A Country Winter

I think I mentioned before that I’m drawn to cross stitch items that are snow and winter themed (in addition to the Amish series I have).  So this is the next project I plan to stitch on.  And it incorporates quilts too – from the quilt design on the barn to the mini quilt the snowman is holding.  Here’s the front of the pattern – it’s a Plum Street samplers pattern.

Here’s a closer image of the design itself and the third photo has the fabric I will be stitching on.   I don’t know that I really have the specific threads called for in this pattern but I’m sure I have very similar ones so I will just substitute those.

Near Finishes

Several “near finishes” or near completions are in their final stages.   My Seaside Sampler Cowl – mosaic knitting project – is now on the blocking mats.   Once dry it will get a little seam to join the edges at an angle and then I need to add fringe.  This was a very quick knit and kept interesting by the color changes and each of the five sections uses a different, simple stitch pattern.

My Snowman Sampler stitching is done and I love it.  (My photo is a bit crooked not the stitching.)  I must have started and taken out that top brown branch three times since I apparently couldn’t count while watching a very suspenseful show last night!  But I finally got it right.

However, without realizing it, I had ordered the wrong size frame for it.  I tried it with the wrong size frame (with the rosettes on the corners) and with another frame I had here, but no.  If I were one to use matting in my frames, then I could probably make one of these work but I’m not really a fan of matting and there’s just too much blank space around the stitching for those frames.

The frame I ordered is white with an embossed design on it so I think it will go well.  These two frames go back to the cross stitch shelf until I find the right project to use them.

I made a bit more progress on my sweater sleeve last night but now need to change gears for a bit.  I got an email that Amy Herzog is closing down her CustomFit program/company as of 2-15-21.   I love using that program to generate sweaters in my size and in whatever gauge I want to use and would never have been knitting sweaters for myself without it.  But she has graciously given all current subscription members unlimited access to generate new patterns until the date it closes.   I have many patterns I have generated over the years which would keep me busy for a while (and I downloaded all those to my computer this morning) but I want to swatch several different yarns that I use/or have a lot of that was planned for sweaters:

• Smooshy with Cashmere

• MadTosh Sport

• Wollmeise Pure

• Spun Right Around Classic Sock

Once I get the fabric I like with those swatches, I will generate basic cardigan and/or pullover patterns using those gauges so I will have a basic pattern to follow and can always figure out what stitch pattern to sub in that won’t affect the gauge.    I just looked back and I made my first CustomFit sweater in 2014 which I still wear and love.  While I’m sad to see it go, I’m glad I was able to be a supporter for so many years of this great small business.

I did take a bit of a wander outside (to the recycling dumpsters) and it’s definitely a very damp, cold day (23 degrees which didn’t feel too bad but the dampness makes it feel worse).  Sunshine would be nice but clearly fog and gray days are what we have gotten.    Now to go pull some yarn for swatching after I finish my tidying of the kitchen.  Oh and I need to take a photo of what I think my next stitching project will be – it’s so cute.