December WIPocalypse

It's time for the end of year WIPocalypse check-in.  I did not do a very good job of keeping up with any of my SALs this year.  I think I made the January introduction for WIPocalypse and that was about it.  It wasn't as though I didn't have the time, I started working from home full-time on March 17th.  I certainly stitched, so had plenty to talk about.  I even dusted off some old knowledge and started knitting again.  I think my lack of blogging and most things non-work computer related comes down to - I have no space difference between work and home.  My work area is my stitching/making area.  The only difference is which computer is out.  If working from home becomes a real, full-time thing, I will have to work out a different space arrangement.

And none of that has anything to do with stitching or WIPocalypse.  WIPocalypse is hosted by Melissa at Measi's Musings (she's also on YouTube as Geekywitch) and reminds us to ignore (as best we can) the siren song of new starts and love the ones we're with.

I remember saying that 2020 was going to be all-baby-all-the-time for stitching and that if I had time after finishing a birth announcement and stocking for the soon to arrive Baby W (Grady was born the beginning of February), I would start and hopefully finish a birth announcement for Baby L (Cassie was born the end of June) and if there was any time left in the year, I'd start her stocking so she could have it for Christmas 2021.  Things were going along just like planned until March and office closures and stay-at-home is best and the world changed.  For me, that change meant that I lost a crazy long commute and gained about five hours of stitching time in the evening (the 2-1/2 hours of commute time plus 2 to 3 hours because I could stay up past 8:30) which meant I not only finished ALL the baby stitching but I managed to have 10 finishes this year (only 5 of them were on my official WIPocalypse list).  I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but in 2019, I finished 4 pieces..  

Because I didn't think I'd be doing anything other than the stockings and announcements, my brain couldn't settle into a routine once I finished them - despite having a very detailed stitching plan.  I started things (because I needed more for my WIPocalpyse in 2021 :-)), flitted from piece to piece and went crazy with the knitting and crochet.  You can see all my stitching finishes in the "Finishes" tab up top there.  Most of them you've seen but these two:

are new.  The top is Let It Snow by Tiny Modernist.  It is done on 14-count black Aida with the called for DMC plus white etoille (which doesn't show up at all in the picture).  The bottom is "A Christmas Carol" by Sapphire Mountain Handworks as part of her book club SAL.  It's done on a piece of mystery 32-count linen (it might be Stone Grey) with DMC and some red mystery beads.  I did change up some of the color locations as they didn't play well with my fabric, but overall I like how it turned out.

2021 will be the 10th iteration of WIPocalypse.  Click on the button on the left there and it should take you to the 2021 information page if you'd like to participate.  I'll be there.  Not only did I go through a starting frenzy earlier in the year, I have started (or will start) a project a day since Christmas so plenty of new WIPs to work on.

The ones I've started so far are:

Early Christmas Morning from Blackbird Designs:

This is stitched on 36-count Patriot's Brew from R&R Reproductions with the called for threads - one over two.  I saw this last year on someone's YouTube and loved it.  As with many Blackbird Designs, it was out of print (it was a club piece in 2018 at Dyeing to Stitch) but the rumor was that it was going to be released the end of this year.  I found a picture of the kit and got the fabric and thread names and ordered it back in February thinking there would be a run on the fabric and threads when it published because, you know, buy all the Blackbird's.  I never thought supplies would be unavailable due to a pandemic.

My next start was Christmas in my Heart 1843 by Samplers Not Forgotten

This is stitched on 35-count Cocoa from Week's Dye Works with a color conversion by  Country Sampler in Wisconsin.  They do country/prim color conversions of many charts.  I bought this one fully kitted.  

Next up is an oldie:

The Holly and the Ivy by Teresa Wentzler.  It's stitched on 28-count Platinum Cashel with the called for DMC, Kreinik and beads.  I stitched the top row of the border all the way across and then started this corner.  This is, like most TWs, blended thread heavy.  I think there is only one non-blended color in this corner.  I am making the blends and bobbinating so they're easy to find, but that does take time.  Once I get them set up, stitching should be much faster (says me with every project I stitch).

The last one will be (I'm starting as soon as I finish here) Heirloom Christmas Sampler by The Victoria Sampler.  I'll be stitching it on 28-count Platinum Cashel in the rose/teal colorway.  

The Holly and the Ivy and Heirloom Christmas Sampler have been in my stash for ages (I think I bought them both right after they published) and I kept thinking, "I should start those when I finish some of these others".  This year pushed me to, "Just start them already, they're not doing anyone any good just sitting in your stash." 

 I have two more BAP starts planned for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - the Virginia sampler from The Heart's Ease and Amy Cann 1831 from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.  I know I'll start stressing out about the number of WIPs I have, and especially the BAP WIPs, but right now I'm okay with it.  Besides helping me handle all my WIPs is what WIPocalypse is all about right? :-)