I have nothing to report. No stitching is happening, due to way too much uni work. And probably not much to come in the next few weeks as I'll be on clinical as well as trying to keep up with assignments. I didn't even go to she stitches and craft show on the weekend so I have no stash to share either :(

In the absence of any actual stitching updates, here's a meme I saw on Kathryn's blog

Why did you start your blog?
Well I'd been stitching for a while, but it's really hard to keep motivated when there's no one around to show off to. When I realised how huge and active the online stitching community is I was amazed, and I couldn't wait to jump right in! I love having a blog and being part all of this because it keeps me on track, up to date with all the new designers and stuff, and much more motivated to keep stitching!

How did you come up with your blog name?
Well it's really just that my sister and brother were watching Romeo and Juliet when I was making my blog, and I've always loved the prologue, and I was thinking about the words... Star-Crossed... cross stitch... star-crossed stitcher! It might be a bit misleading though, because I'm not star-crossed in any way at all, I don't believe in astrology or fate or anything, it just sounds cool to me :)

Do your friends and family know about your blog and if so, what do they think of it?
No. I have an LJ for my friends to read where I talk about my life, and don't bore them with all this stitching stuff. My family definitely wouldn't care about me having a blog, and they'd laugh at me if they read it anyway. They think this stuff is pretty pathetic... they're a very boring family. Actually, I did give my Nanna the link a few months ago because she was asking to see a bit of my stitching, but I wish I hadn't. I don't think she actually read anything, and I dont' think she's ever visited again, but I can't be sure. Now I can't talk about some things that have been going on for me in the past few months that I really want to get off my chest.

How do you write posts?
I used to update all the time when I had some stitching to show. Now I'm really not doing much stitching so I don't have much to share. I like to have a picture to show off when I post, so until I've made some progress I usually don't post unless I have some burning stitching issue I need to talk about to someone who understands.

Have you ever had a troll or had someone leave unkind comments?
No, no. I really don't write anything that anyone would care enough about to leave a negative comment. Plus, stitchers seem to generally be a very nice bunch :D I did get a lot of spam a while back though, but that seems to have stopped.

Do you check your stats?
No, actually, I just forget I have stats! I should do though. I use blogpatrol and I think they tell me the ip address of who visits, so maybe I can see if my nanna does visit...

Do you care how many people read your blog?
Um, not really, but I do love it when I get comments. I would hate to think that NO ONE read it though!

What kind of blogs/posts interest you?
I read a lot of science and skepticism blogs, as that is my other obsession. Of course I read TONS of stitching blogs, but mostly I just look at the pictures and read the stitchy parts, i kind of just skim over the non-stitching related stuff.. except for a few special stitchy friends. The only other blogs I read are those of my real life friends because I like to keep up to date with their dramas, as I don't get to spend that much time with them face-to-face.

What do you like and dislike about blogging?
Hahah, sometimes blogging is definitely a chore for me. Especially my stitching blog, when I don't have any real progress to talk about. And I always feel guilty when I haven't been stitching, and then I feel even more guilty because I don't update! But I do really love being able to share my stitching with someone who understands what I'm talking about!

It was hiding from me, lurking in the shadows, waiting until I have a REALLY important assignment to procrastinate from. The best motivation to stitch seems to come when there's something else I should be doing. Typical!

I've been stitching up a storm over the weekend. Actually, that's a total overstatement, but compared to the last few months it's been a storm. I finished off all the crosses on Snow Drop Fairy. I'm really pleased that I've done so much. The background is going to take me ages, because it's tons of half-crosses... which I hate doing. But once that's done, I just have to backstitch and then a finish! YAY!

Of course I really do have to work on this assignment, because it's due on Friday. It's an article review on cannabis use and psychosis. Fun, fun, fun! I really feel like not doing it. I just hate uni at the moment. I have 6 weeks of clinical this semester, as well as lots of really annoying assignments. (I'd be okay if it was just essays, but I have to do things like a 'portfolio'... boring!!) I wish I could just wave my magic wand and this semester was all over. *sigh* I just have to keep telling myself to just stick it out. It's the last semester and in 15 weeks it'll all be over.

...but 15 weeks seems like such a long time...

It's been nine months! I'm not going to explain. It's too complicated. I'm just going to apologise and start again.

Don't worry, you haven't missed much though. The last nine months haven't contained much stitching. Plenty of other junk, but almost no stitching. I do have a few photos though.

I've been shopping! Do you want to see what AU$100 of silk looks like?

Aren't they delicious? Unfortunately the picture is quite dark, so the colours aren't perfect, but not too bad. I got these at the Quilt and Craft show in June. They're from Kaalund Yarns, and I'd never heard of them before, but I'm glad now that I have. They mainly do knitting yarn, but these are proper stranded silks. How gorgeous! And they are SO soft and beautiful. I think they're even nicer than Gloriana! The colours are from left to right: Jacaranda, Lavender, Tropical Berries, Pacific, Wisteria, Waterlilly, Rainforest, Taipan, Wine, Bottle Brush, Poinsettia, Bushfire, Guava, Pawpaw, and Silky Oak. Good Aussie names, aren't they :) I also got the huge hank of natural silk at the top, which I may use for Cirques or something. Oh the possibilities!

I just checked the website and I saw that I only need 8 more then I have all the colours. I feel some more shopping in my near future...

Also at the show, I saw some scissors that I fell in love with, but unfortunately they were sold out. It was probably lucky though, because I thought that $120(!) was way too much for a pair of scissors. So I went home and bought them directly from the Sajou website, and for the same price ($120) I got a matching thread winder and thimble! I was so excited! Until they actually came in the mail. I was so disappointed with the quality of them. I was expecting them to be real mother of pearl, but they are just a kind of shiny plastic. I think the blades are good quality, but the plastic just ruins it. And they feel really light, and just plain fake :( But I guess they are still beautiful. I just probably wouldn't have paid that amount for them if I had known they were so crappy. So if you're considering buying them, I've warned you. (But they are very pretty!)

Okay, now for some actual stitching. Pretty much all I've done in the last nine months is in the picture below.
Anti-climax, huh. I just totally lost my mojo. But I think it's coming back. Today and yesterday I've spent about 6 hours on Tranquility Sampler, and I'm enjoying it! I'm having fun stitching again. YAY!
So watch this space. I think I'll definitely be stitching more. Time permitting. I'm in my last semester of uni, so I really should be prioritising that... hahaha!