Forecast: Ice and Glass

I was afraid to try to knit with these as they are glass but I read a bit more on them and started and can't stop. They stitch like butter.

Mommie makes a mess when she is creating~~Abigail

but it sure is nice and warm, dry, and cozy in here with the wood stove. We got some good dry oak last night delivered and it's making about 300 degrees or more hotter difference! My arthritis really is thankful.

We are ready for the ice tonight.

another mess at the homestead

Tonight all this will freeze and then prediction of 4 inches of snow on top of it. It might be another day of knitting or stitching, whatever the mood.

Right now, I'm enjoying knitting up a Kindle cover. I should be stitching on my model but got side tracked with this dark teal yarn. I started off with another needle and I cast on too many and it became too large. This time I cast on less and I think this will work. I'm going to make a flap and use a large wooden button to close.

The needles are size 13, so the project is stitching up fast.

Any experiences with glass knitting needles?

I have been reading online, and read they are really more durable than I thought as they are made of pyrex glass. I do know they slide like butter and has increased my speed. I can also see my mistakes and see my stitches better with the clear needle. 

Travel ready?  no.  But stay at home by the fire, ready for sure!

If anyone is interested I definitely would search on EBAY as you can get a very nice collectible pair for the same price as bamboo needles at Michael's or Joanne's. I was surprised.

I was also reading whether you can take on an airplane just for interest but it would be up to the TSA person to discard them or not. I wouldn't even take them to risk that. I would cry to watch these needles discarded like trash. 

But on the positive note, they are perfect at home, speedy needles and in a specialty store I would not have been able to get a pair so I'm happy with the deal I got on Ebay. Sorry for the dealer that was selling her store out but thankful for getting a pair.

 Stay cozy and stitch,

Jennifer

Model stitching Downton Abbey: the Family sampler

As I passed the color crayons and paint in a tray yesterday at a store, I remembered the days of color and painting~~ coloring anything I could as a child.

 

My mind then reverted to a big sigh and change of colors for Downton Abbey sampler I designed recently. The core family is honored in it. Mr. Darcy and I LOVE the story and are big fans of the majestic, British series. Finally, in the midst of moving stitching supplies from one room to a new sewing room, I fell in love with new colors I forgot I had which led to possible color changes once again, for the sampler.

 

I knew the general colors I wanted for each of the spot motif parts of this sampler but tweaking it using sampler threads instead of non-varigated threads, made my heart skip quite a leap.

 

 

Yesterday, on a road trip to visit family, I was able to stitch only a small portion on this 32 count Oyster linen. There is just something about riding in a car on bumpy roads and trying to stab with a number 26 needle, the right linen thread count. Honestly, I realize then, some bumps in the road I didn't know existed. But even though all the bumps in the road almost threw me off track, I managed to start a beautiful sampler. Life is that way sometimes. Just roll the bumps of the road and remember the focus is one stitch day at a time.

 

So today as it's raining and cloudy, gloomy outside really, I came to final decisions in the dining room (not the sewing room---sigh) with a cup of tea. Of course a cup of tea solves many issues.

I could imagine having a cup of tea with Lady Mary or Edith would be quite interesting for a brief moment of reprieval from the gray day. I then opened  my eyes back to designing and here are the final selections.

 

It's really fun and exciting, almost as much as birthing a baby (well, ok, skip the pain part) to put together the colors of something I designed. To see it through to the finish is an exciting time.

I'm in this part right now and its hard not to put all other things aside and stitch, stitch, stitch until it is completed.

 

Mr. Darcy himself will be framing this piece with his handsome, creative hands! This is also exciting to work on something together and see it through, both of us. I hope you will bear with me through the process of birthing this sampler! I also have a few irons in the fire for some smaller designs inspired by Downton.

 

This week's episode was quite the shock that Edith was left at the alter. Sometimes, though, we just dont know when initially traumatic events are really directing us to a better path and I think this will be so for Edith. She was so hurt, as anyone would be in front of a crowd of people to be left. I so wished that he was honest with her at least the night before but some people don't do honesty and those that do in the perimeter can't even fathom dishonest hearts. I hope better things are in store for Edith though. She seems to be a good-hearted soul.

Here's a peak of today:

the dining room soon to be normal again but until then.....................

lots of rich roses, reds, pinks, green, golds and majestic blues

 

Can I just linger here a month or two until I get this done? I love colors. I love sampler thread colors.

 

If there was a Sampler Thread Anonymous Group (STAG), I probably would qualify to attend. But this will be a process of time with intermissions. 

 

  With my assistant, Abbie (no pun intended), who is warming my spot at the computer, and closing her eyes with a mantra of "heat my treat".

 

Yup. the girl loves her homemade dog treats but not cold from the frig. She will not eat it.

 

BUT, if I microwave it until it's just a tad bit warm, she eats it.

 

There's much to be said about spoiling a certain dog. In fact, she is probably thinking the name Abbey is really Abbie for her. Honestly, the girl is a character.

 

Ok, back to basics, like what's for dinner?

 

Tonight?       

 

 barbequed chicken wings

potato salad

green beans

honey biscuits

 

I best get busy.

 

Here's hoping you have a great Tuesday evening,

Jennifer