Livin' La Needle Loca

...and I'm playing a little catch-up now that I'm home. I didn't take many photos while I was at mom's, but I did capture this evening sky: The hollyhocks bloomed while I was gone: And it looks like we're going to have more pomegranates this year:

 ...no photos because I'm at Mom's for a few days and don't have access to most of my projects. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Pacific Waters tapestry (weaving) [ Ravelry ] Added another 2 inches Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Still working on the shawl collar; 15 inches to go! It sounds like a lot, but it's a long sweater. Mermaid Heart (cross stitch) Started 5/20/2021 (need to verify date when I get home) No Work This Week: Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint)  Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ]   Mermaid and the Sea (cross stitch) Queued Ready to machine quilt: - Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) - Mermaid Songs (quilting) - Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting) Ready to start - Lilith of Labrador mermaid (cross stitch) Waiting for Finishing: By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Do You Hear ornament (cross stitch) Finishing work for some...

 ...another fast week. I haven't processed all of the aquarium photos yet, but I did manage to do one: On a recent walk, I went by my favorite salvia spathacea. A neighbor has them planted in near the street: New to our yard are these Veronica flowers: and phlox:

 ...no photos this week. While (and because) I've been working on several projects, none of them look significantly different than last week. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ] Knit a few more rows Mermaid and the Sea (cross stitch) Still working on the large mermaid motif. Pacific Waters tapestry (weaving) [ Ravelry ] Tapestry is now 12 inches long Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Added another inch to the shawl collar No Work This Week: Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint)  Queued Ready to machine quilt: - Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) - Mermaid Songs (quilting) - Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting) Ready to start - Lilith of Labrador mermaid (cross stitch) Waiting for Finishing: By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Do You Hear ornament (cross stitch) Finishing work for some old crewel pic...

 ...and it's a little one. This is My Fair Ladybug, a cross stitch mini. Specs: Started 515/2021 Finished 5/17/2021 Pattern by Just Nan I needed to have something small to work on in between the large projects. Between the weaving, sweater, and shawl projects, I need the relief. I'll probably start another small project for the same reason.

 ...and the days are getting warmer. Many flowers are blooming. This is ixia: Dianthus: Coreopsis and Strawberry Blonde calendula: t> I hope to take my spinning wheel outside and ejoy the sunshine.

 ...busy month working on existing projects. Finished: 4/3 By the Sea Sampler (cross stitch)  Framed Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Books Dervishes Don’t Dance, Kim McDougall Cream Puff Murder, Joanne Fluke An Invincible Summer, Mariah Stewart Gingerdead House, Nancy Warren Crumbs and Misdimeanors, Nancy Warren Moment of Truth, Hailey Edwards Death in a Cold Hard Light, Francine Mathews Darkest Moon, Linsey Hall Wild Hunt, Linsey Hall Started: 4/4 The Mermaid and The Sea sampler (cross stitch) Works In Progress: Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Malachite (needlepoint) Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ]  Mermaid and the Sea (cross stitch) Pacific Waters tapestry (weaving) [ Ravelry ] Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Queued Ready to machine quilt: - Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) - Mermaid Songs (quilting) - Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting) ...

...and I'm starting to bounce between projects again. I cycled the tapestry back into the rotation again. After weaving a few inches, I decided that a name change was needed because the colors were flowing differently than I anticipated. I have renamed it "Pacific Waters" [ Ravelry ]. This is what it looks like this morning: WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ] Had to pull out another pattern repeat because the open areas weren't lining up. Mermaid and the Sea (cross stitch) Working on the large mermaid motif. Pacific Waters tapestry (weaving) [ Ravelry ] Tapestry is now 10.5 inches long No Work This Week: Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint)  Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Queued Ready to machine quilt: - Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) - Mermaid Songs (quilti...

 ...posting was the last thing that I could get done. On Thursday, we took a day trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They were finally able to open after the COVID shutdown. The first 2 weeks are strictly for members and after that they will open to the general public. I decided that I needed to make a jellyfish mask just for our visit. :) We enjoyed our time at the aquarium, as always. We capped off our visit by enjoying lunch at a Cannery Row  restaurant. It was the first time that we went to a restaurant in over a year. It was a little unnerving, but the restaurant had all of their COVID protocols in place and our table was close to the patio entrance. We had a wonderful meal! We took a drive along the shoreline to Asilomar Beach.  It was a beautiful day in Monterey!  I finally finished the Deco Royale quilt. I'll think twice next time I decide to hand-sew the border! Specs: Started 4/14/2020 Top Finished 4/17/2020 Patter...

 ...and I've been concentrating on one project. I finished burying all the threads on the back of the Deco Royale quilt. I'm hand-sewing the binding to the back of the quilt. I've finished about a third of it. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Deco Royale (quilting) Nearly done with the machine quilting. No Work This Week: Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint)  Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry ]  Mermaid and the Sea (cross stitch) Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Tapestry (weaving) [ Ravelry ] Queued Ready to machine quilt: Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) Mermaid Songs (quilting) Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting) Lilith of Labrador mermaid (cross stitch) Ready to start Waiting for Finishing: By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Do You Hear ornament (cross stitch) Finishing work for some old crewe...

 ...hooray! I've tried a few times to spin or craft in my courtyard to enjoy pleasant days or to escape my studio when it's too hot inside. It's never worked because most outdoor furniture has arms that get in the way. Also, I'm short so a lot of furniture is too big and my feet don't touch the ground. After banging my elbows or straining my back because I have to sit on the edge of a too-large chair, I just give up.  The Husband and I have been on a quest for finding an arm-less outdoor chair or one that has a wide enough seat that my elbows won't hit. Of course, the other criteria is that it didn't cost some ungodly amount. (He saw one for $1,600.00 - we didn't spend that much on our inside furniture!) We found some modular outdoor furniture at Lowes that was just right. While we couldn't buy just one module, the entire 5-piece set (3 modules and 2 small tables) was very reasonably priced and we bought it. We cleaned...