Here I am again............. I slept quite well, and I went to bed early as well, 10:30pm! I did even more Toccata 1 and have only five squares to go, plus the Queen Stitch and the hemstitched border. Luckily I love doing hemstitch and can happily do meters of it.

This has encouraged me to order Toccata 2 plus thread pack from the Silver Needle, which is an ONS I often order from. The other ones I like are Traditional Stitches and Criss Cross Row, all have very good ranges - but slightly different things - and excellent service. And they don't mind sending to wherever I am and at the real price of postage, not some artificial high, like some shops we won't mention, that hear the word "Europe" and slap on $20 plus for postage, even if it weighs 50 grams.

I need a fix of a real needlework shop, though, so I will be going to Des Fils et Une Aiguille when I am in Paris. Last time I was there, I nearly succumbed to some Italian charts, lots of letters and verses in red, very fetching indeed. Not that I really read Italian, but they looked good, and there were plenty of hearts in them as well. I just need to see lots and lots of threads and linens and things as well - I could never live in Cyprus full-time, because there are no needlework shops here, everything has to come by mail-order. Or you need to be like me and go to Paris once a month!

Leo is still not back, so Alec and I are sitting here by ourselves - David is at home for another two days, he has a visiting sister-in-law, so has orders to be present, which I don't think enthused him very much. I am just waiting for the DBA to install another release, so that I can go on testing, the prospect of course enthuses me just as much! We will be having a needlework break this afternoon after the clients have gone home!