Taste and see that the Lord is good

Its official.  I'm going to Pennsylvania for three weeks.  I leave the last day in October and come back the day after Thanksgiving.  This will be the first time in over 22 years that I will spend a major holiday with my parents.  I'm so excited.  I'm also excited about what books to take to read, what projects to stitch on, and what crochet projects to bring.  Decisions, decisions.  Happy decisions.

I pulled out the cross stitch project I had already started for my parents Christmas present.  It is a John Clayton design, Taste of Norway.  I gave them his design of Neuschwanstein Castle several years ago.  They had mentioned that they would like to hang a grouping of my cross stitch pieces together.  I have several other kits of his so I think this will work perfectly.

For my younger brother I want to stitch Lizzie Kate's Dog Lessons for People.  I'm hoping to go through my rather extensive stash and find the pattern.

I would so like to get both of these done before I leave so that I can just leave the finished items with them instead of shipping them later on.

UPDATE:  I found the pattern!  Better yet, I already started it.  Unfortunately, I found about ten other projects that I must start right away.  The most urgent one is this:

I do not know how I have lived this long without hanging pig ornaments on my tree.

I finished the Hummingbirds kit.

The Lord reigns

Well, Hobby Lobby can be added to the list of stores that do not carry a charm that I want to use for this piece.  I have two more stores in town to try:  SAS Fabrics and The West.  I've already checked out 123 stitch online and didn't find anything either. 



I am still very much fighting the desire to start everything at once.  I want to stitch everything, sew everything, paper craft everything, knit everything, crochet everything, , color everything, and sew everything.  I really do need to clone myself at least seven times.

Love means doing what God has commanded us

I finished stitching Bon Appetit a few days ago.

I still need to try and find a charm for it but that might take a little searching.


I then started a new kit called Hummingbirds.  The kit is by Columbia Minerva and is from 1980. 

The directions say to stitch half stitches with six strands of floss on the 14 count aida that is provided.  I didn't like how that was looking so I frogged it.  I'm stitching it now with two strands of floss, full crosses. 

I'm feeling an overwhelming desire to start a number of cross stitch patterns.  I don't think I can hold this off much longer. 

Everything is possible for God

I got this kit from Herrschners.  I can't wait to start this.  

I finished sewing this apron yesterday.  It came from a fabric panel. 

I was making wonderful progress on Bon Appetit.  And, then I realized I made a mistake.  Can you see it?  The words on the right hand side is one square too close to the inner red border.

I had to frog that side completely. 

I've started restitching that side and am enjoying it once again.  A charm is to go between the desserts.  I went to Michael's and Joann's yesterday evening.  But, I couldn't find what I was looking for.  I still have to check in Hobby Lobby and then I will start looking online.

Heaven came down and rescued me

Christmas Angel by MarBek is finished.

There is a companion piece to it.  I plan to stitch it but not right yet.


Today I started Sweet Nothings, Bon appetit.

I'm using an 18 count aida.  It calls for Sampler threads with DMC substitutes listed.  I'm using a combination of DMC and other hand dyed flosses that I have.

Do All That You Can To Live In Peace With Everyone

Last week I went thrifting.  I found a bag of folded cross stitch fabric.

I'm always happy when I find cross stitch fabric whether it be aida, linen, or evenweave in colors other than white or off white.  But, I was very surprised and happy to find this finished piece folded up in the middle of the fabrics.

It's so beautiful.  I'm not sure how I will finish it yet.



I'm still working on MarBek's Christmas Angel.

I was working on it last night and discovered that one of the symbols is not listed in the key.  Its the dark blue snowflake areas in the orange.  From the cover photo it looked like the same dark blue used elsewhere in the pattern. 


I'm feeling like I want to start stitching on one of my BAPs again.  The only problem is that I don't know where I put it.  I'll have to continue looking.


I finished my Emily Scarf several days ago.  I washed and blocked it.  It did give off a bit of the green dye while it was soaking.  The blocking process really opened up the stitch pattern.  I love it.  My only problem is that it is an asymmetrical scarf.  I'm not really sure how to wear it yet.

He fights our battles

I've been busy pulling apart sweaters to recycle the yarn.  I need to get through the backlog of sweaters I have because Goodwill is having another 50% off sale this weekend.  I hope to get more sweaters for yarn then.  I'm really loving the sherbet color of this ribbon yarn.  I ended up with 450 grams of the yarn. 

Blessings by Erica Michaels Designs is finished.  I have no idea of how I'm going to finish it. 

I started a new cross stitch design.  It is Christmas Angel by MarBek.  I'm stitching it on a 14 count aida with the called for DMC colors.  I have several MarBek patterns and all the pictures of the stitched pieces are rather washed out.  And, the coverage of the floss over the fabric is rather poor. 

I have also been crocheting dishcloths.  I'm using the pattern Clean Sweep which can be found on Ravelry.  The first one I crocheted was done per the pattern.  For the other ones I then made, I changed from doing double crochets to half double crochets.  I don't like a dishcloth with holes in it. 

He reigns from heaven above

I have a cold.  YUCK!  I really try hard to wash my hands often and not touch my face when I'm out but some how a germ got through. 

I am still beading my Moon Fairy and still loving it.

I love Mirabilias.


I'm almost done stitching on Blessings by Erica Michael Designs.  Originally, I had stitched God bless us in a pink color.  But, after stitching the other parts of the design I decided that the pink just didn't work.  I frogged and restitched it in this burgundy color.  I like it better this way.

I also like to do adult coloring books.  Here is what I'm working on now. 

Now and Forever, God You Reign

I have been working away at my Fairy Moon by Mirabilia.  I have a couple of beading needles but I could only find one of them.  Unfortunately, the one I found is extremely hard to thread.  Like it can take me five or six tries before I can thread it.  I went to Joann Fabrics today and found some short beading needles.

I'm having much better success at threading these needles.  I also like that they are shorter than the beading needles I have been accustomed to.  Here is a picture to compare the length.

And, here is Fairy Moon.

I wish I could stitch a Mirabilia a month. 

I will trust Him

How I wish I could duplicate or even quadruplicate myself!  There are so many craft projects I want to do but just not enough time in the day to do them.

 I worked on several things today.  First off is my Fairy Moon by Mirabilia.  I'm slowly doing the beading.  I started in the moon.  There are so many beads crammed in there that there is not enough space for the beads to lay uniformly.  I'm doing this on 14 count aida so I know its not that I'm using too high of a count of fabric.  I know when I view the finished piece from a distance it will look fine but I still don't like the beads looking messy.  So, I worked a bit in her hair and around her neck. 

I finished the shawl I was crocheting.  It's called Dixie Charm and I used a K hook.   I've washed it already and can't wait for cooler weather to wear it in. 

No photo is complete without a cat in it!  That was is Violet.


Since I finished crocheting something I started a new project.  It is called the Emily Shawl and is a free pattern on Ravelry.  I'm using a new to me yarn that I got from Ice yarns last week.  It is a Silk Merino blend in a category 1 weight.  The shawl is quite a simple but beautiful pattern.  Once you get started you don't have to get looking at the pattern instructions. 

I have called you by name; you are Mine

I have so many projects on the go that it seemed to make good sense to me to start another one last night.  I started the Dixie Charm crochet shawl pattern by Kathy Lashley.  This pattern can be found on Ravelry.

I'm using a worsted weight yarn I got on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  Its Sugarwheel in the colorway cherried away.  I'm using a size K hook.  Its crocheting up extremely quickly.  I'm just finishing up the first cake of yarn. 

Its looking very patriotic.  Too bad the fourth of July isn't in the winter!


I also got a bit more done on Blessings.

He always remembers His promise

I had quite a nice crafting day today.  I finished the pineapple motif I started yesterday.

I love how fresh and summery the floss looks.  Now I have to figure out how I want to finish it.


I also finished the Alpine Frost scarf I was crocheting.  I blocked it and the pattern really opened up nicely.  The scarf feels so soft.  I can't wait to wear it.

I also started two new things today.  From the Just CrossStitch 2009 Christmas Ornament issue, page 21, I started Blessings by Erica Michaels Designs.

I have the pattern for this but not the color key.  So, I'm just using leftover bits of floss I have from other kits and whatever else that is in my stash. 

I also started a crochet shawl from Interweave's The Best of Crochet book I got from the library.  The shawl is called the Dragonfly Shawl and is on page 34.  I'm using a yarn I got in a thrift store.