Checking in

Stressed and overwhelmed

This season in life is busy and stressful and overwhelming. We are 3 weeks into a kitchen renovation that was supposed to take 2 weeks, and has grown arms and legs to engulf almost the whole house. Somehow replacing a kitchen has turned into major internal and external plumbing repairs (one has been done, one will have to wait for future funds), replacing a toilet, replacing a rotten back door, knocking down an internal wall and redecorating the dining room. None of these extra things were in the original budget or plan. We’re also on a fairly tight timeline to decorate several rooms before carpet goes down, and have a patio door install happening next week. It’s been a real rollercoaster and we’re still a good two weeks from being back in our own home. I’m so grateful to have family on hand, to be able to live with and support us through this, but the spiralling costs and constant changes in plan are definitely taking their toll. It’s obviously a good problem to have, I don’t want to sound ungrateful for the opportunity to both own our own house, and have the funds to renovate, but it’s stressful and exhausting nonetheless. Hence, no Craft & Thrift updates!

I have so many plans for Craft & Thrift, a whole list on my phone in fact. Topics I want to cover, recipes to share, and bonus content to complete (I haven’t forgotten about the Artists Way). I’d like to do a round up of my first year of having a garden (the one border I intentionally planted has gone bananas, you can see in the photo above!) and share some before-and-afters of the house. I’ve got sewing and gardening plans, and would like to experiment with a series on running. It’s all on the back burner until October at the earliest, but I’m hoping as the nights draw in and the house comes more under control, I can dedicate some time to writing.

It’s in seasons of life like this one, where you’re so busy you almost make yourself ill, that I really appreciate having hobbies. Being able to quietly knit and watch YouTube of an evening (I’m particularly loving Woolly Mammoth Fibre Company) is a real balm to the soul. I think this is especially true for those of us who feel that compulsion towards productivity, it’s so hard to give yourself permission to rest. Knitting feels like ‘productive rest’ somehow. While I’m sitting down and mindlessly knitting my hands are busy, which allows my mind to be still. I’m working on Sweater No. 18 by My Favourite Things knitwear and really loving how it’s turning out so far. I’ve done the body and neckline, next up is the sleeves. I think it’s probably time to get out all my knitwear and decide what can stay and what needs to be donated or frogged. I’m pretty sure I have at least one, if not two sweaters that haven’t been worn in a couple of years at least. That would be a fun blog post or podcast episode.

It felt like on September 1st, it immediately became autumn. This is my favourite time of year, it’s making me a bit sad that the first 3 weeks have been spent in such a high octane manner. I’ve barely been able to be outside, and whilst I know it can’t be helped, it’s making me a bit sad to be missing out on some of the peak autumnal weeks of the year. Still, I made the most of my tomatoes in August, eating plenty of home made and grown bruschetta and roasting and blending the rest for the freezer. I’m already looking forward to cream of (homegrown) tomato soup in the depths of winter.

My in-laws were gifted some plums from their next-door-neighbour’s tree, and I turned it into mulled wine plum jam, using a recipe from Notes from the Jam Cupboard by Mary Tregallas. I was pleased with the jam, and even more pleased with my labels! Producing my own labels is definitely teaching me a lot about what jars take a label well, and which should be avoided. This batch of jam had some very wonky and creased labels, when I realised my one size of label didn’t fit my smaller jars particularly well. I also somehow managed to print 4 sheets of labels (40 in total) to stick on 7 jars of jam. Facepalm.

I hope wherever you are, you’re able to make the best of the season, or at least experience some moments of joy. My walk home from work through this little piece of woodland is particularly lovely at the moment, with the September sunlight through the trees. I’m very much enjoying the leaves turning colour, and seeing the rosehips and brambles on the bushes by the roadside. My gourd is coming on a treat and I don’t want to speak too soon, but I might have another couple on the way. I’ve spotted the red squirrels back in the garden, along with sparrows, blue tits, coal tits, gold finches and a robin, who all regularly visit the bird feeders. There is magic to be found if you look for it, even in the most overwhelmed of seasons.