Slippers and shopping

A very quick update from me.

Baby still hasn’t got a name, we keep trying ideas out but still no closer to deciding. I can’t believe he is over 2 weeks old already - where has the time gone??

He is sleeping better at night and in our bed. I have to sleep with my arms around him so he thinks he’s still being cuddled, and he obviously thinks I’m going to abandon him as he open his eyes every now and then to check I’m still there.

I have also discovered a way of holding him and knitting at the same time so have been quite productive - since he was born I have finished a scarf I started the day before he arrived and have made myself a pair of slippers in Noro Kureyon which will be felted along with the pair I have started for Craig. Just one more to go.

A few weeks ago I got a lovely book called “Zakka Sewing” - it’s full of lovely Japanese projects but is in English. However, I seem to have been bitten by the Japanese bug and have been very naughty and ordered myself two more Japanese sewing books from eBay. Both are in Japanese which will be interesting.

Yes, I know, I’m not meant to be buying things. I do feel bad that I had a bit of a spending spree yesterday. It was craft day on QVC and the best thing would have been for me not to have watched it at all but I did and I did order some things. Not as many as I could have done, but I did order some things I really don’t need nevertheless. I almost spent £80 on ribbons but stopped myself. And then I went onto eBay and bought the two books and some linen fabric. Oh, and the other night I ordered some books from Amazon. I really want to order some felt too from a lovely website called Paper and String.

I know I need to stop myself, I’m supposed to be clearing off my credit card and was meant to be saving to get my car serviced. The car service money has now gone.

I could sit here and beat myself up over it, which I am tempted to do, but whats the point? I’ve done it, so I will enjoy my purchases but I will try and learn my lesson from it.

I’ve just read a lovely book called “Timeless Simplicity” which is about cutting out the unnecessary things in your life, including spending on wants and not needs. I was (and still am) very inspired by it and am going to try and live more along those lines. I’d recommend it if you’re wanting to simplify your life.

Otherwise not a lot else has been happening - most of my time is spent feeding and holding the baby (which I am not complaining about, although I will admit I’m not quite as keen on it at 3am when I desperately need some sleep, lol).

I have had some lovely gifts recently - a gorgeous pair of bootees for the baby from a lovely online friend, Cea (whose blog I have added to my faves on the left), a lovely sleep suit (for babe) and yummy hot chocolate (for me) from a lovely online and real life friend, Pippa, some yarn from two people on Ravellry that was sent for nothing despite being complete strangers (although I share the same name as one of them which is a lovely coincidence) which has really touched my heart and I am very grateful to them both, and a lovely blanket for the baby from another real life friend. I have a horrible feeling I have forgotten somebody. If I have I can only blame being sleep deprived and I am very very sorry, but thank you.

I have managed 3 hours without a baby in my arms tonight which is amazing - I’ve done some of those little jobs I’ve been meaning to do for ages now, but he is waking up now so I will get this posted and go and feed my little man. If you have any ideas for a name for him please let me know!!

Take care! :-)

Thank you

Just want to say thank you for all the messages of congratulations.

Things are ok here. I've rediscovered night time tv as I'm sitting up all night with Baby but it's a good chance to catch up on my reading. I've got plenty of reading material to get through over the coming weeks and several DVDs I've had for a few years and never got round to watching.

He still doesnt have a name - we just can't decide on one that suits him and that we both like. I just can't imagine him at secondary school being called Amos but we could end up with no other option, lol

I will try and post properly again soon with some more photos.

At last!!!

Apologies to you if you’ve been checking for news - I’ve been very lax at posting. Yes, the baby has arrived!

I’m not one for birth stories but here’s a quick run down of what happened.

Craig had taken the girls to Brownies and got back at 6.15pm. I then started having contractions which were very close together and just got going. At 6.30 I thought it would be a good idea for Craig to go back for the girls in case I didn’t want to be left alone at the proper time.

By the time he got back I was in a bit of a state - the contractions were so intense and close together that I couldn’t focus on the hypnosis so I wasn’t calm or in control at all. I was getting loud and felt I couldn’t cope. When I started shouting that I couldn’t cope any more I realised that I was going through transition and it would be over very soon which really helped me through the last few minutes.

I kept checking how high his head was during each contraction. It was quite high and then all of a sudden there was a shudder and it moved down. One push brought out the head, but it took Craig to point out I needed to push again to get the shoulders and body out. We’re both convinced we caught him, I think it was a joint effort!!!

I couldn’t have done it without him and his support - he rubbed my back and supported me physically and mentally.

And baby? He’s a boy and weighed 7lb 8oz. He arrived at 7pm on 10th February after 45 minutes of labour and yes it was another planned unassisted birth. We still haven’t decided on a name for him. The names we like don’t really suit him. He did have a nickname when I was pregnant which was just a bit of fun, and when we told the children they hated it but we’ve all got so used to using it that we may end up calling him that anyway, and the children now like it. The only problem is it’s incredibly old fashioned and I’m not 100% sure. But it was very sweet when Jack saw his brother for the first time and we asked him “do you know who this is?” and he nodded and whispered “it’s Amos”.

Hurrah!!!!!

Today was a momentous day for me! About two and a half years ago I went to a Knitting and Stitching show at Harrogate. It was a lovely day, I met up with an online friend and bought lots of lovely things. One stand had Sirdar Sublime for sale. It may have just been launched, I can’t remember. On the stand was a gorgeous girls cardigan, in a lovely shade of red. I fell in love with it and had to buy the pattern and yarn there and then.

So, I started knitting this cardigan not long afterwards but for one reason or another it didn’t get finished. It ended up in a bag in my knitting basket, and taunted me every time I opened it. Anyone who has had one of those projects will know what I mean when I say my heart sank a little every time I saw it or thought about it. I don’t know what the problem was, I just couldn’t get on with it. I still loved it and really wanted to get it done but it just didn’t happen.

Then, last summer I decided to get on with it, and did until I discovered I had run out of wool for it, so back into the basket it went. All I had left was a bit of the second sleeve, the button bands and the collar. I didn’t think I’d get a match for the yarn but had no idea what else to do, so ordered some from eBay with the plan to try it and if it matched just keep on knitting and it if didn’t then to make a whole new sleeve and just hope it wasn’t too noticeable. I ordered the new wool in November and it took me until Thursday to finally get on with it again. The new wool did match perfectly - phew!!!

The button bands were a nightmare. They were done in moss stitch which I’ve never done before (except by accident when I’ve been trying to do a rib but made a mistake) and they gave me headache, as did the collar which was also done in moss stitch and is a sailor collar. I was so tempted to just dump it back in the basket and leave it for another two years but I knew if I finished it I would feel so pleased with myself.

So, today I finally finished it. The sewing up took ages (I hate sewing knitted garments up, they never look as good as they should) but I persevered and it’s all done. Not as great as it could be, some of the stocking stitch is a bit uneven and there’s a ridge on one sleeve where it had sat on a knitting needle for so long but I’m hoping blocking or a wash will tighten it all up a bit. It’s also too big for Millie and slightly too small for Ellie.

But I have finished it and I am sooooo pleased it’s not going to haunt me any longer. And, more amazingly, for the first time since I started knitting again three years ago I have nothing in progress. Yes, I have lots of things I’d like to make, but nothing actually on the go. My knitting basket has been sorted out as well.

I am going to enjoy having nothing on my needles for one night, and then make a decision about what to do next tomorrow.