More Parade Pictures

Since I have a surfeit of pictures, you get a surfeit of Carnaval posts!  These are still from the parade on January 6th.  The ones here were taken by my son Sean.

Crazy January #7 - Mersburg Castle

One thing about this Crazy January thing is that it's given me permission to rummage through my kits and start them.  Almost everything I'm doing is a kit.  This one I bought in Bulgaria for between four and five euros.  It was kitted by the shop I bought it from with German thread and this fabric that is already gridded.  The lines are every 20 threads.  Supposedly, they wash out.  The piece itself is a landscape of a castle in the Bulgarian countryside.  I am using tent stitch instead of cross stitch because of the thread coverage, and that I'm working it over one.  The thread is a Polish brand, Ariana.  It's as good as DMC so far, and the threads seem to be slightly more brilliant.

Tired of the Skirt

I know I am very close to being done with it, but I'm getting very tired of working on the skirt and getting so little done on it each time.  It's my fault, I know.  If I worked on it more at a time, I wouldn't feel this way.  I am, after all, about 80% done with a very big project.  I should be proud of my progress.  Maybe I will be when the skirt's finally done.

Today's Parade Pictures

 Another set of pictures of candombe groups marching down the street.  In this set, the dancers were actually practicing a pattern!

Tentacles in Place

Back to the jellies!  I finished off the tentacles on the fifth, so now I get to start something new on it next time I pick it up.

Crazy January #6 - Chilly Wind

This is a somewhat small piece and autumnal in theme.  It's interesting to me, so I've tucked it into my bag to work on in spare moments.

Fun with Flags

It takes a lot of practice to wrestle the huge flags into submission and fluttering beauty.  Here's someone trying.

Back to Topside

Real progress- one side finished!  The top side is complete.  Now to work down  the diagonal again...

Crazy January #5 - Freedom Rings

Just plain cross stitch with a couple of buttons, but I need to do something patriotic.

Japanese Fabric

Timothy went to Japan for several weeks in November and December.  He gave me these fabrics for Christmas.  They're wonderful.  Some are silky and others are stiff.  Each is totally different, and I know I'll use them soon in something.  Thank you!

More of the Three Kings Parade

 More pictures of the first group to go.  They're not fully in costume, since this was pretty much a practice run.

Closing Up the Heart

I am getting done with Baumchen, and you can see the heart in the center pretty clearly now.  It's about two-thirds done.

Crazy January #4 - Danish Wildflower Cushion

I bought this piece in Paris during my second visit there.  It's a big cushion of Danish wildflowers in Danish flower thread.  I started at the top left corner, and hope to finish it during the year.  It's one I've wanted to start for a long time.

A Mortar!

I love this!  Doug and Meri gave us a handmade olivewood mortar and pestle for Christmas.  It feels beautiful, and the grain is gorgeous.  Thank you so very much!  I'll use it too, since we have the AeroGrow and fresh herbs.

Could It Be....?

The signs are up....

 There are drums in the streets....

 And spectators wait patiently.  Maybe, perhaps... it's Carnaval time?

Yay!  It's time for parades and performances and general partying across Uruguay.  Carnaval has begun!  All these pictures were taken at the Three Kings Parade (Llamadas de los Tres Reyes Magos) on January 6th, Epiphany.  It's a practice parade for the big one in a few weeks.

Bottoming Out

I've got the cross stitching done on my Silvery Tree.  Only need to bead it now.

Pottery from Poland

Marlena and Leo gave us these wonderful pottery pieces from Poland for Christmas.  I love them!  They're bright and pretty and practical.

Crazy January #3 - Heartsease Pansy

I love doing crewel, and don't do as much of it as I'd like, so... why not take this opportunity to start some?  The whole design's no larger than four inches round, so it should go fairly quickly.

On to the Edge

After doing a quarter of the heart, it's time to put some edge onto the piece.