Oh look, a new start! Imagine that.
W is for Wtitch by Victoria Sampler
It is W is for Wtitch by Victoria Sampler, stitched on 30 count linen banding using the thread pack which is full of yummy silk threads. And, while this may be a new start when I am already drowning in WIPs and UFOs, at least it is a) seasonally appropriate, and b) on my list of 2011 goals. This lessens my feelings of guilt just a little bit.
No, there is no new baby on the way over here. We are quite happy as a trio. However, a friend of the family and his wife are expecting their first, a little girl, in mid-November. Since I didn’t learn to knit until Baby Man was about nine months old, I missed out on the whole knit-for-baby thing. So, as you can imagine, I’m so pleased to have an excuse to knit some of those cute little designs I’ve been seeing.
So far I’ve only completed a couple of small things. First, a wee cabled hat knit from Rowan Calmer in colour Calmer:
Cabled Baby Hat
And, with the left over yarn, I knit a small pair of baby mitts:
Baby Mitts
I have enough of the yarn left to do another small project, possibly another hat. And let me tell you, this yarn is sooooo soft. I have six balls of another colour hidden away for a project for myself, and another two balls of yet another colour that I’m planning on knitting some fishnet trouser socks with. I can’t wait!
I’m also working on a large baby blanket using Bernat’s new Pipsqueak yarn. The yarn is very soft, and reminds me of Baby Man’s own treasured Blankie (or Glankie, depending on what he is calling on that particular day). And, bonus, it is machine washable! On the downside, it is shedding like crazy from all the cut ends while I am working with it. I dearly hope that once it has been washed that it will beheave a little better. Here is just one of the thirty-six squares I’ll be knitting for the blanket. So far it is about 1/3 complete, and I am aiming to have it done by the end of the month.
Baby Blanket square
The free pattern for the blanket is available here. I’m using Pretty Pink as my main colour (A), Sitting Pretty as colour B, and Whitey White as colour C. Baby Man is so in love with this blanket that he has asked me to make one for him when I’m done. Honestly, with all the ends I have to weave in for every square (8!), plus seaming all the squares together (6 per row) and then seaming the rows together (6 rows), I don’t think I will be making another one of these blankets. They do, however, have a lovely crochet blanket that Baby Man might like just as much.
I’ve still got (fingers crossed) two months of knitting time left before the baby arrives, and a lifetime of knitting for a girl after that. I’ve got a couple of cardigans planned, and then who knows what else. Baby Man’s blanket may be delayed for a little while.
Halloween seems to quickly be coming one of the most stitchable holidays. The amount of Halloween designs that have appeared over the past couple of years is really amazing, and I’m sure there are lots more in store. And who doesn’t love the witches, bats and pumpkins available in styles to suit every stitcher?
(Looking for a review of the 2012 edition? Check out this post.)
Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collection
Just Cross Stitch magazine has been supporting this trend for the past several years by including a Halloween ornament section in their September/October edition. This year, in addition to the regular Halloween issue, they have also published a special edition magazine (also being called a book-azine, a term I don’t care for) that contains fifty-one Halloween designs.
JCS Halloween Collection Contents
The Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collection is priced at US$16.95, and is the size of a standard magazine. The cover, however, is made from thicker cardstock, and the pages are also slightly thicker than those found in a regular magazine. The magazine is in full colour, with black and white charts. If you’ve ever seen a Just Cross Stitch magazine, you know what to expect in terms of charts: clear symbols that reflect the colour gradations of the finished design, as well as floss list that give DMC equivalents for hand-dyed fibres when available. When the design uses DMC floss, equivalents are given for either Anchor or Presencia floss (with there seeming to be no rhyme nor reason as to why one brand is used on one chart and the other brand on another chart).
Thanks that Go Bump in the Night (detail image and portion of materials listing)
The designs range from the very small (a pair of eye earrings), to ornaments, to a 6″ x 4 1/2″ free-standing cube finish, to larger designs meant for pillows or to hang on the wall. The materials used include everything from DMC floss through to fancy Glorianna silks, as well as beads, buttons, and trims. The continuing trend to make use of hand-dyed threads where they aren’t really needed is definitely evident in this magazine. Several different “blacks” are used (WDW mascara, GAST raven, Crescent Colours black bird), all of which are solid enough to be easily replaced with DMC 310. I love hand-dyed threads, but I also believe they are most beautiful and useful when there are clear variations in the colour. It is no wonder DMC is losing market share. Maybe I’m a frugal stitcher, but I will be using DMC wherever I can.
As a bit of an aside, it is interesting to note that two designs use Anchor floss as their fibre of choice, Frank-in-Stitches and Treat or Treat Bee, both designed by Mosey and Me. One design, Ghost by Sue Hillis, uses Sullivan’s. It is becoming clear who are the underdogs in the current embroidery floss market.
Ghost by Sue Hillis
The designs cover a wide range of styles. Primitives are amply covered by designs such as Wicked Night by The Primitive Hare (6″ x 12″, suggested finishing is a pillow), October Feather Tree by Notforgotten Farm (10″ x 8″), and a myriad of ornaments. There is also a fabulous mandala by Tracy Horner of Ink Circles (7 1/4″ square), and a larger designs of witches, ghosts, haunted houses, etc. in what I can best describe as “normal” style. Another showpiece design, in my opinion, is Recipe for a Magical Night by Adelaide Needleworks. It is a lovely composition of brightly coloured swirls emerging from a cauldron that is featured on the cover. I think that in this collection of fifty-one designs, you are likely to find many that tickle your fancy regardless of your preferred style.
A Spirited Mandala by Ink Circles
This brings me to my only problem with this special edition magazine. The Just Cross Stitch website has a banner advertising the magazine which claims that it contains “Over 50 NEW exclusive designs” (emphasis theirs). Unfortunately, this is not the case. The final section of the magazine is called “Ghosts of Halloween Past” and features sixteen designs from past issues of Just Cross Stitch. I have to say that I found this extremely disappointing. Being a semi-loyal JCS purchaser, I have all these designs. I was excited about this special issue because the ad claimed it featured new designs. And, yes, 35 new designs for US$16.95 is a bargain, I still can’t help but feel a little mislead. So, buyer beware: there are previously published deigns in this magazine, regardless of what the advertising says.
Ghosts of Halloween Past
Overall, though, I do think this magazine is worth the purchase for anyone who is a Halloween fan and is looking for new designs to stitch. The designs are all high quality and from well-known designers. And while it may seem pricey compared to regular editions of the magazine, keep in mind that a comparable Ink Circles chart costs US$10 and an Adelaide Needleworks design would cost €12.00, everything else is a bonus.
All images in this post were photographed by me, and come from the Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collection, 2011.
I know I’ve mentioned before that I’m having some issues with my weight. Some of it can be traced to a health issue that still hasn’t been diagnosed (the next step is a neurologist), but a lot of it has to do with a combination of laziness and just being plum worn out. I know I need to get my butt in gear (and shrink my butt) if I’m ever going to feel better. With that in mind, I’ve stitched myself a little reminder:
He Who Indulges by Teresa Wentzler
This cute little (!) guy was stitched on 32 count white Brittany, using DMC floss. He is an older TW design, and was first featured in the August 1990 issue of Just Cross Stitch. My copy of the chart actually came from the book [amazon_link id=”084871069X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Quick and Easy Cross Stitch Gifts[/amazon_link] (thank you to my public library!).
This is a nice segue into my next semi-secret project: I would eventually like to stitch all of TW’s design. This is most certainly a lifetime project (and thank goodness most of her designs are timeless!). I’ve being doing quite well collecting all her patterns, but I still need a few. Please check out my wish list and let me know if you can help me out. I will be passing on any out of print charts that I can pass on (obviously not this one, since it is from a library book), so that TW’s out of print charts will be available to all her fans. I have no intention of selling any charts on eBay or elsewhere.
Back to little Miss Piggy; does anyone have a good finishing idea for her? I’d like to have her in the kitchen. She is about 2 1/2″ square-ish, I think.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said “There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat“. True or not, I know that this little pear will always look perfect:
Pear from PlanetJune
This is from PlanetJune’s newest free/donationware pattern. I used Bernat Satin yarn in colour Soft Fern.
So, the ornament of the month for August did not go as planned. As I mentioned in an early post, I made a mistake when I picked white fabric to stitch on. I really should have picked something with a tea-dyed effect. But, I decided to solider on and make a change or two, such as changing the white “flower box” at the bottom to a grey. Big, big mistake.
Deck the Windows by Julia Lucas
Uh, that isn’t a white flower box. It is snow… Darn. Clearly I should have got out the magazine and looked at the picture before I made changes. 🙁 And here I thought I was being super organized by making working copies of all the ornaments… Bah!!
Thankfully, I had a backup plan. I had bought (on clearance!) the tiny pack for the Victoria Sampler design Snow Baby Joey that is also in the 2008 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue.
Here he is before I cut the turkey work loops on his snowball:
Snow Baby Joey by Victoria Sampler (Designs by Cathy Jean) - snowball before
And here he is after the snowball has had a haircut:
Snow Baby Joey by Victoria Sampler (Designs by Cathy Jean)
He is stitched on 32 count Brittany (a new fabric for me), using silks, etc. from the tiny pack. I think he is pretty cute, although I do sort of wish he had a face. I don’t think I will try to add one though, as I’d rather not make a mess of it.
I will eventually get back to Deck the Windows. After all, I did stitch the companion design ages ago, and I also have the large wreath treasure. Right now, though, it needs to rest for a little while.
It’s that time again: the new moon and the Totally Useless Stitch Along post for August.
TUSAL Jar
This month I thought I would share my jar in its normal home. It lives on top of a tall chest of drawers (that used to be in my grandmother’s sewing room; but definitely not an antique), right next to the phone and some pretty knickknacks.
I also wanted to mention WIPocalypse, a new SAL that Measi of Measi’s Musing is starting for 2012. I’m all for this, especially since my WIP list now numbers somewhere between 45 and 50, with several more projects to be added after the Creativ Festival. Oh, and I want to stitch something for the guest bathroom, and I am really in love with the new Mirabilia Elizabeth. (Oh! Maybe I could stitch it for the bathroom!!)
I know we still have four months left in the year, but with September coming soon, and fall just around the corner, I can’t help but start my planning for next year. I think, perhaps, my time might be better spent review my goals for this year and seeing just what I have accomplished.
Welcome to Stitching Lotus, a blog about crafting, reading, and creating my own cozy corner of the world. AI free!
Needleworker, Knitter, Crocheter, Sewist, Paper Crafter, and more!
