WIPocalypse - December and overall progress report for 2017

First of all, I hope all of your spent a lovely Christmas with your family and friends and that you got a bunch of sttichy things ;-) I got the tin with the 35 new colors from DMC, yay! And a couple of books :D I took some time off from work (have to go back on 8th January, so another week left) and I even got a few stitches in. Christmas was nice, but it is also always stressful. I knitted a pair of socks from my fiances mother - yes, that is correct, I am now officially engaged and I am sooooo happy about it =) We don't have a fixed date yet, but we are aiming for 2019, early spring or summer. We will start looking at locations and so on next month.

Anyway, back to topic! I finished those socks on the evening of the 23rd, so just in time for Christmas and my fingers hurt from so much knitting. So there has not been to much stitching before Christmas, but I spent the last two days in front of the TV watching the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and stitched.
Since this is the last WIPocalypse for 2017, I am going to do a recap - this is going to be very picture heavy! You can find the link-up for this month here.

The first thing I want to show is a project I actually finished this year - you know this doesn't happen very often! I am referring to my Sheep in the Meadow.
At the beginning of 2017 it still looked like this:

And here is the finished project:

So cute and pretty - but still not framed... I am so lazy.
Yeah, so much for the finished projects... Let's move on to the WIPs I carried over from 2016.
Here are few WIPs that got some love since you last saw them:

First is Kreimhilds Revenge by Howard David Johnson (Haed). Beginning of 2017:

And now:

Since last time I only finished page 29, but every stitch counts, right? Most of all, I managed to meet my goal of getting her past the halfway point. I have a total of 129 170 stitches done now! So I did 23 870 stitches on her, Yay!

Next is my Supersized Iris Keeper by Josephine Wall (Haed).  Beginning of 2017:

And now - I finished page 4 since you last saw her. I added 4 080 stitches in 2017:

Number three - Wolf Variant by Bente Schlick (Haed). Beginning of 2017:

And now - I did 4 000 stitches in 2017 (1400 since you last saw it):

Number four - The Eternal Promise by Matt Stewart (Haed). Here is where I started in 2017:

And now:

As I mentioned, I decided to watch the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit and stitch. While I was still finishing the section on Wolf Variant while watching the first part of the Hobbit, I spent the rest of the time working on Eternal Promise. It's a huge amount of confetti and it really doesn't stitch up fast, but it is soooo pretty. I did two more columns, which puts me up to a total of 3 200 stitches in 2017.

So much for this months progress, let's look back to my other WIPs from 2016:

WIP number five is The Potting Shed by Aimee Stewart (Haed). It was barely started in 2016:

And I finished the first page - 4 200 stitches added this year:

Absolutely gorgeous - all those lovely colors =) A perfect project for summer =)

Number six is a winter project - Yule Angel by Anne Stokes (Haed), here I left of in 2016:

And I finished the first row of pages this year, so I added 4 000 stitches:

I think I will work on this in January, I wanted to in December, but I didn't get that far.

Number seven is more of a summer project again - QS Paddys Luck by Joanna Bromley (Haed). Here I left of in 2016:

And here I am now - for some reason I only added two columns aka 1 600 stitches to this:

It's such a pretty and cute design, it always makes me happy to work on it.

And number eight on my List - Supersized Ride of the Yokai by Ruth Thompson. At the beginning of 2017:

And now - I added 3 130 stitches:

Number nine - Starlight by David Hoffrichter (Haed). Here I started in 2017:

And here is where I am now:

Another of those projects I absolutely love, but I don't spent enough time with it - I added just 1 600 stitches to it.

Number ten also didn't get to much love - it's Das Rheingold by Kinuko Craft Arts (Haed) and here is where I started this year:

And here I left of - also just 1 600 stitches added:

There are only two and a half letters left, maybe I will make it a goal for 2018 to stitch them.

Number eleven - Danielle by Sarah Butcher. Here I started this year:

And here I left off:

Also one of those amazing summer projects - so lovely and colorful, it's a shame I only got 1 600 stitches done.

For a change, I am happy with my progress on number 12 - QS Trapped by Melanie Delon:
I went from here:

To here - 7 800 stitches added to it during one of the Haed Challenges:

There are a half and a partial page left on the first row - I will try and close that gap in 2018.

I didn't count my stitches on the following two projects.
Number Twelve - Paris Market by Dimensions Gold - here at the beginning of 2017:

And now:

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever finish this - it's my oldest WIP and most of the time I forget that it exists...

The same goes for number thirteen - Aurora Cabin by Dimensions Gold. January 2017:

And now:

Number fourteen is also a Dimensions Gold - Cliffside Beacon:

To here - I hoped to finish this in 2017, I am going to try again in 2018:

The next projects are new starts for 2017.
Project fifteen - Whispers by Melanie Delon (Haed). I am super happy with my progress, I got 8 000 stitches done! Here she is:

Number sixteen - Crossing the Stream (Golden Kite), I did 6 767 stitch and here is what it looks like:

Number seventeen is my first Gecko Rouge project called "Sloth" by Eya Claire Floyd - I did 2 400 stitches on it and got as far as this:

Number eighteen - a new start which you have not yet seen because I started this on Christmas day! It's Miss Christmas Eve by Nora Corbett, stitched on hand dyed opalescent Lugana (28ct) (Crystal Skies by Polstitches) which is pretty hard to catch on photo. It's not much, but here she is:

She has an upper body and one (half) arm. I am doing the skin 1 over 1, so it takes a bit longer. I hope there will be further progress in January.

Another new start is number nineteen - Hydrangeas by Mill Hill. I was also hoping to finish this this year, but I think I will do so in 2018. This is where I am now:

Since last time you saw them I only added a bit of green - I didn't touch it at all in December.

I also started the Cloudsfactory SAL for 2017 - I don't know why, but I am not enjoying this at all and I don't feel the slightest urge to go back to it, so I decided to stop working on it.

So those were my 20 WIPocalypse projects for this year. As this is an overall progress report for 2017 - I am also adding pictures for my GG SAL here.

My main project was my Map of Middle Earth - I added a total of 11 000 stitches to it and went from here:

To here:

Next up is my Wolf Kiss by Dimensions - I didn't count the stitches, but I went from here:

To here:

I am pretty happy. the male wolf now has an eye and I will try to finish the first half in 2018.

Also a focus piece for the GG SAL was my Candy Cane Santa Stocking. I went from here:

To here:

I am always motivated at the beginning of the year, thinking he will be done my Christmas, but you know me - finishing is not so much my style :D But one day he will be done and given to my fiance :D

I also started In the Moonlight - but those who remember the drama when I managed to start this in the wrong corner know that I am going to restart this in 2018. A shame that I did 3 500 stitches before I noticed it - but better late than never.

Wow, that's a lot of pictures and a really long post! If I calculated correctly, I did about 87 000 stitches, considering the projects where I didn't count my stitches, I am well above 90 000 I would say. So I am pretty happy with my year in stitches and hope that 2018 will be another stitchy year for me.

I hope to see you all happy and healthy in 2018 =)
Happy stitching =)

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL - December

Oh my, I can't believe how late I am with my GGSAL post this time! I was just so busy this month! I had to scroll on Jo's blog for a while before I found the link-up, but I found it! Here it is :)

It's early in the evening on the 23rd here in Germany and I finally seem to be done with (almost) everything! The place has been cleaned, everything is prepared for Christmas eve, (nearly) all my presents are wrapped up (I bought the last one on Thursday) and the Christmas tree is set up now. I spent a lot of time baking and packing boxes full of cookies for my family and friends and I am so happy that I can now just sit on my couch and watch tv.

One more present needs to be finished - a pair of socks for my boyfriends mother, You know those people who don't craft on their own and who think that things can be done in no time? I fear she is one of them. So I spent a lot of time knitting her socks and hardly got any stitching done.
Therefore I only have a little to show:

First up is one last update on my map of Middle Earth for this year.
I went from here:

To here - another 1000 stitches done.

This means I did 11 000 stitches on it this year, I was so much aiming for 12 000, but it didn't happen. For 2018 I might go back to working on this monthly (so taking it out of my normal rotation) and do 1 000 stitches per month.

The second project I worked on is my Candy Cane Santa Stocking - I was doing really well on him, but then the sock-thing came and so the section I was working on is not yet done. I went from here:

To here:

There a quite a lot of color changes in the tree, so it took a while. But most of the missing stitches are just background, so it should stitch up fast (I always seem to say so, but I always take ages).

Unfortunately, this is all I have to show for December. I think my next post will be on 31st December (my end of the year update for WIPocalypse).
In the meantime I hope that all of you will celebrate a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends, I hope you get lots and lots of lovely stitchy presents and even some time to stitch =)

Here is our Christmas Tree for this year:

Happy stitching =)

WIPocalypse - November

Guess what - I am in time for WIPocalypse this month! Yay me! And there is a good chance that I might be on time next month as well, since I have a few days off around new year ;-)
This wonderful SAL is hosted by Measi and you can find the link-up here.

This months question is about finishing techniques, but since I hardly finish anything, I don't really have a lot to say about this. Mostly I finish Mill Hill ornaments, which I just finish by gluing some felt to the back and making a hanger. Apart from that I finish smaller designs and frame them, so nothing special there. I plan on maybe stitching a cushion, so this would be a new way of finishing for me ;-)

I am not entirely happy with my progress this month. I worked on three projects this month, but with two of them I was thinking that I wanted to get more done. Also, I wanted get some work done on my Mill Hill project Hydrangeas, but what I have is not even worth showing...

But for the projects I did get some work done on:
First up is my Golden Kite project Crossing the Stream. I did some work on it last month and finished the second page this month. I went from here:

To here:

I had some drama with the fabric, it was torn. Fortunately it was not anywhere near the stitching, so I sewed some fabric to prevent further damage (as you can see in the picture)- I don't pull the tension to tight, but it works. I think the trees and the leaves on this piece look absolutely amazing and I am looking forward to getting back to this =)

The second project I worked on is my Supersized SK Storykeeper by Josephine Wall, I stitched two more columns and I am colose to finishing page 4 - one of the things I didn't get done this month... new try for next month...
I went from here:

To here:
The butterfly is full of confetti and it took ages to stitch it, but I think it is soooo pretty! I hope to show more of it next month =)

The third project I worked on is my Kreimhilds Revenge - as every month. I stitched two columns, I wanted to get another one done to finish the page, but I just didn't have enough stitching time

I went from here:

To here:

The stitchcount is now 128 400, so I am officially past the halfway point on her - yay! The next goal is to finish the fourth row of pages - 15 columns to go. I won't be able to do that this year, but it should not take to long to do that =)

I think that's all I did for this month. Happy stitching =)

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL November

Winter truly is a bad time for me to be on time with my SALs. When I get home after work, it is already dark outside and all the pictures I take look awful. So I took some pictures this morning and they look ok.
But here is my GG SAL update for this month. You can find everybody's progress here =)

First up is my usual update on my Map of Middle Earth, another 2000 stitches added.
I went from here:

To here:

I am a bit sick of those mountains by now, they just take ages to stitch because they are very confetti heavy. This is maybe the most confetti heavy section of the chart so far. I am 42 000 stitches in by now, so I guess this is the ultimate answer to life and everything concerning Middle Earth ;-)

The second project I worked on is my Candy Cane Santa, I got a fair amount of progress in.
Last time:

To here:

As you can see, Santa has a full hand now (and looks less than one of those waving cats you can find in the Asian shops). and he has his candy cane and there is even a bis of the Christmas tree to see.

That's all I have for this month. Again, no work on my Wolf Kiss, but hopefully next month ;-)

Happy Stitching =)

WIPocalypse - October

Considering how late I usually am for my monthly SALs, I am nearly on time when I am only two days late :D This wonderful SAL is hosted by Measi and you can find the link-up for this month here.

This months question is: How did you begin stitching?
I guess there are two answers for that. I first came across stitching in elementary school, I remember that we had to stitch bookmarks, just a few simple crosses and straight stitches in two or three colors. I created a small bookmark and liked it, but my teacher insisted, that it wasn't finished and forced me to add more things to it. It messed up the "proportions" of my bookmark (in my view) and I didn't (and still don't) like when people tell me when something that I created is not done (had some trouble with some art teachers). It's a bit like "I am doing this for me and I like it and I don't want to change it the way you like it unless it's something I do" or something like that. Anyway, the lady forced me to "ruin" my bookmark, so I didn't pick up the needle again (very consequent girl - I think I was 7).
When I was 18 I was searching the internet for some knitting blogs and I found one blog that also featured some stitching. A lady did the Woodland Enchantress by Dimensions Gold and it was like the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! So I started to look up some stitchy stuff, I cam across the Dimensions kits and Haed and many many more. I found an old cross stitch kit in my mums cupboard and stitched this  (it was horrible - twisted crosses, not centered, the backstitching was awful) and then I bought my first Dimensions Gold kit (Paris Market - go big or go home) and a few months later my first Haed - and now I am here ;-)
Funny thing: I bought the Dimensions kit for Woodland Enchantress this spring and I think I will start das one next year - I just feel like I should stitch her because I owe her that because she was my introduction to this fabulous hobby ;-)


Ok, now for my progress, I really feel like I got a bunch of things done!
First up is an update on my Ride of the Yokai by Ruth Thompson. I finished the partial page I started and decided to add another row.
I went from here:

To here:

I added some 1890 stitches. The crosses are so tiny on 32ct, I always take some time to get used to it.

The next one I worked on is my Kreimhilds Revenge - as every month. I started page 29 and stitches half of it. I went from here:

To here:

So this is another 2230 stiches added to her, next month I will meet the halfway point! Yay!

The next huge project I took out is Crossing the Stream by Golden Kite. It is currently on my frame and I will share another picture next month.
I went from here:

To here:

I added some 1100 stitches so far, it's the getting used to 32ct thing again... but I am fine with it by now and will work on this for a few more days.

I also stitched a small Just Nan design . it's a cute little Halloween Mouse!

It's a bit complicated to take a picture of her, but she is really cute =) It was my first Just Nan kit and it was so much fun, I'm glad I have a few more in my stash ;-)

The last project I worked on is my Mill Hill design called Hydrangeas. I finished all the cross stitching for the blossoms and now I am stitching the leaves. I went from here:

To here:

I hope my November progress will be as good as my October progress, maybe I can finish the leaves and start beading in December, I love beading! =)

I think that's all I have for now! I am well over 5 000 stitches for this month, so I am truly happy =)

Happy stitching =)

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL - October

Oh my, as every month - I am late for the GGSAL, this time I am a whole week late! And I don't even have a lot to show to make up for that. It was just a super busy month, I had a week off from work, but I spent it cleaning the house, reorganizing my bookshelves and getting my garden ready for winter and so I just didn't get a lot of stitching done. I didn't even get everything done in that week, the garden was not completely ready because we had a lot of rain (I should have known - I cleaned the windows and the next week we had a storm and my windows are dirty again...), so I spent the last weekend in the garden as well and didn't get around to posting for GG SAL.

Anyway, here is my only project for this month - my Map of Middle Earth.
I went from here:

To here:

I added another 2000 stitches, so we have a total of 40 000 stitches done now. The writings "Forodwaith" and "Hithaeglir" are now finished and Angmar now made an appearance. The last column I stitched was really confetti heavy and it took me a week to do that!

I didn't get any work done on Santa, I really hope to be better next month! But there are a lot of other people out there who managed a lot of progress for this months GG SAL - just take a look over here at the link-up =)

Happy stitching =)

WIPocalypse - September

Wow, I actually managed to be a whole week late with my update :D I somehow thought that Septembers WIPocalypse would be on the 29th or 30th, but it was the 25th. Well, as every month - better late then never, right? ;-)

This wonderful SAL is hosted by Measi and you can find the link-up here. 
This months question is:  Which floss (or color of floss) do you absolutely adore and want to stash constantly?
Well, I normally work with DMC (due to all my Haeds) and I make sure to have plenty of that all the time :D Apart from that I stock a lot of Glissen Gloss Rainbow R000 to substitute Kreinik, I tried a few blending filaments and this is just my favorite one to use. Apart from that I don't use a lot of special threads, so I guess that's it ;-)

Well, I only have two projects to show this month, but I did manage a fair amount of progress on both!
First up as usual - my Kriemhild! I managed to finish page 28 :)
I went from here:

To here - page finish also means you get a full picture =)

Doesn't she look pretty =) And by now I am really close to the halfway mark now, I am so excited =)

The second project I worked on ist Whispers by Melanie Delon. This was my new year start for this year and I haven't worked on this since January, so I thought it was about time to pick it up again. I added another 4000 stitches and went from here:

To here:

I think the flowers look truly amazing and it is so much fun to stitch, a nice mix of confetti and and background stitching.

I picked up Supersized Ride of the Yokai last night, but I didn't get much done so far. I thought about making this month my supersized month and try to get some work into my huge projects (they will take their time to get done anyway...) ;-)

I guess that's it for this month =)
Happy stitching =)