The Other Sandy

Some of you may remember my occasional posts about cross stitching. I'm sure you think I'm making it all up at this point because I haven't finished a project in something like 8 years, including the project I started and posted about 2 years ago. But now I've actually made something! I even made two somethings!

I was highly motivated. For those who don't know, I'm a librarian. Our craft book collection isn't circulating like it used to, so the staff was issued a (completely voluntary) challenge last August to pick a craft book out of our collection and make something from it. The resulting craft item would then be put on display along with a color photocopy of the cover of the book the craft came from so that patrons would know that they could make whatever-it-is too.

( Stuff I Made )

First up, I haven't forgotten my cross-stitch project. I haven't gotten to work on it much, what with the holidays and all, but I did make some progress:



Secondly, I've found something new to fail at! Ever since I tripped over the 50 Books a Year Challenge at Goodreads I've been wanting to try it. I actually read a lot, but I've been reading mostly fan fic for the last 11 years or so, and the piles of unread books I own just keep getting larger, so I figured this would give me an excuse to read some of my books.

I was originally going to participate over at Goodreads, but that place just doesn't feel like home to me the way that LJ does. Then I was going to join the 50bookchallenge comm here on LJ, but it looks like that comm is for posting book reviews and helping rec books for people who are looking for things to read, as well as updating how you're doing in the challenge. Well, I don't know how much I'm going to be writing about what I read, and I have somewhere around 250-300 books that I haven't read yet, so I definitely don't need help finding reading material.

I've decided to just participate in the challenge for myself. I'll be tracking what I read both on Goodreads and in a sticky post here on my LJ.

I don't honestly expect to read 50 books this year (I doubt I can stay away from fan fic that long), but much like the paltry 2300 stitches I did for National Craft Project Month was 2300 more stitches than I would've done if I hadn't participated, any book I read this year will be one more than I would have read if I hadn't participated in the challenge.

Now I just have to go finish the fic I'm reading so I can start a book tomorrow.

I won't have time to stitch either today or tomorrow, so I might as well make my last post today.




Allow me to detail the ways in which I failed.

1) I only achieved 4.6% of my goal

I'm actually okay with this. I never really expected to come near 50,000 stitches. Plus, my failure to achieve my goal means I can try again next year. I still won't hit 50,000 stitches, but I can probably top 2,300.

2) I am probably not making the design I thought I was making

I bought this pattern from someone who was selling fannish patterns at MediaWest. She had a lot of Stargate Atlantis patterns for sale, so I somehow remembered this unlabeled pattern as being for a kawooshing space gate. Now that I've made a bit of a dent in it, it's starting to look like one of those nebulas photographed through the Hubble. In fact, I think it might be the Ring Nebula. I'm not 100% sure, but the shape and the colors look about right.

I'm actually okay with this too. It was a pleasant surprise. It also means I'm free to make the space gate pattern I actually do have (and I know that one's a space gate--I made the pattern myself) after I finish this one.

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My original plan was to stop working on this project when November ran out and pick it up again next November. However, as much as I love my hands-free frame, getting Aida cloth on and off of it is a chore I'd like to experience as little as possible, so instead I'm just going to readjust the ticker to reflect the actual number of stitches in the project starting in December.

Yeah, still no avatar slower than a snail. I was hoping they had a glacier or something.




I'm a bad fangirl. I'm like 1/1000th of the way done with my current project, but I still felt compelled to look for new ones. The Stargate fan community turned out to be full of creative cross stitchers who make their own patterns. I now have 3 for Stargate Atlantis and 1 for Stargate SG-1.

I also followed a link I found in a discussion thread to a free program that lets you import images and convert them to cross stitch patterns. I have since made a new space gate pattern from my favorite wallpaper, and a little Impala pattern.

Other than the Impala pattern I made, I haven't had much luck with Supernatural cross-stitch patterns. I tried to make one from the season 3 title card (my favorite), but it was too dark. My pattern-making program didn't know what to do with it. I haven't seen any fans posting their work either. Either there aren't a lot of cross stitchers in Supernatural fandom, or they're very well-hidden.

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ETA: This is the icon referred to in comment 2.

Did I mention I'm the slowest stitcher in the entire world? Because I am. In fact, I changed my ticker avatar to reflect the speed at which this project is progressing.




I discovered that the living room lamp that is perfectly adequate for stitching on white Aida cloth is completely inadequate for stitching on black Aida cloth. Thank goodness I went with the 14-count instead of the 16-count I originally wanted or I'd be blind by now. As it is, I occasionally have to backlight the Aida cloth with a small book light so I can count squares to a new stitching area.

I'm also using a hands-free frame for the first time. It's taking some getting used to (adjusting height and angle for comfort and whatnot), but so far I like it for big canvases. I don't have to keep repositioning the frame because the work area is so big, and my hand isn't cramping from having to hold an embroidery hoop while I stitch. My back and neck aren't as stiff either.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts on Sunday. I don't have 50,000 words to say about anything so I won't be participating, but I don't like feeling left out either. Last year, I successfully completed NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). This year, I was thinking of doing nacraftpromo (National Craft Project Month).

I certainly have enough cross-stitch projects in my closet to choose from, ranging from completely unstarted to 3/4 done, but I can't decide whether to pick up a project I've already started, or start something new especially for NaCraftProMo. If I work on something I've already started, I at least stand a chance of finishing it, but it won't feel any different from any other time I've worked on it. If I start something new, I'll never finish it in a month, but it will be my special NaCraftProMo project that I could save and pick up next November too.

Help me decide.