kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)Kate ([personal profile] kate_nepveu) wrote,
@ 2011-07-21 10:04 pm UTC
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Entry tags:stitching

I have just mailed off the last of my commissioned bookmarks for [livejournal.com profile] con_or_bust, which makes it a good time to take stock of my stitching projects and their status.

Top priority now: Christmas presents (to be revealed later since they are for people who read this). I have no idea how long these will take (they involve a lot of beads, which I've never done), and if they aren't done by Christmas then I'll have to think of other presents, which is why they get priority over:

Two cute polar bear designs for FutureSibling's room, "Hide and Seek" and "Make a Wish". These are by the same designer as the dragons I did for SteelyKid's room, which seemed appropriate (also saved me a lot of searching for good patterns). I feel bad about not putting these first, since FutureSibling will be here before Christmas, but, well, it's not like infants can see that far for the first little while anyway.

Then I have two big projects and some travel projects.

The big projects: I am still theoretically working on this red dragon, which is actually not that difficult or lengthy a project, it just lives at home [*] and hasn't had deadline pressures associated with it. And when I'm done that, I have Teresa Wentzler's Celestial Dragon waiting for me, which I really want to do: it's going to be so much work but so amazing when it's done.

[*] I do a lot of stitching either at lunchtime at work (in less hectic times) or when traveling. At some point I may just give up and bring the stand frame into work and keep the little projects for home.

The travel projects: a while ago, I started one of these knotwork bookmarks (second from right on the bottom); I really like the colors I picked and look forward to finishing it. I also would like to eventually do one each of these blackwork bookmarks; I've done six so far, and have pictures of five up at the LJ cross-stitch community.

There, that's all sorted and set out for easy reference. What are you all working on, craft-wise?


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yhlee: Texas bluebonnet (text: same). (TX bluebonnet (photo: snc2006 on sxc.hu))


[personal profile] yhlee
2011-07-22 02:29 am UTC (link)
I have to restart my lace scarf but since this is due to my completely fundamentally misunderstanding a foundational stitch type (yarn over) this is all to the good. I also have to decide whether I want to get a non-fuzzy yarn to do it in--Kidsilk Haze looks gorgeous but in practice is sort of a pain to work with. In a fit of madness I have decided to make scarves for family for not this Christmas but the next Christmas, mainly because I don't knit fast enough. :-( I guess this year I will just have to buy gifts.

I am about two Hardanger bookmarks behind (monthly kits), having stalled out because I made a large error on the pattern and was trying to figure out how to finesse it. (I am too lazy to unstitch all those stitches, so I'd rather just make a different design. It's basically geometric, how hard can it be? Famous last words...) I've enjoyed the Hardanger bookmark kits, but I'm probably not going to do them for another year after this as my curiosity has basically been satisfied.

And I have a larger cross stitch pattern that I really want to start, I have the fabric and thread and everything but the lap frame. I'm sure I want the lap frame, but I have been waiting for the right time to buy it. I'm also pretty sure that it's going to take me the better part of a decade to finish the thing because one thing I am not in cross stitch is fast, but the intended recipient is well aware of this and I can easily give her other, much more quickly produced gifty things in the interim.

[personal profile] rosefox passed on a blackwork book that looks amazing, but I look at all these things and wonder when I will have the time? Although knitting is a pain as a travel project as I'm always worried about stitches falling off the needles, so maybe something bookmark-sized...

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 03:00 am UTC (link)
Re: fuzzy/non-: yeah, the dark green bookmarks were done in a silk/wool blend that is gorgeous but massively unforgiving if you get stitches in the wrong places, because it sheds and you can tell where the thread used to be no matter how you try. I threw out about 1/3 of a bookmark's worth of my first start because I hadn't noticed that I had shifted an entire section one square over, and there was just no point in trying to salvage that (I was making soothing small talk to my incredibly anxious seatmate on a plane).

I really like bookmarks as travel projects. I toss everything in a gallon-sized zip-top bag: the fabric folded in tissue paper, the floss and my pencil/highlighters in snack-sized zip-top bags, and scissors and needles in a coin purse. You can also get oval hoops which are nice for letting you work on the full bookmark, though if you require very even tension they are kind of a pain. Anyway, all that fits neatly in my shoulder bag and is very easy to carry around.

* * *

Topic change!

I thought this Car Talk puzzler might amuse you:

Turn this equation into a limerick:

12 + 144 + 20 + 3(√4)
------------------------------ + 5(11) = 9^2 + 0
7

(That's supposed to be 9 squared on the right, I can't do superscript in comments.)

Hint: the last line is (ROT13): vf avar fdhnerq naq abg n ovg zber.

Answer: http://www.cartalk.com/content/puzzler/transcripts/201120/answer.html

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yhlee: fractal (fractal (art: unHnu icon: enriana))


[personal profile] yhlee
2011-07-22 03:13 am UTC (link)
Yeah, what I discovered with Kidsilk Haze is that because the yarn has a core and then a bunch of fuzzy stuff coming out of it, it's (a) more difficult to count your stitches (although now I think I can alleviate this by assiduous use of stitch markers, thus cordoning off sections) and (b) it's really difficult to frog your stitches if you make a mistake. And sadly, I make a lot of mistakes.

I didn't know oval hoops existed! I'll have to look into that.

I muffed the first and last line of the limerick (I had forgotten the alternate word for 144) but that's really cool! Thank you.

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 02:13 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, with the fuzzy on the bookmarks I occasionally found myself stitching in the middle of my over-two square, not at the edges, just because it was hard to see where things _were_. That, fortunately, was not irreparable.

I got my oval hoop at Michael's.

And they did read the last line in the show, but I have no ear for these things so wasn't sure how much it helped, so thought I'd give you the option.

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thistleingrey: (grey)


[personal profile] thistleingrey
2011-07-22 04:14 am UTC (link)
Hee, hide and seek bears. Very cute.

I'm working on a shawl (gift) in a dusty rose color, mostly. Officially. The nearby Jo-Ann had a half-off sticker on this kit; $4 is hard to argue with, though I have no idea when it'll be executed.

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 02:15 pm UTC (link)
I thought so! Though white-on-white is a pain. I'm hoping that gridding the fabric will help.

$4 is indeed hard to argue with, and that's quite nice. I'm hoping that setting out the plans and priorities here will remind me not to pack-rat things against future days, but the temptation is strong . . .

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thistleingrey: (grey)


[personal profile] thistleingrey
2011-07-22 04:02 pm UTC (link)
I decided that one thing at $4 was okay given that I haven't permitted myself to buy any yarn for long months. I may borrow your post idea as a way to gather up things I haven't finished--it's a good reminder against hoarding.

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 04:19 pm UTC (link)
I don't understand why I have such an urge to hoard thread and patterns and such, but gosh, it is strong. I must! resist! =>

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daedala: line drawing of a picture of a bicycle by the awesome Vom Marlowe (bicycle)


[personal profile] daedala
2011-07-22 04:24 am UTC (link)
Teresa Wentzler's Celestial Dragon

That's on my bedroom wall (the bf made it) and it is amazing.

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 02:18 pm UTC (link)
Wow! What a terrific thing to look at every day. Yes, I'm so looking forward to it. In a couple of years, realistically, but hey. =>

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daedala: line drawing of a picture of a bicycle by the awesome Vom Marlowe (bicycle)


[personal profile] daedala
2011-07-22 07:38 pm UTC (link)
Well, my glasses are usually off in the bedroom, so I can't really see it very well.

I've been encouraging J to get more Wentzler cross-stitches. He complains about both the Wentzlers and others, but the complaints are different. The Wentzlers are tedious and difficult and OMG THE FILAMENT IS AWFUL TO WORK WITH. But many other designs just aren't as satisfying to do because they're not as complex and the results aren't as good. :)

There actually are easy Wentzlers (like this freebie, which is OMG cute, or this one, which you can do in better colors) for when he wants something that will be done quickly.

...I'm not exactly on-topic, am I? I am not doing any crafty stuff at the moment. It's house-cleaning for me instead.

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 08:40 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, I haven't done metallics in ages, and never filament, and the red dragon is partly warmup for that.

not as complex and the results aren't as good. :)

Hee. Maybe he should try blackwork! Seba Designs has some really intricate and lovely patterns (the designer is Turkish and her heritage, it seems to me, comes through in many of her designs), and that's all single-strand stuff usually.

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daedala: line drawing of a picture of a bicycle by the awesome Vom Marlowe (bicycle)


[personal profile] daedala
2011-07-23 10:58 pm UTC (link)
Thanks for the link! He thinks I should do them. :)

Here's a picture; he left out the hashing behind the dragon, but says he doesn't think that saved much time. (In case you were thinking of modifying the design at all.)

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-23 11:51 pm UTC (link)
It looks so awesome!

I doubt I'd try (about the most I feel comfortable with is modifying the polar bears a bit to be better suited to over-two), but I'll keep that in mind.

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skygiants: (wife of bath)


[personal profile] skygiants
2011-07-22 04:54 am UTC (link)
I have a half-finished skirt under my bed I've been meaning to complete for the past few months, and keep getting interrupted by the need to finish costumes and things for short-term use. I am so excited for the day I can properly wear it!

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 02:20 pm UTC (link)
Cool! I don't trust my abilities enough to do more freeform things--just give me fabric with little holes at pre-determined intervals and I'm all set!--so I regard people who make, like, _things to wear_ as brave and skilled on an entirely different level.

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readinggeek451: (calico cat)


[personal profile] readinggeek451
2011-07-22 07:43 pm UTC (link)
I'm in the middle of making a cat stole: four (or possibly five) stuffed-animal cats sewn together. One down, three (or four) to go.

I'm also planning on giving quilted throw pillows as Christmas presents this year. I have two made already and need three more. Those are pretty fast, though.

Plus I have about another two years worth of projects in the planning or bright-idea stages. I've been at least two years behind on craft projects since 1996, so I doubt I'll get caught up any time soon.

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-22 08:40 pm UTC (link)
The idea of ever being caught up on _anything_ sounds . . . basically impossible, but especially so when it comes to crafts and books!

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kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (wood cat)


[personal profile] kate_nepveu
2011-07-23 12:19 am UTC (link)
Great cats!

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