Waiting for Neptune & Fantasy Triptych

This is Waiting for Neptune as at last Friday & Fantasy Triptych as of last night. I apologise once again for my lack of blog updating and commenting. Its the usual, work, children, chores. Plus now that DH is unemployed he's always here which means he spends a lot of his time on the computer, seriously limiting my access to it! Never mind, it goes so slowly these days it frustrates me no end.
I'm quite pleased with my progress on WFN. I know it still looks like a little blob, but there are quite a lot of stitches in there. I had hoped to get a bit more done on FT. I'm bored with the Castle wall colours, I think most people who have stitched this one found the Castle panel the most hard going. I'm keeping myself going by the thought it will look a lot more castle-y once the backstitch is on.

We go away tomorrow to Scotland for just over a week. Taj Mahal and Lily of the Valley Fairy are coming with me - there may or may not be progress on them. I won't be back until 30th Oct so definitely no more blogging until then.

Questions
How do you `non-hoopists' who use a rotation system handle it (as it
seems to be lot easier if you are in good terms with hoop)? Do you
have several scroll frames? Do you use Q-snaps or maybe something
completely different? Or do you just have one or two big projects and
others are small enough to be kept in hand while stitching?
I like working with a hoop but don't like hoop marks on my fabric so now I am a 'non-hoopist'. The two small projects are in lock corner frames, the largest one is permanently mounted on scroll bars and the other three are sharing a medium sized set of q-snaps. This may change as the stitched areas get bigger.

Do you mark or hi-lite your patterns or can you follow them without any markings? Do you make copies to mark up, or do you mark originals?
Depends. If its a mass of symbols and difficult to follow I will shade in pencil as I go along. I prefer not to if I can manage. Sometimes I work from copies, I should always work from copies, but very often I'm too lazy/disorganized to get a copy so work from the original.

Waiting for Neptune WIP

This tiny little blob of stitches is Waiting for Neptune. For the first time ever I've started in the top left hand corner. I hope its central vertically! I know the fabric is almost twice the length I needed so it should be ok that way. This little blob is about 700-800 stitches worth - I'm working one-over-one on 25 count linen. One thing I've learned - use short lengths of thread - long lengths go in knots and drive me mad! I've stitched about one twentieth of the first page and there are 18 pages. I'm mad! I keep telling DH it'll take me 10-20 years to complete it and he finds that incredible to believe. Would you get it done in a year if you didn't stitch anything else? Maybe, if I didn't go to work either. There is always the chance it will never get finished. I might get bored with cross stitch, who knows? But if I don't try, I'll never know. Its safe to say its my biggest challenge to date!!
I had a new chart arrive yesterday - Carol very kindly sent me her Miracle Butterfly chart - I love this design and enjoyed watching Carol's progress on it - its next in line after Celtic Winter - which judging by my progress on that could be six months away - but I will get there!

Celtic Winter WIP

Here is my update on Celtic Winter. I've spent quite a few hours over the past couple of days on her. I am still woefully behind the other SAL-ers but at least there are more than a few stitches in her now. The gold thread I'm using with Anchor reflecta. I had a hard time with the DMC metallic and petite treasure braid when I was doing Celtic Christmas, and I read somewhere this thread is easier to work with. So far it is pretty good, although two lengths have frayed. I'm not sure I like the gold with the white and grey, something doesn't work for me, maybe it'll look better when more is done. Silver thread would possibly have looked better, but for me silver is just sparkly grey and I would have hated working with it. I'll keep plugging away but for now CW goes back into the drawer until November.

Waiting for Neptune comes out of the cupboard tomorrow - I can't wait to get going on it again!

Sleeping Beauty WIP

Here is Sleeping Beauty as at last Tuesday - most of the work was done last weekend, I only used two colours - white & the pale green. You can see now in the white where the swirls will be, but they are done in beads which I will leave until later.
My stitching time this week has been seriously eaten into as my son is in the top year of junior school and we are doing the rounds to chose his secondary school. Its an important decision and a very complicated process! As a result I've had two more 'no stitching at all' days and once again Celtic Winter has been seriously neglected. I am never going to catch up with the other ladies on the SAL, but these things can't be helped! I have done a fair amount of work on CW today and yesterday and am getting over my dislike of the grey. I should be able to post a WIP tomorrow.
I had a small ebay win - Just cross stitches Christmas ornaments 2004. Now I know what all these fancy threads my American blogging threads talk about get used for! Mostly the UK designs just call for DMC & Anchor - but the other threads are all available through Sew and So so the ornaments are do-able. Whether or not I actually get one done before Christmas is another matter!
Stitching Bloggers Question
When you have almost finished a pattern and start thinking about the
next one to stitch, how do you select it? (a list, most recent
purchase, etc.)
There is a strict plan. I have a six project rotation and each current project falls into a particular category, all stash in the same category is in a list behind the current project in that category. Categories currently are Teresa Wentzler, miscellaneous, flower fairies, Mirabilia, Lavender & Lace & Passione Ricamo, and HAED. Top of the lists go anything that has been given to me as a gift, to let the giver I appreciate it, next fully kitted up projects, lastly charts yet to be kitted. It is a very organised system, but I have to admit it'll all go out the window if what I fancy stitching doesn't happen to fit into the plan.

My husband gets made redundant at the end of next week. Its been looming for years but has finally come around. I have a part time job - three days a week, but to boost funds during DH's unemployment I will be working full time as of November. Gone will be my 'me' days of much stitching and very little else..... boo hoo! I am living in hope that he gets a fantastic new job soon, very soon!