Why I Hate Home Depot

because going in that place raises my blood pressure every single time.

And it must be the most dangerous parking lot in my home town.

Went there yesterday with DS to pick out a peel n stick tile for kitchen floor. I am intent on covering up the abomination that is there. Most people look at and go that's not so bad. Well, 30 years of dirt and scratches make for a floor that is impossible to clean.

DS and I are in the tile aisle. Where at various times while we were there, there were up to four, count 'em, one, two, three, four employees present. Not a single one ever asked if they could help us. Now I admit that initially I didn't think we needed help. Until I started realize that they didn't have enough of any one tile that I liked to cover 150 square feet of floor. This meant there were nearly a dozen types with only 100 or less square feet. We walked up and down the types of tile. We had to keep moving our cart out of the way of said employees. Not that they asked us to. They just stood there staring at us. Maybe they weren't really employees. Maybe they were zombies wearing Home Depot name tags.

Sure enough. We left. Drove to Lowe's and spent our $$$ there.

This means. That we've moved the stuff out of the kitchen. Removed the old shoe molding. I've stained the new molding and will apply polyurethane this morning. Should be able to finish everything today.

Still Contemplating

I am still thinking about the length of my stash diet. A year seems so unreasonable. But in 6 months I might not make much of a dent in things. I guess it needs to be a year. That is a scary thing to contemplate. Though I know I hardly bought anything new the 3 years that I lived in NY (once a year shopping trips to the Yankee Cross Stitch in North Hampton, NH) kept me afloat along with my stash. I made an occasional trip other shops - maybe 3 or 4 in total. And internet shopped for a for a few fabrics and threads.

I will just have to be strong. And continue to think of that large collection of already kitted up items that needs reducing. And how large my finished items box may grow.

Still

Today Was our EGA Estate Sale

I wasn't participating in today's program so I wasn't as disappointed as some that the teacher was taken ill with her Lyme disease. I really didn't get much stitching accomplished. I guess that means I have slotted right into this group and enjoyed being sociable and talking to everyone.

Meanwhile on the estate sale side - which will be my last stash purchase for several months- here is what I scored: a hardcover book on Scandinavian embroidery, 3 issues of the Cross Stitch Sampler magazine that I missed, a needlepoint canvas of bees that is for a purse (canvas originally purchased in Carmel, Ca- Hey, I've been in that shop!), the directions of the EGA peyote stitch logo, a medieval sampler that's outstanding, and crewel kit for a jewelry case - all this for $8.00!!!!!

Which leads me to exam my timing. How long should a stash diet last? 6 months? 12 months? until I complete a certain number of projects? This most likely ends like a normal diet - with a wild splurge in which I spend way too much money making up for lost time.

Oh. And one more note. I did a job for my LNS. She owes me. So I do have some credit built up that won't count against me.

Stashy Diet

I actually made it in and out of the Scarlet Thread for morning stitch-in without purchasing a single thing. Yeah for me.

And yesterday my Daylight lamp showed up. Was simple to put together. Now I am just searching for the right configuration of furniture to best utilize this product. I'm thinking that I may need to swap my chair with DH's Lazy Boy. Still need to decide if it's more helpful to have lamp on my left or right. I'm not sure if they ever made an accessory tray for this lamp in black. I can't seem to find one on-line. I may just purchase the silver one. It's going to be covered with stuff anyway.

Camera battery is charging. Will post photos of latest finishes either today or tomorrow morning. Need to do a little bit of finishing work first.

DMC Linea

Apparently DMC has decided that this line is not working in the U.S.

Anyone have any idea where I can find this stuff still? before it all disappears.

Guess I'll go noodle around on ebay.

Militant Crazy Crochet Peoples...

Seen on SharonB's In a Minute Ago blog:



http://www.microfibermilitia.blogspot.com

This just tickles me.

Okay. Why am I so challenged? I tried inserting this as a link but it's not showing up! Copy and paste. Sorry.

Stitchy Stuff News

On Sunday while watching the Red Sox beat the White Sox, I finished the Knotted Tree's "Evergreen Topiary." And on Monday I handed it over to my colleague who will now finish it into a pillow for the shop. Very soothing work, this was. Fabric was??? Fog? by Picture this Plus? Will have to ask. The fiber was Silk n Colours Acorn Woods. Total pleasure to stitch. I was supposed to give it back to my partner, but as I knew she already had another shop model in the works, I just finished it.

This meant I was searching for what's next. I have a few crewel pieces lined up. But I couldn't find my crewel fabric for one of them and I didn't want to start my bigger crewel piece without first sharpening my skills on a smaller piece. So I looked at them. And then remembered that I have a class kit for a crewel initial ornament somewhere. I found that. And realized that her stitch and finishing instructions are great. But there was no advice on transfering the pattern to the fabric. Unfortunately I did a bad job of doing that and again found myself in need of my crewel fabric that I couldn't find.

In the process of finding that fabric I found my DMC Linea stash that I bought on clearance. So now I'm working up sunglass/cell phone holder on black with pearl cotton.

Putting on the Brakes

$400 for brake job on the car

The other car probably needs attention, too.

Ah. Well. Soon - in a matter of weeks - both of them will at least completely belong to us. Yeah.

So I'm buying one last stitching thing. Then going on a stitching stuff diet. No new charts. No new kits. No new accessories. Exceptions are for fibers and fabrics - but can only buy what is actually needed for a project. And I've got so many projects already kitted up this should not be an issue. And one last exception - for EGA's Saturday meeting with estate and book sales. But I'm not buying anything just because it's there. It will have to be real steal that I can't live without.

My last stitching purchase before embarking on this diet?
The Daylight lamp on sale at Nordic Needle. The floor lamp with magnifier and chart holder in black.

stitching bloggers' question

What do you love to do that many people hate? What do you hate to do, but do anyway?

I agree with the blondelibrarian on the first part. I love French knots. And when I realized how much other people hated them, I loved doing them even more. I perfected my technique 20+ years ago when candelwicking was all the rage. Of course I do remember having some very sore fingers...I've even done a few hundred French knots with wrapped once with a single strand of silk as a filling stitch. No problem.

There is not much that I hate that I do anyway. At least in connection to stitching. If I hate it, I find a way to avoid it. I no longer stitch things for others unless I am in love with what I'm stitching. That takes care of stitching things I dislike. I don't mind backstitching - it goes quickly and you get to see a project come alive under your needle. Queen stitch can sometimes frustrate me, but I love how it looks finished and I don't totally hate it. I think that's as close as I can get.