Weekend Review

Right now I'm sitting here writing (wednesday 8pm ish) and I can hear the rain pouring down outside. And it's cold too. It really does feel chilly and very un May like today, which is quite a shock to the system given the delicious weekend we had. Oh the weather in our patch was divine at the weekend! It was so lovely and warm, well no actually it wasn't warm it was hot. Yes, for the very first time this year we had some serious heat from the sun and it was glorious.

We spent the weekend in the midst of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, only about half an hours drive from home, yet it felt like we were very much further away. You can see in the above picture where we stayed :: a picturesque little campsite nestled down in the bottom of the dale, surrounded by big grassy green hills.

 

We spent the weekend away in our little caravan, oh oh oh the JOY!!!! There she is look, our home-from-home, tucked neatly into a grassy corner. The above photo was taken by J early on Sunday morning when he took the Little People climbing up the Big Hill behind the campsite. Yours truly had to stay behind drinking coffee and reading while Little B had his nap. I know, such hardship.

Did I tell you we finally named our caravan? In the end we went with J's suggestion and named her Connie (J was surprisingly very chuffed about this fact). The Little Peeps call her the Connievan, which I think is rather sweet.

We arrived at the campsite around 6pm Friday evening. Such a beeauutiful evening, warm and glowing and green and golden.

A picnic tea of crusty bread and dips, sweet little cherry tomatoes, scotch eggs, crisps, strawberries. Ice cold beer in the glow of the early evening sun. Lean back in the chair, stretch out ones legs, wiggle bare toes in the cool green grass, and reeelax. This is the weekend, and it promises to be good.

Saturday was a heat-soaked lazy day, the best sort of camping day with nothing whatsoever on the agenda other than soaking up the warmth and enjoying the day.

We walked down to the river for a mess about and it was a real delight. We paddled about, searching under rocks for fish, the sort of fish that both J and I remember searching for in the rivers of our respective childhoods. Funny how nostalgic a little fish can become, and how excited they still made us both feel. Paddle paddle, splash, splash then back to the Connievan for ice cream.

I managed to fit in a little bit of outdoor camping hooky on Saturday and it was hugely enjoyable. I sat in my turquoise chair with a glass of cold wine and made a couple more squares for my cotton cushion. All the time I was hooking I had to control the urge to leap about with excitement as the colours of the yarn looked so amazingly beautiful in the sunshine. I took lots of photos similar to the one above, oh dear me, I did get myself into quite a giddy spin over my al fresco hooky time!

I'll be making 16 squares in total for the front of this cushion, and I'm really, really, really loving how it's coming together. I'm getting me some serious thrills working with this yarn!

And just while we're talking yarn things and caravanny things, let me show you my latest purchase.................

 ...........oh dear yes we have another yarn stash in the Attic. To be more precise, it's a big bag of Stylecraft Special DK, 100% acrylic, destined to become the Granny Stripe Caravan Blankie.

Am pretty happy with what I've got, seventeen colours in total, a few of them it has to be said are borderline garish, but I think all in all it's going to work out great. Once I get going with it, I promise I'll write up a tutorial/pattern for the Granny Stripe, I'd love to have some company on my stripy grannified journey if anyone fancies joining me.

Oh yayaaayyyyy for Happy Yarn-infested Days :o)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Comments

[Kim]

Ooh I get first comment! Those colours are going to look fab all grannied up and stripey! I'm itching to get started on something similar, but a bit naughty as so many things yet to finish (handwarmers for teen, scarf for hubby, baby blankets for everyone I know having a baby = lots). Can't wait to see how it develops :)

[felicity]

lovely photos, ive been trying to convince my hubby that we need a caravan too! i love your crochet, and the colours you choose! fliss xx

[Gerda]

Dear Lucy,

it is such a joy to have one's own caravan, I bought my first one when my 18 years old son was about 10 months old. In those days I lived in the middle of Amsterdam, and I longed for a place surrounded with green and trees. And it has given us beautiful memories, live on a camping is quiet and easy going.

I always knit and crochet with wool or cotton, so I'm very curious how it's feeling to crochet with "plastic" yarn (as me and my friend are calling it) Does it feel nice to your hands, not warm and artificiel?
And ofcourse your colours are beautifull again.

[greenrabbitdesigns]

Oh I love your new cushion! As for your lovely new yarn, it's so yummy. :)
Looks like you had a great weekend.
Vivienne x

[Primrose Beresford]

Exactly the same wool I used for one of my granny stripes! - mine are two trebles wide, not like your three. This wool, although acrylic is lovely - not at all splitty and the colours are quite good for acrylic.

(and it washes and shock horror - tumble dries - beautifully, lol)

Here is my version in that wool - the pink Granny vintage stripe:

http://primroseberesford.blogspot.com/search/label/vintage%20granny%20stripe

Best Wishes for yours - I'm sure that it will turn out beautifully like all of your blankets - can't wait to see it.

Rgds
Primrose.

[rachel]

Hi Lucy, you chose the bestest weekend to go caravanning! I am going camping next week to the east coast and you can bet it will be wet and windy but hey, when you have your hook and wool you can be happy whatever the weather! x

madeleinessofa.blogspot.com

[amanda makes]

Hi Lucy! I'm green with envy...what a lovely weekend. Your Granny Stripe looks very interesting. How many balls of yarn do you think it'll take? I'm very tempted to join you! Lots of love, Amanda xxx

[Marlie]

I came across your blog from another blog and I am so glad I did. I have you tucked away in my Google Reader.
The colours you use in your granny squares are such a treat. I am anxiously awaiting your Granny Stripe tutorial and I will gladly follow along with you!

[Alexandra Mason]

What a gorgeous weekend. Lovely yarn photos...the colours are yummy xx

[Melissa P]

So delightful! The Connievan nickname is perfect and sure to add a little extra specialness to all the memories you will be making. Love the yarns for the Granny Stripe too--even the borderline garish ones. They will give an unexpected spice to the project. I am really looking forward to seeing that one completed.

[Erika Sews-it-all]

Ahhhh - your pictures are great! Wonderful yarn colors, love the squares!

[`Kelly]

Oh this makes me so anxious to go camping! But like your evening there in England, things here in Idaho have been very cool and un-Mayish. Well that and the fact that my kids go to year-round school means we still have a few weeks of classes before we can declare our short summer vacation officially here.
I've introduced your blog to a few friends and we were just talking about you & your adorable caravan at our last girls craft night last Friday. Little did we know you were actually enjoying a wonderful camping trip! :)

[Sarah]

How wonderful to just pack up and go away any weekend you like. Sounds like it's working well for you. Are we envious? You bet!

Love all your new colours and your cushion looks wonderful. Well done.

[Karen]

Which colours are these in your basket, I really like the colours you have chosen as I can't make up my mind about which to choose because there are so many available in the range and I can't afford one of each colour lol

[Wendy]

How fantastic!! Love all the pics as usual : ) Look forward to going in our van sometime soon

[Sam Terry]

Hi Lucy. Sam here. Been meaning to leave a comment for a while. You were asking about the merits of Stylecraft Special dk & going over to the "dark side" of acrylic!! I have to say that I have used the Stylecraft Special dk for quite a few items and couldn't be more pleased. It doesn't split, gives good stitch definition, is soft and comes in loads of really fab colours. For an acrylic it washes and tumbles beautifully which is really important if it's being made into something that's going to get some hammer, ie, cushion or blankie. Glad to see you took the gamble - I'm sure it will pay off. The colours you've chosen are just lovely (as usual). Really jealous of your caravan - I'd love to have one. Slight spanner in the works is a hubby who is alergic to camping of any sort!! Take care & have fun. Love Sam Terry, Ashford, Kent

[Emma]

As I finished writing my blog this evening and caught up with some friends on tinternet I thought I will just check again on Lucy(you know when you get a funny feeling) and yes! You had blogged. So it was lovely sharing in your fab weekend whilst enjoying a glass of rose. I am so simply envious and I don't care who knows it hehe! I think your caravan is the bees knees and I can only imagine the fun you are going to have making her all pretty and delightful. I love your name too, it was my Nans name and is my Mothers name(although she tells people it is Ann!!!) Lets hope the weather perks and you are off out again soon x

[Carolina Ellis]

Borderline garish? Not one bit. Those colors are a perfect reflection of your beautiful life and the fact that you are living it to it's fullest. Enjoy!

[Maggie]

The colours look lovely - and you sound like you had a terrific weekend, I love your photographs. Once again thanks for sharing. I always await your news eagerly I can tell you, you make everything sound so wonderful. Thankyou Lucy.

[Mandi]

I think the colors are lovely! I'm envious of your weekend caravaning. I wish that type of activity was more popular here in the states.
I think I will be joining you on your granny stripe adventure. Sadly my colors won't be as nice, as this will be a blanket for our Master Bedroom. More muted tans, creams, greens, reds, yellows and maybe a hint of blue.
But, the curtains I'm about to crochet will be nice and bright to make up for it. :)

[rosecampion]

I have to agree that the colors don't look garish at all to me, not even slightly borderline. But I think one has to have a few colors that look just a bit too bright on their own to make a colorway of them pop in just the right way.

Anyway, the cushion is turning out to be gorgeous and I'm sure the granny stripe will be as well.

And I'm terribly jealous of your caravaning adventures.

[Carolina]

Ahhh... It must be soooo nice to be able to go out for a weekend taking a bit of your home with you ^^
And you are the first person who seems to be as addicted to yarn as I am ^^

Good crocheting time!

[Sarah west mids]

Dear Lucy lovely colours as always. Up to my eyes in assignments this week but it will be half term this weekend so I"ll be able to get some crochet in then.
Enjoy your time at half term with your family. Looking forward to seeing your first blanket for the caravan!!
Love Sarah x

[Jeanette]

Im so jealous---what a wonderful time you had
Looking forward to the pattern -----would love the ride with you J Australia

[Munaiba]

I love to see the piles of multi-coloured yarn balls. Same with fabric. Then I have to force my self to "spoil" it by using it. lol