A New Start and New Stash

Not much to share yesterday as I was busy with house jobs and gardening. The front garden has benefited by having another couple of hours spent on it, clipping dead growth and weeding - I knew I'd got some nice plants in there somewhere and it was good to find them again. ;0)

As a reward for all that industry I made a new start last night. Was it one of the two Christmas designs I mentioned in my last post? Nope! Was it one of the Halloween designs? Nope! It wasn't a seasonal design or even a cross stitch piece but something totally different: a blackwork kit I found when rootling round in my stash boxes yesterday afternoon. Here's a pic of last nights progress :
She is called Queen Guenevere and is by Holbein Embroideries. It's a bit different from the other (charted) blackwork I've done, as you first have to trace the outline onto the fabric using a transferable red paper. I must say I'm not overly impressed with this method because, despite being very careful, the paper shed slightly across other areas of the fabric leaving it looking like it's had some rose wine sprinkled on it (not that I'd ever be daft enough to ruin fabric & thread by doing such a thing.............. or waste good wine, for that matter!). It does say it comes off - I sure hope so!
The instructions are a tad basic, as in: just picturing certain areas and with only a small piece of pattern to follow, so I guess it assumes only experienced stitchers will want to stitch it........ which is why, over the years, I've had this out of my stash box on several occasions and put it straight back in again. Guess maybe I'm up for a challenge at the minute! LOL

Today started nicely too: my grumpy postie is back delivering mail again (not complaining: a grumpy postie is waaay better than no postie/mail at all) and the HAED charts I bought from Sally arrived first thing. Am I a very happy bunny. Thanks Sally. :0)
So which two did I succumb to? They are White Magic Storykeep by Jessica Galbreth and Victorian Angel Quick Stitch by Meredith Dillman. Although I have several HAED charts these are the first Storykeep and QS chart additions to my stash.
I guess I really must invest in that light/magnifier very soon to give my eyes a chance at coping!
Plus I really should go join the HAED forum at some point. Although I've been avoiding doing so in an act of desperation...... if I don't go over there I won't see any of those gorgeous charts that the members are stitching (or accidentally stray onto the main site), then I won't be tempted to add any more to my stash.
The theory seemed good but it's just not worked......... has it Sally? ROFL ;0)

I'm hoping tonight will be a good night too, as DH is taking me out to a local pub for a meal - no special occasion. DS will be out babysitting our friends' kids so we'll be on our own and I don't fancy cooking.
OK, I'll hold my hands up: I overdid the gardening bit, am aching all over, and was so shattered last night I kinda forgot to get some meat out of the freezer for tonights tea. By the time DH got in from a works "leaving do" he wasn't up for remembering much of anything either. LOL
Not sure where we're going yet but there are plenty of eating places in and around the town to choose from.

Thank you to those who drop by and for taking the time to leave a comment: it sure is good to know that I'm not always rambling away to myself. Hope you all have a good weekend. :0)