Redwork Noel Stitch-a-Long, part 5

Hi everyone! Hope everyone is having a great December and either a peaceful or a festive season -- whichever you prefer. 

I want to come straight out and say that very little stitching has been done. Here's where I was last time, with 70 of the 120 rows done. OR SO I THOUGHT!

Here's where I am now, three weeks later: 

I've just realized there's a stray black thread on there!

The only stitching I have done on this piece is the row at the very bottom of the piece -- somehow I hadn't stitched that yet. Actually, now that I think of it, I didn't stitch it at the beginning because it's easier for me to count stitches with spaces. And I never went back to it. But that means that NOW I have 70 of the 120 rows stitched. 

I have been busily stitching Christmas gifts, and have just one left to finish. Luckily it doesn't need to be shipped anywhere so I have until December 24 to get it done. 

Between now and our next check-in in January I should be able to get a lot done on this piece -- I have some very long-haul flights coming up and look forward to being able to have dedicated stitching time. If, magically, I sleep on those flights, I still hope to get at least 10 rows done in the next three weeks. 

The other stitchers in this stitch-a-long work on an amazing variety of projects. Go check out their blogs and get inspired : Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Mary Margaret, Cindy, and Helen.

See you in 2025 -- and until then, best wishes and happy holidays!

Redwork Noel Stitch-a-Long, part 4

Hello everybody! Another three weeks, more weirdness at work. But let's focus on the fun stuff! 

Here's where I was last time, a little shy of being halfway done.  

And after three weeks, here's where I am: 

I have 70 of the 120 rows done (!!!) and I still love it. I'm going to slow down a bit as I am finally admitting to myself that, well, Christmas is around the corner and I need to get some gifts stitched! So it will get some attention, but not as much as I've given it the last few weeks. I'm hoping to get half of the next 10 rows stitched. 

The other stitchers in this stitch-a-long work on an amazing variety of projects. Go check out their blogs and get inspired : Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Mary Margaret, Cindy, and Helen.

See you in three weeks!

Redwork Noel Stitch-a-Long, part 3

Hello everybody. It's been quite a weird three weeks. 

Here's where I was last time:  

I was meant to go to a team offsite on the far side of the country which would have allowed for a lot of stitching on the plane. But on Friday we got news that the event (that I was supposed to fly to on Sunday morning) was cancelled. A few hours later we were told that my boss and her peer on the sales team had been abruptly let go. 

That has led to a couple of weeks of uncertainty and confusion at work, and we're still trying to figure everything out. A new executive joined the company in the interim and everyone is just trying to get their work done. Strange times. 

So, sadly, my opportunity to meet my colleagues and plan our projects for 2025 has been cancelled. And on a personal note, I DIDN'T HAVE HOURS TO STITCH!!!

But comparing the two photos, I guess I did get some stitching done: 

I have over 50 of the 120  rows done, and I'm happy to say that I still like the way it looks. No thought or hope of getting this stitched by this Christmas, but I think I might be halfway done with the stitching by our next check in. We'll see. 

I love seeing what the other stitchers in this stitch-a-long work on. Go check out their blogs and get inspired by their amazingly beautiful and diverse projects: Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Mary Margaret, Cindy, and Helen.

See you in three weeks!

Redwork Noel Stitch-a-Long, part 2

Hello everybody! 

I'm afraid I didn't make as much progress on Redwork Noel as I had hoped, but I did finish another set of ten rows and just barely started the next set. Yep, it's those adorable kittens again...

Here's where I was last time: 

Now I've stitched just over 30 of the 120 rows. 

Between now and our next check-in I have a work trip. Normally that wouldn't mean I could get much stitching in, but in this case I have two verrrry long flights, all on my own, so I'm hoping to get some good stitching done on the plane!

I love checking out what the other stitchers in this stitch-a-long work on. Go check out their blogs and get inspired by their amazingly beautiful and diverse projects: Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Mary Margaret, Cindy, and Helen.

See you in three weeks!

Redwork Noel, part 1

Hi everybody, and welcome to Autumn! It's my favorite season, especially here in Seattle where we get a few weeks of gorgeous weather every late September - early October. And then, of course, it's Halloween and you know I adore the spooky season!

Last time I had just started the "Redwork Noel" pattern -- though in white on red rather than red on white.  

The idea was that this "thread only" project would be a better choice with my two boisterous and curious kittens. Well, let's just say that that are VERY INTERESTED in both thread and paper, so it's still a little rough. But sometimes I get some stitches in while I sit in the garden, or while they sleep. (All those zoomies tire a little fella out!)

I've stitched nearly 20 of the 120 rows and I like the way the white-on-red looks. There's a long way to go, but I like it so far! By our next check-in I hope to have gotten at least another 10 rows stitched.... again, assuming the kittens allow it... 

The other stitchers in this stitch-a-long are always working on amazingly beautiful and diverse projects. Go check out their blogs and get inspired: Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Mary Margaret, Cindy, and Helen.

See you in three weeks!

Halloween Ornaments Project, September 2024

Last month (and, um, part of the previous month as a head start...) I started work on this piece: 

Here's where I was on August 13:

I stitched and realized that I didn't want any of the other colors -- I liked the "scherenschnitte" feel of the piece.

Not sure why the colors are so different in the two photos; but it's closer to this purple/grey than the lighter image above!

I did decide to add glow-in-the-dark white for the eyeball, and I used half cross stitches for the smoke tendrils. And I LOVE it. 

The only question is what to do with it -- it's too big for an ornament. I have two other "monochrome" pieces I'd like to stitch up that are similarly sized, but I want to ice dye some Aida to stitch them on. Then perhaps next year I'll make them up into pillow covers to holidazzle my couch a little. Perhaps...

Now, what's next? Having taken a step back from just making ornaments for my Halloween trees, I am going to continue down that path for a bit. This is "Into the Woods" by Mill Hill: 

Three very cute black cats marching along in the moonlight. I've been making these 5x5 bead+stitch on perforated paper projects for a while and I always find them satisfying. This might not be finished by October 13, but I'll have a good start on it! (And it's a Christmas present, so I have PLENTY of time!).

Pumpkinman Half Marathon race report

 I had Pumpkinman on my list of "races to run" for a couple of years -- mostly because it always lines up with the Maple Leaf Half in Vermont. And I am SO GLAD I did. 

I was feeling a lot better than I had the day before -- apart from being sore and having somehow blistered the entire ball of my right foot (probably because I was wearing my new orthotics...). Wil and I rolled up to the event site about an hour before start time on a perfectly gorgeous autumn day. 

Pumpkinman is a weekend with multiple events -- from various triathlon distances on the Saturday, to a hill run and running distances on the Sunday. My favorite distance? The Jenni. How long is that? 8.675309 miles, of course...

The races start at a beautiful event center. Plenty of parking, gread views, and plenty of room to set things up. Being pumpkin / autumn / Halloween themed, there were lots of photo ops and even a self serve candy table. I picked up some gummy bears for later, remembering my fueling fiasco the previous day. 

With multiple events during the running festival, we got to see a couple of different groups head out. I was especially thrilled by the Battle on Spring Hill 6.6 Mile Run and Battle on Spring Hill 6.6 Mile Ruck. What's that you say? Well, the participants run down a very steep hill to the lake, then run up the very steep hill again... and repeat that several times. Just watching them run DOWN the hill made me happy not be doing that!

An excellent hype man, Michael Bernier, did an amazing job of keeping everyone's energy up... and then it was time for us to go. 

Again, I had no needs or expectations for the day. But the beautiful weather and the fact that Wil was joining me made me super happy, and we really just spent the next 13.1 miles smiling, talking, thanking the volunteers, and loving the gorgeous weather. 

Eventually we were back at the event center. We held hands and ran down the hill to the finish line, and the race director came over to give us high fives. Sure, I finished DEAD LAST in the race (though others in other distances came in after we did) -- but I did the important thing: 

STATE 49!!!

One of the highlights of the Pumpkinman Triathlon and Running Festival is the post-race brunch. It was SPECTACULAR. Great food, including lots of vegetarian options. We loaded up a plate, found a table, and sat there smiling at each other. 

After we finished our brunch, we went to the photo setup to take some selfies. Rachel, the amazing race director, came over to help, and Wil told her it was my 49th state. She was so excited, she ended up handing us loads of swag -- socks, a pint glass, a bag, a running belt. And she took some great photos!

My "performance" wasn't any better at this race -- in fact, I was a couple of minutes slower. But it had been such a nice day with such great people. I know that if we lived in the area it would be our annual race. 2026 is their 20th running of the event!

Pumpkinman Half Marathon

Bib 569

3:23:10

49/49 overall

6/6 women 50-64

Note: this report was written on 7/15/2026 but backdated to race day for simplicity.

2024 Maple Leaf Half Marathon race report

 The more states I crossed of the 50 States Half Marathon list, the more difficult it became to complete them. It's expensive and time consuming to fly across the entire continent, so I planned a trip where I could pick up state 48 (Vermont) and 49 (Maine) in one weekend. 

At this point, these half marathons are just about completion. Just getting through it and checking off the state. So there wasn't anything I wanted out of the Maple Leaf Half Marathon except for a finishing time. I barely got that. 

Now I should be clear: the race is a cute little community race. Combined with a 5K, they max out at 500 runners. It raises money for a local charity, starts and finishes at a big park, and everyone gets a little bottle of maple syrup. All good. 

The problem with this race was me. 

I got to the park early (of course!), picked up my bib, t-shirt, and bottle of maple syrup, and then waited in the car for a while. I wasn't feeling great, but I figured I'd run/walk the first half, and then save my legs for the race in Maine the next day. 

The race start felt a little crowded -- the 5K and half start together and quickly narrow to sidewalks through town. I just trotted along with the crowd and tried to get comfortable. At some point not long after the course split -- where the we lost the majority of runners -- a volunteer told us to go "up the hill and turn right". So all the half marathoners headed up the hill. I had noticed a small painted arrow next to the road, but it was at the bottom of the hill and I could see runners and people in high-viz vests at the top. 

Looking at this map, I think the turn we missed as after mile 2 -- we took the first right, then went straight and not the second immediate right.

Halfway up the hill I hear frantic honking and someone yelling and pointing. Apparently, we had ALL missed the turn. 

One of the guys who was right at the top of the hill passed me a bit later as we wan by a mile marker. He shouted across to me, "Well, that was an EXTREMELY long mile!"

I was already feeling tired and I think the wrong turn broke me. I had totally bonked by mile 5, and was stumbling by mile 9. Clearly I didn't fuel well and I just couldn't catch up. With such a small race there were no snacks on course, and I wasn't carrying anything. Guess I should have held on to the maple syrup!

I was super super tired, my feet ached, and I somehow shredded my quads on the rolling hills. Back at the hotel Wil checked to see where I was and couldn't figure out why I was still so far away. Honestly, if I wasn't all the way across the country trying to finish state 48 -- and had any idea of how to get back to my car -- I probably would have quit. 

But I finished it. I was not dead last, And I picked up state 48. 

After the race I went back to the hotel where Wil took one look at me and worried I hadn't finished. I walked into our hotel room and sat on the bed, feeling week and drained. Wil made me cheese sandwiches and made sure I ate them. It was 15 minutes before I felt like I could get up and into the shower. 

Maple Leaf Half Marathon
Bib 57
3:20:47
146/150 finishers
13/13 women 50-59

Note: this report was written on 7/15/2026 but backdated to race day for simplicity.

Christmas Banners Stitch-a-Long, part 10

Hi everybody! So sorry for the late post -- I forgot about our check in, and it's a holiday weekend so I was out of town this weekend. More on that later!

Last time I had started this weird, new, "felt and sequins" GNOME kit. 

Here's where I got to last time: 

As many mentioned, it's "challenging" to stitch with new kittens in the house. It's hard enough just with floss, but add in little trays of beads and sequins, and, well, you can see it might be extra challenging. 

But we had some nice days so I sat in the garden and, well, IT'S HAPPY DANCE TIME!!!

For everyone else who, like me, wondered how this fella would end up "3D", well, he's more "2+D" -- just sorta stuffed and weighted, but really pretty flat. 

Still, I love all the detail of him, like these beautiful embroidered gloves!

I'm really happy how he turned out, and I'm thrilled to have him join our gnome family. 

Of course, the real question now is "what's next?"

I decided that something a little less involved is probably a good idea while the boys are so INTERESTED in everything. (I also know that this phase may last quite a while...)

So I found a pattern I purchased a long time ago and decided that a simple cross stitch project would be perfect. 

In theory "Redwork Noel" is worked in red floss on a white background. But as I have a bunch of white floss and some red Aida in my stash, I decided I would work on it "backwards" -- so where the pattern has a stitch, I leave it blank, and vice versa. 

It also has the benefit of being easy to transport -- which was useful for my weekend trip to the eastern half of my state. An iconic structure in the Pacific Northwest is the firewatch tower -- these towers built in the middle of nowhere and manned all summer long by solo "fire lookouts" -- people whose job is to, well, watch for fires in the surrounding forests, and, if spotted, radio them in. Jack Kerouac spent a couple of months at one, hoping to write, but didn't accomplish much. 

I had wanted to stay in a fire lookout tower for years, and finally managed to get a reservation for the Quartz Mountain Lookout near Spokane, Washington, over Labor Day weekend this year. It was glorious. A steep uphill hike carrying food and gear but so, so worth it: 

finally arriving at the lookout

the lookout tower

sunset from the lookout

sunrise from the lookout

My friend Jenny Hadfield calls things like this "earned views" -- you spend time hiking up, you have earned the view. So it was great to have a quiet weekend in this cozy tower and just watch the skies and read and relax. Perfect. 

By our next check-in I hope to have gotten more than a few stitches in my next piece -- kittens permitting, of course!

The other stitchers in this stitch-a-long are always working on amazingly beautiful and diverse projects. Go check out their blogs and get inspired: Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Mary Margaret, Cindy, and Helen.

See you in three weeks!

Halloween Ornaments Project, August 2024

This month I decided to make up an odd little wooden "kit":

I stained him black, added some purple metallic highlights, and voila: 

That seemed too small for a monthly project, and I had another project on my list that felt too big to be just a month. So I decided to get a head start on my September project: 

I had dyed some Aida a mottled purple/grey that seemed perfect for the project. I've made a good start and I'm sure I can finish it by September 13: