Happy, Merry, Jolly Time of Year! A quick update.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Holidays. Christmas and New Year are such fun, exciting, stressful times. I'm hoping you have all had a moment to simply enjoy them.

Stitching, as always, whenever I can.
I took part in the HAED BB sal again this week with Mini Crossing Spirits:

As you can see I changed my mind about working a page at a time and started working across the first row of ten blocks. This was a quick picture I took as I was changing the qsnap, scooting the piece over. I'm probably not going to be working on this for a week or two.
Also, that fake animal print in the background is part of a blanket I made my husband for Christmas. After seeing the one I'd been gifted by my secret santa, he wanted one of his own.
Here is a pic of me all wrapped up in it. And look, I took a pic with my eyes open! Sort of.

Does anyone remember this kit?

 I was having such fun with it back on Halloween of 2013.
While I was posting an update picture here on the blog Dean, who was still a puppy, was busily tearing up the floss card to it. The floss was okay, the card a bunch of little pieces. I'd like to say that he has grown out of this sort of thing, but his paper addiction is still strong.
I shoved it all into a sack to sort out later. Well, it is later. I had a non-stitchy day or two and pulled this out, cleaned up the floss, organized the colors again and made a new card. The light purple is missing but everything else is intact, so I plan to give it some time today and just work on it until the 2015 HAED BB sal starts on Jan. 1. I can't wait to get started on that. Who doesn't love a sal?

What is everyone else working on? Are you preparing for the New Year? New Starts? New Finishes?

Until next time,
Happy stitching everyone.
Karen

Christmas in.....December?

While I can't believe the year is nearly done, it has, as usual, got me thinking about next year. Traditionally for me December is the month I break rotation and work on whatever I like. Since I haven't had a rotation going that is sort of out, but I'm all about the do what I like part.
I've continued on with Mini Crossing Spirits, slowly working my way across the first row of blocks. Still all the same shades of gray so I didn't take an update pic yet.

Yesterday I also made a small start on  my the stocking my husband chose. I know I said in 2015 but it just seemed right so I went with it. I don't have all the floss yet either, but most. unfortunately the pic came out looking gray when it is actually only 2 lines of a pretty blue. Night and the flash I suppose. Instead I'll post a pic of the magazine it came from. 1990!

This one has a couple of charts I'd always meant to start, namely the collector's plates, but those will have to wait awhile. The stocking on the cover is similar to the one I'll be working for Jason.

Now the really fun stuff. I have opened my secret Santa gifts. The sender gave me permission  (I promise I didn't ask!) and after that there was no resisting it.
I was just blown away. Thank you secret Santa, you went way over the top with this. I've never had so much nice stitching stuff!! The little owl needleminder in the pic above was one of my pressies. I have the pictures I took for my Facebook group for now, but may put up some others later on.

Needle threader, needle minder

One side of the blanket

The other side of the blanket and all my lush presents!

Trying to get a better pic of the beautiful needle minder

I confess I've longed for one of the unique needle minder's from HAED but I never thought I would have one. I wish I could take a photo that would show you the depth and richness of that beautiful handmade needle minder.  It is seeing heavy use. If I remember I will show a pic of the ones I was using. The little cheapie red ones that come three in a pack.
BTW, the blanket color in the bottom pics is much more accurate!
The tea had the whole house smelling lovely but I couldn't drink it, I had a sinus allergy attack from it. Bright side is my husband loved it with a capitol L and so he got a bit of a present out of it too!
The hand dyed fabrics are two large pieces of 18 count aida and a piece of 28 ct. Jobelan. These are my first ever hand-dyed fabrics and I love them. They are almost too pretty to stitch on and I will try to get a pic of them up next time.
I've done some test stitching on the 28 ct. and it looks wonderful one over one, with excellent coverage, but I confess I didn't enjoy stitching that count very much. I will be giving it another go later, and also trying it over 2.
I've never felt so spoiled and special as when I opened those packages. I feel so elegant and ladylike at my stand now, stitching away surrounded by all the loveliness.

I hope you are all enjoying a bit of Christmas stitching adventure.
Happy Stitching!
Karen

The Futility Of Resistance....

I won't quibble about it.
Nikki sent me this:

Wolf, girl, black and white, just an all around perfect chart for me.It is titled Mini Crossing Spirits by Nielsen.
I found fabric, I had all of the floss colors but 3.
I felt virtuous for deciding it would be my Christmas new start.
Yeah, I caved and started it yesterday.
My only explanation? I was off work and home alone.

I had a twinge of guilt after announcing I was only having two new starts in the first 6 months of 2015. then I realized it wasn't 2015 yet, I could have a start every day if I liked. Yes, stitchy thinking, totally self involved. lol.
The chart is available here.
Here is my first progress. There are 4 or 5 shades of gray (grey to our UK and Aussi friends) and a bit of black, though it is hard to tell from this photo. Also I started in the upper left, I don't know why, it was an accident, I much prefer the upper right. No matter, I'll just go with it. And btw, this picture is terrible. It looks perfectly fine in real life, I promise!

I've filled in the blank spots since this pic and done a little more but you get the idea.
Before that I worked on both Anal Nathrach and one of the Christmas ornaments.
The ornament, which I put away after deciding to do the back stitch as I go along. I'll pick it back up soon but I hate back stitch.

That isn't all of the cross stitching for this section, I went back and added some more but I'm too lazy to go pull it out for a picture with so little more to show.

Anal Nathrach, yes, I am the world's slowest stitcher.

Still on my first page, which is the center page of the chart. I'm sort of wishing I'd started in one of the corners, mainly because I can't decide which direction I want to stitch in.

Lastly, Mini The Black got fixed up and it only took a short time. I will post an update pic at a later time, because for some reason it won't load for me right now!

Until next time
Happy stitching my friends!