Saturday 1 June 2013

New life under the wood

No I don't mean new life as in a new baby (Good heavens no!). I mean a new start.

Ok I wasn't much of a blogger. I love writing and kind of wish I'd made a go of it as a career but updating a blog like the lovely bloggers I follow daily seems to be a bit of a full time pain in the neck. But I've launched a facebook page for Underthewood to promote the things I make in the hope that friends and friends of friends might feel the urgent need for a useless bit of needlework and commission me to crochet his and hers matching crochet ponchos. If this does not happen, and lets face it these so called "friends" will not be true friends if they don't request one, then at least its a platform for me to unleash my creative streak.

So...what's new Underthewood eh? After two years of having very short hair which my hairdresser said made me look "interesting" (she also, please bare in mind she has only cut my hair once, said "you are very quirky aren't you") I'm growing my pixie out. I currently look like a cross between Princess Di, a Lego man, a mushroom and a mad monk. I tried dying it today but its just made it more obvious. I told the new hairdresser I'd like to grow it to look like Claudia Winkleman's thick long fringe style - hence to quirkiness comment. Now I'd be happy to just not look like someone who'd wear shoes with tracksuit bottoms and shuffle around town to buy pot noddles for my tea. You get the picture. So this hair growing business is a real obsession and project. I'm worrying that my resolve will weaken and I will cut it all off again. After all, I was interesting when it was short. Wasn't I?!

In other news, we are trying to adjust to the boy developing a stammer. He's always had a very mild one but in recent months its got pretty bad. We've been told to slow our lives down, in speech, movements and take away all pressures in the home. Letting him talk for himself is vital but its soooooo hard to not finish his sentences for him as he's starting to get very frustrated at not being able to get his words out in time. Personally I have been very upset and stressed about it all, which doesn't help the situation but I'm doing my upmost to be upbeat and optimistic. 80% of child stammerers get over it so here's hoping he will be one of them.


Crafting news, last year I had a hankering to learn to crochet. I got very cross with my mum who tried and failed to teach me. Mr U bought me a granny square day course for my birthday. I got cross with them as they also failed. Then one rainy afternoon in December I sat in front of a blogger's tutorial and made a granny square! I haven't stopped since then. I've made a huge granny square blanket for my bed. A baby's blanket and am spending most evenings trying to perfect daisy squares just for fun. Jeez, life is pretty exciting round here I can tell you! In my thirst for crochet knowledge I have started and abandoned two blankets. Blanket #1 The boy asked me to make a rainbow coloured "ziggy zaggy" blanket. It looks like the beginnings of a gay flag. I have no issue about what sexuality he is, but I'm thinking if he is straight (and lets face it, if he is gay I get someone to go to the shows with and to help me buy shoes) he might not appreciate that on his bed in his teens! Blanket #2 After painful deliberation I decide to make a blanket for my dear friend's bubba due to be born very soon. I took time to match the colours to the bedding she had bought and I spent two weeks hooking up a storm. I say to myself, my this blanket is looking mighty fine, lets go measure it against The Girl's cotbed so you can see how much further you have to go. Shucks says I, come on then. This is when I realise I have made the blanket twice as wide as it needs to be for a tiny baby or even a three year old. Damn it. I wonder if her baby will be gay and would want a gay flag blanket in its teens? If it is gay I can go to the shows with it and it can help me buy shoes.

Anyway, I like to spend a lot of time on Pininterest looking at crochet things, then starting these things, but never finishing them. What's the point? The said friend by the way has entrusted me to sew blackout lining on her beautiful new curtains and I also need to make bunting for her. I wonder if she'll notice if I put the crocheted blankets on the curtains instead of lining?

Anyway. More blogging from now on. I know you are keen to leant about what that poor baby will have inflicted on it but a well meaning pseudo aunt. I also know you are excited about the updates on my new kitchen, which I had done in my blogging absence. You will also be interested in to hear about how my newly redundant (not generally, but employmently) husband do or don't get on with his increased and enforced leisure time at home.  Till next time then. Cheerio.