Third time is no charm

Hope everyone had a beautiful Mom's day.  We've had sunshine for a few days now with warmer temperatures and it's such a treat!  But this project is NOT.  I love it, I have done it no harm, and I'm setting it aside till this evening.  I ended up having to rip out the whole pear.  First, the top half only, then restitched, then removed the bottom half, restitched, then ripped out the entire pear and started over.  I would have let it go except for the fact that it was four stitches to the right of the design. ????  The basket and other pear would never have lined up.  I knew where I missed one in the stem, but it should have brought the pear to the left.  I went over this chart time and again, couldn't find it.    Since it was so far off, I had no choice, and I surprised myself once again by not tossing it.    In the process, I realized a lot of my counting errors were stitching errors.  The top part of the stitch was over two, but the bottoms, were over three.  The row beneath, I would just follow the upper stitches and unknowingly continue the error.   So instead of making good progress this weekend, I instead have a real neck problem!  Here's where I am now, with the two darners I found at the antique store..

I was trying to decide if I should order the matka as recommended for finishing this pocket, or use some of my LWAC (linen without a chart).  So here's Scarlet Letter's ????.  It was purchased over 20 years ago and it's hand dyed..... persimmon?

And this is just as old - SL's hand dyed saffron...

The saffron is darker than this photo and looks great, but I think I would prefer something in browns. Too soon to tell - need more of the design completed, especially the reds.  The persimmon is almost exactly the 918 but I don't know if it will be too strong.  None of my pictures show true colors and I have to play with them to get them close which neither of these are, so I bought a new camera.  A little Canon something or other that's still in the box.  The salesman told me it is the best for close ups, but I also want to zoom in on the Orioles and other bright birds in my yard.  The way the pears were going, I didn't think it was a good idea to break out a new camera and try to understand the instructions when I couldn't even count a few x's correctly.  I came across the amber linen when I pulled SL's out and I really don't like it, as I've already said several times.  When I don't like something, it's like I have to beat it to death, just can't let it go.  I don't like amber linen.   It just happened that I steamed and smashed this little pillow from my SIL yesterday, and wished I knew the linen color since I like it.  I checked my stash - it's amber.  I guess doing a 180  has become a habit.

 NEVER would have thought it could look this good when stitched!  So I guess you can't judge a linen by its color, until you see it in a finished piece.  Matches the little bear I stitched many years ago, and will never do again.  Isn't he sweet?  Look at that face!

I'm going to take 3 Advil now and when they kick in, go outside and plant my new tree.  In my yard, with 2 types of clay soil, I either dig a hole and it fills up with water, or I need a spud bar and pick to get through the dirt.  This area, spud bar and pick.  I usually do chores that aggravate my neck when it's already aggravated.  Why suffer twice?  Hope you're all having sunshine!