It's The Last Day of the...

...year if you can believe that.  I am excited, but kind of blown away.  I mean, how does a year fly by so quickly?  Very much looking forward to 2020.  When I was a kid I never imagined 2020, or 2000 for that matter!

There will be no boring end of year in review.  It's the same old stuff anyway with three exceptions.  The first is "Anatomy of a Pew Pew" by Unconventional X Stitch.  I made this for my son (Veteran, US ARMY) in just a few short hours, hunted down some 45 ammo and glued it to the frame.  He seriously LOVES it.

What is even more entertaining is that after I purchased the pattern, my son comes to me and says, "Hey MA!  Have you seen this?" He then shows me the image of  Donna Watts's version which is seriously epic:

He loved hers and I then explained how my girl Jody had created the pattern and it's an instant hit world wide.  If you don't understand how epic it is, allow me a moment to explain.

I work with young people and one of them is curious about the things I stitch, so I showed him the finished Pew Pew and he said, "I've seen that before but it was different" and he then scrolled around his phone and found yet another finished piece.  Of course, I had to educate him on who created the pattern and so on, but to have youngsters who are gamers and have no connection to the cross stitching community, loving a pattern this much they get excited every time they see a new version of it, brings so much joy to my heart.  

Then the snow storms started and my hands have been unhappy....my entire body has been unhappy...but I'm unable to hold the needle presently so I switched up to crochet and finally finished the main body of a Chickie Bag I've been working on for a year.  It doesn't really take long to make these, but when you put it down in favor of other things....it takes about a year.  I believe I started this one in January.  It isn't completely finished.  I'm still deciding on whether to keep the "different" placement of the strap where it is or change it to the more standard method.

I seriously dig how this turned out.  Exploring color options is always a learning experience and this one just thrills me to no end.

After the Chickie Bag main body finish, I picked up those knitting needles and started working on my wash cloths again.  I had to dig through some pictures to find the original gift, but back in 2012 I taught a co-worker to knit.  For a gift to me for teaching and because she was moving away in May 2013, she knitted some wash cloths for me and found this super fun orange (literally looks like an orange) basket to put the cloths in.

As you can see, she did an amazing job and I had many lovely wash cloths that I used to death.  I think I mentioned last year that I only had two left........well now I'm down to one.  I seriously love these wash cloths and they last so long I'm shocked they have worn out.  I've only had one dishwasher in one place I lived in, but still (out of habit) washed by hand.  There's something ritualistic and relaxing about doing the dishes and at 54, it's safe to say I'll just keep doing them by hand.  I need to make more to fill my basket.  

I did try making more last year but wasn't happy with the result.  So, I tried again and am so in-love with these new ones I cannot stop knitting!

In case you are wondering about my needles, here's how I made them:  I'm using needles normally used for in the round with the attached wire.  I have to many wires I thought, "Hmmm, I could cut the ends on one and then block the ends with something.  I tried using the plastic ones that come with the wires and they were too bulky.  Cut those off because the wire was still too long, super glued some shiny crystal beads and now I have the perfect length for knitting washcloths.  This is a good thing since I have an ample supply of Sugar and Cream and Premier Home Cotton to make cloths with.  Crochet a clam shell edging and you have perfect cloths.  

The seed stitch is what I use for my cloths and had explained that to Melinda (the woman who made me the gift).  The seed stitch doesn't go flat like the garter stitch will over time and one rarely needs a scrubby pad because of the seed stitch in the cloth.  I'm hoping to make a ton of cloths and keep the last two that Melinda made in the bottom of the basket so I still have those precious gifts forever.

Some gifts really are that precious.  If a person knows me well enough, a gift that I can USE is far more precious than a knick knack.  Everything I own has a use EXCEPT for those dang knick knacks.  Well those collect dust so I suppose that's a use!

New Year plans?  Just keep working on one WIP at a time until they are all done.  The only new thing I'll be stitching this year is NFSAL as the model stitcher.  No SALs, no leaping up to do the next new thing.....my WIPs need to be done.  I finished one this year for the Stitch9Challenge.  Maybe next year will see more than one?

I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year, be safe, stay warm and share your love.  

Until next year.....KEEP ON STITCHIN'!