Uggghhhh, what a week!!

As if going back to work after two weeks off, the last 48 hours have been some of the worst I have had in years.  I won't go into details but I have become intimately familiar with the porcelain fixture in the bathroom.  Top that off with a 102 fever and I have been one unhappy camper.  I crawled out of bed this afternoon, showered and feel almost human, so hopefully I'm over it.

On top of wanting to curl up and die not feeling well I have been trying to clean up my Kindle's library one of the things I didn't get to while on vacation and it is possibly the most frustrating thing ever.  I am not removing from the Kindle itself, but permanently deleting from my library, you have to go to your library in Amazon, which isn't the real issue except that it takes forever to load the entire library and then you can only delete one item at a time! If you know how to do more than one at a time, please don't tell me right now, just wait a little bit and let me know. Wait for library to load, find book, delete and repeat and repeat and repeat!  I had 100+ so even with my wonderfully fast new internet connection, it has taken me most of the week.  At this point I think I'm done but it was a good lesson, if I know I will never read a book again, delete it right away.

I did get some stitching in before the crud attacked.  This is Marsh Marigolds on Logan's Creek by Brigitte Kozma.  It came from a 1989 issue of Cross Stitch and Country Crafts and is done on a light green not blue 14-count Aida with DMC. The three little stitches you see at the bottom is the bottom of the design so I am hoping that with another rotation I will have a finish.  I am not thrilled with the thread coverage 3 strands over 1 is really heavy but it's how it was started.  I do have a companion piece that will probably go into the rotation once this is finished.  As much as I don't like the thread usage and fabric, to make them truly a pair, I will have to continue with them.

Tomorrow is a rotation change day so Debbie Mumm's Summerhill House will see the light of day after a bit more than a year.  

January?

Given that the temperatures have been in the high 50s/low 60s the last few days and we've only had one night below 20, it is feeling more like March or April.  The grass weeds are still bright green, the petunias in my planters no I haven't pulled them out yet are on the verge of blooming again and the doors and windows are open.  I know, I know, part of the reason I moved south was to get away from the sometimes harsh New Hampshire winters, but  I really would like some bit of winter.

Now that I have gotten that out of my system at least for the time being, I'm sure it will come up again welcome to the new Followers.  I've crept up to almost 60!  Thank you all for reading. 

I used a bit of my Christmas money and did some stashing this week.  It all started with some innocent web browsing which landed me on Sew and So's website.  I did a little searching and found Alexandra's Dream by Dimples Designs.  Not only was it the last one they had, but according to the note, it is not being published anymore AND it was on sale. I think I mentioned earlier that I came late to the Russian Imperial Egg series by Dimples Designs and this one, for me, was a huge find.  You can see a photo of a completed one on Hans's  website.  It is the pink one to the left of "The Enchantment of Winter" which you can see as an "in progress" on Dani's blog. Hans is a wonderful stitcher and has some amazing finishes, but I should warn you that the last photo of his finishes is an extremely well-endowed nude male torso.  If you would prefer to not see it, please do not scroll down past the Tropical Fish Sampler - just saying...  So this new addition is winging its way to me as we speak and I have added it to my possible start list for 2012 if I finish "Twilight of the Tsar".  I will say I have heard lots of very good things about Sew and So but had never ordered from them, but they certainly came through in the fast service department and I will probably order from them again.  Speaking of wonderful customer service, I had an email from Karen at Wasatch Needlecraft saying Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers Winter was in and should be shipping soon.  This series is on my 2012 stitching list so very excited to have all the bits and pieces.

As far as other stitching, I have found that having a cable internet connection has been very bad for my stitching time.  When we had the air card only one of us could be on at a time or there would be terrible lag and it was just frustrating.  Now?  No problem, The Hubs and I can both be on and not even notice that the other is.  I have done way too much blog reading, surfing, etc. the last week.  Hopefully the newness wears off soon and I can get back to my stitching.  I did start my new WIPocalypse stitching plan this week and made some progress in between all the surfing.

Hawaiian got the majority of my time as it was this week's focus piece:

I was able to finish the left volcano and start the bit of hibiscus you see on the right.

My First Friday piece was a new start, Holly by Nora Corbett.  This has been on my to-do list since she was released.  I didn't get as much time to stitch on her as I would have liked as I took down all the Christmas decorations yesterday the house looks very empty right now,  but in the few hours I had, I got this done:

Wings!  The fabric is 32-count opalescent Antique White not blue at all and I am stitching with the recommended DMC threads.  I did sub the Kreinik #4 braids for Petite Treasure Braids and the green Mill Hill beads for Delicas.  I am still trying to find a good Delica sub for the red beads, but may leave them as they are all used for berries and the Mill Hill's round shape might represent that better. Listen to me talking as if I have an artistic bone in my body!

I have pulled out my focus piece for this week, Marsh Marigolds on Logan's Creek by Brigitte Kozma.  The pattern is from a 1989 issue of Cross Stitch and Country Crafts.  As I tore the pattern out of the magazine, I don't have the exact issue but it was early in the year as there is an announcement for a contest with a deadline of July 1st.

Happy New Year

This is likely to be long and possibly rambling as I am going to combine what would normally be two or three posts. 

I have a 2012 finish!!!  

Rose Garden by Blackbird Designs
Stitched on 30-count Old Mill Java by R&R Reproductions with
Faded Roses by The Gentle Art

I probably could have finished this yesterday but I ended up running several more errands and didn't get a chance to stitch until later in the day.  I will be keeping a running list on the sidebar, but will have a more detailed list on a separate page tabbed above as "Finishes".  Probably the most amazing thing about this photo is that it was taken outside on January 1st and I did not have on mittens, a hat or coat.  The high temperature today was close to 70 F!  Absolutely crazy, but I did wash the car and get a couple of things picked up and ready for the temperature drop predicted for later this week - the high on Thursday is supposed to be in the 30sF.

Next is my year in review.  My revised goals were: 

Angel's Song - stitch 6 bands  

Christmas Elegance - Finish

Egyptian Garden - Finish DONE

Hawaiian Garden - Stitch through Part 6

Holy Night - Finish

Santaberry Pudding - Finish DONE

Twilight of the Tsars - Restart DONE

I did finish several items that were not on my list but generally I had a fail for the year.  For 2012, my goals are a bit more realistic - to stitch on my WIPocalypse projects and keep up with the SAL postings.  I am not going to put any pressure on myself to finish certain projects or to get to certain points - just stitch. 

I did better on my December goals:

Finish With Thy Needle and Thread's Birds of a Feather Mystery DONE

Complete two volcano corners and two pineapples on Hawaiian

Finish Lizzie*Kate's Socks & Underwear: Santa 2010 DONE

Stitch on Dimple Designs' Twilight of the Tsars DONE

I definitely get a pass for December's stitching.  As I mentioned above, my only monthly goals are to stitch on my WIPocalypse projects, so I won't be posting separate monthly goals anymore.  I have had commitment pieces for the last three years, it will be strange not having to have a piece finished but I think a nice change.

Hawaiian  is first on my WIPocalypse list, so I will be working on that until Friday.  My first "compressed" Friday stitch will be Holly by Mirabilia.  At some point during the week,  I need to sort floss, I'll be using Martina's DMC conversion, and get things labeled for the new Chatelaine mandala - Mystery XV Deep Sea.  I was given the bead pack and fabric for Christmas, but won't be starting it for several weeks as it was a last minute addition to the list.

Last finish of 2011?

Thanks everyone for your comments, I do need to provide some comments/answers...  Joysze, I like Hawaiian on lighter colors as well obviously, but it does look amazing on black.  I'm doing mine on Wichelt's hand-dyed Jobelan - Summersky.  It's my favorite neutral hand-dye.  It has a very subtle blue/white mottling and reminds me of, well, the sky. I'm using it for several mandalas and love the way it highlights the stitching, but isn't a flat color.  Dani, I hope you were finally able to get your treadmill - I would really miss mine.

I hope everyone had a wonderful whichever-winter-holiday-you-celebrate.  I've been on the run since last Friday and am really looking forward to some real down time.  Friday was errands, packing and general getting stuff around.  Saturday we went to DFIL's in Virginia Beach to have Christmas with him and his wife.  That evening we went to the Hubs' Aunt's house for her family open house.  We didn't stay very late as we were driving home that night but it was fun seeing everyone from that side of the family.  The Hubs and I were up semi-early Christmas morning he's really a big kid and gets very excited at Christmas and did our gift exchange, cleaned up and headed to DMIL's for Christmas with her and her husband.  Another good time with good company and too much food.  Home mid-afternoon and I started packing for a trip to New Hampshire to see DSon.  He just moved into his own apartment he previously shared a place and decided to stay home for Christmas, but he did invite us to come up for a visit.  The Hubs declined but I jumped at the chance I mean as if I was going to pass up the chance to see my son, especially as this was the first Christmas he had ever spent by himself.  We had a really good time just talking and catching up.  We also went to IKEA and he came home with some very nice Christmas gifts - a chair and ottoman, a computer workstation and a television stand/bookcase.  His place looks much less like a dorm room now and he really likes the extra storage space.  Rumor has it that he has a cat, but Tessa didn't show so much as a whisker the entire time I was there, so it is just a rumor.  I did see snow, so at least it felt/looked like winter even though it's going to be in the 60s by the end of the weekend.

And as the title says, I may have had my final finish of 2011.  We had a bit of time before DMIL got home from work on Saturday, so I stitched on Lizzie*Kate's Santa 2010: Socks & Underwear and had a finish on Christmas Eve which was very fitting.


Lizzie*Kate's Santa 2010: Socks & Underwear
Stiched on New Khaki Lugana with DMC thread
Finished December 24, 2011

 So as every good stitcher would, I went through my WIPs and pulled one out to finish went through my stash and pulled out a new project. 

This:

is Blackbird Designs' Rose Garden.  I'm doing it on 30-count Old Mill Java from R&R Reproductions with Gentle Art Sampler Threads' Faded Rose. I'm planning to stitch this one until it's finished, so I may have another finish before the end of the year, but I will not be upset if I don't.

I've made a couple of changes to my WIPocalypse 2012 list, but I think it's pretty well set.  I've even worked out a schedule, but as I'm sure I've mentioned before, I'm a really good planner...

Final TUSAL - 2011

WOW!  I actually kept up with this!  I am so completely amazed! I am a wonderful planner, I am not; however, wonderful at following through.  It's not that I don't try, I just tend to underestimate how long things really take and overestimate how much time I have which explains the *cough**mumble**cough* or so WIPs. 

As you can see, Santa has arms and the start of pants.  There is still a very good chance that he will be finished before the end of the year bet you thought I was going to say "Christmas" didn't you?  I probably would have, if I hadn't just made the underestimation statement. 

As far as the TUSAL, there are bits of Santa 2010, Hawaiian Mandala, Tree of Stitches, and Birds of a Feather mystery in there.

Thank you to Daffycat for hosting.  If you're interested in joining a just for fun SAL jump on over to her blog to join in TUSAL 2012.

I Hermited This Weekend

After following the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend for most of the year, you can read more about it on Joyze's blog,  I finally got around to officially joining for this weekend.  Of course that meant that I didn't get to do as much stitching as I usually do, but I did craft and finally finished our holiday cards I put them in the mail this morning, so I can say that I am DONE with holiday preparations!!

Before I get to my update pictures, thanks to everyone that left comments, I really appreciate them.  Dani, no treadmill for the last month?!?!?!  I'd be in really sad shape, literally and figuratively, if mine every went.  Ouch on the washing machine - not exactly what I would have wished for as a gift.  Over 1?  Are you doing Enchantment of Winter?  I have that one in my stash and if by some miracle I finish Twilight of the Tsar I plan to start that one.

Since it is now 8:40 and I have to be in bed in 20 minutes the joys of getting up at 4:00 AM, here are my update pictures:

Twilight of the Tsar.  I did the backstitching on the ring and added some blue.  I also remembered why I don't like stitching with blending filament, but the effect will be very worth it.

Next,

Hawaiian Mandala.  Added the gold topstitching in the outer border, the algerian eyelets not fun in metallic thread and worked on two side pineapples.

And finally,

Santa 2010: Socks & Underwear.  I put this one on my scroll frame and it went so much faster than stitching in hand.  I finished the body of the shirt and hope to give Santa some arms and hands during the week.  This one could actually be a finish this week as all that's left, aside from his arms and hands, are his pants and boots.

All in all, given the limited time I had to stitch, I feel pretty good about what I did get done.

An Up and Down Week

It has definitely been an up and down week, unfortunately, the down is the most recent part (another car repair - this one more expensive than the last  - believe me, it was a surprise when the power steering stopped working!!) so it is definitely coloring how I'm seeing everything right now.  I'm working on adjusting my attitude I found TimTams at the store tonight and hope to be in better spirits soon or at least before I eat the whole package and feel more miserable!!!

Thank you all for the kind comments on my finish.  I have it pinned to my design door I would take a picture but the battery in the camera is dead!  I swear the thing turns on at night as it runs through batteries faster than anything I've ever used!! so I can see it and dream of actually getting it framed someday.  They spliced the cable line into the main line today and The Hubs has been on the phone trying to get an appointment for them to come run the line to the house we live about 1/4 mile off the road, so getting the majority of the line run by the cable company was a HUGE plus, we only have to deal with a few hundred feet now. Jo, I had to smile at your description of your cable - fortunately, ours is buried, at least the bit running up our drive so pigeons should not be a problem - now the moles might be another story!

We had a fairly nice day on the water today I don't know if I ever mentioned that we own a boat - well the bank owns it and they kindly let us use it each month for a fee - I really need to take my camera and get some pictures - it got very choppy around noon, so we didn't stay as long as we had planned nor did we catch any fish, but it was nice being outside.

No stitching during the week, but I did get a fair amount done last weekend.  First up, I'm sure to nobody's surprise, is Hawaiian Mandala:

The white squares are either filled with algerian eyelets or bicones.  The eyelets will be done, but the bicones won't be added until I finish all the stitching.

Next is a new start Twilight of the Tsar by Dimple Designs

I found this series late so grab them when I can.  This one was an unwanted WIP that was given to me.  Unfortunately, the stitches were crossed in the opposite direction of mine, so I had to do some frogging right away.  Fortunately, there were less than a dozen stitches, so it wasn't terrible.  I think I will be going back this weekend and doing the backstitching on the ring.  I really dislike backstitching and there is a lot of it on this piece, so if I leave it until last I'll have another WIP/UFO.

As I was looking for my stitching pictures, I found one of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel at sunset. The CBBT is a total of 17 miles long with two tunnels and three bridge sections.  It connects southern Virginia to the Eastern Shore.  It's an amazing view from the bridge, but if you're too timid to do the drive yourself, they actually have people that will drive your car for you.  During really windy weather it can be a white knuckle drive and I can see how people would be nervous.  Anyway, as is usual, structures in the water attract fish and other sea life I caught a 4 foot eel along here once so we spend a lot of our fishing time along the bridge or over the tunnels. 

Wrapping, baking and card making are on the agenda for this weekend.  I hope to get some stitching time in there too.