March Recap

Wow, am I the only one that thought this month went by way too fast? For a month with 31 days, it seemed that I blinked and it was over with! Here is my recap of the goals I set for March:

1. Finish Block 2 and 3 of C@HRH - 1/2 way - Finished Block 2 and started Block 3
2. Finish Christmas Ornament - DONE!
3. Finish finish one item - Not done

And here are my goals for April. I'm only setting three because my current class is proving to be very reading and writing intensive so rather than set myself up for not achieving anything stitching related for the month, I will set smaller goals.

1. Finish Block 3 of C@HRH - see my update photo below
2. Finish another Christmas ornament
3. Start Block 4 of C@HRH
I've managed to get a bit more done on Block three of Christmas by getting up earlier and stitching for 20-30 minutes. It's a very nice way to start off the day and maybe by doing this regularly - at least in the early part of the week when I'm not totally exhausted, I will be able to make some decent progress on my stitching.

I hope whatever goals you set for yourself in March, I hope you're satisfied with your progress. Thanks for stopping buy and I hope to make it around to regularly read blogs sometime in the near future.

Another finish and a start!

On Saturday I met Barbara in Belfast again and this time Evelyn (no blog) joined us. Evelyn is from Portland and I picked her up on the way north. We had a great day starting at the Belfast Free Library for a book sale and then moving on to the Co-op for some stitching in the sunshine. I was able to finish my first Christmas ornament of the year which I hope won't be my last.

I was also able to put a fair amount into the start of Block 3 of C@HRH. There won't be much stitching progress for me over the next 6 weeks because my current class has a huge reading and paper writing component. Hang in there for some random updates as I'm able to get some stitching in.

Block 2 Happy Dance - Finally!

Wahoo! I finally finished block 2 of C@HRH while stitching and visiting with Nancy on Saturday. Unfortunately Blogger refuses to load this photo horizontally so you will get a little neck stretch - sorry!
I am so glad to be done with this block - it took forever and there is a LOT of stitching in just that one square. I've already started on Block 3 but don't have enough done to make a photo worthwhile.

Nancy and I had a great visit. We hadn't seen each other since September and the weather was nice enough that we were able to sit out on her porch and stitch. It was heavenly!

Knitting only content!

Okay, this is going to be really short. Here is the finished Oscar mitten - mitten #2 will most likely be cast on this weekend. The mohair for this is a tiny bit thicker than that I used for the Elmo mittens which makes them a bit more fuzzy and I hope a bit warmer. The photo obviously does not do justice to the actual yarn as they are much more vibrant in person.
And, here is my domino/mitered knitting project. The instructor said that this type of knitting became an obsession with her and I can see why. I'm having a very hard time forcing myself to put down the needles and do some class work. I've already found a rug to make using the technique from a free pattern in an old Interweave Knits issue and a jacket I had tagged from the Holiday 2003 issue of Vogue Knitting. Funny how I knew I would come back to that someday - only 7 years later! LOL
Have a great night and I will try to get back to reading all of your blogs more regularly when class ends on Thursday!

A busy weekend but not with stitching

We had the most glorious spring weather here for March over the weekend - full on sunshine and up in the high 40s-low 50s both days. Just incredible for March in New England. Like everyone else, I tried to spend as much time outdoors as I possibly could so there was not a whole lot of stitching accomplished this weekend. I did take a wicked cool knitting class on Sunday where I learned how to make mitred squares. The class project is a potholder and after a bit more knitting, I will have something to show you on that.I don't have much more progress to show on C@HRH but I did get some stitching in on my Christmas ornament on Friday and it's almost 3/4 done at this point.

And here is a photo of the Oscar mitten which I actually completed last night. The thumb on this one gave me a bit of a pain but I ripped it down and started again and it's satisfactory and functional which is important. Now to start on the mate so they will be usable by Barbara should we get a freak snowstorm anytime soon. You never know!Hope you had a great Monday and thanks for stopping by for a visit. I really appreciate the time it takes.

Thank you Mr. Tax Man!

I got my state tax return last week and promptly sent some to Amy! I decided I really, really needed to finish out my collection of BBD stocking books. The top photo shows the stocking books for May, July, August, September, October, the big Halloween booklet and the November and December books that were recently released. I also bought the Joyeux Noel book because I really want to stitch the cardinal design and I liked the new Anniversaries of the Heart designs released at Market last month. Amy always has such super fast service!

There should be more stash arriving soon because I finally used a gift certificate I had from ABC Stitch Therapy - the first ever stitching related gift from my family!

Recap of February

With the start of a new month, it's time to look back at last month's goals and see how productive I was. Here were the goals I set for myself in February along with my results as of today:
1. Finish Block 2 of CAHRH - Not Done 2. Finish CHS The Gilded Cage - COMPLETED! 3. Stitch an ornament - Started 4. Finish an item of the Acorn Sewing kit by With My Needle - Never touched!

Despite a heroic attempt to complete Block 2 of C@HRH, I did not manage to complete it. Here is my progress as of last night. There is a LOT of stitching in this block.

And although I didn't finish it, here is the progress on the Christmas ornament I started. I don't have too much to do to complete it so I hope to get back to it soon.

And I have made progress on the Oscar Mittens however I did not take a photo. I will try and do that tomorrow.

We had some incredible weather here on Thursday with torrential rains and unbelievable gusts of wind. The clocked 94 mph about 45 minutes south of here which is above Cat 1 strength! Here is a photo of the front section of the fence that runs between my house and the rental next door. As you can see, I lost the very first section - it is the one not protected by the side of the house next door. It had blown to the left into the front yard but the next door neighbor's son dragged it back to where it started before I had a chance to do it myself. My wonderful neighbors behind me have offered to help me install a new panel this spring.

And this is a photo of a tree in the front yard of a house I pass on my way to work. Many homes were left without power - some just came back on line yesterday evening and the goal of CMP was to have the remaining customers up by tonight. There is still a lot of tree damage to clean up as well. I am very thankful I had so little damage. Isn't the sky incredibly blue behind this tree? So welcome after such terrible weather. But the good thing was that it wasn't snow!

Small Update

I have not been very productive on the crafting front this week but here are a few photos of the progress I've made so far.


Barbara's Oscar mittens are coming along slowly while I watch the Olympics at night. I try to do at least 5 rounds a night but the last few nights I've been too tired to do much more than sit on the couch like a zombie. I intend to have these done by the time Barbara and I get together next month. This yarn is so much prettier in person and they are so warm!
And here is my very very slow progress on C@HRH. This is a very stitch heavy block and I've resigned myself to having to complete it in March. Hopefully I won't fall too far behind on this project.

Thank goodness the Olympics are over after tomorrow because I really need to be more productive! Hope you've had a great week and enjoy your weekend. I fear it will be a soggy one as we are stuck in the middle of an incredible rain storm at the moment. Thank goodness it's been too warm for it to turn to snow or we'd be buried!

A great way to spend a Saturday!

If you've read Barbara's post already, you know we met up in Belfast yesterday. It was about the 1/2 way point for both of us, me from down south and Barbara from down east. We had fabulous weather, sunny and warm for February so it was perfect for walking around town and checking out all the neat shops. Barbara and I hadn't seen each other for at least 3 years but it didn't feel like that long. We didn't get any stitching in this time but I did get to see her new pieces for the Gift of Stitching magazine - I hope we won't have to wait for too many more issues to be able to stitch them - the two I saw are wonderful!

After meeting at the Belfast Co-op and having something to eat - I had a chocolate croissant that was still warm from the baker's tray-we toured the city. Barbara surprised me with these lovely vintage magnets that are already being put to work on the refrigerator! Blogger is acting up so you'll have to turn sideways to see them!

Along with all the shops Barbara mentions, we also visited a great shop, Coyote Moon. I ended up leaving with this book which caught my eye. Belfast is a very arty town with lots of galleries. Here is one that we visited that had some really neat items. We also stopped at The Good Table where I finally found a red dish soap dispenser which I've been hunting for.I also bought this really cute laptop skin at a very cool store we visited called Yo Mama's. They had some great gift items, jewelry and home goods; one of those places you could find something new every time you visit.

Since Barbara so comically named my new mittens "Elmo mittens", I thought it only fitting she should have a pair of her own. She picked out this gorgeous skein of mohair which will become "Oscar the Grouch mittens" shortly. I started them while watching the Olympics last night.And finally for some stitching related stuff, here is my progress on Block 2 of Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow. Now I'm off to see if I can find some updates from this weekend's cross-stitch market-I have a gift certificate that's burning a hole in my pocket! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

C@HRH Update

Here is my progress on C@HRH to date. I had to frog a bit this morning because I miscounted the window openings on the right side but luckily it wasn't too bad. I've been watching the Olympics (at the expense of housework) so that means time to sit still and stitch as well. I love the Olympics - so inspiring. I wish they would show more and talk less but I guess that doesn't sell commercial time.

Have you seen the full Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow? A change in the layout which makes it longer and narrower than previous designs. It doesn't call to me immediately as Christmas did so I won't be rushing to order it. I think I need to study it a bit more. Is it a must have for you?

Thank you for all the offers with regards to Floss Away bags. I'm going to try the Michael's in SoPo first and then will likely order them online. It just seemed so funny not to be able to find them all of a sudden - maybe it is an inventory thing! I guess I will need to buy two bags to have one in reserve. Off to watch the men's skating and stitch some more. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Where have all the Flossaway Bags Gone?

So is anyone else having trouble finding Floss-away bags? I've been to two different AC Moore stores and a JoAnn's and I can't find any Floss-away bags. What's up with that? Is it only me? I'm going to try one more Michael's in S. Portland and then I will resort to ordering them on line. It just shouldn't be that hard if you ask me!

Well, on to stitching progress update. I started a new piece - a Christmas ornament from the 2008 JCS ornie issue. It is called A Christmas Song by Full Circle designs. I fell in love with the cute little birds immediately as I love cardinals. And it's fun to stitch something on a large count of fabric (32 ct) after working so much with 40ct lately. This is going quickly.
And here is my update photo of C@HRH - not coming along as quickly! I've made some more progress since taking this photo but there's a lot more to go. Not sure if I will be able to finish this by the end of the month but I will do my best.
Hope you enjoyed the long weekend - I had President's Day off today and it will be tough to go back to work tomorrow. However it will be a short work week and then I get to meet up with Barbara to welcome her back to Maine!

A Knitting Happy Dance

I now have two "elmo" mittens as Barbara dubbed the in the comments! Here are my first ever completed mittens. I finished the last one last night while watching the Olympics so it took me a week to knit the pair. This was a really basic pattern and they fit perfectly. I will most likely use these with my work coat as the mohair is not likely to stand up to dog walking. They are wonderfully warm!

Tonight I will take a break from class reading and start a new project - a Christmas ornament. I have also been working on C@HRH and will post a progress photo tomorrow. Thanks for all of your kind comments on my CHS Gilded Cage. I'm going to gingerly work on ironing out the creases so it's ready to finish once I decide on my choice.

First Finish of 2010

Yeah, I have a stitching happy dance! Last night I put the finishing stitches in on my CHS The Gilded Cage. I am thrilled to have this one done. I am trying to decide on how to finish-finish it. I could frame it but I'm also considering putting it on one of these stands from Bloom Woodworks. I received a gift last year mounted on one of these and it's so pretty. The pieces are about the same size so I know it would work. I'd mount it on a piece of foam core board and add some decorative trim I think. I will have to think about it for a while. Riona, I will get this chart out to you in the mail next week! I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I have.

Just because it's on clearance,

doesn't mean you have to buy it. I was not going to buy any new stash this year and I've already fallen off the wagon pretty badly and it's barely the middle of February!
This is my loot from ABC Stitch Therapy's clearance sale. The lure of a bargain got a hold of me and sucked me in and this is the result. Here's what I got: The top photo shows three Erica Michaels Random Thoughts charts - Spring, Autumn and Winter. I actually bought two of the autumn in my enthusiasm so I will be adding this to a giveaway.

The photo below shows Homespun Elegance Vintage Inspired Sewing Stands I, La-d-da Love Thy Neighbor, Stacy Nash Primitives Winter Woolens Cupboard Sampler and Brittercup Designs Spring is in the Air - I absolutely love the little robins in this chart.

And the final photo shows three HIH Medley charts - Winter, Spring and Valentine Medley. I already had the Winter medley so that will be part of a give away as well. The final two charts are Waxing Moon Designs Autumn Minis which I thought would be good for exchange stitching and another Homespun Elegance, Autumn Button Sampler. All of this was under $50 so I don't feel I did that bad. Can you tell I'm trying to talk myself out of the guilts? LOL

Weekend Update

I don't have a whole lot of stitching progress to show you because I got a little obsessed with this:

I took a magic loop class in Portland on Saturday and the instructor had made a pair of mittens using this wonderful purple mohair yarn. Well, after learning the basics of magic loop knitting, I just had to try my hand at knitting a pair of mittens. This is the first one, completed at 11:00pm on Sunday evening! I am really proud of myself because I've never done one before. With a little help from the ubiquitous YouTube on how to knit the thumb, I carefully picked up stitches and pulled out my anchoring yarn and away I went to finish the thumb. I love, love, love it!!! I'm hoping to cast on for the second one tonight in the hopes of having a pair by this weekend.

But I do have some stitching updates to share. Yesterday was UFO Sunday so out came my HAED Story Keep. I put in 200 stitches and have only 100 more to finish the first page. I've kept this out in the hopes I will get the page done and move on to the 2nd page.

And here is my progress on Block 2 of C@HRH. I worked on this a bit this morning so the Quaker motif is now filled in at the top and I've moved on to a chimney to the right of the one in the photo.

And I got a few more stitches into my CHS Gilded Cage. I should probably focus solely on this right now to get it done but I'm not sure I can. I do have Monday off for President's day but I plan to work on my thesis so we shall see. Sorry for the wonky sideways photo but blogger won't load it in right. Consider it a neck stretch for those of you who have been sitting in front of your PCs too long in one place!

Thank you to all who have visited me lately. I see some new names and faces and I appreciate your taking the time to comment. I look forward to visiting your blogs if I have not already! I hope you're having a fantastic week and getting lots of stitching in.

Fluttering toward a finish!

This morning I managed to get out of bed a 1/2 hour early so I had time to stitch. Last night and this morning, my focus piece has been CHS The Gilded Cage. I am confident I'll be able to get this completed before the end of the month. In a way I will be sad to move onto something else because this has been a pleasure to stitch and I really love the colors. However there are tons of projects waiting to be stitched from my current stash and more on the way because I fell off the wagon in a big way over ABC Stitch Therapy's clearance sale. Have you checked it out? I warn you, it's dangerous!

January Progress and February Goals

Thanks everyone for your very kind comments on my finish. I'm really happy that I was able to get it done. Going forward it will be harder to stick with my goals as I'm back in school and really need to focus on my final paper which will be delivered in October.

I don't think I posted an official goals list of January but here is the one that was in my head along with my progress:

1. Finish Block 1 of CAHRH - Done!
2. Finish CHS The Gilded Cage - about 2/3 done
3. Stitch an ornament - NOT
4. Finish an item of the Acorn Sewing kit by With My Needle - NOT

Here are my goals for February:

1. Finish Block 2 of CAHRH
2. Finish CHS The Gilded Cage
3. Stitch an ornament
4. Finish an item of the Acorn Sewing kit by With My Needle

I hope you all had a successful stitching month in January. February is a short one so it's going to fly by quickly so get those fingers flying!

Block One is Done!

Yeah! I'm happy dancing with the first block of C@HRH done! I just finished up the last little motif and after carefully checking my piece against the chart, I took the hoop off of the fabric. Thanks to all of you who have cheered me on with this. It feels like a finish even though there are 11 more blocks to go! LOL I've already pulled the colors for the next block and made a working copy of the chart for block two.

Now I can say that at least one of the goals I set for this month was accomplished! But more about that tomorrow.

Heading for the finish line?

The last few days I've been working diligently on my C@HRH piece in an effort to get it finished by the end of the month. Here's where I am so far. I still have a lot of the smaller motifs and flowers to finish not to mention the border but I'm very hopeful I will be able to get it done in time. I'm off to stitch on it some more to inch me closer to that finish line.

A bird of a different color

Last night I did not feel like picking up CAHRH again after stitching on it so much this weekend. So instead I pulled out my other CHS bird related project and worked a bit more on that. I'm almost done the border on the left. I'd say I'm about 2/3rds of the way done with this project and with a few more dedicated days stitching on it, it will be ready to frame. However, tonight I plan to get back to CAHRH in an effort to finish it off by the 31st.

Thank you to everyone for your kind comments on CAHRH. This is such a neat project. I'm almost afraid to see what her upcoming Autum @ HRH looks like because I don't need to be buying anything with the stash I currently have. However I have a feeling I will be really tempted! I can't wait to see what next month's market brings.....