Ran Away.

Humdrumness had infected me badly, very badly, so I ran away to my wonderful friend, D for a much needed reboot...and wow, it was an amazing 2 weeks.  Rye was in 7th heaven.  D's son and Rye were inseparable; when we weren't out at home ed events/activities they were engaged in the most intense playmobil and lego games, building and imagining for hours and hours.  Warmed the old cockles to see Rye so accepted for who is he and to have found a friend who just "gets" who Rye is.

There was lots of crafting - his fine motor skills are not as refined as they could be, so I thought he did a stonking job here!

I rather like his black pumpkin.  This was part of a craft session at Relax Kids.  It was a lovely session, though Rye was a little unsure at first.

He made a stomp rocket - and OMG it was bloody brilliant!  I will so be doing this activity my science club group!

Rye carved the pumpkin on the right...and he did much of it himself!

I was nervous at first about letting Rye lose with a craft knife,  look at that concentration!  Paper cutting is definitely another craft we will do again!

On mornings at home, the kids would do some table work.  A bit of writing and math mostly.  Including, drawing and writing post cards.  Rye sent one to Rose Howey and to his dad.

Until the 1st November, it was unseasonably warm in Lincolnshire.  D drove us all to the beach, and D and me sat and knitted and crocheted while the boys played, and played, and played.  Oh, the beach was wonderful, missed it so much.  I know we aren't far from the sea here in Liverpool, I just need to find a more accessible beach - Formby beach while beautiful is accessed by sand dunes, Ok going down, trying to get back up...oh my!

Deer safari with Rye's friend O, and his new friend J.  Rye has met O and J before, but they were all toddlers, so none of them seem to remember.   The stag there is called Boris - phooey he was a pongy boy.  Rye loved this, and I have to say it was bloody good, plus the fresh crisp air, and the views.  Lincolnshire, of course, is very flat - and wow the views - amazing!

I'm proud of this.  Rye writes pretty well these days, but oh.my.god he's slow... I mean half dead snail slow!  It winds me up, but this day I had a brainwave, and told Rye I bet I could write 10 of the words he was writing in his spellings book, by the time he'd written one.  Challenge enthusiastically accepted...he thought it was brilliant, and he started to write faster to stop me being able to write so many words to his one!  Yay!

I love this photo, I know it looks like he's got makeup on, but he doesn't - it's just the light.  He loves this costume and looked fab, and he wore it to go trick or treating and to a few halloween parties we attended.

More sewing!  I really must pick up some of these little sewing kits from the pound shop!

Hehehe, this is a Knights Templar Tower, kids loved the activities that were put on, and play fighting around the tower with all the other kids, with those cardboard swords and shields.  It took D and me a wee while to find this place - the signage is confusing to say the least!

Highlight!  D booked tickets for us all to see Chris Peckham at Lincoln Uni giving a talk on Owl and Bats.  It was brilliant, at first I thought it might be a bit too much info for Rye, but no, he loved it...and to my utter pride and joy, he put up his hand and was picked to ask Chris a question.  He asked how many owls species there are in the UK.  Rye was so chuffed with himself too - he spoke clearly and articulately, no shyness or anxiety.  It was a beautiful moment for this mama!

 We went to a home ed halloween party, which was really well decorated, and the food was pretty darn good too.  Kids had a fab time :D

Tyre swing in the front garden...big hit.
Fabulous 2 weeks for Rye, especially as my humdrumness has meant I'd become a bit of a hermit and we were rarely leaving the co-op - mostly it was my housemate taking Rye out for me.  Rose Howey life does tend to mean Rye is off doing his own thing a lot...but it also hit me, that its made me very lazy too.  All the crafting, the trips out etc this was life pre Rose Howey; living in a co-op with friends we live with, activities that go on in the house, a large, very large garden, backing onto a park...naturally changed our routine and dynamic, and while it is good that Rye has more independence and such a large space to play and be free in - a park he can now go to on his own (with his friends)...it has made me lazy.

Once back at Rose Howey, I had resolved we would go out to home ed activities more, just the two of us would go out on trips too, I'd have quick crafts that we can do together some evenings and so forth.  It did start that way, then I was hit with a virus and was bed bound with fever and horrendous headache, feeling sick and achy for 2 weeks, then I caught Rye's cold...we've also been slowly shifting our rooms around to make them more functional and peaceful to be in.  It's December now though, so our usual Yule crafting will commence, and I'll arrange some trips out too (swallowing my hatred of crowds lol),

The visit wasn't all about Rye of course.  D and I sat and talked, she took me to some private woods, and while Rye was engaged with the home ed event there, she took me to the spiral, which I walked, it was grounding and uplifting at the same time.  We also spent the day at a Samhain event with other likeminded women, which was wonderful.  Dancing, singing, crafting, sharing of good food, meditation, cleansing.  Wonderful stuff.  I also went to a yoga session.

I'm sad my mobility has decreased so much, but hopeful I can reclaim movement back.  To that end I've purchased myself a yoga mat, my wonderful housemates have freed the gate to the park - in the winter, the path through the copse gets too muddy and slippy for me to traverse.  However, we do have a gate that opens into the park, bypassing the path.

I'm already enjoying slightly increased mobility and reduced back pain.  I'm looking forward to 2017 seeing me being back to the level of fitness I had BEFORE I bought the Zafira, when I lived in Folkestone and use to walk everywhere!

And a big Thank you to D and her family for welcoming Rye and me into their home and being such wonderful friends :D

I love my tribe.

Lazy Sunday Baking.

Yoghurt lemon drizzle cake.  Oh, yes please.  I adore this cake, now, I live in a vegan co-op, so I needed a vegan recipe - I used this one.  I also read the comments, and noticed one lady mentioning adding lemon oil extract; well okay, I have that too.  Notice this recipe doesn't mention drizzling lemon syrup over the top - me I like my lemon cake drizzled and sticky; so I took a lemon, squeezed it and added a heaped tsp of icing sugar and mixed together until the sugar dissolved.

Then take the cake from the oven, pop a few cocktail stick holes in it and pour over the lemon syrup.  Leave it in the pan for 20 minutes or so; then turn it out onto a wire wrack and leave to cool.  Of course you could eat now; but it will be very soft; leave it to cool and the cake will slice much easier...so hard I know...but mmm worth it.  This cake is moist, soft and oh, so lemony - honestly, vegan cake - baked well is as good as normal dairy & egg made cakes.

Now, in Rose Howey, we share our evening meal together - Mon-Thurs, and Fridays, those of us who are in, tend to order take out together; and the weekends occasionally someone will cook; I though, like to cook in my flat just for Rye and myself.  Communal meals are loud and chaotic, so I really enjoy our weekend evening meals together, where we can talk in peace, and I can hear Rye properly and he's not distracted by the chaos around us.

Yesterday I made colcannon and vegan sausages for tea, yum.

Today I've put on corn chowder in the slow cooker, and after noticing an American friend on facebook mention her biscuits, (This is the recipe she used) I decided to have a go - basically its drop scones baked - they look fabulous and I hope, will go beautifully with our chowder.

These are so tender and crumbly; thinking on, its basically a short crust pastry recipe but with baking powder added.  I always follow the recipe properly once, after that I tend to tinker.  I did wonder about the amount of salt; and I was right, too much for Rye's and mine palates.  Although, I did find crumbled into the chowder the saltiness wasn't as profound.  However, wee bit less salt and these will make future quick and easy, delicious biscuits for soup.   

(Yup, that's the cake up there too... we had two large slabs each, beautiful!)

August round up

Hey up lovelies, bit late with this one what with being away.

Anyhoos I thought it would be cool to look back on crochet started and/ or completed in August

 

Lots and lots of these guys, and another 3 orders to fill!

Beginning my puzzle piece freeform.

 

Next part of the freeform puzzle piece.

And yet more babies, the last shipped before camping was this one:

I'm at the Mercian over the weekend, once back I will start in earnest on designs for the Autumn, and, yes I know, very early, but I will also be showcasing some Yule decoration designs. Very boho, very colourful - well, would you expect any less, I love me some colour!!

 

 

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Autumn Makes

Autumn starts me thinking of rich oranges, reds, yellows and brown, of hearth fires and snuggling up cosy.

Here are a few makes with the Autumn theme in mind: 

I love this little newborn hat, this one is sized for a newborn and is listed on Etsy. Rye wants one too, though I need to buy more yarn, which is gorgeous; Drops Nepal an Aran yarn made from wool and alpaca..
 The pattern for this hat is by Becky Ferris here

My next make was an order for Autumn Owls

So love the colours 

And I'm making myself a caplet with a pixie hood:  

 

Designing it as I go, inspired by a commission for a child's cloak, which I'm looking forward to starting properly, (once in Liverpool I'll crack on).

I've been making more leaves too, now need a few more pumpkins:

Haven't quite decided what to do with these, I'm thinking a leaf and pumpkin garland, I'd like to give the impression of falling leaves, just need to play a bit more with the arrangement.  

Ooh and I'm having a give away on my Facebook page once I reach a 1000 likes (about 20 away), I will choose the most popular suggestion for the prize (based on an Autumal theme), and hook it for the winner.

To enter pop over to my page and like it, then leave a comment on the pinned post.  I'd really appreciate a share too :-). Cheers, and good luck.

And anyone who doesn't have Facebook, not to worry, I'll be running a blog give away to celebrate my move to Liverpool, once we have settled in.  

 
 
 

Hooky Galore

Gotta love a bit of hooky fun:

Love these freeform roses, I could resist adding some bead bling to these two.  (Sold)

I love this Alice headband, I hooked it as a birthday present - Rye graciously modelling.

A commission for a cape/cloak for a 7yr old.

Going camp later this week, and it's gone from being hot summer weather to Autumal with a distinct nip in the air (of course!).  So a big snugly snood is necessary.  I'm using the divine Aurcania azapa yarn - this is pure pleasure between even my fingers, a wee ooopsie, in compensating for my dreads, I've made this too long really, so it's going to be a mixed colour snood now, as I only have 200g of yarn in purple left, and I reckon I'll need at least another 200g.

YAWN!

Oh gosh, sleepless nights!
Rye, is a very good sleeper, and if he does wake up before me, he will take him self downstairs to watch a dvd or play a game, he'll even help himself to cereal if he gets hungry.  These days after a while he does come back upstairs, stand beside my bed, pat me on the back, and in a pipingly cute voice ask if, "It's time to get up yet?", which of course is the only thing that saves him from me growling......"NO".  Difficult to be a bear with such cuteness.

So, the odd sleepless nights I do endure, are awful.  Last night was awful.  Rye woke up sweaty and distressed, but still half asleep around 11pmish, stripped him down and cuddled him back to sleep... but for the rest of the night he moaned constantly - but couldn't tell me why.  He thrashed, he moaned some more, and then he'd thrash again.  At one point I was having fantasies of scooping him up and dumping him in his own room. 

It was attack of the zombies this morning.  We were suppose to be at Forest School and I'd offered a lift, the evening before, to another home ed family..... 8am I groggily texted to say we wouldn't make it, and fell back into bed next to a now sleeping, moanless Rye.  Shame really, because whatever ailed him during the night was not in evidence today, and I think he would have really enjoyed the willow weaving at Forest School.  Rye woke a bit before me, and wandered downstairs to watch a Popeye dvd.  There was a brief contemplation of getting up before sleep claimed me again.... and later I woke to Rye piping, "Is it time to get up yet?". 
To which I responded, "It is, or you could come back to bed for cuddles?"  He opted for cuddles.  **melt**

Dr Juice; apple, lemon, ginger, honey and hot water.

 Once finally awake, the plan was to move Rye's new mid sleeper bed upstairs; well I tried, I managed to get it on the first stair... and that's it.  It is simply too heavy for me to try and manhandle up the stairs on my own - plus the box is splitting because it's so heavy.  So there's nothing for it, I will have to take the box apart and take the pieces of bed up stairs, bit by bit.  Joy.  I should have done that then, but buggerit.  I opted to do this with Rye instead:

Initially, there was an ulterior motive; the Mother Magazine arrived just after lunchtime and I fancied a sit down with a cuppa and the mag.  Rye, was Mr Chatterbox though.  Crafting, I craftily thought, and he was enjoying himself, but it was kinda aimless, he said he wanted to make snowmen.  So I gave him a range of snowmen making materials; and while he was enjoying what he was doing, he wasn't achieving what he said he wanted to do.

Not so crafty of me as I laid down on the floor with him and began crafting too, making this little fella;

which led Rye to creating:

and producing this:

This wintery craft has really put me in the seasonal mood too.  Our Yule advent countdown begins on Monday; the mild weather though has fooled me into feeling it's still early Autumn.

Glyerin perserved leaves - preserved a few days ago!

 Our season table is still all Samhain-y.  Normally, a more wintery feel would have begun happening by now. 
Mind it was parky today.  I took Rye over to the park to have a go with this:

Sadly, this is a cheap kite I picked up off ebay; and it's rubbish.  Once I managed to get it to fly, as soon as I tried to show Rye any stunts, the cross bar tore through the fabric.  Shame because he was so excited, and our wee park is just big enough to fly a kite. I see a large stunt kite in our future. :-)  The disappointingly brief flight reminded me how much I use to enjoy flying stunt kites; I'm keen to pass that love onto Rye :-)

ARGH!

Today I've been rather discombobulated, (isn't that a fab word!).  My lounge clock is an hour and half slow; and so all day I've been running an hour and half behind everyone else; and not having a dicky doo.  Actually, my opening statement is a wee bit wrong, the discombulation did not occur until I realised the time difference after the minded children were picked up apparently and hour and half early.......and then I received a text from a friend and saw the real time on my mobile.  Ooops.

Inspite of the time warp here, we've had a lovely day; initially the children played outside, and then I called them in for Circle Time.  Love our Autumn CT's.  We have songs and poems about squirrels searching for huts, Leaves swirling and twirling in the autumn winds - which naturally means using the plays silks as leaves and twirling them around.  We have owls watching us in trees, and apples to be picked..  "YUM YUM... that was good!"  Brilliant.   The children are loving pretending to be squirrles hopping around, hedgehogs sleeping under beds of leaves (i.e. playsilks) trees swaying in the wind, and the leaves falling fast and slowly to the touch the ground etc. 

We played the game "Shut the box", in which Rye practised numeracy skills and seemed to be grasping addition.
We looked at some new letters for this week, H, I, J, K and L.  And Rye also looked at his first words cards.

Train tracks were built and Rye learned the challenges of building with a one and half year old around.  Dolls were put to bed, sang to, and thrown around too.  Rye looked at books while naps were taken, and when the youngest woke, Rye entertained him for ages, fluttering playsilks over him.   I went and woke up the wee girl and the three of them played together.

Not long after the discombobulation occured.  I thought it was half past three (actually 5pm) and was just about to start making inroads on tea; walked into the kitchen was collecting the veggies together for the planned chilli....... when the minded girl started shouting her mummy was here.  Surely not!   And then a text from the little boy's mum; could she come and collect him.  Goodness!  Keen parents today, but wow, how nice to finish early.
After the minded children had left and I was doing a wee jig at finishing early and apparently having an extra hour and half, I received a text.    Confusion.  17.26 said the text.  Eh?

Enlightenment hit.  What a twonk!  Explained the little boy's yelling at me at lunchtime and why he seemed so very tired... I thought it was 12noon when I made lunch for the kids... it's was actually 1:30pm and of course the unprecedented earliness of the parents.   Ooops.  Suddenly, it felt like I'd just lost an hour and half. 

On the up side, Rye was exceedingly excited about a big yellow box a fellow home edder had brought over earlier.  Knowing what was inside, I'd made him wait until the other children had gone home....

 My friend had picked all these and the walls and hedges up for a £1 at a carboot sale.  She'd orignially planned to sell them on via Ebay; but these aren't flimsy plastic... good quality plastic mixed with metal; these barely look played with too.  But anyway... the quality of these means they are heavy, and she quickly realised it would costs a small fortune to post, so she asked if Rye would like them instead :-)

 That would be a yes!  When I lifted the lid and he looked in the box, his face lit up and all he kept saying as he lifted each farm vehicle out was, "Oh WOW!"  :-)

A very happy little boy.

Ohhh and remember that duplo lego I bought him off Shell over at Handmade Haven?  This is one of the super structures he keeps building with it:

Ooh and to finish off; this mama has been purusing yarn again; not entirely my fault, a friend mentioned on Facebook an ebay yarn seller.  Well, one had to look, be rude not to.  She had King Cole Chunky at a rather tempting price......... so I bought 5 balls off her.

Isn't it lucious, I'm seriously loving KingCole riot series.  I may have to make a blanket in the chunky one!  The above yarns, however, are for Rye and this year's winter warmies; hat, scarf and mits.  Such a yummy yarn and colourways, I may just have to purchase a few more balls to make him a jumper from too.   Such is the hardships of a crocheting mama ;-)