I have been really slack… I meant to update about my book release on sunday but never really got around to it. I have been a bit sickly lately which has thrown me off a lot. Suffereing from bad headaches (sometimes migraines) most everyday. Has meant stitching time has been minimal at best non existent at worst. I feel really bad about it too because I have yet to send off Nancys RR (or finish it quite) I am missing a few colours and just haven’t been able to find the time to go pick them up. I really want to get them this weekend though so i can finish off my section and send it out first thing next week. I recieved fudgeys RR back today so I hope to finish that up this weekend and send it off to Sue ASAP as well. Nancy the little minx added a few little gifties into the package as well… mmm yummy Darrel Lea chocolate and a sweet little guardian angel bookmark. This RR has been loads of fun and I am so glad I participated, it has been a wonderful opportunity to get to know a great bunch of people.

So…the book release on Saturday went well. I got it all ready to go before heading off to the restaurant for dinner. I released the Firebrand by Marrion Zimmer-Bradley, it is a book I had two copies of so thought it perfect for releasing into the wild. I released it up at the lookout on Mt Cootha, there were loads of people around so i was sur it would be picked up. However, after dinner at the Summit we headed back to check and my book was right where it had been left a couple of hours earlier. I was mildly disappointed and moved the book to one of the tables at the cafe hoping it would have more luck finding a home there. No alerts to tell me it has been found yet but I am keeping my fingers crossed that someone will post a journal entry on the site in the coming weeks.

The kit I ordered from the bookcrossing supply store had enough bits for 25 releases. I am only aiming for ten at this pont and would like to release them at interesting places too (love to make things difficult for myself). It is kind of strange standing around trying to find the most strategic place to leave a book you hope someone will decide to pick up and walk away with. There are all sorts of socially uncomfortable moments built up around it. Although I could just be over analysing it

More background! though I am loving it. I really do enjo stitching the background in Micheles charts. She manages to get such depth into them. I don’t even get that frustrated sitching with eight very similar shades

So here he is… My devil after another week, got about 900 stitches in and I am half way through page 3 now. The shading is really starting to come together and I can’t wait to get to his head and back to those wings.

Well fire is progressing nicely after this weeks stitch along 453 stitches have been added taking the total to 3180 which gives me 10% complete *boogie*. I filled in a few of the holes this week and added to the swirls on the lower right as well as some more of the blue grey tones through the sky. It is incresingly difficult to put this piece down each wednesday but so far I have managed restraint and control.

Well that sounds bad… hehe, but really it isn’t what you think. I am here to confessthat I have been addicted to playing World of Warcraft. Or at least watching other people play World of Warcraft. Which means my stitching has suffered. Nothing, yep nothing was stitched over the weekend so no updates obviously. I have tried to rectify that though and have been keeping away from the evil computer and have concentrated more on my sttiching sonce Monday. Quite successfully too with over 700 stitches being put into the Devil (will update after thursday).

I also may have started a Character Creations chart… blame Fudgey she encouraged me down the dark path, tis true. (insert innocent looking emoticon here). There will be updates on this too as I am loving stitching on it. All this rambling and I didn’t mention what the design was. I started the Hermit on 40ct linen 2 over 2, and thankfully the piece I bought on a whim from silkweaver was big enough. This design is going to be *huge*.

Also… speaking of silkweaver and my ever erratic subject jumping brain they have some very pretty new colours out. My favourites are Starquest, Iris Garden and Enchantment. I wish they would offer more of thier colours in Jobelan though. I have become such a big fam of it for stitching on in both 28 and 32ct.

mmmmnew stash options, now only if it were a pay week this week.

No stitching update on Snow Ball Fight this week. I spent the night out with friends eating delicious food in amazing atmosphere and drinking good wine. Who could ask for more really when looking for a good night out to get away from it all.

On the suggestion of Brendan and Adele we all bundled into the car and headed into town to reservations at 8pm at Sono Japanese Restaurant. After the small flight of staurs up off teh busy Queen St Mall the first thing you notice is the atmosphere. The lighting is just ri, there is no indication of the noisey Hubbub going on down on the Mall and the staff are wonderfully poilte. There is a tepenyaki bar and a few seats at tables in the main area but the best thing of all is the traditionally styled seating a little further into the restaurant. All the waitresses look devine dressed in kimonos of gorgeous colours and prints though bade in light cottons not heavy sillks in compensation to the hot Brisbane weather. You are shown to your table where you remove your shoes (warning to those who are thinking of going that footware that is easy to remove and not smelly is a good idea). The tables are low Japanese style square tables with bamboo mats and thin cushions and are remarkably comfortable.

The wine list is quite well appointed with a selection of different whites and reds as well as providing a large variety of sake and even japanese beer. The food is presented with care taken for the creative appearence and the menu provides indications of meals that are good to share. One thing of particular note (it is always the small things) is the way the wine was correctly presented and offered for tasting before being served. It has been a long time since I went to a restaurant that took the time to remember this small detail and it impressed me. There is good variety in the dishes providing a range of seafood, pork and chicken dishes as well as beef, if you feel like a splurge on someting they even offer waygu beef. Prices are very reasonable coming in at under $150 for four main courses and two appetizers, inclusive of drinks and a bottle of wine. At no point do you feel rushed to finish your meal and the relaxed atmosphere lends itself well to quiet conversation.

I expect Sono will be a place I visit again more than once and fully intend to take Adam there when he next travels out from the US.

Slow progress this week, I have been making sure I do some work on my PhD for at least an hour each night when I get home of an evening. It turns out this rather drastically cuts into my stitching time so I doubt it will be happening for long . I haven’t added up how many stitches this was though I think it is closer to 300 than my usual 400. I filled in a few spots as well as did some more of the red/pink darker sections of her hair on the right hand side.

Fire ACEO – Artist Sara Butcher, Chart Michele Sayetta Heaven and Earth Designs

In other news my stash arrived from ABC stitch therapy fiull of my cute little dragon charts and the lovely 40ct fabrics arrived. As usual with the silkweaver colours they are lighter than I thought but still lovely. I am thinking I will stitch one of the Dragon Tarot charts from Character Creations on the plain 40ct I got. I ordered the Hermit first thing this morning and I have been told that there are plans for at least another 5 or 6 of the dragon tarots that Kerry plans to release *bounce*. I can see my rotation wavering… or at least going under revision to find some way to incorporate one of these designs.

Well this month I plan on challenging myself a little… both with my stitching goals and hopefully in achieving some of the 101 in 1001 goals or at least parts of the larger goals.

Stitching Goals

1. Complete Page 1 of St Nick in His Study
2. Partitcipate in QS SAL (shoudl be able to finish half a page of fire at least)
3. Complete page 3 of The Devil (~3000 stitches)
4. Finish the second dragon on Snow Ball Fight (try and finish the entire piece)
5. Finish Nancys RR section
6. 2000 stitches on Metamorphosis

101 in 1001 goals

• Complete the first set of four weeks from task 36
• Complete task 4
• Finish (yes I have started but it is taking for ever) task 16
• Organise and complete task 32 (have ordered the book release pack from book crossing)

As with my february stitching goals I plan to review these goals at the end of March and see how I went… wish me luck, I think I am going to need it.