One of the things that I am told most often by visitors to the Attic is that they find my blog Inspiring. Isn't Inspiration a truly wonderful thing? Both providing it and receiving it (as I do almost every day of my life) is such a thrill. It's one aspect of writing my blog that I never really bargained for when I started out. I never sat and thought "Well now, what I really want to do here is to inspire the creative folk of the world. I want to become an Inspirational Person". Nope, the thought never crossed my mind for one second. I simply had a desire to write words to go with my photographs. Wanted to try and document my life in a way that made me feel creative and productive. It was all very me-me-me, and to a certain extent it still is. I read a comment on my blog recently saying that blogs are often thought of as "Vanity Vehicles"...oh my goodness, I SO laughed at that, cos there is such an element of truth in it!!!
So yes, I can well understand the desire and delight one feels when one is hit with Inspiration. It can be quite an intoxicating experience, and I do often find myself craving it and going in search of it. And there is plenty of it out there for the taking. The World Wide Web, more precisely Blogland, Flickrville and Pinterest are chocka block full of it. There are oodles of inspiring images, words, projects, recipes and patterns waiting out there, waiting to send those creative sparks flying.
Do you like what I'm showing you today? These lush images of gloriously colourful hooky? They're inspiring aren't they?
I made this dear little blanket yesterday, on a complete whim. Whipped it up just like that.
Actually, I am pulling your leg here, I did no such thing. Sorry.
This gorgeous piece of hooky was made by a friend of mine, a friend who knit and occasionally did very complicated stitchy things involving vigorous counting before I taught her to crochet. Just before Christmas she asked my advice about edging a blanket she was doing. Pulled it out of a carrier bag to show me. OH! Oh oh oh OH HOW BEEEEEEEeeeeeaaaaaaaaaauuuuutiful!
I was completely and instantly smitten with her blanket. I recognised the yarn straight away (good ol' Rico Creative Cotton) but the pattern....oh where did the beautiful pattern come from??? It's yours, she said. Na, I don't think so, I said. Yes it is, I'm sure it is, she said. Well now. She happened to be right actually, it is indeed one of my creations, a sample design I worked on way back at the beginning of 2010 but had comletely forgotton about.
Isn't it wonderful, this Circle of Inspiration??? I love it. Love that I was inspired by an old crochet apron, which in turn inspired my friend to make this blanket, which is now inspiring me all over again to make a blanket of Granny Wheels. With deep dark navy edging. And stripes.
Wonderful Inspiration. Where would we be without it?
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Edit to add :: I never had chance at the time to write up the pattern for the Granny Wheel, but I will try and do it for you in the next few weeks.
Dear Amiga Lucy,
You've inspired me to enjoy more my days and live in the present. I always enjoy reading your blog and looking at you pics. I just started a new blanket based on your sweet flower granny blanket. I can tell you that it's already looking good. Thanks for the inspiration and for sharing!
Take care. Hasta Luego,
Gloria x
Posted by: Pattygloria | January 11, 2012 at 09:36 PM
Ohh I can see this is my little guys room… the color is fantastic. You do inspire us all Lucy… I just wish I had color sense-- enough color common sense to come up with these gorgeaous color combos.
thank you again for sharing this with us!
Gabli
Posted by: Gabli | January 11, 2012 at 09:39 PM
It's completely true, you are inspirational. Since I found your blog when I was sick and bored wanting to do something last June, I've seen crochet in a whole new way. The colors you use, the ideas. Crochet can easily move from cool retro to 70's ick with the wrong colors or choice of stitch. Lucy you've brought crochet into the new millennium for me. I need never be afraid of that granny square mini and waist coat my mother made me wear when I was 6 ever again.
Posted by: Kiwi | January 11, 2012 at 09:48 PM
It sure is,beautiful and inspiring.I'm inspired every day by all sorts of things.You never know when or where it will hit you.Then you're off and running with it.Thanks Lucy!:)
Posted by: angela-southern USA | January 11, 2012 at 09:51 PM
OOhhhh Lucy,
I LOVE IT !!!!! That has inspired me for blanket number 2 (once I've finished you know who's ).Remember me saying I needed a blanket pattern to use up my huge stash of odds and ends , well I think I've found it. INSPIRATIONAL!!!!!
Ta ta for now see you Friday Tracy xx
Posted by: tracy | January 11, 2012 at 09:51 PM
Lucy,
I think your " Circle of inspiration" is wonderful too. I also love how colourful your posts are too, they always give us an uplift!
Posted by: Sarah | January 11, 2012 at 09:52 PM
You've gotta face it Luck you have been a very big inspiration to a lot of crocheters out there; just look at the group on Ravelry!
I for one am one such person, I can't remember how or when I came across your blog, I suspect it was finding a granny square pattern, needless to say I reckon I've read every post since and about 80% of everything I've crocheted has been one of your patterns or links!
Thanks for the inspiration, I think my world would be a lot less bright without it :)
Posted by: Nicole | January 11, 2012 at 09:53 PM
Luck = Lucy haha
Posted by: Nicole | January 11, 2012 at 09:53 PM
I'm inspired all over again, now I need a granny wheel blanket,thanks for sharing this beauty Lucy.xxx
Posted by: jbasiletti1967@hotmail.com | January 11, 2012 at 09:55 PM
Very Lovely!
Posted by: DebLynn | January 11, 2012 at 09:56 PM
It's a lovely blanket, I like the colours she's chosen - bright and colourful and set off beautifully by the dark edgings, so refreshing after seeing all the blankets with white backgrounds there are out there -they're lovely too, but have become very familiar, a change is sometimes good.
Posted by: anne@andamento | January 11, 2012 at 09:58 PM
funny! (you know my little sister is hooking because you inspired jane, who inspired me....)
I was reading Vintage Vicki's recent post where she wrote 'I popped over to Lucy's for some inspiration' and she had made exactly the same jar cover as I had popped over and been inspired by the week before (the one you commented on which made me feel like I had a gold star!!! isn't it funny the power you have...I'm a grown woman with reasonable self esteem!)
Lovely post
fee ♥
Posted by: fee@chippernelly | January 11, 2012 at 09:58 PM
Loving the bold colours!
Posted by: Deco Cat | January 11, 2012 at 10:01 PM
Are you on Pinterest? I'd love to follow you there and see what else inspires you.
Posted by: Fiona Nyuli | January 11, 2012 at 10:04 PM
Ooooh, that IS lovely. And I love your title for this post -- so true! You ARE an inspiration, not just your crafts but your enthusiasm for life.
Posted by: del | January 11, 2012 at 10:08 PM
I learnt to crochet as well as knit when I was a child. I always took to crochet more easily. However I never found anything to do with it as apart from my mum who did make some lovely things both for my sister and I and dolls etc, there was no inspiration anywhere! My mum was unable to teach me really as I was a bit weird in how I learnt, so somethings I got and some I didn't which is why I never learnt more from her. I was looking at children's craft books the other day and they were filled with lovely things both children and adults would like. No being fobbed off with uglies as used to be the case. They didn't exist either when my daughter was younger which is a big shame.
Up until a couple of years ago I still didn't use crochet as although I liked doing it and liked the look of some of the stitches my knowledge was so limited. Books were all dull as were magazines. To some degree that is still the case as I think magazines especially are dreadful. Anyway when I went on line it all changed and thanks to blogs like yours, ravelry and flickr the whole thing exploded! So many talented people, so many beautiful things! This inspired me truly, for the first time, as I wanted to make what I saw. So I did. And now I have tons of wonderful images lined up in pinterest and on ravelry and on my computer. So many patterns and ideas. I have learnt so much because at last other people showed me just how wonderful it could be. I am so grateful for that! Because I am making things I have learnt so much in the way of new skills and can make things up a little now if I try and now I have seen 'how' it works.
So thanks to you and everyone who has ever put pictures of all kinds of things out there.
Posted by: Sara | January 11, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Love the beautiful colours!
Posted by: Joan Moore | January 11, 2012 at 10:11 PM
I love the colors your friend chose! I like how inspiration works -- you get an idea from some place, but somehow when you make your own version it becomes uniquely yours.
Posted by: Angela | January 11, 2012 at 10:12 PM
It's wonderful and reminds me of stained glass in the cathedral windows! Love the dark background .. really sets the colour off.
I'm quite new to blogland but you were one of the first blogs I really connected with and follow regularly! It's not just the crochet that is inspirational ... it's how you manage to do so much as a mother to 3 ... all my hooky is after bedtime as my two are very jealous of my yarny projects and dont give me any peace!! xx
Posted by: Sarah | January 11, 2012 at 10:12 PM
Love it, tutorial please!
Posted by: Carolyn | January 11, 2012 at 10:18 PM
What a beautiful blanket, from an obviously lovely friend!!
Your blog is inspirational! It's completely refreshing to see such humbleness to all this beauty and talent.
You are the first to admit that you dislike housework. It's comforting to hear (and sometimes see) when looking up from the laptop at the piles of mess/clutter in my own house.
Thank you for your blog Lucy. It is an inspiration.
Posted by: Rubyted | January 11, 2012 at 10:18 PM
What an excellent post! I like to think of blogs as little nudges. A nudge to consider something new...an idea, a method, a project. Or maybe just a new approach! Lovely.
And a lovely blanket, too.
Posted by: Jan | January 11, 2012 at 10:21 PM
Life would be a very dreary thing without Inspiration. And certainly without your particular version of it.
Posted by: Melissa P | January 11, 2012 at 10:23 PM
Hehe that's so funny how the circle of inspiration comes right back to it's start again! Love it. And love even more that when you said "I made this dear little blanket yesterday...on a complete whim" I actually believed you! In that second before I read the next line I was thinking "my goodness, that Lucy is Superwoman - how does she crochet so damn quick?!"
Have you seen this "granny - a - day" thing some people are doing (from MollieMakes blog I think) where you crochet one granny square a day for 366 days and have a lovely big blanket at the end of it (or 366 squares to crochet together! lol) Almost makes it seem do-able... ;)
Posted by: Emma | January 11, 2012 at 10:30 PM
Well inspirational you are my dear!!!
Best wishes
Jane
Posted by: jane | January 11, 2012 at 10:36 PM