Thanks Be for Public Holidays

If it wasn't for public holidays I wouldn't have a weekend this week and that would make me sad.

Hullo hullo everyone hope you've all been having good weeks - far more productive weeks that me. I'm going to apologize now for any grammatical errors - for once I'm not using the key board of doom, but the Man does have me watching "The Man from Earth" and I must admit it is holding my attention quite a bit more that television or movies usually do. But I've also never been one for just doing one thing at a time.

It is nice to just be at peace with the Man for once, sitting with drink in hand and watching a movie - especially a movie that is more my pace that his. I am all for the thematic - I think it's the reader in me - and he is more for the indy artsy type thing. With life going the way it is, it's just nice (okay I may also be beyond my first wine right now too ), but it's nice to just sit. I think I mentioned I my last post that we were losing some staff at work. My personal underling has only just been hired and doesn't start for another few days so since having my week off a fortnight ago I have been doing two people's jobs and pretty much will be for another two to three weeks while I train up the underling to do my evil bidding (or at least do the job I want them to do semi competently). That makes for a whole lot of over time and not a lot of free time where I'm not absolutely exhausted. That's probably why I've held off on writing this. I wanted some thing to actually show you - but now that I've actually started writing this and thinking about all I want to say, Ive realised that I have done more than I thought.

Firstly I finished my mosaic. While I know that this is not cross stitch, it is still a finished project. I have absolutely no idea with what I am going to do with it, and I must admit I am a little dissapointed by it. But it was cheap. And you don't know if you don't try do you?

While there was something strangely cathartic about sticking tiny resin tiles on to a sticky canvas, it just didn't turn out entirely how advertised. But that's life, and like I said, it was cheap. I got it off Aliexpress for only a few dollars, so what right did I have to expect grand things really.

And that's about where my previously stated plans ended. While waiting for my Stitching Bits and Bob's order (curse those back orders - but that's not the lovely Bobbies fault), I pulled The Reader back out. My aim is to have another two big finishes this year; this and Eleni.

To recap, this Joan Elliot pattern is being done on 32 count ivory even weave with all the recommended supplies. It's become my new weekend project - or at least in so much that the word weekend applies at present. This week I got a whole two days on it, thank you Labour Day.

During the weeks however, I have deviated away from the reading that I was doing. I discovered that I have missed some Downton Abbey somewhere and since there was a dvd sale on at a local store I am now the proud owner of the first five seasons plus the Christmas specials and have proceeded to re watch  them all right from the beginning. I had forgotten how much I love Downton. But being engrossed in a mini marathon doesn't make reading particularly possible so I've been picking up some small cross stitch patterns. 

First I started, and then finished my first ever go at black work - a freebie from Papillion Creations called Hearts and Flowers.

It's not prefect. I'm a little off centre somewhere on the boarder. But it's not bad for a first attempt. And while I didn't seem to find the great zen that a lot of people seem to find with black work, I didn't dislike it. I don't think I will be doing Save the Stitches anytime soon, but I could see me doing more smalls definatly.

While I stuck with good old DMC 310,MI did change up the beads a little. The pattern called for gold but I had some of these red petite laying round - and let's face it, you can take the girl out of Canterbury, but you can never take the Canterbury out of the girl - red and black are always going to be my colours. For those of you over seas - that is a regional rugby reference. Here's a slightly better shot of the beads anywhoo.

Finally I started in on another freebie - this time another Chatelaine. Debi's Roses.

My plan is to make this, along with the sunflower one I did not long ago, into no sew cubes for mothers day next year. One for my mum and one for my nana. Was thinking of giving one to the mother in law, but the Man doesn't think it's really her thing. Whatever. Mum and Nana will appreciate them. Like the sunflowers, this one is being worked on 28 count antique white Monaco and I'm going to change the beads slightly so they both match in that regard.

I think I will leave it there for now. With any luck I won't be as behind in future.

Till next time.

Another Day

Real life always seems to get in the way of our hobbies, doesn't it? Now, don't get me wrong - I love my man and my friends, my job and work mates are wonderful, my course work I'm ambivalent to but it's for my job so we will claim that for a win. I just wish it left more time for hobbies. Maybe if we had more hours in a day or didn't need to sleep. Maybe if I was a twilight vampire.

Jeeze, did I just admit to knowledge about Twilight vampires? Lets maybe move on shall we?

Last time I posted - which was far too long ago - I mentioned that I was sick. I still am, surprise surprise. This cold that has been going around the city is kicking me (and everyone else that has had it by all accounts) around pretty hard. The extra infections have cleared up and the antibiotics have been finished, but still the hacking cough continues a month later. Oh joy. That's no excuse for a late post however. Although I guess "lateness"  is a relative term when I haven't really set "rules" on these things.

That is something I have  been thinking about over the last week or so. I was thinking about my stitchy bug and my reading bug and how they seem to come and go. Both are back now, incidentally and I will get into my progress soon, but I was thinking about these things while trawling through Facebook and YouTube and I realized that social media affects my desire to do things, but not in the way that I had previously thought. 

I knew that social medias enabled me more in my purchasing and my willingness to start new projects - a slight fear of missing out that was awakened in a way far stronger than I ever got from reading blogs. Perhaps because interactions are not as seemingly instantaneous on a blog, perhaps for some other reason entirely, I'm not sure, but on blogs I seem to be able to admire someones hard work and the piece of art that they are creating without feeling... obliged, I guess... to do something similar or to join in a SAL or whatever. Getting to know people still happens, just slower and more gradual - more natural in a way.

Social medias breed pettyness and social cliques however than I have never come across in the blogging word. And that makes me sad. That there is snobbery and people citing opinions as fact and feeling like you (or at least I feel like) are being force into choosing this side or that side of a ever raging battle between the right way and the wrong way. And the stress of that makes me not want to read or not want to stitch or not want to knit.

Of course maybe I have just been fortunate enough to avoid such things in the blog-o-verse, which would render my point useless I guess, but I can only speak from what I have experienced. Nor am I blaming social media. Petty social cliques are endemic, I have noticed, in any group of people - just look at any high school in the world. 

But when I am at home, I want to be able to be me with out fear of reprimand. 

By day, I essentially run a store. There are other people around - the bakers and the owner doing baking and owner type things, but over the last three years, I have become one of the main faces associated with the store. Its a small city, so consequently, I can rarely go anywhere without bumping into at least one customer that recognizes me. So you see, home really is the only place I can truly be me. Where I don't have to be happy or civil or tippy toe around the politically correct environments. 

At home I can be human.

I'm not saying that I'm going to ditch social media altogether - I do like it. But stepping back from it a little bit has done wonders for my productivity. Which we should probably get onto - I have rambled on for far too long and if you have made it this far without skipping, I applaud and thank you.

I have been a little ADD this last couple of weeks, trying to kick start my stitchy bug - but it worked, so we shall just deal with a lot of photos. We've just dealt with a lot of words so why not right?

First up is my Steam Punk Sea Serpant by Samsarah that I was working on in Kakanui. I have only done maybe another 20 stitches or so since coming home, but I never put any pictures in my last post so here you go - 

He still needs a head, but we will get to that eventually. I am doing the DMC conversion for this one for all bar one colour. Its a Weeks Dye Works and I'm still not entirely convinced on the thread. I know I have said before that I am boring with my fabric choices because I think that hand dyes are too busy and I think my thread preferences may be heading the same way. We'll see.

Next up I put Once Upon a Time back on the frame, but that didn't last long either.

I love how these always look so much better once I take a photo. It's like the action of stepping back and viewing it through a lens forces me to see it as a whole rather than as pixel stitches.

Then, as I said in my last post, I started Joan Elliot's The Reader.

This is about where I started the thinking of the thoughts that have been spewed out above. I got a decent chunk of it done but lost a bit of momentum because work and what not and didn't really feel like picking it up again. So when in doubt, start something knew - I am coming to terms with being a serial starter.

Just looks like random purple at the moment, but it will become Eleni of Troy by Cross Stitching Art. I am just doing her on an antique white 32 count even weave, and while I would have loved to do her all in beads, I am just doing the DMC conversion because that would have been a whole lot of money on a WHOLE lot of beads. And that money I need for house renovations right this minute. And tea. I always need tea.

Side note, this progress on Eleni was fueled by tea - t leaf T banana caramel to be specific. Its my current favourite and if you love tea - you should try this brand. I love them all - even their earl greys which until now I have never been particularly fond of.

Finally I gave my mosaic a bit of love

Not a huge amount, but I definitely think it would be a lot easier if I had a table or desk to work on, but alas, they are in storage at the moment so we make do without. Progress is happening on it though.

Hopefully I can get back on track this week. I still have one work book to finish for my course. I want it in by next Friday and then I am up to date with that. But my man goes over to Australia for a couple of weeks this weekend so at least I will have no distractions stopping me from getting that done and moving back onto getting all the pages on here updates and back only my stitching and reading. And knitting. I am going to have to go shopping (oh no what a shame). After the success of my pompom hats I have had half a dozen people ask me to make them one too. 

Practice makes perfect I guess.

The Best Laid Plans

I think I should start out by saying that I am not a planner. I like to pretend that I am. I will quite happily make my self lists and goals and the like, but when it comes down to the doing, it never works out. 

Maybe that makes me a bad do-er rather than a bad planner? I don't know.

So needless to say, my plans for my week off went much the same way as every other plan that I've ever made. Please don't get me wrong, I am not unhappy with how I spent the time, it's just not what was previously aimed for.

In my previous post, when I came back from Christchurch, I had said that I wanted to churn out some of my smaller WIPs, get a few finished behind me to bump up my moral as it were. A fine goal for a Wednesday morning. Until, that is, you discover that you are out of some of the threads for not only the first project that you pick up (miniature sampler) but also the second project that you pick up (dragon abc's). That kind of happenings tends to take the wind out of your sails a little bit.

Now I can hear you saying it "but Dana, you were on holiday, why didn't you just wander the 10 minute walk to the store to get more?"

Floods. That's why. We got three months worth of rain in one day. There was no way that I was going out in that if it wasn't completely essential. And thread, no matter how much I love my hobby, is not essential. It did facilitate a rather large 123 stitch order, but lets worry about that later.

But not to fear, as I have already said, the week wasn't a complete wash (bad flood pun, sorry).  In my cross stitching, I got two finishes.... or maybe three, depending on how exactly you count - do biscornue panels count as one or two?

white 14ct aida, DMC cotton is recommended colours

I finished Clouds Factory's "Nevermore". Then carried on with the Clouds Factory fun by starting and finishing the 10th Doctor and Rose Tyler.

white 14ct aida, DMC cotton is recommended colours

Yes, they are unwashed and unpressed - but floods. That's the excuse for everything this week. There's half a plan in my head (again with the plans) that I can mount a few or more of these cute little nerdy designs on foam core, get a little easel and swap them out when the mood strikes me. Two designs (this and Ghost busters) towards the goal is a good start me thinks.

Finally, on the cross stitch front, I started the kit I bought from China, which I have decided to call Love Birds.

Not much, to be sure, but, while I thought that 11 count aida would be fairly easy, it turns out that stitching with three strands is a little taxing on the finger tips. Can't fault the coverage though - 

And then I changed tacts. I know I said that my knitting was going to go on the back burner for a while but I couldn't resist.

So incredibly proud about this. For teaching myself a new skill at the side of the round, its turning out (at least I think) really really well. I guess I don't really know where pom pom hats sit in the scale of complexity, but I didn't really find it that difficult once I got started. Probably just as well since I bought two of the kits.

It started life as this cute little bundle - 

And know looks like this - 

All it needs now is to be sewn together and the pom pom attached. And just in time for the chilly chilly farmers market shift that is my reward for the time off taken.

Lastly, I gave the other kit that I purchased from China a try. It was called a Diamond Embroidery kit, though I have no idea where the embroidery aspect comes in. I don't have a picture of what it will look like when its done - I don't what to show the pattern, but this is what it looks like now.

Looking at it now, it doesn't actually look to bad. Up close, at a pixel to pixel level, I was starting to question what it was going to be like. From my cross stitching experience, I understand colour blending and placing colours next to one another to give various effects. But I was starting to question this one. Maybe not so much now. Despite my misgivings though, it is a strangely hypnotic process. Mosaic is probably the best way to describe it - all these little resin pebbles being stuck onto a pre-glued, pre-printed canvas.

Once again though, it is something that is going back into the pile for a little while. Yesterday was back to work day, and its going to be a six day week on that front. Add on my current enjoyment of my knitting, my blind determination to finish Garden Verses and my need to get a couple of assignments done, there's not going to be time for much else now I think. Such is the reality of being a grown up I suppose. There is the crafting retreat weekend at the end of the month to look forward to though. Start counting down the days.

I'll leave you on a completely random side note (thinking about the snacks I'll take away with me that weekend) I have a new favourite thing

my favourite drink and my favourite food all rolled into one thing - heaven