Two finishes, a sort of finish and progress

 I think I could get used to a 4-day workweek.  I have started taking my built up leave and rather than taking big chunks of time I do have some of that planned I decided to take Fridays off.  Between the vacation Fridays and my normal Friday off, I think I'm working a 4-day week for the next month.   I shouldn't get too used to it, but it is nice.

So, what have I been doing since my last post?  Pretty much the same things I've been doing since the middle of March - working, stitching and making.  My biggest project to date was last Friday.  I did some straightening/moving-stuff-around in the basement and set up my cutting table and moved a desk and some shelves and created a crafting area.  I don't know why it took me 13 years to figure out that there was plenty of room in the full-house basement for my craft "room".  The basement isn't climate controlled so I don't feel comfortable storing paper or fabric down there but it is nice to have space to cut things out and craft/make without crawling around on the floor or having cats walking across my working materials.  

After finishing Cassie's stocking, I fed my startitis a bit and started and finished these two smalls:

These are Little Blue Caravan and Little Red Caravan from Over the River from The Cricket Collection.  They are stitched on 28-count Star Sapphire with the called for DMC and Kreinik.  There are two more patterns in the leaflet and as these two turned out so cute, I'm going to do them too.  Not sure what I'll do with them when they're done but they will make a cute addition to the finished box.

The sort of finish (I'm calling it a sort of finish as I didn't do any stitching, just said enough) is this:

This is the Sampler Life SAL.  I started it back in 2015(?) when the SAL started and I kept up with it until that tiger block.  It took me forever to finish it and I lost interest.  I did finish up 4 more blocks and then it came to a screeching halt.  I pulled it out again last night and figured out how I was going to finish it up but once I started stitching I was just not feeling it - at all.  So I cut off the block that was below the tiger and am calling this done.  I can't remember what fabric I used - maybe a Light Examplar from Lakeside Linens.  I used mostly the called for DMCs except for the one that's done in a varigated - can't remember what that one is either.  The first block in the second row was not part of the SAL - it is Debi's Roses from Chatelaine Designs.  It was rather liberating to say "I'm done" and not push myself to finish something I wasn't "feeling" anymore.

I also put some stitches into Santa and the Mouse.  The last photo that I took had it here:

And now it's here:

That little blob on the left is the mouse.  According to Pattern Keeper I am 24.7% done with this one.  It's stitched on 28-count white Monaco with the called for DMCs one-over-one full crosses.  I didn't do all this in the last three weeks, but I can't find an intermediate picture.

I made the most progress on Temperature Tree from Stitchin Mommy (her Etsy shop is StitchinMommy).  I hadn't picked this up since March when I went OAAT on baby things.  It went from here:

to all caught up I have a few leaves to add but will do them on Sunday

I'm doing this on an 18-count Light Fiddlers or it might be Fiddlers Light with the called for DMCs.  Once the trunk and branches were done, the leaves were a breeze.

I started Lizzie*Kate's Needle Nick

He's done on 28-count Natural Light linen with the DMC conversion.  I am on the fence on using the called for Wisper for his beard and the pompom.  I dislike Wisper on the best of days, but I do like the effect it gives. I have a really cute finishing idea in my head - will see if it translates to real life. :-)

I also: finished up the crocheted balls for Vance and Calder; am about half way done with the foot of my second sock; cut out Christmas stockings, a pillow and LOTS of bags; started a shawl for DNiece; and, plan to start another throw this afternoon.  Before you ask, yes, this was my normal crafting/making output before I moved to Virginia.  Because it's just The Hubs and me, once dinner is done, my work day is done.  I currently have 4 to 6 hours each evening plus weekends for me.  I choose to stitch, craft or make.  Once I'm back in the office, my total weekly crafting time will be about what I have in two evenings now so I am fitting in as much as I can. 

If you or your family were in the path of Laura, or are impacted by the wildfires out west, I hope you are all safe.  Everybody, stay safe and healthy.

 

It's August?

 It happened again - I've lost an entire month.  Poof, just like that, it was here and gone.  Although I have to say that July was not that different from June, so go back and look at one of my posts from June, did I do one?, and you'll have my July and probably August too.  

I'm still working from home and enjoying it.  The extra sleep has done wonders and the time in the evening for crafting has been wonderful.  I did have to go into the office one day to pack things up as  someone decided that the planned mass moves must continue.  Despite the size of my building - it's two city blocks long and one wide - there was a time when it was hard to find office space for new people so they were put as close to their division as possible or they were just left in their old space.  In an effort to get everyone in a division together and reduce our per person square footage so an office that had one person in it might have two or three now - perfect for keeping social distance, we are doing a massive office shuffle hence the packing up of my stuff.  Fortunately, I had done a fairly extensive paper file purge a few months ago so I didn't have a lot to pack so it didn't take too long.  It was strange being in the building though.  While the number of people that actually work in the building has dropped over the years most of our recent hires are remote workers there was always that background hum that any office has.  When I went in there was nothing.  No working sounds, no smells when walking past the cafeteria, no people, nothing.  The only person I saw the entire time I was in the building was the security guard when I badged in and out.  Very spooky.

That trip to DC is the total of my excitement for July.

Oh wait!  I did go to Joann's for fabric for Grady's stocking and Cassie's birth announcement pillow.  I was shocked at how low their stock of fabric was.  I don't know if it is all Joann's or just that one but there were entire racks that were empty can you tell that I don't get out much?  Other than one trip into the grocery store this was the first shopping trip I had made since March.  I did find fabric for both and just need to get myself finishing them.

I also stitched and knit and planned and watched a lot of  television.  I watched every episode of Time Team (I may have missed one or two), through season 6 of Digging for Britain and tons of YouTube.  I have my usual stitching and knitting channels but I am absolutely hooked on Bernadette Banner.  I have absolutely no idea why I find someone making period clothing so fascinating.

For stitching I worked on and FINISHED Cassie's stocking.  It went from here:

to here:

This is Vintage Baubles by Shannon Christine Designs.  It's done on a 28-count white Lugana with the called for DMC, Kreinik and beads.  I also used Petite Treasure Braid for some of the backstitching.  The stocking as charted does not have a space for the name so I stitched the bottom of the row of baubles with the name to be level with the tops on the previous row, stitched Cassie's name and wasn't that fun?  I found the 50's style font on Etsy and thought it fit the style of the stocking perfectly. Charted out "Cassimera" and then started counting to center.  In total the name had 117 stitches, well there were only 98 in the stocking - and no I don't know why I didn't think of that while I was charting - so I ended up doing her name over-1 and then did the top third of the baubles.  Doing that added a row or two to the stocking but not enough to impact the overall shape.  The other change I made was the backstitching.  The pattern called for all the ornaments to be backstitched in 3371.  That didn't appeal to me so instead I used the darkest of each color group and PTB for the tops.  Once the stitching was done  I beaded, for almost a week I beaded - sooo many beads.  I just need to find fabric for the backing and cording I'm thinking a pink to continue with the mid-century modern color scheme and settle down to sew.  I have a doctor's appointment on Monday and there's a Joann's around the corner from their office so will stop in on my way home.

With the commitment stitching done, I'm taking a bit of time and just doing what I want as far as crafting for a little while.  I have started a couple of ornaments but forgot to take a picture and The Hubs has my phone right now because it's Pokemon Community Day or something and he can explain a whole lot better than I what he's doing - I just walk around collecting he worries about stardust, etc.  I'm also crocheting a bunch of balls for Calder and Vance for their birthday.  I have one done and another about half done. I'm using Red Heart Super Saver yarn and a small hook so while it makes a very strong ball, it's very tough on my hands so can't do a lot at once.

I've also did some knitting.  I was working on the foot of my first sock when I posted last.  I finished the first one and am now ready to do the heel flap on the second.  

There are some issues of fit with the first sock, but I think some of that may be down to my tension. I was tense while knitting so my gauge is very tight I think I was close to 10.5 stitches on 2.25mm needles.  I was going to make the changes to the second sock but then decided I needed to make them as close to the same as possible as they are a pair.  I also need to practice my toe grafting - my Kitchnering was rubbish.  I understand the hows but my carry through left a lot to be desired.

And that's it for July and part of August.  I plan to get my rotation going again and I really want to start everything a couple of new projects  Hope you are all staying safe and well.