Ouch, or Lessons in Things You Shouldn't Do

This would be one of those "educational" posts.

I would recommend that if you have a choice you should not fall on slab flooring while holding a box of paper. Now my gimpy self sits before you with a bag of ice taped to one knee with 2-inch wide book tape. Hey, if it's good enough for books, it's good enough for my knee! I suppose this is the joy I reap for working on the weekend.

Anyway, enough whining. Let's talk needling. Oh wait, there will still be whining because here too we shall have lessons. Mostly about starting new projects and really thinking about what you start before you get going.

I *was* making great progress for 2 days on a stocking--


The tiny squares are alternating Scotch in Fyre Werks (black) and Shimmer Ribbon (gold). The name is in a lovely Frosty Rays. Yours truly, aka The Moron, began the name by centering the "O" on the stocking. She put the "O" in. She was smugly proud. ... right up until the point as she was basking in it's glory, that she realized that if you center the "O" the name is off-center because an "M" is much wider than a "T." Sigh. Out came the pretty "O." I got the only as far as the "TO" this time before I ran out of thread. Oh well, next week.

I simply *had* to do something new a couple weeks ago so I spent an hour fascinated with:

my NYC trip ornie. But now I can't figure out where I put the card of Fyre Werks and stitching faces doesn't sound fun right now.

And here's what I really want to be needlepointing on:

My sand dollar. But it's just not right.

The floss is wrong for that section. I need to go get perle for that and I think I need some Flair for the white bits. So much for that new start.

I bet you are thinking: "Ruth, with all those XS UFOs and WIPs of yours, certainly you are safe there!" Ahh, but you are wrong there. The evil monster "New Project Demon" followed me to the linen as well. So, while I should have been getting further along on:

... Ursula Michaels We the People, instead I needed, absolutely needed to start something new. Sigh. Yet again, it all went south from there.

First, I started an ornie for an exchange. That should be safe, right? Oh noooooo. You see, I started an ornie I really wanted, but I only figured it "likely" to be good for the person in question. It was a little big so I made it over one.... I could have saved myself the time:

you see, I started it once, messed up. I thought I had a fix worked out, but nooooo. I also messed up the fix. No problem says my start-something-new-addled brain; I just restarted the pattern on another corner of the fabric. Yup, I messed that up too. You could have phoned that one in, right?

So I decided that was God's way of saying I should choose more wisely. So I analyzed my JCSes. I picked 5 possibilities. I checked said person's likes and dislikes. I chose a pattern. I copied it and set out to work. I looked at the copy and felt not compelled. I thought, "no, not this one." I picked another. I changed my mind. I picked again. I changed again. After 2 days of petty vacillating, I went back to the first choice (after the two F'ed up stitched ones), but it was now day 3 at something like 2am so it was left to the next night to have the sacred joy of Beginning the New Pattern! Oh the excitement! The next night I settled in, took one look at the pattern, and thought, those are the ugliest _____ (can't give it away) I've really ever seen (well, save for the ones I stitched one time that really looked like a pair of poodles). So I picked again and I started.

Surely now, all would be well. But, say it with me, nooooooooo. Little Miss Ooo Look There's an Overdye pulled all regular DMCs. I got 50 stitches (which is like 3 days of Ruth Stitching Time) into one section and went, "why or why is my needle bereft of overdyes?" I pulled the section all out and started over with Sampler Threads. Here is the official floss toss (so for those of you in exchanges with me, these might be your colors... lol).... for now:

Frankly, if I get the urge to change anything again on this after having stitched it, ya'll are just up that smelly creek!

So, what we have learned is that working on weekends is bad (I've never had my stitching cause me to need n ice pack!) and I should really hold out against the New Project Demon.

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Reading Challenge report:
1. I just finished listening to Stephen Tanner's Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban. It's ok. It's not as bad as a military history can be. What did I learn-- tribesmen with antiquated weapons who know their hills and valleys are hard to beat. Under the Taliban women could be stoned for wearing white socks. bad socks! Evil, bad socks!!!! Authors can be very dumb-- allow me to summarize -- every country in the world should fight terrorists and not allow their acts to go unanswered; Israel should stop fussing after the Palestinians when they sniper soldiers or suicide bomb holiday parties.

2. I'm just about to finish listening to Beowolf. Yeah, I read it in Western Civ with every other undergrad, but that was then. My Heavens it's boring. I will say there is great language and turns of phrase-- quite lovely ones as a matter of fact. But sheesh. Did we get assigned this because it was a way to get gamer guys to actually do their reading assignments?????

Have you ever wondered .....

.... how fabric and threads can be so addictive? I mean we have plenty, right? And yet we buy more. Then once we have them in our clutches we MUST start them. (Small counter fact: once started we do not feel compelled to finish them with any alacrity.) Once started, we tend to get on a roll and the next thing we know it's dawn and we've stitched all night. It's not like dinner isn't my friend and last week I caught myself putting it off for "one more stitch" for round about an hour... despite the fact that I really wanted dinner.

So, you can probably tell I'm in one of my stitchy-phases. I almost skipped dinner. I pick foods based on what I can eat quickly and get back to stitching. Heck I even get grumpy about things like trips to the bathroom interrupting my needle! You'd think for all my obsessed phase, you'd think I'd get more stuff done. Sigh. It's just not the case.

So here's what I can show you of what I've been up to lately --

That's Ursula Michaels' We the People -- I've actually made it further than this picture, but I haven't got that picture yet. It's remarkably fast to stitch, but I gotta say that that long blue line was really boring.

I finished up a group of things I can't show you, so to celebrate those finishes and my progress on WE the People, I started.... say it with me ... something new!'

Heart in Hand's Spooky which our friend Kathryn gave this to me and I've been itching to start it. I've changed it up for Belle Soies and over one --

So far so good. I'm really enjoying working on it. Thanks, Kathryn!

Oh and I finally found the picture for my 4th of July squares for Susan P:

It's a modified version of an LHN pattern.

You'd think I could settle in to stitching and not feel compelled for more stash, but nooooo. You see we had this trunk show at the shop...




Aren't they cool. On weekend one of the sale I fell for this little darling--


So, that's on stretcher bars in my bag as we speak.

I also almost fell for this series:

But then I looked at the whole set and some of them were too weird -- the lords a leaping were Santa's boots in the chimney. Thus I was saved from that pile of stash. Alas, on weekend two I fell for this:

I was just really fond of it -- after all, what did I need with a pear? Anyway, I was fine with just commenting to everyone how cool it was and how there was a whole set of pears and apples and strawberries and citrus fruit. Then someone mentioned the term "fruit bowl" and it was all over but the shouting. I inherited a large Steuben glass fruit bowl... you see it now right? I plan to order over time 2 pears (the one above and a red one with paisley patterns),


2 apples (red and golden),


2 strawberries (just plain ole strawberries),

a lemon,

a lime,

and an orange

It may take me years, but I'm sooo looking forward to my fruit bowl.

Ok, before I go I have to share a recent humor with you. I came home one night to find out that my manager had had all the hall doors painted (no wet paint signs though -- those would have been handy) and had even had the numbers removed from the doors. A few days later I'm home to hear hammering moving around the halls. I think, "A ha! We're getting our new numbers." After they finish my hall I go out, check, and fall out laughing.

Yes, they carefully removed the old numbers to avoid getting paint n them, then reinstalled them. Only they are the same number plates they've used for probably 20 years and they've been painted over repeatedly already. lol My pretty fresh door with it's antique paint-encrusted number plate! Such a sight!

I've been a baaaaad stitcher

.... I stashed. Why? Why? Why? Why? I need no stash. Not a bit -- well maybe the occasional floss, but no patterns. So, in the face of needing NOTHING, I got:

Midsummer Nights Designs -- A Patriot's Sampler (I will have to change that top verse.)

I just love this -- I love violets so it had to be mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. All mine.

Possibly I'm attracted to this because it looks so darn peaceful.

I don't exactly know why, but I love this.

As long as I'm doing winter, I may as well do summer, right? Besides, those are sheep in them thar hills!



Midsummer Nights Designs -- Memorial Sampler


Then there had to be:

Of which I have picked my immediate favorites (do you have favorites? What are they? I simply have to know!!!)--



(the Santa and polar bear)

(I absolutely adore the snow globe idea!)



(the bird and the tree)

OMG -- What was I thinking???? How am I ever going to get all this stitching done? Wait a minute. Is it really our intent to get it all done? What do you think? Do you think you'll stitch most of your stash some day?

Also, do you have this problem -- you buy charts (you don't need) and then you are *compelled* to buy fabric for said charts. It's stash begatting stash. Oooo, self perpetuating hobbies are pretty cool don't you think?

I wish you all a pleasant evening/day. I'm about to finish my work week--- unless you count my week by when they stopped paying me for my time -- that was Wednesday evening. That aside, I'm heading out a bit early tonight for Club Sookie. Three of us get together to watch True Blood on TiVo. We're down to the last 3 episodes of the season. There will be bar-b-que and possibly salads and corn on the cob. There will also be dog-bonding time. Our hostess has a new furry friend -- drat I thought I had a picture of Luke, but it'll have to wait for next time.

Quick note

Like Quakers? Like rustic pieces? Then you must go see a new designer I just stumbled across. She's just come out with her second design called "Quaker Silence." for the record, I am totally smitten.

Must see. Go see...

Tree of Life Samplings

be back later..... must commune with research on plastic bag levies and bans.... whopee!

I need some help

While working at the shop this weekend I took along some potential framing, but one of them has stymied me -- Mirabilia's Halloween fairy. No color actually in the piece looks good as a mat. Trust me, I tried them all. Sigh. So I cam e to a camel suede mat and a bronzed frame. Now I can't decide between single and double matting -- see that you think:



or




Who knows, I may switch formats all together. Any other ideas?

I recently joined the LHN Exchange group for their second round. This means I'm about to start an LHN ornie. Wanna see the floss toss? Why do I ask? I'm going to show it whether you nod enthusiastically or not! lol

I so do love Belle Soies! They are like stitching with air.

Oh! I did get some great news while at the shop -- the "belt lady" (ie. the finisher we use for belts, collars, and shoes) arrived and Helped me work out how much of the belt canvas I had to stitch for the finished size I wanted. Turns out I can stop at 33 inches. Yippie-- that's 3 inches off the length it's painted. And this means I'm nearly half done! Hee hee. Here's a shot of it while waiting to have its frame moved --


gotta run -- but finished the 1st book for the 10 Book Challenge-- Pratchett's Wee Free Men. Yes, I love all Pratchett. That said, the Tiffany series isn't my favorite. Although I do so love the Nac Mac Feegle. Some days I could really use a few Feegle. Anyway, it's fun, but as Pratchett says, you can be more overt and do more with young adult novels than with others.

Take care all !

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Ok, here's my P.S. on the Fairy -- I changed the color of the wings because the dandelion stem that came in my kit was a hideous murky grey-ish color. And I used actual black for the black bits not the overdyed. The upshot of all that is that black looks awful, that chocolate brown on its own looks bad, no orange works, all the greens are too blue, any brown I get that matches a brown in the piece (say the dress) looks awful because it clashes with the other browns (the hair). Ieven tried some peaches for the skin. Yuck. I tried a bunch of gold frames -- urp. The only other frame I liked was a weird antiqued green one, but absolutely no mats went with that. Sigh. Maybe I should look for fabric and make her a box or something. One thing for sure, she's going back on the to-be-finished aging hanger.