OhSewCrafty

2019 WIPocalypse: Introduction

Hello, my name is Stephanie also known as Ms. OhSewCrafty on Flosstube and Instagram.  I'm the webmistress of Stitch from Stash on Facebook, and a dedicated product crafter (but I wouldn't do it all if I didn't love the process).  Cross stitching is my main hobby but I also enjoy sewing, knitting, and various other crafts.  The general plan for this year is to keep my WIP count ~8, at max, and get finishes in a timely fashion.  

*WIP photos are mine and pattern photos belong to the respective designers*

1. Charmed Santa, from Leisure Arts "Charms of Christmas",  is my first dragon to slay, so to speak.  As you can see, he's close.  It's just a matter of finishing the top half with some fill in, then lots of backstitch, and finally the application of the lovely brass charms.

2, 3, 4, and 5 are the Queen Anne House (ready for beads), Palace Theatre, Post Office, and Firehouse, all to complete my Mill Hill Christmas Village, hopefully by June.  This is my 3rd year for this project and it's high time to finish.  That's sort of the theme for this year, "Series Killer".  I really want to complete, or at least make headway on, the several series I have underway.

6. Winnie the Pooh by MCG Textiles needs ~8,000 more stitches, including several petit point sections, my goal is to complete by April or so, which would make it a 2 year project.  I have always sort of "dabbled" with this project, never giving it more than a weekend each month. But that will change this year, as I'm tired of having it in the WIP pile.  

7.  Spooky House by X's and Oh's, was my old stash/new start in January 2018, and I found the going a little rough last year.  It's beautiful, but it is many shades of grey, fractional stitches, tiny details, etc.  Towards the end of the year I started backstitching the bottom half and I'm now truly excited about the project, the backstitch makes it come alive.  So my goal is to finish by October.  The top half will be a little easier to stitch, I believe.  But the first task will be to finish the backstitch on the bottom half.  My new motto is backstitch early and often!  

8. Bird of Happiness by Riolis was a 2018 Maynia start, and it's around 50% complete.  It's a lovely pattern, and stitches up quickly, but I didn't give it much time last year.  It would be great to finish by May, then perhaps a new "magical menagerie" start for Maynia.

9. Fantasy Triptych by Teresa Wentzler is my 2019 new year/old stash start.  So far it has 3 days progress and I estimate I did about 40% of a page, with a zillion blended flosses.  I love it and I am hoping to stitch about half of it this year.

  

10. Joan Elliott is probably my favorite designer, and I've missed her patterns since I finished Water Goddess last October.  So I started my long awaited Christmas Teddy on a beautiful fat 1/8 of opalescent white belfast and gave it the last 3 days.  I think this chart would be perfect in my son's room.

11. Save the Stitches by Elizabeth Almond.  Last year I got bitten by the blackwork bug and I'm really excited to start (tomorrow!) this mammoth project, 24 parts. I would be thrilled to complete 12 of them this year, we shall see. 

The rest would be new starts that I hope to stitch when a spot opens in my rotation.

12. Celtic Winter by Lavender & Lace, my own blue/silver conversion, which I hope to start very soon after Charmed Santa is finished.   This is part of my series killer goal, she is my 4th Celtic lady, which is probably enough. Summer would be a bonus, I suppose, I'm happy to have Spring on the wall from April-August.  The goal is to finish when she's seasonal, probably November.  I would say December but I've learned over the past few years that December is not a good stitchy month for me, far too many other commitments.

13.  Seasonal birds by Lesley Teare; I've completed only the spring blue tit and I need to get this series back on the go.  The patterns aren't large, so I hope I can start and finish one in the appropriate season.  Here's the Autumn Wren.

14.  Seasonal Bellpulls by Stony Creek, again I've completed only the Summer version and I really hope to continue with the series this year.  Here's the Spring one, isn't it gorgeous?  As I learned when I stitched Summer though, these bellpulls are not trivial.  

15. Ornaments.  My plan for Maynia is to start some ornaments so I can rotate 15 projects throughout the 15 days.  Here's the Mill Hill Vintage Sleigh, which I've had in my stash for a while and really want to stitch (would love to do the whole series, if I'm honest).

16. Ana by Nora Corbett is intended to go on the same fabric, facing my finished Gigi/Fleur Delacour.  She wouldn't take long to stitch up, maybe I can start her in October.

17.  I am determined to try at least one new-to-me designer this year. For years I've been admiring and stashing Glendon Place patterns and I really love her Gingerbread Grove.  The fabric is my favorite sky blue, PTP "Haven", and it's in my stash.  I'm hoping to start this in July, after finishing the Mill Hill Christmas village.

18. Full coverage is one of those things I enjoy but not all the time.  I  had 3 full coverage WIPs last year, and that seemed like too many, but the last one should be finished by April.  Hopefully I will have room in my rotation to start Twilight Bridge.  I love this chart, it reminds me of the Yeats poem, the Lake Isle of Innisfree.

19. Knitting.  As I type this, I'm wearing one of my handknit sweaters and it's like a warm hug.  Though I hardly need more sweaters, I need to do something with my crazy yarn stash.  So my goal is to stashbust a little, with at least one accessory and one garment project.  I've joined the Reading & Stitching book on FB, and the theme this year is Harry Potter.  I may not get around to stitching giant Hogwarts crest pattern, but I'd love to knit Hermione Grainbow by J.R. Lockwood, and I have bunch of yarn (in 8 colors) stashed for it.

Rickie by Berroco is a fun, whimsical pattern hat in bulky yarn and would surely be a quick knit, how long can it possibly take to knit 124 yards anyway?  And it would stashbust my 2 skeins of Berroco Sundae.

I suppose 19 is quite enough for 2019!  But I did get 19 finishes last year, so with all things remaining the same, it's feasible to at least start all of these projects.  However, whether I can do that and maintain a low WIP count remains to be seen.  

2018 WIPocalypse: December

It's time to review!  I had 18 goals, here we go...

Goal 1. Maiden and the Unicorn by Vermillion Stitchery was finished on January 23rd after 3 days of backstitch, beading, and ninja stitches.  The victory was particularly sweet after rescuing this piece from the UFO pile.  

Goal 2.  Fall Fairy ..... 35 days effort to finish, most of the bottom half, including 8 days at the end to backstitch, quite torturous yet a great lesson, backstitch early and often!  It was great to get my oldest WIP out of the pile.

Goal 3.  King Arthur's Court was finished February 25th, after 15 days of effort to stitch the last 1/3 of the pattern, add the backstitch, and gold metallics.  This piece has personal meaning, the Arthurian legend is dear to my heart.  

Goal 4. Water Goddess, barely started in January, was finished October 8th, she took 34 days, a long haul at times but it was worth it to finish the elemental goddess series.  

Goal 5. Enchanted Mermaid was finished August 24th, she took 27 days to stitch 3/4 of the pattern, do all the metallics, backstitch, and extensive beading.  She may be my favorite finish of the year, the sparkle never ends on this regal ladyfish.  

Goal 6. Trick of Treat Fairy was finished October 7, she took 6 days to finish the last 1/3 of the stitching and do the extensive metallic and beading.  Her spooky glamour is awesome and I recently got a frame for her so she should be up on the wall next year.  

Goal 7. Bright and Beautiful was finished April 3, it took 11 days to stitch 2/3 of the pattern and do the copious backstitch, but it was so worth it!  The detail on this piece is almost photo-realistic.  

Goal 8. Charmed Santa got 26.5 days, but it wasn't quite enough time to finish, he needs more fill in, especially his face and some of the holly leaves.  Also, there is a ton of backstitch to do on the top half.  Still, I stitched most of the pattern, including the metallic border and did all the backstitch on the bottom half, which was extensive, in several colors.  I am quite pleased with the progress.

Goal 9. For Winnie the Pooh the aim was 20,000 stitches and I fell short, with about 14,500.  After September, I took a realistic look at my WIPs and realized with 3 full coverage WIPs, something had to give.  So Winnie went on temporary hiatus.  Still, I did make a fair chunk of progress.

Goal 10. Boo Club... 18 days was enough to finish, and that included a few days to frog and restitch the border due to placement issues... but in the end I jazzed it up with some brass charms and I'm happy with it.

Goal 11. Mill Hill Christmas village got 4 new buildings as planned, and it only took 26 days.  The bigger this project gets, the more I like it.  My favorite building this year was the Cathedral.  With all the luminescent beads and stained glass windows in 5 colors of Kreinik, it's surely the prettiest building I've ever stitched. 

Goal 12. My new starts were The Lord's Prayer, which I finished in 16 days, and Spooky House, which languished after 31 days.  I am pleased to report that backstitching the bottom half is a lot of fun, highly satisfying.  I would have liked to finish the bottom half, but I ran out of time and put this on hiatus after October.  

Goal 13. As for knitting, the goal was partially met.  I did manage to finish an old WIP, sort of (it needs buttons).  Yarn stash continues to dominate my craft room.

Goal 14. I did not spend much time sewing this year.  The big exception to that was a gift for a friend, a quilt project.  Each piece is cross stitched by a different individual (I did the one in at lower left corner) but I did all the piecing, sashing, quilting, binding, etc.

Goal 15. Felt Applique.  Nope.

Goal 16. Home Dec Crafts.  Nope.

Goal 17. Painting.  Nope.

Goal 18. As for framing, I framed 5 of my 7 goals, including Midsummer Night Fairy (below).  Come visit my blog again a few days for framing details on 3 projects.

Overall, the 2018 WIPocalypse was a success.  Most of the WIPs got finished, or at least to 75% progress.  Thanks to Measi, our fearless leader, for organizing this SAL, I love it and it goes along swimmingly with my baby, Stitch from Stash (FB group)!   

 

2018 WIPocalypse: Intro & Plans

Hello, my name is Stephanie, aka Ms. OhSewCrafty on Youtube & Instagram (@msohsewcrafty).  My main goal for 2018 is to finish projects in a timely fashion and make new starts only when they are justified by finishes.  I do have a hefty list of goals (18 in 18) so without further adieu...

Goal No. 1 involves my oldest WIP, Maiden & Unicorn by Vermillion, which was started over 10 years ago... egads!  I tried to finish her in 2017 and got close, but did not have the stitchy time I anticipated in December.  I would like to finish her this month (she is almost done as you can see).

Goal No. 2 involves my second oldest WIP, Fall Fairy by Dimenions Gold, which I started about 3 years ago.  Hopefully I can work on her throughout the year and finish when she's seasonal, in the Fall.

Goal No. 3 is King Arthur's Court by DMC, which I started last January.  It's high time to finish; my plan is to focus effort early in the year.

Gold No. 4 is Water Goddess by Joan Elliott, which I made a tiny start on last August.  I would like to finish (the last of the elemental series, hurrah!) and start another big JE piece.

Goal No. 5 is Enchanted Mermaid by Mirabilia, which I started last November.  I would love to finish her and start another big Mira like Stargazer.

Goal No. 6 is Trick or Treat Fairy by Nora Corbett, started last October.  I would love to finish her and start another witchy project.

Goal No. 7 is Bright and Beautiful by Leslie Teare, started last May.  I should be able to finish this small piece in the appropriate season, Spring.

Goal No.8 is Charmed Santa by Sandy Orton, which I started last May.  This piece is full coverage and confetti-tastic, but it's not huge.  I hope I can finish by Christmas.

Goal No. 9 is Winnie the Pooh by MCG Textiles, fabric and floss substitution from kit, started last April.  My goal is to stitch 1,680 stitches per month, which represents two columns, from top to midline, or midline to bottom (20,160 stitches).  That will not be quite enough to finish, but I'm comfortable with the pace.

Goal No. 10 is Lizzie Kate Boo Club, which will be started in January.  My plan is stitch 1 word per month and share it on Jo's Halloween Ornie Blog (link).  

Goal No. 11 is my Mill Hill Christmas Village, specially the General Store, Cathedral, Village Bakery, and Needlework Shop.  I will work on each one with a goal for quarterly finishes.  All will be started in January.

Goal No. 12 involves new starts, specifically The Lord's Prayer by Stoney Creek and Spooky House by X's and Oh's. Both are finish goals, but Spooky House is pretty solid stitching with lots of fractionals & blends and Stoney Creek patterns are not be trifled with, lol.  Other possible starts are posted here.

Goal No. 13 is knitting- Old WIPs and a new summer sweater are my goals.  The Cotillion Shell is stashed & ready... (photo credit to Tahki Stacey Charles)

Goal No. 14 is sewing- garments.  Costumes, pajamas, holiday outfits, whatever.  I want to sew more.

Goal No. 15 is felt appliqué.  I've got ornaments and several larger kits for various holidays, I'd like to finish at least one large kit.

Goal No. 16 is home dec crafts.... I've got plenty of ideas (and a few undone projects) rattling around, time to finish stuff.

Goal No. 17 is painting (my kitchen).  I have some touch ups and special touches to add to my DIY kitchen that I renovated a few years back.

Goal No. 18 is framing.  I want to frame several projects, work through most of my framing stash, and especially frame Celtic Autumn, the Spirit of Christmas, Siren & Shipwreck, Toil & Trouble, Castle by TW, Midsummer Night Fairy, & Titania.  That is a hefty list and though I frame myself, and save a bundle on costs, it's still not exactly cheap since I order custom frames, buy acid free mats (which I cut myself), etc. However, if I stick with my focus on WIPs, I should save money on stash purchases, and it will work out.  

This is a hefty list and I'm seeking greater balance this year, more time dedicated to fitness & health, so wish me luck!  

 

2017 WIPocalypse: Intro & Plans

Hello, my name is Stephanie aka Ms. OhSewCrafty and I'm an incorrigible crafter.  Name any craft, I've probably tried it, but cross stitching is my enduring love.  2016 was my year of starts.  This year, though I will certainly make some starts, the focus will be on WIPs.  It is in fact, the Year of WIPs (Soulful Stitchers FB group).  Here are are my WIPocalypse goals.

Project 1.  Maiden & Unicorn by Vermillion, started in 2007, resurrected from UFO pile in 2016.  50% complete.  The goal is to finish.  (Spoiler alert: finishing everything is the goal!)

Project 2.  Snowman & Friends Stocking by Dimensions, started in 2014.  Currently a UFO though I did work on a bit in 2016 (a few hours).  Goal is to finish and sew into stocking by December 1.  As a subgoal, take apart my other cross stitch stockings and refinish in a way that befits their splendor.

Project 3.The Castle by Teresa Wenztler, started in 2015. 70% complete.  Finishing is the goal.  Starting Fantasy Triptych would be a bonus.

Project 4.  Fall Fairy by Dimensions Gold, started in 2015, 5% complete, currently a UFO.  I want to finish this one, too.  There's a long way to go but a significant portion is tent stitch.

Project 5. Summer Bellpull by Stoney Creek, started in 2016.  80% complete.  The goal is to finish and sew into bellpull by June 1.

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Project 6.  Earth Goddess by Joan Elliott, started in 2016.  65% complete.  Finishing by July 1 is the goal.  Starting Water Goddess would be a bonus.

 

Project 7.  Aphrodite by Mirabilia, started in 2016.  45% complete.  I want to finish.  Starting another mermaid would be a bonus.

Project 8. New starts, especially King Arthur's Court, Titania by Mirabilia, and Fire Goddess by Joan Elliott.  I want to finish those.  I also want to try some new to me designers this year, like Sue Hillis, Ink Circles, Glendon Place, and Passione Ricamo.  For these, progress is the goal.

Project 9.  Handknits: several knitting projects need finishing, or the very minimum photography & blogging.  These include Ruched yoke tee, Baudelaire jacket, Retro jacket by Classic Elite, Frost Tapestry set (cowl & mittens), and Kingscot cardigan.

Project 10.  Sewing clothes & Home dec, the latter which also encompasses general crafting.  Bat bunting.  Pumpkin witch ceramic bisque.  Vintage Santa car felt applique.  Felt applieque ornaments.  Elf dolls.   Peppermint wreath. 

As for the cross stitch finishing goals, at least 2 weeks each month will be spent on those projects, until such time I feel that all will completed during the year.  2016 was my first year with a more formal (weekly) rotation, and it worked well for me. My rotation is both time and goal based.  Most months have a few extra days beyond 4 weeks so those days at the end are bonus, often devoted to focus for a finish.

 

2016 WIPocalypse

It's 2016 and time for a new WIPocalypse!  I'm Stephanie and crafting keeps me sane.  I love this SAL because it encourages me to think about old projects, prioritize, plan, and finish things.  I am very much a "product" crafter.  I enjoy the process, but I primarily stitch, sew, knit, etc because I want that pattern hanging on my wall, or to wear that unique dress, or see that cute sweater on my baby.  The past years' WIPocalypse(s) have been very fruitful, so I'm really digging deep this time.  Also, I'm planning lots of new starts.

Goal No. 1: Celtic Christmas by Lavendar and Lace.  The goal is to finish. Starting Celtic Autumn would be a bonus.

 

Goal No. 2: Midsummer Night Fairy by Mirabilia.  The goal is to finish (little touch ups, backstitching, and beads) and start another Mira, perhaps Titania.  I think she and Middy would make a pretty pair. As a subgoal, framing (DIY) of some of my older finishes, especially the Miras.

Goal No. 3:  Mask of Colors QS by HAED.  Currently 50% finished.  Goal is to progress to 75%.

Goal No. 4:  Maiden and the Unicorn by Vermillion.  Currently 20% finished.  I started this in 2007 and put it away after getting frustrated with the border.  Maybe now that I'm more experienced with evenweave it will be easier.  I still love the pattern.  The goal is to progress to 50%, including 2 sides of the border.

Goal No. 5: Merlin & Arthur by HAED.  I stitched about one page back in 2005 (4%).  The goal is to finish 2 more full and 1 partial page, which would complete the first column of pages and bring me to 14%.  Slow and steady to win the race, I hope.  

 

Goal No. 6.  The Castle by Teresa Wentzler.  Currently at 45% done, progress to 75% is the goal.

Goal No. 7.  New starts.  Christmas projects- The Spirit of Christmas by Lavendar & Lace.  Seraphina and Angelina, Mill Hill ornament kits. Nora Corbett's Christmas couriers (reindeer)- at least 1 of them.  Another Mirabilia-Siren & Shipwreck.  Joan Elliott's 12 Days of Christmas.  Also by Joan Elliott- the elemental goddess series- starting with Air.  Love with a Capital L by Papillon Designs, as a wedding sampler.  (Those last 5 were started in late December or as part of my crazy January extravanganza).  Spooky House by X's and Oh's and/or Eerie Express by Glendon Place.    Something for a tall, narrow space in my kitchen- the Bordeaux Bellpull (most likely, I keep changing my mind about this one).  Finally, something by Passione Ricamo, either Morning Fae or Selene.  Most of these are large projects and I have no illusions about finishing quickly.  Progress is the goal.  

 

 

Goal No. 8.  Sewing- home dec.  Oliver's crib quilt.  Must finish before his 2nd birthday, for sure!   Some seasonal decor pieces, including lots of felt appliqué.

Goal No. 9.  Sewing- garments.  Special holiday outfits for Ollie and me.  And some pajamas for the family.  

Goal No. 10.  Knitting.  Old UFO's need attention and some may even be finished.  The Ruched Yoke tee, needs blocking and photos. Nespelem, needs some ripping and re-doing.  Frost Tapestry- the hat is finished but cowl and mitten need love.  Retro Jacket- needs photos and a dress sewn to coordinate.  The Ivy League Vest- I should finish this colorwork project already, or at least make some progress.  Kingscot- this would be a great sweater for Valentine's day.  Only the back is finished so far, but the back is the biggest piece, eh?  Some new projects are on my radar, as well.  A sweater for Oliver (Lancelot) and one for me (Shakespeare in Love).  

Is that enough?  I do belive my work is cut out for me this year!  

I have enough WIPs now (12 active) that I feel a more organized rotation is in order.  So, I will work on the 12 Days of Christmas during the first full weekend of each month, and Love with a Capital L on the 3rd weekend.  These projects are particularly suited for short bursts of effort since 12 Days is a kit and Love only involves a few colors.  The rest of the time, I will work on a few projects each month, whatever is calling me.  In addition to those "regular" projects, next month my plan is to work on Air Goddess, Celtic Christmas, and the Frost Tapestry set.

Knitting FO: Declan Hat

• Pattern: by Samantha Kirby, free via Ravelry
• Yarn: Mystery worsted weight stash wool in grey (probably Patons Classic Wool), 100 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: Toddler/5.5 st per inch in 2x2 rib unstretched on US 6's
• Time to Knit: A few days in November 2015

Oliver needed a new winter hat.  My child loves to be outside and we do spend plenty of time running around playgrounds in the dead of winter (sufficiently bundled up, of course).  

The pattern is fine, written and charted.  The way it describes the ribbing is a little confusing.  Essentially you knit 2 x 2 rib for whatever measurement corresponds with your size, then begin working the chart on row 2.  I created a hybrid (toddler) size by kntting the infant size with a few additional rounds to the ribbing.  And I did a long tail tubular cast on (per Ysolda) for stretch and recovery at the brim.  It fits my 23-month-old perfectly.  Who knows about next year, though. 

The yarn is from my deep stash and is likely Patons Classic Wool.  It's a bit on the rough side but softens up nicely with a soak and some hair conditioner.  In any case, Oliver likes to wear the hat, so I guess it's soft enough.   I chose it mainly for color- a heathered mid grey that looks good with his winter coat. 

 This is a quick little project with some flair from the cables.  Nearly instant gratification and I am happy!

2015 WIPocalypse: December Update

So, time for a recap!

Goal No. 1 was Lizzie Kate Xmas by the Letter, to finish and frame.  At the beginning:

It was finished in March and framed in December.  Success!

My subgoal for No. 1 was to do some more framing (DIY).  Some of my older projects were finished, including Home, and my Seasonal Fairies.

Goal No. 2 was Emerald Mermaid by Mirabilia, to finish.  At the beginning:

She was finished and framed in April.  Success!

Goal No. 3 was Celtic Christmas by Lavender & Lace, to progress to 50%.  At the beginning:

I worked on her in June and again in December.  Progress around 80% done.  Will finish next year!

Goal No. 4 was Petal Fairy by Mirabilia, to progress to 75%.  At the beginning:

Happy dancing in August!  

Goal No. 5 was Beacon at Daybreak by Dimensions, to progress to 75%.  At the beginning:

It was finished in April!

Goal No. 6 was Mask of Colors QS by HAED, to progress in 50%.  At the beginning:

I reached my goal in October.

Goal No. 7 involved new starts.  A Christmas project, Joan Elliott's Christmas Angel, I started in January, finished in September, and framed in December.  A Halloween project, Toil and Trouble by Erica Michaels, was started in August and finished in October. Something for my son Oliver, Dragon Dreams' Fairy Tale Sampler was started/finished in March and framed in April.  A BAP, Teresa Wentzler's The Castle was started in April and I reached the 50% mark, just about.  I started and finished another 2, Gabrielle ornament by Mill Hill (November)  and Mediterraean Mermaid by Mirabilia (September-November).  Midsummer Night Fairy by Mirabilia was started in May and now she's ready for backstitching and beads.

  

   

Goal No. 8 was sewing, garments. I did sew a Halloween costume and a little Christmas suit for Oliver (better pics of the suit to come, hopefully).  For myself, just a skirt.  Moderate success, I suppose.

 

Goal No. 9 was sewing, home dec.  Well, I did finish my Halloween ornament kit.  Oliver's crib quilt got some attention, but no work, and I'm pretty sad about that as he's almost 2.  My stained glass star quilt WIP will be finished this week (fingers crossed)!   A lot of my sewing projects never advanced beyond the planning stage, though.  So, I'll call this moderate success.

 

Goal No. 10 was knitting.  I finished Apres Surf.  And Oliver's pea coat.  It's done, but it doesn't fit (too big).  Maybe it will fit next year, but I'm worried that by the time he's wide enough for it, he'll be too tall.  That was a bitter pill.  I finished three new hat projects, Solitaire Beret, Kat, and Declan (toddler size).  Unfortunately the weather has not been conducive to hat wearing; there have only been a few days cold enough so far (very unusual for my area and I don't like it!)  And I finished some older projects, including Iris and Peach Yoke. I still have several old UFO's though, so this is moderate success.

Overall, I'm very happy with my cross stitch progress, but I think sewing and knitting could have used more love.  There's a few days left in December and I'm hoping to crank out a few FO's by the new year.

2015 WIPocalypse: November Update

Sorry this is a few days late. Thankgiving prep kept me busy for a while- I hosted.  I tried a new roll recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction- oh my gosh.  These rolls are pure bliss and the recipe is easy.  If you like to bake bread, try this one!

This past month, I worked on Mediterranean Mermaid.  Previously:

So, I finished the cross stitch and the backstitch (minimal).  Now, beading is in progress and I should be happy dancing soon. 

I started a small project (Mill HIll ornament kit) and had a happy dance.  

Gabrielle is my first cross stitch ornament, besides some plastic canvas stuff I did as a child.  I want to do more!

Sewing- I finished Oliver's Halloween costume (above).  My sewing room received a dose of decluttering and organization, which was badly needed.  I unearthed a pattern I had stashed, to make a Christmas suit for Oliver, but then realized it wouldn't fit.  (He's too big for baby patterns-sniff).  So I bought a new pattern and some materials for that project.

Knitting- I finally, blocked, finished, and got photos of Iris and the Peach Yoke Tee. I made two hats- the Declan cabled beanie for Oliver and the Solitaire beret for myself- no pics yet, sorry.  But it's finally cold enough for hats, so pics soon hopefully!  I started a sweater project for myself, Greenaway.  It's over 50% done; the back and first sleeve are finished.  The front is in progress with about 9" completed so far.

 Questions of the month: Which designer has inspired you to stitch the greatest number of designs and why do you think that is?

I'd say it's a tie between Mirabilia and Joan Elliott.  Both designers make incredible fantasy designs, and it is the fantastical stuff that captures my imagination.  My faves from the Mirabilia line are the mermaids- there are many spectacular patterns. As for Joan Elliott- my faves are her "ladies"- fairies, angels, etc.  Her designs are wonderfully detailed and the faces are just lovely.  

Next month, my priorities include finishing Mediterranean Mermaid, making some progress on Celtic Christmas, framing  2 Xmas cross stitches (materials are stashed), finishing Greenaway, sewing Oliver's Christmas outfit, working on a few Christmas decor projects, and adding the binding (ie, finishing) my Stained Glass Star quilt WIP. 

New knitting WIPs: Greenaway & Declan

Once I finished the baby pea coat (more on that later), I wanted to cast on a new sweater for myself. The last time I did that, it was 2013! Though my Ravelry queue is miles long, I limited myself to "Christmas projects"- festive and/or "special" patterns with yarn stashed in red, green, or white. I chose Greenaway, a square neck pullover with beaded detail in the cuffs and yoke, and some Knitpicks Gloss DK in jade, from my stash.

So far the back piece is finished and the first sleeve is in progress.  This is acually quite an easy pattern, mostly simple stockinette.  Finishing by Christmas is certainly acheivable.  The details are lovely.  I chose gold-lined rainbow crystal beads for a some sparkle and contrast with the dark green fabric.

My other new project is the Declan cabled hat for my son Oliver (21 months).  I'm doing the infant size with a bit more height in the ribbed section, and it seems the fit will be fine, this is a very stretchy pattern.  The yarn is from my deep stash, pre-blog, pre-Ravelry, so I'm not quite sure what it is.  But I do have a foggy memory of my second knitting project, a mixed stitch gray scarf, mostly just an excuse to practice stitch patterns.  I believe the yarn is Patons Classic wool- one of few natural wool yarns available at Michaels' at the time (2002).

Most of the pattern is finished, about 12 rounds remain.  And I am quite low on yarn, I hope I have enough to finish.  I started with 47 g and according to the pattern, I only needed about 30 or 32 g.  The yarn is not very soft, but I am hoping that a bath and maybe some hair conditioner will improve it.

Knitting FO: Iris

• Pattern: Iris by Sarah Hattan from Rowan 45
• Yarn: Elann Lara (mercerized cotton) "antique blue", 1104 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: 35", 5.75 spi on US 3's
• Time to knit: Well, I started in 2011...

This project was a long time coming.  It involved lots of frogging after a four year hiatus.  Finally, it is finished, and I am pleased though the fit across the bust is a bit tight (bust is bigger from nursing).  

The pattern is fine, no errata, written in a pithy manner that I appreciate.  The lace is charted, though it is easy enough to memorize.  The schematic is mimimal, for example there is no measurement for hem to armscye.  Back in 2011, I knit the left front too long before beginning the armcye, so that had to be frogged when I realized my mistake in 2015.  And then I had to frog and reknit most of the second sleeve because I knit it with US 2.5's instead of US 3's.  It looked fine, but it was shorter than the first sleeve.

The yarn, Elann Lara, is a light sportweight mercerized cotton plied from many tiny threads.   It is much nicer to wear than to knit with, in my opinion.  The color is rich, has a nice sheen; the fabric is soft and drapey.   The stitch definition is fantastic, which is gratifying for a detailed pattern like Iris.  However, it was incredibly splitty and frequently drove me bonkers.  Using a nice sharp needle (knitpicks options) helped.  The blue shell buttons are from G Street in Falls Church, VA.

Iris is a versatile piece for my wardrobe.  I like the allover lace and v-neck.  Beyond that, I've never been so glad to see the end of a project.  Between the splitty yarn and my misreading of the pattern and subsequent frogging, it really felt like a slog at times.  I'm glad to have the FO but I wouldn't do it again!

P.S. I made the skirt too!  I'll post about that little project soon.