This year I just felt inclined to write a few words about the Word of the Year I've chosen for 2026:
Enough.
That's it -- plain and simple.
I don't know about you, Gentle Readers, but even though I live a pretty quiet, blessed rural life out here on the rolling prairie, and even though I had many memorable, gentle, lovely, creative days throughout 2025, I'm tired. As regular readers will know, I've been tired for a while -- fed-up tired. I even wrote about it in this space in August, and I thank you for your understanding and kind comments back then.
After all, I don't live under a rock or deep in a cave; like you, I live in the real world, and it seems to me that in the last several years I've been aware of more tumult and angst, anger and power-lust -- and protest against all that since I was a teenager growing up in the nineteen sixties. While I'm thankful for those protesting what's going on, most days it really seams as though "the wrong is oft' so strong". Protest takes constant work, energy and creativity, even if all the best you can manage to do -- like me -- is to sign petitions, publicize public activities, and write letters to your elected (but not, personally, voted for) representatives.
It's been exhausting, demoralizing, and sad -- juggling all the events, fear and anger...and so I've decided ENOUGH.
However, that's only one aspect of the idea of 'enough' for me.
I've also got enough:
- Not wealth, but enough to pay for shelter, heat, light and food, with some left to give away;
- Enough fabric, fibre and floss to keep creating well beyond life expectancy; and
- Enough ideas and project plans and starts and works-in-progress to keep me inspired, and my hands occupied, so that my mind, heart and soul are fed.
Given that I've had more than enough of the news -- at home (some) and abroad (far too much), but because ignorance, for me, is not bliss -- I've been curating my intake, and am now paring it down even further, even in my craft-viewing, choosing to skip parts of podcasts that are...well...meant for an audience of fellow-citizens of a particular country, and not for those of us who live in other lands, who celebrate other holidays or have a different focus -- knowing -- or at least, hoping -- I can return when the season of a particular celebration is over.
In my quilt studio, the "Keep it Out of the Landfill" project continues, with progress on the Bonnie Hunter 2025 Mystery quilt. I've finished the first three clues now:
In the photo above, the tray in the centre shows the 2nd clue, which I managed to ignore until I'd done clues 1 and 3 (!) At the time I took the photo, Clue 2 was still under construction, but it's now finished as well.
Speaking of quilty finishes, in my last post I showed you my "finished" top from the Block of the Month for 2025 -- from Sherri at "A Quilting Life". I was contemplating adding a border simply to unify it, and this week, I did just that, using one of the fabrics that's in some of the blocks:
Shown here on my bed, it's not quite twin-sized; it's just a rather large 'throw'. I may send it out for quilting, as between the size and the pattern, it would be tricky to quilt on my domestic machine.
I've enjoyed making Sherri's BOM projects -- I've done both 2024 and 2025 -- they keep things moving and create a bit of a challenge. However, Sherri has said her 2026 project will be a tribute to the 250th Anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. I may look at the first block and if I can do it in "Canadian Colours", I might give it consideration, but I make no promises!
Last but not least, my friends M & S sent me a kit of sorts for Xmas, hoping to steer me towards 'Slow Stitch' of the contemporary kind, rather like visible mending but creating an original, meditative piece. Alas, while I like the idea of Slow Stitching, and I've tried it a few times, I just really don't enjoy it. Still, there I had in front of me a small 'quilt sandwich' -- a random patchwork top in a pretty palette of pinks, blues and purples, sandwiched with a thin batting, on a plain grey backing.
It was expecting me to do something with it -- so I did. When I first started showing my small art quilts, people used to ask me what to do with them. Were they hot pads? Cushion covers? That used to irritate me mightily, but this pretty piece, well -- it certainly wasn't wall art. So...much (I expect) to my friends' disappointment, I cut it into two squares, quilted each simply with my sewing machine (pink thread, no less!), bound them -- et voila! Two new hot pads to replace 2 of mine that were well over a decade old and looking much the worse for wear!
They're pretty; they're fresh, bright and serviceable -- and the process was strangely satisfying. Works for me!
In new-ish knitting, the "Sylph Cowl", which starts of my latest "Warm Things" box, is moving along.
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| Pattern: The Sylph Cowl Designer: Jade Sapphire Yarns (held double): Austermann 'Marina' in colour 45 - "Grape" and Universal Yarn 'Odette' in colour 106 - "Concord" |
It's knit flat to 26" and seamed to make a long, deep cowl. Both yarns are from stash -- long stash. 😊
Inspired by the "12 Days of Cast-on", I've cast on another cowl -- red and white colour-work -- but it's too early to show you any real progress.
This morning I cast on the "Crooner Socks" from Nancy Wheeler. Again this year I'm trying to keep up with the Ravelry 'Socks from Stash' group. The challenge for this month is "Striping, but not self-striping", and the group's moderators have confirmed that this pattern will fit, so I'm doing these in a royal purple for the main colour and a baby blue for the contrasting "stripes" -- using up more stash of course!
In my stitching, I finished "Wintertime" -- the wee stitch from Cathy Jean at The Victoria Sampler, and had an "almost-fully finished" afternoon, turning it and two other smalls into pillows -- they just have to be stuffed:
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| Top Left: "Wintertime" by Cathy Jean of The Victoria Sampler; Top Right: "Chubby Ewe" by Jeannette Douglas; and Bottom Centre: "Harvest Virtues by Thea Dueck of The Victoria Sampler |
I think the largest of these is about 5" square, so they're just perfect to put in a bowl or prop on a shelf.
As I decided to interpret the "12 Days of Cast-on" rather loosely, I'm including in it any new starts, no matter the craft --such as these recent ones in my cross-stitch repertoire:
- For my Xmas Day start, I chose "Joy" from Carolyn Manning Designs -- her, "One Color Wonder" series -- which I'm stitching on 28-count "Splash" from Picture This Plus, using Wild Flowers cotton, colour #001 -- "Sandstone" from deep stash, 1 strand over 2 fabroc threads:
Working on a deep blue-green is a new experience but I'm rather enjoying it. Also, I usually use 2 strands of floss on 28 count but this particular floss is a bit heavier than a strand of DMC, so I find that a single strand is sufficient.
- On Boxing Day (Dec. 26), I started "The Light of Winter" from Brenda Gervais (With Thy Needle and Thread), which I'm stitching on 40-count something -- can't find the label, but I think it's Platinum from Zweigart -- using DMC floss, 1 strand over 2 fabric threads:
- On December 29th, I started a third new piece: "Rejoice" from Lila's Studio. It's a free pattern at the time of this writing, and I thought it would be a good way to celebrate the season -- and to rejoice that 2025 would soon be over! 😉
I'm working this on 32-count Lambs Wool, a fairly stiff fabric, using the called-for DMC, one strand of floss over 2 fabric threads. The photo above shows my progress as of last evening. I chose to do the top border in gold rather than in the blue called for, and switched out the gold of the flowers for blue. Given that the letters are in blue, I thought this would be a better balance...but that's just my opinion, of course! 😊
And today, being January 1, 2026, marks the start of the 2026 SAL from Jacob of Modern Folk Embroidery. I've never participated in an actual SAL -- and not one of Jacob's. I had in my stash a beautiful piece of 40-count fabric in "Platinum" from the July 2025 'Traditional' fabric club offering through Roxy Floss/Evertote, so I ordered the paper pattern and enough Roxy Floss -- in "Pippy" -- to do it. Yesterday I printed a working copy of the first 2 pages (left and right top) so I could start, using the "map" suggested by Jacob in the pattern book. Once I get this blog post up and running, I'll be in my stitching chair, making a start!
Does that mean I've abandoned my 'Sunday Stitch' habit? Not at all. I'm really enjoying my current project, "1000 Hills" from Plum Street Samplers. Here's my progress as of the end of December:
Each little motif feels like a finish in itself!
NOTE: If you're also stitching this sampler, or if it's in your 'plans' collection, the link to the Plum Street post about it -- shown above -- also has a Big Bold Errata notice about one of the symbols used. You might want to make a note of that! 😊
There are two other fibre crafts I work on from time to time: spinning, which I prefer to do outdoors in warm weather; and rug-hooking. I've taken a few weeks away from that, but I did manage to finish the little pattern, "The Two of Us", designed by Deanne Fitzpatrick, in time to send it to Peg in Montreal for Xmas.
While the above photo was taken before the piece was trimmed, blocked and bound, rest assured all that was done, and I sent it off with a note giving options for hanging. She was totally delighted with it, and I'm sure she'll find a good spot for it in her home.
My 2026 plans for rug-hooking centre on landscapes. I've received Deanne's new book on the subject as well as some more worsted-weight yarn especially for the purpose, and have decided to use these to finesse my skills in that genre which, truth be told, is my favourite. It's time to crack open the book, mount some fabric on my frames (large and small) and get to it. I'm hoping that as the fatigue of 2025 wears off, I'll stay upbeat and energetic enough to make several new pieces, and apply for a booth at the Lacombe Encore! Art Show and Sale in the spring.
For that, Gentle Readers, I will need your good thoughts and prayers for energy, patience, and the willingness to keep procrastination at bay!
And so I close with a wish for you and yours -- for all of us -- to have a safe, stable, creative and contented year ahead. Should Nina-Marie put up a linky party tomorrow, I'll come back and link into it then.
A bientot!
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