Manu for me

Thanks to the kindness of strangers, Manu is finished! To explain, just as I was halfway through the first pocket, I ran out of yarn for this project. I was loathe to spend money we don't have on another full ball and postage, so I put out an appeal on good old Ravelry for anyone who might have some spare. Almost immediately I got a message from Jen (this is her website) who offered to help me out and didn't even want postage! Not only that, she sent me a whole extra ball- what a star. I completed the cardigan with a selection of vintage buttons, as much as I love the sophistication of the charcoal grey, I felt it needed a little bit of colour to stop it being too dour. If I decide I'd rather have matching ones, I can always change them later I suppose. It's really snuggly and I love the way it hangs, although photographs of my postnatal, nursing body don't exactly fill me with joy. Still, by the time the weather is right for it I'm hoping a combination of chocolate abstinence, walking and an exercise DVD I'm trying to fit in at naptimes will create a more flattering picture.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. Inspired by SouleMama

Cook for the weather you wish you had

"Vile" is the best word I can think of to describe the weather we had this morning. Fine, driving and cold rain blew against the windows until lunchtime, thwarting plans I had to explore the new neighbourhood on foot. Even with waterproofs it would have been miserable. However, the sun put in an appearance by the afternoon and happily I had planned for and bought in food that reflected the weather I'd hoped for, rather than what was forecast! A recipe from Nadine Abensur's 'Cranks Fast Food' which mixes griddled courguettes with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and mint has reinvented that vegetable as far as I'm concerned, putting it on the list for growing next year. Deliciously squeaky halloumi cheese, sprinkled picturesquely with smoked paprika and olive oil, also gets the griddle treatment (and thank goodness the new kitchen has an efficient extractor fan!). Finished off with bulghar wheat, toasted to a biscuity brown in the oven, then soaked in boiling water and a veg stock cube it's food that tastes of sunshine, even if the heavens don't provide it.

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!