Oh Henry

Hiya folks.  Just wanted to apologize for not posting the Henry VI charts on the FREE tab.  Melinda asked if it was still available and I had no recollection!!  Cannot believe how bad my memory is, did not remember it AT ALL.  So I searched my blog pages and found it, realized it was never posted to the tab.  I think I was waiting for someone to stitch it and share the photo with me so I could offer a finished view.  For some reason, the first page was originally listed as 40 stitches wide and the second as 38.  ????  So I removed one stitch from each side of the dividing bands to make it 38.  On 28 count over two the stitching would be 2.7" x 3.4".   With the linen margin, this may make a nice needle book front and back.  Ya think?

 

I haven't received the 14" hoop yet so maybe I'll work this, see what it looks like stitched.  It was taken from the words of Shakespeare's Henry VI.  Chart to print is under the FREE tab.

 

 

“My Crown is in my heart, not on my head:
Not deck'd with Diamonds, and Indian stones:
Nor to be seen: my Crown is call'd Content,
A Crown it is, that seldom Kings enjoy.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could barely get in and out of the car today, wish I could take Advil.  But the real pain is about Petey.  He was watching me move the wood to construct his shelter, and then he left, and has not returned.  He was here every day for three meals and slept in the pile of straw.   We're hoping he is just a little put off by the change and will be back soon. 

 

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A Petey kind of day

Hiya stitching buds.  I just found out this week that I can transfer Flosstube to my TV!!  Wowee!  This is so nice to see those samplers and projects much larger.  And I can still speed them along by moving the progress bar, some are just way too long and I lose interest. 

 

Mark has a golf outing all day.  So I started early to build Petey a temporary shelter.  I've tried several already, all have failed to coax him inside, even the very open ones.  Mark will have a fit when he sees what I did.  He doesn't understand that I still want to attempt heavy work, even with the joints and bad neck.  I wore heavy gloves while sorting the wood and gathering the bricks in case of spiders and I received only two bruises.  A few seven foot 4x6 treated lumbers were soaking wet from being on the ground, much heavier than I expected.  Yes I'm sore and need a trip to the chiro but I did it and that good feeling is worth it.  You all know what I mean!   

Voila.  A Petey palace.  During the day he can be found snoozing on the stack of this wood, so I'm hoping that the new arrangement will be sort of familiar and he may enter the box.  We'll need to get some exterior products for a full roof and a nicer box, but not until I know he will use it.

 

Of course, Bud had to inspect and is currently inside the box.

 

I would prefer the box opening face the house but it would be susceptible to weather.  I have a panel I just painted to close in the side half way but I want him to get used to this first.

 

The weather  has changed to very cool from very warm, and the colors of summer are on their last days.  Hate to see them go.  I am surprised at the massive moss baskets on light poles throughout local towns still thriving.  Usually the tunias get leggy with fewer flowers, but they are packed with color from top to bottom.  I asked a merchant about them and she said the city waters them daily from a truck.  They must have time release fertilizer. 

 

Carole's friend told her to leave the ferns outside until the stems are bare because the smaller birds take shelter in their dried leaves.  Really?  I'll give it a try, but doubt it's true.

 

One of our favorite meals tonight, this time in the Instant Pot.  Roast beef  with a delicious and easy gravy.  The meat is cooked until tender in red wine, paprika, garlic powder, and Worcestershire.  While slicing the roast, a can of cream of mushroom soup blended into the liquids makes a fabulous gravy.  I made the roast yesterday, juices can be skimmed of any fat, won't take long at all to heat and add the soup.

 

Enjoy your weekend!

 

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Lacis hoop

I had several emails asking how this hoop can be turned and raised for less neck strain.   I showed this before but it would take a while to find so ….
It's the only sit-on one I have but I'm assuming they are all made similar.  I've never used the Qsnaps or anything like them and I like having both hands free when using an aid.  Doesn't make sense since I prefer stitching in hand does it?

I had to put a weight on the paddle that would be under my thigh.  If only my thigh was this light.  There's isn't a half inch of wood showing when I'm on it.  Anyway, the paddle rotates, the hoop's leg can be raised or lowered, and the hoop itself can also rotate and flip.

This would be the standard position, hoop over my lap.

By rotating the hoop and lifting it, it is up much higher.  Difference is the hinge of the hoop is in the back for lap stitching and in the front for higher stitching. The hoop's leg can be lowered if it's too high.  You just need to tighten the wing nut that holds the hoop to the leg to hold it in place.  You can see my work is now upside down from the lap position.

This nut can be removed to change to another size hoop.  It comes with the 10", 12" and 14" can be purchased with the flange for inserting in the leg.  They can be ordered from Lacis, the 14" was $26.50 with shipping.


Access to the back by just rotating the hoop.  And this is more information and photos than necessary or wanted.  But I am thorough and annoying, in other words, thoroughly annoying.











 I like it, and probably could get the same features with other brands.  But I had a JoAnn coupon and free shipping!!

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Gourds

A small acknowledgment of the season change.  It sure is different when the trim is white.  Is it the camera setting that makes those photos of white interiors so inviting?  It doesn't look the same in my home.

A nut garland of some sort....

and another in the window.

Even the peg rail looks bland.  I have no idea what these pods are, bought them many years ago and still love them.

 

If you were wondering why I had the guts to photo the "motif", I yelled for Mark to stop working outside and come in, and had no intention of letting this intruder out of my sight.  I made that mistake on a hairy wood monster once, and was not comfortable until we found him again.

 

After my friend's visit, I decided to get in step with the rest of the world and buy a pair of leggings.  I wore them out in public and felt like I was wearing pajamas.  And I didn't know that they stretch out enough to be bunched at the ankle and turn from waistline to hip hugger.  I found several really long tunic tops/sweatshirts online at Kohl's and they cover it all or I would not have worn them.

 

Hope your week is going well.  Mine is hot, which ends Friday.  It's over.  So I bought three huge mums at Giant Eagle for 3.99!  Who could pass that up?  I have to take Carole for heart testing tomorrow and will stop on the way home since she will want them too.  It's not that I want more, but dammit I can't pass up a bargain!!  Even when my pants are sliding down.

 

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Morning dash

I'm sitting in my chair, glance to my right, and wonder why I never noticed that Safrona Ager had a dark irregular motif.

 

 

It's amazing how mobile a painful hip can become on short notice.

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Uncle

I'm saying uncle!  There is just too much linen and weight to this project to hold even with the spool huggers.  I could cut the excess now but I've made errors before and cut too close, so I'm waiting until I see the stitching extend full length and width.  I gave away the very large hoop stand because I didn't want to bother revamping the legs as I showed in this post. 

I purchased the Lacis sit on stand and I do like it because there is only one leg to it, open beneath so I'm not hitting into sides, and it flips over so easily for access to the back.  Turning it backwards allows the hoop to be raised to almost eye level which relieves the neck strain.  The reviews on Amazon aren't great but I think it is very nicely made and I've had no problems with it.  I plan to order the larger hoop (it comes with a 10").  I'm anxious to see if the linen could be lax enough in the 14" to use the sewing method.  Not a really big deal since there are no large blocks of stitches.

 

My K's Creations adjustable lap frame requires the project to be sewn to the tape for scrolling, not something I want to do.  I think it's time to sell it.

The new cat is only running about 10' from me now and I heard him meow a few times.  He looks so sad and sleeps in one place the entire day.  We made a shelter with Plexiglass walls and open sides so he can see around him and have two exits, but he still won't use it. He lifts his head to his name, Petey.

These two are always looking for him, Bud has warmed up a little more but not Nitzy.

Doing some hot pepper canning, hot pepper jelly, and pepper mustard this week between appointments.  Can't believe it's October.

 

Have a great week!

 

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