Life, The Tension Square And Everything

Little Miss Chatterbox

2009-09-10T15:54:00.002+01:00

I have just finished reading the most excellent book, "Toxic Childhood" by Sue Palmer - a superb read which I recommend wholeheartedly to all parents to be, parents, grandparents etc. It talks about the importance of outdoor play, imaginative indoor play, restriction of TV and screen time etc etc.

One of her throwaway remarks (or it may, in fact, have been in her subsequent book, "Detoxing Childhood" which is basically a precis of "Toxic Childhood") was by 18 months a child should have up to 50 words and, by 2, up to 200 (one of her points was that children are increasingly coming to school with less and less language than they used to which is part of the reason for the difficulty teachers are having in getting them to read and write). Now, I promise you, I try my utmost not to be a competitive parent. I know that that is not good for me or Immy (there is no way I want to be like either of the mothers in the "Goodness Gracious Me!" sketch!).

However, it set me wondering - how many words does Immy know now, at 19 months and a week? So, I started making a list. It is now quite a long list. About 150 words, in fact. And those are just the ones I've remembered. (I'll spare you the actual list. Partly not to bore you and partly because I don't want to sit here copying it out!!) If ever I wanted proof that there was any of me in her (she's the spit of Marc and I struggle to spot my contribution), then I think this is it. Hopefully this is a small sign that I'm doing at least SOMETHING right.

It's about time

2009-05-29T10:56:00.002+01:00

I got back into the habit of blogging. Over a year since the last post - disgraceful! Marc is away on some boring training course in Watford and has been since Wednesday. He won't be back until late tonight. Weirdly, during the time he's been away, Immy has actually managed to go to bed at a sensible time. I don't know what to make of this, but perhaps she's just going to have to have her tea at a sensible time as that appears to be the only thing that's being done differently.

I have made a start on Sarah's Urchin hat (Ysolda Teague). It's my first time using a provisional cast on and, frankly, I'm terrified. Oh well, worse things happen at sea and all that. Hopefully I'll get it finished by the end of the weekend (Tilly's party on Sunday notwithstanding) and then I can get on with Anna's beret and 101 other things. Plus, there is the small matter of tidying the flat and trying to get it vaguely reasonable. Although we don't actually have anything other than a vague timeframe for the move to Huddersfield (some point next year, provided Marc can get the transfer), I would still like things to be vaguely reasonable before then so that it's not all a mad panic.

Greenbelt, weaning and everything

2008-09-03T15:31:00.002+01:00

Goodness, it's a while since I last blogged. Immy, Marc & I all absolutely loved Greenbelt. It was brilliant seeing so many of my friends again and fun camping for the first time in ages. Especially since it appears that all you have to do to pitch a modern tent is say 'Piff Paff Poof', pretty much. I was very impressed as I have many memories of having to hold precariously arranged poles while my parents tried anxiously to drape the tent over it and prayed that it wouldn't rain during the whole tortuous process. The speakers I saw were excellent and the music was wonderful. Immy particularly enjoyed Julie McKee and the folk club. We were sorry to have to go when it all finally came to an end.

Since we've been back, weaning has obviously continued. So far, Immy has tried: rice cakes, dried apricots, apple puree, sweet potato puree, greengages, mashed banana, butternut squash puree, carrot puree and a bit of apple & strawberry fruit leather (a lot nicer than it sounds!). She appears to have taken a dislike to the greengages and the butternut squash. Oddly, despite now having three lots of solids a day, the breastfeeds have increased. Particularly at night. Whereas previously she had just started on giving me 6-7 hours sleep at night, she is now back to her newborn habits of 2 hourly feeding. I'm finding the whole process very draining and stressful. Marc keeps reassuring me that all babies are weaned in the end and I won't be having to send expressed milk with her to university, but nonetheless I worry and find things frustrating. You have this image in your head of babies taking to solids like the proverbial waterfowl to their water and I have found that that is thoroughly incorrect. I really hope things calm down soon!

Millet porridge gets the thumbs up!

2008-08-20T12:18:00.002+01:00

So, after a two day break to allow Immy's illness to go completely, we restarted her on solids today. She had millet porridge for breakfast (1 tbsp millet flakes to 150 ml water for those who are interested). It was to have had am ice cube of apple puree added to cool it down quickly, but I was too late adding it, so it stubbornly refused to melt. However, as it turned out, Immy loves plain millet porridge. Rather a lot. Especially with her new 'Reggae for Kids' CD playing in the background (it's surprisingly good, actually. The CD, that is.)

I therefore learned two things today. Plain is often good. And millet porridge gets absolutely everywhere and is a total swine to clean up.

It's about time....

2008-08-18T15:10:00.004+01:00

... that I started blogging again. Remarkably, despite the fact that this is basically a personal thing, I've been feeling guilty about not doing so. Amazing the things that one can feel guilty about, frankly, but there you go. Part of the reason for the guilt, however, is that I intended this blog to contain some record of Immy's progress and I have been very remiss in not noting this.

So, then, some basic Immy facts. She started babbling on the Thursday of the final week of her 5th month (if that makes sense). She managed 'baba' and 'dada'. Rather irksomely, given that I'm the person she spends most time with, 'mama' was not amongst the list. I appreciate that these were not real words and that she was just playing with making new noises and that 'm' is a far harder sound than 'b' or 'd', but I was, nonetheless, slightly piqued.

We started weaning her when she hit 6 months. It might have been sensible to wait a little longer, since she still has the tongue-thrust reflex, but never mind. So far she has tried banana puree, apple puree, rice cakes, carrot puree and sweet potato puree. Unfortunately all that has gone into abeyence (sp?) for a few days since she got a sick bug last week and we realised too late that the solids were prolonging it. She seems a lot better today, though, thank goodness and seems to have acquired a fondness for 'The Proclaimers'. (Her eccentric musical taste also includes John Philip Sousa and other military music such as 'Colonel Bogey' by Kenneth Alford, trad jazz - especially Kenny Ball and Chris Barber; Lonnie Donegan, La Bottine Souriante, reggae, calypso and some god-awful rock stuff that Marc likes.)

This weekend should be fun. We are all going to Greenbelt. Marc being a clever bod is writing some comedy for it and therefore counts as a Contributor. Thus we are going to Greenbelt for cheapness, which is even more of a Good Thing (TM). 'T'will be interesting seeing how she fares camping, but since she's a very cheerful and resilient little soul, my prediction is that she'll have a whale of a time. Quite how I'll cope with the night feeds on a tiny little supposedly self inflating mattress with no back support should I need to sit up, heaven only knows. I intend to sink to the challenge (IYSWIM), however, and thoroughly enjoy myself. Particularly since I shall be surrounded by lots of lovely friends. Hopefully I'll get some nice piccies, too.

Momentous Occurrences

2008-06-20T10:02:00.002+01:00

So, yesterday was the first time I left Immy alone with her Dad for more than just a few minutes. It was the first time, in fact, that I went out alone in a very long while. And it necessitated the purchase and use of a breast pump.

Goodness me, they're weird contraptions! It took me quite a while to get the hang of it. And when I did, it was very bizarre indeed. The noise it makes, and heaven knows why this surprised me, is EXACTLY like the sound of goat's or cow's milk hitting the pail. And I mean, exactly. I managed to get 6 1/2 fl. oz, which I'm told is not bad for a first attempt. I must have been mangling it to start with, however, since I managed to make myself sore in the process! But it does at least mean that I have the option of going out again at some point in the future.

And what was the occasion that set this all off, you ask? My first cinema trip of the year to go and see Sex in the City with a friend and friend to be (I hope, anyway, since she seemed very nice). I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the series. Parts of it were very emotional, as per the series, really, I suppose. But mostly it was funny and sweet and felt like just a long episode of the series. Well worth going to see!

The only downside was that when I got home I found out that Immy had apparently been missing me so much that she cried non-stop from 9.15pm to 10.30pm and nothing would placate her. I'm not sure whether it was helpful for Marc to tell me this or not because it was quite upsetting. Although, I have to admit that a tiny part of me was a bit gratified since it's a bit difficult to tell if someone loves you if all they do is eat and sleep. I mean, she does giggle and smile, but you don't know if that is because something is inherently amusing or if she genuinely enjoys your company. Last night I realised that it was the latter. Hopefully she will be less upset the next time I go out since she will now know that I am coming back! Poor little mite. Needless to say (so I'm going to say it!) she got lots and lots of hugs and seems contented enough now. She is gurgling and examining her fingers as per usual!

May the Saints in heaven preserve us

2008-06-05T23:14:00.003+01:00

Big Brother 2008 has just started and Marc, in his infinite wisdom and equal stupidity, has decided that he simply HAS to watch it. It's enough to drive me completely demented (which state I'm not too far from as it is, frankly). I've warned him that he can't watch the whole series, but I'm not convinced that he was listening. Knitting was slightly distracting me, but not altogether and I'm worried that the stress of putting up with Davina MacCall (sp?) squawking in the background has thrown my tension off. So I've come out of the lounge to use the computer instead, in the hope that something online will soothe me.

Progress on the scarf is coming along. It's been slightly slower going than I'd hoped for because Immy has been teething over the past few days and she's not been best happy about it - poor thing. I've calculated that it will take about 300 - 325 rows to reach 54" and I've now completed 240 rows. Anna's birthday is on the 12th, apparently, so I'm hoping to have completed it by the end of the weekend (including blocking) so that I can post it on either Monday or Tuesday. The yarn really is very lovely and there will easily be the best part of a skein left so I'll be able to make me a hat, which I'm very pleased about.

People and projects

2008-06-02T11:26:00.002+01:00

Well, Tilly's lunch was lovely. Both the trifle and the poncho were a great success. Claire preferred the loose fit, so I didn't need to worry about fitting the snap closures. Which was, to be frank, a relief, as I was a bit worried about them pulling on the fabric. Not sure I really trust anything other than buttons or ties with knitted items. Owing to the weather, it wasn't really practical to get a photo of Tilly wearing it, but I'm hoping that one comes my way once the weather turns.

I'm now about half way through Anna's scarf, but I've not worked on it for the past couple of days since I feel that I need to concentrate on every third row. So I've also started a baby hat, which will be my first foray into colour work. I'm hoping it works as I'm interpreting a pattern rather than following precise instructions. I do seem to have a case of starteritis, though, since I've also got a hat for me on the go as well (in Wendy Fusion - should be pretty!). Let's just hope that I get them all done soon as there are loads of other patterns I'm hankering after and I don't think having more than three projects on the go is a sensible idea!

Cooking again!

2008-05-30T22:35:00.002+01:00

I appear to have managed to make three things in the kitchen (which aren't dead simple - like boiled egg) in the past 24 hours. This is an achievement, since I haven't been cooking properly since I was pregnant. It's entirely possible that this might not last (especially if Immy has another growth spurt), but I just wanted to record the occasion for posterity (lucky posterity).

Yesterday, it was the rather unappetizingly entitled 'Brown Stew' from my Mum's old Stork cookbook. I varied it a bit by seasoning the flour with paprika and adding tinned tomatoes and porcini mushrooms. And apart from a mini mini disaster in the shape of some of it sticking to the bottom of the pan (I managed to ignore the injunction to stir it occasionally), it was actually rather yum. I think it might have to go onto the list of keepers (dishes Marc would like me to make again).

And today I managed to make the passionfruit trifle from the BBC Good Food Desserts cookbook. I have no clue what it tastes like yet since it's to be taken to Claire and Kev's for lunch tomorrow. However, it smells divine and it's taking me all my self-control not to wolf the lot and make up some poor excuse for its absence. Cross your fingers for me!

I also made the pork chops in mustard sauce from Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries. People, you have to try this recipe! It's so gorgeous I could probably eat it all week. Well, not quite, but it was seriously delicious. We had it with mashed potatoes (Nigella style made with warm cream and freshly grated nutmeg) and peas. This too is a keeper.

No knitting, but half the day was spent shopping and then it was Too Darn Hot and humid to even contemplate it. Plus I was shattered. I'm going to try and manage something this weekend.

It's infected my dreams

2008-05-26T10:45:00.000+01:00

That's it, I think I've finally gone completely mad (something my friends have been predicting for years). I've started dreaming about knitting. Now, those who are Knitters may say that this is perfectly reasonable. They may start talking about beautiful lace, gorgeous colours and the like. And if it were that of which I had been dreaming, I would suggest they had a point. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning realising that I had been dreaming about how to do mattress stitch. Now, I realise that you might claim that this is at least an appropriate stitch to be dreaming about in bed. And, in my defence, I had been reading Maggie Righetti's excellent, Knitting in Plain English the night before. But, really. I'm sure there's something wrong with me. And I still can't seam neatly.

Hurrah!

2008-05-25T13:15:00.003+01:00

Tilly's poncho is finally finished. Here it is:

I'm reasonably pleased with how it's turned out. I had to disguise a couple of miscreant holes. And I'm not sure that the blocking worked entirely (I perhaps should have got the towels hotter and steamier). But hopefully Claire will be able to reshape it after handwashing and it will be better. Otherwise I'll email her the instructions I had for steam blocking and that should remedy it.

Now, onto my next project!

Progress on Tilly's Poncho!

2008-05-23T14:53:00.003+01:00

I have now managed to do all of Tilly's poncho bar the hood, which I'm going to tackle this evening. The quality of this photo isn't great (oh how I'd love to live in a house with better light), but it does show you that it's looking vaguely garment-like:

Just hoping I don't foul it all up with the hood. The pattern said to work the back until it was 14 1/2 inches, but this didn't seem quite right, so I just made it match the back (fortunately I'd been counting rows, so could work that out). The instructions for the hood say to sew it up, but I'm going to pinch Elizabeth Zimmermann's method and graft the top together (hopefully). That way it ought to look a bit neater.

Fingers crossed!

Friends, food and fun

2008-05-18T22:25:00.003+01:00

Had a lovely day yesterday with Kev, Claire & Tilly. We ate a very late (3pm!) lunch at Nandos followed by going back to theirs just to chill and chat. It is nice to spend time in such relaxed company.

Speaking of Tilly, I'm now nearly half way through her poncho. I shall be taking it over to Claire's tomorrow so that she can see the colourway. I'm hoping that she'll like it, given that it's a mixture of sea greens and blues which, to my mind, ought to suit Tilly very well. I decided that the pattern (the Lion Brand Hooded Baby Poncho) had too small a neck. This may well have been because my row tension was off, but I worked in a few extra rows to compensate. I will just have to adjust the back accordingly. Mercifully I have a lot of that yarn, so I'm hoping that it will last. Once I've worked the hood I will then try and decide whether I want the pocket or not. I'm not entirely sold on the idea that two year olds particularly need pockets. Apart from for the odd tissue, I suppose. Anyhow, I'm hoping that I'll have it completed by the end of the week. That would mean I was a week early and could get on with some other projects. Which will be useful given that since I've joined Ravelry I've seen project after project that I fancy doing. And I kind of have a yearning to make yet another hat. So that will be my reward if I manage to finish this poncho to any degree of competence. Fingers crossed!

Waves of grief

2008-05-16T10:11:00.002+01:00

Funny how grief works. Similar to buses, but twice as crushing. I just keep getting hit by waves and waves of it. You never realise how much you love someone until they're gone. And now I just miss Uncle more than ever. He was like a father to me - hence why he gave me away on my wedding day. And I'm so grateful he managed both that and to attend my graduation. I miss him horribly - I haven't felt this much pain and sorrow since my Mum died. And this bereavement is making me miss her, too, since she is the one who would normally have comforted me when I'm feeling this bad. Poor Immy doesn't know what to make of me because I keep bursting into tears. Overwhelmingly, he's also left us all a great deal of money. It will help with the mortgage and whathaveyou, but every penny of it seems hollow because he's no longer here to see the benefits it's giving us and especially Immy. I would rather not have the money and have him instead. It's just such a shame that I wasn't able to visit him owing to late pregnancy and then feeding issues. While perhaps I could have asked Marc to take a day off or tried to go at a weekend, I know he wouldn't have registered who we were and that might have been even more painful. This is all so hard to process. And, like a child, I keep wishing him back here because he was so dear to me. I hope this all eases soon, I'm finding it very hard to deal with. Particularly since I'm on my own for such long periods of time at the moment.

Boo hiss!

2008-05-15T22:22:00.002+01:00

I appear to have caught my Uncle Alec's cold. My nose is all bunged up, such that I can't breathe properly at all and my throat hurts. Unfortunately, I think Immy has it as well. The only mercy is that, since I'm breastfeeding her, she ought to be able to fight it off as swiftly as me.

I didn't feel much like knitting, therefore, although I kept wanting to. Then some patterns on Ravelry caught my eye and gave me a case of startitis. So I cast on for these. Unfortunately the pattern gives no tension, yarn quantity or finished size, so I'm just going to see how big they turn out. I can only presume that when it says to rib for 6 inches, it means from that point rather than from the beginning, since it doesn't specify. I'm hoping it works, anyway, since it will make a nice present for a couple of somebodies. (I'm not going to mention which particular pair since, if by some miracle they happen to be reading this, it will give the game away).

Tomorrow I'm going to try and get on with that poncho. Particularly since rain is again forecast which will keep it cool enough to do so comfortably. My third skein of yarn needs winding into a ball, so I will probably do that first. But hopefully there will be enough time to get onto the front of it. I'm really hoping I can get it done in time and up to standard. Unlike most people, I'm praying for a cool summer, so that I can keep going with my knitting and try and improve.

Uncle Henry

2008-05-14T11:56:00.002+01:00

Yesterday was my Uncle's funeral. The day dawned clear and bright and we had a swift and pleasant journey to Margate. The service was held at Thanet crematorium at 2.40 pm. I had wondered why I was in such fine spirits for most of the morning, but it turned out that the grief hit us all when we were actually in the service. I could scarcely sing for sobbing. There were very few of us there - just family and a couple of staff from the care home. It was a lovely service and the vicar was lovely. She stopped to talk to us afterwards and enquired about our respective babies. Poor Keziah found it all a little overwhelming. I don't think she fully understands, poor thing. She just knows that she misses him. As we all do - terribly. RIP Uncle, we love you with all of our hearts.

Finally!

2008-05-08T20:12:00.003+01:00

Lexie's jacket is now completed. Thank goodness for that! And I do think, now I've had a proper look at it, that it will fit her. At least, I hope so. It's the Modular Tomten Jacket from Elizabeth Zimmermann's 'Knitting Without Tears'. The pattern calls for a zip but I gave up on that idea and turned it into a hoodie instead. If Nat decides she wants them, I may also make a couple of ties at the hood, but I quite like the open neck effect. Anyhow, here it is:

Not too terrible, even if I do say so myself!

Whew!

2008-05-08T15:19:00.005+01:00

It ain't half hot, Mum. Imogen and I are both very warm indeed. Which is making feeding a little bit of a challenge. I'm hoping the current heatwave calms down a little soon. The only bright side about Uncle Henry's funeral on Tuesday is that at least it's happening in Margate, where temperatures are a full 6 degrees Celsius cooler than here. Which should make us both a lot more comfortable and ensure that she's less likely to grouse during the service.

Naturally, given the clement weather, I'm still knitting woolly hats. Because this is the sane thing to do when you just want to lie in a bathtub full of ice, drinking homemade lemonade. Clearly. Anyhow, the Noro hat from this pattern (knit on straights instead of in the round) is now finished as you can see:

And I've finally got round to finishing off Alexia's jacket, which I'm currently sewing up. I've decided that, instead of putting in a zip (which looks tricky and, besides, the ones which have arrived from eBay look to be slightly too long), I'm just going to mattress stitch the two sides together. Then she can just pull it over her head and have a hoodie instead. That way it should be finished by the time that Nat and everybody arrive on Sunday and I can cast on something else guilt free. Plan and a half, I feel.

Ta da!

2008-05-06T20:11:00.003+01:00

The Baby Yoda Sweater is finally finished! Hurrah! I haven't yet tried it on Imogen on the basis that she's been far too hot today. However, this is what it looks like:

Again, Marc's camera hasn't shown the true shade of green, but it's not too bad. I need to improve my sewing skills, though!

On another note, it appears that Imogen might be teething already - which is just ludicrously early! She's drooling a lot and biting hard on things, plus stroking her cheek. I'm really hoping that this doesn't affect feeding too badly.

Grand tidy up

2008-05-05T22:00:00.004+01:00

Well, semi-grand, anyway. I managed to get most of what I wanted up in the loft. Marc still hasn't put his LARP stuff up there, but at least the spare room looks slightly less like a bomb's hit it. Plus Marc put up the cot because Immy was beginning to outgrow the Moses basket. We now have to negotiate the cot each time we want to change her, though. It's unfortunate that our room is such an awkward shape, really. Great size but difficult to maximise the use of that space owing to the fact that a chunk of the room is taken up accommodating the stairs, if you see what I mean.

Other than that, I didn't really manage to get much in the way of knitting done. I had fully intended to finish the Baby Yoda sweater, but I was quite tired and didn't feel that I would do it justice. So I just carried on working on the Noro hat. Excuse the rubbish photo, Marc's camera's annoying me at the moment, but this is what I've done so far:

Hopefully I'll get it done, along with my other projects, by next weekend.

Woohoo!

2008-05-04T21:13:00.001+01:00

Finally got my invitation to Ravelry today. I have set up my profile and can't wait to get going properly. What a lovely end to the day!

All the fun of the fair

2008-05-04T18:04:00.002+01:00

Well, we've just got back from a lovely but tiring day going round the fair at Morden Hall Park. Imogen appreciated precisely nothing of it, though, since she slept through the lot! We spent an inordinate amount of money on food and bits and pieces, but it was a very nice day out. Just a pity that, although it was warm, the sun wasn't much in evidence. Kathy has now gone home, so that means that tomorrow will have to be spent sorting out all the stuff for the loft. Hopefully we'll get our spare room back then, which is just as well, considering that Liz, Nat, Kez and Lexie are all coming to stay next Sunday!

A nice surprise

2008-05-03T20:26:00.003+01:00

Well, I was going to sort out all the stuff for the loft and get our home cinema ready for sale this weekend, but my plans were thwarted by a very pleasant surprise visit from my mother-in-law. We had a very nice day shopping (during which she treated us to a cot mattress for Immy - thank you Kathy!) and after which we visited Marc's grandparents, where this photo was taken:

I'd show you a picture of his grandparents, but I didn't manage to get a decent (by my standards) shot.

I can't believe she's exactly three months today. In some ways it seems like an eternity ago that she was born - it feels as if she's been with us always. And yet, it also feels like it was only yesterday. I'm looking forward so much to all her developmental milestones. Hearing her say Mummy for the first time is going to be magical. I'm loving watching her grow up and seeing her change. Already she's making different noises each day. She's begun to recognize how I prepare to feed her, so she calms down when she realises that's what I'm doing. And the other day she followed Marc out of the room with her gaze. She's such a happy, sweet natured child and I feel incredibly lucky that she's been given to us. At the risk of sounding horribly twee, we are truly blessed.

Oh dear

2008-05-02T17:47:00.002+01:00

Apparently the Tories have done very well in local elections and Boris Johnson is ahead in the London Mayoral election. I can't think of a worse thing to happen to London politically than for him to be in charge. Public transport will rapidly deteriorate and services will also be affected. The man's a right wing idiot and I'm utterly disgusted by the prospective result. My only consolation is that the Lib Dems appear to have done slightly better than Labour, but my worry is that this presages badly for the future and that the Conservatives might actually get in at the next election. Then the country really will go to pot. I feel sick, frankly. What a week of bad news: first my Uncle, then Humphrey Lyttelton, now this. Appalling.

My only consolation is that at least Imogen's Baby Yoda Sweater is coming along nicely. I've finished the second sleeve and got through 2 1/2 i-cords. I just need to do the remaining i-cords and make up. And I've managed that despite the fact that Immy appears to have been having a frequent feeding (possible growth spurt) day today. Phew!

Shepherds fear unkindly May....

2008-05-01T10:44:00.002+01:00

... Frost by night and hail by day.

Flanders and Swann may have been in jest, but it actually was hailing this morning when I answered the postman's knock (quiet down at the back there). I couldn't believe it. The poor postie must have been freezing.

Oh well. At least such weather justifies my knitting.

Jabs and things

2008-04-30T11:36:00.004+01:00

Yesterday was nowhere near as bad as I'd feared. Immy screamed blue murder after it was done, but a feed and a dose of Calpol calmed her down. And she slept from 11.30pm through to 6am last night, which was lovely!

Oh, and I managed to make this:

It's in the alpaca silk I mentioned before and I'm just glad that the weather is so changeable at the moment as I may actually get a chance to wear it. I used this pattern , the version for straights, but had to correct it.
Decrease Row 5 should have knit to the last two stitches, k2 tog after the star. And
decrease row 5 and even row ought only to be repeated 5 times rather than 6. Apart
from that, it's wonderful. Marc has even agreed to me making him a hat
(in a different pattern), so I can't have done too badly.

Now, the plan for today is to knit the final sleeve of the Baby Yoda Sweater and the i-cords. Then I need to sew it up and I'm done. Plus I need to do the tension square for the Kon Tiki raglan sweater. I'll show you pictures if I manage it all!

A good day

2008-04-28T19:03:00.003+01:00

Today has been quite productive, really. I've nearly completed the knitting part of the Baby Yoda Sweater. Just one sleeve and four i-cords to go. Then the dreaded sewing up! I suppose, really, I ought to try and take the time to master knitting on circulars. In the same way that I really ought to take time out to get the hang of crocheting. But that won't be for a while. I need to sew up the afore-mentioned sweater, plus Alexia's jacket, do another tension square for a raglan sweater I'm going to make Imogen and finish off the hat in alpaca silk from the Natural Dye Studio for myself.

Hopefully I'll be able to get some of that done tomorrow. But Imogen has her 12 week jabs at the doctors tomorrow. And judging by her reaction to the 8 week one, I'm going to be pretty busy with the Calpol. At least this time we're prepared, though. Last time the doctor just told us she'd forget about it after two minutes. She didn't. She got a fever and was fractious until the wee hours of the morning. So, if your baby is about to have their immunisation, be prepared. Get yourself some Calpol.

RIP Uncle

2008-04-25T22:13:00.003+01:00

It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of my lovely Uncle Henry this morning. He had a lung infection which the doctors felt was not safely operable. My greatest regret is that, for various reasons, I wasn't able to take Imogen to see him before he died. He had developed dementia some months ago and would not have known who we were either. I feel like I lost him twice. Rest in peace, Uncle. We loved you very much.

Drat and blast!

2008-04-24T19:32:00.003+01:00

In my infinite wisdom and equal stupidity, I decided to try and carry on with Keziah's waistcoat last night. I began this task at nearly midnight, which merely compounded the idiocy. And I have now, obviously, fouled it up. Quite magnificently. The pattern has confused me no end and I now have a mess. And, frankly, I'm frightened of ripping it back in case I mess that up again too. There is a significant part of me which is seriously tempted to just unravel the lot and use the yarn for something else. What smarts is that the wretched thing is labelled as easy. In whose world is this easy?

On a less annoying note, I have got 4 1/2 inches done of the front left of the baby yoda sweater, so there is some progress there. If I have any yarn left at the end of it, which is a definite possibility, I may just have to make a matching bib.

I've also discovered that the top I made for Imogen already fits her. And she looks rather smart in it, even if I do say so myself.

Baby Yoda Sweater

2008-04-23T20:24:00.007+01:00

I have recently started working on this. I'm not doing too badly so far. The back is completed, as you
can see here:

It's not actually quite that fluorescent - the flash on Marc's camera has
made it lighter.  I don't think the yarn gods are smiling on me, though,
since I ran out of the first ball of yarn half a row before I was due to cast
off and then fouled up the casting off.  Which meant I had to try and
undo it and try and reknit with a sewing needle.  Which didn't really
work.  But I'm hoping it doesn't show too badly and  am very grateful
that it happened on the back rather than the front!

However, I'm quite impressed that I managed to complete it in a day,
in between feeding the lovely Immy. This was mainly because Marc had
the day off so was able to undertake nappy duty as & when required
which gave me a bit more time. But if I can carry on at this pace, it may
even be completed by the end of the weekend. Unless, of course, I end
up casting on something else in addition, which I'm sorely tempted to do.
There's just too many nice patterns out there.

Does anyone else just feel like trying to knit them all?

Finally!

2008-04-22T16:09:00.004+01:00

Well, it's been a year in the making, but I've completed the 'Baby's Top with Moss Stitch Trim' from Debbie Bliss's Step by Step Knitting Workbook at last. And learnt an object lesson, too. Your tension changes in a year which means that the front doesn't exactly match the back. I didn't discover this until making up (despite having been measuring all the way through and having done the relevant swatch etc). So I had to fudge it a bit with the sewing. It's a little untidy, but it's my first ever attempt at a proper garment (other than the Elizabeth Zimmerman jacket which I've yet to finish because the zip still hasn't arrived) and I don't think it's too terrible. I probably ought to have restarted bits of it, but I'm terrified of the whole thing unravelling if I do so I tend to avoid the whole frogging thing. If anyone has any tips for how to do this with any degree of alacrity I'll be most grateful!

Anyhow, here it is:

It really is nowhere near as blue as that photo suggests. It's a gorgeous shade of teal (and the yarn is Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino - beautiful stuff, very soft). It's pinned at the bottom because it keeps curling up which will teach me to substitue yarns I suppose (the pattern calls for cotton). But, anyhow, it's done, and should look nice on Imogen which is the main thing.

Speaking of Imogen, I really ought to make mention of my fabulous doula without whom she probably wouldn't be here. Well, she would, but it would have been an awful lot less pleasant/easy getting her here. You really ought to check out her website. She even has a photo of Imogen on there - how cool is that? If you want to know more about doulas, then check out this which will tell you all you need to know.

2008-04-21T11:50:00.003+01:00

I appreciate that I haven't blogged in an awful long while, but I've been a little busy. Predominantly, because of this little love

My lovely daughter, Imogen Sophia, was born on Sunday 3rd February at 2.01pm. It was intended to be a home birth, but after a very long time of pushing with no result (she was stuck), we were rushed to Epsom hospital by ambulance for an emergency ventouse. Not pleasant, but far better than what would have happened if we hadn't (she was born with meconium and had to be taken into the Special Care Baby Unit).

And I've finally got back into knitting. I'm part way through a very lovely Debbie Bliss top for her. It was intended for Lexie, but I've been very slack and Lexie is now far too big for it! However, the jacket I started last year (which still isn't finished - mea culpa) will probably still fit her, so once the zip arrives I can finally finish it off.

I'm completely stuck on that waistcoat, too, by the way. If anyone has the pattern and can help I'll be very grateful.

If I finish all of that, I then have the arduous task of deciding what to make next.

Friends to visit

2007-04-09T00:00:00.000+01:00

Had a lovely afternoon, yesterday, with 'Frin & Dyfrig.

We ate home made hot cross buns,

toasted crumpets with jam and played Devil Bunny hates the earth. This is a Cheapass game which, we decided, essentially works like a sort of complex multi-player Mancala. Not too bad once you get the hang of it. We followed this by watching Freeway, one of my favourite films. Essentially it's a sort of twisted Red Riding Hood for the modern age and stars Reece Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland. Well worth checking out - it's very funny in an extremely dark sort of way.

Once they had left, I wandered off into the woods with my camera and got these lovely shots:

which I'm rather proud of, before coming home and devouring pizza. A lovely day.

She's here!

2007-04-08T08:31:00.000+01:00

I got a text this morning to tell me. My little niece Alexia was born at 5 past midnight weighing 4lb 2oz. About as minute as her sister, in other words! Not yet got any pictures, but will post as soon as I have. Very much looking forward to meeting her! Mother and baby are both doing ok.

Cambridge

2007-04-06T12:02:00.000+01:00

It's official - I'm in love. With Cambridge, that is. What a beautiful city. (If unnervingly quiet). And it was shown off at its best with yesterday's weather. The glorious sunshine just enhanced all that gorgeous architecture.

On arrival, we pottered round the market - a foodie heaven. There was a stall with all manner of teas and coffees, another with herbs and spices etc etc. Given that we had the rest of the day left and a two hour coach journey, reluctantly, I had to resist all this temptation. So we popped into Indigo cafe and indulged in a very nice bacon toastie, followed by investigation of the two nearby bookshops in King Edward's passage.

Next, we went to The Sedgwick Museum, which describes itself as 'One of the World's Major Collections of Fossils'. It's not kidding. The place is absolutely chocka with them. The museum is named after Adam Sedgwick (1785 - 1873) who was responsible for improving the geological school at Cambridge by vastly expanding the existing collection and he founded the museum in 1841. There are some very cool skeletons there, including these two:

I apologise for the way I look in this photo. I wasn't feeling so well. Neither, I imagine, was the Irish Elk next to which I'm stood.

Given that it was so close, it was only natural that this was followed by a visit to Kings College Chapel. Which, frankly, is just astounding. Truly beautiful and full of all sorts of interesting details. As you can see from these photos:

Which are, respectively, the main chapel, the Lady chapel (including that fabulous glowing icon) and the lecturn (which is apparently something to do with Robert Hacomblen, Provost of the chapel from 1509 -1528).

Thereafter we wandered down towards the river at Trinity college:

We were hoping to go punting, but when we got to the place that was advertised as offering this, we discovered it was closed. Disappointed, we wandered further along, to discover that it wasn't possible to go much further along and so we doubled back into town. Once there, we were gently accosted by a very nice chap (whose name I've forgotten, sorry) from Scudamores who was selling chauffeured punts. Given that he said he would book us in as students (£2 cheaper than the adult price) I was very pleased. We had half an hour to kill, so went and grabbed some money and then had a quick drink at a nearby pub. (The Mitre, which was very nice and reasonably priced too. Very much recommended - it does real ales, single malt whiskies and decent cider.)

So, 2pm we begin our tour with our guide, Tom. Despite some difficulty when we were setting off, he warmed up nicely and enabled me to get some very pretty pictures. As you can see:

The above is the third replica of the wooden mathematical bridge, designed by a student of Isaac Newton. Apparently it is so called because the original was held together with no nuts or bolts. Impressive, huh?

And this is the Bridge of Sighs. Named after the famous one in Venice. They did tell me the reason, but I forgot to write it down. Sorry!

Clare College, the oldest college in Cambridge. Founded in 1338.

And this is Magdalene College, which was the last to admit women - in 1988! Not only that, but the students and dons walked around with black armbands when it finally happened in protest. Shocking lot.

There are lots more photos, but this blog post will be huge if I publish them all. So I'll leave you with this pretty shot:

Bits 'n' Pieces

2007-04-04T10:00:00.000+01:00

So, yesterday I made this for dinner:

It's beef noodle soup (from One Pot Cooking by Sarah Edmonds) and it was in a bid to soothe my throat. And that plan worked in that, if you scald your throat then you don't really notice any other pain. This stuff gets very hot if you boil it. (10 out of 10 for observation, Allie, very clever). Yes, I know that's obvious and a child of three knows more than me, but I was so eager to eat it that I didn't do what I should have and either waited for it to cool a little or blow on it. Ah well, it was very nice. And there was enough for my tea and today's dinner, so I don't think that's too bad.

In other news, this lovely stuff arrived this morning:

Isn't it beautiful? I have no idea what I will make with it, but it feels lovely and soft and I can't believe how much nicer it looks in real life than it did in the eBay photo.

I also promised you a photo of Keziah's waistcoat in progress didn't I? Well, here it is:

I'm using the Sundown Stripes pattern from here:

http://www.knit-today.co.uk/latest_issue.html

And I'm desperately hoping that I don't run out of yarn. The pattern assures me that I can get away with using only two balls of Noro, but I'm not entirely convinced. Unfortunately I only have two balls and I can't find any more of the same dye lot on eBay. Now, it may be that if I can at least get it all done bar the frill that I might be able to get away with buying a different dyelot or even a complimentary plain yarn, but I'm panicking. Seriously panicking. Cross your fingers for me!

Tickets to Cambridge are now booked, so hopefully there should be some pretty photos for you tomorrow evening.

Cassoulet

2007-04-03T09:36:00.000+01:00

Well, this is what I made yesterday. And it was yummy! Very expensive (it had duck, French garlic sausage in it and all sorts of bits and pieces), but nice none the less.

I also managed to make a significant start to Keziah's waistcoat (of which more later).

I singularly failed, however, to make any further progress on Alexia's jacket because a) I am a slack person b) I had to do the shopping for the above cassoulet and c) I was cleaning.

In other news, however, I am starting with yet another sore throat about which I am decidedly less than pleased. What sort of mean cosmic trick is that to play on anyone? I get a week off work and instead of being able to enjoy it to the full, I start feeling ill and grumpy. Most unfair.

As a result, I am now addicted to 'Relic Hunter', 'Mutant X' and 'Jake 2.0'. And I have joined far too many groups on Facebook. Oh well, at least I don't have to work, I suppose.

Alexia's Jacket

2007-03-31T20:02:00.000+01:00

Well, I promised you a photo, and here it is. I finally finished that sleeve and have started making up. Being a person of a very low concentration span, I got a bit distracted and went off to do other things (namely, playing the piano followed by scrabble on the PC), so I've one sleeve to seam plus weaving in, blocking and sewing in a zip. But it actually looks vaguely jacket-like, so I'm pleased.

Too far away

2007-03-30T21:31:00.000+01:00

It's at times like this that I really hate how far away I live from my friends and family. My littlest sister, Nat, is 33 weeks pregnant and has been showing the initial signs of pre-eclampsia for quite some time. I phoned her today to discover that she's in hospital and has been since Wednesday. She was admitted because her blood pressure was rising and there was an increasing amount of protein in her urine. So, as with Keziah, we're playing the waiting game. And, frankly, I'm worried, because anything could happen. The only fortunate thing is that I've got this coming week off work, so at least I can drop everything and visit should the need arise. In the meantime, I can phone her via the hospital's phone system. The price is scandalous, though - 39p/minute off-peak and 49p/minute peak times. It's going to cost me an absolute fortune. At least if I were in Leeds, I could just pop round, but that's more than a little bit difficult when you're stuck in North Surrey. (And fingers crossed that Alexia's not born on Sunday. I don't want an April Fool for a niece! ;) ). If you see this, please keep my sister and the little one in your thoughts. I'm very worried about them.

Harrumph

2007-03-27T21:38:00.000+01:00

I want to be cross. I really do. Marc gave up cigarettes months ago, but every now and then he has one in a social setting. Tonight, he went off to see a BBC Radio 4 programme being recorded as he and I are wont to do.

On this particular occasion, he was late leaving work and consequently was put in the standby queue. While he was waiting outside (because he was hot), he was given a cigarette by none other than Stewart Lee. Well, really! How do you manage to be angry with someone when you're also really impressed? Grr.

Progress

2007-03-26T23:26:00.000+01:00

The kitchen is actually still clean. I might just faint. When I got in from work I managed to: empty the airer, set off another load of washing, hang that out, wash up, dry up, clean surfaces, mop the floor, clean the bathroom (again - cats running around in the bath are a pain), put away the dry laundry and make http://www.pepperfool.com/recipes/soups/squash_chipotle_soup.html With the addition of a little cream once it had been blended, it actually turned out flipping gorgeous (if I do say so myself). Makes gallons too, which is quite handy for packed lunches.

I've nearly finished the EZ jacket. At least, before seaming, blocking and adding the zip. Just 30 or so more rows of the sleeve to go and, because of the decreases, it gets faster as you go. Seems I don't want it to end because, even though I could have pretty much completed it tonight, I stopped around 10.30. Ah well, be interesting to see how it turns out.

Very tired now. And so, as Pepys would have it, to bed.

Spring Forward

2007-03-25T08:51:00.000+01:00

Gosh, I'm tired. Did anyone else forget that the clocks went forward, despite the numerous reminders on the radio etc? Lucky for me that I actually have things to do today, otherwise I might have been very late for work tomorrow.

My husband has just gone off on one of his little jaunts down the caves in Kent to pretend to be a warrior. Really. (Yes, I know). It's something he's been doing with his mates for the past 20 years or so. I'm just hoping it doesn't continue much past when he'll get his free bus pass. Yesterday's preparation involved hacking apart his chain mail and then creating new ties for it with dressing gown cord purchased from John Lewis. (I did point out to him that he could perfectly well make his own with a few lengths of yarn and even left out the instructions, but apparently unless I did it, he was going to purchase something. So he bought the cord.) It was most disconcerting having what looked like a medieval soldier wandering about the flat, I can tell you.

I managed a few more rows on the E. Z. jacket. For some reason I'm getting slower. Although it may have been because I didn't start it until about 8.30pm last night having spent most of the day cleaning the kitchen. I had been putting off cleaning the oven because there is no door to our kitchen and we have two very inquisitive kitties:

Gus

Nelson (to follow)

They really wouldn't have been above nosing about in oven cleaner. I didn't fancy having to explain that one to the vet. Or the R.S.P.C.A., come to that. This procrastination, in the name of animal welfare, however, had been going on too long. (We moved in on 3rd December 2005. This is the first time I've cleaned the oven. Thank God no one called Kim & Aggie, that's all I'm saying.) It took me four goes to even get it down to vaguely normal and I really ought to have another try today. The oven shelves had to be seen to be believed. After half an hours scrubbing I gave up and asked Marc to do it. I think my arms were about to fall off.

Anyway, even though there is not much progress on the jacket - at least my kitchen looks vaguely respectable. Which is just as well, because I've promised Marc a chocolate cake when he gets back from Chislehurst.

The first post

2007-03-23T13:10:00.000Z

I've had this set up for quite a while, so I thought it was about time that I actually made an entry. The intention is, when I can get myself organized, to have photographs on here of my latest knitting projects and to otherwise just chatter on about whatever's going on in my life.

Knitting is something I was taught first, like many people, when I was small. My Mum taught my sister and I together which must have been tricky, given that my sister is left handed. But that's by the by. Anyway, I've knitted on and off since, but without anything more exciting than a doll's blanket (read: failed scarf) or a scarf. That is, until January of this year, when I finally managed to properly get the hang of it and really get going. It helped that our two cats have finally outgrown trying to eat all my yarn (they just munch on scraps now).

Currently on the needles, anyway, is a nearly completed jacket from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears. (A fabulous book, which I highly recommend. Much demystifying, humour and all round helpfulness is to be found within.) Unfortunately I started to pick up and knit for the sleeves from the wrong side, but I have decided that the raised seams can just be a design feature as they look rather fetching. You will see what I mean once I have my pictures up (which are coming, I promise). Secondly, I'm making a top from one of the Debbie Bliss books for my impending niece. I just love her patterns and I've recently decided that I'm going to have to spend if I want decent yarns, so I'm making it in her Baby Cashmerino yarn, in teal, and it's gorgeous. Going ok, so far (fingers crossed). Again, photos will be up soon.

Tentatively, I've vaguely begun (two rows) a basketweave stitch baby blanket in Jaeger Chamonix for a friend, which I'm trying to design myself (ish - as much as one can design a blanket). I'm hoping that I have the stamina to complete it. I find such repetitive things a little on the tedious side. If all else fails, it may just have to be for a different baby.

And I'm on my second tension square for a gorgeous Noro waistcoat for my niece. Hopefully she won't decide that that's too itchy as well - especially considering the cost of Noro! If not, again, I suppose it can always go to someone else.