The weather is still hot and humid.  The beetle traps still work; they are supposed to work for the entire summer.  And I stitched a little more. 

This band is supposed to represent little bushes in the woods.  I think they look more like little leaves.  The spacing in the stitch diagram does not agree with the spacing on the chart.  I did my own spacing. 

The little detail is just a little fuzzy.  Maybe I should try to redo it.  

The stitching continues. 

Band 8 appears to be a water interest.  It is three rows of herringbone stitch in a watery color.  I am still going to stitch my hemstitching/pulled thread work band in place of the lettering.  I am probably still going to think of it as a water feature. 

Tomorrow, I will probably post a picture with Band 9.  I am not certain if I will post a picture with Band 10 on Sunday.  We have several activities tomorrow and I am not certain how much time I will have for stitching.  If not, I will catch up by stitching two bands in one day. 

It is Japanese beetles that are attacking our birch, apricot, and cherry trees.  They have been feasting on our raspberries.  When there were just a couple, I thought that they were handsome.  Now there are so many, I think they are horrible.  They are eating the leaves.  Supposedly when the beetles retreat in a couple weeks, the leaves will grow back.  We have discovered some ways to combat them.  They are not wildly successful but it gives us a sense of satisfaction to know that we are doing something to the beetles. 

We have two traps, one in the front and one in the back.  The traps are plastic bags suspended on a frame that helps keep the bags open.  At the top of the frame is a dispenser that has an attractant.  When the beetles fly through the sweet spot, they drop into the bag.  They do not seem to be able to get out of the bag unless it is too full of beetles.  You have to open the bottom of the bag and dump the beetles into another container and then you can dispose of them.  There are so many beetles in the bags that it is quite gross.  Here is a demonstration of a trap.  It is quite similar to the traps that we have. 

Stitching Continues

Here is the next band.  This one symbolizes fog.  It, like the one that symbolizes mist, has metallic fibers.  I noticed in the original picture that some of the glitter shows but I doubt that it will when it is posted here. 

However, it just might if you click on the picture to see a larger version. 

It is hot and extremely humid, not the weather I like.  This is apparently just the kind of weather that a little green and brown beetle likes.  They are multiplying so rapidly that they cover everything and eat everything.  They are eating the apricots and raspberries and then skeletonize the leaves.  They are eating the grape leaves and possibly the birch leaves.  I am seriously beginning to wonder if our trees, vines, and canes will survive to grow next year. 

Time for the next band.  This is a series of four triangular Rhodes stitches symbolizing more mountains.  The thread is Caron Waterlilies in Fir. 

Late Monday afternoon, three raccoon kits popped out of our wood shed and ambled down the path into the garden.  This was not a pleasing sight to us.  One raccoon could make short work of our garden; three might leave a lasting impression.  All three eventually climbed into a young oak and stayed there presumably checking out the garden below.  We decided to let them know they were not welcome to stay.  We threw wood from the wood shed and fist sized stones at them.  I know that some of the missiles came very close to them but they remained firm in their decision to perch in the tree. 

Then we wondered why we were expending so much energy throwing things when we could bring the hose into the backyard and hose them down.  I think we naively expected that they would all fly out of the tree but it did not happen that way. One at a time, two of them backed down out of the tree but the third remained.  We were certain that the two would return.  Whether or not they did, we do not know. 

Yesterday afternoon we watched to see if they would pop out of the wood but they did not.  It seems that they had previously been in the neighbor's chimney.  Those neighbors, of course, were happy the raccoons had left.  We, of course,  were not happy that they moved into our yard.  I just hope they went a little farther away and not to the the neighbor's house on the other side of us.  If they get into that chimney, they could get into the house and make a mess.  Those neighbors are currently on vacation and not due back home for a couple more days. 

When I took the first picture of Band 5, I realized that I had stitched the first two flower stems and leaves, I mispositioned the third one.  Then I stitched all the remaining ones "correctly" in relation to the mispositioned third flower.  Out they came and then they went back in correctly. 

They are stitched with the light green that came with the sampler.  I stitched one of each of the three possible beads for the flowers.  I am going to wait until I have finished stitching the sampler to decided which color bead to use.  There are beads in one other place.  It is funny; I think the color that was my first choice is not going to be the color that I will use. 

Right now, I am not certain I like the light green but I will wait until I have done all the stitching to make a final decision. 

This sampler stitches quickly because it is only about 2 inches wide.  I could easily have finished it by now.  It is still a fun stitch to work one band a day. 

Band 4 represents mist in the mountains.  Right now, I think it looks more like fog.  There is a band that represents the fog; I will have to see if I think it really does. 

The blue and green thread is Fir, Caron Collection Waterlilies.  The pinkish is Kreinik braid; it is sparkly but that does not show at all in this picture.  The five mountain peaks and partial peaks in the back row are also stitched with Fir. 

Yesterday I was so excited to show you my thread substitution for the trees that I completely forgot about the U2 concert Saturday night. 

It did rain; the concert went on.  It was a misty rain that supposedly gave the images on the video screens an interesting soft focus look.  It seems that there was thunder and lightening associated with the storm cell but it leap-frogged the metro area as it headed east.  Diffused lightening could be seen behind the clouds adding to the intended light effects.  All in all, everyone felt it was an exceptionally good concert. 

The mountains need evergreens so here are some done in long stitch. 

I think that the color I selected works out quite well. 

Yesterday as I stitched, I recalled where we stayed the night after we left Calgary.  We had wanted to stay in Banff or some place close.  At the time we tried to make reservations earlier that year, we could not find a place that was within our budget. 

We ended up driving 50 miles out of our way to Golden, BC where we stayed at the Alpenrose B&B.  Of course we were not there in the snow so it did look a little different from most of the pictures on the website.  We stayed in the lodge.  There was a large, light filled common room on the upper floor.  It was the ideal place for me to stitch while Roger rested a little in the room.  The breakfast room is shown in the pictures and I can pick out the table where we ate.  All in all, it totaled 100 miles out and back that were well worth the time and effort.  I love this place but wonder if we could afford it today as the rates have increased. 

The other day, I looked at our journey on a map.  Yesterday I decided that I really need to hunt up the CD with the pictures. 

Bargello Mountains

Band 2 gives us the mountains in Misty Mountain. 

I discovered that the kit was missing a medium green which is used in Band 3 to make pine trees.  I decided to use some thread which I have.  I think it will look good. 

I also decided I ought to check the entire kit and discovered that it did not have the beads.  I do not have the recommended beads but I hunted up a couple alternatives.  I will decided at the end which one I like. 

Since I was making substitutions,  I decided to find a pulled thread and/or hemstitching stitch to replace the words Misty Mountain in the sampler.  I have a combination of both pulled thread and hemstitching which is worked over the same number of rows.  As far as I can tell, there is no water feature in the sampler.  I think this will make an excellent water feature. 

Okay, I think I have everything I need set up to finish the sampler. 

It is Saturday.  Tonight there is a much advertized and talked about U2 concert being held in the University of Minnesota Stadium.  Apparently the group has an oversize stage that took most of the week to set up.  It has been pointed out that there are no alcoholic beverages allowed in the stadium.  It is also a no smoking facility.  Local watering holes that cater to university students are loudly advertising their proximity to the stadium.  There are several overlapping events being held in nearby venues.  Traffic and parking are supposed to be horrible.  The university and the neighborhood food and beverage establishments are not too subtly suggesting that concert goers come early, like noon, and spend the afternoon to eat and swill the brew prior to the concert. 

Right now it is sunny, warm, and very humid.  There is a line of storms ready to sweep through the metropolitan area.  It is not supposed to relieve the humidity or the heat.  Both are supposed to climb.  There are supposed to be more storms traveling through the metro area throughout the afternoon and into the evening, yes right during the concert. 

I plan to stay in side with our gentle air conditioning completely avoiding all the confusion.  It could be an unique concert setting.  I understand the group performs in rain but not in thunder and lightening storms.  I would guess that their oversize stage which is made of steel could become one unbelievable lightening rod. 

Wednesday I began a new sampler.  Did I really need to begin a new sampler?  Well no, but I did anyway.

This is band one which I actually stitched on Wednesday but I already had so many pictures in my post yesterday that I decided to wait until today to post it.

Wednesday was my friend Ann's birthday.  She lives in Calgary, Alberta.  Several years ago, Roger and I visited Ann and her family on our journey to Fairbanks, Alaska.

Ann and her husband took us to The Stitching Corner, a very nice needlework shop in Cochrane.  I picked up a mini sampler, Misty Mountain, by Jeanette Douglas.  I think that Jeanette used it as a teaching sampler or made it specifically for a guild.  It was small and easy to pack and was suggestive of our drive through the Canadian Rockies so it made an excellent memento of our stop.  Almost next door to The Stitching Corner was MacKay's Ice Cream .  We had to stop in and have the most delicious ice cream cones. 

Wednesday afternoon, Ann's husband took her to The Stitching Corner for a little celebratory shopping.  In honor of her birthday and trip to the shop, I dug out my little sampler and stitched the first band.  I will stitch a band a day and show them to you as I do.  As I stitch, I will be able to reminisce about the trip.

Here is a close up of band one showing the clouds and sun.

Would You Believe - - -

Blue hydrangeas are blue only if they are in acidic soil; if not, they are pink. 

This is Endless Summer.  I did not uniformly acidify the soil.  On the one bush, there have been flowers in pink, bluish pink, mauve, lavender, and blue. 

This is Nikko Blue; it really is not hardy in our winter temperatures.  Please do not tell it that; the bloom has been gorgeous this year.  I acidified the soil better and more evenly.  Its color ranges from an intense medium blue to a pale, baby blue. 

This is the third summer I have had my geranium.  I keep it in the house during the winter.  In the spring it is very leggy and unattractive.  After I cut it back, it comes back as beautiful as ever. 

The apricots are not quite ripe enough for us to pick them.  But the squirrels are harvesting them now.  They don't even eat the flesh.  They just tear it off and bite open the pit to get to the kernel.  I am not certain the little pipsqueeks will even leave us apricots. 

Tuesday I gave the mom the baby sampler; I also posted the red, white and blue needlebook to its new owner.  If nothing else does, this gives me a sense of accomplishment. 

Raspberries Are In

and don't they look good? 

Speaking of looking good, I think this little needlebook turned out quite well.  It is from a design by Praiseworthy Stitches which appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of Sampler and Antique Needlework. 

It was fun to work in red, white and blue. 

First Beans

Look at the lovely first beans from the garden.  In the picture, they hardly know that they have been picked. 

This jacket has a sad story.  Apparently the pattern was not accurately sized.  It was my size when I started it but was just a little tight; as a result it hung unfinished in my closet until I decided to see if a friend wanted it.  It fit her and she wanted it but by that time, I could not find the scraps.  I needed the scraps to make new button loops.  I can hardly believe that I made the loops the way I did; I knew better.  The result was that the  jacket hung in my closet a couple more years while wrinkles set in more firmly. 

Last week I decided that I wanted yarn that I knew was in one of two boxes.  I looked in both boxes and found the yarn and discovered that there was fabric in the other box.  At the bottom were the scraps.  I made the covered cording for the button loops, opened the front seam and stitched in the new loops.  Yesterday I stitched in the hems and today I gave it a thorough pressing.  It looks good to me and I hope it still looks good to my friend tomorrow. 

Here is the pie I made yesterday.  It is a good thing I took a picture of it yesterday because today it does not look nearly a nice.  We ate a quarter of it.  Today it is not quite as good as it was yesterday but then we all know pie is best right after it is out of the oven and has cooled a little.     :-) 

I heard last week that pie is supposed to replace cupcakes as the "in" food item.  I am way ahead of the curve there. 

Yes, I did finish the left front yesterday.  I tucked all the ends under it so you cannot see how many I have to weave in.  It is almost too discouraging to think about.  Sometime after the middle of the month, I plan to work on the right front since I can finish it in less than a week. 

It is so early the flag is still in the shadows.  There is just the slightest hint of a breeze.  It is the Fourth of July. 

 
Quincey saw the camera and decided he needed to leave the room immediately.  I tried to reassure him that I did not need him for the picture but he thought it best to leave immediately. 

I have finished the shaping for both the armhole and the front neckline.  There are about 20 more rows left.  Potentially I could finish this front piece today. 

I have resumed work on my little Quaker motif.  It will become the front of a needlebook.  It does seem fitting to work on it during the Fourth of  July. 


Another project for the day is a cherry pie for dinner.  We picked the cherries from the tree and assumed there would only be enough for a cobbler.  After I had pitted them, I was surprised to discover that we had a little over five cups.  That is definitely a pie. 

The Latest Hat As Modeled by Quincey - - -

Mooch said that he was not interested in doing it.  Considering the fact that I had just woken up Quincey, he looks fairly alert and reasonably sociable.  This yarn worked into a rather small hat.  It should be alright because we do have some smaller babies. 

Chevron Vest - Left Front - - -

I began working on it on Friday; my intention had been to finish the left front in July and the right front in August.  It is working up so quickly that I could easily make both fronts in July.  It is not as if this is the only project I have so I might have to wait until August to make the right front.  I will just have to see how everything else goes. 

Silent but still busy

I cannot share with you my most current large project.  It has not yet been published.  Since I finished it near the end of May, I have been busy with a couple small projects. 

The first is a small birth sampler based on Friends in Stitches from Victoria Sampler. 

I am also working on a wedding sampler; it is based on Heart to Heart also from Victoria Sampler.  I am almost finished with it but I want to change one of the bands.  The colors reflect the bride's colors.  The floral segments reflect the bride's flowers. 

I am working on a small Quaker like design in red, white, and blue.  I do not work in these three colors together very often; I am finding it a fun little treat. 

I continue to make the occasional baby hat but Mooch is not very thrilled with the idea of modeling one for you to see.  In addition. I picked up the sweater-tunic I started toward the end of last year.  I have a modest beginning on one of the front sections.  Perhaps I should let you see it.