Friday 18 February 2022

Friday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's not been a bad night, weather wise, with just some rain but the wind is now picking up considerably and by seven Beeb says it will be dangerously strong.  It's supposed to be our Slimming World group at nine thirty but I seriously doubt whether it will happen and even if it is still on, I seriously doubt I will go unless the predicted winds don't happen.

I am as prepared as I can be.  Everything is charged up, I have filled a few flasks (must have my coffee) and planned for cold meals, if necessary.  We don't usually lose power round here and, when we do, it tends to come back fairly quickly, but you never know, do you?  I've cleared anything that might be dangerous blowing about in the garden and moved the bins to the side of the house where the walk through served me and the neighbours not joined to my house.
Now to wait . . .

Yesterday went fine.  I did as I planned; popped into Aldi for a small food shop , mostly vegetables, and then went on to Hobbycraft where I found my thread after a bewildered couple of minutes searching along the rows.  There were SO MANY!  Obviously, I did have a nosey around the whole shop but there was an awful lot of plasticky Easter stuff around - chicks and eggs and stuff like that.  Not my thing at all.  There was some nice fabric but I'm not looking for a sewing project right now.

In between bits of housework I did some more back stitching and got all that finished.  The pattern gives French knots all over for snow falling but I don't think I am going to add them as I like it just as it is.  Apart from anything else, my French knots are somewhat 'erratic' at the best of times.
So I've set that aside with the other finished projects (I'll try to remember to take a photo of it); I need to decide which, if any, I want to have framed now.  There's a fair number and I thought maybe it would be quite nice to have a 'seasonal' display, now I have discovered those damage free hooks which, by the way, really are damage free and come off easily once you've finished with them.  So, if I have three of four pictures for each season, I could chop and change with the seasons.

Anyway, I've started another one.  Not one of the two I bought last week but another old one, a stack of teacups with NO BACK STITCHING!  Hurrah!  Plenty of stitching to keep my fingers busy, some patterning to keep my brain engaged but no back stitching! 

Here it is.  I thought it would do for a summer picture.


Today looks pretty much a day for staying inside and counting my blessings, I think.  As mentioned, SW probably won't happen and I'm hoping that the cleaners don't turn out either, unless the winds have died down considerably, although I will have the home ready, in case, of course.

Please, take case, everyone.  If you're lucky enough to escape the storm, that's brilliant. If not, don't make any but the most essential journeys out but stay safe and warm inside.  xx


20 comments:

  1. Your French knots might be erratic but mine are non existent! and that's despite years of trying.
    Stay safe indoors

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    1. I just can't get the hang of them properly. Some work fine and some are just dreadful!
      xx

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  2. You've taken some sensible precautions. I hope you don't get hid hard by the storm.
    My plans for today include staying home, working through a pile of ironing and then possibly some crochet. Xx

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    1. It's been very windy through late morning and the afternoon and we had a bit of sleet too.
      xx

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  3. Mornin' Joy. Hopefully you won't be too badly affected by the storm today as it blows through. We're expecting snow some time today and I'm not sure whether I'll bother with whist today. It depends on how the day turns out. Stay safe. x

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    1. I should stay cosy and safe inside, Cherie.
      xx

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  4. I've really liked all the cross stitch designs you've shown lately. They keep making me want to pick up one of my old ones (or shop for something new) but my eyes are an issue and I can't go for an eye test at the moment. So please let me enjoy it vicariously with plenty of progress pics!

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  5. I like your idea of having a set of pictures for each season. It's a different take on the seasonal mantlepiece displays that a lot of people do.

    You sound well prepared but hope there's no power failure for you. Take care ... it's really getting rough here now so I won't be going out today. xx

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    1. It's been fine so far (now just before two o'clock) but we're getting some fierce gusts at times.
      xx

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  6. French knots are a bit difficult to conquer! They can be so fiddly! I love those gorgeous cross stitch designs you have posted about and the ones you plan to do in the future. They do make me feel like picking up the needle again. I used to do lots of cross-stitching at one time. Don't like the sound of the storm the BBC World announced on the news last night! Very sorry to hear about your blog friend. Stay safe. Amanda x

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    1. Thanks, Amanda. It is very sad about Diane.
      xx

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  7. Love the cross stitch. Am curious...do you like to read? Also any trips planned?

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    1. I do like reading, Brenda. I've just finished a lovely book, Devorgilla Days and am just starting a Bill Bryson book.
      xx

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  8. I love that teacups cross stitch, I have a weakness for pretty china. I should show my little plates sometime, I seem to just keep using the white ones.

    I haven't done any embroidery for years but my Gran taught me and she used to be brilliant at it.

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    1. I'd love to see your pretty china, I really would. xx

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  9. Love the teacups! One clue in my morning crossword today was "Teacup handles". I didn't know they had a name. I will have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it is.

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    1. Nor did I - I've just googled and it does give a suggestion but basically a teacup handle is called - a handle. Who'd have believed that, eh? :-)
      The other suggestion was 'ear'; I don't know if that helps at all.
      xx

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  10. What a lovely design! Okay, I think I told a fib. The worst thing about cross stitching isn't backstitching, it's French Knots, well maybe they tie. Lol. I don't like doing either one of them. That might have been a design I did for Mum. She loved tea.

    Hope you manage not to lose power. It's windy here in Michigan right now. I can hear it howling outside. We do lose power quite a bit, but not yet - touch wood. The worst thing is the cold. It's so bitter here that without heat it can get quite unbearable.

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    1. LOL - well, I didn't do the French knots but I had to do the back stitching. All finished now.
      We didn't lose power here, thankfully, but some villages around did. I can imagine it would be very different where you live - that cold!
      xx

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