I was chatting with someone recently about blogs. This person is considerably younger than I am and was very surprised to hear that I had a blog. I guess my graying hair and the "expression lines" on my face made them think that I was too old to even know what a blog was - much less have one of my own. Whippersnapper!! Once we got beyond the age thing, she wanted to know what my blog was called. Her response was, "What is an ort?" I gave her Webster's definition; a morsel or a scrap. Then I explained that to a stitcher, an ort is the little piece of thread that is too short to use for anything. It can be from the away knot that you started the thread with or it is the last little bit that is left in your needle at the end of the length of thread. She looked at me like I was from outer space. She obviously is not a stitcher. I am so used to having orts on every flat surface in my house and car that it never occurred to me that she wouldn't understand. Oh well. With that in mind, I am pretty sure she wouldn't understand the ort jar that I now have. MJ and I were stitching a couple of weeks ago and she had an ort jar. I just thought it was the coolest thing. Being a copy cat, I went out and bought myself a little clear jar for my orts. We've decided that we will keep ALL of our orts as we work through SFS 2009. I can't wait to see what a kalideiscope (sp?) of colors and textures it will be after 365 days. This is what my jar looks like after 29 days. At this rate, I think I will be needing a bigger jar.Quick update on the widget. It never did recover so I deleted it and then added it back to the blog. I don't know if this one will work or not, but I am giving it one more chance. Thanks to Jane of CH for your comment.. Glad to know that I am not the only one that has widget trouble.
6 comments:
Prior to going to my first ANG Seminar, the only place I had seen the word ort was in a crossword puzzle as a word for table scrap. Imagine my surprise when a fellow stitcher commented on all the orts on the floor. Hmmm, deer in headlights. I'm now fully aware about orts, and so are my family, friends, anyone that visits usually leaves with one attached.
Orts are better off in a jar than in your hair. Just my opinion, of course. I've heard of folks who put theirs in a glass ornament for their Xmas tree but I've never bothered. I save mine until a project is done in case I need just a few inches of something, then out in the trash they go.
Good luck with the new widget, Jane.
I have a tea cup on the table next to the spot where I stitch and all of my orts go into the tea cup. Of course, right now, it has an apple core in it, so I don't think saving it all in a fun clear jar would work so well for me.
Hi Kelly,
I also save Orts but I only add them to the jar/container when the project is finished. While I'm stitching I keep the Orts for that particular project in it's own little bag.
And yes I have two ort containers. One is Ortie and the other is Ortessa. Sounds like an idea for a blog entry as I can introduce everyone to Ortie and Ortessa! LOL!!!
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
I am loving all the comments about the orts. Cynthia, you always make me smile. Who else would have names for their ort jars? :-)
I used to keep an old glass ramekin beside my stitching chair, but like Jane of SA mentioned, it would always end up with M&M wrappers or apple cores in it. My little jar has been great fun.
I have to admit I looked for a proper ort jar today - I liked Jane of CH's habit of keeping them all until she finishes her project in case she needs an inch or two or a thread. I hate it when I think I'm done, and I have to pull a long strand out to fill in one stitch! Jane of SA
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