My self assigned task last week was doing a complete inventory and condensing of the Appleton Crewel wool, and finally getting it on the site. Done! There was a big move away from basics like Appleton, Patternayan, Medici, and Tapestry wool as tastes and new fibers evolved. And just as Splendor pushed Au Ver a Soie to the side, Silk Lame halted sales of Blending Filament, wools fell out of favor. But. But diving into that wall of lovely wool, all those colors, all those combinations, always leads me back to a long ago started canvas that is being stitched in tent stitches and Appleton. Placing skeins on hooks as I see the color runs on either side brings bargello patterns to mind.
Before Christmas Janna and I were talking about the old school Rico Gobelin tapestries that you stitch in half cross and tapestry wool. No stranding, you can hold it in your lap, you can choose to split the canvas and work petit point for some details, or just enjoy being able to see the stitches without magnification. I joked that it was the dream. She promptly gave me a gorgeous tapestry she started years ago. I tend to put time aside most weekends to work on it, showing her the progress on Mondays. It is the dream, or a meditation. The project that needs little enough attention that I can listen to an audio book, an album, or just sit in silence and watch the intersections of the canvas fill.
Happy stitching,
Norla
