Fear, uncertainty, joy.

That’s not one is it?

Dread

Fatigue, in the sense of a world-weary, "O Death, why did you pass me over another year?"

OK, that's a bit strong, but it's on that spectrum. Just so tired of watching everything I've already seen a dozen times happen again.

Hope, self confidence

Definitely the subject of the gesturing

Resentment and guilt. Some folks I helped to safety returned and thereby compromised a safehouse putting my friend's life at risk.

Anger at my body. Been in pain for a couple weeks now. Hoping this week I will turn the tide but... well I just hope.

I hardly ever read news anymore as part of that tuning out. And I picked up a hobby of carving signature seals so that occupies my hands and brains. I'll be OK. Just on the down part of my cycle.

May I recommend the Ologies podcast episode "Dolorology (Pain)"? It changed my understanding of pain. I think everyone should listen to this episode but particularly anyone struggling with chronic or recurring pain.

https://www.alieward.com/ologies/dolorology

I hope you feel better soon.

Just got back from a nice weekend trip to see my godmother with an impromptu shopping trip with my friend I've not seen in months so that was nice at least. I need to get back into a creative mood, I make things from leather but I've been slacking on it and found it hard to get back into the swing of things.

Thanks for the rec! I’m going to queue this one up today :)

Contentment.

My current relationship is easing into the deeply comfortable and stable phase now that it’s been over five years together. I feel so safe and free to be exactly who I am around them. I’ve been trying to be conscious of it and practice gratitude so I don’t let this feeling slip by unnoticed. It’s a good feeling.

Still learning so I really just practice a bunch of things to try new techniques but I enjoy making small goods like purses and bags. If you look at posts I've made you can see some of them. I make my own patterns and as I learn more things and want to make more complex items the construction becomes much more complicated - order of construction is really important to reduce unnecessary stitch lines, making the presentable side of the stitch on the correct side, keeping things flat to keep holes aligned etc.

I really need to get back into it, I'm really proud of some of my stuff and had really good feedback. I plan to make a new belt (i like wearing one with certain dresses) as my Primarni one is getting tatty.

Glad you like them! I actually have a plan for a mini project to complete for this Sunday, its a friend's birthday and he loves lego so was thinking of making something that is usless but funny - a little holster for a lego brick separator. Debating between making it a keyring or with belt loops (or both!).

So I'm doing both. Going to roll the top 'tab' to allow a split ring or swivel clasp (undecided) and going to rivet a belt loop to the back. I completed my draft/proof-of-concept piece yesterday and it is exactly what I wanted! It took a while to draft as its a weird shape and I chose to do it as a single piece in a way to show off my favourite decoratively functional stitch on the front. Normally I design entirely on my computer but this needed paper drafting and fettling.

Also what was really designed purely as a joke got a ton of positive feedback from two people really into their lego who saw it and thought it was not only a thoughtful project but genuinely useful to always have one of these on hand!

Now onto the final one!

Honestly this genuinely feels like something I could actually sell. The pattern is pretty simple and it could even be easily modified to use rivets instead of sewing to cut down on time. Definitely something I'll keep in mind!