2014 in pictures

One more look back, and then it's business as usual.  We're going to Brighton today, and also, hopefully, to the cinema. so we're already busy.  So far, 2015 has been the year of everyone being ill at the same time, which is rubbish.

No particular order to the collages, just some photos from a fun year.  All of them were taken on my iPhone, which is why they aren't great.  I've got my brand new brilliant camera to take photos on now, so lets see if things improve this year. 

That is not what I meant at all; that is not it, at all

Term has started, and things are starting to settle down.  I don't know why, but the last few weeks of the summer holiday are just so chaotic and stressful and everyone gets on everyone else's nerves, so I lose the will to write anything.

The girls went to tennis camp for the last few days, and I managed to get some sewing done - in fact I made two Coco dresses in two days, which is fast, even though it's a quick pattern.  I say made, when I mean that I sewed everything together and only finished them yesterday, listening to Benedict Cumberbatch as TS Eliot in Tom and Viv.  What a depressing story; it was brilliantly done, so that you had intense sympathy for both of them all the way through, but actually ended up disliking both of them very much indeed.

This week, I am mostly wearing the same thing, because it is One Week, One Pattern week, the brainchild of Tilly and the Buttons, and this year run by Handmade Jane, so all the bloggers, all the sewing, all the fun.

I'll do a roundup of outfits at the end of the week, bet you can't wait.  I like this idea; the only problem was getting together enough Cocos so that I can wash them occasionally and not wear smelly clothes.  

Hattie and I are off swimming.  I asked her what she wanted to do for our last Mummy and Hattie morning, so now I have to do it.  I'll miss our mornings together.  She has an original mind - at the moment she is making a big experiment which involves wrapping a scarf around a chair and pulling it around the kitchen.  Having an original mind makes her both loud and tiring, but never, ever dull.

Taking Stock Tuesday

Making: As many lovely jumpers I can fit in the wardrobe

Cooking: Every day, as befits a domestic goddess

Drinking: Tea by the bucket

Reading: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Wanting: A bit more enthusiasm for exercise

Looking: Blankly out of the window

Playing: Games with my children

Deciding: Where to go in half term

Wishing: It was actually half term next week

Enjoying: The feeling of being at leisure

Waiting: For Spring to arrive properly, but without wishing away Winter

Liking: My new TA very much

Wondering: What this year will bring

Loving: Listening to Lucy read. Actually READ proper books.

Pondering: What to do about the Hanwell Food Bank

Considering: Buying an second hand dull cord skirt and doing some more dyeing

Watching: Sherlock. Repeatedly.

Hoping: For a happy birthday for my husband
Marvelling: That it's been nearly a month since Christmas

Needing: A kick up the bum to get me to do my tax return

Smelling: The daffodils that are flowering in the conservatory

Wearing: Handmade socks

Following: All sorts of dubious advice about creativity

Noticing: That things are starting to grow again

Knowing: That there is a light at the end of the tunnel with my class

Thinking: About SEN stuff

Feeling: Happy

Admiring: Anyone who can cope with their own children as a single parent

Sorting: Out the mess

Buying: Too much fabric. Is that a thing?

Getting: Frustrated by the never-ending washing mountain. Seriously children, stop getting so grubby.

Bookmarking: Hands Free Mama, a site that infuriates and attracts me simultaneously

Disliking: Nothing in particular, for a change

Opening: The curtains onto a frosty Green.

Giggling: About the UKIP moron. Still.

Feeling: Content

Made It 2013

If you are not interested in knitting, crochet or sewing, LOOK AWAY NOW.

I've made a lot of things this year.  Lots of bloody baby grows for a start, as well as two skirts for me, numerous things for the children, accessories, jumpers, massive blankets, everything.  Except I haven't made some of the things I wanted to make.  I didn't manage to knit from stash every time; in fact, the stash grew exponentially, and is still growing.  Stuff I did make from stash didn't take as much as I thought I would need - I made a lovely cowl last night; less than a ball of Rowan Big Wool used, now what do I do with the rest?  I didn't knit from the queue much.  I got a few things done, but mostly  I made stuff I wanted to wear or give away, sneakily adding them to the queue just before casting on.

Some photos:

Noah's welcome to the world blanket.

A skirt for me - measure twice, cut once, use a safety pin to hold in the extra three inches of fabric.

Handmade Hallowe'en.

A dress for Lucy.

Lucy's birthday blanket.  

A dress made from fabric chosen by Lucy.  It looked much better than I thought it would.

The smallest socks I can be bothered to make.

Cape Town socks, pts 1 and 2.

Cape Town socks, pt 3.  The purple shrunk like a bugger (non-machine sock yarn - WHY?), so they now belong to Lucy.

Simon's socks.

Emotionally distant, solves crimes by itself.

Conspicuous by their absence: a welcome to the world handmade gift for baby Robin (the blanket I was working on was just too annoying, so I am going to give it to Lucy for her 6th birthday, and make him something else); Christmas knitting (my family apart from my daughters and husband do not deserve handmade stuff); Hattie's Birthday Owl Blanket (suffered from being addictive to make, so was put away, half finished, in February and not resurrected until after her birthday); anything for Simon apart from socks (tall men do not get knitted for - thirty inches of grey knitting is boring).

There are more photos on my Ravelry page, which can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/sljuls?set=2013n&view=thumbnail

And for those of you who read this far (good Lord, why?), and aren't on Ravelry, there are photos on my flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliaclare/

Taking Stock Tuesday

Making: A Paper Dolls jumper.  Almost at the dolls now. 

Cooking: An orzotto.

Drinking: Red wine.  Lovely, lovely red wine.

Reading: "The Attenbury Emeralds" by Jill Paton Walsh & Dorothy L Sayers.  About to start reading my library books.

Wanting: A holiday.

Looking: For Gruffalo crafts for Hattie's birthday on Saturday.

Playing: Even more Simpsons Tapped Out.  Totally addicted.

Deciding: On my and others' Christmas present lists.

Wishing: For more energy.

Enjoying: Watching rubbish TV.  More ancient Simpsons.

Waiting: For tomorrow to be over.

Liking: Cooking.  I made two Christmas puddings on Sunday.

Wondering: Whether I'll get my own way about next year.

Loving: My cuddly Lucy.

Pondering: Where next with babygros?

Considering: How to get the hell out of Dodge.

Watching: Candlelight flickering.
Hoping: That Hattie means it when she says that she won't wear nappies when she's 3.

Marvelling: At the speed at which children grow up.

Needing:  A wee.

Smelling: Supper.

Wearing: My amazing Forbrydelsen, self knitted jumper.

Following: An inclination.

Noticing: The end of Autumn.

Knowing: Things are going well.

Thinking: About absent friends.

Feeling: More relaxed than I have been.

Admiring: My New Hair.

Buying: Books.

Getting: Slowly a bit tipsy.

Bookmarking: Gruffalo stuff on Pinterest.

Opening: An Etsy shop.

Giggling: Over a Radio 4 adaptation of ~"Guards! Guards!"

Feeling: Thankful.