Adventures in Yarn

It's been a while since I last posted, mostly because I haven't done any cross-stitch lately. Instead, inspired by my friend Laura, I have been perusing Ravelry and obsessively crocheting. Most of my crochet experience has been of the afghan and baby blanket variety, so naturally this time I decided to jump feet first into making a sweater. So far, it even fits!

I'm hoping that it doesn't look too 'homemade' when it's finished. I think the stitching is pretty clean, although the front join of the bodice isn't perfectly straight. I'm thinking of closing up the v-neck another inch or so, as it dips low enough right now that I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable wearing it to work.

The entire piece is supposed to measure 28" from shoulder to bottom, which means that I have about 9" of the tunic skirt left to stitch. I also need to finish the sleeves, which I believe will be about 3/4 length, and will have cuffs that match the waist.

I'm pleased with the color combination, although it's not necessarily one I wear a lot. I guess I was trying to go for something a little outside my norm. It doesn't make my eyes bleed, so that's a plus.

Of course, the real question is...what will I make next? (Besides finishing the cross-stitch!)

Carbon Copy Cats

Another weekend, another letter done. I'm really looking forward to the completion of the name, and moving on to the numbers. I'm pleased with my continued progress, although I'm being tempted by the spiffy patterns over at Ravelry. With cooler weather on the way, it might be time to look at some new crochet projects. My friend Laura inspired me last year to finally make something other than a blanket, and it turned out pretty well. Not sure what I want to tackle next!

Just the two of us...

The question is...is the song stuck in your head now? :)

Haven't been sewing as much as I'd like lately. My back's been tightening up, and I'm dedicated, but I'm not stupid. Still making progress, though.

I did decide to break with the pattern book and sew the 'S' using blue instead of peach. I just really didn't like the idea of three peach letters in a row. I think it turned out fine, and will definitely give a better color distribution to the piece. There actually weren't any blue letters, so that's a nice touch, too.

Only three more letters to go! (Followed by seven numbers, of course.)

I Would Like to Go Back to the European Union

Spent the evening watching Project Runway and sewing. It's not a terribly exciting life, but it's mine. My back would probably appreciate it if I didn't sew for four hours per night, but I guess I've just never been one to do things halfway. I think I need a lumbar pillow.

I am a little disappointed that the 'E' and the 'U' are both the same color...and I'm even more disappointed that the upcoming 'S' is also the same. The pattern book is in black and white, and although there are color photos of completed projects in there, I don't think they show every letter of the alphabet that way. It probably would have been wise to check beforehand, and realistically I could change it. The OCD part of me, though, rebels at stitching it in a way not designated by the instructions. Winging it has never really been my thing. Oh well.

On the plus side, I do a appreciate the fact that the zebra and skunk that begin and end his name both have a black-and-white theme. :)

Debt Free - No I.O.U.

Stitching has been coming along smoothly so far--haven't put any of the letters in the wrong spot (I don't think). Lee says I'm on a mission, but the truth is that it's been several months since I stitched, and it feels good to get back into the habit. There's an order to the process that I find soothing--figuring out the most efficient way to move between the color sections, the neatness of the Xes. Plus, my last Cubs game is September 23rd, and since we will likely be stopping in to see Baby Z and family that night, the timing just might be perfect! (Okay, so maybe I am on a mission, but I didn't think of it until after his comment!)

I Do Not Know How to Cha-Cha

Finally got back into the sewing last night. Spent Monday night at the Cubs game (where they kinda sucked, as per the norm this season), and was inspired by actually getting to meet Baby Z! Apparently he'd been fussing all day and the previous night, so Mama was happy to relinquish him for half an hour. Yeah, I'm a total baby whore. They're just so perfect and tiny and...the toes!

Ahem. Anyway...

Stitches in Time

I intended to do some sewing up at my parents' house this weekend, but instead I played with my new camera, put together LEGOs, and...did actual work.

I also documented the three cross-stitch projects I have given to my parents as gifts over the years. The first is one of my earliest pieces, completed in 1992. I do remember becoming frustrated while sewing it (I was only 15), but I'm pleased with how it turned out.

The second piece dates from 2004, to commemorate my parents' 30th anniversary (number 36 is this Tuesday). Compared to many of my other projects, it's fairly simple.




















And finally, what I consider to be the best of the three. For many years, my mom collected artwork by a woman named Doris Morgan. She probably has twenty of her pictures, located in nearly every room of the house. Naturally, when I found a cross-stitch kit based on her work, it only made sense to make it. The fact that the house in the picture resembles my parents' (at the time) new home in Fond du Lac just made it better. I even customized it with their house number!

Unfortunately, the glass and the amount of light in the living room made the picture turn out less clear than I had hoped.

Ch-ch-changes

...because nothing says cross-stitch like David Bowie.

I've been sick all week, which has actually meant I've made some decent progress on my stitching. Sitting on the couch or in bed creating little Xs on fabric is about the extent of my cognitive ability these days.

I'm pleased with the way it's coming along, although the letter animals do seem significantly smaller on the 18-count versus the 14-count. It's definitely the right choice, given the length of the name, but there is a part of me that rebels at the idea that the size for each sibling won't match.

It turns out that my collection of currently-owned floss colors does not include one that I need for this project, so if you look closely, you can see that the bow on the hippo isn't quite complete. If I ever manage to feel healthy, I will make a Michael's run to pick it up, but for now it will have to stay.

I'm thinking of starting the 'A' next, but my motivation is pretty low right now. Mostly I want to sleep.

One 'H' of a Start

After a weekend spent doing everything except sewing, I finally set to work today. It was tempting to put it off until tomorrow, as I've been fighting a bug and a fever, but it wasn't like I had anything else to do.

I started in the middle, as per usual, with the 'H' in 'Zacchaeus', and it's coming along nicely. When I stitched Alexa's, I did all the cross-stitch first, followed by all of the back stitch. This time, I think I shall back stitch each letter or number as I go, since it's the most tedious, least interesting part of the project for me. I love the details that it brings out, but especially in a project like this, where only one or two colors are used for it, it just starts to drag.

At any rate, my progress thus far:

Lock and Load

The gridding, it is done!

Now, let the sewing commence.

Love Comforteth

The picture for Zacchaeus is off to a slow start, mostly because my OCD is showing when it comes to gridding out the design. It would be helpful if I had giant pieces of graph paper, as well as a drafting table that wasn't covered in other stuff (and technically, the drafting table isn't mine). I can't help being a little uptight about the spacing of the design, since I ended up having to restitch at least two of the letters on Alexa's due to misplacement.

In the meantime, I thought I would post one of my older works. This dates from 1998, and despite the complexity, I think I stitched the entire thing in about a month. Clearly I had too much free time when I was doing my engineering co-op at Kimberly-Clark that spring! The design is by Mary Engelbreit, and I was really pleased with the overall result. I have two books full of her designs, of which I think I've completed four. The fifth, intended for me, is one of the aforementioned stuffed-in-a-bag-in-a-closet projects.

Sew It Begins

I've tried my hand at blogging before--some attempts (The 30th Year) have been more successful than others (Mumblings and Musings). It appears that I accomplish more when I have a specific goal in mind, such as taking a photograph once a day for an entire year. This time, I am inspired by my friend Laura, who recently pointed me in the direction of her knitting blog, A Knitting Knerd.

Now, I've never knitted a stitch in my life, although I've been crocheting since I was about 11 (courtesy of Aunt Marge). My real crafting passion, though, is counted cross-stitch. I've lost count of the number of projects I've completed over the years (dating back roughly twenty years now), but most of my focus has been on wedding and baby gifts. I seem to lose my motivation when making something for me, and I have more than one partially-stitched project stuffed in a bag in a closet.

I've long wanted to document my stitching in some way, which includes trying to obtain photographs of as much of my 'back catalog' as possible. Some are, I think, out of my reach at this point, but I'm hoping to gather most of them and post them here. I have a feeling this is going to entail quite a bit of "Hi, can I come over and take a picture of X?" phone calls to friends and family!

In the meantime, however, I am on the verge of starting a new project. My friends Jason and Maria had a baby boy last week, which seems like the perfect occasion to start sewing. I completed one for his older sister, Alexa, which you can see below.

I'm planning to use the same alphabet and numbers for her baby brother, although 'Zacchaeus' is going to take up quite a bit more space! I've spent the last few days plotting out the design on graph paper, to determine the overall size required. I'm looking forward to setting the first stitch and really getting things underway!