It's time for goodbye

It's been four years since my first post, and hundreds of projects later it's time to say goodbye to blog world.

I have been successful in getting a wee part time job as office manager at our local church and that will be taking up a good chunk of my week. Now the cherubs are all at school, the timing is perfect, the location is perfect and the hours are perfect. With all this perfection I knew this was the job for me. And, if I'm honest, I was getting a little fed up with five whole days to myself (and I never thought that wold happen).

I began blogging (encouraged by the gorgeous Greedy for Colour) as a way of getting some confidence in my craft work as well as a way of processing all that came with being a new mum of three. I've blogged less and less over the past year as I have found I don't need the outlet so much.

But I want to take the opportunity to thank those of you who have supported me throughout this time. The comments are always so welcome and I encourage you to drop a comment to other bloggers you follow;, we all know that sometimes it can feel like we're sending our hearts into a big void.

I will be checking in on my favourite bloggy reads when I can and, if I have a spare moment and a project I have totally loved I'll try to blog about it.

With lots of love.

Belinda

Oh the irony

My littlest cherub has been through the mill in the last week. We had a night in the local hospital as she’d had her tonsils removed, adenoids removed, grommets in her ears and what I can only describe as a hot poker shoved up her nose.

Needless to say, it’s been a rough four days for her. She has a squeeky, nasely voice, dark rings under her lovely blue eyes and plenty of tears. And, also needless to say, I’m a bit the same. In the greatest of life’s ironies I’ve come down with tonsillitis myself. I’m sure it’s a sympathy vote for her but she doesn’t quite see it that. way. Thankfully both of us are on the mend and my wonderful Dad has the three children for the night while I rest up a bit. Quite why I’m blogging at 5am is a mystery though.

However, hours spent in a hot and stuffy hospital ward haven’t been wasted.

I have finished what was supposed to be a genderless cardigan for Ann-Marie’s new grandchild (due on Valentines Day). Here’s hoping it’s a girl or there will be a rush job on in a couple of weeks.

I love making these vintage patterns. They have a style that seems so right for babies.

And my little invalid is the next to receive a cardigan. I think I’ve mentioned that I’m not a stripes person, but when ever I step back and look at this I just think of ice cream and I smile. Hopefully I won’t want to give her a quick lick when she’s wearing it.

Finding it impossible to sleep in the hospital I sat by Janae’s bed with just enough light from the corridor to knit. The night nurses snuck in about 1am and caught me. They thought it quite hilarious to find a mother knitting in the dark in the middle of the night. I’m not sure I saw the funny side.

Thankfully the weather has cooled a bit, sleep is coming easier for all of us and our invalid is starting to get her appetite back. (There’s nothing sure to get the tears welling up than seeing your child standing quietly under a hot stream of the shower with her ribs sticking out.) So I think we’re heading back to normality at last. I’m sure a few more games of Dora snap will help too.

Weathering the storm

It’s half way through the summer hols and I need to be completely honest by telling you it’s been the hardest three weeks in a very long time. The heat and humidity has been awful and the children have been hot and fractious. And with both my parents away I’ve been struggling a little. However, Dad’s home tomorrow (hopefully) and he’s taking the two older ones to stay on the boat for a night. They’ll love that.

So, in a bid to distract myself I went out to the Spotlight sale and came home with fabric to make my girls some pyjamas.

Here’s my little model proudly sporting the latest in bed wear fashion in our home. She loves these so much she’s been wearing them since they were completed. Thankfully the lovely Carolyn dropped by for a cup of coffee and pointed me in the right direction regarding pillowslip tops. These are so much fun and so easy to make I think Janae and Kayley will soon have drawers full of them. I will attempt a halter neck version for Kayley if I’m feeling brave enough.

Before the lovely Carolyn’s tutorial this was my effort in a top. Alas I wasn’t too happy with it but Janae was thankfully. Her face may not show it however, She was getting to the “I’m too hot and tired to be your model any more Mummy” stage. I get that.

And there was one more transformation that took place at the sewing machine today. Janae found this dress in the closet at Nanny’s house (we had a holiday there while the place was empty).

As you can imagine, she loved the way the skirt twirled when she danced but the top was too tight to do the buttons up. So I whipped the top off with the scissors, folded over the middle, bunged on a piece of elastic and now she has a skirt.

It’s not the most beautiful job, but once again she’s totally in love with it and danced around to the radio for ages.

Now I just have to figure out how to make some things for Rogan so he doesn’t feel left out.

 

And this afternoon we were rescued by Janet who invited us there for a cool swim and a BBQ. It was bliss. I had a quick dip and then sat in the shade chatting and knitting.

Tomorrow’s adventure will be a trip up to the strawberry farm to pick some strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. I have a friend’s husband who needs bribery by chocolate cake to do a fix-it job for me and I need raspberries for that. Blueberry muffins will go down very well for afternoon tea. And a bowl of strawberries and cream would do nicely for pudding.Then I must hunker down and get my gender neutral cardigan completed as I have one I want to start for Janae . . . oh and more sewing.

Happy New Year

I can scarcely believe another year is here already.Where did the last one go? Well, it’s been a very low key event in our home. We got my mother off to the UK on Friday so I’m feeling more than a little exhausted doing the whole child thing completely alone and keeping an eye on my Dad as well. So last night I was in bed by 8pm with the computer and Midsomer Murders. Lights out by 10 and . . . amazement of all amazements . . . the children didn’t wake me until almost nine this morning.

So yesterday was spent at the beach. You know, these photos are too idyllic really. It was blowing a gale.

Look at my yarn blowing in the very stiff breeze. We had a swim, some lunch and then packed up the car and walked down the beach for an ice cream. Just as we reached the shop the heavens opened and we were drenched by the time we hit the car again. Such is life on an island.

This morning we had a “baking day” and Janae chose cupcakes. This afternoon was spent icing them.

I feel certain there are cases where there is more icing than cake, but it was all their creations so I made an effort not to butt in.

Rogan showed a surprising knack for cake icing. Perhaps he’ll be a baker.

We’re almost three weeks into the summer holidays and only a month to go. We’ve done a bit already. Today we were invited over to the neighbour’s house for a cold swim. Very strange experience for me as that’s the house I grew up in, the pool I learned to swim in. But it was lovely to go back after all these years. I wonder what we’ll do tomorrow.

Gender Unknown

I’m making more baby clothes as my mum’s posh friend Ann-Marie is expecting her first grandchild on Valentines Day. Being the woman AM is, she doesn’t want to know the gender of the child until it’s born. Well, that’s all well and good for her, but when it comes to making something for this child I’m feeling very out of my depth. The pattern I’ve chosen is from a vintage knitting and crochet magazine called Stitchcraft (which, I’ve discovered you can find online and on EBay). I was fortunate enough to be given about 20 of these a couple of years ago and they’re great for children’s creations.

Anyway, having chosen the pattern above I decided that lemon would be a gender neutral colour. However, upon starting it I’m rethinking my choice.

I am loving the pattern and have no issues with that. I’m just feeling that it’s still leaning a little toward a ‘girl’ style. However, there’s no guarantee that it won’t be a girl and then I won’t have a problem at all. Oh the dilemma.

And I have spent much time thinking of Alice from the blog Crochet with Raymond as she has coined a term “rabbiting” for when she has to back knit for rows to undo a mistake. It’s such a wonderful word because that’s exactly the sound one makes when back stitching, or even whipping needles out of a project and unravelling to a certain point. And it was during one of three rabbit sessions I’ve had on this jacket already, that I realised I missed Alice’s blog. I was going to put a link to her blog (even though she stopped writing it a few months ago), but I had a wonderful surprise . . . she’s writing a new blog called Hookknitspin. If you haven’t seen it I urge you to pop along. She is fabulous.

Well, it’s late once again and I really must head for my bed. I’ve been trying to finish Anne of Green Gables the past couple of nights, but as my days seem to be taken up with intermittent games of Skipbo, making chocolate mousse on demand, and generally entertaining the masses (i.e. the little darlings) I’m exhausted by the time I get to bed and can’t read for long. Perhaps tonight will be the night.

Catch you again soon.

A Very Merry Christmas

 

 

I can’t believe it’s all over for another year, although it’s probably a good thing since I’ve been going since 5.30 this morning and it’s now almost ten at night.

I had to share this photograph of Janae with her favourite gift of the day . . . mostly because you can see the clock and the awful hour of the morning that it is.

Ah well, we have all survived the day and now they’re all sound asleep again.

Dad decided that the children must have been pleased with their gift haul as it was quite peaceful in our home today. He’s decided that peacefulness equates to happiness. He’s obviously not around when a serious game of “Silly Beggars” is going on (that being play fighting with as much noise as a child can muster). But, speaking of Dad, he was very happy with his gift . . .

 

 

 

It really is a shame that it’s summer here as I’m sure, had it not been 25 degrees C when he put it on, it’d have stayed on for days. It is such a wonderful feeling as a knitter or crocheter to have the recipient love their garment isn’t it.

As for me, this year Santa brought something I’ve been asking for for three years now. I’m sitting under it now writing this blog, enjoying the cool night breeze, hearing the fireworks going off in the distance and just loving every moment of it.

The floor is littered with the debris of 30 Christmas crackers Janet kindly brought with her and her family. She had “doctored” them as she says and the gifts inside were fabulous. My belly is so full that I’m hanging out to lay on my bed and pass into peaceful slumber, and yet going past the plate with macaroons, Christmas Jelly Slice and Lemon Tarts without picking up something is proving something of a challenge and there’s so much food left over I can’t help wondering if perhaps I over catered somewhat.

Ah well, that’s the trouble with Christmas I suppose. So I’ll leave you with some photos of the most successful gift of the year . . . Rogan’s rocket launcher. It never ceases to amaze me how the least expensive gifts are the best. They’re in their pyjamas ready for bed (actually Rogan’s been in his all day as they’re his Christmas ones and he felt that he had nothing more appropriate to wear on Christmas day) and it’s pouring with rain, but their enthusiasm was so infections I even got out in the rain and launched a few rockets.

  I trust you have had a merry, family and fun filled day with joy and laughter. And may tomorrow be just a great.

Christmas is coming

I’ve been so busy lately trying to finish my father’s Christmas gift that I’ve been neglecting blogging. But, this morning I managed to get it completed (all bar buttons which I’ll get tomorrow).

I know I’ve said it before, but this was just so much fun. Every row took a small amount of concentration, which was great for me as I’m easily bored. Janae is a little worried that it’s a “girl” colour, but I don’t think so.

I got the pattern from this magazine:

It’s old but I’m sure you’ll find it on Ebay. There are a couple of other projects I’m dying to try too, but need to get Christmas out of the way first. I must admit, it feels strange giving my father a snuggly winter jumper when it’s 25 degrees outdoors, but I know he’ll understand. One thing I must point out: the pattern was written using Aran wool, which I believe is 10ply. It was difficult to find good quality 10ply wool and difficult to find the colour I was looking for. So, on a huge and wobbly limb I went and chose an 8ply or double knit instead. I used the same sized needles as specified in the pattern and chose one size bigger to follow. It looks like it will be a perfect fit.

Now, anyone who knits and/or crochets knows, it’s impossible to be without a project. So, once the lawn was mowed this morning I went in search of some yarn to start this:

It’s a free RedHeart pattern that I just fell in love with as soon as I saw it. And I must say that returning to crochet after knitting for so long has been great. Again, it’s a pattern that requires a level of concentration and is quite varied in stitch requirements so I don’t think it’s going to be difficult to keep the enthusiasm going throughout.

I trust you’re all set for Christmas, or almost. My baking is in the freezer (so I don’t eat it), the gifts are all hidden away (but not wrapped) and I’m off with my Mum to get my own gift tomorrow. At last, after three years of hinting, there’ll be a gazebo under the tree for my patio. I’ll be knitting and crocheting in shaded and cool bliss this summer. Pop over for a cuppa if you’ve got time. I’d love to see you!