I’m still working away at the Baptismal Shawl- when I get time which is in short supply these day- I’m finding it slow going… And when it becomes particularly monotonous I take a break and crochet something else: like the red squares which will become slippers like these. I am formulating a pattern in my head (I need to work it out in my head first to make sense of it) and will eventually post it here soon (before the weather warms up again   )

 I am reading some old Homeopathic books by Dorothy Shepherd- I’m finding them very entertaining and so full of fantastic insights and learning. I remember reading these years and years ago, when I was in my teens, and being so impressed by the case studies and this homeopaths practice in 1920’s, -’30’s and ’40’s Britain.

 Join the other Yarn Along-ers here!

(In the mornings, my son, Michael, makes me tea while I nurse our little one beside the stove. What a sweetie!! Edited to add: the funny little face in the background was made after our little girl dunked a biscuit in my tea, forgot as she was mid-dunk, and just as the photo was taken the biscuit melted into the tea… after all my warnings to her!!!!!)

A few days before our Little Man was born I ended up in hospital with a rotten infection- I spent the days in isolation (with my own TV!! We don’t have a television at home, but the novelty wore off after about ten minutes when I realised there was nothing on any of the nine channels; didn’t stop our children’s channel-surfing every time they came in though) After four days of IV antibiotics fluids and stuff to take down my temperature (they weren’t sure what was wrong with me and my temperature went completely mad for three days before it came down to normal) I ended up having a C-section… 

Thanks to all that, my insides were in flitters and both Baby and I ended up with candida :-(   …

(and I with several other mad, crazy things)

I’ve been using homeopathy with great success, and have been using cloth nappies (diapers) to help clear the nappy/diaper rash (coconut oil on his skin also- anti bacterial and anti-viral; gosh how I love that oil!!)

 I had hoped to use cloth from day one, but what with having the C-section that was put on hold until I could organise myself properly. When Baby developed the diaper rash, I promptly began using cloth, but came up with a problem: I had no wraps small enough for him. Hence, Necessity being the Mother of Invention. 

My good friend, Bernadette, mentioned making wool wraps, (also anti-bacterial and super-breathable) and so today I went looking for my stash of felted jumpers. I found two arms of a jumper (thanks Terri, that jumper has had many lives since!!) and whilst changing our little sweetpea I cut out and fit this wool wrap. It was very easy, and once I had it cut out only took a couple of minutes to sew up on the machine. 

A quick tutorial!

My plan was to make a pair of wool “shorts” (I know as my beloved mother reads this she is having palpitations at the thought of wool next to her skin… but truly, it is soft and completely non-itchy!) so I cut the arms to approximately 10 inches long 

(Measure? What? Me?!) 

There was a bit of a seam which I cut out and made a slit to the top of the cuff.

I turned one leg right-side out and lined up the other leg inside it. 

With the machine I sewed from where the waistband would be, to the other side. 

As the body looked a bit wide, I re-sewed a centimetre or two in to make a snugger fit.

Thankfully I still had the neck band of the jumper, and so measured how wide the waistband needed to be, and sewed it on, stretching the ribbed neckband as I sewed

I think the wool shorts look hilarious, but most importantly they do the job perfectly.

(look at those skinny little legs!!!)

Tomorrow I am going to make another wrap based on a triangle of wool fabric (Even easier than this one, typically I only found the pattern online after I made this one) 

Oh, who can resist a fluffy cloth bottom?!

 I have a bit of a preamble to my crochet this week: I have been wandering around aimlessly in the crochet department of my head for a while… started the blanket, but am a bit ambivalent towards it, I’m just not inspired….

Anyway. 

Several times in the past 2 weeks I’ve spotted motif-based “Irish crochet” and freeform crochet everywhere I look. And as a default I always seem to return to making motifs:- flowers, etc. I have, as they say here in the west of Ireland, a gra for it! So that’s where I’m heading. Years ago, I spent 6 glorious months crocheting my wedding dress (coat, more like). I was following an idea in my head, had no pattern as such, and had never tried this kind of project before (!) 

Thankfully, a week before my wedding I put it together 

(not finished, or anything!! That was 2 days before) 

(somethings never change)

 And it fit!! And I was ultra-pleased with it!

So. Where that all is going is here: 

I’m on my second one now, similar colours, similar size. Not sure what I’ll assemble these into… I doubt anything bigger than a scarf or bag, but I must say, crocheting away without rhyme or reason is just wonderful.

(I’ve decided to be honest with myself: I just don’t do patterns. Never have, never will…)

 And as for books- all usual, I have several on the go: 

The Secret Life of the Unborn Child- completely fascinating

Freeform Crochet and Beyond- I just love this book, and come back to it about once a month…

Homeopathy for Home and Garden- I’ve been using homeopathy on our plants (and ourselves and our animals!!!) for years, with fantastic results. This book is just inspiring.

 Last week I hardly got around to see anyone else, “Life” took over and I hardly had time to blink. Today, however, I’m so looking forward to extended visiting hours to see what everyone else is reading and crafting, check out the links here.

(hence my excuse for an incredibly untidy house) 

(have to use the excuses when I get them) 

and I’m still battling the snots; but considering I am the only person I know struck down with a bad dose of flu who recovered within a week, I consider myself really blessed

So… back to normality! 

Note the header!

Despite getting a fall of snow this week, I felt it was time to change the snow-scene in anticipation of spring…

At last some baking- I tackled the mountain of blackened bananas to make some banana and chocolate bread (I would have made a few more, buty I had only just about enough butter and eggs to make these two: I really need to get back into a shopping routine…)

Our *new hens* delighted us for the first time with some eggs! Oh, the excitement!!

I am also joining “Paying It Forward”-the blurb:

‘The first 5 people who comment on this post will receive a handmade gift by me. In return you must write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011 and send your first 5 commenters a gift handmade by you.  It’s a great way to make new friends and spread some handmade love around in Blogland! No rush to send them out today or tomorrow.. but do make sure you send them out…”

I did this on Facebook, and I’m doing it here… I joined with Gail from Shedding the Wolf- I WILL send something out, but, ehhhh, in true Emily-style, it will probably be later rather than sooner (I will endeavour to send it out before then end of the year!! )

I completed this cardigan for Hannah, (I was going to do a tutorial, but I made it up as I went along, measuring it against another cardigan, so I’ll have to sit down and work out what I actually did)

this matching bag

and this corsage for her lovely mother !

I’m inundated with work to do for college- I’m finishing by the end of June, and have assignments to do, homeopathic cases to write up and prescribe on.

I’ve spent the afternoon with Flash the rooster, crowing in the backgound,

Pebbles lying on my feet, and the cats prowling around trying to drink the milk from the jug.

It’s hard work… but someones gotta do it