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Wednesday 3 February 2021

WOYWW 609 - February just slidin' in...

Happy WOYWW day, fellow bloghoppers!  All the usual deets are over here at the fabulous Mrs Dunnit's blog, if you have no idea what I'm talking about.  Not sure any random humans stop by any more, but heigh ho!


So, the desk this week looks much the same as last week.  I've not touched it at all.  So much so, I’ll just insert last week’s photo! LOL


But, that's cos we're still on stitchy duty with Siren's Lament :



And oh, woe was me on Monday night!  It had all been going along swimmingly, and then.... this....


Two near identical symbols (asterisk and sun) which despite a good light and a pair of magnifying readers, I got muddled up with.  

So I frogged some stitches - fortunately not many - and tried again, and made the same mistake but in a slightly different place and fewer stitches this time.  Definitely said "fudge it" a few times - and decided I actually would and no-one would notice if three stitches were steel grey instead of grey-green.

After that I dusted off my tablet, and loaded the charts into Pattern Keeper - a mysterious but genius app that allows you to zoom in, and pan, and highlight and mark off and KEEPS COUNT FOR YOU.  Oh happy day!  Wonder of wonders... It's been sat on my tablet for a good year, and I've been a bit "pish!  old school!  not cross stitch if you don't mark off in pencil on a paper chart!" since getting it and hadn't tried it.  Tonight I spent a few minutes marking off the 4,265 stitches (go me) already completed (didn't take as long as I feared it would), and tomorrow I'm ready to embark into 21st century stitching.  What an idiot not to have done it sooner!



Christmas Moose is looking a little pathetic by comparison - but he has received some love this week:


As has Dracula.  Nearly done!


I'm joining in with some other stitchers on March Mayhem, where we pick something a bit crazy to do during March.  Some are only working on WIPS, some are playing WIPGO (like bingo, but with works in progress), others are starting a new project every day.  Me, I'm going to work on my Mill Hill Kit Mountain - I have 16 small ornament kits and they keep multiplying, so I'm determined to bring that number down.  More on that come March!

In the meantime - keep well, keep smiling, do your very best to keep sane, and.....

Happy Hopping!

22 comments:

Sarah Brennan said...

Glad you got the programm up and running Diane, even though it took a bit of repeat frogging to get you to do it. Hope that means the end of any mistakes. U have sent you a FB friend request via the Updares page. Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #?

Lisa-Jane said...

It is a beautiful design (Siren's Lament) but it looks very complicated! I need to know more about this app please! I started a new design recently after not cross stitching for about 20 years, so I could do with some updated help! Stay safe and keep smiling, Lisa-Jane #2

Mary Anne said...

Ah yes. The bane of al stitchers - the passage of time and the loss of sharp eyesight. And annoyingly similar symbols, to be fair. I must say, that software souds fab - wonder if it might work well for knitting.....

I and so curious about that moose! It looks like it is going to be quite cute when done!


Happy WOYWW to all!
Mary Anne (1)

Lunch Lady Jan said...

I love all your stitch projects and what a useful app that is on your iPad, how useful is that? We wouldn’t have even noticed your mix up, (in fact even after your confession I;;m not sure I still can) so I wouldn’t worry about it. I still love your moose, it’s the soppy expression that just makes me smile. And actually, random people still do read the blogs, I’m in email contact with two people, one in Austria and the other in France, who don’t blog at all but read mine and others on Stamping Ground! So our nonsense reaches out to more people than we realise, lol!
Hugs LLJ 6 xxx

glitterandglue said...

Hi there Morti. Goodness me - and I am struggling with just one cross stitch picture - feeling my age and less good eyesight!! The pictures are great - Hope the 21st century doesn't make you feel like you are cheating. Enjoy using the app.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #5

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

I've done loads of sewing in the past but never been a lover of Cross titch and always have been impressed with anyone who takes it on. Loving the design and I'm sure the Moose will be ready for next Christmas. Have a lovely creative week and happy woyww, Angela x16x

Helen said...

who knew!! glad you got the app and hope it helps lots! the colours are gorgeous. you've a lot to keep busy with! Take care and stay safe. Helen #3

Chana Malkah said...

This looks very complicated! Good luck! I hope from here on out everything goes smoothly and you don't have to do any more frogging.
Hugz,
Chana Malkah, #32

Crafting With Jack said...

That seems a useful app. I gave up on my cross stitch as it got so difficult peering from work to pattern and back again. I have a largish boat scene that needs finishing, it causes too much eye strain for me and yet I keep it! There are some ladies who do cross stitch in the Church group, but I don’t like to ask anybody because I would like it back. I don’t think anybody would notice the mistakes you mentioned. My father painted a lovely watercolour of a church and then asked me to spot the mistake. When I found it he was a little upset that it showed, but I told him I was looking for a mistake, normally you don’t look at something and start searching for mistakes ( unless it is that obvious of course, which his wasn’t). Happy Sewing Angela #17

Neet said...

That Sirens Lament is in my favourite colours but boy oh boy what a lot of work you have put into it to achieve that gorgeous shading. Love it, really love it. Not being a stitcher I don't realise how difficult it is, have a rough idea but don't realise really. I can imagine I would be 'old school' too but what a boon technology is and good luck to you using the app from now on. Think I would have succumbed a long time ago.
Look forward to seeing Christmas Moose have a bit more on him, he looks nice now and Dracula looks very smart in his fancy clothes.
Thanks for offering to send some stuff to Anna (I don't know her, it's a friend of a friend). Here is her name and address:
Anna Lazzetta
35 Peacock Avenue
Bedfont
Feltham
Middlesex
TW14 8ET

Thanks & Hugs from me - Neet xx

Felicia said...

Morti, still loving and envious of your stitching! I can't even imagine trying to do that at this stage in my life! LOL I'd probably have to have therapy, is all I'm saying! LOL I do love that color! And that moose is still the cutest thing to me! Wow, that app seems to be an amazing tool for stitchers! What a find, even if it did take you a minute to use it! LOLOL I have the same stubborn streak about my mountain dulcimer. I refuse to finger fret and insist on old school drone and note style playing! I can't see me giving in however, so I drone on! LOLOL Thanks for stopping by my blog, and many blessings to you! Felicia #28

Diana Taylor said...

Your stitchery is gorgeous - I love the Siren's Lament and I truly don't think anyone would notice an error that small - we are often our own harshest critics! You are making me itch to pick a needle up and get stitching now I've seen your fab projects.
Happy sewing, stay safe and well,
Diana xx #23

Shoshi said...

My goodness, Morti, that cross stitch pattern looks complicated! Very subtle shading. I tried something similar several years ago and had to give it up - too many colours that were too similar and I got bogged down and completely lost! I looked for Pattern Keeper on the App Store on my iPad but it's not available yet for iOS. It looks quite a useful programme as far as it goes. I used to have a wonderful cross stitch designing programme called EasyCross but it's no longer available, and nothing else can match it unfortunately, so I'm back to the old fashioned coloured pencils on graph paper! I'm glad Mr. Moose isn't getting neglected. He does look a bit morose about it all.

Thank you for your visit and for your very kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed my post this week, and took the trouble to go back and see Beatrice the Computer Queen! She was such a character, that kitty... So funny about the screwdriver in the downpipe lol! Surprising what you find in the oddest places sometimes, isn't it. We couldn't believe how incredibly long those roots were - no wonder my hubby had such a struggle getting it out!

The kitty squares are going OK - I've finished the embroidery on the first 4 of the cat face ones, and have two more to make. There will be a lot of embroidery to do on most of the squares so still a lot of work to do! I hope you feel inspired to get back to your 600 squares - goodness that's a lot. I agree that a clone would be jolly useful but I think she might irritate me to death - I think I'd just prefer an extra pair of hands lol!!

Happy belated WOYWW,
Shoshi x #15

Karen said...

Terrific stitching ~ Sounds like a very useful app you found! Enjoy ~ Love, Karen#27

De serendipity said...

Hello Morti and thanks for the welcome. Lovel, love love the cross stitch and I am so impressed that someone has come up with an app for cross stitch..... amazing. Have a good week and hopefully I will get some time to work on Obi.
Stay safe
Sandra de

Tracey@Hotchpotchcreations said...

You've brought back happy days of cross stitching today I used to do lots when my children were young, they actually all have a piece I worked on during each pregnancy but never framed, shame on me. Maybe something else I need to find?
The symbols one looks so complex, i'm not sure my eyes would be up for that challenge now but it's a very lovely craft. Glad to see the moose getting a little love hee hee.. Happy WoywW & thank you for taking time to pop over & see me.. Stay safe & creative Hugs Tracey xx

Lindart said...

Good for you for finally trying something new! I know the feeling, not wanting to let the tried and true go for the sake of technology, but boy did it work well for you! I think I had the same feelings when I first got my Kindle, and now I love it - so convenient, just like your new app! But I still have a house-full of books! Thanks for your visit, have a great week, and stay safe! Lindart #33

Lillianb said...

Sorry to be so late but the internet packed up its surprising how I missed it Hope you don't have to do any more frogging

I love the stitching and used to do a lot but eyes have let me down, but still got other crafts so that good,

Take caer and stay safe ,

Lilian B #12

BJ said...

Wow the pattern keep app sounds great and I did chuckle at you inserting last weeks desk photo. Thanks for the visit BJ#25

Spyder said...

My googness what a lot of work you are into! And I was thinking, I've already visited but no, no me here yet! Sorry I'm soooo late! Hope you're keeping well. Happy Crafting -Happy late WOYWW!? ((Lyn))#20

Susan Renshaw said...

The pattern app sounds like a really good thing. Your first pattern is so complicated! It is going to be amazing. Love Dracula and Moose patterns too...
Happy WOYWW!
Stay safe and keep well!
I am hoping to visit everyone this week – unfortunately last week I just couldn’t make it…
Susan #8
Calling All Crafters! – My Blog!

My name is Cindy said...

Hi Morti, sorry I'm so late. Think you did the right thing 'fudging' those stitches, I doubt anyone would ever know!! Used to love cross stitch but I just can't see it these days - hope the 21st century stictch counter works out for you! Stay well, stay safe, Cindy xx

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