I have a moratorium on starting new projects for (probably) the rest of the year after realizing that I have accumulated a few too many WIPs in the past few months. This post is mostly for me to look back on and remember that I have plenty of things to work on when I feel like starting something new.

I’m currently unwell and don’t have the energy to take pictures, so we’ll all have to use our imaginations about what my projects look like.

Cross Stitch

I started the year with 3 WIPs, finished one, and started 3 more. The 2023 state fair is still a month away, but I’m making tentative plans for what to finish for 2024. I’m leaning towards Geese and Sunflowers, which I started in summer 2021 and haven’t really worked on since. It’s been folded up in a project bag for 2 years and is in desperate need of a good press.

Existing WIPs:

• Geese and Sunflowers by Owl Forest Embroidery
• Autumn Quaker by Rosewood Manor

Finished:

• Pomegranate Quaker by Owl Forest Embroidery

New Starts:

• Quaker de la Ferme by Jardin Privé
• Iris’ Paintbox by Avlea Folk Embroidery
• Quinto Acuto by Long Dog Samplers

Knitting

Now that I don’t live in Michigan, I no longer knit obsessively. This is largely due to the fact that there is comparatively little need for winter accessories in Maryland, though I did manage to start a few new projects. My Kieran Foley shawl has been on pause for awhile because it’s quite unwieldy, but I’ve been itching to get back to it. I also have some yarn that’s marked for projects that I haven’t started (and probably shouldn’t start this year).

Existing WIPs:

• Bosphorus by Kieran Foley

New Starts:

• Striped raglan sweater
• Alpaca yarn cowl

Potential new starts

• Colorwork socks
• Scarf with MDSW yarn

Armenian Lace

I rarely have specific plans for lace. My travel project continues to steadily grow, and will likely become what I enter in the state fair for 2024. There’s always a bag of other slowly growing doilies in my drawer which may or may not become real projects.

Other

I bought some canvas on sale last year and have plans to embroider more zipper bags. Technically this isn’t a WIP because I haven’t started yet, but the materials are all there and ready. I’m half considering skipping the embroidery and just making some quick zipper bags because I’m always in need of more project storage.

My other non-WIP is a felt applique ornament kit. I found the same kit that my great-grandmother used to make some ornaments that were on my childhood Christmas tree and couldn’t resist. There’s no rush for me to work on this because I have an 18 inch tree that I bought for $1.50 at a thrift store, and it has no room for ornaments.

I still have a cutwork sampler in the back of my mind (and have a piece of fabric for it), but it’ll probably get pushed back until I pare down some WIPs. Likewise, my pipe dream of doing the Thistle Threads whitework class is on hold.