SBQ: I have a dream...

Guess who is back? Oh yes... Sorely missed (praised be Renée for providing us our weekly dose *grin*)

Stitching Bloggers' Question

1. Do you dream of running your own LNS/ONS? If so, tell us about your dream.
2. If not, tell us about your cross stitch dream… maybe you dream of designing, dyeing your own floss or fabric, etc.

1. Well, actually not.

2. Now, this is a completely different story, and admittedly I'm planning to put designing side of my education to a good use and combine it with my love for cross stitch.
Due financial issues my start will be small and I'll do it as a hobby which, if things goes well, pays oneself back, adds some stash money to my budget and keeps my head happy.

If things really fall in their places it could be one form of income in future. If things go that well I could make a living with it and go back to study.

If you see Periphaeria Designs' designs somewhere someday... that is me.
But it won't happen before summer anyway as I prefer to be well prepared, and I need to secure few things before really starting.

If you are interested to see more two of my creations can be found from my blog, under my_designs tag. There will be more in future, I have just begun model stitching to myself. And remember, I love to hear feedback.

In other news...

They say that cortisone should cause mania, insomnia etc.. Guess who is tired (tired as sleeping tired - just napped three hours)? *g*

Foto pherrets

Week 54

Our word for this week is: Cake

In last October: Death to a cupcake! (This happens when you add one snowprincipessa, good amounts of white wine(s), a party, an axe™ and a cupcake - and stir.)

I have done something o_O

As I went to my mother's place yesterday and stayed there overnight I didn't stitch Futurecast. I kitted one of my own designs to take with me, and stitched half of it yesterday while watching Bond and yapping with my mother.
Half, as this is designed to be a scissor fob, and therefore there'll be two identical sides, but as I chose fabric with as low count as 28 I'll end up finishing this as an ornament.

Stash!

And when I came home... Quaker Gameboard was waiting for me in my mail box! To make it even better Jayne had added two skeins of Carrie's Creations over-dyeds (Elephant Grey and Cobalt Blue - I see both in some of my biscornus...) to accompany my chart.

So, what else is new?

Firstly: noticing that I had one itchy bump in my back night before last one... there was absolutely nothing when I got into the hospital yesterday...

- "Though there's this rash"
- What rash? I never have a rash...
- "...in your back"
- Yeah, I kind of figured out that much...

So, no allergic reactions, but a rash... does that sound a bit odd to you?

Becoming a big, blue meanie, part something

As some parts of my family can't seem to grasp the idea of not giving things I don't need as a Yule gifts I've decided to announce (actually I have already done it in a way, this just proves that some people don't know how to read) that they should forget whole thing. If they want to gift me on some officially approved day my birthday will be only one when I expect that - and if one really doesn't want to listen my pragmatic wishes they should not give anything... (It's easy for stitchers though, they always know what they can give - new stash!)

On happier note

I got my gifts from bits_2_whole yesterday: camera for my another cell and new keypad to my 3100 (it kind of suffered last spring for some odd reason... *grin*). Things I really find useful, so they're much appreciated. ^^

/me wants and mondaysabitch

These are pretty!

• For Amelia, Where Ever She May Go
• St.Basil's Cathedral
• Wee beasties (All of them)

Random Joy

1. After a long day, I like to kick back with...?
   Music, stitching, worshipping my dears... I could think of few other activities if I had a partner in crime.

2. Do you know anyone "famous"/who is the "most famous" person you've ever met?
   Tarja Halonen (our president). (It happened at work few years ago.)

3. What is your favourite piece of classical music?
   Rachmaninov's (it is written with v in Russian...) 3rd piano concerto. Sheer bliss.

4. Have you ever found and picked up any money off the ground? How much?
   I was a kid and as far as I remember it was something as whopping as 10 Finnish marks (1,4 €).

5. How much money would it take for you to give up the internet for a year?
   Give up internet?! Are you insane?!

Now this is more like it...

"A good person can be stupid and still be good. But a bad person must have brains"
-- Maxim Gorky

An update

*gasp*

Not that much progress (thread needle -> stitch three stitches -> snip -> rethread needle -> repeat ad nauseam is tedious, and a wonderful method to slaughter time), but once again few stitches closer to the end.

But with this pace I won't get second part finished before this month ends. If it takes an evening to stitch one vine...

T-A-S

By the way... read the comments:

• that first attempt
• circling herringbone

Do I feel good now?!

And then...

Piece of literacy: Francis Crawford of Lymond, the (Zombie) Master of Culter.

UM and past

Gothic snowballs, dirty little secrets and SIL

After almost finishing first of the snowballs I decided to ditch what I had done and restart. This time I'll work straight from the original instructions.
But next time when I'm planning to knit plain, please, do come and hit me with a halibut - though... I have four planned projects (small) which will be knitted as plain knit...

One is insane, no doubt about that.

On something completely different.

Those of you few who know more about my personal history this is not a surprise, and I can hear you snort "Oh yeah, that's so not new..."
I confirmed it in Friday, though I have seen the signs of it long, long time... I seem to have a fetish for Indian men.
I know, it sounds stupid and awfully narrow-minded, but what can one do? What can you do when local men just don't do it for you? (And, admittedly, during last two and a half years my only short distance anythings have been with men of Indian origin...)
Lady is not made of wood, you know.

Though, I'm not saying that I don't find men of European origin (I hate word Caucasian, and as most "whites" in Northern America are also of European origin...) attractive, it just doesn't happen very often.

And then... something else...

My beloved SIL, oh yes... I think I have made despising her a hobby of mine.

Today she wanted to be helped on two issues (she only seems to come to our IRC channel when she needs something (can we say a leech?)):

1. recipe for tortillas,
2. help with English, as BBB (Brother-by-Blood *grin*) had passed out (in Finnish that refers usually to drunken state passing out... O_o) and she had to (you never have to do anything, you know) communicate with someone in English.

The thing is...

1. They have cook books (they have extremely good series of them which our mother has given to BBB as his graduation gift - and additional parts when they got married (we all have got both of the series)), they have internet (and I assume hope that either one of them is actually able to read and/or write)... and she's too lazy to consult those books they have, even they most likely are the closest, and easiest source of information. She refuses to use Google, as apparently typing word tortilla would be so amazingly difficult...
   She's almost 32 and she still needs someone to think for her.

2. I still remember how certain SIL of mine said to me that she does not need to know any English. (Though she also assumed in that same sentence that I know English just because I want to date "exotic men"... w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l. (Can we say active ignorance?))

I also happened to mention about the latter to her, and, surprisingly she gave /quit command quite soon after it. (Quite properly my last line before it was Boa noite e sonhos bonitos. (As I tried to remember what is Good night in Hungarian, but remembered only the Portuguese equivalent...) How did she knew what it meant?! *grin*)

Note to self: do not, I repeat, do not scratch your back even if it itches.
They removed the patches, but I'm still not allowed to shower, strain myself, sweat etc.... and the fun thing? Apparently there's from none to slight reaction to anything (even my back itches - and there is a bump where that latex patch was, if you ask from me) - though the nurse said that latex can react very slowly.

... so, maybe I'm officially The Queen of Hypochondriacs? Well, at least that is some development from The Pampered Little Princess (nickname of-a-kind I got from N. (but hey, one can't help it if she gets used to being pampered... and he actually encouraged that habit (which is little something I learnt from certain wonderful canine))). *grin*

And now, back to bed. I may get my rhythm back to normal if I can fall asleep...

Stash fairies? (And a Friday's Feast)

They have to be, they are in my stash shelf.

ETA: Sneakily added Friday's Feast...

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Five

Appetizer: Which celebrity (or celebrities) do you think will make headlines this year?
Couldn't be less interested...

Soup: They say that good things come in small packages? What is something little that you think is great?
Define "small". My cats, rooibos spiced with orange, cell phones, my biscornu designs (they come from my little brain cell)...

Salad: Name a song that makes you want to dance.
Rather "Name a song that doesn't make you dance".

Main Course: What is your favorite font?
Trebuchet MS.

Dessert: If you were to write a do-it-yourself article, what would it be about?
Most likely about some finishing technique.

Epicutane: Second day

They say that allergy tests shouldn't cause any additional symptoms... nor allergic reactions anywhere else than the part which is exposed to said allergen(s)...
Emphasise word say. (And really, that is some kind of an oxymoron. If allergic reaction comes it comes no matter what causes it. Give your body cyanide and it'll kill you, even if you do it for science.)

I'm having hives all around my body, I itch, my body temperature is risen, I'm tired, my joints ache, my respiratory system behaves badly (and I can't sleep more than four hours per session)... I know, I asked for this, but I do think that I am still entitled to complain.
I could live with the itching as that was what they said I'll experience. No one mentioned getting friggin' sick... and for some reason I think this may not be most common reaction to this, but I also think that my body's reaction proves something: my body is fighting against those allergens, but doesn't seem to have weapons powerful enough. (In my little, hypochondriac mind all this equals with allergic reaction.)

Fortunately my dermatologist gave me prescription for cortisone... guess who will go to pharmacy in Monday and get some nice little pills?

On a happier note

I got email from Jayne's Attic that my Quaker Gameboard has been shipped! Actually this is second shipment as Royal Pain Mail lost the first one, but nevertheless: new stash!
(...if Royal Mail doesn't lose it, again...)

Memesy

I've been looking for a suitable photo meme and I think I have found it...

Week 53

Our word for this week is: Bored.

"Now, do you absolutely have to take pictures of me all the time? I'm kind of getting bored to that..."
Seiichi has interesting ability to look bored in most pictures - and I'm sure you rather look at him than me. *grin*

Take-A-Stitch: Week 1

*cough* I just love this... I'm getting sick again! Did I say something about this..?

T-A-S

Not exactly Mona Lisa, but...

      

I think I said something about the garden, and something about the first attempt...?
My fence imitation does bother me, but I'm rather pleased with the second picture. I'm quite sure I'll add something(s) to it, but on the other hand I'd like to leave it as it is for time being as I'm quite sure I'd combine some other stitch with that...

But(t)

I noticed that my 'sitting muscles' look rather good... or rather even better than they used to. O_o ...Which leads me to other, somewhat related issue: loose clothes.
I haven't lost any weight since last time (~1½ years), but still my trousers hang on me. Trousers which have been bought about 1½ years ago, and were completely fitting (excluding the fact that I never find trousers with fitting waist and hip), but now... there's about 10 cm excess.
I'd understand it if I had lost weight or if I had the habit to actually exercise... but no, I haven't and I don't.

I think I broke its spine...

...herring's spine, to be exact.
Ok, not really, but I've been doing some freehand boning (does that sound a bit... you know *grin*) and have spiced it up with little this and some that. I'll promise to post picture tomorrow, as it's not finished yet (once I got back home (spent some time in record store, spent whopping 9€ and got two CDs (my previous purchase was 3CDs/ 5,97€ so compared to that it was quite much - but I got some Bollywood music!)) I have been tired as one can be, even I took short nap).

I'm not quite sure how I like it, but I can say that it's not that bad - and it is just the first instalment - and as this is my first combined techniques project one should not expect great pieces of art. If I end up liking this when this project ends I'm more than happy.

Things you forget...

I checked my cell before I left to Skin and Allergy Hospital today and it took me almost a minute to understand what that alarm for tomorrow meant... anniversary note for Sol and me. I had forgot what date it was even I'm usually very good in remembering dates.
I just wonder why I had not removed it when Sol bravely run away dumped me ages ago. Ah well... apparently my cell just has its own life. It has also restored few messages from Wolfie which I had surely removed from the message memory.

Mental note: six months and I'm 28.

Sleeping and cats

As boring as knit one row, purl another row is it has its advantages... it's great way to turn your brains off and be able to fall asleep when you get to bed. Though... that fun lasted only four hours before I woke up because I was feeling hot and thirsty.
You see, sleep deprivation messes up your body's temperature control... and in my case it only causes nice, little merry-go-round. Add coming five days of itching to that and we'll have one badly wrecked person in Monday.

I'm looking forward to that....

Anyway

My camera is finally mine! I paid last instalment for bits_2_whole yesterday. [add some booty shaking here]
To celebrate it I teased Seiichi by taking pictures of him (though he has got rather fond of posing lately...)... this is interesting (Night setting (long exposure) and an affectionate cat are good mix):

And to continue with cats: Love is... napping together.

      

(1. Neko and Ronja, 2. Neko and Seiichi (N. and S. are half brothers, notice the likeness? *g*) )

Take-A-Stitch

Actually Take-A-Stitch Tuesday, but as I managed to completely forget the whole thing (I'm a worrywart and get easily distracted by little things like tomorrow, you know) mine will be Take-A-Stitch $WEEKDAY.

Anyway, our first stitch is herringbone (Can you cut tree down with it? *grin*).
I have few ideas maturing in my head, but first I need to decide... 32 count Clay Lugana (43cm x 70cm/ ~16.9'' x ~31.3'') or 28 count 'tea-dyed' linen (50 cm x 60cm/ ~19.7'' x ~23.6'')? (As I'm, at this moment, planning to make it as a sampler of a kind and, therefore, I'd love to use only one fabric. Though, taking that this is a long project I may have to change my plan later.)
I'll very likely work this mostly with GASTs (Loose Threads ), as I prefer to use my current stash as much as I can, so colour-wise either one would go.

Though that Lugana would give me a possibility to work on an idea I have... think of a garden. Panorama shoot of-a-kind from a garden of stitches...

Any thoughts on the fabric issue?

Who ever you are....confess!

Who admits being flying dutchman? I checked my Johari window today, and I am curious to know. *g* (Hmm, I know at least two persons to whom dutchman could apply, though remotely... and with my guessing abilities person X probably is someone completely different.)

Free music, anyone?

Last.FM: Free Weekly Downloads (100% legal...)

I'd like to recommend

• All:My:Faults for somber moments.
• The Bastard Fairies (especially We're All Going To Hell) for less serious phase(s).
• Project Retouch for relaxation purposes.

(I need a new hard disk!)

Quotes

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."
-- Lin Yutang

"I think that we're all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better -- and maybe not all that much better, after all."
--Stephen King

"I have to remind myself that some birds weren't meant to be caged.Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knew it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But your world is just that much colder and emptier when they're gone."
-- Stephen King (in Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption)

And last, but not least...

I have been thinking of my negative result in latex prick and I have to admit that I want to get positive result from that epicutane.
Not because I love to have 'odd' allergies, but because it would provide a simple answer to some tricky questions.

If latex set turns out to be negative in epicutane there will be so many questions and so few answers... Like

• Could it be some chemical compound used in natural rubber products which causes the problems?
• Could it be some compound which comes from equation warmth + moist + latex (+ lubricant - as I got first symptoms from condoms, and they have lubricant on the surface (unnecessary stuff if you ask from me...))?
• Am I just oversensitive to certain chemicals? (As, admittedly, I have got respiratory problems from a lubricant used in polyurethane condoms... I know, too much information. *grin*)
• Why the heck I get symptoms from foods which are known cross reactives with latex allergy?

It sounds crazy, to want to have some medical condition just to explain things, but I prefer to have familiar Hell than unknown one...
We'll see it in next week.

Futurecast WIP

Is it..? Can it be...? Yes it is! Yes it can! Shock and awe! She's back in rotation!
...At least I try to, as I really don't know can I concentrate on certain projects during this week because of that epicutane.

But to important things: an update!

Stitching goals for 2007

The beginning and the end

As it is few seconds past 2007...

As seen last year firsts of firsts' and lasts of lasts'.

Firsts

January: Still alive, but very tired.
February: No pictures today (Did I hear sigh of relief?), but I've been stitching and there's some progress
March: Latest, and last issue of Stitching Olympics Gazette.
April: After threatening Christine with a whip - and I thought it was well hidden behind my back - she was nice enough to reveal April's Broaden Your Stitching Horizon theme, which is... Fantasy!
May: We've been wondering one thing for some time (once again yesterday, for example).
June: Snatched from Bea.
July: ... one breath of his hair, one kiss from his mouth, one touch of his hand, than eternity without one.
August: *throws a tantrum*
September: You remember this little fellow?
October: For reason or another blackwork didn't want to play with me today.
November: How much our choice of partner does actually affect to the success of a relationship?
December: Appetizer: Have you ever flown in a helicopter?

Lasts

January: And I don't know anything about English literature or grammar if you ask from me.
February: So, it seems to me that I haven't done anything else in February than cross stitched, whined and cross stitched some more.
March: Something good in everything - even sometimes it might be nicer to bathe in heartbreak sea instead of wade in swamps of singledom.
April: Design is a freebie (Orange tile) from Better Homes and Gardens' site
May: Now it's fit enough to type, but I wouldn't strain it more than this.
June: (As it's very much possible that my head is not completely back in order yet...)
July: I foresee angry glances from local female population as male population seems to like it...
August: And I noticed that I want 2004 JCS ornament issue... there have been quite a few adorable designs.
September: I've it, though I need new cat head if I do another (well, I've four of them sleeping around the house... ).
October: (No Panda today as I don't think I'm fit enough to hold the frame...)
November: It boggles the mind...
December: Thank you Wolf for being you.

It has been year of sorrow and joy, love and loss. It has been sweeter than sweetest nectar, it has been more bitter than most bitter of lemons... And I'm still alive. I'm still (in)sane. And I have no regrets.

Happy New Year to you all!

May this year be prosperous in every possible way - and may stash fairies grow your stash!