change afoot

October 5, 2017 Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)27 Comments

Mushi

Mushies

Mushrooms

Void knitting

Void shawl

Void 2

Void

Void 1

Pom poms

Tumericsocks 1

There's been a change in the air this week. Autumn is breezing in on the wind, loosening the leaves from the trees and whistling through any windows left open. I've changed the duvets from lightweight summer throws to cosier covers to snuggle under and whilst it's not yet been cool enough to warrant lighting the fire I've been stacking logs in the basket ready because the change is noticeably distinct.

The cooler weather is the perfect excuse to carry on with warm-winter-woollie knitting and my void shawl is all finished. It's the perfect big snuggly wrap to keep out those autumn breezes. I had a tiny bit of yarn left over and couldn't resist making a few pom-poms for the ends, I'm really pleased I did as they are a sweet finishing touch, though I'm not sure how long they'll stay attached as Toby seems quite fascinated with them.

The book I mentioned in the previous post 'A modern way to eat' by Anna Jones has been provding me with lots of lovely new recipes to try, but I'm finding I'm not a fan of them all. I tried really hard to like her recipe for the wonderful sounding Golden Tumeric milk which is made with almond milk, tumeric, cardamom and honey but I failed dismally. One sip was enough for me I'm afraid! It's a pretty concoction though with a lovely warm colour that goes well with the socks I'm working on at the moment. They're knitted from the pattern BFF socks by Cookie A in Madelinetosh Twist light yarn in 'harvest' with contrasting heels, toes and ribbing top in 'paper', my project notes are here.

On my walks I've been noticing lots of mushrooms and toadstools, it's their season and they are everywhere at the moment. I hope to go exploring and find more next week, family life has been busy and chaotic so I've not been out adventuring as much as I had hoped for but Autumn is still to reach her best here so there's time yet.

I hope to be back more frequently very soon and to have news on new patterns and the giveaway I'm planning. Til then keep well xx

crafts & knitting · food and Drink · general stuff

three-quarter year resolutions

September 8, 2017 Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)23 Comments

Breakfast 1

Knitting breakfast

Cookerybook

Textures

Hibiscus tea

The new school year is always eagerly anticipated here. Not only does it bring a welcome return to comfortable routines but it also seems like a second chance in the year for new resolutions and plans.

Toby is settling in well with a new teacher and class assistants (happily his classmates are all the same) and Amy is enjoying being in the top year, her last year of school ever. I've spent the last few days clearing up summer holiday mess, tidying things away and getting myself in a sorted frame of mind (or at least trying to) and I've at last had the chance to sit down and properly go through a couple of new cookery books that I bought over summer.

Back in July I started intermittent fasting – the 16/8 kind where you fast for 16 hours each day (in my case 7pm until 11am the next day) and then eat normally during the 8 hours inbetween. When I get up I drink lots of hibiscus tea to keep the hunger pangs at bay – it's quite compelling to watch as it brews with streams of dark red pouring out from the teabags to turn a bottle of water as red as a robust red wine in just minutes. Most days I do make it to 11am before eating anything, though I'm not letting myself feel guilty about the days when I cave in and have a bit of buttered toast at 10am.

The idea is that a longer fasting time between eating gives the body time to process the food and burn away extra fat stores and there are suggestions that it has health benefits too, including helping balance insulin levels. The health aspects are those that most interest me but I'm also loosing weight on it, so far 11lbs in 10 weeks so I'm very happy about that. I'm trying to make sure that what I eat in my 8 hour window is mostly healthy (though I still have cake and chocolate and sugar in my tea) and so I've been looking for new inspiration and have found it in 2 books by Anna Jones. Now I've got a long list of new recipes to try and one of my favourites so far is 'overnight bircher with peaches'. It's delicious with any fresh fruit and is a nice 11am breakfast or fits the bill perfectly for a pudding when I fancy one. I think it tastes even better when eaten from the beautiful tactile cup that I bought from Rachelle Blondel – her wonderful ceramics are organically formed and lovely to hold.

Along with healthier eating I'm trying to get back into the swing of pattern writing so I'm structuring my day into chunks of 'work' knitting and 'play knitting' time. The knitting pictured above is what I'm currently working on in my play time (along with various odd socks) and will be a lovely big, soft wrap for when the colder weather arrives. The pattern I'm using is 'Void' by Melanie Berg and I'm knitting it in The Uncommon Thread's Lush Worsted yarn, a heavenly mix of merino and cashmere with a little nylon for strength, my project details are here.

As soon as I have something concrete to share on the work knitting front I'll be back with news. I will also be having a giveaway to celebrate my just passed 11th blogging anniversary (on September 3rd) but first I need to get myself organised properly, so that will happen later in the autumn.

Thank you so very much to everyone who commented on the previous post. Such wise, compassionate and heart-felt words deserve a proper reply and I feel a bit bad that I've not yet had the time to do that. Until I get the chance to I just wanted you to know how deeply I appreciate your kind comments, thank you xxxx

autism · general stuff

balance under a big sky

September 3, 2017 Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)40 Comments

Road

Start

Three

Four

Five

Snail

Darker

Wildsky1

Wildsky

Sometimes being a parent means that you loose your sense of self a little. You are so focused on ensuring that everyone is fed, has clean clothes, that there's milk in the fridge, toilet rolls in the cupboard and no-one has to go without breakfast because the bread has gone stale, that there's not much time for anything you might want personally. I've felt a little like that recently. It's probably magnified in our household because of Toby's constant needs and the intensity of the school holidays but I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling a little parental self-annihilation at times. Over the last few months we've had a busy time helping Amy research Unis, H has been away from home more than before as his father is very poorly and overall the balance of life has been more hectic than relaxed. I've also been listening to friends excitedly talk about family holidays and have felt a pang of envy because we don't holiday anymore (it's too stressful for Toby and so by extension for us too). It's not that I particularly wanted to go away anywhere this summer but I've realised that I do miss the excitement of doing something new, of being somewhere different and of having that sense of being on an adventure. So, earlier this week I left H in charge of after dinner parenting duties, took my backpack, camera and walking boots and drove out into the countryside.

I'm never usually out of an evening, unless it's for a school parents evening or a concert that Amy's taking part in, so just being out in the car at 7pm is a novelty for me and it did feel something like a small adventure. I drove to a local hill which has lovely views over the surrounding countryside and just walked until the sun disappeared below the horizon. I saw lots of rabbits, heaps of the big Roman snails particular to the hill, heard the alarming bark of a muntjac deer near by and saw the bats start to flit. Sadly I didn't get to see a much-longed-for barn owl but heading back towards the car I was treated to a magnificent sky overhead and bathed in a sense of well-being and calm. Although my tiny adventure was less than 2 hours long and took place only a 15 minute drive away from home it did help enormously. Sometimes you just need to be humbled under a big sky.

It has reminded me that although being a mum to an almost-adult with special needs perhaps brings more intense parenting, there can still be time for me if I can be flexible with when that can be, what form it can take and if I embrace the small and simple pleasures that exist all around us but are sometimes overlooked and undervalued. It's my plan to keep finding small and fortifying adventures on my own doorstep and I'd love to hear about what small adventures you'd choose to have – tell me in a comment below if you have time to x