Visit Me at Reflections in the Pond

Please take time to visit me at Reflections in the Pond.

This blog will remain active only because I don't see a way to add an outside blog to my Blogger profile and I want to make sure that people can find me.

I look forward to seeing you at my permanent blogy home, Reflections in the Pond.

Draw at the Pond

Just a reminder, I'm holding a little draw over at my new location Reflections in the Pond. Please stop by for a chance to win some Enchanting Lair charts, Dinky Dyes silk and more.

Heading to the Pond

I just wanted to post a reminder that going forward I will only be posting on my main blog, Reflections in the Pond. So, if you are interested in seeing what I've been up to with my cross stitch and knitting, please head over there.

To celebrate this act of making my life a little easier, I will be having a little contest over on Reflections. Please stop by tomorrow, June 1st, to read all about it.

Finished -Ugly- Socks

With Baby Man back to his old self, I've been able to get a bit more time to knit and cross stitch. I've been busy with socks (yes, more socks), Castles in the Air, and even a couple of special gifts. I've also been mourning the loss of my nsLNS, Golden Threads, which made the news of their closing official today. quanta has been kind enough to grudgingly agree to let go down next weekend to say goodbye and check out the sale... and maybe spend some money.

I put the finishing touches on my Pretty Comfy socks the other day. And while they are pretty comfy, I think they are kind of ugly too. The yarn pooled really strangely on the first one, and then the second one striped nicely on the leg and pooled weird on the foot. All this even though I used the same needles, had the same tension and started at the same place on the colour repeat. At least they are comfy to wear.

Pretty Comfy Socks
Yarn: Cascade Fixation in colourway 9843 Purple Passion

Now I'm working on another pair of socks, again using Fixation. (Which is super comfy but a bit annoying to work with because of the elastic.) This time I'm trying two socks at once on two circular needles. I'll keep you updated with how they are progressing.

I've also been working on some dishcloths and occasionally on the Lotus Blossom Shawl, but I don't have any pictures to share yet.

On to cross stitch! I'm slowly plugging away at Castles in the Air. I'm about 3/4 of the way through Part 2 now.

And, since yesterday was TW Wednesday, I finished up the lattice backstitching on the front of Delightful Dragon. I had hoped to have it done by the end of the month, but because I am working on a gift, that is not going to happen.

I'm going to be putting the last of the beads on the H Fairy this evening, and will have a final picture of her to show soon too.

Updates, Comments, and TUSAL

I thought that today I would address a few comments and other things that I have popped up over the past couple of weeks.

First, thank you to everyone for the well wishes for Baby Man. He is almost back to normal now, and I was even able to escape for a little while yesterday. Daddy and baby had a nice afternoon while Mommy engaged in some retail therapy in an attempt to regain her sanity. Seriously, this first illness was tough, but thank goodness it turned out to be so benign.

Next, as to my Stash Stitcher vow. It isn't so much an issue of being able to afford things, or of more or less losing my nsLNS. It is more like I have recently realized just how many things I have already that I really, really want to finish. And then I keep adding to the list and it feels like nothing ever gets done. I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed by everything.

And, with my knitting habit, we are starting to run out of storage space. We live in a lovely, largish condo, but a condo is a condo and there isn't a lot of room to store piles of yarn, yards of fabric, and stacks of floss. And that isn't even mentioning the kits under the bed and the charts in the filling cabinet that is bursting at the seams. I've considered trying to "borrow" some space in Baby Man's room, but his toy collection is too big.

Seriously, we all know that I'm likely to break down at any moment anyway. Enchanting Lair has a few designs due out this year that I may want, and I found an X's and Oh's design at the spring CreativFestival that I've been thinking about ever since. (It's the Colours of Canada Sampler, and the best picture I could find of it as waaaay at the bottom of this page.) Goodness knows that other designers are planning on bring out. So, you know, I will do my best and try to clear some of the designs I most want to complete as quickly as possible. But I won't punish myself too badly if I have a small break... :)

And, as for my knitting, I really appreciate all the comments on it. I've only been knitting since September, so I'm still a real beginner. But, I've found that in a lot of ways it is like stitching. I just need to follow the directions, look up every stitch I'm not familiar with, and be brave!

Since it is the New Moon, it is also time for the Totally Useless Stitch Along. (You can find out more information here.) I bought myself a lovely new jar a few weeks ago, without realizing that it won't make for very good pictures. It looks lovely sitting on my desk, though.

The 50 Project Failure and a So Long

A while back I signed on to take part in a 50 Project Challenge. Essentially, I pledged not to buy any more patterns, and very little other stash, until I finished 50 projects. Well, I'm a total failure. I've bought a bunch of patterns, knitting and cross stitch, as well as all the materials I needed to make them. Seriously, I suck and I feel super crappy about it. I want to say that I won't do it again, but seriously, that is dumb too.

Now, when I originally wrote this post a few weeks back, I said that I was going to try a 10 project challenge. Things changed today, though. I found out that my not-so-LNS is seriously downsizing. The owner has sold the building and will be doing most of her sales in the future through the web only, along with some by-appointment-only sales at another location. So, essentially, I have lost my main cross stitch supplies source. There are a couple of other LNS nearby, but this one was special to me. I'd been going there almost as long as I have been stitching, and they had seen me move from beginning stitcher to an advanced stitcher. The owner had helped with fabric suggestions and colour substitutions, and never once questioned me when I bought a design that wasn't my normal style... well, okay, maybe once. She is a wonderful lady who has done a lot to add to my stitching pleasure.

So, today I paid her for the things I had ordered that she had in stock and used my store credit to pick up a couple of things I had been eyeing. Then, bad me, I bought a few supplies from an online shop (things my nsLNS didn't have in stock). And now I am declaring myself a Stash Stitcher. That's right, for the foreseeable future I am using what I have already bought. Exceptions are TW designs, the JCS issues I need to finish a series design I am working on and the ornament issue, things for gifts that I don't already have a design for (weddings, babies, etc.) and the CreativFestival classes. And, since I don't have a full collection of DMC, I may occasionally need to buy some of that too. Otherwise, I'll do my best to make substitutions from what I already have.

I know, I can hear quanta and my parents thinking "Yeah, right. Like this will ever happen." Maybe it won't, but I'm going to try. Goodness knows I have enough kitted up to keep me busy for years and years.

So long my favourite needlework store, not good bye. I will miss you. I do take some comfort from knowing that you will be around in some form if I need you. Best of luck!

Busy Fingers

Before the Baby Man got sick, I was actually moving along very well with several of my projects. In fact, over the weekend, while he was just feel blah rather than bad, I even finished two small designs.

Black Hatter by Sue Hills
Fibres: DMC
Fabric: opalescent Silkweaver Solo
Button: included with chart

I Love My Cat by Brittercup Designs
Fibres: DMC, WDW, Crescent Colors
Fabric: Silkweaver Solo
See notes on colour substitutions here

Not bad for a weekend's worth of work, eh? I also put in a little bit of work on Christmas Treasures and Lily of the Valley Fairy, but not enough that it is worth sharing pictures. If Baby Man keeps getting better, I will hopefully have some progress to share by the weekend.

My next pair of socks is moving along pretty well too, despite the fact that it took about 3 tries to get guage (and I ended up with the first needle size I tried...) and also the fact that I had to rip it out when it was 3/4 done because I realized I was doing the decrease in the second part of the pattern wrong. Seriously, how annoying is that? Anyway, here is the nearly done #1 sock, horrible colour pooling and all.

Pretty Comfy Sock by Debbi Young
Yarn: Cascade Fixation in colourway 9843 Purple Passion

The sock is pretty comfy, but I hate the colour pooling. Judging by the way it looks, I think it would pool regardless of what sock pattern I used. I've got a bunch more Fixation to use for socks and a few other things. But, I think I will be sticking to their solid colours once I deplete what is in my stash. (Yes, this is an awful picture. Sorry about that.)

The Never Ending Blue Shawl of Doom is done! It still needs to be blocked, so the edges are rolling. It looks pretty nice, if I do say so myself. The variegated yarn makes it a bit difficult to see the pattern in the centre, but I think that is okay.

Pentacle/Pentagram Shawl by Maria Merlino
Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Millefili Fine in colourway 282

And, even though yesterday was TW Wednesday, I didn't do any stitching on Delightful Dragon. I didn't do any stitching at all, actually. I'm still a little (overly) concerned about Baby Man, so I wasn't able to concentrate well enough to stitch.

Pop over to my other blog, Reflections in the Pond, to see a picture of Baby Man in his Manly Baby Kimono, and to find out about how he has been unwell for several days now.