Adrift, Page 21 is Complete

Started October 8 and finished Oct 26.  Lots of water and hair with just a peek-a-boo of the tail, so a quick stitch overall.   The next page will be nearly all tail.  It's surprising how much I look forward to working on that.
So this is page 21 complete. Would you believe I still have 15 more pages to do?  *wibbles*

I have all ready purchased my next project, that I anticipate starting some time in the new year, as there are only 5 more pages of the Owl left to do.  I anticipate I will be working on Adrift for the better part of another year - just enough time for me to start saving up for framing her!  After what will be a 3 year project, I will be sparing no expense on framing!

So, I was stitching with my usual group of girls on this past Sunday, and an elderly gentleman came into the store.  He must have spent a good 45 minutes in there, on the phone with his wife, picking up various things and explaining to her in detail what they were ask asking if she would like one.  He pulled threads, picked up various patterns, discussed in detail the difference between the benefits of Aida versus linen, and then spent the longest time of all at the accessories shelf, picking up various things.  He then exchanged a few cheeky barbs with the stitch-n-bitch ladies before he went on his way.  But he sparked a healthy debate on what makes a good man - to which we all heartily agreed he was one!   But just curious now, does your partner support your stitching addiction?  I'm lucky because my hubby doesn't bat an eye when I come home with a $300 frame I bought with my Christmas money, nor does he complain when I ask him to dart into the local stitching store in order to pick me up one colour I'm low on.  He's even been known to feign interest when express frustration on shipping costs when I find something I want.  In short, he's a good one.

Well, it's nearly Halloween, and it's a struggle keeping my kitty cats in.  One is all black and I do worry for him during this time of the year.  He's a darter when you open the door, he's out, so on Halloween night we oppress him by locking him in the bathroom while the kidlets come to the door.

                                                 (This is the face of the oppressed)

And on that note, I hear him scratching at the door.  I hope you all have a happy Halloween and happy stitching.

~Rai Rai

Winter Hat Owl Page 11 is Complete

Started Sept 10 and finished Oct 7.  7315 stitches.  68% done!!

This is the last full page of owl.  The next is straight background, which should be an incredibly fast stitch, and then just partial owl and lots of background.  Just 9 more pages after this, and 4 of them partials, so really, just 5 more pages and I'm done.

The urge to just stitch on, now that the end is in sight is so, so strong, but I dutifully took him out of the Q-snaps and put him away, because I know if I don't pull out Adrift (who still has so much left on her to do) I will lost my mojo for her and not want to stitch her.  And that just simply cannot happen.

So here he is, two angry little eyes glaring out at you, complaining that his feet, once stitched, will be cold!

I'm so in love with this little guy, I can't adequately express it.  I just want to kiss his tiny little beak and do up his hat.

Next up, Adrift - this time with tail!   Stay tuned!

~ Rai Rai

Adrift, Page 20 is Complete

Page 20 is officially a wrap.  Started Aug 23 and finished Sept 10, it was a pretty quick stitch, with not much detail.  Just a whole lotta water and a li'l bit of hair.

The next page I should get a peek-a-boo view of the tail again.  I can't believe I'm only half way done, 58%.   These patterns are so large that you do a page, 7315 stitches to be exact, and the percentage only goes up by 2%.   But onward, next page update will be 60% complete.  I may celebrate that with a glass of wine - or 5.

I'm already back working on the Winter Hat Owl.   It's already 300 stitches in.  AND, I've managed to start not one, but two friends on a Heaven and Earth pattern.  (Bad Rai.  Bad, bad Rai.  It's not nice to enable people with stitching addictions.)  This next page of the owl will probably take me an entire month to stitch. It's pretty confetti heavy.  But the colors are pretty fabulous.

I'll see you in a month!  Happy stitching!
~Rai Rai

Winter Hat Owl, Page 10 is Complete.

Started July 18 and finished August 21.  The colors of this page were so much fun to work with, and to say I was into stitching this page is an understatement.  The only thing that got in my way was work.  Work and copious amounts of it, otherwise I would have had this angry little eye glaring at you all much sooner.

Here's a closeup.

He's adorable, and I absolutely love him!  It was so hard to put him down in order to go to work.  It's times like these I wish I was a kept lady!

Back to Adrift for a page, but it's mostly water, and looks to be a pretty fast stitch, then I can get back to the other glaring eye. 

I think when he's done, it's going to be hard to keep a hold of him. My sister is already making all sorts of noises that he will compliment her wall much better than mine, and to be fair, she has an owl collection that rivals none, and he would make a perfect accompaniment.  But I haven't yet made my mind up. Right now the only decision I'm capable of is deciding if I want a latte or an iced latte. 

Decisions, decisions!

I hope to see you soon with an update on Adrift.

~Rai Rai

Adrift, page 19 is complete!

The month of July shall be known in my memory as the month that I worked much and stitched little. This page seemed to take me forever to complete.  I started on June 23 and finished July 16 - a total of 7600 stitches.

Honestly, the monochrome color is hard to stay interested in, and I know that the 2nd half of this project is all water and tail.  I actually had the very strong urge to start another project, but I am firm when I told myself that I couldn't start any new projects until I had a finish.  So I will have to grit my teeth and persevere.  I know when this is done, the water will have all been worth it, and to my benefit, there isn't much confetti when it comes to the water.   It's just relatively easy, but boring colors.   First world problems, indeed!

Now I am off to work on my little owl, who, by the end of this page, will have one very stern eye glaring at me!

I will hopefully have an update for you somewhere toward mid to late August.

See you all then!

~Rai Rai

Winter Hat Owl Page 9 Complete

Started June 6, and finished June 22.  This is my 11th HaED page finish this year. 
7600 stitches. 

That tiny bit of the hat was 62 colours!    62!!!   The next page will see all sorts of goodies appear. An eye, and quite a few chest feathers!   I'm so looking forward to the splashes of colour I will get to work with.   But I have a feeling this next page is going to take me a while to complete. 

July will be a whirlwind for me.  I'm working crazy hours, which seriously cuts into my stitching time!  (As does picking the perfectly ripe cherries on my tree's, but I'm not complaining about THAT interruption! And for the record, I wish you all lived closer so I could unload some cherries on you, I seriously have way too many!)  

This little page finish is almost like an intolerable peek-a-boo, isn't it?  I want more, more MOAR!!! But alas, it is time to pick up Adrift once again.  I'm not sure when I'll be back with another page finish for Adrift, but hopefully it won't be too long.

~Rai Rai

Adrift, Pages 17 and 18 are Done!

Started May 14 and finished June 5, I am now officially at the halfway mark! 

I am delighted at how beautiful she is turning out to be, and I also feel a little daunted that I am only half way there!  Miles and miles to go before I complete. 

I am now 52% done. 

I wish I had more to say at this point, but I am merely content to just sit back and admire her.

~Rai Rai