Oh crap

 I ordered another small piece of this linen, and I'm curious if other mfg. linens in 46 have a heavier weave.  The right edge of the H was not in line with the A above.  One thread off, but each stitch held two, spaces were also two. Over and over, baffled.  Back to the Dazor, spotted a tiny bit of fuzz which was actually the end of a broken thread, accounting for being off one.

 I carefully removed stitches in the center of the H to check further and must have broken a second.  Never had that happen without aggressively pulling a slub.  The first was already broken, no stitches were frogged before I saw the fuzz.  Did my blunt tip needle break it while running it between threads to check alignment?  Linen is strong, I don't understand the breaks.

Not sure where to go from here.  Move down, start over?  Pick a spot and start a different project?  Attempt to re-weave?  Easy to do on a lower count with one break.  Two adjacent on 46 may be too difficult, but that will be tried first.  

Frustrating, but worse things can happen than broken linen threads and lost work.  

Be safe everyone.

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That bunhead

Miss Maggie Mae from Stacy Nash has been the darling of the Nashville newbies, and sold out.  I did not pre-order, purchases were limited, but she wore me down.  I found her in Stacy's Etsy shop for download.   Even though shops' stock will be replenished at some point, I needed her in my zone.  Now.  And now she is.  Weird, huh?  

And then Stacy's exclusive As the Crow Flies grabbed me, it's a kit, in the cart with 40 count for now.

Hubs is painting the ceiling, preparing for the wall repair/cover with shiplap.  White Dove from Ben Moore, eggshell finish.  Entire room including windows and door will be the same. This will also cover the kitchen cabinets.  And after a sample board hinted at the result, once again, conflicted.  Too much white?  Should cabinets be lightened to the cream trim color (on board) instead of white?  Dammit.  I thought this was settled.   

Large pieces of scrap plywood and cardboard will be fit over several cabinets, painted, and offer a preview.  

Lots of work ahead. 

Yoi.

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The big crab that could

 Holy crabcakes!!

The lower case and border, stitched without the Dazor, just using my 3.0 readers.  It's remarkable how our eyes adjust.  When the 46 count piece was first received, I had no hope stitching was possible.  

Being smitten with small and very small samplers lately, I decided to give 46 a try.  The longer I worked on it, the more it became less scary.  It's like seeing 25 count after working on 36, and thinking it's burlap.  But if 25 is routinely used, 36 appears to be extreme.  Until you start stitching.  You grow accustomed to the weave.  

So when I picked this up yesterday in bright light, the longer I gazed at it, the more my brain adjusted to my view.  I changed back to a 26 needle, expected to just anchor the first stitch, but then kept going.  As excited as a kid whose training wheels came off!!  I.am.shocked.  Really.   

Thanks for the suggestions on light, magnification, and hand help. Checking on them all.

Testing over one on 28 for the other new chart, and comparing the two, 46 wins.  Coarse fabric and tiny delicate x's do not meld for me.  A thin and wimpy 28 may look better, and I'll keep playing with that.

Hope your Monday is ordinary.  As I age, ordinary is good.

Thanks for visiting!!

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Higher!

  I ordered a very small piece of 46 count a while ago.  After seeing this old Scarlet Letter miniature sampler, I decided its simplicity would be a perfect first attempt.  It is to be stitched over one on 25 count resulting in a 2.5" x 4.5" finish.  Over two on 46 will be a little larger, not much.

Because of this monstrosity and my 3.0 readers, stitching is possible.  Replaced my 26 needle with a 28 (tugged and bent it), the dmc doesn't flow through its eye easily, but it's happening!  I want a new light.  The bright tech ordered a few years ago was rusty so returned.  My old Dazor is excellent, quite expensive now, but not want I want.  I've checked with vision offices here, not one has higher than 2.75 power readers to try on so I may order 4.0+ online.  Is it difficult to focus with a greater magnification?  If not, maybe a high power reader and a bright light would be enough.  I don't want an arm with a lens in my way.

The linen is not what I had hoped, quite thin with very irregular threads.  Some as thin as a hair, some thicker than in a 32 weave.  Another linen may be very different and a little more uniform, and hopefully easier to work on for beginning a higher count.  I could work on the other smalls until a new piece of fabric arrives, but will probably continue with this.

The crack is back!  This time at the corner of my nail, so once again, I cut the fingers off an exam glove and my thumb is ...

Last week of March!

Hope it's a good one for you.

Signed .... the blue thumb stitcher

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And another

recently seen and added to cart!

I can picture this with a stitched berry hanging from the edge of its frame or finish.  But what caught my eye initially was the white and black on this color linen. It appears to be the same as two goldish greenish pieces I showed weeks ago, planning to sell.  Have not seen them since because those "safe places" for protection and ease of finding, always screw me.  But that is exactly, when found, I will use for this.  

As you all know, I never learn from self-taught lessons, which technically cannot even qualify as lessons.  Too many times I have impulsively sold, given away, only to regret it much later.  The Tabby Cat to be offered is visible as I type, and I do not want it.  

Or do I?  

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Two more

 Very small, very sweet, very reasonable, very convenient.

Two more from The Wishing Thorn to download.

You are most likely familiar with these smalls from Birgit, but in case not...

I have many many times discovered a chart I love that everyone knew about, except me, or that I overlooked.  I've purchased from The Wishing Thorn, mailed charts and also pdfs several times, yet these were never added to my cart.  So .... which will I choose this evening?

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