Author: SpinningStreak

Before the spinning wheels sucked me in, and quite some years before Etsy attacked my time, I indulged in these. Most of the designs are still available as printed kits – from Kaffe Fassett and Candace Bahout at Ehrman tapestries, for example.

But the ones I really love are these:

They are not printed on the canvas – they are counted stitch designs and are much more interesting to work. They came as kits by designers like Jane Rainbow – popular a couple of decades ago but now almost impossible to find.

Sadly, there were once more….including my very best one…

Certain Unnamed Members of my family were sprawling around on them late at night, left them all over the floor in front of the open fire, THEN left the fireguard off and went to bed…smoke everywhere, seriously charred wooden floorboards, ruined tapestry…We were actually very lucky that night.

All a long time ago.

Just found all our Christmas mugs! They’ve been missing for three years, about 20 of them, in several bags. I’ve hunted everywhere….don’t even ask! But I’m ridiculously excited to produce them again.

Etsy is now on fire with Christmas offerings.

We certainly decorate the house (it does lend itself to Christmas faffing – it has the staircase, fireplaces and high ceilings) but otherwise we don’t go overboard. It’s true there is an escaped salt cellar known as HoHo that has kept us company all year (missed the boat back into the roof, as it were) but I’m not keen on making seasonal items like Christmas jumpers – just too short a life, even if you drag them out for years! I’ll probably add some smaller items though.

Especially The Owl – a precious decoration produced by my artist daughter. No doubt with a nod to Harry Potter, but actually inspired by an insanely expensive Christmas decoration spotted a few years ago.

So this is the traditional start to the Christmas Cleaning. Really not sure I’m ready for this….

Of this long, exhausting day.

Nothing I could google solved the mystery of the MacBook stripes. Most explanations pointed to water damage or being dropped – neither happened. The device was in perfect order, then left unopened for 10 days before it started sulking. So now it has to be sent away.

After I had sorted this we had to drive 80 miles to meet up with other family members. Nine of us, from four generations, went out for dinner to celebrate a 98th birthday – such a special occasion, but many delays on the way home – so more than ready to crash now!

Am feeling a little oppressed by this lot today. It is a random shot taken from where I am sitting and it is nothing like (NOWHERE NEAR) half of the total…..Two more rooms, all the dyeing kit, two weaving looms, another wheel, plus my whole Etsy stash of about 900 items….

Usually I feel pretty content amongst it all but I’m overwhelmed right now. Decisions, decisions!