2026: May update

This month I took two days off work to extend my Memorial Day weekend. It was also so I could start and finish cards I thought had a home, but it didn’t work out, so maybe new cards for the shop? I spent one day getting the bases assembled and a second day picking sentiments and finishing the card designs. The page I chose for these cards managed to produce 10 cards.

I am struggling to create sets, but I see it as a way I’m stretching myself into new ways of working. I hope these look like a set with a mixed set of sentiments. Ready for most occasions.

It took less than a week and I had to challenge myself again with attempting a second card set. This time holiday themed. I’m not sure if they’ll be accepted for their intended purpose, if not, I guess those will show up on the shop as well.

The big 5 update

If you would like to read the origin stories, you can find that here. Follow my Instagram to see official progress photos when they are released.

This was the month of official progress updates! And over 1,000 stitches on each. I worked a little extra on Cats Library to bring that one up to 1,000 before the end of the month. The updates below are as of the end of the month. You get to see the latest progress before the next official IG updates!

Cats Library, Heaven and Earth Designs.

+1,019

Disintegration, Heaven and Earth Designs

+1,205

Universal Monsters, Witchy Stitcher’s SAL from 2019

+1,457

McGonagall, Cross Stitch Studio

+1,394

Super Mario World Map, Box Cat Shop (Etsy)

+1,132

Monopoly update

I landed on an unowned property and the WIP number corresponded to Nativity. All projects are officially started. Since I passed Go and wanted to purchase the property (only because Nativity has blocks of color) I owed 600 stitches.

+607

How did May go?

I only longer-term track my stitch counts on the ‘Big 5‘. I added more math to my tracker to attempt at an estimated completion date based on my current rate of work. Based on my higher-than-average stitching this month, I should finish my current 5 in 25 years and the additional 2 large projects within 30 or so years.

Here’s how I did in May for chipping away at these: 6,207 stitches across the five.

The Big 5 have a combined stitch count of 1,295,620. I’m 4.72% complete with all five, which isn’t bad considering I have limited time to work on them.

It’s an FFO

I did it! Took a day off work and made sure I got Red Panda turned into a fully finished object. Seriously, it is complete. You can read more about this project and see the photos on the Red Panda post here.

Happy crafting!


See finished projects on Instagram @craftyk.3

and watch live on Twitch CraftyK3

Turtle & cat on linen

I went to a local cross stitch store to get fabric for my next project (which turned into two) and came away with a sample of Jobelan and linen scraps to try out.

I think it was expected that I just make little x’s of nothingness, but I have so many patterns, I found a cute little turtle in a World of Cross Stitch magazine to blow up large enough to stitch. And mark off progress.

I decided to try the 40 count linen first as it came highly recommended (once you get used to it). Day one I put in 43 stitches and I’m not a fan.

Day two or three taking the project outside and using sunlight helped immensely. I could finally see the holes! Stitching went easier. Since I stitched using 1 thread, I finished up some backstitching when working on the eyes.

Turtle on brown linen minimal backstitching

Finishing, it paid off to stitch over 2. Which I decided to do because of the backstitching. It meant built in holes for all the backstitching landing in the middle of a square.

Part two of the sample pieces from the local cross stitch store. The cat is from the same issue of World of Cross Stitch magazine. Again, recharted in WinStitch. This time not only to make it bigger, but because the key is two pages away.

It paid off again to stitch over 2. There is backstitching in the middle of the square. This one I timed and it took 2.5 hours all in. I didn’t take a progress pic of the cat, it went from stitched to backstitched the same day to finish.

Stitching – Turtle

Started: August 8, 2025

Finished: August 12, 2025

Stitching time: didn’t track it

Turtle in clear keychain.

Stitching – Cat

Started: August 17, 2025

Finished: August 19, 2025

Stitching time: 2.5 hours

Light and dark grey spotted cat in clear keychain

See finished projects and updates on Instagram @craftyk.3
Updates on Snapchat

and watch live on Twitch craftyK3

or buy stuff