Mbutterfudge

Crochet's cool, call me crazy

Antonia mentioned how much she would like a pair of wrist warmers, in blue. 

Now, when a 13 year old girl agrees that something you've made is "really nice", there is no higher compliment in the world. 

And its worth staying up till 2am to finish.  Call me crazyX

 

 

 

Colours

Oh my goodness my 1st Mosaic worked!

Hope you like itXX

Discovering the new, remember the old.

Stumbling upon the most wonderful blog yesterday, by the sweetest lady in North Yorkshire called Lucy, was a real joy.  Her crochet, photographs and writing are so inspiring.  I got swept up in reading her archives, and once the children were in bed I had to start the below wrist warmers. 

As Lucy explains (oh so well) these are really simple to make, just a rectangle with the thumb hole being created when you stitch up the side seam.

Her writing really makes you feel that you can do her designs.  Her colour works are just fabulously cheerful.  I would love to dash out today to my local wool shop and buy lots of Debbie Bliss, but Santa needs me to be careful.  These really would make the most wonderful gifts though, so maybe a little shopping trip can be justified.  But I am not sure I can trust myself not to start Lucy's fabulous crocheted bag instead.  Its just beautiful.

Over the weekend I finished Genevieve's leg warmers.  Wearing them first thing Sunday morning with her pyjamas, and then later as wrist/arm warmers, so I think they were a hit.

During last week I did manage to make the promised lunch bags, but didn't get around blogging, I just don't know where the time goes.  The children are happy with their new bags (Antonia's didn't make the photo).  I am not completely happy with them, so will, when I get a minute, make some more.  I really love Harris' green bag the best.   

Today the lunches have some of the below yummy Gingerbread included.  This sticky, wonderfully aromatic cake is so comforting and warming.  It always surprises me how "liquidy" the batter seems when you put it in the oven, it doesn't look like it could possibly be right, but it does.

Finally, I had to write about how much I love Ebay.  I won these perfect 1984 Beano comic's for Harris' christmas.  A whole years worth for no money at all, in wonderful condition.  They just don't make comics like this anymore.  The soft paper here, is so tactile.  The smell, all papery and booky.  A really pleasure.  Harris' gets a bit overwhelmed reading books, he really lacks confidence in himself, but a comic seems (to him) more fun.  He will treasure these, I just know it.  He'll read these and then draw from them.  Hours of fun.

A few weeks ago I had taken him to Boarders to buy a comic especially for us to read together, and the choice was so terrible, and so expensive.  Everything was just full of adverts, and nonsense, they seem to have lost their magic.  Children make their choices based on what free toy is attached, which seems so sad to me. 

Bring back the paper comic.  We miss you. 

When I was 17 I worked in Victoria, London, and used to buy a certain newspaper for the train just because it had a Garfield cartoon inside.  Cartoons, were always what I doodled growing up, easy to draw, rewarding to create.  I remember looking forward to reading that small cartoon, setting me up for the day.  Silly really.  But I still adore Garfield books.

I am so excited to have these comics tucked away and hope to find some more for the girls as well.  Thats if I have any money left after my wool shopping.X

 

Cake, Christmas & Chocolate, both goodX

Honestly, there is something about preparing a Christmas Cake that just feels so homely.  I make no apologies for making a christmas cake, I know they can be bought, but I enjoy the whole process so much.  And I am not the only one, Harris and Genevieve even get excited about mixing up the dried fruit, candied peel and (delicious) brandy the night before the cake can be baked.  Antonia just loves the whole theatre of preparing our cake, and she really loves the cake itself, where Harris and Genevieve will only eat the icing.  But thats okay, its not just about the eating, its the preparing, the ritual, the tradition.

Tonight the bowl sits in the corner of our kitchen, covered in a red gingham tea towel (clean, of course), and was peeped at with giggled excitement before bed, even by Greg.  Christmas is coming. Eeek!

They'll look forward to seeing the cake, and especially will rush to be involved in the "feeding" over the next few weeks.  And the smell of brandy is not for the faint hearted, I have friends who can't take it, but my 3 seem to not mind.

I always make Delia's Classic Christmas Cake, it really is the best.   

 
Another cake I seem to return to again and again is a simple sponge with 4 tablespoons of Green & Blacks Hot Chocolate Drink added.  The chocolate is small, tiny chunks of really good chocolate, which hold their shape. 

I take the cake out earlier than I normally bake a sponge for, so that its really moist. I don't ice it.  It's much loved here.  I like to bake it at night, so that I get to lick the bowl :o) X

 

Remembering how it feels to use fabric scissors, and make plans.

Ikea fabric, sometimes, not always, there are choices there that I can not walk away from. 

I would like to make the children some new Bento bags (lunch bags), but I also have a stack of craft books beside my chair, next to my bed, a few in the kitchen...any way, they are all full of ideas for different things I'd like to make for christmas gifts.

I adore the above green and birds fabric and the delicate yellow fabric the most.  I know I'll worry about how best to use these two.  Eventhough the fabrics were such incredible value, and I can alway dash back to Ikea to buy more, I will still take my time, and worry.

It's lovely to have a new pile of gorgeousness, sitting waiting to be used.  I forgot that feeling.  I better get thinking...so many plans X

Its funny how things turn out sometimes.

I had looked forward all week to taking the children to the Victoria & Albert Museum.  I had hoped (optimistically) to take them also to the London Transport Museum afterwards.  

I don't know what I was thinking, trying to fit two museums in in one day.  The traveling, walking and being safety conscious is tiring, for all of us.   And good god, London tubes are hot and busy during school holidays.

The V&A was really wonderful though.  There was so much for the children to interact with.  There is just so much to see.  You could seriously spend the whole day there. 

Sadly Harris didn't feel very well after lunch, so we agreed to come back another day, bringing Greg next time.  So eventhough we didn't stay as long as we intended, we had a thoroughly good time.

We will get around to visiting the London Transport Museum, sometime. 

 

Every turning had us gushing over new finds.

Much to Antonia's horror, I loved the below statue.  A beautiful celebration of motherhood.  Watching other women stop in their tracks when they saw it was overwhelming.  I was tempted to photograph their reactions.  Remembering that feeling of us nursing our babies can be such a strong memory, private for many of us.  Its beautiful isn't it? 

 

   
 

I stayed up till after 1am this morning, finishing Genevieve's jumper.  It took me 4hrs to sew it up.  Which is crazy, I know, but I wanted to do a good job, and there was such alot of ends because of the stripes.  I find the sewing up part really hard, I don't enjoy it and am desperate to rush it, to see the finished piece.  Its even harder without my glasses.  Surprisingly, I am so pleased with it.

Genevieve thrilled me by calling it her "Whitstable Beach Cardi"; because the colours in the yarn remind her of the pebbled beach.  I couldn't be happier with it now.X

Striped gifts, for no reason at all.

For no reason at all, my dearest friend Jane knitted Genevieve this beautiful striped winter poncho and hat. 

Handmade gifts mean such alot.

It's fabulously cozy; warm and heavy but so soft.  Such a gift.

We had fun photographing it today in the garden.X

 

 

Trophys, boys, bags and buttons; admiring them all without my glasses.

Finished.  Dah dah!  Cute isn't it?  It is.  Soft, cute, handmade.  I love it.

I wish I'd made the sides as stiff as the front and back (they have needlework plastic, covered in sew-in interfacing, then fabric lined; a bugger to sew up), but you live and learn.  I can't face undoing it. 

Next time I'd like to make a cream cabled one...

It still sits nicely.  I do love it.  The yellow button brings together the yellow lining.  I was chuffed to bits to be able to use some of my buttons. 

Now I just have to remember to put my bag away, out of reach of Libby, as she would chew the handles given the chance.  This month she has chewed two pairs of reading glasses, a school made princess crown and two toilet rolls (god the mess).

Something else that sits nicely is this trophy, for one week only.  Harris was picked as "Player of the Match" at rugby this weekend.  He has a nasty spike mark down his shin, he was battered and bruised.  But he loved every minute, and gave 100%.  Stalking his opponents, tackling boys twice his size. 

He has made such alot of new friends.  I can't tell you how it feels to see his confidence grow.  The rules are hard to learn (for me at least), but he's catching on so quick.  Listening to him go over the match in detail, with his friends then with us.  Watching him give his all.  Its really wonderful.  The atmosphere among the other families is really incredibly friendly.  Ask me again in the depths of winter if its still fun...  For now we're loving it. 

It goes without saying, we are all very proud.X

 

Almost finished, with a little help from a friend.

Just a bit more finishing to do.  Two more buttons to attach.    Do you like the vintage wooden handles?

I always find it really hard not to rush through this part, the sewing up, finishing up part. 

My wonderful dear Sonia sent me some gifts.  The sweet and perfect brown trim above was from her.   Her timing was fabulous.  After a long day, a surprise package was waiting for me.  Is there anything better?

My bags lined in some Heather Bailey with some John Lewis fabric and some pale velvet.  The bright yellow works really well, I think.

It is extra special with the Sonia trim.  It'll make me think of her whenever I use it.

Sonia also sent me this lavender filled, handmade treasure.  It's hanging from my lamp here by my computer.  I love it.

I only wish I could smell it, but at the moment I have a terrible cold, everything hurts.  I hope I'm better by the weekend as the children are off school for a week, and we have plans.  My head feels like I'm under water.

In the meantime I can still admire the work, thought and care, sent from my dear friend.  Thank you Sonia, you're wonderfulXX

It's all about how you look at things...

..is something I keep telling the children.  A phrase I am really trying hard to live by myself, I promise.  I started a little cardi for Genevieve back in May.  I bought the amount of balls required in the pattern, and sadly, ran out half way up the final sleeve.  Frustrating.  The shop I bought the yarn from had no more, and eventhough I took my work into them for them to see my tension was correct, they offered no help.  Sublime, white, is no longer made!  Just my luck.  So I put away the little unfinished cardigan, unable to bare the thought of ripping it all out, to have a think.  Slightly (more than slightly if I'm honest) ashamed at the wasted money.

So now its October and I've pulled out the cardigan again and decided to undo the sleeves and work them in stripes with the above Sirdar Crofter DK, Fair Isle effect. "Effect" sounds horrible.  But I really love this warm, soft, beautiful yarn.  I know its not the real stuff, which I adore, and would, if I could, buy a truck of shetland goodness to keep my loved ones warm.  I can't justify or afford that, yet.  Once I get better, they'll be no stopping me buying the best yarn.  But in the mean time Sirdar is a fabulous compromise.  I do love it.

It will be an unusual cardigan, certainly homemade looking.  But with a few of my wooden buttons to finish it off, I think it will work beautifully.

Another thing that didn't work out how I imagined it would.  We made granola.  Full of health food shop goodness. Fruit, nuts, bran, oats, goodness.  Dusty grossness. 

Makes great, the very best, flapjacks.  The very best.

Back to Sirdar.  How pretty is the above?

And the boys jumpers, and these socks. 

I have enough yarn to make some legwarmers to match Genevieve's cardigan.  Its all worked out well.

Before the children get home I may treat myself to some shortbread sandwiches with raspberry jam.  Fattening, yes, but I prefer to think of it as a treat. 

This optimism lark could be funXX