Gifted Gorgeousness, Faithful April #1, and Some TUSAL

Well, hidey ho~ Thank you for all the well wishes for finding more huck towels! I did manage to get two -- the only two they had. I don't know if more will trickle out from back stock but here is hoping! Three more to go so please share all your well wishes again haha. :D

click me!

Now on to the crafty things! I have joined in Justine's Faithful April, where we devote our time on one project. I have shoehorned it as "finish one project at a time" as I really wanted to join in but the local knitting guild decided this was the month to knit some squares for a baby afghan! These will also work for Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness as they are not baby afghan squares for me (thank goodness not ready for that haha :b). They needed to be done this month and I got the boss-lady's approval since knitting doesn't count anyway LOL. :D

Here are my two squares!

Well, here is where my two squares WOULD be but I completely derped out and didn't take a picture before taking them in to the lady finishing the blanket!  We decided to make a sort of sampler afghan with different 8" x 8" squares in yellow and white as the baby gender is unknown. Some of the less adventurous knitters will make some stockinette/garter squares for the corners. My squares are a triangle (yellow) and tile (creamy white) stitches. I am well known in the group for being a tight knitter (if you knit please be amused/horrified that I cannot slide my stitches on aluminum! needles without great effort!) so I was asked to do the tile square after one of the ladies brought her completed one in and was unhappy(?) with it (I thought it looked fine). She had four repeats of the stitch to my six.

I am unsure about the yarn. It was my first foray into using a merino/acrylic blend. The white in particular seemed to be prone to slubs (I haaaaate slubs). Otherwise it's very, very soft and lovely to hold the finished product. It splits like crazy.  At $8/213yd skein, I am not sure how comfortable I am using for baby items though it does make for a lovely gift. I would not recommend it for a beginner yarn unless one is willing to not stab people with needles after all the splitting and slipping and slubs.

Technical Details

• Baby Afghan Squares, tile stitch (example pattern here), and triangle stitch (example pattern here)
• Yarn: Cascade Pacific, 02 white and 12 yellow
• #7 (4.5mm) needles
• Finished size blocked: 8" square (20ish cm square)
• Started: March 31, Finished: April 10, 11 hours.

before

Also for Faithful April and GG, more progress on Final Fantasy III, YAAAAAAAAAAY.  When I was originally planning to just work on this (pre-baby squares) I was thinking how to squeeze it in for GG as I wanted to remain faithful to that too!  So, how did I plan it?  Well, FFIII is the only project I have that is stitched on the floor stand -- gifted to me by my mom.  The needle minder (my very first!) solely for this project is the adorable Chii from Justine!  The fabric for this piece was found in a thrift store, "gifted" by some random stranger, how nice of them!  So, there you have it.  I am Faithfully Gifted Gorgeousness-ing.  tucks away shoehorn

still not curved

As you can see, not a huge amount of progress but the squares had to come first. Since they are faithfully finished, I can devote the rest of the month to this! It's nice not having to put away the stand after every session haha.  Also, I swear this is the hardest thing to take a picture of!  If I'd take it off the stand (not happening until it's finished), I imagine the images would be more consistent.

safety first

Here is something I saw shared on Stitching Lotus; how one organizes WIPS.  I absolutely adore these plastic folders.  They're large enough that patterns don't have to be folded and are clear so I know what the heck is going on in them.  I keep the DS case from FFIII in there too so when I run into a weird spot on the pattern I can refer to the original (though tiny) image and make adjustments if necessary.

click me, too!

April strings

And lastly, TUSAL! There's a healthy layer of black in there this time. I find that DMC 310 is somewhat of a pain to pick out if a mistake is made. It always seems to fray and break no matter how careful I am. I usually don't like Sullivan's floss but black is the one color I prefer, though 310 is much more readily available.

Mkay, I have rambled enough and didn't have enough pictures. Shame!  I'll continue working on FFIII for the remainder of the month, ignoring my other projects and a crochet pattern that presented itself in a completely untimely manner and DEMANDED to be made.  An army of them, really.  I was really excited when it was uploaded to ravelry, and just as excited when I saw Snowflower Diaries May freebie.  I admit I squeak delightedly at the computer at any given chance.

Have a good'n!

FotM! FFIII! Babbles!

Oh dear, oh dear!  It seems April is trying to slip past me.  Thanks for all the fun comments on the Easter Blog Hop post. :D  I even got some new followers (spastic waving), hi!  I kinda feel like I'm going every which way right now.  I can't believe I had to start mowing the grass in March.  The garden is worked up with onions, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, sweet peas, garlic, and one (of only four) cabbages planted.  The tomatoes are started in their little pods to be put outside when it warms up more, as well as the assortment of peppers, cucumbers, and squash.  I had to dig up some of my blackberry as it's trying to take over the world!  It felt good to work outside in the sunshine but boy-o-boy was I pooped after.  On to the stitching!

before

after

First up, I have a small bit of progress to show on the lovely Flower of the Month series, July's Larkspur/Delphinium.  I am very much enjoying working on this piece though I don't often sit down to work on it. The blues are magical and I finally found the remaining four after a trip to the Big City.  It's a bit like violets was but it must be the enjoyability (new word copyright Rosey175) of blue that doesn't make it so bothersome.  That or I am still in my "I'mma do what I want, when I want" mindset and not worrying about silly little things like Time.

I am in a bit of a panic though.  Hancock Fabrics has declared bankruptcy and is liquidating all of its stock.  While this means (the sad kind of) sales, it also means the end of being able to find these impossible ecru huck towels!  They're available online (for double the price) but I'd really rather avoid that route if at all possible.  I will need five more to finish this set.  I'm hoping to get to our local store and snag some before it shuts its doors forever.  Bah! :(

before

after

Next, delicious progress on FFIII (sorry for the derp after picture; it is not curved).  There's a full word over there, YAY.  Even a start on the III -- that's the black blip at the end.  And even MORE YAY is that the green point above the letter Y is exactly where it is supposed to be which almost made me cry with relief.  Something going right on this piece for a change weeeeee~

And lastly, Crafty Sasha is having a giveaway!  Do check out her blog; she does a neat assortment of projects.  ----  This is what one gets for spending days typing up a post!   Her giveaway is over now but go check out her blog anyway. :D

I think that's all for now.  No crocheting this time!  I do have a bit of knitting but it's Gift Knitting and will be next post.  I didn't work on the Singer 201-2 more since I (still) need to order the rewiring kits.  Maybe I'm hoping it'll fix itself, hmm...  I did clean up all the little bits and bobs that came with it though.  Some of the parts got fresh oil, but most just got a dunk in rubbing alcohol.

Okay, done! Have a productive time! :D

ETA: I'll be joining in Justine's Faithful April after an email encouragement haha!  I will stick to one project at a time, first the knit squares as they need done this month, preferably before Wednesday after next!  Then I will devote the rest of the time to FFIII and see how far that takes me. :D

Easter Treasure Hunt - A Blog Hop!

Are you ready for some hopping around~? It's time for Jo's Easter Blog Hop! Please start at her blog and hop around like the little bunny you are and collect the letters!  :D These are always a lot of fun to participate in and I just had to join the spring-themed one! It's my favorite season. I think I've made that clear in previous posts haha. I've scheduled this to appear in the wee hours of the morning here so you Over-Puddlers can have your letter without waiting until evening or perhaps the next day.

wall art courtesy Mom's old classroom!

If you're new, hi!  If you're not new, also hi!  I'm Rosey.  I talk too much (but I limit it to 2-3 times per month) and am possibly very excitable!  Cross-stitch is my first love, learned in 2009.  Crochet came next in 2014.  2015 brought knitting and a tiny dabble in tatting. I am also working on a vintage Singer 201-2 found in the trash, slowly bringing it back to life.  I don't have a lot of projects going at once in any particular hobby because that would make me very overwhelmed and possibly bored!  I like a variety. :D  Feel free to check out my finishes page (it's fairly small -- I am not a fast craftaholic) for an idea of all the eclectic things I get up to.

keeping that lemon from burning my tablecloth

Jo has kindly opened this up to crafts other than cross-stitch this year, my shoehorn contribution is a ... potholder?!  In beautiful spring (read: daffodil) colors, of course!  Several months ago, one of the ladies in our knitting group brought in a truly fabulous pattern.  It makes such a dense stitch and I affectionately know it as "fat crochet" though the correct term is single thermal crochet.  You only need to make one layer but still have enough thickness to protect your kitchen from hot pans (filled with Easter ham?). 

neat, orderly stitches

I love this colorway.  LOVE.  I went to hunt up some more so I could make an army of kitchen things only to find it discontinued!  Argh.  It's a scented yarn which I could honestly do without as the scent fades quickly, but the colors...!  They just scream spring and joy and daffodils to me!  Okay, I'll cease declaring my undying love for yarn and alienating all of you.  Although I am sure there are some of you out there who have the same feelings for floss (DMC 995). ;b  You can find the pattern here on Ravelry or directly on Kathleen's blog, here.  Her tutorial is very, very clear with a gazillion pictures.

what says spring better than daffodils? nothing, i tell ya!

It matches perfectly with the rest of my daffodil items!  :D  The cross-stitched huck towel is part of the free Flower of the Month series by Ellen Maurer-Stroh and can be found here.  It absolutely fits the spring bill but I stitched it back in September of 2010 and thought perhaps six years was a bit of a stretch for something recent haha.  The napkin is part of a set my husband's grandmother gave me.  She knows I'm looking for daffodil kitchen-y items so she watches for them!  The tea cup is part of the Franciscan Daffodil Greenhouse series -- found in a thrift store!  They hold hot cocoa during the winter and sweet, sweet iced tea in the summer.

And here's what you've all been waiting breathlessly for -- the letter!

the letter A

Thanks for stopping by! :D Your next stop is with Vickie at A Stitcher's Story so hop on over there to collect your next letter!  I hope you all have (had) a lovely Good Friday and a Happy Easter!

Technical Details

• "Lemon-Lime Potholder" freebie pattern by Kathleen Mower, found here
• Yarn: Peaches & Creme Scents in lemon-lime ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• H (5mm) hook for chain, 4.5mm for body (I'm a tight crocheter)
• Finished size: 7.25" square (18,5cm square)
• Started: February 24, Finished: February 25, 4.5 hours.  

GG, TUSAL, and Things!

Hi!! It's almost spring! My daffodils have started to bloom and boy are there sooo many more this year. I'm ecstatic. :D When we first moved in to this place I think we maybe got three or four blossoms. This year there are probably 100! Please don't mow your daffodils down before they have time to soak up enough energy for the next year. I will come to your house in the night and dig them up, my preciousssss....

the first blossom

click me!

before

after

It's time for the monthly installment of Gifted Gorgeousness. Rathian grows! She got her dangerous claws added in which means the bottom corners are now done.  I'm saving her most deadly bit for last even though it's the first thing I go for in-game!  If you're new, she is part of a set of video game glyphs I'm slowly working up to a little cube for my husband to show off have on his work desk.

need a good blocking

I have also managed to complete another speaker cozy.  Yay, two down!   These will be the smallest (lol/sigh) of the set and already have a happy home on the rear bookshelf speakers.  I will work on the towers next.

click me, too!

March "strings"

Here are my latest floss ORTs and yarn ORTs. I used to put them out this time of year for the birds to have high fashion nests but I decided I'd try to fill the jars entirely as a sort of mini-finish all its own.  Sorry, birds!

squint ... or click to enlarge

Not for any "a-long" but I managed to knit up this little dishcloth just in time for St. Patrick's Day.  I was very close to running out of yarn for it.  I'm not super fond of this colorway so I didn't want to buy another skein of it just to finish a dishcloth!  But I managed to squeak by, woo! That little squiggle is all that remained after omitting two rows and shortening the i-cord (which was a new thing learned, yay!).  There are shamrocks on it though it's a bit hard to tell in this photo.

Technical Details

• "St. Patrick's Day Cloth" pattern by Kris Knits, found here (ravelry) and here (blogger).
• #2 regular and DPNs.
• Yarn: Peaches n Creme Solids in rosemary.
• 8.5" x 8" unblocked. 
• Started March 8, finished March 14, 10 hours.

And last but definitely not least, Kim over at Wisdom with Needle and Thread is having a joyous celebration of her 60 trips around the sun and invites y'all to join in the fun!  She is offering up 60 RAKs to her party guests and if you've never seen her work before, go, go look!  She does such beautiful tiny things.  Really, the borrowers are totally in love with her house.

Alrighty then!  I think I've done enough talking for my two weeks.  I'll be around for Jo's Easter Blog Hop so until then, may you have productive fingers~ :D

Happy Leap Year Rambles!

Here we are, ready to be scandalized by the coming of another month! At least it will be The Best Month in all of Months. I might be biased because I love spring and the daffodils it brings~  wiggling impatiently  I have a flower of a different sort for you though.

before

after

Egads, did anyone expect a FINISH? I didn't! :D  I enjoyed working on this one once I really got started on it.  The top flower was finished over two nights of stitching quietly after my poor, sick husband went to bed early (he's fine now).  I was in such a happy hurry to take the pictures I didn't even give it a bath to get the fabric ink off.

Technical Details

• "June: Wild Roses" freebie pattern by Ellen Maurer-Stroh, found here
• 2 over 1 on 14-count ecru huck towel
• Finished size: 4.50 x 4.50" (11,50 x 11,50 cm)
• Started: October something, 2015, Finished: February 23, 2016. At least 12 hours. 
• How did I not track the start?!

all together now

Halfway there!  I do so enjoy seeing all the flowers together.

actually fabric pen

I have July's flower (larkspur/delphinium) kitted up.  Well, most of it.  Though I love all the blues in the world, my floss collection is sorely lacking in that area!  I managed to find four that were missing in a store that doesn't carry the full line of DMC but still need to find four more.  There are a LOT of colors in this one, eep.  Is it going to be a repeat of violets?!

before

after

And here we have progress on FFIII.  Only one letter managed this month; tsk tsk.  I guess slow and steady will win the race for this project.  I am okay with that... for now.

And finally(ish) thank you all, I didn't realize the Great Singer Adventure would be so interesting. :) I am not a sewing machine wiz by any means; everything I am doing now is thanks to the World Wide Web of information. When I first learned to sew, it was when I was but a tiny Rosey. My grandmother attempted to teach me on my Mom's antique Singer treadle machine. My mom also has an electric one but my grandma felt that it was best to start on a treadle because the speed can be controlled better.  I must admit I was not a good pupil at that time! I was (still am, you know!) a tomboy and haaated to sit still and quiet for more than a few minutes at a time. I have a small "quilted" Barbie blanket and Barbie dress that I made when I was probably around 5-6 years old, but that was about it until I took Home Ec. in high school.

Anyway! The work done this time! I was brave and attacked the tension assembly! This... was terrifying. It still is.

before

I don't know what that take up spring is doing up at the top of assembly!  It does nothing there!  And that "gap" is supposed to be horizontal, not at that weird angle.  But, here's the kicker, it sewed a beautiful stitch despite having zero tension control.  Also, something you can't see in this picture, the little tension indicator (the thing with the + | - on it) was at the BOTTOM of the assembly.  Not really sure what happened there either.  It was all assembled in the correct order but almost like it was just put on to keep it together.  Which is possible, I suppose.

bath time!

Putting the little parts in a bath of rubbing alcohol really makes me happy.  The little cups fruit comes in make perfect bathtubs and Q-tips are great scrubbers!

after

Looks much nicer!  That said, something was wrong with the actual tension after I assembled it; it was much too loose and nothing I could do would correct it.  My beautiful stitch was gone.  :(  I was so disappointed and frustrated when I saw this.  I put the machine away for a week.  There is a way to fix it but I knew that if I attempted it while upset I'd really have a disaster on my hands. I have at least learned a lesson in patience! This weekend, after I had consulted with the Internet and Mom-of-All-Knowledge, I tried again with a different fabric, needle, and thread.  Voilà~! The pretty stitch was back.  Apparently one shouldn't attempt tension setting on a piece of thick polyester from who knows when.  A small scrap of cotton gingham helped immensely.  Yay!  I will extra special fine tune it when the rest of the machine is done.

before

after

I also took off the face plate at the very front of the machine and cleaned out the doodads and whatchamacallits in there.  It wasn't too awful; just a bit of dust and old oil.  It only took four Q-tips!  The fresh oil really, REALLY made a difference.  In fact, it may have contributed to the happy stitch returning.

I'm inexorably moving ever closer to the most dreaded task of all -- rewiring.  When playing around with the tension, the machine would randomly lose power.  That's scary.  Luckily there are some amazing tutorials out there and if I can install a ceiling fan, how hard can a sewing machine be...?  eep

Wow, okay, I will stop now! I also have a finished crochet project and worked more on that silly curling scarf.  I'll talk about them some other time haha. :D  Run away now and save yourselves!