As Promised.

I said in my last post that I had a finish and two WIPs to share.

First up is the finish.

I have finally completed the bright and colourful shrug. It is very cosy to wear. 

There was no one around to help take photos and we don't yet have a full length mirror, so you'll have to take my word for how well it fits!

That done, I have returned to the throw I showed previously. It is growing nicely. I have added more rounds of the bluish yarn and last night added two more rounds of black. I plan to keep on going until the yarn runs out. It is also a very cosy project.

 And last but not least, my beautiful Spring Geisha. That's the sky pretty much finished. I spent some time last night putting the back stitches around some of the flowers and leaves. I plan to finish that later today, before getting on with the fan and her hands.

Stash Acquisition.

 Since we moved into our own little rental, I don't visit the Sally shop as often as I was doing. It's no longer on my way to anywhere! I do still make the effort to call in every couple of weeks though, especially when a friend tips me off that they have restocked their yarn baskets.

 I have quite a haul now and I guess it's time to come clean and admit just how much stash I have acquired!

It would have been criminal to leave this pretty green in the shop.

Shame there wasn't more of that variegated yarn, it goes very nicely with the green.

 I've started collecting little colourful bundles for my next scrappy adventure.

 And my collection of naturals is also growing. There is almost enough to make another BIG blanket.

Last time I visited I noticed that there had been a big tidy up and an influx of other needlecraft items. A quick dig through the pattern box brought up these two wall quilt patterns.

So they came home with me too!

*

I have a finish and two WIPs to show off, but I'll save those for another day.

*

Still no word on my sewing table, I'll chase them up later today.

Might start looking at prices for replacements too. :-(

I stitched!

 Before! 

The above shot is how I left her on the Isle of Man waaaay back in January.

I did have her with me in NZ all this time, and I did have her out one day, but only managed about an hour of stitching. I seem to remember not being able to settle.

Yesterday I did settle, I was very settled and only stopped stitching when it got too dark to do so!

Then when Tony got home, he was instructed to set up my daylight lamp and after dinner I stitched some more.

Just a reminder, this is Spring Geisha, designed by Joan Elliot and kitted by Design Works Inc.

I plan to stitch some more today. :-)

Progress

It's frosty this morning! 

I have to say I'm loving these frosty winter mornings. They all turn into warm sunny days.

Not like a British winter at all!

 While I was out taking pictures of frosty leaves and pegging out an early wash, I popped into the man cave. Here you see the mound of flattened boxes awaiting removal, and a few boxes stuffed with crumpled paper, also to be removed. That neater pile at the back are keepers though.

 And another pile of keepers! We have one more move to make. This is a rental house, when we find the right place, we will buy our forever house. No more moves.

 The washing machine is still earning it's passage. It's on it's third load already today! Having caught up on all the crushed clothing from the container, now I'm onto the usual weekly laundry.

And yes, there are still boxes in the laundry.

They contain some of our MANY pictures.

Great big windows make for less picture hanging space. 

 The play room is starting to take shape. For now I have the big computer in there.

I even sacrificed my cutting table, until such time as we get a desk.

So now I have no sewing tables. Still no word on my folding table, I should get onto Pickfords and see what if anything they might have discovered. The majority of the boxes here are sewing and craft related stuff. I think I need more storage! Did I really bring that much stuff? And to think, I got rid of loads. I thinned out when we moved in with Mum, then again when it was time for the big move.

 Our lovely table, it seems small in this house, but filled the room at mums. (I know some people do, but I will never put a sewing machine on this table.)

 Some very special people followed me.

 And one very elegant lady.

 The place is really feeling much cosier now.

 We even found that vital part for the TV. Eventually. 

 I might sit here for a while later.

I trashed nearly all of my beautiful nails! They chipped and broke in the marathon of unpacking, so yesterday I was off to see Carlee, they were beyond repair and rescue. She gave me a manicure, evened things up and put new colour on. I'll get a picture later.

I really am enjoying being able to have pretty nails after 20+ years of having them for special occasions only.

It's all here!

Our container was delivered on Saturday morning!

Yippie!

We have spent the last three days moving and unpacking boxes.

Most important room first.

Somewhere amid this lot are 4 sewing machines!

Shame my big table is missing though.

The box was opened for inspection by MAF!

The boys on the van said they will look into it this week. Maybe it will be found, maybe not.

 Two more very important machines.

The washing machine has worked very hard over the last two days.

It was lovely of Tonys brother and family to share their machine with us, but it is lovely to be able to just get stuck in whenever I want.

The tumbler has only had a test run. The weather is beautiful so everything went onto the line to dry. 

Bliss.

 My kitchen is with me again.

 There were boxes every where.

 One very important item didn't fit into the box with the TV. 

The bracket which fastens the TV to it's stand was put in a safe place, in a bits of this and that box!!

I could see his growing desperation as he opened box after box searching for it.

There were only two sealed boxes remaining by the time he found it. 

 The rest of our clothing has arrived, it's good to see and wear something different!

Also amid the bedroom stuff was all of our blankets hand made and other wise and of course my lovely hand made quilts.

 Joe was a happy boy when he found his flag. He dashed straight out to the front of the house to tie it up somewhere.

There is still a little work to do, but we are over the worst of it and I can putter on my own to get it finished.

You know how it is, some things go around in circles several times before they find their home.

Time to put my feet up and chill with a glass of wine.

I deserve it.