November Challenge

 

Oh November, why do you go so quickly in my mind? Already we are on the fifth day. I cannot remember when I started to love November - well first of all it's my birthday month but I love the days leading up to Thanksgiving and witnessing the leaves dropping and the weather whispering winter temperatures. I love how Christmas creeps in before you've celebrated Thanksgiving too. November is usually a coat wearing month and a wool wearing month.

I've been receiving emails from all the stores giving me birthday presents for the month. Ikea sent me such an email and we made the trip yesterday to visit the store in Pittsburgh. He needed a new office chair and I picked up a few things for around the house. They were in the process of decorating for the holidays and my last photo of the gnomes on the counter was one of their rooms in progress.

Every month I give my self a little challenge. I've done daily haikus and daily sketching but this time around I am carving out one hour a day to do some cross stitching. I used to be an avid cross stitcher when I was newly married. I'd say the past 10-15 years or so I rarely stitch since knitting is my passion. 

I had an outing with my aunt and cousin a month or so ago to a cross stitch store in Ohio and I purchased a baby sampler for the grandbaby-to-be so I am priming myself to get into the daily stitching habit. After all my holiday gift knitting is finished, I'll start the sampler. I'm making progress on those mitts.

My other monthly challenges that are easy for me are to read daily, knit daily and to journal daily. 

Do you have any challenges for the month? Is there some new skill you are wishing to add to your arsenal? I'd love to know.

My daily walks are so beautiful - I tried to snap a photo on yesterday's walk just to show you part of it. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thank you for stopping by and  reading my blog!

Ikea display in progress

Comments

  1. This is a lovely post in so many ways! I don't necessarily have a monthly challenge, though for reasons that not even I'm sure about, I do try to join the practice of blogging every day in November. And it's not like I don't have other things going on ... I guess I just like seeing if I can do it, leading to the big buildup of holidays!

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    1. I have never done that challenge but I admire the people, like you, who do it so well!

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  2. November is indeed a lovely month, and I agree it's flying by. I haven't set monthly challenges, but I guess my unofficial one is to finish the next sleeve for my sweater by next week, and then get going on the body. I wish I loved near an Ikea; I don't think I've ever been in one and it looks like a place I'd like to visit!

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    1. this is the first time I have an Ikea about 30 minutes away from me. I love it!

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  3. Thise gnomes are so cute. I have never done personal challenges. Indo enjoy watching you with yours though. I have several cross stitch items that need to be competed. Maybe I should dedicate 1 hour a day to working on my cross stitch items. Thank you for that thoight.

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    1. oh! I hope you show the projects on your blog :)

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  4. I'm so glad you have picked up stitching again, and a sampler for the baby-to-be is a perfect idea. No challenges for me (other than to get through work without having a nervous breakdown!!). I, too, enjoy November...my husband? Not so much....

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  5. November is a good month!

    Frodo is so handsome in his red harness.

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  6. A trip to Ikea is always fun. I love those cute gnomes! I have had reading 20 + minutes a day as my challenge this entire year and I also do the weekly gratitude challenge with other bloggers, but I don't have a specific November challenge. November is also one of my favorite months. I wish you a Happy November birthday whenever that is! Have a good weekend.

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    1. I admire how much you read and the diversity of what you read and that you share it on your blog!

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  7. November is indeed a good month. Your stitching inspired me to pull out a small patchwork quilt that needs to be quilted. I marked the pattern and basted the layers together during the summer but it felt too warm to have a quilt on my lap. I am going to try and work on it a bit each day. My Mom and sister and niece have November birthdays too.

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    1. In my family all the birthdays are in January! I'm the odd ball out. Quilting is such a lovely hobby, I hope to see the project on your blog if you share.

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  8. Lovely post Karen and I like the stitching project you are working on. I don’t really do monthly challenges, I just like to go with the flow. Next to October, November is another favorite month as it starts to really cool down in Phoenix and I’m able to wear many of my hand knits, The leaves with Frodo are so beautiful colors… fall is such a colorful time.

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    1. Whenever the weather cools off it's always wool wearing season!

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  9. You are right, November seems to be flying by! (with lots of projects that need completion before you know when....) Love that burgundy-colored yarn. What pattern are you using for those mitts? You certainly are multi-talented. It will be fun to see your progress on the baby sampler! Here November so far has been mostly chilly and rainy.

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    1. the pattern is called Peekaboo mitts and it is free on Ravelry

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  10. I love monthly challenges, even if I often drop the ball along the way. I am having so much fun doing the Wovember prompts and writing about all things yarn this month. I have too many things on the needles but a new pair of mitts is a project on my list too.

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    1. I have been enjoying your November blogging theme so very much! I can feel your enthusiasm in your writings.

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  11. Karen, are you doing Michelle GD's November Gratitudes Week? I always look forward to her offerings. I am working on some embroidery projects for my girls. I used to be an avid counted cross stitcher but haven't done one in years! I need to look into maybe starting a project!

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    1. YES I am doing the gratitude week! I'd love to see your embroidery projects, maybe on Instagram? You are so talented.

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  12. It’s my birthday month, too! Happy birthday, November folk! I don’t have a monthly challenge, but I recently got myself a nice embroidery kit to challenge myself. It’s fancy and fine and complicated for a beginner like me, but I figured I might as well go big or go home!

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    1. Happy birthday month to you as well! I haven't done much embroidery but it's on the list for me to explore, maybe after all the holiday gift knitting is done.

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