Auntie me...

I feel like a recovering addict... in fact that's an accurate description. It wasn't drugs or alcohol or even chocolate, it was wool, and baskets. This week, wait for it, I resisted both 3 balls of wool and a basket. They were both priced at a very reasonable £3 each. The basket would have been a nice project basket, but did I need it? No. The wool would have come in handy one day, but have I got other wool for that very reason? Yes. Eek. I can't believe I left them behind.

So what's that photo of some very scrumptious oatmeal with flecks wool? Oh yes, ahem, I did pick that up from a charity shop the day after I resisted the wool and the basket. Well how could I resist at £1 for 325g? It's DK and smells like proper wool. I already know what it's going to be (a triangular scarf/shawl thing). It'll go nicely with the oatmeal pure wool cardigan I picked up for £1.99.

I must confess that I popped out to browse a few charity shops to avoid being in the house with three 14 year old boys. There aren't many places to hide. Just when I wanted to sit down on the sofa they wanted to play indoor cricket. So I placed three packets of chicken noodles on the kitchen bench and said I was off out for a couple of hours. J asked how to cook them and I said 'instructions are on the back'. They managed just fine. So that's jelly and noodles in his repertoire! Yes I'm aware that noodles are not representative of a nutritious lunch but it's half term and the sleepover with two friends was sprung on me at the last minute.

I think we are somewhere in the middle when it comes to parental styles when I compare Jake to his friends. One seems to do a lot of household chores. The other still has his breakfast made for him. I tend to ask E and J for help when I need it and firmly believe that at 14 years old J should be able to rustle up beans on toast at the very least.

All this talk of noodles when I have much more exciting news. I'm going to be an Auntie! Woohoo! Hence the purchase, from a proper wool shop, of a pattern book and gorgeous Sirdar Snuggly DK in a colour that the shop owner called 'rice pudding'. It was somewhere between cream and beige; a really lovely colour. I've got plenty of time to make a little range of dinky clothes and definitely a little crochet animal of some description, and a blanket... I can see the time going very quickly!