Happy 2024!!!

I wish you all the best that the new year has to offer and also......

 Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #27 Year 13

Lots of good things in the works for 2024!  I have treasures coming and new starts and some finishes too!  The first thing I finished and final finished is my morning start of the little stitch on my project bag........this was part of a cross stitch pattern from a book called Stitch by Cath Kidson...

the project bag now holds my next morning stitch which is a Mill Hill kit on perforated paper and with cross stitch and beads..........I started this last year but now I will work on it until finished.......there are places for beads scattered throughout the picture but you wait until last to put the beads in......I thought it was an ornament but it is too big so it will get framed.  There are 2 other pictures in the trilogy;  Mary and Joseph and the wise men...I think.  I'm not sure I will do those now that I know they aren't ornaments....Jesus looks a little pale for a child born of middle eastern parents...lol!  I should have made him darker...he's evidently the WASP Jesus........

I also finished the grands 2 ornaments but I have 2 more to do before I can cut them apart.......otherwise I can't stretch them over the frame...

I finished the cuff on my Christmas sock and am working on the leg.........I love working with self-striping yarns...........

I've been working on my Christmas stitch but that will probably be put aside come tomorrow when I start some new projects and a new rotation.......

I've also been working on the Prism blanket and this thing is going to be huge!  I have already used 6 skeins of the black and I have a big amount of the mandala still left.  I plan on using all of the mandala yarn.......

Tomorrow I will be starting my HUGE Anniversaries of the Heart patterns; there are 12 with 2 bonus patterns which I will stitch all on one piece of cloth.  This will be an heirloom if I ever get it done as each square will be dedicated to a relative or 2 or more.  I haven't decided who will go where but I have time to decide.  This is the first pattern...........it may be dedicated to my Mother, my son, and myself who are all Capricorns and born in the coldest of months..........we'll see..........

This is the fabric I chose and I love it but I hope it's not too bright............

I just received the last pattern in this series yesterday and because "no pattern should travel alone" I also ordered this one..........I love Blackbird Designs and I love birds...perfect combination!

As for plans...I will be starting Anniversaries of the Heart tomorrow as my "new year new start".  I will be setting up my Needle Workers notebook and rotation for all my projects, not just cross stitch.  I am hoping to start utilizing my books more and the patterns I already have.  But there is already another Christmas pattern I want and Urban Chicks have some new fabric coming out!  Woe is me!

That's all for now.  Next week I should have my plans for the new year in place and be able to share them with you.  Now, I am off to make a pork loin roast, a lime pear jello salad and some English roasted potatoes along with stitching and watching several football games....especially the Chiefs!  I hope they win this week!

Happy New Year's Eve.....be safe!

Happy Trails!!!
  

 
 

Still working on Christmas!

I made some caramels yesterday for the Post Office employees.  They are so nice.  I still have more to make for some others.

I finished my morning start cross stitch so I picked up another one.  I started this last year and put it away after Christmas....it's a Mill Hill kit with some beads....baby Jesus!  So sweet.....I thought it was an ornament but I think it is a bit big for that.....I will keep this as my morning stitch until it is done....

I washed my hair today, washed a load of darks, cut up the caramels (that's the hardest part), and did some cleaning.  I also  worked on my Christmas sock a bit.   I made a grocery list and ordered groceries to pick up tomorrow morning.  We have a winter weather advisory for snow but I have 4 wheel drive plus this is Arkansas...how much snow can there be?  It is above freezing in the 40's during the day tomorrow.  I figure the older you get the more risks you should take as you don't have that much life left to lose...lol!

 

Happy Trails!!!
 

 

The needs are great.........

 I usually give to some charities at this time of year and at various times throughout the year.  I had the ones picked out that I wanted to donate to but then I wanted to check up on them before I donated.  It was a good thing I did because 2 of them were not using the money wisely at all!  I found a website called Charity Navigator which rated the charities on how well they use their resources in many categories such as CEO salary and percent of donations that actually go  to their cause.  The organizations that I give to and that were highly rated are Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Peta, St. Judes, and Direct Relief.  I was giving to ASPCA which I changed to Peta based on their track record, and I stopped giving to Boys Town and replaced it with Direct Relief, one the highest rated charities.  I just wanted to share this information with you in case, like me, you wanted to look behind the curtain at some of the organizations requesting your money at this time of year.  God knows, the need is great but we'd all like to know that our money is being put to good use to help those in need.

I planted the paper whites today and they have to stay in a cool place for 10 days.  I made a big mess in my kitchen as they give you a piece of soil you have to soak and then plant...what a mess!  But it's done and hopefully I will have some beautiful flowers sometime soon!  They're out in my garage for the 10 days.

Today was wool sock washing day. 

"Because wool socks are naturally odor-resistant and moisture-wicking, you don't need to wash them after every wear. You can increase the “life” of your wool socks by washing them after two to three full days of wear."

I've been washing them by hand individually with dish washing detergent but I just ordered some Soak from Amazon which comes in different scents and is specifically for wool washing.  Plus, there is no rinsing.

Today is Wednesday which I have allocated to a Fall cross stitch every Wednesday.  So, the kit I got for Christmas is now my Wednesday stitch............

This afternoon I hope to work on some belated Christmas gifts and make some caramels and cinnamon twist rolls.

Oh, and by the way............

Happy Trails!!!

The last of the Advent for 2023

 I had a great day yesterday.  I  had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then exchanged gifts with the Cedar Rapids gang.  Amy got her last Advent gift with a bonus gift......... this is for her watercolor brush when painting...the cup holds the water and then there is a place to lay her brush on top.

her bonus gift was a True Crime book....she loves true crime probably because at one time she was going to go into criminal justice......

 I received this beautiful crock  that is oven proof...........gorgeous!

I also got 2 more candles and they are soy candles which I love as they don't smoke..... one is balsam and the other is cranberry...I'm set for winter now.....

 I received some fairy lights too.....

 

I watched the Chiefs lose to the Raiders....such a disappointment....then I took a nap!

I did start my Christmas Day cross stitch....just a little bit done.......this is on perforated paper........

Now, back to our normally scheduled routine!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Happy Trails!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

This picture was taken in 1951 or 52?  I love this photo as it was taken at my Aunt Alice and Uncle Ben's place and I laugh every time I see the creepy Santa in the background.  My cousin Kay is on the right, my cousin Allen is the baby and I'm the one with the guilty look on my face because I think I took Kay's toy and I think I just got caught!  Also, remember I've told you I have big feet?  Look at them!  They're huge! LOL!  Come to think of it, Kay's aren't exactly small either.

  I had a great meal yesterday and I watched a football game and there's another one on today with the Chiefs!  Amy got her Advent gift.........a wallet

and I got a soy candle with REAL balsam scent not those imitation chemicals they put in most of them.....it smells like a pine forest........

I cast on my Christmas socks last night and got a few rounds in........loving the yarn colors.........

Today I will start my Christmas Day cross stitch which was a kit I ordered and saved for just this moment in time.........

There are several projects with everything you need to finish them just like the picture....

There was also an extra pattern and then the bottom one was one I ordered........

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #26 Year 13

 It's also Advent gifts #10 and #11......okay, let's catch up with the presents as they are cool!  Day #10 Amy received this reversible bag for "things and/or stuff"...........

and I received this bundle of goodness.......fabric, rickrack, and buttons!  For some reason the buttons didn't upload....but take my word for it...they were cute....little birds and woodland creatures.....

Day #11 Amy received these darling little tins by Pioneer Woman filled with rose shaped wax melties....in different scents.......

and I got these gorgeous baskets in my favorite vintage green color!!!  They are so awesome and I can certainly use them!  Get this.....she got them at a garage sale!  That girl is the best shopper!

Okay, now on to what I've been working on this past week.......I have a finish!!!  I did take out the bright pink on the bird's breast, beak, and feet and I replaced it with a more pleasing color, to me at least.........this is a Blackbird Design called Cherry Basket.....

That was my morning stitch which is usually a small cross stitch but that one definitely took a while.  My new morning stitch is a longtime WIP (work in progress) but this one should go faster and when I am done I will  have a project bag to use...I am using just one of these windows to stitch on the bag.....

the bag is like a plastic canvas that you can stitch on........

my big stitch has been my Christmas stitch from Silver Creek Samplers......I work on this when I take a break and sit down.....it's been worked on every day............

 The ornaments are coming along but I have 2 more to do after these 2 before I can cut them apart....running late this year or is that every year?  But at least they get their main presents on time and they never mind anyway.....I am such a lucky grandmother!

Here are my Christmas socks I made last year that I am wearing this year.  Tonight I will cast on the socks for next Christmas....it's a tradition amongst many knitters...........I didn't come up with it but I have been doing it for several years now........I'll probably blog tomorrow for Advent, the socks I'll cast on tonight, and my Christmas Day start...........

I got some "haul" this week and there will be lots more next week as I have my Christmas and Birthday present orders coming soon........this was a cute red work embroidery pattern I had to have as it is a perfect vintage Santa......

I also got some chenille trim for some finishing...........

Tomorrow I will have a brand new Christmas cross stitch start...stop by tomorrow as this was a lovely kit with everything included and then some..........

I made my favorite Christmas cookies yesterday but I had to leave out the nuts but they  turned out just fine.....

I finalized the decorating yesterday just in time.....

I cleaned out the fireplace and prepped for a fire this evening.....Miss Peeps has taken over the Christmas quilt I made last year...I wasn't able to make one this year....

I have to vacuum the family room and then it is on to the kitchen where I will be making a roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and acorn squash for dinner tonight and for tomorrow too.  We're supposed to get heavy rain starting this afternoon and into the night....poor Santa!  It should be a cozy evening.  I'm going to try and find a Christmas Eve service to watch on You Tube.  I hope you are all ready for the holidays so you can relax and enjoy the celebration!  I celebrate Christmas but I wish you all many blessings no matter what you celebrate.  In my religion, God loves each and every one of us!

Happy Trails!!!