2014 in Stitches and Books

Here's a look back at the stitching projects I worked on in 2014.  Starting at the top left and going clockwise are pictures of the Tour de France poster, Torah Stitch by Stitch panel, a beaded bracelet, my 40th Anniversary Challenge piece, a sheep in French knots, two crocheted bracelets, Roses, and in the center, an ornament I made for my EGA chapter's holiday outreach.

I don't really crochet, but I wanted to try this technique after seeing a picture on Facebook.  The stitch is called broomstick lace, and is a bit tricky but fun to do.  These bracelets are for two family members.  I want to do something else in this stitch, but don't know what, yet.

Right now, I'm working on the Anniversary Challenge piece, but Roses is finished!  Yeah!  This was a group correspondence course that I took through my EGA chapter maybe two or three years ago.  What took so long is that I started to make changes in some of the blackwork patterns on the roses.  When I got to the leaves, I decided that I didn't like the colors used in the original (light grey and gold metallic).  So I changed the grey to a bluish green (DMC 3345).  I was going to use this green for all the leaves, but then I thought that might be a little boring, so I thought of using a lighter green.  Most of my lighter greens were too light, so I chose warmer green in silk.   Am I ever glad that it's done!

Books read in 2014 were:

• Who Murdered Chaucer? by Terry Jones
• Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
• The Life and Times of Chaucer by John Gardner
• Baskerville by John O'Connell
• The Kingmaker's Daughter by Phillipa Gregory
• The Last Plantagenets by Thomas B. Costain
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

So much for only reading nonfiction this year!  It was a difficult year, and for a while I just didn't feel much like reading.  In 2015, I'll just read whatever catches my fancy and holds my interest.  Last week, we went to see the last Hobbit movie, so I'm closing 2014 by re-reading The Hobbit.  Some books I really need to make time to read every year.

I don't intend to make any New Year's resolutions this year, as much as I love doing that.  My only plans for 2015 are to continue reading and stitching, and to get DH better!  Happy New Year!