What a difference a month makes...

...thanks to everyone over on the wagon for their encouragement and support during TW October - as anyone reading my (very few) posts this month will know, I took the opportunity to focus on Fantasy Triptych, and as of yesterday, I have finished the castle (complete with bs), all of the xs on the rocks, and done a fair amount of the trees - probably abut 1/4 of the infamous green! So here's a photo:



This month I also did a little more on Dracolair's Phoenix:



It's stitched on Stitches and Spice 28ct cashel 'tundra', which I really love.

All of this means that I met my two goals for October, particularly the goal of 'impressive progress' on FT - well, I am impressed!!

So, it being November now, I need to set goals:

1) stitch ornies for TWCOE, presents and (hopefully) my tree too...
2) continue with FT, especially on Mondays
3) make progress on Phoenix
4) pick up Las Vegas again...
5) don't go too mad at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show - there's only so much stitching time in one lifetime...

And speaking of shows, I never mentioned the Pudsey 'not just lace' show, which was 2 weeks ago. Most of our S**** & B**** group came along, even though not everone makes lace, and we met up with Phyllis. I was very proud that I didn't spend the most money (Sonia now owns a lovely Richard Gravestock workbox. If that means nothing to you then wait until December...). I did buy some lovely new bobbins (as I really don't own enough...):



I especially love the Phoenix one - had to buy it in honour of my current WIP! I also got 4 Gravestock bobbins, after all these will become rare objects once Richard retires in December (like workboxes...).

Best of all, I signed up for a lace weekend with Christine Springett (it's full, but I'm on the reserve list) and had a lovely chat with Stuart Johnson (it's worrying when a bobbin maker who you only see at fairs while buying bobbins greets you like an old friend - but I do like his bobbins best - his are the unspangled - ie non-beaded - bobbins at the top of the picture. The photo doesn't do them justice, and their best feature is that they feel wonderful...).