WIPocalypse: Checking out of 2016

Well, I fully intended to get that final recap of the year up on December 31st, but then computer problems happened, then business happened and then other stuff happened, and now it's already January 3rd and it's high time for the introduction post for 2017. Now I don't try to do yearly goals anymore, so there is no set 'border' between years for me stitchingwise (other then getting all the Christmas crafting off my chest), so I originally wanted to just do both in one go, but the post got kind of long so I decided to spilt it up after all.
If you checked my finishes page for 2016 right now, you'd count 32 finishes, and this post is going to add three more for a total of 35 - much of that were smalls and/or knitting projects, but I'm still quite pleased.

First, here's another Christmas finish I had earlier in December, that I couldn't show because I was sending it to a friend. It's another one of Mill Hill's owl kits - you might remember that I already stitched the purple one for her birthday earlier this year, but I think I like this one even better.

Also, Felix helped me frame Lizzie*Kate's 'A perfectly kept house' which I also finished much earlier this year. I originally wanted to give this as a housewarming gifts to some friends we were going to spend last New Year's Eve with, but I didn't get it all finished and then the party was cancelled too and I didn't see them all year, so I wanted to have it ready for this year. They are already living a year and a half in their new house now, but it's still not completely furnished and unpacked, so still kind of fitting, I suppose - and they really liked it too! The framing isn't perfectly straight as well, but I think that fits the subject kind of well too.

We went to spend Christmas and the days after with Felix' family, and I got a few great crafting presents from them! The crochet and beading books are from Felix' parents, the knitting book from his grandma, and the cute little smilie crochet set was from his brother. Many new fun things to use for this years Gifted Gorgeousness!

In Germany, we call the days between Christmas and New Year the 'time between the years' - the new year hasn't quite started yet, but it already feels like the old year is over. I really like that term. This year, I used that time between the years to stitch a few things I wanted to finish in December but didn't have time to work on before Christmas - things that weren't gifts. First, I worked on the 6th page of the Fire and Ember SAL, and that stitched up really quickly again - about four days start to finish. Again, there were some nice and bright colours, and I totally love it. Next I'll start working on 'fixing' that fabric-too-short issue, so cross your fingers that it'll work out.

Next up was my entry for the current (or rather, not current anymore, the submission deadline was December 31st) contest at Stitching Pirates - I couldn't actually participate because I won the last one, which makes me an honorary judge this time, but I still wanted to submit something just for fun, and I had that little rubber ducky kit from Mill Hill in my stash for a while now that perfectly fitted the theme of 'Tiny toys'. This will be finished as a magnet to put on my whiteboard at work.

Last finish of the year was Magicals Ornament of the Month for December - or rather, one of the ornaments, as there are three designs for December. I just picked the one I think will fit best with the others, and I'll go back and stitch the remaining patterns (there are a few other months with several patterns too) sometime (hopefully soon).

So, how did I do over all this year? I decided in the beginning I didn't want to make huge plans and just go with the flow, which I kind of did. Of course I took on way to many deadlined projects and gifts again, but it was fun, so that's okay.  I tried out new things, I made some things for myself, and I didn't count, but with crossing off a few and adding a few more, I think the length of my WIP list hasn't grown too much, so that's okay as well. So I'm counting this year as a success, and I'm looking forward to the new one :)