Finish Forty-Four

Unfortunately it was not a great week of stitching but I had just finished up this little guy right before receiving our depressing news -

This is Cocoa by San Man Originals. I had this pattern all ready to go but kept pushing it back into the drawer. I think he is just so cute! He was completely stitched with GASTs and I went with 28 count Twilight Blue (I think!) linen. I also adjusted some of the backstitch. I find that sometimes two strands are just too much for some areas -

Did you know that needlework is truly therapeutic? It's a fact now :o) I received my newsletter from The Cross Stitch Cupboard and this is what it says, "From an interesting article in a health magazine we learned that picking up a needle and thread could be one of the best "exercises" we can do for our health. This information comes as a result of a study which was conducted at the New York University Medical Center. The study revealed that women who stitch experience a significant drop in heart rate and blood pressure, when compared to those who participate in other leisure activities. In fact they discovered that when a woman begins to stitch, her heart rate drops by up to 11 beats per minute. 'The importance of a hobby or creative pursuit cannot be overemphasized' says Robert H. Reiner, PhD. of NYU. 'If we don't allow our bodies to rest from the pressures of everyday life, we are placing ourselves at risk for heart disease or other illnesses.'"

So, I guess the next time I tell a doctor that I stitch to relax and he looks at me like I have ten heads, I can honestly tell him that it's been proven to work. Maybe while I'm at it, I'll ask him if he can prescribe it as a relaxer. Let's say, once every hour of every day ;o)