End of December Wrap-Up

 You know what they say about the best-laid plans right? I had some hopes of finishing at least a few projects this month, but the universe decided differently. The day after my last post I tested positive for COVID-19. So, a mandatory week off, but my energy was so low I didn't manage any stitching. I tried knitting one day when I was feeling a bit better and ended up in bed all the next day! So I didn't try that again. 

It took a good 2 weeks to get any kind of energy back, so that was a long time without crafting. I had COVID-19 in 2022 and that took months to recover from. I'm grateful it didn't hit me as hard this time. 

My parents were going to visit earlier in December, but canceled of course because of me being sick. They ended up coming close to Christmas and stayed for Christmas for the first time ever. We had invited them many times, but most of my family is still close to where they live, so they tend to spend holidays with the rest of my relatives there. Santa brought them stockings and DD had some gifts using her art, so they had a nice time as well I think. They headed back to their home on Boxing Day/December 26 and we spent that day mostly vegging and relaxing. I did get a little stitching and knitting in on the days my parents were here, so without further ado, here's where my December crafting ended up. 

You last saw the Bibliophile bookmark here:    

and now:

Bibliophile Blackwork Bookmark by Kincavel Krosses

stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct white Monaco

with Flamenco by Jodyri Designs

Fortunately I don't need more than a skein for this one because Jodyri Designs has closed up shop. I also needed a break from blackwork, which I never thought I'd actually say, but I just needed something a little simpler, so I pulled out a Mill Hill kit, which last looked like this:

and now it looks like this:

I'm tempted to leave it like this without any explanation of what it is, but maybe some of you remember this little kit I started in 2021?

Skating Snowman by Mill Hill

stitched 3 over 3 as charted with kit threads and perforated paper

And that's it for stitching this month. I did do some knitting, as I mentioned. First a sort of completion?

Vanilla sock (meaning no special pattern)

with West Yorkshire Spinners yarn in colour Robin

Only one sock is complete, so that's why it's only sort of complete. I still need to knit the other one for the pair. I went a little nuts on WYS Christmas yarn this year since my local yarn shop had a lot of their colours this year. Especially the Candy Cane one that tends to sell out immediately. One year it sold out in hours and I never got any. This year I might have picked up 4 skeins or so of just that red/green/white colour. 

I knit on this intarsia blanket for DD while I had COVID, and although it's not complicated, apparently it was more than my body was up for since I needed the next few days to recover. It's over half way down now:

The pattern is Rainbow Days Blanket, but DD chose these colours from the LYS. They're all cotton, so it will be very cozy once it's complete. The top row is the center, then the pattern will repeat. I don't know if you've ever tried or know what intarsia is, but you use all those colours and knit across. Yes, the yarn gets tangled, no, I don't know how to make it not tangle. :)

And here we are, a less crafty December than hoped for, but still here and ready to ring in the New Year with a new start today, which is 12/31/23 in the US way, plus a new start for New Year's? We'll see. 

Hope you all have a had a great holiday season and Happy New Year!

Tiffstitch

Day 5 Advent Calendar Blog Hop

 Hello everyone! I hope you started the day with a visit to our fabulous host Jo's blog. Here we are at Day 5 of the Advent Calendar Blog Hop 2023.

 

I'm quite excited about the finish I have to show you, but first, Jo asked us about Santa stories or traditions that we grew up with, find locally or do currently. I don't think specifically seeing Santa and getting photos was a big deal for us growing up. Possibly my dad was too "thrifty" to buy the photos back then. I remember often seeing Santa at the Parish Hall at our church for a Christmas celebration, but I'm not sure the details on how that all happened. We rarely ever saw "mall Santas".

One of my parent's friends used to dress up as Bonhomme, which is technically a French Canadian tradition, and he was a French teacher. 

I don't have access to them, but there's photos of my brother and I with Bonhomme when we were little. 

Currently, DH is the head of the local parent-teacher organization and a photographer, so he organizes a Pancake Breakfast at the school with the rest of the committee and he takes all the photos with Santa. Santa often arrives on a fire truck, so it's really exciting for all the kids. We've had a photo of DD with Santa every year since she was born because of that. Here's a memorable one:

Santa felt bad that she was scared, but it was short lived:

    

So far DD is still excited to see Santa every year and this year's wish will be difficult for Santa. She wants a magic wand that's actually magical and allows her to fix my allergies and her Papa's allergies so we can have more cats from the rescue where we volunteer. :) We've tried to let her know Santa can't bring things that aren't real, but she's determined. 

We leave out cookies and oat milk for Santa as well as vegetables for the reindeer. DD sometimes writes a note as well. 

And now to the finish! Ta da!

Joyeux Noel by Jardin Privé

stitched 1 over 2 on 28ct Slytherin evenweave by Chromatic Alchemy

with Caron Waterlilies Hint of Mint

I love the finish on this one. There is a layer of things underneath the house and trees, but I didn't really want to add it in. I like this look much better. They have a version that says Merry Christmas as well, but this works for our house. 

I hope everyone is enjoying the month so far, however you celebrate!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

End of Year Finish Possibilities

Hello again! I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving break in the US and a good end of November if you're elsewhere in the world. 

I brought a few projects with me on our trip to see family, but ended up concentrating on one, which did get finished, but will wait for my Advent blog hop post. :)

Here's the few projects I hope I can finish before the end of the year:

    

Christmas Birdhouses by Durene Jones

Normal is just a setting on the washer by Lizzie Kate

Warm Winter Wishes by Waxing Moon Designs

Bibliophile bookmark by Kincavel Krosses

Noel by Bent Creek

None of them need much work, just a few days on each should bring a finish, it's just finding the time for that. I have a potential plan for 2024 as well, I'm thinking about concentrating one month on one full coverage or large piece so I can get some decent progress on some things next year. Possibly have it as I pick it up every other time I start stitching so I can still work on other things. I'll flesh it out some more to decide how it will work for me. 

I hope you've all been having a good start to the month!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

Focus on a Finish? 2023

Hello everyone and thank you for your lovely comments on my Halloween blog hop post. The stitchy bug is biting again, possibly because I just had to relocate my yarn stash and it all feels a little overwhelming. Or maybe because I'd like to get a few Christmas projects completed? Anyway, let's see where it takes me. I tried to update my WIPs and finishes here to get a handle on things and see what I can work towards finishing before the end of the year. So far this year 2/3 cross stitch projects I've started I've also finished. We won't talk about knitting projects right now...

2023 Starts

1. Chicks! by the Steady Thread

2. Eyeball Martini by Mill Hill

3. Tiger by Paine Free Crafts

2022 Starts

1. Triumphant Ride by Charting Creations 

2. The Robin's Gift by The Little Stitcher

3. Peacock Infinity Feather by Cross Stitch for Everyone

4. Spooky SAL 2021 by The Steady Thread

5. Mill Hill Autumn Harvest: Enchanted Moon

6. The Raven by La-D-Da

7. Mill Hill Santa Globe

2021 Wrap - Up post - from the projects I started in 2021, I can add 3 finishes, which leaves me with 46 WIPs from 2021

Simply Christmas by WBTW

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Lazurite by Chromatic Alchemy

with Soie Cristal green, WDW Turkish Red and Caron Snow Canary Yellow

Soccer Player by Handblessings

stitched 1 over 1 on 22ct Sky by BeStitchMe

with WDW Lavender and Ultraviolet

Stocking ornament by Jane Henderson

stitched 2 over 2 DMC 600, 602 and 603

on 28ct scrap evenweave

Exciting Finish:

Fleur de Lys

by Brodeuse Bressane

stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct linen with Caron Wildflowers in Vanilla (I think)

This one was a little difficult for me as I really am not in love with stitching on linen, especially blackwork. Having to be so careful of the threads was a bit of a pain. But I do love the finish. I left off some of the outside framework because it was tending more to Louis XIVth kind of style and I wanted it to have more of a Quebec feel. I haven't fully finished it yet, but so excited to finish this one. I started it way back in 2015.

I have a pile of the smaller projects ready to go through and see what I might be able to finish before the end of the year. I think I'm still around 90 WIPs, although I'll try and get through them and update as much as I'm able. 

I hope you all have a good holiday if you're in the US and celebrate Thanksgiving, and have a good week if you don't. :)

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

Halloween 2023 Blog Hop

Ack! Apologies for the slight delay in posting. Here's your letter:

And make sure you start your blog hop over at Jo's blog so you can figure out her clever phrase. Hop along to the next blog here!

I did manage some new Halloween stitching this year, another fun Mill Hill kit that works into my profession as well. 

Eyeball Martini

by Mill Hill

stitched as charted with kit threads

This was a fun little stich that doesn't take much time to complete. I love the little spiders, they turned out really well. The eyeballs are nice and creepy too with the blood vessels. 

Hope you all have a great Halloween!

Happy Haunting,

Tiffstitch

Easter Blog Hop 2023

Hello! If you're hopping around for Jo's Blog Hop, don't forget to start at her blog here. If you're already hopping around, then you must be looking for your next letter:

And then you should hop along to the next blog to see their spring/Easter stitch and say "hello!

This year I started on a new project when I came across this free chart from The Steady Thread. They have amazing blackwork designs and this free chart seemed just the thing to start for this weekend. There are 4 square patterns and I've only completed one so far, but plan on completing all 4. 

Chicks! - pattern by Steady Thread

stitched 1 over 2 with Silks4U on 28ct scrap of fabric

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend whether you celebrate or not.

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Secret Stitching Sweetheart 2023

Hello again! Time once more for another blog hop. This time it's for Valentine's Day, and as always you can start out at our fabulous host Jo's blog for all the details and participants. 

I'm on the lookout for this lovely bit of stitching, so please let me know if you have any hints!

For my entry, it's not strictly Valentine or love themed, although it does have some red... but I'm shoe-horning it in because it was a gift to my SIL and it turned into a huge love of stitching for her! Especially epic Pokemon stitches. 

I took this simple pattern from Sprite Stitch, and made it into a hand towel when they moved into a new place:

She loved it so much she took up cross stitch, so I think that deserves a place here today. 

I hope you all have a wonderful day and treat yourselves to something wonderful.

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch