Marriage cross stitch

And so it begins...  It is a 8 by 10 bucilla counted cross stitch number 40777 (19 colors).  Since I have two of these to make (not the same pattern) hopeful it won't take too long. 

In the bottom photo you can see my magnifying glass that helps me see the stitches it is on a stand and had a light to illuminate the project making things easier to work on as well... I am not as young as I use to be.  Sadness I use to have 20/15 vision better than perfect but with time we all get older.

The heart you see started is the middle of the cross stitch.  Haven't gotten any progress on this done as I have been sick the last few days so here is hoping I can get this one done before the term starts and I am back in classes and the craziness of life takes over again.

a few projects

Last night I started to knit a pair of what the author calls traditional Portuguese lace socks.  This is in the hopes they would help me to figure out the toe section I want to do on the fair-isle style  yellow and red socks that I want.    Those yellow and red socks I want to make have a stitch  count of 12 to 14 per inch.  That may not seem like much but when you look at a single square inch that equals 144 to 196 stitches which is an insane about of stitches per inch... If you then  compare that to 91.375 stitches per square inch for the lace pattern of the sock just started yep it will take 8 to 12 times longer to knit.  My kids got me sick last night or I would be further along on this.

The pattern for the lace socks can be found In Andrea wong's etsy store
 
Other projects started at my home.

I am doing cross-stitch contract work.  Two of them to be exact, they are wedding samplers.  This is for the same lady I have done all the baby announcements for in the past.

My middle daughter has started to make a few hand made books.  She is using the coptic book binding technique taught on a long time ago on my blog but she is using paper instead of fabric.  I think she is making six of these.  She has been real sick for a while so this is something she can do while in bed.

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There is also another knitting project on the horizon. This is a knitted Christmas stocking for my cousin Eric.   We as children: my 6 cousins and my older sister brother and myself grew up together at my Vova's house  ( grandmother's house).  She had the nuns in the area hand knit us all  Christmas stockings.  Some how a few years back my cousin Eric's went missing his was the second oldest grandchild stocking.   So I am borrowing my oldest cousin Kelly's sock to make a copy of it to give to Eric, this was requested by my Aunt Nonnie.  I could have just bought one on Ebay or Etsy for him for 40 some dollars that would have been the same pattern but it would have been made out of acrylic yarn.  Ours being the age they were are made in all wool.  So I will be making his so it will be made out of wool like the rest of them.  Won't be the original but it is as close as I can do.

Now to just buy the pattern and of course knit it.

Colors Galore Eye Candy

The above threads are all new as of yesterday to me. But they are all old silk button hole threads most are on wood spools but not all.

Above my storage boxes for normal threads.

I returned the afghan I repaired to its owner yesterday. She loved the repair job. I did show her that the repairs are still visible if you look for them. But in general repairs don't show if you are just glancing at a piece which is what most people tend to do. She asked if I would like some thread she had received and some silk fabrics and a hide (I believe she got all from her grandmother). The threads are silk button hole thread and others too. I didn't have my camera yesterday to take a picture and I had already stored them with my other threads by the time my husband got home with the camera. I just decided I would show the old and new threads together. You can just enjoy all the colors.

Below are my old threads mixed with the new (vintage) threads from yesterday. I guess I have a collection of threads. But it is always nice to just be able to grab the correct threads with out having to go to the store to find the right color. Some are cotton, poly, some a mixture of cotton and poly, mono-filaments, stretch threads, and nylons .... just a wide variety. Lots are on wood spools. I keep the wood spools in time I hope to carve on them.

This is the fabrics she gave me. She also got the Irish crochet tam I made a few weeks ago. I am glad as she likes hat and wears them a lot she said. So since it was something I debated on keeping or selling I am glad it went to a person who loves hats and will use it.

Blue oriental silk over 6 yards.

Cream acetate rayon blend looks like raw silks not sure how many yards but I think it is over 16 yards.

Jacquard cream and green 16 yards.

This is the calf hide she gave me too. In time I will use this for the cover of some hand made books.