Found the camera!

So here are some photos of random things.

What the study looks like now with all the the things from the kitchen in it.

When I found the camera, there were about 200 photos of R and her friends posing.


Here is a spider we found today carrying its egg sack around in its mouth.


And here are some blurry photos of kids at the Manchester Velodrome with the home ed group last week. There is M, then C, then R. You'll just have to take my word for it.


That is all, unless you want to wade through 200 photos of teenagers...

so much for photos

Well, I mentioned that I would try to put some photos up of the work going on in the house, but things are so chaotic, I can't find the camera. I do believe it is getting better, it just seems worse because we are back in the house. Dust everywhere, brushing teeth in the kitchen, no cooker, etc. It is going to be another week, so I thought we would go and stay someplace else, but the kids have things they want to do here in Manchester, so I guess I will just be getting up early and trying to keep us out of the house for most of the day. Which wouldn't be so bad, if I could be organized enough to pack everything we need for the day and do lots of picnic stuff.

We are off to the library now. Wonder how long I can make that last? :-/

Life is complicated

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!

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.

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...

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!

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. :-)