Happy Samhain, everyone!!

Or Happy Halloween, if you're more into the trick or treating aspect of this sacred festival.

Well, me and the Moomin will be carving pumpkins tonight. I have the pumpkin carving kit at the ready, and have managed to find some tea lights to go in the finished lanterns. We will also circle round and read stories on the legends of Samhain, and then, once the Moomin is safely tucked up in bed, Mr Deravelled will be forced to watch the finale of Most Haunted Live - possibly in the dark!! He wont like that!! But I'll make some popcorn, so he might not moan too much.

To be honest, the majority of the time, Most Haunted exacerbates me, what with the irresponsible ouija board usage, shouting of insults to supposed resident spirits, and Yvette's persistance in believing that Witchcraft = Evil. Sigh. Mr Deravelled looked at me and laughed the other night when I was watching it, because she started shouted something like "come on you evil witch bitches", and knew I'd be rolling my eyes. Which I was. Considering the job she's doing, she's not very enlightened!!

But I just love to soak up the experience and atmosphere - all those old houses they get to walk around fascinate me. I make notes of the best so that I can drag the family to see them in the day time! I do love my castles and stately homes!!

Anyway, I'm off to do some tidying and washing ready for tonight. It's so exciting that the Moomin will now be old enough to really enjoy this sacred celebration. :)

The oven is broken!

Well, as the title to this post says, our oven is broken. It lights up, the fan goes, but it just will not heat up. I learnt this on Tuesday evening when I came home from work and attempted to cook a pizza for the three of us. When after half an hour the cheese hadn't melted, I started to get suspicious. Cue Mr Deravelled doing the manly fiddle with it thing, before coming to the same conclusion that I had already reached - "yep" he said, "it's buggered". (What would us little ladies do without men?) ;)

We have a new oven being delivered next Thursday. :)

Me the Domestic Goddess!!

Well, the last few days have been baking days for me and the Moomin. Yesterday it was wholemeal bread rolls (so that Mr Deravelled would have some to take for lunch today), and today it was fairy cakes. Millions of them. I haven't even managed to ice half of them yet, there's that many. I have given up for the evening now, and they're all packed neatly away in a cake tin, ready for when I'm feeling more awake and creative tomorrow! I personally prefer my fairy cakes au natural, but for the Moomin and Mr Deravelled, I ice them. Some are hot pink (were meant to be pale pink, but the colouring kind of got away from me a bit, and now I also have a hot pink thumb!!), and some are the most gorgeous pale primrose yellow that really deserve some pretty purple sugar flowers on top to finish them off, but I don't have any in the cupboard, and so they've had to settle for tiny crystallised orange and lemon slices instead. It's not the same, though, and I may have to go in search of some purple cake decorations of some description tomorrow with the Moomin.

Now, I am nestled back into our comfy schmooshy sofa, puter on my lap, a fairy cake on a plate next to me, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate next to that. The Moomin is asleep in her cot, tired out after the day's activities, Mr Deravelled is upstairs in his office finishing off some work, Most Haunted is on the TV, and life is pretty good. :)

De-clutter, chuck and throw away!!

Today is turning out to be a decluttering day. Who knew just how much junk there could be in a relatively small space - like on top of the microwave, for example? That has all now been removed and sorted, and in its place are a few of my favouritest recipe books, all stacked neatly, ready to be perused for new culinary ideas.

Ok, my list of knitted treats for loved ones for Christmas stands as follows:

* For my little Sister (with a very stressful job as a Financial Analyst for an international bank based in Canada Square in Canary Wharf) - a Snood (circular scarf that you can pull up around your face and ears) made with some scrummy oatmeal coloured 30% wool Wendy Pampas Mega Chunky; and hopefully, if I have time (ha ha!) a pair of wrist warmers. I will probably knit her OH, a lovely Parisian man who moved over here to live with her and make a beautiful home together, some fingerless gloves - and maybe a snood, too, as he loves his scarves.

* For my Mum (also with a very stressful job in sales, where they constantly get at her to stop building up rapport with customers and just sell them stuff they don't really need - BAD company - you'd be surprised [or maybe not] if I were to name and shame!!) - an evening bag in a gorgeous creamy blue, knitted in RYC Luxe merino yarn (bought for half price in the HobbyCraft sale!!). As my mum is a super-knitter herself, I really don't know what else to knit for her - if anything. I bought her some knitty novels for her birthday, which she loved, so maybe more of the same will be in order!! And a good bottle of red, methinks. :)


* For my darling Mr Deravelled, I am currently knitting him socks (my first attempt at knitting on dpns) - well, a sock, anyway. At first he couldn't understand why I was knitting them, but now he is always asking me when they'll be finished!! lol

* The Moomin is a tricky one - she has an abundance of hats, so I may end up knitting her a snood, too. And maybe some cute little wrist warmers. But that would mean having to buy some pink yarn of some description. Hmmmmm........

* I may knit my Dad a scarf, as he has lots of jumpers that my mum has knitted him over the years. I'd knit him socks, but I find them so labour intensive that I shudder at the thought of getting them done in time!! Maybe next year!

A month away and nothing done!!

I can't believe I haven't posted on here in over a month! It has been a hectic month, what with me passing my driving test (finally!!) towards the end of September, then searching for and buying a cute little car to run me and the Moomin about in. Mr Deravelled has started a new job which involves a two hour commute up the motorway every day (which he says is already becoming a bore), and the Moomin is coming on leaps and bounds with her talking - she is now talking in simple sentences, and we can almost always understand her nowadays, which is wonderful. We have even started potty training her, but as she is only just two, it is a nice, casual affair, and so far she loves the praise she gets when she asks to use her potty and then actually uses it!! We're a while off the switch from nappies yet, but at least she is happy and we're happy with her working through it in her own time, so it's all good!!

Knitting-wise, not much has been happening since I finished the red beret, unfortunately. I had got quite far with a project I am knitting on behalf of my Mum for my sister for Christmas, but yesterday I found the Moomin had pulled it off the needles (I couldn't shout at her - I had told her earlier that I was going to catch up on my knitting later, and she was just trying to pull the needles out of the knitting bag for me - bless her!) and the whole thing was too far gone to salvage. So unfortunately it had to all be ripped out, and I have just started it again now. However, when you'd got so far on a piece, and all of a sudden you're looking at having to start it again from scratch, it gets quite depressing!! Ah well, I shall soldier on!!





Me and the Moomin have been going to the park a lot recently - perhaps trying to make the most of the last of the warmish weather and soak up as much of the remaining sunshine as possible before we all snuggle down for a winter full of hot chocolate, home made gingerbread, Yankee candles and long hot bubble baths. Mmmmmm, maybe winter's not so bad after all!! And we finally get to wear all the lovely layers of handknits that have been worked on throughout the year. Bliss!

And yes, that is a handknit being modelled by the Moomin - knitted by my very talented mother. I keep trying to convince her that she should quit her awful job that depresses her and open a wool shop. I'd work there!!

That's all for now. Have to go - the Moomin is vying for my attention and going a bit crazy!!