Rules, Good rules, Dumb rules, Damn rules...

Rules have been the bane of my existence my entire life.  One of my fellow librarians commented that it was appropriate that I drove a mustang since I was like a wild pony.  I thanked her--of course, she had meant it as an insult.  As a library science student, some professors would declaim that you must love this book, that book.  This book was much better than that.  If you don't like this book, something is wrong with you. One size definitely does not fit all, nor should it. 

After I became a library science professor, I taught media for children the hour after another professor taught many of the same students children's literature.  Those poor 20-year-olds.  They went from the dictator of the Western World to Ms. Free-as-the-Breeze.  I felt sorry for them.  I wanted them to understand that there were no absolutes in life, whether it applied to children's literature or "media" or just life.  But they had to figure out how to play the system and win (and I certainly didn't help--I had never had that woman, but had heard horror stories for years and could hardly be civil at faculty meetings!).

And now it's happening in needlepoint.  You must start every project with new needles, new stretcher bars, must always work on a frame, new ...who knows what else.  Come on.  This is marketing.  It's commercialism.  Think about it.  Needles are metal.  If they tarnish, use an emery strawberry to eliminate the tarnish and keep on stitching.  Stretcher bars are wood (at least most of them), they're durable.  Sure if you keep them 30 years in a closet they may dry out and split.  Then you buy new ones.  I'm not from New England, but there's a lot to be said for "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."  That old perle cotton or wool is still good and stitchable 20 years later with proper storage.  It won't disintegrate with stitching.  The color hasn't changed (that only happens with exposure to strong light).  Use your leftovers for new projects.  The needlepoint gods don't become displeased when you don't throw unnecessary dollars on their altar!  They're actually grateful that you're still stitching.

UPDATE:  I just remembered that the ladies at the Royal School of Needlework when stitching on "Kate's" gown only used their sharps for 30 minutes and then discarded them, though I'd bet someone is stitching with them today.  I know embroidery needles need a sharp point but surely some projects don't require quite the stiletto.

Needle felting

I haven't made much progress on Gunther, my nutcracker.  I've been spending my afternoons at the shop that I typically use for leisure stitching (like Gunther), assisting Dotty, a long-time customer who needs help with some canvases she has from various national classes.  Of course part of my willingness is my curiosity to see what other shops are offering.  And what a great opportunity to learn new skills.  

Dotty has two projects that require needle felting.  One is a Day of the Dead canvas by M. Salas with a stitch guide by Aristeiea in LA.  The other is the Thanksgiving March by Tapestry Tent with stitch guides from both Amy and Bristly Thistle.  I'm a quick learner, I thought, and I taught myself basketweave from a book back when I was learning in 1974.  My teaching philosophy is that I want to teach independence.  I will show you and show you and show you.  Then you will do it.  I will not stitch it for you.  I am very patient about repeatedly showing a stitch--I have been told this.  I personally do not feel I am patient, but if you are sincerely trying, I will show you repeatedly.  If you're a whiner, you're on your own! 

This reminds me of an instance 30 years ago when Trubey and I wanted to add knitting to the Vero Beach shop.  I was elected to be the teacher.  I called Margaret, who had a shop in a mall in Winston-Salem, NC.  I said to her that I was willing to make the 2-hour drive from Blowing Rock anytime she could give me an hour of instruction.  She refused, saying she liked her students to be closer to her.  In essence, she never wanted her students to be independent and never intended to cut the umbilical cord.  I eventually found a teacher in Charlotte.  Of course, we both eventually decided that I was a needlepointer and I should give knitting a pass!

I looked around for projects that needle felting might complement.  My 13mesh snowman was an obvious choice.  I picked out the chain stitch I had started on his scarf and made a trip to Michael's for the supplies I thought I needed.

This is the basic kit:  first, the block of styrofoam and two felting needles; second, 3 colors of wool roving.  Here I come!  Not.  I punched and punched and punched.  I went home and read entries on the internet.  I came back and put a backing behind my canvas, thinking the roving could catch in that.

Nada.  More reading on the internet and another trip out west, this time to Jo Ann's to purchase felt (not wool, but pseudo which is worse than nothing).  My aggravation level was rising.  Then I thought to call Michele at the Bristly Thistle for any hints.  She called me back and in 5 minutes explained that needle felting was very simple to do on 18 mesh canvas but impossible on 13mesh.

I grabbed a scrap of 18mesh canvas, punched away with my new tool (a multiple needle goodie), and had an Hoorah! moment.

This is a photograph of two "grabs" of wool roving that has been felted.  I next added another color.

I don't know why this mass looks pinker, trust me it is the original bunch.  I will say that I think if you do this on canvas, you must also consider applying a glue to the back.  This was on the table when a customer came in to chat.  She's curious and she started tugging at it, pulling it loose from its anchors.  This could also happen with finished needlepoint.

This is the back of the first cluster of felting.  I would do it some more to further anchor it before moving on to another area of the canvas.

I think for my 13mesh snowman, I will be felting the scarf and surface gluing it to the canvas.  We'll see if it works.  Jane of Chilly Hollow had felted hers onto a piece of wool felt--my acrylic felt was not receptive to this.  Stay tuned to find out what eventually happened.

Car theft?

Yesterday I was closing up a package to my main belt finisher when a long-time customer came in and after greeting us, turned to me and said "Why is Arthur in your car?"  I said, "Excuse me?  Arthur's at home--I think".  She said, then why is a grey-haired man sitting in your car in the parking lot.  In a small town, customers do recognize your car  and often drive on by if you are the one they want to talk with, rather than an employee.  Anyway, I walked outside and saw my car had its driver's door open and, yes, there was a little grey-haired man sitting in the driver's seat.  Not my husband.  A total stranger.  As I walked up, I smiled and said, "Hi".  He responded and then said "do you like this car?"  I said yes and then he asked if I had one like it.  I again said yes, but added that this was my car.  He hesitated and then said, "Oh, so that's why it won't start." So he got out of my car and I noticed his cane that he had put in the back seat.  We chatted some and he wandered off, still looking for his.  When I went inside Marcia and Dotty couldn't believe that I had left him to find his car by himself.  So, back out I went. 

Then I started walking him around the parking lot to assist in finding his car.  The pitifulness of the situation is only apparent later when I discover that the reason he can't recognize his car is that it is a rental.  However, my car is prehistoric (1998)and no rental company would have a car even remotely resembling it.  But as we're walking around the parking lot (with my encouraging him to hit the button on his keys so he could activate something in his car) nothing is happening and no cars look like mine.  Thank goodness, a woman approached with a little dog and he commented that his wife was coming.  I suggested they come inside and call the police who could then contact the rental company.  The wife asked if it were customary to tow cars in our parking lot.  (It's K-Mart's primarily, and no I have only seen cars towed which have dead batteries).  They refused to come inside.  I don't know where they went, but I kept look out trying to locate them--they vanished.

When I got in my car to go home last night, I noticed that an extra pair of sun glasses I always have in my cup holder was missing.  I didn't notice them on him or in a pocket.  What would he want with a pair of women's sun glasses?  But they are definitely missing! I had to run an errand, so it was dark as I drove home.  I noticed that I had no dash lights, so I made a note to stop by my mechanic when I closed today at 2.  However, driving to work this morning, inspiration struck.  He had pushed or pulled every button and lever trying to get my car to start.  So my dash lights were off, my air conditioner was on the border of cool and heat, the air vents were blowing into my face rather than toward my feet, etc. 

What is even more disturbing is the fact that many of us will end up like him--not recognizing our own vehicle.  The gentleman should never have had a set of car keys because he was really not with it.  And I and you may be there one day.  Why do we resist giving up our car keys?  And should I start locking my car?  My husband, that New Yorker, says of course not, we're in Vero Beach.  I wonder. 

Standing nutcracker, 7

That mustache is just gorgeous!  And French-knotted to a fair-thee-well.  It is pleasing looking.  I have finished the top part of his sash and started on the encroaching gobelin on the reds of his uniform.  After I get the left side of his uniform stitched I'll be able to start on his beard.  I prefer to do the long/short split stitch after its surrounds are stitched so the fiber can overflow onto the nearby stitches and there won't be any gaps. 

I have finished his teeth using the slanted gobelin.  Notice that those teeth on top slant one way and those on the bottom slant the other.  

Frosty the snowman, Finished

The scarf on this snowman is stitched in long stitches from corner to corner in a diamond pattern using fuzzy stuff.  The body is the criss-cross Hungarian with French knots.  I tried to alter the contrast so the patterns would be more apparent.

 This snowman's body is done in the Victorian step stitch.

The body to the left is stitched in the Hungarian ground stitch.  And to recap, the hat is the encroaching gobelin in silk 'n ivory.  The nose is upright gobelin in neon rays while the scarf is the cross stitch done in fuzzy stuff.  The coal buttons are the smyrna cross stitched with silk lame braid.

The background is the mosaic stitch in silk 'n ivory in a pleasant French blue.  Altogether, a fun pillow to stitch.

An afternoon with Shakespeare

I've said this before:  It requires a different mindset to have Saturdays off.  I really wonder how long it will take my mind to adjust.  This afternoon I did blog and newsletter housekeeping (including adding another 35 addresses-yeah!).  Then I played Freecell and did the Needle Nicely weekly bank deposits--2 this week since you have to have one for the end of the month and one for the beginning of the next month.  Piece of cake.  Done.  I join my husband on the couch to watch the end of the seniors' golf tournament, when a lightening bolt went through my brain--it's NaBloPoMo! 

Thursday afternoon I left Marcia in Needle Nicely to walk across the parking lot (actually a customer saw me and gave me a ride--I don't even know how many yards;  I felt guilty for riding  but didn't want to be rude and refuse the ride!) to the Majestic Theater in Vero Beach.  There I paid $20. for a High-Definition transmission of a performance in London of Timon of Athens by Shakespeare at the National Theatre.  If you have an opportunity to see one of these performances, I highly recommend it.  It seems that British theater is financially supported by the government and the productions are more adventurous than the majority of American productions.  Yesterday's Timon of Athens was performed in modern dress and set contemporaneously; thus relating it to modern financial misdeeds and also ending with a homeless focus.  Really interesting staging and conceptualization.  Definitely not your usual sets.

I regularly attend the High-definition transmissions of the Metropolitan Opera's performances of operas at the Majestic.  Extremely inexpensive, but so memorable.  Four years ago I was an opera novice.  Today, I am a true follower.  Admittedly there are some that are not "my cup of tea".  But it is interesting to be exposed to all of them.  The singing is stupendous because that's their job; the bonus is that their acting is really just as wonderful. My favorites over the 4 years are Elena Garanca in Carmen and Karita Mattila in Salome.  Fascinating how they can climb and slither and dance while still singing on key. And Juan Diego Flores is so adorable, not to mention a magnificent tenor.  Sigh!