Tag: family

Malka

20 March, 2017 / Katy / 0 Comments

Dear Little Lion,

Here is your name embroidery, let me explain it to you.

You are called Malka – Queen. Queens demand respect, they are self-assured, and they make their voices heard. So far, you are living up to your name in style.

I have been looking at the goddesses of Egypt for inspiration. Sekhmet is a lion goddess, a warrior and a goddess of healing. She is associated with Ma’at who represents truth, justice and fair dealing at all levels of society. The disk behind your name is both a crown and a dish on the Scales of Justice, you will have to wear both of them.

I know it’s a lot for a (fairly) small person, but I think you can do it.

Lots of love,

Matka

PS. If you feel hard done by, ask your brother how he feels about being named after someone who was given a job he didn’t want to do, ran away and sat in a fish for a while, and then was regurgitated and went and did the job after all.

More and More of Less and Less

21 November, 2016 / Katy / 0 Comments

Painting with Toddlers - Misericordia

We’re hitting the Age of Great Turmoil (nothing political for a change, just a Little Lion starting to navigate the 18 month – three year rapids) and I’m finding myself stripping things down to my most basic needs.

Designing a Prototype Bag

Cutting a Prototype Bag

After a rather unfortunate run of bag disasters while in Japan (I broke two straps in two weeks), I decided that the solution was not to carry less stuff but to make a stronger bag. So I’ve made a prototype bag and I’m road testing it. I’m pretty pleased with it, but I’ve hit a snag at the fabric stage.

Waxed Fabric Choices - Misericordia

While I investigate the options (I’m pretty sold on the yellow for the body of the bag, but I’m not sure what to make the waterproof base out of), I’m trying to finish up another pair of trousers and knit myself a hat. Pretty much anything in order to avoid going to the shops and participating in the seemingly endless awfulness of people to other people in the name of commerce.

Prototype Bag - Misericordia

I’m even stripping back my camera usage and seeing what happens if I use my phone photos for the blog (reviews are welcome).

Kipling at Work - Misericordia

If you need me, I’ll either be sewing or resorting to the prop of all parents of young children, hiding in the cupboard eating cake.

Waving Them Off

5 August, 2016 / Katy / 0 Comments

While I do have another 76 new myrtle leaves that I could show you, I thought for a change, we could have something different.

Two of our favourite members of staff at Dragon and Little Lion’s nursery are moving on to other things. We decided to make them a little something to say thank you for all their care and patience over the years.

I spent the first six months or so of Little Lion’s nursery career popping in to feed her on my way to work, and had lots of time to chat about the joys and trials of our kids with E. As befits a young lady with very strong opinions, I thought a rather Tudor colour scheme and regal font would suit her daughter.

L was one of Dragon’s favourites, she shared his love of Star Wars and general sillyness. He spent years pulling on the neck of his t-shirts and stretching them out of shape, and it was only recently that we realised that he was trying to copy an off-the-shoulder top that she wore (which led into a useful discussion about what sort of necklines would be best for that sort of thing), and he still pops into nursery for a chat with her.

She’s off to start a university course, so we decided to make her something inspirational for when the studying gets a bit dreary.

It was a bit of an emotional handover, but I was really glad that we were able to give them something to remember us by.

Next week it will be straight back to the leaf updates.

By the Burn, By the Sea

26 July, 2016 / Katy / 1 Comment

You find us in the middle of the middle week of the summer holidays.

Summer Book - Misericordia

We have explored the country and the sea and now we are returned home to test the limits of our imagination, patience and co-operation.

Summer Book journal with kids - Misericordia

In the hopes of creating a new tradition, we’ve started a Summer Book. There’s a slight nod to the educational goals of writing and drawing, but mostly I want to promote journal-keeping and delay the inevitable ‘Can I watch something?’ for another 10 minutes or so. It was great while we were away, but it’s suffered a little since we got home and have been surrounded by our familiar pursuits.

Last gasp stash - Misericordia

I did manage to finish my shawl, even though I ran out of both the original wool and the emergency wool just in time for the bind off. I’m hoping that the contrast edge evokes sea foam and not desperation.

Diving In Shawl - Misericordia

As a first piece of lace, I’m very pleased with it, but as a shawl, I’m still looking for the best ways to wear it. Maybe a shawl pin?

Myrtle Leaves in stiffener - Misericordia

There was temporary relief from the willow leaves by way of some myrtle leaves, but I’m hoping to get the last of the willow applied this week. Off I go!

Aches and Twinges

10 June, 2016 / Katy / 0 Comments

It’s been a grumbly sort of week.

Stem placement - Misericordia

Knitting chart, crumpled - Misericordia

A week of coughs and sore teeth, thrashing children in my bed, of forgotten phones, cheesecakes oozing out of their tins in the oven, sore shoulders, last kid collecteds, I’m hungry but not for thats and I’m sorry for shoutings.

Spikey balls - Misericordia

Measuring cups - Misericordia

I think I’ll just creep quietly into this corner and hope that the universe doesn’t notice me until things are looking a little more cheerful.

Myrtle stem and thimble - Misericordia

Myrtle stem - Misericordia

Bunting Frenzy

18 March, 2016 / Katy / 2 Comments

I can’t get over how miserable I was this time last year…

Bunting Layout - Misericordia

But here we are, and I’m up to my elbows in a very pleasant project: Little Lion’s Birthday Bunting.

Bunting Layout - Misericordia

It started when The Flat Buddy offered to organise an interactive baby shower for Dragon and we came up with the idea of people making and sending in bunting flags. It was a huge success, and hanging out of the Birthday Bunting marks the beginning of birthday festivities.

Blue and purple bunting - Misericordia

Now that The Flat Buddy is several hundred miles away, I organised Little Lion’s Bunting Appeal (discovering in the process just how much work went into the whole thing) and again was properly overwhelmed at how lovely people are.

Taggy Lion Bunting - Misericordia

Even Dragon got into the act, designing two flags and doing some of the stitching himself.

Dragon's First Embroidery - Misericordia

I’m looking forward to getting it all stitched together in time (I hope) for birthday festivities on the weekend (and more cake, which we missed doing this week).

Shirt Label Bunting - Misericordia

Deeds not Words Bunting - Misericordia

In lieu of cake, here is a photo of the Lovely Young Man posing expertly in his Gentleman’s Relish. Because he is as wise as he is tall, he’s already worn it enough to avoid the Boyfriend Jumper Curse, which we’re all very pleased about.

Gentleman's Relish - Misericordia

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

11 December, 2015 / Katy / 0 Comments

Hello Friday, are you here already?

Matches and candles - Misericordia

It feels like I’ve hardly turned around and this week had disappeared in a puff of sulphurous smoke and a rustle of wrapping paper.

Brass menorah and blue and white ware - Misericordia

Hanukkah started on Sunday evening, and Dragon announced he wanted latkes every night (shortly before deciding he didn’t like latkes). I gamely carried on for four nights, but after suffering intense salad cravings, I’m letting it slide.

The craft fairs were successful, I sold some things and got quite a few enthusiastic commission possibilities, so I’m looking forward to seeing how those shape up.

Scissors and embroidery hoop - Misericordia

I have one piece to finish up and then I’m going to devote my holiday to regaining a bit of making inspiration. I’ve been finding myself aimlessly scrolling through the moderately entertaining dross of the Interwebz instead of making, so I’m going to pull out some family projects that have been neglected of late to see if I can get my needles dancing.

Knitting and Bunhilda - Misericordia

Leaving Go

9 October, 2015 / Katy / 0 Comments

This week has mainly been about leaving.

For the first time I left the house with two children and returned with none.

It was a very exposed, almost naked feeling (a little less so when I remembered to retrieve my house keys from the pocket of the baby carrier).

Even more emotional than leaving my children, I’m about to drop my sewing shears off to be sharpened, with the prospect of being separated from them for upwards of three weeks.

I have no idea why it feel so wrenching, perhaps because almost everything else I use is one of many (needles, threads, hoops), whereas the scissors are unique.

I’ve also had them much longer than even the Lovely Young Man (and we met 17 years ago on Wednesday) – my fabric scissors since I was a teenager, and my pinking shears were my granny’s.

But in the spirit of the week, I’ll stick emphatic name labels on them, take a deep breath and go.

Returns, Reviews and Restitutions

28 August, 2015 / Katy / 0 Comments

This has been an ‘..already?’ week.

Between the first proper week of school, the start of after-school classes, a mountain of life administration and trying to new homes for all the stuff that has crept into the house while my back was turned, I don’t have much finished work to show.

But I’m trying to ride the crest of the end of summer wave and get myself back into the swing of coherent existence. I’ve had a nice few months letting things slide, but now I think I want to live in a house where there are flat surfaces with nothing on them and corners which only collect cat fur.

I’ve girded my loins for another attempt to finish the Lovely Young Man’s Christmas jumper (which I started a fortnight before Christmas two years ago), and I have moderately high hopes for this attempt.

How are things shaping up around you? Have you turned up to anything a week before it was meant to start? Have you put something down only for it to vanish into a realm from which nothing can return? Do you have any good ways to store Lego and dinosaurs, safe from the curious fingers of a soon-to-be-mobile Little Lion?

Joining the Club

21 August, 2015 / Katy / 0 Comments

I’ve noticed that there are some interests, hobbies and products that draw people together.

My dad has a vintage Alfa Romeo, and when we went for drives, owners of similarly beautiful-but-impractical cars would nod or lift an index finger off their steering wheels in a subtle salute.

This has followed me into adulthood, although our nodding fraternity choices are a Brompton bicycle and an Ergo carrier. But as I spied a knitting needle case on the table at a recent play date, I realised that there is a similar clanship among people who make.

About 75% of my friends are makers of some sort. A reasonable percentage of those have made things since childhood, before the recent crafting boom. Interestingly, LYM’s friends from school are consistently excellent makers and top quality pals.

For that reason, we asked Liz to be Little Lion’s godmother. Not only can I rest safe in the knowledge that Lion will have a better understanding of cricket than I, she will be sure to know how to dance with decorum (even if she chooses not to) and will always, always submit her taxes well before the deadline.

In addition to these skills, Liz turns her hand to quite an enviable array of making genres from knitting to tailoring.

So when she presented Little Lion with this beautiful rabbit, we were thrilled for all sorts of reasons. It’s a gorgeous bunny, beautifully made, with a properly serious grown up expression – just a hint of Waldorf doll about it (we take our teddies very seriously in this house). But best of all it’s an entirely unique and handmade thing, which she will learn to treasure (as soon as I decide to let the bunny down off the mantelpiece, which may take a few years)!

You can read all about the bunny’s creation on Liz’s blog here!