I recently read a posting on the Make blog about crewel embroidery. It caught my attention because the designs were quirky, retro and modern - especially for embroidery work. Wool and Hoop is selling little kits with original designs by artist Katherine Shaughnessy. She's also just put out a book called The New Crewel. If you read the reviews it sounds fabulous because it includes lots of up close shots and clear directions showing exactly how to do it. I really like the idea of learning this technique's stitches so I can do my own illustrations. Hmmm, another hobby?! !@#$%*^&!

Wiki's wise words explaining what crewel is: Crewel embroidery is an embroidery technique which is at least a thousand years old. It was used in the Bayeux Tapestry, in Jacobean embroidery and in the Quaker tapestry. The word crewel comes from an ancient word describing the curl in the staple, the single hair of the wool. Crewel wool has a long staple; it is fine and can be strongly twisted. The crewel technique is not a counted-thread embroidery (like canvas work), but a style of free embroidery.