The finished product!
As promised (or threatened, depending on how you look at it), here is a picture of the stocking. Finished and ready to hang for Christmas 2010. It was a lot of fun but I am so glad I have it finished. I’m thinking that before I hang it next year I will change the hanger ribbon to something more substantial. The ribbon they provided is really too thin to be used for anything other than decoration but I was so desperate to get it done and hanging before I packed everything away that I used it. I want something a bit wider and not so flimsy. I stuck in a few close-ups hoping that the beading would show up. Also you cannot tell that the tinsel is metallic and really picks up the light and shines. The best thing of all is that my daughter is happy with it, I am happy with it and it gives me a good feeling to know that it is safely resting until needed. 
The really goofy thing is that now I wish I had another cross-stitch project to do. Like I don’t have enough knitting sitting around, begging to be finished. Or started, as the case may be. Then again, can we ever have too many projects going?
If I knew you liked to do cross stitch I have plenty I would have given you. At my garage sale I sold a few, gave a few to Goodwill and I still have plenty. Maybe when they come out of storage we should talk and for shipping they could be yours, Susan. I am like you and knitting seems to be my focus now. The stocking is beautiful and I am sure your daughter will get many years of joy from it plus just knowing that her mother made it for her is pleasure enough, but she may not realize the significance until she is older. The kitties are cute also. The offer on the house will go in today so things out of storage is getting closer. Cross your fingers they accept the offer.
So beautiful, Susan. I am glad you can cross this project off your list. Best of all your daughter is happy with it. Perhaps if you sit down and clear your head this urge to cross stitch will pass. Wish I had a recording of you moaning and groaning about having to finish this one
Kathy- so glad to hear that you found a house! Hopefully you have already heard that the accepted your offer and are looking forward to closing. Won’t it be nice to have all of your things (read: yarn) out of storage and at your disposal?
I am sure, Jan, that my husband would say the same thing if he heard me talking about cross stitching anytime soon. I am sure he got very tired of going to bed alone and watching me drag around because I’d been up until 2:00 a.m. (again) working on the crazy thing. And I sort of got the impression that I might get a bit cranky when deprived of sleep.
I just put some cross stitch kits that were in my bedroom in the Goodwill sack over Snow days.. I have lost all interest in doing that now. It’s all about the yarn and sticks now.