Attic24

Canalboat Blanket Cal :: Part 2

Ahhh, here we are after a super-speedy week and I was thinking to myself this morning that Fridays have a completely different feel to them in January and February, don't they? I LOVE starting a brand new year with a crochet along, and each week I feel so happy to be immersed in all things yarn, colour, crochet and community.

I walked along the canal yesterday morning like I do most days and it was a freezing, frosty affair with the evocative wintry scent of woodsmoke in the air. I feel very lucky to live in a place where my day-to-day routine allows me to really live and breathe the seasons.....seventeen years of tow path walking and I never grow tired of it.

I've been sharing on my Facebook page during this past week, do most of you follow me there? It's a lively place with a very friendly vibe, both on my actual page {https://www.facebook.com/Attic24} and in the social groups that have formed over the years. I speak about the social groups every year because if you like to make my crochet blankets, there is a tremendously vibrant community on Facebook that you can join. It's brilliant for sharing progress photos, asking questions and generally chatting with like minded Attic24 friends - think of it as a giant, worldwide, virtual crochet café. Here are the links >>

♥ Hooked on Attic24

♥ Attic24 and Lots More UK 

♥ Just Attic24 Friends

And if you live down in Dorset, there is also a really lovely hooky gang there who chat on Facebook and also meet up once a month in real life to crochet together. I've been along myself a few times (read my Dorset blog here) and can tell you it's the most wonderful group of ladies and you'd be most welcome to join them >>

♥ Friends of Attic24: Dorset

I think it's the sense of belonging that makes the CAL weeks so very special - not only do we get to make a rather gorgeous blanket, but we also get to connect with yarny friends online from all over the world. I mean, my blog is always here bobbing along and the Facebook groups run all year round too, but during the CAL it all feels extra special. I can't tell you how excited I've been hopping around online and seeing so many of you sharing your joy over these colours and this new design of mine, it's been amazing and humbling and just so full of happiness. You really do seem to be LoViNg these colours as much as me, which is wonderful!!

There has been lots of praise for the Yarnsimths Merino too, as many of you took a leap of faith and are using it for the first time. It really is utterly dreamy to work with, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

↑I thought you would all appreciate the aesthetics of my friend Alison's gorgeous wool box pictured above, doesn't it look appealing? Her talented hubby made it for her and it somehow makes the merino yarn look even more stunning when you can see all those lush colours on display.

This week I've collected together a lovely selection of Canalboat photos to share with you, some visual inspiration which I hope you enjoy....

↑My friend Jo shared the above photo of her Canalboat blanket which she's making for her daughter. She's picked a beautifully subdued palette of blues and greys (all Stylecraft Special) with the new "Milky Tea" shade for contrast which I think looks beautiful.

↑Penny is using last year's CAL yarn pack (the Sungold) to make her blanket, and the colours are absolutely glowing with sunshiney warmth.

Remember that if you're using your own colours (or using an alternative Attic24 yarn pack), this stripe pattern thrives on contrast. It's most effective when the shell rows really stand out against the colour placed either side, so use contrast in tone (light/dark) or in colour (eg a red against a green).

↑If you're part of the crochet community on Instagram, then you may well know Chris (she is @Krafty_Kris on insta). She is a prolific blanket maker and has made a lot of Attic24 designs over the years, often putting her own beautiful spin on the pattern or colours. For this CAL, she is making nine-round granny squares, and if you study them closely you'll see that she's very cleverly used my given colour order. Remember each week there are around 32 or 33 rows, so Chris has made four squares each with 9 rounds which follow the part 1 chart. I think this is sooo clever, and look how beautiful they are too.

↑There have been some absolutely adorable fur-babies shared too, oh my goodness, talk about heart-melting. The above cutie is called Arianwen and she is only 10 weeks old. Kate decided to make her a little miniature blanket, awww, I can barely cope with the sweetness of it all.

↑And this handsome chappie is called Taco, doesn't he look super-snuggly cosying up in the Canalboat blanket? Thank you Jen for sharing this wonderful photo, I think a lot of hearts will be melting along with mine. Adorable.

↑Lastly for today, I absolutely had to share this serene scene with you all, because well, it's just beautiful, isn't it? This is Martina sitting on her canalboat over the border from me in Lancashire. I hadn't contemplated that Canalboat blankets might actually be happening aboard real life canal boats, and honestly it's just the most wonderful thing to see.

Thank you so, so much to everyone who has commented on the social platforms and shared photos and encouragement and progress, our community is very special and makes me so happy. Over on Insta we are using the hashtag #canalboatcal so do tag me in to photos/stories over there so I can find you, and please do keep sharing the inspiration.

Now as we head into week two of the CAL I'm hoping that all is well with you if you're joining me on the Canalboat journey, and that you've enjoyed setting sail with this new pattern? I've especially enjoyed hearing from so many newbie hooksters who are joining in with one of my CAL's for the first time, what a joy! I know that in the beginning when you are first learning to crochet it can be daunting to think about embarking on such a big project, but honestly this pattern is waaaaaay easier than it looks at first glance and I would say is definitely achievable for a beginner. Remember I have my photo tutorial to help you learn the pattern and I'd like to reassure you (as I do every year) that the CAL is not a race to the finish line.....please do take your time and enjoy the process, you can take yeeeeears to complete it if you like!! No rush, just pleasure.

I took some time this week to update the CAL pattern page - I make these pages for each of my crochet along blankets, they sit within the long alphabetical list of patterns over to the left of my blog so that you can easily access all CAL information in one place. It makes it easier especially if you come to the CAL after it's finished, because you don't have to go hunting in my archives for the blog posts, they are listed on the CAL page along with all other links.

Just look for "CANALBOAT BLANKET CAL" in the list and you'll find everything you need (I'll update with CAL blog links as we go along).

Right, lets get on and take a look at this weeks stripes!!..............

This week we'll be adding a further 32 rows......taking us to 65 in total.

It's another week of bold colour combinations and joyful stripes to keep you and your hook happy :)

I especially love the final stripes in part 2 this week, oh they are very boaty indeed, haha!

I hope you are finding the worksheets helpful - here is Part 2 of the MIXED STRIPE for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

PART 2 MIXED STRIPE WORKSHEET PDF

My colourwash Canalboat blanket has been giving me all the happy, snuggly, contented vibes this week as I've worked my own colourful stripes and my goodness, I'm loving it very, very much.

The soft texture and density of the Yarnmiths Merino yarn makes this blanket feel amazing and I know so many of you are loving it too.

As you can see, part 2 is worked up with the same set of fifteen colours playing in a slightly different order to Part 1. It means that for the most part you are working different coloured shells this week (which should help to keep the yarn usage even for each colour).

I love the sweet balance of the colours and I don't mind admitting to you that getting the colour order right for this colourwash blanket has been extremely challenging. I worked up a sampler first to be sure I was on the right track and ended up frogging and re-working some sections over and over (three, four, five times) until I was happy. It's been frustrating and satisfying in equal measure, and I'm really thrilled with the end result.

So this week you'll be adding another 28 stripes, bringing you to 60 in total.

Here is Part 2 of the COLOURWASH for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

PART 2 COLOURWASH WORKSHEET PDF

I'm really enjoying the subtle differences between both of my Canalboat blankets and wouldn't be able to tell you which is my favourite. They both have great visual energy and are so much fun to crochet with many, many colour surprises happening along the way.

Before you go racing off to your own blankets, I'm whispering in your ear and reminding you gently about darning in your ends. Actually, no, I'm not - I'm not doing it gently or quietly....DARN IN YOUR ENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pleeeeeease darn in your ends, please take pride in finishing your work with love, and be your future friend. Trust me, you will not like to have four hundred trillion ends to tidy away at the very end of this journey. Make the chenille number 18 needle your bestie and enjoy some quiet stitchy time at the end of each stripe.

And finally.....a very pretty photo taken on Wednesday just before 5pm. Our daylight hours are slowly growing again as we tiptoe through the winter season and that is something to celebrate.

Have a wonderful week my lovelies, enjoy your quiet time with hook and yarn (and your darning needle....)

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♥ Part 2 Mixed Stripe worksheet

♥ Part 2 Colourwash worksheet

♥ Canalboat Pattern PDF

♥ Canalboat TUTORIAL (with lots of photos)

♥ CAL Introduction post

♥ Canalboat yarn packs

♥ CAL post Part 1 (stripes 1-33)

 

 

 

 

Canalboat Blanket Cal :: Part 1

Helloooo!! A happy new year to you all, and welcome to another colourful blanket journey! As always I am so thankful to start the year with a wonderfully absorbing and relaxing crochet project, and if you've decided to jump on board and sail down the canal with me this year, then I hope you're going to enjoy every minute of the journey.

I was talking to you about my boaty ideas for much of last year because I have been obsessed with this design right from the start. I spent the year walking the tow path and photographing the boats, gathering visual inspiration and colour ideas for the Canalboat blanket. If you missed it, I wrote a blog post to share my design inspiration and introduce the blanket design to you, you can find it by clicking on the following link >>

CANALBOAT BLANKET INTRODUCTION

As you can see from the above image, canal boats make for a very bright and playful colour palette and there is a lot of beautiful folk-art inspiration and painterly details to get excited about.

This week as I've walked daily along the canal tow path, it's been much more subdued. We are in the depths of a winter freeze here in the north of England, with temperatures dropping to well below zero. We had snow last weekend and now everything is completely iced and frozen - it's been beautifully wintry, very very cold and a weeny bit slippery! As you can see, the canal is frozen over which doesn't happen all that often....

....and the poor swans have been displaced from their watery home. These three beauties casually strolled past me yesterday as I was walking to the shops, taking a little peck into my shopping bag as they went past.

As you would expect, there has been zero movement on the waterways here for many weeks, with most boats choosing to moor up and stay put for a while. As we progress through the crochet-along during January and February, I'll take you on some walks with me along the tow path to hopefully inspire you on your own creative journey. It's going to a beautiful way to spend a little mindful time during the next few months and I'm really excited to share my observations with you.

Canalboat yarn packs went into my shop with Wool Warehouse in early December and I have been beyond thrilled to see so may of you preparing to join in with this years CAL. Thank you, thank you - from the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful to have your company.

Despite some very severe yarn shortages during recent weeks and months, Wool Warehouse have been very well prepared and there are still some yarn packs available for the Canalboat blanket. It's not too late to gather in your yarny supplies and you are welcome to join in with the CAL at any time. I'll be here every Friday through January and February to chat and give you weekly colour instalments, and the Canalboat pattern will remain free on my blog for you to access at any time.

This year I've created two yarn packs to support the CAL, and for the first time I'm really delighted to give you a choice of fibre.

You can find the packs online, with worldwide delivery by clicking the following link >>

SHOP CANALBOAT YARN PACKS

I'm making my main Canalboat blanket using Stylecraft Special DK, and there is also an option to use Yarnsmiths new Merino DK if you're feeling fancy and wish to make a gorgeous, luxurious blanket. As you can see from the above photo, the colours are pretty similar with just some minor differences (SSDK is the top row of pegs, Merino DK on the bottom)

I've loved hopping about on social media during the past month and seeing so many of you getting excited about starting this blanket with me. I always like to remind you that once you have your yarn balls gathered together, it's a good idea to make some sort of a record of the colour names so that you can remove the paper ball bands. I like to use my yarn pegs as you know, but just writing the names on a piece of paper and taping little yarn strands alongside would be absolutely fine.

I have discovered there is a lovely small business making and selling these wooden shade cards via Etsy. The above photo was shared on Facebook (thank you Eleanor), and you can find the wooden yarn-keepers online at "UKTheWoodStore". You can buy them for all my yarn packs, and there are separate listings for the Stylecraft Canalboat and the Yarnsmiths Canalboat colour palettes.

I know many of you have dived into your stash to pull together colours for the Canalboat blanket, and that makes me really happy. Using up what we already have is to be embraced, and I love to see you gathering together your yarns (thank you Vicky for sharing the above photo). Some of you have been able to bring together my exact colour choices, but I see many of you are going your own way and using alternative folksy colours from your stash, and as always I'm excited to see the variations and creativity emerge.

OK.....lets now take a look at the Canalboat pattern. You know I always like to help beginners and give you all as much visual guidance as I can, so as well as a written pattern that you can download/print, I've also made a full photo tutorial to talk you through.

This pattern is straightforward easy to learn and uses just two stitches (UK treble and double crochet).

I would say the trickiest thing is getting the tension right at the start, and making sure you use the correct hooks to suit your own hooky tension is very important. I would urge you to take a little time to make a tension sample - I've photographed mine above to show you as it's only 31 chains and is quick to do, but it'll help you to find the correct hooks to use as well as giving you some familiarity with the pattern.

NOTE :: Special DK and the Merino DK work up with a different gauge to each other. Within the pattern I've given measurements and starting chains for both, so do please make sure you follow the correct information for the yarn that you're using.

The Canalboat pattern requires you to use TWO different hook sizes. You will need a bigger hook to crochet the starting chain and the first row, then you will switch to your usual DK hook size for the rest of the rows. This is important to keep your bottom edge flat and stop it from forming a rainbow. All is explained fully within the tutorial.

Once you've completed your tension sample and are happy with your hook sizes, you can get going with your blanket. Please take your time with these first rows, count carefully, keep a mindful, even tension and use stitch markers to help you. I place markers every 25 stitches so that when I inevitably get distracted and lose count, I only have to go back to the last marker!

You can find the Canalboat tutorial in the usual place in the left hand sidebar, it's in alphabetical order so just look for "Canalboat Stripe" in that big long list. Here is the direct link >>

CANALBOAT STRIPE TUTORIAL

I also created a 4-page written pattern for you to download/print, click on the following link >>

DOWNLOAD CANALBOAT PATTERN PDF

Depending on where you are in the world, you will either be cosying up keeping warm, or staying cool with air conditioning, isn't that a funny thought? I know a good many yarn packs have whizzed off to the other side of the world, so I hope you'll be enjoying these cosy stripes even though it's your summer. I'm almost permanently by the fireside with my crochet, my poor hands have been very miserable in this freezing cold weather.

Right, I think we should take a look at the first part of the canalboat blanket now, and I'll give you the colour info to get going....

......oooooooooooooo........there you go!! We are off on our journey with 33 rows/stripes this week, and they are gloriously jaunty and vibrant.

Unlike my previous stripe patterns, the Canalboat blanket is crocheted in narrow one-row stripes. So each week I'll be giving you around 32 stripes to complete (we've got 33 this first week).

It's a gorgeous colour-fest and I feel sure you're going to enjoy some surprises with these stripes, they are quite unpredictable and a lot of fun. Please don't be alarmed by the bold clashes - try and remember that I can see the bigger picture and as the blanket grows, everything will sing and settle beautifully. Trust the process!!

J has helped me create worksheets for each week, so that you have something to download/print. As well as the colour info, I've also included right side/wrong side info, and a little note to tell you what stitch pattern you'll be working for each row. This is just a little helpful reminder, but I promise you this pattern is easy and you'll very soon know your way around it. Click on the following link for the PDF worksheet>>

 DOWNLOAD PART 1 WORKSHEET PDF

Now for something extra.....

.....oHHH!!!!! How lovely is this???!!! I decided very last minute to give into the idea of creating an alternative way to use the Canalboat colours. I wasn't going to do it (it's obvs a lot of extra work) but in the end I just couldn't seem to stop myself!

This is my idea - I've created a colourwash/colour repeat variation which will run across two weeks (64 stripes) before repeating. So today you are seeing the first half of it, shown above, made using Yarnsmiths Merino DK.

It's a beautiful, harmonious placement of the colours which still allows the shell rows to pop and stand out, but has a beautiful flow to it.

You can see in the above photo that the Merino yarn blanket will be smaller than the Stylecraft one, measuring 100cm across instead of 120cm. This is because there is less yarndage in each ball of merino, so I had to reduce the sizing to accommodate. If you want to make this version in the Stylecraft yarn, you absolutely can - just follow the starting chain numbers given in the pattern for the Stylecraft and your blanket will measure 120cm across.

Click on the following link for the Colourwash  PDF worksheet>>

DOWNLOAD PART 1 COLOURWASH WORKSHEET PDF

Now I know this is a lot to take in, but I am so excited to share this third idea with you today. My very talented hooky friend Kaz Hall has created a truly stunning Canalboat Harmony blanket using my colour palette of boaty colours.

She chose to use Camel as her joining colour, and as you can see, it was an inspired choice. It acts as a calming background to the very playful, folksy boat colours and makes everything pop and sing in a way that seems truly magical to me.

It was a bit of a WOW moment when she shared her progress on Instagram....just WoW!!! Isn't it stunning?

And here it is, the finished Canalboat Harmony blanket, having a fabulous Ta-da moment with Rosie and Jim.

Kaz has put together a colour file for you to make this blanket using Stylecraft Special DK, and you can find it for free in her online shop Insomnia Crochet, click on the following link >>

CANALBOAT HARMONY COLOUR INFO

You will need to have the Canalboat yarn pack, plus TWO EXTRA BALLS OF CAMEL yarn. The pattern for the Harmony Granny Square is free here on my blog >>

HARMONY GRANNY SQUARE

You might also be interested in joining the Hooked on Attic24 facebook group where Kaz helps out as there will be others making this square harmony version and sharing progress there.

xx

Well I think I have talked myself out now, and all that's left to say is ..... ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wishing you a fantastic week of happy, joyful, colour-soaked hooky time.

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♥ DOWNLOAD CANALBOAT PATTERN PDF

♥ Download Part 1 MIXED STRIPE worksheet

♥ Download Part 1 COLOURWASH worksheet

♥ Canalboat TUTORIAL (with lots of photos)

♥ CAL Introduction post

♥ Canalboat yarn packs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Blessings 2024

On these short days of winter, I've been out and about soaking up every morsel of sunlight when the weather has been clear and bright. We've had a lot of grey days during the past week (including some snow flurries), but it's all part of the season we are in and on the whole I've been enjoying the variety.

On Friday I paid a visit to the local florist and treated myself to a lovely bunch of festive foliage with some red berries and one singular stem of an amaryllis. I did the same thing last year and so began a gentle new Winter Solstice tradition which means a lot to me. It looks gorgeous on my table, I'll take a photo of it in situ over the next few days to share with you.

I gave up a long time ago with trying to involve the family in my seasonal celebrations, although I do like to fill them in on it all, just on the vague off chance that they might one day be interested. I think these quarter points in the year are absolutely magical and there is no way I ever let them pass by without some gentle rituals and pause for thought.

On Saturday it was the Winter Solstice and in the afternoon I went out and gathered in some fresh greenery from the canal side footpath, as well as from my own back yard. I always like to make an evergreen wreath to celebrate Winter Solstice, but first a walk in the woods.....

After a very cold, grey start to the day, it brightened up in the early afternoon and the woodland was beautifully peaceful and still.

A very brief appearance from the low sun through the trees felt like a Solstice gift, a gentle reminder that we'll be welcoming back the light as the days slowly lengthen again.

I made my simple wreath using ivy, eucalyptus and some random leafy foliage held together with a few wiry stems of faux berries. It's all a bit homespun but I like the slightly wild look.

My solstice candle this year is appropriately called "winter nights" and smells of eucalyptus, it's absolutely fabulous. 

On the shortest day of the year as it was starting to get dark outside, I lit my candle and settled down by the hearth. Time to reflect and count my blessings.

A glass of prosecco and time shared with J, such a sweet day of simple pleasures. And yaaaaayyyyyy for brighter days to come, I'm so happy we've turned the corner now towards the light!

I thought you might enjoy a little bit of Solstice inspiration that found it's way to me over the weekend (via Instagram). The above illustration is called "Return of the Light" by Rachel Grant. I am a big fan of her work and love the seasonal inspiration she shares in her instagram page. You can find out more about her on her website ((here))

The painting above is by a wonderful artist called Loré Pemberton. If you're on Instagram, her account is well worth a follow as she shares some fantastic videos of her painting in progress as well as her family life in the wilds of Vermont which directly inspires her work. The above painting is called "Welcoming the Light".

Before I sign off, I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your lovely comments to me in the Attic this past month, I do so appreciate you taking the time to write. I've been having laptop troubles this past week and my faithful piece of technology had to undergo open heart surgery (luckily J is a very good tech surgeon). Once all was closed back up again, the first thing I did was boot up Typepad to make sure it was working OK (sadly Typepad continues to be very difficult, but hey ho, not a lot I can do about it). I posted a random test photo which I totally meant to delete but somehow it published as a post......oh my goodness.....I can only imagine you must've thought I'd lost the plot??!! A random image, no title, no dialogue...and yet many of you still took the trouble to comment. I am so thankful for you all, you've no idea. Thank you. Thankyou, thank you.

Wishing you all a wonderful festive time, I'll pop back to share some more photos very soon, my home is looking beautifully colourful and I've been crocheting something decorative which Id like to show you too.....here is a little peek....

....more soon.....Merry Yuletide!

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December Days

♥ Still adoring my front step violas which I bought in October, they're such happy, hardy things.

♥ Embracing the many grey days of December as we approach the winter solstice, knowing the light will soon be returning little by little.

♥ Absolutely love love loving this weeks table-flowers :: tulip edition

♥ The kidlets have been on a trip down memory lane this past week and have been sitting at the table together folding bits of coloured paper. Yes, all three of my (not so) Little People which has produced a deep felt joy in my heart.

I went on a trip into my archives, and found (this post) from fourteen years ago and remembered the Snowflake Snipping days with much fondness.

♥ The Big Boy deftly folded a paper crane completely from memory which never fails to impress me. I cannot remember yesterday, let alone a fifteen-step paper creasing procedure learnt a decade ago.

♥ I've been busy with some festive hookery, making gifts from yarn and ribbon and beads which has been so much fun.

♥ I designed a  little double-layered flower to loosely resemble a mini poinsettia - I'll show you the finished thing after Christmas once gifts have been received and opened.

♥ This made me laugh - walking along the canal past the boats, immediately saying to myself inside my head : "Bottle, Claret and Tomato...oh, and a Sage roof box!" Read ((this post)) if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

♥ This boat also caught my eye this week because of the pretty red painted scallop detail around the front window.....

....which is telling me in a rather perfect way that my blanket design is hitting the spot.

♥ Speaking of which, the Merino Canalboat blanket is looking so, so pretty!! I'm now into the blues since I took the above photo and I'm excited to show you when I remember to take an updated picture.

♥ An early Saturday morning jaunt on the train over to Leeds, specifically to purchase a combined Christmas/Birthday present for Little B.

♥ Leeds is an extra layer of lovely at Christmas, twinkly lights galore. Love it.

♥ Saturday was also the day when we went to a local Christmas Tree farm to purchase a Nordmann Fir, the first real tree we've had since before Little B was born.

♥ I am so in love with the tree, absolutely smitten. It smells a-MAY-zing. I love coming down in the early morning, opening the door to the living room and inhaling a big sniff of Christmas. 

♥ A dreary morning yesterday called for some strolling in the woodland at Bolton Abbey, yes it was ever so grey but woodland walking in winter always makes me feel good. 

♥ Spending my Mondays with J is a treat and even after all these years still feels like the greatest luxury. 

★ Sharing some small things that have made me happy during the past week - flowers and family life, coffee and crochet, woodland walking and canal strolling, city shopping and christmas tree joy.

I have been enjoying my days this month, consciously not giving in to the festive overwhelm even though it's quite a hard thing to do. I am not ready, I am not done, in fact I feel like I'm only just beginning really. But I'm absolutely OK with going at my own pace and have perfected the slow approach over the years - it always comes together in the end, so no need to fling myself around the shops in a panic. I hope you are feeling the same ease, whether you are ready or just accepting of where you are at with one week to go. All will be well.

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Saltburn December 2024 {two}

Last week I took myself off to the Yorkshire coast for a few days rest and recharge, it was such a treat and turned into a very memorable trip. If you missed part {one} you can read the blog post ((here))....and now for the rest of my stay, featuring Storm Darragh.....

Saltburn :: Saturday

I woke up fully expecting to face a day of very stormy weather, and as the daylight crept in I was surprised to find that it didn't look too bad out there. It was windy, slightly drizzly and grey but certainly not the amber storm warning that everyone was talking about. I took a slower start to my day, spending some luxurious time loafing about in the huuuuuge super king size bed (utter luxury) reading a magazine, drinking tea and watching the weather play out over the sea down below.

I was down on the beach by 9.30, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the wind carrying the tang of seasalt with it. There were some very brave swimmers just heading out into the sea, my goodness, it made me shudder just to watch them. I adore being beside the sea but I'm very much a dry-land girl (I'm a very poor swimmer) and the sea would have to be warm and calm (a sunny Greek island beach for example) for me to venture in.

You can see from the above photo that the stormy weather was just beginning to roll in over the cliffs and I was glad to be enjoying my beach walk while it was still relatively good going.

Hmmm, it's almost ten o'clock now and my brain is telling me that it would very much enjoy me taking a seat and infusing it with some caffeine, so time to slowly cliiiiimb uuuuppppppp the steep cliffside and find somewhere cosy to rest a while.

I decided to go and visit a shop that I fell in love with a few years ago because I had a feeling it would be beautifully festive inside and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was completely overwhelmed with the sight that greeted me as I walked in the door.....

....oh my. WoW!! It really was a wow moment, and I'm pretty certain that I stood there with my mouth hanging open. This shop is Lillian Daph, a Scandinavian inspired gift and interiors shop. Obviously it doesn't usually look like this with a wooden gazebo type structure right in the centre, but what a genius way to display all the many christmas baubles and tree decorations, it was absolutely beautiful.

Now, Lillian and Daph have a very impressive upstairs which I hadn't had the opportunity to explore before this visit, and just like the ground floor it was absolutely stunning. 

Full of interior inspiration, a mixture of stylish furniture, textiles, lamps and accessories all beautifully curated and displayed. It was gorgeous and I felt like I could've quite happily moved straight in and made myself right at home.

Aside from all the gorgeous merchandise and buckets of visual inspiration, there was another very good reason for my visit to Lillian Daph. When I visited Saltburn back in the Spring (I had a v short one night stay back in May with J and Little B), we discovered that at the back of the shop was a newly opened extension that had been turned into a café ((Yard.coffee shop))

Just like the main shop, it's a beautiful space with oodles of cosy comfort and rustic, decorative details. My coffee was absolutely delicious, in fact it was so good I ordered up a second cup. In the above photo, what you can't see is the large lantern roof window up above. By the time I was slurping through my second coffee, the rain had well and truly arrived and it was literally bouncing in full force onto the roof. Urgh. 

Eventually I had to face up to Storm Darragh and braved the rain to go buy food before scurrying back to my cosy little house. I was absolutely soaked by the time I got in, so I changed out of my wet clothes, cranked the central heating up and settled down to some restorative hooky rows....

...ahhhh, that's better, there's nothing like a bit of colourful yarny therapy to take the edge off the stormy weather.

11.30 and the weather was getting worse and worse as Darragh started raging around the house. I had extra reason to be concerned because I was waiting for some important guests to arrive and I was worried about them driving in the now horizontal rain and gusting winds. Finally just before midday they arrived safe and sound and I was incredibly happy to welcome them into this warm and cosy house. 

Aww, it was so lovely as J and Little B had driven over to join me for a night, and after really enjoying my solo time I was excited to see them and have their company. We had originally planned to do some coastal walking but sadly the storm was far too stormy to even consider it. Instead we spent a quiet afternoon together reading, crocheting and chatting as the rain continued to batter the house.

In the mid afternoon there was a sudden lull and we decided to take advantage and head out. The rain had temporarily eased but the winds, my goodness they were in full force with 50mph gusts, it was unbelievably wild out there on the north east coast. We walked down to sea level and got blown along the promenade - in the above photo it's 3pm, and look how dark it is! 

We made it to the restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner, it was very cosy inside with the storm continuing to be very loud and disruptive outside. Towards the end of our meal the whole restaurant was suddenly plunged into darkness as the power went out - it was kind of funny but also ever so slightly worrying for the night ahead. It came on and off again a few times, and eventually stayed on long enough for us to pay and make our way back in the pouring rain to the house.

The power didn't stay on in Saltburn mind you, and we spent the early evening sitting around some candles and wondering what sort of a night we were in for with no heating and no electricity. Was it atmospheric? Yes, yes it was. J and I are old enough to remember the regular enforced power blackouts in the 1970's, but luckily for us we only had to experience it for about an hour at the weekend.

All night long the storm continued and the noise of the wind and rain against the windows was seriously loud. It was a bit of a disturbed night to be honest and I was glad that I had J there to literally weather the storm with me.

Saltburn Sunday ::

By Sunday morning the rain had moved on but not so the wind. It was still howling round the house (the weather app said 30mph winds with forceful gusts) but I was really glad we didn't have to battle with the rain as well. We had to be out of the house by 10, so we decided to get ready, tidy up our belongings and pack the car before heading out for a very blustery morning walk. 

You can see in the above photo how wild the sea was on Sunday morning, the tide was right up high and the sea was just a mass of white foaming waves being whipped up by the winds. J and Little B both wanted to walk on the pier - I was unsure but as we saw some other people out there we decided to venture along the boards.

We walked to the very end and my goodness, the wind literally stole my breath away. 

The sea felt enormously powerful with giant rolling waves crashing against the pier supports and rolling fast under our feet. We didn't stay out there for long as it was bitterly cold and my internal body clock was beginning to whisper the "coffee" word quite insistently. Luckily for me, both J and Little B are kindred spirits when it comes to enjoying a good morning brew, something that I am very grateful for. Sunday outings to go and drink coffee and eat something sweet are a regular family occurrence for us, and it's even better when we are away from home somehow.

So uuuupppp the steps we climbed, to the top of the cliff where the wind very nearly stole my woolly hat, whipping it right off my head without warning.

Saltburn isn't a big place and I love how quick and easy it is to walk from the wild and natural coast to the heart of the cute little town. We were in for a real treat on Sunday because just over a month ago, a brand new Scandinavian inspired bakery and café had opened its doors. After walking past it on Saturday morning and seeing the locals literally queueing down the street to get in, I had a feeling it would be something special.

Ohhhhh, it was indeed very, very special. The name of the bakery is "Koselig" which I understand is a Norwegian word similar to the Danish hygge. It loosely translates to mean a feeling of cosiness, intimacy, warmth, happiness and being content. I think there is also an underlying social context too, where embracing koselig means to spend time with loved ones, enjoying their company in a cosy setting, with a comforting hot drink and a snack. It's a brilliant name for a cosy café.

As you can see, the freshly baked goods were out of this world and quite different to the usual offerings at our English bakeries. I learnt that all these pastries are freshly baked in the early morning at the sister koselig bakeri in the nearby town of Guisborough. They are as close to homemade as you can get, and you really do get a feeling for the passion behind the artisanal small production.

Little B chose a cinnamon palmier, and J and I shared a dark chocolate brioche bun and both were outstanding. Not to mention the coffee....ohh, it was so so good!

I felt like another layer of simple Saltburn life embedded itself into my heart last weekend, and as I sat in the warm and cosy café (which was packed full, we had to wait patiently to get a table), I felt so very at home. I had this realisation that Saltburn is a little bit like Skipton and Bridport combined - a down to earth Yorkshire town, but with the lovely coastal vibe that I grew up with in Dorset. Unpretentious, slow, simple living, but with a touch of quirkiness and a little bit of luxury. 

Quite simply, I absolutely love spending time there, and as soon as I leave I find myself secretly making plans to return as soon as possible. Of course the family know all about my ongoing love affair with Saltburn and we've stayed there many, many times over the years since the Little'n's were little. It has my heart ♥

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Saltburn December 2024 {one}

Saltburn :: Friday

I really enjoy being away for a few days by myself and this latest trip was everything I wanted it to be. Waking up beside the sea is the stuff that my dreams are made of, and the Saltburn holiday house that I chose to stay in has the most amazing sea views. At this time of year our days are short so I wake up while it's still completely dark outside, sitting in bed with a mug of hot tea waiting impatiently for the daylight to arrive. The weather forecast for my time away was pretty dire with a moderate storm warning, so on Friday morning I was really, really overjoyed to see beautiful blue skies out there above the sea.

I was up, showered and dressed and down onto the beach by 8.30, keen to soak in the beautiful early morning light and breathe in that glorious salty sea air.

Walking along the shoreline as close to the sea as I could get felt absolutely wonderful. Being beside the sea gives me a feeling that I rarely get anywhere else, it's a heady combination of total calm relaxation mixed with high, pulsing energy. It's intoxicating and quite addictive, and it's the reason why you see me so frequently taking myself off to the coast because I experience such a strong pull to go chase down this feeling!

I found a beautiful piece of turquoise sea glass as I strolled along the beach, coastal treasure which made me very happy.

There were very few people around at this time of the morning, a lone surfer and a few dog walkers keeping my company. I made my way to Camfields just as it was opening and  bought an Illy coffee to take out onto the pier....

...which was blissfully catching the first rays of the sun as it rose above the cliffs.

I sat myself down on a wooden bench half way along the pier, tipping my face up to the sun while I sipped my coffee and listened to the sounds of the waves underneath my feet.

Saltburn pier has Victorian heritage and I often think about that as I stroll from one end to the other. It opened in 1869, and I like to imagine all the people who have strolled along the old boards in its 150 year old history.

Promenading for pleasure is such an underrated and joyful activity and you won't be surprised to know that I am a huge fan. I absolutely love piers and seaside esplanades and promenades - piers in particular are fantastic inventions and it's a wonderful feeling to walk directly above the waves as they roll in underneath your feet and all around.

After my morning coffee and pier promenade, I made my way slowly up the cliffside by way of the many interconnecting flights of steps which zig zag all the way to the top. It's a steep but exhilarating climb and the views from the top are always worth the effort.

I walked along Marine Parade and stopped as I always do to admire this very beautiful old Victorian building which dominates the street. It was originally built as a hotel in the mid 1800's and is now divided up into apartments, all with stunning sea views. 

Slightly less grand but still very charming are the the Victorian "jewel streets" of Saltburn. Named after  precious stones (Coral, Garnet, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, Diamond and Amber Streets), they are built in a gridiron layout and all lead down to the upper sea front. Over the years I've stayed in quite a few of these streets as many of the larger houses are divided into apartments which are rented out as holiday lets.

I enjoy walking up and down the jewel streets, admiring the front gardens and the lovely Victorian architecture....

....and the many, many quirky houses that are so full of character. I've no idea about the history of this ivy covered house but I'm really fascinated by it and always stop and wonder about it.

Coming back to my cosy little holiday house after a good few hours of walking was so comforting, it's a beautiful house to stay in (I was last here in my own back in July 2022). The downstairs is all open plan with wide bi-fold doors at the front which let light flood in and give the most wonderful sea views. I spent the whole afternoon working on my colourwash merino Canalboat blanket and am happy to tell you that it's looking (and feeling) incredible. The yarn is sooooo soft and squishy and an absolute joy to work with, and as you can see from the above photo, the colours are delicious.

Around 3pm I suddenly felt the need for a little break from the hook and some fresh air, so before the light disappeared I went for a walk. Instead of heading down to the sea, I decided to explore some of the old residential areas of Saltburn (oh my, some seriously posh houses) which led me into the large area of woodland which runs down the valley. There are lots of pathways to follow but I stuck to the well marked Cleveland Way which I knew would lead me directly down to the sea.

Coming back into town an hour later, it was 4pm and already starting to get dark. I wanted to try and show you the colourful christmas lights and trees in the town, they were ever so hard to photograph....

....but hopefully you can get an impression. I LoVED them so much as I am an eternal lover of coloured lights at christmas time and really enjoy the nostalgic childhood memories they evoke.

I expect you can gather by now that I really, really love Saltburn. It's only a small town (population of around six thousand) and of course I love the natural coastal landscape and the fact that as a seaside town it remains very unspoilt with a lovely sense of preserved history. There is also a genuine feeling of close community here with friendly people and a welcoming warmth, plus it's also ever so slightly eccentric and quirky which appeals to me on all levels! 

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the remainder of my stay which turned out to be a very stormy affair....see you then 

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Feeling Thankful

Thank you so much for all your wonderful feedback on the Canalboat blanket design and colours, and an especially huge thank-you-thank-you to all of you who are jumping on board and preparing to make this blanket along with me. I am so excited for it all, I absolutely LoVe CAL Season and it always makes January feel like a joyful start to a new year.

I just quickly wanted to tell you a little bit more about the painted wooden hearts in the photo above, because they deserve a mention, aren't they lovely? I bought them to add some pretty detail to some of my blanket photos and honestly the colours couldn't be more perfect as they match my blanket stripes so beautifully. I bought them from a very talented painter called Corinne who sells them via her Etsy Shop "CraftnMake", you can find them online ♥ HERE ♥

After the slightly crazy start to the week where my whole creative soul was immersed in all things Canalboat, this end of the week is looking more peace-filled and I am feeling ever so thankful for it all. I love both sides to my life - the high energy buzz of working, designing and creating and being fully connected to you all in our online community, and then the rhythmic, routine days where I am quietly going about the business of simply being Me. Both make me happy...reeeeally happy actually, and I think there is no better feeling than taking a good long look at how your days and weeks are flowing and be really content with the shape and feel of them.

The above photo gives an idea of the happy chaos behind the scenes of my recent photos, I tell you, I most definitely don't work in studio conditions! At this time of year I've found the best light is upstairs in Little Lady's bedroom as her room faces east with a large sash window, and the light in the mornings is generally good even on dull grey days. The only trouble is that she has her bed right in front of the window, so I set up a white wooden board which I prop on her windowsill, then proceed to crawl around arranging things and carrying out my photography on my knees. Once I'd finished and was about to tidy up, I climbed off the bed and took a good look and laughed out loud to myself, what a crazy mess, rather like the inside of my brain!! 

The blanket on the other hand is not a crazy mess at all, it is somehow beginning to look rather brilliant I have to say. You'll have to trust me when I say these bold stripes have been an intense challenge to handle, rather like a very wilful and spirited child who does not want to hold your hand. It has given me lots of surprises already and I'm enjoying it massively.

I'm just about to start working on a second sample to try out a colourwash idea with these colours so I'll let you know how that goes. I didn't think it was going to be possible to do it, but my Creative Mind refused to give in and I think I might've found a solution....it's going to be a repeating colourwash, which I think might suit those of you making smaller baby/lap blankets, or those who wish to work at a faster pace and out-hook the CAL schedule. 

The days that surround a blanket pack launch are tiring as I put a huge amount of mental and creative energy into my work. Between my blog, Instagram, my Facebook page and three different Facebook groups, there are a lot of platforms to monitor, questions to answer and comments to read. I am used to doing it after all these years and know that for about a week I'm not going to sleep all that well (busy brain that won't switch off) and will most likely feel a little bit weary. I've felt it this past week and have taken extra care to rest when I can and slow myself down a bit. I'm very grateful to be in charge of my days so that I can choose a speed setting that suits me - right now I'm pootling in the slow lane and yes, I'm thankful for it.

I'm enjoying eating well and making myself healthy and yummy meals, and although I can feel the tiniest twinge of a cold trying to creep into my system, so far I'm successfully fighting it off. I eat lots of fruit and veggies each day, and am especially enjoying the sweet clementines which are so good at this time of year. I had to share the above one with you, because its excessive leafage (complete with small branch) really did make me laugh!

Slow walking continues to form the backbone of my days, and the weather has been wonderful this week. Very little wind and I've been really aware of the stillness in the air which has a lovely calming effect somehow.

I took the above two photos on my way to the supermarket as I was crossing the canal via a pedestrian bridge. Along the short stretch of canal where I walk most days, there are four bridges - one of them is a pedestrian footbridge and the other three are road bridges. I've been reading up on the history of the Leeds-Liverpool canal which has been interesting, it's actually really old, much older than I thought. The part where I live was the very first part to be dug in 1773, and it took 50 years to complete the whole of it (127 miles in total).

Today I have changed scenery, leaving the canals behind for a bit which feels amazingly good. I spent the morning rushing around making preparations and then at midday I was on my way, enjoying the gentle rhythm of the train tracks as I travelled to the north-east.....

...arriving in one of my favourite places just as the light was starting to fade. 

Ahhhhh, the deepest of contented happy sighs!! I'm here in Saltburn for a few days of quiet, introverted solo time to recharge and re-energise, just what I need. 

I walked into the town to buy some groceries as I'm staying in a little holiday house and will be mostly cooking for myself while I'm here. Saltburn is so, so quirky and old fashioned and delightful, I dearly love seaside places which have a huge dollop of Victorian faded charm.

It was wonderful to see it all lit up for christmas, so sparkly and festive with looooads of lights absolutely everywhere. I completely love that the town has gone for colourful lights which look very much like the old fashioned ones I remember as a child in my home town in Dorset, I'll try and take some more photos for you tomorrow to show you. 

I'm so happy to be here, it's a deep down kind of happiness which I feel right in my soul. I've brought my crochet with me so I'll be working on that tomorrow (colourwash excitement!), and as I'm here on my own I expect there will also be plenty of beach walking and good coffee and the usual seaside pootling which lights me up. I can't wait.

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Canalboat Blanket :: Introduction

Good morning!! If you want to hop straight over to my shop to snag a Canalboat yarn pack before reading today's post, here is the link to Wool Warehouse >>

♥ CANALBOAT YARN PACKS ♥

I am fairly certain that this particular blanket doesn't need a huge amount of upfront explanation as you've no doubt heard me talk/obsess about canal boats for much of this year. In fact, I was thinking about this a few days ago - as far as I can remember, I don't think I've ever discussed the theme of my Crochet-along blanket with you so openly in advance before?! I usually prefer to keep my ideas pretty well wrapped up until I am absolutely sure of them. As I've spent more than a year collecting photographs of canal boats through all four seasons, I'm sure you can image how painful it would have been for me to keep it all under wraps, I just don't think I could've done it! So thank you for sharing my ideas with me as I've walked and photographed and written about the canalboats, I've loved being able to share with you.

In any case, I think it would be impossible for me to write my blog without sharing my walks along the canal as they've been a part of my daily life for many, many years. I walked with the Little People to school along the tow path for more than twelve years, and then once I no longer had that routine in my life, I still found myself walking that same route almost daily because it's the quickest (and most scenic) way to get to the town and the supermarket. 

I walk along this stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool canal in all weathers and all seasons, and absolutely love to see the narrowboats which come and go along the water. As I began to think about the colours and creating a design inspired by the boats, I really started to pay a lot more attention to the details.

Many boats are painted with brightly coloured diamonds, circles and stripes, and then of course there are the famous Roses and Castles....

These decorative motifs and scenes are very traditional and I absolutely love it when I see them adorning the boats. They played a big part in influencing my colour choices for this blanket (especially the roses), and it's been a lot of fun for me walking the canal every day and getting excited about new boats arriving that would inspire me with their colours and patterns.

During the past year I've collected over 150 images which have all helped shape and inspire the final colour palette and design for my Canalboat blanket....

....and as you can see, I decided to embrace the folk art influence and create a design that's bold and playful, and that all started with the colour selection....

....isn't it lovely?? It's exactly the kind of folksy look that I had in mind and I'm so happy with how these colours make me feel when I look at them. They are bursting with happy vibes!

This year I'm really excited that I can offer you a choice of yarn to make the Canalboat blanket. It's something I've been wanting to do for many years but there has never been a suitable (affordable) natural yarn that has the same broad colour range as my beloved Stylecraft Special DK. Yesterday I wrote a special blog post to introduce you to Yarnsmiths Merino DK which is the natural wool yarn I'm using for one of my Canalboat yarn packs. You can read that blog post ((here)).

I've been able to match the colours pretty closely across the two yarn brands amd I'll give you both sets of colours below for reference.

Stylecraft Special DK (premium acrylic, 100g balls) :

French Navy : Royal : Turquoise : Teal : Bottle : Green : Sage : Lime

Gold : Camel : Powder Pink : Fondant : Tomato : Lipstick : Claret

♥ STYLECRAFT YARN PACK ♥

Yarnsmiths Merino DK (superwash merino wool, 50g balls) :

Deep Ocean : Royal Blue : Light Turquoise :  Teal : Bottle Green : Clover :

Spearmint Green :Olive Green : Antique Gold : Vanilla Fudge : Peachy Pink 

Fondant Pink : Burnt Orange : Crimson : Claret Red

♥ YARNSMITHS YARN PACK ♥

↑↑ I think you'll agree that I managed to match the colours very well across the acrylic and merino, and both sets are beautifully vibrant and colourful.

↑↑ A few people on Facebook asked me if I thought the merino yarn was as vibrant as the acrylic yarn, and I can honestly say that yes, yes, yes it is!! Natural yarns take very well to the dyeing process and this gorgeous wool is in no way muted. If you are curious but unsure, you could maybe buy a couple of individual balls to see it in real life before committing to a whole yarn pack. Have a play with it, squish it and give it some love and then decide if you think it has a place in your hooky life. It most definitely has a place in mine, I adore it. The photos can't convey the utter squishy softness of it, it really is a delight.

Size-wise, my usual go-to blanket size is 120 x 175cm (roughly single bed size) and the Stylecraft Special yarn pack will easily be enough to make this size of blanket. The Yarnsmiths Merino has less yardage per ball, so a blanket made using this yarn will be a little bit smaller. When we come to work our sample and get ready to begin the blanket in January, I'll give you all the sizing and starting chain information then. Remember that if you want to make a bigger sized blanket (eg a double bed size) you can absolutely do that, but you'll need to purchase a second yarn pack.

I spent a long, loooooong time in the sampling stage for this blanket, partly because I had so many ideas it was hard to separate them all out at first. Eventually I settled on this very bold design which is a simple four-row repeat and showcases the folksy feel of the canalboat colours perfectly. It's a nod to the decorative paintwork on the canal boats - the stripes, diamonds and painterly flowers, beautifully bold and arty.

The pattern uses simple UK treble crochet and double crochet stitches and as with all my designs it's suitable for beginners. I'll be making my usual photo-heavy tutorial to help you along the way and I feel sure you're going to LOVE it. There is enough pattern interest to keep you absorbed, the quirky colour changes make it a lot of fun, but it's still a very relaxing and therapeutic crochet experience.

OK, lets talk about the CAL details now, just in case this is all new to you and it all seems a bit daunting. I promise you it's easy-peasy and crochet-alongs are a lot of fun.

Firstly there is no need to sign up for this CAL - it's all very relaxed here in the Attic so all you need to do is gather your yarn together and join in when the free pattern is released on Friday 10th January.

♥ The Attic24 CANALBOAT CAL will will run for 8 weeks in total, beginning on Friday 10th January - that'll be the day when the pattern will be published here on my blog and I'll give you all the information you need to get started. I'll then give weekly updates every Friday throughout January and February 2025 so that we can make the most of weekend hooky time.

♥ There will be a full picture tutorial here on my blog for the new Canalboat stripe pattern. Weeks 1-6 I'll share the colour order for a set of stripes (around 8 sets of 4-row repeats each week). Week 7 will be a catch-up week (darn in those ends!), and the final week 8 will be all about the border.

♥ The CANALBOAT YARN PACK contains 15 x 100g balls of Stylecraft Special DK or 30 x 50g balls of Yarnsmiths Merino DK and is enough to make one blanket/throw. The blanket will measure approx. 120cm x 175cm (slightly smaller for the merino version). You will need two packs if you wish to make a larger/double bed size blanket. I'll give starting chain/pattern guidance for those of you wishing to make larger (or smaller) blankets. 

♥ There is no printed pattern included in this pack, all pattern info will be here on my blog, with updates every Friday throughout January and February 2025. 

♥ All CAL instalments (pattern and colour info) will remain FREE on my blog into the future so that it's there for you to access at a time that suits you. You don't have to squeeze your blanket journey into 8 weeks if you don't want to - take your time and work at your own pace.

♥ Something I often get asked - can you use your own colours, or use one of my other yarn packs and still join in with the CAL? The answer is YES, of course you can! I appreciate that many of you will probably already have yarn that you want to make use of, and I really look forward to seeing your creativity with stash busting. 

All in all, you've probably guessed that this is a relaxed crochet-along project and the main aim is for us all to enjoy crocheting together. It's such a lovely way to start the New Year, and I hope you'll look forward to it as much as I do. Any questions, please ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer.

If you hadn't already guessed, I am really in love with the whole theme of the canalboat blanket and the folk arty colours, and I hope you love it just as much....thank you as always for your support and enthusiasm around my creative ideas, it really means the world to me.

Finally, before I sign off I just want to say how wonderful it is to be working with Wool Warehouse, we've been partnering together for over ten years and they truly are the nicest people who genuinely care about the yarn community. The whole team has been working ever so hard preparing my yarn packs, and they will  work even harder to get yarn orders out to you as soon as possible so that you have it in time for Christmas. The CAL begins in just under six weeks so there is time for it to get to you if you are far away from the UK. And for full transparency, I do earn a commission on all Attic24 yarn packs, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

And now finally, finally..........roll on January!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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♥ STYLECRAFT YARN PACK ♥

♥ YARNSMITHS YARN PACK ♥

 

Introducing Yarnsmiths Merino DK

Hello, yarn lovers!! A little spontaneous, but I thought it would be a good idea to quickly pop in and write an extra post about the new Yarnsmiths Merino DK yarn, ahead of tomorrow's Canalboat blanket launch.

I mentioned yesterday that I'm supporting my gorgeous friends at Wool Warehouse and we'll be offering a fabulous merino wool yarn pack for the 2025 Canalboat Blanket CAL, alongside my usual Stylecraft Special DK pack. OK, so let me explain - in case you didn't know, the Yarnsmiths range is owned by Wool Warehouse and is their very own in-house brand that they sell exclusively via their online shop. You might remember that last year they increased the colours in their very popular Create DK (a premium acrylic yarn) to offer 120 shades in total. At around about the same time, I put together a Create DK yarn pack for the Sungold CAL (you can read more about the Create yarn on my blog ((here)) so I know that many of you were inspired to try it and the yarn has continued to receive rave reviews from our crochet community.

Now, a year later, Yarnsmiths have just launched a wonderful Merino DK yarn and as you can see in the above photo, they have really given us something very special by once again offering 120 colours to choose from. I don't know of any other commercial merino yarn that comes in this many colours, it's truly ground breaking.

You can see all one hundred and twenty colours online ((HERE))

But do you want to know the bestest and most clever thing about these colours? They have been very closely matched to the existing Create DK range. This means they have the same colour code numbers and the same colour names, so you can easily match/substitute across both ranges. Isn't that just genius??? From a technical point of view, this is no easy task as acrylic and merino wool are two very different fibres and each react quite differently to dye colours. The development team at Wool Warehouse have worked very hard for over a year to develop this new range of merino, matching the colours very closely to the acrylic yarn with great success.

The yarn itself is an absolute dream, and I am totally, utterly in love with it. It comes in 50g balls and is so delightfully soft and bouncy and full of life that I can guarantee it'll pretty much be love at first squish. The softness of it was the greatest revelation - you can forget anything you believe about wool being itchy or rough, this is absolutely not itchy at all. If you are familiar with cashmerino yarn (remember the Debbie Bliss and Rowan yarns that had cashmere in them?), this Yarnsmiths yarn feels very similar and I would have no hesitation having it right next to my skin.

There are a few other things I want to tell you about this Merino yarn, and these things are very important.

1. This yarn is a superwash merino which means it can withstand a little trip in the washing machine. Before I decided to use it for a CAL blanket, I crocheted some samples and did some wash testing, just to be sure. I washed on a gentle machine wash cycle at 30 degrees with a minimal spin, then gently absorbed any excess moisture with a towel before flat air drying. The sample came out beautifully soft and drapey and I was very impressed. I did also conduct a cool tumble dry test on another sample, and although it came out ok, there was a bit of stretching/shape distortion so I don't think I would advise a tumble dry. This is a premium, all-natural yarn and needs to be treated quite gently I'd say. Here is what Wool Warehouse say about laundering :

"Superwash Merinos, such as Yarnsmiths Merino DK, are machine washable, but should not need to be washed at higher  than 30 degrees, ideally on a hand wash setting. Dry flat, and reshape when damp if necessary. Technically they can be tumble-dried on a cool, gentle setting, but we advise caution on this, as some tumble driers still can be quite aggressive, even on a gentle setting"

2. The origins of the merino yarn fibre. This was one of the first questions I asked when I was considering using this yarn myself, because the way that sheep are often treated in the production of merino fibre is not always the best. Here is what Wool Warehouse say :

"Our Merino is sourced from Australia, which is where the vast majority (roughly 85%) of the world's Merino originates. Australia is home to approximately 70 million sheep, nearly three quarters of which are Merino, and is known for producing some of the best quality, soft, fine-fibred Merino wool. Mulesing is still practiced in some parts of Australia, though this is decreasing as consumers and retailers, such as ourselves, actively start requesting (and paying more for) non-mulesed fibres. For all batches of our Merino products produced from June 2024 onwards, we are only using Merino certified by the AWTA (Australian Wool Testing Authority) as being non-mulesed. We hope that as more and more companies adopt this stance, the practice of mulesing in Australia will eventually be phased out completely."

This means that if you choose to buy a Canalboat yarn pack, you can be sure that the merino fibre came from sheep raised on smaller farms where the sheep aren't subjected to mulesing. If you aren't familiar with what this means, you can read more online ((here))

Ahh, I know this is a lot of information, but I really wanted to make sure you were fully informed of all the decision making and research that goes into things behind the scenes - it's not all about choosing pretty colours!!

Obviously the Yarnsmiths Merino is a natural yarn and a luxurious product (trust me, it really is) and that will be reflected in the price. The gorgeous people at Wool Warehouse are currently selling the Merino DK at a special introductory price (it only launched on 12th November), and the great news is that they'll hold this price for the Canalboat yarn packs until the end of the CAL in February. This is incredibly generous (it's a 40% discount!!!) and I am beyond thankful. The cost will be £89 for 30 x 50g balls (15 colours, two balls of each colour). The Stylecraft Special DK yarn kit will cost £34.

Hopefully now you can weigh things up a little before tomorrow....I really want to focus on sharing the colours and the inspiration with you tomorrow but at the same time I didn't want to gloss over the important background information.

See you tomorrow! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx