Hibernation Day

No, I’m not hibernating today . . though maybe I will. You know I’d hibernate every day if I could – stay home, cook, can, love on my dog, try to be nice to my husband which he says I rarely do . . poor Vince. No, I’m talking about the chart, Hibernation Day by Heartstring Samplery.

Last night I was in the shower and I didn’t think I was thinking about cross stitching but this chart popped into my head. I thought it might be a good fit for the frame on the right.

I got out of the shower, went back and looked. I ordered this chart on January 11, 2021. I remember ordering it like it was yesterday! I was here by myself. Vince was in Texas. He had “the virus”. He didn’t want me to come back and take care of him because he didn’t want me to get it. I was so worried about him being there alone. I stayed on the verge of tears for a week or more. That one night I had just learned about flosstube and one of the first videos I watched was a lady stitching Hibernation Day. She was talking about how she loved the chart. It’s hard to read the verse in the picture but here’s what it says:

“I love the snap of winter air and snowflakes on my face, how snowdrifts make the world disappear without a trace. I’ll take a day dressed in pajamas in a room without a view, if I can spend the day curled up next to you. Let’s have a hibernation day, me and you.” That hit home for me with Vince so far away and very sick.

I got online and ordered it during the middle of watching her video.

This will be started very soon.

Here are my calculations. Who knows if my math is correct. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.

The frame, with the mats as they are, needs a piece that’s 7.25″ x 19.5″. The stitch count on this piece is 105 x 328.

On a 36 count piece of linen, this will be 5-7/8″ x 18-1/4″. Just to make the math easier, I’m going to say the finished width will be 6″. That will leave 5/8″ border on each side. It will be 18-1/4″ long so that will leave a 5/8″ border at the top and bottom.

Often with the hand dyed linen, there’s a bit of shrinkage and a 36 count linen may well be a 37 count linen and that will leave a 13/16″ border on the two sides and a 7/8″ border on the top and bottom. Those are so close no one would ever notice one is different. Or, if it’s a 38 count, that will leave a 7/8″ border on the sides and 1-1/8″ border on the top and bottom. I can live with that but I’m hoping to find a piece that’s exactly 36 or 37 count.

I’m glad that is all resolved.

For the other chart, my calculations tell me I’m going to need something with a stitch count of about 170 x 230. If y’all come across something in that range, please let me know.