What a Year!

I have totally lapsed on my Blogging!  Yet again, it is several months since I posted on here, but I do have lots of reasons why...Most of which can't be aired in public...

I finally got back to work at the beginning of May, after 9 long weeks off with my broken ankle.  It was such a relief, although I had to ask colleagues to give me a lift there and back for a couple of weeks until I could drive again!  It was a nightmare time...and I wouldn't wish a broken ankle on anyone!  I am still suffering with it - it swells up when the temperature is warm, and it aches when it is cold.  It also can get quite stiff and sore if I'm sat down for too long, or if I walk too much...and I've been told that this will be the case for years to come!!!

Since breaking my ankle, I've had a few issues to deal with, and some serious illness in the family, so I will be so happy when we say goodbye to 2013 - it has been another "annus horribilis"...

As far as stitching is concerned, I have continued to do some, although not as much as I would normally have done in the time.  I have finished "Tree of Stitches" by Abi Gurden, made a crocheted Owl door stop (and have 2 more to make after receiving requests), and knit a wrap.  I have also made good progress on "A Good Marriage" by Lizzie*Kate, which was my rotation piece for last week:

WIP: A Good Marriage by Lizzie*Kate

Finish: Tree of Stitches by Abi Gurden

Crochet finish: Door Stop Owl

Knitted finish: Wrap

 I have only just resumed my rotation over the last couple of weeks, after all the 'fun' of the last few months...My rotation piece for this week is HAED's "QS Scarlet Witch".  This is how she looked before I started stitching on her this week:

WIP: QS Scarlet Witch by HAED

I have also started going to 2 different Craft Clubs.  One is in Burnley, which is about 15 miles from here, and that is on a Thursday evening for 2 hours.  I am the youngest member at that club!  The ladies take different crafts - knitting, crochet, cross stitch and patchwork - and we sit crafting and chatting for the session.  The other club is at my LNS in Darwen on a Saturday morning.  This is a new club, and I haven't been able to go for a couple of weeks, due to going to Warwick for the weekend, and then meeting up with the ladies from the Needlecraft Haven forum in Nuneaton last Saturday.

Since my youngest daughter went off to Uni in Cardiff, my husband and I have decided to go away for the weekend at least once a month.  We went to York to start with, as it was somewhere that we had never been, even though it is only a couple of hours away!  We then went to Warwick, and we are going to Dublin, Ireland, at the end of this month...  We are hoping to go to different places in Europe in the new year...

Happy Stitching!