July’s instalment of the Frosted Pumpkin story time stitch-a-long is from the ballad The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. I’ll sheepishly admit that I’d never read it. I’m a huge fan of the painting by John William Waterhouse, on which this cross stitch is clearly based, and even got to see the painting at the Tate Britain in London many years ago. But poetry just isn’t my thing. That being said, since it’s the first story in this stitch-a-long that I hadn’t read, I sat down and read it. Three times. Poetry still isn’t my thing.

But cross stitch sure is! Isn’t she adorable?