Giveaway!

Hello my friends in the blogging world!  I want to share in the celebration of my nephew’s safe and honorable return from a two-year LDS mission to Slovakia.  He says he has left a part of his heart with the people of that nation, and having served a mission myself years ago, I know what he means.  The best thing about my nephew’s return is the gathering of family and friends that we’ve enjoyed over the past few weeks, and the memories that have been created and remembered.  I want to extend this feeling to all of you, and get us all into the spirit of the holiday season from Thanksgiving through the New Year (and whichever holiday you celebrate be it Christmas, Chanuka, Kwanza, etc.).  So, I have been gathering some items for a giveaway.  The rules for the giveaway are these:

1) I will give one chance to you if you comment on this post and tell me how you found my blog or know me.

2) I will give another chance to you if you share your favorite family holiday memory on your blog, and include the link to your entry in your comment so that others can find it from my blog.

3) I will accept entries through Sunday, November 8th, and will draw the winner’s name on Monday, the 9th.

And, here is what the winner will receive:

Lizzie Kate’s “Jolly Holiday” chartpak (includes 30 ct linen and buttons)

Four skeins Week’s Dye Works, and one skein Gentle Art Sampler Thread called for in the kit

John James Tapestry Petites needles, size 24

Four coordinating fat quarters of fabric

A Utah Quarter needle magnet

— I’ll also throw in the two skeins of DMC called for in the chartpak when I send the package.

I will ship internationally as well.  So, folks, I hope you enjoy this little giveaway, and that it helps you to kick off a great and memorable holiday season with those you love!

I’ve also made progress on several WIPs, but I’ll save those for another day.  I hope your weekend was relaxing.  I spent most of the day yesterday driving up in the beautiful Utah mountains taking pictures for my photography class.  While the fall colors are pretty much finished, there were some great views up high, with a bit of snow and icy streams and lakes.  I enjoyed myself very much.  And, now, I’m going to prepare for what will be a very busy week.  We are expecting some continued wonderful weather, with skies clear and daytime temps in the 60’s.  Wonderful!

 

A Blogtoberfest Meme…

Saw this on Leah’s Blog and thought I’d play along.

What Big Cat Are You?

 

You Are a Cougar

You have more strength than most people, and with it, the ability to inflict a lot of harm. Your power gives you confidence, and you find leading others to be easy.You believe that you need to the best, and you are very driven to excel. Most people immediately admire you, but some people feel very envious of your abilities.

Hmmm…. okay.  Sounds like I’m a bit of a nut case.  Good thing I don’t put much stock in these things.

Don’t worry folks… the giveaway will be posted by the weekend.  I’ve been working to add to it… 🙂  I just am having too much fun with it.

 

Dip Diddly Designs Giveaway…

While I put the finishing touches on my giveaway, Jolene at Dip Diddly Designs has posted yet another wonderful giveaway.  Take a look if you haven’t seen it already.  I’ve just discovered her blog (I know I’m behind the times here)… it’s wonderful!

 

‘Tis the Season – a new start

I couldn’t resist.  I’ve actually just done a little bit, last night, and tonight.  Here is my progress so far:

This was just taken under my Ott light.  I’ll try again next time under sunlight.  The colors really look great, and I’m having fun with this one.  I’ve also been working more on my first sock… Wahoo!  It’s not perfect.  I’ve learned a little bit, and yippee, I’ve turned the heel!  I actually did it.  I am now working on the gusset.  I am using Lorna’s Laces “Simply the Blues”, which was a February 2009 limited edition color from Jimmy Beans Wool.  I probably should have started out with a yarn that was cheaper, but I just couldn’t resist the colors.  In fact, I learned to knit mainly to do socks!  So, I’ve got a sock yarn stash that pre-dates my first knit and purl. ;0)

I am using a pattern by Knitting Pure & Simple called “Beginner’s Lightweight Socks”, and had some help from Ann Budd when I got a bit confused trying to pick up the stitches after turning the heel for my first time, on my own.

And, here’s something I’ve been working on the past few weeks.  It goes fast, but I’m still not sure I’m going to finish this month.  Oh well, I couldn’t have framed it in time anyway.  But, it’s really a fun stitch.  And, a bit mindless, which is nice especially since I’ve been working on my Mary Busby repro, on 40 count, and now TTS is on 40 count.  It’s nice to switch back to 32 count once in a while.  But, I sure love those high-count linens!

eek!

Wow, two posts in one day.  But, I saw the responses on Legacy to the conversion for TTS, and I thought I’d take the time to post a progress pic.  Have a great week everyone, and make time for creativity!

 

Michael’s Homecoming

Well, here’s a snap of my sister and her family, with Michael in the center… it was a great night Thursday.  We followed his flights throughout the day, and while he missed the first flight from New York that he was booked on, everything was arranged by the travel office for the next flight.  So, after 22-plus hours of travel, and almost 25 months away from home, here he is!

I’m still gathering items for the giveaway… don’t give up.  It’s coming!

 

Blogtoberfest… Okay, I’m terrible at this!

I admit it.  This posting daily stuff is hard!  So, just want you to know that I’ll still post, but (surprise!) it won’t be daily.  It will hopefully be more than I usually post, which is one reason why I signed up for this whole Blogtoberfest thing in the first place.  Oh, and to see some great things from people out in the blogosphere, which I have!

I traveled to my not-so-local, local needlework store today.  I went with two things in mind.  First, I wanted to find something fun to do a giveaway on my blog!  I know I promised I would post it yesterday (yes, this is another blogging failure of mine).  But, rest assured, I will post it soon, and will give plenty of time for all three of you that read my blog to comment and thus enter to win the prize!  I did find something that I think will be fun, and I’ve been adding a few small things here and there to round out the offer.

The other task I needed to accomplish was to try to convert the Belle Soie called for in the design “Tis the Season” (found in Blackbird Designs’ book “Joyeux Noel”) to cotton.  I pulled those silks out and put them on the counter at the shop, and my heart about skipped a beat.  They are beautiful.  I almost dropped a wad of plastic on those babies.  But, while I know that some of you just can’t bear to stitch with cotton when a wonderful silk is available and called for (I feel your pain, really!), I just couldn’t justify buying EIGHT skeins of the silks at $6.50 US a pop.  For a holiday design.  That I won’t have hanging all the time.   I do know that for some of you, it’s almost heresy to use the cotton…  but to purchase it would have been heresy for me… (I really AM trying to gain some sense of self-control).

I’m really pleased to say that my friends Carolyn and Cheryl (no blog) helped me find the perfect cotton overdyeds.  When I put them (and the silks) on the Lakeside Linen 32 count Pear, I just wasn’t pleased though.  And, it wasn’t the fault of the thread.  The batch of the pear linen my LNS had was more brown than green, and tended to wash out the colors of all the threads.  So, I went hunting and found some wonderful Lakeside Linens 40 count River Willow.  Ta da!  I was ready to go.  Here then, is a snap of the cottons on the new linen.  The lighting wasn’t great, but I can promise you, the colors are really, really a close match for the Belle Soie:

Here then, is the conversion from Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk, if you want to give it a try:

Attic Tea -> CC Pea Pod
Moss -> WDW Bark
Mudpie -> WDW Palomino
Poison Apple -> CC Wild Berries
Pumpkin Carriage -> GAST Brandy
Scarecrow -> GAST Grecian Gold
Tortoise Shell -> GAST Forest Glade
Vanilla Pudding -> WDW Whitewash

I am using one strand on the 40 count River Willow Linen, and the picture shows it a bit lighter than it really is.  I’ll try to get a better picture in daylight… I did start it tonight, but only have a few stitches in!  I purchased two skeins of Wild Berries, but I don’t think I’ll need the second skein.  We’ll see.  I hope you all have a great day, and find time for creativity!

 

Some sky-candy for ya…

 

Blogtoberfest… 6-11?

I know, I know… I can’t really cheat that way.  Let’s just say, I’ve been busier than a one-armed paper-hanger… or so my grandpa used to say.  This is a really short excuse for a large span of days.  But, I promise some pics of my WIPs and other fun things this next week.

My nephew returns home from an LDS mission in Slovakia on Thursday.  And, to celebrate, I’ll be announcing a giveaway on my blog on Friday.

Also, I just finished transferring the website host for the Swan Sampler Guild.  It’s not very fancy, but I’m excited that we have it finally transferred!

 

Blogtoberfest 5 – My music, A to V-W-X-Y-and-Z?

Well, I’m going to resort to the suggested list of topics today (although out of order)… because I’m still at work, and will be deep in work for quite a while, so no great pics of things I’m working on.  So, music… As others have said, music is a wonderful way to get to know someone.  Here then are the most recent artists I’ve listened to in iTunes, that start with the letter “A”:

Aaron Neville, Acoustic Alchemy, Al Jarreau, Amy Grant, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin

And those that start with V, W, X, Y, or Z:

Various Artists (hee, hee), Vince Guaraldi Trio, Wicked Cast, Wynonna, Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma, Zac Efron

Wow, this is wild.  Here are the albums that start with “A”:

American Bandstand Library of Rock N’ Roll (Mr. Various Artists Himself), All For You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio (Krall), All the Best (McCartney), All This Time (Sting), Anne (of Green Gables soundtrack), Anthology (Diana Ross), Awake (Groban)

And those from V, W, X, Y, and Z:

Variations on a Sacred Theme II (Azevedo), Very Best of (The Spinners), Very Best of (Patti Austin), Waiting for My Rocket to Come (Mraz), We Are in Love (Connick, Jr.), Weekend in LA (Benson), Welcome to the St. James’ Club (Rippingtons), What’s Inside (Eliot), When You Know (Reeves), Wicked (Original Broadway Cast), The Wild Places (Fogelberg), Windows and Walls (Fogelberg), Yentl (Streisand), Yesterday Once More (Carpenters), You’ve Got Mail (Original Movie Soundtrack), Your Secret Love (Vandross)

I suppose this is a really random way to expose my musical tastes… and I must tell you that my iTunes collection only represents about 1/4 of all of the CDs and old vinyl I own, and only generally represents the music I listen to on the weekdays.  I have a lot of classical, religious, broadway, soundtracks, more jazz, more rock, more soft rock, some country, a little punk, and lots of old disco.  Anything but that rap or grunge stuff, really.  But, my tastes are showing my age too.  I’m a musical child of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.  I’m a music nut.  My sixth grade graduation present was a pair of headphones, and I was ecstatic when my dad brought home an old stereo system with the turntable attached to the top of the receiver that he found in an apartment he was cleaning out.  I used to put three or four records on my turntable and listen to them in succession… they would drop on top of each other, and I would be in my room with my headphones on listening until late in the night, long after I should have been asleep.  The first album I ever bought was by Neil Sedaka and it cost me some pretty dear babysitting money… that was closely followed by Earth, Wind & Fire’s Greatest Hits (when I say album, I mean those big spinning pieces of vinyl folks).  I never, ever, in my wildest dreams thought that I would be able to buy a shiny disc with whole double albums on them, let alone carry my music around in a little package smaller than my calculator (or abacus if you really want to know how old I am AND just how inspired I think this iPod thing is).  So, in honor of this very telling post about myself, here is a pic taken just a few days ago, while I was carrying on my tradition of listening long into the night…while working in my home office.

 

I think this shows just too much about how tired I was… oh well.  And, here’s a pic of the fence-building crew, and said fence, mentioned in  my last post:

 

That’s all for today!

 

Happenings on the Farm (a finish too!) – Blogtoberfest 4

At home, I have a really big garden. (thus the “farm” reference in the title of this post).  I’m thinking of hanging a plaque and calling it the “Lulie Blackham Memorial Garden” for a dear friend that always had a huge garden… Now that she’s left this spinning globe for heavenly pursuits, I’m sure she giggles a bit to know I’ve spent so much of my time this year digging in the dirt and wishing I had asked her questions like “Which varieties of corn do best in our area, and what in the world can I do about all these grasshoppers?” before she took her trip.

I have a great new cedar fence that divides my garden (street side of property) from the rest of my backyard thanks to some great youth in my area, so that I have some privacy, and can create an outdoor living space over the next year or so.  I have a vision.  I will accomplish it.  No matter how many good intentioned neighbors offer to help me just lay the whole backyard with sod.  (Why would I want to water and mow just as much sod in the back, as I already have in the front to take care of… in an arid, desert climate?).  I do hope to get a gate built before the winter sets in, and – cross my fingers -get the whole thing cleaned and stained… not sure I’ve enough time before the snow falls for that though.

We also had some wonderful friends come for a quick visit from Nevada.  David and Jane came calling on a Sunday, and left Monday night.  While it was a short visit, it was a whirlwind visit.  I think Mom’s still recovering.  We had a big barbeque with all of our family on Sunday night, then we talked until late.  I went to work for a few hours, and then we hit the road.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake for lunch, and then to The Wool Cabin, and Pine Needles at Gardner Village.  That was fun.  I was pretty pleased with myself.  I only bought two hanks of Malabrigo worsted (a navy with lime, and a burgundy with green to light green), and two skeins of Happy Feet sock yarn at The Wool Cabin.  There were many things that tempted me though.  Jane picked up some really nice yarns, and I think she will have a great time making something out of them!  She also found some really fun things at Pine Needles.  I bought a few small items.  Since that little jaunt to Salt Lake, I’ve been back a few times, so my pride in having some self-control was short-lived.

I have had my job re-written at work, adding more umph to my role, so that I can be more empowered to do some things that need to be done… vague I know.  But, it’s a good, and CRAZY TIME GRABBER thing.  So, I’m glad the garden is about finished for the year.

I have made more time for stitching and just being creative most days.  There isn’t much time for that, but I have been working on several pieces that I’ll show you over the next few days.  And, I’m at the point where I create the heel for my first-ever knitted sock.  It’s been in that state for a bit, but Jane’s visit was fun, because she knits socks like a fiend, and actually brought several with her just for me.  Jane told my mom, “It’s probably a good thing Laura and I don’t live closer…we do too much damage to our pocketbooks together.”  It’s so fun for me when I find someone who loves fiber and needles (any kind: knitting, tapestry, sewing, etc.) as much as I do.

I’ll leave you with a couple of pics of my recently completed “Lo, How a Rose” by Brightneedle.  I used the Weeks Dye Works threads called for on Antique White Belfast, except I switched out the Chablis and used GAST Old Red Paint instead. 

Finished!

 

That’s it for now.  Aren’t you glad?  This is getting to be a long one!  I hope you have a creative day!