Making progress and a challenge

Here it is the start of another week and hopefully the weather will continue to improve, and we will start to enjoy the nicer days. We have seen the sun a little more than we were seeing so that is nice and now to see if the weather will continue to improve and we can enjoy temperatures like we have seen the last couple of days for more days.

Junos Garden - here is a project that I worked on over the last week. I am happy with the progress that I made on it. There is still quite a bit to go but at least I have been able to move it forward this past week. I know that spending a week on a project is helping me move things forward a little more.

Before I picked up the piece this week, I had the outline of the centre completed a little bit of the instead done but this week got me to a point that I am happy with how it is turning out. This pattern was a charity chart by Modern Folk Embroidery, and you had the option to do it all in one colour or 5 colours. I decided that I would do the one colour version and have been enjoying working on the piece. The project will be going away for at least this week as I have another project that I want to move forward.

Button Box Throw - here is a project that I worked on quite a bit this last week as I have been enjoying it. This is a square throw that I started doing the magic loop method. I had wanted to try the magic loop technique for a while so when I saw this pattern I figured I would give it a try. 

I had never done the magic loop before and after watching a really good video I decided that I would give it a try and see what happened. As you can see, I have been able to make some good progress on this throw and am looking forward to seeing how it turns out. This is going to be a scrap throw, so the colours are going to be changing anywhere within the rows. The pattern does call for some eyelets, but I decided to leave them out and just work it plain. You may see three needles right now and that is because I was in the middle of changing the needle length when I took this picture.

Hedgerow Shawl - I am continuing to work on this shawl a bit at a time and am hopefully this week I can get more of it done. The entire pattern has now been released but it is still a secret until the 19th of March when the pattern is released to the public. I am just starting the second clue, so I am still way behind but at least I am moving it forward slowly.

Other projects - I haven't worked on any other projects this past week as I was trying to focus on getting stitches in on the two main projects that I worked on.

This week I hope to be able to find some time to work on my Hedgerow Shawl as well as continue on the Button Box Throw and work on my cross stitch. This week Silver Anniversary will be coming out, and I will see what I can get done on it. 

Hope everyone has a good week, and you take some time for yourself each day to do things you enjoy doing. 

 

What Nashville Needlework Market means to a stitcher

Of course, if you are a cross stitcher and follow some designers you are going to hear the term “Nashville Needlework Market”. This is an in-person market for designers, dyers and accessories supplies to have the chance to show their projects in person to shops. This is an opportunity for you to support your local cross stitch ship or online shop and purchase the various projects that are going to be made available at this show. It isn’t a market where individuals can attend but it is a great way to ask your local shop if they are going and if they can pick up the various projects that you might be interested in.

Shops will travel from distances to be able to see the products in person and be able to purchase the items and bring them back to their shops. Designers, and dyers are going to the market so that they can show their products in shops to leave the show with no products remaining because the shops have purchased all their products. As designers and dyers say prior to Nashville Needlework Market, we go to the show with cars and boxes full of products and we hope to leave the show with empty cars, etc. because all the shops are will with full cars and boxes. 

If you are a shop that is going to be attending the Nashville Needlework Market, make sure that you communicate on your site and with your customers that you are going and will do preorders for the various patterns that designers are making available. What I have seen is that there are shops at the last minute say that they are attending Nashville Needlework Market but don’t let their customers know how they can either request patterns to be picked up or what patterns are available for preorder.

For local shops that are attending the Nashville Needlework Market you need to ensure that you have communicated with your customers so that when you go down you have an idea what your customers are wanting to you to bring back. Sure, you might think you know what your customers want to see in the shop, but you also need to figure out what they want from the various designers. There are designers that never release a pdf version of their pattern so being one of the first people that get the pattern would be nice.

Something that you have to think about is maybe last time you went to the Nashville Needlework Market, your customers wanted a certain set of designers but have times changes and the designers wanted are different. The only way you are going to be able to determine this is by asking your customers what they would like to be made available in the shop right after the Nashville Needlework Market. The other thing that you need to do is have a special event the event after you return to showcase the projects that you brough at the Nashville Needlework Market for those that didn’t have a chance to preorder the charts that they liked and hoped you bought back.

 

Pandemic

Released in spring 2020 when we were all dealing with having to stay home and isolate because of the Pandemic. When this pattern was first released it was a free chart so that people had something to stitch while having to stay home.

Pattern name: Pandemic

Designer: Long Dog Samplers

Size: 365 x 429 stitches

# of Stitches: 77,265

Fabric: 18 count Aida

Floss: DMC 816

Started: August 20, 2020

Finished: February 21, 2026

Finished size: 20.28 inches x 23.83 inches

This project was a journey for me, and it was something that I started in 2020 as I had fabric at home and had some floss so it was something that I could work on. I had picked up this floss for a different project, so it was an easy change to make. Now, I just need to figure out the project that this floss was going to be for because I still have lots of floss remaining.

When I look at the stitching that I did each year on this piece I see that I really didn’t focus on it until 2025 when I decided I wanted to get it finished.

            2020 –  5,655 stitches

            2021 –  1,797 stitches

            2022 –  8,021 stitches

            2023 –  8,605 stitches

            2024 –  3,761 stitches

            2025 – 39,967 stitches

            2026 –  9,459 stitches

This piece was a journey for me and there were times that I just wanted to give up and not finish the piece, but I was determined to try and get it done. The project was difficult sometimes to work on given everything that was going on through the Pandemic and even after and other things that were also going on in our lives. It was something that helped me deal with some of the stress that the Pandemic brought to everyone, but it also reminded me of all the stress, so I think that is why I put it down for as long as I did. Last year, I also finished “Mini the Forgotten” and after that piece was finished, I decided that Pandemic needed to be my focus piece and that is how I got it done.

Yes, Pandemic was a journey for me, but I am happy that I decided to continue to work on the piece and get it finished. I hope to be able to continue to move some of my other projects forward now that this piece is now just waiting to be framed.

Moving projects forward

Here it is the start of another week and yes, the weather looks like it is finally going to be improving or at least that is the forecast. This past week did go by quickly and it was different as I wasn't working on Pandemic like I was doing over the last few weeks.

This past week I wanted to spend some time just working on a couple of projects so that is what I did. Now to see what this week is going to be like as I would like to continue to move things forward.

Silver Anniversary - here is the project that I picked up and work on this past week as I wanted to see if I could get it moved forward a bit. It has been nice to focus on some with a few more colours for a while and see the progress that I was able to make on this piece.

I am going to be trying to get this project completed soon but I don't think it is going to be out this week as I would like to see if I can focus on something else and make progress on it. It is nice trying to focus on a project for a while and not have all the other projects demanding attention at the same time.

This week I will probably continue to work on some of the small ornaments that I have been working on, but I will pull out one of the other projects that I would like to maybe get completed soon as the main project that gets the attention this week.

Peppermint Pressie - here is a small ornament that I have been working on and have had some fun with. It is nice having these small ornaments that I can pick up and work on when I have those few minutes to sit and work on something.

Having a bunch of small projects that I want to get done this year is helping because it gives me some time to just focus on it

Hedgerow Shawl - this is the knitting project that I have been working on this week and I have finally been able to make some progress on it.

I have been taking pictures of this project each week so that I can show you the progress on this shawl once the pattern has been released to the public. I am going to say that this project has been a challenge for me as I have been doing stitches that I haven't done before. Clue #3 has been released so we are getting closer to having the entire pattern to work on. I am no where close to being caught up as I just finished clue #1 on Saturday. Hopefully I will be able to move this project forward some more this week and maybe get it closer to being caught up.

Other projects - I haven't worked on any other projects enough to have something to show. I have been attempting to learn how to do magic loop knitting but that has been going very slowly so nothing to show for that effort yet.

I hope everyone is finding a bit of time to do something that you enjoy doing each day. It doesn't matter what it is or how long you spend doing it. Just being able to spend some time focusing on taking some time for yourself is important. This coming week I hope to be able to work on a different cross stitch project and we will see how it goes. If I can get some stitching time in I should have at least something to show you next week.

 

Three finishes, is that really possible?

Here it is the start of another week. The weather has been a little crazy this last week with rain, freezing rain, ice drizzle and even some snow. It has also meant that the temperature has been fluctuating quite a bit. Hopefully the weather will improve soon, and we will be able to see some of the snow melting.

Pandemic - here is the project that I have been trying to focus on, as one of my goals was to get it finished before too long.

This past week I decided that it was time to just push through and get it finished. It did take quite a bit of time this last week to finish up the top section and then get all the backstitch that I needed to do on the bottom row of 5 pages. I am happy seeing this piece completed and it wasn't until I took the piece off the scroll frame that I realized how large this piece really was.

I started Pandemic on August 20, 2020, and it was finished on February 21, 2026, so yes it did take quite a while to do but I also didn't work on it much some years. Last year and this year were when I put the focus in on it and I went from not having much of it done to having a finish. It is nice having this piece completed so now it is time to try and pick up another project and get it finished.

Argyle Sweater - this is another project that I wanted to see if I could get it finished up because there wasn't much more of it to do.  Just sitting and focusing on it would get it finished and while watching the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics I was able to finish it off. It feels so good seeing another ornament finished.

So, here is the second finish for this week. It has felt good getting some projects finished and hopefully this will continue as I would like to see some more things off the list.

Talisman Shawl - here is the knitting project that I have been working on. As you can probably guess by the title of the blog, I was able to spend some time this last week getting it finished.

This shawl does need some good blocking before I will be able to wear it but at least it is now off the needles and ready for some blocking. It was a nice project to work on and now I need to figure out another project that I can work on.

Hedgerow Shawl - this shawl didn't get a lot of attention this past week,so I need to sit down and focus on it for a while and see how it goes. I know that I should be able to see progress on it if I just sat down and worked on it for a little while.

The second clue was released this past week, and I haven't even finished the first clue, so I need to spend some time trying to get caught up. Maybe this week is the week that I will focus on it and move it forward a bit.

Other projects - I have been playing around with a couple of other things, but they haven't got far enough for pictures, and they might not even work out.

I have been able to make some good progress on some projects and yes, I got three finishes this last week. I won't be getting three more finishes this week, but I am going to try and make some progress on things. Hopefully you are finding some time each day to recharge your personal battery. If things go well, I hope to have some progress on something to show you next week.

Getting closer and some good progress

Here it is the start of another week and at least today is a holiday for us so that means another day where I might be able to make some progress on projects that I would like to get moved forward.

Pandemic - yes, this project came back out for another week as I wanted to see how much more of it, I could get completed. It has felt good seeing the difference I can make in a week when I can sit and focus on just sitting one piece. 

This piece is now not going away until it is completed as I have one section to finish stitching and then a bit of backstitch to complete at the very bottom of the piece. I am happy seeing that it is getting closer to a finish, and I know that I am going to be working hard this week to see how much of this I can get done. I have around 3,200 stitches left on it besides the backstitch so hopefully before long this piece will be finished.

Argyle Sweater - this little project got a bit of progress on it as I wanted to make sure that I picked up something else for a little while and get some progress in on it. I am now down to adding the last colour to the piece so that might be a finish before long as well.

I do have some other sweaters that I want to stitch so getting this done completed would be nice. I will see if I can find a bit of time to work on this piece during this week, but we will have to see how things go.

I am really enjoying having some small projects to work on and I am thinking that once Pandemic and Silver Anniversary are completed the smaller pieces might get some more attention for a little while.

Talisman Shawl - this shawl did get some attention this last week as I have been trying to work on getting it finished up as quickly as I can. I am now down to knitting the last two rows of the shawl and then the cast off so hopefully this will be a finish before the end of this coming week. The completion of this project will be based on how much time I have to actually pick it up and work on it. It would be nice t see this shawl finished up before long so hopefully I can find that bit of time needed to get the rest of it done.

Hedgerow Shawl (Mystery Knit Along) - the pattern for clue 1 of this shawl was released on Thursday and yes, I have started it, but it hasn't got a lot of attention but at least it has been started.  I do know that this shawl is going to challenge me a bit so I will be taking my time working on it so that I don't have to rip some rows because I made mistakes. As this is a mystery knit along, I won't be showing any pictures of my progress until the overall pattern has been released. 

Other projects - considering the number of projects that I have talked about here I haven't had a lot of time to work on anything else. I am going to be trying to at least continue to focus on getting these projects completed over the next little while. This week I know that Pandemic and the Talisman Shawl will get some attention and then after that I will see what grabs my attention.

I hope everyone has a good week and you find that bit of time where you can relax and recharge your own personal battery. If things go well, I should have some more progress to show you next Monday. Until, then have a good week and take time for yourself.
 

The Red Box - All Creatures Great and Small - a treasury of samplers volume II

This is my story about the order that I made on Jan 31^st, 2026, at 7 am.

The box is curated by Nicola Parkman of Hands Across the Seas, and it contains 14 sampler charts and 7 items that Nicola personally selected to do along with the patterns. I am looking forward to this box arriving after it leaves England and arrives here in Canada. This is the fourth box that Nicola has done but the first one that I finally decided to get, and I am looking forward to receiving it.

The experience of getting this box was a bit of a roller coaster because of course everyone was trying to get their box ordered as quickly as they could, so it meant that the system was rather slow. Also, because I was making a foreign purchase, I had an issue with my credit card but that was resolved quickly (needed to reply to text from bank asking if I was making this purchase). Once the credit card number was entered (after the text confirmation) it did take a while for the order to be processed but by 7:40 am I had received an email that my order had gone through.

Now the waiting really begins because it needs to be shipped and arrive at my door. Here is the timeline of how things went:

• Feb 3^rd – receive email that the order is now complete and receive the tracking number for the order.
• Feb 4^th – the box is received by Royal Mail and now the actual tracking begins
• Feb 5^th – the box leaves England so it is getting closer.
• Feb 6^th – the box arrives in Canada and now must go through customs so more waiting and of course it’s Friday, so more waiting is going to have to happen.
• Feb 6^th – checked the tracking and now the system says it will be delivered on Monday, Feb 9^th between 1:30 and 5:30 pm. I really do hate weekends but otherwise it might have been here on the 7^th.
• Feb 9th - the status changed to out for delivery at around 10:30 am and then the waiting began. Of course, it said it should be delivered by 5:30 pm so that was a long wait. Well, at 5:30 I still hadn't received the knock on the door so was getting a little worried. Well at 5:34 the knock came and I immediately ran to the door yelling, "I know who this is and he is holding a box for me."

So, the box has arrived and I have gone through all the contents but it is going to take me some time to actually looking at everything that I received and figure out which charts I want to stitch immediately and what patterns I will do a little later.

As this is a box that was a mystery I cannot show you anything that I received yet, but I can say that I am so happy with the contents of the box and am looking forward to figuring out which patterns I will stitch in which order.