Livin' La Needle Loca

....it was supposed to have a finished objects, but I hadn't had a minute to take a photo. Heck,  it's after 6PM and I'm barely getting to the blog post. I finished the Drake's Bay handspun [ Ravelry ] over the weekend. It's beautiful and I love it. Still can't find that missing project. I finished the arch and started the white background of the Santa Fe #5 needlepoint project. I'm in the home stretch! I think I'm ready to start sewing squares together for the commission quilt. I cycled out another color and replaced it with something more colorful. Hopefully, this weekend I can get started. I was plagued with a headache all day Sunday, which put a damper on getting started on the sewing the commission quilt. My head was not back to normal until around 7pm. Since I couldn't concentrate on anything challenging, I finished the back stitching for a couple of Christmas ornaments I found during my search for the missing project. Friday is a holid...

...hard to believe that my craft-cation is only 12 days away!  SO looking forward to that! So, my brother sent me a late Christmas present. He's a welder and he made me a set of wind shines with a cat wind sail: It's pretty cool how much detail he got in that cat! The Husband bought some pink vinca for the hanging baskets in the backyard: And he swapped the petunias in the courtyard for these purple calibrachoa: Up this weekend: No specific plans, just some ideas. I have some photos to take of the last few projects I discovered while I was looking for my missing project. I really need to get serious on the commission quilt. Maybe I can get the top sewn together, or at least start sewing it! I have the Drake's Bay handspun [ Ravelry ] to ply, too. Any combination of those things and my normal weekend chores should keep me plenty busy! .

...and I have progress to show on my needlepoint project. As you can see, I'm almost done with the long stitches on the arch. Next I will stitch a row of continental stitches in a metallic on the inside of the arch. Then, I'll stitch the white background inside the arch. The white background will take the longest. I have several other painted canvases in my stash--some more Tish Holland, several Tuoti, and a few small  ETA (Ellen's Tribal Arts) canvases. When I'm done with this project, maybe I'll start one of them. I also did a little work on the Equatorial Nights [ Ravelry ] project. I'm having some trouble keeping track of where I am because the chart is on 3 pages and I'm working on 2 circulars. Even though I have markers to indicate the when to change chart pages, I still get lost. I'm going to cut chart page 2 in half and tape things together to match how I'm knitting it. I hope that this will help me avoid having to frog back to fix ...

...I finished one from the UFO list! Here are the Halloween Phat Fiber samples [ Ravelry ] that I started spinning in 2012: Specs: Started 10/2/2012 Finished 6/20/2015 Fiber samples from multiple vendors Some singles, some two-ply, and some chain plied Did not measure yardage and I estimate that most of them are worsted weight I'm really happy to be done with them. Some samples were easy to spin and others were a P.I.T.A.!  I finished spinning the singles of Drake's Bay. I did not get a chance to photograph that one yet. It's on-hold until I can get back to it. I worked a little on the commission quilt. I'm still rearranging blocks. At some point, I'm just going to have to stop and just get to the sewing part. The Husband decided at the last minute to invite his parents over for a Father's Day BBQ  lunch. Ay! At least I had Saturday night to clean house. It went well, but it took a big chunk out of my weekend crafting plans! The Daughter also ...

...another week just whipped on by! We finished harvesting the apricots from our original tree and now the rogue tree's fruit is almost ready: The kangaroo paws plant is finally beginning to look like something besides a couple of buds on the end of a stem: And the hydrangeas are turning a lovely pink: Up this weekend: Who knows!?  It's Father's Day, but we haven't made any plans yet. The Daughter has been out of town until now so I don't know what her schedule is like. We'll have to play it by ear. I seriously need some sleep, so much so that I've even toyed with the idea of checking into a hotel for one night just so the cats and my husband don't wake me up! I have so many projects to choose from that I'm having a hard time focusing on one. Another play-it-by-ear situation...I hope I land on one quickly! .

...the day got away from me, so this will be quick. Basically, I didn't work on most of my WIPs, just the commission piece and the needlepoint project. Oh, and searching for the elusive Love scissor fob project. WIP Roll Call Worked on: Stealth Commission Project (quilting) Tried another layout and hated it. Back to the previous version with some modifications. Santa Fe #5 (needlepoint) Almost finished with the man--just need to finish the feather in his headband. Then it's on to the frame/arch. Works In Progress, did not work on: Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [ Ravelry ]  Beyond Antares, aka Equatorial Nights (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Halloween Phat Fiber samples (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Mermaid of the Pearls (cross stitch) Scardy Sheep Scissor Fob (cross stitch) Shepherd's Bush Christmas Ornament 2004 UFOs/Hibernation: Celaeno Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Going Snow Global quilt (quilting) Peacock Pomatomus socks (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Peacock Majes...

...no finished objects today. At Spin-In, I started a lovely Merino-Bmboo from Royal Hare called Drake's Bay [ Ravelry ]. I've spun about 2/3rds of the bump and like how it looks so far.   I still can't find the Love scissor fob pieces. I've looked through almost everything in my studio. I have no idea where it's hiding.   I'm making great progress on the Santa Fe #5 needlepoint canvas. I've almost finished the figure, just a feather left to stitch. Then I can move on to stitching the arch.   I tried a different configuration for the commission piece and hated it. I went back to my original idea and made adjustments from there. I'm thisclose to sewing the top.   I'm not quite as close when it comes to rolling out my website redesign. I still have one page to finish formatting and a bunch of project dates needs to be checked. I hope to have it out there by the end of the month.   Once I finish that, I'll have to update my master project l...

...and I'm all alone at work, holding down the fort.  At least I can play my music out loud without bothering anyone! This flower caught my eye yesterday morning. This is a Gloriosa lily that was partially hidden by the blackberry vines: This Mandevilla vine started blooming this week: And the gladiolas are coming along: Up this weekend: Spin-In tomorrow. I already know that I'm making something with apricots because we have a ton of them!  Not sure whether it will be muffins or bread yet. It really depends on how much energy I have in the morning and if I have all of the ingredients (read: don't have to go to the store!). I need to get back to the commission projects and stop getting side-tracked by reorganizing by stash. I'm close to having the top layout done. I need to take a few pictures of it and look at them to see whether anything should be shifted around. I'm still making good progress on the needlepoint project. I should get back to my...

...I'm making progress on the needlepoint project, but not much else. Here is Santa Fe #5 as of this morning: His blanket is coming along nicely. Fortunately I found enough purple DMC Medici wool in my stash to do this project. DMC discontinued Medici a while ago, so I'm happy for the small amounts I have in my stash. If I do another one of Tish's canvases, I'll have to find a Medici substitute and order what I need. WIP Roll Call Worked on: Beyond Antares, aka Equatorial Nights (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Working on row 18 of 62. Stealth Commission Project (quilting) Still working on the layout of the top. Santa Fe #5 (needlepoint) Finished the pottery, stitched the neck and leg (tan), and finished the first color in the blanket he's wearing. Works In Progress, did not work on: Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [ Ravelry ]  Halloween Phat Fiber samples (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Mermaid of the Pearls (cross stitch) Scardy Sheep Scissor Fob (cross stit...

...and an F.O.! I finished Sochi [ Ravelry ] on Sunday: and a close up: Specs: Started 5/16/15 Finished 6/7/15 Camel-Silk top (4.0 oz.) from Greenwood Fiberworks 176.8 yds, 14 WPI It's a much more balanced yarn than I've been spinning lately, so I'm very pleased with it. I just love the Camel-Silk top from Greenwood Fiberworks! Randomness from the weekend: I got completely sidetracked and spent a good deal of Saturday going through my cross stitch and needlepoint stash. I really wanted to put away the "keeper" charts in something other than bankers boxes that won't fit in my room. I managed to cull out many more kits and kitted projects that need new homes. I now have 5 bankers boxes full of cross stitch and needlepoint stash to cycle out. Wow! There is no way I can take individual photos. That's a lot of charts to list out...at least 400 if not more. And I don't want to do the eBay thing. I think I need to sell them in lots! I ...

...first one for June. The bougainvillaea outside of my studio is blooming like crazy: New flowers are appearing in the back yard: Even the garlic has gotten into the act: Our berries and apricots are ripening faster than we can eat them. The Husband made a berry tart for dessert last night to use up the pound of berries we picked over the last two days. I looked at the bushes this morning and there are lots more that are ready. The Blenheim apricots all ripen at the same time. I'm not sure what we'll do to keep up with them! Up this weekend: More of the same...errands, chores and crafts. I'm still digging through my stash and finding things I'd forgotten about. I know I went through everything when I moved into my studio, but apparently I have a short memory! I need to go through the cross stitch charts again, this time with an eye out for certain designers. One of my friends wants to give them a new home. :) I need to ply Sochi to clear the ...

...I did better than I thought I did. Finished: 5/4 Serpiente (knitting) [ Ravelry ] 5/11 Irisa Cowl/Scarf (knitting for Loopy Academy) [ Ravelry ]  5/25 Wild Turquoise handspun [ Ravelry ] Turquoise art rolags from the Yarn Wench; 188 yds auto-plied with turquoise thread, 10 WPI 5/31 Shepherd's Bush Christmas Ornament from Just CrossStitch ornament Issue 2004  (cross stitch) Books: Vengeance of the Demon, Diana Rowland Rising Darkness, Shannon Mayer Billy Joel, Fred Schruers Wonderful Tonight, Pattie Boyd 14th Deadly Sin, James Patterson The Astronaut Wives Club, Lily Koppel Started: 5/10 Wild Turquoise handspun [ Ravelry ] 5/16 Sochi handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 5/25 Santa Fe #5 (needlepoint) Worked on: Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Beyond Antares, aka Equatorial Nights (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Stealth Commission project (quilting) Works In Progress, did not work on: Halloween Phat Fiber samples (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Merm...

...yup, Monday and Tuesday got away from me. I swear, I felt like the ball in a pinball machine...bouncing from one thing to the next and at the end of the day, not accomplishing what I set out to do. I spent a part of Saturday and part of Sunday photographing completed stitching projects. Originally, I thought I only had to photograph my needlerolls, scissor fobs, and ornaments--lots of items all on their own. Then I realized that I really didn't have photos of many flat items  (read: stitching intended for framing or pillows) either, so I pulled them out to take photos. In the midst of the items I expected to see, I found several things that I'd forgotten I had done, many of which date back to the 70s and 80s. Wow...that was a trip down memory lane!  I found a series of crewel pictures that I'd stitched for the Daughter when she was a toddler, a ribbon embroidery piece, and a needlepoint Siamese cat that I stitched before she was born. The needlepoint and crewel ite...