Has it seriously been almost a month since I updated?!?  The time is flying!  I suppose this will be another huge catch-up post, then.

Announcements first:

One of my friends and fellow local stitchers (HeraChronicles) is having a Christmas Giveaway on her blog.  Go over HERE to check it out!

The Rhode Island Stitchers group now has a BLOG.  :)  We decided that while being on Facebook is great, we also want something a bit more flexible to share info about the group, what we’ve been doing, what we’re planning, and what we’ve discovered.  Stop on by, say hi – and if you’re in the area, please stop in at one of our events.  :)

Signups for a new round of the Unfinished Object (UFO) Round Robin is starting over on the yuku boards HERE.  Right now the planned start date is in late February.  So if you have a stalled project that you’d like to have help with (and in return, help others with theirs), pop on by.  :)

Random life news:

Thanksgiving weekend was fun, albeit all over the place.  We went to Erich’s dad’s house up in New Hampshire for Thanksgiving Day and had a nice, quiet day with them.  Erich had to work Friday, so it was only a single-day visit.  Friday evening we headed out to Brewster, Mass. on Cape Cod for our annual weekend with friends.  This used to be a LAN party, but along the way a lot of us got married.  We bought houses.  Kids are starting to come into the picture.  All of those events means that there isn’t the money to blow on upgrading computers anymore.  So for the last three years, it’s been a bit more free-form.  We do a full Thanksgiving dinner (I cook, because I do make the best turkey around), which is a welcome change from the weekend full of Bagel Bites, taquitos, and oreos of younger years.   This year Erich ran a weekend-long session of his Saga-edition Star Wars d20 campaign.  I take advantage of the weekend to catch up on some stitching amid the cooking.  It was a good time, although next year I’ve asked that I’m not the sole cook.  I’d like to enjoy a bit more of the weekend.

Work’s been pretty good.  I had a great yearly review, and I’m finally settled into somewhat of a routine with my workload, even if it is still a ton of work.  I’m crossing my fingers that the week between Christmas and New Years is quiet so I can do some serious file clean-out for storage and start the new year feeling like files are under control.

Erich’s also enjoying his new job so far, which is great.  I think after being stuck on a phone all day at his last job, being able to get up and go around the building on tech requests is a welcome change.  He definitely seems much happier these days (which also helps me feel better).

Colley’s slowly getting better after the bout of fatty liver disease/hepititis this autumn.  He’s now finally off the meds, and his weight has stabilized at about 10 pounds – which is a full six pounds lighter than he was in July this year.  He has to go back for a blood test to make sure his liver chemicals are back to normal, but overall he just has more energy and is more responsive than he was around Labor Day.  I’m relieved because it was so serious.  The only downside is now he’s having a heavy shed due to the stress and illness – he’s blown almost his entire undercoat, which makes him look even thinner and a bit scraggly.  A new undercoat is growing in thankfully – so I’m not concerned.   He’s going to be really cold this winter, though.  Perhaps this will be the year he finally snuggles under the covers!

Stitching:

I’m in over my head.  What else is new?  :)

I’ve been doing an insane amount of stitching in the last month.  Three ornament finishes (Yes!  Three!), one UFO RR round done, and the other is almost ready to mail home.  I still have a couple more ornaments to do for the holidays, but they’re not quite as stressful now.

So here are the ornaments: (click for a larger photo)

Left to Right, they are:

Teresa Wentzler Beginner Whitework Ornament.  I made this for the annual Teresa Wentzler Christmas Ornament Exchange (TWCOE).  It’s currently en-route to its recipient.
Square from Pocketful of Peppermints by Blue Ribbon Designs.  This was for an exchange with the Rhode Island Stitchers group.
Frosty Blue by Blackberry Lane Designs (from the 2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornie issue).  I made this for the Life’s a Stitch exchange.  It’s also currently en-route to its recipient.

Frosty Blue was a case of not reading directions well – it was supposed to be stitched over one, and by instinct I started stitching over two.  So what was originally to be a 3-inch ornie is now a 6-inch “oh, we have a big gap in the tree here, honey” ornament (blush).  I’m happy with the results, even if it came out HUGE.

I’ll talk about UFO RR stitching in my next post.  Quite a bit going on there!

Hope everyone’s having a good weekend!

- Mel.