Well, it has been an interesting week.  Teresa Wentzler’s announcement on Monday thankfully didn’t set the tone for the week.  Although, I have to admit, I’m still pretty bummed about it.  But, I’ve sorted through my TW patterns and made a list of what I would like to get before they disappear, and also made a list of the few duplicates I have.  If you are looking for anything, let me know.  What I have extras of are designs that are in the Christmas and fantasy book collections.

As always, I’ve stitched up a storm this week.  I finished up Jeanette Douglas Designs’ Take Time to Read, which a few changes.  I ran out of the brown silk, so the lamp and fireplace in the bottom right look a little different, and I used medium gold instead of cream for the fireplace as well because of the colour of my fabric.  I also left off the flowers and “vine” around the edge so that this piece looks more like Take Time to Stitch.  Overall, I love it and I would like to thank Erica again for sending it to me.  (Notice it hasn’t been ironed yet.  There is no design called Take Time to Iron.)

Take Time to Read by Jeanette Douglas Designs

I also finished the beading on Teresa Wentzler’s Sparkling Hearts.  There is still some cross stitching to do to finish this piece up, and I still need to figure out what to do about the back.  So, I’ll save the picture for a couple of days.

And, lastly, I finished up another class design from the Creativ Festival: Jennifer Aikman-Smith’s Perforated Paper Castle Ornament.  For some reason I had an awful time this with.  I kept having to pick out stitches.  It’s like I forgot how to count.  It turned out lovely though.  I do still need to add the dangles at the bottom and the cord at the top. (The front and back are the same size.  I didn’t mess with the laws of the universe.  I just took some bad pictures.)

Perforated Paper Castle Ornament by J A-S

My knitting has slowed this week, since there are only so many hours in the day.  And rather than work on Christmas gifts (it’s not like Christmas is just around the corner 😛 ), I’ve been knitting myself a small shawl/scarf-thingee.  The pattern is Skinny Ruffles Shawlette by Liden Heflin, and I’m using Dye-Versions Au-Lait in colourway Violetta.  The increases are backwards loops and are looking a little loose.  If they don’t tighten up with blocking, I’m just going to call that line down the centre a design feature. 🙂  Honestly, I do like the way it looks, but it definitely looks better on one side than the other.

Skinny Ruffles Shawlette by Liden Heflin

And I have four thank yous today!  First, to Cath of Country Stitch, for going out of her way to help me find the right colour of red fabric on which to stitch something for my husband.  Her fabric is lovely, and this is the second time she has dyed something special for me.

Second, to Kat of Cross Eyed Kat/Kat Gets Cross Eyed, for the lovely trade for my Telsa scarf.  I now own almost every Cross Eyed Kat chart that I have been lusting after, and a lovely piece of PTP fabric.  Yay!  She is a very generous woman.

And speaking of generous women, a big thank you to Missy Ann.  I’ll show you why in a couple of weeks. But I will say that I am super excited because I am going to be able to stitch something I thought I never would be able too.

And one more thank you to Jenny of Jenn’s Counted Threads, who just offered me two TW charts from my wish list.  Yay!  Thank you!

Although I shouldn’t be,  I am always awed and surprised by the generosity and kindness of the women  I have met online who share my interest in cross stitch.  They all help to make my world a happier place.  I hope someone out there can say the same about me.