zen and needlework and writing
Weird subject, right? ;) This is just a ramble, and sometimes I hate coming up with titles.
I used to do a lot of needlework what seems like eons ago. Crocheting, rudimentary knitting, sewing, cross-stitch, needlepoint, even a little quilting. (I used to make teddy bears and various stuffed toys too.) I put the needlework away when I had cats who thought the whole thread pulling through canvas thing was just an invitation to sit on my lap and hunt the pretty strings. ;)
Well, the cats I have now aren't really all that interested. They'd rather curl up on the couch next to me and fall asleep, more often than not on the Jack Sparrow plush throw I got for Christmas. Jack apparently makes a very soft kitty bed. *g* So a couple of weeks ago when I was in a craft store, I bought a simple needlepoint project -- one of those little jiffy kits or whatever they're calling them these days -- and rediscovered basketweave stitching. :) That in turn made me wade through stuff in storage, both in our house and in the storage shed where what's left from my parents' house is stored, looking for needlework supplies to see what I still had left.
My mom used to do a lot of needlework until her hands started trembling too badly for her to be able to use a needle and thread, but that didn't mean she threw away any of her supplies or works in progress. I didn't have the heart to throw away any of it either when we cleaned out their house. I found a needlepoint canvas she'd just barely started -- an art deco orange tiger-striped kitty. The colors aren't my colors -- mom was a warm color person; I prefer cool colors -- but that's an easy change. As soon as I buy some yarn, I'll be working on the art deco tiger stripe kitty.
I've also adapted a simple bargello pattern she did on needlepoint canvas for a pillow to counted cross-stitch. That's where the zen thing comes in. Writing is a good deal of thinking -- or not thinking so much as just letting things sit until suddenly the why of this idea or that concept burbles up to the surface. The geometric patterns of bargello take very little conscious thought to work. It's just simple repetitive motion. It lets my mind roam while my hands are busy. I told hubby it was my form of meditation.
I've ordered three bargello books off amazon used books and found some blank needlepoint canvas in the stuff in storage. I'm looking forward to playing around with different patterns in different colors. I even found an online source for the yarn yesterday (the fandom geek in me got a kick out of the fact that the yarn's from New Zealand *g*).
I'm hoping this needlework zen thing will help me get over a slight case of burnout in the writing department. I know it's partly because I'm working too many hours at work and have zero energy left over most nights. And then there's always a bit of a dip in production after I finish a long project. But I started something new a few nights ago that I'll be posting the beginning of soon. And as soon as I review the next chapter of Surviving to make sure I haven't screwed up the continuity with what went before, we'll be getting back on track with that story. Ditto The Wire Game. And I'll have cool little needlework projects besides. ;)
I used to do a lot of needlework what seems like eons ago. Crocheting, rudimentary knitting, sewing, cross-stitch, needlepoint, even a little quilting. (I used to make teddy bears and various stuffed toys too.) I put the needlework away when I had cats who thought the whole thread pulling through canvas thing was just an invitation to sit on my lap and hunt the pretty strings. ;)
Well, the cats I have now aren't really all that interested. They'd rather curl up on the couch next to me and fall asleep, more often than not on the Jack Sparrow plush throw I got for Christmas. Jack apparently makes a very soft kitty bed. *g* So a couple of weeks ago when I was in a craft store, I bought a simple needlepoint project -- one of those little jiffy kits or whatever they're calling them these days -- and rediscovered basketweave stitching. :) That in turn made me wade through stuff in storage, both in our house and in the storage shed where what's left from my parents' house is stored, looking for needlework supplies to see what I still had left.
My mom used to do a lot of needlework until her hands started trembling too badly for her to be able to use a needle and thread, but that didn't mean she threw away any of her supplies or works in progress. I didn't have the heart to throw away any of it either when we cleaned out their house. I found a needlepoint canvas she'd just barely started -- an art deco orange tiger-striped kitty. The colors aren't my colors -- mom was a warm color person; I prefer cool colors -- but that's an easy change. As soon as I buy some yarn, I'll be working on the art deco tiger stripe kitty.
I've also adapted a simple bargello pattern she did on needlepoint canvas for a pillow to counted cross-stitch. That's where the zen thing comes in. Writing is a good deal of thinking -- or not thinking so much as just letting things sit until suddenly the why of this idea or that concept burbles up to the surface. The geometric patterns of bargello take very little conscious thought to work. It's just simple repetitive motion. It lets my mind roam while my hands are busy. I told hubby it was my form of meditation.
I've ordered three bargello books off amazon used books and found some blank needlepoint canvas in the stuff in storage. I'm looking forward to playing around with different patterns in different colors. I even found an online source for the yarn yesterday (the fandom geek in me got a kick out of the fact that the yarn's from New Zealand *g*).
I'm hoping this needlework zen thing will help me get over a slight case of burnout in the writing department. I know it's partly because I'm working too many hours at work and have zero energy left over most nights. And then there's always a bit of a dip in production after I finish a long project. But I started something new a few nights ago that I'll be posting the beginning of soon. And as soon as I review the next chapter of Surviving to make sure I haven't screwed up the continuity with what went before, we'll be getting back on track with that story. Ditto The Wire Game. And I'll have cool little needlework projects besides. ;)