Final Smalls Check-in and a 2014 Recap

Another year of stitching (and other things) is gone. I am not sure how I feel about 2014. The last three months will define the year for me, but other than that short burst of craziness, it was a pretty ordinary year.

Before I get too far into talking about my 2015 stitching plans, I need to finish one last bit of 2014's. My December Smalls SAL check-in. I had a good month and finished two! Both are from Shepherd's Bush's She Tends leaflet.

His Flock

Tender Care

And because I am still having a great time with PicMonkey's collaging program, here are all my 2014 Smalls finishes:

Column one (top to bottom): Peppermint Twist; Snowy Pines; Frosty Flakes; Winter Sheep (all by Little House Needleworks) and Fondant Icing by the Nutmeg Company. Column two: Tall Flowers by Just Nan; All is Calm, Joy to the World and Red House in Winter by Little House Needlework. Column three: She Tends, Garden Fair, His Flock and Tender Care by Shepherd's Bush

In addition to the smalls, I finished these three for a total of 16 finishes in 2014.

Enchanted Swan by Just Nan; Three Tulips by With Thy Needle and Thread; and, Strawberry Summer by Just Nan

Given my limited stitching time, I am very happy with those numbers and best of all they were all stitched from stash, except for Three Tulips which was a gift.

By this time last year I had signed up for eight SALs. My New Year's resolution was to keep up with all of them. Even though none of the SALs was high pressure, I knew it would be a bit of a push to post for every one every month. The one I missed posting to most frequently International Hermit and Stitch (IHSW) hosted by Joysze at Random Ramblings was the one that should have been the easiest to keep up with as it requires you to sit and stitch for the weekend and post about it. Really very simple and I am sure I stitched most of those weekends but must have forgot to post. Overall I am pleased with how well I did keep up with all of the SALs and....(a perfect segue into 2015's plans)

For 2015 I have, despite telling myself that I need to cut way back on SALs, again signed up for eight - WIPocalpyse, YOTA, Stitch from Stash A (there are two 6-month SALs), DESIGN, A New Stitchy Start, Gifted Gorgeousness, HAED Freebie and Smalls. TUSAL and IHSW are post as you can and don't require official sign-ups so I didn't count them but will participate as I can/remember. My stitching resolution is to keep up with the postings for the SALs that required a sign up.

Here are the pieces that I will fit into the various SALs:

Secret Victorian Garden by Chatelaine
Holly and Hearts Sampler by Lizzie*Kate
Santa's Magic by Mirabilia
Spring in the Air by Just Nan
Elegant Doily by Kayann's Kreations
HAED projects:
Shakespearean Fantasy
Christmas Presence
Santa and Mouse Ornament

In order to make any progress on them, I will be using a rotation again (although I may go OAAT on a couple to finish them up). The current rotation plan is:  One week, Saturday through Friday, for each piece.  The HAEDs will be stitched on my compressed Fridays rotating amongst themselves. Sunday mornings will be reserved for smalls stitching.

Given the progress I made on my larger pieces this year, I think I will have four or five large finishes in 2015, so I came up with a replacement plan too:

• Secret Victorian Garden will be replaced with a randomly drawn Chatelaine WIP
• Holly and Hearts  will be replaced with Ink Circles' 99
• Santa's Magic will be replaced by Lavender & Lace's Santa of the Forest and then Mirabilia's Winter White Santa
• Spring in the Air will be replaced with a randomly drawn Just Nan or Shepherd's Bush
• Elegant Doily will be replaced with a randomly drawn WIP
• Even as optimistic as I am, I don't imagine that I will finish any of the HAEDs this year and am not making plans for their replacement.

The plan is designed to help me reduce that WIP list there on the right while still allowing for a new start or two. This is only a plan and like all plans is very fluid.

Just Nan SAL check-in and other stuff

I have been remiss in welcoming and thanking my new followers. I am going to try to post an entry a week in 2015, so there should be something for everyone to read - whether it is interesting is a whole 'nother story...

I am still not in the whole holiday spirit but am coming to terms with it and trying not to stress over it too much. I did pull out the stockings and tree today.  I even put a few ornaments on the tree but this year, "done is good enough".  I will be doing some more baking as The Hubs was upset that everything was mailed off to DSon and I did promise the in-laws a sampling of the holiday cookies.

A little more Christmas stitchery to add to what I showed on my Advent entry:

The stockings are part of the series of six or seven that Cross Stitch and Country Crafts published years ago.  I have stitched fourteen of them for family and friends. The cottages are from The Nutmeg Company and look, in my opinion, very cute hanging on the tree.  In case you can't tell, I have just figured out collages.  I am using PicMonkey and having a great time playing with it.  They do have a pay-for version with lots of additional features, but the free version seems to do everything I need.

So, on to stitching or the lack thereof.  About this time last year Zeb at Keep Calm and Cross Stitch posted about the Just Nan SAL and I jumped to join. I was a bit of an obsessive collector of Just Nans for years and have a lot in my stash.  Unfortunately, the SAL seems to have fallen by the wayside, but I have kept up with my Just Nan stitching and managed to finish three pieces this year.

Enchanted Swans, Tall Flowers, Strawberry Summer

I also started a fourth piece Spring in the Air and got this far:

I don't have any stitching progress to show. Except for a small, which I will hold for the final Smalls SAL check-in, I have not stitched on anything for the last few weeks. I have been keeping myself busy with stitching related things though - I gridded two small HAED pieces and have marked the fabric for Shakespearean Fantasy's gridding:

It is hard to see on my screen but if you click on the picture you'll get a clear view. My gridding technique starts with glass head sewing pins. I put a green one at the upper left corner and then take my handy dandy counting ruler from EZ Manufacturing (it is a ruler that has markings on it for 11-. 14-, 18- and 22-count fabric) and put a yellow pin every ten threads and repeat that until I get to the end which is marked with a red pin. I then do the same thing down the side. Once the dimensions are marked, it is very easy to do the count for the pages (I mark those with a blue pin). Once all that is done, I start gridding with the Sulky Sliver thread. I am finding the whole process very relaxing.

The other stitching related thing I am doing is bobbinating my floss box. I have the majority of my DMC stored very nice and neat, but when Wal-Mart stopped carrying DMC and was selling it for $.10 a skein and again when my local Joann's store moved and reduced the price to $.12 a skein, I bought a LOT of floss - no I don't know exactly how much, but I haven't had to buy more than a skein or two for a project in years. I originally organized it by putting it in plastic bags by number family and putting it in this very nice box (it has a pretty Tuscan countryside design on it) but that was it. Over the years floss from finished or dekitted projects was thrown in added and now it is a hot mess of DMC and other fibers and I can't find anything:

 So I decided it was finally time to do something about it. I have been planning this for years a while and have had six new floss boxes and 1,000 (yes 1,000) bobbins in my craft closet just waiting for me to get motivated.  Now seems to be the time. I am off work the next two weeks and hope to have all the DMC sorted and put away and the other threads at least separated and stored in their own bags by the time I go back to work. So I am off to find The Hubs's drill and see if the battery is charged. Drill you ask? I saw a blog post (and can't remember where) where an electric drill was used to help with the bobbin winding process and I want to try.

Online Advent Calendar - Day 14

 

Thank you to Jo at Serendipitous Stitching for hosting the 2014 Online Advent calendar. This is my first year participating and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's posts.

 

 

I have done a lot of Christmas stitching over the years. As a matter of fact, my first counted cross stitch piece was a Santa. I don't have pictures of all of them as they were completed before the ease of digital photography and I gifted most of them, but I did run around the house taking pictures of the things that I have kept and put up every year.

 

The large one on the left is Shepherd's Bush's Santaberry Pudding. From top to bottom: Lavender and Lace's Gift of Peace; Peppermint Twist by Blue Ribbon Designs; 12 Days of Christmas by Hinzeit; Angel of Light by Lavender and Lace; Angel of Freedom by Lavender and Lace; 1993 Angel by Lavender and Lace, Fondant Icing by The Nutmeg Company; and, 1991 Christmas Angel by Lavender and Lace

We do have stockings that I stitched from the old Cross Stitch and Country Crafts magazine, but I haven't pulled them out of storage yet and can't find a photo anywhere.

 

Jo asked us to tell about the best present ever. I could tell you about the Needlework System 4 stand that The Hubs gave me or the year he drove the ladies at Needlecraft Corner crazy with phone calls while trying to get a pattern kitted for me or the Jane West doll my sister and I got way back when. But in all honesty, the best ever present wasn't a Christmas present but a St. Nicholas day present and it was my sister. Now, I will be frank and say that I was probably not all that thrilled at the time and there were times that I would have gladly returned or traded her, but I know that my life would be lacking without her in it.







Mega-Mini Month Madness 5 and Small SAL check-in

That is probably the most unimaginative post title I have ever come up with, accurate but blah. Titles are the hardest part of a post for me, I suppose I could just as easily put Post 1, Post 2, etc but that's pretty blah too. 

I really can't believe how quickly the time has gone by, two weeks from today I will be back in the office (assuming the doctor gives me the go ahead).  The total lack of work stress has been amazing, not only physically but mentally too.  I knew I was stressed and heading for burn-out, but really didn't realize how close I was.  I did have all intentions of teleworking during my recuperation and had planned to be almost back to full time work this week and next, but there was a change to our mobile access software that can only be installed when the computer is connected directly to the system, which given the number of people that are remote employees makes absolutely no sense, so I am unable to connect to the work network and therefore, no work at all.  Fortunately, my new boss understands and told me she wasn't sure why I was so worried about it as I was supposed to be getting better.  I was so shocked as that attitude is so different than what I have been working with the last seven years - so my question of whether the new division will be better?  Yeah, I'm pretty sure it will.

Anyway, I have two SALs to check-in for today.  Before I do that, have you seen the new SAL that By the Bay Needleart is hosting next year?  I haven't stitched many of her designs but do have a bunch in my stash.  I really like her style and color choices.  You can see the new piece here and here is a little bit of information from her blog:

"If you remember I mentioned long ago that I have been designing a 36 inch tall cross stitch scene.

I have been working on this design for a few years. Always making changes. 

Well I finally finished it and will be offering it as a year long project. 

If you choose to participate you will be emailed a 3 inch by 11 inch section once a month to stitch. 

There will be a blog that you will be invited to publish on and share your photos.

 I still have to think of cute names and create the blog, the design is finished as a chart but of course I have not stitched it myself. We can do this project together. 

The cost will be $7.00 per month. You must sign up for the 12 months to complete this project and at the end I will be sending out to you a special  thank you kit made just for this class."

No connection, etc., etc., just a very tempting piece.

Back to my SALS.  Pull the Other Thread hosted Mega-Mini Month Madness.  Stitch on small(s) and post photos of your progress each week of October.  I didn't stitch solely on smalls but I did manage to finish two.

First an update of The Nutmeg Company's Fondant Icing.  I took an afternoon and evening off from stitching and finished all the little pieces I showed in my last post into this:

Front and side

Back and the other side

 Makes me want to pull the other kits out and get busy on them.

I was also able to finish She Tends from Shepherd's Bush's She Tends leaflet.

Heather at Stitching Lotus is hosting the Smalls SAL. A fun SAL that focuses on smalls of all types.  Fortunately, actually finish-finishing them is not a requirement.  There was a definite cross over of the Smalls and MMMM SALS so the above two pieces are doing double duty this month.  I will be continuing with the Shepherd's Bush leaflet so there should be three more pieces coming in the next few months.  I have some finishing ideas rolling around in my head but will have to see what other ideas I come up with.

I also worked on Lizzie*Kate's Holly and Hearts Sampler this week. It looked like this the last time I showed it:

and today it looks like this:

One picture I will get an accurate photo of the fabric, it is really pinkish with blue and purple bits in it (much prettier than I am describing). 

Just Nan's Spring in the Air is on the frame and after a couple more episodes of Inspector Morse (apparently the only place more deadly than Midsomer is Oxford) I should have the over-1 pansies finished but that progress picture will have to wait for the Just Nan SAL check-in.

SAL check-ins

For someone who normally has very little time to stitch, I am involved in a lot of stitch-alongs.  Fortunately for me, none of them are really very stressful, they mostly give me topics for my blog posts and keep me on track with my stitching.  The only bad part is that the check-ins seem to cluster around the end of the month which makes for a either a lot of posts in short period of time, or more recently crowded, multi-purpose posts.

This week, I have check-ins for TUSAL, Mega-Mini Month Madness, and Stitch from Stash and pictures of my regular stitching, so let's get started....

First up is TUSAL which is hosted by Sharon at It's Daffycat.  As I mentioned above, low stress.  Put all those little snippets of thread from the back, leftovers and, in my case this week, frogging fuzz into a container and post a photo each month on the new moon.  I am using a repurposed Yankee Candle jar and I think I will probably continuing using it next year as it seems to be just the right size.

Lots of metallic ends from Santa's Magic and lots of frogging fuzz from Fondant Icing.

Speaking of Santa's Magic, here is where he ended up after his week in the rotation:

I was able to finish the moon and the metallic blue swirls on the right hand side and added a little bit to that unfinished glove.

Back to SALs, the next one for check-in is Mega-Mini Month Madness.  It is hosted at Pull the Other Thread and is a one month blitz to stitch on smalls.  Small was defined as ornament size or smaller.  I stitched away on The Nutmeg Company's Fondant Icing this week and finished the stitching and beading.  I am not sure when I will get to the actual construction - maybe next week.  Here are all the pieces finished:

And because I have another week of MMMM and my Smalls SAL, I started Shepherd's Bush's She Tends.  As the whole design consists of four separate ornament sized parts, I figured it fit the definition of both SALs.  I got this far with it last night:

I am stitching this one in-hand so it's wrinkled and a bit wonky.  It's stitched using a combination of Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colours  and DMC fibers and I am stitching it on 28-count Weeks Dye Works Linen (or at least I think I am - I didn't save the fabric label when I kitted this up).  I may finish this one before the end of next week as I was able to get this far after only about an hour of stitching.

And the final SAL is Stitch from Stash.  Hosted at Epic Stitching, it is a reminder to "love the one you're with" (with recognition to Stephen Stills) and keep within a budget with our stash acquisition.  We are given a budget of $25 each month for purchases and any balance rolls over to the next month.  There have been several exceptions given and we have been given a $50 exception to use anytime through the end of the year.  We were also given one free month to really binge if necessary.  So for October:

Carry over:  $225
October Budget: $25
Available:    $250
Spent:  $0
Balance Forward:  $250 + $50 exception

I had two new starts from stash, both are shown above and I stitched on Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden, Kayann's Kreations Elegant Doily, Mirabilia's Santa's Magic and Lizzie*Kate's Holly and Hearts Sampler.

Speaking of Holly and Hearts Sampler, it is on the frame right now and has gone from here:

To here:

It's spot in the rotation is up tomorrow night, so I am hoping to get a bit more done before it gets put up for a few weeks.  After this one, Just Nan's Spring in the Air will be pulled out. 

Mega-Mini Month Madness Part 3

Lots of stitching this week!  It feels so good to say that as it means I am sitting up more than I am lying down now.  Yea me!  Recuperation is still going very well, as a matter of fact, except for the weird numb/hypersensitive skin right around the incision, I really don't feel as though I had major surgery. A HUGE part of this is due to a big mental shift that happened when I got a phone call offering me a new job!!!  I don't talk about it here (much) but I had reached a point where I hated going to work - not the work itself I think it is a great program nor my immediate co-workers as they are awesome people or even the crazy, ridiculous commute, but the management people leave a lot to be desired.  Read any article on what defines a bad boss and it could be written for the two I work for.  To give you an idea of the six people in my office with the same job I have, six of them are looking for new jobs.  Anyway, effective Sunday (our pay periods run from Sunday to Saturday for some reason) I am going to a different division.  Will it be any better?  I know all the people in the division and they're all great, I know the middle management folks and they are great and I know the upper management folks and they are good (can't say great as I really have only had minimal interactions with them, but everyone that works with them likes them), so I think it will.  The important thing is the minute I got the call with the job offer, I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders and I have felt better, mentally, than I have in years, so "yes" I think it will be better.  Anyway, you didn't click over here to read about these issues, but to read about my stitching, so here you go....

Mega-Mini Month Madness is being hosted at Pull the Other Thread and just asks us to stitch on a small and post about it each week in October.  Last week I moaned about the lack of progress on The Nutmeg Company's Fondant Icing, but I can't do that this week.  Last week I was here:

And right now, I am here:

I finished the roof and one of the two side walls and am almost done with the second one.  Once these are done I have to do the fiddly bit of fitting the end walls on the fabric and then all the beading.  Oh yes, the wall closest to you is upside down - it is just easier for me to stitch it from the top down so I flip the fabric around to accommodate my stitching style.

The other piece I worked on this week was Mirabilia's Santa's Magic.  When I put him on the frame last Friday, he was here:

Yes, he's still sideways...

And right now, he's here:

Lots of metallic in the section I worked on if you have this pattern and are planning to stitch him on 32-count, I recommend switching the #8 Kreinik (if it still calls for it) to #4 or even Petite Treasure Braid (if you can do the conversion) - I'm using #4 and can't imagine trying to pull #8 through this fabric .  I hope to finish the moon and the blue streamers there in the lower right corner before I put him away.

As this is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend and I am still on semi-light activity restrictions, I think it will be a very productive stitching weekend.

Mega-Mini Month Madness SAL Part 2

Pull the Other Thread is hosting the Mega-Mini Month Madness SAL through October.  One month to celebrate (and stitch) on minis and smalls.  Pick one or several minis/smalls to stitch on and post once a week during October.  As I am home this month, I figured it would be a great chance to work on a few pieces from my smalls box.  I picked The Nutmeg Company's Fondant Icing as my first piece.  Well, with the progress or should I say lack of progress that I had this week, this may be my only small this month!

Here is where I was:

And here is where I am right now:

The blue in this photo is much closer to the actual fabric color.  I plan to work on this some more today and may designate my mornings as small stitching time, so I hope there is more progress to show next week. 

And before I forget again welcome to my new followers.  I really appreciate each of you that takes the time to read my blathering on.

Not gone as long as I thought

Thank you everyone for all the good wishes for my surgery and a speedy recovery.  They seemed to have worked!  The surgery was scheduled for Tuesday the 23rd and went well.  It took longer than expected for my body to fully come out of the anesthesia so instead of going home on Thursday as planned, I went home Friday evening (and was very glad to be in my own bed).  I am resting and recuperating and just generally enjoying the lack of stress that comes from not being at work.  I am doing lots of reading and have started stitching again.

Just before I had my surgery, I signed up for the Mega-Mini Month Madness SAL hosted at Pull the Other Thread.  Pick a small or smalls, stitch and post about it each week in October - simple.  As I am home for the month of October it seemed like a bit of extra incentive to get myself going on my ornament/small stitching again.  I am hoping to finish a couple of pieces, but will be happy with just finishing this one:

This is Fondant Icing from The Nutmeg Company's Christmas Collection - Gingerbread Houses.  These are great kits that include everything you need to stitch and finish that cute little gingerbread house shown in the picture.  This is the last of the four Christmas themed ones I have in my stash but I do have four seasonal ones that I will eventually finish.

Here is my progress on the roof:

Also hosted at Pull the Other Thread is the YOTA SAL.  Pick some or all of your WIPs to work on and post your progress on the first Saturday of each month.  I like participating in SALs that encourage me to get through that list of WIPs there in the right sidebar.  Technically the posting day isn't until tomorrow, but as I have been combining posts lately, I figured I would keep continue with that, at least until I have myself back on some sort of schedule.

The only piece on my YOTA list that I stitched on this month was Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden.  I started this piece in 2007 when it was the big mystery project.  I kept up with it until July or August of that year and then I moved.  I pulled it out and put a few stitches in here and there, but nothing that amounted to a lot.  Then the Stitching Bandits Chatelaine Challenge started and I decided that it was time to give SVG some quality time.  Not a lot was done this month, but I did go from here:

To here:

This has another day in the rotation and then on to Elegant Doily for a week.

December IHSW

I love International Hermit and Stitch Weekend.  Settling down into my stitching chair, focusing on nothing but my stitching and making great progress on my current project... Ummmm, yeah, that's the concept, unfortunately, this last one of the year was spent doing just about anything BUT stitching. Lots of running around, baking and wrapping and I still have a couple of things to do to feel that I'm ready for the holiday.  I finished the chocolate covered cherries this morning and have the dough for the pecan tassies in the fridge.  I will bake the tassies and some bread tomorrow and then I will truly be ready well except that I need to put the tassies and the cherries in the gift tins so we can give them to the neighbors and in-laws.  I tell you, when I shut down on the 27th visits and gift delivering on the 26th, I am not sure when I will move again.  I just have to remember to crash near my stitching chair.

Since I did call this my IHSW check-in, here is what I worked on:

Before

 and

After

This is the 1995 Schooler Santa.  It is stitched on an unknown 28-count blue evenweave with the called for DMC.  This is my last ornament stitch for the year, so I do need to get a move on so that I can finish it for the Ornament SAL check-in.

I did also finish/finish another gingerbread house from The Nutmeg Company.  Here it is on the tree:

I found another SAL to join because five wasn't enough.  Mel at Epic Stitching is hosting:

If I did it right, you should be able to click on the image and go to the information/sign-up page.  It's really a very simple SAL - stitch from your stash.  She does allow a rather generous $25 each month for purchases, so you're committing to a stash diet, not a complete fast.  Seeing as how my stash budget is pretty much $0, this one should be an easy lift.

Hard to believe, but my next post will be a 2013 recap.  I hope everyone that celebrates has a Happy Christmas and those that don't, I hope you have a happy next week.

TUSAL, YOTA and anything else I may have missed

First things first:  Happy Birthday to my sister Nancy!! 

I finally feel like I have recovered from Thanksgiving, although we are I am still eating leftover turkey and will be for a while. Next year would you all please call, email or text The Hubs and tell him that a 22 pound turkey is not necessary to feed four people?  Fortunately, I do not have to worry about him getting anything bigger as I don't have a roasting pan that is large enough for even an ounce more. 

I had a wonderful week off from work.  We did not get the predicted Yuck but we did have white lumps  in the rain Wednesday afternoon.  According to the forecast, the Yuck is predicted again for Saturday evening through Sunday.

Before I get to the stitching, here is my last TUSAL post for 2014:

If you're interested, I heard a rumor that Daffycat was going to continue the TUSAL for 2014, but haven't seen it in writing yet.  The little house is my finish-finish of The Nutmeg Company's Gingerbread House Oranges and Lemons.  I had trouble getting the bottom on correctly so it's a bit wonky, but it will be fine hanging on the tree.

Speaking of SALs, I've joined a couple more for next year.  Stitching Lotus posted sign-ups for the 2014 Smalls SAL.  You can click on the badge on the left side bar or here for information.  Pull The Other Thread is hosting the YOTA SAL again in 2014.  Sign ups are open now.  And Measi at Measi's Musings is hosting the WIPocalypse. Clicking on that link will take you to a place holder page as sign-ups aren't open yet. The nice thing about all of the SALs is that they are no pressure, just have fun and stitch events.  YOTA and WIPocalypse are specifically to whittle down your pile of WIPs/UFOs if you don't have enough, I would happily lend you a few And for me, the Smalls SAL will help reduce my stash a bit.  Yes, I do realize that is a foreign concept to most stitchers... 

So on to the stitching:

I did work on Santa's Magic but did not make the progress I hoped.  Here's the before:

And, for my last 2013 YOTA posting, here's where he is now:

I finished the pears and added some of the furry stitching at the front of his hat and the gold headpiece, but that's about it.  Oh well, each stitch done is a stitch closer to finished.

I did start my December ornament:

This is the 1995 Santa from The Prairie Schooler.  It's stitched on an unknown 28-count blue evenweave with DMC.  I have to admit that this one gives me the creeps as it reminds me of the Roboform Santas from the Doctor Who episode, "The Christmas Invasion".

I'm not sure how much stitching time I will have this weekend.  I have to finish making cards and envelopes hopefully The Hubs will help with those, decorate the tree and bake goodies for the Kiddo so that I can get his box in the mail next week, and, Saturday is another big college football day the games are really going to have to go some to beat that wild finish to the Auburn/Alabama game last week.  If you didn't see it, Google it!  It ranks right up there in the top five of wildest finishes.

A finish, a finish and another finish

Before I forget, thank you to everyone for their comments and welcome to my new followers, hopefully my on again/off again blogging style won't chase you all away.

I have almost caught up on my sleep, am relaxed and feeling chatty, so as Mouse would say, grab a cuppa and get comfortable...

Lots of things going on here in my little corner of Virginia - mostly weather related right now.  We are forecast to have a morning of YUCK! that's a technical term for sleet, freezing rain and snow turning to rain by the afternoon but they are saying 2" to 3" by the time the front gets through on Wednesday.  We're all settled in and planning to stay in until at least Wednesday well I am, I really can't speak for The Hubs.  I am very glad that I took this week off and don't have to think about slogging into the office the commute is bad on a nice, dry day, it devolves into chaos when the weather gets the least bit messy.

Oh yes, for those of you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, I found this friendly reminder on Stitches 'n Things' newsletter:

You may have noticed a new SAL badge up there on the left, Zeb at Keep Calm and Cross Stitch is hosting a Just Nan SAL for 2014.  If you click on the badge it will should take you to the information page and hopefully get you excited about stitching through or adding to your Just Nan stash.   Hang around and read through her blog too, you have got to see the one on her new craft room - I dream of being that organized!  I only have one Just Nan on my WIP list and will concentrate on that to begin with but my mind is rushing around thinking of what I should start when it is done - I have enough Just Nans in my stash to supply a small cross stitch shop.  She was a must buy for me for years and I was fortunate enough to be able to kit most of them up, so I'm in a great position to reach in, grab one and start but for me the planning is half the fun.

So, one SAL for 2014 is definite.  The ornament SAL that Stitching Lotus hosted for 2013 is morphing into a Smalls SAL for 2014 sign ups and "rules" haven't been posted yet and I will probably sign up for that one also.  No other stitching plans just yet, but I do have another month.

Given the title of the post, I suppose you're expecting to see stitching finishes, and I do have three to show you.

The first is The Nutmeg Company's Sugared Almonds Gingerbread House:

This is stitched on 14- and 18-count Aida with DMC and Mill Hill beads all included in the kit along with the parts needed to make it into a house.

Next up, from Chatelaine is:

I don't know if it has a name but it is one of Martina's advent freebies from 2005 or 2006(?).  It is stitched on an unknown color of 32-count Silkweaver fabric pre-current owner so don't know if it is a current color, with my own DMC conversion of the called for Gloriana silks and Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid and more unknown beads, crystals and center thingy.

 As I didn't have an ornament finish in September, finishing two in November at least keeps me caught up.

And finally from Plum Street Samplers is my version of Mary's Sampler 2:

 It is stitched on an unknown color of 40-count linen with DMC, Simply Wool Oatmeal (for the white sheep) and Crescent Colors Hickory Sticks (for the DMC 3371 - how can I not have what I consider a basic color like that when I have duplicates of most of the current DMC colors?)

Santa's Magic is going back on the frame for the rest of the week so hopefully I have some amazing progress to show this weekend probably not, between baking and getting things ready for Thanksgiving dinner and card making, the week will be over before I know it.

November YOTA and TUSAL

Happy November, welcome to my new followers and thank you all for your kind comments!!!  The best thing about November besides Thanksgiving?  Daylight savings time ended!!  I never really adjust to springing ahead so will enjoy being in synch with the world until March. 

Yesterday was the first Saturday of the month and time to post my YOTA progress.  Santa's Magic is my focus piece right now and I had a fair amount of progress.  Here is my before:

And here's where I am now:

He's stitched on 32-count Silkweaver's opalescent Amtrine with DMC, Kreinik, Wisper from Rainbow Gallery and Mill Hill Beads (eventually). 



Today, being the new moon, is TUSAL check-in time.  I don't take nice artsy photos, so here's my bowl of ORTS:

I have also stitched on a couple of other pieces, here's Mary's Sampler SAL from Plum Street Samplers parts one through 6:

Another star and a shepherd were added today.  I'm using the DMC conversion on an unknown color of 40-count linen.  It just hit me that Paulette said this would be finished up Thanksgiving weekend, if this is a nine part SAL and this is part six?  YIKES!  I need to start working on a menu and grocery list!!


And here is Sugared Almonds from the Nutmeg Company:

This is stitched with kitted fabric, fibers and beads.  I have switched out the DMC metallic very nasty, horrible stuff IMO with Kreinik which I really don't like either, but I didn't have a good Petite Treasure Braid substitute.  The needle, a John James petite, will give you some idea of the size.

What's this?

It looks like a neglected blog.  September was a bit crazy here in my little corner of Virginia.  The Hubs had two surgeries,  he has severe carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, that we are hoping will be successful.  After almost a month, neither one seems to be doing any better but the surgeon said that it could take up to six months for the nerves to wake back up if they are going to wake back up.  Work was absolutely crazy but that is pretty typical for the end of the fiscal year, unfortunately we weren't able to tell each other "good job" as my division is part of the several hundred thousand Federal employees that are locked out of their offices until this country's leaders and I am using that term loosely get over their childishness. As of today, I have been out of work longer than I ever have been since I started working and I am not liking the feeling.


I tried knitting years ago but never learned anything other than how to knit.  A few years ago, I knitted a number of scarves on huge needles (50 US/25mm) and really enjoyed it, so I started looking around for scarf patterns and have had the yarn and needles in my stash for this scarf since then.  I figured now was as good a time as any to give it a try and here's where I am:

I do have to work on keeping my tension even and pattern reading but I am happy with how this is turning out with simple knit and purl stitches.

I do have two finishes since my last post!  I am as shocked as any of you over that news!!!

Here is 99 by Ink Circles:

This is stitched on 32-count Golden Walnut with DMC.  Mine is in a different order from the pattern due to a placement error when I started so I do have to type a new guide but I am very happy that it is finished.

And here is Twilight of the Tsar by Dimples:

This is stitched on 32-count Smokey Pearl Belfast with DMC, Kreinik and Mill Hill beads.

 In addition to the finishes, I have made progress on several other projects:

Serengeti by Chatelaine stitched on 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan with recommended fibers and beads.

Sugared Almonds Gingerbread Houses by The Nutmeg Company stitched on kitted fabric, fibers and beads.

And, Mary's Sampler II SAL by Plum Street Samplers.  Stitched on a piece of mystery linen, it is actually browner than shown in the photo, with provided DMC conversion.  I used Simply Wool in oatmeal for the white sheep as it added a little bit of dimension.

Santa's Magic by Mirabilia has been put in the rotation.  That gives me three very large projects in my rotation so I am glad I have Sugared Almonds and Mary's Sampler II or there would be no finishes for the rest of the year.

I do have to get busy finish/finishing things soon and have been searching through the house for some boxes that I bought years ago (years before I moved to Virginia).  I know I brought them with me but for the life of me, I can't find them.  I know I will find them as soon as I figure out an alternative.