Who knows where the time goes?

Only a moment ago it seemed as though summer was coming to a close and we were collecting all the wild harvests, but time has flown by and now we find ourselves plonked down in the middle of December preparing for Yule. But where have we been hiding all these months? I confess that I was tucked away for a little while making felt critters and festive creations for a friend to add to her stall at Leamington Spa's Christmas Market.

A couple of critters and other gubbins. Creations also by Mum and Dad.

And whilst I was busy crafting, Rob and Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers were busy starring in a music video for Stealing Sheep:

Recently we also decided to open a little Etsy shop to sell some of the other items I have been making, such as the bits and bobs below:

So pop on over to The Thames Witchery and come and say hello. I am currently working on a number of pyrography designs including a Green Man and an adaption of a carving from the Hylestad stave church.

Samhain kept us pretty busy too. It was wonderful to see friends and family for a little feast. I meant to post these photos long ago:

And finally, now, I find I have a little time to catch up on all the blogs and online friends I have been missing.

The stories in the walls.

Building this boat is not just about the end result. It is the story of how we got here and how it changed us along the way. And who will want to know, in years to come, where this boat came from and who dreamed it into existence? This boat is a part of us and hidden in the walls is our story and that of its birth. There are gems and notes and tidbits about who we are and the summer spent toiling away. It tells of family and love and hope of a new life in a bigger boat for the mad woman, Morris man and fat cat-who-thinks-she's-human. And it shows the people who we love who have brought us this far and who will be the ones to carry us over the finish line for without them this big boat of ours would still be an imagining.

Family together on a hot, hot summer evening. The Green Man on the right. From one home to another.

But there are other secrets too, hidden in these walls of ours. Some have a practical element and some are just for fun - because we know they are there and that someday they will once again come to light.

This is not a wardrobe...

Old favourites, threadbare and torn, reveal that I wear a lot of green and gray. Old clothes sealed behind the walls act as insulation to stop sounds traveling the length and breadth of the boat. Strange it may seem, but we have a music room on board and music enjoyment is often dulled when one person is trying to sleep whilst the other is taken by musical inspiration.

It is these little things, these snippets unseen in the daily run of our lives, that is the time capsule of our build. And in these we honour those that brought us here. For it is their story too.

The pace quickens.

The build has been storming along but with family help progress is even greater than I could've imagined. The boat is beginning to look less like a steel shell and more like a home. 

Mum and dad L helped me sand the kitchen and living room walls before attacking it skilfully with varnish. 

Dad C and Rob have fixed the most-awkward-sink-known-to-mankind into one of the kitchen worktops and in front of one of the windows so I'll have a lovely view when washing up. I get washing up duties because Rob is the chef. And a very good one he is too.

Beer and bricks. Sorted. 

They've also been working on building walls and hanging the first of our three doors. A home with doors? Imagine that.

And not only that, we're very close to having a space that can officially be called a room. 

Walls! Internal bulkheads take shape. 

We've even had chance to try out our new sofa. 

The boat might look like a building site but it's currently a damn comfy one. 

And so the work begins.

We brought in the heavies to kick start the work needed to get The Gabble Ratchet habitable. Dad C constructed bulkheads and Rob's brother, Steven, and nephew, Finn, made quick work of the kitchen cabinets. Mum C and I carried most of the contents of the lock up (remember that lock up?) onto the boat, although we did have some assistance, and Rob concentrated on electrics.

Rob and Steven may have got a little distracted when fitting our new bilge pump and now we have a wine cellar.

What's with the strategically placed finger? 

Ah. Might need to add wood filler to the shopping list. 

Going well, the build is going well...