Notes to self

As I will be at my mother's place (free food!) from 23rd of December, 2007, to ~13th of January, 2008 I need to decide the projects I take with me to avoid

1. boredom.
2. having to commute between cities all the time to get stuff from home.

I do need to pop by at home about once a week or so to say Hi to the potted plants and empty my mail box (bills can always wait, right?), but as the trip from $PLACE to $HERE and back takes at least three hours I won't do it often...
As the Stitch-A-Thon falls to the weekend when I leave I won't take Loy with me, but stitch as much as I can during Friday and Saturday.

1. Egyptian Sampler - sorely abandoned little thing.
2. Flashes of Gold - we started at the beginning of November and I haven't got the fabric dyed yet - though my excuse is that the supplies for the design came in this week.
3. ~Three models: two kitted and started, one not yet kitted.
4. Some additional floss ad fabric, just in case.

And, of course, I will take my laptop with me so I can work on things while lounging at that five start holiday resort (though she will be off for most of the time for a business trip (those social workers, always travelling ) and short holiday at her cottage).
I can also promise loads of kitty pictures, like every time when the cats of the family gather together (Her Highness will love it).
So, three weeks of uninterrupted stitching time... (Even if I'd get a job from the $COMPANY I think it's better for me, and my health, to get the three weeks' leave as the commuting from my mother's place to the $COMPANY would take approximately three hours/ day (which equals 11 hour days, which equals not having ANY free time between sleeping, housework and working) and that is almost as many hours as I use to commute from/ to home on weekly basis.)

Various links.

My other blogs:

• Tales from Periphaeria
• To Be...
• Testing... testing...

Blogs I follow:

My Bloglines

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• Catharsis
• Ghastly's Ghastly Comic
• Gorgeous Princess Creamy Beamy
• Surreal Kins
• Triquetra Cats

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Design stash (*.xls files)
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1174: Stash!

Ah, it was worth the walk in freezing weather: I got my Sewandso order (they sent it in registered mail o_O) and new Electron (they have changed the colour from light green to metallic indigo - /me likes). Without further ado... stash!

Two packs of beads, nine blending filaments (one more to come), big (50cm x 140cm) piece of 32 count white Jobelan, three Dylon dyes (Windsor Purple, Arabian Night and Kingfisher), packet of platinum needles, ten skeins of white Venus, some DMCs for Seasonal Dragons...

 

Notes to self

Needed pieces of fabric (sizes after dyeing):

1. Loy Krathong: ~47~cm x ~57cm (18.5''x~22.5'')
2. Exchange piece: 33cm x ~46cm (13''x18'')
3. Seasonal Dragons: ~48cm x ~16cm (18.75''x6.25'')

And the fabric I have is that previously mentioned piece of Jobelan (which shouldn't shrink that much as it is cotton/polyester mix)... with correct placement I seem to have excess piece of ~30cm x 50cm. (Though I admit, I have been considering using one piece of linen I have as the exchange fabric... I am not quite sure how it'll turn out, though, as it is not white to begin with.)

One of these days I will do some dyeing... (Though I need to check do I have any table salt anywhere...)

Another challenge

TBR

A challenge to get me back to reading, as I have been dreadfully lazy on that matter last two years.

Pick 12 books - one for each month of 2007 - that you've been wanting to read (have been on your "To Be Read" list) for 6 months or longer, but haven't gotten around to.
Starting January 1, 2007, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31, 2007.
By the end of the year you should've knocked 12 books off of your TBR list!

And my list (in no particular order) - original names in parenthesis:

1. Eclipse of the Crescent Moon (Egri csillagok) by Géza Gárdonyi
2. Oikeusjuttu (Der Prozess) by Franz Kafka
3. The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe
4. Sivuvaikutuksia (Side Effects) by Woody Allen
5. Sarastus (L'àube, Editions du Seuil) by Elie Wiesel 23rd of April
6. Otelo by Daniel Katz 13th of May
7. Kannibaaligalaksi (The Cannibal Galaxy) by Cynthia Ozick 3rd of April
8. Sinuhe egyptiläinen by Mika Waltari
9. Karamazovin veljekset (Bratja Karamazovy) by Fedor Dostojevski
10. Muistelmia kuolleesta talosta (Zapiski iz mertvago doma) - ' ' - 23rd of April
11. Jazz (Jazz) by Toni Morrison 5th of April
12. Orja (The Slave) by Isaac Bashevis Singer 17th of May

TAST

Haven't forgot that! I just need to get myself going with it, all those biscornus just are too tempting to be left alone, even for a day - or few hours.

It'd be a needed skill

• not to keep one's heart in a sleeve, in a very short sleeve.
• to be able to be completely honest to yourself, and to others, in every situation ie. not to hide any feeling.
• to see in future to avoid possible misjudgements.
• not to see connections between everything. (City of Angels has closer connection (in sense of similarity) to my own life than I thought. Which I realised yesterday. Which was extremely bittersweet.)
• to be less afraid.

It'd be also great skill to avoid getting sick. Which seems to be now.

[Insert brain here]

See it? Panda has an ear! (I've had migraine so I've been bit slow today.)

Those cream white stitches don't show up very well, but what can you expect on light coloured fabric?

And then...

Facts of life:

1. You can get a hangover from drinking too much coffee.
2. Local birds appreciate my little buffet (tallow balls with seeds).
3. Most movies in theatres at the moment seem to be lousy or otherwise not interesting.
4. My skin gets thinner in winter (you should see my elbows... or maybe not, it's not a pretty sight).
5. Migraines and Siameses aren't good combination.

Silhouette of a great tit (just one as they have tendency to fly away when I want to take a picture...) and a picture of a cat (who does cuteness extremely well) drooling after them...

      

WIP with wings

Not much of a progress as I *gasp* had social life *gasp*. Went for a coffee with someone (46XY as you want to know it anyway *grin*).
Before anyone asks: yes, I had a good time. And I noticed that you can get drunk from drinking too many lattes (they had no decaffeinated today so I had to (yeah, right) overcaffeinate myself).

I also updated my pattern stash (*.xls file) as I realised that I've got quite a few designs after I updated it last time (and I can't help drooling over A Dragon's Tea Party, it's just so... cute! ^^). (Note to self: plastic pockets.)

Hidden dance

This one here is a happy dancing stitcher (I seem to be a Vogon being green and all; cute one though). One of my secret projects is now officially stitched, washed and ironed and will be finished as [something] in one of these days.

And just out of the ecstasy I updated needed flosses, pattern stash and defined needs lists.

I didn't even remember that finishing something feels this good. I need to do this more often.

Goal check

It's April soon (where did the time went?) so it's time for goal check.

March goals were

1. "Stitch and finish needleroll for Spring needleroll exchange".
2. "This month's Broaden Your Stitching Horizon theme is folk/ whimsical and I'm in even folksy isn't my thing in general. Mosey'N'Me has couple of freebies I'll choose from."
3. "Start next Silhouette in 10th of March."

Well, this is what I actually did

1. Needleroll is finished and mailed.
2. Stitching horizon got broader.
3. Jaffa is still untouched.
4. Stitched parts III and IV of MSAL, but I'm three parts behind!

And then,

what do I want to do in April?

1. Stitch lacking parts of MSAL and try to stay in schedule
2. 24 hour challenge
3. Stitch-A-Thon
4. Broaden Your Stitching Horizon
5. Start with Jaffa, preferably finish it.
6. Decide design, fabric, flosses, stitch and finish biscornu for an exchange

Would that be enough for me? I think it's so.

Some organizing

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:

I don't need these, so if you want to give a good home...
All mine! And these I'm planning to keep.

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.

Stitching goals for January

I have finally got the idea of goals. \o/
Anyway, my list looks like this:

• Finish Valentine Exchange item!
• Send SEBE and SECE items!
• Stitch first part of the Silhouettes (Apparently Icy Blue).
• Finish Winter topiary.
• Stitch 5th part of Best Friends.

No hurry.... very realistic...

In fact I may be able to do that.

Some goals for 2006

Stitching goals for year 2006
• I should finish Dan's chess board some day
• 'Welcome' sign for my mom (from Vermillion Stitchery's Fantasy Bears series. Gnome to be exact, as she loves gnomes.)
• Finish (and send) all current and to-be exchange items in time
• Stitch few thingies to my 'adoptee' in Germany
• Try some freebie from Châtelaine
• Then there's Passione Ricamo's 'Topiary Sampler' which lacks 2½ seasons
• 'Silhouettes' SAL @EMS BB
• 'Best Friends' SAL @Linabear BB
• Stitch Devil Bear's sister Angel Bear
• Find suitable flosses and fabric for 'Alter Echo' sampler, decide will I translate it from English to Finnish (if so, translate it) and stitch it

General goals
• Enroll to university of Helsinki, which means:
  • Save enough money to be able to buy admission exam books in time
  • Contact that vocational institute I graduated from and ask few copies of my diploma (Yes, I have lost it...)
  • Purchase books in time
  • Make a studying schedule
  • Stick in that schedule
  • Keep my life clean from relationship related problems
• Exercise - when possible
• Contact rabbi (finally... procrastination is bad habit of mine)
• "Don't be so harsh on yourself"

Ah, links

Firs of all: I could say that this is somewhat "lost in translation"...

And I made general wish list with Froogle, so in case there are some sugar daddies and mommies now you know what to get and from where to keep me happy.

Happy hanukah

First of all I managed to get sick once again. It begun with sore throat yesterday and at this moment my throat is killing me and my sinuses are full of icky stuff... and of course it´s Sunday and shops are closed so I can't get ice cream to soothe my throat.

But well. Hanukah begun, Yule has gone. Time for gift listing...

• Renewal of my Cross Stitcher's subscription
• Clothes
• Stephen King's Wolves of the Calla (Black Tower V) - in Finnish, "of course"
• "drawing board" for my computer

And few tens of euros, but I've used those for basic living ages ago...

Anyway, still alive. Tired (slept <4 hours last night), sore, etc., but alive.

'Our World'

If the population of the Earth was reduced to that of a small town with 100 people, it would look something like this:

57 Asians;
21 Europeans;
14 Americans (northern and southern);
8 Africans.

These would be

52 women;
48 men;

and,

70 coloured-skins;
30 caucasians.

and,

89 heterosexuals;
11 homosexuals.

6 people would own 59% of the whole world wealth and all of them would be from the United States of America.

80 would have bad living conditions,

70 would be uneducated,
50 underfed,
1 would die,
2 would be born,
1 would have a computer,
1 (only one) will have higher education.

When you look at the world from this point of view, you can see there is a real need for solidarity, understanding, patience and education.
Please also think about the following: This morning, if you woke up healthy, then you are happier than the 1 million people that will not survive next week.

If you have never suffered a war, the loneliness of the jail cell, the agony of torture, or hunger, you are happier than 500 million people in the world.

If you can enter into a temple without fear of jail or death, you are happier then 3 billion people in the world.

If there is a food in your fridge, you have shoes and clothes, you have bed and a roof, you are richer then 75% of the people in the world.

If you have a bank account, money in your wallet and some coins in the money-box, you belong to the 8% of the people in the world, who are well-to-do.

If you read this you are three times blessed because:

1. somebody just thought of you.
2. you don't belong to the 800 million people that cannot read.
3. and... you have a computer!

As somebody once said:

"Work as if you don't need money,
love as if you've never been hurt,
dance, as if nobody can see you,
sing, as if no one can hear,
live, as if the Earth was a heaven."

Silkweavers

My parcel came! Oh my, how nice goodies I've ordered for me!

Fabrics

14ct Aida - Ivory - 15x18 (For SOLAK squares)
22ct Hardanger - Ivory - 15x18
22ct Hardanger - Antique Mushroom - 15x18
25ct Dublin Linen - Natural - 11x11
27ct Northern Cross Linen - White - 5x5; x6
28ct Glasgow Linen - Flax - 9x12
28ct Jobelan - Black - 18x27 + 9x13

Fibers

Kreinik
• Blending Filament - Green
• Blending Filament - Red
  

Gentle Art Sampler Threads
• Fragrant Cloves
• Hibiscus
• Lavender Potpourri
• Pomegranate
• Rhubarb

Other

Stitchband Leaflet; x2

I also got notification from local PO that I've registered mail waiting for me. I'm going to get it tomorrow - in case my foot isn't aching. (I dropped chest of drawers on my foot yesterday... Didn't broke anything (I've extremely hard bones), but it's bit swollen and aches occasionally.)

I bought that many pieces of 27ct Northern Cross Linen because it was good opportunity to get cheap "waste canvas". In my case it just happens to be waste linen, always, because I'm allergic to starch sources.

This was first time I ordered GASTs and I just love those colours. I want more of these things!

Note to self:

First migraine in 73 days... I'll die. Ok, maybe not but it'll feel like it as I'm not used to that pain anymore.

SBQ

Todays

Stitching Blogger's Question

was suggested by AngelSan and is:

"Do you have rules in the way you stitch? (i.e., Do you start in the middle? Do you determine which blocks to stitch first? Do you always start from the top or the bottom? Do you have special paths to prevent wasting thread?)"

I've changing basic rules which are more or less dictated by design and my own mood and quirks.

To be more specific my rules are these:

• I use vertical and horizontal grid lines.
• I start from the middle if possible (usually it is).
• I stitch colour areas instead of rows (though I stitch areas row by row - I hope you get the difference).
• I start with lightest shade and end with darkest one. There have been few exceptions though.
• I prefer to stitch from right to left.
• I start from right side of vertical center line.
• I always stitch \\\ and then ///, which doesn't seem to be very common way when you're officially right-handed (In fact I'm more or less ambidextrous).
• I use loop start if possible.
• Thread goes trough the needle's eye.
• Needle goes trough the holes of the fabric.

I think that there are most of my stitching rules. I'm boheme artist as you can see...

Magazines.

Ok, I promised myself I wont buy anything stitching related in this month after Silkweaver order... Wrong!
I bought latest issue of Cross Stitch Gold because it had some designs I'd really like to do. Main reason was Moonlight Fairy by Lesley Teare (This). I just saw it and then I saw it in my mind stitched on hand-dyed fabric... I think people looked at that drooling crazy lady at the magazine stand and felt sorry for her...

And those great art nouveauish cards by Maria Diaz gave me even better excuse to buy that issue - not to mention Egyptian Cat by Vivienne Powers... And it seems to me that I've to buy next issue of CSG too as there's another cat design from her. (Black cats, and I've one...)

Misc.

Talking about cats: my siamese has decided that I'm her teddy bear and hot water bottle. She sleeps in my arms nowadays. From that moment I go to bed from that moment I wake up. I'd like to know does she really sleep whole night with me.

It's interesting how exercising affects to me nowadays: I actually feel good after quite harsh training. Not to mention that I walked four kilometers after it, and I feel good still, bit tired though.

And btw, over two months without actual migraines (have had some occasional slashes, but nothing worth mentioning).

2-do

To-dos before Yule:

• Ornaments for my parents
• 'Devil Bear' finish
• 'Winter Topiary' finish

And I also need to think what to take with me when I go to my mother's place as I'm not sure do I want to take my computer with me and that limits me quite much in stitching wise, as poor me doesn't have a printer.

Of course I could take free kits I've stored to wait for better/ duller day and make them. In fact I've been thinking that some of those kits would do great SOLAK squares (I just need to bigger pieces of fabric to make them on).

Oh my... I've one card I should send. Got to remember that when I go to "town" next time.

Official 2-do list.

I finally spent minute to explore on LJ's 2-do list attribute and made mine. It's available in my blog's sidebar.

Morna'.

I'm dangerous after I've seen good dreams and slept well.
It just happens to be great to wake up in a dream before actually waking up, say "good morning" to Sonnenschein and end up cuddling. Last words I heard before I woke up were I love you, and I think I'll live... Though I'd prefer to live in that dream and not in this reality, but apparently you can't always win.

Anyway, power of Mozart has been proved again. Slept seven hours, woke up once because it was way too hot, but that's nothing odd as air humidifier makes my bedroom warmer and, of course, makes are more moist so it feels even warmer than it actually is. Not to mention that I sleep under thick king size blanket, next to radiator...
Apparently my throat ache was really related to dry air as last days I've been blowing my nose out of my head. There seems to be something icky in my maxillary sinuses - and lots of it.

Stitching.

Well, haven't been very industrious lately, but I've been bit tired and overly stressed and that is not best base for creative work.
But now I've been sleeping relatively well, and we've been talking about "issues" with Sol so it seems to get easier again... which will mean: stitching!

And I have an idea what I could give to my mom as Yule gift in next year. If I decide to do it for her it'll be quite big project and I need new frame because of it. I need some some S.E.X. (Stash Enhancing Experience).

Hmm...

I think I could add acronym list into my sidebar. Just to make it easier to read this thing.

Cultural differences?

Little something I've been wondering since last autumn. As in my opinion it is bit odd that I seem to had more "cultural clashes" in my relationship with Finns than I've had with A. and M. There are few possible "explanations":

1. Our upbringing has been bit different than majority of Finns.
2. I'm not "Finnish" by personality.
3. There is no such thing as cultural differences.
4. "Cultural differences" are in fact differences in
   4.1. religion (I've had more problems with Christians than I have had with Buddhist and pagan) and
   4.2. native languages (leads to different interpretations).

And before anyone wants to burn me, I'll explain a bit.

1. My childhood family was non-religious, pro-reading, pro-thinking and more or less equal when it came to treating according to sex (so, even I'm female I had quite free atmosphere to be non-girly (even it seems that my mom worried about my non-girliness. And it was a problem for my brother.).
   This seemed to be problem to majority. Because I wasn't just cute show-around girlfriend nor nice, silent wife-type. I had no obsession to be "feminine" nor degraded because of my sex. I never have wanted to look less intelligent than I am just because I'm female (or because it was problem to some men to have woman who's more intelligent than they were).
2. Well, it's old joke between Sonnenschein and me that our nationalities are mixed, and he should have Finnish passport and I should have Spanish. He's practical iceberg and I'm drama queen.
3. Come and burn me.
4. :
   4.1. I've dated only Christians in past and there were always clashes because of religion. I was able to accept that my partner was Christian, but they were unable to accept that I was not and that I weren't willing to become one.
   My ex wasn't fortunately Christian (ok, he was member of Evanchelic Lutheran Church, but only because he apparently weren't informed how easy it's part from a congregation according to our legislation - he signed off after we got married.), A. was Buddhist (born as Hindu) and M. is non-religious (raised in non-religious family). And there has been no religion based clashes. I can't help wondering that. (No, I've nothing against anyone's religion as long as my religious views (or lack of them) are respected.)

   4.2. Only clear difference between us (Sonnenschein and me) seems to be in our ways to use language. If M.'s native language is X and mine Y, and we both communicate with language Z which isn't native to either of us it's in a way obvious.
   Now someone could say that culture causes those differences, but is there culture without language? -> Language creates culture and therefore cultural differences are language based.

I think that was mostly all about that matter today.