This morning I was able to make and eat breakfast, as usual. Up to now, I haven't felt like eating, and haven't even been drinking my beloved morning cups of coffee. Being able to eat regular meals should improve my strength, but for now, I'm still feeling that general malaise that comes when recovering from an illness accompanied by fever. So, enough whining already.
My embroidery has suffered the last couple of days, but I gave myself plenty of time for slow stitching this morning. Think of it as "comfort stitching." I filled up the current hooping...
and then moved my hoop to the next position. The most densely stitched part of this block is finished now, and the rest should go pretty quickly. That's an angel there. These blocks can be a little repetitious, and so it should be fun to stitch the angel.
Here's my problem with these blocks. I'm going to run out of this bright blue floss. It was gifted to me, and it was a very old skein.
Take a close look at the bands that came from it. How about that? Five cents per skein. How long do you suppose it's been since embroidery floss went for a nickel a skein?
Also...American Thread Co. Star Six Strand. So just now I Googled those words. For one thing, I was looking for a conversion chart to any other brand, and could find none. Not only that, I found links to others who had tried, without success, finding conversion charts on various forums. It's possible to find these old skeins in various marketplaces, such as Etsy, but I'm really not up for shopping around. Nevertheless, I did find some interesting information about the now defunct American Thread Company. Their former mill located in Willimantic, Connecticut, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can see it and read more about it right here. As for the company, it was founded as Willimantic Linen Company in 1854 and was in operation until 1985. It was a part of the vanishing textile industry in New England that once provided jobs for tens of thousands of workers and generated billions of dollars in sales. You can read more about it right here.
Okay, so what am I going to do? Well, I have several skeins of this DMC floss...color 312. Here are the two colors side by side with American Thread Co. on top and DMC below.
It's not quite as bright as the American Thread Co. floss, but I don't think the switch will be obvious. You won't tell anyone, will you? It was short-sighted of me to begin this piece with just one skein of the blue. ("Short-sighted." That was a pun, did you get it?) When I started, I didn't realize how much blue I would be using, and I didn't even bother to check. Oh well...live and learn.
So today I really, really, really need to go to the grocery store, although that's about the last thing I want to do. Ordinarily I would spend a lot of time meal-planning on the Cooking Light Diet website, and trying to choose meals that would use the vegetables from our CSA share. Yes, I did pick it up yesterday. A few people tried to talk to me, and their friendly words were met with my steely glare. I wasn't feeling like socializing. Just give me the veggies and let me get out of here.
A few of you made the very sensible suggestion that the Resident Engineer go with me, but here's the thing: The Resident Engineer has returned to work until next June. Somebody has to pay for that new RV, you know. It isn't so bad, and he could be finished in December if he wanted to be. In the dead of winter, it makes as much sense to him to work until summer comes around again, and so that's his choice.
As for the grocery shopping, I'm just going to pick meals to get us through the weekend and call it a grocery shopping day. No doubt, I'll want a nap when I get home. So let's see...what else? Here's a gratuitous image of our handsome cat.
He really likes sleeping on top of our china cabinet on hot days. It cools his tummy furs. He and Sadie were outside together this morning, and came charging in about half an hour ago with their tails held high (half a tail for Sadie). Then, they demanded to be let into their Clubhouse. You know...the clubhouse which is between the basement and main floor of our house. We only let them up there now if their access to the outside is closed off because we need to know where they are...inside or out. I told them we'd have to close the outside access, but they insisted. There's no accounting for the choices our kids make, is there?
13 comments:
I find myself jealous of the Resident Engineer. My brother, also an engineer, had the same trouble; whenever he retired, they would beg him to come back. Although he grumbled about it, I think he was secretly disappointed when, at about 75, they stopped begging and he retired in earnest. Now, make no mistake, I do not want to work -- I do not even want to empty the dishwasher -- but I envy the part about employers thinking I am So Special (which, full disclosure, never happened with me). Glad you are on the mend, and good grief, it is amazing that you are so good about getting your tetanus updates with as sick as they make you. I'm a lot more lackadaisical about it all even with no meaningful reactions. Just one more reason to admire you.
I think you are spoiling that 'fur kids' of yours--but you are a 'good' responsible parent---that embroidery piece is coming along nicely--and I hate trying to match 'threads'---so when I do a counted cross stitch--like the
abc ones--it uses over a skein of floss--and dye lots change alot I have found out--so I always order 2 in the main color-that way they come from the same dye lot and should match within that piece--at least that is the plan!!!
enjoy, di
Wow - 5 cents a skein! It is fun when you come across treasures like that, isn't it? I know it's a pain to run out, but your DMC looks good to me...and I won't tell anyone anyway.
I am glad you are feeling better, was wondering if a summer bug was going around, I felt sick lately and it hit my stomach, which rarely happens. Beautiful stitcheries, always nice to have a project in hand to keep our minds off our misery;)
Debbie
Glad you are finally feeling better. I don't think anyone will notice the slight color shift in your threads. Hope you are back to normal today and can enjoy some therapeutic sewing room time this weekend.
So you have a "drop dead" stare too, huh? Are we related maybe? Haha. Glad you are turning a corner in your recovery from the shot. I think your grocery plan is a good one, you can tackle the larger shopping when you are back to 100%. Those threads look like they match pretty well, so your secret is safe with me. Is Mike back with the same company?
You have turned the corner and you should be feeling like your old self soon. It’s a good thing a DPT shot isn’t needed frequently. The embroidery piece is coming along. For a sick person you have accomplished more than most. I think most would lay in bed and sleep with the cats.
Engineers can have a long work life in this day and age. You can say Mike took a sabbatical this last year. He must have a skill set that is in high demand. Experienced engineer jobs are hard to fill in our area. I know an engineer who rode his bicycle into work until he was 83. It was 10 miles each way. After that he drove. He passed away at 94 still on the job, he became ill then passed away two weeks after his last day of work. He loved his job. If illness had not crept in he would be working today. Not that I’m saying Mike will work the rest of his days. It seems to be an option for the right person.
I use to have a lot of Star thread. It was that or Coats and Clark! Getting over a fever can be tough!
Glad to hear you are feeling better, I am hoping my bug passes soon. I think the DMC blue floss is as close as you re going to get. I checked my stash of American Thread floss and don't have the color you need. I can remember paying 5 cents for a skein of floss back in 1968 at the local Five and Ten store and still have many of those left, the prices ranges from 5 to 9 cents well into the 1970's. Your stitching is beautiful and I love the piece you are currently stitching. Feel better.
That is old thread...I think the newer DMC thread is a good match. I had not heard of that brand before. I have run into the old thread colour change problem too. Glad you are feeling better and are able to do some sewing.
Your comfort stitching looks beautiful.. the flower garden is just lovely!
The blue floss looks very similar from here!
That new floss is a good match. What I would consider doing though is using one strand of the new and one of the old together in order to ease the transition to just the new. I think this might prevent having an easily identifiable change. I love the piece you are working on. I am glad that you are feeling better. Enjoy your stitching.
So glad you are feeling better, it is no fun to be sick. Your embroidery piece is looking good, and no one will notice the thread change. I won't tell!!
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