Livin' La Needle Loca

...for a short week, it's taken way too long to get to Friday! Today's Eye Candy is brought to you by the Nimitz Neighborhood. My Sunday exercise is to walk around the neighborhood. Sometimes I walk at top speed and just get my 2 miles in as fast as possible. Other times I take my camera and walk at a slower pace so I can enjoy the flowers along the way. The elementary school has lots of lovely rose bushes: Some of our neighbors have beautiful roses, too. There are several of these rose bushes along this neighbor's front fence. This yard has salvia growing between some trees: Up this weekend: I need to get the living room back in order. Over the long weekend, the Husband decided to paint a wall that really needed it. It had been behind out tall bookshelves that we moved several years ago and we'd just never refreshed the wall. We had to empty the buffet so we could move it out of the way and take down all of the hanging pictures. He patched and pain...

...while it's still not an actual WIP yet, here is a look at the next mermaid. This is Mermaid of the Pearls by Mirabilia: In the picture, you can see the materials--Star Sapphire linen (32 count), DMC floss, Kreinik metallics, Mill Hill Beads, beads--that I need to start it. The next step is to press the folds out of the fabric and put it on the stretcher bars. Then take a deep breath and just start. With two more finishes last weekend, it's time to re-do the WIPs list.   WIPs in Rotation: Mermaid of the Pearls (cross stitch) I have the floss, the beads, the treasures, and the fabric, I just need to start! Stealth project (knitting) It's a secret project for a friend Stormy Affection (knitting) [ Ravelry ] 8 pattern repeats (in the first section) done WIPs waiting for rotation: Love scissor fob by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch) Queued: Wall hanging (weaving) using the natural color handspun I did last summer I've wound the warp yarn. Need to t...

...I was very productive over the long weekend! I finished the cross stitch piece called Hive: Specs: Started 11/16/13; Finished 5/26/14 Hive Monthly Musing by Shepherd's Bush I finished spinning Monarch [ Ravelry ], a merino-silk top from the Yarn Wench : and the close up: Specs:   Started 5/10/14; Finished 5/26/14; Merino-silk top (4.1 oz) from the Yarn Wench; 214.3 yds chain-ply; 11 WPI I also worked on a stealth knitting project. No details or pictures until it has been delivered to the recipient! It was wonderful having an extra day to craft and just hand out with the kitties. They have decided that my spinning wheel cover is the best thing ever and used it for nap time: Love those little fuzz balls! .

...and I'm so ready for an extra day off! First, the eye candy. The clouds last night were very interesting: We have dahlias blooming in the backyard: New flower to our yard are black petunias that look purple or red in the sunlight: and this Calandrinia spectabilis: Up this weekend: Three lovely days of crafting!  I'm not sure exactly what I'll craft, but it will be fun! Enjoy your weekend! .

...and I'm making progress on my Color Affection (Stormy Affection) shawl [ Ravelry ]. I've finished 8 of the first 13 pattern repeats. I'm having trouble getting a decent WIP picture at the moment (the gray appears to have a green tinge...), but here's a look at the yarn that I'm using: This is Cascade 220 fingering. So far, I like the pattern and it's still small enough to be a good take-along project. WIPs in Rotation: Mermaid of the Pearls (cross stitch) I have the floss, the beads, the treasures, and the fabric, I just need to start! Monarch (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Spun about 1.3 of 4.1 ounces Stormy Affection (knitting) [ Ravelry ] 8 pattern repeats (in the first section) done WIPs waiting for rotation: Hive by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch) Love scissor fob by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch) UFOs/Hibernation: Celaeno Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Going Snow Global quilt (quilting) Halloween Phat Fiber samples (spinning) [ Ra...

...it was a productive weekend. The vacuum monster and I took care of the rugs on Saturday. After a Target run for new sheets and towels, I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and organizing my DMC floss stash. I was really supposed to be pulling the floss for the next mermaid, but that required going through everything. This time I used zip locks to organize the skeins by number group so it will be easier to look for colors next time. I really need to stop buying duplicate colors! I already have way too many skeins of certain colors (do I really need 6 skeins of Christmas red?). As it turned out, I only needed to buy 3 additional skeins for the mermaid, meaning that I had 25 of the required 28 skeins in my stash. Cool! On Sunday, I finished plying Bloomfield Blues. Here it is: and the close up: Specs: Started 4/26/14; Finished 5/18/14; Bloomfield Blues Alpaca-Silk top (4 oz) from Royal Hare; 437.4 yds 2-ply, 20 WPI It's quite soft and just slightly ener...

...thank goodness the weather is going back to normal for the weekend. It's been way too hot the last few days! I have more flowers for today's eye candy. The following are recent additions to our garden. Purple verbena: Walker's Low: Naughty Nineties poppy: and borage: I have a few others, but I'll save them for next week. :) Up this weekend: Nothing specific planned. I have several household chores to do that I've been putting off, and my normal weekly chores (laundry...). I'm 24 rows into my Color Affection shawl [ Ravelry ] (named "Stormy Affection"). I'll continue knitting this project while I decide whether to start another mermaid or work on the other stitching projects in the WIP pile. I should also ply the Bloomfield Blues singles. And it would be good to spin more of the Monarch merino-silk that I started last Saturday. The loom and the sewing machine are calling me, too. Not sure what's going to w...

...there are new WIPs and many old ones.  The old ones are still not calling my name and I continue to make new ones! I didn't get a picture of the Monarch merino-silk that I'm spinning, but I did manage a shot of the Bloomfield Blues singles that are waiting to be plied: I love the gentle color transitions in this handspun. It's one of the reasons I'm doing it as a two-ply. I started a new shawl last night. It is in the very beginning stages...only 5 rows in. I am knitting Color Affection in shades of gray [ Ravelry ]. I'm hoping that this shawl goes better than my attempt at the Rockefeller shawl. On to the WIP roll call... WIPs in Rotation: Bloomfield Blues (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Ready to ply Monarch (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Spun about 1.3 of 4.1 ounces Stormy Affection (knitting) [ Ravelry ] 5 rows done WIPs waiting for rotation: Hive by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch) Love scissor fob by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch) UFOs/Hibern...

...I'm cranking this month! First,  little weekend report. I spent some of my Saturday lacing the mermaid onto foam core and getting her into a frame. She looks pretty good: Saturday afternoon was Spin-In. Lots of good company, and munchies, too! I started spinning a merino-silk in Monarch butterfly colors. On Sunday, I continued spinning the Bloomfield Blues alpaca-silk that I'd started the week before. I really love how soft this fiber feels! I finished spinning the singles. I'm letting them rest for a few days before I make a 2ply yarn out of it. I tried very hard to finish knitting the Carbonized Zombie socks, but was not able to do so. I finished them last night, though! Thank goodness! Here they are: Specs: Started 10/6/13; Finished 5/12/14; Pattern: Zombie Socks by Sheryl Giles; Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Carbon Dioxide These will probably be the last socks that I knit for quite a while. I did not enjoy the process as much as I ...

....at least for four more hours!  Obviously, the day got away from me. So this weekend is Mother's Day and the Daughter will be out of town. She hasn't missed very many Mother's Days and she feels bad that she is missing this one. She did send flowers though--a lovely tulip bouquet: and another view: Some of the flowers are still confused. We had an amaryllis bloom this week: and another view: We have a bunch of new flowers. This Blue Thimble flower is a nice addition: I'll post more pictures of the new flowers next week. Up this weekend: Spin-In tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone. Other than that, no specific plans. I'd be happy to spend the remaining weekend crafting away! Happy Mother's Day!! .

...because I just had to finish Anasazi last night! Here is the completed project: Specs: Started 1/17/12 Finished 5/6/14 Pattern by Susan Portra; alternate colorway Modifications: Used variegated thread in the four corners instead of the manual color changes in the original instructions. Replaced teal Neon Rays in the center medallion with purple rayon thread. Reduced the amount of string art because I didn't like it. I will get around to framing it at some point. I'm just happy that it's done and I don't have it hanging over my head! After the two finishes (Anasazi and the mermaid), the WIPs list has shortened. For the moment, here's what it looks like. WIPs in Rotation: Bloomfield Blues (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Carbonized Zombie Socks (knitting) [ Ravelry ] WIPs waiting for rotation: Hive by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch) Love scissor fob by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch) IDJ (It's Dead, Jim) Rockefeller Moon shawl  [...

...I finished the mermaid!! Hooray!! She needs pressing before I can lace her onto foam core (and I have to find the foam core). Here is a first look: Specs: Mediterranean Mermaid Originally started 11/6/2011; restarted 9/1/13; Finished 5/3/14; Pattern by Mirabilia Modifications: Changed the odd blue highlights in her hair to shades of brown;  used round pearl beads instead of the Mill Hill creamy pearl beads And I am almost finished with Anasazi!  I am doing the string art, which is the last step for this project. I will be so happy when this is done! I did manage to squeeze in a little bit of spinning. However, when I am so close to finishing a project, I become completely obsessed with it! I hope that obsession continues when I finish Anasazi and turn my attention to the Carbonized Zombie socks. I have another inch to knit before I can start the toe decreases. I'm getting closer to a new pair of socks! .

...and I'm looking forward to the weekend! It's been very hot the last few days and I'm thankful that I work in an air conditioned office. For the most part the garden is surviving, but there are a couple of plants that are looking a little droopy. We're in an in-between state for some flowers. Some are done, like the daffodils and tulips, and others are almost ready to bloom, like our poppies. There are a few things in bloom: Red verbena: Scilla: The feijoa is going nuts again: And one of our cherry trees is producing fruit: I took a picture of some Cape Daisies, but I was not happy with the quality of the picture. However, after playing around with the Ribbet filters, I like how it looks with the impressionist filter applied: Up this weekend:  I need to do a a little housework and some laundry. A lot will depend on how hot it gets. Some chores, like laundry and mopping the floor, are best avoided in the hat of the day. If all goes well,...

...lots of reading and spinning this month. Finished: 4/6 Belvedere Bird of Paradise handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Polworth-Silk top (4 oz) from Royale Hare; 247.5 yds. chain-ply, 14 WPI 4/6 Flock (knitting) [ Ravelry ]; set of 3 knitted birds 4/13 Passion Fruit handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Camel-silk top (4oz) from Greenwood Fiberworks; 214 yds chain-ply, 13 WPI 4/19 Tribe (spinning) [ Ravelry ]  Wild Card Bling Batt by The Yarn Wench; 46.5 yards, bulky 4/26 Striped Inkle Strap (weaving) [ Ravelry ] Books: Shadow Spell, Nora Roberts Severed (Starwalkers Serial), Lizzy Ford & Julia Crane Trapped (Starwalkers Serial), Lizzy Ford & Julia Crane Exiled (Starwalkers Serial), Lizzy Ford & Julia Crane A Woman of Substance, Barbara Taylor Bradford Hold the Dream, Barbara Taylor Bradford To Be The Best, Barbara Taylor Bradford Emma's Secret, Barbara Taylor Bradford Unexpected Blessings, Barbara Taylor Bradford Just Rewards, Barbara Taylor Bradford Bre...

...Yes, it's May already!  April just whizzed by. This week has gotten away from me. I seemed to have dreamed that I posted yesterday for WIP-It Wednesday. I thought about posting several times, even composed it in my head, and kept getting sidetracked. I also thought I would take a picture of the mermaid in progress and didn't do that either. And now I need to do a recap.  Maybe May will be better!