This month's discussion topic is:
"What stitch-a-longs (SALs) are you participating in this year?"
Easy question! The tricky part is how one defies "participation"!
Here's a list, starting with long-term WIPs (bordering on UFOs). followed by current SALs, and ending with SALs where I have collected the charts with every intention of starting (but haven't yet)!!
1.There are two long-term SAL/WIPs which have stalled out for one reason or another. I hope (against hope) to get back to them this year:
- Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches", started in February 2014 and roughly 60% complete. Stalled out partly because it is so large, but also because I couldn't stitch on something this big for almost six years because of broken wrist (followed by OT) and two years later by ruptured tendon (followed by more OT), during which I lost my mojo....
- Lakeside Needlecraft SAL, "Kogin", also designed by Elizabeth Almond. I began this in February 2022, after four installments had been issued. The entire pattern is now in hand, but I had issues - and the frog was a frequent visitor. It has been put away until I can deal with my obvious inablility to follow a pattern here!
2. There are the three I am currently stitching, alternating (with time off for tax preparation, road trips and other possible interruptions* to my normal evening stitching routine):
- Fox & Rabbit's Patreon temperature chart for the year 2023, designed by Fox & Rabbit. Not a typical SAL in that Fox & Rabbit provided the basic chart and it's up to me to account for each day's "installment" of low and high temperatures of the day for the year 2023
- Fox & Rabbit Mystery SAL for 2023, called "Royal Gardens". I got behind waiting for floss and fabric to arrive but also because of a massive counting error and am slowly catching up by stitching every third day
- Lakeside Needlecraft "Happiness is Handmade" SAL, designed by Durene Jones. Three installments behind again because I was waiting for the fabric and the floss to arrive.
3. I probably shouldn't even mention the Cliffside Stitches "Egyptian Blackwork" SAL, the Cliffside Stitches "Cross-Stitch Tiles" SAL, and the Steady Thread "Botanical Blackwork SAL 2023" because I haven't even begun to select fabric or floss but I have collected all the pattern installments so far... When will I get around to them? WILL I get around to them? WHO KNOWS...
~~~~~WIPs~~~~~
1. As mentioned above...
- Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches" sampler. Started back in February of 2014! No progress since the last check-in.
- A Lakeside Needlecraft SAL, "Kogin", designed by Elizabeth Almond. I began in February 2022, after four installments had been issued. No progress...
2. Traveling Needlepoint: Not having travelled since the pandemic, I had not been motivated to stitch on "Butterfly on Scroll" by Dimensions since February 2020. This year, the first of two daylily conventions occurred February 17 - 19 in Springfield, IL and I would have had three days of hotel time to kill while my husband was attending seminars but... I forgot the cord to my portable Ott lamp and so only had one day of partial sunshine sufficient to see the holes in the canvas (hotel lighting sucks...). But I did get in some 42 inches of floss-worth stitching. It is the strand of leaves running half-way down the left side in the photo below:
Here's a list, starting with long-term WIPs (bordering on UFOs). followed by current SALs, and ending with SALs where I have collected the charts with every intention of starting (but haven't yet)!!
1.There are two long-term SAL/WIPs which have stalled out for one reason or another. I hope (against hope) to get back to them this year:
- Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches", started in February 2014 and roughly 60% complete. Stalled out partly because it is so large, but also because I couldn't stitch on something this big for almost six years because of broken wrist (followed by OT) and two years later by ruptured tendon (followed by more OT), during which I lost my mojo....
- Lakeside Needlecraft SAL, "Kogin", also designed by Elizabeth Almond. I began this in February 2022, after four installments had been issued. The entire pattern is now in hand, but I had issues - and the frog was a frequent visitor. It has been put away until I can deal with my obvious inablility to follow a pattern here!
2. There are the three I am currently stitching, alternating (with time off for tax preparation, road trips and other possible interruptions* to my normal evening stitching routine):
- Fox & Rabbit's Patreon temperature chart for the year 2023, designed by Fox & Rabbit. Not a typical SAL in that Fox & Rabbit provided the basic chart and it's up to me to account for each day's "installment" of low and high temperatures of the day for the year 2023
- Fox & Rabbit Mystery SAL for 2023, called "Royal Gardens". I got behind waiting for floss and fabric to arrive but also because of a massive counting error and am slowly catching up by stitching every third day
- Lakeside Needlecraft "Happiness is Handmade" SAL, designed by Durene Jones. Three installments behind again because I was waiting for the fabric and the floss to arrive.
3. I probably shouldn't even mention the Cliffside Stitches "Egyptian Blackwork" SAL, the Cliffside Stitches "Cross-Stitch Tiles" SAL, and the Steady Thread "Botanical Blackwork SAL 2023" because I haven't even begun to select fabric or floss but I have collected all the pattern installments so far... When will I get around to them? WILL I get around to them? WHO KNOWS...
~~~~~WIPs~~~~~
1. As mentioned above...
- Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches" sampler. Started back in February of 2014! No progress since the last check-in.
- A Lakeside Needlecraft SAL, "Kogin", designed by Elizabeth Almond. I began in February 2022, after four installments had been issued. No progress...
2. Traveling Needlepoint: Not having travelled since the pandemic, I had not been motivated to stitch on "Butterfly on Scroll" by Dimensions since February 2020. This year, the first of two daylily conventions occurred February 17 - 19 in Springfield, IL and I would have had three days of hotel time to kill while my husband was attending seminars but... I forgot the cord to my portable Ott lamp and so only had one day of partial sunshine sufficient to see the holes in the canvas (hotel lighting sucks...). But I did get in some 42 inches of floss-worth stitching. It is the strand of leaves running half-way down the left side in the photo below:
3. Two pieces requiring beading:
- "Hope & Strength" by Glendon Pace. Purchased in 2020 and started in March, 2021, the stitching is complete. It awaits the attachment of 1988 beads! That intimidating total number of beads means I haven't taken this piece out of it's project bag all month long...
- "Christmas Banner" by Stitchonomy. Started in mid-December 2022. Not that many beads but I decided to do all the beading at the same time. So "Christmas Banner" languishes...
4. Fox & Rabbit's Patreon temperature chart for the year 2023. Stitching on 28 ct. "Star Sapphire" Gobelin (although it looks more pale green than "sapphire" to me) using DMC floss. I'm stitching the day's low on the left side of the hearts and the high on the right side. All temperatures are based on the recorded highs and lows from an online "past weather" temperature chart for near-by Bowling Green, Ohio (we don't have a reliable outdoor temperature thermometer for our home so I'm assuming same ZIP code, similar temperature, although that isn't totally accurate). I am pretty much keeping up with the days, waiting until I have roughly five days of temperatures charted to stitch each session. I spend the rest of the time on the border and the hangers. (the picture below shows temperatures through February 21):
- "Hope & Strength" by Glendon Pace. Purchased in 2020 and started in March, 2021, the stitching is complete. It awaits the attachment of 1988 beads! That intimidating total number of beads means I haven't taken this piece out of it's project bag all month long...
- "Christmas Banner" by Stitchonomy. Started in mid-December 2022. Not that many beads but I decided to do all the beading at the same time. So "Christmas Banner" languishes...
4. Fox & Rabbit's Patreon temperature chart for the year 2023. Stitching on 28 ct. "Star Sapphire" Gobelin (although it looks more pale green than "sapphire" to me) using DMC floss. I'm stitching the day's low on the left side of the hearts and the high on the right side. All temperatures are based on the recorded highs and lows from an online "past weather" temperature chart for near-by Bowling Green, Ohio (we don't have a reliable outdoor temperature thermometer for our home so I'm assuming same ZIP code, similar temperature, although that isn't totally accurate). I am pretty much keeping up with the days, waiting until I have roughly five days of temperatures charted to stitch each session. I spend the rest of the time on the border and the hangers. (the picture below shows temperatures through February 21):
5. Lakeside Needlecraft "Happiness is Handmade" SAL designed by Durene Jones. Progress after one day of stitching:
There are counting mistakes in both the blue border AND in the pink line, but I can't find them and the stitching is fitting side to side, so I decided it was a minor personalization and left it alone (frogging on this AIDA band is messy and not worth the hassle unless the mistake is major, IMO!)!
6. Fox & Rabbit Mystery SAL for 2023, called "Royal Gardens". Stitching on 32ct Lugana "pale green" using Threadworx Overdyed Floss 1048 Woodland Green throughout (although I am considering one or more of six different yellow/gold Threadworx threads as accents here and there...). Again, I was waiting for the fabric and the floss before starting so I am way behind: I am roughly 1/3 of the way through the January installment and have the February installment in hand...
6. Fox & Rabbit Mystery SAL for 2023, called "Royal Gardens". Stitching on 32ct Lugana "pale green" using Threadworx Overdyed Floss 1048 Woodland Green throughout (although I am considering one or more of six different yellow/gold Threadworx threads as accents here and there...). Again, I was waiting for the fabric and the floss before starting so I am way behind: I am roughly 1/3 of the way through the January installment and have the February installment in hand...
As you can see, this Threadworx "Woodland Green", while variegated, does't show drastic color shifts, so a little touch of "gold" here and there wouldn't hurt. I'll decide when I get to a place where an accent might be required.
~~~~~
As mentioned above, there other projects in the queue, but whether or not they actually get started in 2023 is in question. They include:
~~~~~
So that sums up my February stitchery.
I am now a two days behind on a virtual card making weekend and I also have to get our taxes materials together for our tax preparer before the end of the month** so stitching will likely take a backseat for a week or so.
I hope everyone has a blessed Lenten season, that the weather isn't treating you too badly (we've had a warmer and a wetter than usual February but have lucked out on the snow and ice), and that you will find joy in stitching!
~~~~~
* Possible interruptions to my stitching routine, as noted all the way in the beginning of the blog post, started off with a bang last night, with a stubbed toe that hurt like Heck and bled like a stick pig. That resulted in a three hour visit to the ER (7 PM through 10) which meant, when I got home with a diagnosis (no break, use antibiotic ointment on the bleeding area, and see my MD!, but the toe was still bleeding and by then, I was NOT in any mental shape to stitch!
** Tax materials assembled and collated and ready for the tax preparer...
~~~~~
As mentioned above, there other projects in the queue, but whether or not they actually get started in 2023 is in question. They include:
- a cooperative venture between Nancy Wahler ("Faithwurks") and Sue Hillis Designs called "A Stitcher's Shadowbox and Smalls" (as per usual, I ordered two by mistake! Oh well---) and I have the kit(s) in hand.
- two SALs by Cliffside Stitches. One is a variation on medieval Egyptian blackwork and the other is a set of cross-stitched tiles based on a variety of motifs that are reminiscent of traditional folk designs from around the world. I have not started either, although I am collecting the weekly installments
- a blackwork SAL by Clare Bradshaw of The Steady Thread - weekly installments of two versions. I have collected the installments but have not decided on which version, if any I would stitch. Nor have I settled on fabric or floss color way(s)
~~~~~
So that sums up my February stitchery.
I am now a two days behind on a virtual card making weekend and I also have to get our taxes materials together for our tax preparer before the end of the month** so stitching will likely take a backseat for a week or so.
I hope everyone has a blessed Lenten season, that the weather isn't treating you too badly (we've had a warmer and a wetter than usual February but have lucked out on the snow and ice), and that you will find joy in stitching!
~~~~~
* Possible interruptions to my stitching routine, as noted all the way in the beginning of the blog post, started off with a bang last night, with a stubbed toe that hurt like Heck and bled like a stick pig. That resulted in a three hour visit to the ER (7 PM through 10) which meant, when I got home with a diagnosis (no break, use antibiotic ointment on the bleeding area, and see my MD!, but the toe was still bleeding and by then, I was NOT in any mental shape to stitch!
** Tax materials assembled and collated and ready for the tax preparer...
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