Fred is a multi fuel stove so can burn logs or smokeless coal. Ordinary house coal is not allowed in stoves ,only open fires as it gets too hot and even then cannot be used in a smokeless zone. If you want to burn logs you need the stove to be Defra approved/exempt which Fred is as we live in a smokeless zone. If Fred was not Defra exempt we would only be able to burn smokeless coal.
Going for a Defra exempt stove gives us more choice of fuel to burn. Wood is cheaper but ours isn't quite seasoned enough yet, we also have kiln dried logs and now the heat logs and smokeless coal. Smokeless coal is supposed to burn longer than logs and hotter but creates more ash inside the stove and ash tray. Logs also give a nice flame which I don't think you get with the coal?
Here is our fuel supply! You may have think we have gone over the top but when the logs in the log house we delivered they were over 20% moisture so we were not able to burn them yet. In the kids summer house we have a supply of kiln dried logs, kindling and two bags of coal. Not pictured is another 6 boxes of heat logs. We will be very warm this winter!

We haven't tried the smokeless coal out yet.
Anyway, after lots of crochet, unpicking, crochet and cursing I did it! Table runner is going to be same as mine X12 hexagons long and X3 hexagons wide. It is much smaller than my white table runner though, I think the cotton is much thinner.
This is how much I have done today.......
I am pleased though as it's all been joined by the join-as-you-go method, I am glad I perservered, it gives a much neater finish
I love the colour though photo does not capture it very well, its an antique cream colour.
Close up picture.........

We have also recorded a lot of films that we have never got around to watching. We found Valkyrie which we recorded last Rememberance Sunday, almost 12 months ago to the day.
We watched it tonight and I did enjoy it, I like history films.
We are now watching "Christmas with Rod Stewart" which we recorded last Christmas, 45 days to go according to my countdown widget!