A New Start

Hey Blog Buddies,

First, I'd like to welcome all my new followers from the Grow Your Blog party--glad you're here.  That was so much fun!  There were so many new blogs to check out that I am still making my way through them.
 
Regarding the title of this post:  oh no, not another new start?  Yes, it's true.  It's not enough that I have ten active WIPs in my rotation this year (several of them BAPs) but I have started a new Stitch-a-Long.  It's the Nordic Needle Canvaswork Club, and Laura J. Perin has designed one of her long panels for it...

 

How cute is this?

I debated long and hard about this one,

because I really didn't want any more new projects.

But I liked it so much that I ordered it

at the end of December. 

Each month I'll receive

a chart and instructions to do

a piece of the panel.

This is the January piece--all finished!

All the multi-colored stars were done in 

Watercolours "Passion." 

It didn't take me long to do at all.

I don't have the February piece yet,

but from a glance at the photo of the model,

it looks like it will feature 

a lot of the gold metallic ribbon.

I've also been working diligently on my

regular rotation--believe it or not,

but I'm going to save those photos

for the Turtle Trot check-in

coming next week.

I do have an ornament to show you,

that I couldn't before

because it was a gift.

 This is one of the Lizzie*Kate Jingles patterns.

It was such a modest little design

that I felt it should be tarted up

with some fabric and rick rack.

Finally, I finished stitching

LHN's Home of a Needleworker

some time last summer

and I purchased a really nice frame for it

shortly thereafter,

but it took me until last week

to actually get myself in gear

and frame it.

Now it's hanging on my wall

instead of languishing in a bag

on my desk.

Finally, I have a snow picture for you.

It's of our backyard.

 Is it pretty?  Uh... no.

 When we get several inches of snow,

I have to go out and shovel paths in the yard.

Because we have a dog.

And I don't have snowshoes.

And you just can't leave all that "stuff"

laying there between the layers of snow

until the April or May (the way things are going) melt-off!

Well, you could, but eewwww!

There's more snow predicted for tonight,

so you'll know what I'll be doing tomorrow.

And even more snow is predicted for

this coming weekend, along with very cold temps.

90 percent of what I had planned in January

was cancelled--along with everyone else's events in this area.

And February is shaping up to be

more of same.

Enough already!!

(rant over--I've been very cranky lately)

On the bright side,

guess my WIPs will continue to get

lots and lots of love.

That's it from here.

Thanks for visiting!

In Search of a Starlet

Hey Blog Buddies,

This past weekend was the annual More on 34 garage sale.  Many towns along Route 34 participate--from Aurora to Galesburg.  There is an Internet web site listing participating towns, with addresses of vendors and lists of what you can find.  I became quite interested when I saw that a vendor in Somonauk had several Schwinn ladies' bicycles from the 1960's.  I currently have a 3-speed bike with hand brakes, but would really like to get a one-speed with coaster brakes, something like the one below.

The Starlet wasn't the most high-end bike that Schwinn made,

but this particular model

was pimped out (can I say that??!!!) with

headlight, tank, carrier and whitewall tires.

It was a beautiful dusty rose and white--truly a great bike.

Is there a bike that has a special place in your heart?

 

So we left the house at the crack of dawn (8:10 a.m.)

and headed toward Route 34.

 

It was even a little too early for Molly,

seen here trying to catch a nap in the back seat of the car.

 

 

We had gorgeous weather, and no traffic gridlock

(once we left the Chicago metro area).

 

Alas, the address in Somonauk did not exist,

and the few bikes I did see were not suitable.

But this didn't put a damper on our spirits.

After all, you never know what you'll find at a garage sale.

The towns along  Route 34 were filled with friendly people,

and some real bargains.

Here are my garage sale finds:

 

3 books...

 

...and the cutest little sewing box that

I hadn't known that I needed until I saw it.

 

It came with all these threads and notions.

I thought $4 was a great price!

 

And after all this excitement,

I even managed a stitching finish this weekend.

 

Little House Needleworks' Home of a Needleworker (too!)

stitched on 32-count cream linen

with the called-for Crescent Colors threads.

 

Well, that's it from here.

Hope you had a marvelous weekend.

And thanks for visiting!

To Stitch or To Knit?

Hey Blog Buddies,
Both stitching and knitting were vying for my attention this past week (which is weird because "I don't knit")!  But 2013 is turning out to be kinda weird all the way around for me so far.  How I solved the problem was--I did a little of both.  I'll show you the knitting first:

This is a pretty big project (for me).

It's going to be a cowl, and the circular needles

are 32 inches long.

I believe I cast on enough for a 40" cowl (159 stitches),

so I can double it up when I wear it,

which will probably not happen until next winter.

I have two skeins of yarn,

and I'm just going to knit until they are both used up!

It's a nice, mindless piece.

The yarn is Malabrigo Merino Worsted again,

 a bit darker than what I used for my mittens,

but certainly in the same color family.

And yes, the piece is all seed stitch.

Stitchers, don't you fret--

I have something for you, too.

Most of you will recognize this as

Little House Needlework's ever-popular

Home of a Needleworker (Too).

I've had this kitted up for a while now,

and it was on my 2013 to-stitch list.

The only things I have left to do are

the house and all the flowering vines.

Oh yes, and the bird's legs!

I used 32-count Belfast Antique Ivory linen

instead of the called-for 28-count,

and it's still working up a bit larger than I thought it would.

The 9" of snow we got last Tuesday is all but gone now.

We've had rain much of this past weekend

in addition to the warmer weather,

so flooding is an issue, but no water in the house yet.

Molly has demanded a rubber raft

because she sleeps downstairs!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Thanks so much for visiting!