November 18, 2008

I seem to be in a major nocturnal stitching mode lately. This is my progress on Ebb Tide from Midnight to 6:15am. I was able to complete the Bargello waves, fan stitches, large square Jessica, Rhodes stitches in Caron's Rachel, Half-rhodes, small crescents, and most of the small square Jessicas.

Okay, here's some more chart/stitch guide gripes:

1) The diagram to complete the large square Jessica was facing the wrong way. I'm pretty good at working around something like that, but I know lots of stitchers need a diagram and that diagram needs to be exactly as they are supposed to stitch it. Would it have taken that long to flip it over and change the numbering? Seems lazy to me.

2) In Step 10, the small crescents, the model isn't stitched per the directions. Instead of using the Bahama Blue metallic, Peacock was used. There is no mention of this. I chose to stitch it like the model so I switched it, but a model should be stitched per the instructions, at least in my mind. Stitching variations are for a designer's gallery, not the cover of their stitch guide.

3) The bargello border is supposed to be stitched all the way around the outside of the blue border I've already stitched. However the chart only has it going across the bottom and half way up the side. Again, seems lazy to me. Even if the pattern repeats, how much longer would it take to draw a few dozen straight lines? When I buy "A Charted Canvaswork Design" (as printed on the front of the chart in bright letters) I want a full chart.

Any opinions on this? Is this standard for needlepoint charts not to be fully charted? I've only ever done one other needlepoint project and it was by this same designer, so I don't know. Is it also common for the stitch diagrams to face the opposite direction of the way it's supposed to be stitched? Am I too picky, or are these legitimate gripes?

After sleeping most of the day, running some errands, and cooking something at 6pm for my first meal of the day, I went back to working on Ebb Tide. I haven't gotten very far since this morning because it was late when I started. I was able to complete the small square Jessicas, the Jessicas (in purple) and began the Scotch variations in Caron's Rachel. These are very slow-going and I will be happy to get them behind me!

I let Kasey outside earlier and she had me in stitches. She'd already been out for her evening walk with Uncle Wes and I'd let her out after that but she insisted on going outside again. I looked out the kitchen window after she ran out of the carport and saw her throw herself down onto her side in the leaves. She was rolling around like a little kid. Then she got up, shook the extra leaves off herself and dove, shoulder-first into a patch of high grass full of leaves. she rolled around in that for a couple minutes and then went over to her "spot" in front of the carport door and just sat to watch her surroundings. When she finally barked for me to let her in she was brimming with leaf and grass particles. She even had two bramble twigs tangled into her leg feathering. She was a mess! And she was so proud of herself! It took me about five minutes to brush all the leaves out of her but at least she had fun playing outside!