Old Dog - New Trick

It's true - this old dog learned a new stitching trick!! First things first though. I signed up for Scenic Washington emails - once a week they send an email about stuff going on in Washington. I had been signed up for Indiana when we lived there too. It's a great way to get to know an area. A few weeks ago they sent one concerning the Pybus Market in Wenatchee WA. We love love love the West Side Market in Cleveland OH and have been searching for a similar one closer to us. Indianapolis said they had one but it was only a food court - poo. Wenatchee is 3.5 hours away so Scott used some hotel points to get us a free room. We left Friday afternoon. The first stop was Maryhill Stonehenge, yes Washington has a Stonehenge. The story is pretty interesting and the view is wonderful!! Once again letterboxing has led us someplace cool!!

The drive to Wenatchee is beautiful. Some parts reminded us of Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. The market was not what we hoped but it was cute anyway. I bought some lotion from KR Farms - I got oatmeal milk and it is wonderful!! Smells light like oatmeal, it's thick and makes my skin so soft!! We bought two of the soaps - orange and tea tree, and a bar of red clover tea.  We bought some flavored oil and vinegar at D'Olivo - they said it's expensive to ship - 20 for one bottle but also 20 for 4, but if you call in the order and get 4 bottles they give a discount. They have great flavors - like cherry balsamic and Tuscan seasoned vinegar - the website has a pairing sheet. We plan on lots of delicious salads with the ones we picked. Saturday we headed home by way of Tacoma but first stopping at Threadneedle Street in Issaquah WA. So, I have been having some stitching issues. I am bored with the big projects even though I am rotating them and I am losing my mojo. Last week I ordered Sullivan's Heirloom Embroidery Scissors - I don't have them yet -  thinking a new accessory would help. At the shop I got a Hardwicke Manor hoop - I have wanted one for awhile - and the twill to wrap around the inner hoop

I got some other accessories including some Bohin needles for all my 25ct 1 over 1 stitching.

On the wall she had Cricket Collection "A walk in the Woods". It looked like it was painted on glass. We asked how she achieved that look and she said it was 40ct gauze. My first thought was - oh scary and too small - too delicate. The piece was so pretty and different. She had a 9x9 piece of gauze and the pattern so I bought it. Of course I started it right away - she said to do half stitches and that is what I did but mine did not look the same as hers. Mine was very light and I was a little disappointed. I emailed her - she sent back two very helpful links. The first is about silk gauze and the second is about continental stitch. Often times small stitching is done with half stitches also called tent stitching or continental stitches. This is the old dog learning a new trick - boy is it hard to do a stitch different after doing it the same way for 27 years - but it is AMAZING how different it turns out!! You would just not think that it would make a difference but look...

top two rows are done as half stitches bottom two rows are done with continental stitches. I am impressed. I ended up tearing out the top two and redoing them with continental stitches. It takes me a minute to figure out which way the stitches have to go but it is worth it!  Silk gauze is actually very easy to stitch on - even 40 count. because it is a mesh and the holes are very pronounced.

It is, however, $130 a yard. Luckily when you convert to 40 count over one the size of the piece is much much smaller so I think it evens out. Dollhouse rugs and pictures are done on this stuff - pretty impressive the amount of detail you can put in. There is a website that sells kits -Bobbie Schoonmakers microstitchery. I am thinking about getting one of the tapestries but what would I do with mini stitchery? Anyway. Denise Davis of Threadneedle Street was very nice and helpful. On the rotation front

I finished C (with some errors) - I almost put it away and when I took it out of the hoop to pack it up I saw how cute the other two were and pushed myself to finish. I finished the top of Autumn at Hawk Run, still don't like the colors,

I finished the flannel rag quilt I started way back in December

and I finished one row on the quilt I am hand quilting - 8 to go. No picture to show.
We had a good time on our night away. We hit a diner from Diner's Drive Ins and Dives but I wasn't impressed. Scott is sick - diverticulitis flare up so he didn't really feel very good on our trip - bummer. He spent most of Sunday at urgent care. Monday he went to his LRS (local record store) and spent some quality time there. I know it is rude that I don't go with him and he goes to needlework shops with me but he can spend 5 hours in his LRS where I am usually done in less than an hour. Hopefully he will feel better soon.
We celebrated Ryder's 24th birthday with a boatload of sushi - literally - (no I don't think it caused Scott to get sick)

 see - it's actually in a boat!!

 Then we had ice cream - Ryder picked the place.

 I tried baking a birthday cake - I believe the problem was that I didn't let it cool long enough in the pan because once they cooled they were pretty stable

and once frosted - you couldn't even tell one layer was in pieces. It is a lemon blueberry layer cake. Pretty good.
I mentioned on one post that I had some bad blood work and then never mentioned it again. I have a rare blood disorder called essential thrombocytopenia cause by a mutation that triggers my bone marrow to make extra red blood cells. It doesn't kill people - I just have to have my red blood cells checked every couple of months and might have to donate platelets to make my levels even out.  At first I was excited to be a mutant - but then I realized that I can't shoot flames from my eyes, read minds or climb walls. My special power is thick blood and extra warm skin. When I get hot and am walking around my feet and hands swell - no fun super powers. One symptom is "unexplained weight loss" It doesn't matter what illness I get that has that symptom - it never happens to me - more like unexplained weight gain (well, probably not so unexplained but come on) My uncle said he knew I was a mutant the minute I was born - HA! Takes one to know one....

 We saw this cute little art piece in Portland Oregon. Another picture of brother cow.

I still don't know if I passed all my tests so still no job offer. Well, I guess I am done chattering on.I hope you are having a nice Spring. Thanks for stopping by!!