Commitment, stitching, knitting, NY!

Exciting news! This summer youngest DD is planning to go to the USA. She starts in New York and as I don't like the idea of a young girl (especially when it concerns my own daughter) all alone in NY, I asked her  if she would like me to come with her. And she does! So next June we will discover NY together!

And as I have to raise the money for this trip I made the commitment to decrease my expences. So I won't be buying yarn and stitch-related items for the coming months. Only when I visit  the Handwerkbeurs, next month, I am allowing myself to buy some small things. I even sold some of my stitching kits, never thought I would do such a thing!

For future projects I will be shopping in my own closet. And I started to do so when I casted on this New Beginnings Shawl by Deby Lake. The yarn is Malabrigo, beads are Delica beads, Amethist-Purple lined.

The SAL I started last week is also done from yarn and fabric I already owned. The cross stitch fabric was ordered just before the idea of going to NY together came up. The first clues are done.

KAL finished

Last Friday I got a big surprise. My Mary Wigham was shown as a topic on Needleprint. I did send an email with an attached picture when I finished my stitching, but I already forgot I did. I feel honoured!

Last week I joined another SAL on a Dutch group. The stitching will be finished as a purse. Here is the example, mine is in a different colorway.

And, right on schedule, I finished another Mystery KAL by Renee Laverington, Winter Winds. It's knit from a greenish soft yarn, Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Lace 

Also my Red Wine Shawl is getting progress. Only one row to add and its time to cut and add the border. 

Almost forgot to blog!

It's already Sunday evening and I almost forgot to update my blog. Usually I take pictures and write the update on Sunday in the afternoon. But today I have been stitching until part 4 of SAL Let It Snow was done. Now I applied for part five.

My knitting is also on scedule. Part four of Winter Winds is finished yesterday and I got part five, the last part, this morning. So in a few minutes I can sit down and knit and that's what I am going to do. Here you can see the middle pattern. The picture doesn't do it justice, I couldn't block it right now. After blocking taking pictures will be easier.

There is also some stitching done on the Plantation Sampler. A tree is growing slowly.

A brand new year ahead of us ....

Happy new year to all of you! I wish you lots of happy days, prosperity and, above all, health and fun in whatever you are up to! 
There is a brand new year ahead of us, do you all have plans? I did, but I didn't make a list yet. In fact,  I don't know if I am making one, I already know I am just stitching and knitting whatever I like doing, so why make a list?

Yet there are some things I want to do. I want to
* finish my bedquilt this year (very unrealistic thought)
* finish the Plantation Sampler
* knit a shawl for my SIL
* finish Wintermystery Shawl
* finish SAL Let It Snow

These goals are enough, there will be lots of things distracting me LOL 

I started well this year, by stitching part two of Let it Snow ....

.... and knitting three parts of the Wintermystery KAL, named Winter Winds.