Zodiac SAL - Sagittarius

I am so very late this month - and also so very incomplete! I should have gotten four ornaments done in December, but due to travels and Christmas preperations I only managed to stitch up the one, not finish-finish it. Here's the Tanzanite ornament I stitched up last year (I think) plus the new back side:

I'll get it finished once I get back home and stitch and finish the other two over the next few months - there won't be more than one ornament a month until June now, so I will have some time to catch up.

The princess for December - whose ornament I will also stitch up soonish - is Elsa. I think she's another one with an official birthdate, but I'm having some difficulties connecting her with the Sagittarius characteristics Jo posted. But who knows, maybe under this ice surface Elsa is quite the entertainer?

December Gifted Gorgeousness

I was hoping to get this post up somewhat in time, but of course Christmas happened, travels and whatnot and I am almost two weeks late again, but at least it's still the right month - and I do have a few things to show although a few are still under wraps - another time!


Just in time before I left for Australia, I finished this crochet shawl as a Christmas present for my best friend in her favourite colours. The pattern is called 'Virus' because once you start making those, you can't stop, it's that addictive. It really was a lot of fun, my friend loved it, and I'll certainly make one for myself eventually.
 

While I was in Australia, I had two projects with me to work on. The first was 99, on which I finally finished the first page (page 3 in my case). If I want this done by the end of August (and I do!), I will have to pick it up a lot more frequently from now on! 18 bottles done, 81 left to go.

The other travel project I brought with my was my Saffron shawl, and I've been working on it since my return back home as well. I was afraid it wouldn't turn out quite big enough, but by now I have a nice size, and about three more rows to go, so hopefully I will finish by the end of the year.

Finally, I've had a new start over the last few days; a headband I promised a coworker over a year ago so it was high time I finally got to work on it! It's my first braid knitting pattern, and it turns out this is way more easy (and fun!) than I thought! I still have a bit to go, but it's knitting up quickly and should be done soon.

So that's it for the very last GG check in of the year! It was another fun year of gift and gifted projects, and I do hope to continue into 2018, if Jo is up for it - I can't remember if she already posted whether GG will continue or not. As last year, it was a lot of fun, ans not too stressfull since most of my projects fit into this SAL by default :) So thanks everyone for following along, and thanks to Jo for hosting another year of this fun!

Upside Down Update

Just in case you have been wondering whether I am still alive...I am! But I am currently about as far away from home as I can get without leaving the planet, attending a conference in Melbourne. Before my flight, I was frantically trying to get things done - both for the journey, but also a few Christmas things I had to finish and/or send off before I left. Quite a few things I can't show yet in fact - but soon! And there were also two things I can show, so I'm going to do that now.

First, I finished another two-weeks block on Snowwhite. I finished the next shade of yellow, and as I treat I decided to work on her sleeve after that. I think I will finish that very early in the next rotation, and start the next shade on her skirt then.

I also finish-finished my Snow Bird ornament! I did a flat ornament finish using mounting board for the same time, and used some salfmade (second try - much better than the first time) cording around the edge and for the hanger. The bow is from grandma's stash, and I am pretty content with the end result :)

So that's it for now...I'll be home again next Tuesday, but maybe I can get another remote-update up before that!

Online Advent Calendar 2017 - December 2nd

I have the honour to be the second poster in Jo's Online Advent Calendar :)

The stitching I want to show you today still needs to be finished into an ornament - it's Snow Birds from Country Cottage Needleworks and my entry for this years Stitching Pirates Ornament Exchange.

How do you plan to spend Boxing Day?  Do you have any traditions associated with this day?

Here in Germany, 'Boxing Day' is called 'second Christmas Holiday' - our actual Christmas celebrations are on the evening of the 24th, and then we have to holidays on the 25th and 26th to finish that of. So many people will spend Christmas Eve with their 'core family' and use those holidays to visit extended family. We are with my grandparents on the 24th and then drive to Felix' family on the 25th. On the 26th, we are mostly lazing around and digesting the good food - but for the past few years, Felix' best friend has been starting a tradition of having a Christmas party with friends, food, Feuerzangenbowle (mulled wine with a rum-soaked suger loaf lit above), and christmassy movies.

That boxing day tradition of giving gifts/money to postmen and refuse collectors that Jo mentioned happens before Christmas usually. It's a dying tradition here as well, mostly older people still do it.