SBQ's

Time to answer some SBQ's again!

When you stitch a pattern that you have downloaded do you print out
the pattern or do you stitch directly from your computer screen?

When I first discovered the vastness of freebies online, I printed everything I thought I might do in the future - and then the ink in my printer ran out. Now I save everything I see that is interesting (no, I don't save every freebie I find - I've gotten picky with time), and print out when I start stitching. I can't stitch directly from the computer screen, just because it isn't practical. It's a lot easier to curl up wherever and stitch with a sheet of paper than it is with a computer, even if it is a laptop.

And then the next sbq follows:
After you stitch a pattern or kit, what do you do with it?
When I'm done stitching a pattern, I put it in my special folders. Either the one that's for "stitched, will probably never stitch again" or the one that is for the "stitched, might do again". I have yet to stitch something twice though, but I still like to think I have the option on the ones I've loved both doing and seeing the outcome of.

Are there other crafts that you have tried and abandoned? Why do you like stitching better?
I've tried my hand at lots of things, for example I used to paint stuff like napkin holders, wood boxes and stones (yup, stones) - and then I grew tired of waiting for the paint to dry. I saved the paints for 5 or 6 years afterwards, just in case, but finally chucked them out earlier this year. They were all dried up, so I decided if I wanted to start again, I'd still have to buy new paint.
I've thought about making jewellery, like bracelets and earrings, so I have all the stuff but I just haven't started. I think I worry about the amount of small pearls and beads ending up all over the floor when H comes and wants to "help" mummy... God knows I've picked up HER beads enough times, I think I'll wait another year or so before taking out the even smaller beads. :D
And then there's the knitting. I haven't abandoned that, but as my nieces and nephews have grown, it takes too long to finish a sweater and they have plenty of scarves to go around. I prefer baby clothes, they're so small you get a finish quite fast. Now with another baby nephew, I might get out the needles again :)

As you can see, I like quick finishes. I want to see that something is happening when I craft, so I'll never start knitting or crocheting huge bed spreads - that's just not my cup of tea. And that is why I love stitching the best: it's practical to carry around with you(you don't need LOTS of supplies, even though it is fun to have), you can see that something is happening when you work on it AND it is quite meditative - count, count, stitch, count, count, stitch... Yes, I work by the count twice, stitch once-philosophy. Another plus is that I get to feel creative, even though I usually don't think much when I've started - I'm not the kind who alter the designs all the time, except for when hiding my mistakes... On occasion I substitute a colour, but that's about it.