Happy Weekend!

now for something completely different

finished and on its way to a new baby's home. Trebbled back and forth in cotton. Noone stop trebbling until the fat lady sings. I can honestly say I don't want to trebble again in the foreseeable future.

My Pre-Conception Body

Well here is the image Babble has on their website anyway. Other than the disconcerting lack of arms, there are other things wrong with this image. But I don't want to go into that. I am not one to discuss how anyone could believe this represents a normal woman, why it is on a pregnancy website, or generally the use of "this is how you should look" photos on such websites, and how dangerous I find it.

Nono. Instead here's a picture I will send to the babble editors in a moment. They might want to replace the one they have.


My Pre-Conception Body

HUGE.

OK. I am big. My belly is big. I am not. My baby is a normal size. But my belly is a large one.


Is it normal to get very anxious and upset about this? I guess not. But I am not sure how to cope with literally everyone I meet saying "oh my god you're HUGE", "are you sure it's not twins", or "are you due next month?". I worry what will happen to me in the next 4 remaining months of pregnancy.

Will I be able to get out of bed?  Will my favourite mode of transport be rolling along the street? Will the hip and back pain get even worse? Will people run and seek shelter when they see the ueber-large whale sized me dinosaur-walk along the footpath?

What do people want to achieve with these comments?

And I am not talking one comment a day. I am talking 30. The next person I'll meet who won't say "YOU'RE HUGE" will get a hug and a kiss. And probably some emotional hormone-tears.

What We Don't Need

are more high rise real estate developments and the destruction of beautiful old buildings that house creative communities.

Head over to the Ink & Spindle blog and help the ladies save the Younghusband building!

Stupid Cowl.

Here's the bobbled cowl in all its finished bobbly glory. Sadly it is of an annoying size. I can't wrap it around my neck twice, and it is a bit too wide to offer snug winter comfort. I'm sure this is because I didn't really go by the wool recommendations in the pattern, and because I am a lose knitter and didn't do a swatch. I must applaud myself for taking such good preparatory measures with my knitting to make sure it turns out right.

I have never knitted a sample swatch in my life. Shame, shame, shame on me! If I am a fan of anything, it would have to be cutting corners. Even if it means producing more fails than any whale in the ocean ever could.

I suppose I could find other creative uses for the cowl.

A belly warmer?

Emily Green

I found out about Emily Green from the Harvest girls. I couldn't resist this one.

PS: What are your favourite baby knit patterns? I'm going mad on Ravelry trying to decide! 

I am really enjoying THIS blog at the moment

And because I love Maggie Beer we will cook the roast chicken she made on Masterchef tomorrow.

Happy Birthday

Today would have been my dad's birthday. This is the first of his birthdays we have to celebrate without him.
My dad was born 3 days after VE day in Berlin in 1945. My grandma had to feed him soup made from grass.  He always had an issue with me not finishing my food when I was little.  My dad was a great doctor. In all the 31 years I got to spend with him he never once failed to fake enthusiasm at the terrible gifts he received for his birthday. Even the bizarre Irish wax cloth golf hat I gave him, and the entirely useless Chinese back massager last year. My dad could speak old Greek and in the days before he died we sat on his bed and listened to the Iliad on audiotape. As much as I'd much rather have him here with me, I hope the sun is shining wherever he is celebrating his birthday today.

Goings-On

1. Sometime ages ago I made these and they were delicious!
2. I took my mum to Daylesford for mother's day.
3. I am knitting 12 things at a time, and not making progress with a single one.
4.The bump and me went with some friends to have a lovely relaxed weekend away.
5. Is it just me, or is this the most attractive dude to have a baby with.
6. I am getting things for the baby that it actually needs!
7. And of course every baby needs an Enid.

Baby Essentials

Screenprinted Scandinavian Flowers

Screenprinted Owl

When you are overwhelmed by life in general and also by what kind of carseat to by for your newborn, and facing all kinds of other debilitating decisions on nursery equipment on a shoestring budget, then the best thing to do is clearly to stick to the essentials. In my case, I went forth to purchase these prints and this owl. The baby won't need a crib if it can play with this owl. Please do not disapprove of my logic.

Ps: We have started buying proper things for the baby. We also have to move house and my mum is here on an extended visit, so it's not been a calm and peaceful time! I got very overwhelmed with what to buy for this baby. We have lots of offers of second-hand things that are so much appreciated I can't tell you. We have picked out a pram and my mum bought us an ErgoCarrier (did you know that baby bjorns are bad for your baby's hip joints. I didn't either. But my sister knows everything). At the moment I'm working out on how babies sleep. In bags, it turns out. What kind of sleeping bag to buy is a whole different story...