My First Blog Hop via STNA!

The theme of this (my very first!!) blog hop:
"Some of us have a favorite chair that we sit in to stitch, others prefer to enjoy a steaming mug of tea while they stitch. Maybe you need to get comfortable and put on your pajamas before you pick up your needle or you simply must rearrange all the sofa pillows before you sit down. Sometimes the ritual is in the clean up when we’re done and everything must go in a certain place. What sort of stitching rituals do you have when you sit down to work on your projects?"


I, myself, don't refer to them as rituals, but anyone around me when I sit down to stitch probably would, lol. To me, it simply feels like a routine that I've done so many times I don't even think about it anymore...it just happens. First of all, I have "my" end of the couch (the other end is DH's), which I prefer over sitting in a chair. Our couch ends recline, so I like to have a place to prop my legs now that I'm getting too 'old' (33 is old, right?) to sit comfortably with them underneath me, like I used to. I sit at the right end of the couch and use either the end table next to me or the right couch arm to hold my magnetic chart board on its stand. The cushion to the left of me is where my floss box, needle organizer and, most importantly, the remote control are. My daylight lamp is behind me and directly over my right shoulder and my scissors are usually tucked into the crook where my right leg and hip meet. Although, that's becoming dangerous as, more than once, I've gotten up (forgetting my scissors are there) and nearly amputated a toe!

Like many other stitchers, I have to have the TV on when stitching. Normally, I either watch Lifetime movies or catch up on back episodes of Law & Order (all 3 variations) on Netflix. I also like to turn on old sitcoms (Friends, Golden Girls, Cheers) or sometimes just a random, unknown movie. I can't stitch very well during my weekly episodic shows, because I find I spend too much time watching the show and very little time stitching. I'm always afraid I'll frog an area while not paying enough attention to my project. Coffee is also a necessity for me when stitching. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, I have to have a fresh pot of coffee available and a cup right beside me anytime I sit down to stitch.

Once I'm finished for the day, I take a picture of progress made (as much or little as that might be, lol) and I pack everything back into my clear Stitch Happy tote bag and place it out of the way. Most often I'm working with Q-snaps, so I don't need a 'safe' place for my lap stand. I only use it for BAP's these days. But, with 3 cats and a constantly shedding Saint Bernard, safe places to keep my stitching are very necessary. I also stitch quite a bit at work, during my down time, so carrying the tote makes it easy to take my current project from home to work and back with little fuss.


Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.