On variety

I can't commit to one kind of craft. Nope! Not me. I jump from x-stitching, to knitting, to sewing to crocheting often. I do find that I tend to sew more in the summer and knit and x-stitch in the winter. Crocheting is all over the place - usually when I'm bored of everything else. Currently, I am alternating between knitting the Gnarly Oak Cardigan and stitching the Heart Birth Sampler.

Knitting and crocheting are the two most portable of my craft hobbies - I can whip a project out and make a few stitches here and there, whenever life gifts me a few spare seconds, and stuff it right back in the bag when the duty calls. Also, since I make a lot of the woolly items for my son's everyday wear in the cold months, I experience much less of a craft-induced "i neglect my child for this" guilt than with other hobbies.

X-stitching is the second in line - it is still easy to start and stop  on a whim, however, the need to refer to a chart is much greater than with knitting. My preferred time to x-stitch is in the evenings. The dinner is history. The little ankle-biter is in bed and the cat is in a food coma.  I can spread out my charts, my threads, my needles and scissors, without having to worry about little grabby hands and paws. The aforementioned mama guilt is also kept at bay. And though I do move at a snail's pace, I am a process x-stitcher, as long as there are some pretty threads to fondle, I'm a happy camper.

Sewing is a whole other animal. On one hand, it gives me an almost instant gratification, comparing to knitting or x-stitching. A couple of hours of uninterrupted work and tah-dah! a pair of pants for my son or hemmed curtains materialize out of thin air - magic, I tell ya! On the other hand, a couple of hours of uninterrupted craft is hard to come by at my house. And so I sew in stages: planning stage (choosing and tracing patterns), cutting stage, sewing stage (includes time to set up my sewing machine and serger) and finishing stage (includes clean-up time). Living in a smallish city apartment adds some to the complexity of the process. I am  lucky though, I claimed the walk-in closet as my studio space when we first moved in. My husband helped me build a custom L-shape desk to utilize all the potential working space in said closet. This set up allows me to leave my sewing mess behind closed doors between stages.

Yesterday I noticed that munchkin's pants are a good 1.5 inches too short - I swear he grows some every time I look away. And that means a bit of sewing is in the cards for yours truly!

Are you a craft hopper?

Until we meet again, happy stitching!