Needlepoint, anyone?

I haven't done needlepoint in years. I just did a quick search and found this site. http://www.allcrafts.net/needle.htm#freeprojects

Itr seems to have some basic instructions.

Funny, I was just thinking about re-taking up knitting.

Hey! That's a cool site! The animated stitch instructions are great.

Thanks, Swimpy.

I think we need a "Crafts" or "Hobbies" category on A2K.

I used to do a lot of needlepoint during my teens.

It's very relaxing.

Relaxing is good!

I used to be pretty good at embriodery -- back in the 70's when hand made hippie duds were all the rage.

I'm not all so sure craft is not art, or at least there is a nice wide border area, sometimes seeming to me to be as wide, in my interest, as either art or craft. Anyway, for now at least, the threads could go into Original Art and Photo.

Sort of like Walter and I and noinipo and others putting architecture threads into the art forum - certainly architecture and landscape architecture/design are art, but they could also fit in other categories, another whole subject we've covered before. (I pushed for a long time for a landuse category, to involve everything from engineering to... but never mind.)

I think the new a2k will have categories worked out in different ways.

I was looking through the "Photo stitch dictionary" section of that website, Swimpy -- they have some really amazing things:





I was thinking about "lost arts" the other day after reading an article about a local milliner (? -- hat maker) who made hats in the old-school traditions. Hand-crafts might be a lost art too, after looking at what is possible!

I started out doing crewel embroidery using Erica Wilson kits (Erika?). That was also about the time I started with drawing classes, but I think preceded them. Later on, already knowing how to knit from my mother, I went crazy about knitting and crocheting, though the knitting lasted longer. I only gave it up when I couldn't see the TV, the complicated knitting directions next to me on the couch, and the stitches... the old eye change that happens to some people as they age. By the time I got trifocals so I could deal with all these different distances I had moved on from knitting.

But I still have, even now in this latest living room, a jar of certain french and swiss yarns I got from a clothing designer we shared our space with back in the eighties.

But.. I never did needlework. Hmmmmm............

Boomer looks through the needlepoint book, trying to come up with the perfect pattern for her camping trip, as Osso, Chai, and Swimpy await her decision with bated breath.

That lady is a little well dressed relative to my duds, dude.

Gus has a pretty conservative view of today's crafty artsy ladies (and some men!) Anybody interested in the wonderful wacky world of modern knitters should check out the yarn harlot's site: www.yarnharlot.ca I can barely knit but her adventures are hilarious.

Oh gosh! Too well dressed for me too, osso. But we can dream of such finery, no?

<teehee, Gus has us all romanticized. That's lovely.>

After looking around a bit I think you're right about the art category being the right place for this.

I've never really done this kind of stuff either but as a terminal fidigeter it might be right up my alley.

The yarn harlot has got to be eBeth!

Same city but different name (unless she's incognito...)

Needlepoint makes for perfect gifts, too! I got about 5 christmas mileage out of one project. It was for Ma. 1st Christmas - the beginning (it was a boy and girl shaking an apple tree, catching apples) - tops of their heads, 2nd year -whole heads and some of the tree, 3rd year - most of the thing filled in, 4th year -all done, 5th year - framed.
It became almost a family tradition, I was sorry to see it all framed and done.

BorisKitten started a needlecraft thread a while ago (where is that gal??):

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44421

I started a non-needle accompanying thread:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44555

Needlepoint is fun! Very zen.

Actually, on a serious note here, you people should try chip carving. Minimal investment, very relaxing, and the results can be amazing.



I would say any person on this thread, within three months of dedicated practice, would be able to duplicate the above project.

And, like soz said, it is very zen.

Give it a shot.

I don't know, Gus, I can barely knit a straightforward scarf. That carving looks really complicated -- like lace making. Are there patterns you can transfer directly onto the wood?

I actually like that. Looks like a little pill box. What kind of wood do
you have to use for such carvings?

Thats limewood CJ, although very dificult to tell with modern finishes these days.

Chip Carved Limewood Box

A wooden box, turned and chip carved out of soft and fragrant limewood. The cells of limewood are porous and easily compressed, making it a wonderful candidate for chip carving, since the pressure of the knife causes the design to be mirrored on the inside of the box as well as the outside. Ivan Gontar's skill makes these items one-of-a-kind masterpieces. All are domed in shape, at least 2" high, 2.5" to 4" in diameter, 4 oz.