I Heart Knitters

I swear I have gushed about knitters and those I work with so many times on Twitter, my podcast and this blog that I am becoming a broken record but I mean it: knitters and crafters are amazing. 

It's not really that big a secret that the last month has been hell on toast between buying a house, the last minute negotiations (and the tantrums of those we're buying from), the packing, the organising and the ENDLESS, endless hospital trips for me. I am not known for crying unless I'm angry but I was at that point where I'd hit my limit and was gulping big sobs on the phone to my sister who was alarmed to say the least. She knows that if I'm crying and not fighting anymore, things are bad indeed. 

I have flinched everytime someone has asked 'Are you excited about your new house?' or I bet you're nesting right?' Each time it was a heavy reminder that I should be excitedly preparing a family home for the soon to arrive Playful Baby and yet I wasn't. I felt so worn down. 

But then knitters happened. 

I work with designers, yarnies, tech editors and other such wonderful people. My podcast and blog have connected me to a community I respect, admire and adore and they brought me back into a happy space through their love and contact. Over the last few weeks I've been fortunate enough to have a trickle of mother and baby presents that brought a tear to my eye for all the right reasons. 

Knitters and crafty types understand the love and care that goes into creating a finished object and that's why each item I'm about to share means the world to the giant and I. They were created by wonderful friends who I am connected to simply through knitting. I understand the thoughts that poured into them as they were worked and when my little one is wrapped in them, I will know that they are the luckiest baby in the world because they are wrapped in the love of knitters and crafters. That beats all the crap of the last few months hands down and I wanted to share the power of handmade gifts with you too. 

I won't name gift givers as it feels that I then remove the personal touch with which they were gifted but I will say that as knitting aunties go, Playful Baby is one blessed child and I for one hope to keep these ladies in my life for years to come. Thank you xxx

Oh yeah!

One of the things that I've been doing while funk busting is editing photos and I realised I could share some of my West Coast pics here. Silly me. 

So here's the first installment. Just a few random pictures that make me wildly happy as I think about being with friends and in that beautiful location. You will notice a certain theme as these go up....

Oh the fog! (San Francisco)

Boudin's is magical (San Francisco)

Alcatraz (San Francisco)

Best Calamari & ale (Cannery Row Brewery)

Sea Lion & pup (Monteray bay)

Why thank you (Carmel Valley)

A is for...

.... A broken laptop. 

In an attack of sheer stupidity I dropped a glass of water over my laptop. It's dried out BUT THE A KEY DOESN'T WORK. It has seriously limited my internet usage and further added to my blogging slump. I've been beating myself up about this. I want every post to be insightful/ pretty/ appealing but I've not always got access to a laptop these days and the pictures often are not on this laptop but edited on my old laptop and given names without a's in when I save them....

It's also the reason why I may not have been on Ravelry as much as I'd like, on Twitter or been blog reading and commenting as much as I'd like. I know what you're all thinking 'But she has an iphone surely?' Yes, yes I do. That's also on it's last legs. I don't have the patience to use it for matters of blogging. Don't even get me started on it's googlemap app!I miss commenting on all the wonderful blogs I read (and replying to comments, thank you so much for the book recommendations!!)

I have become aware suddenly of an audience and placed expectations on myself. I was feeling obliged to blog every 3 days, have amazing pictures, have new recipes and knit like the wind in order to have enough to talk about. 

I have decided to cut myself some slack. Sometimes I will blog about nothing much. Sometimes I will blog with no pictures. Sometimes the picture will have nothing to do with what I'm talking about. After all the point of this whole thing was to remind myself to be playful. 

So here's a nice picture I took recently. 

Isn't that nice?

Sleep (or lack of)

Hello all

I've been resting my poorly RSI arms and seen great progress. In the meantime I've been snapping away, planning posts, podcasts and more fun besides. Today I meant to publish one post and draft the following: a feature with a discount code, a You Capture post, prep the giveaway announcement post and the shownotes for the podcast. All fun ready to publish in a flurry of recovering RSI glory. 

I did not sleep however. I now have not slept properly for an entire week. I am so tired I just poured brown rice on my yoghurt instead of muesli. I have tried tea, coffee and DOING THINGS. Nothing is working. 

I am falling asleep fine. I then wake somewhere around 2-4 am and stay awake for hours, pondering things in my head. About 2 nights ago, the early stages of night terrors started. Does anyone else get that? Completely random and terrifying half dreams that come for NO reason. Really. I'm practically on holidays at the moment, the sun is shining and man beast and I have had so much fun. I should not be struggling. 

But I am. So forgive the continued 'mehness' on the blog. Love will flow as will pics. Right now the camera lead is upstairs and my legs are not carrying me there. 

xx