July ...ing

I am nearly there, my summer holiday is just around the corner. It is all very exciting. We booked a pitch on our favourite campsite. I hope we can go. Campsites in Scotland can open from 15 July.   I suppose the shared facilities might be an issue. I have also booked a hairdresser appointment for the 6th of August. There is a £5 surcharge for personal protective equipment. 

Piling-up books to read during my holiday. I listen to books most of the time, I like being entertained when doing chores or when I am walking the dog. When I am on holiday I like to sit somewhere comfortable with a book in hand. Preferably a camping share beside a campfire.

Listening to Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins. I had to speed up the narration because I could not bear not to know the end. 

Shopping for yarn at my local yarn shop. It opened on Monday and I took a stroll there to have a wee look. No queue, hand sanitiser just inside the door so that customers can squish the yarn, perspex shield to shield the shop owner, only one customer at the time (it is a very small shop). I really enjoyed the my non-essential shopping experience. 

Knitting the Love Note sweater by Tin Can Knits. It is knitted with a combination of mohair lace and 4ply yarn. I am using Drops Kid silk (dark rose) and Drops Fabel (ruby red). Despite the very different colour description, the shades are almost a perfect match. If only yarn manufacturers would use a single colour name and code for all their different types of yarn.

Marvelling at James's growth. This boy is shooting up like a lettuce and his feet are ginormous. Some essential clothes and shoe purchasing is on the cards.

Keeping an eye on my one and only quince (shown above). The tree is still tiny and this is the first time it set fruit. 

Waiting for my new running leggings/tights (there is some debate in my house over the correct name) and t-shirt. My old leggings are worn through and get very heavy in the rain. 

Admiring my new pile of 40 fat quarters, a random collection of colours and prints. I wanted to freshen up my fabric collection with new prints. I like to buy my quilting fabric in US Etsy stores because I have an affinity for US fabric designers that are sometimes difficult to find here in the UK. I bought the last stack back a long time ago, maybe in 2014 and it keeps on giving.

Realising that I needed another EPP project in my life. Hand-stitching is good for my mental wellbeing.  I am going to make a quilt inspired by Tales of Cloths Lucy's Terrace quilt (which is inspired by Lucy Boston's Patchwork of the Crosses). I bought the pdf pattern at Tales of Cloths but purchased the papers and acrylic template more locally. 

Leading three evening tutorials in the first week of July. All my students are in full-time employment and evening tutorials and weekend tutorials are not unusual. 

Noticing a black moustache growing. Just a couple of black hairs but I don't like it. I'll make some sugaring wax to remove it. The joys of getting older eh?

Yawning, so much yawning.... it is almost compulsive. 

Eating a meal cooked by James and Alistair (supervised by Annie). Coconut lime chicken with roastinis (pan fried gnocchi) and broccoli, followed by lemon tart made from scratch, lemon curd and all.  

Also eating Annie's homemade Garibaldi biscuits. I don't think I'll ever enjoy shop bought ones again. She made them as a surprise, after overhearing that I had a hankering for a good old Garibaldi. 

Listening to the weekly briefing by our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. She is a world apart from her bumbling counterpart in England (I am not informed enough to comment about how things are in Northern Ireland and Wales). Scotland appears to be doing well i

Making sure we have masks for everybody. Face coverings in shops are mandatory in Scotland from July 10, they are already mandatory on public transport. I am happy with that and hope that we don't see ludicrous mask wars as seen in the US. How weird is that?

Feeling chilled out after a day of doing very little. 

How are you all my lovely readers? I hope well and happy? Thanks for visiting and saying hello.

P.S. A final ...ing: Looking for a new home for 25 fat quarters from the Mammoth Flannel collection by Robert Kaufman (see last photo). I bought these years ago to make a quilt for Alistair but he had different ideas. Let me know if you'd like them. Happy to post within the UK. NEW HOME FOUND (updated 6 July 2020)