Cross-stitching finished and framed

[kate_nepveu]

And in case FutureBaby was waiting for the nursery decoration to be complete, today we picked up the framed little dragon cross-stitches and put them on the walls.

Pictures behind the cut; not great ones because they were taken without flash (reflection off the glass) and then color-corrected, but they give the idea.

"Hello":

"Butterflies":

"Little Friends":

(I'm currently trying to finish this ten-year-old kit, slogging through 5-strand satin stitch for the big diamonds on sheer stubborn—not only do I hate multi-strand satin stitch, but I don't particularly like the design any more, either. But I'm trying to be virtuous and complete this before I start experimenting with evenweave.)

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks!

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Those are so cute!

[kate_nepveu]

Thank you!

[glvalentine.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how you have the patience for cross-stitch, but man, they look GOOD.

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks! And I actually find it both soothing and energizing at once: it's mechanical enough that I often turn to it when I'm not quite feeling mentally up to reading or writing, but it tends to wake me up through the effort involved and the fun of seeing something tangible appear thanks to my hands.

Completely not for everyone, I understand, but I was surprised to find how well I liked it when I picked it up again.

[(Anonymous)]

I am primarily a knitter, though I've done various types of embroidery off and on since I was six. Knitting is even better than needlepoint for mindless occupation of hands, unless you're doing lace or something with complex shaping. I nearly always have a sock in my purse for doctors' offices, standing in line, or whatever.

Evenweave isn't too difficult a transition to make -- you quickly learn to start seeing two fabric threads as one. The only hard part is skipping over a large unworked area, and you can weave a threaded needle in and out of the fabric to help you visually track two-thread groups. It looks much nicer, though, and it lets you get into really fun stuff like hardanger cutwork!

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks for the comments about evenweave. But hardanger, no, I'm not doing anything white-on-white, I undid more stitches doing the cloud in the first of these cross-stitches than in anything else!

Pretty, though.

I am a little curious about knitting, especially if it'd let me watch TV rather than just listen, but one craft at a time.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, that's one of the brilliant things about knitting. Some patterns require counting and attention, but others are perfect for plopping down in front of DVD-series-of-your-choice, especially once you've got the repetition memorized.

Right now, I've got a lace shawl (not mindless!), a baby blanket and a relatively simple lace sock (memorized now and therefore TV-able), and a sweater that I specifically picked out to be stupid enough for frequent complicated-pregnancy hospitalizations, plus a needlepoint Desiderata Sampler I started in 1998. I am not very good at monocraftualism :) (http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-bin/itemdetail.pl?item=97-1470)

[pixelfish.livejournal.com]

That sounds like what goes through my brain as I paint. Must be something similar. :)

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

Very nice!

I have that kit, which I converted to evenweave, actually, though then I wandered off because a close friend's imminent baby needed a blanket. Someday, someday....

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks!

Literally the last time I worked on that kit was New Year's 1999, and I'd even gotten as far as starting the bottom wide band of blue cross-stitch. So it seemed a shame to leave it that close to finished. If the damn satin stitch doesn't break me, that is . . .

[castiron.livejournal.com]

Very nice!

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks!

[keilexandra]

Aww, that's so cute!

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks!

[ninjoo.livejournal.com]

Oh, cute! gets me all in *squee* mode!

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks!

(See, FutureBaby, there are all kinds of squee-able things, if you'd just *come out*!)

[cliosfolly.livejournal.com]

I'm remiss as usual in commenting half as much as I read, but these are lovely! I like how active and engaged the dragon is with the world around it, and the color combinations are especially appealing.

[kate_nepveu]

commenting half as much as I read

Oh, I know that one, especially lately. Thank you for the thoughtful comments here!

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

They're delightful! ^_^

[(Anonymous)]

Kate, they look awesome!! What a great job. And every stitch made with love. . .
All the best, Kathie, ASG