Halloween seems to quickly be coming one of the most stitchable holidays. The amount of Halloween designs that have appeared over the past couple of years is really amazing, and I’m sure there are lots more in store. And who doesn’t love the witches, bats and pumpkins available in styles to suit every stitcher?

Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collection

Just Cross Stitch magazine has been supporting this trend for the past several years by including a Halloween ornament section in their September/October edition. This year, in addition to the regular Halloween issue, they have also published a special edition magazine (also being called a book-azine, a term I don’t care for) that contains fifty-one Halloween designs.

JCS Halloween Collection Contents

The Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collection is priced at US$16.95, and is the size of a standard magazine. The cover, however, is made from thicker cardstock, and the pages are also slightly thicker than those found in a regular magazine. The magazine is in full colour, with black and white charts. If you’ve ever seen a Just Cross Stitch magazine, you know what to expect in terms of charts: clear symbols that reflect the colour gradations of the finished design, as well as floss list that give DMC equivalents for hand-dyed fibres when available. When the design uses DMC floss, equivalents are given for either Anchor or Presencia floss (with there seeming to be no rhyme nor reason as to why one brand is used on one chart and the other brand on another chart).

Thanks that Go Bump in the Night (detail image and portion of materials listing)

The designs range from the very small (a pair of eye earrings), to ornaments, to a 6″ x 4 1/2″ free-standing cube finish, to larger designs meant for pillows or to hang on the wall. The materials used include everything from DMC floss through to fancy Glorianna silks, as well as beads, buttons, and trims. The continuing trend to make use of hand-dyed threads where they aren’t really needed is definitely evident in this magazine. Several different “blacks” are used (WDW mascara, GAST raven, Crescent Colours black bird), all of which are solid enough to be easily replaced with DMC 310. I love hand-dyed threads, but I also believe they are most beautiful and useful when there are clear variations in the colour. It is no wonder DMC is losing market share. Maybe I’m a frugal stitcher, but I will be using DMC wherever I can.

As a bit of an aside, it is interesting to note that two designs use Anchor floss as their fibre of choice, Frank-in-Stitches and Treat or Treat Bee, both designed by Mosey and Me. One design, Ghost by Sue Hillis, uses Sullivan’s. It is becoming clear who are the underdogs in the current embroidery floss market.

Ghost by Sue Hillis

The designs cover a wide range of styles. Primitives are amply covered by designs such as Wicked Night by The Primitive Hare (6″ x 12″, suggested finishing is a pillow), October Feather Tree by Notforgotten Farm (10″ x 8″), and a myriad of ornaments. There is also a fabulous mandala by Tracy Horner of Ink Circles (7 1/4″ square), and a larger designs of witches, ghosts, haunted houses, etc. in what I can best describe as “normal” style. Another showpiece design, in my opinion, is Recipe for a Magical Night by Adelaide Needleworks. It is a lovely composition of brightly coloured swirls emerging from a cauldron that is featured on the cover. I think that in this collection of fifty-one designs, you are likely to find many that tickle your fancy regardless of your preferred style.

A Spirited Mandala by Ink Circles

This brings me to my only problem with this special edition magazine. The Just Cross Stitch website has a banner advertising the magazine which claims that it contains “Over 50 NEW exclusive designs” (emphasis theirs). Unfortunately, this is not the case. The final section of the magazine is called “Ghosts of Halloween Past” and features sixteen designs from past issues of Just Cross Stitch. I have to say that I found this extremely disappointing. Being a semi-loyal JCS purchaser, I have all these designs. I was excited about this special issue because the ad claimed it featured new designs. And, yes, 35 new designs for US$16.95 is a bargain, I still can’t help but feel a little mislead. So, buyer beware: there are previously  published deigns in this magazine, regardless of what the advertising says.

Ghosts of Halloween Past

Overall, though, I do think this magazine is worth the purchase for anyone who is a Halloween fan and is looking for new designs to stitch. The designs are all high quality and from well-known designers. And while it may seem pricey compared to regular editions of the magazine, keep in mind that a comparable Ink Circles chart costs US$10 and an Adelaide Needleworks design would cost €12.00, everything else is a bonus.

All images in this post were photographed by me, and come from the Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collection, 2011.

Review – Just Cross Stitch Halloween Collection is a post from Reflections in the Pond

I’m sure you are all pretty aware that I love to knit socks. I find them to be relatively quick projects that are portable and easy to work on when I have the little man sitting on my lap. I also love how they give me the chance to try lace, or colour-work, or something new and interesting on a small scale.

There are lots of great sock designers out there today. Off the top of my head I can think of Wendy Johnson, Cookie A., Lucy Neatby and Cat Bordhi, along with a multitude of others. The last, Cat Bordhi, is one of those crazy minds that comes up with simple ideas that make a big difference. Her new book, Cat Bordhi’s Sweet Tomato Heel, is all about one of those new ideas: an easy to execute sock heel using short rows and no wraps. (I see the eyes of the cross stitchers out there just glazing over. Bear with me, okay?)

The book features nine sock patterns as well as directions for the new heel she has dubbed the Sweet Tomato Heel (STH). (This is a digital book, that is updated about once a month. So far four of the sock patterns and the two heel variations have been released.) And, since I love to try new techniques in my socks, I made a variation of the Minnesota Moonlight sock (Rav link to the pattern).

Close-up of the Sweet Tomato Heels

I used On Your Toes Bamboo in colourway Tropical Dusk. And, instead of doing the lace pattern all the way around the leg, I chose to do just one repeat of the pattern centred on the top of the foot just where the foot and leg meet.

Variation on Minnesota Moonlight by Cat Bordhi

The heel was very easy to do. It is worked in wedges, with the depth of the heel being checked against the foot. This allows for a very customized fit. And, I was able to achieve a well fitting sock on my narrow feet that have high arches. (Although, I have rarely made a sock that doesn’t fit. But perhaps this is because I am very careful to check the fit in all my socks as I am knitting them.)

The only thing I don’t like about this heel is the fact that it requires 2/3 of the sock stitches. Most socks heels only need 1/2, which leaves the other 1/2 on the top of the foot for a fancy pattern. A STH sock can only use 1/3 of the stitches for a pattern until after the heel is turned. So, while it will be easy to use the STH for socks designed for it (e.g. socks that  only use 1/3 of the stitches for a pattern along the top of the foot) or for plain socks, it will be all but impossible to, say, add a STH to a Cookie A. sock or any other design that uses 1/2 of the foot stitches for a pattern.

If you want to learn more about this interesting new heel technique, check out this video by Cat:

Overall, I would recommend this book. It is priced at US$20 for nine sock patterns, and given that most sock patterns sell at US$6, you are getting a bargain. It is well written, with great diagrams and pictures, and several free YouTube tutorial videos. Cat has also started a group on Ravelry to provide support, and she is very quick to answer questions. And, best of all, even if you’ve tried socks before and found turning the heel difficult, you will have no problem at all with this method. And who doesn’t want to make themselves some lovely handknit socks?

Cat Bordhi’s STH and My Sock (A Mini Review) is a post from Reflections in the Pond

Until recently, I probably wouldn’t have said that I was a fan of Joan Elliott. While I have probably always appreciated her work, her cutesy designs never really appealed to me. But, as she seemed to get more of her fantasy and figure designs published, my interest in her grew dramatically. So much so, that I added her book Bewitching Cross Stitch to my collection not too long after it was released. Her latest book, actually a “book-a-zine” released by Future plc (the publishers of several UK cross stitch magazines), has also found a home on my bookshelf.

The Ultimate Joan Elliott Cross Stitch Collection (cover)

The book-a-zine (gosh, I don’t like that term. I’m just going to call it a book), is £9.99 and was available for order directly from Future Publishing as well as on newsstands here and in the UK. However, it has now sold out on the Future plc wensite. Apparently, it is still avaliable for sale on the newsstands in Canada and the US, but I haven’t seen it here yet. I’m not sure what it sells for over here in North America, but given the current exchange rate, I expect it is probably around $16-$20CAN. Which, clearly, is a great deal for forty-four charts given that Joan sells her chartpacks for $12US.

The book is a bit larger than a typical softcover craft book. In fact, it is the same size (except thicker, of course) as a UK magazine. The chart presentation, also, is reminiscent of a UK magazine. So, if you’ve ever read Cross Stitch Collection or World of Cross Stitching or the like, you know what to expect: large pictures of the finished design, a blurb about it, and a large colour chart.

Interior View

There is also a small write-up for most designs talking about where to start, how to add beads, etc. They often feature a lovely close-up of some element of the design, as well as advertise another design of Joan’s that you can order. You’ll also notice in the picture above a full page add for another Future plc magazine. Honestly, they don’t bother me very much, since this book is so filled with charts and the number of ads is limited. My only issue with them is that they will be terribly out of date in no time at all. And, this is the sort of book that is going to be on your shelf at home for years. Why waste the space advertising a magazine I’m not going to be able to order in a couple of months?

Joan Elliott Bio

Another nice feature of the book is a fairly lengthy bio on Joan. It talks about her inspiration, her two homes, and shows some lovely pictures. I’m pretty sure that’s my dream home right there.

Now, I’m sure you are probably most interested in which charts are included in the book. It’s a long list, with lots of variety.

1. Spring Fairy
2. Summer Fairy
3. Autumn Fairy
4. Winter Fairy
5. Green Goddess (an exclusive design)
6. Stitching Renaissance (aka The Musician)
7. Castle Princess (aka The Reader)
8. Renaissance Rose (aka The Gardener)
9. Golden Buddha
10. Thank Heaven for Little Girls (four small country-style designs for Thank You cards)
11. Flamboyant and Free (a peacock)
12. Oriental Lady
13. Water Wonderland (a lotus and dragonfly design, with two additional motif charts)
14. Eastern Promises (another geisha with two kanji designs for cards)
15. Jolly Stocking
16. The Lady in Red (holiday Victorian lady, along with separate dog motif chart)
17. Christmas Post
18. Teddy Bear Christmas (stocking)
19. Father Christmas
20. Angel of Peace
21. Christmas Angel (not the same one as is shown on Joan’s Order Chartpacks page)
22. Wings of Heaven (aka Angel in White)
23. Heavenly Host (a set of four country-style angel designs for cards)
24. Country Escape (a lovely cottage)
25. The Time of Your Life (a wedding sampler with two additional small designs)
26. Unicorn and the Maiden
27. Thank Heavens for Mum (four country-style card designs)
28. Water Goddess
29. Fire Goddess

Hmm, that’s 45 at my count. Maybe the wee dog design doesn’t count.

Overall, I really like this book. It is large, full of easy to read charts, and very few disappointing designs. I am a bit sad that only two of the four elemental goddesses are included. It is going to cost me $24US to purchase the remaining charts. So, two designs for more than 44. Not very sporting, in my opinion. I could also do without the country-style designs. They seem a bit out of place among the lovely ladies and stately Santa. And, of course, there are the colour charts. But they are par for the course with a UK cross stitch magazine, which I knew when I purchased this book. The biggest minus of this book is that only one design is exclusive. If you’ve been buying Future plc magazines for the last few years, there is a good chance you already have most of these designs in your collection. Thankfully, that isn’t the case for me.

If you are a Joan Elliott fan, and you don’t already have these designs, I think this is a book worth picking up.

Review – The Ultimate Joan Elliott Cross Stitch Collection is a post from Reflections in the Pond

As promised, here are the mini reviews for the books I read for the 10 Book Reading Challenge.

• History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt

An interesting look at hand knitting in the British Isles.  France and a few other European countries are briefly touched on, and North American gets a few pages at the end of the book.  This is worth reading if you are interested in how knitting in Britian grew from imported stockings during Queen Elizabeth I’s time to factory knitting and beyond.  It was originally published in 1987 and has withstood the test of time, but doesn’t cover the newer knitting movements obviously.  Expect to have some cherished beliefs about Aran and Shetland knitting challenged.

• The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

A chick lit story based loosely around a knitting shop.  If you want to read it you will, but I suggest skipping it unless you are a big fan of chick lit.

• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

A very good book that is difficult to describe.  Essentially it is about a young girl who lives in a ruined castle with her odd family and how they relate to the new owners of the property.  It is much better than I am making it sound, and I think it is worth reading if you like period novels (1930s in this case).  (I understand that the 2003 movie isn’t as good as the book, and isn’t that always the way?)

• A Good Yarn (Blossom Street, No. 2) by Debbie Macomber

See The Shop on Blossom Street above.

• Empire by Orson Scott Card

I’m a fan of Orson Scott Card’s earlier novels.  I really enjoyed Ender’s Game, among others.  This book, though, seems like it was written by someone else entirely.  It is based in the very near future where a group within the United States decides to kill the president and take over the country using advanced weaponry.  The novel is written like a movie, with fast moving scenes and snappy dialogue.  I know that sounds good, but it came across as very contrived.  My husband and I read the book because he so enjoyed playing Shadow Complex on the Xbox 360, a game based on a military instillation featured in Empire, and which was meant to be a link between this book and the next one in the series due out this year.  Skip this unless you feel you need to read everything written by him.

• Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith (aka Paul Linebarger)

An excellent old fashioned sci-fi novel about a young man from a planet colonized by people who originally came from Australia.  When he discovers his life is in danger, he decides to play the markets and makes enough  money to buy Earth.  When he arrives, he finds a way to have his heart’s desire and to return home to his old life.  An excellent book, which I highly recommend if you enjoy science fiction.

• Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange

I am a big fan of Jane Austen (and I really regret not buying that Sampler Girl chart on Friday!), so I love to read “sequels” to her novels.  I’ve read some that are good and some that are bad; some that focus on sisters of the main characters and some the men; some that feel like Jane wrote them and some that are totally out of character.  Mr. Darcy’s Diary is one of the best “sequels” I have read.  It was so enjoyable to be able to read Darcy’s side of events, and watch as his love for Lizzie grows.  I enjoyed this book so much that I’m planning on reading another of Ms. Grange’s novels soon, Mr. Knightly’s Dairy.

• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire

I enjoyed the Wicked series very much, but I wasn’t impressed by this book.  Mirror Mirror is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty myth in a very loose form.  And for some reason, Mr. Maguire felt the need to bring in Lucretia Borgia as the “wicked step-mother.”  I suggest passing this one by, even if you enjoyed Wicked.

• The Way Of The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

I’ve read a lot of books about Wicca and Paganism. A lot.  This is one of my favourites.  Ms. Murphy-Hiscock (who occasionally leaves comments here as Autumn) writes clearly and well about being a green witch.  She shares excellent recipes and suggestions for developing a personal path, even in the city.  I also really like how she makes it clear that green witches are not necessary Wiccans, and vice versa.  I highly recommend this book, if it is your kind of thing.

• A Woman’s Guide to a Simpler Life by Andrea Van Steenhouse and Doris A. Fuller

This was a good book, but I don’t think I learned much from it.  Maybe my life is already very simple,  I don’t know.  But if you are looking for some inspiration for slowing down and saying no, it is worth a read.

Lastly, don’t forget that today is Day 7 of Missy Ann’s 13 Days of Halloween.  Head on over to her blog to enter.  The prizes so far have all been super cute.  Here’s hoping I win, or you do!

10 Book Reading Challenge – Mini Reviews is a post from Reflections in the Pond