A dribble of new canvases

You can tell that the season is crawling to an end when you see car carriers heading north (with the cars of residents who prefer to fly, rather than drive, back home; but want their car when they arrive or soon after).  The traffic on A-1-A is also down to small spurts of cars, except near St Ed's school in the morning and afternoon.  My husband has allowed as how (that's a Southernism that I put in his mouth!) he might not need to go to Publix at 7:30 or 8:00 am for a few months.  However, I suspect that old habits die hard, and he will continue in his early bird -trips to the supermarket; though never to early-birds at restaurants.

This season-ending is also evident in the paucity of new canvases Needle Nicely is receiving.  In summer, I try to only restock fibers or make special orders in order to manage my cash flow since I know my income will be reduced.

I'm sorry to report that late this afternoon the Vero Beach High School's women's lacrosse team failed to win its 11th consecutive state championship.  They lost in overtime.  Still, I speak for everyone in town in saying that we are extremely proud of their performance today, and in their past years' 10 consecutive state championships.  Apropos of that, here is an Associated Talents mini-stocking.  This is part of a series of sport mini-stockings.

Associated Talents has another series of canvases, this one is in the Christmas category.  They have "Be Merry" (my favorite), "Be Jolly", and now this "Joy".  All of these canvases positively scream for pattern stitches.  I have come up with the stitches for the first two and I see that selection also applies to this design.  I am trying to resist stitching one of these for a shop model.

This  past winter I sold 4 alphabet hangings to grandmothers to do for their grandchildren.  I perhaps helped this decision-making by having hung the individual canvases on a canvas rack end-cap that catches people's eye as they are leaving the shop.  So, this is the latest resident of the end-cap (I figure if supermarkets can use that sales method, so can a needlepoint shop!).  It's an Alice Peterson design.  She has quite a selection of alphabet and number canvases.

 The state bird of Virginia and North Carolina (and several other states) is the cardinal; so after all my years in North Carolina, I have a soft-spot for canvases featuring them.  This is a small 18-mesh design by Zecca.

And, of course, with Florida's University mascot being an alligator, and there being an abundance of alligators where you do and do not expect them, I buy almost every alligator canvas I see.  This beauty is from CBK and is obviously waiting for her screen test as she reclines on her casting couch!