Sunday, June 22, 2014

JUNE JAUNTS

Good day friends!  June is rolling right along with yesterday being the first day of summer.  We were lucky enough to spend a wonderful 3 day weekend at St Augustine Beach.  We usually go every year and every year it is different and special.  This year it was extremely hot - yesterday when we got in our car to go and eat lunch it was 96 and the "feels like temp" was 103.  That is HOT even for Florida but there was a nice ocean breeze blowing.

Here is the view down the beach to the north from our front balcony.  At least you can see the beautiful clear day.

Here is a view from our balcony and the pool area.  We don't go in the pool here because we have a pool of our own and you get spoiled with your own pool.   But it is a lovely pool area and lots of people and kids were loving it.

Here is a recent finish of "Snowed in" one of the 6 Snowmen from Lizzie * Kate.  It is my "work" project - not that I can stitch at work but I do come in a lot on the weekend to attend to after hours things and sometimes I can snatch a stitch or two.

Here is the two together and next up is Snow Friends in the middle.  This is on 28ct R&R Antique Cotton.  A large count so I can see at work without my prescription stitching glasses.  It's a cutesy piece - not my typical stitching fare but I think they are really cute and easy stitching.

This is my Metallurgy progress so far.  WOW - I only have 8 days left to complete my Camp Loopy #1 project.  I'm sure those of you who read my blog regularly know that every summer I participate in the Camp Loopy projects with The Loopy Ewe.  I have a group of local friends who all participate and we have a great time cheering each other on and helping each other get to the finish line.  The CL #2 yarn has already arrived - dang I should have taken a photo but I'll wait until I show you my finished Metallurgy - Yes I'm being super optimistic because my BFF Henri says if I remain calm and knit on I can finish.  I will have to say it is a much more demanding pattern that I usually pick for CL projects but I did not do my homework before picking the pattern.  I just loved it and ordered it up.  It's not that I can't do it but it's the "doing it fast" part that I am having problems with.  It is a 44 row repeat on the border and it requires my full attention and I have done a lot of tinking back of those border stitches when I frequently mess up.  Oh well - it will be nice when I finish.
 
Hope all of you are having lovely first days of summer wherever you are and whatever you are working on.  Thanks for visiting and commenting - I do love hearing from you all.

Sunday, June 08, 2014

JuJuJuJUNE ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I can't be the second week of June already - I wish I could slow things down.  No matter how hard I try to change my routine, change my priorities, change up my stitching habits - I can't make more time.  If any of you figure out how please share.

We've been having some fun this summer so far.  The end of May we went to the St Augustine Amphitheatre and saw a great concert.  Don Felder of Eagles fame opened the show and wow it was like being at an Eagles Concert.  We had awesome seats as you can see - center and not too far from the stage.  The only drawback was it was HOT HOT HOT .  Don Felder was amazing and on his final song he was joined on stage by Tommy Shaw STYX fame to help with the leads on Hotel California - It was chilling to be sure.  So enjoyed that !!!!!!!!!!!

 Not sure how I got the B&W option turned on but here is Don Felder on the left and Tommy Shaw center stage.  I'm glad I got this shot - by the time STYX came on stage the sold out crowd was getting really raucous and standing up a lot and I never could get a good shot of them.
At first we were very disappointed because Mick Jones was not performing with Foreigner - the second band but apparently he has not been well but he joined them on stage for the last 1/2 of the show.  They did a great job I thought doing a lot of their old hits.

 
Off to my needlework world - I have deemed Wednesday night "needlepoint night" at my house.  As I said before - I am trying new tricks to get more productivity out of myself.  This is my oldest np WIP - it is done except for the backround and border.  It is all Paternayan wool in tent and basketweave.  Yes some of you will be shrieking in horror but I love wool - Hence the "woolwoman" nickname and I love this Rosalie canvas.  I remember the shop where I purchased it - It was on vacation one summer - I still have the receipt in the bag so I know the year and when I finish it - I will report the start and finish date and give you all hope for your UFO's.  This will be made into a cushion and will fit well in either my guest bedroom or my master bedroom.  I also have a number of other np WIP's I want to finish in my lifetime but for now this is my Wed. night focus .

Know what time it is ???? It's Camp Loopy time with The Loopy Ewe. This will be my 3rd year participating in Camp Loopy.  For those who don't know what it is - Sheri- the owner gives you one month to complete a project of your choosing.  Most of the time she sets requirements such as with CL #1 - you had to use at least 400 yards of yarn, if you buy from her - she gives you a discount and if you post your finish on her website by the deadline - you are one step closer to finishing summer camp and getting a prize.  It's so much fun and I am being joined by 3 of my knitting buddies this summer - Henri, Starr and Karen who all participated last year.  I think I mentioned last year - we all finished and I think we knitted an astounding 15 thousand yards of yarn among 5 of us last summer.
 

Anyone recognize this pretty lady.  Another WIP which happens to be on my EGA chapter challenge list for 2014.  It is Garden Glade by CHS.  I am using the Attic conversion however I changed the two main colors you see here .  The red and the green in the leaves I changed from Belle Soie to Gloriana.  I hope to be devoting more time to this pretty piece so I can have it as a challenge finish. 

I have also vowed to try and post more often.  Lots of people say FB is causing people to not post to blogs as much but I still think blogs are more personal.  They give bloggers and their followers a chance to connect more than FB.  I love looking thru the photos on FB but I rarely post and mostly just click like.  On blogs - you get to connect with your followers, lots of whom become friends and there was a question on another friends blog about sending a return email when followers comment on your blog.  I love hearing from you and I always try and send a return email.  I think it makes an important connection.  So please do take a minute and leave a comment - I read them all and love having you here.  I just June is just as slow as you want it to be.