September rolls around and I start making the clothes needed for autumn and winter. (March is the same when it comes to spring and summer wear.)

This year I took two of my favourite trouser patterns* and made a whole batch of fleece trousers for each child. Up until now I’ve only made fleece trousers when I’ve managed to get one of those large GAP fleece jumpers second hand, but this year I realised that thrifting fleece was a bit silly, given how much I was going to need. So I went to Pennine Outdoor and got myself a job lot in a ton of different colours.

Fleece – it turns out – is great to work with, and the trousers were sewn up really quickly. (No edges to finish, so the number of seams needed was dramatically reduced.) In the end I made 5 (!) pairs per child, and I’ve still enough fleece to make mittens, and possible a pram cozy (if I patchwork bits together.)

They won’t be as muck resistant as wool would be, but they’ll wash well and dry quickly and keep my children warm when it gets cold.

* The basic trouser pattern from Growing Up Sew Liberated (which I have messed about with, taking out the hip pockets and putting patch pockets in instead.) And the Big Butt Baby Pattern which I’m going to keep using it until all my babies are out of nappies.

Borlotti beans are really beautiful.

Even the pods are beautiful. This is this years haul.

It was a really windy day when we picked the beans. In fact it also poured with rain about two minutes after this photo was taken.

Podded, there ended up being about three freezer bags worth. This probably works out as about 6 family meals.

(As you probably know, borlotti beans are really versatile. You can freeze them fresh, or you can dry them. They keep their shape really well when boiled – though they do lose their speckles.)

1. Go outside (just for a bit.)

2. Do some jobs (just for a bit.)

3. Play with your children.

4. Eat (a bit) of something that tastes really lovely.

5. Make sure you can see where you have been (in the house, in the work you have to do.)

6. Listen to something that might make you smile. Or (if you’re on your own, and you think it will help) something that lets you cry.

7. Don’t go over it again and again. Unless you know it’s going to get you somewhere better than this.

8. Accept that your heart hurts right now. But it won’t forever.

9. Keep your hands busy.

10. Watch your children play.

(No one has died, no one is ill – well I have a head cold – it’s not depression, and it probably won’t last forever.)

(Mordanting today. And lots of yarn drying. )