May Just Nan SAL Check in

It's time for the monthly Just Nan SAL check in (click on the banner to visit Zeb's site and read more about it). My progress this month is kind of pathetic, so please don't go look at last month's check-in to see how little I've done on Lady Scarlet's Journey. ;)

I didn't even get to the animals so I could claim it as a Theme-a-licious project for this month! Oh, well, better luck next month. =)

May Smalls SAL Check In

I'm still keeping up with the Dragon Dreams Twelve Dragonlets of Christmas.

I think this little guy is all tuckered out from singing "FIIIIIIIVE GOOOOOOOOOOOLD RIIIIIIINGS!!!" You have to sing it like that, you know. It's a law. The only change I made was to stitch the rings in two shades of Kreinik (202 and 002HL, I think) rather than the one shade and a bright yellow DMC that was called for. Because I didn't want "fool's gold" rings...there are no fools at Christmas. =)

To see more lovely smalls, visit Stitching Lotus's site by clicking on the banner above!

Theme-a-licious June is...

June Jolt

School's out for the summer! Let's work on things with sunshine in them or REALLY bright colors. Summer is here!

June's theme, sure to shake up your stitching, comes to us courtesy of Katie Metzroth! Katie, for some reason I saved off your email but not your blog address! =O Email me that and your snail mail address so I can (eventually) get your prize off to you. Thanks!

I have a couple pieces with bright colors (and some socks I've been meaning to start) that I can pull out for this theme. And surely I have something with a sun in the sky...hmmm...time to stash dive. ;)

Drive-by Posting

Click now for JiffNotes

Er, hi! I've been away for a while, with no good reason, as these things go. Work got stressful, so stressful that my brain was awash in an adrenaline-induced haze for a couple weeks, and that makes me really, really tired. That leads to me being incapable of doing anything productive outside of work, which eventually means that I'm in an adrenaline-induced panic at home instead...and I think you can see the vicious circle that eventually evolves. It's just one of those seasons when I think, "I should be able to handle doing ALL THE THINGS, everyone else handles ALL THE THINGS, there aren't even very MANY things, WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEEEEE??!?" Have you ever felt so overwhelmed you don't even know where to start?? Anyway, that's enough whining, I think. =)

There have been some bright spots, like winning Chiara's Stitch Enigma on my very first guess! My prize has already arrived, but you still have time to get entered into her final draw, so head on over and play!

Thank you, Chiara!! I can't wait to try that pretty lilac linen...it's woven in a tube, so all you have to do is sew the end shut to have a nice little sachet. Somewhere around here I have the perfect pattern for it....

I also have a TON of gorgeous garden pictures from taking Michael's parents on the tour of gardens for Mother's Day. Not to mention the rest of the orchid pictures to share!!

Your real clue that things are bad is that I've only baked cookies once in the past two months:

These amaretti were...interesting. They are made with almond flour, and I think that I would definitely chop the sliced almonds a bit before rolling the cookies in them next time.

Rest assured I am still finding time to stitch and knit a little, and I should have a good update for Menagerie May. And speaking of Theme-a-licous, I do have June's theme picked and will announce it this weekend. That's about all the lucid brain power I can spare right now!

JiffNotes
So. Much. Stress!

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the Fourth be with you always!

Theme-a-licious April/May

I ended up having more projects that fit in with the April Showers theme than I thought I did!

I started out working with some frozen water. =)

Dancer, by Mirabilia

I am now finished with all of the snowy ground!

I remembered an old piece from a class I took with Teresa Wentzler her very self.

I'm planning on changing the verse to

Here is the sea, great and wide
where Your teeming creations hide.
Above, the ships sail to and fro
and Leviathan doth sport below.

It's based on Psalm 104:25-26. I'm not married to it, though, so if you have any suggestions (especially if they tie in the castle as well), leave me a comment!

Next I made a start on the thread bag of Ye Shall Prosper.

A very small start. =) I actually have the needlebook, pin keep and front of the scissors sheath stitched (though not assembled).

OK, time for a quiz. Anyone know what this is?

Give up? It's the water in the middle of Chatelaine's Japan Garden, which I bought just after we visited Japan. Now one of the blue silks has wandered off...hopefully it will show up again!

And now for something completely different. These are the second pair of Cookie A Sock Club socks for February (knit in Capretta from Knit Picks).

And what do they have to do with water, you ask? The sock pattern is named Björk, but I called the project "Swan Feathers". And you know swans hang out in the water all the time. Why did I call it "Swan Feathers"? Well, when I think of Björk, I think of only one thing...

...wait for it...

Swan dress. Oh yeah.

Now it's time to share our plans for THIS month, which is...

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Menagerie May

Is it a zoo in your stack of WIPs? How many projects can you find that include animals or birds?

My main focus for the month is going to be Dancer! And there are definitely some squirrels that need my attention... =)

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So how was April Showers? Did you sail through some WIPs, or did you just experience a sinking feeling? How are you planning to tame your WIPs during Menagerie May? Please add your link below (to your latest Theme-a-licious post), and visit some other Themers if you can (everyone loves comments and encouragement!) Final reminder: unlike last year, there will be no check-in post on the 15th, so our next post will be on June 1st. I'll post some time mid-May to announce the theme for June! And remember, it's never too late to join in or send suggestions for future themes!