I was poking around through some old files and posts and came across this super cute video. Enjoy!
Maggie and Mildred from Holly Klein on Vimeo.
Also, if you haven’t already voted, please head over to this post and let us all know which stitch you stitch. I’ll be posting about the results shortly. And, I may be posting a couple of more polls. The discussion about stitching direction has raised some interesting questions.
There are lots of reasons I’m looking forward to moving back into a house. Having a backyard, for example, or not hearing my neighbour flush their toilet in the middle of the night. High on my list of things to do when we moved was get another cat. Our beautiful (and very grumpy) Isis passed away about four and a half years ago and I still miss her a lot.
Isis (2002)
Unfortunately, the little man’s latest round of allergy testing not only confirmed his allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, trees, grass and mould (ugh!), but he also appears to be very allergic to cats and dogs. Ugh, again. So, no cat for us right now. Instead, I knit myself a purple cat.
Purple Greta
Okay, it isn’t the same, but knitting this little cutie helped my feel a little better. The pattern is Greta the Captivating Cat from Rebecca Danger. The yarn is Cascade’s Luna Prints in colourway Wild Violets. Once I have my craft stash back, she will be getting a ribbon around her neck and around her tail.
Greta the Captivating Cat, 2011 edition
This isn’t the first time I’ve made this great pattern. Back in 2011, I knit her for a partner exchange on Ravelry, and I had been intending to make another one for me ever since. And now that I know I can’t have a real cat, I sense several more knitted cats in my future.
Last week, one of the British cross stitch magazines posted a message on Facebook asking people which way they made their stitches. Now, I was aware that I made my stitches differently from many of the people I know, but I had no idea that so few people stitch the way I do. So, in an effort to be wholly unscientific, tell me: which way do you make your stitches?
Which stitch do you stitch?
Do you make your stitches like the top row, with the top leg of your X going like this /, or does the top leg of your X go like this \? Please let me know in the poll below.
[poll id=”3″]
I’m hoping that the poll shows that I’m not that unusual. 😉
I’ve been poking around on the Internet looking for some more interesting needlework-related news to share with you. Here is the best of what I’ve come across lately:
Do you have an interesting needlework-related news to share? Leave a comment below!
Yes, I am late with the Totally Useless Stitch-Along (TUSAL) check-in, but I have an excuse. Wednesday was the Smalls SAL check-in, and I can only manage so much in a week! 😉
Look at all these pretty colours. This month I worked on my Cutwork Compass Rose, which I shared with you on Wednesday, and on La Pensée Positive.
TUSAL – May 2014
Unfortunately, my large jar has already been packed up. I was sure I kept it (just like my knitting needles and crochet hooks), but it seems that I haven’t. So, I’m going to weird and keep a little nest of orts until I can add them to my jar.
Speaking of check-in, if you are taking part in the Smalls SAL, or would like too, don’t forget to go back and post your link on Wednesday’s check-in post. For every month you check in, you get an entry into the year-end draw. What’s the prize? I’m not telling, but it is good. 🙂
Welcome to the Smalls SAL check-in for May. What’s the Smalls SAL? Simple: stitch a small and share it with everyone on the last Wednesday of the month. Then, head over here to leave a link to your post.
This month I worked on Teresa Wentzler’s Cutwork Compass Rose. It isn’t quite done; I think I was just a little bit too ambitious. Still, it looks so good, and I can’t wait to finish it up. I need to add some satin stitches to the NE, SE, SW, NW points (I’ve run out of the silk), beads for the letters inside the circles, and all the cutwork.
Cutwork Compass Rose, designed by Teresa Wentzler (WIP)
I probably won’t tackle the hardanger sections until after we are settled in our new house because my hardanger scissors have been packed away (and, to be honest, my nerves are a bit shot right now so I don’t trust myself to cut properly!). My stitchy friend Christine has finished and framed her’s, and if you click here you can see how beautiful it is when it is complete.
Close up of a section of Cutwork Compass Rose (designed by Teresa Wentzler).
So, what did you work on this month? Please use the form below to leave a link to your post. And, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment here and/or visit some of the other participants and leave comments on their blogs. We all love to have visitors!
Next Check-in: The next check-in will be on June 25th. Hopefully I will be able to get something done in time, and I hope you do too.
The other afternoon, while looking for something not to messy to do (keeping our condo ready for showings is a priority right now), I decided to get out my tatting supplies.
My little collection of tatting supplies.
I took a shuttle tatting class about fifteen years ago at my then-LNS Golden Threads in Hamilton, ON. I managed to pick it up okay, but I didn’t practice much because I got busy with school, etc. I tried a few times afterwards, both needle and shuttle tatting, but it has never worked right for me.
Shuttle tatting?
That’s my result after watching a couple of lessons of Craftsy’s Shuttle Tatting class. I just can’t manage the flip. Ugh.
Needle tatted rings, I think…
Then I got out my tatting needle and managed to accomplish the above. They are supposed to be a rings. At least I managed to make double stitches and picots! I found a series of tatting videos by RustiKati on YouTube, and they are fabulous and they got me that far. I still have many more to watch, so I will get better. (I hope.) I’m still not 100% sure that tatting is my thing (see “rings” above), but it sure is making much more sense to me now. One day, I’d love to be able to make something like this.
Old shuttle tatting
There is some hope. I found the bits and pieces above in the bottom of my tatting bag. Clearly, at some point I had some idea about what I was doing.
Needleworker, Knitter, Crocheter, Sewist, Paper Crafter, and more!
Also known as Silverlotus & Stitchinglotus
Located just outside of Toronto, Canada.
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