Long awaited update

 Dearest blog readers, I am lay in bed whilst I write this update. I am a wee bit poorly you see. Three weeks at work and I'm exhausted. I have a very sore throat - no doubt from all the talking I do in the classroom - and I am very bunged up and full of a cold. Hubby is away again so I am left to play the single, working mum again. Poor kids have had to entertain themselves this weekend as mum has been lay flat on her back in bed. Dvds to the rescue. Yesterday, I couldn't talk at all and dd made me a fine notebook to write all my messages in to her. Oh and a little bell to ring if I needed anything. They were so good. Today I am feeling a little better but need to take it easy so I can be right for work tomorrow.

Work. Such a harsh word for this job I have undertaken. I see it more of an extended hobby. It's really great. The pupils are great. The staff are great. The leadership is great. Even though I have been away from teaching for nearly nine years now, it s as if I have never been away. It is all coming back to me. Things that I get worried or nervous about don't actually happen. There are the natural stresses and it is very tiring. Unfortnately the drive in was made much worse last week as they shut some of the roads due to the two policewomen being murdered - it was in the news and it is on my way to work - so traffic was backed up and one day it took me an hour to get in whereas normally it would take 25 mins.

My brood have settled in really well as well and don't want to leave at the end of the day. They have really made that school their own and there is such a lovely sense of belonging there. It is like one big, happy family. So, so far so good. Just need to get some extra vits in me I think to keep the bugs away.

Onto crafing then.... I have been a busy bee this month it seems. Just when I thought I wouldn't get any time for stitching, here I am with a finish. This is Ann Taylor from Heartstring Samplery.

This was such a joy to work on. I coffee dyed my own fabric - Brittney I think it was - 28 count and used the called for DMC threads. Really nice to work on and I see Beth Twist has two lovely new ones out as well... ho hum... I also managed to finish a baby blanket for my friend who has just had a new baby boy. I am not too sure if the pink makes it too girly but hey ho - modern times and all that - I have bought her a little extra thing just in case she hates it. I am really pleased with it. I used Lucy's bobble edging from Attic 24 to border it and love the overall look of it. So here is my Elmer baby blanket:

It is mostly Stylecraft special with an odd square of Hayfield bonus thrown in for good measure. I have also started the japanese flower shawl/scarf I have been meaning to do for ages as well. All this time in bed hey??? This is using Debbie Bliss Angel which is a kidsilk mohair. I am using a 5 mm hook for these ones and guess what?? This one is going to be for me!!!!! No giving this one away I can tell you. I will finally own my own flower shawl. Now sure if I am going to make it triangular or straight yet. Time will tell. It took me a while to finally decide on how I was going to crochet this so I went with cream centres. Do you like it? Do you think it will look okay?

And lastly..... since this post is going to be my September entry into the Wipcocalypse, having finished the Ann Taylor, I thought I would show you which samler I am working on next....

It's the Elisabeth Lillie sampler! She is such a joy to work on. This is a reproduction sampler by McIntosh samplers and I am stitching her on 34 ct Legacy linen in Oaten Scone and using the called for DMCs. Hopefully, I will make more progress on her this year too. Some of you may be wondering where the picture is taken at the top of this post. It was taken a couple of weekends ago when the sun came out for a final peek before the Autumn breezed in. It is the top of Mam Tor which is quite near us. We took some crackers and cheese and a hot flask of coffee and butties and biscuits for the kids and trundled off for a walk up the hill. It was lovely and so nice to have some good quality family time. Here are a few more shots. There are lots of interesting artifacts up there as it is an ancient Anglo Saxon/Celtic site.

So thats me for now. Hope you enjoyed my little update. Now I am getting back to some stitching or crochet whilst I can. I wish I could go out as it is now officially Autumn I am told. Autumn being my absolute favourite season. Snuggly times and the smell of crisp fallen leaves and that smell of leaf decay in the air mingled with frost. LOVE it. Have a lovely Sunday one and all.

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