Don’t get too excited, this is a second hand book. But it is beautiful. The Anchor Book of Crewelwork Embroidery Stitches. It has a bunch of stunning patterns at the back to practise your new stitches on and I can say from experience that these Anchor books are tiny but awesome. I love how little they are so you can take it to the park or the cafe or wherever you usually find yourself with time to learn. I used to get them out of the library all the time for their stitch explanations and when I saw it at the thrift store in such good condition my first thought was I bet you guys would like it. If you’d like to win it then leave me a comment telling me your favourite embroidery stitch whether it’s one you know or one you want to learn. I’ll draw a winner On Monday the 16th NZ time (next Sunday night US time).

I fell down some stairs on Sunday night (while holding the cat), I went down like a ton of bricks (lets face it, I’m no pixie) as I fell and landed on my left kneecap. Oh the pain. Agony. The really annoying thing is it only looks like a grazed knee. You look at it and think surely I must be the worlds biggest wuss. But even today, 4 days later, I knocked it at the library and nearly screamed an expletive. It feels absolutely fine to walk on but touch it and I’ll bite your hand off. I am beyond clumsy and far too embarassed to fess up to how I fell but needless to say it’s not the first or last time stairs have proved too much for me. Oh yes and the cat is fine. I did however finally start my weight loss exercise on Sunday afternoon. The spring rains seem to have finally stopped (the words Noahs Ark come to mind) so we walked around the block. Well Dave walked and I complained. But what a view from the lookout over Welllington Harbour.

The local Waldorf school is having their annual toy, food and craft fair this weekend and I have waited all year for it so hopefully I will be back in a few days with some great photos to share.

The newsreaders are currently frightening me with a countdown to Christmas and the first ads have started playing in high rotation on TV. $320+ for a tree and thats without decorations? Yeah right. Not even if I had that sort of money. Anyway here’s a freebie for anyone who has more free time to stitch than I do. I intend to ask Santa for a little more free time.

As usual click on the picture to go through to my flickr and get the big version.

I nearly squealed when I saw this bag at the thrift store today:

I’ve been eyeing up a Holly Hobbie framed wall hanging for a while at the recycling centre but they are getting too pricey and lets face it: I’m not 10 anymore. This is an awesome excuse to have a little Holly in my life though. The bag is a little dirty and the embroidery probably won’t stand up to washing so I am going to try replicate the pattern (adds it to the floor length list of things to never get around to) but will use the bag as is cos you know….it’s Holly! I had Holly Hobbie’s Book of  Time (or something) as a kid and may even still have it. Did you know they’ve made her over though? Mmmhmm destroyed her is more like it. I get SO MAD when they take my childhood memories and RUIN them for the kids of today. Seriously, leave my childhood alone and come up with a new idea you lazy jerks. Hmmppff. Here is the abomination that is the new Holly Hobbie. As the title says: Back in my day we didn’t doubt Holly Hobbie’s virginity. Enough said.

Once the bah humbugs pass I will be back next week with a embroidery book giveaway and a Christmas embroidery pattern freebie to share. Oooohh free stuff! Enjoy your weekend!

Shhhhh, it’s a secret but I had to tell you. Dave’s mothers house sold today! Now the paperwork hasn’t even been signed so this could just fall flat and I’ll have to backtrack but for tonight I am just plain ol’ happy – something I have not been for a while. Settlement is the end of January which gives Dave’s sister plenty of time to find her own house then come February we are house hunting baby! Is it possible that next year just might be a good year? I certainly live in hope!

1. Ready for the off, 2. scarves january – february 2007, 3. table, 4. tribute to Wendy, 5. DSC_9735[1], 6. Leaf Fairy Handspun Yarn in Progress, 7. rgradientballs3, 8. ‘choco rainbow’ on targhee mohair, 9. Untitled, 10. Untitled, 11. little friend 2, 12. Crop Circle Table Runner, 13. peace on earth, 14. Flock of Amigurumi Birds, 15. fairy, 16. WIP Wednesday:The Gnome & The Quest for Mosaic Moon

I’m feeling a lot better, if not yet fully well but my coordination is still a bit dodgy so pointy scissors and sharp needles are soooo not happening. I have trouble not stabbing myself at the best of times. At least my typing is much more legible and after cancelling some commitments I feel a lot lighter. Of course the world keeps turning, the power bill keeps arriving and men still need women to go around the house picking up lost socks (seriously 39 is old enough to PUT IT IN THE WASHING BASKET!!) so theres not as much rest as there should be but a good sleep in or two has done wonders.

I was going to show you my growing yarn stash since adding to that is all I have managed to do lately but ummm as you can see my yarn basket is frequently occupied. Yeah, all that wool covered by a nice thick towel makes the perfect cat bed. The number of times I have turned around to see a cat blinking up at me from the basket like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth…they are SO lucky they are cute.

Well wordpress ate my blog for the second timein as many days. The fair was today and it was a lot of fun. I was across from alison of agnes coy and her stuff is always extremely tempting – and her husband is gorgeous. Oh my he is yum – please don’t tell him I said that Alison!!

I swapped for this doll from stitchpixie:

I splurged on the worlds yummiest cupcakes and this handdyed sock yarn from needlefood beecause I am easily swayed by pretty colours – thank goodness I set a 2 skein limit!

I tried to blog last week but wordpress ate it. I have had a physical breakdown of some sort similar to a stroke so my typing is shit, I am slurring like a drunk and am very frustrated. I saw the infertility doctor the day it happened and he was not concerned and it seems to just be a physical reaction to the stress so I just need to cancel all commitments I can and relax – if it doesn’t clear up by Tuesday will do to the doctor though! Oh and specialist said I don’t ovulate – so the problem isnt just Dave like we thought. It’s me too which means a double hurdle. Am giving it a year to try fertility treatments (we only get too funded tries which is not much really) then back to adoption . Only so much heartache I can handle.

By the way (typing dependent) I will be listing the soft toys over the next few days in my shop if you want any. Hobby horses are available for locals betweeen here and masterton. I have all of them left

Today is the first day in too many days that the sun is out. The wind is also out but oh the joy of having a break in the torrential rain….I can literally feel the sun recharging my batteries. I spent the rainy weekend sewing for the craft fairs. The first one is in FIVE days now and I am finally beginning to freak out. Far too much still to do. If last night is an indication it will be a week of 4am bedtimes and a very grumpy Steph. Poor Dave! But without being too arrogant I think it will be totally worth it when I set up my stall with things like this:

I am inappropriately proud of this thing. It’s entirely handstitched because apparently I am that crazy. Needlefelted vegetable garden and rainbow rocks down the path. It’s backed with a layer of grey felt to hide the stitching and I am going to price it at around a million dollars. Seriously though, I tend to price my stuff far too low and this is definitely going to be priced more appropriately because if someone looks at it and doesn’t see all the effort and hours of my life poured into it then I don’t think they deserve to own it. Rude but you know what I mean? I have another one half made and then I would love to make a couple for etsy for Christmas but then I am absolutely making myself one.

Gah. I was hoping to blog about the thing I have been making over the last few days but as usual the idea that started out as fairly quick and easy is getting more complicated by the hour. I can’t let it be ‘finished’ until I’ve added a million and one little details. So here’s a few bits of randomness and a touch of cute until next week:

- I had my infertility ultrasound today. They do it ‘internally’ now you know. An eye opener but not at all as bad as I was fearing and I guess it’s not every day you get to see your womb and ovaries. I go to the specialist for the ultrasound and blood test results next week but the radiographer said that it all looks fine. Whew.

- Remember Harry the local cat that I blogged about? He’s been missing for a couple of weeks. The very next day after I blogged about him he was in a community newspaper and then poof, he vanished. Hmmm. I only hope he is okay wherever he is.

- If it doesn’t stop raining soon I am going to go bonkers. I am so over spring showers. And 12 straight hours of torrential rain. And cats being obsessed with being out in it. Hmmppff.

- I saw this little boy a few months ago as I got off the bus and I asked his grandma(?) if I could take his photo with my phone. She said he likes to dress up. Awesome. I love kids who wear dress up clothes in public. Love ‘em. Kids are all about having fun, I wish adults would take a leaf out of their kids books once in a while and have that kind of fun.

I stumbled across a new to me blog yesterday. I can’t remember how or through who but I CAN say that GardenMama is having the best giveaway. Seriously. Go look. But try not to enter because I really want to win it. Although if you do enter I can’t blame you at all. Look at the prize!! It makes me giddy.