You never realise how weird your friends are until you start describing them to someone else

One of the many things the children, particularly Lucy, are having to learn, and I'm trying so hard to teach them, is the important difference between being friendly and having friends.  Now, I'm a bad example, as I am generally unfriendly to people I don't know, kind to people I like and positively rude to people I don't like.  Simon, on the other hand, is generally friendly to everyone, so much so that people don't realise when he doesn't like them.  

Lucy is going to have to learn all these super social skills for herself.  Where will she draw the line?  I've suggested to both girls that people who hurt you physically have no place in your friendship group, and actually you don't need to even be nice to them.  If someone hit me on the head with a heavy object for no reason other than I was standing on the carpet in a funny way, I wouldn't have anything more to do with them and neither should my children.  But what about the girls who don't want to play, who whisper, giggle and point?  Are they just a normal part of growing up, or should we do something about them?

I have no idea.  My instinct is that some people just aren't very kind, but the social reformer in me says that we should try to help these girls to be pleasant individuals.  I don't want Lucy to be sad at school, but equally I don't want to be hovering over her all the time, trying to make sure that she is happy.  I had a terrible time at school, absolutely loathed it, and I don't want her to feel the same way.  We're trying having friends round to tea, which is lovely and brilliant, as the girls run off to Lucy's bedroom and get on with it, and difficult and painful when they both come downstairs in their pants, or isolate poor old Hattie.  I'm going to end up with multiple friends round at this rate.  The wine bill will soar. 

In exciting SENCO course news, I have now read 12 articles on dysgraphia, handwriting readiness and boys learning in the Early Years, and completed my first draft of the literature review.  I've now got to write an outline by the 5th of February, and then I've got to get on with my intervention and the essay.  So not much.  

Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in a forgetful snow, feeding A little life with dried tubers.

Solistice.  It's half four, and it's been dark for nearly half an hour now.  Not unusual in the Winter, but after the next few days, the light will start returning, and then the Spring, and hopefully some warmth.  I've got all the candles I can find lit, banishing the dark without turning on the electric light.  We've got the fire going too, so the house is toasty and warm.

I'm looking forward to Christmas this year.  For the first time ever, I'm knitting someone something, and it's looking as if he will be getting it still on the needles.  My fantastic Secret Santa present was a knitting bag, and it's very, very cool.

Definitely coming with me to Cambridge.

The Knit List is unchanged.  *sigh*

• A small jumper for Nicholas - Christmas knitting.  I had a bit of a disaster where I discovered that one sleeve was considerably wider than the other.  You'd think I could read a bloody knitting pattern by now.
• Burton Bear cowl for Hattie.  Brown wool found.  Placed in knitting bag with pattern and needles.  Awaiting cast on fairy.
• Wisteria jumper - located.  I have been working on one of the sleeves, and will continue to do so once the small jumper is finished.

The rest is the same as before.  Deep joy.  Still, I'll get some done in the Christmas holidays.

• The Weather in the Streets - January to June done AND SEWN TOGETHER.  July in progress.
• Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - it's for his second birthday.  I've bought the pattern.
• Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) Ho hum.
• Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - I've now completed 20 rows.  Yellow row next.
• Nicholas' POP blanket - There are still 9 completed squares.   Needs to be done by April, so not that long to go.  Aargh.
• An Owlet for Hattie - yarn located
• Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - well, I've bought the yarn.
• Peacock Mitten - one done, started the other.
• Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
• Petrie top - I have some rather fine Peacock coloured yarn to make this with, but it is a spring weight top, so it is on hold until January 2015.
• Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start.  Also, see above.
• Socks for me - meh
• Rainbow jumper - I have accepted that I won't find the bag, so I have bought some replacement wool.  *sob*
• A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - still planning
• Reknit an unwearably large jumper for Simon - not proving as popular an idea as I thought it would be.

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks
Boreal

It's our Nine Lessons and Carols tonight; the church will be full of candles and peace and should be delightful.  We're looking forward to it, especially because we're abandoning the children with a babysitter, and just going together.  Church this morning was about Mary; fourth Sunday in Advent, and she finally gets a look in.  Our vicar talked about her acceptance of Scripture, and that she must have been a very religious person in order to go against her culture, and the expectations of her family and upbringing.  The Bible is written in its time; the words need to be interpreted by each culture as they come to it. and bits like St Paul talking about the need for women to be veiled in church and that women should keep silent are clearly a load of old rubbish.  Let's smash that stained glass ceiling.  

My Mascara Runs Faster Than I Can

When I started running after Easter, I never in a billion years dreamed I would find it addictive.  Yet I've been out in the freezing cold, in the pouring rain, and this morning with a funny feeling across my left ankle, which I walked and ran off.  It's fine now.  Stupid thing.  I'm learning all about Ealing, learning where there are hills, where there are nice fast flat bits, and that running around Walpole and Lammas parks is pretty boring, and not a patch on running on the pavement around the nice houses.  Odd that.

[I tried to put a picture of my route here, but it doesn't work.  Imagine a red faced idiot in leggings running past traditional Victorian/Edwardian houses, and you'll get the idea.]

I've been running home from dropping the children a couple of days a week; I make sure I get off the bus route, and just go.  This morning I tired of Lammas Park, and ran around the back streets between Northfields and Boston Manor Road, which was delightful.  The ankle niggle meant that I ran for about 15 mins, walked until it didn't hurt, then ran until I couldn't bear it any more.  I stopped for a chat with a friend, and that cured it pretty well, so I was able to run almost all the way home, with a detour to make it up to 5km.  The goal at the moment is the WINTER RUN, a 10 kilometre slog around Central London, in about 2 months time.  I can now easily run 5km, and ran 6 on Friday, and 5.86 today, so basically 6.  Just another 4 to go, and it shouldn't be that hard really.  The plan is to do it in under an hour and a half and then go to the pub.  That might mean I have to speed up a bit.

I've definitely changed shape from all the running - I still have my hourglass figure with the extra sand, but there is less sand than there was before.  I'm planning on doing the dreaded Shred next month, and seeing how that goes.  I do not like it much, but it undeniably works, dammit.  It should complement the running, and hopefully get rid of the post c-section tummy overhang; it's been 4 years, I really should do SOMETHING.

No sewing at the moment, I just don't seem to have the energy.

This is what I do. I drop "truth bombs."

The Sunday night knitting klaxon is going off again.

I've not made a huge amount of progress since my last update; which isn't that surprising considering that I only did an update on the 8th, and I have yet to master sleep knitting.  Still, since July, I have made bags of progress, and that's a GREAT feeling.

• Boreal.  Done and done and worn twice.  I love it.  

• A small jumper for Nicholas - Christmas knitting.  It is really quite, well, large.  Simon, sarcastic tease that he is, suggests I compare it to my gauge swatch.  
• Burton Bear cowl for Hattie.  Brown wool found.  Placed in knitting bag with pattern and needles.  Awaiting cast on fairy.
• Wisteria jumper - located.  I have been working on one of the sleeves, and will continue to do so once the small jumper is finished.

The rest is the same as before.  Deep joy.  Still, I'll get some done in the Christmas holidays.

• The Weather in the Streets - January to June done AND SEWN TOGETHER.  July in progress.
• Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - it's for his second birthday.  I've bought the pattern.
• Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) Ho hum.
• Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - I've now completed 20 rows.  Yellow row next.
• Nicholas' POP blanket - There are still 9 completed squares.   Needs to be done by April, so not that long to go.  Aargh.
• An Owlet for Hattie - yarn located
• Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - well, I've bought the yarn.
• Peacock Mitten - one done, started the other.
• Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
• Petrie top - I have some rather fine Peacock coloured yarn to make this with, but it is a spring weight top, so it is on hold until January 2015.
• Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start.  Also, see above.
• Socks for me - meh
• Rainbow jumper - disaster has struck.  I have misplaced the bag with it in.  I don't know where it is, I think it is in the pub, but they deny all knowledge.  Aargh.
• A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - still planning
• Reknit an unwearably large jumper for Simon - not proving as popular an idea as I thought it would be.

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks

You're not autistic, you're neurotic and lack social skills

I have caught "old" from someone, probably my considerably older than me husband.  It's jolly cold here at the moment, and I'm tucked up on the sofa with my blanket, computer on my lap, watching Grantchester; I'm thinking of making myself a pair of fingerless gloves and a proper old man Steptoe hat.  I'm even having soup for my dinner; it's bacon and borlotti with chilli oil in it - it's not great, too thin and needs seasoning, but it'll do for tonight and for lunch at the weekend.

It's Christmas lunch at school tomorrow, so brace yourselves for beautiful, slightly out of focus pictures of my Elsa jumper - like the Snow Queen needs a jumper, but maybe Sven knitted Anna one as a Midwinter gift, and like everyone else in the world, she wants to look like Elsa.  It's a bit big, but the colour is fabulous, and it fits me well enough.  I think it's meant to have a bit of positive ease, and it was such a bugger to knit that I've no desire to try to "fix" it.  Next time I'll make it a bit smaller, and maybe use Cascade; a purple Boreal would look delightful.  Or perhaps I could use that lovely blue that I seem to have lots and lots in stash.

It was the SENCo course today and jolly interesting and relevant for a change.  My essay is coming along nicely; I've sorted the title out - "What is the impact of Write Dance on handwriting skills of boys in Year One?"  As you can imagine, it will be a fascinating read, and sure to win all the prizes available from the IoE/UCL merged college.  Yet another qualification from a London college; Birkbeck, Goldsmiths and now UCL.  Scintillating stuff.

There's not much else to say.  We're off out tomorrow to watch James Rhodes do his stuff at the Soho Theatre; a novelty for us to be out together, and let's see how long it is before we're talking about the children.  Is it wrong to hope that Benedict Cumberbatch will be there too?

Another voice crying out in the wilderness

It's nearly Christmas, and the round of parties, shows, food shopping and preparation has begun again.  I've made our cake, which is being fed with the finest brandy by my parents; our pudding is maturing in the cupboard; the children's gift mountain is building up, and our church is collecting presents for the families in our local Women's Refuge.

I was a bit stumped this year.  What do you get 12 and 13 year old children?  I have no idea, so they are getting clothes.  There's also a baby on the way, to another woman running away, and they are getting a gift card and a baby gro.  Children in the middle are getting Hello Kitty gloves and Spiderman socks.  I've also got some lovely smellies for the mums, and some boxes of chocolate to share around.  It involved shopping at Primark, which I rarely do, but they have some nice stuff that will do very well for everyone. 

The food bank also needs support, so I buy something everytime I'm in Tesco, and actually, because I don't really go to Tesco either, I go there on purpose.  Yesterday I bought two packets of tea, a jar of instant and some hot chocolate for them.  Some weeks, I buy a couple of tins of chilli or bolognaise, some rice or some pasta, or some milk powder or UHT.  

Why am I telling you all of this?  It's not because I want to show you what a good person I am, it's to show that you can do good easily, without going out of your way or by spending a lot of money.  If I had picked up the children in the middle of the night and run, I would want to know that some one out there cared enough to buy them a Christmas present;  Lord knows the poor souls must be going through hell at the moment.  If I was in a low paying job, trying to make both ends meet, being referred to the food bank, I'd want to know that people cared enough to do something, even something as small and seemingly trivial as adding a fiver to their weekly shopping.

I am privileged, I KNOW, and I use my privilege to try to do the right thing.  I don't bang on about it, but I am religious and I feel we should be helping people.  The Archbishop of Canterbury backed a report a few days ago; I don't think it's all down to surplus food being wasted - it is down to low wages.  It's down to benefit cuts.  The women's refuge in Hanwell has had its funding cut and cut and cut again, and now it's basically supported by volunteers and people's second hand goods.  Yet it is busier than ever.  Why is that?

Why aren't people who are in work able to feed their families?  Why aren't we, with our supposedly flourishing economy, able to look after the people in our country?  People pay taxes, why are they not used to support the most vulnerable in society?  Why are people thrown to the wolves?

I can talk to animals! Well, not talk to them. I can take commands from them.

I have ill for absolutely ages.  Yesterday was the first day I've felt even vaguely human, so I went for run, and then sat on the sofa, coughing away like a 40 a day life long smoker.  Lovely.  

Things have been busy at work; Parents' Evening, the joy of my winter - the Nursery Christmas Extravaganza, the need to do some work for my SENCo course building up and other seasonal joys.  If I have to sing "When Santa got stuck up the chimney" again, I'll go a bit funny.

The sewing has suffered, but the knitting is carrying on.  Slight progress made in some areas, not a lot to report though.  

• The Weather in the Streets - January to June done AND SEWN TOGETHER.  July in progress.
• Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - it's for his second birthday.  I've bought the pattern.  
• Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) Ho hum.
• Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - I've now completed 20 rows.  Yellow row next.
• Nicholas' POP blanket - There are still 9 completed squares. 
• A small jumper for Nicholas - Christmas knitting.  Why am I doing this to myself.
• Burton Bear cowl for Hattie.  Brown wool ordered.
• An Owlet for Hattie - yarn located
• Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - well, I've bought the yarn
• Boreal - FINISHED AND DONE.
• Wisteria jumper - located.  It JUST needs sleeves.
• Peacock Mitten - one done, started the other.
• Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
• Petrie top - I have some rather fine Peacock coloured yarn to make this with, but it is a spring weight top, so it is on hold until January 2015.
• Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start.  Also, see above.
• Socks for me - meh
• Rainbow jumper - disaster has struck.  I have misplaced the bag with it in.  I don't know where it is, I think it is in the pub, but they deny all knowledge.  Aargh.
• A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - still planning
• Reknit an unwearably large jumper - not proving as popular an idea as I thought it would be.

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks

It's all really quite exciting.  In a way.  I'm not sure I'll get much more done this year, but who can say.  

Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard on the head.

*SUNDAY NIGHT KNITTING KLAXON AGAIN*

I am ill.  Not really ill, but ill enough.  I cough and cough and cough, and it's awful during the day and worse at night.  Last night I took 2 night nurse, and slept for 12 hours straight.  The only downside was that I then felt shocking until about 2pm today, when they wore off.  Still, they calmed the cough and let me sleep, so they've probably done some good.

The illness has meant I haven't really touched or looked at the blog for a week, so thank you for commenting, I read all the comments, but just haven't got around to replying.  Sorry.

I spent all day yesterday crocheting or snoozing sitting up; I'm happy to report progress on a whole load of projects.  Mostly because I looked at the list, looked at the WIP pile and had a good old think about my behaviour.

For the Girls

Burton Bear cowl for Hattie.  Brown wool ordered.

An Owlet for Hattie - yarn located

Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - well, I've bought the yarn

For me:

Boreal - making the first sleeve.  I need this done by December 12th.  It will be.  There is no way I am BUYING a Christmas jumper.
Wisteria jumper - located.  It JUST needs sleeves.
Peacock Mitten - on hold
Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
Petrie top - I have some rather fine Peacock coloured yarn to make this with, but it is a spring weight top, so it is on hold until January 2015.
Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start.  Also, see above.
Socks for me - meh
Rainbow jumper - no progress
A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - still planning

For Simon:

Reknit an unwearably large jumper - not proving as popular an idea as I thought it would be.

Other - I've done things here!

The Weather in the Streets - January to May done AND SEWN TOGETHER.  June so, so close to being finished, July STARTED.
Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - it's for his second birthday.  In September.  2015.  Tonnes of time.
Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) I had a look at this, and found my bag of scraps, and I might just get on and do one.
Finish the bloody Elephants blanket - Officially taking off the list.  I don't like it, it's a pain to make, and while I'm not going to bin the blooming thing, I'll put it completely on the back burner, and not worry about it anymore.
Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - I've now completed 19 rows (all the colours) and just have to do it all again 2 more times and put a border on it, then it will be done.
Nicholas' POP blanket - 9 squares are still done.
A small jumper for Nicholas - need to get a move on with this - Christmas knitting.

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks

So there is some progress, especially with the 2014 blanket.  I've just got 8 squares to go for June, and then I'll be half way through, which I'm pleased about.  It's still pretty busy though.  

At my knits end

*MONDAY NIGHT KNITTING KLAXON*

It's that time again.  I'm running out of oomph for knitting at the moment.  It's all happening very, very slowly, and I'm busy at work and in need of quick fixes in the shape of cat dresses and Cocos.  Oh well.  I'm making very slow progress on everything.

A Knit List Update

For the girls:

Two Burton Bears cowls - the one I made for Hattie was rejected, as she wanted a BROWN bear, not a POLAR bear, silly Mummy.

The Polar Bear one is finished, but I am yet to take a picture; it does not look good unmodelled.  Here is a detail.

An Owlet for Hattie - oh dear

Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - well, I've bought the yarn

For me:

I'm on to the snowflakes on the Boreal.  It's still going well.  I'm nearly at the split for the sleeves, which is where I'll put it to bed for a week, and start something else.
Wisteria jumper - not talking about that
Peacock Mitten - I started mitten two, it is going OK - I've done the ribbing, I'll take it around with me for a few weeks, and it will soon finish itself.
Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
Petrie top - still thinking.
Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start
Socks for me - meh

A Rainbow jumper with some sheepy yarn from the Faroes and a lot of Kauni wool - I've done a bit more than that, but not much.  It's very thin yarn.
A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - still planning

For Simon:

Reknit an unwearably large jumper - I've had a look in his cupboard, and chosen the one to reknit.  I need to take measurements and search out the pattern.  I want this done around his birthday (February)
Pair of socks - done.

Other - no change.  Quite depressing really.

Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - sigh
Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) (Nope)
The Weather in the Streets (should probably be finished by June) - January to May - done; January to April sewn together. (Nope)
Finish the bloody Elephants blanket - FCK THAT SHJT. (this is supposed to be Hattie's 4th birthday blanket.  It won't be)
Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - going surprisingly well (still slow)
Nicholas' POP blanket - I've still done 9 squares.
A small jumper for Nicholas.

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks

Jellicle Cats have cheerful faces, Jellicle Cats have bright black eyes

In the olden days, pre-children, I sometimes had piano lessons, and my teacher was also a record producer, song writer and general muso.  He would often stay up all night working with singers, when they were all "feeling it" and things just worked.  I didn't get it then, but I do now.

I finished the Cat Lady dress.  It's a thing of beauty, and only took about 5 hours in total.  Unfortunately, 3 of those hours were between 9:30 last night and 12:30  this morning, so I'm a bit tired today, but I couldn't have stopped, even had I wanted to.  The only thing that prevented me from sewing later was that I couldn't find my invisible zip, so had to stop.  But it was mostly done in one evening.

I don't like doing facings, so it has bias binding on the neck and on the armholes, and also around the hem, making it officially beautiful inside too.  I pinked all the seams, and even ironed it as I went along - a thing I never do.  I won't show you the invisible zip.  It's enough to say that it isn't that invisible, I had a hell of a time putting the damn thing in, but guess what?  I don't care!

The next time I make an Anna dress, I might grade it a bit, so that there isn't as much fabric between my bust and my armpit - it sort of gapes there a bit.  The madness of the print distracts the eye from the slightly botched waistline; I'm not sure what happened, but my skirt pieces got out of order, or I'd written the wrong number on them, or something just went awry.  I'm generally very pleased with it, and quite pleased that my photographer has finally managed to take a picture of me where I don't look like a wally. Well, not that much.

Photobombing ratbags.  Cute though. 

Dress: By Hand London Anna

Fabric: Cocoland Coco Cat Daisies from Frumble

Miss Crayola Creepy Cat Lady Sewing Challenge.

Bring on the cats!

We're gonna need a montage

Half term.

Edinburgh, Linton and trick or treating.  Kathy's Knits on Broughton Street in Edinburgh got most of my money; we also had supper at The Witchery by the Castle, and stayed on Charlotte Square in a jolly nice hotel.  They had a spa, so I treated myself to a facial; such decadence,

The girls stayed with my parents in Linton, where they had a great time doing lots of country things; as opposed to the cultural things they do with us in London.  Hem.

We went trick or treating on Hallowe'en; nowhere special, just up and down the road perpendicular to ours.  Good fun, and my famous neighbour was having a party for her children, and had a terrifying axe on the door.  Beware of the cake.

It was my birthday on Friday, so the trip was my present, as was this rather fine hat.  My birthday also explains the tiny little hangover I had on Sunday.

Teaching: the only profession where you steal from home to bring into work

I do like a bit of Ros Asquith in the morning.

The SENCO course started just before half term.  For those unfamiliar with the EDBIZ and its myriad of abbreviations and acronyms, a SENCO is a Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator, which is the person who is responsible for getting statements of needs (they're not called that any more, but everyone still calls them "statements"), which is the piece of paper stating that there will be funding to help children who need extra help; it's a fairly oblique process, and requires a lot of thought and writing and justifying where you're spending money, and seems to be allocated on a fairly arbitrary basis.  Anyway.

The course is good, and very interesting, but, as I found today, lacks the practical element.  When a child is running, screaming and crying wordlessly around the Nursery, what do you do?  There's no associated reference paper for that, and in the end, we just called Mum.  We'll muddle on through, as you always do in teaching.

I have to do a 4500 word project too on an aspect of SEN, where you can show how you have swooped in and saved the day.  I have something in mind, to do with fine motor skills and the lack thereof in Year One - as you can see, riveting stuff for the uninitiated.  I'm very upset that the course, which is run by the Institute of Education, is in smelly old Greenford, rather than lovely, lovely Bloomsbury, but I'm sure I'll get over it.  I'm going there on Friday for a 9 o'clock meeting; first time travelling in rush hour for years and years, and that will almost certainly make me grateful for the E1 that goes from outside my front door all the way to the Teachers' Centre.

I am sure you will all be fascinated by my progress.  If you're really lucky, I'll post a link to my essay, so you can have all the fun of academic research, and none of the bother of doing any.

The Cat Lady challenge

There was a time when this looked like my most probable future.  Totally mad, surrounded by cats, muttering away to myself.  Well, I don't have any cats yet, and I've mostly replaced muttering with writing the blog, but otherwise it's not quite off the table.  So far, we've managed a hamster and four fish; very low maintenance, slightly dull pets, although the hamster has bags of personality and is a little smasher.

I still would like a cat though, and will get at least one at some point, so to prepare for this momentous occasion, I decided to participate in Miss Crayola Creepy's Cat Lady Sewing Challenge.  Part of me wanted to go full on mental with a dress with massive cats on, but then I remembered that I wouldn't wear, I have three handmade dresses I barely wear, I'm 37 and a UK size 14 and went for something a bit more subtle.

It's not finished yet, but I've only got another skirt panel to cut out, because I had to order more fabric as the Anna dress always takes more fabric than I think it should, then I've got to sew the whole thing together, and that won't take more than two evenings.  It's got to be done by Sunday.  Easy.

Look at the selvedge on this!

Truly, this will be a thing of beauty and grace, and I will look elegant and gorgeous, if just slightly mental.  It's a look I've got to get used to.

I'm having so many thoughts and feelings that I'm paralyzed right now

*SUNDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLAXON AGAIN*

I've not written anything for a few days; we've been terribly, terribly busy with half term trips to Cambridge and Edinburgh, my SENCO course starting last week and all sorts of things going on.  

I've got lots of blog posts planned (lucky you), with lots of photos (even luckier!) but right now I just don't have the energy - I have a very slight hangover.  Very slight.  So knitting it is.

A Knit List Update

For the girls:

A Cowl for Hattie - FINISHED!

We chose the dyes together - Hattie isn't as sophisticated as Lucy, and chose pink and orange.  We dyed it together, by which I mean that I did the work and she turned the beautiful skein into a great big mess. 

Two Burton Bears cowls - this is Hattie's.  I started it this evening, and it is very quick to work up.  I can't seem to get it to join happily in the round, so I'm making it flat.  

An Owlet for Hattie - still very close to starting this

Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - shh shh 

For me:

I'm on to the snowflakes on the Boreal.  It's going quite well really.

Wisteria jumper - not talking about that
Peacock Mitten - I started mitten two, it is going OK - I've done the ribbing, I'll take it around with me for a few weeks, and it will soon finish itself.
Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
Petrie top - still thinking.
Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start
Socks for me - meh
A Rainbow jumper with some sheepy yarn from the Faroes and a lot of Kauni wool - still in the planning stages
A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - ditto

For Simon:

Reknit an unwearably large jumper - I've had a look in his cupboard, and chosen the one to reknit.  I need to take measurements and search out the pattern.  I want this done by his birthday (February)
Pair of socks - done.

Other

Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - sigh
Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) (Nope)
The Weather in the Streets (should probably be finished by June) - January to May - done; January to April sewn together. (Nope)
Finish the bloody Elephants blanket - FCK THAT SHJT. (this is supposed to be Hattie's 4th birthday blanket.  It won't be)
Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - going surprisingly well (still slow)
Nicholas' POP blanket - I've done 9 squares.  It's going really well.  I'll have it finished for his birthday for sure.
A small jumper for Nicholas.

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl

Avoid any food that has a TV commercial

It's still October Unprocessed, and I've been cooking all sorts of things.  Nothing too radical - no making my own yoghurt, or bok choi chips; just a massive fish pie, a farro risotto from Nigellissima - made with bacon bits to stop it being too healthy or boring; a melanzane parmigiano with extra mozzarella; bean and tomato soup; toast with homemade damson jam, the list goes on.  

I don't really like to cook, despite being quite good at it when I do; the things I really like to make involve twenty minutes frantic work, then leaving it in the oven for the rest of the time.  Like baking.  Baking is satisfyingly maths-y with all the measuring and weighing, then you mix it all together in the Kenwood, bung it in a cake tin, and ta-dah there is a cake.  Icing on the other hand is a massively boring chore, and I utterly discard it.  Which is why my cakes taste great, but look like they've been sat on by an elephant.  

Anyway, all this healthy eating is paying dividends, and I have lost about two inches from the waist, and nothing at all from the hips - not in one month, of course, but the new regime is working, and if I can only get off my bum a bit more often and go for a run, life will be perfection and joy.  I would like to be able to cut a smaller Coco next time.

I went for a quick drink with my colleagues on Friday, getting home at twenty past one, having heard all the gossip (none of which is interesting to other people) and having shot my mouth off about all sorts.  One of them asked me how I had lost all the weight, and I surprised myself by being quite evangelical about running, and the Get Running app in particular. If you are thinking of a couch to 5K programme, this one is fantastic, not at all annoying, and lets you play your own music.  Get Running are not paying me to advertise their app; they bloody should be.

Tonight's Unprocessed delight is Wild Salmon with Noodles and Spinach and Soy Sauce and three glasses of red.  Followers of the regime will be delighted to learn that I count vodka and haribo as being unprocessed, if not a key ingredient in the weight loss.

PS While searching for a title for this post, I was offered the chance to "Spice up my Sex Routine".  Something to consider for the long winter nights.

It's not a hobby, it's a post-apocalyptic life skill

*SUNDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLAXON*

A Knit List Update

For the girls:

An Owlet for Hattie - very close to starting this

Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown - These are going to be Christmas presents, I need to get a  move on

Two Burton Bears cowls - pattern printed out

A cowl for Hattie to match the cowl I made for Lucy - this is about 3 hours work, once I've wound the wool

For me:

This is my new jumper - a Boreal by Kate Davies; I'm using lovely, lovely EasyKnits Ooomph in Soooooooper Grover; it's aran weight and absolutely delicious.  The white is a super squishy sheepy smelling aran from Laxtons - it's on their website as Blue Face Leicester Roving.  Gorgeously snuggly.
Wisteria jumper - not talking about that
Peacock Mitten - ditto
Coraline cardigan - moved to be finished by February; this is Britain, it will still be cold then
Petrie top - needs me to buy yarn, so not feeling it at the moment
Knitted Coco - got the yarn, printed out a pattern, just got to start
Socks for me - I'm not going to use the yarn I was going to use, so now I need to dig in the stash
A Rainbow jumper with some sheepy yarn from the Faroes and a lot of Kauni wool - still in the planning stages
A Little Birds jumper with no steeks - ditto

For Simon:

Reknit an unwearably large jumper - I've had a look in his cupboard, and chosen the one to reknit.  I need to take measurements and search out the pattern.  I want this done by his birthday (February)
More socks. - One sock is done.  I have 4 and a half rounds of ribbing to do on the other, so I am calling it done for now.  They are bottle green, not black.  Still a bugger to knit.

Owl Obsession for one of my godsons - got the yarn.... (he's only just turned one, he doesn't need a blanket yet)
Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) (I might get a bit more enthused about this in Christmas)
The Weather in the Streets (should probably be finished by June) - January to May - done; January to April sewn together. (Again, I've lost momentum for this)
Finish the bloody Elephants blanket - FCK THAT SHJT. (massive hate on about this, might just bin the damn thing)
Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - going surprisingly well (slowly)

Nicholas' POP blanket - I've done a few squares, but am being very slow about it (speeding up - I've done 8 squares) (oops, make that 7 - curses)

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks  for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy 

I've been obsessed, OBSESSED, with sewing recently.  Lucy now has an ELSA DRESS MADE BY HER MUM, which she wore to a party at the weekend.  She was overjoyed by it, and her friends' mums were amazed and stunned by my general brilliance and creativity.  You can read all about it here.  I made myself a beautiful Charley Harper print dress the other day; you can see pictures of me in my old specs, looking weird, here.  It is a Coco.  What else?  2 hours it took to make, that's all.  You don't get that sort of creative high from knitting, I can tell you.

PS Hello lovely commentators, who were so sweet about my last Year of Projects post.  I meant to reply to every single one, but things got in the way; sorry.  It's always lovely to read comments, thank you xx  I will try to be more diligent replying this week.

A bird in the hand

I took the morning off on Thursday; by which I mean that I didn't go into work to do my job on a voluntary basis between half 9 and half 12;  I stayed at home, did some work, prepared for my first SENCO meeting and made a Coco.

The fabric is a Charley Harper print, called Upside Downside, and it is lovely.  It's a jersey, and so soft and easy to wear.  I bought it at the Knitting and Stitching Show from The Eternal Maker last weekend; it didn't even have time to get into the stash.  I decided not to make the sleeves birds, primarily because I'd run out of fabric, but also because it might be all a bit too much.  I think the dress looks better with a cardigan pulling it in a bit; also, you know, AUTUMN.

The dress took 2 hours from cutting it out to wearing it, which is a bit of a record.  If I cut out the night before, I could feasibly make one in the morning to wear to school and still be in by lunchtime.  I might challenge myself.  

I now want all the Charley Harper fabric, and all the prints.  Especially this one:

Backyard Birds, from his official website.  I've got a birthday coming up.  Just saying.

A dress for a Princess

It started off as a reaction to the idea of paying 70 Euros EACH for an acrylic, flammable Elsa dress in Disneyland Paris.  When we got back to London, we went to John Lewis and chose £50 worth of blue fabric, and sparkles, and netting, and all sorts, as well as a pattern.

 

These sat in the stash for a while, having a little think about everything.

One bodice, cut out and with bead placement.

One completed bodice.  The sequin tape is sewn around the sleeve cuffs, and the neckline is decorated.  The silk was a bugger to cut out, but it is done now, and even after cutting out Hattie's bodice, there'll be enough left to make a scarf for me to sashay around in.  Making a silk scarf; understand that what I'm going to do is pink the edges, then knot it around my neck and go out.  No sewing required.

Just the skirt to go now; and I cut so that it would fall to just above her ankles.  I didn't cut out enough panels for the skirt, which I discovered AFTER sewing on the net underskirt, and the gauzy overskirt.  So on the back, it has a plain panel with the zip in.  It's also much too big at the top, as I added more room to the bodice by accident.  I couldn't face ripping out all the work, so I had to bodge it.  And we need a cloak.

It rustles when she walks.

It's super, super sparkly.

And there it is, in its full glory.  Being exceptionally nit-picking, I would make the overskirt fuller, so that there's more movement in it, and I would count the panels properly so that I don't have to bodge it again.  The pattern is quite good actually, although I'm not entirely sure about the skirt.  It's a bit impractical for active girls.

I worried that Lucy would be a bit sniffy about it not being a REAL Elsa dress, but she loves it.  Thank goodness.  Now, when I've ordered more fabric for Hattie's, I've just got to get a couple of wigs, and some sparkly shoes and we'll be singing all around West Ealing.  

I might have to make myself one too.  

All the world is made of faith and trust. And knitting.

Sewing is taking over my life.  I can't do anything else at the moment, it's all so exciting.  I've been making Lucy a special Elsa dress, and will have photos (!) and a long, work in progress style blog post soon, but it's on hold at the moment, as I can't quite face it.

So the knit list.  I went to Ally Pally at the weekend, and came back with 4 metres of jersey fabric for two Cocos (chevrons and upside down birds - beyond gorgeous), a pattern for a dress that is slightly more complicated than a Coco but not much, some wool, some needles, some more wool and a pompom maker.  It's all very, very exciting.  I'm going to be very, very busy.

For the girls:

Owlet for Lucy : DONE!

It doesn't photograph well, particularly not on my crappy old 4; I'm getting a whizzy new one in a few days, can't wait.  

An Owlet for Hattie - yarn ready, just need to get on with it

Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown (it's getting close to mitten weather, better get a move on)

For me:

A Garter Yoke cardigan - DONE and I have barely taken it off since I finished it

Finish the Wisteria jumper (not much to go) - just got the sleeves to do (hngh)
Finish the other Peacock Mitten in time for winter - need to get on with it (bah)
A Coraline cardigan - I have NEW YARN in a new and exciting and very not Julia colour for this one (still looking at the yarn)
A Petrie top with navy and blue stripes - on hold (sh)
A knitted Coco (no link, because I am going to make it up and channel Tilly) - got some yarn for it STILL
A pair of socks - didn't get to start in France, but will try to do them in the car in the next few weeks (bah, but we are going to Edinburgh, so I will start these on the train)

For Simon:

Reknit an unwearably large jumper - I've had a look in his cupboard, and chosen the one to reknit.  I need to take measurements and search out the pattern.
More socks. - One sock is done.  The other sock is half done, so hurrah for that

Owl Obsession for my new godson - got the yarn.... (shh)
Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015) (shh)
The Weather in the Streets (should probably be finished by June) - January to May - done; January to April sewn together. (grr)
Finish the bloody Elephants blanket - FCK THAT SHJT. (massive hate on about this, might just bin the damn thing)
Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - going surprisingly well (slowly)
Nicholas' POP blanket - I've done a few squares, but am being very slow about it (speeding up - I've done 8 squares)

Done:
Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan.
A pair of simple socks  for the children

I've got couple more things to add to the list - like two Burton Bear cowls, a Little Birds jumper (no steeks), a Boreal Christmas jumper that needs starting and a cowl for Hattie.  Hey ho.  Less sewing, more sitting.

Two Dresses

The trouble with children is that they always want you to be doing something with them.  Mine are pretty independent most of time; Hattie likes small world stuff, Lucy likes drawing, but the minute I try to do anything like iron some fabric prior to cutting it out, it's all "Muuuuuuuuummmmmm, I'm boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreed".  Even if they are watching TV, the minute they hear the sewing machine touch the table, the TV turned off and the pestering starts.  So it takes me a very long time to sew anything.

This dress started off as a dream, weirdly enough.  I was drinking gin in a bar with this generation's Orwell, Owen Jones, off of the Grauniad, wearing a dress made out of clouds.  That's what happens when you read Private Eye in the bath, you have weird dreams about class warriors.  Anyway, I kept on thinking about it, and couldn't find any fabric that was suitable, until I went to Hobbycraft, and spotted this.

I think that was just after Easter, and it sat in my stash for a few months.  Then I made it into a Cambie dress, with the most perfect topstitching around the neckline.  It didn't fit.  Not even in a oooh a bit tight, lose 5 pounds way.  It didn't fit one bit.  I think the Cambie dress and I have a love hate relationship; something to do with me having an hourglass figure (it's TRUE.  My bust and my hips are EXACTLY the same measurement) and the Cambie dress being one that flatters a pear shape.  The bodice is either too big or titchy, and the rest just looks odd.  

Anyway, I couldn't face starting again, so I ripped its seams open and added panels of fabric to the zip and to the side seams.  It is now a patchwork cloud.

Take a picture where I don't look like a moron, I said.  Try to make me look normal, I said.  It's a bit cold for sleeveless at the moment, hence the Myra cardigan.  I might make one in bright yellow - a sunshine to go with the clouds.

I am nearly 37.  There is nothing wrong with wearing a dress that is made out of clouds.

The other dress is the grey Coco that I started a while back.  It needed pockets, cuffs and a hem.  It now has all of these. I am going to wear it tomorrow to be a Junior Church teacher.  It has a sort of ecclesiastical vibe to it.

Seriously, I'm going to have to change my photographer.

The optician has told me that I need to wear my glasses more often rather than just my contacts, so the search is on for some I like that aren't too expensive.  It's all so difficult and terribly, terribly dull.  In other news, one of the little girls in my class thinks that I am my Nursery Nurse's mum.  So I'm going up for an early night, then tomorrow I'm either getting Botox or buying up all the make up that Mac can make.

Something serious

What a shitty day yesterday turned into.  I don't like to be mawkish, or sentimental, or overly religious, but I found a lot of comfort in the grief stricken lament of Psalm 22.  Be not far from us, for trouble is near, there is no one else to help.  At our church, our churchwarden read Psalm 23, and said some beautiful, appropriate words, and expressed our grief and loss absolutely perfectly.  Helen, our vicar, was on the Channel 4 news, and she spoke movingly of the sense of almost violation that we all feel; that is our canal, that is our space, this is a place of happiness and love and community and friendship.  Please hold her family, and our wider community, in your thoughts, prayers and hearts at this awful time.  Even though we didn't know them, we feel grief and a terrible sense of loss.  The yellow ribbons are still up; it is just heartbreaking.

I just can't be light-hearted about knitting tonight.  

Eat food, not too much, mostly plants

It's October, and it's October Unprocessed again.  Hurrah! 31 days of no added sugar, no shit lunchtime noodles and no processed food of any sort.  I shall mainly be eating grass, the hamster's sawdust and bulbs from the park opposite.  Last year, I sort of stuck to these "rules", guidelines, perhaps; and I've just made myself laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of some of the things I thought I could do.  "Make your own cereal bars", what an idiot.

Anyway, I think I will stick to more or less the same rules this year, with the exception of no Chinese pot noodles, which I am sick of anyway, and aren't that great for you either.

No Diet Coke.

Less sugar.

Baking my own bread for a month - this one is a bit difficult, as I don't really eat that much bread, and we end up with far too much bread, as we still buy bread for the fusspots sandwiches.  Maybe that should be "Don't eat rubbish bread".

If I can buy it as an ingredient (baking powder, caster sugar, flour), it's OK.

Cook more and menu plan like mad.

Like last year, that is not very far from what we eat as a family anyway.  The children eat more processed food than us - chicken nuggets, fish fingers, frankfurters, yoghurt, that sort of thing; and I don't really drink very much or eat things like takeaways more than once a month.  What a virtuous person I am.

I've also started doing the 30 Day Shred again, which was as challenging as I remember, although my recovery time is much faster, which is great.  I quite enjoyed it, bizarrely.  The running has made a real difference, particularly to my attitude to exercise.  I've signed up for a 10k race around London in February, and I really, really want to do it in under 80 minutes, which is doable for me, as I am very, very slow runner, so I'd better get out training again.  

Me me me me me me me me.  It's what you all come here for. 

Do try to listen to this episode of Analysis, it's on the iplayer, and is very, very interesting.  I'm going to get Michael Pollan's books, they sound great.  His mantra is "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants", and it's a really good way to look at diet.  I'd add, "do more things" to that too, just to add in a bit of exercise.  Told you my attitude had changed.

Whenever Leslie asks me for the Latin names of any of our plants, I just give her the name of rappers.

Moan, moan, moan, but I am sodding tired tonight.  I've been working VERY VERY hard doing FULL DAYS at school, which may not sound like a big deal to you workers of the world, but I am part-time, so any time outside of 12:30 to 3:30 is voluntary work, although I prefer to consider it to be an investment in my future. I had my first experience of taking a meeting as a SENCO today, although with my natural diffidence, I let the two ladies from Brent Autism Outreach do most of the talking.  I can't believe how worried I was by this - I had a sleepless night last night!  How silly.

Anyway, it is done, and I have to brief everyone tomorrow, and make picture cue cards, and print out a bunch of stuff.  It is all go, teaching, I can tell you.

A bit more about the weekend.  My photo diary of Yarndale has not proved to be terribly popular, although I think they are pretty good photos for a change, so here are some words about Yarndale, to go with the pictures from yesterday.

Crocheted Mandalas.  People from all over the world made these, and sent them to lovely, lovely Lucy.  I tried.  It wasn't a success.  Let us pass over that.

Two lovely Lucys.  This photo was cut from the official Charlie Bear's travel journal, despite Lucy Attic24 being known to  thousands of people, all over the world.  She was good enough to remember us too, which was sweet.

Crocheted bunting.  Most are granny squares (triangles) and are very, very pretty.  Lots of people went to a lot of trouble last year, and the bunting must have been a real pain to put together, but it looks spectacular.

Hattie and Lucy by the Skipton canal.  It was another super day, weather wise, so they spent a lot of time running around in the park, letting me spend all my cash in peace and quiet.  Please note Hattie's completed cardigan.  She consented to wear it.  

Lucy at the Easy Knits stand, modelling her rainbow jumper from about two years ago.  Everything I knit the children is ENORMOUS, allowing for lots of wear.  I bought a lot of bright, bright blue, the shade that's just above Lucy's head, in an aran weight.  Watch this space.

October Unprocessed starts tomorrow.

Tha's nowt wrong wi that

This weekend, we went back to Yorkshire, to Yarndale.  It's still a jolly long way away, but we went up on the Friday night, and stayed in a really lovely B&B for two nights, so it felt like a real holiday.  Such a gorgeous place.  Each year, we discover something new.  We went on a dale this time, and around Skipton, which is just so lovely.  Proper house prices envy too, as we realised what our perfectly ordinary London house would buy in Skipton.

Some photos.  Some pictures have Lucy's class bear, Charlie, in.  He came with us, as an extra piece of homework - it's meant to promote talk and writing, and exciting things like that, which it did.  He had a great time.

I bought some yarn.  Not lots, but enough to make a Christmas jumper with an Elsa vibe.  Better get knitting.