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Blogtober 2024 :: Day 15

Blogtober Day 15 :: Tuesday

Back to morning walking today and out into the cold we went at 7am. When we set off, the night was still clinging on and I found that my eyes didn't quite know what to do with the low half-light. I felt like I wanted to open them extra wide to let more daylight in, and everything looked like it had a grainy black and white filter over it. The sky did eventually lighten a little (7.35 in the above photo) but my goodness it was a gloomy ol' start to the day.

Takeout coffees again for us this morning because the Mr is busy, busy busy and hasn't got time to stop for a morning break at the moment. I am so grateful to have an exceptional coffee shop within a few minutes walk from home, they roast the beans right there in the shop so you can imagine how tasty and fresh the coffee always is.

I think making time to sit and enjoy a very good cup of fresh milky coffee (or any favourite drink) is like morning meditation/gratitude journaling all rolled into one. I don't need to write down my gratitudes on paper because I talk them through in my head multiple times a day as well as typing them out to share with you here. And I think the act of simply sitting still and being in the moment (no phone distractions) while sipping a fantastic coffee definitely gives me a sense of inner peace and calm which would rival a meditation session. 

Above photo - a most delicious salted caramel Stroopwafel, a gift brought home from Amsterdam by the big boy-child. If you look closely you can see I'd already taken two bites out of it before I thought to take the picture, I just couldn't hold back. My goodness, these things are good mood boosters. Way better than meditating any day of the week.

I was late heading out to do my food shop today because I was prancing around taking photographs and the morning simply disappeared in a puff of creative camera faffery. The front of my house faces east and it's definitely the best time of day for me to take photos, even when the light levels are as poor as they were today. You can see the above photo perfectly demonstrates todays gloom, it felt as if the sky was falling down. Oh, that's just reminded me of the Chicken Licken story - hands up if you know what I'm talking about??!!

No matter how gloomy the weather, there is always colour and joyful little visual snippets to be found if you keep your eyes open. I do try and remember this and practice what I preach (some days this is easier than others).

I sat and did some admin on my laptop this afternoon, online banking, repeat prescriptions actioned, emails that needed to be sent. My little desk in the corner of my bedroom is so messy and piled with random stuff that it's currently unusable, and I am quite ashamed to confess that here in public, please don't judge me. It would only take me a little bit of effort to clear and tidy so that I can sit there again, so I'm declaring it a number 1 item on my to-do list for tomorrow. You can hold me accountable.

Instead of sitting at my desk I sat on my bed, propped up with squidgy pillows and swathed in colourful crochet. I've pinched J's laptop lap-desk (which I totally ridiculed him for buying), and I hate to admit it but it's actually really useful and I use it all the time. (it's this one if you'd like to imagine it a-top my stripy blankets).

Bedding wash day today, it's one of those jobs that's a chore but the results are well worth the effort. I love my old soft and slightly faded Cath Kidston pillowcases, I have a lovely collection of them bought over the years (first ones bought in 2008 in a local shop sale). I made sure to re-make my bed earlier on before sitting down to write to you, so I know that it's all done and ready for me when 9 o'clock ticks around and my brain shutters want to close. There's nothing worse than reaching that shutter-slam point of tiredness in the evening and then having to wrestle with a king size duvet cover. Goodness, I do so love going to bed, it's honestly such a sweet spot in my day, an underrated pleasure especially when it's Clean Sheet Tuesday.

Now then, before I love you and leave you and sign off on Day 15, I've got something to tell you. Some news of sorts, well it's more news of forthcoming news....

.....and it's inside this big white box. I've been sitting with this box for quite some time, and the news it contains inside is BIG. This news has been in my head for almost a year, and I tell you it has been the biggest challenge keeping it locked up tight and not telling a soul. The granny square on top of the box isn't really any kind of clue, it's partly there for scale, and also to tell you that this news has made me very happy and smiley and I'm excited to share more with you very soon. The lovely team at Stylecraft have declared that Thursday 17th is go-go-go day, so expect Blogtober Day 17 to be all about The Box.

Something SPeCiAL is coming......!

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Blogtober 2024 :: Day 14

Blogtober Day 14 :: Monday

A slow day with no major plans and I was glad of it after a ridiculously early start this morning (I woke up at 4:44). Sometimes I just seem to wake up all of a sudden and that is that, I'm wide awake and there is no chance of getting back to sleep even if I know it's waaaay too early. I've learnt to go with the flow, and that it's better to get up than to stay in bed tossing and turning. I made myself a cup of tea and a slice of toast, then wrapped up in three layers of crochet blankets and dozed back into a light sleep on the sofa for a little while.

Much later in the morning I went out to food shop, surprised by the very bright sunny weather  as for some reason I thought it was grey and cloudy when I was in the house (maybe that was just the fog inside my tired brain). The sun on the water was reflecting beautiful rippling shadows up onto the inside of the bridge, it was all so dazzling! Yeah, I felt dazed and dazzled and not quite with it, but oh-my, the sunlight was soo beautiful....

....everything looked so bloomin' pretty and picturesque along the canal today. The water and the trees and the distant hills, even the ducks performed some sort of synchronised swim-by as I stood framing my photograph. The boat chugging down the canal towards me is called Leo, it's an open narrow boat which takes passengers on a short 30 minute cruise and it always seems popular with visitors. I've been on it a few times in years gone by, it used to be a real treat for the Little People once upon a time.

Walking home from the supermarket, I had the idea to make soup for my lunch. I began thinking about what veggies I'd bought from the market on Saturday and concocted a recipe in my head...I thought roasted butternut squash with red pepper and red onion, then vegetable stock with some coconut milk and a dollop of spicy harissa paste to give it a warming kick.

I always think roasting BNS (with oil, seasoning and a little smoked paprika) really adds a lot of flavour to a soup, it's an extra step but well worth the effort.

I had 100ml of coconut milk in the freezer - I freeze 100ml portions in flexible plastic tubs, then pop them out and bag them up so that I have flat discs of frozen coconut milk ready to add to soups or curries.

The soup was so yum-yum-yummy, the harissa was an inspired addition if I do say so, giving just the right subtle warm kick. Little Lady was home for lunch today and enjoyed a big bowl with some chunky white farmhouse bread, and my big man-child also had some and said how good it was. I felt all kinds of domesticated and peek Mummsy.

Talking of the man-child, he came home from Amsterdam in the small hours, and it was lovely to catch up with him today and hear about what he got up to in the city with his girl. He presented me with a small paper bag for my birthday, and inside was a sweet little house to add to my collection - he chose the Coffeeshop for me, not because of the green leafy plant (!) but because he knows how much I love my coffee.

Little Lady was home from work this afternoon as she claimed some lieu time owing to her. It was lovely to see her bouncing in the front door at lunch time all happy because of working a shortened 4 hour day. After soup, she asked if I'd like to go for a walk as the weather was so nice, so we set out to walk round the woods. Leo was passing us once again, a busy day for scenic boat tours it seems.

It was beautiful in the woods....

....all earthy, leafy and sun-dappled, the colours almost glowing in the late afternoon light.

We walked back into the top of town and decided to stop for a quick drink and it was just about warm enough to sit outside. Pumpkin spice frappuccino for the young Miss, and an extremely good decaff flat white for yours truly.

I want to tell you that behind the scenes I am crocheting in stops and starts most days, but I'm keeping it under wraps for now...sorry to be a tease! The sampling for the canal inspired blanket is looking so, so good, and today I had the first swarm of butterflies in my tummy so I know that I am very close to finalising the design. I'm really excited to bring this blanket to life and can't wait to share my ideas with you.

Thank you as always for stopping by, I am really, really enjoying reading all your comments each day, so thank you for your words.

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ps Typepad is finally, finally behaving a little better after weeks of frustration, so tomorrow I'm going to crack on with the Flowerpress joining and border tutorial. I'm sorry I couldn't quite face doing it when things have been so slow - these relatively short blogtober posts have been taking me two hours to create each evening. I LOVE making them, so it's time very well spent, but hoping for a a bit of an easier time of it going forward x

 

 

 

 

Blogtober 2024 :: Day 13

Blogtober Day 13 :: Sunday

Up early today and out the door by 8.30am...we're driving west in search of big wide skies and watery views. I've packed a picnic because we're going to be walking an 8 mile circular route and a picnic lunch is one of my most favourite things.

Before we set off on our walk, lets grab a coffee from the Old Bakehouse bakery and sit on the stone pier and take in the view...isn't it pretty? Such mesmerising reflections in the water.

Oh, let me tell you where we are if you don't recognise it - we're in Arnside, a small village about 45 miles from the Attic, over on the Lancashire/Cumbria coast. In fact, I think Arnside is actually in Cumbria (south of the Lake District) but only just. We're on the edge of the wide Kent estuary which flows out to Morecambe bay, so a curious hybrid mix of riverside and coast.

We know and love this little place well, and have visited many times over the years as the Little People have grown from very small toddling Little's into big teenage ones. We used to stay at Arnside Youth Hostel when they were small (sadly it's closed now), and have holidayed in our caravan over on the other side of the estuary at Grange-over-sands.  In more recent times we've come just for the day, to walk and picnic and enjoy a little nostalgia trip in this peaceful, calm and sleepy little place that holds so many family memories for us.

We are following a walking route we found online, an eight mile circular which takes us in search of the Fairy Steps. The start of the walk is across flat fields and unfortunately it's very wet and muddy. The ground is boggy, the sort of ground where you just sink down into it, no matter how light-footed you try to be, and how many manoeuvres you try to make around the puddles. We get veeeeery wet, like water up over the ankles kind of wet, but we manage to stay in good spirits (J did have a few moments of very bad language and there were regrets), but thankfully we eventually find ourselves on much drier ground.

Into some ancient woodland now, with much better pathways and no standing water to navigate.

We're climbing upwards, through tangled trees and dramatic rocky terrain. We think we're getting close to The Fairy Steps now, a magical sounding flight of stone steps cut right into the rocks. I feel sure we'll know it when we see it....

...it's getting more and more rocky and steep, and it feels like the kind of place that fairies might live.

Ahh-ha!!! There they are !! My, my, they are steep and oh-my-goodness it is indeed very, very narrow through there. It is literally a tiny, narrow 30cm squeeeeze through the rocks, and let me tell you that J is a big, broad fella with wide shoulders that are most definitely more than 1 foot across. We are slightly worried at this point. He tries it out, and comes back down saying that he simply won't fit. We send Little B up, and he manages to scale the steps like a mountain goat with no bother. J will not be defeated and takes his coat and rucksack off in order to lose some bulk, then goes up very slowly, and sideways like a crab. I kid you not, he manages to climb and shimmy himself up sideways, I am very impressed!

But then I am at the bottom by myself, with two rucksacks and his coat, and my legs are waaaaay smaller than theirs and the steps are very, very high in places. But I put my whole effort into heaving myself up there (with two rucksacks and a coat) and I feel like I might pass out with relief when I make it to the top. Talk about high stress, I was a hot mess!!

From the top of the steps there are beautiful views out over the small village of Beetham down below, and an easy looking wide open footpath with not a step or a squeeze in sight.

We walk through the village, stopping at the church to listen to the beautiful sound of the Sunday congregation singing hymns, then along some really beautiful wooded lanes where we stop to eat our picnic on a wooden bench with the above view. It's ever so quiet and peaceful, and after the drama of the squeezy steps, I'm glad of some easy downhill lane walking.

Before we know it, we've come to the small, sleepy village of Sandside which as the name suggests, sits right on the very edge of the estuary.

We know that all we need to do now is follow the pathway along the edge of the water all the way back into Arnside. It's a lovely, gentle, slow end to a walk that has had quite a bit of unexpected drama.

There's Arnside look, all sleepy and sunny and welcomingly familiar.

The bridge over the estuary carries the little two-carriage train from Arnside across to Grange-over-sands, and we've made that journey a few times in the past.

We amble along the little footpath, reminiscing about all the wonderful times we've spent here with the Little People when they were small. Little B has a few scattererd memories - he recalls playing badmington in the youth hostel garden and the "thunder and lightening" flavour icecream. It's such a big thing being a parent and being responsible for building and shaping your children's memories, I often think about that and hope and pray that we've done a good job.

It's lovely having this slow time to stroll and take in the scenery....

....I do really, really love the sleepy, soporific nature of this place, the tranqulity kind of seeps into your bones somehow. Mind you, my poor legs are veeeery tired, partly due to the after effects of the fairy step exertion, but mostly because by this point in the afternoon we have clocked up over 23 thousand steps.

Time for a sit down and some refreshment I think.

We call in at the Old Bakehouse bakery again, this time to sit down inside and enjoy a pot of hot tea and a slice of something sweet and restoratative. Essential energy replenishment you understand, and my goodness, one of the best pieces of carrot cakes I've ever had. So, so good.

A really lovely day, and another layer of Arnside memories added to the small but beautiful pile of them that we already have. I'm sure we'll be back again, it's the sort of place that doesn't ever leave you.

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Blogtober 2024 :: Day 12

Blogtober Day 12 : Saturday

♥ waking up early, realising it was Saturday and promtly going straight back to sleep. Waking up again (9 hours sleep!), then the luxury of a slow coffee in bed with my scented candle burner lit (currently loving "Late Summer" wax melts from the Botanical Candle Co).

♥ opening birthday cards and gifts and feeling the love from friends and family.

♥ saying hello to my Viola friends on my way out the door. Into town with J and Little B to buy birthday cake and fruit/veg from the market, then our usual Saturday breakfast at the café. Routine and familiarity, but lovely all the same.

♥ after a dismal, wet start to the day, the sun came out after lunch, so a spontaneous trip to Bolton Abbey for a short walk.

♥  sun dappled leafy woodland pathways...

♥...and pebbly river beaches to potter around on. J skimming stones and me just breathing it all in.

♥ spending time on the bridge watching lots of people crossing the river on the stepping stones. Gathering rain clouds and golden light.

♥ stunning autumn harvest flower displays in the Priory church.

♥ coming home to my own stunning harvest flower display on the table. We just made it home before the heavens opened and rain and hail stones pelted down. Greatful for the sunny walking window we had!

♥ dinner out at a favourite local Turkish restuarant, where there is a cosy atmosphere and beautiful Mediterranean decor.

♥ stunning lighting, I couldn't stop looking at it.

♥ walking home after a delicious meal, loving the soft glow of the pub lights. Golden leaves and shimmering reflections.

♥ a hot cup of tea and a slice of coffee and walnut cake to round off a really sweet and gentle birthday day.

Fifty six, and I feel really pretty good, if a little full of food and wine and cake!

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Blogtober 2024 :: Day 11

Blogtober Day 11 :: Friday

Well, well, well, wasn't last night an unexpectedly exciting one??? Did any of you manage to see the Aurora Borealis dancing across the skies? After completely missing it back in May when we had a few nights of visible northern lights, I hand't really thought much of it when I heard there would be another chance last night. Then around 8pm my friends started messaging and sending me photos, and as they live in bigger/brighter towns and cities than me, I thought perhaps I might be in with a chance of spotting them here as the sky was beautifully clear for once.

Little Lady came with me and we went to the park first of all, but sadly there wasn't really anything to see. We did hear an owl hooting though, and that made the outing into the dark, cold night feel quite exciting so we waited around and took a whole heap of really rubbish black-sky photos that we started to think miiight just have a hint of green in them. You know when you keep looking and staring and then your eyes go all blurry and you can't be sure of what you're seeing and what you're imagining? Well there was an awful lot of that.

We had given up hope and were starting to walk back home when I saw a very definite bright pink streak in the sky, oh, we were SO excited!!!! And by the time we reached the top of our hilly street, well the sky was absolutely dancing with colours, and it was visible to our eyes (rather than just through our phone cameras) which I've heard isn't always the case.

We stood on our front doorstep and watched in awe as the northern lights danced right over our rooftop, shades of pink and green and so much excitement over it all. What a magical experience, I still can't quite believe it was real.

This morning we woke up to very cold temperatures and our first frost of the season. J and I have walked every morning this week (well not on Monday of course, because we were stood on the deck of the ferry then). This morning was stunning, just 1 degree above zero with an atomospheric low mist swirling over the surface of the canal.

The park was so pretty, all soft, muted shades which made it seem as if I was looking at a watercolour painting instead of viewing it in real life, do you know what I mean?

So dreamy!

In fact I've spent a lot of my time in the past few days gazing upwards because it's been incredibly beautiful up there - the sky, the clouds, the light and the colours have really caught my attention at all hours of the day and night.

Today being Friday, we detoured the end of our walk to call in to the butcher and the baker as they both open at 6am which honestly amazes me on a weekly basis. We bought our meat for the weekend, and then over the road to pick up some fresh croissants for the Littles. I would usually get three but the oldest boy-child is away for the weekend in Amsterdam, so just the two offspring to spoil today.

A few hours later, the sun was sparkling and I was wrapped up warm (wearing this coat and this scarf) and jaunting down the hill to the café. Did I tell you already how much I love Fridays? Did I mention it? Haha, I know you get to hear this from me often, but I do love Friday mornings ever such a lot....a lot-a-lot. It's my morning of bliss with my yarny tribe and always a big, happy part of my week.

Lots of lovely chatter and a hot frothy coffee and all felt wonderful this morning. Above is a sneaky peeky-peep at the canal boat colour palette as I spent the morning stitching together my colour sampler and darning in the ends, hugely satisfying Friday work I have to say.

Midday and I'm walking home again, feeling grateful for this light, bright weather which makes me feel so happy. My mood is always massively affected by light levels and so this kind of weather is absolute perfection for me as my brain feels hugely happy with the amount of sunshine entering into it.

Walking up my front steps today, I was greeted by these sweet things....

....awwwww, look, the sweetest bowl of violas!!! Well, it was top of my to-do list yesterday morning and I really enjoyed fulfilling that partcular task, it was five pounds very well spent.

Gosh, I adore them ♥

I was out earlier on this evening, having a drink at the pub with a friend. Just a little tipple of prosecco, nothing too extravagent and it was very nice indeed. I walked home along the canal as it was starting to get dark at 7pm, and I thought how inviting this part of town looked all lit up around the canal basin. I think I do live in a very pretty place.

Right now it's 9pm and I'm tucked up in bed with my laptop, chatting to you before I read for a little while before sleep time. I love coming to bed early, and it's rare for me to be awake beyond 10pm. I'm reading the Seven Sisters saga by Lucinda Riley, I know it's having a surge of popularity at the moment becuase so many people I've spoken to recenty are reading it too. There are nine (chunky) books in the series and I'm currently on book eight and really enjoying it...it's perfect escapism, especially the parts of each book that take you around the world to different ccountries.

And on that note, I shall love you and leave you for another day....more from me tomorrow xxxx

 

 

 

Stitchtopia Morocco Retreat :: crochet and colour

Have you all heard of Stitchtopia craft holidays? I began working with them in 2019 as one of thier textile experts, I think they have around 25 experts in total, covering crochet, knitting, patchwork, quilting and embroidery. The holidays and retreats vary from short weekend breaks in the UK, to week-long trips in Europe, and now also include longer holidays and tours worldwide. Sometimes there is a full touring itinerary (eg travelling by train or cruise ship), and sometimes there is a specific focus to the holiday (eg a large textile event) but mostly the holidays I've been on revolve around spending time in a relaxed workshop setting (always in a beautiful hotel), with various day excursions planned into the week. The groups are kept small (maximum of fifteen) and as well as the teaching expert there is also a tour manager present the whole time, and local guides who oversee the excursions. It's a great way for guests to meet like minded textile enthusiasts, and is ideal for anyone wishing to travel alone. In fact lots of ladies come on these holidays as a first time solo travelling experience (which is a very brave thing to do), and as soon as we all meet at the airport/hotel there is instant friendship and cameraderie - it's wonderful!

I've been lucky enough to teach five retreats this year (three in the UK and two overseas) and today I'm going to share the project I designed for my trips to Portugal and Morocco. I haven't talked much about my Portugal retreat back in June/July as I was taking a break from blogging over the summer, but it was absolutely amazing...maybe I'll share some Portugal travel diaries with you soon, if you'd be interested in seeing some photos?

Today though, it's mostly all about crochet and colour.....

....lots and lots of colour!

When I'm planning my Stitchtopia projects I get complete freedom to design any type of crochet item I like and then create bespoke kits for the guests using a yarn of my choice (within an agreed budget). My projects always focus on colour teaching, and for this year's retreats I chose to use these very cutesome little 20g balls of cotton yarn. This is Sirdar Happy, a DK weight yarn which has a lovely matt finish and is wonderful to crochet with, and the range currently has fifty shades which include colourful saturated brights, muted vintage shades and pretty soft pastels.

As I would be teaching the same project in both Portugal and Morocco, I had the idea to focus on the bright shades found in ceramic tiles as my inspiration. Both countries have very colourful and decorative architechture with lots of mosaic and tile work and there is a wealth of inspiration to draw from - it was a tough job picking out colours, but I am dedicated to my craft and gave it my all ;)

As I knew I wanted to teach certain aspects of colour theory with my project, I built my colour palette with those lessons in mind.

Firstly I like to focus on using the colour wheel to create harmony in our projects, and I teach how to balance out a palette of colours by splitting the wheel in half - equal hot and cold shades.

Secondly, my design would need to have some decent contrast, so I picked out a good balance of light and dark shades to make this happen, while still keeping a harmonious balance.

These are the three key things I like to teach with my colour projects - harmony, contrast and balance. It's deceptively difficult to achieve these things in practice, but I try and deisgn my projects to help my guests gain colour confidence, and for them to learn about the properties of colour. For example,  learning about advancing/receding colours, and tehniques to create a "pop" where it's needed most, also colour proportions and how to balance them over a whole project (again, this can take some doing but it's such a good learning curve).

This is the "Sunny Days" square I designed - it measures 15cm / 6 inches and is crocheted in ten rounds.

The first thing we did on the retreat was to crochet the square using just two colours. This meant that the guests could get to grips with the pattern without having to worry about colour choices straight away, and it also helped me to advise about any tension/gauge queries and hook size etc.

This blue and white sqaure also acted as a useful "blueprint" for making the full coloured squares - it helps to know which rounds need heavy contrast, and to learn about which rounds have the most impact in the design. All the guests agreed that this part of the workshop was really useful, and they enjoyed easing into the project without too much worry! Also, keep in mind that in Marrakech it was a very hot 37° C (99° F) degrees, so a slightly slower, easier start to the workshop was appreciated by us all.

After the blueprint square, we worked on two different colour lessons using just the first five rounds of the pattern. This was quick and fun and gave the guests the chance to start playing with the colour palette while learning more about how the design needed to work in terms of colour contrasts and using the hot/cold dynamic of the colour wheel.

This particular project was mostly focused on the colour teaching (and the joy of relaxed crochet) rather than completing a finished item, so I kept things simple and created a 12 inch square panel.  It meant the guests could experiement with colour combinations across their four squares (keeping the balance, harmony and contrast lessons in mind), and working on a small square in cotton yarn wasn't too tricky in the heat.

I love how my square looks on this lovely tiled Moroccan table ^^

....in fact, I just love my Sunny Days square any which way! The colours are very happy and joyful and bring back so many good memories.

I thought you might like to see our retreat setting in Morocco - this certainly isn't a boring classroom situation!

In Marrakech we were staying in a very beautiful old riad within the city walls (you can see more photos of it ((here)). We took over part of the huge rooftop terrace and the owners very kindly went to a lot of trouble to construct a fabric awning for us as it was so deadly hot in the afternoons.

When we moved location in the second half of the week, we travelled west to the Atlantic coast which was a lot cooler (around 25 degrees there, which was perfection). The hotel was more modern but still inceredibly beautiful with lots of Moroccan decorative touches. We were given a beautiful space to work in - it was airy and cool with very comfortable chairs and a large sunny terrace just through the glass doors to the left there.

It was lovely to be able to spend a little more time on our crochet while we were here, as our days in Marrakech had been very hectic with a full itinerary and our crochet time was more limited.

I love the above photo, taken towards the end of the week when one of the guests had transferred her yarn to a gorgeous woven bowl she'd bought on a visit to a local Berber market.....

....and here you can see the choosing process taking place! Aren't they all so beautiful??

I took a lot of photos in the market (it was an incredible epxerience) but I'll save those for another day.

Now I'd like to show you some photos of  finished Sunny Days projects shared with me since our return to the UK....it makes me so happy to see, and I'm sure you'll agree, the most excellent colour choices, they did me proud!.......

↑↑ This is Sandy's finished cushion - she finished the front 4-square panel while we were in Morocco, and made the reverse once she got home. She took my ten round Sunny Days square design and continued the pattern repeat to enlarge it, then added a lovely wide, stripy border.

↑↑ This is Janet's finished cushion looking very lovely with her Fireside blanket, they go really well together, don't they?

↑↑ This is Ann's beautiful cushion - for the reverse side, she took the ten round Sunny Days square and added some bright treble rounds to make it bigger - great use of alternating hot and cold colours to create the contrasts in those bigger rounds (proud teacher moment :)

↑↑ Judith took her four squares and doubled them up once she got home, making this fantastic centre piece for her table....it's delicious!

↑↑ Here are Veronica's squares, beautifully blocked and carefully stitched onto the front of a canvas tote bag, it looks so cheery and happy!

↑↑ Another stunning tote bag made my Jill, she made a second panel when she got home so there is crochet on both sides, it's super lovely.

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Ahhhh, it was such a lovely week, the ladies were all good hooksters and worked really hard to say that we only had three days to spend on our project. I love teaching and sharing my passion, and with such a happy and good natured group it was an absolute pleasure.

Now before I go, I thought you might enjoy just a few photos of the colour inspiration I gathered during my time in Morocco. It was honestly ridiculous the amount of colour and pattern that was everywhere you cast your eyes. I've got lots (lots and lots) more to share of the souks and the markets and the amazing excursions we took, but for now, here is a little snippet of some things that caught my eye.......

What do you think, isn't Morocco a colour-lovers dream??? Such an amazing trip, I shall never forget it.

I hope you've enjoyed a little look behind the scenes of my project planning and an insight into how my Stitchtopia retreat workshops are run. There is more Morocco content to come (I'll plan another post for next week sometime), but I think tomorrow will be back to normal everyday Yorkshire-style stuff, the essence of Blogtober.

Thanks for your company, I hope you've enjoyed todays post xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

Blogtober 2024 :: Day 9

Blogtober Day 9 :: Wednesday

I've just been watching some reports about the extreme weather in the US with Hurricane Milton approaching, oh my heart, it looks soooo scary and I feel ever so sad for all the millions of Florida residents who are preparing to deal with the force of mother nature. I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to be so threatened by a storm.

It's been grey and wet here again today but I am certainly keeping things in perspective and am really thankful that the rain here has just been the irritating, drizzly kind and nothing to worry about.

I walked down to the coffee shop this morning to pick up some takeouts to bring home, a treat for J really as he was glued to his desk with online meetings and the very full-on working life that he conducts from home. Often if he is busy I'll head out by myself for a solo coffee date but I felt sorry for him today as he seemed snowed under. Again, it made me really appreciate the freedom I have in terms of how I spend my time - it's been a day of gratitude and feeling thankful.

The above photo I snapped with my phone at the bottom of my street, it seemed to sum up the mood perfectly - soggy but still looking perky, a visual reminder to remain optimistic even when things are tough.

Some breaking news --> it was a handknit socks-and-boots combo today, the very first of the season. I've been wearing my walking shoes a lot lately because my beloved Fly London boots that have seen me through seven winters had worn out completely and were no longer fit for purpose. Arrrgh, wet feet is one of my personal peeves, I absolutely cannot stand for my toes to be remotely moist, let alone reach the soggy stage. I knew I would be ordering the exact same Fly Salv boots because I love them so much, but it's taken me months to decide on which colour to go for. The struggle was huuuuuuge! In the end I settled for this lovely deep dark green (unatractively called "diesel") and today I had the pleasure of cosy, dry, uber-comfy feets as I went out to do my daily food shop. Happy feet, happy heart ♥

On the way home I was taking a short cut through B&M car park when my phone rang. It was Lady B (my dad's good friend), ringing to chat and catch up with news, and to tell me about her recent visit with my brother to the care home to see my Dad. We ended up chatting for 40 minutes and during that time I found myself slowly drawn across the car park towards the metal stands of flowers and plants. They were absolutely crammed full of cyclamen, colour-dyed heather plants and an exuberant collection of pansies and violas.

So as I was chatting to B, I was also more than a little bit distracted by all the floral goodness, oh, I LoVe violas soooo so so much! There is something unbleievably charming about them, and I adore all the sweet variety in their colours and markings.

Once I'd finished the phone call, I took some photos to share with you, it was an unexpected colourful sweet spot in a grey morning. The above delightful mixture was a largeish pot on sale for £5, and if I hadn't been carrying heavy shopping bags I would absolutely have marched into the shop and bought it. So I'm thinking that the top of my to-do list for tomorrow will read 1. Go and Buy Viola Pot, which I am stupidly excited about. What a treat to look forward to.

Ahh, this blog post seems to be really rather random today, I do apologise for the lack of follow-through narrative. But I just had to share the above image with you because it totally took my breath away when I saw it in my phone earlier. It's by an American artist called Angela Johal who I follow on Instagram and her paintings just blow my mind. Yes, this is a painting, acrylic on canvas, not a digital image! It's called "Rhythm & Line No. 18" and measures 4ft x 6ft, so the same size as one of my crochet blankets. Isn't it stunning?? And can't you just SEE it made out of Stylecraft Special DK????!!!!

You can see loads more of Angelas beautiful "chromesthetic geometric" paintings on her website ((here)), they are amazing, a real dose of colour therapy.

Talking of colour therapy, I have a confession to make. This afternoon I finally finished unpacking my giant pink suitcase which has been sitting on my bedroom floor for, eh-hem, << three weeks >> since I came back from Morocco. J and I both kept tripping over it, and I've been meaning to deal with it for ages. It was mostly all the travel odds and ends, plus all of my crochet project stuff and bags of spare yarn balls. I spent some time this afternoon sorting everything out and taking some photos of my crochet project to share with you, because the colours are lush. I named the square  "Sunny Days" and it feels like maybe now is a good time to share that with you, and I can show you some photos from my Morocco trip to feed colour inspiration into your eyes. So I think that will be my Day 10 Blogtober post, a blast of sunny colour to cheer us all up.

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Blogtober 2024 :: Day 8

Blogtober Day 8 :: Tuesday

It's been a wet, drizzly kind of a grey day today and not particualrly inspiring if I'm honest. J and I were both up early (still on Amsterdam time) so decided to go out for our morning walk despite the gloom and the rain. We are back to our "dark season" route for the next five months as it's not light enough to go into the woods any more. I don't mind it though, we walk along the canal, through the park, then a steepish climb up a long, hilly residential street before gently dropping back down along a leafy road to the top end of town and homewards. It's about 2 miles, with just enough hilly exertion for me to feel like I'm excercising but not in a scary or too-sweaty way.

I went out again mid morning to meet my friend for coffee, walking along the narrow spring branch of the canal as I needed to call in at the butcher on my way.

I thought it was looking suddenly very autumnal, the trees starting to change colour and drop their leaves more and more by the day.

At the top of the town outside the town hall there are some long, curved wooden benches that have planters built into the back rests. It's such a neat design and the planting is always colourful and changes with the seasons. They looked espeically lovely today I thought, cheering up the grey weather and bringing some much needed colour to the area. I do really appreciate seeing flowers around the place and it's something I noticed about my time in Amsterdam. That city is full of greenery and flowers - so many huge pots and planters filling pavements, spilling over bridges, clustered in front of buildings and lining the narrow streets, I love it.

Let me see if I can find a few photos to show you....

^^ isn't it lovely? The flowers and plants added such a lot of charm to an already charming city.

I bought myself some flowers today, I wanted something colourful but the choice in the supermaket was limited so I ended up choosing scent over colour. Stocks are really a summer flower aren't they? But there was something about that strong, spicy fragrance that grabbed my attention and felt right for October.

I've enjoyed having them on my table today, they really do smell amazing.

I felt quite tired tthis afternoon and couldn't really settle down to concentrate on anything much. I did a lot of faffing about - mild cleaning in the bathroom, sorting out piles of  laundry, dealing with the recycling, paging through recipe books and making a meal plan and shopping list....I don't know, could I call this productive faffery? As opposed to idle faffery?

Mid afternoon, I lit a candle and decided to sit and knit a few rows of my sock to ease my jumbled mind. I'm just starting on the heel flap which is why I'm using the pointy sticks instead of my favourite small circulars. The trouble is, my hands sometimes really ache (arthritis in my knuckle joints) and today was one of those achey days because of the cold, damp weather. I managed 9 short rows and then had to stop, but it was enjoyable if a bit slow and stop-starting.

I cooked a favourite comfort meal for the fam tonight and it was bloomin' delicious I have to say. This recipe is called "Dirty Macaroni" and comes from one of the wonderful Pinch of Nom recipe books. I can highly recommend the PoN recipes, they are healthy and very tasty and we've got a whole collection of go-to family meals from the website and books that we come back to time and again.

This recipe is a pasta bake (from the Quick & Easy book) - lean minced pork and peppers in a tomato sauce which is heavily flavoured with herbs and spices, then cooked macaroni stirred through and a topping made from grated cheese, wholemeal breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. Mmmmm.....so good!

I have to say I do like autumnal cooking with an emphasis on warming, nutritious comfort food...although I can be quite contrary and crave a fresh salad in October too.....it's all about the balance I guess.

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Blogtober 2024 :: Day 7

Blogtober Day 7 :: Monday, The North Sea, then Hull and home

It's strange to think that I woke up this morning on the sea when it was still dark and we were sailing gently along the wide estuary of the River Humber. Life on the ferry starts at 6am when the café opens and the wakeup call comes through to all the cabins so it's been quite a long day. We were showered, dressed and packed up by 6.45, enjoying a cappuccino up on the back deck as the sunrise was in full swing....such a lovely start to the day.

We were docked and disembarking by 7.30am - it's about an 11 hour crossing (sailing times are 9pm departure and 8am arrival, but sometimes it can be quicker if the weather conditions are right). I'm happy to tell you more about the travel aspect of the holiday (let me know if you'd like details), and if any of you up in the North of England fancy taking this kind of mini cruise then you can find all the info on the P&O website.

The three Little People did a really good job taking care of the house and each other while we were away and I'm so grateful for the ease of our family dynamics. They all get along well and it was lovely to come back home and catch up with their weekend comings and goings. The big boy-child shopped for groceries and cooked a few meals for them all, house chores were divided and done bewteen them, and Little Lady and Little B even went out to a café for brunch together yesterday which honestly makes my heart squeeze with happiness. And more crucially, Little B got himself up and off to school this morning, which made J and I breathe a small sigh of relief as we were driving home.

The kitty was pleased to see me and pinned me to the sofa as soon as I sat down with a cup of tea. It felt good to be home, and with some lovely memories still lingering after a really fabulous trip. Amsterdam is a wonderful city and never fails to give me all the happy vibes - I think this was my 6th visit (I first went in my mid twenties, travelling very cheaply by coach/ferry back then) and I'm certain I'll be back again.

I went grocery shopping this evening, swinging gently back into routine as I walked the familiar route along the canal to the supermarket. Canals are featuring very heavily in my life at the moment, but I can tell you that the call of the sea is also pretty strong...do you remember last year when I took myself off on a spontaneous jaunt to the coast? I don't think I can do that again this month (even though the pull is there), but I'm quietly hopeful that I can persaude the fam to come with me for a day trip very soon.

I'm sorry this blog entry is so short, I am suddenly veeeery tired but I'll be chatting to you again tomorrow - Blogtober is in full swing, one week down already, can you believe it?

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Blogtober 2024 :: Day 6

Blogtober Day 6 :: Sunday in Amsterdam

Here are a few of the things that have made me heart-skippy happy this weekend in Amsterdam....

♥ taking a boat trip along the canals and learning more about the history and architecture of the city

♥ a visit to de Hortus botanical gardens, the huge glass house was amazing

♥ stunning butterflies in the botanical gardens.....

♥ ....and a tropical glass house full of butterflies, I LoVed it!

♥ a stroll along the Singel canal to see the floating flower market

♥ popping into a random shop called Papier which was a colour-lovers dream

♥ warm Dutch apple pie, eaten with a very good cappuccino at a little canal-side café this morning

♥ the abundance of flowers and greenery in Amsterdam, and the picturesque beauty of the canals

♥ having a few beers at J's favourite bar, warm enough to sit outside right beside the water there

♥ the weather, it was autumnal perfection. The above view was just before sunset last night, from our hotel room on the 14th floor overlooking the river

Such a beautiful few days, I've enjoyed every moment. Currently just setting sail to begin our crossing back over the north sea, so I'll post this before I get disconnected.....see you tomorrow, back in Atticland:)

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