Tying it Up in Knots

The knotwork is really beginning to be seen on this. It got a bit extra in the way of work this week as I had it as my take-along project. The top knotwork is over halfway done now, so I'm really making progress. I'm glad I did it on the evenweave I had instead of the aida provided - because I'd've gone crazy working with aida for this big a project.

Ornament Done

As part of the fulfillment of one of my goals, and as part of ELF day, I spent yesterday making a Christmas ornament. Started stitching yesterday and finished, too. The design is called Wishing Ewe and it's a freebie from Shepherd's Bush. I think it came out cute, even if my family is continuously groaning about the pun. Now all I have to do is make it into an ornament and I'll have one of twelve minimum done. It feels good to accomplish a goal. Oh, and it even counts against my project challenge!

Golden Lines, Dark Scaffolding

This week's progress is a bit subtle. I added the second gold line and more of the dark blue edging areas inside the garden. The fabric is really making the pattern pop, but I find this area has a -lot- of partial stitches. It gets kind of hard keeping track of them all the time. On the other hand, I'm getting toward halfway done with this side, so I'm making progress.

A Touch of Spring

I got the top row of tulips on this band done this week and started the torches. It's going pretty well, I think, and more quickly than it had been when I put it away before Christmas. There are still seven or eight bands to go on this, though, so I won't be finishing it soon.

Take it Further - Stand Your Ground

This is my response to Sharon B's Take It Further Challenge for this month. It was to express something about a person you admire. I chose my husband. I admire him greatly, and the tree symbolizes one of his central traits. He hews to his principles and doesn't waver, ergo he stands his ground. The tree's roots are deep. At the same time, when the wind blows hard and change is being forced, he doesn't lose those principles, but bends to fit the circumstances at the edges, just as a tree's branches sway and bend in the wind. In the end, the tree doesn't change what or where it is, just like my husband doesn't. He's seen the tree and loves it. Now he's trying to figure out how to frame it. I think he's putting it in his office.
This is the very first design I've ever taken from my mind to completion in embroidery. I'd done it in crochet before, but never in this. I like it. The goldwork with the brown floss worked well. The lazy daisy stitches aren't very uniform, but I think they shouldn't be. The design's only about four inches square, but the way it looks gives me confidence to try something else. On top of that, it applies to my project challenge because it was completely stitched from stash. I wonder what next month's will be.

Flowers Done

I got the flowers done on the right side this week and even managed, barely, to start some of the stitching on part four - directly below part three. At this rate I'm certain I'll get this done this year. It's going along more quickly than it was last year. I think part two was just soooo big it was hard to get past. There are still a lot of specialty stitches to add to this part once the cross stitches are done, though.

Edging Around

I got more than usual done on this last week. The outer edge on the inside, some gold, and some blue. I doubt I'll finish this corner before the end of the month, but I'll definitely finish it in February. My goal is still to finish this whole piece by the end of the year. I was looking through the thread kit the other day and there are several colors I have yet to use at all so far. Maybe they'll be in the houses around the edges.