In between looking after Martha and spending hours on end in bed, I have managed to make some items for the new baby.

I had intended to sew some items for Martha before she was born, but she was in a rush and I wasn’t at all organised. This time I have managed to complete a garment (and also hope to make Martha a top).

Other items completed for the new baby have been baby socks, a February Baby Sweater, a Little Baby Sweater and a Bonnet.

And Martha got a new hat.

Here is the finished Oliver + S Ice Cream Blouse. Martha seems to be very happy with it.

Another garment she loves is the Owlet Sweater knitted by her Great Auntie.

She was a proper Granny, one that knitted, sewed, baked wee buns and put up with her Granddaughter using up all her good yarn to make pom-poms. So, part of my getting over her passing has been to throw myself into being creative. I have finished knitting a sweater that had been far too long on the needles, started knitting a cardigan for my next baby and I am sewing the blouse version of the Oliver + S Ice cream dress for little Miss Martha in this fabric.

In reply to a few questions that Katy asked me while I was visiting her -

I got my t-shirt here.

Recipes for homemade home cleaners can be found here. I got my recipes from a book called Clean House, Clean Planet but the recipes are much the same as those at MakeYourCosmetics. I have made a multi-surface cleaner and antibacterial bathroom scrub. They smell delicious and work well, though they don’t really remove staining and they require a little extra rinsing. I have also made a vinegar floor cleaner which, providing you don’t mind the place smelling of vinegar, works wonderfully as a quick clean between proper mops.

I haven’t done any knitting for a few days but I have mended an old dress and glued the butterfly back onto my shoe. The dress had been needing mended for a couple of years so I am very pleased that I fixed it! One less job on the list of tasks that never get completed! All this sewing has me in the mood to sew and I was delighted to find Burda Style which has wonderful open source sewing patterns. I think I would like to make myself a shirt.

Back to knitting – the new summer Knitty is up. Something like Wisp could take care of the two balls of Kid Silk Haze that I have lying around.

We like information sharing, so hopefully someone can help me and tell me where I could get a magnetic notice board. I have a magnet board that I fashioned out of a few bits of wood, a coffee can and a piece of fabric but stuff keeps falling off it and I have decided that I need a new board. Can you help?

There is not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do. The last few weeks have been like a whirlwind and I’ve barely had a chance to sit and think and contemplate (or write about) what has been happening. Two weekends ago D, Gracie and I went to spend a weekend in the Mournes. We stayed in a cottage outside Kilkeel and spent a couple of days climbing mountains (Slieve Binnian and Slieve Meelmore). We ate like pigs. I had double portions of breakfast in preparation for the big climbs and then we would come back to the cottage and feast on food and wine.

The eating of vast quantities of restaurant and takeaway food has been a bit of a theme recently. Today we had an all you can eat buffet from one of the Chinese Restaurants in town, on Wednesday I was out for lunch, the week before that I was out for lunch, I am going out for lunch tomorrow and last weekend in Norfolk we ate out for all our meals! I feel like I am carrying a large stone in my stomach.

On Wednesday I made myself a new skirt from a pattern I had had lying around for months and months. I got the fabric from Reprodepot. I have just had a look at Reprodepot and want this doggy fabric!

On Thursday we went to my Mum’s for dinner and the wee Owlie feckers would not show their big ears!

Yesterday was busy, shopping, dropping Hannah off at the airport, cleaning the house, walking the dog, enjoying the sunshine, eating barbequed fish and sausages, drinking Margaritas and watching Babel. Except I was tired and fell asleep before the end of the film.

Today was filling our face with Chinese food, going to the beach to walk the dog, back home to do a spot of gardening, then Gracie got another walk and now I’m sitting by the computer. I am tired. But happy.