Holy smokes, but January slipped by fast! And February is even shorter, plus we've got birthdays this month ... oh boy.

Anyway, I completed four projects in January: the Blue Turtle 'sea turtle' freebie, "Love" ornie from Lizzie*Kate, "Itty Bitty Pear Doll" by Sisters & Best Friends, and "Come Fly Away" by Sheepish Designs.

I have not finished, and this is very naughty of me, "A Primitive Stocking" by Carriage House Samplings and "Miss Mary Mack" by La-D-Da. The problem with these two is they're over one on 36 and 40 ct linen and I cannot work on them at night. Nearly all my stitching time is at night, so .... I need a magnifier. Do any Dutch readers know where I can get one? Or do I need to order one online? I feel very guilty because MMM is a SAL and I suspect I am the only one who is not done.

I have started Max's sea dragon, which will be a birthday gift for him. Progress is slow because it is a horribly unwieldly hand-drawn design and because I'm changing all the colors and some aspects of the design. However, I'm having a great time with it, and Max is making very imaginative guesses about what it is. I'd hoped to include a picture, but DH has already gone to bed and I don't want to disturb anyone by hauling down the scanner....

For upcoming projects, I am participating in a Bent Creek MA exchange that should be very fun. And I have two SALs coming up in March through the Stitching Smalls SAL group. I am also going to start Houses of Hawk Run Hollow on Friday nights with Carol, and I am trying to make an ornament a month with the Friends Gather group. Speaking of FG, there are some great ideas there that I want to particpate in, such as the 24 hour challenge and I'd like to do a better job with the Monday Check In and the monthly Stitch A Thons. Areas for improvement!

For stash accumulation in January, I was both very, very good and very, very bad. I took out all the new books from the library and have gotten some great ideas for upcoming local charity events that involve children. And lots of patterns. I bought some great stuff from Acadian Corner for half price (go check out their sales pages!). However, I went a little bit crazy on eBay recently and although I didn't pay too much for anything, I spent too much overall. I've also succumbed to Silkweaver's lure too many times. So, there is a lot of room for improvement!

In general, I had the chance to stitch more than usual in January and I really enjoyed it. Our kids are getting old enough that I can sneak in a little bit of time during the day, which really speeds a project along. It was a good month for getting new ideas, getting to know some fellow bloggers better, and sort of expanding my horizons. I want to thank you - and I wish I could thank everyone individually - for coming to visit me here, leaving comments, sharing ideas, and just enjoying the opportunity to come together over a craft that we're all fairly passionate about.