Flotsam and knitwear (photo dump)

I'm not really in the habit of taking lots of photos any more, as my old camera died a while ago, and my laptop is on it's way out. But I thought I would try and catch up on a few things we've been up to in the last month or so. I'm not sure how to move the pictures about, and I don't want to fiddle about too much, so in no real order:

I have been crocheting a few jumpers for the girls. Ivy draws little designs for me and asks me to make them, and I've really enjoyed doing it. She insists everything is done in trebles, which she calls granny squares, as she likes the blankets. I also made this sweater vest, which Will wore once but I think isn't really his thing, so I've been planning to unpick the arms and add sleeves, but my local shop doesn't have the right yarn any more, so that's just waiting for a decision from me.

I have been trying to get to the beach as often as I can, as it is now a very short walk. It is beautiful and peaceful, any time of day. I think I need to make space for more peace and quiet in my life. I have let parenthood train me to always be on edge. Although to be honest I think I was always on edge before then as well really.

We had a new sink put in. It's not very interesting, but has been a really nice thing to do. So much in this house has needed fixing, which has meant that a lot of the things in the house that are quite outdated or tatty have had to be left, which is fine really. But the old sink, which was far too big for the tiny bathroom anyway, had a tiny crack in it, which after being dangled on again and again by Hazel seemed to grow, so we decided to replace it before we are forced to. We chose a tiny cloakroom unit and it is such an improvement. The tiling will have to wait.

More of Ivy's designs. The girls had a day at school where they could dress as superheroes, and as the girls don't watch T.V so haven't really heard of any, I said they could invent one if they would rather. Ivy came up with Love Hero, who goes about the place spreading love much like cupid. Hazel just wanted to be the same as Ivy. I have done a little sewing lately, as I left buying Welsh dresses for St. David's day too late and ended up having to make them, and that, and making the girls their capes as reminded me of how powerful it makes you feel to be able to make clothes. I am going to give me sewing machine a proper looking over and then plan to buy or draught a couple of patterns soon and make some summer dresses for the girls and I. It's been a long time coming.

We have had some sunshine, and also a little oomph to get going on our tiny garden. There is a small patch of gravel which we plan to take out and replace with Turf, but we have sorted out a little patio area which we can sit and eat at, and have completely cleared and planted up the border. When I get the chance I will find some before and after photos as it was quite a different picture when we bought the house.
Although it is far from it now, I can picture this being a really blissful little garden, and we are grateful for it, and certainly very lucky to have it at all in this neighbourhood.

I spent a week knitting the ugliest jumper I have ever seen. The less said the better. I enjoyed doing a bit of knitting, which has also been years, and it was good to practice at following a pattern which has never been my strong suit. The jumper will be warm and I will appreciate it in the winter. But.,. It's pretty horrible.
It matches our scabby old garden furniture though.

I collect things at the beach all the time. My studio probably smells of fish. I plan to do something, at some point. But I don't know what.

 There was something else that I wanted to write about, which is something that I have been turning over a lot in my mind while I was knitting that jumper. It is a little nuanced and quite personal, but as nobody reads this blog any way, I don't think it really matters. The thing is this: I have been feeling really strongly these last few weeks, probably since I began making jumpers for the girls, that I really want to make it a priority to improve my skills with knitting and sewing. I don't know why I haven't quite managed in the past. For whatever reason I have always had the interest, but never found the time of patience. I seem to have more of both now and feel confident that I am able to improve. But I couldn't work on my  knitting without my mind wandering again and again to a dear friend that I had in the village, my first and one of my only proper friends, who is an incredibly skilled knitter and seamstress. She made us an the girls countless beautiful gifts which we treasure and were so grateful for, and I always really admired her skill and generosity. We have moved, and by bad luck I think she has as well, and now I find I have no way to get in touch. I don't have anyone like that in my life now. We don't have family near by. And while I was thinking of all this I realised that I am going to have to step up and be my own Mum now, because I don't have anybody here to lean on or who will look after me. And although I feel quite sad, I am also quite sure that if I let it, it will be the making of me. I have spent a lot of the last few years relying on the kindness of others, and like a plant that has been staked, it has allowed me to become quite weak. I am looking forward to growing strong, growing up.

That's all for now. I've been poorly this last week or too and keep promising myself a rest while both girls are in school.