Happy New Year's Eve!

 Tonight will be the ceremonial dumping of the Ort Jar. As I doubt I'll be awake at midnight, I'm posting the photo of this year's early:

It is almost full to the top, and it's been tamped down.

However, I have fewer finishes this year than I have had in awhile. That doesn't mean my stitching time was reduced this year--not at all. What it means is that I've stuck my needle in a lot of things but haven't finished many of them. My stitcher's ADHD has been worse than usual. It's more than a little embarrassing to admit that there are about thirty projects sitting in my corner. Unfinished projects. That's too many. Way too many.

I better get busy. Starting right now!

Glitter, so much glitter

 I have all the chipping done!! And it's so shiny!

And it's so shiny! and so wonky!

I think my template shifted when I was transferring the center design, and then I accidentally pushed the purl purl awry when I was chipping. I thought about trying to fix it, but I have to use the rough purl used for the chips on another motif. I was a little concerned about having enough--so I left it and decided it's a perfect example of how not to set up the motif.

So, hopefully, that means that I'll do the next motif better.

I do not believe that I would be a graduate of the Royal School of Needlework without a lot more practice. A lot more practice . . . 

Chipping away

 We're slowly moving back into our regularly scheduled programming, although it still feels a bit like the North Pole around here. And that meant that I spent part of Christmas Day stitching.

I'm going to spend some time this week finishing up the motifs for the online Goldwork class I'm taking. I have some breathing room since the second term doesn't start for another few weeks, and I will probably take advantage of that time.

Right now, I'm chipping. In chipping, you cut a length of metal thread into teeny bits (aka chips) and then sew them in a random pattern on the surface. It is tedious. It's very pretty, but it's tedious. And slow. And tedious. But pretty.

I have been thinking that maybe it would work best if I do about an hour of chipping, then do something else for the rest of the day.

Like maybe have a belated Christmas Day dinner.

We always have our holiday feasts on days other than the designated holidays. A lot of that has to do with the work schedules of various family members, who always seem to have to work either the actual day or the days right before and after. Travel is involved as well, so it seems to work out best if we accommodate. But it leaves us feeling a little discombobulated.

This year, Dearly Beloved and I decided we would have our own feast on Christmas Day, a turkey and special side dishes. We bought the frozen bird and put it in the frig to thaw. A week ago, longer than the amount of time a bird that size should take.

Apparently the polar vortex that has hit the country also hit the refrigerator. We pulled the turkey out yesterday, and it was still frozen hard in places, and still pretty stiff in the rest of it. So, it went back in.

We had meatloaf.

I believe we should just go with the usual program and stay discombobulated in the future.

Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas Eve

I gave myself a Christmas present--I finished all the motifs for the first term of the Deep Dive into Stumpwork class. Everything is now attached and stitched!

 I'm still not happy with the first needlelace motif, but I am ecstatic about the second!

Tension is  still a little wonky but it's ever so much better than previous attempts, so it's staying right where it's stitched.

This leaves the Goldwork to catch up on during the coming week. 

Meanwhile, we're all bundled up and waiting for the end of the Arctic Blast. Faucets are dripping in hopes that we avoid burst pipes, and I have on my heaviest turtleneck and sweatshirt--not very cheery. Thus far, though, we still have power and heat. Alas, BDE and her housemates have neither. The mother of one of her housemates has opened her doors, and they, along with the three kitties, have decamped. The humans are all dealing well, the kitties are traumatized and are being very vocal about it.

So, I'm counting my blessings--and keeping my fingers crossed!

Christmas Eve Eve

 The wind is howling and the arctic blast is blasting--the temperature dropped five degrees in half an hour--and I am wearing so many layers that it's quite possible that I can't put my arms down (shout out to "A Christmas Story").

And I haven't stitched in several days, a situation I plan to rectify right after lunch this afternoon. Too many other things happen this time of the year, but I'm feeling the lack.

And there is impetus to thread a needle. The last of my Christmas presents arrived last night, just when I had almost given up on their ever showing up.

I love Kate Barlow's designs, and she has an Etsy shop, and I found it, and that's all it took.

For next year's Christmas tree, the Christmas Rose.

For my continued obsession with all embroidery from the 17th century, a tiny little 17th century Stork.

I am being very disciplined, however. I have things I need to complete by the end of the year. Please keep in mind that there isn't anything that says I can't start on them, but I've been poking needles in lots of things this year with very few projects completed to show for my efforts. I'm ready to have some finishes, and the only way to have them is to be disciplined.

I've always rebelled agains discipline. This may be tough.

One Made It!

 One new ornament made it on the tree this year, and, as expected, it was Barbara Jackson's.

What can I say? I do love me some Barbara Jackson!

I do have others that I need to stitch and I may try to do an ornament a month next year to see how many I can add to next year's tree. But I believe I'll do a Scarlett and think about that tomorrow--or the day after.

I didn't stitch last night because we watched Three Pines, based on Louise Penney's Inspector Gamache books. I think we'll probably be bingeing that over the next couple of evenings. It is very good, and Alfred Molina is spectacular in the role.