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!!

Knitting and Stitching

I've really enjoyed stitching 'Tis the Season' from Joyeux Noel by Blackbird Designs. I'm stitching on 40 count Lakeside Linen Pear using the called for Belle Soie silks. What a joy...

And knitting too! This is the Eyelet Cap from the fall issue of Vogue knitting. I used Socrates by Alpaca with a Twist. This yarn is more that yummy...baby alpaca, merino wool, bamboo and nylon. It was fun to knit even though knitting 8 inches of k2, p2 ribbing was more than mindless...

It's warming up nicely in Florida. Last Sunday the temperature never got above 40 degrees...today it's 74 and beautifully sunny. It's great weather for knitting and stitching while watching the NFL playoffs!! Ok...along with some serious nap time too!!

Frigid Florida

These kitty cats have the right idea...bask in the sunshine to stay warm!

We humans have to 'put on our snuggie'!! LOL

Merry Christmas

I stitched these two Hummel designs for my Mom and Dad in 1983. I found them last spring at their house wrapped in a piece of bedsheet and in my mother's handwriting was 'Christmas Pictures'. I love seeing her unique handwriting more than the stitched pieces! This year I am especially missing my Dad; my first Christmas without him.

My children and grandchildren will be over tomorrow morning for gift sharing and brunch. It will be a wonderful day. Life goes on as it should.

Merry Christmas!!

Crazy Zauberball Socks and Charlotte

Crazy Zauberball socks for my daughter-in-law! They were so much fun to knit. I just went faster and faster to see how the yarn color would change! These will make her feet very, very happy!!

And some progress on Charlotte Clayton. I finished up the over 1 verse and I'm moving on. This has been a delightful stitch. Can't wait till I get to the big dog in the center!!

Kind of, sort of, half way there

Here's a pic of the wood floors before installation. The wood is Tobacco Road Teak, handscrapped planks. It's beautiful and has some wonderful texture and coloring. Just right for disguising cat hair....
And here it is installed in my sewing room - yummy. It's all installed in the guest bedroom and master bedroom too. That's pretty much half of the house. After admiring the floor for two nano seconds, we (they) moved all the furniture and stuff (and I mean stuff) from the living room, family room, kitchen into the finished side. Whew...

Here's a pic of my contractor, Zack, lining everything up prior to floor installation in the master bedroom. He has done a fabulous job for me. The yellow stuff on the floor is a moisture barrier. In Florida the hardwood has to be installed over cement, so this yellow stuff goops out and is troweled on the floor and then sets up like a vinyl covering. It's some really cool (stinky) stuff.

And I needed new tile in a bathroom and laundry room. The hardwood is so thick that we needed to make up the difference in height and this did the trick.

Zack is painting the living room, family room and kitchen this week along with installing new tile in the kitchen. New countertops are scheduled for installation on Friday. And next week...the rest of the floors.

I have my computer back and have nested myself in the sewing room with fiber and TV. Could life get any better?? (Stitch progress and Crazy Zauberball sock progress pics soon.)

Oh My Goodness

Sorry my dear friends..no pics. My poor house is a big mess. Painting has started....My floors were delivered today and will be acclimating for the next week. As soon as I get my computer hooked back up (using my son's computer) I'll post some pics. Hugs to everyone!!

Progress on Charlotte

I am making some progress on Charlotte Clayton. I've finished the top section and about half done with the second. This week I'm working on the 1 over 1 word area and doing good so far. I love the scale of the animals on this piece. Those birds could eat up that little doggie in a 'sampler minute'!

UPDATE TO POST: Thanks to everyone for your very kind comments! I started to stitch this on 32 count linen but didn't care for it. So...I restarted on 36 count Lakeside Linen Examplar using 1 strand of the called for NPI silks. Much better I think!