ARIZONA BOUND

WHOOO HOOO I can't wait till tomorrow when I board the plane for Arizona. I am attending ASG (A Stitchers Gathering) in Scottsdale. Rae Iverson of Moss Creek Designs puts on these events 2 times a year. I will have a class with 3 national teachers one of which is Rae. The others are Ann Pettit from Brightneedle and Betsy Morgan Willing Hands. I am also going on an excursion to Sedona that was arranged by the Iverson's. While I have been to this area of the country before it was 15 years ago and I am anxious to return there. Friday morning we have plans to visit a great local shop called the Attic in Mesa. Now I don't need a thing - if I never bought another piece of linen, chart, canvas or ball of yarn in MY LIFE - I would never use up what I have stashed. Oh well - what difference does that make???? I wouldn't miss the Attic for the world! I have also snooped out a great yarn shop in Mesa - Fiber Factory purported to be "the best in the west" - we'll see if I make it there.

Quick run down of my current WIP's -

Stitching: Just started Martina Dey's Quaker Sal - beautiful contemporary sampler using traditional quaker motifs. I am using 36ct antique white edinborough with two colors Crescent Colors Belle Soie Silks - elegant eggplant and plush plum - ooh la la - it is beautiful - finished my first motif in eggplant and am dying to get the plum in the linen!

Elizabeth McMachen - repro from a sampler in the collection of the Maryland Historical Society - I did this class with Kathy Staples and Kathy Lesieur in Baltimore in April when I attended the Maryland Sampler Symposium. It is lovely in AVAS silks and 30ct Legacy linen. It has a huge rose and rosebud border and a funky folky basket with eccentric flowers in the middle. It has taken a back seat to my new quaker but I will probably haul it to Arizona with me.

Martha Brady an Ackworth Quaker by Needleprints is now in the works. It was my Memorial Day start. It is worked on 34ct Legacy linen overdyed by Lakeside in vintage bisque with the called for AVAS. We'll see how that goes - I love stitching with AVAS but i'm afraid Miss Martha may take a back seat to the new quaker lovely.

Knitting projects - oh my!

I spent some time this weekend preparing my plane projects - I simply could not fly that far without plane(plain) knitting. I have a beautiful Rowan garment - the Wraparound Jacket worked in the colors suggested in Rowan #40 in 4ply wool. I have passed the first armhole and am about at the 55cm point. This jacket is an unusual construction in that it is worked sideways so it will be straight stockinette for eons. Perfect for plane(plain) knitting.

I have a cool and brightly colored Colinette jacket in Prism Jamboree that I may also take - It is from an Interweave Mag earlier this year. It is not appropriate plane knitting b/c it is worked on huge 10.5 needles - straights not circulars and I always fear dropping my needle and having it roll down the aisle and being stuck not able to knit for the duration of the flight - EGAD - not acceptable - so all plane (plain) projects are on circulars! The colors remind of the mexico - so I might drag it along -

Rug hooking projects - and there are many - but my main focus is to finish the monkey/fruit rug. You can see a WIP photo elsewhere on the blog. it is coming along and I need to get another WIP photo soon.

Better sign off here - I have a long night of haggling over what to take to a place where it was 107 degrees today! EEEEKKKK - I sure wasn't prepared for that!