Endings and Beginnings

The loom is bare, the Easily Enjoyable Lace Scarf will be done any time I decide to cast off, and the end of the Pomegranate Sampler is in sight, so it is time to figure out - what next? The question is especially important as the orange trees are in bloom, and that lovely fragrance wafting through even closed doors means that the temperate temperatures will soon be over and the time of hunkering inside becoming one with the air conditioning will soon be upon us.

All that remains of the last of the "Getting Things Done" stitchery projects.

The options are many, but I've settled on a few. I've spent considerable time reading up on and studying an overshot pattern called Cross of Tennessee. It's a venerable old pattern, and attractive to me not the least because I am a native of the Volunteer State. I've never attempted this one before, so I've wound a 1 yard warp and put it on my little table loom - which, like this pattern, I've never tried before. So all of this is going to be a learning experience.

The little loom warped, waste yarn going in, just a few more shots before I can start finding out if this is going to work.

As far as stitchery goes, I'm planning to start no fewer than 3 pieces. There is a method to my madness - I'm aiming to have something reasonably easy, something moderately challenging but not crazy-making, and something that might have me tearing my hair out.

The easy pattern is one I've had for years, the Sarah Emerson Sampler by Gloria & Pat. I've had the linen and 6 skeins of dark blue DMC for years; this one really should have been on last year's "Getting Things Done List." It has several different kinds of stitches, but I've done them all before. That coupled with the single color has convinced me that it should be reasonably easy.

  For the "moderately difficult" piece, I saved my pennies and was finally able to order the DVD of 10 years' worth of the Sampler and Antique Quarterly. It has been a veritable feast and has kept me occupied for hours as I've perused articles and studied the patterns. With such a bounty, you hardly know where to begin, but I've selected a modest pattern from 2003 to try first, the "Hearts and Flowers Spring Sampler."  The overdyed threads and fabric may well arrive today, and I cannot wait. I haven't worked much with overdyed thread, and several of the stitches will be new, so it lands in the "moderate" category. But it's small, should work up to about 3" x 7 1/5, so it shouldn't make me crazy, and the variety of stitches and happy pink dogwood in the center were just too good to pass up.

The final one will be mostly cross stitch, but it's one I've designed myself, incorporating antique motifs and a wisecrack my Grandfather made, "If everybody liked the same thing, there would be a dreadful shortage of kumquats." I think I have done a good job of designing it, and thanks to Design Seed, I think I've made good color choices, but I won't really know what's going to happen until I start stitching. If it's like my "Crows" sampler, there will be much pulling out and reworking of stitches, and even a certain amount of drama before I'm happy. (In fact, I'm more than half planning to do a complete re-design of the Crows sampler one fine day.) I've a feeling I'm going to need to go back and forth between the professionally designed ones as I sort out all the problems I've made for myself on the original one!

Such a bad case of "almost but not quite..."

And finally, I'm tackling some more knitting. I have a beautiful skein of Blue Heron Yarn, Deep Water.  I've found a pattern on Raverly, The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, that I think will show the yarn off nicely but be simple enough that I'll have a chance of actually completing it.

Pretty colors - and sparkles too!

And that's how I plan to stay off the streets and out of the pool halls, for a while at least.

As in honor of the day, I'll leave you with my favorite Irish "blessing," which is probably as contrived as green beer, but I get a kick out of it.

"May those that love us, love us.

And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if he can't turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles,

So that we'll know them by their limping."

And in the meantime....