4,379 hot flashes later...

New project is changed.  It never fails.  I don't know why it happens, but when a really intense hot flash is over, my intentions are quite the opposite.  And if I have several, well it's a real brain dizzy.  This is particularly troubling during a house project and it's a shame what my hub goes through.  Not to mention paint colors.  My hairstylist isn't happy when it happens during a haircut either.  They'll get over it.  So.  I grabbed a small piece of off white linen which looks to be 28, and I love the feel.  It's not wimpy at all and even though all my samplers are on natural/unbleached, I like this change.  I should have been far along but as usual, ran into a problem.  I decided to have some chocolate and a piece of cold smoked kielbasa to calm down.  This idea I had that having to keep my hands clean and occupied for stitching would help me lose weight isn't working.   I'm using up a LOT of soap.  Anyway.....keep in mind that I haven't stitched for 20 years and I'm trying to ease back so I don't get frustrated and quit altogether.  So was I wrong in reading the chart?  The chart shows 3051/3052 for the leaves and vines, which I assumed meant to use one strand of each.  I didn't like it and after completing them, looked very closely at the little photo.

 It looks like the two colors are randomly used throughout, some vines light and some dark.  Is this what it means when two colors are given?   Or does it just appear that way?  It's hard to see in my photo of their little photo.  I took the majority of it out and started over.  I also counted the diamonds carefully on the top border, several times.  SEVERAL times.  When I started doing the top area of the vine, something wasn't right.  How did I end with double the design?  Am I having time lapses and repeating myself?  I know there were several flashes at the time because I remember being outside and scaring the deer.

We have anywhere from 4 to 9 each day, and this one insists on eating at the squirrel's spot, not their regular feeding area.    Back to stitching -

So after I took out the excess border, I decided to change the color of the alphabet.  I'm not a fan of pink although the 220's are really nice shades and it's perfect for this project.  I'm toying with one of these...

But since every element has already been ripped out and redone, why not the alphabet?  On the subject of threads, Siobhan was kind enough to tell me about a sale at Needlecraft-Corner on silks, and there are other discounts also through 3/31.  I found several brands in my stash and have time to play with them and decide what to order before the sale ends.  Maybe I won't even like using silk.  I don't think I will ever use 40 and may need 2 strands for 32 so we'll see.  I have several yards of Scarlet Letter's 30, Cashel 28, and Belfast 32, and I'm comfortable with those counts.  I'm a wimp.  Maybe after I get my stitching mojo, I'll be brave and venture out into the land of 40, but right now that is a scary place.  On another thread.....I used a lot of GAST in the past, and while sorting, came across what appears to me to be a pretty big difference in tone.  I know it's variegated and some times there is a great difference in the shading, but I found several that are really off as a whole.

That's it.  Nothing really interesting.  I do want to thank those of you who are kind enough to read about my journey.  I still don't know where it will lead and if I will ever get back to my big samplers.  I know for sure that Ann Medd and And They Sinned will be offered soon.  I made the mistake years ago of discarding sampler charts and such, thinking I would never do them or had already completed the project.  But these two have no future with me.  Until the 4,380th.