January 31st and time to post for WIPocalypse

 Can you believe that we are at the end of January already?  My life is so busy between my stitching goals, my daughter's pending baby and starting our busy season at work, which last year lasted until August!!  I am so ready to retire, maybe next year will be my year.  Not sure if I'm really ready to retire yet.

So it's time to post for WIPocalypse - you can find the link to Measi's blog here or if you are on FaceBook, look for the group.  We work on WIP's that we'd like to get done and if all was right with he world, you'd end each year with less than you started with, but like more stitchers who have gone to the dark side - I enjoy the start more than the middle, so it's hard to get to the end.   I am getting more WIP's done than started each year, so I making progress.

http://measi.net/measiblog/

Each month we get a question to answer.  This month's question is: 

January 31 – Tell us about a WIP on which you’ve really struggled to make progress. Explain its history. What appears to be the reason you’re struggling?

This is an easy question, as I have 2 that I really struggle with working on.  

The first is Ice Angel, I changed to colors to purple for my oldest daughter, the chart calls for a rayon thread and I really dislike working with the thread.  Everyone said I wouldn't like it, and should use a silk, but at the time money wasn't plentiful, so used the call for thread type.  I'm so far along on it that I won't want to start over, and beside the rayon thread, I'm also not happy with the linen I picked.  This was also for my oldest daughter that we lost to cancer 6 years ago, so I've had a hard time pulling it out and working on it.  I really want to get it done and set it aside for her daughter to have at some point, thinking she would like it for her own child at some point.  So this year it's on my WIP goals and will be one of my focus pieces and will get at least 40 hours, which should put a big dent in it, not going for a finish, just noticeable improvement.  

The second is Nora's Letter A merimaid.  I did the Letter D for my oldest granddaughter and really enjoyed stitching it.  To keep things equal I thought I should do the A for Granddaughter #2.  Well I really don't like all the waves in this one and my son't wife really doesn't appreciate the time and effort into hand work and would much rather have something store bought, than hand made.  So it has languished for a long time.  It is also on my WIP goals for this year, but it's one of the smaller projects.  I need to get done and just put aside for when she is grown, she might like it herself, if not it can stay in our house along with her angel, which is also a WIP goal this year - but that is another story for another day.

So what did I accomplish this month!!  Great question, I always start out the year strong, but seem to fade long the way.  I jointed No New Starts 2021 in hope the between WIPocalypse and NoNewStarts2021 I will reduce my WIPs so 2022 I can start all the ones that I've been wanting to start!!

This month I worked on 3 different x-stitches.   1st. was Q is for Quails on my CB Noah's Ark afghan.  This was going to be for my niece, but given she is now 24 years old, not sure if this is something she would still appreciate.  Also since it's taken me 24 years to get to Q, not holding my breath for a finish anytime soon LOL.  I might pull this out each month and try to do another one, they aren't hard and kind of cute.   I did get the threads that I need to do the rest of the letters.  This had been my stitch-in project, but haven't been to a retreat or stitching party in a long time.  so it doesn't come put to play much anymore.

2nd was my Heart's Content - Inspire Other, which is done over one, not sure of the count anymore, thinking maybe 28 ct?  I did manage to get the center completed and started on the border.  Not sure if this one will see the light of day again this year, but maybe, Now that the center is done, the rest of it will be fun to work on.  I also got my threads organized, which will make it easier to work on.

My main focus for the Month of January was Charland's Stocking by SB.  My daughter is having a baby in March, but we don't know if it's a boy or girl so I started one of each stockings (NoNewStarts2021, so had to get 200 stitches in each before the end of 2020 so I could work on it in 2021) and when the baby come, then I will finish the appropriate stocking for the wee one, so it will be ready for Christmas.

The stitching is done, I am waiting on the embellishments to come into my LNS.  When I first started buying these charts I got the embellishments with the chart.  However the charm packets aren't cheap and not knowing if I would ever really stitch the chart, figure it was prudent to buy those as needed.  I won't add the embellishments until I add a name because I like to put a stabilizer on the back which means using the iron, and I don't want to damage the beads.   Since this is stitch, I will finish it at some point for someone, so getting the charm packet is necessary.

February I have decided to work on Family Tree - I would love to get 2 houses done before the end of the month.  And then I pulled Vote - which is about 1/3 done, well maybe 1/4 done.  I would like to have that one finished by the end of the month. 

My goal will continue to be 40 hours on the main focus at least and then at least 2 hours on my smaller project spin.  My smaller projects I can spin more than once during the month  if I'm not feeling it.  I just need to do something on it!!  Figured 2 hours was reasonable.  I think originally I wanted to do 10 stitches, but I need to show some progress and 10 stitch just won't do anything.

Hope you've all had a great month and look forward to seeing what other's have accomplished.

Sandy