A new project

You might remember that last week I showed you my finished crochet blanket. One of the great things about finishing something is that I can now give myself permission to work on something new :)

I already had in mind to work on a new crochet project but hadn't quite decided what it would be.  All I knew is that I wanted it to be something to help me reduce this huge pile of yarn that I have hanging around.

A while back I subscribed to a partwork magazine and this is all the yarn that came free with it.  The idea was to make a blanket and teach yourself various crochet techniques along the way....well of course I never did get round to it, and realising that I never would make the blanket that this was intended for I figured I should make use of it rather than having it hanging around forever.

While I was musing over what I might make a friend of mine happened to comment on a picture of the starburst blanket that I put up on my facbook page.  This friend is due to have a baby in a couple of months and tongue in cheek asked if I had time could I make her a baby blanket.  Well what a great idea for my next project I thought.

I know she's having a boy so I pulled out some of the blues and found this cute pattern that I'd pulled from a magazine a while ago.  She doesn't read my blog so hopefully I can get this done in time and she'll like the surprise.

I'm also still working on my teacup cross stitch but I will post an update on that another time, who knows maybe it'll even be finished by the time I get to it......here's hoping :)

Exploring my new hood - part one

This has been one crazy busy week, I think I mentioned in my last post that all the bits and pieces of my life have been packed up and moved in to storage. So it's been a crazy packing, cleaning, trips to the recycling centre and charity shop kind of week.  But as a little reward to myself I took a break from the madness on Wednesday afternoon and went for a wander round my new neighbourhood in the snow just to see what I could find.

I've already discovered its a really friendly neighbourhood, I only had to stepped out the door and I'd made a new pal

The view from the top of the hill where James lives ... my temporary home for the next couple of weeks

I know some people think graffiti is an eyesore, but I just see some wonderful artwork, and a lovely burst of colour in an otherwise white world.

I had a great time wandering, just heading wherever my feet decided to lead me, seeing whatever there was to see. 

Snow always makes everything look so beautiful, don't you think?

I stumbled across some great buildings.  Swindon gets a bad wrap, it's not the most exciting, metropolitan or glamorous of towns but there are some jewels to be seen if you just keep your eyes wide open.

I think my best discovery of the day was this amazing huge park, only a couple of minutes walk from the flat I will eventually be moving to.  Before my little wander I didn't even realise it was there.

It's a real bonus to discover such a great public open space just a short stroll away particularly as I'm moving to a place that doesn't have any outside space of its own.  There are great views over the town from this park too, I'm so excited to see how this place changes with the seasons.

This next shot is my favourite of the day taken in the park.  Who knew that Swindon could like like such a perfect winter wonderland?

No wonder I'm looking happy, if somewhat cole.  I'm so looking forward to moving in and exploring more of what the new neighbourhood has to offer.

First Finish of 2013

All the hibernating under the crochet on Sunday paid off and the Starburst Flower blanket is now finished :)

The light has been rubbish for photo taking inside but this is probably the best shot I got

 .... on the kitchen floor, not exactly the most glamorous location.  But hey I'm not really bothered about that I'm just super excited that I made it to the end of my first largish crochet project.  It's taken me a while to get finished but I do have this nasty habit of working on million things at once so nothing ever really gets done quickly :)

I'd love to have been able to turn this into a bigger bed blanket rather than a throw, but the yarn I chose to work with is just too expensive for me to be able to do that right now.

I can't wait to find the perfect spot in my flat for this once I get moved.  For now it's just flung over one of the chairs at James' place.

There has been a bit of a delay with the completion of sale on the flat I'm buying so it might be another couple of weeks before I'm settled.  In the meantime all my things have gone into storage and I've moved in with my lovely man, James.  I love waking up with him every morning but I need to hope the completion moves along without too many more delays as the longer I'm here the harder it will be to leave :)

Lazy Sundays

Is there anything better than enjoying a lazy Sunday? I don't generally need any special reason to justify the luxury of a lazy Sunday, but if I did .... well the world outside today still looks like this

With all the white outside I figured I needed a bit of colour in my life, and so this is why I decided that one of these was the order of the day for breakfast

Ok, I know a trifle bakewell may not be the healthiest of ways to start the day, but I really needed the colour boost ;-) That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!

If you happen to need me, well the rest of the day you'll find me snuggled up watching TV, eating more yummy food (there is a roast beef dinner on the way courtesy of the wonderful man in my life, James), working on this blanket (only a few more rows to add and some ends to work in) and generally keeping warm and hiding from the big white world outside.

Hope you all have a happy Sunday xx

It's party time

If you are here from the Grow your Blog event being hosted by Vicki at 2 Bags Full then welcome to my small space in blog land, it's lovely to have you here.

I'm looking forward to getting to know a few more bloggers out there.  It's brilliant getting to know people from all around the world.

This is me, a bit of a crazy picture I know, but it cracks me up.  It was taken while I was on holiday in Malta at the end of last year.  The little boy is my nephew, my sister and her family are living in Malta at the moment so hopefully I'll have many trips to that lovely island to look forward to.

I'm Angela, and have been keeping my blog for 7 years now.  My blogging journey began way back in 2006.  I had lost my Mum to cancer christmas 2005 and needed an outlet, a distraction from the grief.  My Mum taught me to knit and sew when I was a youngster and keeping busy crafting has seen me through many an up and down on this crazy journey that is life.

When I first started my posts were mostly about quilting and cross stitch, but these days pretty much anything and everything goes.  As well as crafting I love walking and photography, so you'll find all that on here as well family stuff, my holiday snaps and pretty much anything else that tickles my fancy.

I am planning on having a giveaway as part of this fabulous party, but I haven't yet decided what the prize will be.  You'll have to bare with me I'm in the middle of a house move, and I'm sure you all know how crazy that can be ..... especially when the world outside looks like this

 ... and of course the world inside looks mostly like this.

Once I get back to normal I'll figure it out but if you don't mind a bit of a mystery prize leave a comment and you'll be entered.  Draw will take place on 1st February.  In the meantime thank you for popping by to my little corner of blog world.

Grow your blog

I just found out about this fun event happening in blogland in a few days. If you're quick you might still be able to sign up and join in the fun if you fancy :) Go here and follow the link in the side bar

It's been a while.......

.... since I worked on some cross stitch. But I figured a bit of embroidery would be the perfect portable project to take with me when visiting friends and family over Christmas and new year. I think the last time I mentioned this one was way back here in May last year.

Isn't it funny how our moods and opinion change over time? This project has been sat languishing for months as the last time I worked on it all those many months ago I remember thinking how little I was enjoying it. Fast forward several months, the mood takes me to pick it up again and I'm loving it.

I love the beautiful soft colours, I love the challenge of working on linen and most of all I'm really loving the mix of stitches that this pattern uses. I'm even enjoying backstitching the details in, which I've usually found to be one of the most frustrating parts of any cross stitch design that requires it.

There is still a little way to go.  I still have at least half of the border to finish and one more tea cup.  But I'm going to try and 'make hay while the sun is shining'  If I keep going while the enthusiasm is with me I'm sure it'll get done in no time.

What  project are you working on at the moment that has you smiling and enjoying every minute of your time that goes in to it?

Creative Goals for 2013

I'm back to work and a 'normal' routine this week, which has been a bit of a shock after two wonderful weeks off.  I hope to get round to sharing more about what I got up to over the holidays, especially the lovely day trip to Whitby that I went on, but that will be for another time.

For now my evenings are full of packing in readiness for my house move.  Packing isn't exactly the most thrilling of activities and inevitably my mind goes off for a wander.  My thoughts have been turning to creative goals for the year.

I think the main thing I want to achieve is to do more, last year I wasn't very productive ..... though some of you have commented on my last post to say that it looks like I was very busy.  I think I had a busy start to the year and tailed off in the second half but that was fine, it was what I needed.

I have stuck a list of the projects that I want to work on this year in the side bar, and really it is much the same as last, with a couple of new additions.  I am promising myself that I can only start something new once I have finished something on the list.  So hopefully the list will be quite fluid, and while it may not get any shorter the items on it will change.

There are a couple of things on there that shouldn't take too much effort to finish so these will be the first priorities, the scarf, the throw and the 'Take Time' cross stitch.  Take Time got worked on over the holidays so I'll be back with an update post on that one soon.

Once I get moved I'll hopefully have plenty more opportunities to be creative away from stitching, there will be decorating and embellishing to do at home :)

Phew, well thinking about all this activity is wearing me out so time for a sugar injection.  I'm off to tuck in to one of these delicious handcrafted cuties that I found among the presents labelled just for me on Christmas day.

2012 year in review

I hope you all had a wonderful christmas and new year.  I had a lovely time visiting family and friends, have barely stopped smiling for the last two weeks its been brilliant.

Today I am at home for the first time in two weeks, a short but welcome visit.  A day to recharge before dashing across country again tomorrow to visit my little brother.  And all too soon Monday will be here and it's back to work.

2012 has been a funny year really, I have taken things at a slower pace.  Less walking, less creating, less reading, less everything that I usually do to keep myself amused.  traditionally I  might beat myself up for not cramming something productive into every minute of every day but I've been happy and I guess i just needed a slower pace of life for a while.  Time to wind up again for 2013 though.  I have so many things planned for this year, starting with a house move in the next couple of weeks so the year will get off to a busy start.  I can't wait.

I hope you all have an amazing, peaceful and happy 2013 xx

It's time to clear out my lists kept in the sidebar and to start with them afresh, so the following is just a little round up of my year in 2012

Projects I've completed in 2012

• Water lily crochet cushion
• Knitted Hat
• Knitted caterpillar for corsham yarn bombing
• Salmon birth totem cross stitch
• Yellow house on the Hill embroidery
• Bison in the buttercups embroidery
• 7 handmade thank you cards

Movies I've watched in 2012

• The Hobbit: An unexpected journey
• Skyfall
• Rust and bone
• Frankenweenie
• ParaNorman
• The Watch
• The Bourne Legacy
• Ice Age 4
• Judge Dredd
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Amazing Spiderman
• Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter
• Snow white and the huntsman
• Men in Black 3
• Prometheus
• Dark Shadows
• American Pie: The Reunion
• Avengers Assemble
• Cabin in the Woods
• Battleship
• Head Hunters
• Mirror Mirror 
• Wrath of the Titans
• We bought a zoo
• Hunger Games 
• Contraband
• Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• The Vow
• The Muppets
• Woman in Black
• The Artist
• Monster in Paris
• Underworld Awakening
• Mission Impossible

Books I've read in 2012

• Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
• Fifty Shades Darker by EL James
• Fifty Shades Freed by EL James
• The Magicians Apprentice by Trudi Canavan
• Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
• Prince of Thorn by Mark Lawrence
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

Places I've visited in 2012

• Avebury, Wilts
• Brean, Somerset
• Caen Hill Locks, Devizes
• Castle Combe, Wilts
• Cherhill, Wilts
• Glastonbury, Wilts
• Gwithian, Cornwall
• Holmfirth, Yorkshire
• Huddersfield, Yorkshire
• Kingswear, Devon
• London
• Malta
• Northampton
• Okehampton, Devon
• Osmington, Dorset
• Paignton, Devon
• Portland, Dorset
• Purton, Glos
• Ross on Wye, Herefordshire
• Stourhead, Wilts
• Studland, Dorset
• Teign Gorge, Devon
• Weymouth, Dorset
• Whitby, Yorkshire
• Zennor, Cornwall