*Excuse all of my gloomy yellow interior pictures recently - I do leave the house a lot, I just never remember my camera*
While Ivy is asleep in her moses (Her FIRST EVER non-Mammy-based nap, 45 minutes and counting); Another very quick knit - more yoga socks. I find these really useful and would like a few pairs. They are made on an 18 peg loom with extra chunky wool and I made them in a couple of hours while Will was at Welsh class.
Me and Ivy haven't been to Welsh in weeks, it seems like every Thursday Ivy has a bad day for some reason and we can't go. This time she wouldn't nap all afternoon until 20 minutes before it was time to leave, when she conked out for her big evening sleep (usually 4 or 5 hours). Dwi'n hoffi Dysgu Cymraeg. Ivy ddim yn hoffi dysgu Cymraeg. Wedi blino dwi. I have been listening to the CD a bit in the morning while I'm working which is helping with the basics.
Ivy's Nanny Sannie (my Mam) visited us quickly at the weekend as she had been in Cardiff and brought with her a high chair for Ivy that she picked up from a charity shop at home. Ivy can't quite sit unassisted at the moment but she's nearly there and seems quite happy in the chair. Lovely to have her at the table with us, it always feels a bit excluding leaving her in the pram but it's not always practical to have her on my lap (i.e. soup)
Will has been doing a bit of knitting for Ivy for Christmas. He is quickly mastering pattern reading in a way that I have failed to. He was given a couple of patterns for an owl and a hedgehog toy by a lady at Welsh. They both are supposed to use a tinsel wool, but they're not nice to work with and not that safe for a baby anyway, so Will has used DK instead. I think it looks fab and can't wait to give them to Ivy. The Hedgehog is still a WIP, but instead of the tinsel wool, Will knitted a few purled rows where he wasn't supposed to, to give the impression of spines. They are stuffed with toy stuffing that I picked up on Freecycle.
I treated myself to some lino cutting tools at the weekend and made myself a rubber stamp. I got a book a couple of months ago called Snail Mail, about encouraging and reviving the act of sending letters, something I have wanted to do more of, stay in touch with people, send love. I wanted to make myself a couple of rubber stamps to use for envelopes, so I have made the first now. I love it and it has made me want to start making art again. There is a little ball of excitement and inspiration burning in my tummy, now if only I had the time!
After what has been literally years of battles and frustration and unpicking things I finally booted out my old sewing machine (after attempting to make Ivy a Christmas stocking and having to unpick it 3 times). Against all odds, and despite my repeated warnings of its demonic nature someone from Freecycle came to get my old machine, and I bought a pretty heavy duty Toyota from Gumtree that seems better suited to my needs. I have only used it a little but so far it seems an absolute dream. I had to fix a pair of Will's shorts (only 2 years on the fixing pile) and it went through several layers of denim and curtain material as if it were nothing.
Will and I have made some spice infused vodka for Christmas gifts. We did taste it and unfortunately it is revolting, but we figure it's the thought that counts, and you never know someone might like it! I made labels for the bottles and will be sending them out in the next week or so. I cut out the Christmas shapes from the grease proof paper that soap comes in at Lush, so I'm sure they'll be familiar to a few people.
I have been knitting in the evenings and have finished a toy for Ivy (which Will laughed at! Saying it looked like a leggy tic tac. I think Ivy will like it!), a pair of legwarmers for Ivy, and some mittens for our Niece Maisy, who is about a month older than Ivy.
Lastly, we went to a car boot at the weekend and I picked up an old, but unused batik kit for £4. I've always wanted to try batik, and I love a kit, so double bonus. I did a little last night after Ivy had gone to bed, not using the wax that came with it, but melting and dripping on some tealights we found at the beach earlier in the year. Obviously someone had made some romantic gesture, and then gone and left all their rubbish behind! Anyway I thought I would do the bigger shapes for the first dye, and then use the batik-ing tool for the finer stuff for the next, which will hopefully be tonight. The colour has come out a little pale, I guess because the dye is ancient, but I'm very pleased. After I had dyed my two batik'd pieces we found a t-shirt and some fabric and tie-dyed it and left it over night. It was fun and we are going to look out for more dye on ebay.
Recently in the evenings, instead of watching a film (or sometimes as well as) or using the internet we have been knitting, or letter writing or doing some other craft, and it has been so lovely. We're spending time together chatting that we didn't even realise we were missing out on, and we're just getting so much done, finishing a project every two or three days. I have started leaving the laptop upstairs in the evenings. I work a couple of hours a day from home and need to check my emails throughout the working day in case any urgent tasks come in, but if I have my laptop downstairs in the evening I seem to just be drawn to it. It's been very refreshing not having that, like cutting out junk food and feeling the difference.
We have had the enquiries back on the house now so are just waiting on the local searches which the solicitor said should come back next week (we'll see!) so can look to exchange and complete after then. Will and I have agreed that however soon the searches come back now we won't be completing before Christmas as it's too close now and would be disruptive. Instead we can look forward to being in our new home early in the new year.
That's all for now!
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