Not much to show

I've been working quite hard and have gotten a lot done--all of it gifts that I can't show until they've been received and opened.  I even did the first wrapping--those things that I need to mail.

This weekend we took a break and went a bit west. We visited the new exhibit at the Illinois State Gallery, stopped in at Thimbles Quilt Shop and ended with a visit to Bird Haven Greenhouse and Conservatory in Joliet. 

We didn't stay long--professional photographers were taking family photos in the rooms decorated for the holidays. It was pretty and the little ones were all dressed up in their best, but it was also quite crowded.  We escaped to the calm of the succulent wing.

A little charmer came in and was coaxed by her mother to sing Jingle Bells for us.

It's been gloomy here for days now. Dreary and it's getting quite cold now.

The greenery in Bird Haven was delightful.

Stitches

Over the long holiday weekend, I set up the frame stand for Japanese embroidery and got out my piece each morning and worked an hour or two. I finished the bottom layer of one fan blade (4/1 twist). This is a technique/pattern I did on Phase I so it's a good place to get moving on Phase II. Thinking ahead, on our last Thursday morning meeting in early November, I spent the time twisting many strands of silk so I could just get going and stitch when I had the time.

I was learning to keep the stitches at the correct angle and also to follow the white couched guideline and not the dark drawn line (which was surprisingly difficult). You are supposed to stitch just up to the couched guideline and not over it but... In some cases, not thinking ahead, I placed the couched guideline exactly on the printed design line--which should be covered. Once I realized that, I realized I'd have to stitch over some of my couched lines in order to cover the printed ones. Believe me, next time I couch guidelines, I'll remember to move them away a hairline from the printed lines.

I also have a "new" sewing machine, thanks to my sister and a friend of hers. It's older than my ailing Viking, but seems to work quite well and is very quiet.  I used it off and on all weekend on small bits of holiday projects. It's exciting to have a working machine again and I'm seeing things that need mending and projects I'd planned that have been sitting.

For now, it's all waiting while the Christmas rush is on. And pictures of that will have to wait for a while longer.

Thanksgiving!

If you're in the U.S., I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was as nice as ours. (and if you're not, I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too.)  Four days in a row off work are always welcome.  Above is my sister's seasonal pumpkin display. Pretty cool, huh?

 (left to right, brother, brother-in-law and husband)

I didn't get any before shots of the feast. This is an aftermath shot, after dinner and after chocolate.  The brother makes the chocolate (and the bread, garden vegetables, and the mac-n-cheese) part of the feast.  (Sister hosted and made the turkey, gravy, potatoes and I contributed a green salad and mom's cranberry-orange relish.) This year it was chocolate pudding pie, chocolate coated peanut butter fudge and "turtles." (carmel with pecans enrobed in dark chocolate)

(In England they have pudding after a meal; we have chocolate.)

A close-up of chocolaty goodness.

In our family chocolate is a food group.

Brother and sister-in-law showing off their new hats.  The red one is a masterpiece of cables and seaming (doesn't show off well here) that she's designed to teach an assortment of techniques at a local shop. The green hat was felted (both needle and wet) in a class at Esther's Place.  More felted hats are in the plan.

Here's a front view of the hats

(note the cool knit sweaters she's wearing--I love the buttons on the cardigan)

Happy Thanksgiving

Last weekend we went to Sand Ridge Nature Center for the 39th celebration of "Settlers' Day." 

I remember the first Settlers' Days!  Below are a friend, the brother-in-law, hubby and my sister.  The friend an my sister were among the first "settlers" as Girl Scouts.

It's always a wonderful day. The reenactors are always very knowledgeable and interesting--it's like time traveling to "meet" Revolutionary War and Civil War soldiers, Native Americans, voyageurs, and craftspeople. They cook turkeys over the fire each year, too. It always smells great.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday replete with all of the things you are most thankful for.

For me it will be family as we gather at my sisters' home.

Back next week.

I think I got it...

I recentlyposted my struggles with trying to remember how to do the above crochet sample (darker blue). I'd be okay at first and then it would go off track. Last week I brought the sample and wonky trial to our weekly lunch-time knit and crochet gathering and one of the other participants said she had the exact same trouble with "star" stitch. Aha! a name! 

A brief Google and I found a two-part tutorial on star stitch (Part 1) by Crochet Geek. Written instructions are here.  So I watched the videos, took some notes, saw some places I was going wrong and went home and made the above sample.  By this time I'd stitched and ripped this end of the yarn many many times so I just cut it off when the two rows were done and straight.

And I began a star-stitch scarf.  So far it's almost straight. This is not a holiday gift so no rush.

wooly things

In the odd monents when I'm not working on gifts I'm fiddling around with some knitting and crochet. The royal blue crochet sample above was a stitch taught to me by my niece (the sample is upside down, with the bottom at the top). Then I let a few weeks go by after getting home before trying it again, so of course I can't remember all of the steps.  It's a two row repeat. I can do one repeat and it looks okay, but subsequent rows get wider, have more "flowers" and just don't behave.

 Every once in a while I rip out the turquoise sample and start over and try it again. Since I made the sample photographed here, I've tried four or five times and it's gotten better but still, after one repeat it all goes wonky.  If I can get it to work, I think it'll be a scarf. For now, I'm enjoying playing.

This is another preemie cap, this time the smallest size for the teeniest baby.  Since I now have a big one (full-term size) and this tiny one, I've begun a third, midsized hat.  They go quickly.

Santa's workshop

Santa's workshop is up and running at home--which means that although I've been very busy, I don't have a lot that I can post here. All are still works in progress (and even if they were done, they need to stay secret for another month or so). All I can offer are some glimpses. (sorry the top one is so blurry--I think I got too close with the camera.)