Hoops and Stuff

Newest cross stitch design, just finished up over the weekend. 'Up North', stitched over two threads on Wichelt Imports hand-dyed jobelan, Twilight Mist-- one of their new yummy colors. DMC floss, easy stitch up, finishing at 74w x 176h. 

And of course, what would the weekend be without a few more hoops? 

blustery day, chai tea, and the long wait for the mailman

I started my day by double-checking my word count for NaNoWriMo, (National Novel Writing Month) as I hit the magical 50K late last night and woke this morning wondering if I had only been dreaming. I had some very odd dreams last night, including one that had me getting up around 3am because I thought I had forgotten to take my insulin.  I don't take insulin. It took me a good half hour of staring at the ceiling to wake fully to that realization!

Needless to say, I did hit the 50K plus a handful of words, verified the novel with NaNoWriMo and was given a certificate and a little badge for my accomplishment. I've still a ways to go to finish the novel, but I am halfway there and it was such a rush to push myself to write this story. I think I am going to keep writing through December and try to have a first draft done by the start of the new year.

The skies look about as dark as they did at seven o'clock this morning, and while I enjoy a day inside goofing around with this or that, I had really wanted just a smidge of sunshine so that I could make a trip down to the woods to snap a few photographs. It is now approaching mid-afternoon, and it does not look to be getting any brighter, and the howl of the wind left me wandering instead to the tea kettle. A cup of black chai tea (or maybe I am on the second now) paired with some really cheesy movies on ScyFy has made for a relaxing day none the less, and I've managed to put together a few more things for the two shows I have coming up.

I finished up the little embroidered tree I had started yesterday, and came across one more small hoop which I used for a small floral motif.  A larger hoop framed the "canvas" for an abstract, free-form embroidery. I might mix this one up with some other found objects, but I am really putting it together as I go as part of my exercise to move past this creative block I've been weighted with.  I also found sheets of "prompts" that I think I will use again, tossing all of them in a hat and drawing them one by one as I work.

Now I am off to check the mail. Expecting some supplies to finish up some of the found object jewelry. The weekend is just getting started, I have already gotten a lot done, and if the tea holds out I might get a lot more accomplished before Monday comes crashing in!

“The soul should always stand ajar. Ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” 

- Emily Dickinson

hoopin'

I have boxes of my finished cross stitch designs and I have decided to start finishing some of them to give as gifts and to offer on Etsy.  One day I might decide to do shows again, but by then, these designs will more than likely be discontinued! Although, I did just send a reorder off to Hoffman for a Flakey Friends design that came out in 2007!

I had hoped to finish up Buck & Gene this weekend, but ran out of DMC 4045 Color Variations, and of course the only place I can get more of it in town is closed on Sundays! grr. So, tomorrow will have to do! 

So, with that project stuck, I picked up other things.  I have two holiday artisan shows coming up, so I have been working on hats and scarves, and I finished up the chart for the next cross stitch desgin as well. 

Of Mice & Snowmen..CM Designs 2011

Busy week coming up! Hope to have a lot to talk about by the end of it!

odds and ends

This weekend was spent finishing some projects, starting a couple of new ones, all in an attempt to keep myself busy and focused on something other than things I have no control over.  After finishing the blooms for a bouquet of crocheted flowers I am sending my friend,  (a picture will be coming once I get the stems on them) I worked for awhile on two pieces of hoop art.

I still need to finish the backs on both of them.  The first is an exploration in needle weaving and uses recycled needlepoint yarns and scraps of fabric for the background.  The floral is simply a crocheted circle centered with a vintage button. Leaves and stem done in satin stitch on a bit of hand-dyed jobelan that I had left from a cross stitch project.

I also wanted to see what I could crochet with a skein of my hand twisted fabric yarn.  I chose this skein...

And this is what I whipped up last night...

Very loose, mostly triple crochet stitches and lots of knots and texture. When my daughter gets home, she is going to wear it so I can get a picture of it.  I really enjoy crocheting. Almost as much as stitching (something that I need to get back to as soon as I finish this post!) I have another skein that I was quite drawn to when I had finished twisting it.  It is cotton muslin that I hand painted in grassy watercolored greens. There is a lot of natural taupe twisted in too, and a thin strand of metallic gold.

I had recently purchased some wool roving to make felted beads with, and so I made a few this morning...

I plan on embellishing them, most likely with little gold seed beads, and they (hopefully) will be worked into the next scarf I am going to make with the green fabric yarn. 

I participated in a craft show yesterday, and it was fairly successful, but I came away from it with something I had not expected beyond the sales. I talked at length with several other artisans there, and I realized that I really do like making the things to be used by others in what they do. But...

I really miss creating pieces myself. 

I guess maybe I am evolving in my work. I am not sure. I guess we will just see where I step from here.