Needlework News

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Heather

It is time for another edition of Needlework news, my round-up of interesting knitting, crochet and needlework news stories from around the world.

  • Teaching Traditional Indian Embroidery  – The Hindu (an English-language Indian daily newspaper) shared the story of Sheela Patil, an India housewife who took up embroidery to keep herself busy while her children were in school. (Does that sound familiar to anyone? 😉 ) Now she teaches other women kasuti, kundan and other forms of embroidery, as well as producing pieces for sale. Be sure to click through to see a very pretty teaching sampler.
  • Knitting Stock Art – BuzzFeed has put together a humourous collection of knitting stock art. You’ve got to really wonder what some of these photographers think knitting actually is.
  • A Really Old WIP – Stitchers on the island of Alderney have taken upon themselves to finish the Bayeux Tapestry. Historians believe that the tapestry originally ended with the coronation of William the Conqueror, but that particular part was missing. So, a group of stitchers picked period-matching materials and created four new panels. If you happen to be near the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy, be sure to stop in and see the new panels before August 31st. And let me know all about it!
  • Smart Yarn – Yen Chen Chang, a Royal College of Art student, has created a series of cool machines that are controlled with conductive yarn. The yarn has been knit or crocheted into various shapes, and then hooked up to an Arduino that measures any change in conductivity. The result: a light that turns on when you stretch a tube of knitting, or an orange juicer that makes you a drink when you squeeze a ball. Very cool. Check out the video below.

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Which Stitch Results

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Heather

So, did you have a chance to vote in my “Which Stitch Do You Stitch?”? If not, please head over here and add your vote.

Which stitch do you stitch?

Which stitch do you stitch?

As I am writing this post, it looks like approximately 70% of you stitch like the bottom row and 30% of you stitch like the top row. And, for those of you who are curious, I stitch like the bottom row. 😉

whichstitchdoyoustitchgraph

There were a lot of theories about why we stitch the way we do. Some people suggested it was regional, some suggested it had to do with handiness or if we were self-taught or learned from a friend. In my case, I was self-taught, and I don’t remember looking at a book for directions. I knew I was supposed to make Xs that all went in the same direction, and so I did. The oldest project I could find was from 1996, and my Xs were made the same then as they are today.

I do have a habit of doing things a little bit backwards. My dad is left-handed and he taught me to use tools, and so I sometimes do things with my right hand, but in a sort of awkward left-handed way. It is hard to explain, but if you have ever seen me fumbling around trying to do a simple task you would understand what I mean. My husband is also left-handed (although, he is really functionally ambidextrous) so my confusion continues.

So, in light of some of these suggestions, let’s ask a few more questions. First, how do you stitch and are you left-handed or right-handed? (Top row and bottom row refer to the picture at the top of this post.)

[poll id=”4″]

Also, please let me know how you stitch and how you learned.

[poll id=”5″]

Thank you. More graphs and analysis to come, promise. 😉

10 Comments | Posted in Cross Stitch | Tagged ,

Happy Canada Day!

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Heather

Happy 147th Canada Day! May your BBQ be tasty, your health care free, and your fireworks dry.

canadaflag

And Happy Tuesday to anyone not lucky enough to be Canadian. 😉 How about celebrating along with us by watching some fun videos about Canada?

2 Comments | Posted in The Outside World |

TUSAL – June Check-In

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Heather

Late, late, late. Just like always. The little man finished up school on Friday, and I feel like everything has been a whirlwind since then. If things keep going at this pace, summer will be over before you know it! Anyway, on to this month’s Total Useless SAL (TUSAL) picture!

TUSAL - June 2014 ort collection

TUSAL – June 2014 ort collection

The colours for this month come from Lily of the Valley Fairy and from Child’s Heart.

tusal

If you’d like to learn more about the Total Usless Stitch Along, check out It’s Daffy Cat.

3 Comments | Posted in Cross Stitch | Tagged ,

Smalls SAL – June Check-In

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Heather

It is the last Wednesday of the month, which means it is check-in time for the Smalls SAL!

SmallsSAL2014

I stitched another Teresa Wentzler design this month: Child’s Heart from the June 1990 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine.

Child's Heart, designed by Teresa Wentzler

Child’s Heart, designed by Teresa Wentzler

The colours are very bright, and I think they are meant to bring to mind a rainbow (although, green is missing). And, while the rocking horse itself is very Teresa to me, the rest of the design isn’t something that would come to mind when thinking of her style. But, as I understand it, back in those days she designed on commission for Just Cross Stitch, producing pieces that fit tight requirements, whether or not they were her style.

Mencius, Chinese philosopher (image via Wikimedia Commons)

Mencius, Chinese philosopher (image via Wikimedia Commons)

The quote in this design comes from Mencius, who, despite his Greek sounding name, was actually a Chinese philosopher from approximately 372 – 289 BCE. Although I had never heard of him, when I asked my Chinese husband if he knew who Mencius was, his answer was an uncharacteristic “Hell, yeah.” So, apparently he is well-known by some people. 😉 In fact, his dad gave us a copy of The Sayings of Mencius just last month. I, of course, forgot about that. This particular edition translates this quote as “An important man is one who has not lost his childlike heart-and-mind.” (The Sayings of Mencius, 4B12) I think the version in the stitched design rolls off the tongue a little easier.

So, on to you! What did you stitch this month? Please leave a your link in the form below, and don’t forget to visit some of the other participants. And, remember, for every month you leave your link, you get one entry into the end of the year draw. If you drop out of the SAL at any time, or miss a couple of months, all your previous entries still count.

Next month: July 30th will be our next check-in date. So, summer may be here, but keep stitching!

14 Comments | Posted in Cross Stitch | Tagged ,

Stitch from Stash – June Check-In

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Heather

It is Stitch from Stash check in time again!

Stitch from Stash 2014 buttonThis month we had a special bonus of an additional $50 beyond the monthly allowance of $25. But, after having items sitting in various online shopping carts for the entire month, I ended up spending only $16.54. $2 of that amount was the Threadworx for Love (if you remember, I ran out), and I believe that doesn’t count. I also purchased the issue of Cross Stitch Collection magazine that I was featured in for $14.99. That brings my total for the year to:

$70.01

To be completely honest with you, I am very surprised I’ve managed to control myself so well. I did have a bit of a knitting related splurge this month, thanks to a Knit Picks gift certificate that my lovely friend Erica gave me for my birthday. (Her birthday gift accidentally got packed up and is currently in my in-laws basement…) To get a deal on shipping, I had to spend a bit more money, but I did get some lovely yarn for a sweater for my little man, and some knitting needles. I also splurged on a knitting magazine and a sewing magazine. :/

June magazine purchases

June magazine purchases

So, what project from stash did I work on this month? Lily of the Valley Fairy from Nora Corbett.

Lily of the Valley Fairy by Nora Corbett (WIP)

Lily of the Valley Fairy by Nora Corbett (WIP)

I haven’t made as much progress as I would like since I kept making mistakes in the wings. (Have I mentioned that the whole selling the condo thing has me really stressed out?) But, she is finally coming along nicely.

Smalls SAL – Don’t forget, Wednesday is check-in day for the Smalls SAL. I can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on.

5 Comments | Posted in Cross Stitch | Tagged , , ,

Needlework News

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Heather

It is time for another round-up of needlework news.

  • Stitching time – Eastern Daily Press has a short piece about Fine Cell, a company that works with British inmates to produce needlework for sale. Four hundred and fifty inmates take part, and approximately 97% of them are men. You can find their online shop here.
  • Saving stitches – The Pakistan Tribune has a profile of Shukrat Bibi, a 79-year old woman in Karimabad. She is trying to keep traditional embroidery alive by teaching local women and running a small shop. Sadly, the article doesn’t show any of her work, but a Google image search for do sutti kadai embroidery turns up many beautiful pieces.
  • Throne stitches – Metal band Throne has released a music video for their song Tharsis Sleeps that is fully embroidered. The song may not be to your taste, but it is worth watching for the really cool visuals.

THRONE – ‘THARSIS SLEEPS’ (OFFICIAL VIDEO) from Nicos Livesey on Vimeo.

And, in more personal news, I’ve been told by my doctor to lay off the knitting for a little while. She isn’t sure what is wrong with my elbow, and I am to take it easy until we figure it out. 🙁

2 Comments | Posted in The Outside World | Tagged