I gotta eat all the time. I feel great when I eat.

It's nearly the end of October, and I haven't done my traditional "October Unprocessed" post yet.  October Unprocessed is the baby of Andrew Wilder and his blog "Eating Rules", and basically it is about eating naturally; clean eating, I suppose, but what a ridiculous way of putting it.

I've been doing it for quite a few years, and you can read about it here, here, here and here if you'd like, and I've got it down cold now.

The rules go like this:

No Diet Coke (easy)
No ingredients I can't pronounce or with a number in
No eating the kids' Haribo at midnight while trying not to sob into a glass of wine
Wine is OK
If it's an ingredient such as flour, baking powder, salt etc, it is fine
No added sugar

This last one has been IMPOSSIBLE.  I may have hinted, just hinted, that I'm a little bit tired at the moment, and life without sugar in tea is not possible.  I'm only having one every few days, so it's not that bad; self justification has always been my strong suit.

Still, the month is nearly over, and I'm still standing.  I've not had Diet Coke for over a year; I now drink tonic and lemon if I want something non-alcoholic, or just stick to sparkling water like some kind of saint.

One day, I will write a long blog post about clean eating and what that means to me, and then I'll Instagram up some pictures of avocados, call myself a nutritionist and make a fucking fortune, but today is not the day.  There is knitting to do, and wine to drink, and I will try to muster up enough enthusiasm to write something tomorrow too.

My generation never votes. It interferes with talking about ourselves all the time.

I seem to have dropped into a routine I don't particularly like.  I'm working so hard during the day, I don't feel like blogging or sewing or doing anything beyond sitting in the evening.  So I'm only blogging on a Sunday night, and it's not really what I want to do, I like writing and I would really like to do it more often.

But you know, blah blah blah, work is HARD, I'm TIRED, life is BUSY, all that jazz.  I always maintain that you have time to do all the things you want to do, so maybe I just don't want to blog enough.

Enough of that.  I have been knitting quite a bit recently, plus I have PROPERLY finished the weather blanket, with a purple border and everything.  I decided against making the border too big, and it is now on our bed and we sleep under it every night.

Have a crappy iPhone photo, I haven't managed to get upstairs with the good camera, and honestly, can't see that happening for a while.  But anyway.  It is done and finished.

Hexipuff Quilt: Still at 193 out of 500.  Which sounds like nothing, but has taken a while.

The Rainbow Raglan: Inertia is still stopping me from knitting the sleeves.

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: The ribbing for the front is done.  I'm going to do some rows (maybe 10) with the new needles and see how it works out.

The Yellow Petrie: Still just a front.  It's not warm enough to think about summer knitting.

Simon's massive man sock: getting bigger.  I'm on to the foot of the first one.  It is yet another labour of love.

Vianne cardigan: still the same.

These things are still the same.

Miette cardigan in Lemon

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper

Finish the Wisteria so that when it gets cold, I will be warm

Finish the Peacock Mittens, ditto

Reknit Simon's Cobblestone jumper

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy - bought some yarn for this.  Hurrah.

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy - I'm a bit over crocheting closed granny squares, but I'll get this started in the next couple of weeks.

Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves also for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie - same as Lucy's blanket.  *sigh*

Owl Blanket for Robin's Christmas present

The rest is silence.  Because we went to see Hamlet the other night and my massive crush on Benedict Cumberbatch is just getting more massive.  

Hey, nerds! Who’s got two thumbs, speaks limited French, and hasn’t cried once today? This moi.

This month is whooshing past far too fast.  Last week was a blur of long days at work, celebratory cakes and champagne, knitting and cutting out skirts and not writing.

For those of you interested in my glittering career, you will be amazed/pleased to hear that I passed my NaSENCO course, and am now a fully qualified SENCO.  I've still not been appointed to the role, as they have to advertise internally, but no one else is qualified or wants to do it, so it's just me.  It will mean more money and more hours, but I'm already working the hours, so bring on the money frankly.  The job is interesting but really, really hard work, but this moi hasn't had a proper meltdown for at least three days now, so let's say it's going well.

One day I will write a devastating piece on the absolute absurdity of SEND funding and the lip service paid by government to the education of children with extra needs, but today is not the day, and anyway there's knitting to chat about.


Our top story this week:  THE WEATHER BLANKET IS FINISHED.  Well, the main body of the blanket is finished, and I'm about half way round the first border round.  I will do two, and then it will be done and finished and I'll never have to think of it again.  It will go on our bed, not the spare bed, and it will be beautiful and there will be photos next week.

Hexipuffs: Currently standing at 193 as of last  night.  On our trip to Brighton yesterday, I made 6, sewed them on, and I'm now sitting on it as a cushion to stop the wicker chair bruising my delicate bum.


The Rainbow Raglan: The body is done.  It looks like this:

I love it.  It's a funny shape if you look too closely when it's not on, but it fits well and hugs the curves beautifully, and skims over the tummy.  Hurrah for fitted knits.  I will finish it before the end of the year.  Probably.  It needs long sleeves, and I've found the right place in one of the yarn cakes, so there's nothing stopping me but inertia.

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: The silk is dyed and dry and ready to be knitted up.  It looks like red string.  I'm not 100% pleased with it, but I've knitted about two thirds of the ribbing and it looks OK, so we shall see.  It's all rather exciting; I've not used a vintage pattern before.

The Yellow Petrie: Still just a front.  It's not warm enough to think about summer knitting.

Simon's massive man sock: Still the same.

Vianne cardigan: still needing a new button band.  I found the missing yarn to make the button band.  It's on the list.

These things are still the same.

Miette cardigan in Lemon

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper

Finish the Wisteria so that when it gets cold, I will be warm

Finish the Peacock Mittens, ditto

Reknit Simon's Cobblestone jumper

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy - I'm a bit over crocheting closed granny squares, but I'll get this started in the next couple of weeks.

Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves also for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie - same as Lucy's blanket.  *sigh*

Owl Blanket for Robin's Christmas present

The list of things that are still the same should be either shameful or depressing, but aren't, because the WEATHER BLANKET IS FINISHED!\

I got rid of all my Colin Firth movies in case they consider it erotica.

How is it October?  How?  I've been back at work for nearly 5 weeks now, and it's absolute chaos.  People keep asking me how the whole "Year 2/SENCO" thing is working out for me, and I cry, not loudly, but there are real tears.  It's hard work.  I'm getting the hang of things, but it is super hard work, and I'm basically working full time for part time money.  It's hard.

Yesterday was a bit of a write off, as I was suffering from a mystery bug; nothing to do with the three bottles of "Italian White Wine" I shared with my colleagues, followed by at least two double vodka and tonics at the Aeronaut, and all the karaoke and the dancing and the having a fun time that happened on Friday night.  I got home at 2, and had a little sleep on the sofa before going to bed in my clothes.  Whoops.  Still wasn't able to drive on Saturday morning, and my stomach muscles and legs are quite sore now.

Anyway, enough shenanigans, on with the KNIT LIST.

Hexipuffs: I've lost count.  I don't know how many I've made.  I will count them soon; I think I need 500 to make a blanket big enough to cover both of us on the sofa.  Must keep knitting.

The Yellow Petrie: Still just a front.  It's not warm enough to think about summer knitting.

The Rainbow Raglan: The body is nearly done.  Woo hoo, get me.  Making a fingering weight adult jumper is jolly hard and really quite boring.  But the colour changes make me happy, because I am simple.

Simon's massive man sock: Sock 1 is half finished.  I've turned the heel, and am about to begin on the mindlessness of the leg.  It looks pretty dull, but I think he'll like them.  He'd better.

Weather Blanket - there are now 3 squares left to make.  THREE! Once the body of the Rainbow Raglan is done, I will finish it off.  Finish it! After all these months!

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper: I've dyed a bunch of silk yarn from Texere.  It was off white and looked like grubby string, and now is bright, bright red.  As is the kitchen, my apron and my hands.

Vianne cardigan: still needing a new button band.  I might need to buy some more wool to finish it off, and I don't want to do that at the moment.

These things are still the same.

Miette cardigan in Lemon

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper

Finish the Wisteria so that when it gets cold, I will be warm

Finish the Peacock Mittens, ditto

Reknit Simon's Cobblestone jumper

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy - I'm a bit over crocheting closed granny squares, but I'll get this started in the next couple of weeks.

Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves also for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie - same as Lucy's blanket.  *sigh*

Owl Blanket for Robin's Christmas present

Man, do my feet hurt in heels, and other things women talk about

Another September almost gone, another Yarndale whooshing by just like that.  We went up to Skipton on Friday, I spent a very happy day on Saturday shopping and taking photos, then we went home via Leeds on Sunday.  I can't believe it's already over.  

We loved Yorkshire so much again, we've sort of decided to back up there for a long weekend in May, around half term.  Shame I've come back with a bit of a cold.

Anyway, you don't want to listen to me sneeze, you want to see pictures from the weekend.

So many colours.  So many people.  Normally I freak out a bit in large crowds, but the feeling of height and light and space meant that I didn't feel under pressure at all.  It was absolutely lovely.

I've been to Yarndale three times now, it's a fixture on our calendar, written in pen.  It's got better and better each year, with more and more vendors, and more and more fun.  This year, I surpassed myself, and I am now no longer going to buy an overlocker, or go to Ally Pally in a few weeks.  So not sorry.   I shamelessly used my children as a way to photograph Lucy Attic 24 again; such a fan girl.  She was lovely and very patient; and must be utterly exhausted now.  I was, and all I did was shop.

The mandalas were fantastic, and it was so good to be able to get right up close and personal with them this year.  Mine never really got off the ground; maybe I'll send something in next year.  

I brought some things back with me.  Let's see if I can knit them up before next September.

Easy Knits sushi roll and sock yarn.  Last year, I bought a lot of Aran weight, but apparently it didn't sell well, so it wasn't there this year.  Shame.  

Ginger Twist Studios yarn to make a cowl.  Very difficult to choose a colourway, so I might have to buy more.  Eventually.

Triskelion Yarn and white undyed stuff from somewhere else, can't remember.  I'm going to use these two to make the Penelope jumper; the KAL starts tomorrow I think.  

These three gorgeous things are from Midwinter Yarns; the red is for a hat, the blue is just because.

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I didn't buy this book when it first came out.  I've got it now, however, and I've also got the yarn to make the Cockatoo Brae jumper on the front.  It is drop dead gorgeous, but OMG all the miles of stockinette in fine grey wool.  Mindless knitting at its finest.  I feel faint at the thought.

Well, there's knitting to do, and a glass of wine to drink, so roll on next year, can't wait. 

Now I'm heading home for a nooner, which is what I call having pancakes for lunch.

Well, now this is happening.  I'm doing another sewing/knitting challenge thing, Will I be able to see it through, or will I forget all about it, like I do most things?  WE SHALL SEE.

These are the categories:

Fashionable Foundations for Frosty Weather

Chic Chemises for Cool Climates

Fabulous Frocks

Underneath It All

Tender Tootsies

Those Cozy Nights 

Baby It's Cold Outside

and you can find out more about them here.

But what Julia, I hear you cry, are you going to actually make?  Readers who pay attention might have seen my post about the Yarn in the City Pop Up Market Place that I went to the other day.  I bought enough yarn to make some really lovely things, and these are on the new list.  Where possible, the new list will coincide with the old list, to ease things.

Fashionable Foundations for Frosty Weather
I have some very lovely red tartan fabric I want to turn into a Clemence skirt.  So that's the first thing I'll be doing.

Chic Chemises for Cool Climates
I've made a grey and brown (nicer than it sounds actually) Coco (blog post to follow) for this.  I'm also going to finally finish my Wisteria jumper, and at least start the "This One's for Parties!" jumper too.  I might try to start the Tambourine cardigan in the Kettle Yarns grey wool.  A bit more on the Rainbow Raglan too.

Fabulous Frocks
I'm thinking about making an Emery dress in black watch tartan; I've had both the pattern and the fabric in my stash for TIME, and they need to be used.  I'm also going to make a black and white polka dot Bettine dress to wear under my Tamborine cardigan.  Three guesses which one will be finished first.  Oh yes, and a grey and white striped Coco dress with a contrasting pink yoke.  Go me!

Underneath It All
Might make some more pants.  Probably will.

Tender Tootsies
Might start some socks for me.  Might.  Will probably finish at least one sock for himself.  Probably.

Those Cozy Nights
I'm not sure if I want to go down the loungewear route, but I might make some Margot pyjamas if I'm feeling particularly lazy.  Maybe.  Don't know.

Baby It's Cold Outside
These mittens, in sophisticated orange and grey yarn from TravelKnitter.  A gorgeous deep blue green Ishbel in Triskelion Yarn and Fibre.  Find and then finish the Peacock Mittens.  Maybe a hat.  Maybe.

That'll probably do.  The sewing seems likely, the knitting less so, but we've got a lot of long car journeys coming up, and I do love to knit in the car.

Global warming? Sorry, sir, that's just scientist talk. The same people who say my grandfather was a monkey. If that's true, why was he killed by a monkey?

Well, it's Monday night and no one in the Croyden household has been sick for at least 72 hours, so I'm going to tentatively stick my head above the parapet and say that we are better than we were.  What a delightful few days it has been, but it's a new week now and I'm full of energy at the moment.  This may not last.

Two weeks ago, I went to the Great London Yarn Crawl Market Place, organised by the women at Yarn in the City.  I've started listening to knitting podcasts, a hobby my husband finds amusing but indulges me in provided I don't ask him to listen too.  I've found a couple that are not to my taste: basically, if the woman's voice makes me want to stab my own ears, I stop listening; and I've now found a couple that I really like.  The Knitmore Girls Intergenerational Hour is my favourite, but they are on maternity leave at the moment.  Video podcasts annoy me far more than seems rational, but now I've discovered I can use my phone for other things while listening, I'm a lot calmer about them.

Back to the Market Place.  I spent a bit of money on lovely things, lovely things for me and no one else. Some beautiful grey wool from Kettle Yarns to make a Tambourine cardigan, oh my goodness, it is so luxurious and gorgeous.  Some hand-dyed yarn from TravelKnitter to make these mittens, orange and grey, sophisticated.  Her Etsy shop is on a break at the moment, but know that the yarn is Blue Faced Leicester Superwash Sock, and dyed in Walthamstow, E17.  So I will be singing while I knit.  Some beautiful wool from Triskelion Yarn and Fibre to make a scarf , a beautiful deep blue green colour.  A renewed subscription to PomPom magazine, which I love, but haven't made anything from yet.  Too busy catching up with patterns from 2008.  

It was a lovely afternoon, and a lovely venue.  Next time I'm going to buy from Midwinter Yarns; googling them shows me they'll be at Yarndale on Saturday.  I can't wait.  All the knitting, all the sewing, all the time.  Hurrah!

I have either two or four words for you: Drag queen dim sum.

I meant to post more photos from #sewphotohop earlier than this.  Still better late than never.

Day 11 - Bucket List

Turning my husband's office into a sewing room....

Day 12 - Motivation

Have nothing in your life that is not useful or you believe to be useful.

Day 13 - Sewing Space

Tidy, for a change.

Day 14 - Style

Knitted tops, mad prints, spots, stripes and pants with birds on.

Day 15 - Secret Corner of Shame

Nuff said.

Day 16 - Tiny vs Big

Lucy's socks vs Simon's.  

Day 17 - Proudest Achievement

Children, ballet hair, two Elsa dresses, 1 10k, a The Killing jumper, self drafted.

Day 18 - Sewing Resolution

Reduce the stash!

Day 19 - Boldest Fabric

Nuff said.  Again.

Day 20 - Learning and Practising

Invisible zips are my nemesis.

More soon.  Before Christmas anyway.

You didn't realize emotion could be a weapon? Have you not read the poetry of Jewel?

Normal service has resumed.  Or what passes for normal around these parts, which isn't that normal to be honest.  The children are screaming at each other in the bath, there is a lit candle, there is a wash on, there is leek and potato soup on the way and there is a massive mess on the counter that I am doing my best to ignore.  My half full cup of tea is pretty precariously balanced on a pile of yesterday's paper and a couple of patterns; I'm pretty sure I'll end up wearing it at some point.

I should probably do some tidying at some point.

The list is coming along nicely, actually, thanks for asking.  I'm knitting lots of things on a regular basis, and they are all going pretty well.  I've taken some new photos using my nice camera; technically they are better than the iPhone ones, but the subject matter is the same, and it doesn't look that great.  Eek.

This is the hexipuff blanket to date.  I've made 7 out of the 100 I was going to make between July and July next year.  They are a quick win, but the individuals don't make up much of the whole.  *sigh*  The photo below is some of the new ones - the red, orange, yellow and green one is new, as is the turquoise and blue one; the red, yellow and blue variegated one is unique at the moment, as it's from the Colinette stand at Ally Pally last year, and I bought the yarn specially for the project.  

This is the Yellow Petrie. It's not that great a picture, I might not take any more until I have finished it totally.  I'm pleased with it, although it feels like it might be too small.  

The Rainbow Raglan is going really well.  You can't tell from the picture because it's all bunched up, but I've split for the sleeves.  I'm still increasing on the front to allow for boobs, and I've tried it on a couple of times, and it's fitting pretty well.  It needs ribbing around the neckline to stop it from rolling down.  The yarn is super lovely to work with, and it still smells all sheepy and delicious, so I work on it for 8 rounds then put it away.  Slowly, slowly, catchy tiger.

Lucy's Elwood mittens.  I love that they have different facial expressions.  Even though it's not been hot here, it's not cold enough to wear them yet.

Simon's massive man sock, part 1.  I bought the wool in Dusseldorf nearly 2 years ago to make him some socks, and I can't have been thinking too hard when I bought it, otherwise why would I have bought black for a blooming pair of socks on titchy needles?  They are knitting up slowly.  I'm trying to do a couple of rounds every day.

No more photos for this week; the light is non-existent.

Weather Blanket - there are now 10 squares left to make, and I've got the wool for the yellow ones, and I will make one tonight as something to do.  I can see the finish line.  

These things are still the same.

Miette cardigan in Lemon

Cream and Beige Coco style boatneck striped top

Sun-Ray Ribbing Vintage Jumper

This One's for Parties Vintage Jumper

Finish the Wisteria so that when it gets cold, I will be warm

Finish the Peacock Mittens, ditto

Reknit Simon's Cobblestone jumper

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves for Lucy

Bright Rainbow Blanket for Lucy - I've done a sketch for this, I know how many squares I need to make, I just need to source more yarn.

Burton Bear cowl for Hattie

Mini Hetty cardigan with sleeves also for Hattie
Minion blanket for Hattie - Hattie and I chose some yarn at the Handmade Fair yesterday, and she is excited about craft for the first time in her life.  She is the worst person to make things for; the reaction is ALWAYS "can't you just buy it Mummy?"  Little consumer.

Owl Blanket for Robin's Christmas present

I decided not to unpick the button band, and just cut it off.  Now I need to reknit it.  I like it a lot better already.

I've been to TWO craft events in the last month, and we're going to the third and best in a few days.  I have some photos, and I'll try to write a bit about it later on this week.  So much to say!  All the yarn!  So much fun!

They're twelve years old. I would have killed to have seen a bag of hands at that age.

Be careful what you wish for because it may well come true.  Teaching in Year 2 is proving to be a lot of hard work, being a SENCo is hard work, moving into a new school and unpacking and setting up a classroom is hard work.  Lucy has now been in Year 2 for 2 and a half weeks, and we're already behind on handing in homework and listening to her read, and don't even mention piano practice.  Getting into any sort of routine is proving to be a bit too much for us, particularly with the gastrically interesting week I've had.  There's been a tummy bug going round Hat's class; she had it on Thursday, and I had it on Tuesday.  Hurrah!  Nothing wipes you out like a vomiting bug.  I was so exhausted that I went to bed at quarter past 9 on Tuesday, and slept for nearly 12 hours.

But never mind all that.  I'm finally making it through the fog to sew up some stash, and I've got two dresses made already.  It's not taken a lot out of the stash to be honest, mostly because there is just LOADS of it, and even though I'm not thin, 3 metres of jersey fabric is a LOT of jersey fabric.

I finally finished my Made Up Initiative pledge, and made the Lady Skater dress in stashed jersey that I got from the Knitting and Stitching Show in April.  I was going to use it to make a wraparound dress from the Sewing Bee book from last year, but I don't like the pattern in the book, so I turned it into a Lady Skater.  It's a brilliant pattern, just like the children's one, and very quick to make.  I actually got it finished on the 9th, just before the cut off date, but I failed to notify Karen, mostly because it was then Lucy's birthday and party and all that means.  For those not in the know, she is 7.  We went to a pizza restaurant and made pizzas and there were 12 little boys and girls, and I will say no more about any of that.

Anyway, here is the beautiful, gorgeous dress.  I've worn it three times and washed it twice, and it looks great and is very comfortable, and when I twirl, the skirt sticks out a bit and is SUPER COOL.

Bit of a crappy Instagram picture, but you get the general idea.  I love the pattern, and I've got a whole bunch more planned.

The other dress I made is a bit more sober and sensible.  I bought some greyish brown jersey at the same fair, and decided to make a Coco with it.  BUT, having made the Lady Skater, I decided that I wanted to try the neckline of the Lady Skater on the bodice of the Coco, with the neckband instead of turning it under.  The dress is also severely plain, so has some pink rick rack around the hem to cheer it up a bit.  I only finished it on Thursday, so I haven't worn it yet, although I've tried it on and it looks good.

Again, another crappy Instagram picture, and the light wasn't great.  I'm not patient enough at the moment to take self portraits with a clicky thing and my good camera, and my photographer makes me look like an idiot, so what can you do.

I also made pants for me.  They are amazing.

I will not be posting a modelled shot.