What insomnia can lead to!

 A couple of weeks ago I had a very bad case of insomnia.  I was not able to fall asleep, so rather than the torture of tossing and turning, I got up and went wandering around on the web.

I have a number of friends who cross-stitch and although I really enjoy stitching temari, I never thought that cross-stitch would catch my fancy.  Boy, was I wrong!  I prefer geometric designs, and in my mind's eye I always see cross-stitch as samplers with letters and numbers and figures that I just do not care for.  In my wandering while not being able to sleep, I came across blackwork, and better yet, modern blackwork!

I ended up on the website called Peppermint Purple and here I found patterns combining cross-stitch and blackwork in modern designs.  I like Zentangles, but I have not had a lot of success drawing them, but these patterns reminded me of them, so why not stitch them instead of drawing.

I proceeded to do some research on how to stitch both cross-stitch and blackwork, then did a bunch of research on stitching frames.  A friend of mine stitches in-hand, but that did not appeal to me.  I settled on Q-snaps as the way to go.

I went back to Peppermint Purple and found a free Stitch Along (SAL) that was combining both cross-stitch and blackwork.  I joined.  The irony is that it is the same SAL a friend in Texas has been doing and posting pictures.  She also stitched last years.  Once I took a close look at the pattern, I realized it was the one that B was doing.

All this happened the night of no sleep, and I knew I was going to go down to Black Cat Stitchery once they opened and get myself set up for the SAL.  Black Cat is a wonderful shop in Winthrop Harbor, IL, and it is only about a 20 minute drive from my home.  It is great having a really nice stitchery so close at hand.  I like being able to look at all the colors in person, and the shop has a very wide selection of threads, fabric, and material.

Knowing I was going to buy an 11" x 11" Q-snap, I pulled out some leftover linen fabric from a dress I made awhile ago and made a grime guard for it.  Once it was late enough for the store to be open, I went down and bought thread, Aida 16ct fabric in Icelandic Grey, and an 11" x 11" Q-snap.  I came home and started stitching.  Here is Peppermint Purple's SAL through week 7.  This SAL will go through to November with a weekly fill being released every Wednesday.

I was having so much fun with the SAL that I did not like waiting a week for something to stitch, so I went back out to Peppermint Purple and purchased the pattern "Reflections".  I was planning on meeting a friend down at Black Cat a couple of days after I bought the items for the SAL, so I got what I needed for the new pattern.  This is the one that really brings Zentangles to mind for me.  Here it is so far:

It sure is a fun thing to stitch, and I had to make another grime guard.  It sure is handy having way too much fabric in my stash!

Now out on Ravelry, on the forum Weaver's who knit...., one of the members posted a link to another really cool SAL.  This one is comprised of 36 tiles of folk designs from around the world.  Well, I just couldn't resist that!  I am starting this one about 19 weeks behind, so it's just been catch up for me.

It is upside down on the stitching stand.  It is easier for me to stitch that way.  It is going to be really pretty when it's done.  This one is from Cliffside Stitches, there is also a blackwork SAL available as well.  Both of the SAL's that I am doing are provided from the designers for free.  That is a mighty fabulous thing.

I stitched for a couple of weeks holding the frames in my left hand and just stitching with my right.  I decided that I wanted a stand and so I ordered one on Sunday and it came Wednesday.  I think that it is going to really work well for my needs.  I sit in my recliner when I stitch so I wanted a stand that would work with the foot rest up or down, and this one does the trick.  It is well made, nicely finished, and very adjustable.  I am now learning to stitch with 2 hands, my right hand keeps wanting to come up from underneath, but it is getting better.

A stitching friend recommended using a laying tool to keep the threads parallel when creating the crosses with more than one thread.  Since I was ordering stuff left and right anyway, I ordered a Trolley needle.  It does what it's supposed to do, but I feel like Edward Scissorshand ✂️ using it!  LOL  Also I am using small rare earth magnets to hold the cloth rolled up and as a needle minder and when my hand gets too close, the magnets grab my finger.  Makes for interesting stitching sessions.

So that is pretty much what I have been up to for the last couple of weeks.  I am still working on the mosaic blanket, I am about 2/3 done there but stitching seems to have me in its thrall.