2025 plans, should I make any?

Good question, I have a few targets for 2025 apart from the usual lose weight, get fit, save money etc that everybody seems to come up with every year.

Realistically none of the above will be achieved but I do need to complete a few things. The workroom tidy up being one of them although I have made a start and thrown out a large number of random cables and pieces of obsolete technology, thus freeing up a couple of drawers in my desk.

I have made myself a sort of bingo card where each box relates to a shelf/cupboard etc and I can cross them off once completed.

book destash in progress

I do need to spin the contents of the pillowcases stashed in the corner and in the big bag thus making way for the 2024 fleece that still needs to be washed.

Cross stitch projects to be looked at and hopefully one or two finished before starting a new one.

Otherwise its business as usual, a bit of this, a bit of that depending on my mood and as usual I will blog my process.

Unless anyone has any requests? more embroidery, lace,  travel etc ??

In the meantime I am still coughing, still knitting

Sorry its been so long

 Unfortunately I've been busy, then ill and haven't had chance to post any kind of update. We have just decided to cancel our Christmas trip as I now have a wicked cough which would be a nightmare in the van. 

Quick knitting update, I've now finished the third fair isle beanie, this time using the yarn unravelled from the shawl that I fell out of love with.

These are all knit with Bowmont (Shetland Merino cross ) and Shetland.

brrr, its been cold and breezy

 Hi, we popped over to the coast last week for a few days. No van this time, instead we spotted a nice rental at a reasonable price, 10/10 rating and fully refurbished just 2 years ago.

Walked in the bedroom and the handle to the ensuite fell off !! thinking it was a new 'thing' I left a message for the owner. Looking through the guest review book where everyone said that the property was awesome etc we noticed that the handle originally fell off in July, August, September and November. We made a list of small problems and won't be going back again not just because of the numerous niggles but the open plan layout meant that it didn't feel comfy.

Plus I felt like I needed a degree to work out how to use this.

The first day was bitterly cold with a strong wind by the sea front, This was down at Hornsea and we retreated to the leisure centre to watch the waves break whilst enjoying hot drinks and a bite to eat.

The next day we did our usual round of the charity shops in Bridlington. Ian picked up a couple of books and I bagged a jumper and a T-shirt. The T-shirt was new and at a whooping 50p something of a bargain.

We visited the new sculpture at the Railway Station, lovely attention to detail, even had a starfish in his bucket along with his spade.

I liked the cat fussing round his legs.

On the way into town we passed a couple of old shop frontages.

and checked in on the harbour.

Our last day was damp and cloudy so we went to the auction house for a while, bid on an antique sampler but was outbid by a dealer then off up to Flamborough head for lunch.

You can see the rain coming in across the sea. All too soon it was time to come home, still we will return next year.

glimpses of Nottingham

 I had to do some shopping in town so I popped into the castle to renew my annual ticket. After a coffee I had a wander around the grounds before heading back to the busy shopping streets.

I'm not sure whether these guys are cleaning or fixing the roof of the nearby building.

That's not snow although it could be mistaken for a ski scene

Meanwhile, back in town I remembered that we have many passage ways between the streets with steps.

It looks more like textiles or maybe that's just the way that I look at things. Here's the entrance to the same passageway looking towards the steps.

So much better than plain walls...........talking about plain walls, I noticed this beauty near Weekday Cross, I'm not sure how long its been there as I haven't been around this area for a while.

All in all, not too bad for a dull and dismal day.

the lace lady

 This is a project that I had intended to start in the summer but didn't get round to it. The lace lady was purchased in Dunster in the summer for the princely sum of £1.00.

My aim is to replace the lace on her dress ,and the lace that she is making, with handmade lace.

I've made a start, she now has a knitted shawl

and I've removed the price tag. I must see if I can sort the glasses out.

I'd not used my travel pillow for some time so I set up a very basic pricking, just 11 pairs of bobbins , to make a narrow band of lace.

I'm beginning to realise that my camera no longer likes to do close photography, been dropped too many times.

I also took the opportunity to replace the ribbon on my pillow with inkle woven bands, looks much better.

I realise that she  appears to have three very large bobbins. One fell off and is actually safe by my printer. I'm trying to think of a better way to do these and it may involve cocktail sticks at some point.

Goodbye November

 I set out to blog every day in November.................Fail

I set out to document tidying my work room.........Fail, well, ongoing

November ended with the AGM at our Guild of Weavers, Spinner and Dyers. Shortest AGM ever haha, then we chatted and admired each others work. We now seem to have a few more men joining us which is good and there are also nearly 50 of us, quite a healthy number .

Whenever we go out as a group to do a demonstration, we take various pieces of equipment including the Saori loom which we encourage people to have a go on.

A new member from Latvia bought in her knitted mittens

Many members are skilled at way more than one or two crafts,

Plait making with a difference

I'm not going to promise daily blogs for December  but back to at least once a week as I work through my stash and generally continue to slowly tidy up.