Hey, this is kind of fun...

[neotoma]

So, I totally wimped out yesterday, and did *not* try to go to the Inaugural Parade. Which is just as well, as my coming down with hypothermia or pneumonia would have been a bad outcome for a lovely (but *freezing!*) day.

Instead, I went to twistedchick's place, armed with an apple cake -- substituting half the sugar with 3/4 of a cup of honey is apparently the key to making it orgasmic, who knew? --and watched the Inauguration with her and her spousal unit.

As we were waiting for something to actually happen, she asked if I wanted a cross-stitch needlework kit -- a Welsh Leek miniature card kit from The Textile Heritage Collection. Oddly enough, I had packed my cross-stitch needles and notions, in the vague idea that I would get some work done on the kit my mother passed off to me over the Christmas holidays. And I had The New Cross-Sticher's Bible by Jane Greenoff that I picked up by luck on Sunday. So...

I got about half of it done over the course of a day.



It really is easy like everyone said! And since I'm working with a tiny project, I'll get it finished by Sunday, and get a nice set of accomplishment out of it.

I already have another miniature cross-stich kit (a Finding Nemo, of all thing. It was cute, and cheap), and I could probably find a few more to get the hang of this. I want to work up to this cross-stitched panel for a tote, using up some of the kilo of pink I have, and getting confidant enough to eventually tackle the Sonne Spotte pattern from Long Dog Samplers that I have (9 pages of charts, over 30 different colors... eek!)

Comments

[wabbitseason.livejournal.com]

I love the Textile Heritage kits. I have a bunch of them. The bookmarks are sometimes a little trickier because of the fabric they use, but the charts are nice and readable usually.

Small projects are always nice for travel, so you can work on something, but not have to lug the great honking Project. Not that I have those anywhere or anything. The ones that scare me are the Heaven and Earth Designs with the big massive paintings. They feel more like needlepoint than cross-stitch, since you're covering nearly the entire canvas.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Where do you get those kits locally? I think I'd like to get the other country/flower card kits.

And I know all about the GreatHonking Project. There's a reason I haven't finished the Swans Jacket in two years. It's too big to carry easily now -- also, I'm afraid of it, because it's a steaked project and if I mess it up, it's unfixable.

[wabbitseason.livejournal.com]

I've seen them in the local needlework stores. I know mostly the Virginia based ones like Needlewoman East in Falls Church and Scarlet Thread now in Great Falls. I don't think I've seen them in general craft stores like Michaels/Jo Anns/AC Moore.

All my needlework is over here (http://pics.livejournal.com/hildy/gallery/0000r1sq) in this gallery. I need to get back to my projects soonish, especially the Celtic SAL.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Do you know of any stores in DC proper? Virginia is a bit far for me to go, especially if it's off the Metro very far...

[twistedchick]

Um. Sweetie, I think you mean *organic*, not *orgasmic* -- and that's not what you were watching me and my spousal unit doing... We *were* just watching the Inauguration, which is definitely something to get excited over, just perhaps not quite that way.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Well, given the noises Sanj and Ellen_Fremedon were making, I think the apple cake was orgasmic. ;)

But I fixed the wording for you.

[strangemuses.livejournal.com]

I love cross stitch! I think it's incredibly relaxing and the results are always pretty.

That tote panel and the Sonne Spotte sampler pattern both look like they would be fun to do.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

The tote panel, yes. The Sonne Spotte is pretty damned advanced, and I'm only planning to tackle it because I got the pattern back from my ex.

[nugatorytm.livejournal.com]

I'm teaching one of my co-workers how to do counted cross-stitch, and I think she finally got the hang of it. I just recently found a couple of kits that I haven't finished yet, so I'm gonna have to make time for them soon...when I'm not playing with my knitting looms...

The Sonne Spotte pattern looks fantastic! I'm sure you'll be tackling that soon enough.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

This kit is pretty nice -- *really* good, detailed instructions. If you can find one, you might push it on your co-worker.

The Long Dog patterns are freaking *incredible*, and really more than I can do.

[nugatorytm.livejournal.com]

I'll take a peek for one next time I'm at Joann's or Michaels.

And sure, they may be more than you can do *right now*, but with a little practice you'll be more than eager to sink your teeth into it.