Tiny Needle Tuesday 1/31/23

 Good Morning Everyone!

How are you?  I am not yet fully awake, but trying to make a go of it.  Sipping my Cafe du Monde coffee and feeling the warmth slip into my bones.  It's a little wet out there - Mabel came in with some drops on her back and I can see rain against some of the windows and on the cars.  A good day to stay in.  My computer says:

I was not expecting a wintry mix.  Not sure that will really happen.  It is in the 30's out there.

Yesterday ended up being another baking day for me!  In the afternoon I made some brownies:

Back in the day (when Colin was a yongster) I was always baking brownies - at least once a week it seems.  And then I stopped.  Not sure why, but maybe I'm starting again?  This time I added an extra ingredient - Espresso Powder!  Oh yum.  Next time I will add more.  The powder is another thing I ordered from King Arthur.

After dinner I melted a stick and a half of butter and made some Toffee Pecan cookies:

These are so good (sprinkled with sea salt before going in the oven).

As I mentioned to Dee last night (we were texting back and forth while I was baking), I seem to be a baking fool these days.  Maybe it's because I didn't do any Christmas baking?  I don't know.  I was just in the mood.  And, Fletch is going to see some former clients of his this week and I always like to send some goodies with him when he visits Connie and David.  They are always so appreciative of cookies or breads or whatever, so I will package up a nice selection of cookies, brownies and maybe something else for him to share with them.

But today it's all about the Tiny Needle.  I have a finish!!  Woo-Hoo!  The "Praise Loudly - Blame Softly" sampler by Eileen Bennett is complete.  I finished it up Saturday night.

Definitely not one of my favorite samplers and I am pleased to be finished with it!  Too many Queen stitches and too much outlining for my taste.  But, I did enjoy getting back to doing "specialty" stitches - something other than just x's on the fabric.  That part was fun.  It's been put away in the "finishing drawer" where my unframed pieces reside.

Ellen Harrison is progressing a bit as well.

Another little motif and the start of the big house.  The blue roof and two chimneys are stitched.  Here's a closer shot of the roof and chimneys.

Stitching the house will be a bit like mindless knitting.  I'll have to count a bit for putting in windows, etc., but mostly it's just a lot of plain stitching back and forth.

Hard to believe it's the last day of January.  In 2 days it will be Groundhog's Day!  Time to dry my hair and get my day started.  Hope your Tuesday is a good one!