First 2020 WIPocalypse

It's the first Sunday in January which means it's time for the first  check-in of the year.  Melissa at Measi's Musings hosts the SAL.  If you haven't participated, it's a chance to love the ones you're with so to speak.  It's a focus on WIPs and, if not finishing, then making progress.  It's not a competition, the only prize is the satisfaction of knowing *that* project is finally done.  If you'd like to learn more, click the badge.  The normal posting date is the last Sunday of the month, but we do an introduction post on the first Sunday.

A warning, this is going to be long and picture filled again.

Melissa also gives us cues each month for our posts.  This posts is: Introduce yourself, your projects and any goals you have for this year.

My name is Susan and I live in northern, central Virginia (southern northern Virginia starts about 10 miles up the road I've been told).  I live almost exactly halfway between Richmond and Fredericksburg.  It's just me, The Hubs and three cats here, but I have a son that lives in Michigan (along with the rest of the family).  I work for the Department of Agriculture in Washington DC and yes, I am one of those people with a crazy commute - about 2-1/2 hours each way.  I recently changed jobs and am now a writer/editor after years of working with loans and grants to rural communities.  It is a change but one I'm looking forward to.  I've been doing some sort of needlework ever since I can remember.  I recently taught myself to crochet so am trying to balance the enthusiasm for a new love with the steadiness of an old - I think this year I might manage it.

On the crochet front, I have two projects going, one I forgot to take a picture of and this one:

This is the Kaleidoscope Shawl by Sara Kay Hartmann.  The pattern can be found on the Yarnspirations/Red Heart website.  It's done with Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in the Tealberry colorway.  It's shells and double crochet mesh, so an easy pattern and quick to work up.  I'm doing this as a Christmas gift for one of the Nieces.  I have another colorway for a second one.  It works up fast enough and the yarn is very affordable so I'm thinking of working them up and just having them for in-case gifts or maybe donations to a nursing home or care facility.

As far as stitching plans, I did cover that in a previous post, but it boils down to all-baby-all-the-time. But before we get to babies, I have one Christmas 2019 gift to finish:

This is Forever and Ever by Cottage Garden Samplings and is one of the twelve bird charts she did last year.  Since I last showed it, I completed the house, female cardinal and closed in the wreath.  Lots of leaves, a flower and "love" to be added for a finish, but there is a finish in sight.

So babies - my niece is expecting Baby Boy W in early February and my niece-in-law (although I don't make that distinction in my head or heart) is expecting Baby L the end of June.  I started the birth "sampler" for Baby W the other day and got to here:

The white thread on the dark background plays havoc with my camera

This is  Magic Dreams. Boy from CutePatternsbyMaria  . It's stitched on a 32-count Midnight Tryst from Fabrics by Stephanie with the called for DMC.  The fabric is a MUCH deeper, darker blue.

 Once Magic Dreams is done, I'll start on this

It will be done on black with the called for DMCs.  We need to know what Baby L is before planning the next blanket, announcement and stocking.

I went through a starting frenzy (well for me) and have lots of starts with just a few stitches in them. I have worked out a three hour, Sunday morning rotation.  One hour will be for Nora Corbett's Letters from Nora - J, O or Y.  I'm currently working on J and have her to here:

I'm doing the skin over-1 and it's slow going.  I need to stitch her wings so I have a better idea of where her arms need to fill in.  She's stitched on 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan with a DMC conversion from The Rocking Horse - they recently closed and I don't believe their website is still up.

Once she has her hour, I spin the decision wheel and spend an hour on:

Time for Seasons from By the Bay Needlearts.  This is stitched on 18-count Rustico/Natural Aida with the called for DMCs.  This is still part one - part 3 will be released on the 15th.

Or:

Temperature Tree from Stitchin' Mommy on Etsy.  I'm stitching it on 18-count Fiddler's Light with the called for DMCs.  This one will have to get some attention each week, just so I don't fall too far behind on the leaves.

Or maybe one of my two most recent starts:

Garden Fair from Courtney Collections.  I'm stitching it on 40-count Mallow linen - 1 over 2.  The pattern called for silks, but I've subbed a variegated red and solid black from Anchor.  I am not sure about the red - I think I may want a solid instead of the variegated, but will have to sit and look at it a bit more.

My other start was Common Ground from Just Nan:

I am going to frog this out and restart with one strand

 

The top is the called for two strands, the bottom is one.  The chart is from 2002 when the general rule of thumb was changing from three strands on 28-count to 2.  This is a 28-count but the thread is silk (I bought the Access Commodities thread kit along with the chart and fabric) so one strand equals about 1-1/2 DMC strands so the call was right for the time.  It's just not right for me now.  

I have several other possibles to add to the wheel, but I'll show them if I feel the pull to add them.

I am going to do my own version of stitch from stash.  I don't have a budget per se, I have "permission" to buy certain things - thread if needed to finish a project, purchase and kit for a gift (but it has to be a gift that will be given this year), etc.  I also have four projects on my allowed-to-buy list.  First is Winter Rose Manor by With Thy Needle and Thread.  This was an exclusive to the Shephard's Bush retreat a couple years ago but it's going to be released sometime this year - I've heard Market.  It's beautiful.  The second is a Christmas drum from Blackbird Designs.  This is another exclusive, but for one of Dyeing to Stitch's clubs.  I don't know if it is scheduled for a release this year, but I don't want to miss it when it does release.  If it was any company other than Blackbird I wouldn't be too concerned but their patterns retire so quickly.  The drum is beautiful also.  La Époque Nouveau from Pangea/Dimple Designs is always on my list and the one that I am stalking her Facebook most patiently waiting for is:

Virginia Sampler - a Cumberland County Inspiration by Theresa Baird of Heart's Ease Examplar Workes.  This is her 6th in the 13 Colony series and IT IS AMAZING!  I am usually not one for samplers but this one just knocked me over and pulled me in totally and completely.  I love everything about it.  LOOK at that border!  It's a HUGE piece - 26.75" long by 22" wide on 40-count (1 over 2). She stitched it on Vintage Strawflower by Lakeside Linen with NPIs and Belle Soie silks. I have a piece of 40-count Mallow, and have reserved one of my gift cards for the DMC, now she just needs to announce the "class" so I can purchase the pattern and throw my entire rotation out the window (except for the baby things) and start this.  I have no illusion this will be a quick stitch but, it will be a wonderful journey.  

If you've stuck around to here, thank you.  I'll be back with updates through the month and my WIPocalypse check-in on the 26th.