Livin' La Needle Loca

 ...rolling into a long weekend. The habaneros have produced a big enough crop that the Husband made a couple of jars of hot sauce. Another dahlia has bloomed in the backyard: The Husband is refreshing the garden with new flowers.  We now have hebe: and coneflowers:

 ...and a finished object. I finished Witchy Dreams: Specs: Started 7/24/2024 Finished 8/27/2024 Pattern by Barbara Ana Design WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Underwater City (cross stitch) Started 8/27 The Sea Merchant's Wife (cross stitch) Preparing fabric No Work This Week: Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Ocean Ripples Wrap (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Sky Lanterns Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Queued: The Sea Merchant's Wife (cross stitch) Ready for Finishing: Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Collector's Heart 2024 (cross stitch) Crystal Heart mini (cross stitch) Dreaming Cleo (cross stitch)  Frost Flower mini (cross stitch) Jasmine Mix mini (cross stitch) Pearl Orchid mini (cross stitch) Tulip Time mini (cross stitch) Winged Dreams (cross stitch)  Witchy Dreams (cross stitch) UFOs/Hibernation: Bear Paw pottery (needlepoint) California Red Poppy Handspun (spinning...

 ...in which I celebrate my birthday a little early. First, a look at our garden path on a cloudy August morning. My birthday is coming up and I've been wanting to get a new sewing machine for a while. I love my Pfaff 7550, but it's getting kind of old. I bought it in 1997, exactly 27 years ago today. It is a great machine and used to interface with my Mac so I could design my own stitches. That capability went away within a few years. My biggest concern is that the computer is going to give out and there probably won't be any replacements for it. Pfaff was purchased by Singer and I doubt that they'll support a 1997 machine. My favorite Pfaff feature is the Integrated Dual Transportation (IDT)--built-in dual feed and I wanted to stick with Pfaff because of it. I found a dealer who could service my Pfaff and also sells Pfaffs. I had a couple of models in mind. I was a little disheartened when the dealer told me about the declining quality ...

 ...the day got away from me. No photos this time. I was busy kitting my next Mirabilia mermaid and my next cross stitch project by Barbara Ana Designs. I'm also trying to find a place that will service my sewing machine. My favorite place closed last year. My next choice does not currently have a service technician - apparently, they are only selling sewing machines and vacuum cleaners(?!). The search continues... WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Witchy Dreams (cross stitch) Working on the bottom half of the design No Work This Week: Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Ocean Ripples Wrap (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Sky Lanterns Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Queued: The Sea Merchant's Wife (cross stitch) Underwater City (cross stitch) Ready for Finishing: Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Collector's Heart 2024 (cross stitch) Crystal Heart mini (cross stitch) Dreaming Cleo (cross stitch)  Frost Flower mini (cross...

 ...and the weeks are flying by! Our sunflowers are still going strong: And our bougainvillea is starting to fill in:

 ...catching up. I finished Mermaid Lagoon socks [ Ravelry ] for the WIPs Wrestling event for Ravellenics 2024. Specs: Started 10/3/2023 Finished 8/4/2024 Pattern: Mermaid's Lagoon by Sadie Bellegarde Yarn: Socks That Rock Lightweight in Mermaid From Blue Moon Fiber Arts (Started with Pattern: Jellyfish by Cookie A Knitwear Designs) I was hoping to finish a second project for Ravellenics 2024, but I'd forgotten that we were going to a concert on the last day of the challenge. Oh, well! This is Forest Flowers [ Ravelry ]: and the close up: Specs: Started 8/9/2024 Finished 8/13/2024 4.0 oz. Merino-Tencel from Greenwood Fiberworks 226.1 yds. chain-ply 14 WPI WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Witchy Dreams (cross stitch) Working on the background motifs No Work This Week: Chaca II (needlepoint) Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Ocean Ripples Wrap (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Sky Lanterns Shawl (kni...

 ...and I'm back from another short trip to mom's. I'm tired and I need to catch up on some sleep. I have trouble sleeping during the day, so I have to make do with enjoying the flowers in the backyard and courtyard. The Husband bought a new planter with a nice arrangement: The canna lilies continue to bloom: And the Neil Diamond rose is blooming again:

 ...it was a Tour de Fleece month, so lots of spinning! Finished: 7/1 Copperhead Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 4.4 oz. Falkland from Yarn Wench 81.25 yds. chain-ply, 9 WPI 7/2 Techno Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 4.1 oz. Falkland from Yarn Wench 120.8 yds, Bulky Plied with Trendsetter Dune in 123 and auto wrapped with turquoise rayon thread 7/9 Sheen Handspun (spinning)  [ Ravelry ] 4.1 oz. BFL from Yarn Wench 89.6 yds., super-bulky Plied with Facets in 106 from Loops & Threads 7/10 Copper Hills Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 4.0 Merino superfine from Greenwood Fiberworks 241.7 yds, chain-ply; 13 WPI 7/12 Rose Sapphire Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 3.9 oz. Falkland from Yarn Wench 77.1 yds, chain-ply; 8 WPI 7/15 Plumpine Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 3.9 oz Falkland from Yarn Wench 37.5 yds 2-ply, coreless corespun, autowrappped with green and purple variegated rayon thread 7/15 Stanley Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 4.0 oz  Merino-bamboo-silk from ...