A January weekend

 

Walking to the office in the pouring rain on Friday, I spotted these diamond-encrusted stems by the side of the path and simply had to stop to take a photograph.  It was a gloomy day, my mind was elsewhere for most of it and this simple thing was enough to lift my spirits and look forward to the weekend.

Strictly Come Dancing at the NEC yesterday was fun and we enjoyed seeing all our favourites stepping out once again.

Interesting to see just which page Lynn kept  open in her programme.... 

Today we have a quiet day at home and Charlotte's Web is finished.  I struggled to work out how to crochet the edge - had the picture on the pattern been clearer, I could have worked it out, but as it was my crochet experience is insufficient to interpret all but the clearest of directions.  I mulled it over for a couple of days, thinking I didn't want a fringe anyway, before the light dawned and I set to work and completed it.  I'm glad I did - that fringe is a good way of adding a little weight to the edge and once it's blocked, it will be even better.

Thanks Nita for getting me going on that one - you are such a clever and talented friend!

 For much of last evening (when my eyes were averted from Gordon Ramsay's exploits in India*) the extraordinary shapes and colours of last week's anemones captured my attention.  I'd cut them short to go into a small round vase and yet they have continued to grow, some to over a foot high.  The magenta pink of the petals has faded, the deep purply black centres have taken on a hyacinth blue tone and the soft green leaves and stems set it all off so beautifully. I kept looking at them, noticing the negative shapes in between flowers and stems, creating some kind of composition in my head.  I'm not sure I'm ready to throw them away yet, thinking that whilst they keep their colour and shape, they are still beautiful.

*We recorded Gordon Ramsay's latest Indian journey on TV and have watched two of the three programmes so far. Can't bear the man, dislike the foul language and "attitude" but oh my, the Chicken Biryani I cooked from his book on Thursday was good!

Today

I didn't intend this to become a weather blog.  Neither did I mean to document the dull and frankly, rather boring, details of everyday life.  So, fired up with the enthusiasm that results from a re-entry into the world after almost a month of hibernation at home, it's time to place a marker or two about where I am right now, creatively speaking.

Charlotte's Web is taking shape nicely, though I've got to the part where doing one row takes forever.  With only fourteen more rows to go, I'm aiming to get it finished sooner rather than later, because I have these in mind.

Or possibly these.  Who knows, I might even knit both!

Yes, it's that kind of day.

The Christmas Journal is complete and resulted in a bumper edition this year.  Finishing all the details on that, including a couple of pages from Mark about his week in Umea means that my "paper" workspace is looking pretty good right now.

That could be because most of the creative output of the last few days has been taking place elsewhere.

Spotlight has been on the sewing machine, which has been red hot, creating one or two samples for a little project I'm doing with some online chums.

When not sitting at the sewing machine, I've been at my computer, working through an online class exploring the nether reaches of Photoshop.  Time to get the Wacom out and get scribbling.

But my first few pieces of work bore a fair bit of resemblance to Athena posters of the 1970s, so I went a bit off piste, preferring the result of yesterday's creation to previous efforts.  Sometimes, I find it hard to strike out and do my own thing when a class is as prescriptive as this one, but if I'm to learn anything from it, then I have to apply the processes learned in my own way.

 

 The weaving's fine.  I've got myself a copy of a more helpful book.

I now need to work on my posture, for I find that weaving for anything longer than a few minutes leaves me with an aching back.  Not having back trouble of any kind so far, I don't want to start now!

Finally, there's the piles of guilt.  The larger-than-expected quilt top, which I'm building up courage to deal with.  Can I realistically expect to be able to machine quilt it myself?  Should I identify a manageable means of handquilting it?  Or should I cut my losses and get it quilted elsewhere?  There's also the halfway house option, of getting it professionally basted and then doing the quilting myself.  Decisions decisions!

There's also a pile of christmas fabrics sitting on my bench.  Now, wouldn't January be the perfect time to begin on a  couple of small Christmas quilts for 2010?  I have plans for something simple here....maybe a stacked coin design?

Not to mention the piles of books.

Recent reading has been easy, difficult to get into but fine when I did, quick and very entertaining and currently, thought-provoking.  I have my next book group title still to get into, never miind the pile in the photo.

Finally, somewhere in the middle of all of that, there's work to be done.  After all, who couldn't fail to be persuaded into exciting opportunities to hear about the latest vision, presented by dynamic practitioners?

You mean to say you wouldn't be influenced by the venue, a local rugby club?

Out

We were amused by the creative removal of letters from The Bear Inn this morning.

OK, having been deprived of outdoor entertainment for so long, we are easily amused. 

Drip

At last. 

The more it snows...tiddly-pom.....

the more it goes...tiddly-pom....

ON SNOWING!

 

Another two or three inches last night, this time from the South West, with a wind to blow it into the corners of the garden.

 

This time, it's a different kind of snow, wetter and easier to clear

Which is good, because we've done those steps several times already.

We hear on the weather forecast that a thaw will set in soon.  As I was outdoors taking those photographs and clearing a path around the house, I belive I could hear the faintest "drip-drip" in one of the downpipes.

Fingers crossed.