Not cancelling Meowy Monday, it's just...

There's been no Meowy Monday post this monday either. Of cause I've often missed the monday, posting some other day instead, but last week there was no cat photo post and today I didn't have time/feel like doing one either. Not giving up on them, though, it's just temporary -- even if beginning to slip like this is often the first sign of giving up.

Now, you can ask why I write posts like this. Why do I feel the need to promise to do better, to slap myself on the fingers in public? Surely, this is my guilt-free blogging blog, my personal space where I do what ever I want to do and you, my dear reader, is just a guest enjoying the visit, not my boss demanding something from me. Still, I feel a sort of responsibility, that blogging is some sort of contract where I've offered to serve you something and not doing it is being a bad hostess. If the cats is one of the things that made you come here in the first place and perhaps add my blog in your reader or subscribing via e-mail, then I want to give you those cats. It's not like it's a huge thing. The only bad thing is really that I on one hand want to excuse myself for being such a bad blogger, that is a bad hostess for you my guest, and on the other hand I just think excuse after excuse looks bad -- worse than just letting the blog be deserted for a few more days. (Also, part of the issue is probably more subconscious, that lack of blogging is showing my lack of mojo, exposing my drained creativity and my low energy levels.)

But, hey, let's talk about something else. Because feeling uncreative -- exasserbated by a few projects that failed when transformed from sketches on paper and ideas in the head to a tangible object -- doesn't mean lacking ideas. Just a few minutes ago I got this urge to make a needle book. It's not a new idea, I've had it on and off for ages, it's just that I can't decide on the shape, size, number of "pages", how to organize the needles and all those other practical details you need to know before starting the project. It's just that today I got a new vision for my needle book, partially inspired by the new take my book pinboard has taken since I began including journals/notebooks and handmade books on it.

Like with most things, once I get interested I get very interested (apparently a common trait in introverts). Not crazy obsessed, but it's like my curiosity and drive to learn more -- which got me to university and would've kept me there if I could get student loans forever -- fusions with my hoarding/collecting genes and I gotta catch 'em all (no, I'm not into Pokemon at all, it's just that it's the perfect phrase for how my brain works once it gets interested in something). In this case it means that I don't have one of two packs of beading needles -- I have at least half a dozen different once, some never even used: the common long beading needles in threes sizes (10, 13, 15), curved beading needles, sharps/embroidery, ballpoint embroidery beading needles, twisted/collapsible eye needles, big-eye needle. Plus a small collection of embroidery needles (actually a silk ribbon embroidery needle sampler) and an array of cheap needles accumulated since childhood or "borrow" from mom's stash of assorted sewing needles.

Leaving the general embroidery and sewing needles aside, that's still quite a few needles to fit in the needle book while still leaving room for new additions. Ok, needles don't take up that much space, but you need to fit labels and organize the needles in a logical way, which demands free space around the needles too. And since I want to do an awesome needle book, I want to be able to use it for all my needles for a long time. It needs to be flexible enough to have room for needles I don't use today, but might need to buy in a few years' time.

Having never done a needle book or hard-cover book/journal of any kind, I feel like it's not just about sketching on a design, but about learning new techniques and all the tips and tricks behind making a durable, good looking needle book just the way I want it. This is definitely a long term project!