Peace, blessed peace.

Its lovely and quiet here as E is helping out at a christmas fayre with the Brownies and D & R have gone into town, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to post an update. Its been really manic around here lately, D had an abcess in his tooth and he doesn't handle pain well so that meant sleepless nights for him and me. It also meant he hasn't been doing anything around the house so I've been extra busy trying to keep on top of things and going to work too. He was supposed to be going back to work last week but due to the abcess and a couple of other problems he isn't well enough, his company have said to see how things go at the beginning of January as he is seeing his consultant at the end of December. I am really worried about him going back to work, he can hardly cope with the few bits he does around the house and doing the school runs so I'm not sure he will cope with travelling back and forth London as well as doing a 9 hour shift. He hasn't been to work for four years so it will be quite a shock to his system. Last time he went back he only lasted nine months before he was off sick again. We are hoping that because he has now had the operation to clear the blockages in his stomach and intestines it will be better this time. One of the other problems he has had recently is severe abdominal spasms and cramps so lets hope its not another blockage. And lets not even think about the childcare issues that are going to crop up, I can't change my hours again so I'm stuck on the shifts and we need to find a childminder who is willing to work around that, its a total nightmare.
Anyway, enough of my problems and on to the knitting. Mum loved her spiralucious and the fingerless mitts I made for her birthday. I made a hat from my handspun which is gorgeous but doesn't suit me at all so it now belongs to E. here it is modelled by her giant teddy.































I still want a hat for myself but can't seem to find a style which suits me, I tried a few on last time I was in town to much hilarity from R. I think the only style I can get away with is a slouchy beret style and am thinking about this one by Wooly Wormhead. I have some beigey alpaca in my stash that will be ideal for it, but am worried about making another hat that doesn't look right. I think I will just go for it and if I don't like it I'm sure someone will take it off my hands.
I have also started a clapotis, I must be the only person in the world who hasn't made one yet so I thought I'd best get on with it. I keep seeing them on Ravelry and they look so lovely. I decided to make it in Wendy Fusion as I love the striping and I wanted a cosy clapotis, which fusion definately is. I only had four balls of the anise seed colourway and very quickly realised I would need more. Luckily I found Kemps who had it in stock for £1.20 a ball and I have never known such fast service, I ordered it on Tuesday morning and it arrived on Wednesday morning! This is how it looked before I started dropping stitches.





























We had some snow earlier in the week, the kids were very happy as we don't see it very often. They went straight out and made the tiniest snowman possible before it all melted.