UFOs

This is one of my first Rowandean kits; it's called "Hilltop Farm". It's quite big and measures 22" x 29" (585 mm x 737 mm). The background fabric is wool and it's worked in wool and stranded cottons. All the embroidery is complete and I list it amongst my UFOs because I haven't got round to framing it despite having been finished about 4 years ago !!

"Hilltop Farm"

---oooOooo---

This is another one of the Rowandean kits called "Bindweed". It measures 253mm x 304mm.

The main picture is on a wool background worked in stranded floss thread and wool (It will need a stretch and then the embroidered mount put on).

The fabric for the mount is brown wool which has been worked in stranded cottons. All the embroidery has been done, what I need to get round to doing is actually putting it all together and get it framed. Well one of these days ...

---000O000---

This one is kind of inbetween a UFO and WIP. It's another Rowandean called "Footpath to Quarndon" (I just love all the textured wools) and is another biggie measuring 22" x 29".

It's still on my large work frame so hasn't quite got relegated to the cupboard but as I'm not likely to work on it in the next few months it's probably more of a UFO at present.

As you can see I've got a fair bit of work to do on this one.

Time Out From Training - A Stitching Treat

Today I had a "day off" from walking, and went instead with my friend and colleague, Carole, to the "Stitching & Crafts" Exhibition at GMEX in Manchester.

It has been such a long time since we've been able to go to one of these as the past few always seemed to have fallen when I was away. I'd had a leaflet sent to me and seen it advertised on TV but I'd not really given it much thought as I've been needing to spend every weekend walking (trying to get in at the least a 4 1/2 hours walk each day and 6 1/2 hours weather permitting). But at the last minute Carole talked me into it and we decided to go - telling ourselves all the while we wouldn't spend much, we'd just go for a look!!

One of the first things we did when we arrived was to check out the Workshops which were scheduled throughout the day. We both love needlecrafts, particularly embroidery, and one of the workshops was for "Gold Work" and as this is something we've always liked the look of and kept saying we'd give it a try some time, we couldn't wait to get booked on to it. The workshop was run by "Golden Hinde" of Warrington and as it was for just 45 minutes it was run as a quick introduction / taster session. We had three project motifs to choose from; a heart, paisley design and abstract triangular motif (we both ended up choosing the same design - the paisley, which was just as well as the heart was the most popular choice and got snapped up). Of course 45 minutes went by in no time at all - just enough to whet the appetite! We really enjoyed it and would love to do a full day's course one day.

The "Golden Hinde" Stall

Advising a Customer

Gold Work Workshop - Quietly stitching away

Carole Concentrating on her Couching

Paisley Sample Piece - Gold Threads on Silk

The Seahorse looks gorgeous and of course now having done the starter project I just had to buy one teensy weensy little kit

The Golden Hinde's web site;- http://www.golden-hinde.co.uk/

We spent the rest of the day looking at every stand in GMEX - there is so much to see, lots and lots of beautiful designs on display. We could have bought sack loads of stuff, and it was extremely tempting but we both have "stashes" of every kind of needlecraft kit going and cupboards practically bulging at the seams so we tried to restrain ourselves (and we did fairly well by repeating the mantra must finish this or must finish that ). We did, however, catch the "stitching bug" again and we came away from the show all enthused and ready to dust off our embroidery hoops and make some time (no matter how much we procrastinate how busy we are) and finally get round to "doing a bit" again.

"Just Out Walking"

The strong winds and flurry of snow this past week has not been very conducive to keeping my walking mileage up - my footwear simply isn't up to the job on glass like ice. So I was quite pleased that most of the ice had thawed out and I was able to get out and about "up on the tops". The typically wintry conditions this week seems to have kept people off Bleaklow and instead of the constant trickle of (experienced) walkers (I'm still only a beginner), I only came across 'one man and his dog' and another solitary figure on the descent back to Glossop. I had no particular mileage aim today, simply to enjoy mooching about, taking a few photos on the way. By the time I got home I'd clocked up a total of 10 1/2 miles which wasn't too bad for pottering about !

The Big Thaw - Only a very light dusting of snow left on "Lightside"

"Wigan Clough"

Looking out towards Shire Hill

Doctor's Gate (Path) back down to Glossop

Taken on Mouselow Hill whilst on the Way Home

Bog Trotting on Bleaklow

For the past few weeks now the weather has been pretty miserable "our way"; pouring rain and strong winds (although that's pretty much the norm for this time of year) and the hill tops have been so misty you just can't see a thing. Today though we had a brief respite from all that, and it was bliss!

Due to the crummy weather the past few weekends I had actually decided I was going to use the day to catch up on some desperately needed housework & shopping, but the blue sky was so unexpected and just too good to miss, so despite being quite late on in the day it was on with my rucksack and head for the hills! My route was to walk from my home in Hadfield to Glossop, head up Lightside and Yellow Slacks onto Bleaklow, potter about taking pictures of the Hern & the Wain stones then see how much time was left before getting back down to Glossop and home before it got dark (a total of 12 miles altogether)

The sky was pure blue and although still windy, not enough to knock you off your feet which really got to be a pain when trying to go up onto Bleaklow weekend before last (I ended up having to turn round and go another route instead). I love tramping about on the moors and I feel really put out when it gets too foggy for me to go walking across the "tops", so this break in the weather was more than welcome. Although it was a fine day for walking, the constant rain these past few weeks meant it was particulary soggy once away from the stony channels leading up from Yellow Slacks & Dowstone Clough and I don't think it would be too much of an exaggeration to say the sound of squelching totally drowns out the sound of the wind in parts (and that's saying something). Even with careful negotiation I still found avoiding calf deep stinking squelchiness impossible!!!

Walking from Hadfield towards Glossop along Cemetery Road
(Shirebrook Hill on the right, )

Looking out From Yellow Slacks

Lots of pictures of stones now coming up !!

At the Hern Stones -Bleaklow

Close up - Hern Stones

Looking across the Moorland from Hern Stones

The Wain Stones

The Wain Stones (Kissing Stones)

View across the moor from the Wain Stones

Looking out towards Yellow slacks (brook below)

This site is worth checking out for brief information on Bleaklow and Derbyshire towns/villages:-

http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/features/bleaklow.php

Happy, Healthy New Year to Everybody !!!

Hope you had a stress free and enjoyable Christmas with some nice surprises in your stocking from Santa.

By far the most popular saying muttered time and again in my workplace (and come to think of it by nearly every female I know) is .... "I don't know where the time has gone, its just flown by". Well I'm sorry to start the New Year off not only repeating it, but by putting it into print as well as for ages now I've been meaning to do catch up sessions and update the pages and I hate to say it but ... "I don't know where the time has gone !!" I will endeavour to do better over the next few weeks and hopefully publish some backdated pages although the fundraising pretty much stopped for a while back in September whilst we went on our trip to China followed by a family wedding in Loch Lomond virtually as we got back to the UK. Since then every weekend in November was taken up with walking (major concentration on getting the fitness levels back up after being on our travels) and it seems like every weekend in December was taken up with shopping and family matters! So in one way I am glad the Christmas season is over and I'm looking forward to the brand new year!! Before I sign off, I'd just like to say:-

Thank you so much for visiting my pages and for all the support that has been given these past few months.

Here's wishing you all the very best for 2007.

Deborah xxx