Crochet Pattern - Oregon Trail

I know I previously stated that I would have this pattern up on the 1st, but since I plan to stitch this weekend (my test will be over with!), I will most likely have a progress update for Monday. So, I decided to go ahead and post this pattern a little early! 

One of my favorite games growing up was Oregon Trail. I loved it whenever we were able to play this in the computer lab at school.
Enjoy the pattern! 

I came up with this filet crochet pattern based on the old Oregon Trail wagon.

Here is the pattern itself:

INSTRUCTIONS:
Starting at bottom of pattern chain 241. Chain 3 to turn which will count as first double crochet of
first row. Chain 2 more and double crochet in 9th chain from hook to complete bottom right open
square of row 1. Continue following pattern for first row reading pattern right to left. After completing
first row, chain 3 to turn to start next row. Continue following pattern until all rows are complete. At
end of row 54 fasten off.

MATERIALS (based on crochet cotton size):
Using Crochet Cotton no. 10: about 492 yds, steel crochet hook US size 7 or SIZE FOR GAUGE.

APPROXIMATE FINISHED SIZES:
Using Crochet Cotton size 10: width = 18.4 inches, height = 13.5 inches
GAUGE:
Using Crochet Cotton size 10: 10 squares = 2.3 inches, 10 rows = 2.5 inches

IHSW and color SAL

This weekend I was participating in not one, but two different SALs at the same time!

The first one is the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW) where everyone just sets aside time on the weekend to stitching. The second one is a color SAL through Stitch Maynia, and the color(s) this time were of Libra, so shades of blue, pink, and pale green.

I got a lot more done on the Palace Garden than I expected (of course some of this progress is from the previous week, as well).

Here is where I left off:

And here is where I am after this week:

For this weekend for the SALs, though, I actually have a new start!
Yeah, yeah, I know I have several projects going on already, but this one is small (for me), and it was just screaming at me so loud, that I couldn't ignore it. I even used some fabric that had been allocated to a different project so I could start this one early.

This project is called Blue Bird, by Inna Peshkova. I have found quite a few Russian patterns lately that I absolutely adore! This one was the first one that I fell in love wit, so it had the honor of being my new start.

Here is what it will look like when finished (ignore the watermark, this was the only place I could find a picture of it online):

Here is where I am so far, after 2 days:

It may not look like much, but there are a ton of colors in this thing. I have been taking my time, too, to make sure all the stitches look really good. I have been inspired by all the people entering projects to the local/state fairs, that I really would like to submit something, as well! All of my normal projects are just too huge, though, and will take forever to finish. This one is just the right size for me.
The good thing about the pattern is that there are separate charts for the stitching, then for the backstitching, since there is a LOT.

I am still in love with it, and I can't wait to have it finished! I won't be able to stitch on it any more this week, though. My test is on Friday, and I have to cram this week for it. No time to stitch at all! It will be a little while until my next stitch update, but I do have a crochet pattern all setup to be posted automatically on the 1st.

Feeling sick about Qingming

So, if you have been reading my blog for a while, then you will know about my super huge project that is 22 meters long (click Qingming Festival in the labels list on the left).

Well, something happened to it.

I don't know exactly when or how or what, but there appear to have been a small liquid spill on the fabric roll. Because of the pre-printing on the fabric, I now have a technicolor splotch on the page 4 area, and possibly a much smaller blob on page 10-ish.
As soon as I found this, I felt sick. This is my baby. I spent a lot of money on this kit, and to find it like this was a kick to the gut. I had to put it away and not think about it for a good long while.

Now that I'm stitching again, I was most definitely hearing the call of Qingming. It wanted out of time-out, and wanted to be loved again. For the first time in over a year, I pulled it out and took a look at the "damage".
It's hard to tell due to all the colors, but I don't believe there is any actual permanent damage to the project. Luckily, I received a pattern book with this kit, so I can still stitch from the pattern on the splotchy area. I just can't wash that area because the rest of the printing will run off, as well.
Here is the splotchy area:

I am feeling much better about the project, and I will be stitching on it more, again. My plan is to finish page 3 by the end of the year, and have pages 4-6 done by the end of next year. We all know that plans don't really mean much when it comes to stitching, but I needed to have some goal set forward.

Now, we also recently had a WIP SAL in Stitch Maynia. I chose this one to work on.

Here is where I was when I left off right before the spill:

Here is where I was after stitching since then (yes! I got that large yellow spot stitched!):

Here is where I am after the one day SAL:

I have managed to stitch well over 2000 stitches since picking this back up the past week! I managed to find a rhythm in stitching this that allows me to go much faster than I normally do, so I can get through it quicker, especially when stitching large areas of the same color.

Quick bracelets

Most of my time the last few weeks has been dedicated to video games and study. For my birthday, my husband bought me a computer game that I have been spending long amounts of time playing. It has been super fun, and I am really enjoying it. It is called Surviving Mars, and it is basically a Mars colonization game.
When I am not playing games, I have been working on getting yet another certification for the day job, and so I have been reading up on the subject. This, unfortunately, has limited my crafty time. Since I'm also between craft fairs at the moment (with a 2 month span), I have been just enjoying my relaxation time.

That being said, I did make a couple bracelets using those blanks that I wrote about previously. Here, is how they turned out.

To be fair, I really didn't take too much time away from my studies for these. I already had the glass cabochons made, I just had to select a couple from those that I had made, to use for the bracelets.

I have a small bag that has a bunch of circles that I took from magazines, catalogs, and books, and they are just waiting to be made into cabochons. I also have a stack of magazines left to go through, as well. It's actually pretty fun to search through all the pictures to find some that will work for these cabochons.

99 Bottles - Beer #9

My husband recently lost an old high school buddy, and we went to the memorial celebration for him over the weekend. One of the few beers being served was one that I knew was next on my beer list for the beer project.
This week I had a Guinness.


What I liked: this is a very stout beer. They are not joking in this regard. It had a good strong flavor and didn't seem to be practically watered down like some beers seem. This is a good beer to take your time with.

What I didn't like: it was almost too bitter for me. I ate a little bit of the refreshments, which helped tone it down a bit. This definitely isn't a beer that I would be able to drink quickly. This is a beer that I would have to be in the mood for.

Overall thoughts: I liked it, and would drink it again. I would not, however, drink this with a meal. The flavor would way overpower the taste of the food. It is good to drink on its own, or with light refreshments, like chips or pretzels.

Here is my stitching of this one:

Here is my overall progress (of course excepting the one bottle near the bottom by itself):

Full coverage SAL

Normally I don't like to post progress so close to my last progress post, but yesterday was a full coverage SAL for Stitch Maynia, and I had to participate.
Honestly, the Stitch Maynia group has a bunch of different SALs, some that last just a day, some that last a month, some recurring and others not. It's enough to keep you engaged in your stitching, which is what I really need.

Every 5th of the month, there is a full coverage SAL, where you work on any full coverage piece that you have. Since my Palace Garden is a full coverage piece it was perfect to use!

Here is where I left off 2 days ago:

Here is where I am after 2 days (one of which was the SAL).

P.S. If you are interested in Stitch Maynia, here is a link.

Yay, stitchy time!

At the end of last week, coming into the holiday weekend, one of my projects caught my eye. Without even thinking about it, I just picked it up and started stitching. Let me tell you... it felt so good.
I realize that I haven't just crafts just for the enjoyment, lately. Yeah, I enjoy all the jewelry that I make, don't get me wrong, but there is always the underlying aspect that I am also making them for my business and am intending to sell it. With that mindset, I don't really form any attachment to most of it.

I was sitting in my recliner, and looked over at my craft chair (the chair that I keep a bunch of craft things in), and there was The Palace Garden, just looking at me. I automatically just picked it up and started stitching. Since it was a long weekend, I made the decision to spend as much time stitching as I could get in. It was so relaxing.

I managed to get a huge amount done, too! It's obvious where the progress is.
Here is where I was last time I stitched:

Here is the progress that I made, along with my overall progress: