The berry that was close to being buried

 Came close to taking it out back and digging a hole for it.  The Enforcer motion detectors are at the garden and every time I try to get to the burning pit, I get the begeezers scared out of me and a soaking from the spray.  Until I remember that they are up and running, no stitchery will be burned. Buried.... possibly.

Maybe Mary and Meg causing a linen choosing fiasco made me decide on a VERY small project, but as small as it is, a whopper of a PITA.  Little scraps are stored in an envelope, even a few inches, and I chose 32 count Copper Penny for this.  Previously done on a higher count, very tiny precious little berry,  I wanted a little larger. If I had not rid my stash of Klostern, I would have tried this freebie on it.  And still want to.  

In a nutshell (it's a big nut)...  this new needle claims a very smooth eye but it was horrible and not smooth in the least.  I counted wrong. The Pineberry Lane chart shows the berry upside down on my print, and rather than flip it, I thought it would not be a problem.  Such a simple and quick two color shape, how could I screw it up?  Let me count the ways.  Over and over yet I still kept it the same position on my board.  The real head smacker is when I forgot to change the pattern to include a calyx in the center (don't be impressed, I thought it was called a leaf and looked it up).  So I remove all the red at the top which was a real mess since I fill vertical and then cross horizontal for blocks of color.  You can't remove one row at a time, each cross is going in two directions.  But I proceeded, had a ton of tails to weave in the back.  Didn't think it would take long but IT DID.  So let's move on and get this berry done.  Wait a minute.  I just filled it back in with the red, just as it was before I frogged it. Where is my head?  Was I bone headed enough to remove it again?  Yes I was.  Now, the mass of tails on the back have made it thick enough to not need fill when finishing.  But wait, that top is a little too high after adding that center leaf (that's what it is) so I removed a few rows and each vertical row added its own tail to the ever thickening back.  Better.  Now I can fill in the red and get to the seeds.  Hmm.  That red looks brighter.  IT IS.  I picked up 347 instead of 3777 because I left it out from trying colors for this linen.  Now about the seeds.  How many times can they disappear?  Let  me count the ways once again.  Where the hell are they going?  I make the knot, come up in a different area, and when I look to see how far from the previous knot I am, it's GONE!!!  I am coming up and going down in different holes!  They prefer to stay on the back and leave a little white thread buried in the red.  So after two attempts, I used a slip knot in the mess on the back after each knot.  Finding a stitch to attach it to on the backside was not easy since it's a road map of carryovers, woven tails, shredded fringe throughout.  But.  It's done.  And I'll stitch another without errors just for spite.  I can't believe how many days this has taken and how bone headed I am to not START OVER rather than continually frog and croak.

Sixteen foot doors are sanded, cleaned, primed, painted.  We couldn't get an overlay design of any kind because of the dark color which would warp them.  So flush it is, and I ordered bean straps for them.  Rather than drill into the steel (I hate steel doors) we will use strong magnets to hold the decorative straps.  Our old door had very pronounced wood grain texture, this does not.  If we would have chosen windows or patterned styles I can't imagine the headache with priming and painting.  So I'm glad it's simple.

Large orange male is hanging around and the black/white is here every day also.  They must be strays, Missy is having none of it.

I'm tired, going to bed.  Hope your weekend was peaceful, joyful, or both.

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OMG!

 Good news!  GREAT news!!

My neighbor put a note in my mailbox asking if a tiny black kitten was mine.  I was so glad to hear that they found it and tiny was safe.  After a few texts explaining that we had planned to call an agency since it was so young, she said she has a friend who wants it!!  YAY!!!  So I took two cartons of soft pate envelopes to her since "she" liked them and the tiny girl is fed and no longer homeless.  Was not expecting that at all.

And couldn't wait to tell you.

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June

 I don't know if the month will get better, but it's off to a rotten start.

I was getting within five feet of the little one, talking to him, feeding him (he ate SO much), sat on the deck until he wiggled into the shelter every night.  Tuesday morning at 6 am, he didn't come out.  We waited.  He was gone.  He cried every four hours for food, never went into the lawn, stayed within sight for days.  Missy was inside that evening and until long after we searched for him.  She was curious, not aggressive, but attacked another cat that came through we assumed was female last evening.   Maybe the mother?  Plans were not to adopt, instead hoping to find it a home, but it is still upsetting.

Bubblegum tunias, today they are getting their haircuts.  For $11, a real bargain because they have grown so much in two weeks.  You can see the cuttings on the bench from just one plant.  And what a mess this is from the sewer project.  No workers to help, at a point where I don't give a damn anymore.  I've been in a crabby funk and hope to have a peaceful hour on my swing remedy that.  Just like with babies, it also calms dementia patients. And crabasses.

I waited patiently for the garage door delivery, was to be at 1 pm.  And the paint to match the stained siding?  Was there ever any doubt.  I am sure they dread seeing me walk into their stores.  It's a curse.  A charcoal brown without green or red cast, is close to impossible.  The trick .... never put in the full amount of maroon and green tint. Start with 75%.  Add each tint in slowly, separately, getting close to 100% of formula.  Stop when the cast is acceptable and add no more.

Have not checked into a phone/plan yet, do not like the changes to Tracfone at all.  I only text and rarely use the phone for calling, no data needed.  I found that walmart (and others) offer a tracfone card adding 1000 texts for only $5.  Since I have service for several more months, a real deal for me.

No covid test, out of stock at local pharmacies, feeling better except for a 40# cold sore.  I ordered them online and by the time I get them, won't need them. 

No stitching.  I wanted to start Mary Bell on a light 40 count which I do not have.  I've grown tired of looking at Meg, and attempted to stitch her muted colors on a mottled darker linen, cannot see well enough.

  It's only Wednesday.  I have to wait until Sunday for Saltbox Stitcher?  I could go back and watch previous videos I guess.  Brenda directed us to Prims on Greenway which I had viewed a while back, and the latest #32 is chock full of goodies.   Mark won some $$ at golf so I ordered the applique book she mentioned. 

Well, my cold sore is now 43# so I'm calling it a night. Can't wait to look in the mirror tomorrow.

Stay safe, be well, find a swing.

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Remember .....

REMEMBER.

Whether resting at home or abroad.

 FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST.

* * * * * * * * *

I'm testing for covid tomorrow.  

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No.

 No. No. No.

Tiniest little kitten, smart enough to shelter and hide from hawks, eating, his cry sounds like a barking crow.  Too young to be on its own.  Where are the littermates?  And Missy?  Her reaction was not good and I am keeping her inside.  We haven't touched the baby, hissing and attitude of course, but I believe food inside of a carrier would work.  

Our shelter is small and never has room for cats, I will call Angels for Animals in Ohio Tuesday.  Keep fingers crossed for me please.

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The 40 difference

 At 59:27 during Saltbox Stitcher's video, the BBD design of my last small sampler was shown. Her border was noticeable because she used a lighter linen and it looked much nicer.  The 407 is barely visible on my dark linen, so I am changing to the red.  Being three rows wide of alternating stitches, I could have just added the red and kept the 407 in place.  But it was too much so I removed it.  Carol's looked SO much better.  I can't tell you how much I enjoy her floss tube.  L.O.V.E. her.  I wish she was weekly. 

Now about Meg.  My cataracts are progressing and not near qualified for removal, but the linen had more to do with my frustration.  It took a while before realizing this.  Meg's simple border, as much as shown here, was two days of work.  Over and over, constant removal.  I used 40 count recently without a problem, yet I struggled with this one.  

Meg was put aside and I started on Mary Bell, another small sampler.  Same problem.  My stitches were in the wrong holes and I was struggling to see.  WTH???  Maybe I mottled the linen too much and it was throwing me off?  I decided to try another piece of my limited 40 count stash.  This new piece was not as troublesome.  I was actually in the right hole!  Both Meg's border and Mary's were easier.  Similar in color, both 40 count, same needle, same 4.0 mags.

But those first pieces were not Flax, they were Lambswool, and neither had the orange stripe.  That linen had finer threads resulting in a looser weave, yet I could not get those stitches in the proper hole.  Zweigart's orange stripe is a heavier thread, tighter weave, which I assumed would be more difficult to see. I guess I need to check for the selvage stripe, but most of my 40s are small cuts which may not always include it.  Probably not necessary since side by side I could see the difference.

Holding my breath, I can't tell you how many people have covid that I have been around.

Whatever you plan for this weekend, remember the reason.

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