More Owls Have Flown In

I've added the February owls to my SAL fabric - as you can see they are sleeping (partially because I am a dud in the french knot department, so I couldn't keep their eyes open). I 've decided that these are owls in the daytime. I'm enjoying this SAL and am looking forward to March!

Here is my progress on The North Wind. I made one change to the pattern - I added a question mark after the word "then" because the last line of the verse is really a question, not a statement. I guess all my grammar lessons stuck with me because I just couldn't leave it be. The dot is a bad version of a french knot, and it's a little off center, so I really should keep fiddling with it, but for now, it's on to the robin. As I suspected, I ran out of Pea Pod so the border will have to wait until I get some more.

It has come to my attention that this is my 99th post! I can't believe I've made it to this point - never when I started this blog did I think I'd ever have that much to say or show. It's been such fun and I've "met" so many nice people. When I hit 100 posts of course I must celebrate by having a giveaway. So I better get stitching!

February So Far...

Now that I'm recovering from the shock of winning Carol's giveaway, I thought I would post what I'm working on this month. I am doing my very first SAL with the Yahoo group for Oakhaven Designs. I am a sucker for owls, and there will be an owl design for every month. Here is January's owl:

Ever since I learned how to stitch on linen it's what I've always chosen to use, but for some reason this SAL seemed to call out for Aida. So I'm stitching on Jobelan Aida in a hand-dyed shade called Babbling Brook. I love this little owl and am looking forward to the next installment for February.

I did start LHN's The North Wind, which has taken me away from Jenny Bean for awhile. It's such a pretty design. A warning to anyone who wants to stitch it, though - it is very likely you will need two skeins of Crescent Colours Pea Pod, which isn't specified in the instructions. But I'm nearly done with the lettering and this color is called for all around the border, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to run out. So learn from my experience and buy two skeins!

I subscribe to Just CrossStitch, and though I don't often find something I want to stitch from it, I enjoy looking at all the designs. And this month's issue does have something I'd love to take on one day - Winter at Beacon House by Praiseworthy Stitches. It's well worth the cost of the magazine. Speaking of JCS, my November/December issue never arrived. I wrote to customer service requesting that they send me a copy, and instead they sent the 2010 Ornament issue, which I already have. If there is anyone out there who needs one, let me know (my email is in my profile) and I'll be happy to send it to a new home. If more than one person wants it I'll have DS pick a name out of a hat.

I Won a Giveaway! And it's here!

I am so lucky! Carol from Stitching Dreams had a fabulous giveaway on her blog and I won her Winter into Spring gifts, which arrived today. Included were two charts - January Sampler by Waxing Moon and Prairie Schooler's Daffodils (with all the DMC to stitch the latter, all tied up in a pretty ribbon) and the most gorgeous pair of Victorian embroidery scissors - the picture doesn't really show the color, a deep crimson. And she also included five ornament-sized cuts of scrumptious fabrics. This is the first giveaway I've ever won and I'm still flabbergasted that I did. Carol, thank you ever so much - you were so generous and I am just thrilled.