Holy...

Well, I dropped off the face of the planet, eh? Sorry about that. I caught the swine flu from a student (no joke) in November and then the regular flu and I've been sick ever since. I never get sick. I'm not thrilled and it blew my Xmas to pieces.

It all came to a head about 2 weeks ago and I ended up in Urgent Care (which was fun). After 2 weeks on antibiotics (bleh) hopefully I'm back from the dead. I haven't been able to get off the couch for the past two weeks and I've gone through the entirety of several shows thanks to netflix's instant play (thanks, netflix).

I also managed to knit 3 socks and a pair of fingerless opera gloves, and crochet tons of scrubbies and almost an entire afghan. Idle hands are the Devil's playground, or some such.

Just before I ended up in Urgent Care, I went a little bonkers over the lack of productivity in my craft area and realized two things:

One: Ultimately, I'm a designer. I like to knit, and crochet, and quilt, but what I really like doing is my own embroidery patterns. Everything else is a hobby. Embroidery is my passion (hardanger in particular), and I can't cope without an endless supply of threads passing through my fingers and through fabrics. I'm not sure what my problem is, but it's less terminal than the brutal sinus infection I'm recovering from.

I've been trying to design on the PC, with the help of PCStitch...but not only is it not set up for hardanger (I constantly have to stop and input new stitches, then search the library to find them), but...as much as I love my PC (and I do...I really, really do), I can't design on it. I'm a real-world person and I need the ability to see my pattern in full, to touch it, to turn it and see my notes and calculations on the same page as my work. I need the graphs and rulers and pencils. Sorry, PCStitch...I like you but you're not cutting it for my needs.

I'll still import all of my patterns into PCStitch when I'm done, but I can't create with it. I don't know why I have to be so stubbornly old-world, but if it works, it works. My productivity is nil when I'm relying on digital creation and I need to go back to basics, pick up the calculator and pencil, and get to it. I'm clearing off my huge cutting table to put it to better use than keeping all of my recent finishes and supplies away from Chuck.

(Speaking of which, Chuck is doing just fine, but I'm convinced a full 7% of his diet consists of yarn and fabric scraps he stole.)

Two: While trying to tackle my craft table, which is an ever-rotating pile of craft insanity, I realized that I just can't deal with my ADHD ways and I need to micro-organize. The entire living room is taken up by my PC and craft areas, which is fine...if things can be put away. When people come over and have to walk through my actual living room to get to where the living room is (in the dining room), I shouldn't have to smile sheepishly as they gawk at piles of fabric and half-used skeins of yarn in order of use or acquisition. It's clutter, and it needs to be dealt with.

I've scoured my pattern collection for covers for the milk crates I'm storing half my stuff in, and I'm going to see what I can do to make the absolute best of the space and storage containers I can. I want my living room back (still as a craft room, of course) and I want there to be space for all the newer crafts I've picked up in the past year (clay, jewelry, lace, etc.) and fabric I'm using...and I intend to use some of my fabric to make organizers. Fabric is really the only thing I know how to use besides thread/yarn, so it'll have to do. Covers for milk crates, pockets, wall organizers, etc. Something desperately needs to be done and I have yards of fabric up for the challenge. Now I just need time and energy.



Determination, I has it.

I also finally come back with pictures (I was sick/lazy), so you can see what I've been working on.









Almost done with this afghan.

I also made kitchen stuff:





These crochet scrubbies were kind of a nightmare. I had to cut up heavy craft mesh, twist it, and crochet with it. My hands haven't forgiven me.



I also got the thread in from The Caron Collection for one of my kits. The new dye lot doesn't match the fabric exactly like my old sample did, so I'm trying to see if it matches well enough to go to production. Any ideas? Obviously the new sample is on the right.

I'll be adding stuff to my etsy store soon, hopefully...patterns and goods, as well as some fabric. It's a matter of finding time and the energy. Still recovering from the plague.

I did get the nicest compliment last month about my hardanger designs. I still have the warm fuzzies from it.

I'll leave you with this cuteness. He was part of a Christmas present I made last year.



He was twice as cute before I told you he's an amigurumi devil, wasn't he? Yeah...I might could have left that part out...

Florida

Update on the long-lost project. I'm almost done.

I actually call it Florida because I picked up the supplies on a trip there. Crafters know that when we settle in on vacation, we have to find the craft stores and pick up a souvenir that we have to make ourselves.



That's how much detail is around the edges. The squares that were blank before are now 'sunflowers'. That's what this window pattern is called.



With all that stitching around the edges (some of it was modified from the original pattern), I thought the middle looked pretty plain so I decided to spice it up a bit with a stitch I just learned called the plaited square stitch.

I marked out the base stitches, wove over them, wove around those stitches, removed the framing threads, and voila!



It's my first time with this stitch, so it's not perfect, but I really like it. It looks complex on the front, but if you look at the back...



...that's all that's holding the design in place! Pretty neat, huh?



I think it looks pretty small in the center though, so I'm going to come up with a curvy border that will look good there and cover up some of that fabric.

Oddly, when I picked up that colorway of floss (Carnival, by Caron Collection), I was told I'd never be able to find a fabric that would go with it.

What do you think? Did I manage it anyway? ;)

Now I'll have to get to felting that bag and finish up this Bad Juju. There will be pics.

Caron

For those who don't know yet, Caron has completely redone their website, and I am so thrilled.

Caron is one of the best-known specialty threads manufacturers in the US, and I've used all of their major product lines. Watercolours, Waterlilies, Wildflowers, and Impressions (a wool/silk blend thread). They've got many impressive colorways which you can now easily see on their site here, and while you're there, check out their lesser-known threads. If you like variegated thread, you'll love Caron. If you like free patterns, well you'll just have to love them twice then. I'm getting ready to do their Byzantine Xmas ornament (needlepoint), and there will be pictures.

Want to compare?