| True English Nerd You scored 78 erudition! |
| Not only do you know your subjects from your subjects and your definite from your indefinite articles, but you've got quite a handle on the literature and the history of the language as well. Huzzah, and well done! The English snobs of Boston salute you. |
 |
| Link: The Are You Truly Erudite? Test |
And I don't know anything about English literature or grammar if you ask from me.
I just got my partner's name, and I think I have found the design which I'll use, so tomorrow I'll have little S.E.X. at Silkweavers - magnificent excuse for shopping these exchanges (and anyway I've to purchase few things).
This will be my first needleroll so I'm quite nervous, and excited! Fortunately deadline is in the end of March (27th) so I've plenty of time to figure things out.
Stitching goals
While reading Svenja's blog I realized that it's really end of the month and time to check-in with my goals.
My goals for January were:
Goals for February
Help with feeds
I tried Bloglines, it wasn't for me so I decided to check Firefox's extensions if there were something suitable for my needs (I'm addicted to FF's extensions, btw) and found Wizz RSS News Reader 2.0.6. It was bit cumbersome to use at first, but after few days I'm very pleased with this. No need to browse million blogs, I just open sidebar and check is there anything new. And it has preview so mostly I can say beforehand do I want to read some entry or not.
Nice little toy, if you ask from me.
Friends Gather BB has monthly 24 hour challenge (you choose a design which you could stitch in 24 hours and see can you do it) and I think that I'll participate those coming ones with... ornaments. Not to-be kept ones, but those which I'll send in the end of the year to misc. persons. It's a bit early maybe, but at least I can force myself to do those - even 24 hour challenge is not a competition, it's motivational thing. But as I'm procrastinator I'll need that.
And one more SAL in sight
Kristine from Dragonfly Stitches will have needlebook SAL in the end of February, and as I've participated two of her previous SALs and have loved both designs I'm participating no matter what. (This coming design will be only available for a week, and never again (as a freebie) after it so real once in a lifetime opportunity.)
And in case someone is interested, here's link to some of her designs - there's couple I'll add to my wish list.
Otherwise
I'm going to start with 5th pattern of Best Friends today (SAL at Linabear BB), as I've been delaying it far too long because of those ongoing projects. I'll have a mini rotation and I stitch this dalmatian and Silhouettes in turns.
Tarja Halonen won (which means that she'll be president another 6 years) and I'm not complaining.
It's a dancing gnome..
Or at least one happy dancing stitcher.
Then some info:
And big thank you for nice comments about my border-free gnome. Gnomey and I appreciate them.
Sometimes I find it extremely difficult to understand my fellow humans when I interact with them. What makes it even more complicated is that I do understand why they ask certain things or act in certain way, but as I know that it's not only possible way I can't understand why people act like they do.
In theory I could behave like I'm supposed to, but it'd be behaving against myself.
Maybe I really think too much, as I've heard, but I don't understand why humans try to differ from other mammals so eagerly and still they act like any other mammal in their daily life.
Is it so bad to be an animal and admit that you live according to your instincts and not your sense? As IMO most things we do can be deduced from general behaviour of our fellow mammals. Most things we do have to do only with one thing: reproduction. That's why we're interested of looks of fellow humans, that's why certain physical features are more popular than others.
And I can't fit in. I can't fit in because I'm after intellect and personality. Cute face has never hurted anyone, but I prefer intelligent man over good-looking one any day.
Sometimes I'm not sure am I socially incompetent or is it human society which is. (It's me as majority makes the norm.)
OK, gnome without backstitches might be better title, but current one sounds odd enough.
I predict a happy dance today or tomorrow.
I had an interesting experience today. Man from the past sent me an IM. He didn't knew it was my ID, as I've two Yahoo IDs (Silly thing: we met trough YIM, and it seems it haunts us forever). And as we can understand he was quite surprised when I said that I know him and called him with his first name (In fact his nickname which is just short form of his first)... anyway, we had interesting little chat.
For some reason whenever Abhi and I've talked/ typed after our break-up we've always talked of those good old days. In certain way it seems to me that if world were simple place and love were only force there is we'd never broke up. There's this magnetism between us you just can't explain.
And as things went like they went, there's no need to explain it. There's only need to go on with life and cherish those beautiful memories - works like that in every relationship I've had. I work with those bad things, get over them and let them gather dust in my mind's attic. It's not about forgetting, it's about accepting.
Anyway it was nice to hear from him, after all those months. As I don't believe in hate after failed relationship and I suffer every time when I lose someone worth knowing just because I've been in relationship with one.
(And what makes this even more interesting: I had a dream last night. I was in India during Divali and I remember watching little paper boats with lanterns in them floating in river.
Though one explanation for that dream can be that I wrote email to one Indian guy before I went to bed.)
Stole this from Christine and as exception makes the rule I decided to spam my blog with this (this one is cross posted to my testing blog)
You are a Siamese! You are fun-loving, playful, energetic, talkative, and exotic. You are the center of attention and you love every minute of it.
Quite suitable. I'm quite like Ronja: cranky, absolutely adorable, always ready to be petted/ scratched and craving for attention.
No fjord pictures, but cross stitched card with spring theme. This lovely card was last part of SECE and came from Åse:
Mr. Gnome is coming out nicely. As we see he is proper, well-behaving gnome and therefore he has clothes and shoes - even he lacks head and other unimportant parts (he'll get those tomorrow, I think).
I've one problem though: I don't have any 841 which should go to those light spots on his shoes and therefore I used 842. Difference between them is that 841 is beige brown - lt and 842 is beige brown - vy lt. In given picture 841 looks more like grey, at least with my monitor, so I can't say exactly, but according to my eyes there's not enough difference between 840 (med. beige brown) and 841, so maybe 842 is better solution in the end anyway?
I could use some opinions about this... as I can still frog those few stitches if I've done something stupid here.
'Alter Echo'
Stitching is also good time for thinking and during shoemaking (shoes for gnome) I got it: I use that fabric I got from chanda_m. (So, I'll have a SAL with her on fabric which is originally from her stash. 
Anyway, this makes my life easier as I only need to decide what flosses to use. I've been thinking something burgundish, maybe from GAST, with corresponding DMC. (Any suggestions anyone?)
It seems to me that at this moment I can't stitch very often on black fabric (like I'd planned something like that. Black is The (anti-)Colour, but only in clothes and things like that), or at least my sessions have to be kept short.
I managed to get some stitching done with Icy today, but then my dear brain decided to get irritated so it was about that for the day... and I was way too tired to hold my frame and stitch Winter, so I finally started my mother's 'Welcome' Gnome (in fact it'll be Tervetuloa, not Welcome... 
This is first time when I use three strands on my stitching and I've to say that it's bit odd that railroading seems to work better when worked with odd number of threads. Anyway, I see no other difference when worked with three strands.
That fabric gives me headache (figuratively speaking) though. It's 25 count Dublin linen and IMO way too soft - in other words: it's weave is not dense enough for my taste. (What did they say about getting into higher counts when you get more and more addicted?) Anyway, it is suitable fabric for that project (it'll be a bell pull, according to my plans) so I just try to live with it.
And I got good news from Angela: my patterns arrived and they're in good condition! Which means that within few days they'll travel over Atlantic (with MSAL flosses) and they'll be mine! All mine.... my preciouss....
It may not be visible, but I've finished upper part of this silhouette.
There's supposed to be gaps in every corner, but those would have looked a bit odd, hence the change. Now it looks good in my eyes.
Anyway, ten rows of stitching and some backstitching before Icy is a happy dance.
Then it's topiary time again.
Handsome young man is sitting on my lap 'kissing' me and I've mug full of fresh coffee. Could you wish for more?
I got an idea when I woke up middle of the night... Wide linen stitch band. I just need to find place where they sell by meters/ yards/ what-evers.
I know that Silkweaver sells natural stitch band only as pre-cuts, and white per yard. But as I dislike white in certain sense (having white walls anyway) I'd prefer natural linen.
Of course I could buy white and dye it, but what would the colour be? Purple came into my mind right away, but would it look good?
Of course I could try to get wide basic linen from some fabric store and stitch on it using waste linen, but...
Decisions, decisions.
As mr. Gabriel sings at the moment:
There's some progress since last picture (As we know my migraine and VE took my time).
It looks quite greyish (at least with my monitor), but when you combine winter's dark evenings, yellow desk light and lousy digicamera you can't get those colours very accurate.
I think I've take official finish picture in some sunny day (so there wont be one before spring...
Stitcher's Alphabet
Brooke's Book Publishing has year long freebie alphabet series which looks quite charming in it's way (even it's not "my style" in any sense. It seems to be the exception which makes the rule), and I've this idea (bell pull (long and narrow), A on the top and Z in the bottom) for it, but I've one problem... stitched on 32 count I'd need 180 cm x 10 cm (approximately) piece of evenweave and I doubt can I get anywhere suitable fabric in suitable width.
Of course I could just purchase 2 meters worth of evenweave, but it'd be quite pricey. 
Btw, have you noticed that alphabet series seem to be the thing in designer world at the moment? (For example Passione Ricamo has Arabesque series for this year... Filantrope and Le Petit Monde de Vavi (1 & 2) had last year)
And then...
Something to get addicted to: Reflections.
Enjoy. I'll drag myself to bed. Migraine is history, but I'm still quite tired.
I finished my Valentine Exchange item! And... it came out great.
I planned to use different finishing method, but it wanted to come out like it came. I also used method I've never used (I've used similar method though)(migraines are good time for brainstorms) and therefore I'm almost surprised how neat it is.
At the moment it's wrapped up and packed, ready to fly to [insert country here]. Pictures will follow in 14th of February. That is also day to show what I receive from person X.
I can't wait!
| Doctor Unheimlich has diagnosed me with Snowprincipessaitis | |
| Cause: | natural sign of aging |
| Symptoms: | occasional tree-climbing, bruising, bowel infrequency |
| Cure: | expensive biofeedback devices |
| Doctor Unheimlich has diagnosed me with Peri's Disease | |
| Cause: | natural sign of aging |
| Symptoms: | blinking, laughing, screaming |
| Cure: | click heels together three times |
| Enter your name, for your own diagnosis: | |
Ronja hasn't been allowed to go out in last 3-4 months because she gets cold very easily, and in her age (12 years and almost one month) it's not very good thing in any sense. And as she is Siamese, she just don't have thick enough fur to protect her body.
It has been sunny day today (and -20°C outside
Sun is shining straight to their scratching pole and there's surprisingly hot in that point. And as Ronja happens to be cat who's happy only when it's over +30°C and sunny she's thrilled.
Still about 4 months before I can let her out again. Poor cat.
I got tagged by Christine (I've to say that some of her lists are really good... check her answers
Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again
)Four Places I Have Lived
Four TV Shows I Love to Watch
(I don't actually watch TV, but if I were doing so...)
Four Places I Have Been on Vacation
Four Websites I Visit Daily
Four of My Favorite Foods
(With this allergy of mine when I can't eat things I love?)
Four Albums I Can't Live Without
Four Places I'd Rather Be
Four Bloggers I Am Tagging
Goo-Goo Dolls' Iris has been echoing in my head few days so I gave up and now I have been listening City of Angels' soundtrack for few hours, and I just had to check can I find one Nicholas Cage's line from movie in question... I did, here it is:
That's only movie ever which I can't watch without crying in the end. Or during it. Really interesting movie in that sense. And if I recall correctly purchasing it was kind of an accident. It has been bought only because of my attraction towards mr. Cage.
Must-see if you're into crying and unhappy endings.
In fact I tried to sleep, but this soundtrack has kept me awake reminiscening and thinking. Mostly thinking.
And then I had to rise up because my blood sugar got low... and in a way it was good that I woke up: I got email which cheered me up. Sometimes you just got to love humans, at least some of them.
Btw,
I kitted MSAL (I lack few skeins, but they're coming to me before February 15th) and I can only say that those colours are delicious. Strong, muted(?) shades.
/me likes.
I was wondering some time ago in Rósa's blog why so many stitchers seem to have tendency for migraines.
I was thinking it again about it while finishing my VE item (and trying to live with shaking hands and slight dizziness (Blood? In brains? What? Should there be some?)) and I've a theory (and no, it's not about brontosauruses
Migraine is sometimes referred as disease of pedantic persons, and I think that it explains why people who are into counted cross stitch seem to have greater tendency to suffer from migraines.
Think about it. Making little crosses on fabric with dense weave, counting and recounting to make sure that every little stitch is it's right place... And frogging half of your work because there's one stitch in wrong place (though I don't usually do that - I've my ways to correct those errors if there's need to do so)... And all that for fun!
Conclusion: There's little pedantic person living in every stitcher. Some seem to be able to handle their inner pedant better and therefore they don't suffer from migraine headache. It's possible that having genetic tendency for migraines is more common in stitching world - as in some sense (IMNSHO) behavioural patterns and personality do inherit from parents and as I referred to pedantic personality type...
I know that this may be bit hard to follow in certain sense, but blame on my migraine (5 days and going strong...).
-23°C/ -9°F
was lowest temperature for the day, and I proved one thing: surviving out there is all about right kind of clothing.
I walked 4 kilometers today and had no problems what so ever.
All it took was two layers of long-johns (cotton and woollen ones), socks, knee-length woollen stockings, trouser, T-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, 'quilted jacket', woollen large scarf, cat hat (hat with 'cat ears' in it... self-made ^^), army shoes and two pairs of woollen mittens.
But still I can't help wondering how first residents have survived in here about 10 000 years ago...
New Mystery SAL
litlaskvis is organizing Mystery Stitch-A-Long in LJ's cross_stitch community and of course I had to participate.
It sounds like an interesting project as it'll be like a puzzle: we get one colour at the time (or two if there's only few stitches of one colour), new colour every week. And it begins in 15th of February which means that I've to (Oh, hard life) to shop at Silkweaver because I need 13"x13"/ 14"x14" piece of fabric and I doubt do I've suitable piece.
I stole this from Karin.
Questions:
Answers:
And this interesting looking thingy I found from Sonja's blog.
You can find interesting links and memes just by checking every week's SBQ answers.
It seems to me that I stay at home stitching today...
News from LJ
So, old address works, but is redirected to new, shorter one.
EDIT: Check weather of coming days...
Today's
First of all: thank you all who wished me well (and byebye to my migraine) few days back. I'm still having it, but as this seems to be one of these ones who fade away after a week (or two) I just try to forget it. And it's better, at least I'm somewhat more functional than I was last two days.
And Jenna, it's always good to know your 'enemy' ("Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.") as it's easier to fight back.
I think this one came from last Saturday when I was helping bits_2_whole with her move. With naturally low hemoglobin it seems to be bad idea to carry anything or strain my body in general when I'm having my menses. I should have had something to snack also as I'm quite sure my blood sugar disliked that day - being naturally hypoglycemic and all...
But I wasn't aware of those things and now I pay for it. Bad luck, next time I know - if I only remember.
In fact I also had an announce to make: I made those lists I've been planning to (though I haven't done that mag list, but with that amount of magazines it'll take some time anyway), and I'll add them to my various links entry for future reference - and I think I'll add those to my home page later. But here they are, 'straight from the press'... links to spreadsheets:
And little free ad: OpenOffice to us who don't want to use Bill's softwares any more than we have to (as I'm Windows user... bad me).And it seems to me that good old linking doesn't work in anonymous comments as well as it should, or it has (IMO it has worked last year) which is a pity. But still, my non-LJ co-bloggers, you can always leave your blog url while commenting. It just wont be working link.
Apparently I was just so thrilled because of my new stash that I forgot my migraine for hour or so... yes, it's back. Fortunately there's no headache anymore, but I hate being this tired.
But anyway there's some progress in my Icy, but as it is black on black there is nothing to show. (Yes, I can usually stitch while having a migraine. It's just much slower.)
Then I have had this 'magnificent' idea of making list of designs I want to get rid of (there are few of them), and of course designs I've in general. It'd be useful not only for me, but in case someone wants to RAKe me.
My Silkweavers came finally!
Lugana Stash-Pak #3 didn't contain that Victorian red which was the main reason for me to order it, but this one contained some nice (little) pieces to keep and to send (for example to my adoptée - in fact I've theme-of-a-kind for her parcels).
And to make this day even better... Cross Stitch Collection came. There's three projects which I could do without even considering twice, and I've to admit that those nursery rhyme designs (series of four, second part was in this issue) are also something I could do... but first I need few things, like suitable father and successful pregnancy.
Have got my migraines back after almost three months of blissful migraine-free life.
So, my theory of hormonal balance proved itself wrong. Though it's possible that migraines may be the price I've to pay for having almost normal cycle and having a life with almost no pains in my ovaries (PCOs may cause unexplained pain in lower stomach and pelvis area - it feels like someone's stabbing big, rusty knife straight to your ovary, in bad days twisting that knife is added to selection). If so, I pay it. Not willingly, but having almost regular cycle may mean lesser problems in reproduction when it's time comes. (Though as long as I don't ovulate there's no hope without excess hormones.)
It's just annoying as I know I've cleaned every migraine trigger from my life which I just can, but then there are these things I can't control in any way, like hormones and air pressure changes.
In a way it's almost silly how some people wonder how I can live with those limitations preventing migraines give me. But apparently it's impossible to understand that migraines aren't just little headaches if you don't have them yourself or if you don't know someone who suffers from migraines.
At least I dislike pain, nauseating and feeling of not being control of my head (in my case it's really obvious that migraine is blood circulation related syndrome (I'd say it's syndrome as there's so many ways to suffer from it) as I really lose control of my brains and therefore control of my motor coordination if I've bad attacks).
And even my nots list is long it's not a big deal to avoid them:
But when it comes to my hormonal cycle getting more regular... I could get used to this life when I've practically no menstruation pains and only occasional ovary pains. This is quite nice as nowadays I can sometimes completely forget my PCOs. That has never happened before so I can say that it'll be quite good thing for my mental health. According to what I know my life from last 8½ years.
There will be another round after two weeks.
This is one of the advantages of small population: election results are official in few hours.
It was first round of presidential election today. Actual results will be published tomorrow morning, I think, but it seems that according to advance voting results Tarja Halonen may get re-elected straight from the first round. She got 49.6 % from those votes so if she has any wild luck there'll be no second round. Though presidential candidate needs >50% of all votes to get elected - in first or in second round. (We use two-stage election system.)
I voted for her, again, so it'd be a win for me also. And she's always better than her 'strongest' competitor who's from right side of political range, and I prefer left-wing president. (Interesting little fact, they're both lawyers by education)
Icy Blue
And because I've some real progress with my first silhouette landscape it's picture time:
Info:
I changed SAL pictures back to Photobucket. It's not fancy, but it seems to be only which really works.
And before anyone asks: Yes, I seem to be unable to decide my blog's name.
*hits her head* Ah, I almost forgot: I've planned to add desperately needed DMCs list in my stitchy wish list after I make an inventory of what I have and what I lack.
I think I'm ready now.
I'm ready to write about something which happened in the end of November... or more what are the facts of my life at the moment. I don't know. I don't in fact even know why I'm writing this as it feels bit awkward, but then I do know that it makes it easier to handle. Writing has always been my best friend.
This is 93rd entry about Sonnenschein, and it may be the last entry about him - though we never know what future brings.
After 10½ months of waiting he decided that
And now I've decided to live (I haven't been suicidal in any way in years so I don't mean it like that. (Don't I sound like a stable person?) I mean that other way to "have a life".).
If my love is not enough for someone, then it isn't. It's not me being not enough for him, apparently he just wasn't worth (as he has said himself in old days) my love.
If you're too afraid to jump to get what you dream of, then you just have to blame on yourself. I was ready to jump from highest cliff because of my love, and therefore I have nothing to regret. And I know I don't need to cry after lost changes. I'm not the one who has lost or will lose.
Human heart is surprisingly durable. It yields. And life just goes on.
And no need to worry about me. I'm not depressed. I love my life and tomorrow is always a new day.
So, I really am dancing on thorns of crimson roses. Dancing like no one's watching. And loving every painful minute of it.
"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity."
Gilda Radner
Lately I've been counting my blessings in certain way. Introverted, misanthropic me has noticed that all the sudden she seems to have contacts all over the world and there's also people she could call as friends even she has never met any of them.
I've never got along with women, but this odd race called cross stitchers has such a wonderful individuals in it's members that I can't do anything else but wonder.
My life hasn't been dancing on roses lately (on the other hand... it has been dancing on their thorns), but almost every day someone from world of stitchers makes me smile. And that is best thing you can do to other person; make one smile, even for a second. Sometimes that second is what changes the world and collapses Empires.
For me it has been, is and will be priceless.
Thank you all. Every single one of you. (Even those of you who don't know that they've made me smile.)
Stitchy friends are nice to have, especially when e-Bay wants credit card number from European me (odd, I'd say) and they don't accept my Electron... so I can't register as a user, but... Angela bid few designs on my behalf (in fact it was her idea, as she found two designs which were on my wish list and asked do I want to get my hands on them)
Look what I'm getting!
I'll pay her with magazines and we're both happy. (And even postages aren't lowest ones it's still a bargain for me.)'The Kiss'
is my absolute favourite for one particular reason: In my eyes it's very vampiristic and I have always been fascinated by vampires. In fact I'm so called 'vampire dreamer'.
No, I don't dream to be one, but I see vampire dreams quite often and, to be honest, those dreams aren't usually distressing. But then... I see dreams of several kind of mythological creatures (those 'ugly' ones: zombies, general monsters, ghouls...) quite often and those are my favourites. Only G-d knows why and I'm not going to ask.
Anyway, my dream world has always been quite odd according to my knowledge and I'm sure that some shrink would love to get one's hand to those. But I love my dreams, no matter how freaky they are.
All those shades of green have drove me nuts, but fortunately I'm crazy by birth so no one will notice the difference.
Anyway, Winter actually looks like a topiary at this moment:
There's quite some progress since last update.
And I moved my progress pictures to other hosting service.
Anyway, my dear topiary has to stand aside for few days again as tomorrow is the official lift-off date for Silhouettes SAL and as an organizer of it... It'll be my main priority for few days (though I'll finish my VE item in beginning of next week).
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