Livin' La Needle Loca

 ...I missed last week, oops. :) I'm enjoying all of the color in our backyard. The plumbago is going strong: The pink dahlias are starting to bloom: As are the canna lilies: The sunflowers are popping up: and the vervain appears here and there. The cats love watching the lizards sun themselves by the bedroom window in the morning. It's real kitty TV our there!

 ...and a finished object. This is Happy Bluebird, another mini cross stitch piece from Just Nan: Specs: Happy Bluebird mini Started 5/24/2025 Finished 6/23/2025 Chart and charm from Just Nan WIPs Roll Call Worked On: August 1997 Hat-of-the-Month (cross stitch) Started 6/23/2025 Japan Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ]  Started 6/18; finished singles Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Did a little block rearranging Mom's cookbook (cooking) Added 20 more recipes to the app. I'm down to the last 2 recipes - the most complex of her recipes. Peacock Zen Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Started 6/22/2025; working on singles No Work This Week: California Red Poppy Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ]   Sky Lanterns Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Website (other)  Ready for Finishing: Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Happy Pumpkin needleroll (cross stitch...

...it's been a slow week.  I've had trouble getting into my WIPs. I keep getting distracted by potential new projects. And yet, I haven't started anything new... I've been working on another Just Nan cross stitch project, on and off. This is Happy Bluebird as of today: WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Happy Bluebird mini (cross stitch) Working my way around the purple flowers. Mom's cookbook (cooking) Added 18 more recipes to the app - I'm working on the recipes starting with S. Sky Lanterns Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Finished first pattern section. Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Put this back up on the quilt wall after I finished the Road to Chaos top. Worked on queueing more projects. No Work This Week: California Red Poppy Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ]   Website (other)  Ready for Finishing: Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Happy Pumpkin needleroll (cross stitch) ...

...and the end of a very trying week. I'm keeping away from the news as much as I can without being completely ignorant. So much wrong going on. :( The garden continues to bring us joy. The apricots are a day or two away from being completely ripe.  This new tree has more fruit than it did last year, but still not enough to feed us and the squirrels. Those @&%! rodents are stealing the fruit already. The hydrangeas are blooming in different colors: And the blanket flowers (gaillardia) are going strong. The Love-in-the-Mist flowers are in different states - some in bloom and some setting seed pods. It looks like aliens invaded the garden. :)

...with a finished object. I finished the top for The Road to Chaos quilt.  Specs: Started 2/10/2025 Top completed  6/11/2025 Pattern: Yellow Brick Road by Atkinson with some modifications Fabric: Happy Hour March 2020 Fat Quarter pack from The Granary; Grunge Basics in Blue Steel from Moda  I now have 3 quilt tops ready for sandwiching. My only problem now is that I need to buy the batting for the quilts.I used to get the batting from JoAnn, but with the company in bankruptcy and all the stores closed, I need to find a new local source. I've already tried the local quilt store, but they don't have enough in stock. I may have to order from an online source. WIPs Roll Call Worked On:  Mom's cookbook (cooking) Added 19 more recipes to the app. Worked on queueing more projects. No Work This Week: California Red Poppy Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ]   Happy Bluebird mini (cross stitch) Look Through My W...

 ...and finished objects! I've been spinning singles for a couple of weeks for 3 different tops. My go-to is always Falkland from The Yarn Wench. This is Simplicity [ Ravelry ]: and the close-up: < Specs: Started 5/24/2025 Finished 6/4/2025 Falkland (4.0 oz.) from The Yarn Wench 81.25 yds., Bulky  I found a few pencil rovings in my stash. This one caught my eye because it's the color of the primroses in our backyard and it's name. This is Primroses [ Ravelry ]:  and the close-up: Specs: Started 5/26/2025 Finished 6/5/2025 Corriedale pencil roving (8.0 oz.) from Crown Mountain Farms Skein 1) 114.6 yds. Skein 2) 106.25 yds. 10 WPI  In the garden, the Love-in-the-Mist is popping up everywhere: And the chocolate sunflowers are blooming: We have a bunch of fruit ripening on our trees, like the Blenheim apricots. (Can't wait for these!)  Here's hoping that the squirrels and birds let us have some!

 ...I totally spaced on what day of the week it was.  Sorry no photos this week.   WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Amethyst Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 5/30 Started; completed singles. Mom's cookbook (cooking)  Added 18 more recipes. Primroses Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Singles finished; ready for plying. Road to Chaos, was Color Chaos quilt and Brighter Day (quilting) Settled on block arrangement; starting to add borders between blocks. Simplicity Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Started plying. Website (other) Edited a couple of pages; site is almost completely updated. No Work This Week: California Red Poppy Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ]   Happy Bluebird mini (cross stitch) Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Mom's cookbook (cooking) Ready for Finishing: Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) Happy Pumpkin needleroll (cross stitch) Herding Cats quilt (quilting) La Cat-trina quilt (quilting) Peaceful Night (cr...

 ...finished a few things, started a few things, and read a few books. Finished: 5/7/ Red Alder Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] 4.0 oz. Merino-Tencel from Greenwood Fiberworks 235.4 yds chain-ply, 14 WPI 5/12 Teal No-Noro Hat (knitting) [ Ravelry ] 5/13 La-Catrina Quilt top (quilting)  5/22 The Sea Merchant's Wife (cross stitch) Books: 25 Alive, James Patterson The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf, Heather G Harris The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren, Heather G Harris The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee, Heather G Harris The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist, Heather G Harris The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag, Heather G Harris Cheater Slicks, Hailey Edwards The Wolf vs. the Monster, Lauretta Hignett For the Love of Summer, Susan Mallery Started: 5/24 Happy Bluebird mini (cross stitch) 5/24 Simplicity Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ]  5/26 Primroses Handspun (s...