Is there a better way to end a year than have a chat with the one who defines the whole year? Yes, mr. Wolf IMed me.
Wolfinho has this interesting quality: no matter what, he does make me smile. Always.
Replying to that PM of his in March was one of the best decisions I have ever done. Thank you Wolf for being you.
...happy dance, that is. But I can provide only teasers for the time being...
Its finishing took longer than I anticipated, but you know how it is with beads: they take time.
I say ... and you think ... ?
:: For Pete's sake, stop asking that!
On allergies
Thinking of the epicutane test I'm having next week... I'm allergic to nickel and it's one of the allergens tested in basic set so I will be itching those five days. Which means that I may be general pain in the hiney in the end of the week.
That test may also guarantee (more or less) my possibility to be re-educated with all-expenses-paid method. Basic set happens to contain few components used in dyes and if I get positive result for any of them.. no one can't except me to be able to work as an textile artisan -> back to school. *evil grin*
And I realised something yesterday... margarine is in forbidden items list nowadays. *grin*
I think I have found almost perfect fabric for (normal sized - stiffer evenweaves seem to work well with miniature ones) biscornu making: Meran.
I have made two biscornus on it (SAL and Kokopelli) and they are my best ones to date because the fabric is soft and yields very easily. Add stitching with Piecemaker needles (kindly enabled recommended by Linda)... It's pure love.
Goal for today
..is finishing one of my secret projects, so off I go to grocery store and then it's all stitching!
I have been thinking (now, that itself is shocking! o_O) how this year has changed me and I find it unbelievable how much has changed.
Maybe changed is not the best word, but neither is matured which is only other word in my head.
Back in January I was scarred, afraid, broken and lost. Today...
I have to say that I am glad to have been able to experience this year. No matter how sadness it contained, no matter how much it hurt it also gave me more joy and happiness than anyone can imagine.
Thank you all for staying/ coming/ being in my life.
Say hello to Kokopelli.
Info:
Kokopelli
What's in the name?:
While stitching this it begun to remind me of one, or actually two, batik wall hangings I did while I was studying. The dominating factor in them was Kokopelli, who is fertility deity (and also spirit of music), but in addition to him there was some shapes which remind, to certain extent, forms in this one. Hence the name.
Found from Hootin' Anni's: a meme!
A - Available or single?:
Now, this depends on who asks... Single for sure, but as I have that crush thingy I don't about the availability... once again, it depends on to whom I am supposed to be available to.
B - Best Friend?:
Hmm... I don't do bests. My cats? They are always there for me. And have been around for a while.
C - Cake or pie?:
Either one, I'm not too picky.
D - Drink of choice?:
Coffee! (Stronger is better.) Or water.
E - Essential item I use every day:
Toilet paper. (I wasn't the one who used singular...) *g*
F - Favorite color?:
As my regular readers know... black!
G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms?:
Gummy bears. I revealed my inner Dr. Mengele by mutilating gummy bears when I was younger... it wasn't a pretty sight.
H - Hometown?:
The one I live in or the one I born in? (See how skillful avoidance...)
I - Indulgence?:
Sauna with all the essentials, like good company. Or just me and my trusted skin care products. *g*
J - January or February?:
January.
K - Kids and names?:
None. And the names come with the possible kids.
M - Marriage date?:
Why we assume that everyone is married? Got married 18th of June, 1999 and got a divorce 31st of March, 2005.
N - Number of siblings?:
Two. One elder sister and one elder idiot brother.
O - Oranges or apples:
Apples. Royal Gala if possible (and preferably French or Brazilian ones).
P - Phobias or fears?:
Aren't they the same thing? Anyway, I'm afraid of heights (though I love to fly).
Q - Favorite quote:
Too many to name, but two of my favourites can be found from sidebar. (And more under quotes tag.)
R - Reasons to smile:
Do I have any reason not to? Life in general. This silly Siamese on my lap...
S - Season:
Winter.
T - Tag 3 or 4 people:
bits_2_whole, chanda_m, Jenna and Christine. And everyone else! (Sneaky!)
U - Unknown fact about me:
You know, I'm running out of these unknown facts... I've been run over by a car when I was kid. Got no injuries, but according to rumours I was just lucky not to have my head squashed under that car's tire...
V - Vegetable you don’t like?:
In theory I do like them all... I just can't eat them. *rolls her eyes*
W - Worst habit:
They're not bad habits, but quirks. *grin*
X - X-Rays?:
And PET scans and and... I can prove that I have bones and brains (normal, but abnormal...), can you?
Y - Your favorite food?:
Anything I can eat.
Z - Zodiac sign?:
Now, let me list...
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Four
Appetizer: How do you usually celebrate on New Year's Eve?
With family or other important people. This year I'm changing the year with my cats and stitching.
Soup: Name one thing unexpected that happened to you in 2006.
Trip to Thailand, for example. Not that I had planned falling in love, or failing in it either...
Salad: Where was your favorite place that you visited in 2006?
See previous.
Main Course: What resolution is your top priority for 2007?
I don't do New Year's resolutions (only screen resolutions *grin*).
Dessert: Using just three words, describe 2006.
Maturity - love - surprises.
My stash grew again! I got my order from Lekker Threads (this is actually second parcel, first parcel got lost (it's second time, from that direction, in two-or-so months... there's something in wrong with Royal Mail, I think)) and DMC's Houses & Gardens book(let) from my A-A-S kid Sabine.
That is not all, I did order one chart too, but as it'll go to my Valentine's Exchange pal I won't show it.
But, I am very happy with Indian Dreams and I think I may end up getting other designs by The Cat's Whiskers too (it's in the name, I think). (And I did got some needles too... just forgot them while taking the picture.)
You have seen most of this list before:
As year is nearing its end, and I'm feeling too tired to stitch (my body was still weakened by that cold and I got sick again because of those allergy tests*sigh*) I thought it might be suitable time to do some goal checking and goaling.
Goals for December were:
Additional:
This looks much more like me, don't you think? (If you compare to this one.)
The colours are a bit off, but I'll provide better quality when I have finished this.
According to skin prick test I'm not allergic to most things I get reactions from, for example... latex. New hits were (in addition those pollen and animal scale allergies)
I also had nice chatter about skin care with that nurse who booked my appointment, and she gave me pile of moisturiser samples. You see, I could get part of my moisturisers reimbursed trough general health insurance if I find suitable brand from these...
And now, stitching (though my left hand is aching because of the allergy reaction it has from those pollen pricks). I'll have something to show you later in the evening.
[insert some frantic scratching here]
1. It's inhuman to forbid moisturiser from a person with an atopic skin.
2. My system is not compatible with generic carbohydrates. Five kilos in two days with normal eating habits is not how it's supposed to be... my metabolism seems to be carnivore's.
But.... some stitching and then I'm on my merry way getting pricked.
Just to avoid entry jam around New Year's day I'll get into end of year meme which I also did for last year.
My brother's, his wife's and my father's.
Can you say it has been a sweet, bitter and bittersweet year?
But... Je ne regrette rien/ Car ma vie, car mes joies... I'm hopeful. And I have that same feeling I had in 1st of January... next year will be good one.
I am missing someone. Which is scary, but nice feeling.
It was only Friday when I talked with him last time (but it will be about two weeks before we can do it again).
Some parts of me aren't quite sure have I gone insane, some parts just hum. (At least I told him that I will miss him... and the better part... he said he will miss me.)
And I promised myself to keep my head clear until next spring... hah.
Dreadful things...
Which aren't actually that dreadful, but cause discomfort:
And I have to admit that thought of those tests cause discomfort. But, hey, it is a hospital... If I get into the harm's way (like get an anaphylaxis) they have ways to cope with it.
Now it's official: Sabine has (happily) received my fourth parcel, and I've fulfilled my commitment in this long, long exchange. 
I say ... and you think ... ?
You know what this is?
Yes, it is a teaser as it's an exchange item (for Biscornu Exchange at EMS). It's also a biscornu, and it happens to be my own design.
Even the finishing is not 100% impeccable I am very pleased with the design and how it turned out.
It was surprisingly nice to stitch noticing that it is practically all about repeats - and completely monochromatic (and the floss sucked (not to mention that I do not believe that that skein was 8 metres), which was good reminded that one should stick with quality brands).
Though I can see this particular design stitched bi- or tricolor. It would look interesting stitched with different tones of same shade.
So, my secret pal, how do you like this? Can I send it or do I have to make another one?
I did it! I signed in Take A Stitch Tuesday Challenge (I found a link to it from Pam Kellogg's blog).
Quote from Sharon:
I'll also give this project tag of its own. In future you will find everything about this under take-a-stitch tag.
And the official quote
Found this one from Sharon's blog:
You have been warned!
I got tagged by Christine and here it comes...
Five things you likely don't know about me: (edit: And probably don't want to know *grin*)
Snatched from taelle
My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Excellency Snowprincipessa the Ovine of Frogging over Womble
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title
In other news
I went to the employment services yesterday as it was day for my regularly scheduled reporting and...
I made an appointment with a "rehabilitation" counsellor (it will be in January) as in my situation there are only few reasonable options to get me back to work in future (one of them is re-educating me, which is what I'm after. And I mean all expenses paid deal as that's only way for me to finance that fun (can't get student loan, social services may support me or may not and the likelihood that I'd find suitable job to finance my studies (actually government supports students, but I could only pay rent with that money) is non-existent (not to mention that my psyche couldn't take it))) and I need to discuss about them with someone who knows something about those options.
And.. my allergy tests are in Wednesday, which also means that since today I am not allowed to take any antihistamines... Fortunately I'll be on my own over the holidays so I'm in no danger of having any level of anaphylaxis before Wednesday.
In addition to everything else I'm feeling lousy. Go away you bad, bad cold!
One word: childhood.
This recipe is the reason why I love borscht.
Borscht á la Troika
~5 litres
Cook, add spices when soup is well-done. Serve with, or without, sour cream.
Note: this soup takes quite some time to cook (but is well worth it).
"Scientists are friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lot whose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and baseball when they are not preoccupied with science."
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi
It is not democracy
When a man speaks out his mind on politics,
And no one stops him.
Democracy is when a woman
Speaks out her mind on love,
And no one kills her.
-- Souad Al-Sabah
Yes, I'm officially infected by a nasty bug (does anyone know do they provide free AVG for human use? *g*). Not that I were that sick, but feel lousy enough...
Which means that I'm not in the mood of stitching anything bigger than a biscornu, and this means that my rotation is out-of-order few more days - at least I get some model stitching done (for myself) and maybe I get somewhere with the gifts I'm doing (to-be-belated Yule and birthday ones).
On exchange front...
I do hereby announce that my share of Adopt-A-Stitcher is now done (taking that the parcel won't get lost on its way to Germany). Actually I mailed that last parcel out yesterday.
It'd be a needed skill
Got tagged by Angela.
Nothing to show, but PITA is finished and ready to leave (and guess who forgot to take pictures?)! I was so happy to finish it that I even got to bed early yesterday. o_O
Did some stitching too, but on exchange items and gifts (Birthday Fairy found another victim!) so nothing really interesting to show so let me leave you with a kitty The Boss.
I miss my memes, but how could I answer to them at the moment when they're all about Christmas..? Never celebrated that thing, and therefore I've no experience on it. (I'm very meticulous when it comes to etymology of words. *evil grin*)
Official YouTube
I know I've said that I don't do YouTube, but exception makes the rule: Free hugs, anyone?
This link was waiting for me in my email when I woke up today... (I should almost wonder how some people just seem to be connected... or maybe it's all about odd coincidences.)
I've to say that there's few interesting colour choices in Ezmeralda's House. Most of them look really weird when you check the chart to get the symbol, find the corresponding colour and look at the skein, but when you've stitched it they actually look good...
Anyway, I didn't reach my goal due the frog attack (and because I had too optimistic goal) but we have a room (or at least most of it)!
I love stitching on 40 count.
Note to self:
...go to Ikea some day (after holidays to avoid the rush) and buy a floor lamp (for example this one). (It's interesting that I find a floor lamp more useful than a ceiling one (I haven't got one in living room in 2½ years..). Though, fact is that I'd need a floor lamp even if I had generic lamp hanging on the ceiling.))
Coming to think of it I find something in my SIL's behaviour very... interesting.
I was thinking of bits_2_whole's gift and realised that she actually has her nameday 28th (28th of December is The Day of the Innocent Children (straight translation) and, in addition of being day of all Piias and Pias, it's nameday for every person whose name is not in Finnish calendar) so even if/as I'm late with her wrist warmers there's another suitable dates to time her gift to... which lead me to realise that only time when my SIL has congratulated me during this year, or in past few years IIRC, was my nameday in this May. What makes it odd is that
and
I say ... and you think ... ?
...she wondered while happily stitching away Ezmeralda's House.
Any guesses what she screwed up?
"For Pete's sake! Why the h**l I've been stitching with two strand when I've started this with one strand?! [insert some nasty words here]"
Then our heroine took her trusted seam ripper and frogged every single stitch she had stitched today, just to begin it all again. At this time with a single strand of floss...
It was mailed from Italy in Wednesday and it was waiting in my mail box in Friday...
This is not all, but rest of it is property of the Birthday Fairy, and she won't reveal her part before her victim has received her giftie... when ever that is.
Visitor
My mother came and went, and she loved the Santa (I knew she'd). (And the Panda too.)
In addition of bringing the casseroles she promised (rutabaga (I love that word, sounds like an old witch) and carrot) she brought me some turkey, a cake and gingerbread biscuits! (Two of the latter ones are made purely out of oat, so yummy, yummy. (I tried the gingerbread cookies and they were great! (Though I'd have put more spices).))
Today's
SAT will begin tomorrow, and I've decided to visit Ezzy and her relatives.
This is what we have now:
And for reference, how it'll look like when it grows up:
Goal: Rest of the stone base and the first floor, which would be approximately 20% of whole design.
Why is that topic what it is, what you should be doing?
Cleaning, my mother comes to visit today. (Not that she'd mind if it's not impeccably clean around here, but because I want to.)
And for once I've reason to actually cook something. (And this time my dinner guest won't probably try to eat me while I'm cooking... *grin*) You see, I don't cook for myself that often. I just prepare the food.
One of the things I miss in relationships... most things have much more meaning in them when you've someone to love, you know?
For some reason this is one of the best lyrics snips ever: "...You can't break my spirit/ it's my dreams you take..." (James Blunt: Goodbye My Lover)
Anyway, as I'm sure that you're dying to know what I've been up to lately I'll share a little teaser. Can't show all as it's an exchange item.
Colours are off: the fabric is pale lavender and floss is light blue (some old "gift" from Cross Stitcher so no numbers).
When it grows up it'll be a biscornu.
Not that I'd ever prefer them over real ones, but they're great thing when you want to share few passions of yours, for example, crafting and reading. (And when you're person who needs background noise no matter what she's doing...)
It makes one wonder how some can be so talented voice actors that they can read whole book and impersonate all the characters with such style that you might think that there's several actors reading the said book.
I'm surprised... I've been shopping (1., 2. and 3.), paid rent, been eating... and I still have money. About twice as much I've usually at this phase of the month.
It makes one wonder what I've forgot...
Finished projects count for this year is...
31, at the moment. Pain-In-The-Hiney is finished, but lacks some final touches of its final finishing.
Aww! ^^
Now, this is cute: Double Knit Mini Christmas Stocking Ornament
We had a little ornamental Stitch-A-Long at The Robin's Nest and I thought I might share my result in here too.
I intended to stitch one, and ended up stitching three, finishing two of those and additional ornament I had stitched earlier this year.
(Click thumbnails for bigger pictures - as usual)
Woodland Snowfall by Little House Needleworks:
(Info and finished)
Santa's Trimmings by Mosey 'n Me:
(info and finish)
Giant, 1998 Christmyth by Dragon Dreams:
(info and finish)
Wyvren, 2006 Christmyth (and last one in the series) by DD:
(info)
It was fun.
Before I forget... finished Woodland Snowfall:
I had a reason to stitch it... it was a supposed to be a replacement ornament sent to one participant in ornament exchange at EMS, and I did sent it to Singapore... She just happened to receive both original and mine approximately at the same time (which was few days ago, hence the picture).
(Piece of unnecessary information... I Googled Woodland Snowfall and guess whose blog was fourth hit? *grin* "Look Mommy, I'm in the internet.")
Shoppity
Birthday fairy made an order from Casa Cenina... (though I excused some things for myself too, and got one of the beads for Seasonal Dragons (they were discounted)!)
I've to say that they've excellent customer service. I wanted to pay my order with European Bank Transfer instead of credit card as in my case it was faster (it takes at least three days to get credits loaded) and there aren't any transaction fees when it's interunion transfer. They replied to all my stupid questions within hours and were very willing to serve.
Now order is processed, as they've received my payment, and mailed out. Wonderful! I'll recommend them (even they're not the cheapest one with everything they have great selection, and I'm willing to pay for service).
It's good that I've spent my stitchy money for the month already... otherwise I'd have been obliged to buy this. (*sob*)
Otherwise... must-be-finished-last-month project hates me, or the design just isn't compatible with my brain wave patterns. Counting mistake after another, followed by frantic frogging, and now it seems to me that I've to leave the other half completely off because I'll run out of floss otherwise (and as I use hand-dyed...), which also means that I've frog quite bit... It hates me and I've become to hate it, I just want to get it finished.
As you may have guessed by now rotation is out of the window at the moment, though I think I can get back to it in the end of the week (I'll knit bits_2_whole's warmers daily, in between stitching, due the problems with brain shutdown when knitting plain knit - and with that method I may actually finish them on time, though I still have to figure out the problem with lacking few necessary rows (no, I can't just knit them because they'd get too long)).
And I need to decide my SAT piece for this month, as this weekend will be the third weekend of month... Either Alter Echo or Ezmeralda's House - or maybe I just stitch pile of exchange items (but that'd be so boring, no pictures and all that 
Decisions, decisions Help!
Finishes!
Official ornaments for my parents are now finished: 1998 Christmyth, which I stitched earlier this year, and Santa's Trimmings ([gutter] who would have guessed that Santa is into BDSM? 
Though, as you see, Santa is framed, as I happened to have suitable frame and I wasn't in the mood to try that method I intended to use.
Cats and music
If you want your cats to be nice and quiet, in other words make them sleep, try Gotan Project.
In our household it has this effect:
How someone can just come out of the blue and occupy your little mind? How things you wouldn't normally do with anyone don't feel acting against yourself when he's around? How can someone just slide into your sexual fantasies, to that world where only few can get, and how can you notice all the sudden that you might actually like to have him around, close to you, after you come? How you can be afraid of losing someone you don't even have met or have in any other sense of the term? How can you be so afraid to lose..?
And what should I do now? Send him an email, send him an IM... what? Maybe I should just go hiding under my rock and let it pass?
Then... what to say? "Btw, if you haven't noticed yet I have a crush on you." would sound so teen, but... why it has to be so difficult? If he laughs his ass out it'd clear it out, and if he chooses to react in some other way... it'd clear it. At least it'd give some direction... And that is what I need now, crossroads can be so terribly confusing
I've known him a bit over three weeks...
Shouldn't I have learnt by now to take it slow? Haven't I learnt anything from past experiences?
But still, no matter how stupid I feel... I've to confess it, for the sake of my own peace of mind. No matter what happens... and what could happen? Worst case is that he puts me in ignore and considers me as a raving lunatic, but there's also the possibility that he doesn't think that I'm insane.
If the worst case scenario actualizes, he loses me. I don't lose him. Then he just has been someone I had to meet and who taught me what ever was his thing to teach.
And other possibilities are, if not win-win, at least deuces.
I shouldn't be so proud all the time. I shouldn't worry over things I don't have any force over. I should learn to give myself to the stream of incidents every once in a while. And I shouldn't be afraid... of anything.
What ever happens from now on one thing is obvious... my heart is still alive. And no matter what, that's good to know.
I stitched some last night. o_O
Though not the project I should, but I decided to boost my mojo by test stitching one of my own designs for the biscornu exchange at EMS.
I've to say that it looks good, even though you never should judge WIP.
And I can't help the feeling that there's something châtelainish in it. Maybe it's in the mandala...(Mandalas are easy to design (at least IMO), that's the thing.)
Blaaaaah.
One reason why I'd like to have extremely regular cycle is the fact that when it goes over 30 days, even for few days I've most annoying case of blue when my menses finally come to town... I just want to bang my head to the wall... and hide under my blanket eating litres of ice cream. And it's not even hurting yet... Oh joy etc.
But then, admittedly this is better, as I know this'll pass, than that little fear behind my head that I'd be pregnant. Surprisingly I found the possibility scary as it might have caused some more complexity to my current situation...
I've officially lost my mind (again). I've been... *gasp* cleaning and rearranging my furniture. (Only things left to do are rearranging living room's bookshelf, computer table and clean the bedroom.)
But... this place looks good. In addition to that it's idling, cat and stitching friendly - and spacious (small miracle in itself noticing how much stuff I own).
Masters approve too.
Silkweaver and stitching
I had to! It was so cheap! Ordered three pieces of fabric from Odds and Ends, and paid whopping $10.5 (incl. postages), but they did surprise me... shipping notice came about an hour(!) after I placed the order.
No updates on stitchy front. Still having traces of that darned migraine... have placed few stitches on one secret project (which I should finish asap, preferably in last month *g*) though.
But, how about some floss? My misc. box ended up being like this:
Ah, the colours!
(And I think I may have a slight crush on someone... oops.)
