The art of crochet

This term I have started a new evening class.

I do like to learn a new skill each year and I find it wonderfully relaxing to do something that absorbs me for a couple of hours so that I don't even have time to think about work.

This year I signed up for beginners crochet and persuaded my mum to come along too.  She has to miss the first class due to being on holiday but as she has done a little bit of crochet before she shouldn't find it too hard to catch up.

My team at work thought it was hilarious and they all seemed ready to pack me off to the nearest nursing home in my slippers and dressing gown.

I had to resort to threatening to crochet them all doilies for Christmas just to get them to shut up!

However, the crochet is not quite as simple as you might imagine.

After getting all the usual paperwork out of the way we were taught how to make a slip knot (yup I was struggling even at this point) and then how to make a row of 21 chain stitches.

I seemed to be the slowest in the class and by slowest I mean the most dim witted.  However, in my defence several of the ladies in the class had done some knitting or crochet before  . . not all of them but enough to give them a head start on me.

I couldn't help but notice that my chains were a little larger, looser and more inconsistently sized than everyone else's.

We were then taught to single crochet (American term or double crochet in English).

This was even more complicated and I was struggling to get to grips with it before the class ended.

I had one very poor string of chain stitch and three rows of wobbly looking single crochet.

We are supposed to be making little purses and were told to go home and practice.

So we started off with 21 stitches and apparently with single crochet you are meant to lose a stitch and only have 20 stitches per row.

I decided it might be time to stop and start again when I realised that I was down to sixteen stitches in a row.

My second effort was not much better as I somehow managed to gain stitches - ending up with 25 stitches in a row.

My third attempt is going much better.  I have the right number of stitches but the crochet is looking a little holey in places.

I really hope this gets much easier as the weeks go by otherwise my dreams of wonderful home-made crocheted Christmas decorations will remain just that  . . .  a dream!

Something Fishy

I have come to the conclusion that boys are very strange creatures.

You wouldn't catch a girl with pockets full of rubbish but boys . . .  well boys seem to collect stuff that, well to put it politely, belongs in the bin.

I am constantly emptying pockets full of bits of plastic, stones, metal items and other things that are dirty, sticky or liable to cause damage to my washing machine. Not just the three year old.  The fourteen year old is possibly even worse.

It is impossible to go for a walk without returning with at least one 'good stick' and pebbles of various sizes and I am always tidying up little piles of screwed up paper, unravelled paperclips, torn bits of foam or collections of items that are supposed to grow in the garden.

At bedtime I don't tuck my little one up with a nice teddy but with a variety of uncomfortable looking favourites such as airplanes, tractors, fire engines, trains and buses which he then cuddles as if they were his dearest friends.

And recently Nathaniel has taken to walking around clutching . . .  a tube of fish food!

He likes to follow his daddy around like a little shadow helping him with all the 'daddy chores' such as feeding Speedy the Tortoise, mowing the lawn, sweeping the leaves, cleaning the cars and of course feeding the fish.

For some reason Nathaniel has become very attached to the tube of fish food.  Personally I wasn't so sure it was either wise or sensible for him to have the fish food so while my husband was out at a concert I prised it out of Nat's little hands and I hid it on top of the fridge where I knew he couldn't reach it.  There were a few tears and tantrums from Nathaniel because I had parted him from his beloved item but thankfully I soon managed to distract him by bribing him with a chocolate biscuit.

However, as soon as David returned home Nathaniel came marching up to me with a self satisfied smirk on his face and the tube of fish food under his arm.

He has since walked around with the house for the past two days, occasionally taking off the lid and allowing a disgusting fishy smell to waft around the place.

I was a little worried that Nat might try and sneak the tube of fish food to pre-school in the treasure chest for show and tell - How would I explain that one? (Oh and I guess I should take the time to say thank you to Hannah for calling to appraise me about the Treasure Chest's intended purpose!)

Anyway this afternoon David kindly took my car to the garage to fill it with petrol - ah what a lovely husband.

Unfortunately, he not so kindly decided to take Nathaniel and precious fish food with him.

So the tube of fish food is now completely empty.

Yes somehow between leaving and returning home , the fish food has ended up being spread all over my car like confetti.

David thought it would be a good idea for Nat to be allowed to clean it up himself - great!

My little car now smells of eau de poisson!!  What joy!

The mystery of the empty treasure chest

So on Friday my mother-in-law kindly collected Nathaniel from pre-school for me while I was at work.  I arrived home to find one very excited three year old proudly clutching a brown treasure chest and a message from my mother-in-law to the effect of "the staff said mummy would know what to do with it!"

Oh dear!

Unfortunately I have clearly not read the newsletter pertaining to this term's activities.

This mummy does not have a clue what we are supposed to do with an empty treasure chest!

I am assuming perhaps we might be expected to fill it with Nat's special treasures for some kind of show and tell?

But what if we are expected to fill it with toys to be given away and I send him in back to pre-school with all his favourite toys?

So now I am riddled with guilt for being a working mum that (a) does not read helpful and informative newsletters from pre-school which contain all the information I might need to know and (b) does not get to collect little one who is armed with exciting 'project' and therefore misses chance to clarify nature of said 'project'.

Do I take a guess at what I think we are supposed to do and risk having to replace all the 'treasure' if it 'goes missing'?

Do I call another parent and admit what a bad mummy I am?

Do I contact the pre-school tomorrow and be branded as a mum who lives a disorganised and chaotic lifestyle and who can't even be bothered to familiarise myself with my little angel's curriculum?

mmmmm not a great choice of options. 

Lets hope my friend Hannah is a good mummy who reads all son's newsletters and who can tell me what to do.

Hannah  - PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!

Paper Bird in a cage

Nat and I had fun this afternoon making a paper bird in a cage from a kit I bought him.

He enjoyed being able to make this himself with just a little guidance and help from mummy.

 

And the finished article looks simply fabulous hanging in our conservatory.