitted this tan pair for Martha.

After all the knitting, I decided to finish A Crossed Wing Christmas.
I had been working on this one off and on for a long time, and it felt good to have it done.

It is hard to tell from the photo, but there are many pearlescent beads sewn all over the snow.
This also has yet to be framed.

Next, it was time to stitch some Christmas ornaments. I picked Merry Christmas by Samplers Not Forgotten, from the 2015 JCS Ornament issue.

I am still working on the finishing.

This is the backing fabric I chose.

This will be finished up tomorrow.

Also, I stitched the cat from Prairie Schooler's Christmas Past.

This will be a quick finish too.

After that, I stitched two of the Old World Santas from Prairie Schooler.

I love these old Prairie Schooler designs. I may hold off finishing these two because I would like to stitch the whole collection, and have a similar backing on them.

After that, I made myself some socks! I used Opal Yarn's Neon yarn to make these.

During the last few days, I have been plugging away on Winter Watch. This just might be the year I finish it, although I can't think of many things more boring than filling in a large background with gray stitches!

This year has had losses for us. About a month ago, we lost our little Hermie to cancer.
He came to us right around this time back in 2008. You do not pick a cat. The cat picks you!

Hermie

 We hadn't gotten over that, when a week later, our McGruff was diagnosed with a very serious case of heart failure. We are taking care of him as best we can. Hermie and McGruff were the youngest cats. My others are older, so I worry about what is to come of course.

Well. lets hope next year will be full of good things for all of us!

If you have made it all the way to the end of this post, you deserve a medal! That's what happens when you try to put 6 months into one post!

My Projects

I can never seem to find the time to post, but I have been busy.

Last November, I began stitching A Crossed Wing Christmas.

This is a deceptively large sampler, with lots of 3/4, and blended stitches. I think it will be very pretty when it is finished, but it is a slow-go.
I got to the point where I just couldn't look at any more snow and ice after the winter we had, and I put it aside for a while.
This where it was when I left off:

It is a little hard to see the details on the light blue linen. There is a lot of snow, as well as the many birds of course, and some apples, pine cones and an orange.
I will get back to it in a few months.

Next, I picked The Sarah Elizabeth Brooke Sampler.

Sarah Elizabeth Brooke 1842 Sampler

I have had my eye on this one for quite a while!

The linen is 40 count, and I am using the suggested Belle Soie silk threads.
I am currently working on this one, and have made some more progress. I will post a new photo soon.
Those bricks are taking forever! I feel like I am actually building the house brick by brick!

In between these projects, I knitted a pair of socks for Martha, my mother-in-law. Unfortunately I neglected to get a photo. I hope they fit, but I suspect they might have been a bit large. It is always hard to knit socks for someone else.

Also, I completed 2 other projects! Because they are secret, I cannot post the photos just yet, but I will in a few months.

I am spending a lot of time in the garden these days. I got a late start and didn't get my seeds going. Next year, no matter how cold it is, I am resolving to start my plants from seed! The nurseries and farms around here are all disappearing to make room for more developments. It is a shame to see them go. The result is to pay higher and higher prices for plants from the remaining nurseries, or be satisfied with the paltry selection of plants from the big box stores. Not great alternatives!

As soon as it stops raining, I am going to take photos of my garden. I will come back to post them along with my progress on Sarah Elizabeth.

Enjoy the Spring everyone!

Long Overdue Update

The Fall and the holidays came and went in a flash!

I really was getting some things done, but I have also been working on re-doing my kitchen. I have taken on the difficult task of painting my old oak cabinets. Normally I do not believe in painting woodwork like oak, but these were from the 80's, and had seen better days.
I decided to paint them white. What a job! I am still not even half way through!

I finished Autumn Harvest.

Autumn Harvest - Chessie & Me, 32ct linen, Weeks and GAST threads

I love Chessie & Me designs. They always have a little cat in them.

Next, I worked on my 2014 Christmas Ornament. This year's was Down Jinglepot Road from the 2014 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Issue.

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to finish it into an ornament, but here is the stitched piece.

Down Jinglepot Road

This photo didn't come out that well, but it depicts an old red truck going down a bumpy dirt road with a Christmas tree in the back. When Keith and I were first married we had an old red truck. We went everywhere in it! When we cut our Christmas trees, it is always in a place like this.

On top of everything else, the rooster on it reminds me of our dear departed Walter!

To finish out the year, I finally finished the socks that I bought in a kit from Maine Woods Fiber. I have had this for a while. The yarn is hand-painted merino wool.

I actually made 3 socks. They came out way too big for me. I re-knitted the larger one. Truth be told, the other one also needs to be re-done, but I just don't feel like doing it. After finishing one sock, you really don't feel like doing the second one, let alone doing a fourth one! You can see that one is bigger than the other.

Socks are hard!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

It is Christmas eve, but not all has been peaceful here.

Over the last two days, we have lost a chicken on each day to a hawk. First we found Lulu, the little red hen, then yesterday it was Dotty, the little Silver Spangled Hamburg. We ran out but it was too late!

Today, I watched them very carefully, and everything seemed ok. No signs of hawks. I went us to the attic to get some ribbon, and I heard the screams. I ran down to find the chickens scurrying everywhere. One by one, they came out of hiding and returned to the coop. That is, all of them except Bev, a very friendly Black Australorp. We looked everywhere for her. By now it was dark. Keith got a flash light and we continued searching. We finally gave up and came inside. It is bitterly cold here tonight. We were getting ready to eat when I asked Keith if he wouldn't look one more time.

Out behind the tool shed is an old wood chipper with a tarp thrown over it. He shined the light under it, and saw her red crop. He thought the worst, but pulled her out. Next thing he knew, her eyes opened! He brought her inside to check her out. She seemed ok, but very stunned, and very cold. She had a very close call! After a few minutes he re-united her with her chicken buddies in the coop.

It sure made my Christmas!

I just wish we could have saved Lulu and Dotty, but atleast we saved Bev. I do not think she would have made it through the night there. The raccoons would have gotten her for sure. I hope she is just dazed and will be ok. Tomorrow will tell.

I know! People eat these little creatures, but when you raise them from 1 day old, handle them, hand feed them, and name them, you become very attached. I have gotten very used to them running up on my deck to beg for food. They will not like it, but we will not be letting them out for a while, not until this hawk moves on.
Tomorrow they will stay in their pen.

The light you see behind the wreath is from a light bulb.

So, not the most peaceful of Christmas eves, but a Christmas miracle of sorts !

Hope all of you have a very Happy, and Peaceful Holiday!

2012 Tree cutting

I have been very behind in my Christmas planning this year, and I am feeling very rushed! In the immortal words of Archie Bunker, "The holidays have us by the throats again!"
I have a few people on my list who are just impossible to shop for!
I am running behind on the decorating too.

Keith and I made our traditional trip to cut down the tree. This year we went up to Germantown, NY to find it. I think we got a good one!

Here's the video of Keith cutting it down.

TIMBER!

We haven't put it up yet. That will be this weekend.

Seek Joy in All Things (with Chainsaw Stuffing)!

I am slowly finishing up some of the smaller projects I started.

One of them is Seek Joy in All Things, from Stacy Nash Primitives.

I absolutely loved stitching this!

It is stitched on 28ct Flax linen, using DMC.

I backed it with a rustic plaid.

For the stuffing, I wanted a primitive type, natural stuffing. I had thought of walnut shells, but I was inspired by my own back yard!

We had a huge 200 year-old Silver Maple come down during Sandy. It was quite a job to cut it up into somewhat manageable pieces. This was what was left after the sawing:

Lots of curly-que wood shavings! 

I thought it would be a great way to memorialize the tree!

It worked out pretty well. It is a nice scrunchy, lumpy stuffing, just perfect for a prim pillow.
This is how it looks finished:

I think it fits in well with the natural Holiday decorations.

It seemed a good way to truly "seek Joy in all things". Just my little way of taking something back after the storm!

HA! TAKE THAT SANDY!