I took a break from WIPs, and started something new last month - Oh Whale by Hands On Design. I've had the fabric and threads ready to go for a while (er, more than a year). Finished it last week:
The fabric is a pretty pale seafoam-green-ish linen. I used the called for threads (except for grabbing a darker thread for the whale eyes and backstitching) and made a couple of changes - I used Oatmeal instead of Pewter beneath the big whale, and replaced the anchor in the lower right corner with a water swirl.
Currently, I'm working on this month's Smalls SAL, and I picked up a couple of neglected WIPs too:
The first is the Ship's Manor "Beautiful Sea Quaker" SAL from last year (I think); the other is Butterflies Biscornu by Seba Designs, which I started for last year's Stitch Maynia. So far I've worked on the Butterflies quite a bit, and I think that if I focus on it, it will stitch up fairly quickly.
When not stitching, I have been reading a lot. I've picked up some of the Barker & Llewellyn books by Will Thomas. The stories are kind of fluffy Boys Own Adventures that occasionally take a casual detour into graphic violence, and the characters can sometimes be a weird mix of over the top and underwhelming, but that doesn't get in the way of being fun reads.
I've also been reading about Buddhist philosophy. My most recent work project was enormously stressful, starting last December, so I eventually starting using a couple of meditation apps. They're helpful, and because I'm a huge nerd I decided I wanted to know more about the origin of mindfulness meditation, i.e. Buddhism. Right now I'm reading a book that talks about certain Buddhist concepts of the mind and the self and how they line up pretty well with current science and psychological theories. It's really interesting. I also have a book called "Peace is Every Step" by a Buddhist monk called Thich Nhat Hanh; it's a collection of short contemplative writings that really helped me get through some of the most stressful days of the last few months, and I'm still reading it slowly (and dare I say, mindfully).
I've also been listening to audiobooks - specifically, the Russell and Holmes novels by Laurie R. King, and the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Unfortunately I'm going through them a bit quicker now that I am driving in to work a couple of days a week. My commute is an hour+ both ways, so audiobooks are a must!
Currently, I'm working on this month's Smalls SAL, and I picked up a couple of neglected WIPs too:
When not stitching, I have been reading a lot. I've picked up some of the Barker & Llewellyn books by Will Thomas. The stories are kind of fluffy Boys Own Adventures that occasionally take a casual detour into graphic violence, and the characters can sometimes be a weird mix of over the top and underwhelming, but that doesn't get in the way of being fun reads.
I've also been reading about Buddhist philosophy. My most recent work project was enormously stressful, starting last December, so I eventually starting using a couple of meditation apps. They're helpful, and because I'm a huge nerd I decided I wanted to know more about the origin of mindfulness meditation, i.e. Buddhism. Right now I'm reading a book that talks about certain Buddhist concepts of the mind and the self and how they line up pretty well with current science and psychological theories. It's really interesting. I also have a book called "Peace is Every Step" by a Buddhist monk called Thich Nhat Hanh; it's a collection of short contemplative writings that really helped me get through some of the most stressful days of the last few months, and I'm still reading it slowly (and dare I say, mindfully).
I've also been listening to audiobooks - specifically, the Russell and Holmes novels by Laurie R. King, and the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Unfortunately I'm going through them a bit quicker now that I am driving in to work a couple of days a week. My commute is an hour+ both ways, so audiobooks are a must!
Comments
Your study of Buddhism sounds very interesting--anything that leads one to peace and being more mindful and less stress is so worth it!