Ghosted

 

The word "ghost" is probably better known as a noun than a verb; but it is, in fact, a verb also.

                                                                        ghost /ɡōst/

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                                                verb past tense: ghosted; past participle: ghosted

1.  1.  act as ghostwriter of (a work). 

   "His memoirs were smoothly

   ghosted by a journalist."

2.  2.  glide smoothly and effortlessly. 

   "They ghosted up the river."

In relatively recent years, a more colloquial verb usage has also become popular:

      1.  the practice of suddenly ending all contact with a person without                             explanation, especially in a romantic relationship. "He was a victim of                     ghosting." 

         

      2.  the act of leaving a social event or engagement suddenly without saying                goodbye. "Ghosting might be the best option if we want to get home                      before midnight." (Also called French goodbye or Irish goodbye.) 

There are also some "specialty" usages of the word.... For example, painters/builders/etc. refer to inexplicable dark streaks on walls, carpets, ceilings, etc. as "ghosting."  It is also used to refer to the faint double image sometimes left in printing, or on television screens.

None of these definitions or usages, however, are the ones to which I am referring in this post.  I am referring to the intentional "fading" of certain stiches/areas of stitched and hooked pieces to make them appear old or more similar to the fading often found in antique textiles.

   {"Noel Sampler" by With Thy Needle & Thread}

Whether you choose to believe me or not, I intentionally "ghosted" several letters in the alphabet of this stitched samper so that they are barely visible in some cases.

Even though this is not an antique reproduction, I kind of like the ghosting effect.  Either that or I am too lazy to rip out all those "ghosty" letters and redo them...because this sampler is finally done...and done is better than perfection.  You decide.

This (ummm, partially) hooked rug, on the other hand, is an antique adaptation.

Well, it was intended to be; however, I did not realize that the pattern was not drawn true to the original until it was late in the game.  

In my (late-to-the-game) frustration, I was studying the photo I had of the original attempting to determine if there were elements I could change at that late point to make it at least a bit closer to the original.

(Yes, yes...I KNOW! The tails are closer together in the original, the heads and faces of the cats are different, etc., etc.  Did I not mention my late-to-the-game frustration??)

And there it was.... A ball...between the two cats!  I had not noticed it in the gazillion times I looked at that photo, and it certainly was not included in any of the many reproduction renderings of the design that I have seen...and, of course, it was NOT on the pattern I purchased.

But there it was.

So I decided to hook it.  

Not once.

Not twice.

Not even thrice. 

And, no, I didn't re-hook it that many times just so I could use the word "thrice."

I hooked it once and decided it stood out too much.... I wanted it to fade into the background like the (I am sure much-faded) original.  I wanted to "ghost" it.

So I hooked it again.

It was better....especially once I hooked some background around it.

But it was way too far to the left.  WHAT?! I finally hooked a perfect circle (trust me on that one please), but in the perfectly wrong place.

So I rehooked it again.

This time, it is too much to the right. 

But ya know what?

I don't care.  Ain't hooking it a 4th time.

Because there's no cool word for fourth.

 

And because I was tired of hooking circles.

So there you have it.  A "ghosted" cat ball no where near the middle of the two cats.

*******

And since we are on the subject of ghosting, this was my most-recent read:

It's the story of a woman who meets a man with whom she falls instantly and deeply in love.  But when he leaves for a previously planned vacation, she is "ghosted"....  She is certain the relationship they had meant as much to him as to her, but he simply "disappears." 

It came to me on the recommendation from a friend, and I did enjoy it, but wouldn't say it's a "gotta-read" kind of book...at least not in my book (get it?? 😉).

It's a feel-good read in many ways and, while not necessarily "predictable" (at least not until the end - there were several twists I didn't see coming), it was a bit too "happily-ever-after" for me, if ya know what I mean.

Yeah...I can be morose like that.

Or maybe I am just too cranky these days to believe much in happy endings.

*******

In other news, we've been having some kind of changeling weather here in Nod.

We sort of went from winter straight to summer....

But summer was short-lived - only 2 days' worth.

In the past week, we've moved on to autumn.

{Hint: That white stuff isn't petals or blossoms....}

But, hey...we did green up nicely in those 2 days of summer.

When 3 of the 4 seasons are so short-lived here, they make the most of the time they have.

I suppose a lesson to be learned.

But I am thinking my learning banks are full.