And then a car coming the other way swerves to avoid you and goes off a cliff

It'll be 2016 in a few days, and the start of a new year, and time for resolutions that I don't keep.  Looking back, my resolutions for this year were to be a size 12 (ha!) and to make trousers (ha! again), so this year, my resolutions are going to be pretty much the same.  I've just joined our local cheapy gym, and I've been for a 6.61km run today, and done a load of sit ups and stuff, so things are moving in the right direction.  I've got 20 pounds to lose; so far I've lost 1.  At Christmas.  You can touch me if you like.  I have some photos of me in my workout gear which when I'm feeling brave I will post as a before picture at some point, so brace yourself for that.

Anyway, the point of all this exercise is to make the sewing and subsequent photos more enjoyable.  If I'm going to have to take all sorts of inside leg and around my bum and thigh measurements, it had better be an interesting rather than horrific experience.

Knit chat, as well as FIT CHAT.  No finished objects, but lots of progress.

Hexipuff Quilt: There are 237 hexipuffs done and sewn together and looking gorgeous.

The Rainbow Raglan: it now has a sleeve.  However, knitting the sleeve made me realise that I had knitted in some form of side boob, and so I had to rip it back to the armhole and start again from there.  *sob*  It's coming along pretty well, and I'm almost finished with the waist shaping and then it's only a few rounds after that until the body is done.  AGAIN.

Simon's Cobblestone jumper: round and round and round I go, where I stop, I do not know.  *sigh*

Simon's massive man socks: Need more yarn

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: Grumpy

The Yellow Petrie: I appear to be using the orange I used for the facing for something else, so I will need to have a think about that.

Miette cardigan in Lemon: changed to be a Myrna cardigan, again by Andi Satturland for her Selfish Knitting Knit-Along, starting yesterday until Valentine's day.  Myrna is very cropped and LOOK AT MY BOOBS which fits the new aesthetic very well.  I'm going to give it long sleeves and make it a bit longer, so it looks less pornographic and is more wearable.

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Hattie: swapped out for a Rainbow Owlet jumper without owls, so a DK weight raglan sleeve jumper with rainbow stripes, which I started in Cambridge on Tuesday and am nearly done with.  Hurrah for quick fixes.  Not sure how to do the stripes on the sleeves though, but I'll work it out.

These are things that are waiting to be started.

A circle blanket for Robin

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper
Ishbel scarf thing
Waterhouse Mittens

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy 

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy
Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Minion blanket for Hattie

Finished:

Vianne
Wisteria
Elwood Mittens for Lucy
One MASSIVE MAN SOCK
Weather Blanket
Separate but matching vests for twin boys
Urchin hat
Peacock mittens

It's not looking that bad really.  Just got to keep going, one stitch at a time.  

Not a creature was stirring

It's Christmas Eve, I've wrapped up most of the presents I'm giving this year; at least, all the ones for the people we're seeing tomorrow.  We've done the Christingle at church, we've listened to Bob Dylan's frankly terrible Christmas album, and we're about to have the traditional Christmas Eve stirfry, before falling asleep in front of a crap film.  It's not the most exciting way to spend an evening, but until the girls are old enough to want to go to the pub, it's the way we spend it.  I'd like to go to Midnight Mass once they are old enough.  It wasn't a thing in my family growing up, much as I'd like it to have been, but what can you do.

I've not made any presents this year.  People don't really appreciate all the effort it takes to make anything, so I don't bother, and just make things at will throughout the year.  I would like to be a bit more Christmas crafty next year; I might do a list before September.  Or a spreadsheet.  That would be festive.

Anyway.  Have a picture of my children in front the Christmas tree.

There will probably be some presents for them in the morning; they've been mostly good enough for a visit from Father Christmas.  Mostly.

Happy Christmas if you celebrate, happy 25th December if you don't.  I'm going to drink red wine and try to fix the strange side boob thing on my rainbow jumper. 

I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really, really well

Thank the Lord, it is the end of term at last.  It's been a terrific term and lots of fun in many ways, but also really, really hard work and I am shattered, not helped by Christmas parties and all sorts.

I made a Cambie dress for my work party at the Wembley Hilton, which sounded like it should be a bit of a shithole considering it is in Wembley, but of course, Wembley is a massive world class venue, so the hotel next door to it is very nice, if a bit eye-gougingly expensive on the drinks front.  I had a terrific headache, so didn't really drink anything, but I still had a great time.  

The dress: 

I wore it with a big old puffy petticoat underneath, and I made the neckline a bit more scooped because it wasn't lying flat.  It then became a "look at my boobs" dress, which isn't ideal.  I'm a primary school teacher and a SENCo, I don't really want that to be what people remember.  Especially when they are also primary school teachers.

I dug these shoes out of storage and wore them with fishnets.  They were surprisingly comfortable in the end, and I danced until dawn.  Well, midnight.

I did this with my hair and the fluffy thing is from Primark - I would have made one but I ran out of time, and energy.  The girls were alternatively complimentary (Mummy, you look like a princess) and accusatory (Why are you wearing these things? Why do they not belong to us?), which I suppose is pretty normal for 7 & 5 year olds.  I am now on the look-out for other 1950s style dresses that I can make - it's a good style for me, and I will cover up a bit more next time.  Stupid colleagues.

I also made a Christmas jumper for our school Christmas lunch - a sweatshirt fabric Coco, with a gold applique reindeer on it.  It is brilliant and bonkers and I love it very much.

I didn't get around to knitting one this year; also the Guardian said that this year was all about the Christmas sweatshirt, so I'm bang on trend.  

That's the sewing I've got done recently - I wanted to make the girls a horse print Skater dress each, but I seem to have run out of time.  We had a school Christmas party on Wednesday and there was all sorts happening, and I ended up with the worst hangover on Thursday and the guilt and the terror and the photos of me hammered, and I'm on a health kick and a massive HerbalLife diet starting on the 27th.  I even went for a swim on Friday (20 lengths, 500 metres, non stop in 25 minutes, even the girls' swimming teacher was impressed) and a run today (500 metres non stop in about an hour)(not that bad, but not great), so I'm all about the excessive exercise and the reduced calories.  Part of me is all "oh I want to be healthier" but actually, fuck that, I want to be a size 10 and weigh less than one of my boots.  

As for knitting, it is still going on quietly in the background, when I'm not at a party or slumped with hangover and regret (never go back to your colleagues' flat and drink two more glasses of prosecco, and then end up nearly throwing up in a taxi over another).  

The list as it stands after nearly a month off.

Peacock Mittens: They are done.  Finally.  I wore them to the carol service at church this evening, and they are gorgeously toasty and lovely.  Hurrah.

Hexipuff Quilt: I now have 212 and a half hexipuffs, out of 500.  This is amazing, and I only need the same again plus 26 and it will be done.  Hurrah?

Simon's massive man socks: I am just going to buy another skein in the New Year; it is a massive pain in the bum, but I just can't find the second one anywhere.

Simon's Cobblestone jumper has been ripped back and I have cast on the correct size.  It deserves a post all of its own, and will get one.  At some point.

The Rainbow Raglan: Still the same.  Still not made sleeves.

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: Still not happy with it.

The Yellow Petrie: Shshshsh

These are things that are waiting to be started.

A circle blanket for Robin

Miette cardigan in Lemon

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper
Ishbel scarf thing
Waterhouse Mittens

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy 

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy
Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie

Finished:

Vianne
Wisteria
Elwood Mittens for Lucy
One MASSIVE MAN SOCK
Weather Blanket
Separate but matching vests for twin boys
Urchin hat
Peacock mittens

Hey Nolan, I came here to watch Batman, not Kung Fu Panda.

The collect for the day.

Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee by plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The will was stirred up, the fruit was plenteously brought forth from Tesco, and the reward will be an inadvertently egg-free Christmas pudding on the 25th.  I do love a family tradition, and I've made this pudding by Dan Lepard for the past 3 years, and we all stir and wish and generally our wishes come at least partly true.

It doesn't look much now, but it will taste wonderful.  Even without eggs.

Anyway, enough of that.  On with the knitting.

Peacock Mittens: This is the second one, and I've done more than that since I took this photo.  I might even finish them this week.  Might.  

Hexipuff Quilt: I've made another 2 today.  When there are 8 more, I'll recount, and see where we are with the whole 500 titchy little hexagons.

Simon's massive man socks: still the same.

The Rainbow Raglan: Still waiting for sleeves.  Having just been stuck on sleeve island with the Wisteria, I'm disinclined to make another trip there.

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: Still not happy with it.

The Yellow Petrie: Shshshsh

These are things that are waiting to be started.  Still.

A present for Robin: I've changed my mind again.  I'm going to make him the same blanket as I made his sister, but in different colours.  And not as many circles.  And not for Christmas.  Maybe for Easter.

Reknit Simon's Cobblestone jumper - I'm getting moaning about this, so this is up next.

Miette cardigan in Lemon

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper
Ishbel scarf thing
Waterhouse Mittens

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy 

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy
Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie

Finished:

Vianne
Wisteria
Elwood Mittens for Lucy
One MASSIVE MAN SOCK
Weather Blanket
Separate but matching vests for twin boys
Urchin hat

I'm sure I've made more than that; it doesn't seem that much really.

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.  

I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them.

I banged on and on about sewing a dress for the Sew Dolly Clackett event ages ago, and I've only gone and done it.

It's not the greatest of photos, but you get the general idea.  It's a Cambie dress, and it was a bit of a pain in the bum to make.  I found that either my measurements were incorrect or I can't read numbers, and the toile made the bodice way too big and the waist way too small.  Lots of swearing later, and the lining of the bodice fits well, but the shell is a bit big.  I had to make the bust darts deeper, and shorten the straps, so this picture is not a very accurate one. Still, the fabric is terrific and I love it, and I will wear it when I'm not at work.  For a first attempt at making a fitted lined pattern, this isn't that bad.  Shame about the state of the kitchen.

There are thousands of other Sew Dolly Clackett dresses on flickr; you can find them here.  You can find out about Roisin and her intended here, and you can find a Cambie sewing pattern here.  The pattern is lovely, and all errors were mine.  The instructions are very clear too, and I am going to have a go at making another one soon. 

I've had a bit of a break from blogging recently, what with one thing and another, but I've got all sorts of things to say, and now we're safely back at home, I can find the time and space to say them.  

Lucky old you.

52/52

Last Sunday of the year.  Last pair of photos of the girls of the year.  Funny.

I'll be doing it again next year; I know how pleased this must make you.  I was going to write a long thing about how much the children have grown, and all they've learned, and all I've learned from being their mother, but really, who can be bothered to do all that naval gazing, much less write it all down.  My children have taught me lots of things, and I hope that next year will be as much fun and as much chaos as this year has been.  Indulge me; I've put the first pictures from this year here too, just for contrast.

January: Lucy in her onesie, watching Tangled.
December: Lucy the big girl angel, very well behaved and beautiful.

January: Hattie in a rare moment of contemplation.

December: The grumpiest angel in the whole church.  She was very good during the Christingle, but resented wearing the halo, and discarded it as soon as possible.

I don't really think there's anymore to add to this.

Portraits of my children once a week, every week, in 2013.  And on and on and on, until they beg me to stop.

Christmas

It's been a funny sort of Christmas.  The children are having a great time, as is my husband; I am full of snot, and suffering from a very unpleasant tummy bug of some description.  I thought it was an extreme reaction to pseudoephrine, but after all this time, it can't possibly be; I haven't eaten properly for 4 days, and certainly can't face alcohol, so it's a great start to the New Year diet.

We've been trying to do family things, as it's so rare for us both to be off; yesterday, we went to see Frozen, which was fantastic.  It would be nice, just once, please, for a change, to have heroines with realistic body shapes, but apart from that, the film was lovely, the children absolutely loved it, and I may have cried a couple of times during the film, particularly at the sisters falling out bit.  Hattie, who hasn't been to the cinema before, sat on my lap for the duration, and was very excited, scared, happy, devastated and happy again at various points in the film.  She cried and cried and cried at the sad bit, but as it's immediately followed by the happy ending, got a bit confused.  She absolutely loved it, as did Lucy, and it was very refreshing to see two girls sorted things out for themselves, with the love interest just there to do the grunt work.

We were supposed to go down to Brighton today to see Simon's aunt; the family have gone, I'm here on my own, utterly shattered and completely broken after getting up, taking a wash out, putting another wash on, then making tea and toast.  I think I might just be forced to sit in front of the TV and crochet some more owls.  

51/52

Term is finished, and I have a stinker of a Christmas cold, just in time for tomorrow.  Massive doses of Lemsip, vitamin c and paracetamol are called for; along with hot toddies, hot chocolate, mince pies and hibernating.  We're back from a couple of days in the ancestral village, and now locking ourselves in the house until Boxing Day; the cranberry sauce is cooking, the turkey is brining itself, the chestnuts are being heated up in chicken stock, and the turkey giblets are being turned into stock for the gravy tomorrow.  All is domestic bliss.  For the moment.

From our "travels":

A cafe has opened up opposite my parents' house, and we took the girls there the other day after feeding the ducks.  A babyccino each and a large slice of cake stopped all moaning and tantrums. It's a real gift to the village, even though it does feel funny paying for coffee and being able to see into your front room.  

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.

50/52

Not waving, drowning.  Ofsted, the end of term, the Nursery Christmas Concert, Christmas, the Nursery children, my own children, pantomimes, Rainbows, swimming lessons, parties.  It's all getting on top of me a bit.

Still, I had a fun morning with Hattie on Friday.

She was very annoyed with me when she discovered the milk froth on her nose thirty minutes later.  Bad mother.

We decorated our tree.  

We went to a pantomime at the local theatre; it was good, but the best bit was watching the Rainbows and Brownies getting very stuck in to booing, cheering and shouting "Behind You!" a lot.  Lovely.  Lucy was a bit emotional - tired, grumpy, hot and generally under the weather afterwards, so soft hearted mother bought the teddy from Tiger.  An extraordinary shop.  Lucy loves it, has christened it "Hope" and carries it around everywhere; something she's not really done before.

Roll on Friday.  Please.

Portraits of my children once a week, every week, in 2013.

47/52

Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The collect for the day.  The will was stirred up, the fruit was plenteously brought forth and the reward will be a Christmas pudding on Jesus' birthday.

As per tradition, we all stirred and made a wish.  Hattie wished for a cat, a dog and a hampner; out loud, of course.

A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2013.