The post without a title

I've just looked at the photos I finally remembered to upload to photobucket last night and I realise I don' t have much to post about at all!  I'm going to have to go on a mad crafting mission this weekend so I have something to post next week.  In the meantime, I think I can just about scrape a post or two together!

So, it's going to be random bits and bobs today.  I thought I'd share some photos of what I'm working on, any maybe a little story or two.  Not a bedtime story, more of a factual story.  That doesn't make sense, does it?  OK, I'm going to tell you what happened to my poor Colin this morning and I might think of some other crap to share along the way, if you're very, very lucky.

I've been seeing a lot of embroideries in hoops around and I wanted to get in on the action.  I really wanted to stitch some flowers in a teacup but couldn't find a pattern, so I had to attempt to draw the cup and I'm making the flowers up as I go along.  I'm hoping it looks weird as I haven't done any embroidery on the cup and saucer to give them depth yet and the flowers don't have stalks or leaves yet either.  But probably it looks weird as I'm crap at embroidery.

The two flowers on the right are done in satin stitch.  I can't think of a single other filling stitch.  I've had my embroidery books out and there's nothing that would be suitable.  I mean, there are probably plenty of stitches that would be suitable, but I'm not seeing them.  I don't think I'm destined to become a master embroideress.

I can cross stitch though.  I found a gorgeous Rennie Mackintosh pattern in an old cross stitch magazine and knew I'd make my mum a pair of cushions.  There are actually two patterns - one to stitch on black Aida and one on white.  These are the colours of thread I'm using:

Yum.  They actually look better in real life, more jewel like.  I've told myself before about taking pictures at night, but do I listen?  No, I don't.

Of course, having taken the picture in the evening, the colours are a bit washed out, they are actually really beautiful and I'm enjoying stitching this. Only about 48 hours worth of stitching to go if the stitching time stated in the magazine is anywhere near accurate!! 

I've been crocheting too.  I'm up to round 31 on the giant granny but completely failed to take a photo.  And I'm up to 10 Big Knit hats.  These are so quick to crochet.  I found a pattern on Ravelry, there's a Big Knit Ravelry Group which I've joined.  It has loads of free knitting patterns linked up and some fab crochet patterns.  No excuse knitting/crocheting UK ladies!

I'm using up odds and sods of yarn, but I had to arrange them in a rainbow formation of course!  Ooh, I haven't told you about Colin yet, sorry, I've got a cracking headache (yet another one) and so I'm finding it hard to concentrate... I'd better hurry up though as I've only got 20 minutes of lunch hour left.

So, Colin.  You all know who Colin is don't you?

Nope, not my husband.  He's the beautiful little bunny about to enter the tunnel there.  Ellis, the white bunny, is his ladyfriend.

Anyway, I went out to feed my buns this morning and all I could see of Colin was his bum sticking out of his bed.  He was scrabbling around and scratching and kicking straw and generally acting very strange.  He's usually such a placid, gentle, wonderful little bunny.  He obviously heard me so came out of his bed.  He had loads of straw in his mouth.  I thought it was a bit odd as I've never seen him, or any of the bunnies, carry anything in their mouths, they usually favour kicking as a moving method.  He ran downstairs and sat next to Ellis, straw still in his mouth, looking very downcast.  I reached in and pulled the straw and it was caught behind his teeth.  The poor little mite!  I don't know how long he'd had that straw in his mouth - I'd fed them about 8:30 the night before and so he could have been like that all night.  I felt so terrible.  Minutes after being freed from the straw he was scoffing his breakfast, so I don't think it caused any lasting trauma to him.

Speaking of cross stitch, well we were talking about Colin weren't we, but we were talking about cross stitch a while ago.  Well I was.  Anyway, I don't hold much truck with cross stitch magazines.  I'd bought a big bundle from a charity shop last year and although they had some nice motifs in them, they were pretty fuddy duddy.  I was in Melton Mowbray the other weekend and spotted the latest four issues of Cross Stitcher for just a pound each.  I picked them up and spent the weekend devouring them.  Wow, what a change!  The magazine has had a complete overhaul and is fresh and young and full of motifs I want to stitch.  All four magazines have post-its hanging out of them and I'm going to subscribe.  Just what I need, another magazine subscription! 

On that subject, what did you all think of last issue's Mollie Makes?  I think it's going downhill, already.  I'm hoping it was just a bad issue, but it was basically "how to make little things out of felt".  Hmmm, not impressed.

Right, that's it, I have to stop prattling now.  I'll leave you lovely ladies alone and go and hassle my colleague to make me a cup of coffee, just because I think it's a man's job!