Y is for Yoyo

X is for Xmas

I see Xmas as a Western holiday and forget (convenient or otherwise) about the religious bits. As Xmas means 25th December to me in the UK then I use it as a time to mark the midwinter and to celebrate that the days will be getting longer. Although, it always seems to get a lot colder before it get warmer even though I have grown up with traditional depictions of snowy scenes at Christmas.

X could also be for x-ray, xenophile, XX Chromosomes

W is for Watch

I found out the other day that some people no longer bother to wear a watch as there are other ways of knowing the time due to the increase in mobile phone use and the ubiquity of computers. Indeed, when I am sitting at my desk at work I look at my system clock rather than consult the accessory strapped to my right wrist. Yet I still wear a watch and feel odd without one, I know I am not alone in this feeling. Home is usually the place that I need it most but is the place where I will wear it least - it usually gets taken off when washing up or doing something messy, most times I forget to put it on. I need a watch most when I get stuck away in my craft cave for hours with no sense of time. Luckily Radio 4 is efficient at telling me the time, Radio 1 generally isn't.

My first watch was given to me by my grandparents it was a timex with a green plastic strap and my name engraved on the back. When I went to secondary school I had a smart digital watch (hmm can you tell what decade it was) which had a leather strap and not much function - it wasn't one of those bulky nerd type watches which were so typical of the era. I'm not sure what happened to that one but I know I still have my next watch a Swatch watch which were the cool things to have. I could tell the time from it despite many people asking the question "How can you tell the time with that?" - easy have 14 year old eyes. I still have it, it is slightly worn in its original box but the battery stopped some time ago.

After that I went through a period where I was quite good at losing watches or having them scratched, fortunately not a great deal of expenditure was involved in any purchase. One watch I am convinced I mistakenly threw away. My watches were so cheap that I generally bought a new one because it was cheaper than changing the battery. My current watch has a Velcro strap and is reasonably hardy. Its practical enough for me to be bothered to buying a new strap and changing the battery when required. Its reasonably convenient to do so only because there is a small cheap friendly shop in my home town which changes things then and there instead of having to go to the High Street chain of jewellers where a snotty clueless assistant will sneer about sending it away and charging the value of the watch to have it fixed. It is however, not the most glamorous of specimens so I bought a cheap charm bracelet one which is difficult to tell the time from but at least I have my right wrist comfort blanket.

W could also be for winning, wine, wilful, waffles

V is for Velvet

Oh how I love velvet. I wear velvet frequently in the form of one of my many velvet scarves. I first started playing with velvet when I fancied trying something different to silk painting and a few velvet kits at one of my favourite online retailers caught my eye. Since then I have played a bit with devoré and embossing. Since starting my City and Guilds I have produced a sample book and included it a number of projects including the accursed part 1 hanging.

My favourite kind of velvet is silk viscose as I can double dye it, create devoré with acid paste and it keeps me warm as well as wrapping me with a little bit of luxury.

V could also be for voluptuous, vicious, vibrant

U is for Umbrella

Over the years I have owned a number of umbrellas - mainly because I was stupid enough to lend it to a man. Housemates, boyfriend and husband are the guilty parties. I don't think men care too much about umbrellas - sometimes they prefer to get wet. At other times their little delicate man heads need protecting from a iccle-wiccle bit of water and sucker me in to lending them my brolly.

The umbrella sketched above, is I believe, feminine enough for no man want to be seen dead with so has stayed with me for the last 10 or so years. It is a handy handbag size and has enough room for one - me. Unfortunately large golfing umbrellas are fairly elusive so I think a nice big flowery one is on the cards.

U could also be for: Unique, Ugly, Underhand