Ambrosia Stitches

A funny thing happened on Sunday. We had spent the day feeling a little jealous of all of the pictures friends in the UK sent/posted of the snowfall there. Then, late in the evening we looked out of the window and saw this:

Although there is usually plenty of snow on Mount Etna during the winter, it is a very rare occurrence on lower ground.  So we were even more surprised with the view that met us on Monday morning:

It was beautiful but fleeting. As soon as the sun rose it all melted rapidly.  It has, however, meant that the last couple of days have been freezing and, uncharacteristically, dark and miserable.

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before (apologies if I have) but Italian homes, built to provide shelter from the sun, can feel arctic in the winter.  So there was nothing for it, I just had to snuggle under a blanket, turn the heating up high, and work away on my current project.

Enforced confinement meant that I was able to make rapid progress and actually finish this hoop. All I have left to do is wash and frame it. Filling in the letter “R” with lots of embroidered flowers and foliage  was fun and has given me some ideas for new projects I feel really excited about.

Today I took advantage of a sudden spell of sunshine and blue sky and took some photos of both my completed hoop and a rather spectacular snow covered Mount Etna.

I leave you with one last picture of Mount Etna. I think we’ll be taking a trip up the mountain to go sledging soon!