The big reveal

 Brooklyn Tweed's new fall collection, Terre Verte, Chapter 1: Verdant releases today.  So at last I can show off the secret knitting I was doing.  The design is called Deliciosa, and it was designed by Nora Gaughan, one of the queens of cable.

It was such a pleasure to knit!  I used Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in the Button Jar colorway (which was also used for the model pictures at BT).  I love it!  Thanks, Brooklyn Tweed, for choosing me to be one of your preview knitters!

I also finished another sweater while I was waiting to be able to show off my lovely Deliciosa.  It's the Felix Cardigan by Amy Christoffers (Savory Knitting).  I knitted it with two strands of Nutiden by Honer Och Eir and one strand of Knitting for Olive Silk Mohair.  Again, I'm loving my new cardigan!  Still have to block it and find buttons for it, but it's nice and comfy and warm.

I've been busy taking virtual online classes with knitting teachers whose classes I've always wanted to take.  One of them is the Gansey Techniques class from Beth Brown Reinsel.  It's 5 sessions over 2 weekends.  The first three classes were this past weekend.  We are making a miniature gansey in class in order to try the various classic techniques that are involved in gansey knitting of old.  Here is mine, waiting for the shoulder straps, sleeve, and collar.

Mia seems to have gone into her Autumn mode -- she goes to all the warm places that she likes in the house, sits in the sun, or burrows under blankets.  Her timing is spot on!  She is also getting used to being squished by her pesky "brother."  lol!

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

Sorry for the neglect....

 Oh gosh!  It's been a while since I've posted, hasn't it?  I seem to have slowed down on social media in general this summer and am way behind on blog reading and commenting and posting and etc.  Sorry!  

I do have something to tease in knitting, and a couple of pieces to show off in stitching.  First the knitting.  I did some preview knitting for Brooklyn Tweed!!!  For stitchers, this is like doing model stitching for Hands Across the Sea Samplers or Scarlett House, except you get to keep your sampler from the beginning.  lol!  Very exciting, in other words.  So for now I can only show sneak peeks of my knitting. (Yes, it's already finished.  No, you can't see it yet.). Here are a couple of peeks.  I used Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in the color Button Jar.  

I can't wait to show off my sweater!  It's being released as part of the Terre Verte Collection, which releases October 7.

OK, now I will show you a stitching finish.  Here it is, EF 1864 by Needlework Press.

I love her so much!  She was from  Sampler and Antique Needlework magazine, summer 2011.  I used the called for NPI silks and I have no clue what fabric I used, except that it was 40ct.  I find Berlin style stitching to be a bit of a chore so it took me a while to get back to this one.  But I'm so glad I did!

Speaking of getting back to something, I picked up my neglected Prairie Schooler Alphabet as well.  In this spurt of activity, I finished the L and B blocks.

I'm stitching it over one, which is probably one reason why I keep picking it up and putting it down again.  Maybe someday I'll finish it!  I'm using DMC floss for it.

This past weekend we managed to drive down to see DD in her new apartment.  It's very odd to drive down instead of using mass transit.  So many changes to everyday life -- it's also the first time I've really been out and about since the pandemic started except for essential things.  We had a beautiful day out, along with lots of walking, social distancing, masking up, and outdoor eating.

It was a nice change to get out and to see our sweet girl.  She stayed with us for about a month, but was going crazy in the 'burbs.  lol!

And of course, Mia is, as always, the diva of the household.  She is happy to have her boy around all the time now.  And she didn't mind having DD around for a month either.

This has gotten long enough, so I'll save what I'm working on right now for later.  I hope everyone is safe and well.  Happy Autumn!

Stitching and knitting both!

I missed posting in June, but I do have two finishes to show off -- one a stitching finish and one a knitting finish.

First, hot off the needles, is my BR's Moth by Kathy Barrick.  I used the called for fabric and NPI silks. 

And here is my stitching finish -- Ghost Horses by Boyland Knitworks.  I used Spincycle yarns in Rusted Rainbow and Retrosaria Rosa Pomar Pegulhar Yarn in color 1.

I did lots of tidying and cleaning up in June, and for good reason.  We have a full house again, at least for now!  Both kid-lings are home!  Here they are cooking together.  (Of course, the father type and I had the same reaction -- we can't leave them alone to cook in the kitchen!  lolol!)

It's so nice to have them both home!   Even Mia seems to approve.  Her new favorite place is definitely the boy child's bedroom.

I hope everyone is staying safe during these times.  Happy 4th to everyone who celebrates it!

A knitting finish and some stitching too

 Just a quick post under the wire for the month of May to show a knitting finish.  It's the Anker's Summer Shirt by Petite Knit.

I got the yarn from my LYS, Pick Up Every Stitch, and also took an online class they ran on tightening your rib, which was very helpful.   The yarn is Sandnes Garn Line, a cotton/linen/viscose blend.

Here is a picture of what stitching I managed.  It's the EF Sampler 1864 -- an old UFO.  I love this sampler (it's from an old SANQ magazine and it's by Needlework Press).  I put my knitting where the pictorial stuff will go.  ETA: Thanks to Sue for forcing my hand -- I looked it up after her comment, and yes it is from the summer 2011 issue for those who are wondering.  Thanks, Sue!

The big news at home is that the boy child is now back at home from Buffalo.  It's so nice to have him home again!

Mia is enjoying having her sleeping partner home again.  She had to show her annoyance at having been abandoned, but picked up sleeping with DS right away.  She's spent most of her time in his room as well!  We've all missed him.

The girl child is still in NYC.  She's been safe and sound so far, knock on wood.  We miss seeing her, but she doesn't want to chance coming home.  :(

I hope everyone is staying safe.

Another stitching finish??!!!!

Just a fly by post to show off my just finished Ann Roberts, by Hands Across the Sea Samplers.  I stitched her using 36ct WDW Parchment with the called for AVAS silks.

I love her!

Stay safe, and stay home, everyone!

Knitting and Stitching

A quick post to show off my finish of Marie Wallin's Fair Isle Club 5 blanket, the Moroccan Tile Throw.

And my current stitching WIP, which is Ann Roberts by Hands Across the Sea Samplers.

I'm  using 36ct WDW Parchment and the called for AVAS silks.

Stay safe.

A stitching finish -- what??!!!

Just a quick post to show off my stitching finish.  Yes, it took a pandemic to get me back to stitching!

This is Frances Grassby 1845 by Hands Across the Sea Samplers.  She is worked on 36ct WDW Parchment using the called for AVAS threads.  And I love her.

I hope you are all staying safe and well.

Leap Day grace

Well it's a good thing it's a leap day, cause otherwise I'd have missed posting in February (I don't count the last post, since it was representing January).  But here I am, barely having remembered that tomorrow starts a new month.  Whew!

So here is my progress on my Marie Wallin Fair Isle Club 5 blanket.  This is up through part 4.  I dearly love how it's looking, and how beautiful and colorful it is.  And yay for knitting color work flat, and for what an eye Marie Wallin has -- what a talent!  I can't imagine being able to put colors together like she does.  Sadly, the picture doesn't convey the colors well.

Having just popped on here quickly to post my progress (each part is released at a certain time, thus my being held to a schedule), I will quickly pop off again.  Happy Leap Day to everyone!

Love my blankie

I missed posting in January, but it was for a good reason.  I wanted to be able to show off my progress on my Marie Wallin Fair Isle Club 5 blanket.  I'm loving this project so much!

Isn't it gorgeous?  And I'm very happy with how knitting the color work flat is working for me.  Yay!

I don't think I ever posted a picture of the hat I gave to DH for Christmas.  Well, here it is on DH's head.  I took this picture when we were shoveling the driveway.  Knock on wood, we haven't had to do that often this season!

This is the Mill Hill Toque by Andrea Rangel in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter.  (Isn't he a cute husband?)

We had a bit of unwanted excitement one day when it was very windy and blustery out.  The power went out a bit after 4pm one day.  With our record in this neighborhood of not getting our power back for over a week at a time, I was not a happy camper.  But luckily, we were only out of power for something over 4 1/2 hours.  Our across the street neighbors were not so lucky -- they were out of power for more like 11 hours.  The culprit?  A huge branch that split off from the main trunk of an evergreen in our neighbor's yard.  DH grabbed a picture of it before it was carted away by the town the next day.

We were actually blocked in on one end of the street by this tree trunk, and by a downed power line on the other end of the street after the power went out.  But again, luckily, that situation was taken care of within those 4 hours.  

We have always known that Mia is fond of coffee -- she has never actually had coffee, but she loves to attack mugs that once had coffee in them, and once she attacked a Keurig cup.  lol!  But she never really seemed all that thrilled by catnip.  She would be jazzed about a catnip toy for a little bit, but not as much as a good empty cup that smelled like coffee.  Well, that seems to have changed!  I bought her a catnip snake, and she absolutely loves it.  She wanted it even before I got it out of the packaging it arrived in!

The toy has very very strong catnip in it, so that might be the secret!  I'm happy she's so enamored.  lol!