Blue Crewel Is Done!

I finished it yesterday and damp stretched it Monday night. I got most of the wrinkles out.

 Taa-daa!

I always look at my designs/color choices in black and white, to check value. I made this one B&W in Photoshop, but a black and white photocopy works just as well for working.

In this design the blue wool background is pretty much the darkest color.  The blue on the lower left "reads" darker because it's redder (a dark purple).  I generally like to have a full value range in a design. It's really easy to stick in the middle range, which makes a dull design.

By the way, the blue background is hand dyed and not a solid, even color, but is mottled and has lighter and darker patches.  It's hard to tell in a photo.

Thanks!

This is a long overdue Thanks! to World Embroideries, who made me these amazing mittens.

I put them to immediate use and kept forgetting to pull them out of my coat pockets to share with you. They're not only lovely but very warm.

The palms are the aurora borealis. Cool, huh?

Thanks!

Blue Crewel Progress

Blogger finally, reluctantly, uploaded a few photos. One at a time, but it did it, so I'm happy.

I've been working on this pretty steadily. I'm feeling my way and picking colors as I go, so it's slow sometimes as I dither.

Here are a couple of closer views. It took me a while to figure out how to do the embroidery over the stitched ground. For the leaves, I cut little leaf shapes from drier sheets and used them as a base. It helped me define the shapes. For the white flowers, I took one stitch across the width of the petal to act as a base and then stitched the petals vertically to the center over it.

Olympic Stitching

It seems Blogger isn't uploading photos today. On a day when I have a bunch!  I've been a big fan of the Olympics since I was a kid.  And beginning in 1968, I've generally had an "Olympic Project" in hand to do.  The projects aren't related to the sport, just to me keeping busy during the endless hours of TV.

In '68 my project was an embroidery design in turquoise, orange and brown on muslin, for the pockets of a dress I was making.  The design was from a Better Homes & Gardens embroidery book that was $2 (I still have it).  It was actually featured on the red cover, but in different colors.  I wore the minidress until I came to my senses and it became a blouse.

I stitched while watching Peggy Flemming skate endless figure eights, all on the exact same lines. And I had to be carefull not to drool on the embroidery when Jean Claude Killy came up to ski.

I don't remember all of the Olympic projects or events, but that first one is etched in my mind.

This year I had a bag full of mini-kits, collected from British magazines, mostly Molly Makes.  They're cute and easy to do, perhaps a bit fiddly because they're small. They'd been nagging at me so they became this year's Olympics project.  I had a bunch collected.

Since they're not loading here, I put them on flickr, where you may go see them if you're interested:  Marjorie from Illinios finished in 2014.

Knee-wise, I'm going quite well.  I've been up and down stairs to do a load of laundry and am more able to get around and about.  Today it's pouring rain, which is better than snow, but because it's close to freezing and I don't like ice, I'm staying indoors.  Hubby is making soup.

Progress

I've been home two weeks now. I'm making progress--I've graduated to a cane and moving around well. I've begun outpatient physical therapy and am working hard.

I'm also finding time (and energy) to stitch. I've made a lot of progress on my blue crewelwork piece. I put it away last spring with just a few motifs completed.  I decided I needed to put something light behind the palest stitching but couldn't decide what.  Fabric would fray, felt was too thick. I finally decided to use a couple layers of used drier sheets...handy and free, non fraying. They're under the pale yellow areas and you can see them basted down for an area that will be pale blue and green.

I began this scarf last summer and then on Thanksgiving found a dropped stitch a few rows back. Then, looking, I spotted another error. I tried to just unravel a bit, but quickly realised I don't have the skills to put it back on the needles in pattern.  And I decided it was a bit too wide.  Soooo, I unraveled the entire scarf and began over.

I understand the lace pattern better now and am much more relaxed knitting it.  I've added lifelines to help when I make another error and they also help with the anxiety.  It's coming along well and I'm nearly back to where I was before starting over.

We're still in the seemingly endless cycle of snow, very cold, more snow, more cold.  It's nice to be warm and snug!  I hope you're keeping warm and able to use the quiet winter to do what you love best.

Brief Visit

I'm home. Recuperating.

While I was in The Villa in South Holland for rehab, I was very pleased to find Jacobean design wallpaper borders in the hallways.

Hubby helped me get some iPad pix on my last day there. Lovely patterns.

Inspiration for stitching.

I'm not stitching yet. Most people think, wow, six weeks of stitching. For me it's been two weeks of never getting quite comfortable, groggy from the pain meds, unfocused and lethargic. That said, this time is 100% better than previous experiences and I'm beginning to feel the desire to stitch. 

Looking forward to being back soon.

off for a while

 My good friend Renee passed away last week. I realized I couldn't attend her service because I'll be post knee-replacement surgery.  So for my own memorial, I took advantage of this weekend's huge snowfall to make a snowangel for Renee.  It just felt right. 

 Here's Hubby out shoveling before the temperatures plunged.

 And here's our street, buried in snow.

 I have my first finish for 2014--two baby hats for the coming twins!  I think they're adorable.

And to keep me busy, I took out this crewel project to continue working on.  I hope to get a lot done while I'm recuperating.

I expect to be silent for several weeks at least. See you on the other side.