By Stephie, on Tuesday 20th March, 2012 at 17:00 pm
 A is for Amelia.
A is for Always late.
Late with blog posts. Late to meet friends. Late for appointments. Late in sending birthday presents… like this one for my young niece, who’s birthday was several weeks ago now. I think I must be the worst aunt ever 
And to think that my new year’s resolution was to try not to be so late so often… as my teachers undoubtedly said about me “must try harder”.
It’s quite depressing to think that 35 odd years later I’d still get the same sort of school reports. Is it just me though, or would your teachers have said things about you too that haven’t changed much over the years? Go on admit it – I won’t tell!
Anyhoo, I hope Amelia will forgive me and likes this little cushion I made for her. I think it would look sweet on a bed or bedroom chair. But I’ll probably find out that she’s too grown up for pink now…being 12 and all. Sigh.
 A bit of pink goes a long way
By Stephie, on Sunday 18th March, 2012 at 03:13 am
 My little one!
I brought this little bundle home 14 years ago. 14 years and 4 days. He’s grown a bit since then; in fact he’s the same height as me now (5’5.25″) – and weighs about 10 stone more! His voice has started breaking recently too, which is disconcerting – it’s like hearing his childhood slip away. But it isn’t, it’s just changing. The Lego and smelly socks all over the floor are proof of that, if I needed any.
I’m so proud of him. He’s loving and sensitive, kind and thoughtful, creative – and too darn good at maths for me! I used to love it when he walked down the street holding my hand, secure and trusting. Nowadays I love the hugs he gives me when he comes in from school and the lounging about we do on the sofa together, drinking hot chocolate and watching kids’ tv – he’s usually got his legs draped over my lap with his stinky feet in my face, but I forgive him!!!
I wouldn’t change a thing. He’s my Kim and I love him completely and unconditionally. Always.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Stephie x
By Stephie, on Monday 27th February, 2012 at 11:01 am
I have a confession to make. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I did it and re-winding isn’t possible. I’m afraid I screamed my head off at my son yesterday. Like a banshee. What’s a mother to do when she want’s to have some fun with her son and take him on a bike ride, and somewhere along the line he decides he doesn’t want to play anymore?
He was behaving like a sullen teenager, you know dragging his heels, looking at the ground and refusing to speak, let alone smile. So I behaved like a sullen teenager back, I threw the door keys at his feet and told him to go home because I just wanted to do something nice with him and his behaviour was spoiling it. (Really?!) Trouble is, he is a sullen teenager and last time I looked I was actually meant to be the adult. (Supernanny wouldn’t be amused.)
I can’t remember the last time I lost my temper so quickly like this (and I’ve got no idea where it came from yesterday), so then I got angry with myself for getting angry in the first place. Kim pushed his bike back down the lane, at a snail’s pace, and I headed off in the opposite direction. I was full of guilt, torn between running up and hugging him and pleading forgiveness, or carrying on and ignoring him (lest he interpreted the hug as a reward). As it was, I got just out of the lane and realised that the cycling was hurting my ankles as much as running. I got home before him. I had to go and ask him for the key…
As well as learning a lesson or two I also managed to cross another item off my list of unfinished projects this weekend. Now that I am happy and about!
 Kim's daddy in his belated new cardi It’s a very simple Rowan pattern called ‘Thwaite‘ and is knitted in British Sheep Breeds Chunky. I’ve never made a cardigan before so there was enough interest to keep me going and I pretty much whipped through the project in no time. I love the rural look (no I’m not saying he looks like a scarecrow!!!) and the wooden buttons finish it off perfectly. I’d really recommend a jumper in this yarn, boy is it warm!
Hope you had a less testing weekend!
Stephie x
By Stephie, on Monday 13th February, 2012 at 13:26 pm
 Josie Have you sponsored me yet? No? Why not?!!! Sorry, that’s a bit rude isn’t it, but it would be fab if you could spare even a pound or two for Cornwall Hospice Care. Running this marathon is going to be a difficult challenge for me, so I’d like to raise funds for people that face far more difficult challenges every day. Take Josie. She was a warm and wonderful young woman, a friend, that was cared for by the hospice for the last three months of her life. She died just after Christmas at the age of 21, after suffering with leukaemia for two years.
I’m running this race in her memory and I’ll think of her every step I take. I’ll think of the courage she showed, the way she laughed and smiled, the sparkly glint in her eyes and the determination she showed to love every minute of life. She was amazing and so were the people that cared for her at the hospice and I just want to help them help others the way they did Josie. So if you’ve got a couple of pounds please pop over to my sponsorship page and make a donation, it would mean such a lot to me 
Stephie x
By Stephie, on Saturday 11th February, 2012 at 03:05 am
Trying to look on the positive side of things, at least having a sore and painful ankle has meant that I could get on with my list of unfinished projects. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. In other words, forget the running, put your feet up and get out the needles…
 Finished!  Ready to wear For my first effort at designing a jumper from scratch I think it’s turned out ok – at least it looks like a jumper! I think it’s going to be very cosy and warm to wear, which is a good thing considering the plummeting temperatures this week – and there’s still plenty of winter-time left to come.
So that’s one ticked off the list. Time to pick up another project then. How about this one? A cardigan/jacket for Kim’s daddy. It was a joint birthday cum Christmas present. Not too late then by my standards!
It’s in a Rowan British Sheep Breeds chunky yarn (100% wool); it’s straight forward and quick, and my first attempt at a cardigan – what’s not to like?! I should have this one ticked off by the end of the weekend too. Now that, I definitely like.
 Chunky cardigan
By Stephie, on Sunday 29th January, 2012 at 15:30 pm
I’m trying to block out how badly the marathon training’s gone this last week (more on that in the next post) by focussing on some other more positive things. Like this jumper for instance. It’s well on it’s way to being finished now, so hopefully Linda will get to wear her Lund before the winter’s out. I had my doubts, the way things were going. As you might remember I’ve never designed a jumper before, so it’s been a whole new learning process. I’ve enjoyed it immensely, but it does tax the brain! Well, mine anyway.
I’ve begun blocking out the pieces I’ve finished by steaming (not pressing) on both sides, which has worked well over the Fair Isle sections. The picture below shows my first ‘pinning out’, which I redid a couple of times to get it square (as it clearly isn’t below!). I’m pleased to say it does actually match the measurements of a jumper I was given for size, woohoo!
 Pinned out I found the best place I had for blocking out was a nice thick rug on the floor, where I could leave it for a couple of hours after steaming. I was a bit worried the cat might decide it would be a nice place for her to sit and get cosy, but I needn’t have bothered: she decided it was far more helpful to sit on the plans and patterns on the table than it was to get off her furry backside to annoy me.
 Helpful? No. Maybe it’s because it’s the start of the new year, maybe it’s because the weather’s cold and wet and I don’t want to go outside, or maybe it’s just guilt, but at the moment I have a real desire to finish off the 999 unfinished projects I feel like I’m drowning in. I’m really having to sit on my hands every time a new idea pops into my head (frequently), so this jumper will be a major bridge crossed when it gets ticked off the list in the next few days or so. Can’t wait!
How about you? Are you trying to finish anything up or does the new year mean the start of new things for you?
Have a great weekend
Stephie
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Narrative Self in pictures
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I'm running a 28 mile marathon in memory of Josie this February. Come and find out why.
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