Sheep On My Stuff

I'm getting close now -- really close!

Most of the backstitching is done -- there's a bit of blue border for the blue flowers, and around the edges of the kimono. The vast majority of what's left is background, but that's fine -- I like the background work, as it's mostly stitches and half stitches. Yay!

Until this weekend, I thought I was doing really well on my goals. I was at about 1.4:1 in terms of completed/started projects -- not the 1.5:1 I was going for, but not too far off. And I was at something like 3.2:1 on stashed/new projects -- well above the 2:1 I was hoping for.

Then I did something terrible.

I started counting yarn I'd bought and stashed -- but hadn't worked up -- in the goals.

Oh boy.

Counting each instance of stashed yarn as a "started" and "new" project, I am now at 1.3:1 (eek!) on completed/started projects and... 1.7:1 (ACK) on stashed/new projects.

In other words, I have bought a lot of yarn.

*hangs head in shame*

On the bright side, when I actually begin working the newly-stashed yarn into projects, I will then be able to count it as both stashed AND new, and if I finish those projects, they will go into both the completed AND started categories.

Srsly, I may not be buying any more yarn until the end of the year. (Yeah, that seems incredibly likely.)

Also, I hope that buying cross-stitching patterns doesn't really count. I mean, I've only bought one (with sheep) and two booklets (one for one specific pattern, one for the whole thing) this year, plus some fabric that was on clearance. And I'm working up one that was in my stash, and have only three WIPs (including that one) and four "want to do" and one "will do for yearly Christmas ornament" projects on tap, and that's all I've had in the house for ten years, excluding finished projects, of which there are five unframed, four in the framing process, and ten framed and on display in the house. That makes a total of 29 -- 14 completed through framing, 5 completed through stitching, 3 in progress, 4 kits bought, 3 patterns planned, and the 2009 Paula Vaughan Quilt project. I am not crazy. I think. OH HELP. I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE.

ETA: OH JOHN RINGO NO. I had a math error in my spreadsheet. I'm not down from 1.4 to 1.3. I am down from 1.4 to 0.9. Is it even going to be possible to get up to a 1.5 ratio again? Clearly I need to be knitting more projects from the stash. And quickly.

Oh, backstitching, how I hate you. But you sure make things look pretty.

The problem with working primarily on cross-stitching is it's hard to see much change (especially if you play WoW instead of crating, ahem). So instead of showing you what I've done on the Elegant Kimono pattern, I bring you some blasts from the past:

* * * *

I have many, many more things... which aren't framed. One of these days we'll get around to framing and hanging them. Eventually!

Well, the Powers of Two blanket is just not enchanting me right now! It's been a chore working on it, and when that happens with a project, it's time to put it in the craft room and move on to something else.

So I've picked up something I haven't worked on in a very long time:

This is a kit from Dimensions ("Elegant Kimono"), and it's lovely. I actually have a few large-size kits I've bought, fully and entirely intending to make them, but haven't gotten around to it -- if crafting, I tend to knit! But I do love cross-stitching. My house actually has a surprising amount of cross-stitched artwork in it, so on Thursday I'll be adding some pictures of finished projects that I have around the house. :)

(The sheep, by the way, is Ovistine again! Hi, Ovistine!)