Before It Gets Crazy Here at the Meadow

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers for The Hubs' surgery.  It has been a long week, just to provide too much information, he had an AVM (Arteriovenus Malformation) in his brain.  It wasn't causing any problems, but there is a 2% to 3% chance each year that it could bleed or rupture, so it was best to have it removed.  Because The Hubs has the luck he does, neither of the easy options were good options so he had surgery.  It took 7-1/2 hours for the actual surgery, which was a bit longer than had been anticipated but the surgeon is confident they got the entire malformation.  The Hubs will need an arteriogram to confirm but  that will be some months down the road.  He has had issues with pain management which have kept him in the hospital for a couple of days longer than expected - yes can you believe? brain surgery on Monday and he was physically ready to be discharged Friday morning?!?  His surgeon is just amazing. Hopefully he'll be discharged tomorrow although given how wonderful he is as a patient, it might be better for my health if he stayed a while longer.

I didn't start the little kit I put together as the light in the waiting room, ICU and his hospital room was not very good and the chairs were not at all comfortable for long waits - we had to be there at 5:30 AM and didn't leave until almost 6:00 PM, but I did "build" my little cottage from The Nutmeg Company.

I still need to stitch the bugle beads on the corners to hid that join and put a ribbon on the top for hanging but it is, for all intents and purposes, done.  I also stitched two Christmas gifts, but I can't show you those yet and caught up on several months of magazine reading.

Before the craziness began, I was able to finish Eightsome Reel:

I started this about five years ago as my "lunch stitch" but started walking at lunch and this fell by the wayside.  It feels good to have a mid-age WIP finished.  Actually this is young for my WIPs as I am fairly sure there's one in the box that is almost 20.

I am not anticipating too much stitching this week, in between catering to running after caring for The Hubs I will be cyberworking so that I don't get too far behind on things - fortunately this time of year is a bit slow at work so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Bits of This, That and the Other

I have been remiss in welcoming and thanking my followers.  I really do appreciate that you take the time to read about my little corner of the world.

While blog reading, this caused immediate drooling caught my eye at the Bush Blog:

Hang a Shining Star from Sam Sarah Design Studio
Unknown Fabric and WDW fiber

I did a search and realized that I saw the release notice back in October.  It is charted to be stitched on WDW Morris Blue which seemed a bit bright at least to me for the piece

so I skimmed right over it.  It is amazing what a change in fabric can do for a piece.

Measi of Measi's Musings has decided to continue the WIPocalypse for 2013.  It's a fun, no stress SAL, so if you're interested click on over, sign ups should be open soon.  

On the stitching stand this week was:

Papillon Creations' Eightsome Reel
Stitched on 28-count Chai Tea Jobelan with a HDF conversion

I am so close to a finish on this, three rounds and a medallion, that I think I will keep it on the stand for the weekend rather than switch to the next piece in my rotation.  I'm not sure how much stitching time I will actually have, The Hubs is having major surgery on Monday, so I am prepping some pieces for finishing and kitting a small piece so that I have something to do in the waiting room and also for whatever time he's in the hospital. I don't imagine I will have too much time for stitching or finishing once he is home as he is the worst patient and will keep me running. And NO there will be no bell given to him for summoning purposes!!

One More Post

I hope those of you that celebrate had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Our turkey was done an hour and a half early causing a bit of stress while trying to get everything else ready and on the table.  I don't know why I was surprised as it seems to have become a tradition for it to be done significantly earlier than the recipes all call for.  I have had the same problem in three different ovens, so it's not the oven.  I have used different roasting charts, so it's not the directions.  I have even called the turkey hotline and used their directions - still early.  Of course, as soon as I factor in the time difference, it will take two hours longer.

I took last week off, except for Friday, and had a very relaxing time.  I even had a good time at work yesterday as it was VERY quiet and I got a lot done.

I did some stitching last week - one I can't show right now and one I can.

Here's my progress on Chatelaine's Japanese Octagonal Box:

Before:

After:

Hmmm, not a lot of progress but every stitch counts.  I haven't looked at my cards to see what will be on the stand this coming week, but as the day is fast coming to a close, I suppose I should take a look.

I am still mulling my 2013 project list.  Nicola at Stitching By a Cornish Seashore is hosting a Scarlet Letter Challenge next year.  While I love Scarlet Letter charts, I do not have any in my stash and I am on a stash diet so won't be buying any, but I will definitely be watching every one's progress.

IHSW Recap

This is my IHSW recap post.  Unfortunately, I planned rather poorly as I can't show you what I worked on as it is a Christmas gift, but I made great progress and with some luck there will be a finish tonight or tomorrow.

For a stitching photo you'll have to read my previous post, but what's a blog without a photo?  So here is one of my favorites of the critters:

from the wall:
Spot, Trouble and Salem

This is an older photo as they don't wear collars anymore - Spot figured out how to take hers off and then figured out how to take the others off so after a day or two of putting them back on, just to have her take them off again, still have not figured out how she worked out how to open the clasps we decided to leave them off.

IHSW

Yes, it's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW) but this is not my progress post,  I will actually be participating and not just drooling over every one's projects for the first time in four or five months and will be posting my progress on Monday.

First, thank you everyone for the compliments on my finish.  Holly was really a fun stitch.  I had a long weekend and stitched away very happily on Chatelaine's Mystery XV and The Nutmeg Cottage's Gingerbread Collection Parma Violets.

I am very happy to report that I have another finish!!  Okay, the stitching is finished, I have not even read all the directions to turn it into the cute little house that will hang on my tree sometime in the future.

Here are the finished parts of the cottage:

I have some unexpected time off in the next couple of weeks and hope to have some time to finish-finish this.

And here is the before of Chatelaine's Mystery XV - Deep Blue Sea

And this is where I was Sunday evening:

Chatelaine's Mystery XV
Stitched on 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan with DMC and Rainbow Gallery's PTB

I did do a bit of additional stitching but as it is a gift, photos will have to wait.

I have this coming week off from work and have lots planned which means I will get almost none of those items done but lots of other things.

An Unexpected Finish

Thank you all for the thoughts as Hurricane Sandy made her way up the east coast.  We were very fortunate, we were just far enough south to miss the worst of it.  Lots of wind, lots of rain, lots of flickering lights but no damage other than a couple of leaks but we think we've found the spot and are fixing it this weekend and the power was never off for long enough to even require us to reset the clocks.  My heart goes out to everyone that was in a more direct path of the storm.

Having a bit more stitching time than I had expected this week, I was able to finish Mirabilia's Holly. 

Here she is before:

And here she is finished:

She is stitched on 32-count opalescent Antique White Belfast with DMC.  I switched out the called for Kreiniks for Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid and the Mill Hill beads for Delicas.  I also changed up the back stitching and beading on the wings from the called for greens to silvery-blue as I wanted a frosty look. 

 I am going off my rotation for this week as I want to start and hopefully finish a Christmas gift or two and will start back on it next weekend when The Nutmeg Company's Parma Violets will be back on the frame so to speak - I finished a piece in my rotation and added this one to the list so it has two slots as well as Chatelaine's Mystery XV - Deep Blue Sea.

Frankenstorm

In case you haven't had the radio, television or computer on in the last couple of days, the mid-Atlantic and New England are preparing for what has been dubbed "Frankenstorm".  If it does what they think it will, three storms merging into one megastorm, it is going to be a rough ride.  It looks like the worst of it is going to go just north of here, but with a storm as big as the one predicted, we will be impacted.  Everything that we can do to prepare has been done - bathtub is full of water, bottled water ready, laundry done can you tell I freak at the thought of not having water - it is one of the negatives of living in the country, we are on a well and when the power goes out we don't have water, everything that needs a charge to operate is plugged in and I have enough cross stitch pieces on large count that I will be able to stitch, if not by candle okay battery-powered lantern but *that* does not sound like roughing it at least by whatever daylight we may have.  There's also enough food that doesn't require refrigeration or cooking to keep us going for a few days. 

Is it just me or has there been a rash of comments from Anonymous on every one's blog?  I must get five or six a day.  I really do not want to go to comment moderation but I may have to.

I was finally able to watch this season's Wallander last weekend.  As much as I enjoy them, I do have to be in the right mood.  While watching listening I was able to stitch on a couple of projects:

First is The Nutmeg Company's Parma Violets gingerbread house.  It is stitched on 22-count white Aida with DMC no beads yet.  This is one wall of the cottage the needle is to give some perspective on the size.  No before photo as I stitched the roof last go-round.

And this is Chatelaine's Hawaiian Garden Mandala:

Before:

And after hmmmm given how little I got stitched, I guess I was watching more than I thought:

Chatelaine's Hawaiian Garden Mandala
Stitched on Summer Sky Jobelan with recommended fibers and beads

Mirabilia's Holly is on the frame for the coming week.  Everybody have a good week and those of you in the path of the storm, stay safe.