Twin Blankets - Ta Dah!!

How are you?  FINALLY, I have taken photos of the blankets I crocheted for my brother-in-law's newborn twin girls.  I'm really pleased with them, what do you think?

I apologise that the photos aren't great - I'm really no good at photography!

The squares that I made were a combination of 2 patterns:  Sunshine Day Baby Afghan and Sunburst Granny Square - I found it easier doing the first 2 rounds using the Sunburst Granny Square pattern then the 3rd and 4th rounds using Alicia Paulson's pattern.

They took me about 6 months to make (although we did move house etc in between!) but I'm really proud of them - my brother and sister-in-law also loved them, so it was definitely worth it!

When I started them we didn't know whether the twins were going to be girls/boys/one of each so I decided to use purple, yellow, pink and blue for the sunbursts and then the squares were finished with beige for one blanket and pale grey for the other.  I then did edging in the pink, purple and yellow to make them a bit more "girly" when they were born.  I like that they are quite colourful without being over-the-top.

I did enjoy making these blankets but am really pleased to be able to get on with something different now.  At the moment I'm catching up on all of the squares that form the throw from The Art of Crochet magazine, which I'm really enjoying as every square is completely different so I'm learning new stitches and techniques as I go!

xxx

30

I'm sorry but I still haven't got any photos to add to my blog!  Things have been crazy here over the past week as my brother-in-law's twins arrived 6 weeks early, which was not expected!  Gorgeous girls - Paige Hope and Eden Grace.  Paige weighed 4lbs exactly and Eden weighed 3lbs 15oz.  Both are still in the special care baby unit but have been able to be transferred out of their incubators and they're doing really well.  I have finished their blankets off so am hoping to photograph the finished articles before I give them away!!!

On top of that we had our dishwasher AND washing machine go wrong this weekend so we've been busy trying to clear up the water leaks etc - fun fun fun!!!

Changing the subject somewhat though, I turn the big 3-0 today.  How did that happen?!!!  Time goes so quickly.  So perhaps I'm supposed to officially become a "grown-up" today?  ;-)

I hope everybody is doing well.  I'll be back with photos soon (fingers crossed!)

We're Here!

Hello everybody!  I hope that you are all keeping well.

This is going to be another quick one today, I'm afraid.  We're here!  We're settling very nicely into our new home up here in South Yorkshire.  Of course we still have boxes to unpack but on the whole we're done.  We have a MASSIVE garden, which I really can't wait to make a start on when the weather gets a bit warmer.  Freya is going to LOVE all of the extra space come the Summer (especially seeing as the previous occupiers have left their big trampoline in the garden!)  We are so close to the town centre and have walked there and back a few times.  We have a HUGE park around the corner where Freya can "weeeeeeee" while on the swings.  All in all, things are going well.

I have even had some time to catch up on my crochet projects that have been on the go for a few months.  I don't know whether I mentioned before, but Hubby's brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first babies in December - non-identical twins!  We're all sooo excited.  I have been crocheting each twin a blanket, which I have really enjoyed but have also been a little bit frustrated with as I have had to be quite careful with the colours I've chosen as we don't know whether they're going to come out blue or pink!

Speaking of which, we have had our 22 week scan and, unlike my brother-in-law, we were very keen to find out what we are having.........................................it's ANOTHER GIRL!!!!!  We're really pleased.  I think Hubby would have liked a boy, just for balance, but he's still pleased nonetheless.  On a completely practical level, it means that we don't have to rush out to buy loads of new clothes! ;-)

Anyway, I hope to come back soon with some photos of my crochet and also perhaps a few of the house.  Until then, take care.

xxx

Eleven Days

Hello All!  How are you?

Just a very quick update today.  We have found a house and we are set to move in on Thursday 7th October!!  The move is going to take 2 days, so we vacate our current house on Wednesday 6th October.  We have spent the past few days emptying our loft and taking stuff to the tip or to local charity shops.  We now have to start boxing everything up - we only have 11 days to do it!!

I'm so excited as I feel that this is the start of a brand new chapter for us.  I hope that our lives will change for the better, especially with so much to look forward to, including another new addition in February!!

I'll come back with an update when I can, although I doubt that will be before we move.

Take Care.

xxx

Sorry

Hi there.  I'm so sorry that I haven't posted for an age.  Things have been a bit busy here recently.  Thank you all for your lovely messages on my announcement of baby number 2, they were really appreciated.

Just a quick update really.....

We have accepted an offer on our house and will be looking at houses this weekend.  At the moment we're aiming for a move the first week of October, but we'll have to see what happens.  With that in mind, I had better get my butt in gear and continue with sorting out the 7 years of rubbish that we've accumulated!!!

I hope that everyone is well here in Blogland.  I will hopefully come back with another update soon.

xxx

Big News part 2

Hello!  How are you all?  I hope you're well.

First of all I would like to Thank You for your lovely and encouraging comments following my last post about moving.  There's no update - no new viewers for the house and therefore no real point in looking at properties up North yet.  I hope that we're not waiting for months and months and months before we sell our house as I think I worry about having second thoughts the longer time goes on!

Anyway, this isn't going to be a very long post today.  I wanted to come back and share our other Big News installment with you..............






We're expecting another baby!

We've known for what seems like an age but we finally had our 12 week scan this week and everything was fine so we feel comfortable announcing it now.  All being well, baby #2 will arrive around 4th February 2011.  We're really excited - I told you we don't do things by halves!  Moving across the country AND having a baby........madness!!

xxx

Big Changes Afoot.......

Oh my goodness!  Where have I been?  I have neglected my little blog of late, for which I can only apologise.  How are you?  Keeping well, I hope?

I mentioned in my last post that there was lots to catch up on and this is definitely true.  I think this will be in the form of a couple of posts - hey, at least I can rack up my blog post numbers ;-)

Firstly, I'll get the chick update out of the way - they have now been given back to their rightful owner.  Phil (acting "mum") was ever so distressed and spent a whole day looking for her babies and crying for them, which upset my Mother-In-Law a little - she's very attached to all of her animals so doesn't like to see them unhappy.  When they were taken "home" it was established that all three of the little chicks are actually male, so it looks like the breeder is going to sell them as he has no need for more cockerels.  We found this such a shame when we found out as it felt a bit like all of the hard work was unappreciated - the breeder declared that they were "no good" when they arrived back (I suppose that's the difference between people who keep animals as pets and those who have them as their livelihood).  Oh well, not really much that can be done now!

Anyway, on to part 1 of the "big news".  After much deliberation we have decided to move house.  Our house is officially on the market, which is VERY scary stuff!  This is our first house and we've lived here for seven years so, although we feel it's definitely time for a change, it's a very daunting prospect.  A prospect made even more daunting by the fact that we're not staying local.  Oh no, we're not ones to do things by halves, we're actually packing up and moving to the other side of the country (nearly!) - South Yorkshire.  Hubby's brother and wife live up there and his parents are also selling up to "retire" in a more rural location.  We talked and talked and talked about it and decided to go for it.  We don't want to have to pull Freya out of school in a few years time so why not do it now?  We have nothing particularly holding us in Kent, especially if the In-Laws are also moving away.

We're really excited about it, although also very apprehensive as it means starting again completely - new home, new job etc.  Hubby is especially looking forward to a fresh start - even though I am extremely concerned that all of this is going to add to his already high stress  levels, he insists that this is just what he needs.  I hope so.  I hope we're doing the right thing.

I wonder has anybody else done something similar?  I would love to hear your stories - please make me feel better about such a major upheaval with very few plans for the future?!!!

I'll come back with "big news part 2" soon.

xxx