2012 - A Year of Challenges - Week Fifty-Two

This past week saw the first snow to fall here in over 300 days! We got about half-an-inch on Christmas Eve, two inches on Boxing Day and as much as another inch last night. It looks a winter wonderland outside!

From the front door...

And from the back door...

If I didn't dislike snow so much, I'd say it was a perfect start to winter this year!

Stitching this week included the completion of TAST2012 with the Knotted Cable Chain stitch and the completion of lesson 10 (Sweden) of Janet Perry's "Color Through the Ages" series. The rest of the stitching week was spent on the backstitching for Michael Powell's "Home Sampler":

Only French knots to go and I may actually end 2012 with no WIPS! That would be different!

WIPocalypse - December 2012

The last WIPocalypse of the year and I have a little to share...

Finishes were

•     the Take a Stitch Tuesday stitches: Arrowhead, Buttonhole Eyelet Flower, Berry Stitch, and Knotted Cable Chain stitches
•     The December Color Palette Challenge/Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal Project block and an alternate
•     Color Through the Ages lesson 10 (Sweden)
•      Mittens & Mini- Socks - "Sea and Sky"
•     "Birds of a Feather"

I''m still stitching a Michael Powell piece called "Home Sampler" - I actually have hopes of getting this done by the end of the year!

I know we are to do a year-end wrap-up but I haven't gotten around to that yet. I will have one on New Year's Eve though... watch this space!

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2012 - Week Fifty-One

And the last stitch for 2012 - the Knotted Cable Chain. I THOUGHT I had this one down but it sure doesn't look like the samples. For some reason, the large loop of the cable slipped down into the twisted chain. No clue what I did wrong... but after ripping it out twice, I gave up:

Here is December's page --- 

Basically, a great learning experience but I think what I mainly learned is that I'm not very good at a lot of the stitches we tried and probably won't ever be. Hand embroidery just doesn't seem to be my thing. So I'm still debating whether or not I'll sign up for TAST 2013...

Color Through the Ages, Lesson 10 is completed!

It's called "Sweden" and there were two color palette possiblities. Since I'm burned out on blue, at least for now, I went with a green version:

The threads used were DMC blanc as background, DMC 498 as the red "Accent" and various shades of light greens (DMC 369, 504, 523, 772, 955, 3813, and 3817; GAST Willow; and Stranded by the Sea 102 - Mermaid's Whisper and 212 - Reindeer Wrasse).

Still a TAST to do for 2012 and I do want to get back to that Michael Powell Home Sampler but the holidays may well get in the way...

2012 - A Year of Challenges - Week Fifty-One

There was a TAST for this week but I haven't started it yet, and there was a Color Through the Ages piece but I haven't started it either. Instead, I worked away on the Michael Powell "Home Sampler". Did pretty well until last night when I had to rip out a one whole side of the outside border because I crossed my crosses the wrong way! AAARGH!

So here is where "Home Sampler" stands as of this minute:

Otherwise, it was tree decorating time... this one in the foyer:

And this one (all cats) in the living room:

Now to put away all the bins and boxes that held the ornaments until it's time to take them down again!

Happy Christmas to all who celebrate!

International Hermit & Stitch Weekend for December, 2012

Well, I promised that I would work on Michael Powell's "Home Sampler" and I did. Not having touched it since November 30, when it looked like this:

I think I made some good progress over the weekend, despite a spate of Christmas shopping with husband:

I doubt it will be done by the end of the year but soon after...

2012 - A Year of Challenges - Week Fifty

Well, aside from the finishes posted earlier this week (TAST, "Birds of a Feather" and Mittens & Mini-Socks "Sea and Sky"), I have no works in progress to show you... I haven't touched the Michael Powell "Home Sampler" since November 30 so it's on the agenda for this weekend's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend! Look for photos on Monday!