Another lockdown

 Once again we have a nationwide lockdown and this time community spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant.   I admit to thinking  “oh no not again” but I have plenty of food in the fridge and freezer and ample stash in the embroidery cupboard so I will be able to sit out this siege quite comfortably.   How fortunate that I had been to the library just the day before!

I decided that I don’t need another big project but can use the time to complete various smaller tasks so yesterday I finished the stitching on the book cover.   I’m so pleased with this and hope to finish it off completely by the end of the week.

Today I cut up two old towels that had threadbare patches at each end.  With the still thick and absorbent middle area I made a couple of kitchen towels.   My friend Sophie gave me instructions as to how to do the binding and for a first attempt it went reasonably well.   My current kitchen towels were a gift when I left Japan in 1987 so they have lasted well.   The binding efforts today are preparation for the inevitable day when holes do break through:)

And I have started another alphabet panel for the blue bag.   These are fun to stitch even though I get tired with the fine count linen and using only one thread of floss.

Yesterday I received a text message from my doctor - the ultrasound and X-ray that my physio eventually decided were necessary after my fall a month ago showed not the rotator cuff tear he had been blithely treating but a fracture!!   With the current lockdown I’m not able to get to see my doctor until at least the end of next week and meantime have been resisting a visit to Dr Google as I don’t really have any information on which to base a search.   At times like these an inability to tolerate painkillers is really quite a nuisance but this is a good excuse to rest and read??

The DBEM is quite well and has finally agreed to an appointment with the audiologist.  Hopefully hearing aids are to come soon.  

Look at these beauties

 My lovely next door neighbour is the re-incarnation of Beatrix Potter’s Mr McGregor and his garden is something I am trying to emulate.   But it is no good me planting the same vegetables as he does because inevitably he supplies me :). This week it was this perfect cauliflower which I am now going to have to cook in a multitude of ways and freeze as the DBEM cannot eat this vege.   I love a pizza base made with cauliflower rice  so much of it will be frozen in suitable portions for that.  

Yesterday I stitched up the small pocket made with the “thrums” from Claire. I had sat up late to complete the stitching and then had a sore shoulder from the repetition and a sore thumb from pushing the thick thread through the unforgiving canvas.  But the finished result is just what I envisaged and will be most useful.

The luncheon mats are completed too and the DBEM is delighted with them and is being very careful not to spill anything :)

Now I have only four projects lying in the basket so have promised myself I will not start anything new until two of those are finally finished.  Onwards and upwards!  I am making some progress on the notebook cover too - the chives, the tansy and the sage are complete.   Just the borage and the comfrey to go.  Can you tell this is from an English book?   

Well that's all for  now.

A new start

 Last week a friend gave me a pile of "thrums" from her weaving and I diligently separated them into blue and white and then pondered what use I could make of these.   At first I thought tassel but the lengths are too short to successfully make the requisite hanging cord so I thought again and eventually decided on a small zipper closure purse.   The canvas scrap was from stash and I think I even have an appropriate zipper so this could be a very economical project.   So far so good....in the empty diamonds I will stitch satin stitch in the off white thread and although an uninteresting design it will be practical and hard wearing.

And tonight I am back to getting the last Kogin luncheon mat completed.   I have the backing fabric and the pellon so once this one is stitched I can get them both made and into use.

The Blue Alphabet bag is coming along well with three panels complete.   What was originally planned to be eight panels will now be only six and I will finish it into a small hexagonal bag - inspired by a Betsy Morgan project in my new book.

The DBEM gave me this book as an early (very early) birthday present and although I may never stitch all the projects I am having a great deal of pleasure in reading this book thoroughly and drooling over the photos.

It is a very cold night here and we are promised icy winds from the Polar Blast.   Some areas will have snow to sea level - how fortunate we live some distance from the sea!   But it is hot water bottles and extra blankets for both of us:-)