rest.

Last week my mum came over and together we (and my two girls) drove back to my parents cottage in Yorkshire for some serious R&R.  On Friday I slept until ridiculously late and also managed to fit in an afternoon sleep.  The girls were just happy to be there so I was able to do a lot of this…

and making a lovely bum imprint on this…..

The girls and I shared a bed again and it literally was the little one saying roll over.

The Husband drove over on saturday after enjoying a nice lie in himself (bliss!!). He remembered a chat we recently had about there being very few photos of me and he thought he’d remedy that problem.

 

Nice.  Me at my best.

The short break must have worked because, although my back still hurts I felt my energy had been renewed.  I have figured that I could very easily stare at my the circumstances, [the pain and frustration around my back] but I’m choosing to remember Jesus in everything – in my family, in my awesome job, in my rest and in my creative frustrations.

[My friends [lightly] tease me because I knit and because I keep trying to convince everyone that since we were made by the ultimate creator, and that it says we are made in the image of him, then it seems only logical and natural for us to be creative in some way.  There are so many outlets for creative energy I just can’t imagine anyone not being able to find one that fits them.  Anyway, I digress.  So I’m often creatively frustrated be because the mass of ideas in my head far outweigh the time and capacity I have to nurture them.  So I have bought a notebook and at very least I can scribble down and try to unravel my thoughts, my ideas and my dreams.  I reckon it’s very healthy to have dreams – [though it is so important to keep them in perspective] – both tiny dreams, easy to catch, and seriously mahoosive dreams that motivate you to work hard and laugh hard.]

Matt Redman wrote these words that, after reading them today, realigned my mind and heart.

God in my hoping

There in my dreaming

God in my wathcing

God in my waiting

God in my laughing

There in my weeping

 God in my hurting

God in my healing

hat.

I kept looking at the hat I’d knitted for the girls and wishing it fit me.  I was looking at some lovely grey yarn I had bought that was a little too scratchy for a scarf but would be fine for a hat and decided to knit me my own.

I need to learn to be a bit more systematic with my knitting.  I should:

decide what I want to knit – go buy the right amount – start knitting.

Looking at yarn – starting to knit it up without making sure I have enough is always a little risky…

Very risky indeed.

After sewing it up I had about an inch left. phew!  I still can’t decide if it needs a flower on the side or a pom pom but I’m going to keep my head warm while I think.

knit.

One challenge in my Challenge 30 was to knit something other than a scarf.  I was bought a knitting book for beginners, Knitty Gritty By Aneeta Patel and its perfect for working through if you’re as knittingly ignorant as I am was.   My first masterpiece was a baby booty.

And when a baby booty, I really do mean a booty.  I was too excited about moving on to make a second one.  But was easy peasy.   As long as you know a way to decrease stitches it’s a doddle.

Next up was a hat for the girls.  I really loved knitting this, knowing that it would be used, rather than knitting something just for learning.  Although I love Aneeta’s explanations I’m not the biggest fan of some of the patterns.  If I had to I would work through them to learn the various techniques but I’ll probably scout around for similar patterns that are a bit more me.  So about this hat.

I’ve not had the camera nearby to catch a shot of Ruby wearing it because as soon as I’ve managed to slip it onto her head she’s off like flash out into the garden.  And it’s way to cold for me to join her with the camera.

I’ve knitted a couple of other things that i’ll write about and pop up some pictures another time.  Have a look at the knitting category on ther right there and all things knitting will be there.

All is peaceful in the house.  The girls are out at church with The Husband.  He didn’t think I should be there because my back is punishing me for walking around too much on Friday.  So I’m doing as I’m told and curled up on the sofa with a regular pottering around the kitchen.    A perfect morning for knitting.

lists, knitting and jetlag.

There’s way too much swirling around my brain, that I know if I try and unravel it all tonight we’ll be left with a big mess.  So I’ll reign it in and make a list and systematically work through what I want to put into words.  Lists.  I would not function without them.

I have scratched of five more ‘things’ I wanted to experience/accomplish before I turn 30.  I will write about them soon.  I’ve put them on my list.  I’ve popped a new category on the right there so when are posted you should find them all there.  I’ve not scratched off ‘having a whole morning to my self’ – which is weird since I’ve hardly ‘done’ anything for over four months.  There have been plenty of mornings I have been alone with no expectations laid on my except to take my medication.  It kinda seems trivial now.  but for the sake of all mums who know exactly how precious a morning ‘off’ is i’m keeping it up there, and I look forward to enjoying such a morning when I’m not in a haze of medication and pain.

Yesterday I took my mum to a huge craft show in manchester for her *cough cough*th birthday.  It made me feel a bit sad that I halfed the average age.  Not because I felt self conscious but because the reputation of the word ‘craft’  has massively suffered with my generation.  It makes people think of chintz and sticking ugly pictures on foam and then making it into a card.  I mean, it still makes me laugh at myself a little now that I get such a kick out of knitting.  But that’s ok.

I can’t remember if I’m already mentioned it but we’re in the middle of a very slow process of re-modelling our kitchen.  We’re at the point now where much of our wall is bare of plaster.  Next stop getting it skimmed and then I can really start thinking about decorating.

There is an anticipation buzzing around this house because we know that the Canadian section of the Stewards are in England.  In Lancashire.  Just around the corner!!!  Tomorrow we’ll be meeting Charlotte, my niece, for the first time (not counting skype). The girls can’t wait to play with their cousin and they’ll be making sure there’ll be no peace for napping at the wrong time.  Our solution to jetlag.

 

 

needing to knit.

When this sciatica started back in October, somewhere between drug-induced slumber and tearful frustration I picked up a pair of knitting needles.  Now this wasn’t the beginning beginning of knitting for me.  The previous winter I had learnt to cast on, knit garter stitch and just about cast off.  I made two whole scarfs.  After that the needles were forgotten in the busyness of family life.  I picked them back up again hoping to distract me from the pain in my back.

We all need something that can take us away from the hustle and bustle of life, if only just for a few minutes at a time.  Reading, writing, painting, playing music, listening to music, gardening, photography, cooking, baking – anything.  We were made to be creative, it’s in all of us, we just need to find the right outlet.  For me it’s photography, baking and since only very recently – knitting.  Normally I feel blessed to be able to grab a moment to get my camera out or a half hour to bake a cake.  And for this season of my life, as I’m drugged up to my eyesballs in painkillers and limited with movement, I cherish the chance to pick up my wool and knit.  It’s a beautiful thing coming out of something quite bleak. With sciatica breathing down my kneck I love to knit.  I need to knit.

So this is where it all starts.  I’m working my way through a book – knitty Griity by Aneeta Patel.  I start here in a place where I have no idea how to knit a button whole, wouldn’t know where to begin with those weird needles that are stuck together with a bit of string and I have no clue what to do when you know you’ve gone wrong somewhere.  And I share this journey with you.

ooooooooooh what’s that link all about????

Lovely readers may I point you towards this very interesting link I have on my blogroll here to the right.  ladies and gentlemen, introducing to you this blogs baby sister – Knead to Knit . I am in no way leaving this blog but rather making space for something new in my life that runs the risk of taking over here if not diverted.  Does that make sense to you?  If not I blame all the medication forced upon my poorly self…

So in short – take a peek!

That is all.

Big love, hugs and smiles to you.