My bad

Geez.  This design is adorable so why am I messing with it?  I'm tired of using the overdyed reds which have been the majority of recent stitches.  Why not a green suit?  Maybe striped pants?  Green pants and hat?  In order to try this, I needed more leg room.  So I raised the pockets and jacket, but also enlarged his boots and took a few pounds off.  To have a different colored hat, I had to break it off from the jacket, but then added more forehead.  And a taller hat.  See what I mean?  My manipulation of the box labels has turned into a bad habit.  Not sure if I will stick with the original, all one color, or try to make him quirky.  How silly am I to mess with a design from Teresa Kogut???  So ashamed.  No chocolate for me!

 

 

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A handsome fellow

 

I love a nice beard.  Such a difference in this fellow, very glad I removed the 613.  The 644 didn't have enough contrast either so I finished using 822.  Because 3864 is more subdued than other pinks I've used for the face, it blends more with neutrals and I think a lighter beard will be necessary.  That's OK.  I prefer that, even on the more primitive Santas.  I also removed the white I added around the eyes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 One more design from Teresa Kogut and that may be the next start.  Did you know that Teresa is having a sale on her Etsy site?  Use this code for 20% off this Friday (BLKFRI2016), and 30% off Cyber Monday(CYBRMON2016).

https://www.etsy.com/shop/teresakogut

 

 

After the oven failure, the stovetop also died.  So now we have no choice but to look for a new one.  We will check with our (wonderful) appliance repairman but with these digital panels, there is usually no repair possible, just replacement which is a huge amount.  But the dinner was wonderful.  This was the best turkey we ever had.  Fresh Honeysuckle White, no hormones, no antibiotics, only 3% solution added.  We kept hearing from others that they always cook and carve the turkey the day before.  I couldn't imagine it being moist and tender reheated, but because of the commotion with the range we took a chance.  Wow.  How nice to not have to make that mess with the carcass while trying to prepare the rest of the meal, especially when your kitchen is small.  So we let the bird cool completely, then carved, layered it in a long casserole with College Inn's turkey broth.  Added a little more broth before slowly reheating tightly covered.  It was very moist, tender, delicious.  I guess the broth kept it juicy and I was totally surprised at how good it was.  I think carving after it cooled (over 2 hours)  made a big difference also as the meat held its juice.

 

While my brother was here, we tried to corral Nitzy for a worm pill.  My brother is excellent with cats and with pill popper in hand, he slowly approached while I held Nit down on the chair.  Before I knew it, I heard a table shaking, glasses rattling, and a cat flew over my shoulder.  Better luck next time.  But the little monkey was happy with a shipping box.

 

 

Sneaked out after to hit a few sales.  Macy's wasn't bad at all, JCPenney was pretty crowded, Kohls was packed, and Sears was empty.  Just bought the few items we went for, didn't browse. 

 

Hope your Thanksgiving was special. We did a lot of reminiscing and also talked about our cardiologist whose funeral was yesterday.  I told you a few months ago how shocked we all were to hear about his devastating diagnosis.  He did not last very long, age 59, and doctor to all three of us. Born in Spain, an only child, so kind and gentle, three daughters left behind, and an entire community's loss.  We never know what tomorrow will bring, and end.

 

Thank you for all the comments about my prior post.  Just in case you are wondering, the pumpkin pie kicked in as I moved up to #137 in the checkout line.  Thankfully, the disturbance was felt by me but heard by no one.  Also thankfully, the line moved very quickly.  I think the outdated pumpkin was fine, it may have been the evaporated milk.  I saw the bottom of the can in the recycle bin, decided to check it, it was 2011.  I must have emptied the new can down the drain instead of the old one found in the basement cabinets.  I found lots of things down there as I played with the gas stove. 

 

Enjoy your weekend.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

Note to Blogger - what the hell?  Who wants to see a page of old posts?  Get the dashboard back with our Reading List.

 

 

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Off to a great start

In order of happening.

1. Preparing to make the pies, only to find out that the Walmart clerk gave my bag with 3 large cans of Libby pumpkin to the person next in line.  We usually check to make sure all our purchases are off the turntable.  We didn't.  Go to the nearest store to spend another $10?  No, because of #2.

2.  I've been off balance for two days and taking Antivert, which puts me to sleep and aggravates the crabass condition.  No driving.  Husband is golfing in 45 degrees, and searching for more pinecones.

3.  The pies are made with outdated cans of Libby's pumpkin, that weren't ballooning, so they should be good.  This because of #1 and #2.  I drank the filling so we should know before anyone else eats them if there will be an intestinal disturbance.  I've got 24 hours for testing.

4.  Not realizing that an all black digital panel means the oven died (refer to #2), I am staring at it, wondering if it has reached temperature yet.  No it hasn't.  But if you pound on it, blue lights will come on before again shutting down two minutes later.  Two years old, add that to the $10 pumpkin loss and we are now at $2210 plus tax.

5.  Now the pies are in a basic model gas stove in the basement, which means I am going up and down the stairs to change temp, cover crust, check for done, while dizzy, sleepy, painful ankle.  Don't forget crabby.

So far, the day is just splendid.

6. I am having the dinner here tomorrow.  But Mark will be home to run up and down the stairs, carry the heavy bird, and take care of all those foody issues.  I'll be sticking close to the bathroom.

7.  Missy is somewhere in the house, and I can't find her.  That little monkey is such a stinker.

8.  The large order of Christmas gifts I place online, expected today, can't be tracked.  They don't have a record of it since it was sent to the wrong distribution center.  I'm sure it will show up before Christmas.

9.  Google changed my dashboard again and I have to click a link to get my Reading List of blogs.

The good news .....  I am still here to experience all this aggravation.  Family is still here with me.  I found a great face color for stitching.   The snow melted.   And I have online friends like you.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Well, I thought I was finished

But the 613 has to go.  From a short distance, there is no definition of the skin, brows, and beard. I used the same thread as charted but it doesn't look it.

 

 Not sure if adding a 3/4 stitch of white around the eyes was the right move, but regardless, it has to go. 644 or 822 may be the color but I won't know until I pull the floss.  The linen color really has nothing to do with it.  So disappointed.  I tried several darker and lighter shades for the face but nothing created enough contrast.

 

But the bright spot, I learned about 3864 which was never a contender for fleshtone.  I'm so glad I finally made a trip to JoAnn's and purchased this color to follow the chart because I've always disliked the very pinkish face color of my PS Santas.  This shade is perfect.  Pink but not really, tan but not really. This will be my Santa face color from now on, no more pink predicaments.

 

 

And as we think about our blessings at Thanksgiving, I have a request.  Stop the fricking hate speech.  I am sick and tired of hearing about division from people that insult, name call, and CREATE even more than we have experienced these last several years.  I know people that voted for Trump (one is my 92 year old aunt), some lifelong Democrats in their 80's, that have given to others their entire life. They do not deserve to be called racists, idiots, ignorant.  It is their right, just as it is yours, to vote their choice. If you want your right respected then start respecting theirs. Those that call people dividers and haters can't see that they are the same. If the outcome was reversed, and Trump won the popular vote, would you still insist the electoral college be thrown out?  Please don't divide your friends and family over this.
 

Rules for this year's holiday - turkeys free of hormones and antibiotics, dinners free of politics, guests free of insults, children free of hateful displays, hearts free of hostility.

 

Thanks for visiting.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

 

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What is it?

Hope all is well with you and yours. 

 

I saw this photo on Earlene's Facebook post.  Liked them, thought they were very long pine cones with the scales scraped off.  So I tried with mine.  Extremely hard to break or cut through, could not get a nice result.  So many different cones from different trees so I'm sure there are some that are more accommodating to having their scales ripped off.

 

While golfing last week Mark found these under a large evergreen and brought a few home.   Every one on the ground looked the same so we wondered if they fell from the tree like this or a bunch of OCD squirrels chomped them all to match.  The end scales are very thin and easily removed so I'm assuming they are the result of a squirrel banquet.  But from what tree?  My spruce and pines are much heavier and shorter than these.  Any help?

I've been running into town for appts and blood work which are very close to JoAnn's.  But each time, I have failed to remember the 3864 DMC that I need to complete his face.  I am anxious to finish and may just use the pinks.  I changed his belt and moved his left eye over one stitch.  I'm thinking a half stitch or two of white around the eyes may look better, but I won't know until the face is done.  Haven't decided color of the tree's sack yet.  The beard called for 613 which I used but on this fabric, I think I would have liked it a little lighter.  Nothing stopping me from changing that but again, won't know until we have face time.

 

 

 

 

We'll be having Thanksgiving here, just the five of us.  I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.  Hope your day is filled with love and your turkey is free of hormones.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Santa progress

Hello people.  How has your week been?  Ours included sis and bro for Nona's risotto dinner that once again confirmed the fact that we should have purchased a gas stove.  This smooth top with heat settings to 10, boils on number 2 and Low is more like number 5.  So naturally the rice stuck and burned including the saffron.  The next day, Mark once again had to rush over to Carole's because Chris would not wake.  He is type1 with a pump, and so many times has his glucose drop like a rock.  This time, he was catatonic but the paramedics came in time to revive and raise his number.  He's been checked into the hospital to observe these sudden changes and they are baffled.  If we had an endocrinologist locally, it would help, but they come and go.  A nurse (the only one around here) that was trained in his pump settings does all she can, but most times the changes are incorrect which caused this last crash.  Carole can't climb stairs (Chris has his rooms on the second story) so she just calls Mark when she feels there is a problem, and this time, he would have died if we weren't home to take the call.  The paramedics would have been there sooner and sometimes, I could just smack her.  She always blames Chris for this.  He really can't live alone with this condition and it happens at least 3 times a month, sometimes critical, always during sleep. There is a separate sensor (that requires hours to charge) that will alert the patient to a high/low reading, but it is not loud enough to wake him and usually he is already entering a stupor from the rapid drop.  Hard to feel vibration or hear the alarm when it is muffled by a mattress and bedding.  His glucose registered 27 this time.  His last hospital stay it was 720, because of the pump malfunctioning.  He recovers within hours but this is so scary for all of us. 

Santa is coming along nicely.  I tried two things to help with the thread issue.  First, I started using the beeswax and thread heaven which made it much smoother and it went through the linen much better.  Secondly, I went back to my sewing method. 

 

When I separate the floss into two strands, I also take another two out and turn them upside down to thread for the next run.  I would do the first half cross until the thread ended, then do the return for the final cross with the upside down thread.  This way, the shading that I ended with, is the same that I am starting with to return.  The shading I began with on the first cross, will be the shading I end with on the return.  So it seems that the shading will align itself, and here's the result.  The pants were done one full stitch at a time, the coat is being stitching with the sewing method and I think the shading is good.  Using 3364 for the green and I love it with this red.

 

He's looking pretty good but I am wondering if I can continue with another Santa.  Getting tired of the red and the next one is a little rotund, lots more red. 

 

My Black Heart pattern came in along with more small pieces of linen, some 35 count.  The Dolphin is nice and dark, love it.  I have several Tin Roof now and they are pretty consistent except for one that is greenish (but very nice) from a different order.  I try to add a new color when I order and this time it was Tiger's Eye, a really nice pumpkin.

 

 

It will be warm and sunny today, the last one before the cold hits.  I'll be outside as much as possible, washing windows and blowing leaves.

 

Hope you have a great weekend.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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