Livin' La Needle Loca

 ...more cat toys, this time for other people's pets. I made 7 catnip miss for a friend and some relatives. I need to mail two of them and another two will go to a local friend. I the feeling of accomplishment. I can now swap over and work on some of my larger projects.

 ...I'm still here. A week ago on Saturday (7/21), I went to my Mom's for a few days. It was a mentally-intense 5 days and it took me a couple of days to recover from it. So, what's happened in the last week? The Daughter visited us the following Saturday (7/28) to celebrate my birthday early. My birthday always falls around Labor Day weekend. (I was actually born on Labor Day.) As a result, people always have plans so we frequently celebrate early or late. This year, we celebrated with fresh peach pie and lemon meringue pie (my favorite). I worked on a few more catnip mice. A friend asked for 4 of them. When my sister saw me working on them, she asked for one for her kitty, and my great-nephew wants one for his new kitty. I love knitting these mice because they are a fast knit. I love seeing quick results! Yesterday, marked one year since we adopted our cats, Canela and Cassia. They have brought so much joy to my life! Canela is the...

 ...blog and run. I had some computer problems today and I'm still playing catch-up. Here is a collage of the finishing work I completed on 8/20/2020: Row 1: 2012 Christmas Ornament by Shepherd's Bush; 2013 Christmas Ornament by Shepherd's Bush; Blue Moon from Sunflower Samplings Row 2: Summer Stroll by Just Nan; My Fair Lady Bug from Just Nan; Mermaid Heart by Just Nan; Signs of Summer by Bent Creek Row 3: Mermaid Heart by Just Nan; Beach Roses by Just Nan; By The Sea sampler (as a flat picture);

 ...and I'm having a little trouble focusing on my crafts. I'm bouncing from project to project, doing a little here and there. As a result, it's taking me longer than normal to complete the finishing work. Here's the last one in the current batch: I hope to complete it today. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Finishing work for 9 cross stitch pieces (sewing) Working on the last one. Singularity Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Added more rows. Sirens of the Sea sampler (cross stitch) Working on row 4. No Work This Week: Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint)  Pacific Waters tapestry (weaving) [ Ravelry ]  Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Queued Ready to machine quilt: - Mermaid Songs (quilting) - Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting) Ready to start - Lilith of...

 ...because kitties need toys! Having several large or time-consuming projects in process can be a little daunting sometimes. Yesterday, I just couldn't deal with any of them, so I looked for something quick to do. I notices that the old catnip mousie that I'd made for Sombra (my sweet angel kitty) had a hole in it - Cassia can be quite rough with her toys! I decided to make two new mousies, one for each of the cats. I found some left-over teal variegated yarn and some leftover fuchsia yarn. Here are the new catnip mousies [ Ravelry ]: Specs: Started 8/15/2021 Finished 8/16/2021 Pattern:  Catnip Friends by Barbara Albright in “Odd Ball Knitting: Creative Ideas for Leftover Yarn” Yarn: leftover worsted weight These knit up quickly and were perfect for that sense of accomplishment!

 ...blog and run. Frida Kahlo rose Red okra Pineapple lily

 ...and I'm making slow progress on several things. I started a new cross stitch piece. This is Sirens of the Sea: When I bought this project, I didn't realize that there was a lot of one-over-one work in it. Normally, I avoid one-over-one because it's a pain, but I'm actually enjoying it on this project. One reason is the fabric that I'm using. It's an overdyed Jobelan that I bought at a cross stitch festival several years ago. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Finishing work for 9 cross stitch pieces (sewing) Sewed and stuffed all pieces. Made the cording for all items. Completed Blue Moon mini. Pure Comfort Cardigan (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Finally recovered from the error that caused me to unknit several inches of the shawl collar. Back to making progress again. Singularity Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Added a few more rows.  Sirens of the Sea sampler (cross stitch) Started 8/2. Complete...

 ...July is always a big month because of Tour de Fleece. Finished: 7/1 Violet Honey handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Falkland (4.3 oz.) from The Yarn Wench 82.3yds. 3 ply, super-bulky 2 plies Falkland and 1 ply Coco yarn in color 005 by Lana Grossa 7/2 Wild Orchid Orange handspun [ Ravelry ] Falkland top (4.1 oz.) from The Yarn Wench 82.3 yds. 2-ply, super-bulky Plied with Luna yarn in Copper from Trendsetter 7/4 Ripe Fig handspun [ Ravelry ] Falkland (4.4 oz.) from The Yarn Wench 61.2 yds. chain-ply, Bulky weight 7/5 Dusk Violet handspun [ Ravelry ] Merino (3.9 oz.) and Firestar (2.1 oz) from The Yarn Wench 35.9 yds. 2-ply, super-bulky Plied with YLI Machine-quilting thread in Jewel  7/10 Black Mulberry handspun [ Ravelry ] Merino top (4.1 oz.) from The Yarn Wench 44.3 yds. 2-ply, super-bulky Plied with Heavenly yarn in 2159 from Trendsetter 7/12 Bronze Violet handspun [ Ravelry ] Falkla...

 ...from our garden. Orange dahlia Veronica Stokesia laevis And from a neighbor's yard, a morning glory. <

 ...and I started something new! I needed a new project to work on during my Knit Night video meeting. I bought this project at Stitches West 2018. This is the beginning of the Singularity Shawl [ Ravelry ]. I spent a lot of time yesterday pulling fabrics so I can start the finishing work the cross stitch projects that I've finished in the last few months. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) Working on machine quilting Finishing work (sewing) Beach Roses (cross stitch) By the Sea needle roll (cross stitch) Do You Hear ornament (cross stitch) I Saw Christmas ornament (cross stitch) My Fair Ladybug mini (cross stitch) Mermaid Heart mini (cross stitch) Signs of Summer (cross stitch)  Summer Stroll mini (cross stitch) Singularity Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Started 8/2/2021 No Work This Week: Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window ...

...Happy August! I finished my Ravellenics WIPs Wrestling project! This is my Marionberry Shawl [ Ravelry : Specs: Started 6/13/2020 Finished 8/1/2021 Pattern:  Asbury Park Shawl by Sarah Punderson Yarn: Yummy 2-Ply in Livid by Miss Babs Today, I placed the last few beads and finished Summer Stroll: Specs: Started 7/22/2021 Finished 8/2/2021 Design by Just Nan