Count, count, count

Two slants up to the left, three spaces straight up, two more to the left, two slants down to the right... yup, "blackwork". Counted thread work. Cross stitch. Call it what you will, inventing a design that is based on period patterns but is more pertinent to the recipient is - challenging. Especially when it's being done as fast as you can. Whoo hoo! Am I re-learning the difference between what a person graphs out and what appears on a canvas! (It is SO much easier with even weave. I wish I could use it. This blankety-blank 'normal' linen weave is irritating as all-get-out. But I shall win. I shall persevere. I SHALL prevail.

And then I shall give it away.
(Kokopelli appears just for the Ro...)

Fortune cookie

Well, not really, just the cheesy "Confusionist" sayings that pop up when I win a round of my computer game. This one was, "There can be no rainbow without a storm and clouds". It must have known that I was playing becuase the embroidery had sparked a new round of tendonitis in my hand/arm. Fun. (Not). So now the new routine is: sew until I begin to feel hot (my reaction to pain that I can notice), then stop and do something else, usually play a computer game or read email. Reading email is problematic - I end up wanting to reply, which means using my left hand. So me and the mouse, we mostly play computer games. Then, when the pain is no longer noticable, either go back to the stitching or go to bed for a nap, depending on when was the last time I took some motrin. Hopefully, this will see me through the week until the project is either done or abandoned. I do have a contingency plan - something I didn't make but a friend did, which will be a lovely replacement should my hand just totally give out.

Yes, I'm icing it. Yes, I have an ace bandage on the arm up to the elbow and a 'sewing glove' on the hand itself. And I'm taking ibruprofen at 600mg a dose... it's been a while since I've pushed the injury this much but, well, if I can get this thing made, it will be worth it.

And then I can go back to the much easier-on-the-arm celtic mice-eses.