St Nick and Gettin' Knitty

St. Nick in His Study

Heaven and Earth Designs

25 ct evenweave, 1x1

Dang, I love St. Nick. This really is such a beautiful chart. The close-up pic at the top is to show I did make some progress yesterday for the HAED SAL. I really wanted to get that little column above his head done, but DH and DS had other ideas for my time. Men. ;) The second pic was to share with you the whole shebang, but isn't it incredible how you can zoom in on any part of the whole picture and it stands on it's own? Next time I'm planning to take a close-up pic of that window and all those letters from kids (and me!) on the table. Yes, I send Santa letters. I'll do almost anything for stash. Did I mention that I love this chart?

OK, Sexy Six rules say mornings are for knitting and (yay) I've got the second square done.

Great American Aran Afghan

Suzanne Atkinson Square

This square was sooo much fun to knit. We've got a tree, sun, three birds and a church. You might remember that I'm stitching two of these afghans (in cream and white). Yowzers. I'm half way through this square in white (there are some yarn issues... don't ask); so I'm working on the next square which is affectionately known as the fish in a net. Hopefully, it'll make more sense when I post a pic. :)

I was on Ravelry (and if you knit or crochet, or are simply thinking about it, you GOTTA join). There are so many helpful stitchers and groups on that website and trust me they take enabling to a whole 'nother level. Which leads me to this...

Laporte Avenue Tote ~ Interweave Knits, Fall 2009

*sigh, drool, sigh* My head hurts. I saw some WIP/finished pics of this (and we all know how dangerous that can be) and the next thing I knew I was stash-diving. There's a KAL on Ravelry (yay) and even though I've never knitted a bag before, this one looks doable and goodness knows I don't have anything else to do. :) Hold me, I'm scared.

Thanks so much for stopping by, your wonderful comments and the inspiration your blogs bring. Have a wonderful holiday week-end. Go ahead, stitch 'til it hurts...

Shh! Don't tell anyone...

... but this whole self-imposed, Sexy Six rotation thing just might be working. OK, sure. I'm only a few days into it... but still. (Heck, I'm finding happy wherever I can). History has shown repeatedly that rotations and I do not get along. But with this one, I get to work a little bit on a few projects and then I bounce before I burn out on anything. Keeping that list small really seems to help. At least, until the shops go to Market. (Noooo!) Think I'll just focus on today.

I'm stitching like crazy on Semiramis, but I put it aside yesterday and put St Nick on the scrolls for the HAED SAL. Here's some proof...

Before

and After

The green stitches behind Santa's head will eventually become the chair he's sitting in. A couple of people have asked me how Peacock and Doves is coming along. Since I've got two huge HAED's going, I'll decided to work on St Nick (July-Dec) and Peacock and Doves (Jan-Jun) for the SAL. That way they both get some love.

My S/Six rules say I gotta knit in the mornings and I soooo wanted to keep going on Santa. But I put him up til next Thursday's SAL, picked up my GAAA project and knitted. (Hot dang... still on track. Scary.) This is Suzanne Atkinson's square and has a church, a tree, sun and some birds in it. It looks like a child's drawing and it's so cute. Can you see the church and its door on the left and then the bark of the tree on right? Love this square. Which is a good thing, since (oh boy) I'll be stitching it twice!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you get to work on a serious case of stitch a** this week-end. I know I plan to. ((hugs)) di

WIPs and Frogs

There must be something in the air that has us thinking about rotations, WIPs and getting organized. I've seen discussions on a few blogs and trust me, I am no exception. So this past week-end I took a serious look at my WIPs and chose what I really, really want to focus on. I was going to list them all (eek!) but as I've said before, who can make an accurate list while wildly sobbing? Oh and Blogger asked me not to crash their system. So the Sexy Six have been born and I've got them posted front and center in my sidebar. Where I can see them. Everytime I come in here. Scary!

I finished the first two squares of my GAAA project. Oh goodness, I was on such a roll and knitted the first one (cream) in record time. Now the second one in white... yeesh! Somewhere around rows 18-21, frogs kept showing up. Calling me. Texting me. Nooooooo! I kept pulling out rows, knitting it again and right about the time I was considering throwing it against the wall... I got it! Hot damn!! I finished it, blocked them and snapped a pic fast before another PIA frog decided to hop by.

Great American Aran Afghan
Knitters Magazine

Vicky Sever Square
Plymouth Encore Yarn

So the plan is knit in the mornings and stitch in the afternoons. I like that plan. On the stitchy front, I'm working on part five of Semiramis. I should have a WIP pic by the 31st, right before the final (part six) comes out. When Semiramis is finished, Hawaii will go on the scrolls in its place. I sooo want to finish that one. St Nick in His Study will return to the HAED SAL on Thursdays. You know what? This Sexy Six thing just might work! Stop laughing at me.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for the comments you leave. I love reading them and hope you stitch bunches this week. A stitch at a time...

Dang, I've Been Bad!

I know, I know. I've been completely MIA. :( Seems like I kind of lost my stitching/blogging mojo for a while. Do you ever get like that? You've got a ton of WIPs, but nothing is screaming at you to be stitched? But happily I found it (yay) and I even have some updated pics to share. First up, Hanging Gardens of the Semiramis...



... next is Cuban Mansions Mandala,

...and, last but not least, Hawaiian Mandala.

Geez, as I look at these pictures I think I know why I kinda burned out for a while! lol

Now it's really, really hot and humid here in Michigan. So what does one do while sweating like a lobster? They look for the nearest air conditioner and they what? Why, they knit! See nothing says 'cool' like a ton of wool on your lap. So yes indeedy, I'm knitting (oh boy) and not just some dainty doily mind you. No way. Take at look at this beauty...

This is the Great American Aran Afghan and I have had this book for a loooong time. Over margaritas and enchiladas (yum) a dear (enabler), sweet (enabler), long-time friend (enabler) and stitchy sister (enabler) of mine (hi Deb) and I started talking about knitting. A 'rita (or two) later and the next thing I knew I ran (ok drove home) found this book and my knitting needles started clicking. I'm having a ball and have decided (mainly because I enjoy inflicting as much pain... uh, challenges into my needlework as possible) ;) to stitch TWO of each square as I go along. One for me and one for my DD Erica. She's 24 now and I figure it would make one heck of a surprise wedding gift for her and her 'hunsie' (her word, not mine) or if she stays single, one heck of a 30th birthday present. Lord help me if she finds out. Can't you just hear her? "Wedding present? 30 years old? Mom, just finish it and give it to me now!!" Oh boy!

The breast cancer square, directly above and to the left of the book, is the first one I've knitted in cream and I'm stitching the second one in white now. I'll post pics as I finish each pair. Feel free to crack the whip and demand to see progress pics (now that should keep me focused)! :)

Have a wonderful 'stitchy' week everyone and thanks for stopping by. Stay cool!
((((hugs)))) di

Santa Baby...

Oh my goodness, I can see him... it's Santa!! His beard, his tummy, the crackling fire (yes I can hear it now that I've actually stitched it) lol and whatever he is drinking in that stein (hmm... I'm sure it's just egg nog). ;) I was supposed to go back to Cuban Mansions and stitch the third mansion, but I couldn't put Santa down. So I kept stitching him and now that half of him is done, I'll head on over to Cuba. Love him!

To answer a couple of questions. I don't keep track of how long I stitch, how many pages, etc. That would seriously scare me and would probably end up with me over at Nino Salvaggio's/Costco asking the wine guy when the next shipment of Riesling is due in. If you are a little nervous about stitching a HEAD, don't be. As we all know by now, it really is just one stitch at a time and their charts are just plain ole stunning.

For all your encouragement and comments... THANK YOU so much! Have a wonderful week-end. Stitch and stash happy! ((hugs))

Hi Santa!

Now that it's June and add to it that I do so want to keep my name on the 'Nice' list (stop laughing) I thought I'd better give St. Nick some well-deserved, overdue attention. I do not know how we got to June so fast, but are we really almost half-way to Christmas?!?!? Criminy. You may wonder why I'm even thinking about Christmas in June. Maybe it's because my DS reminded me just yesterday!! Isn't he thoughtful?

Back to Santa. This was the first HAED chart I ever saw, fainted over, purchased and has got to be one of my all-time favorite things to stitch. You can actually see Santa now and he's (horrors!) holding THE list. Maybe if I'm really good and keep my January promise for the next six months (considering I've already blown it big-time in the first six months) Santa will still visit me in December. You know how the promise goes. No new stash purchases... only stitch what you already have. Stop laughing.

St. Nick in His Study

Heaven and Earth Designs

Stitched 1x1 on 25 count bone lugana

HAPPY DANCE ALERT!!

Part 3 of Hanging Gardens came out last week and I'm done.

(I often look like her when I dance. In my dreams.)

I did manage to start Nora Corbett's "E" fairy. Not much to show though, so I'll post a pic of her next time. Hot Dang, I think I even got the clickable pictures things down. A little knowledge can be dangerous you know! :) Hope you have a wonderful week and (((hugs))) for stopping by. Stitch and stash happy!

So You Think You Can...

... Happy Dance? You bet I do! My stitching sisters, hear me roar... I am caught up on Hanging Gardens of the Semiramis!! No more blue (say it with me), no more blue (shout it out now), no more bl .... Sorry. Dang I'm happy. This is truly a huge news story. Could someone please get Anderson Cooper on the phone?

I tried to make these clickable, but although the heart is willing, the tech brain is not cooperating. So hopefully if you click here, it will take you to my Webshots pic so you can blow it up full-size and really see the 'bling'. Ok, no chickening out... who's dancing with me?

Thanks for stopping by and your comments were absolutely wonderful and kept me motivated to keep going. Have a wonderful week-end... stitch and stash happy. ((hugs))