Alpaca for my Mum

 My Mum is a knitter, so what better present for her birthday than a skein of homespun alpaca wool?  It was lovely that Ethan wanted to help, and he is getting rather good at carding, which is wonderful, as that is the part that I really don't particularly enjoy doing!

 So this last month I have been spinning, and spinning, trying to get as much done as I could in time for Mum's birthday this week.  It was a close call, and it had just about dried in time to give it to her!

It was lovely as the realisation hit her as to what it was.  The alapaca fleece from the farm shop, carded by Ethan, spun by me, and looks like it will be knitted into a scarf by my Mum.  If she ever needs anymore, she knows where to come!!

Happy Birthday Mum. xx

The rollercoaster of life

 It was my Mum's birthday in the week.  Unfortunately it was a rather rushed affair, as we had to go and view a prospective high school for Luke that same evening.  So a tea of fish and chips, followed by the above cake (filled with homemade apple butter, of which I am a bit of a convert to!)  Along with a homemade card (on it's side again, blinkin' camera!) and some home spun wool, which I will talk about in the next blog post.

 We had some sad news the following day though. We had been told on Mum's birthday that my Dad's Mum was very ill in hopsital.  They had discovered she had stomach and bladder cancer, and being so frail, they didn't think she would have long left with us.  The very next day we had that phone call to say she had slipped away in the night, with a Macmillan nurse by her side.  She was a woman with a very strong Christian faith.  My wish for her is peace, and freedom from pain, and for those left behind to find comfort in those around them, along with many happy memories of her time with them on this earth.

Mum had popped over that day so we could spend a bit of time together, and comfort one another, when out of the corner of my eye I saw something unusual out the window.  Closer inspection showed a strange flying insect that was hovering by the honeysuckle, sipping the nectar through it's proboscis.  It flew so quickly it was really hard to get a picture of it.  If you zoom in on the middle of the picture you can just about see it. 

A google later and we discovered that it was this, a hummingbird hawk moth.  I had never heard of such a thing, but was fascinated, and Mum and I were suitably distracted whilst we researched a little more about it.

 Life continues all around us, which I seem to be continually reminded of, even in the darkest of times.  Not really feeling like doing much, I finished off a present for a friends little lad whose 2nd birthday was the other week.  Sophie was the product tester, and very graciously handed it over to Joel, but I have a feeling I may have to make her one too!

 And to try and lighten things a bit, my cello case got transformed!  I had plonked a couple of recently spun skeins of wool on top the other day, and it made it look a little like a grey haired lady.  So I just helped it a little to complete the look.  So meet "Chell" the cello case lady!

 And another lighter moment...

 ...he was like that for a good hour or so!!

Such stark contrasts this week, making me appreciate the good things all the more. 

Mama Made Monday - For my Mama

A Morsbag made with some material given to me from a neighbour whose sister works for Per Una, apparently big swatches of material like this are thrown away regularly, so I have managed to give them some dignity!

We filled the bag with homemade apple chutney, green tomato chutney, and ginger and marrow jam. Along with a book, and a book token.

Happy Birthday Mama.