crosstitch cuffs continues

 After I finished the neckline embroidery I started with some embroiderry for a pair of cuffs as well. I don't have any deadline, it's just something to keep my hands busy while I'm watching tv or doing other stuff.

I once again selected a pattern from the German patternbooks. This time I wanted to do something fairly big, but also a bit organic and not just geometric. 

This time I wanted to do the second pattern from the bottom. I liked the little flower buds. It was also a pattern that was a bit more complicated to figure out the best stitch order. In the end I started with the ribbon, and then I continued with each flower for itself. 

My embroidery got a bit squashed, I counted wrong so I missed one row going down on my first part of the ribbon, and rather than redoing it I made the ribbon in total two rows more narrow, one less on each top and bottom. I still have some more flowers to add, and then I'm thinking about adding a row above and below the pattern.

Over the weekend I've been up in the mountains in our cabin. We don't have tv, so it means some time to craft. I took advantage of being there with my mother, so that she could help me to untwist some bundles of silk embroiery thread, so that they are ready for use whenever I need them.

It was such a lovely weekend up in the mountains, even if it was a bit chilly. The temperature was down to -28c when we arrived. Saturday was the warmest day with -15c. I can't help but wanting to share some nature porn.

There are few things that are more lovely than an open fire.

When we arrived I first had to shovel enough snow for us to actually get into the cabin. Great fun when it's - 28, or not.

On Sunday I went out for some cross country skiing. There is a special stillness in the air when it's cold and you are totally alone with just the sound from your skis and ski poles against the snow.

The cabin from the ski track

The colours when it's this cold are also amazing. This is when dusk started to set in.