Happy New Year, my blogging friends! I hope that you have had a wonderful Holiday season and that your new year will be everything you hope it will be.

The last couple of months have been very busy for me and they really went by so fast I could hardly keep up. I have been stitching and decorating and my Christmas was such a joy. All of the kids were here and we started new traditions, pulled in some old traditions and made lots of wonderful memories. So what have I been stitching on?

Well, most of my time has been spent on stitching on 1 project. I am still trying to get all of my WIPs finished (that is the ultimate goal ;) Around mid November I pulled out my 2022 MSAL, Changing Seasons from Fox and Rabbit. When the final section came out on the 1st of December 2022, it was the outside border section. I worked on the top border that month and it took me so long to get through it. I knew I wouldn’t finish it before the end of that month, so I put it away. Because I didn’t finish it, I didn’t think it would be wise to start the 2023 SAL. But when Foxx & Rabbit put out that 2024 would probably be their last SAL, I knew I wanted to participate. But first I needed to finish the 2022 SAL. So this is what it looked like when I pulled it out.

Oh the colors in this are so beautiful and rich and regal! I couldn’t wait to start stitching with DMC 115 again. And so I stitched and stitched. Stitching 4-6 hours a day, hoping to finish it before the end of the year. 

So much stitching, but I enjoyed every stitch I put in, and took out. I did have to frog a section that took me 2 days to rip out. Ugh. But then I was back on track and paying close attention to where each motif was; counting from every angle.

In between decorating, shopping, wrapping, house stuff and everything else, I finally made it across the bottom border. I only had the left border to do! I was so excited to see this piece coming to a finish. And late on December 27th, I put in my last stitch!

Wow! I LOVE it! I will not lie…that border was massive! But it is finished. I do still have to add my initials and the date. And there are 2 very tiny blue dots on the piece that I have to try to clean. One on the front and one on the back. The only thing I can think that they are from, is Blue Slurpee! You know, sometimes when you drink from a straw and let go, a little drop can be flung from it? That is the only thing I can think of. It is funny that the spot on the front didn’t go through to the back and the spot on the back didn’t go through onto the front. Anyway, I will have to figure out how to clean the spots. The fabric is a hand dyed so I don’t want to wash it. We’ll see how it goes. But it is finished for the most part and I am free to start the 2024 SAL. I am still deciding on fabric for that one, though I will probably use 18ct aida (first for me) in white. It is what I have in stock and that is large enough as it will use a little bit more that a fat quarter. More about that when I get a start on it. Anyway, the above sampler was stitched with DMC 115. I also used a darker burgundy for outlining the letters, but I don’t have the number right here. If you want to know, I am sure it is in the older posts from 2022 or leave me a comment and I can get it for you. The fabric is 16ct Aida Winter Wishes from Fabric by Steph. 

After finishing the sampler, I pulled out my knitting, since I had neglected my knitting in order to spend all of my free time stitching on the sampler to get it finished before the end of the year. I pulled out my Impulse Buy shawl.

The pattern called for 400 yards making it a 1 skein shawl, but I was thinking I wanted it longer. So I went on the hunt looking for another skein. I was worried about the colors matching the skein that I had and after talking with my Mother in Law, she said she would send me her skein that she picked up the same time I did when she visited in October. So I kept knitting. And I received her skein in the mail.

Just look at all of those beautiful colors in that skein! 

I ended up adding about 24 grams from the extra skein. I think it will be long enough after blocking. So I finished the shawl.

It still needs to be block and the ends woven in, but it is a finish for now. And it was my last finish for 2023. The details are: Impulse Buy Shawl by Barbara Benson and is available on Ravelry. The yarn is La Jolla by Baah in color Sleigh Ride.

I also had another fully finished object. In my last post I mentioned that I had put another project in for framing. 

I took Holly Berry Pixie in to get framed. I wanted her to be hanging in my house for the Holidays. So many frame choices! So many frames didn’t look good or were not deep enough to account the beads.

I have never gone through that many frames while trying to pick a frame out for a cross stitch project. But I wanted it to be perfect. And one that both my husband and I agreed on. And we finally did agree on the perfect frame.

I didn’t go into the framers planning on a dark wood frame. I thought I wanted a silver frame. But none of the silver or gold frames looked good at all. Hubby suggested a wood frame. I was very doubtful as I never go for wood frames. But that is the frame that we landed on. I really did like the look of it from what we could tell and couldn’t wait for her to get all framed up. A few weeks later, she was ready for pick up and I couldn’t wait to see her.

I think she turned out fabulous! I love the dark wood and the decorative swirls on the frame. She was so much smaller than I expected for some reason, but I love her! And I am very happy to have her hanging in my house for the holidays. The pattern is Holly Berry Pixie by Bella Filipina Designs. Fabric is a One of a kind from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics (no longer dying) in 16ct Aida.

So now I am back to working on my Beach Boardwalk series. This is the Saltwater Taffy Shop. It is the 6th shop in the series and is so cute. I just love the colors. After this one, just one more to go. The series is from Country Cottage Needleworks. I am stitching on 16ct Aida Friendship Greene from Fabrics by Steph, using all of the called for fancy flosses. 

 I think I had a pretty productive year as far as my crafting goes. I think I have had 21 cross stitch finishes (mostly smalls) and 6 knitted projects. Not bad. I am looking forward to crafting in 2024. I still want to work on getting my WIPs back to one project, though I doubt I will do that this year. It is always in the back of my mind, but all of my projects are large projects. There is also my oldest WIP that I definitely want to finish this year. It is my 30 year old WIP! More on that when I get back to stitching on it. 

I have also been thinking about my word for 2024. I kept coming back to the word Enjoy. So that is my word for 2024. Enjoy.  I want to enjoy more. When I am stitching, I want to be sure I enjoy the stitching on the project and not focus so much on “having to get it finished”. I want to enjoy all of my crafting while I am working on them. I want to enjoy where I am and who I am with, even though my anxiety seems to get the best of me. I want to enjoy what I choose to do instead of thinking I should be doing something else. This year I just want to enjoy. Do you have a word for 2024? I would love to hear about it and why you chose that word. 

That is what I have been up to. What have you been up to? Leave me a comment and let me know. 

Again, Happy New Year! I hope your year is full of Sparkle and Shine. I wish you a year of love, joy, happiness and good health and full of what you love to do ❤

Happy Stitching!

ginny