Before you know it

spring will be here.  We will soon have an enormous mess in the yard with the state mandated sewer project.  Since the line to our septic system exits the house in the center of our addition, we are screwed.  Mom's addition is a separate line to the system coming from a different area.  So far, no one is willing to excavate beneath the room (they are worried about liability for the structure) and the addition may have to be torn down completely.  If it does, we're looking at losing the room and a total of around $22,000 to run the line.  If not, about $17,000.  $3000 hook-up fee on top of that and around $100 a month with yearly increases because we don't have enough funding from the state who is mandating this.  My sister's friend is selling her home about 10 miles from here and I absolutely love it, but it will be quite a high price.  I've been looking for months, haven't seen anything I like.

Mark is golfing on this sunny warm day, and I am barely walking around the house with ice packs.  Twisted just enough over the weekend to knock something out of whack.  Chiropractor tomorrow morning.

I worked on this floral basket for WAY too long.  Between stitching, removing, stitching again, removing again, I finally got it right.  Moving on!  My lamp is coming this week and I am anxious to try it.  As for the Dazor, it's not the look I have issue with, it's the size and location.  My room is open to the kitchen, one wall is fireplace, the other TV, so I have one full wall for a sofa.  My chair sort of separates the two rooms and this large base and arm would not fit.  Using the end of the sofa doesn't allow for a near by table for supplies, my water, and eye drops.  The new lamp is lower, gooseneck, and smaller base.  Here's the new problem - what about the chart?  I need magnifiers to read it and can't wear them when using the lamp's magnifier.  Catherine suggested weaker glasses but I don't have any under 3.50 to test and need that strength to read the chart.  

This is the plastic bin I am using to hold the Magma and everything I need, easy to relocate and organize to prevent searching for something lost.  The Magma will lie flat over it all and the lid keeps the cats out.

When we visit the Cheese House in New Wilmington, these are the options for jellies and jams, all the way to the end.  My favorite is Mrs. Millers fig and these are the chunks of fruit in it that I enjoy on cream cheese.  

 

Many of these flavors I have never seen elsewhere.

I guess they are not uncommon, but they are certainly not flavors offered in our grocery stores, any type of fruit and fruit blends only found here.

That's it folks.  Hope you all have a great week.

Thanks for visiting.

*************************

An eye opener

While watching Stitching in the Barn's video featuring Kay and her lovely home filled with samplers, I learned that the Dazor lamp company offers add-a-lens for their circline model.  Purchased separately, it is added to the bottom and attached to the two screws as an additional lens.  A 5 diopter lens can also be purchased and installed in place of the standard 3.  Another realization was that wearing +4.0 glasses (which is the diopter or curve) does not mean 4x magnification (it's 2x).  Who knew?  You and my husband, not me.  

Wearing magnifier glasses in conjunction with these lenses is a little tricky.  This 3 diopter lens alone is actually better and clearer than my Foster Grant 4.0 glasses.  Looking through the lens AND wearing the glasses, required me to pull the lens closer to my face and the linen closer to the lens.  Without the glasses, I needed to hold the linen further from the Dazor and had crystal clear excellent vision.  Their lenses are optical grade distortion free glass.

This is what it looked like through the glasses at a normal distance, much larger, totally blurred.  The closer I got to the Dazor, it became smaller and clearer, but I had to also bring the fabric closer.  I couldn't get the linen weave any larger with the glasses and changes in position than using the lens alone.  I am so confused.

My husband is very smart (I'm the smart-ass) and he failed to explain this to my satisfaction.  I don't get it.  Doesn't matter, I'm just surprised at the clarity from the light and 3 diopter lens.  I will first try stitching with just the mag light and no glasses.  My test was on 28 count, later today I will pull a piece of 35 and see how it looks.

From Dazor's website, here is an example of looking through the 3 and 5 diopter lens and also a chart showing the distance from the lens required for clarity.

Looks like a 5 still allows plenty of room for stitching with 8".  The field of vision gets smaller as the diopter rises also, but still enough to see surrounding stitches.

So that's my lesson for the day.  Month really.  I don't have an good spot for the Dazor but will haul it down here for now (it is quite heavy) and still order the Brightech.  Why?  Because I don't like the imposition of the large Dazor stand in my small rooms.  Since I will be using the other brand most often, I want to make the right decision but JoAnn does not have a 5 for me to test.  Right now, it sounds like the best option since I would like to stitch on higher counts.

I hope what I've learned and posted here helps someone who is thinking about a mag light.  At 68, I feel foolish but also get excited when I learn something new.  Problem is, I won't remember it next month.

************************

Question

Hello stitching buds. 

 I am asking for your input and help in choosing a magnifying lamp.  Another flare up, and I have been struggling with 28 count while wearing 4.0 glasses.  Over two has become over one or three and I am running in place and getting nowhere fast.  

Many recommend the Brightech and I like the flexible arm model.  The 5 diopter, what I think would be best, requires the work to be held closer to the lens for clarity.  The 3 diopter at only 1.75x may not be enough even with my glasses if I want to use a 35 count.  Does anyone have the 5 (2.25x) and is it hard to stitch because of the proximity to the lens?   Or would the 1.75x be enough with my glasses?  I would appreciate your opinions!!  

Thank you.

***********************

A motif a day

keeps the slump away.  The larger vase by the tree, heart, a purple dog, a green dog, and a small stag (or unusual creature).  Hopefully I can continue this way so I don't feel overwhelmed.  My next decision is whether to move to the right or continue down the left.

I laid my book of floss bags in a plastic bin and it's like a Rolodex and easy to use since I am not moving it!  This bin is a perfect size for the Magma, floss, glasses, the large piece of linen, and everything else I need.  It's portable and accessible.  And when I throw the lid over, no curious cats can enter.

These new bags are a royal PITA to open which could just be my hand issue, but I came up with a solution.  By folding over a piece of tape on one side of the top, it makes it much easier.  The tape doesn't allow the plastic to stick together and I can slip my finger in to open.

I've been seeing different styles and types of thread catchers or whatever they are called.  Some are wool, others felt, and a few quilt batting.  Mounted to mat board or lined with soft fleece and foldable.  All great options.  

When using my sewing machine, the cut threads seem to be everywhere so I looked for something simple that could corral them.  Without gluing, sewing, or additional fabric, this small piece of felted wool was perfect.  Michael's and HL carry rolled pieces of this, some quite thick, and I cut small squares in various colors for the ironing board, sewing table, and stitching spot.

That's all I got!  Hope the last weekend of January was good.  Onward  to spring!

***********************

Slowly I stitch

Step by step.  Inch by inch.

Step by step.  Inch by inch.

*************************

It did help

but unfortunately, only after I screwed up.  When I sewed my row to help with alignment, I started it at the edge of the grass.  Why?  That wasn't even close to the edge of the graph.  So using it to count down and start my motif section where it should be worked perfectly.  But counting in from the edge was a huge error.  Thank goodness I caught on two birds later.  It looked odd, and since I'm not referring to the finished piece photo, I didn't realize it at first.  I was so happy my method worked and I didn't have to be concerned with the errors above, I just hummed along in ignorant bliss.  I altered this photo to show where they were initially,

and this is where they are now after the correction.

Can you imagine what would have happened had I not caught this and positioned the other motifs off of them?  Holy crabass.

My floss bags on large ring have been a mess, even though in numeric order.  So I moved them all to the booklet style and that was another mistake.  The rings are extra large but there is too much floss in my bags, or too many colors.

So it stays open all the time, but I guess that's OK.  What am I doing wrong?

As a last resort, I plan to move the bags to the stand Mark made for me and honestly, I would love to make these to sell because they are very nice to use.  This one is the short version but the very tall one is better because it secures beneath your seat cushion.

We drove to Boardman today to browse the huge selection of golf shoes at Gold Headquarters, and I wanted to visit the With Needle in Hand shop.  For the third time, this clueless old lady failed to check their website for hours.  They are closed on Tuesdays, and I should have remembered that from the last two failed trips!  Oh well.  Mark got his shoes and we stopped at two Italian stores and came home with pounds of chestnuts to roast, the last of holiday figs, and aged Asiago and Fontina that are not found locally.

This happened today.  First of all, this sweet cat is the one being driven away and attacked by Petey, both have injuries to face and ears, possibly elsewhere.

And then there was this.  A show of dominance?  An exercise in tolerance?  There was no fight, and Nitzy blocked the exit a while, then went inside the shelter when Petey left through the back.  That poor boy looks inside the door several times a day and wants to be a part of the brat pack.  Missy still will not accept him at all.  I found a pile of what looked like angel hair pasta on his patio area and realized he is loaded with round worms.  I called the vet for an OTC liquid to add to his food and explained what I saw in the vomit.  He won't prescribe anything for worms or a sedative because he hasn't seen him and I can understand that.  There are online products that may offer some help.

My sister was in Urgent Care yesterday, she has cellulitis in her toe and foot.  Being treated with antibiotic and hopefully this will take care of it and it won't lead to a more serious treatment.

Pretty soon, it'll be February and onward to spring.

Thanks for visiting!

*************************