Fabulous Weekend with the Ladies

Camp Wannastitch is just a memory at this point but I'm still exhausted from working during Camp Wannastitch.  There were over 200 stitchers attending the event, and while we don't see all of them, the fabulous stitchers that did come in  kept us hopping.   It's so exciting to see everyone and get a peek at projects they need supplies for, and discuss ideas for future projects and I miss it when they have all gone home.  As I mentioned in previous posts, Stasi Buhrman and Debbie Liming came down to lend a hand.  Poor Stasi was stuck at the cutting table all day for 4 days and didn't get a lunch break until 3:00 and then bounced right back to the cutting table.  Debbie was put to work in one of the apartments putting the Salty Yarns exclusive kit together.  We were waiting for the waxers, (which arrived this past weekend so now Sara is in shipping hell.)   I was in Sea Trader and Sara headed up the team in Salty Yarns.  At the end of the day, on Sunday Stasi told us to hold on as she had a gift for each of us....oh, how I love a gift.  OMG,

She made the Brenda Gervais bag with a little strawberry on the zipper, 

how cute is that?   The 2 spools of ribbon you can  stitch on the ribbon itself, OMG, and the scrabble sign which she made, and the daylight case for my portable lamp.  (It's actually a knitting needle case that fits the lamp perfectly.)  So it's been a wonderful weekend with Stasi's gifts as the cherry on top of the sundae.  I want to thank Ann Wilson for such a wonderful job she does organizing the Camp Wannastitch Event and for all the stitchers who visit us, thank you so much for giving us something to do for the weekend.  We love seeing you all and of course it helps us at this time of year when business is so slow.  Also thank you to the best Salty Yarns team, Sara, Stasi, Debbie...love you ladies.  Good time was had by all!  Now of course, we are gearing up for Super Bowl Weekend Sale Event.  We have several of our regulars coming in for the weekend, however some of our regulars won't be with us.  Kay Fletcher had a fall, was in the hospital  for several days, and while she's back at home she will be unable to be here.  Jackie Janovsky is still recooperating as well and Kathy Renard is on a cruise.  We've also lost a couple of the Pennsylvania crew and we will certainly miss everyone, but we will muster on.  Stasi and Debbie will be back to back us up so we feel better having them here.  Remember you don't have to be here to take advantage of the sale.  You can call in, email us, or text Sara and it starts Friday and goes thru Monday.  We look forward to seeing everyone or hearing from you.  We will, of course, have Super Bowl snacks here on Sunday.   

Fish Tales is finally ready and shipping will start tomorrow, 1/27/2020

Thank God, the waxers finally arrived and we are putting the kits together for our Hands on Design exclusive, "A Fish Tale" and we starting the shipping Monday, 1/27/2020.  For those who haven't seen it or know anything about it let me explain what this is.  The exclusive kit includes the chart, wooden box for displaying the pieces, 14 weeks dye works threads, a fat quarter of linen, trims, wool for the pincushion top and the red backing fabric.  Also included is the matboard, cardboard, foam core, ribbon and twine for finishing.  There are some extras that were made to fill to your box...a custom fish ruler by Joseph's Workshop, a set of real shells made into counting pins, a thread keep by Sampling of Memories, fish waxer by Noteworthy Needle, and an ort jar.  The only things that you will need to supply is the white paint for the box, batting, and roving/walnut shells for the pincushion.  The kit cost will be $150.00 plus shipping.  Since this is an exclusive kit, it will be excluded from any store sales or coupons.

If you are interested Sara is ready for you to call with your address and payment information.  The shop is open Friday thru Monday from  10-4....the shop number is 410-289-4667.  Or you can send her an e-mail at saltyyarns@aol.com.    For those of you who have already ordered the kit,  it will be on it's way this week.  

Hope to hear from you.  

Where did my stitching mojo go?

Before I start the whining let me first say I hope you all have had a great beginning to our new century, year, whatever.   I had a lovely Christmas, a little stress filled, but that's normal and my New Year's eve was spent with all the grandchildren, large and small, and they all left by 9:30 and I was asleep way before the ball dropped so I was well rested to start the new year.  One would think the stitching would come out, but they would be mistaken.  I've been in a serious no stitching zone since November and prior to this weekend had really not stitched.  I always bring it to work, just in case, but nothing.  Last Friday I arrived with my tote and with resolve to at least work on Peppermint Pals even if I just did one thread and then stopped.  As it turned out I actually stitched for a couple of hours.  Before the drought I had finished 1/2 of the design and as I got more of the snowman's torso done I got excited.  Friday night when I got home from work I pulled it out and completed it.  I even added beads, turkey work on the scarf and some satin stitch.  I could feel my stitching mojo coming back.  Not completely as I couldn't figure out what to stitch after going through several bags.  I finally decided to do one of my first loves of needlework, Shepherd's Bush.  So I pulled one of their kits (thought kit would be better since everything is in there and I wouldn't have to hunt for stuff, which has become harder since Vernon and John, who are putting heated flooring in my bathroom, as well as redesigning the room, put the furniture which use to be in my bathroom into my stitching room and I can't get to anything.  Which means putting Peppermint Pals together is almost impossible...but heated flooring in my bathroom is so worth it.  Anyway at work on Saturday I stitched about 1/4 of the kit and when I got home I also worked on it, so I think it won't be long before I'm back to my usual self and I'm excited.  Last Sunday, I already grabbed 4 new charts and at home, I also started pulling fibers for a new stitch...so it won't be much longer before I'm stitching 24/7.  Can't wait!  This week, 1/16/2020,  Camp Wannastitch is in town so we are gearing up for them and Stasi Buhrman is here to cut fabric, Thank God!  Debbie Liming is also here,  she thinks to lend emotional support, but Sara has a job all lined up for her so she's in for a shock.   I'm basically just a seat filler at this point and there are times I don't do very well at that.  But as I keep telling Sara, "You get what you pay for."  Since no one hands me a pay check you really can't expect much from me.  I was hoping for mild weather again for the stitchers coming into town, but today it looks like 38 is going to be our high, but tomorrow it should go into the '40s and '50s on Sunday.  Here's hoping.  In the meantime, I wanted to show you the Peppermint Pals by Brenda Gervais, that I did finish.  Even though it's taken far to long to finish it, I loved the stitch, adored the piece and can't wait to get the finishing done.  

I stitched him on 28 ct. PTP Zephyr (a regular go-to for me for snowmen), using the listed threads but adding dimension with beads for berries on the snowman and in his snowman bucket.  I used turkey work on the ends of the scarf and black beads for his eyes and buttons.  I also did satin stitch for the hat and the boots just because.  Not sure why, didn't add anything frankly, but I wanted to.  Anyway, this is such a fun series.  There are 3 in this series so far, Boo was the pumpkin-headed girl which I did in October, Santa for Christmas which I haven't done yet and then this one.  Cute and fun.  Well, that's what I've done in the last month and a half, how about you?  Stasi Buhrman is here with show and tell and she's finished so many pieces in the same amount of time that I did this one that I'm embarrassed.  Got to get my mojo back big time.  I started the Erica Michael's snowman strawberry on Monday on 28 ct. over one and told Sara I was going to try and have it done by this weekend....that so hasn't happened and in fact, I didn't stitch on it at all for 2 straight days.  But I did get back to it last night and put a few stitches in.  Today I've pulled another chart and will be taking it to work with me (because I'm stitching over 2 on this one I thought it might be easier to stitch at work) so I do feel this is more normal for me having multiple projects going at one time.  Let's hope it helps get the juices flowing again.  Have a great weekend and if you are down here with the Camp Wannastitch group, stop on by we'd love to see what you are working on.