Getting Out Of Town.

I folded another 18 on Sunday, putting my total up to 249, now.

232 to 239
(I took apart another one of those GOOD magazines from Starbucks for this one)

From Crane Album

240 to 249

From Crane Album

I don't know how many more I'll get done over the next few day, however, as I suddenly find myself with a ticket to Portland for later this morning. I plan to fold some during the ride there, though I don't quite know how well that'll work out.

Slacking Off.

I sort of slacked off a bit on the folding this weekend. I got 30 more done on Friday and haven't done anymore since, but, then I did get all my laundry and my grocery shopping done, so all is not lost.

202 to 211

From Crane Album

212 to 231

From Crane Album

Of course, I did say I'd post a picture of where I'm hanging all of these, so here's that.

From Crane Album

I found a new source for origami paper, yesterday, and I think I'm going to hit them up today. It's mostly 3 inch paper, but it's really well priced and they have some fun colors.

Another Hundred!

So, I was having some fun with the new paper I bought and ended up folding another 31 cranes yesterday. I'm now up to 201 and have been forced to start hanging them along a different wall, because I can't reach any further down the ceiling in front of my window without potentially breaking something, possibly myself. I'll post a picture of where I'm hanging them later.

From Crane Album

I finished off one of my original paper packets with this string. I'm pretty sure this was just good old 6 inch origami paper, folded while I attempted not to puke, yesterday. Oddly enough, focusing on folding is a good distraction from feeling ill.

I was just going to move on to some more plain old 6 inch paper, but then I got distracted by some of the slightly higher quality new stuff I bought, resulting in the following.

From Crane Album

I honestly don't know how people manage to fold all 1,000 out of 3 inch paper, because I was having difficulty with just these 20. Of course, I just HAD to fold the one extra piece of paper I got with this set, which is the (barely noticeable) gold foil crane right smack in the middle of this whole string. I said something about never folding a foil bird again at the beginning of all this and, having not followed through on this, I can say with renewed conviction that I am never going to fold a foil bird ever again.

Anyway, I'm off to catch up on some missed TV and fold some more.

Slowing Down.

I folded eight yesterday, bringing my total up to 170. I modified one of the Starbucks GOOD publications to make the paper and ended up with really black fingers from the ink.

From Crane Album

I haven't been feeling well this week, so I've kind of slowed down. I don't know if I'm developing a cold or what, but all I want to do is sleep. I'm trying to work through that, though, and keep folding, as well as continue with my job hunt. I'm basically living off orange juice and ginger ale, right now.

A Whole 62 More.

So, I don't really get out a lot during the weekend. It's something I'm kind of working on. Because of this, I folded 62 yesterday. I sort of just kept going and going until I finally got sick of folding.

Count and description for each picture is on top, this time.

101 to 110.

From Crane Album

111 to 115.

From Crane Album

116 to 122.
(I wanted to make a purple and gold string to celebrate my recent UW graduation, so I ended up with an off number)

From Crane Album

123 to 142.

From Crane Album

143 to 162.

From Crane Album

Did I mention that I folded a lot this weekend? It's sort of like an addiction, right now. I got to 100 and now I just don't want to stop. Doesn't help that I don't have a lot of money, so I can't really go out anywhere; but, then, I'm glad I actually have something to occupy my time when I can't really go out or go look for a job.

Of course, I don't know quite how I'm going to do this when I finally do get a job. I suppose folding during my lunch is an option.

Right. I got some belated birthday money, so I'm going to be a bit irresponsible for a day and go watch RELIGULOUS. I already bought what I needed with said money, so I'm going to go use that money for something I don't need, now.

I Made One Hundred!

I haven't feeling very well for the past day or so, but I managed to fold another 12 cranes, yesterday, which, along with the 18 of them I folded on Friday, lifted my total so far up to 100. I'm doing rather well, for the first week.

Anyway, I went out on Friday and bought some more paper, including a dinosaur print pack and an animal print pack. I just wanted to change up the routine, a bit. I decided to fold all of the fun stuff first when I got home.

From Crane Album

Friday.

From Crane Album

Saturday.

At the store where I bought the paper, I got to talking with the cashier and, when I told her what I intended to do with the paper, she said her first instinct whenever someone is folding cranes is to ask if someone in the family is ill. After I left, that conversation really got me thinking about what I want to do with all of these when I'm done and what purpose I have for doing all of this. I thought about how I couldn't really think of any one member of my family to do this for, because I could think of at least one reason to do this for each of them. Luck, prosperity, good health, perseverance, happiness. I could probably keep on folding these for the rest of my life and never even touch that list. But then I thought about my grandmother, who is sick, and has been, and who I thought of briefly when I started this. My grandmother is a very devout Christian and, as such, I doubt she would give a lot of merit to the myth, but would still likely enjoy the gesture. I know she's probably not going to be around much longer, and I just think this would be a really amazing way to show her that I'm thinking about her. It's probably the best purpose I could EVER think of for these cranes.

It's amazing how one random conversation with a stranger can so affect you.

Double Wednesday's Total.

I actually doubled my total of cranes, yesterday. I'm now at 70, and well on my way to finish my first 100.

From Crane Album

Some more of the rainbow cranes in 3 and 1/8 inch paper and 3 and 1/2 inch paper, folded at some ungodly hour of the morning when I couldn't sleep and so resorted to watching some more Monster Quest, instead. I'm beginning to discover this is a good use of those otherwise ridiculously boring hours when I can't sleep.

I did a bunch of stuff and took a nap before I folded any more.

From Crane Album

I got all inspired and made the five white ones out of regular paper; they're supposed to represent the five elements in Japanese philosophy. I even pulled out the colored pencils to decorate them. Of course, the other string is just good old 4 inch origami paper, but they're also probably my best string yet.

I don't know if it's the increase in paper size or the fact I've now folded 70 of these, but I'm getting quicker. I'm also getting a bit better, which is definitely good.

Now I'm going out to buy myself a brilliant new selection of paper from the bookstore. I spotted this set of dinosaur paper I really want.

Another Twenty.

I folded all of these on Tuesday, but I failed to get around to posting them until now. I sort of got distracted.

From Crane Album

I folded these (numbers 16 through 25, done with 2 and 3/4 inch origami paper) while watching SANCTUARY, mostly because I really wasn't so much interested in the show. I started out just needing to waste some time before a meeting, and then I decided I would probably do better to make use of said time by folding.

I wasn't actually planning to fold anymore until Wednesday, but I ended up with an unexpected amount of energy when I got home from that meeting (probably from the uphill hike), so I went ahead and folded what I'd planned to save for the next day.

From Crane Album

I went grocery shopping on Tuesday, and I was just about to throw out my receipts when I thought: dude, I could make a whole string of receipt cranes. I started out planning to fold just five of them, but then I found a couple more receipts in my wallet from the other day, and I eventually ended up with ten (including the one I got when I stopped for a coffee on the way to that meeting). It's a bit questionable, as I discovered, folding part of a receipt you turned into a "square", though I wasn't entirely disappointed with the outcome. Most of them ended up with a somewhat wonky head, but, then, I wasn't ever the greatest with the head, anyway.

I definitely want to try this again somewhere around 500, when I've gotten in a bit more practice.

Only 35 into this and I'm kind of beginning to see all paper as potential folding material. It's amusing. I don't think I'm going to suffer from a shortage of paper at any point in the near future. I sort of want to make a string of lottery ticket cranes, next, but, then, I have to either buy them or wait for my aunt to get done with them.

I'm off now to fold some more and watch the first season of MonsterQuest (because I for some reason enjoy frightening myself at 3 AM). And to do something about the poor lighting in my room, because I can't actually see to fold.

My First Fifteen (And A Lesson Or Two In Folding).

I folded my first five cranes the day before I started this blog, so I figured I'd better post them already. You'll have to forgive the green background. I ended up using my St. Patrick's Battalion flag and my standing lamp to create my own little origami picture studio.

From Crane Album

I got all motivated to redecorate some of my room the other day, and this included adding some origami envelopes to my door to hold my magnetic poetry. I finished those and decided to start folding some cranes, resulting in the creation of this project. I about used the last of my paper for these. I also discovered that I never want to fold another crane in foil paper again, and white is actually a really fitting color for a crane.

I went out on Sunday and bought some more paper with my University Bookstore rebate (two 100 packs with ten different sizes of paper in ten different colors), where I was also directed to this brilliant website by a friend of mine. I fully intend to make a string of green striped and pink plaid cranes before the end of this project.

Anyway, I made use of my new paper yesterday when I decided to try my hand at a string of 2 and 3/8 inch square cranes (which all refused to face the same direction when I attempted to take this picture).

From Crane Album

It's actually a lot less frustrating than I expected, but you probably couldn't fold more than ten of these at a time. My hands were making some rather angry sounding popping noises by the end of this string. I also discovered that, while you can get away with some rather shoddy creasing when dealing with larger pieces of paper, a really crisp crease is key to not totally botching a 2 inch crane.

I decided, with this first pack, I'm folding by size, but with the second pack, I'm folding by color.

A Journey Of A Thousand Cranes Begins With A Single Fold.

My sole purpose for this blog is to chronicle my journey through the folding of 1000 paper cranes. According to the site Cranes For Peace: 'It is Japanese legend that folding 1000 cranes (senbazuru) so pleases the gods that the folder is granted a wish.' Right now, I don't really have any particular wish or purpose behind doing this. It's just one item on my list of things I want to do while I'm still willing and capable, so I decided now is as good a time as any to begin (of course, my housemate took this project to mean that I just really need a job). I figure, in the end, it's all about the journey, not the destination. Although, at some point during this whole thing, I'm sure I'll figure out what I want to do with the cranes when I'm done. I have plenty of time to decide.

For now, each post I publish here is going to include a number (most likely in the title) indicating my progress and a picture of my most recent work, along with a short description (color, size, number most recently folded, etc.). Also, I will most likely include something about where and when I folded them, along with anything else I feel is relevant. I really can't guarantee any depth to what I write, but I do intend to put some amount of thought into the whole project. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I will, of course, accept any paper you wish to send my way during the course of this project.