Back in 2017, I joined a Facebook group called Dear Rine Borduren. The owner of the group released a free mystery SAL week by week to fill a series of circles. The fill patterns alternated between geometric and animal designs, and the colors were completely up to the stitcher.

At the same there wasn’t a formal name for the SAL, so I’ve just nicknamed it “Dear Rine 2017.” It’s now listed on Rine’s website for purchase as Dierencirkels, but my original nickname will continue to be how I refer to it out of habit.

My version is going to be a little different than the original. I intentionally used fabric and floss that I had on hand for an ill-fated attempt at Stitching From Stash that year, so I think I’m going to end up with only 45 circles instead of 49. And I’m doing a rectangular version instead of a square. So there will be some playing with what goes where. One way or the other, I’ll make sure to keep an odd number of circles in a row to ensure the vertical variation between animals and geometrics. The hardest thing is going to be figuring out which ones I omit!

Oddly, I started this one in a somewhat similar palette to Fruits of Plenty, only years before. I decided to make mine a four-color version using DMC 924, 926, 839, and 841. The circles will all be done in the darker brown (839), with the lighter brown doing the decorative filler between them. Geometric circles will be done in solid colors, rotating between the two blues (924 is darker, 926 is lighter). The animal circles will be two-toned.

Before I add more of the centers, I want to get my first two rows of circles placed. This was an unusual piece in that Rine started it from the lower right corner. I know some stitchers do this naturally, but it’s an odd start for me as a center or top left starter, depending on the pattern. Not a big deal, though. I can adjust!

I have absolutely no set timeline on this piece. It’s purely a “whenever I feel like stitching on it” sort of piece. Obviously the original is long over. So I’ll finish it when I finish it. For now? I’m stitching circles. Lots and lots of circles.

Rine has done several other free SALs since this one, now available for purchase on her website. She just started another new one the other week if you like these small little squares and are looking for something to use that random fabric or floss that you have in your stash. You can find the SAL on Facebook here.