When I was a little girl

When I was a little girl I believed that the reason we had summer holidays from school was so we could get watered, and could grow, ready for September. There's many reasons for this crackpot belief, but six weeks of solid rain was the biggest. Joy of joys, it looks like my children get one of these summers too.
We're making an effort to wrap them up in their waterproofs and get out, but darn it, it's miserable (and Vancouverians, you aren't helping.)
What this does mean is that I've had knitting time- and even crochet time. Unfortunately, I've also lost the camera cable, so I can't show you what I've been working on. I did remember to take a picture before posting it off, though. This is what happens when you have four kids stuck in the house for large amounts of time. They make a mess. Lots of it. So, this is really a quick post to make me feel less bad about neglecting the blog, and to moan about the weather- that most English of topics.

Longleat

 

 

 

 

So at the weekend, we parcelled everyone in the car and drove them down to Longleat, because we've never been, and it looked like it was going to rain, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. And overall, it was lovely. I've never "done" a safari park before, though when we were in Colchester we were regulars at the zoo, and it was a completely different experience. The animals did appear less concerned by the cars and seemed more active and perhaps slightly less stressed than the humans around them, in their space, at the zoo?
River loved it. He's now most definitely "getting it" and is talking about things- so he was pointing and pointing and shouting about zebras and the giraffes and out of the car window at the animals he saw as we drove by. The big ones were happy too, but it wasn't new and fresh and exciting the way it was with River.

Knitting news and pics to follow, I should have a FO by tonight...

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.

Sorry for the temporary absence.

I will be back with pictures shortly...

In the meantime, a little light reading

Moving pictures

Oh yes, there's more. Other highlights of the weekend included hanging out with family. No photos, but I love and miss my aunt and uncle, and I got to see my baby cousin, his new girlfriend and beautiful cocker spaniel. The springer up above is ours, Maya, who got so exhausted trying to get back up the sheer drop that she hurtled down in her desperate hurry to get into the river (that's the Wear) that she actually sat down for a rest on a walk. Not for long, mind, but it's exciting in and of itself. She may be growing up, and that would be quite exciting too.
Oh, and I'm pregnant. Again. No, I'm not ALWAYS pregnant, it just feels that way, yes, we do know what causes that, they are all mine and yes, we even own a TV. But if they hadn't cancelled Battlestar Galactica, we probably wouldn't be in this predicament ;)

What could be more British

than spending a bank holiday weekend stuck in the car trying to get to the seaside? It was so worth it, though. Whilst I'm happy that Swindon is home- or at least, I'm happy that I have a home, and it has to be in Swindon cos of the husband- I miss the beaches of Northumberland with a passion. These were taken on Bamburgh (very near Stag Rocks, for them what know it), where I jumped over the waves, and rockpooled, and generally acted like a nine year old kid. It was heaven.

New skills

It's been a week here for learning lots of new stuff. Whilst picnicking with Rachel from the comments (I love being able to say that, it makes me feel like the Yarn Harlot. I wish she had a blog, though) Skye took possession of the camera. We had pictures of sheep, more pictures of sheep, and even more pictures of sheep. We had pictures of fuzzy baby hair, and a million trillion pictures of other people's children. It's all good. I know the baby is no longer a baby, and has this whole Jim Morrison thing going with his hairdo, but bear with me, please. And I am unbelievably impressed with the total lack of headlessness and leglessness of said animals, and the fact that she has less camera shake than me. Oh yes, the girl has talent. Jenn, that's the Uffington White Horse you can see behind the sheep.


Next, for your delectation, we have the rainbow hexagon crochet thingummy, which hopefully will become big enough to be a cushion cover. It's wonky, yes, and exceptionally imperfect, but I like it. The directions came from Attic 24, my current favourite source of lifestyle pronography- which is, if I'm honest, at least 90% related to the fact that her children are in school full time. I am looking forward to the days when I get time to play with kids and knit and spin and clean and I haven't have to do everything all at once. This was destined for the study at the new house, but DH has just declared his intention to put his lightsabers in there and I'm not honestly convinced that high-tech futuristic weaponry and handhooked wonkiness are a natural combination- though they are both pretty colours. What do you think?
And finally, the world's heaviest easter egg- maybe. This beauty was loitering in Sue Ryder yesterday, and we swept her up and brought her home with me. Isn't she lovely?