Folksy Friday - Fish

We're all on holiday at the moment. Pretty much every holiday we've had since the Little Panda and Merry Berry were born has been at my parents house in Devon. I'm so lucky that my lovely parents let us descend on them with mountains of luggage, two noisy children and still offer to baby sit in the evenings. 

 Today was a perfect day. The sun shone, my husband (Monkey if there is anyone reading from my old blogging days!) finally managed to get off work and join us on holiday, and we went for a ride on a miniature railway (I think I might have mentioned before that a holiday isn't a holiday without a ride on a miniature train - choo choo)! Anyway, as we've been having so much fun I'm a bit late putting my Folksy Friday up. This week I've chosen 'fish' as the theme as it's Good Friday and we've been eating a lot of it! Here are some gorgeous Fishy Folksy Finds...

Articulating fish by Jeff Soan

Fish Coin Purse by Handmade by Edwina

Handmade Notebook by Dab and a Dash

Handmade Pewter Keyring by The Owl and the Pussycat

Lavender Fish by Kirsty Elson Designs

Big Blue Sock Fish by Welsh Egg Designs

Hold my hand

I've been thinking about motherhood a lot recently. Revisiting my old blog and striving to establish this new one has highlighted to me the changes that my children have made to my life.

Becoming a mother is like suddenly becoming a secondary character in the novel of your life. Surprisingly though, this actually makes it a much more fascinating read (well maybe not for the long-suffering friends who now get to hear every 'amusing' anecdote). Your days, your thoughts, your conversations all orbit the tiny people who have suddenly become your world.

Lately though I've felt a need to try to get back a little of what I was before, and finding time to sew, knit and write are, I suppose, my way of reclaiming a little of the limelight from Merry Berry and the Little Panda. However, even the way I write and create has changed now, my children unconsciously alter my mood, aspirations and my inspirations. I once read an interview with Michelle Obama, in which she was asked how happy she was. I forget the exact quote, but it was along the lines of 'a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child'. That says it all really. From the moment you give birth the highs and lows of your life become anchored to those of your children. It is a petrifying thought and an equally petrifying reality.

We are fortunate that we seem to have a lot more highs than lows at the moment. One of my personal highs is that I've made three sales and one swap from my Folksy shop! I've been trying really hard throughout June to list an item every day. Today I listed this cupcake apron as modeled reluctantly by the Little Panda (he only modeled it on the understanding that I would make him one featuring a space rocket). I also listed these sweet little nappy covers, Merry Berry has been doing her best to ruin the set I made her, by sliding into muddy puddles and covering them in Ribena but they are still going

strong!

I'm back. I just couldn't get used to Wordpress and the result was no blogging so here I am dreaming of the sea again. I'm bring across some of the posts from my Wordpress blog. This post will fill you in on my family now.

To start our adventures, here is a summary of key characters:

Me: (I just asked my husband how he would describe me and he said 'deranged zoo-keeper', I think I might have to write this myself). I previously worked in finance but for the last 3 years I've been a full-time Mum. I spend any spare moment I have making things (sewing, baking, knitting, drawing, turning cardboard boxes into the requested object of the latest pre-school whim - actually I spend most of my time on the cardboard box thing). On this blog I'll probably give you the impression I live in quiet tidy rooms with gentle music playing in the background. In reality I sometimes forget what colour the carpet really is under the toys and cbeebies theme tunes haunts me as I drift off to sleep.

The Little Panda - 3 years old and already a gentle giant. Clever and shy, he obsesses over maps, aeroplanes and under-sea creatures. He pretty much always wakes up singing.

Merry Berry - 18 months old. A determined, NOISY, child. Happy and energetic. Independent but loving. If only she would sleep.

Monkey - My wonderful husband. Captain of our small crew and ridiculously adored by the children. Clever, charming and infinitely patient (luckily).

Well, that's all of us. Let the adventures begin...

FO: My beautiful son

This year I haven't been very productive but I think you will all agree that I've finally surpassed myself in making something really beautiful. Alexander was born on 27th November. Sorry for taking so long to post about this but Monkey, Bunkey and I have been spending some lovely days (and nights!) getting to know each other.




Thank you for all your messages over the last few months. I am hoping that eventually I will be back to blogging more frequently - as soon as the monkey and I get the hang of being parents!


By the way I have loads of knitting news to let you know but for now I'm just going to inundate you with pictures of my little boy!

A little mouse with clogs on...

Thanks for all the lovely comments on the Bunkey's forthcoming arrival. It really meant a lot to me.

I’m feeling pretty relaxed after two weeks holiday but I’m not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. I just hope there haven’t been any disasters while I’ve been away.

Monkey and I had a lovely holiday, we started off in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, which is a truly beautiful place. It is how I would imagine the Shire would look in the Lord of the Rings, so it didn’t surprise me when I did a quick google search and found this article, which says that Tolkien was a frequent visitor to the area.

After a few days we moved on to Kilmarnock in Scotland and the next day went across to the Isle of Arran for two days to attend my friends’ wedding. It was really wonderful, Arran is just stunning - the perfect setting for a wedding.

We acquired a little hitchhiker along the way. I made it from the Lucinda Guy book ‘Designs for Kids’ as a present for my friend who bought me this book and another Lucinda Guy book when she found out I was pregnant. My friend knows me so well, I love all the patterns! Anyway since I made this I haven't been able to get the 'little mouse with clogs on' song out of my head so that explains the title of this post.

We came home via Wigan and Manchester and managed to catch up with relatives who live nearby. We saw my Aunt, Uncle and my cousins and their other halves. This was especially nice as the Monkey hadn’t really had a chance to meet them before and he really, really liked them which makes me happy because I know how lovely my relatives are and it is nice to share it!

We also went to see his Brother’s new house in Manchester which is by the Mersey and surprisingly quiet (I didn’t even realise the Mersey went through Manchester!)


Since we have got back we have been tiling, painting and generally decluttering in preparation for the baby. Who would have thought that it would already be so much work!! I’ve included a picture of the tiling - I know it isn’t that great but my Mum will want to see it because she received a panicky call from me when the tiles were sliding down the wall and adhesive was going everywhere on Friday (I’d applied way too much - oh well everyone has to learn).

On the knitting front, I’ve gone back to the Juno cardigan and have almost finished the collar so hopefully I’ll be able to finally post a proper finished item soon! About time...

The Knitting days of Christmas

What a Christmas! Monkey and I have finally returned home after our festive trip round the relatives and I have managed to heave my mince pie-enhanced figure onto the sofa to do a bit of blogging and of course a lot of knitting.

First of all let me show you all the lovely knitterly gifts I received from my generous relatives. I think that the fact that I am totally obsessed with knitting means that pretty much everything I got was wool related! Anyway, you may wish to step back from your keyboard to avoid drool related problems as you read the list below:

For the first gift of Christmas,

my family gave to me,

A Knit Tin full of goodies.

For the second gift of Christmas,

my family gave to me,

Two Kim Hargreaves’ kits*,

And a Knit Tin full of goodies.

For the third gift of Christmas,

my family gave to me,

cute blue sky needles,

Two Kim Hargreaves’ kits,

And a Knit Tin full of goodies.

For the fourth gift of Christmas,

my family gave to me,

three sets of markers,

cute blue sky needles,

Two Kim Hargreaves’ kits,

And a Knit Tin full of goodies.

For the fifth gift of Christmas,

my family gave to me,

A book of Finishing Techniques,

three sets of markers,

cute blue sky needles,

Two Kim Hargreaves’ kits,

And a Knit Tin full of goodies.

For the sixth gift of Christmas,

my family gave to me,

A clever needle sizer**,

three sets of markers,

cute blue sky needles,

Two Kim Hargreaves’ kits,

And a Knit Tin full of goodies.

*Buttercup and Fay
**Absolutely adorable you have to check out this link.

I received lots of other lovely non-knitting gifts too. The best of which was a slow cooker (Crock Pot)! If anyone has any good recipes please let me know.

Over Christmas I knitted a Jaywalker, as pictured in true Christmas style above (this has to be the most popular sock pattern ever doesn‘t it? I think I am the last person in blogland to knit one). Notice the “a”- I’ve only knitted one so far but I’m part way through the second and I’ll post some better photos of them when I have a pair. I have to admit I’m not a big sock knitter but I’ve really enjoyed knitting these and I love the Hip Knits variegated cashmere I’m using. It is so soft and it is interesting waiting to see what the colours will do on the different parts of the socks. So maybe I won’t leave it so long before I knit a pair of socks next time. Although finishing something and then having to knit the exact same thing all over again is a bit annoying. Maybe I’ll just knit odd socks from now on…

Anyway I’m going to go and ponder on my new year’s resolutions.