crafts & knitting · general stuff

Monkey business

Had a nice family weekend – woodland walks, roast chicken & apple pie – that kind of old-fashioned spending time together kind of affair. It’s been wonderful to see Toby growing in confidence since he started school. A few months ago we would only take him out on walks where there was a good enough path for his special needs buggy. He’s always much preferred to ride than walk and as he can be very unpredictable and has no sense of danger with roads and rivers etc, I’ve been happy to let him sit in the buggy – it’s seemed safer. This weekend though we opted for a woodland wellie walk rather than our usual sojourn along the canal tow path and Toby did brilliantly. He seemed so grown up toddling along on his own and he was especially excited by the wind in the trees and the falling leaves.

On the knitting front I was suddenly seized by the desire to try something new. I’ve had a play with different animals before – sometimes with pretty disastrous results: poor old Charlie Cat – he’s never been quite right!

But at the end of last week I was inspired and thought monkey! I’m still working on tweaking the pattern and may have to make a few more prototypes but it’s getting there I think. Looking at it now this photo is a little gruesome looking – a row of decapitated heads! Sorry! I’ll be working on bodies and hopefully will have a finished monkey template by the end of the week.

 

 

general stuff

who am I again?

Isn’t it funny that when we have kids we loose our identity? To many people out there I am ‘Amy’s mum’ – that’s my name as far as they’re concerned. I don’t mind, I’ll answer to just about anything these days. It does make you think though about the monumental change occurs when you become a parent.

Back in the days when my name was Julie I had a job. I woke up with the alarm clock, showered, ate breakfast sitting at the table, dressed in freshly ironed and co-ordinated clothes, and went into London to work. At work I was a marketing manager of an international company, responsible for all ad campaigns, promotional literature and press liaison. I controlled large budgets in 7 different currencies, flew round the world on business, headed conferences and generally behaved as a professional business woman (when I wasn’t too sloshed from having one too many glasses of wine at a business lunch!).

Today things are a little different. I wake up when one of my children jumps on me, stick my head under the tap if my hair needs a wash, eat a bit of toast with a cooling cup of tea whilst wandering round the house packing school bags, throw on any clothing (I draw the line at mixing lime green with magenta but otherwise anything goes) and rush out of the door with Amy in tow for a quick march to school. My day consists of washing clothes, knitting, tidying up toys, knitting, hoovering, making gluten-free bread, knitting, a bit of blogging and more knitting.

And yet I couldn’t be happier. I wouldn’t swap back to how things were for all the wine in Italy. Blogging has been especially rewarding and it makes my day to log on and see that someone has left me a comment. Thanks so much everyone for your compliments about my work – it means a great deal. Love Amy’s mum xxx

PS. I am not bald – although I look it in Amy’s picture above – I must have been having a bad hair day!!

crafts & knitting

Bunny Slippers

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Just a quick post today as Toby is off sick from school with a bad cough and cold.ย  Thanks to everyone for your comments on sleepy bunny. A couple of people suggested slippers and I just couldn’t resist having a go. Somehow bunny slippers seemed the most appropriate! Thanks by the way to everyone who has emailed me recently. I am trying to reply as soon as possible but it may be a few days.