Livin' La Needle Loca

 ...I've been a little distracted this week. Some of the larger projects in my queue have been languishing while I work on smaller projects. The current small project is another Just Cross Stitch Christmas ornament. This is Sweet Baby by Shepherd's Bush: I'll finish it in the next couple of days. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Autumn Flame handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Finished singles; ready to ply Finishing work for cross stitch projects: Frightful Halloween Needleroll Ghosts Gather Scissor Fob Have Ewe Any Wool pin cushion Hunt mini (cross stitch) Peter Pumpkin Scissor Fob (cross stitch) Sparrow scissor fob (cross stitch) Tiny Garden needle roll (cross stitch) Wee Seashore (cross stitch) Gatitas quilt (quilting) Sandwiched; finished straight machine quilting; working on detailed machine quilting Secret project (knitting) Frogged a part that I didn't like and re...

 ...and I forgot about posting on Friday again. For the last couple of weeks, it's been hard to stay on a blog schedule. There are so many things that are pulling at my attention that I'm finding it hard to stay focused. I'm going to try to do better this week. Keeping my fingers crossed that I can break out of this. I finished another Shepherd's Bush Christmas ornament from a Just CrossStitch ornament issue. This is Mary and Joseph: Specs: Started 9/22/2020 Finished 9/26/2020 Pattern: Shepherd's Bush from the 2006 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue Modifications: replaced words with year and moved position of charm The kittens have been with us a whole month now. They are growing quickly. We love them so much!

 ...and a finished object. I'm making great progress completing the stitching for a bunch of small cross stitch projects. This is Frightful Halloween, a needleroll kit: Specs: Started 9/18/2020 Finished 9/22/2020 Kit from Shepherd’s Bush It's faster to make a pin cushion than a needleroll, so this will probably turn into a pin cushion.  I have quite a few small cross stitch things completed now. I just need to schedule a couple of finishing sessions. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Autumn Flame handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Started 9/20; working on singles Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Back to working on the first sleeve Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Still working on the tail Secret project (knitting) Still about 80% complete Works In Progress, Did Not Work On This Week: By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint) ...

 ...that week went by fast! I totally forgot Eye Candy Friday. Oops!  I think I was just so happy to see clouds, blue sky, and the sun again after 10 days of smokey haze.   What I worked on this weekend: It's cool enough to work on my knitted cardigan project. I'm working on one of the sleeves I'm nearing the end of my secret project, but I need to do a little blocking before I can do the final step. I started a Halloween needleroll that has many more stitches than the small projects I've been working on. I hope to finish it in the next couple of days.  I started a new handspun. It's Autumn Flame [ Ravelry ], a Merino-Bamboo-Silk top from Greenwood Fiberworks.

...little progress on my larger projects. I finished the Mermaid Sampler. Specs: Started 9/9/2020 Finished 9/14/2020 Kit from Shepherd’s Bush I started another mini cross stitch project. This is Hunt: WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Gatitas quilt (quilting) Started 9/15/2020 Hunt mini (cross stitch) Started 9/14/2020 Secret project (knitting) About 80% complete Works In Progress, Did Not Work On This Week: By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint) Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ] Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (cross stitch) Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Tucson Twilight (needlepoint) Waiting for Finishing: Deco Royale (quilting) Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Ghosts Gather Scissor Fob Have Ewe Any Wool pin cushion Mermaid Songs (quilting) Noche de los Muertos q...

 ...new kittens, fewer books read, more cross stitch. Finished: 8/2 Have Ewe Any Wool pin cushion (cross stitch) 8/20 Wee Seashore mini (cross stitch) 8/23 Christmas Foursome pillow (cross stitch) 8/26 Outlaw handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Merino-Silk (4 0z.) from Greenwood Fiberworks 216.67 yds. chain-ply; 13 WPI  8/30 Spooky Sheep mini (cross stitch) Books Death in the Off-Season , Francine Mathews Strong in the Broken Places, Quentin Vennie Shifting Shadows, Patricia Briggs Hideaway, Nora Roberts Death on Tuckernuck, Francine Mathews     Someone Else's Secret, Julia Spiro Shelter Mountain, Robyn Carr Started: 8/1 Have Ewe Any Wool pin cushion (cross stitch) 8/3 Christmas Foursome pillow (cross stitch) 8/3 Wee Seashore mini (cross stitch) 8/12 Outlaw handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 8/24 Spooky Sheep mini (cross stitch) IDJ (It's Dead, Jim): Estrella Marina Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] ...

 ...and a little eye candy. It is so hazy from the smoke in the air. I was afraid that I wouldn't get any decent photos because of it, but I got a couple. This is a pink hibiscus in our courtyard: and this is an orange nasturtium in our backyard: I finished the Sparrow scissor fob: Specs: Started 9/6/2020 Finished 9/6/2020 Kit from Ewe & Eye & Friends I've been spending so much time out of the studio that my big projects are falling behind. I hope to have the kittens into the studio at some point, but right now they are still at the stage of chewing and scratching everything. There are too many dangling yarns, quilt binding, etc. in the studio. I seriously need to do some kitten-proofing before I can bring them in.

 ...lots of cross stitch happening while I stay in the house to be with the new kittens. I'm working on another scissor fob. This is Sparrow: I bought this kit at a cross stitch festival in the '90s. I will probably finish the stitching today. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting) Pieced the binding. This top will now go into the Finishing Work pile Sparrow scissor fob (cross stitch) Started 8/31/2020 Works In Progress, Did Not Work On This Week: By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint) Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ]  Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (cross stitch) Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ]  Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Secret project (knitting) Tucson Twilight (needlepoint) Waiting for Finishing: Deco Royale (quilting) - waiting for batting Finishing work ...

 ...Happy Labor Day! I finished the top of the Noche de los Muertos quilt: Specs: Started 5/5/2020 Finished 9/6/2020 Day of the Dead fabrics No pattern I also finished a scissor fob. This is Peter Pumpkin: Specs: Started 8/31/2020 Finished 9/6/2020 Kit from Ewe & Eye & Friends It's been too hot to work on anything but cross stitch. I hope the weatherman is correct and it gets cooler after today!

 ...blog and run. It's my birthday and I have things to do. :) We have more things growing in the backyard now. There are orange marigolds: There are dwarf astroemeria: and superbells

 ...no photos this week. I'm having too much fun with the new kitties! WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting) Sewed 4 rows of blocks; two more to go. Secret project (knitting) Continued knitting Pumpkin Scissor Fob (cross stitch) Started 8/31/2020 Works In Progress, Did Not Work On This Week: By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint) Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ]  Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (cross stitch) Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ]  Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Tucson Twilight (needlepoint) Waiting for Finishing: Deco Royale (quilting) - waiting for batting Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Ghosts Gather Scissor Fob Have Ewe Any Wool pin cushion Mermaid Songs (quilting) - waiting for batting Tiny Garden needle roll (cross stitch) Wee Seashore (cross stitch) UFOs/Hibernation: Be My ...