So many things have been going on that there is no time to write about them. I am staying at my friend Jill's house with some of the kids while we have builders in. Spent 5 days at Martine's last week. Al and S are at home with a toilet that almost works and more builders.
We knew the bathroom needed retiling and that there were some problems with water leaking behind them but we weren't quite prepared for the rot that had set in in the floor, requiring new floor joists before anything else could be done. Nor were we prepared for the gas man making sure our pipes in the bathroom were fine to find that our cooker is irreparable and the boiler needs a new gas valve which is apparently going to cost £300.
So anyway, the bathroom will be nice when it is finished, just making the rest of the house look more hideous by comparison. Will try to get some photos up when I am back at home.
Today we are going to the Velodrome for some cycling fun, and then I get to go to the midwives. Whoopee!
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
A very exciting June
So far this month...
I have had a weekend away in Ribblesdale with a friend. We didn't take kids, or partners, but we did take yarn, and we did a lot knitting. We also listened to a lot of Radio 4, and had a lot of conversation. And sat there looking out the front door over the beautiful hills. The weather was beautiful, and it was a much needed peaceful weekend. :-)
Al and I actually went to a concert. A few days ago I just happened to see the Music from the Penguin Cafe was being performed at the RNCM. I couldn't believe it. I booked tix, and Friday night, we were there! The Penguin Cafe Orchestra, under Simon Jeffes, has to have composed and performed the most beautiful music in the world. Numbers 1-4 has been my favourite for a couple of decades. Well, Simon Jeffes son Arthur has put together a group that is touring, playing PCO's repertoire and composing some pretty good new stuff. One in particulare I liked was Finland, and pretty sure Swinging Cats was a new one as I hadn't heard it before.
Also went to the UK Ravelry Day in Coventry which was grand. Was a bit of a tiring day for me, and nearly lost it when the train we were booked on was cancelled, but we made it back to Manchester with only one change. :-) Must keep in mind, sometimes things do work out.
This post has been in my drafts folder for ages, and even though there are lots more things to say, I am just going to post it now.
I have had a weekend away in Ribblesdale with a friend. We didn't take kids, or partners, but we did take yarn, and we did a lot knitting. We also listened to a lot of Radio 4, and had a lot of conversation. And sat there looking out the front door over the beautiful hills. The weather was beautiful, and it was a much needed peaceful weekend. :-)
Al and I actually went to a concert. A few days ago I just happened to see the Music from the Penguin Cafe was being performed at the RNCM. I couldn't believe it. I booked tix, and Friday night, we were there! The Penguin Cafe Orchestra, under Simon Jeffes, has to have composed and performed the most beautiful music in the world. Numbers 1-4 has been my favourite for a couple of decades. Well, Simon Jeffes son Arthur has put together a group that is touring, playing PCO's repertoire and composing some pretty good new stuff. One in particulare I liked was Finland, and pretty sure Swinging Cats was a new one as I hadn't heard it before.
Also went to the UK Ravelry Day in Coventry which was grand. Was a bit of a tiring day for me, and nearly lost it when the train we were booked on was cancelled, but we made it back to Manchester with only one change. :-) Must keep in mind, sometimes things do work out.
This post has been in my drafts folder for ages, and even though there are lots more things to say, I am just going to post it now.
Monday, 25 May 2009
Projects...or rather ideas for projects
I have finally finished the hood on the Debbie Bliss baby hoody I am making. I just have to get the sleeves done now! I may actually finish it. And I have made myself promise that I will get this finished before I start anything else!
I have to make that promise because I have a few ideas for things I want to make. I have that lovely Colinette Cadenza that I want to use to make a mitred baby cardigan with. I have the Cashmerino Astrakhan that I want to make a nice blanket with. There is a Berocco pattern that I found on Ravelry that I want to do. And this one for M. And playing around on Ravelry yesterday I found these that I want to make for me Rectangela and this Drops Design one. Actually I have had the Drops Design one in mind for ages, I just went back and had another look! And I want to do the Lorenz Manifold! But I think that will have to be a life goal, rather than a craft goal.
I also found the Babette Blanket which is just beautiful. I don't think I will do the actual pattern, (maybe save that for grandchildren when I have fewer children in my house and more time) but the colours have given me the idea for doing a baby blanket with some of my left over bits of sock yarn. I have loads of colours, but may need to get some more to have enough colourways that go together. :-) Any excuse to buy yarn! How about lots of coloured crocheted squares sewn together with white? Not sure if I should do all the same squares, or do lots of different stitches. Probably all the same pattern, but different colours. Anyway, that is what I want to get started on...but I will finish the hoody first.
I will finish the hoody...I will finish the hoody...I will finish the hoody...I will...
I have to make that promise because I have a few ideas for things I want to make. I have that lovely Colinette Cadenza that I want to use to make a mitred baby cardigan with. I have the Cashmerino Astrakhan that I want to make a nice blanket with. There is a Berocco pattern that I found on Ravelry that I want to do. And this one for M. And playing around on Ravelry yesterday I found these that I want to make for me Rectangela and this Drops Design one. Actually I have had the Drops Design one in mind for ages, I just went back and had another look! And I want to do the Lorenz Manifold! But I think that will have to be a life goal, rather than a craft goal.
I also found the Babette Blanket which is just beautiful. I don't think I will do the actual pattern, (maybe save that for grandchildren when I have fewer children in my house and more time) but the colours have given me the idea for doing a baby blanket with some of my left over bits of sock yarn. I have loads of colours, but may need to get some more to have enough colourways that go together. :-) Any excuse to buy yarn! How about lots of coloured crocheted squares sewn together with white? Not sure if I should do all the same squares, or do lots of different stitches. Probably all the same pattern, but different colours. Anyway, that is what I want to get started on...but I will finish the hoody first.
I will finish the hoody...I will finish the hoody...I will finish the hoody...I will...
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Mr President
C has finished crocheting his Barrack Obama! He has spent most of the day on this, and the only thing he asked me to do was to sew on the eyes.
And since he is such a cool president, here he is playing his little guitar! Although with a very large plectrum!
And since he is such a cool president, here he is playing his little guitar! Although with a very large plectrum!
Still crocheting!
In spite of sickness, and sleeping all the time, and going on holiday, I have managed to finish one or two little things. This inspires me to keep going. :-)
While we were in Cyprus, I managed to finish this shawl.
It is made with some lovely Colinette Tagliatelle that used to be a baggy loose jumper that wasn't that great. Now it is a shawl that isn't that great, but will probably be used a bit more. I love the yarn, I just haven't been able to do anything with it. :-(
I am, however, very pleased with my Barack Obama . I have been wanting to do this for ages, and now I have. :-) R has done one as well, which she has stuffed, and looks great. And C has started one as well. So our house will be filled with presidents. :-)
I have also started some baby knitting. This is a lovely Debbie Bliss Cashmerino baby hoody. I am doing size 3-6 months, because I want to get about 6 months use out of it. If I am going to knit with Debbie Bliss, I must make it worth it. It is lovely to knit with, but the pattern is a bit boring, so going a bit slow. I do like the way the hood is knitted onto the front of the sweater. So I won't have to do a lot of sewing on at the end.
Getting excited about finishing a hoody, and having a baby to put in it. :-)
While we were in Cyprus, I managed to finish this shawl.
It is made with some lovely Colinette Tagliatelle that used to be a baggy loose jumper that wasn't that great. Now it is a shawl that isn't that great, but will probably be used a bit more. I love the yarn, I just haven't been able to do anything with it. :-(
I am, however, very pleased with my Barack Obama . I have been wanting to do this for ages, and now I have. :-) R has done one as well, which she has stuffed, and looks great. And C has started one as well. So our house will be filled with presidents. :-)
I have also started some baby knitting. This is a lovely Debbie Bliss Cashmerino baby hoody. I am doing size 3-6 months, because I want to get about 6 months use out of it. If I am going to knit with Debbie Bliss, I must make it worth it. It is lovely to knit with, but the pattern is a bit boring, so going a bit slow. I do like the way the hood is knitted onto the front of the sweater. So I won't have to do a lot of sewing on at the end.
Getting excited about finishing a hoody, and having a baby to put in it. :-)
Friday, 8 May 2009
Holiday reading
One of the best thing about being on holiday is being able to read. Because I have been soooo ill, I haven't really been able to do much of anything, except lay on the sofa, watch telly, and complain about things. :-(
But while we were in Cyprus, I had no kids to worry about, and loads of time to just BE! I managed to do some crochet, and read two whole books, in addition to all of our outings and celebrations.
First I finished Coastliners, by Joanne Harris. I had started it before we left and it was to be my aeroplane reading, but I didn't read that much on the plane, because planes are horrible, cramped and too uncomfortable to do anything. It is typical Joanne Harris, lots of French influence, but very well developed characters and geography and stories. I do sometimes get to the point where I start to think all of her books are the same, because of the French settings, but then again, I don't think that when I read books set in England or America. So I must try to get over my chauvinistic tendencies (also when I read Amy Tan) and just enjoy a very engaging story.
It seems to be about a young woman's need to figure out where she belongs. Is it in Paris, where her mother took her to live years ago, or is it on the island of her young childhood, where her father lives, but where the people are not the most lovable of characters? She doesn't feel that she fits when she arrives back, and her father's reaction to her returning is quite horrible actually. I think I would have been out of there on the next ferry. But in the end, she finds that this is where she wants to be. This is why she was drawn to return.
There are many things that she gets wrong, that everybody on the island seems to get wrong. They are an odd community, but I think the gist is that they ARE a community, and she ends up being a part of it. There are superstitions, and traditions, and danger, and family feuds, and hypocrisy, and financial problems, etc., but they just are. Harris does not make judgements about these aspects, simply presents them for us, and lets them interact with the story. There are people you want to hate, but when you see the island communities, you can sort of understand why people are the way they are. But then again, does it matter if we understand? This is the way things are, and that is that.
The other book I read was A SPOT OF BOTHER, by Mark Haddon, the guy who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night. Very strange book. Most of it was like watching a car crash. Unpleasant, but compelling. It is the story of George, a recently retired, quiet man who is slowly going insane. Or so he thinks. Certainly his behaviour is erratic, but it isn't the story of insanity, or decline, it is merely a 'spot of bother' - an unpleasant episode in his life. George is suffering from depression, and looking back on his life a bit and doesn't know where he is.
The other members of his family, his wife and grown up daughter and son are going through their parallel problems which makes them all a bit useless towards each other, I guess like a lot of families. But I am not sure what to think about this book. It is odd. A bit gross in bits. You don't want to identify with the characters, and yet they each make one or two statements that had me nodding in agreement. So am I like these unlikeable people? You just want to smack them sometimes. And in spite of you recognizing the pain and confusion they experience, you just want to turn and walk away because they seem a bit hopeless. But of course, I had to finish, and I am glad I did, but the slightly hopeful ending seemed a bit of a sell out. All's well that ends well, etc.
I suppose the book is a bit like the Curious Incident in that it has people talking. There is no obvious message in either of these books. And there could be, either about Autism, or about Depression and family dysfunctions. I guess like the Joanne Harris book, a scenario is just presented to you, and you have to figure out what you think about it. I do hate books that moralize, or are obvious in their 'message'...unless of course, I happen to agree with the message. :-) But I am also a bit tired and still feeling sick, and maybe I don't want to think that hard.
I will have to reread these later because I did enjoy the act of reading. I did appreciate how well constructed they both are as stories. I really like many things that I have read by Joanne Harris, although I am not sure about Mark Haddon. Have only read two of his books, and I would not say he is one of my favourite authors, but I don't know why. I may get around to thinking about that in a few years time. I am going to be busy with other things until then.
But while we were in Cyprus, I had no kids to worry about, and loads of time to just BE! I managed to do some crochet, and read two whole books, in addition to all of our outings and celebrations.
First I finished Coastliners, by Joanne Harris. I had started it before we left and it was to be my aeroplane reading, but I didn't read that much on the plane, because planes are horrible, cramped and too uncomfortable to do anything. It is typical Joanne Harris, lots of French influence, but very well developed characters and geography and stories. I do sometimes get to the point where I start to think all of her books are the same, because of the French settings, but then again, I don't think that when I read books set in England or America. So I must try to get over my chauvinistic tendencies (also when I read Amy Tan) and just enjoy a very engaging story.
It seems to be about a young woman's need to figure out where she belongs. Is it in Paris, where her mother took her to live years ago, or is it on the island of her young childhood, where her father lives, but where the people are not the most lovable of characters? She doesn't feel that she fits when she arrives back, and her father's reaction to her returning is quite horrible actually. I think I would have been out of there on the next ferry. But in the end, she finds that this is where she wants to be. This is why she was drawn to return.
There are many things that she gets wrong, that everybody on the island seems to get wrong. They are an odd community, but I think the gist is that they ARE a community, and she ends up being a part of it. There are superstitions, and traditions, and danger, and family feuds, and hypocrisy, and financial problems, etc., but they just are. Harris does not make judgements about these aspects, simply presents them for us, and lets them interact with the story. There are people you want to hate, but when you see the island communities, you can sort of understand why people are the way they are. But then again, does it matter if we understand? This is the way things are, and that is that.
The other book I read was A SPOT OF BOTHER, by Mark Haddon, the guy who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night. Very strange book. Most of it was like watching a car crash. Unpleasant, but compelling. It is the story of George, a recently retired, quiet man who is slowly going insane. Or so he thinks. Certainly his behaviour is erratic, but it isn't the story of insanity, or decline, it is merely a 'spot of bother' - an unpleasant episode in his life. George is suffering from depression, and looking back on his life a bit and doesn't know where he is.
The other members of his family, his wife and grown up daughter and son are going through their parallel problems which makes them all a bit useless towards each other, I guess like a lot of families. But I am not sure what to think about this book. It is odd. A bit gross in bits. You don't want to identify with the characters, and yet they each make one or two statements that had me nodding in agreement. So am I like these unlikeable people? You just want to smack them sometimes. And in spite of you recognizing the pain and confusion they experience, you just want to turn and walk away because they seem a bit hopeless. But of course, I had to finish, and I am glad I did, but the slightly hopeful ending seemed a bit of a sell out. All's well that ends well, etc.
I suppose the book is a bit like the Curious Incident in that it has people talking. There is no obvious message in either of these books. And there could be, either about Autism, or about Depression and family dysfunctions. I guess like the Joanne Harris book, a scenario is just presented to you, and you have to figure out what you think about it. I do hate books that moralize, or are obvious in their 'message'...unless of course, I happen to agree with the message. :-) But I am also a bit tired and still feeling sick, and maybe I don't want to think that hard.
I will have to reread these later because I did enjoy the act of reading. I did appreciate how well constructed they both are as stories. I really like many things that I have read by Joanne Harris, although I am not sure about Mark Haddon. Have only read two of his books, and I would not say he is one of my favourite authors, but I don't know why. I may get around to thinking about that in a few years time. I am going to be busy with other things until then.
Life has not been quiet!
Don't think that just because I have been quiet here, that life is running along smoothly. Although I have just gotten back from a nice week in Cyprus to celebrate 20 years of being married to Al. :-)
But the reason life has generally been a bit unsettled is this little one right here...
Yes, baby number 5 is on the way, due towards the end of October. We found out a couple of days before my mother came to visit, but didn't want to tell anybody for a while. That is very difficult to accomplish when all I could do was sleep and be sick. Or so it seemed for a very long time. I am supposedly 16 weeks pregnant now, and still being sick on and off. So when do I get to the blooming phase?! I had forgotten how bad my morning sickness was with the others, but I do remember it going on for a rather long time.
I am, however, beginning to feel a bit better, and so able to tell people the happy news, and to knit some things. Which, of course, is the important thing. I will have lots of lovely little things to make. And since there are several people who also want to make things, I reckon this may be the best dressed baby in Manchester. :-)
But the reason life has generally been a bit unsettled is this little one right here...
Yes, baby number 5 is on the way, due towards the end of October. We found out a couple of days before my mother came to visit, but didn't want to tell anybody for a while. That is very difficult to accomplish when all I could do was sleep and be sick. Or so it seemed for a very long time. I am supposedly 16 weeks pregnant now, and still being sick on and off. So when do I get to the blooming phase?! I had forgotten how bad my morning sickness was with the others, but I do remember it going on for a rather long time.
I am, however, beginning to feel a bit better, and so able to tell people the happy news, and to knit some things. Which, of course, is the important thing. I will have lots of lovely little things to make. And since there are several people who also want to make things, I reckon this may be the best dressed baby in Manchester. :-)
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