Home Economics

Moving house is costly, in both time and money, so we've been trying to preserve both recently. Most of our belongings seemed to survive the move unscathed, thank goodness, but somehow a box containing the jam P and I made recently travelled here upside-down. As they only had wax discs and cellophane discs on them, I was worried that this upending could cause them to go mouldy. I'm no preserves expert but I decided to invest in some screw-on jam jar lids from Lakeland. Hopefully this means we'll be kept in jam for a few months yet.


Meanwhile, with work on my Manu cardigan halted due to running out of yarn, I was itching to get knitting again, but not eager to spend on yarn. Then, while sorting through clothes ready to pack for the move, I came across a couple of knits that have never quite worked on me. One, made in a gorgeous orange/red shade of Rowan Big Wool, was a lovely cabled cardigan. I loved it in theory, but in practise it never hung right, was too bulky to wear under a coat and didn't do me any favours. So, while we were taking refuge with my folks I frogged it. Big Wool tends to pill quite easily I've found, but in this case it seemed to have formed big, felty tufts which were easy enough to pluck off as I went, leaving me with pretty clean yarn. I confess, I didn't wash it and hang it in skeins as I should have done- slapped wrist!



Then I dithered over a pattern, but finally decided on 'Emma' from Rowan's Big Just Got Bigger. I doubt it will go under a coat but I'm planning for it to be an extra layer to wear indoors when it gets chilly. Now, whenever I have a 'quiet' moment, which aren't easy to come by at the moment, I'm working away.



On 10mm and 12mm needles, it grows pretty quickly, it has to be said. I've completed the back and I'm already halfway up the front. However, progress has been interrupted today with exciting new developments on the Manu front- more on that soon.

Homemaking

There are still many, many boxes to unpack, miles of embossed wallpaper heavily painted in hideous colours to scrape off and that's just to begin the redecorating process, a garden to explore and do...oh goodness, so much to, a washing machine to get working (oh dear!) and of course a baby and a toddler to keep in some form of routine. But, but! The kitchen, while not quite there aesthetically, is unpacked and fully functioning and as far as I'm concerned once I've got a pot of tomato sauce bubbling on the hob it's beginning to look a lot like home.

Weekending

We (me and the kids) have escaped the final stages and actual event of moving day by taking off to my parents house. P is revelling in having many rooms and a garden to run in and out of, M is being cuddled by doting relative afer doting relative and I'm enjoying the peace and inspiration of the garden, from flowers to the impressive veg patch, while dreaming of what ours might be like in the future. Even the floor sweepings make a pretty picture here!

On the Move

Hallelujah! We've finally got a move date- this weekend! We are therefore in the midst of packing before I escape to my parents with the babes for a few days to avoid the mayhem. Here (in no particular order) are just some of the things I am looking forward to about the move:
1. P having a safe room to go into his 'big boy bed'. The quilt will finally get it's proper use.
2. The kitchen will be warm enough to enjoy being in during winter and safe enough for children to share.
3. We will have an outside washing line.
4. We can try potty training.
5. We will have lots more space downstairs for P to run around in.
6. The garden! So big! So much potential!
7. We will have a house to make into our very own home again, rather than renting.
8. All being well we will be at the end of a rather tumultuous, at times very worrying and stressful time for our family.
Watch this space, pics will follow soon I hope!

Jam

The day began wet and dismal yet again, we didn't have use of the car, P still has a cold and to top it off it was Wednesday. Should have been a recipe for disaster but actually, just as the afternoon brought some sunshine, so the day turned out better than it promised. Inspiration struck on a trip out to the greengrocers for grapes when we saw punnets of English strawberries on sale. Yes, we wanted- still want- to go to a PYO but realistically it's not going to happen at the moment. I reasoned that it was feasible for a two year old to cut up strawberries with a dinner knife and therefore take part in at least some of the jam-making process. He duly proved me right for at least ten minutes before realising that eating the ingredients was even more fun than preparing them.
As ever, I enjoyed the alchemy of the jam-making, but I must admit that it didn't set very well. Apparently this is often a problem with strawberries, particularly when they are ripe. I did add lemon juice, which is meant to help with the lack of pectin, but to little effect. Still, jam is for spreading, isn't it?

Multi-tasking

A spectacularly rainy day meant that multi-tasking was a must for the rookie mum-of-two today. I braved the downpour in the morning, pushing the double buggy for a soggy constitutional into town. It was enough to convince me that this afternoon we were staying indoors, despite P's suggestion of 'garden' and 'walk' (he might be okay in his rainsuit and wellies, but us girls aren't so well equipped). Post-nap time saw me bringing out the home-made playdough again. At one point I was sitting on the floor, simultaneously feeding M and cutting out dough stars with P. Luckily, once M latches on she's keen enough to stay balanced across my lap! After that she retired to the bouncy chair her brother is gradually conceding to her using and I continued my dough modelling activities while bouncing her with my foot. Somehow amongst my baby nursing/toddler entertaining duties I got some knitting done today too...including pleats! These were very interesting and not too difficult to do and means that the main part of Manu is done. I'm now at what I consider the tedious and irritating job of pick up and knit to make the edgings, but as my mind is already onto possible next projects- I want to restock my very neglected Folksy shop and possibly think about Christmas presents (in July!!!)- I'm quite impatient to finish now.

Great Eccleston Agricultural Show

I've had an ambition to go to an agricultural show for years and this year is the first time I've made it to one. Despite weather which ranged from heavy showers to to hot sun to gusty wind, we had a lovely time, seeing animals great...



and small... (we think there should be a new class for showing 'Simultaneous Buggy and Dog Handling')


Checking out the big boys' toys...


And inspecting the wide, wonderful and yes, sometimes downright weird range of items competing for prizes. These included many, many cakes...


Some lovely quilts- the circles one is my favourite and already has me thinking about a 'big girl's bed' quilt for M (yes, she's only four weeks old, but it might take me a while!).


Beeswax and honeycombs- have to show this to my sister, who has been taken on as an apprentice beekeeper at the media company she works at (it's in London, they have a hive on the roof! And no, beekeeper is not her actual job)

And finally...my Fairisle pullover! All those months of fiddly colourwork, anguished frogging after I misread the pattern, re-knitting and then not being able to wear it because of the baby bump and finally it ends up winning first prize in 'Garment Knitted in a Fashion Yarn'!