Okay, let's see if I can post more in 2022!

 Hello my lovelies, 

I am so sorry that I have not visited with you all since April last year - not sure where the time has gone - especially as we (like so many of us) were in lockdown for most of it.  I promise you, a lot of reading, stitching and knitting got done but for some reason, I really hermitted and posted on IG rather than on Blogger.  But it is a NEW YEAR, so here goes. 

This is what I have been stitching this month....

Unfortunately, for me, despite stitching like mad all month I didn't quite finish my choices for two of the themes: One (12 Days) and Four (Nutcracker) for the Christmas Ornie SAL which I host.  Although I did make a lot of progress on my Nutcracker Village for Theme Four.  

But firstly, here is my 12 Days design - by Jim Shore - this is a picture of what it will look like when finished....

.... and here is my rather pathetic progress on it!

But I am pleased to say that my first section of Nutcracker Village by Country Cottage Needlework is coming along very well (although not finished).  It is stitched on the called for sparkly fabric but I couldn't seem to get the sparkles to show up but I must say I think it is one of the prettiest Christmas designs I have ever stitched and I am sorry to say that the photos do not really do it justice.

This is what I have been knitting, all last year and again this year - Dishcloths!

These are all free designs from Garlene from The Kitchen Sink shop - she releases a new one each month. You can find her designs on Ravelry, here (or click on the pic above) although you have to pay for last year's designs now. But if you sign up for her newsletter you should get these year's designs for free each month.  I find these very soothing to knit and so pretty and useful.

... and this is what I have been reading so far this year...

I would have to say, don't bother with either The Girl with the Stars (even though I have really loved all of Mark Lawrence's other novels) or Trigger Mortis (adolescent rubbish, really). I am rereading the Matthew Reilly's Jack West Jr series as the final one has come out but they are a VERY light read and you have to suspend a lot of disbelief.  The real gem that I have discovered this year is Louise Penny and her Inspector Gamache series. At first they seem like a light read, too, but they have so much depth to them which becomes more with each novel in the series.  I can highly recommend them (and I am learning a lot about Quebec, too).  Update: Stanley Tucci's book was a delight!

So, that is me for this past month (yes, I know it is Feb already but at least I am trying - lol!)

hugs, 

January WIPocalypse Update.....

Hmmm, I am thinking that my WIPocalypse is going to be an epic fail this month but let's see....

WIPocalypse is hosted for us by awesome SAL Mama, Measi's Musings.

Each and every month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.  

Following dear Jo's lead, I have chosen my "17 in '17" which are the 17 projects I want to focus on this year.  You can see the full list on this post here.1. Rainbow Gallery -  2004 Cross Stitch Surprise series (January to December)

So, this month I stitched on 5 of the 17 - not as poor a showing as I had imagined.  The five are:

Imaginating - Halloween Happiness - I finished the Moon for this month's theme for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL.

Fabric: 28 ct orange Lugana

Floss: My own choice of specialty threads

Jim Shore - The Twelve Days of Christmas

Not a huge amount of progress, just a bit of border, really, which I am actually planning to frog, as I have decided to go with a variegated floss (on the left).  This, originally, was my 12 Days of Christmas design for The Christmas Ornie SAL, but this has now been superseded by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery 12 Days.

The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery - The Twelve Days of Christmas - Good progress here, Day One finished and some stitching on each of the other days.

Eva Rosenstaad - Danish bell pull - this one is moving along nicely, as this is one of my two Ten-a-Day projects.

Scissor Tail Designs - Christmas Charm - also progressing nicely as this is the second of my Ten-a-Day projects.

As for SALs and other Stitching Commitments....  I have just a few of those - lol!

First Saturday of the month - The Alphabet Club - we are working our way through the alphabet, the next letter will be S.

15th of each month - Gifted Gorgeousness - link up with anything which was a gift to you or is intended as a gift, you have given or received in an exchange or you can shoehorn into the theme of being a Gift!

New Moon - TUSAL - Totally Useless SAL -let's see how many ORTs we can create in a month?

Last Friday of month - Smalls SAL - Show off anything Small (you decide how big or small a Small is) you have stitched this month.

Last Sunday of month - WIPocalypse - post before the End of the World!

Throughout the month I also have Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics, the Americana SAL blog, the Prairie Schooler SAL blog, the Tudor Tuesdays SAL blog, the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL blog, the Christmas Ornie SAL blog, and, for my sins, I have joined a couple of Facebook groups, and I have a couple of freebie SALs on the backburner plus The Six Wives Club SAL,  plus I try to post my stitchy progress regularly on Instagram, plus, plus, plus! 

I am also taking part in a more traditional SAL with Jo, where we both stitch the same design - The Drawn Thread's Spot of Seasons.  So far Jo has finished stitching A Spot of Winter and I have "lost" mine somewhere in my Girl's Nest! I need to find it soon, really soon, as on 1st March we will start Spot of Spring!

Dear Jo also runs some fabulous Blog Hops which I try to take part in each year. There are usually five a year; Easter, Summer, Hallowe'en, Advent and the next one which will be Valentine's Secret Stitching Sweetheart.  

So, lots happening for me in my stitchy/bloggy world each month.

hugs, 

P.S. If you want to see what the other WIPocalypsers got up to this month - please follow this link.

P.S. Feel free to check out my Easter Exchange - you have just a litte bit more time to join in the fun!

P.P.S. Don't forget to join in the fun of my second Girl's Nest Giveaway for 2017. Entries close on Feb 5th.  Good luck!