Current Project

I've finally managed to settle on a new stitching project --a very large piece! -- and actually managed to focus on it for more than a few minutes at a time. That was part of the problem that prompted my time off; I was unable to concentrate on things long enough to get anything done. I was flitting around aimlessly.

But, I tracked down a lovely chart and I've ensconced myself on the couch. In the course of beginning the project, though, I discovered that my favorite needlework shop (The Dove's Eye, in Boulder) is gone, and that only the most basic of supplies can be found at local craft stores. Floss? Easy to find. Fabric? Well, since I don't stitch on Aida, it's a bit more problematic. At least there are mail-order sources (like Nordic Needle).

But that takes a lot of the fun out of it. Browsing through stacks of charts and feeling the different kinds of fibers and fabrics really is one of the pleasurable parts of stitching, at least for me. Looking at the mechanics of cross stitch or needlepoint, I have to admit that there are certainly better ways of creating pictures than one tiny stitch at a time. But I view it as more of a zen-like process: tiny, precise work requiring attention to detail and careful planning to do right. It makes the Adorable Husband twitch, just to watch. I like the precision of it. And, of course, the organizational parts of having the right colors, labeled in little bags, and slowly but surely marking off the completed pieces of the chart. Yes, I'm strange.

Speaking of the Adorable Husband, he has gone up to Steamboat for the weekend to ski. They've had 320+ inches of snow and the skiing is lovely, he says. I don't go along -- I don't ski, and when I'm there, he feels guilty about me sitting around and tends to ski less. Given that he only goes up a few times a year, I figure he should ski as much as possible and not worry about amusing me. I can read books and watch movies at home just as well as at a hotel. And, of course, the time home alone is nice, as well. It means I'm staying up until the wee hours of the morning (3:30!) and not getting up until 10, but since I have no actual plans, it's working out all right.

And it's cold here. It was fifteen below last night and I don't think it's been above 0 all day. Pretty chilly for us Coloradans. Can't complain too much, though. It was in the 60s last week, and probably will be again next week.