Thank you very much to everyone who entered my birthday giveaway.  It was quite interesting to learn that so many of us do lots of different crafts.  In my case, I cross stitch, knit, crochet, sew (a little bit), and I have been known to scrapbook, but not for a long time.  I’ve also made some stitch markers, which I suppose is a form of jewellery making, and I plan to try punchneedle some day very soon.

Now, on to the winner.

Jolene of Dip Diddly Designs!

Congratulations.  And thank you again to everyone for all the entries and the birthday wishes.

Birthday Giveaway Winner is a post from Reflections in the Pond

Today is my birthday, and to celebrate I thought I would offer you a chance to win a small stitching prize.  It includes:

• 3 Tapestry Tweens size 21 needles
• DMC Latte chart
• Brenda Franklin Cheetah chart
• DMC Precious Family chart
• DMC Metallic Floss Holiday Crafts booklet
• Sue Hillis Put on your big girl panties and deal with it chart
• Jeanette Douglas Stitching Ties chart

and, the best piece, one of PlanetJune‘s detail stuffing tools.  This is something I think every stitcher of smalls should have.  It makes stuffing biscornus, fobs and ornaments so much easier.

To enter, just leave a comment below.  If you’d like two entries, let me know if you do another craft besides cross stitching.

I’ll draw for the winner at about noon on Friday, May 14th.  Good luck!

Birthday Giveaway! is a post from Reflections in the Pond

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for the lovely but slightly used yarn. I’m very pleased to announce the winner:

Chana of Eclecticitee

You can stop by her blog to check out the yarn she bought while on holiday.  It looks like my yarn is going to a happy, yarn-loving  home.

To continue the “I’m a Fool” theme, you might remember that I mentioned the other day that I had some cross stitch kits and charts for trade. I figured it was time to clear some things out of my stash that I just know I’m never, ever going to finish.  At the same time, I also pulled out some projects that had been hidden away because I made a big  mistake that I didn’t feel like fixing at the time.  I also picked out the few stitches I had made in several projects (de la Tour’s Moon Maiden, TW’s Unicorn, Dragon Dreams’ Why Hoard Gold to name a few) so that I could use the fabric for something else.

After two days of hard work, here is the pile of thread I ended up with:

I also ended up with two piece of black evenweave, a piece of faux-hand-dyed sky-like evenweave, and piece of white linen.  I also now have two projects that I want to work on again (Dragon Dreams’ Dust Bunnies and L&L’s Santa of the Forest).  I also “recovered” a whole pile of floss and a gridded piece of 25 count fabric because I’ve decided not to do the HAED project I had kitted up.  Honestly, when I have the wall space, I’ll just buy the print for the darn thing.  (If anyone is interested in the chart for HAED’s Wicca, let me know.)

So, with all of that, and a finish I will share tomorrow, my current WIP/UFO count is at 40, and my number of kitted up/ready to go projects is now 47.  Still, I suspect, enough to keep me busy for most of the rest of my life.

I’m a Fool Winner is a post from Reflections in the Pond

Congratulations to Lindsay of Caring Stitcher, who is the lucky winner of my little draw.  I tried to get Baby Man to draw a name out of one of his little bowls, but instead he kept dumping all the names out.  So, instead, I waited until he gently put one name back in the bowl.

I’ve sent you an email, Lindsay, so please get back to me when you can.

Thank you to everyone else who signed up.  I will probably have another draw in the fall, maybe for a pair of socks! (How’s that, Pauline?)

So, on to the stash shopping that I mentioned the other day.  As you may know, Golden Threads, my nsLNS in Hamilton, ON, is closing down and moving to a web-only shop. This weekend items were priced at 50% off (threads 25% off), so of course I had to call an exception on my stash stitcher declaration and go down and support the shop’s wonderful owner.  I did pretty good, scooping up some charts I’ve been thinking about getting, a piece of fabric, some DMC and Waterlilies and a pair of scissors (I always need scissors!).   And because it was all on sale, I spent a lot less than I expected.  A lot less!

Unfortunately, Golden Threads didn’t have the WDW colour I desperately  needed to finish up a gift, so I also stopped by Gitta’s in Port Credit, where Lizzie Kate’s Peace, Love and a Cure jumped into my hand.  (My dad was with me and he actually approved!)  So, this is my weekend haul, along with a knitting magazine and the latest JCS, which aren’t pictured.  (I’m sorry for the poor pictures in this post, but I was trying to take them when Baby Man was awake so I had to find a baby-free-zone to take them in which meant bad lighting.  The fabric in the picture is actually Silkweaver’s Days Gone By so you can see how bad the picture really is!)

As for my knitting and cross stitch progress, well, I’m still in dishcloth hell.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind making dishclothes.  I even use knitted dishclothes.  It is just that I am getting a little bored with them.  I may take a few days break and work on the horribly pooling anklets (which still look like nothing, which is why there is no picture).

My stitching has been all about gifts.  I’ve included some pictures below of portions of the designs.  If you are a family member who thinks I might be giving you a gift soon, don’t look!

That’s it for today!  I’ll have more to share soon.  I’ve been thinking about things like family and pride of country (yes, Canadians are patriotic, we just hide it better than some), and things like that.

A Winner! and Progress Update is a post from Reflections in the Pond

Just a reminder, if you want in on the draw for some Enchanting Lair charts, Dinky Dyes silk and a one card Tarot reading, please leave a comment on this post.  The deadline is midnight Eastern tonight, and Baby Man and I will draw a name tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will announce the winner and share the details of my weekend stitching and stash buy.

Draw Closing Soon is a post from Reflections in the Pond

As promised, I posting a little draw today in order to welcome the readers from my craft blog, Stitching Lotus, which I am retiring, and to say thank you as well to my long-time readers.

I’m offering seven Enchanting Lair Treasure Stitches/Desktoppers charts and a skien of Dinky Dyes silk in the colour #85 Fantasy Blues.  I am also offering to do a one card Tarot reading for the winner, if they so desire.  (I realize not everyone will be interested in this, and I won’t be offended if you turn down this part of the prize.)

To enter the draw, just leave a comment in the comment section of this post.  Please make sure you enter your correct email address.  I won’t share it, but I will need it to contact you.  If you’d like a second entry to the contest, then become one of my Twitter followers.  My Twitter id is silverlotus152.  I will only be including an entry for Twitter followers who also left a comment in this post, so be sure to do both for two entries.

The draw will remain open until midnight on Sunday, June 7th (Eastern time).  On Monday, when I get the chance, Baby Man and I will draw for the winner.  It is open to anyone who lives anywhere mail is delivered.

Thank you for stopping by!

It’s Time for a Draw is a post from Reflections in the Pond