TUSAL and Summer Tree

If you follow my Twitter feed (@silverlotus152), then you will know that I had some problems with the modified rice stitches for the summer portion of Once Upon a Tree last night.  I did them over 4 threads instead of 6, and wasted some silk.  This morning, with a clearer head and a better frame of mind, I was able to get those stitches in right, and now the summer tree is finished!  Once Upon a Tree will now happily hibernate until the next issue of JCS comes out.  (The design is stitched on a natural coloured linen.  The colour variation is caused by the poor morning lighting I have here.)

June 22^nd was the new moon, and the day I was supposed to post my Totally Useless Stitch Along picture.  Of course I forgot, and then I didn’t get around to it yesterday.  But, here it is now:

There are a bunch of bits from Once Upon a Tree and some fabric and sewing thread from a piece I finished into a bellpull yesterday.  (Pictures of that coming soon.)  Below the fabric are a whole bunch of bits of yarn from all those dishcloths.  (Pictures of them coming soon too!)

As for what is on my knitting needles, I am still plugging away on my pink sock.  I’m working on the leg now and will hopefully have the first one of the pair done by the end of the weekend.  (Plain stockinette is not inspiring too me, so I’m not working very hard on it.)  I’m also working on Tesla from the Summer 2009 Knotions.  The yarn is a silk and sea cell (product of seaweed) blend from Dye-Versions in colourway Moss.  It starts with a beaded long-tail cast-on, which was boring to do but looks fabulous.

If I like the finished product, I may make one or two for gifts.  Possibly using the Dye-Version yarn (which I have to go to the other side of the city for) or with the called for Handmaiden yarn (also a silk and sea cell blend and carried by my LYS).

I’m currently stitching a small Canadian flag designed by Lynne Nicoletti, and will be trying to get caught up on Castles in the Air over the next week or so.  July, I have decided, will be mainly about getting Baby Man’s stocking done and (hopefully!) getting to work on Lynne Nicolett’s Velveteen Rabbit for him.  And, maybe, getting a start on Heirloom Stitching Sampler too.