May: The Low-key Month (aka: The Calm Before the Storm)
Finishing off a series of gifts, working hard to keep up with a stitch-along and undergoing my second surgery for 2024 kept me both busy and calm at the same time… somehow. That doesn't make sense, does it..?
But I don't know how else to explain it!
I'm writing the meat of this post in the middle of June which is notoriously hectic and wild for my little family. But the timeframe that this post is set for, I definitely appreciated the "slowness" of May and made the most of it.
So let's get right into it!
Jump to:
Leading image: Noodle giving my leg (that had surgery done on it) a big hug.
Works-in-progress
Not a huge variety of works-in-progress to share since I technically completed six pieces during May, too. But [some of] the pieces that ended the month as WIPs had a lot done on them..!
I mean, check out the Deadly Aquarium piece! I'm kind of keeping up with the exhibit releases, which is awesome. Hopefully I can keep the momentum up for June.
By the end of the month, I had plans for near-future WIPs and even a commission on the table. Exciting!
Upcoming Pattern
Although at the time of writing this blog post, the pattern in question has been released, I wanted to make mention of the test stitch as I stitched up the test piece during the month of May. But it didn't feel fitting to put it in my work-in-progress section since I technically finished it before the month was out..!
It felt great to be working on a new cross-stitch pattern — since it's been so long between new pattern releases. It's an idea I've had in my head for quite a long time and as a sketch for months.
I'll share the proper link to the pattern in my 'June 2024' monthly post so for now, here's WIP shots of it..! Or -of course- you can check out the product page.
Finished Pieces
In America, the first full week of May is 'Teacher Appreciation Week', where students show their appreciation for their teachers. Since... I think 2019, I have made stitch people portraits for my kids' current teacher(s) and therapists.
Although I started later than I normally would, I still managed to get all of them done on time for my girls to hand them out. Woohoo!
This year there were two therapists, two teachers and two paraeducators to stitch up and gift for. I'm really happy with how they turned out and every single recipient loved their little gift.
Want your own piece like this?
I generally only take what I call "ornament" sized portraits over the Christmas period, but I'm always up for something a little different if you have something specific in mind!
So get in touch today and we can discuss what it is you're after!
New Merch Design
"Stork Scissors"
For May's merch & apparel release I was so excited to get this design out the door! I ordered a test t-shirt of the design for myself and it looks so lovely in person. It's quote possibly my favourite top that I currently own.
The design "Stork Scissors" comes on six items; 2 apparel and 4 merchandise. If you grab any of them, let me know what you think and/or send me a photo of the item! I might be a bit obsessed. LOL.
New Blog Posts
As I mentioned in the April 2024 post I have been merging over all my older posts from my previous website to my current one. I'm happy to be able to say that merger is complete!
But I've also been adding a few new posts, too. Here's easy links to those!
View the stitches
![An angled photo of the [earlier discussed] teacher pieces.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0732/3733/2277/files/240608-blog-fo_gifts.jpg?v=1718651790)
Check out the photos
See the episode
IRL
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, life was busy but not in a wild way. There's not a huge amount of stuff that happened in "IRL news" but what did happen was important.
Ultimately it is a good thing having May be a quiet month for my family though. With June having both my girls' birthdays and the lead-up to the end of the school year, we definitely need the peace. Well, I appreciate it, anyway. I'm sure my kids prefer June.
Oh; check out this adorable worksheet that I received on Mother's Day from my youngest daughter (right).
Surgery no.2 for 2024
Yep, two surgeries for this year (and hopefully that's it!). My poor body! If you have not been following along with what's happened with my poor left big toe, I recommend checking out some previous links:
- IG post: Notifying my followers
- IG post: Fractured big toe
- IG post: Complications
- Details on the first foot surgery
- Details on the second foot surgery
- IG post: 2022 Christmas photo with me still wearing the dang moon boot.
In a nutshell: It's been an ordeal. I now have three screws in my toe (one long one going the length of my big toe and two on either side of it, to hold things in place) that -unless there are complications from them- will stay for the rest of my life. I've already felt the problems with that, in that my toe easily gets cold and is hard to warm up. But fingers crossed this is it for the saga that is "Kate's bung toe". 🤞
Healing has been relatively easy-going. Especially compared to the problems I had with the weight-loss surgery from earlier this year..! So that's welcomed. Keep your fingers crossed that this surgery does the trick, that I heal in a speedy manner and I can get back to regular day-to-day movement.
Martial Arts
Before my foot surgery happened, I was able to squeeze in a belt test at the martial arts dojo I attend. I went from a green-stripe belt to [my new] brown belt. That feels like such a high belt level..!
It was really important to me that I get at least one cycle of martial arts in between my two 2024 surgeries. I didn't want to lose the momentum or drive to keep up the hobby and the thought of missing (at a minimum) three cycles really didn't sound like it would help me or my mental health.
Hopefully I can go back in a couple of weeks for the next cycle. The Black Belt Club weapon for the cycle is the Bo Staff - the one I'm most excited about!
Social Media
Navigating social media as a solo creator has been a rollercoaster, with highs like connecting with followers through my daily "Flower Field" updates and lows such as the pressure to constantly produce new content. The months in 2024have been particularly tough, leading to sporadic posting. Despite this, I found solace in focusing on my work, reminding myself that Two Little Kits is a one-person show without a marketing team.
So yeah; consistent posting remains a challenge, often burdened by the pressure to come up with fresh ideas daily. However, sharing my "Flower Field" project almost every day has unexpectedly strengthened my connection with followers. Looking ahead, I hope June brings renewed inspiration and productivity. I’m doing my best to prioritize my well-being and creative joy over social media metrics. But oof; it's hard..!
Thank you for being here, reading through this post, encouraging me along my tracks and until next time..!
👋 Kate