Now I'm done

 Hi folks.  Mark is sick and in bed, I doubt he will be much better tomorrow.  I've been watching the anniversary specials, staying home, so ordered what we need for pickup and Chris will get it for me.  I will never get used to no saliva and eye drops every 15 minutes, but not being able to drive because of that, is maddening.  I'm assuming he will be well enough to drive for her intervention in Pittsburgh Thursday.  I have my lung CT Tuesday followed by an office visit for results, I can have someone take me.

The Ale I love more than the other piece is brighter, lighter.  I swore I would not mess with dyes and dips again, but I did.  Last time!  I always test a corner and this time the entire edge was needed.   The diluted dye is actually a greenish brown but any dampness to the linen lightened it to a warmer hue, a water drop lightened to yellow. This did not happen on the three other PTP linens, so I am lucky that I proceeded with caution on this one and realized the test spots were actually removing color, not adding.  Very light touch with only a damp sponge, better than before, done.  Close call.

Before

After

I impressed the facility's finance department and ambulance company with this announcement - she was approved for Medicaid!  They said it would not happen for at least another month and didn't believe me until they checked the account number I submitted.  She also found out that they won't be making her leave her room and go into the rehab section after surgery, she can stay where she is.  Two things bothering her were settled favorably.

The landscaper stopped in earlier and checked the area again, I told him I can't think straight or make decisions right now so just fix the yard and remove these concrete pieces and mud.  Talked for quite a while and he gave me another price that we can live with and he will come this week.  He doesn't live far from me and their house is unbelievable.  Enormous, acreage, steep copper roof, outbuildings for guests, stunning.  Very nice, professional, friendly, honest, excellent work by his employees that he inspects daily.

I hope your Sunday is enjoyable.  I plan to browse for charts, no more linen.  And pull a 32 count for testing Sulky and floche.  Thanks for suggesting, I do have several colors somewhere.

Stay safe.

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Summer ends big

How's everyone?  We are having a few warmer days with a glimpse of the sun.  Except for sliding all over the unexplained slick flooring, needing a few Dramamine, and gaining a few pounds, all is well. I've even been able to get anti inflammation drops into Nit's eye without shedding blood.  Completely clouded, the vet said the drops would rid that, and it's working.  Amazing.

To better understand my issue with linen colors, you have to realize I am color phobic.  I see casts and undertones that drive me nuts.  Except for the Eureka, I like all the colors and will find a project.  But I won't be able to get another piece of 40 to match all designs I plan to do in a series.  That's a lesson learned.  Now that I know color within counts is not consistent, I should order a larger piece from the start.  If I don't like it, sell it, dip it, burn it, back it, but don't use it as a sample and expect more to be the same.  I really really like the Ale and saw a few otherlinens on floss tube that may be to my liking. 

I haven't picked up Rachel for a number of reasons, and hope to this evening.

Saltbox Stitcher mentioned and showed Au ver a Soie single strand covering a 32 count dark linen very nicely.  Is this true?  Can I use that thread (or another) singly on 32 count that offers full coverage?  I don't care for silk, it always snagged on my rough hands.  And I'm cheap.  But if I can use my 32 counts with one strand I will loosen my already sagging purse strings.  I need to learn the silk thread basics, separating, needle size, cut length, and would love to see this with several types/brands on a floss tube channel.

No Death by Chocolate zucchini bread this year, decided on just the lemon until I found this banana recipe.  Very good.  But I used almost 1 tsp of cinnamon, not the 1.5.  I was a little heavy on the bananas and also shredded zucchini (I use the fine shred on my mandoline) and I needed another 15 minutes of baking time.  The top browned quickly and the last half hour required loose foil cover.

Banana Zucchini Bread

Lots of calls to make regarding Carole's follow ups and appointments, so I best get busy.  Have a great day.

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I can't win!

 I order smaller pieces of linen (which now cost what a half yard used to) in two counts, and then choose the one I like most and order a larger piece.  Dammit.  I ordered more of two favorites, one for a series (Fragments and Berries) and look what I received.  Not the same.  

The first 40 count Hogbristle was not greenish, I liked it so ordered another piece (different seller).  Greenish.  Loved the PTP Ale and ordered another piece, much lighter.  I like each Ale and will certainly use both, but what a disappointment and aggravation when you can't rely on a reorder being the same.  So ordering from the same seller (if any stock left) is ideal, but only if it's from the same shipment or batch.  It's not the seller's fault, but with the majority of stitchers only able to purchase from inaccurate online photos, I think consistency in counts using the same linen base shouldn't be that difficult.  Obviously I'm wrong.

I also have a pumpkin latte correction.  The drink I received was not the correct size.  Mine was the largest cup used for soft drinks and iced coffee.  Another mcD's told me they don't make lattes (they do).  The third attempt at that drink came in a medium cup, which I argued was wrong.  Today, at another location, I was shown the cup size and it was not the largest that I received initially.  So correction, mcDonald pumpkin spice is not much larger than others.

No one has answered repeated calls for lawn repair/landscaping, original company never showed up, but we stopped to speak with a sole worker nearby.  He started hard work in school at 16, been building his business for 10 years, does anything related to land.  Sounds like a guy that takes his work seriously.

Have a happy hump day.

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I forgot .... Floche

 Hey everybody.  It's Labor Day weekend.  What?  Couldn't believe how many houses had straw bales and pumpkins in their yard on the drive to see Carole.  That was pretty disheartening and confirmation of what I don't want to accept.  I've been in sweatpants so often these past three months that I never really put them away for summer.  And I'm in them again and will be all week.

Once again, I had to frog quite a bit.  Two flowers were off, too lazy to work out a fix.  I don't ever remember DMC shredding like this but after just a few pulls, it's a mess.  I completely forgot about the white threads I purchased a while back, one of them being floche.  

The heavier DMC #20 and #25 were actually too heavy, and the floche was also.  Bulky looking on the 36 count and sitting higher than the other stitches.  Floche is not to be separated (so I read) but I pulled out one strand easily and it made enough of a difference.  The other flowers were stitched with standard DMC white and the floche is on the larger blue. 

Not obvious in the photo but it is more noticeable than plain dmc and I'm pleased with it.  It does seem to get  .... fuzzy? .... matte? .... something.  Since this will be handled quite a bit, it would have been better to stitch last.  If it looks messy when the sampler is finished, that small area can be done over.

If you're wondering why I haven't mentioned the other magnifying floor lamp, it was lost.  Amazon refunded the order and reported it as lost.  I don't think I can replace my circline fluorescent with their new LED, don't see that option after much searching but I will contact Dazor to check.  I guess it has to be compatible with the ballast.

A few more stitches in the tree and I will move to the next page.  Across?  Or down?  Oh these decisions.

Have a nice weekend.

Just got a note - ordered 36 and 40 Oatmeal!!

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That's better

White it shall be.  And needed in order to see the thread, but still not really noticed as a single row outline.  Can't go any lighter!  I thought it would look too stark, it does not.

I ordered two more pieces of linen, averted a return when I read that FOAW Parchment has more green than brown.  Hard to imagine since some photos are not.  Caramel Macchiato?  Another shot in the dark but I am more anxious to get a piece of Oatmeal.  

But I did score the sampler I was interested in and got it ordered. M+A 1853.

And after opening linen pieces to examine, I see why the 40 piece has green spots.  It looks like a reject because that green area matches the 36 (comparing the two left) and the rest of the pinkish piece looks like it didn't make the dip.

Beautiful blue sky day, I hope you are all safe.  I looked at the worst hurricanes and floods in history and oh my, did not realize the destruction and death in much earlier times.  

I kept seeing posts about Starbucks Pumpkin Cream so I broke down and spent a ridiculous $5 for a tiny cup.  To compare, we drove to Dunkin also ($3 for quite a bit more).  And today, McDonald's Pumpkin Spice Latte (cold).  The cream tops are tasty, but once blended with the brew, blah.  McD's being a latte was intense flavor to the last drop (I removed half the ice and will request light ice next time).  Twice the size of Bucks and $1 less.  As I said, the cream tops are good, but not enough to last.  I may try their lattes instead of the cold brew creams for comparison.  The Starbucks' line is always very long and I guess I am my mother's daughter, because I can't see spending that much on a drink except as a occasional treat.   The gal at the bank gets one every morning.

Friday friday.  Summer over.  September.  Crap.

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One down, two to go

 Carole came through the pacemaker switch just fine.  The first slid and was almost completely in her armpit.  The wonderful doctor sewed it shut and anchored the new one so it will not wander.  She's waiting for transport back to the facility.  Last fall there were three years of battery life remaining, and in almost a year, it had depleted to less than six months.  Grateful that the manufacturer found this defect.  What a reunion!  Two nurses that cared for her in transitional care at that hospital could not be more elated to see her again.  Hugs and kisses and extra Lorna Doone's.

I picked up Rachel at 4am, have not stitched for many days.  The very light thread is mostly charted on the petal edges, and not paying attention caused me to switch the symbols.  The gold and light areas are reversed.  But even with 3865, it is not showing as much as expected.  Certainly will not in a thin outline.   White is hardly different from 3865 in comparison but it has more reflective brightness and it does show better.  Not sure of a plan, but not happy with the interior of the flower in 3865.

My yellow tunia is OK, not spectacular, but I did pull it from the barrels and transplant in mid season,  It grew a smidge and became very spindly so I pulled it and stuck into a pot. 

But oh my, the ferns are continuing to grow and are spectacular.  The ambulance office has a fantastic large sitting area, mostly glass and leather, and I plan to offer these to them.  Way too big again for my rooms.  I wonder if transplanting into the 12" pots every year is the trick.

And more linen came.  You saw the Hogbristle before but showing the difference in two colors between 36 and 40 count which surprised me.  I saw The Attic video of variations of color between counts but thought it may be because of a different type of fabric.  Nope.  But the 36 and 40 in Country Mocha that I returned were exactly the same, just to confuse the hell out of me.   I did not expect it to be shinier, silky, slippery.  Not my kind of linen, I prefer holding coarse and matte.  The orange selvage stripe doesn't always mean that same texture I guess.  Who knew?  Not me.  The 40 count Cappuccino has the load of green, like you slid it across wet grass, but the 36 does not and is a wonderful neutral. 

Have a good day.

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