Ya just never know what you'll find....

Two weeks ago some of my best-est stitching friends, Cherie, Joan, Pink and I take a road trip to Port Charlotte to shop at The Golden Needle. We 'shopped til we dropped' and mind you, this was a week before market! Cathy's shop is wonderful and we all picked up some super stash....of course I won!

ANYWAY...we're driving home and I see this ahead...geeze....why is a 'State Trooper' pulling that trailer...full of convicts?? Drive faster Cherie...let's see what's going on!

OMG - it's not a 'trooper' it's a 'TRAPPER'!
Can you see what they trapped? Two spunky alligators. And these are just babies. Can you see the black tape around their snouts?

Only in Florida...and only on a cross stitch stash enhancement trip!

Charlotte Clayton's Best In Show

The Westminster Dog Show has nothing on Charlotte Clayton. Here is her BEST IN SHOW.

The sweater vest from my previous post is from Classic Elite Yarns Autumn Book 1. The pattern is called Portland Tweed Vest. The yarn used is Classic Elite Portland Tweed. This yarn feels so good. It's 50% virgin wool, 25% alpaca (yum) and 25% viscose. If you get an opportunity to knit a garment with this fiber, you will love it! Here's a pic of the book cover...
and here's a pic of the vest / yarn.
Now on to my 40 count gauze piece from my previous post. The pattern is from Erica Michaels Needleart Designs. The silk gauze is included in her patterns. You just need to mount the gauze in fabric and buy the floss to stitch it. It really was a fun piece. I purchased it from 123Stitch @ www.123stitch.com. Erica Michaels has a web site too @ www.ericamichaels.com
Actually, it was so much fun to stitch and they are so nice to look at, I purchased five more the other day! Yikes... I have: We Are Blessed, To Thee My Heart, Holly Sampler (has cardinals on it), Thanksgiving Bits and Random Threads.

The Big and Small of It All

Here's my very first 40 count gauze finish. I wish I were a better photographer. It really was a lot of fun and quite easy...just the tent stitch (half cross stitch). The finished piece is 2 X 1.25 inches.
And whoo-hoo for me!! I have finished the back of my very first garment. It's going to be a knitted vest...and a very stylish one I might add. Some of my first accomplishments were reading a garment pattern, doing some shaping at the garment waist, and armhole / neck shaping. I'm so proud of myself. Now on to the left and front sides. Fun.fun.fun.

Today is another chilly day in Florida...good for stitching and knitting inside. This weekend it should warm up into the 70's and I'm looking forward to opening up the house for some fresh air!

My house renovation is complete inside and out but I'm waiting for some new furniture. As soon as it shows up I'll get some new pics posted. It is lovely and I'm really enjoying these hardwood floors. My new best bud is the Swiffer Sweeper Vac...in fact I have two!!

Now on to more stitching on Charlotte Clayton. I'm just about finished with the dog in the center!! Pics soon of that one too.

Finishes in Stitch and Knit

Here's Blackbird Designs 'Tis the Season'. It was a fun stitch. This is the second cardinal I've stitched recently and feel a 'bird wall' coming into season!

Also finished another Vine and Leaf Beret. I've got the third one, red, ready to cast on. This is such a fun pattern and so relatively easy. Just keep track of the lace pattern and all is well.

I got a new Macbook for Christmas so I've been playing around with it and I LOVE IT. Today I got the photo's uploaded and everything went very well. So...maybe it won't be another month before I post again!!

I've been working on Charlotte Clayton...I'm stitching the dog in the center of the sampler. Plus I've tried my hand at stitching on 40 count silk gauze. Now that is fun and fast....only half stitches. I'm also knitting my first garment, a darling sweater vest for Corinne. So far, so good. I'm really proud of myself.

So - every one of you stay warm. It's chilly again in Florida. I brought my orchids in the house this afternoon. Orchids don't do well below 45 degrees and it's supposed to be freezing for a couple of days. And, they're getting ready to bloom!! So the cats and I are all snug as some bugs in a rug...or should I say snuggie!!