Thursday, January 15, 2015

Weekly Round-Up: Rotation Stitching Photos

With The English Band Sampler in the finish column, these are the remaining projects

Liam's Crib Blanket: This piece was finished on January 11.  Having spent the weekend in the poorly lit rooms of a circa 1830 inn, I was unable to work on any cross stitch projects in the evening after dinner and was glad I had brought the blanket along.  I had intended to crochet on the trip back and forth to Cold Spring since I am no longer able to stitch in a moving car.  The pattern for the blanket is so repetitive that strong light is not an issue.  I can pretty much stitch this pattern on auto-pilot; all that's required is muscle memory.  I admit this is not the greatest photo, but it is terrible out doors: a mix of freezing rain, icy pellets and sleet.  Indoor lighting in a townhouse with windows only at front and back makes for awful photographs.  As you can tell my indoor light has a very yellowish cast.  The blanket is blue and off-white.  The crochet pattern is a variation on hounds tooth, both in the body and the border, with a chain stitched ruffle to finish it off.  

Dragon Dreams' The Dragon of the Summer Sky:  Stitching on this both Monday and Wednesday made for a nice little burst of progress.  I am done with the detested rayon stitching.  Stitching with the remaining DMC cotton, Kreinik metallic and the Caron Waterlilies silk will be an ecstatic experience by comparison.  I know I have done a lot of complaining about stitching with rayon but even I will admit that it does add interest to the piece.  There are some purists in the stitching world that insist a piece be stitched in one and only one fiber, either all cotton, or all silk, or all bamboo, or whatever.  But I do like the effect of mixing fibers in a project.  I believe it gives it texture and pleases the eye.

Cross My Heart's Mint Tea Towel: I let this lapse in favor of the Prairie Schooler Year Round for January..

Victoria Sampler's Mystic Smalls Tuffet: I didn't get back to this at all this past week.

A little non-rotation stitching:  I realized the month was half gone and that I hadn't started my Prairie Schooler Year Round for the month of January [one of my annual goals].  I found myself some 40 count linen in a nice neutral color, Summer Khaki, and began January's piece.  Instead of the recommended DMC, I am using Belle Soie silks, Oatmeal Scone for the half moon and Cake for the star.  And I am stitching with one strand over two threads.  These small rounds are meant to be stitched on black linen but I prefer to avoid the eyestrain that stitching on black causes.  The point is to enjoy one's stitching rather than to endure it.  In any case, I have been enduring quite enough what with the above-mentioned rayon.  I simply refuse to endure any further trials and tribulations.

Looking to the weekend:  Since the Dragon is now my "closest to a finish" large piece, it will be the weekend choice project.  Although, I'll have to work a mini-retreat for First Confession on Saturday, I'll be off on Monday for Martin Luther King Day.  I'll have more stitching time to drag the dragon closer to the finish line.

8 comments:

CalamityJr said...

Your honesty always makes me smile; today it's the last line of the non-rotation stitching section, and I don't blame you one tiny bit!
Liam's blanket looks cozy, and you seem to have made quite a lot of progress on the other pieces. Good for you.

Loretta said...

Love the DD Dragon. It is beautiful.

Linda said...

The blanket turned out great Regina. I love the dragon. I must have missed something - what Prairie Schooler pieces are you working on?

Linda

Stitchinowl said...

Liam's blanket is so soft and pretty. The dragon piece is just stunning. I am in awe of your commitment to this huge project.
Carolyn

Julie said...

The blanket finished up so beautifully.

rosey175 said...

Liam's blanket turned out wonderfully. It's nice to have a project to work on where light isn't so much of an issue.

And now you mention that rayon is worse than Kreinik! Glory be. I think the mixture of fiber is wonderful, myself. Draws you into the details.

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

The blanket looks great. I can see the attraction of knitting or crochet if you need something simple and repetitive to keep your hands busy.

Great progress on the dragon too. You are quite right, our hobby should be a joy and not a trial.

Anna van Schurman said...

Beautiful blanket. And your endurance training on the dragon is starting to show real results. :)