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Saturday 6 August 2011

Charting, Mermaid and Inky Darkness

 It's funny how when you are self-taught and you find a way to do something you sort of assume that everyone does it that way too as it seems obvious.  Recently I've seen a few posts where people have referred to marking off their stitches on photocopied charts with a pen, so I thought they did it like me.  But it seems people only use one colour (opens eyes in amazement).  I have always produced a multi-coloured pattern as I go.  It just seemed logical, if you are stitching dark blue then why mark it in fluero yellow?  And you get a lovely coloured-in version of your work!  Here is my mermaid, she seems to have 4 arms because she's copied onto 2 A3 pages and I like a large overlap.

 And here's the stitched version.  I found a new setting on my camera which takes a more accurate colour picture.  I have started the metallics which I'm loving.  I can't believe I let blending filament put me off using Kreinik #4 for so long!  I was glad I saved some of the boring border because we had a two hour power cut one evening this week and I ended up sewing by the light of a 60W energy saving bulb hubby had wired to an inverter attached to the car!  He actually bought the inverter to keep the fridge-freezer going during such events but he allowed me one light too!  Large boy had a chargeable emergency light in his room, good job we're prepared!

This is the latest square on The Dark Alphabet.  Very intensely stitched and different in places to the chart.  I stitched the bottom /// in black and the top \\\ in 939 navy.  I did all the /// first and then all the \\\ as I thought it might seem quicker that way and I'd only have to count once!  I still miscounted in about 6 places and as I refuse to frog over 1 the last two branches are a little different to Julie's.  I also made one window into a door.  The large boy liked this square and used the house for inspiration for his latest drawing entitled "Bib-babs and friends in a graveyard".  Nice child.
For new followers this is a design by  A Note of Friendship in memory of Lisa Roswell.  they produce a new letter every few weeks and I'm stitching them as I go.  I seem to be the only person keeping up with the design but I have a plan....

I have managed to get Google Reader to play nicely this week.  Every time I've tried to use it, the entries are all squashed up and you can't see anything until you click on them.  But this week I'd got really far behind with my reading (the world and his wife blogged at the end of July) and tried again to use it.  One day I went into the Reader via my "history" rather than my dashboard and Hey Presto it looked great - I could see all the posts and everything!  I can now keep up with everyone's blogs and never miss a single vital post!

Finally, the Travelling Pattern arrived this afternoon.  Perfect timing as I've just finished "I" and am ready to start the next thing ("J" is nearly finished, only one day's work there).  This pattern started with Daffycat and came to me from Erin from Fairy Tales and French Knots.  I'm off now to choose some fabric and threads.

24 comments:

Andie said...

lol I just use any old high lighter, the first colour that comes to hand, must say your pattern looks pretty all coloured in tho :D Your mermaid is looking fantastic! I've really looking forward to seeing your Happy Dance!

Anne said...

Your mermaid is beautiful!! I love those greens and blues! Your colour chart is pretty too, and practical. It makes sense to colour in the stitches you finished with the actual colour. Easier on the eyes! I should probably shade what I stitch to avoid mistakes but I don't. I think I'll have to when I make my HAED!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

I colour in the part I'm about to stitch so I can plan my route rather than the parts I've just stitched. It's why I started using different colours for each symbol.

Topcho said...

Oh, your pattern looks beautiful! But I have to say, this is the first time I see someone doing it this way. Pretty cool! I just use whatever I have near me at the moment - highlighters, pencils, pens, whatever. I guess it's just about time to try using lipstick or something XD And sometimes when I'm using some internet pattern, and I can't print it, I simply open it in Paint and I colour the stitches in there :D

Tracy J said...

I love how Mirabella is coming along, stunning!

Julie said...

Both your mermaids look so pretty! And what a great idea to use the appropriate color to mark off what you've done - much easier to keep track of where you are.

Love your version of Inky Darkness, and that the "large boy" has found some inspiration - I'm just back from a retreat that I was doing pre-stitching for, so can finally get started catching up to you! Meanwhile, I hope K will be ready today or tomorrow.

Julie

Jennifer M. said...

Your projects are beautiful. I love that mermaid. I'm very partial to mermaids. I have a Mirabilia pattern of a mermaid but I won't start it until I'm done with the Nora Corbett design I'm working on now. :)

Jen

Anonymous said...

What an interesting way of doing it! I just use one colour, unless I can't find it and then a second colour gets put in. Beautiful on both!

mdgtjulie said...

Your mermaid is wonderful. I love the colors in her. Is she finished, or do you have more to do on her? I like your I square too. What do you have planned for all the squares? Glad you got your google reader to cooperate! Sometimes technology is not fun!! If I mark off, I mark off in one color. Lots of my charts have upwards of eighty five or ninety colors, so I would have to have a whole large set of markers to mark off with!!!

Mouse said...

ooooo I had to get glasses on to see which one was stitched ;) love the idea but think I'm just a which ever colour highlighter is to hand kinda gal ..lol .. I've been following those squares but tbh haven't done anything about them .... and ooooooo that travelling pattern get my name down a few times for it pleaseeeeeee ...lol love mouse xxxx

Christine said...

Your mermaid is beautiful. I love #4 braid, its fabulous to work with and comes in such amazing colours.
I don't usually mark my charts in case I want to use them again, but your idea of using colours is brilliant

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

mdgt Julie:
Mermaid has got lots more metallics, loads of beads and some bs plus boring border - waiting for another powercut for that!
The alphabet is a sampler 4 x 7 blocks, will post pic when I've finished J.
I have alot of coloured pens but not 80 or 90! What I do when there are alot of similar colours; I use yellow to mark what I'm about to stitch then a darker matching colour when I've stitched it. That way the current shade shows up best.

Freddysmama (Kirstin) said...

I love your colouring in Jo! I just use a boring yellow highlighter or a lead pencil! I think I need some colours now! LOL.

Just followed the trail of the "Sticherhood of the Travelling Pattern." I LOVE it! Please keep me in mind for the next pass on - I'd love to be a part of it's journey :)

Kirstin
(Stitchin' Addiction)

cucki said...

hello dear, the mermaid is imply so beautiful..so stunning..
the square is so beautiful too..and i am following the travelling patteren from a long time..please count my name for it..i will be so happy to see it in my home in south africa..
love and hugs cucki xx

Stitchabilities said...

I don't mark my charts or working copies.
Mermaid is stunning!!

Gabi said...

Your mermaid and alphabet letter are both looking great.
I belong to the group that crosses the copy off with only one color. Reason is I only want to see what's left over and cross everything I have done out. It doesn't look pretty at all, but works for me. :)

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Your mermaid looks beautiful.I enjoyed seeing your colourful chart,but like Gabi in the previous post, I use one colour,a plain pencil, and mark where I have been. I still plan my route,but by looking at the track of the colour/symbol I am working on as I go.
I love your Dark alphabet square too,the colours are very effective together.

Julie said...

I love your Mirabella! I just ordered this pattern during PTP's sale and I also ordered a piece of fabric from Silkweavers and can't wait to start her...eventually haha.

Your colorful chart is also very pretty! I actually hardly every mark on my charts. I know it would probably be much easier but I just keep track of where I am with a magnetic strip thing. I don't have the patience to sit and color in or mark off every stitch after I do it.

demeter83 said...

I've never thought of doing that, although I have to say it looks much prettier than mine normally does!
And the stitching is pretty too :-)

Joysze said...

Oh lol!!!! You have a whole artistic project going on with your chart. Me.... I just use one highlighter till it runs out of ink and switch to another. ;)

Mermie looks beautiful, and Inky looks spooky!!

mdgtjulie said...

Cool, Jo. Thanks for the info. I think I'll stick to the boring yellow, lol. It's easier and quicker for me!!

Adrienne said...

My charts aren't as beautifully coloured in as yours, but mine do turn into a bit of a rainbow. I prefer to mark off my working copy with highlighters - much faster than colouring in with pencil. I use 6 different coloured highlighters, so a finished chart looks like quite a sight!

Jan Gartlan said...

Great ideas! I'm going to give these a try on my pattern as I'm not using any marker at present and am finding it difficult.

Anonymous said...

I know this is an old post, but I came over the TGOS yahoo group, and I wanted to say I like the way you colour in your charts.

I also really really like your blog header! I can identify!