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Summer 2022 :: A Yarny Trip

During July I was lucky enough to enjoy three trips away from home - one of them was a family holiday just a fortnight ago (can't wait to share that with you!), but for the other two jaunts it was just me, myself and I. With J working from home and the Little People being of an age where they are pretty low maintenance, it's possible for me to take off for a few days here and there without too much to organise. I count myself very lucky to have a really supportive hubby who always encourages me to enjoy time away when I need/want it and I appreciate it a lot. Like, a LOT-a-lot.

As you will have seen by the title of this post, this particular trip involved yarn and I needed to hop on and off two trains, then in and out of a taxi to get to my destination. Train travel is a bit of a hit and miss affair right now in the UK and very rarely runs smoothly. Trains seem to be breaking down on the regular, staff shortages cause all sorts of last minute delays and cancellations and the unusually hot weather has played havoc too. So it took me rather a long time to get to where I needed to be....

...which was this amazing, historic boutique hotel down in the very middle of the country close to Birmingham.

I arrived hot, weary and late, the last one to join the table in fact.....

...but I was sooooooo happy to see some familiar smiley faces waiting for me. Hellooooooo Blogstars and lovely Stylecraft peeps, how I have missed you all!!!! You can see me in the above photo (bottom left) smiling widely with an ice cold drink in my hand, soaking up the chatter and laughter and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. We were a smaller group than usual as many of the  blogstars were unable to make it this time. But let me introduce you around the table - there's me bottom left, then moving clockwise around we have Sophie (Stylecraft), Helen Shrimpton (Crystals and Crochet), Bronagh (Stylecraft), Janie (Jane Crowfoot), Catherine (Catherine's Crochet Corner), Phil (who is hiding a bit - she's The Twisted Yarn) and Lucia (Lucia's Fig Tree). And taking the photo is Juliet who's part of the Stylecraft team and was the ninth seat in our party.

It's been a good long while since I was able to meet up with these yarny friends of mine, back in those long ago days before Covid put some huge spanners into all of our social works. Looking through my bloggy archives tells me it was in fact three years ago in 2019, can this be true? Well however long it's been, it really did feel good to be back in such creative company. We enjoyed a delicious evening meal and I personally also enjoyed the tremendous luxury of having a double bed all to myself, yes, it's often the little pleasures which unexpectedly feel like such a treat.

The following morning before breakfast I took a quiet stroll around the hotel grounds which were really lovely. This is a very ancient old building with over four hundred years of history, and in the peace of an early summers morning it was very atmospheric. But old stone walls and tall chimneys aside, there's yarny business to attend to so I better head inside and see what's on the agenda.

In case you were wondering, the Stylecraft Blogstars are a group of crochet and knitting designers who share their love of the craft across various social media platforms (not just blogs, but also Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Ravelry etc). We all really enjoy using Stylecraft yarns and it's been great to see this well loved UK yarn brand grow and expand over the years. There are currently seventeen designers in the Blogstars group and you can find us all listed on the Stylecraft website ((here)). 

The first part of the meeting is always a catch up session where we find out what we're all working on and what plans are in place for the year ahead. Often times when you see a new project released by a crochet/knit designer, it will have been many months (and sometimes years) in the making. It's exciting for us to be able to talk through our plans when they are still in the early baby stages and kept secret from the world at large.

The second part of the morning is all about Stylecraft and we are given a presentation where we gain insight into the year ahead in terms of design trends. This is where we learn about colour palette predictions, fashion shapes and details, and general "moods" for garments and interiors. The Stylecraft team also showcase their new yarns and patterns for the upcoming season  as well as any new colour additions to existing ranges. In the above photo you can see one of the brand new yarns that has just launched (I did double check that I'm safe to show you, because it would be just like me to get the dates totally wrong!)

To be honest with you, most of the new yarns are really lovely but not necessarily yarns that I would personally use, being more suited to knitting or to making garments. It's still fascinating to find out about them though, and we do get to fondle actual balls and have a really good squish. We are also given yarn wraps (shown above) so that we have reference to all the colours in new ranges to help with design decisions and to spark inspiration. In the above photo you can also see another of the brand new yarns which has just launched - this is called Colour Twist and is such a clever yarn made up from different coloured strands twisted together.

One thing I am always interested in, without question, is colour. Colour palettes form the beating heart of all my crochet designs and it's the very first thing I think about when I'm starting something new. In the above photo I was attaching the final squares to my blanket (yes, it's perfectly OK to crochet and have a meeting simultaneously), but in the background you can see a lot of yarn out on the table. We had been discussing the possibility of adding some new colours to an existing range of Stylecraft yarn and I am always, always up for this kind of chat. Colour, colour, colour, yes, let me at it!

I have to say, the team at Stylecraft who make the colour decisions are extremely talented and have art-based backgrounds, so every single range of yarn is always very well balanced and carefully thought out in terms of colour. However, it's still an exciting thing when we get asked for input from a design point of view and can help add some lovely new shades which we'll all be able to create with in future.

After lunch it's time for some gentle creativity and new skill learning, and at this meeting we were treated to a workshop by our very own Jane Crowfoot. We were taught how to add beads to our crochet which is one of Janes trademark design elements and something I've always wanted to learn.

My goodness, it's clever!!! Right from the start when Jane taught us how to actually get those teeny glass beads onto our DK weight cotton yarn, my mind was blown - did I mention how clever it is??! 

Jane actually has a video tutorial for this technique over on the Tube if you're interested in learning - you can find it by clicking the following link : {Janes beaded crochet tutorial}

We followed one of Janes patterns for a beaded flower motif and they turned out soooooo pretty!

If you are interested in using beads in your work, Jane recommends using these very pretty glass beads by knitting designer Debbie Abrahams, they come in around 30 different colours I think and you can find them online ((here)). 

The day passed by so quickly and soon it was time for us to pack up, say our goodbyes and head homewards. I generally enjoy train travel very much and find a lot of value in being gifted time to just sit quietly as you pass through changing landscapes, towns and cities. On this journey I was travelling up the backbone of England, through parts of the West Midlands, Derbyshire and into South Yorkshire, then finally tipping into my home county of North Yorkshire. It's always a sweet moment when I spy my hill view and know that I'm getting close to home.

My trains were delayed and running very slooooow, so it was almost eight o'clock in the evening by the time I was walking from the station towards home. The canalside always feels especially peaceful and still after the constant movement of a travel day...

....and I'm always glad to stop and catch my breath at the top of the steep hill climb and admire my familiar view.

Home.

I took a few photos of my finished beaded flower to show you, isn't it pretty? The whole technique of adding beads to crochet has lots of potential and I love the extra decorative element it adds.

Well I think that's a wrap and hopefully you've enjoyed a little insight into the "working" part of my life as a crochet and colour addict. A big thank you to Stylecraft for gifting us the opportunity to meet and enjoy such a happy, yarn-infused time, I'm already looking forward to the next get together.

⇧⇧ I've got some salty seaside tales to share with you next......yes, July was a very, very good month

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Summer Snaps :: July 2022

♥ a rose blooming just outside my front door.....I'm gifting it directly to you, to say thank you! I've just been reading through all the wonderful comments after my last post, such beautiful words and such lovely sharing of news and happy chat and just thank you, thank you...SO much....for taking the time to write to me in the comments. I read and treasure them all, they bring a lot of joy in through my Attic window xx

OK....on with the July snaps.....

♥ a single rose bringing instant happiness into the room, making my heart sing

♥ hot sun, blue skies and fluffy clouds - July weather was a dream come true

♥ in the heat of the summer I was drawn to the quiet shallow waters of the riverside

♥ I can never resist a pretty feather and found four stunning duck feathers on this river beach

♥ enjoying someone else's roses on an evening walk to the meadow

♥ dreamy, slow evening walks at the end of a hot summers day, warm and golden

♥ the summer meadow is in full tilt, swaying with tall grasses and eye catching seed heads

♥ taking a little time to sit, savouring the golden moment of quiet and still. It's 8.30pm in the above photo, the stuff of my winter dreams.

♥ an intense heat wave came and went, we reached 33 degrees (in the 90's!) here in my patch and honestly, I loved it

♥ morning walks with the fam, enjoying the summer warmth and clear views

♥ evening walks just me and Little B, a gentle stroll across dry fields and along quiet country lanes

♥ still enjoying my daily morning coffee break with J, sitting outside in the café garden making the most of the sunshine

♥ many of my meals eaten outside too, I'm sure they taste better this way?!

♥ working away on my latest crochet blanket, falling madly in love with it all over again

♥ this yarn, these colours = cosy, snuggly joy!

♥ this kitty, checking that all is well with the yarn and taking it very seriously by the looks of it.

I know I haven't shown you very much of this blanket in progress, it's been a crazy journey and at times I've felt quite unsure of it to be honest. But now that I am almost at the end (I'm finally on the edge!), well, I am just head over heels in love. It's one of the snuggliest blankets I've ever made, and seems to glow with warmth and cosy vibes. This week I'm starting on the lengthy process of photographing a tutorial and creating a full colour printed pattern for the blanket kit which will be available in September.

So that was July - it was a beautiful month full of sunshine, heat and glorious summer vibes and I tried my best to soak up every golden minute of it. And now that we're all caught up with the ordinary day-to-day snippets of the month, I'm looking forward to sharing my trips away with you. I had a good many wonderful, happy, memorable summer days in July, so much summery goodness came my way and I'm beyond thankful for it. I feel rested and recharged and excited to see what August brings.

Thank you as always for your most excellent company here, I appreciate your visits so very much. More soon!

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Summer Snaps :: end of June 2022

♥ Enjoying evening walks with the sun still golden in the sky at 8pm

♥ The bright cheerfulness of sweet williams on my table

♥ A glorious, long sunny walk with J around Hebden Bridge

♥ Stopping for refreshments towards the end of the aforementioned long sunny walk

♥ More beautiful evening strolls (this was summer solstice)

♥ Making a big batch of elderflower cordial which was delicious as always

♥ Putting ice on my sprained wrist after a ridiculous comedy fall out of the bath. Talk about painful.

♥ Love her. She's such a diva, but she's ours and she is so well loved.

♥ First baking I've done in ages, a banana loaf with sultanas and apricots - yumm.

♥ Weird, heavy stormy weather and high temperatures - I've LOVED it!

♥ Hellooooooooooooooooo....... :)♥

How have you all been? All good here mostly, we are swinging through the summer at high speed and I thought to myself this morning that I really feel the pull to be present here again to write/share so that I don't forget all the goodness that's been happening in the beautiful day to day of full summer.

So this is the start of some catching up, a little collection of snaps which take us through the end of June. It was mostly glorious, the highlight being the weather and all the amazing warmth and sunshine we were blessed with, the summer solstice (the 5th photo of the canal, it was soooooo sunny for solstice this year!) and the end of Little Lady's A levels....lots to be thankful for.

The major low point for me was a stupid fall which had me sprawled across the bathroom floor with my wrist taking the brunt of it. My goodness the pain was something else, and I spent a good few weeks feeling very sorry for myself, especially as it was my right wrist. Luckily after the third week I had more or less recovered and could at last manage to crochet again (YAY!) 

I've almost finished my latest blanket, just dithering on the edge of it, as is the norm. I cannot wait to show you, it's turned out so, so, so beautifully, way better than I ever imagined. I'm quite obsessed with it, seriously. I'm actually wearing it right now, folded in half and draped around my shoulders like an oversized shawl because suddenly after a warm humid day I was feeling a little chilly sat here. 

July is at an end and it's been a busy month for me with three different trips away. I took a gazillion photos this month, I've just spent the past hour uploading them to my laptop and organising them into folders. Would you like knowing about my July jaunts do you think? Because I would really enjoy sharing them with you. Do chat to me in the comments, tell me your highs and lows and how you've been, I'd love to hear....

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ps I'm so glad you popped in to visit.....thank you, thank you xx

 

 

 

And so into June

So here we are, racing through June at such a pace I can hardly catch my breath. Just this morning I happened to catch sight of the date and was astounded to find out that we are already in the middle of the month and goodness me, the Summer Solstice is less than a week away! Say what???!!! I remember it was just the same last year, so maybe this is what May-June feels like at this time in my life? I think it's because our winter season seems to take foreeeeeveeer to be over and done with, that once Spring finally arrives it rushes in and out like a flood tide. 

Towards the end of May my Dad and Lady B journeyed all the way from Dorset to visit for a week, it was a holiday that had been postponed since 2020. Back then in pre-covid times my Dad's memory and general health was very much more robust, so I was a little worried about how he would cope with the lengthy train travel and also being out of his usual environment and routine. Lets just say it was a challenge - whether he was really aware of it or not I'm unsure, but his level of general confusion was pretty heart breaking. So yeah, it was a very intense week, not stressful as such, but highly emotional and draining nevertheless. 

On top of the worry about my Dad's health decline, I also tend to experience a surge of emotions at this time of year - ever since I lost my Mum five years ago, the month of May weighs heavy on me. I'm the kind of person who tends to deal with these things silently and inwardly which is probably not the best way, but keeping everything tightly wrapped up is just the way I am. I'm still trying to come to terms with many things to do with my Mum and the way her life came to a very sad and abrupt end, gosh this kind of deep rooted stuff isn't easy is it?

Anyhow, I'm not here to dig into my past because my childhood and my relationship with my parents has always been quite the messy tangle which I keep locked down tight, but I did just want to let you know a little of what I've been going through lately. Thankfully these times never seem to last for long and I'm pretty adept at bouncing back - boing! I'm here, it's mid June with summer almost upon us and all is warm and well.

At the beginning of June the UK commemorated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and as such we were treated to a four day bank holiday weekend. The weather was mixed (of course it was) but it mostly held dry if a bit on the chilly-breezy side. The town was hugely busy with visitors, both on the pavements and the waterways and I love the hustle and bustle of a high season holiday weekend when the atmosphere is joyful and celebratory.

On my friendly little street with it's terraced houses all tucked together in close proximity, we collectively organised a laid back Jubilee street party. We applied to the council for a permit to close the road to traffic, hung up strings of red, white and blue bunting and gathered together enough food and drink to feed a small army.

It was a lot of fun just being able to sit in the middle of the road and chat to neighbours from up and down the street, most of whom we did already know (thirty houses in total). There was cake....

....and of course there was Pimms served in paper cups. It was really ever so British and made me remember how very much I love Pimms (and cake) in the summertime.

May and early June is such a l-u-s-h time in the countryside and the abundance of greenery and general floral frothiness has really lifted my spirits lately. 

My daily morning walks in the woodland have continued to keep me simultaneously grounded and uplifted and I'm so thankful for this place that I call home.

Up until this week, the weather has been unseasonably cold (and very windy) during the past few months. I really hope that Summer will bring plenty of warmth and sunshine as I desperately feel a need for both.

I've been keeping an eye on the elderflowers around and about as I'm hoping to make a nice big batch of cordial again this year. The above photo was taken nine days ago, and since then most of the bushes I walk past are now in full floral froth. It's a glorious time of year and I absolutely love to (literally) bottle it up - I'll go and buy the sugar, lemons and oranges tomorrow so that I can get busy with it over the weekend if it stays dry. The recipe is on my blog here >> {Elderflower Cordial recipe, scroll down through the long-winded chatty blog post to find it}

What else to tell you? Building work finished here early last week, resulting in the safe dismantling of an old disused chimney stack and the back wall of our house being repaired and repointed. We asked the builders if they could leave the actual chimney pot for us as I thought it would be fun to plant something in it - my goodness, we were totally unprepared for the monstrous size of it, it's gigantic! It must stand four feet tall and was on top of a stack of heavy stone which was as high again - imagine, an eight foot tall chimney sitting very precariously on top of our bathroom roof, it blows my mind every time I think about it.

Our back yard is still in disarray because the scaffolding hasn't yet come down. I'm impatiently waiting for that to happen and then I can get busy with cleaning and tidying and planting up my pots for the summer.

The past few weeks I've been in full Mum-mode, supporting Little Lady as she revises and sits her A level exams. I think she's doing remarkably well in terms of managing both her time and her wellbeing, putting in many hours of revision and coping with a certain inevitable level of daily anxiety. She's only got two more exams left to do now, so next Tuesday I anticipate there will be much rejoicing, and I will finally be able to breathe out again.

This past week or two I've been working steadily away behind the scenes, finalising the colour palette for my next CAL blanket which will be revealed in November. I generally work around five months in advance which can be quite challenging for someone like me who much prefers the do-it-right-now spontaneous approach. Ahhhh......I can't wait to show you more, so exciting! I'm now working on the stitch design and it's been the usual frustrating, stop-start affair, but I spent a good few hours noodling with yarn and hook today and think I'm finally getting somewhere.

Goodness knows how many hours I've spent at the dining table during these past few weeks as it takes a LOT of time to work through the colour and pattern design process for one of my blankets. My whole heart and soul goes into each and every blanket and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well I think that's about all for now, I hope you are doing ok out there in the world and enjoying these mid year months. Despite the emotional ups and downs, this really is my very best favourite time of year by far.

Thanks as always for popping into the Attic to visit, it's always so good to be here for a chat and a catch up....see you again soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

This Week...

This week...the Huntress wore a delightful Spring dress decorated with fresh wild garlic flowers and it made me smile big and wide.

This week...I enjoyed coffee in the park with a good friend, loving the sunshine on my face while we chatted and caffeinated.

This week...I received a beautifully wrapped gift in the post, a surprise from a very generous friend. It turned out to be the most inspirational book, I promise I'll show it to you very soon because I think you'd like it.

This week...I enjoyed running errands on a gorgeously warm and sunny spring afternoon. Walking to the shops is always a visual pleasure and I often feel like I'm on holiday as I go about my quiet business.

This week...there was a lot of  noise (and mess) as we have builders doing emergency work on the back of our house. That glorious old chimney stack is going to come down because its leaning dangerously, and the whole of the back wall is being repaired.

This week...I admired the old Yorkshire stone that our century old house is built from. I'm looking forward to seeing it repointed and brought back to life.

This week...yesterday in fact, I took my Little Lady out to breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed both the food and her good natured, chatty company.

This week...my Little Lady officially left school to begin her A level study leave and it's proving to be a highly emotional time for yours truly, unexpectedly so. She dressed up so beautifully for her farewell celebrations and it reminded me of this long-ago post when she was just four years old. And now....she's eighteen and no longer a school girl. All the Mummy feels, alllllll of them.

This week...I finally finished my umpteenth round of sampling and came to a decision about my latest blanket. It needs reworking with a bigger hook size and less colour changes, so I'm preparing to start all over again from scratch. Weirdly I'm not unhappy about starting over (I'd already made about a quarter of the blanket), I'm just excited to get busy with it again.

This week...I tried hard to find the joy in my working-from-home situation. It's been noisy with the builders knocking seven bells out of the back wall and the whole house needs a good tidy and clean. Everything has felt a bit overwhelming this week to be honest. But the kitty has been such a sweet companion and despite the messy chaos, I felt grateful for this rather haphazard home-based working life of mine.

I hope your week has been a good'n' - tell me something you're grateful for, I'd love to know....

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Spring Joy

After a long winter, the spring season has exploded all of a sudden here in my patch and it really is quite something. Despite the temperatures often remaining very wintry, it's been utterly beautiful and I've been out there drinking it in at every opportunity.

The blossom in the park reached it's peak at the start of May and it was absolutely breath taking this year. During my early morning walks I would stand underneath those floral branches and sigh with pleasure. They filled me with joy every single morning (even in the drizzle).

I went for a little rummage in the antique centre one morning and realised it had been a good few years since I'd last been in. It's a very quirky old place set across three floors, kind of ramshackle and chaotic with an old fashioned, nostalgic atmosphere. It's a wonderful place for a poke about as you never know what you might find - I picked out this teeny old glass bottle for £2 and it was love at first sight. It's perfect to display some miniature spring blooms, and yeah I'm a bit in love with that cute little viola too.

Do you remember me telling you a while back that I've got some new bedding? I've wanted to change my bedding for ages as my bargain £10 supermarket set has faded a lot with constant wash and wear over the years and was looking very tired. As I only ever own one set at a time, it's important to me that I really, really like it because it will be on my bed all the time for many years to come.

I fancied something relaxed that had the look of faded linen and I fell for this Pyjama Stripe design which has exactly the relaxed holiday vibe that I was after. It's not actually linen but is 100% cotton so it feels ever so soft, and I bought some blush pink linen covers for our second set of pillows. It occurred to me when I was plumping my pillows that my Dune blanket would go really well with this new look, adding to the coastal feel. It's inspiring me to think about decorating and refreshing our bedroom, it's about time we gave that room a bit of attention I think.

May weather so far has been very mixed, and in amongst the unseasonal cold we've had a few warm sunny days here and there. You can be sure that I've been out and about making the most of it and we enjoyed our first al fresco morning coffee of the year a few weeks ago. One of our favourite cafés has the cutest little courtyard garden for customers to enjoy, and it felt so good to be sitting outside enjoying the early spring warmth. 

The past couple of Sundays we've taken a local walk along the canal, setting out quite early before the tow path gets busy with cyclists and walkers. We have a good reason to walk this way, and that reason has feathers......

......which belong to this flock of chickens!

They free roam in this large field right next to the canal, and close to the farmhouse there is a wooden stand where you can put money into a little flowery tin and pick up a box of eggs. It's one of the joys of living in a rural area, and being able to see the chickens looking so happy and content going about their clucky business makes the eggs extra special.

The eggs in question are very fresh and are excellent for poaching because the whites hold together in a very satisfying blob (if you've ever made poached eggs using this method, you will know the utter satisfaction of whites that hold tight).

The yolks are super-golden.....

....and make my oat pancakes turn out bright yellow. As a result of our canal side jaunts, my Sunday brunch meals have mostly been of the eggy variety, and have made me very content with weekend life.

I'm getting a lot of joy from food at the moment, there is something deeply satisfying about making a meal for one that sits beautifully in a bowl and looks colourful and nourishing.

This was my lunch on Monday, a roasted sweet potato and chickpea salad with a simple olive oil/lemon juice/maple syrup dressing that really hit the spot. The secret ingredient was little snippets of sundried tomatoes, gosh, the flavours were something else.

J and I are walking every morning still, and have gone back to our woodland route now that mud season is over.

The wild garlic is in full flower and looks unbelievably beautiful at the moment. I think any flowers en masse have a really striking effect and although I get to see this spectacle every single year, I can never quite get over the sheer abundance of it.

The flowers are so, so pretty, and don't get me started on the heady scent in the woodland after a night of rain....I can't find words to do it justice.

On the morning when I was taking the wild garlic photos above, I came across a huuuuuuuge feather just laid in the middle of the pathway waiting for me. It was absolutely pristine and so big, just like you would imagine an old fashioned ink quill pen to look. I can't imagine what bird it would have come from as it's way bigger than any feather you'd expect to find in the woods. Any ideas?

Tilly was beside herself with the Wanties so I've had to hide it from her for now because I just know she would have hunted it down if it joined my feather collection on the mantel. Yes, I have a feather collection - of course I do. In fact, if you cast your eyes downwards and look at the photo below, you'll see it on the left of the mantel next to my Observer books....

.....do you see the feathers? Or were you too mesmerised by my gorgeous tulips!?! It's a good time of year for shop-bought tulips, they are plentiful and affordable and I really love having them on my table.

Talking of tulips, I came across something last month which I've squirrelled away in my brain for next year - a possible visit to an actual tulip field here in England, wouldn't that be something? The field in question is down in Norfolk and opens to the public for a few weeks each year to raise money for charity...oh my heart....I pretty much hyperventilated with excitement when I saw the photos. The open season is ticketed and in high demand I think, so it's a trip that needs careful planning with some good fortune thrown in. 

Ahh, it's been really good to catch up with you here in the Attic, I love sharing snippets of this and that, the little joys that make up my days. The spring season is extremely short here in the north of England because we have such lengthy winters, but in a way it makes them even more special. I hope you're enjoying this season too, and finding lots of little joys in your own days xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

English Bluebells

The bluebells are spectacular this year and I'm so glad that I got to walk through the woods at Bolton Abbey last week to enjoy them at peak floral perfection. All that glorious colour to feast on, I was absolutely beside myself. Native English bluebells are such a stunning deep purply blue (darker than their Spanish cousins), and every single year I forget how wonderful that particular colour is, then fall in love with it all over again.

I read recently that almost half of all the world’s bluebells can be found in the British Isles, apparently our damp climate provides the perfect environment for them to thrive. Isn't that something? Having read that, it makes me love them even more, if that's possible.

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Stylecraft Blogstars Garden Party

Ever since Stylecraft first introduced their new range of organic cotton yarn it has been a firm favourite of mine. If you've not had the opportunity to give it a squish yet or try it out on your own hook or needles, then you have to trust me when I tell you it is absolutely beautiful to work with.

And don't get me started on the colours.....I mean, just look at the above photo, aren't they the most delicious shades? There are 38 colours in total (which includes black and white) and I think they are the perfect mix of cheery brights, pretty neutrals and soft pastels. This cotton has become my go-to yarn when I want to whip up something decorative.

So today is all about a project I've been working on with some of my talented fellow Stylecraft Blogstars, a collaboration of sorts to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and summer in general. We named it the Blogstars Garden Party, and will be bringing you a "feast of festival patterns" inspired by outdoor living, warm summer days and tea parties in the garden. Starting from today and then every other day, there will be new patterns released by the Blogstars which include bunting, placemats, tea cosies, table runners, mandalas and cupcakes....oh, you really are in for a treat!

Lucky me, I get to be the first in line, so may I officially welcome you to the Garden Party, I'm sure you're going to have a lovely time. 

As the patterns are revealed during the next few weeks, you'll notice that each designer has used their own unique palette of colours (and yarns) but they all fit beautifully together as a collection. Our brief was very wide (my favourite kind!) and the only specifications were that we use a pretty pastel colour palette and come up with something decorative that would fit a garden party theme.

I chose six shades of Stylecraft Yarns Naturals Organic Cotton DK :

Bone, Peppermint, Artichoke, Citron, Coral, Papaya

I adore these colours together, they evoke summertime and warmth and are perfect for the project I had dreamed up inside my Creative Mind.

So would you like to see what I came up with?

TINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Of course I did. I don't know where the idea came from but it flew into my head one morning and would not be shifted no matter how hard I tried. So tins it had to be.

It's a simple concept - I figured I could crochet some pretty pastel jackets to fit around everyday food tins that would normally find their way into the recycle bin. I had the idea that the prettified tins could be used on the garden party table to display  flowers, or to hold napkins and cutlery, or even as a container for some fresh herbs (I was thinking mint would be nice, you know, for your Mojito or Pimms)

I set to work straight away, working on the first design that had come to life inside my mind. I actually had more than one idea fighting for my attention, so I ended up making three different designs using the same set of six colours.

Would you like to see them?

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There you go!

Aren't the colours pretty?

Yes, the lacey edged one is especially lovely I think.

Haha - I am teasing you really, because the above photo is the backside of my creations.

Shall we turn them over so you can see the front?

OK....

Here they come.....

.....Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These are my Summertime Tins - they are very Attic24-ish I think, and I couldn't love them more. 

I know they look a bit weird in their flattened out state, so I took some more photos to show you them hugging their tins.

Do you remember me showing you these gorgeous flowers back in March? I bought them especially to take photographs of my tins and chose the colours to match the crochet.

Ahhhhhhhh, don't they look fab? I'm so pleased with how they turned out.

Lets take a closer look at each one...

↑↑ This one is named FLORA, because the large flower in the centre is a design that I've used a few times before, and it's called Flora's Flower.

I added some leaves and a couple of smaller flowers to make a summer posy, and with the soft blue and cream striped background I think it works well.

↑↑ This one is called the LACE TRIM tin, for obvious reasons. It's actually a neat design - the lacey trim is worked from the wrong side, then folded over at the top so that the right side comes to the front.....

....isn't it pretty? I've actually got this tin on my shelf at the moment with crochet hooks and pens in, it makes such a cute little storage solution.

↑↑ I've saved my favourite tin till last, please say hello to the ✿ FLOWER LADY ✿

She was the first thing that came to mind when I thought about designing tin covers and I absolutely adore her.

I made her a little frill to go around her stripy top, and decorated her with two little flowers. Originally I was going to stitch flowers all the way around like a crown, but in my head I always saw this tin with real flowers in it. So I simply decided to let the real flowers do most of the decorative work.....

.....Ta-dah!!!!

This was so much fun to design and make, and I hope you love her as much as I do.

As always, I've opted to keep my patterns freely available for you all. I've created a very lengthy full photo-heavy tutorial to help encourage beginners, and there is also a 7-page PDF pattern which you can download/print if you wish. Both are FREE and will stay here on my blog for you to access whenever you like. I've named the pattern Summertime Tins, so if you're looking for it in my alphabetical list in the left hand sidebar ← then it starts with S.

✿ SUMMERTIME TIN TUTORIAL ✿

✿ DOWNLOAD PDF PATTERN ✿

Photo Credit : Stylecraft Yarns

Now the good folks at Stylecraft Yarns did something very special for us Blogstars (and for you too) and arranged a professional photoshoot to showcase the Garden Party projects. I'll be honest, I had no idea what to expect and thought it might just be a table with all of our crochet and knitted things arranged together.

When we were sent the above moodboard a few weeks ago I couldn't believe my eyes - WOW - just wow.

The photos are incredibly atmospheric and very beautifully styled, bringing the whole feeling of a summer garden party to life.

Photo Credit : Stylecraft Yarns

I literally squealed out loud when I noticed the gorgeous model holding one of my tins!!!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!!! I was so, so excited, it made me feel like I was a Professional Designer and I can tell you that I very rarely feel that way. 

Photo Credit : Stylecraft Yarns

So to say I was thrilled with how the photos came out is a massive understatement, I think they look crazy-beautiful and do a great job in bringing together all the different designs that the Blogstars worked so hard on.

I know this has turned into a long-winded post, so I hope you're still with me at this point because I've got a few more things to tell you.

Firstly, Stylecraft is holding a little giveaway competition where each day of the blog tour, there will be a chance for one lucky winner (and a friend) to win the yarn to make the featured pattern of the day. In my case today, the yarn bundle will be the six balls of Organic Cotton for you to make my Summertime Tins - you need to hop over to the Stylecraft page on Facebook to enter >>

https://www.facebook.com/stylecraftyarn

Photo Credit : Stylecraft Yarns

Secondly, if you feel inspired to make any of the Garden Party projects featured in the coming days and wish to share on social media (please, please do show us what you're making!) then please could you tag your photos with the following hashtag >>

#stylecraftgardenparty

This will allow us to find your work and share it with others. Thank you so much.

Now it's time for me to tell you about who is coming next in the Garden Party tour - say HeLLo to the lovely Julia who is the talented designer and author behind "Hand Knitted Things". 

You can find her blog here >> https://handknittedthings.blogspot.com/  and she is @handknittedthings on Instagram. Julia will be sharing her project with you in two days time, on Thursday 12th May.

↑↑ Here is a little taster for you - she's chosen the most perfect palette of Stylecraft Special DK for her knitting design, I'm sure you're going to love it.

Ah, all this excitement has sent me into a giddy spin, and I think I'm going to need a little lie down now. I really hope you've enjoyed seeing what's been on my hook and in my mind of late, and I'd be thrilled if you felt like making your own tins to pop pretty things in. Here are the links again for you >>

✿ SUMMERTIME TIN TUTORIAL ✿

✿ DOWNLOAD PDF PATTERN ✿

Thank you as always for your most excellent company, and don't forget to visit with Julia on Thursday,

Lots of love, and happy Summertime hooking!

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Dorset :: Easter 2022

Last month, on the second Friday in April, I took myself off on the train to travel down to Dorset. It's a pretty easy journey really, but it's a long one. The first three hours take me south to London, then there's a trek across the city via the underground, followed by another three hours or so out west to Dorset. Three over ground trains, two underground trains and a car journey, we're talking eight hours from door to door.

I really enjoy solo train travel though, I love the steady rhythm of being on the tracks, the endless views of the landscape through the window, and the time to sit and think about things. Sometimes I crochet or listen to music, but most often I prefer to just sit quietly and listen to the dialogue running inside my head. It can be very insightful to see where your mind wanders when you're sitting still and tuning in.

Six o'clock in the evening and I've arrived at Lady B's, a bit travel weary but in good spirits. The sun is shining, the bluebells are blooming in her walled garden.....

....and a chilled glass of vino arrives in front of me. Cheers!

The last few trips I've made to Dorset by myself, I've chosen to stay at my Dad's house which is where I lived aged 10-18 as well as being there during the holidays of my four student years. It's a peaceful house situated at the top of a hill with long distance views out across the countryside, and staying there by myself is nothing short of blissful. The solitude and quiet stillness feels like a huge luxury, and I especially enjoy the early mornings when I can sit in my old bedroom with a steaming hot mug of tea and the above familiar view from my childhood.

My first morning in Dorset was warm and sunny, and being a Saturday I was looking forward to having a potter around the market and shops. My Dad's house is a mile out of the town which means an enjoyable twenty minute walk  - these are familiar streets which I must have walked hundreds of times over the years.

Bridport street market is always very busy and well attended on a Saturday and it has a different feel to the market here in Skipton. Many of the stalls are an eclectic mix of vintage furniture, collectibles and crafts so there is always an interesting selection of objects to browse.

I loved seeing this French stall selling colourful "Savon de Marseille" soaps and the most beautiful straw baskets, it reminded me of my trip to Provence all those years ago. It probably won't surprise you to hear that I reeeeeeally wanted to buy myself one of the baskets to bring home, but at the time I couldn't justify the spend, or think of an easy way to carry it home on five trains. Next time I'm there (in July hopefully), I may not be able to resist.

All that browsing and pottering got me thirsty so Lady B and I settled ourselves into a cosy window seat in her favourite local café and ordered up some much needed refreshment. I had a cappuccino (made with very good Italian coffee) and a slice of the most delicious orange and almond cake. Probably a gazillion calories right there on that plate (and subsequently partying inside my tummy) but ooooh, it was so, so good. Excellent cake should always be eaten on holiday in my humble opinion.

I spotted these incredible flowers sitting in a bucket outside the wholefood shop and they literally stopped me in my tracks. Home grown flowers tied with string are impossibly lovely, and at £2 a bunch I scooped them right up and bought them for Lady B.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing in the garden and spending some time with my Dad, which included an afternoon jaunt to the local pub to enjoy a drink sitting in the sunny beer garden. It's not easy to be with my Dad at the moment, and I had to dig deep to find all my patience and stay calm. I love him dearly, but my goodness he is a very difficult human being!

I took the above photo as I was walking home for the night at around 9pm. Gosh the sky was incredibly beautiful with so many stars, I just stood still for a while with my head thrown back getting lost in the endlessness of it all.

Sunday morning and I was awake early enough to see the sun rise over the horizon at around 6:30am. As you can probably tell it was a very chilly start with a hard ground frost, but the clear sky promised a bright sunny day ahead.

I decided on the spur of the moment to claim the morning for myself, and with that came a huge rush of excited energy. Time alone to walk, think and just relax with my own company suddenly seemed like absolute perfection and I couldn't wait to get out and enjoy it. The above photo was taken at 8:10 am and I'm setting out to walk the three miles down to the sea.

Remember that poem I mentioned a while back, just before I set off for Dorset?

"I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied"

I can't tell you how deeply I feel the pull to be beside the shoreline, and just like in the poem I'm simply not able to resist the clear call. Lets go, it may not be denied!

The walk to the sea is a route that I know extremely well, having walked it so many times since being a child.

It was a sunny Sunday morning and everywhere was still sleepy and quiet as I strolled down familiar roads and pathways...

...stopping to appreciate the flowers...

...and following the river as it meandered through fields.

It struck me that Spring was in full swing in Dorset, a good few weeks ahead of us here in chilly North Yorkshire.

It took me just under an hour to get to the coast and the first glimpse of the harbour made my heart soar. 

I love this little place so, so much!

As always, I took my self right around the harbour and straight down to sit on west beach, to have the pebbles beneath me and feel my soul breathe out. I don't know why, but it always feels important for me to do this, like a small personal ritual of mine. 

Sitting on these pebbles somehow makes me feel at peace, like I've come home again. I sat here for quite a while listening to the rush of the waves breaking onto the shore which is one of my all time favourite things to do. On this early Sunday morning I had the whole beach to myself which felt like quite a treat.

Eventually my tummy began to rumble and I remembered that I hadn't yet had breakfast. Time to get up and go in search of good coffee and a bite to eat.

Back around the harbour I went, all the way round to the beach on the other side....

....where one of my favourite cafés was just getting ready to open.

Ahhhhh, just what I needed! It felt a bit strange to be there on my own at first as I'm usually at this café with J and the Little People, but I soon settled into my own company and didn't feel in the least bit bothered by dining solo. My breakfast was very good, the coffee even more so.

It's often the case that you don't realise quite how much you need solo time until you are actually right in the unexpected middle of it. This was one of those such times, and I felt very grateful for it I can tell you. 

Come on, I feel the need for one more walk along the shoreline.....

....and as the café is literally right on the shingle it's an easy skip and a jump onto the beach. The cliffs were looking as magnificent as ever, but scary too. There have been a number of large rock falls recently (just look at this one from November last year, ohmygosh, it's terrifying really) and so I never, ever walk near the base any more, cos it's just not safe. Nope, no, no....

....I stay as close to the water's edge as I can possibly be, trying not to actually get my feet wet in the process.

It was ever so lovely to be there, quiet with my own thoughts, strolling on the damp sand with the gulls crying and the waves crashing. I was kind of blissed out to be honest.

I sat down for a little rest and remembered I had packed snacks, oh, happy days! I am the Queen of Snacks it has to be said, and it doesn't come much better than a small clutch of mini eggs.

Suddenly it seemed like the right time to wander on back as it takes an hour to cross the fields and follow paths back into the town. Such a fine morning spent coastal pottering, it's one of the things I dream about when I'm living my land-locked Attic life up here in the North.

I thought you might like to see those flowers again, the ones I plucked out of the pavement buckets the day before. In the warmth of the house the tulips began to slowly unfurl and it was such a delight to watch it happen. Aren't they glorious?

Later that evening I took my Dad and Lady B out to dinner at a lovely local restaurant, a treat from me to them, but also a treat from me to me, haha. It was very delicious and I even had a pudding which was very indulgent of me but I was in that kind of a mood at the time. I wanted allllllll the sticky sweet things that aren't remotely healthy, I'm sure you know what I mean. So, so good.

Monday morning and another early wake up for me, but with absolutely zero complaints. Six in the morning is such a beautiful time to be awake in the early Spring, with dramatic skies and the promise of the sun still to come.

What pure joy it is to see the sun rise.

Lady B had asked if I wouldn't mind going back to West Bay for breakfast on the Monday morning, and I was only too happy to oblige. West Bay is definitely not short of places to enjoy a very fine breakfast or brunch experience, and this time we settled on Rise. We've been here quite a few times before when on holiday (it's one of Little Lady's favourite places to go) and I really, really like the laid back atmosphere here.

It's in such a great location, set on a small island at the wide mouth of the river where it begins to flow out into the harbour. Crossing over the wooden bridge makes it feel like an adventure....

....and once inside you feel relaxed and ready for some good coffee and delicious food.

Oh yeah....a great way to start the day without a doubt. It was too chilly to sit outside but I did enjoy the views out across the water very much.

We managed to persuade my Dad to walk out along the pier after our breakfast, even though he wasn't all that keen. It was pretty windy and the sea was quite wild so I'm glad he managed it because I'm sure that breathing fresh sea air into your lungs is good for you.

It was lovely to be in Dorset for a short while but it wasn't without stress. That's my Dad there in the above photo, we were taking a slow "constitutional" walk that he does with Lady B most afternoons. It's a short circular route through ancient woodland close to where Lady B lives, and I'm happy to know that he gets out and about each day because his life is mostly extremely sedentary. It's his birthday this week and he'll be 76, and well, things are tricky right now. During the past year we've noticed a steady decline in his memory and some cognitive impairment too, and I'm pretty sure that some form of dementia is taking hold. The difficulty is that he point blank refuses to discuss it and definitely won't agree to see anyone about it, and most of the time he won't even admit that he is struggling. He just tells us to leave him alone and stop interfering, and that he's happy so that's all that matters. It's so hard to know what to do for the best, and it breaks my heart to know that this is only going to get worse as time passes. Ah well, I do try not to dwell on it too much because there isn't very much to be done right now. I shall just keep making the journey to Dorset as often as I'm able so that I can spend as much time with him as possible. Time spent with parents is precious, isn't it, because those memories are all that we'll have one day.

Anyhow, I really didn't want to end on a gloomy note, but I did want to write about what's been happening during the past year as it has been affecting me quite a bit. I'm not a worrier by nature, I'm very much a take-it-as-it-comes type of person, so I think the best thing I can do is just keep being my usual cheery self and hope that whatever needs to happen will come about at the right time. And well, if the situation pulls me down to Dorset more frequently then I'm absolutely going to embrace it.

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City and Country

Our Easter holidays were slow and quiet and aside from my solo trip to Dorset we hadn't made any plans to go anywhere or do anything out of the ordinary. J was working during the second week and the Little People are now at an age where their own agendas take priority over what Mum thinks they should do. 

At the start of each school holiday I always ask Little B if there is anything special he would like to do, or anywhere he would like to go, and the answer is always a very firm No. He is simply not bothered, preferring his own company and to stay within the comfort zone of his bedroom. Last week however, I was making plans to go to the City with Little Lady and he unexpectedly said that he would like to come along too. Well, I was absolutely delighted and I immediately booked a table for a meal and got our train tickets sorted before he could change his mind.

Little Lady said she preferred to shop for clothes by herself so for some of the time it was just Little B and me. We pootled around the shops, mostly just looking but he was very encouraging when I said I might like to buy myself something new to wear for the Spring, perhaps just a t-shirt to wear with jeans or something. He helped me choose, and well, I am pretty surprised to tell you I bought something yellow! I hardly ever wear yellow (most of my clothes are on the blue/green part of the spectrum) so it came as quite a shock to find that yellow was calling my name. If you are curious to see, it's ((this top)) from my fave brand Seasalt.

The other thing I wanted to shop for was new bedding, something I've been thinking about since back last year. Again, Little B was a huge help, offering suggestions and assisting me in my choices and he really seemed to genuinely enjoy himself. I'm SO happy with my new bedding, I had ummed and ahhhed over it last time I was in John Lewis in November, so finding that I still loved it as much 5 months later convinced me to splash out and buy it. I'll remember to take some photos of it to show you in another post very soon. It's just lovely.

Little Lady chose where she wanted us to eat, it was a restaurant that we'd visited last summer for lunch and it had obviously made an impression on her. It's right in the middle of the city centre, a restaurant chain called Bill's which serves Mediterranean inspired food. We had booked for an 11am breakfast/brunch and I can tell you that it was very yummy.....

.....doesn't it look good? I went for the Mediterranean breakfast (poached eggs, feta, chopped salad, labneh, chilli oil & toasted flatbread) and the only thing I wasn't too sure about was the labneh. It was quite sour tasting (like a tart yoghurt dip) which put me off a bit, especially when eaten with eggs? But overall, yup, my belly was very full and satisfied after polishing off that little lot. 

Truthfully I was still feeling a bit under the weather for most of last week and wasn't sure how well I would cope with a whoile day in a busy city centre. I'm happy to report that the change of scenery and pace was surprisingly refreshing and although by the end of the day I was absolutely dead on my feet (having walked over 17,000 steps) I really enjoyed myself. The Little People were great company and I think/hope they had a good day out too.

Little B is 12 so still a child (albeit an exceptionally mature one) and I do still like to treat him according to his actual age for the most part. For example, I think it's important for him to take breaks from his screen and gaming from time to time so that he can benefit from being out in nature, and this isn't something he readily agrees to. Its takes a firm parenting stance to make it happen and he always grumbles about it, but then seems to really enjoy walking and being with us out and about once we get going.

We drove out into the Yorkshire Dales on Easter Sunday morning to do a six mile circular walk which we know very well and love in all seasons.

Because we knew the village would get very busy, we made a huge effort to set off early so that we would be easily able to park the car. Honestly I am amazed that we manage to do these kinds of things, it does take some considerable planning and determination to get out of the house by 8am.

As you can see, it was well worth the effort - blissfully quiet footpaths and the most stunning morning light were ours to enjoy.

It was good to see the horse chestnut "sticky buds" already beginning to unfurl in the spring warmth - another month from now and the treetops will be full of the most delicious fresh greenery and my heart will be so happy to see it.

We weren't the only ones out and about on this early morning!

Strolling along beside the river is a very tranquil thing to do on a sunny bank holiday Sunday....

.....and even the noisy rush of the falls at Linton seemed peaceful to me. I mean, it doesn't fill my soul in the same way that the sound of the sea does, but I've grown to love riverside walking since I started living here.

Time to leave the water behind and head out across the fields now....

....up, up onto the top of the hills...

....enjoying the sweeping views and wide open skies.

It really is a lovely walk this one, with plenty of little twists and turns through fields and gates, over stiles and stone walls and winding up and down quite country lanes.

We arrived back into Burnsall around 11.30 which was perfect timing for a spot of refreshment. There is a really lovely little café on the edge of the village green called the Riverside, and we'd been told by friends that the coffee and home baking was well worth some attention. The café was really busy so we took our drinks as a takeout to sit beside the river on a bench and enjoy the views. Well, what can I say, it was absolutely outstanding. It was so hard to choose a cake because they all looked amazing, but in the end I opted for a generous slab of courgette and pistachio loaf cake which we shared (it was pretty huuuuge). My goodness, it was one of the best cakes I've ever tasted and I've not been able to stop thinking about it since. To give you an idea, I found ((this recipe)) which looks similar, so I think I'm going to have to try it. Either that, or else I need to plan a trip back to Burnsall riverside sometime very soon. I don't think a twenty mile round trip for cake and coffee is too much, do you?

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