A stitching post! Amazing! Well, I’ve finally gathered up my stitching mojo and pulled the supplies for July’s ornament: Hardanger Ornament by Nordic Needle from the 1999 issue of Just Cross Stitch. I’ve substituted DMC for the Rainbow Gallery Splendour and DMC #8 perle cotton for the Rainbow Gallery Elegance.

Yeah, I don’t have much done, but it is a start. And I’ve got, what, six more days? I can do it.

But, umm, see that pile of bits there? That is what I’ve picked out so far. I just can’t seem to count properly. At this rate, it will never be done.

And in hopes of keeping my stitching mojo around, I’ve also pulled the supplies and cut the fabric for TW’s Miniature Spring Sampler and I’ve cut the fabric for next month’s ornament. As I was doing this, I discovered that I am running very, very low (as in have a few small scraps and one 9″ x 14″ piece) of 28 count evenweave. Time for a small fabric order, I think.

Hardanger Christmas is a post from Reflections in the Pond

I think the heat of summer is a funny thing.  In the shade and with a breeze, 32° is tolerable, but stand in the sun and take away the breeze, and I feel like I’m going to melt into a puddle. To make matters worse, we have had very high humidity here this year, and it regularly feels more like 37° or higher. And even though I am inside in air conditioning most of the time, I still feel that lethargy that the summer heat seems to cause.  But, Canada is a country with 4 very distinct seasons, and temperatures will get back to reasonable levels by September, and the fall weather will be starting very soon after that. (Some say we only have two seasons: winter and road construction.)

Yesterday morning I was actually feeling quite productive, even though Baby Man woke me up early by trying to batter his way out of his room. (The door sticks, so he can’t open it himself yet.)  I was able to start and finish lesson four of The Gift of Stitching hardanger course.

I would also like to share with you a wonderful discovery: the best hardanger scissors ever. Knit Picks, an online knitting store, sells these scissors for cutting steeks, but they have a wonderfully sharp tip and such a smooth action.  I have  never had such an easy time snipping threads on hardanger. Best of all, they are only US$2.99.  Here’s the link, if anyone is interested.  (Not affiliated, just love their yarn, blah, blah.)

On Friday, the Creativ Festival released their class list of the fall festival.  And me being me, and this being the crafting highlight of my year, I have already picked all my classes.  Now I  just have to wait patiently for registration to open on Monday.  I’m planning on taking all the classes offered by Laura Dickson of Enchanting Lair, all of Jennifer Aikman-Smith’s classes, a needlework designer round robin that covers Swedish weaving, gold work and stitching on perforated paper.  I’m also going to either take a class on knitting one sock inside the other at the same time or on provisional cast ons, and one on making a beaded snowflake pin. And, I’m planning on taking a short beginners lecture on tatting. This pretty much fills up the entire weekend.  I’ll only have a bit of time here and there for shopping, which is good since it will save me from buying things I don’t need.  However, there are a bunch of make-an-takes on the show floor that I’d love to try, like a sashiko decorated coffee mug, some swarovski earrings, and a beaver fur knitted scrunchie!  Can you tell that  I’m excited?

Hardanger Spider Web is a post from Reflections in the Pond

After much procrastination, and a house-wide search for a missing piece of felt, I’ve finally finished the first part of The Gift of Stitching hardanger course. I never did find that piece of felt, so I used some of the peacock felt that I bought for Just Nan’s Keep a Little Secret.  I really like how the colour peaks out through the cutout squares.

Hardanger Needlecase, Gift of Stitching

And speaking of The Gift of Stitching, they are having a sale in their shop.  All items are 20% off.  I may or may not have picked out something I’ve been eyeing for some time.  I would love to also get the Santa kit, but it is so much and contains some real wool, so it is a no-go for me.

Châtelaine is also have a sale.  Until June 26th, all classes are 10% off.  You can read about it here on the Châtelaine board.

Hardanger Needlecase is a post from Reflections in the Pond

It is a couple of days past the new moon, so I am late (again) in posting my TUSAL picture. (You can find out more about the TUSAL here.)  I took the pictures yesterday, as the sun was going down.  But I just didn’t have the motivation to get them posted.

This month I added all the bits from picking out old UFOs, a small piece of 25ct. evenweave I cut off an over-one bookmark I will never finish (I didn’t want to pick out anything over-one), a label from the yarn I am using to knit Lily Cardigan, some yarn from Lily Cardigan (I’ve weaved in all the ends on what I’ve knit so far), and some threads from Sewing Seeds and Sunflower Fairy. My jar is actually getting pretty full.

Yesterday afternoon I worked on the first part of the hardanger course that is running in The Gift of Stitching. It went very quickly, and I am pleased with the results.  The materials are 20ct Irish linen and Ginnie Thompson Flower Thread.

My lovely husband totally reinforced my love for him when I showed this to him yesterday. He said “It’s very nice, but aren’t you pretty far beyond that now?” Obviously he does pay at least a little bit of attention to my needlework. Yay! And he is right, I have done some some more advanced hardanger before, but I am totally self-taught and I thought doing this course would be a nice idea.

If you’d like, you can see some of my finished pieces with hardanger:

• Teresa Wentzler’s Overdyed Odyssey
• Hardanger Pincushion from Permin
• Victoria Sampler’s Heirloom Christmas

I do like hardanger, but in small doses.  And I don’t like dove’s eyes.

In my next post I will share with you a blog award that Loretta was nice enough to award me with a little while back.  It totally slipped my mind, even though I was so happy she picked me.  That just goes to show how unwell I have been feeling.

TUSAL and Hardanger is a post from Reflections in the Pond