There is not much to report....

So, there really has not been much crafting going on around here besides homework.  This is the last week of Summer II and I am still working on my 10 page research paper with accompanying lesson plan.

I did manage to finish one side of the Shawlette I've been working on.

Now I just have to put the needle on the stitches on the stitch marker and do the same on the other side.  It is a lot of short rows.  There is also a border to be sewn as well.

An Anniversary and More Knitting

Sunday was the second anniversary of my layoff.  It was pretty awful at the time but it has turned into the best thing that ever happened to me.  God works in mysterious ways.

On Saturday, there was a 50% off everything at SCRAP sale.  I picked up a bunch of yarn, a few sets of needles and some perforated paper for stitching.  The whole lot cost me about $12.  Here's a picture of the pile of yarn.

I have been steadily making progress on my shawlette.  The Unforgettable Yarn is really nice to work with.

I finally (after several tries) got the 200 stitches cast on for the capelet.  I have done 9 rows.  I figured out that stitch markers are the way to go when doing so many stitches.  I am using leftover "Pound of Love" yarn to make it.

Stitch from Stash - June Update

I spent a lot this month.  I bought two pieces of fabric and some specialty thread which costs a bit more.  I still stayed under the $25 and ended at $22.90 for the month.  My husband is still on light duty so I was not able to use the extra $50 we get this month.  Oh, well.  I have not used any of the extra funding so far or gone over $25.  If I really want to go crazy, I have over $90 in carryover.  I was thinking about getting the JCS 1991-2000 DVD but they have not put up any example project pictures and I don't have the spare $50 so that has not happened.  If anyone has bought that DVD, please let me know what you think.  I kind of like to know what I'm getting before I plunk out that kind of money.

Anyway, back to the stitching.

I had three starts this month.  I was finally able to start Gathering Honey and The Rose Garden because I found fabric solutions for both of them.  I also started Jingle as Ye Enter, Jingle as Ye Go because I pulled it out the same time as Decorating the Tree.

I was able to do some work on a bunch of WIPs (now that I have a bunch of WIPs.

I also had one finish for Decorating the Tree.  I have not had time to do the final finishing so it doesn't have the bells on it yet.

I am hoping to get a finish on either the Year in Cross Stitch Piece or Marsh Marigolds as they are the closest to being finished.  I also need to start a project for an exchange and also start thinking about Christmas ornaments for the girls.  I have been knitting more than stitching lately but I hope when my course schedule eases up in July, I will have more stitchy time.

Some Knitting

I have been doing more knitting than cross stitching lately.  I finished the washcloth for the exchange (but sadly, I cannot post it).

What I can post is this picture of a completed panel of the Hooded Vest I have been loom knitting

I believe this is the left back panel.  Just three more panels and two hood panels left to go!  Wait, that's most of it. :(

Now that the blue loom is free, I have started another afghan shawl.  This one is being done in red homespun.  Here's a picture of what it will look like completed.

Except, it will be red, of course

I also started working on a capelet for me being knitted on circular needles.  I ended up having to get the modular circular needles but I think it will work out great for this project because you start on size 9 and then switch to size 8.  With the modular, I just have to unscrew the size 9 tips and screw on the size 8s.  Should make it a snap.  I also want to start another shawl that has short rows.  I have never done short rows so this should be fun.

The Heat is On

In more ways than one!  It is getting hot here in northern Texas.  It's in the 90s almost everyday.  By July, I expect daily temps of over 100.

The heat is also on with the homework.  Lots of papers to write.  I took some time out yesterday while my computer recharged to sort and catalog my yarn.

I can't show you what I was working on this weekend.  I'm doing a dishcloth/washcloth exchange with Angela so I won't be able to show you until I do the exchange.  I've never done an exchange before so this is fun.

One for the Finishing Pile

I went to the knitting group at the local library yesterday and got quite a bit done on my Hooded Vest.  I have not posted a picture of that yet.  Once I get the panel done, I will have to take a picture.  It's being done on the KK long blue loom.

I also was able to get Decorating the Tree mostly done.  It will need to be pressed before I can put on the bells, so it's currently in my finishing pile.  There are several pieces on it right now.  I finally have all the embellishments for the Gardener's Cottage so I am hoping to get those attached at some point.  I have still not decided how to finish Sparkles the Snowman.  I have a frame Autumn Sampler but I have not started that process yet.  I also have one piece that needs some backing on it so I can hang it on the wall.  It is more difficult to get that done with school and the girls being home but I am hoping to get it done over the summer.

Here's a shot of Decorating the Tree.

Decorating the Tree
Pattern: Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe
Fabric: 32 ct. Champagne linen from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe
Fibers: Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 

A Bit of Stitching

I've been steadily doing homework and the kids finished up school on Thursday, but I still managed to get a bit of stitching in.

The "Slenderman Stabbing"

My hometown has made national news.  And not for anything good either.  In fact, it makes me rather sad.

You may have read the story, after all it is national news.  I wonder if will make world news.

My hometown is Waukesha, Wisconsin (pronounced, "wah-keh-shah").  It is a suburb of Milwaukee, about 30 minutes west or so (with good traffic).

This Saturday, two 12 year old girls decided that they were going to stab and kill their other 12 year old friend.  They had a sleepover at the one girl's house but chickened out about stabbing her while she slept.  The next day they went to the park (which is just down the street from where I worked at K-Mart) and they were going to kill her in the bathroom but chickened out so they went to play hide and seek.  During this game in the small wooded area near the park, one girl pinned the victim down while the other one stabbed her 19 times.  They left her for dead but the girl managed to crawl out of the woods, flagged down a passing bicyclist and is now in stable condition in the hospital.

The reason?

The reason the girls gave the police for the murder was because they wanted to become proxies of Slenderman and to prove that Slenderman is real.

So, who is Slenderman?

There's this website called CreepyPasta.  I actually knew about this website before the incident because my stepdaughter reads stories off the site (of course, she knows that the stories are just fiction but she did not start reading the site until she was older than age 12).  It is basically a collection of horror stories written by different people.  One of the main characters is Slenderman.  Em told me he is oober creepy and she cannot understand why anyone would want to be his "proxy."  The website has issued their condolences and stressed to the readers of the site that it is a collection of stories and non of it is real.

I don't blame CreepyPasta for what has happened.  I do think that parents need to know what their kids are watching and reading.  I also think you need to keep checking to make sure your children know the difference between fantasy and reality.  This applies to TV, movies, video games, the internet and books.  Just because something sounds factual does not make it factual so we also need to help children to understand how to verify if something is real or not.

Anyway, as of right now, the two girls are going to be tried as adults on attempted first degree intentional homicide.  My prayers are with the victim and her family and I wish her a speedy recovery.  I also hope that the two girls responsible get the help and correction that they need.  If there was a mental health issue involved, I hope that it is diagnosed and treated.  I also hope that they come to understand that what they did was wrong and make amends for their behavior (at their time of sentencing, neither showed remorse).

Here's the story: http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/waukesha-police-2-12-year-old-girls-plotted-for-months-to-kill-friend-b99282655z1-261534171.html

Packing Up

Last night I gathered all my cross stitch materials and packed them up for the month. School starts up again for me today and the summer session is always very busy.  Before I sign off for awhile, I figured I'd share an updated shot of Gathering Honey