I saw this amazing sampler ages ago and told myself once a kit was put together I would buy it. Then I made a budget and decided I would be very, very smart about spending on craft things. (I have some ornaments I ordered last summer from Alicia’s shop that I still haven’t made.) Then Ginny had to go and host a stitch-a-long. I’m so torn. It’s adorable…but very, very, very intricate and involved and I don’t have babies who NEED an A-B-C sampler…but it’s adorable and I could stitch with other ladies too!
Off the Needles: Not a thing (which is another reason I’m trying really hard to not buy that super cute sampler). Though I am almost finished with Abram’s second sock. I was so worried about second sock syndrome (it’s a real problem) but I almost compete with myself on the second sock because I know how many more rows I need to go so I may forgo the whole two at a time thing.
On the Needles: Abram’s socks. A pretty shawl. The beginnings of a sweater for next fall.
Reading: I just finished reading We are Water by Wally Lamb. Eh. It’s awfully long. If you read it and figure out the whole symbolism of the sharks (Is it symbolism? He mentions it so often I feel like it must be, but I don’t get it.) could you let me know what he’s trying to say.
Watching: HBO NOW. The amount of happiness I felt at being able to watch the Game of Thrones premiere kind of terrifies me. I also watched last year’s season of GIRLS. My favorite season so far but there were some definite shield your eyes moments (especially in the first five minutes of the first episode). I’m ready for them to tie Nashville up with a little bow (I hear this is the last season), Revenge is kind of eh, and I can’t decide week to week if I want to keep watching Scandal. (Looking at my television list – and that’s not even all – makes me want to hang my head in shame. READ A BOOK, Kate!)
Other than that, I’m busy getting ready for Violet’s First Communion this weekend (I love seeing how excited she is about her faith) and watching this Northern Flicker aerate my yard. (Spending all that time off my foot has turned me into a regular bird watcher). I’m also working on some garden plans. I have no idea what I’m doing but I think it would be fun. Do you garden? Any references for veggies? I need something simple so I don’t get overwhelmed and decide against it.
The sampler is lovely 🙂 I think if you absolutely love it, and would be over the moon to see it hanging in a place other than the kids' bedrooms (because, as you said, your kids are too old for it now) then perhaps you should go for it. On the other hand, if you feel it doesn't really fit you and your family at all anymore, that that ship has sailed, so to speak, then perhaps you should pass. It's a really hard thing, for a stitcher or knitter to spend considerable time making something and then end up wondering why and what for…
We've had a veggie garden for a few years now, and have had the most success with peas and beans and – except for last year – tomatoes. Carrots, which I always thought would be really easy (my parents grew them every year, no problem) – have proven to be impossible for some odd reason. Last year I grew black dino kale, and I got a bumper crop (!) but had to occasionally go in and manually pick off the green worms. Don't know if you're squeamish about stuff like that? I was, initially, but then got pretty ruthless about protecting my kale! I think (but am not 100%) that all leafy veggies are going to be prone to worms, so you have to be willing to do the work to protect them.
And I've just had another thought – if the allure about the sampler is mostly because it's a stitch-along (motivation, camaraderie, etc, which I totally understand!) then could you not simply stitch along on something else? Like the ornaments you mentioned? Simply set a goal to have a certain number of threads done on your projects by the meet-up dates (my mother always told me "one thread a night" which invariably led to more…). I don't know how their stitch-along works, but I can't imagine why it wouldn't be ok to join in with a different project. Or, if you don't feel comfortable linking with a different project, then maybe you could find another blog which has (for example) a "Work-in-progress Wednesday"? I've thought about doing something like that, because I love the idea of women (and men?) encouraging each other in their crafty pursuits, but I don't think I have the readership to do it, let alone the know-how to set up something like that.
Thank you so much for your great thoughts, Marian. I love the idea of finding a "Work-in-Progress Wednesday" for some camaraderie. I'll have to look around for some. For now, I'm going to pass on the sampler. I really think it's darling and I'm sure I could find somewhere to put it, but I'm also learning that there are SO many amazing things to make that I'm sure to run out of life before I run out of projects.
And THANK YOU for the tips on gardening. I'm a bit squeamish so I'll probably avoid green leafy veggies as picking worms kind of makes my tummy turn. Actually, I'm not a huge gardening fan (I'd much rather just sit in the sunshine) but my daughter REALLY wants to do one this year so I'm getting my hands dirty for her. Love. It's amazing what we do for our children. 🙂