Buttonhole Scarf!

Knitting class went very well on Saturday. I called Beth H and we met up on Saturday morning and rode up to the knitting shop, Cloverhill Yarn, together. Beth and Kasey just hung around knitting with others who show up at the shop while I took my intro to knitting class. The class covered knitting basics such as casting on, knit, purl, and bind off. The project is a buttonhole scarf which I'm knitting with Noro silk. As you can see, I've managed to make my buttonhole and am slowly making progress. Overall the class was fun and I'm planning on making a few scarfs before moving onto a new project.

I did go by the Stitching Post and picked up a few patterns I had fell in love with. A while back I had ordered an older chart, 3 Things by Moira Blackburn. The verse is:

Three things there are

that will never come back.

The arrow shot forth

on its destined track,

The appointed hour that

could not wait, and

The helpful word that was spoken to late.

What truer words could be spoken! I also purchased the Tortoise and the Hare by Prairie Schooler and Cleaning the House by Lizzie Kate.

After the class, Beth and I went out for Sushi (for Beth) and Chinese (for me). Basically we had a girls day out and just talked, laughed and hung out with Beth's golden girl, Kasey. For those that aren't aware, Kasey is Beth's Golden Retriever who is also her certified service dog.

I'm looking forward to being able to start another project in the next few weeks so the big decision will be to decide what comes into the rotation. The project that will be introduced will be on the smaller side since I think I have enough BAPs at this time. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Stitching is still coming along as well. No new pictures to post at this point but I'm hoping to have my quilt square finished this week. I spent quite a bit of time this weekend reinforcing what I learned in the class on Saturday.

Weekly update

Wow! It has been humid, hot, hot, and hotter around here in Maryland this week. Temperatures reached upwards of 105 degrees Fahrenheit and when the heat index was factored in more around 109 degrees some days. The weather report is calling for some much needed precipitation this weekend and I sure hope it comes soon!

Well, as far as stitching I didn't get as much done as I had hoped to but I do have progress which is something that hasn't been that frequent around here. I still hope to get into a better rotation of projects but I guess I might have to ease into this idea and of course understand that the best laid plans can always fall awry.



The Jeremiah Junction piece that is being stitched for a quilt is coming along very well. I'm hoping to work on the rest of the outlining and detailing this weekend and that would leave some basic fill-in stitching in the center of the quilt to work on. I changed the colors around on this design a little bit but overall I'm pleased with the effect.

June is slowly coming to life on my Lizzie Kate Monthly series. I will be working on this more on this upcoming Sunday and hopefully will have the top portion of this design finished. I'm half tempted to start July after finishing up the design and leaving the back fill around the month for times when mindless stitching is needed.

Finally my Quaker sampler is coming along slowly but surely. I didn't find as much time to stitch on this as I had wanted but progress is progress.

I'm excited that I'll be attending a knitting class this weekend. I can do basic knitting but I become frustrated when I drop a stitch and can't fix it. Currently I can start a project but can only knit stitch and then finish off the needles. Hopefully this class will help me understand more and how to do both knit and purl at least. Beth H is planning on meeting up with me tomorrow morning and riding along to the knitting shop which is located in the same building as the cross stitch shop. We're figuring she can sit at the comfy couch and knit on her project; maybe peruse the stock there while I'm in the class. Then we can either hang out there for a while or head over to the Stitching Post (I need to visit anyway since something I ordered has arrived.) to fondle some more fibers.

Sue V gave me some wonderful skeins of cotton yarn for dish clothes which I am wanting to make for home and the camper. I might even make a few to tuck in with Christmas presents since everyone is assuring me they are so simple to make. We'll see.....

July Stitching Update

Stitching was very slow in June. Unfortunately, I didn't finish my monthly Lizzie Kate; so I need to make the needles smoke this month. In defense, I didn't have all the threads needed for the June pattern until I visited Haus Tirol at the end of the month when I went to see Sue V. In fact, I purchased the main color for the bee house when I was in Williamsburg but I couldn't find time to stop by my LNS to pick up the threads needed. I'm hoping to really make progress this month and catch up so when August arrives, I will be back on track.



Another piece is also demanding some attention this month. My one stitching group is working on a quilt and I'm stitching a Jeremiah Junction piece for my block. The piece is coming along pretty well so I think I should make the September deadline. This piece is being stitched on 14-count aida and I am stitching it with 3 threads of DMC.



I have decided to try a rotation to see if I can accomplish more stitching this way. After some consideration; I decided what pieces would be worked on what days. I'm planning on starting this Monday so I guess we'll see if this really works or not.



My other stitchy news is now I have almost all the colors for Sampler and Weeks threads! Beth H from Crossed Purposes, has decided to put down her cross stitching to explore the joys of knitting and was wanting to sell her threads. We sat down and came up with an agreeable price between us so I purchased her entire set of threads. I will look forward to stitching this year with so many colors to choose from!



Will post again soon with hopefully some more stitching progress. Have fun!