MKAL finish. cross stitch plan change

Every year in October Stephen West runs a mystery knitalong.   This is the fifth year I've taken part.  This years shawl is the MusiKal.  I finished in record time, less than 4 weeks.

It is currently on the blocking mats and is too big to fit in the frame, so I took a video. There was an option to make it bigger, which i intended to do, but wasn't going to have enough yarn.

I love the bright colours.  The yarn was a kit from Mamawooling. 

Now onto cross stitch.  I decided i wanted to try scroll frames. I've used qsnaps  for years, but all the excess fabric on a project was annoying me.  So I  bought a set of 3 Frank A Edmunds handiclip.   I also wanted to use a higher count fabric,  so have gone back to 25 count.  Mini Minervas Melody was on 16 CT and would have been too big to fit the scroll rods.   I didn't want to restart the design as it would mean restitching what I'd just done.  Maybe one day I'll go back to it, but for now I'm going to start some new projects.

In the recent Heaven and Earth sale I bought 3 patterns.   Iris Keeper Storykeep by Josephine Wall,  Mini At the Steps by Leonid Afremov and Mini Childhood sweethearts by Jim Warren.  

Each will fit onto a different size scroll frame.   I have just started At the steps and will start childhood sweethearts at Christmas.   Iris Keeper may be my birthday start.

I am stitching on 25 count fabric 2x1 tent. I just started yesterday, so no photo yet.  I need to use a magnifier and am considering buying a magnifying lamp for my Christmas present.   In the meantime I have a small clip on magnifier and readers and am experimenting to see which I like best.

The plan at the moment,  is to have At the Steps as my focus piece and work on it every other month and do a minimum of 2200 stitches each month to have it finished in 2 and a half years.  I'll work on it every weekend, knitting during the week. Other cross stitch will be done the month its not being worked on.