So, what I did when I forgot to blog.

So, we're in the new house, and it is everything we dreamt of (with the exception of the plumbing for the dishwasher. But that is getting sorted.) There is a luxury to having one's own bedroom, tiny though it may be, (the above view is from MY side of the bed) and in making a mess in one's own kitchen- even when the mess was not deliberate, but was caused by a small boy who is OH! So proud! because he has figured out how to help himself to nutella whilst mummy was distracted. It truly has been wonderful.
As yet, the house is very much a blank canvas. The walls remain painted solely with gardenia, the chalky first coat that builders put on brand new plaster, and there is no artwork up. Our ornaments and nicknacks aren't out on display yet and we have blinds of one kind or another in most of the rooms, not curtains. We do have a real sense of being able to take our time, to get it right, because this is our house and one way or another, we will make our mark on it and in a small way, everyone in the future will know that we were here, and what was important to us. If circumstances had been different, we would never in a million years have chosen a new build- we've spent the last five years obsessively reading self-build mags and watching Grand Designs, with visions of how we're going to restore and reclaim our Victorian terrace- but we have no choice but to live near Steve's father. He needs us- and with total honesty, there aren't that many older four bedroomed house in Swindon, and those that there are often go for more money than the new builds.
Part of this, of course, is baby underpants, the surprise Christmas present. One of the things that we actually talked about was how strange it was going to be living in a house that had never seen a birth, or a death- well, soon it will. I'm mentally measuring up the downstairs rooms for a birth tub- right now, I'm thinking that the kitchen is the best place, but that may change. Making the decision to continue the pregnancy wasn't easy for us- when you already have four kids, especially after as many losses as we've had, you can picture pretty clearly what you're in for- the highs as well as the lows. I honestly don't think that there is any right decision in a situation like this, where contraception fails after your family is complete- or rather, I think that both decisions were right. So yes- as things stand, I have a very wriggly bean growing in my belly, I'm 15 weeks pregnant and we're slowly starting to get excited. Cross your fingers and hope for a mellow kid for me, though, please?
And as knitting goes, I'm being thoroughly selfish. We were invited to a wedding for one of Steve's colleagues a few weeks back, and I realised with a week to go that I needed a shawl to go over my shoulders- and my knitting ego came creeping in and demanded a handknit. When will I learn? This is Ishbel, from Ysolda Teague, who generally writes effective and virtually bombproof patterns with some lovely construction. And yes, so far it's 50 rows of stocking stitch with 4 columns of eyelets (and obviously was not finished in time for the wedding) but you can still admire it. The yarn is seasilk by Elliebelly, who have sadly finished trading; Joyce was one of the first blogs I read when I discovered knitting, and has been a constant source of inspiration and amusement over the years. I'm astounded by the MMA she produces- so talented- and some of her dye jobs, especially the overdyeing, produce some wonderful hues. Last year's local yarn diet meant that I didn't stock up as much as I should have done, and now it's too late :( I'll never have her copper patina in my stash. This is Pellucidly- and I love it.