So what comes next?

 Hi

Well, that's Christmas out of the way, just a few days until the New Year. Theses in-between days are always a bit strange, even more so this year as hubby has a couple more days off work than usual.

This was the first time ever that I've not worked Christmas Eve or the nearest working day to it. I still find it a bit strange knowing that I left that job behind in March. Also, whether the result of finishing work or not, I'm 21 pounds lighter (yippee) making a total of 35 pounds since we bought the van !!!

ok, not the most flattering photo but definitely the most recent one. Also , some of you may not know what I look like !!

In spite of all the world madness, we still managed five trips out in the van giving us the chance to explore new places.

Knaresborough

Belper

Ferry Meadows, Peterborough

Isle of Wight

Cromer

Old hobbies have been rediscovered in the form of cross stitch and blackwork embroidery and the size of my craft stash is beginning to hit home.

So, plans for next year?

Travel plans are on hold (obviously) until things improve but my biggest pan is to use up my stash and buy as little as possible in the way of craft supplies. Okay, there have been a couple more purchases since my last post but I'm planning my projects to included a blackwork stitch a long and a fleece stash busting spinning session. I dread to think what is lurking at the bottom of some of the cupboards !!

Partially complete outline for the blackwork SAL starting in January.

I'm also slowly changing my diet, hoping to drop another dress size by the summer.

I almost forgot, latest purchases,

32 count fabric and two cross stitch charts of vintage motorcycles, its ok, its only 27 December and my no spend starts on Jan 1st !!

I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year xx

a quick update

 Hi,

Short and sweet update this week.

I've nearly finished with the thread sorting, 4 boxes so far !!

The Steady Thread 2021 SAL grid is half stitched.

A little more border completed on the 2017 Blackwork Journey SAL.

The hat is ready to start knitting the crown.

Another skein of the oddment yarn, I now have over 500gm so may start looking for a project,

and that's about it, Christmas camp cancelled, mixing now only allowed on Christmas day although we will be staying at home anyway. 

Nearly forgot, surprises goodies in the post 😁😁😁

I hope you are all as well as you can be in these weird times and have a good (if quiet) Christmas.

Speak soon xx

I missed a week, sorry xx

 Hi

Somehow I forgot to post last week, so sorry, the weeks seem to run into each other and nothing exciting happens !! However, the sun is shinning today and its a little warmer.

Last weekend we took the camper out for a run simply to charge up the batteries a little, she was hesitant to start but the battery charger soon helped. We still have our Christmas reservation but its looking more than likely that we will cancel it.

Hubby is still checking the Facebook market place for himself pretty much daily and on Saturday he asked me if I wanted an embroidery kit of Lancaster. Curious as to why He thought I would want a kit of somewhere I've never been to I went over and had a look at the screen.

I'd misheard. It was a counted tapestry kit of a Lancaster aircraft.

To be honest, I've not come across a counted tapestry before but assume its pretty much the same as a counted cross stitch. The seller contacted me after I'd bought it to apologize as her husband was supposed to mention that is smelt a bit musty and offered me my money back. To be honest, it would cost me more to return it, I put the yarn on the radiator over night and I've spread the paperwork out in the sun in the spare room. I just need to find a bag to keep it in rather than the plastic one.

 I'm still spinning up the oddments of fleece, four skeins finished now and another bobbin on the go.

The small blackwork picture is finished, I am looking out for a frame for it and I have started another one just to keep my fingers busy in the evenings.

This is the 2017 Stitch a long from Blackwork Journey, yep, I'm a little out of date but I quite liked it when I was pottering around looking for patterns.

I'm still slowly working on the hat, It is for me so I'm trying to accommodate my pony tail and hair plaited up days so need to make it a bit bigger than my normal beanie.

I'm also working on sorting out my embroidery thread, I have so, so many tucked away in plastic bags as you may have seen a couple of posts ago. This is as ongoing project /chore !!

These are maybe half of them.

That's about it for now, will speak next week :-)  xx

packages in the post, a little spinning and an interesting find.

 Hi

Welcome to December !! Where has this year gone? I've now been at home for just over 8 months and it still feels a little weird. I'm actually only on my own until around 1pm then hubby gets back full of work woes and usually snoozes through part of the afternoon. Starting work at 3am has that effect although this last week he has been on 4am starts so there has been more conversation.

Our hope of getting away for Christmas is still hanging by a thread, we are due for a review 16 December and we are keeping everything crossed for a change in Tier (Uk currently in Tiers which carry different levels of restrictions) so we can make a dash for a campsite for a few days to escape the Christmas madness.

Over the last few years we have developed a routine of waking Christmas day in the van, music on, chilling then walking round the country park. It won't be the same if we have to stay in the house :-(

Anyway, enough of my moans !! Postie made a couple of trips to us this week..

I spotted this on eBay so its now in my sewing crate ready for the right moment. Also, whilst on eBay I spotted a box of bits on offer at an opened bid of  £1, so I put a bid on.

For £1 plus postage I acquired this little lot, again stocking the sewing crate for future use.

I hope to have the blackwork finished by the end of this week. I found a frame during my search for patterns and hopefully this will fit nicely.

I'm still working on my hat, nothing much more to show at the moment but I did get my spinning wheel out a couple of days ago as I had found a bag of mixed breed, combed fleece oddments. These were promptly popped through the drum carder.

There is some shetland, manx and romney in there plus other bits left over from previous spins. I usually spin 100-120 gm per skein and if I have any oddments I've popped them in the bag. So far I've spun up a couple of 100gm or so and there is probably another 2/300 to go. Rustic yarn (not washed yet), I may over dye but not sure yet.

Lastly, Ian regularly checks Facebook market place for vinyl, cds etc and at the weekend he spotted a jigsaw for me. I've had my eyes on one called the Weavers shed which has quits and spinning wheels in it but he spotted this one which we hadn't seen before.

lets turn it the right way up, it will make more sense.

This is one for the future, I'm slowly collecting pictures etc to frame and go on the workroom wall eventually and this will join them.

That's about if for both moaning and crafting. I'll leave you with some of the beautiful sunsets/sunrises from the last week.

Have a great week, take care, speak soon xx