Attic24

Canalboat Blanket Cal :: Part 5

Fridaaaaayyyy here we go again, another week and another step towards lighter, brighter, warmer weather. At this time of year here in the north of England we are still very much in the depths of winter. We tend to have long winters with a very short spring season tacked on the end in late April so I learnt many years ago that I needed to really find the joy in the winter season because it lasts for almost half the year. There is much beauty in these chilly months, and on the days when the clouds lift I really appreciate the beautiful, crisp, clear light.

I spotted this wonderful window on a canal boat earlier in the week and snapped a photo to share with you. The boat itself is quite rough and ready with fairly messy paintwork, but this window is rather lovely and I bet it looks even more beautiful from the inside with the light shining through. As you probably know, swans are a familiar sight on the canal here and I'm very used to seeing them as I take my daily walks along the tow path.

This past week has been split into two halves for me as I was away in Dorset for four days. Last Friday I published my CAL blog very early in the morning before dashing around getting ready to catch the early 6:56 train. It was a long journey (the train broke down so we were stranded on the tracks for an hour with no power), but thank goodness for colourful yarny rows. These jaunty stripes kept me company allll the way down to London, and then on the slow jaunt west through Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset.

I stayed in Bridport for a few days before moving on to Weymouth, so I really made the most of being beside the sea and topping up my feel-good tank. I took some lovely photos while I was there which I want to put together into a proper blog post, but as you can see, me and the Canalboat blanket were very happy to be beside the sea....

.....in fact, we both nearly ended up right in the sea at one point as I was so busy taking photographs that I didn't realise my boots were getting a wash! I LOVE love love (LoVe) taking a blanket with me on a jaunt when it's still a work in progress, because it means there'll be an extra layer of special memories preserved in those stitches. This blanket is already full of happy memories (friends and cake and swans and boats)...and now there's some Dorset magic added to the mix.

On Sunday I had the pleasure of joining the Attic24 Dorset ladies in Weymouth for a morning of yarny pleasure. Gosh these ladies are a lovely lot! So much joy and friendship and happy vibes, it's always a huge pleasure when I'm able to join them. We met in the Alexandra Hotel for coffee and crochet (far too cold to hook on the beach, although I'd be up for that later in the year for sure), but we had a fun time taking our blankets outside for a little photoshoot. You can see that there were a good few Canalboat blankets all in progress alongside my own, and it was wonderful for me to see and hear first hand how much pleasure these bright colours are bringing to the grey days of winter for so many of you.

Sharing our blankets with each other is such a lovely part of the crochet-along experience (especially for me, but for you as well), and I continue to be hugely inspired by our online communities. We are using the #canalboatcal hashtag on instagram, and there are four social groups on Facebook (including the Dorset ladies if you wish to join them) - details are all listed in my CAL part 1 post. I haven't spent as much time online this week myself as I've been preoccupied with some new creative ideas, but today I'm sharing some inspiring photos that caught my eye in the last few weeks.....

↑↑Nicky is part of the Dorset group so I got to see her blanket in real life on Sunday and I absolutely fell in love with it. She's using the Canalboat pattern as you can see, but with the Harbour colour palette for a jaunty coastal journey. The Harbour colours are well suited to this pattern as there's enough contrast to make the shell rows pop.

↑↑ Well isn't this an absolute beauty??!! I've loved following this crochet journey on Instagram during the past few weeks as Kathryn has shared her photos and videos with us on her page (@daisiesdelight). She is crocheting this mesmerising moss stitch chevron blanket which is so well suited to colour play - the Canalboat colours look fabulous in this zigzag pattern, don't you think?

↑↑ Cathy shared her zippy bag project with us in the Hooked on Attic24 Facebook group and I thought it was really inspiring and wanted to show you. You may remember I made a tutorial for this project a few years ago (all pattern info and photos on my blog ((here)) and it's always lovely for me to see you enjoying my free patterns and creative ideas. These little zippy bags are perfect for using up the smallest scraps of leftover yarn and are brilliant colour therapy vehicles :)

↑↑ Now I've been SO excited to show you Claire's blanket and have been waiting patiently as it grew from just a few rows to this fully grown beauty. I mean, WOW, it really is a wonderful use of the Canalboat colours and I couldn't love it more. The pattern is taken from my square Fireside Blanket, extended to make a rectangle and I think it really captures the folksy, playful vibe of this colour palette.

↑↑ Not forgetting our four legged friends, I've enjoyed seeing your blankets being put through some essential Quality Control testing. Above is Caroline's blanket with Drusilla enjoying some colourful, cosy snuggles.

↑↑ Jenny shared this photo with the caption "the pouffy side is comfier apparently" which made me laugh out loud! Haha, I think I might have to agree with her kitty Morty - the pouffy side does have the perfect kind if squish factor.

Here in the Attic, Miss Tilly has given the Canalboat blanket her official seal of approval. I was sitting in the Big Chair working up a few rows one afternoon and as soon as I stood up to go and make myself a cup of tea she made herself right at home. I didn't have the heart to evict her, she looked so cosy and content surrounded by all that glorious yarny colour.

I too have been enjoying the "pouffy" nature of this blanket which is ever so warm and snuggly. I've had a slow week since I returned from Dorset on Monday evening, enjoying some quiet recharge time which is always needed after a lot of movement and emotional/social activity.

Can you believe we are nearing the home stretch with our rows already? Week five sees us gently sailing towards the top of our blanket, and my favourite parings this week are Teal & Tomato, with Turquoise & Royal coming a close second.

As you can see, the kitty has been very involved in my business (I do think she misses me when I'm away for a few days) and carried out a good many inspections of my work.

I thoroughly enjoyed taking this weeks photographs to share with you....

....the colour therapy was something special.....

......I mean, just WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, I am so stupidly in love with these stripes!!

I think I mentioned last week, that a big part of my creative satisfaction (and ongoing love affair with blankets) is due to the fact that they are so much fun to play with. Stacking, piling, folding, swirling and draping blankets is an underrated pleasure-fest and I can highly recommend you indulge. Immerse yourself in the creative pleasure of it, take a gazillion photos and see just how good it makes you feel. It's wonderful stuff.

The above photo shows the completion of week 5, and the Canalboat blanket is looking absolutely glorious.

IMPORTANT SIZE INFORMATION!

If you are making your blanket using the YARNSMITHS MERINO DK, you should finish at the end of PART 5. This should give you the right proportions (aiming for 100 x 150cm) and you should have enough yarn left to make the border.

Similarly, if you used Stylecraft Special DK but reduced your width to make a lap blanket, then you should have stopped at the end of Part 4, or when your blanket reached approx. 120cm in length. It's OK to add some extra stripes if you wish, please use your eye to gauge the proportions of your own blanket and feel free to stop at any time once you're happy with the length.

The border pattern will be released in three weeks time on Friday 28th February.

This week with our Mixed Stripe Canalboat blanket we are crocheting another 32 stripes.

Stripes 130-161.

Here is Part 5 of the MIXED STRIPE for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

PART 5 MIXED STRIPE WORKSHEET PDF

Interestingly, I haven't seen many colourwash blankets in progress as I've hopped about on Facebook as I think most of you are following my jaunty mixed stripe version.

My own colourwash merino blanket is mostly being used as a shawl - it's so beautifully warm and I love having it wrapped around my shoulders when I sit to work at the dining table which can be quite a chilly spot in winter.

The above image shows clearly the five "blocks" of repeating colours - this is where you will end your blanket if you are using the Yarnsmiths Merino DK. For the Special DK colourwash blankets you will continue onto part 6 next week.

So week 5 of the Colourwash is a repeat of week 1.

Stripes 121 - 152.

Here is Part 5 of the COLOURWASH for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

 PART 5 COLOURWASH WORKSHEET PDF

I mentioned last week that I have caked up my yarn and it's so satisfying to work from these neat, centre-pull balls. There were quite a lot of questions about yarn winding on Facebook and how to do it, so I thought I would mention it here. I use a cheap, standard kind of yarn winder which clamps to my dining room table. I bought it from Amazon years ago....here is the link to the exact one I have ((YARN WINDER)).

The balls work best if they are around the 50-70g size, so I either wait and wind them once I've worked up some stripes and reduced the size of the ball, or if I'm winding a new 100g ball of SSDK I generally wind into two separate 50g balls. The winder isn't big enough to cake a large 100g ball, so do keep this in mind.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading today's post and as always I wish you a wonderfully happy and creative week ahead. Have fun with your hook!

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♥ Part 5 Mixed Stripe worksheet

♥ Part 5 Colourwash worksheet

♥ Canalboat Pattern PDF

♥ Canalboat TUTORIAL (with lots of photos)

♥ CAL Introduction post

♥ Canalboat yarn packs

♥ CAL post Part 1 (stripes 1-33)

♥ CAL post Part 2 (stripes 34-65)

♥ CAL post Part 3 (stripes 66-97)

♥ CAL post Part 4 (stripes 98-129)

 

 

 

Canalboat Blanket Cal :: Part 4

Morning my lovelies, thank you as always for stopping by to read my words and view my photos, I do really love our weekly catch-ups. I've been missing my regular non-CAL type blogging this week though, I keep thinking I'll find time to squeeze one in mid week but somehow the days run away and already here we are and it's Friday once again. My week has been a busy one, it's that time of year when I've been buried in receipts and spreadsheets and facing the dreaded tax return, so I've felt a bit like my days haven't been my own. I've also been struggling with a mild head cold which has disrupted my sleep and left me feeling a bit low, but I've been taking care of myself and I already feel a lot better as we head towards the weekend.

J has been off work this week so it's been nice to have his company as I go about my daily routine. I've especially appreciated the extra muscle power to carry the food shop back along the canal and up the steep hills to the front door! Yesterday morning we went for coffee together, then into town to run some errands, coming home via the supermarket and a gentle stroll back along the tow path. It was freezing cold but gloriously bright and sunny and oh, I was soooo thankful to feel the sun on my face.

I stopped to take a quick photo of the top of this canal boat which caught my eye yesterday....the painted roses and sweet violas, a lovely little miniature roof-top boat garden.

In amongst the germs and the accounts, there has been crochet of course and I have absolutely loved the daily comfort of it. As I am only one week ahead of you all with my stripes there isn't a lot of wiggle room, but I'm really, really enjoying the journey. I've crocheted with good friends in the café while chatting and laughing and inhaling my frothy coffees...

...and I've sat quietly at the table in the early mornings drinking Lemsip cold remedy and gently easing myself into the day with some hooky therapy.

But mostly my rows have been happening on the sofa. During week four, the Canalboat blanket reaches the perfect length for full lower body coverage, and that fact has made me very happy indeed.

Yesterday I spent some time in "planning and prep" mode, working out the next small set of colour choices with my yarn pegs and also winding my yarn balls into neat cakes. I absolutely love both of these tasks so it's been a real treat to be quietly busy and feeling very content with my stay-home status.

The reason I decided to cake my yarn at this stage is simply because it makes it easier to crochet while travelling. The cakes are compact and work with a centre-pull, which means I can sit on a train and keep the yarn contained neatly in my bag while I crochet some rows. I'm off down to Dorset today which equates to many blissful hours of crochet time as the journey is over seven hours. I am very much looking forward to it actually.

I'm hoping you've all had a great week with your hooks and are feeling happy with how your blanket is looking now that you are halfway there with the stripes? This is a lovely stage now as we move into the second half of the blanket because the length will feel very cosy and comforting on your lap (well it does here in the northern hemisphere where it's still very cold and wintry).

This is four weeks of hooky pleasure, with joy in every stitch!

Each week when I plan out the colours I make sure that no two shell/treble combinations are repeated, have you noticed that? They are all different, and it means that each week there are new colour surprises to look forward to.

There are some wonderful pairings in week four....ooooooooo lipstick and fondant together are particularly stunning I think.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the high energy of this design, and I find the more it grows, the more I fall in love with it. The bold colour contrasts aren't always easy on the eye when you scrutinise them individually, but when they become part of the bigger design, they are highly effective and very playful. I absolutely love the way the blanket is evolving as it grows, it's really, really exciting for me as the designer/maker and I really hope you are also feeling the same love for your own blankets.

The Starbright blanket has been the favourite on the sofa this week, and it prompted me to have a little play with it as I was photographing the Canalboat blanket yesterday. I was curious to see how they would look together especially as they share some of the same colours, and it was fun to capture them in a photograph.

I LOVE playing with my blankets and do it often, I think it's become a hobby of mine. There is something about folding, stacking, layering and photographing crochet blankets which makes me very happy - all that colour and pattern and the many, many layers of memories held in those thousands of stitches. Pure pleasure.

OK....now we're going to take a look at this weeks stripes, and then I've got some very special Canalboat photos to show you.

This week with our Mixed Stripe Canalboat blanket we are crocheting another 32 stripes.

Stripes 98-129.

Here is Part 4 of the MIXED STRIPE for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

PART 4 MIXED STRIPE WORKSHEET PDF

The Colourwash Canalboat blanket will be growing a little more slowly as we're going to add 28 more stripes this week.

Week four is a repeat of the second week, adding another beautiful set of rhythmic rows. The above graphic shows the four repeating sections, and I hope that if you're making this version that you're enjoying the visual flow of it.

So week 4 of the Colourwash is a repeat of week 2.

Stripes 93 - 120.

Here is Part 4 of the COLOURWASH for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

 PART 4 COLOURWASH WORKSHEET PDF

Now I've got something rather lovely to share with you. Last Friday I had the pleasure of spending the day with two of my closest yarny friends Christine (Winwick Mum) and Emma (Varnham). Over the years we have formed a close friendship connected as we are through our shared passion of blogging, designing, knitting and crochet. As we all live reasonably close to each other (within a 90 minute drive) it's possible with some forward planning for us to meet in person quite regularly.

We often decide to meet here in Atticland, mostly it's just for a day, but a few times a year we decide to extend our time together to include an evening meal and an overnight stay. Now last Friday it was our annual January/new year  stay-over which we've been doing for about six years now, and the accommodation of choice this year was rather special. You can see it in the above photo.....no, not one of the riverside cottages or canalside apartments.....but the beautiful blue canalboat!!!

YES, believe it or not, this boat is permanently moored here on the quiet Spring branch of the canal and it is indeed available to rent for a nights stay.

We spent the morning at Coopers Cafe, then after lunch it was time for Emma and Christine to meet the boat owner and get checked in for their stay. The fire was lit and the boat was oh so warm, cosy and comfortable. We had come prepared with sweet treats from the local bakery and very soon we each had hot mugs of tea and were settled in for an afternoon of yarny pleasure.

Can you imagine the scene? I was seated right next to the fire and Emma and Christine shared the sofa.....lots of very happy chatter, yarn talk and busy hands (blankets and socks in progress). It was absolute bliss.

Early the next morning I returned to the boat with my blanket and decided to take advantage of the prefect photo opportunity. I know my blanket is still a WiP and only half finished, but my goodness, it did look stunning on the boat....

.....awwww, so, so lovely!!

I was joking with Emma and Christine, saying that I should have ordered some swans to perform a swim-by especially for my photos....we were laughing about it and then you can guess what happened, can't you????

A few minutes later, the swans did indeed come to call!!!!!!!

Loooook............

I was SO happy, the light was gorgeous and a truly beautiful Canalboat morning scene gently unfolded in front of my eyes.

I think my blanket really did come alive in this moment - the design, the colours, the many months of visualisation and creative work....

...ahh, it was an experience I won't ever forget.

I hope you've enjoyed these extra special photos today, I've loved sharing them with you, and the swans said to tell you all that they enjoyed being a part of my creative process, and they hope you feel suitably inspired :)

Have a fabulous week - I'll be hooking away down in Dorset until Monday but I'll try and pop in here once I'm home again.

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♥ Part 4 Mixed Stripe worksheet

♥ Part 4 Colourwash worksheet

♥ Canalboat Pattern PDF

♥ Canalboat TUTORIAL (with lots of photos)

♥ CAL Introduction post

♥ Canalboat yarn packs

♥ CAL post Part 1 (stripes 1-33)

♥ CAL post Part 2 (stripes 34-65)

♥ CAL post Part 3 (stripes 66-97)

 

 

Canalboat Blanket Cal :: Part 3

Ohh, January....why do you have to be so, so, so greeeeeyyyy???! I must admit I've been feeling a bit defeated by the weather this week, it's been oh-so-very gloomy and really a bit bleugh. Cold. Grey. Wet. Foggy. Did I mention grey? My lovely daughter said to me at the weekend something along the lines of "well it is winter and this kind of weather is perfect for January", and I had to admit she did have a point. I've always said that I enjoy living through each season if it's behaving in the appropriate manner, and yes this week has felt very Januaryish indeed.

I took the above photo a few days ago and I thought how wonderful the boats looked against the dull grey of the day. Red, yellow, dark green, orange, blue, sage....colours to cheer the soul.

Way back in the middle of last year when I was working on the colour palette for the Canalboat blanket, I bought myself a book. I found a second hand copy on Amazon (it's here if you are interested), and although it was first published over thirty years ago, these traditional designs don't really age.

The book is a delight, and gives instructions to help you paint canal roses which is something I would love to have a go at. I thought I might use the book to help guide me with my colour choices, but in the end  didn't need it as I already had a tonne of visual inspiration of my own. I had gathered over a hundred photographs of canal boats which directly informed my colour decisions for this blanket....

....and I was lucky enough to spot some real life roses and castles decorating some of the visiting boats over the summer months.

It was the traditional painted canal roses that prompted my decision to include some pinks in my colour palette and I am so happy I followed my heart with this. The pinks really add a joyful lightness to the blanket (you'll especially see it in Part 3 this week) and the Canalboat blanket would look completely different without them.

This week I thought it would be inspirational to share some Canalboat blanket journeys which are using alternative colours to my own. I've seen quite a few fantastic blankets emerging in a whole variety of colours...this pattern is a very exciting one for colour play, as I'm sure you've already discovered.  Lets take a look...

↑↑ Rebekah is making this very beautiful autumn colourwash blanket using my Woodland colour pack (I think she said she's leaving out the greys and adding in more blues as the blanket grows). I really think it's stunning.

↑↑Victoria is in the early rows of her Canalboat blanket using the Aria yarn pack, and I think it already looks really lovely.

↑↑Claire is making her boaty stripes using the Cottage yarn pack and is doing a fantastic job making those shell rows pop.

↑↑Melissa is using her own palette of Yarnsmiths Merino DK and making a brightly coloured scarf, isn't it wonderful?

↑↑Jen decided to take a more muted approach and is using a palette of very vintagey colours. She chose quite a few from the new Made in Yorkshire Stylecraft Special collection (I can certainly spot Milky Tea in there!)

↑↑Jane is taking a cool, watery approach to her sail down the canal - isn't this lovely? She's mixing a select palette of grey- toned blues with white for the contrast, making those shells really stand out.

↑↑This gorgeous version has had a lot of love on Facebook - Dina has made the pattern work in a very clever way by using a dark grey to surround the shell rows.

I've had a fantastic time on Insta and facebook this week, wow, there is SO much inspiration, support, friendship and community spirit in our online crochet world and it makes my heart unbelievably happy to see. Thank you to everyone who gave me their permission to share their photographs - there were too many to include in this weeks post, so you can look forward to more next week.

I've been working on my own blanket too this week, remember I'm also taking part in the Canalboat CAL and crocheting my stripes just a week ahead of you. Because of the complexity of the colour palette with this design I've had to tread very slowly, working in small sections at a time to makes sure the balance of colours is harmonious while still popping out those contrasting shell rows. Eeeep, it's a challenge! I try not to fixate on the individual colour clashes too much (sometimes they do make me toes curl), but instead I focus on the bigger picture. The bigger the blanket grows, the more harmonious it becomes.

I'm using my trusty yarn pegs of course...I love this rather rudimentary way of colour planning and feel comforted by the familiarity of it after designing this way for so many years.

I've been mostly crocheting my own stripes in the evenings, sat on the sofa with the kitty and keeping warm with the fire lit. I adore the gentle rhythm of these stripes, they are very therapeutic I have to say.....

....although I did find myself very distracted by the TV on more than one occasion. I generally don't watch television but J was watching an old film (Moby Dick) one evening and the shouting and whale chasing obviously really interrupted my flow. Ooops!

At the end of Week 3 you'll arrive at the halfway point of the blanket with another three weeks to go for the stripes.

There are some rather wonderful colour-combinations this week too - wow - this blanket has a LOT of energy about it! Even J said to me a few days ago how much he was enjoying seeing it grow and change each week. He very rarely comments on my blankets but does seem to be very taken with this one.

Shall we take a look?

..

....ohhhhhh, isn't it looking GLorIOuS???? Do you see what I meant when I said to focus on the bigger picture and not on each separate colour combination in isolation?

This colour palette and pattern combo is unlike anything I've done before, it really is very striking.

I absolutely LoVe it, especially now it's looking and behaving like a proper blankety-blanket.

BLANKET SIZES

Lets chat quickly about the size - if you are following the Stylecraft mixed stripe shown here, then your blanket should be measuring approx. 90cm long (half way) after you've completed part 3 this week. If you are using the Merino DK yarn, your blanket might be slightly smaller, but keep in mind the merino is a very bouncy yarn so your gauge might vary depending on your hooking style. Don't worry if yours is a little smaller/bigger (unless you're wildly out!), we will chat again at the end of part 5 in a few weeks time and see where we're all at.

If you are making the colourwash version, then you will have less rows (5 less at the end of part 3) so again, your blanket will be measuring slightly smaller.

If you are making baby or lap size blankets, do make sure you stop once you've reached a length you're happy with! For baby blankets I would usually aim for 70 x 90cm finished size, and for a lap throw it would be something like 90 x 120cm. It's up to you how you proportion your smaller blankets, so do please use your own judgement and feel free to down hooks and stop when you've reached the satisfaction point.

Something I've not talked about much is the texture of the Canalboat blanket which I am honestly loving. I had assumed in the beginning that it would be a pretty dense blanket with a flat, even surface texture but actually that isn't the case. Yes the stitch pattern is dense because there are no holes or chain spaces, but the texture is really great, especially on the reverse.....

....↑↑ there, can you see? The back of the shells come out all cute and pouffy, like little textured bobbles and I think they are sooo tactile and lovely. Maybe in the end when the blanket is finished we might switch it around and call the back the front and embrace the bobbliness?!

I was taking some photographs in Little Lady's bedroom yesterday, because in this week of low light and epic greyness, I needed to position myself in the window with the best light. I think I've mentioned before that she's adopted the Flowerpress blanket which is always neatly arranged on her bed...ahhh, I had a moment of pure, unadulterated visual JOY when I caught sight of both blankets together yesterday. The soft, faded vintage florals with this new bright and bold folksy diva, it was just magical seeing how my designs look so different and yet they most definitely belong to each other. Like two siblings who have the same parents and upbringing, yet have wildly different personalities.

I was wearing my Crazy Zauberball socks yesterday and couldn't resist also snapping a quick photo to share on instagram. I get a lot of joy out of playing with my yarny creations, arranging them, folding them, photographing them - it's a whole extra level of creativity and appreciation. Speaking of which....

....this photo was shared on Instagram this week under the #canalboatcal hashtag and it really made me smile BIG!! Let me introduce you to Verena and her utterly gorgeous bunny who is named Mrs Finka, all the way in Germany. I think Verena is giving an important colour lesson to Mrs Finka....ahh, it does make me so happy to see the enjoyment these blanket journeys are bringing to your worlds!

Right, let me stop waffling and loving on the bunny and give you PART 3 of the blanket........

This week we are crocheting another 32 stripes to reach the half way mark. Stripes 66-97.

Here is Part 3 of the MIXED STRIPE for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

PART 3 MIXED STRIPE WORKSHEET PDF

Now then, I have a confession to make. I'm so very sorry to announce that I haven't been able to complete Part 3 of my own Colourwash blanket to show you this week, I ran out of time and in this damp, cold weather my hands said No More Hooky. I hope you can forgive me, I tend to do things in a very spontaneous way and sometimes even with the best will in the world I run out of available time and hand power.

Above image is the first two parts of the colourwash that I showed you last week, and in Part 3 we are simply going to repeat Part 1 again.

This means you'll be adding a further 32 stripes to take you up to 92 in total.

↑↑ Thanks to J who helped me create the above graphic image to share, so you can clearly see how the repeat will work this week, it's mesmerising to look at, don't you think?

Here is Part 3 of the COLOURWASH for you to download/print this week , click on the following link >>

 PART 3 COLOURWASH WORKSHEET PDF

And lastly before I pop off and leave you to your own blankets, I just wanted to remind you about the glorious Canalboat Harmony blanket that Kaz Hall created for this CAL. It's absolutely divine, and uses the same 15 Canalboat colours with 2 extra balls of Camel to complete the joining. You can find all the colour information on Kaz's webpage, she's known online as Insomnia Crochet.

I hope you all have a calm and peaceful week with lots of cosy moments and therapeutic creativity. Have fun with your yarn and enjoy the colour-fest!

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♥ Part 3 Mixed Stripe worksheet

♥ Part 3 Colourwash worksheet

♥ Canalboat Pattern PDF

♥ Canalboat TUTORIAL (with lots of photos)

♥ CAL Introduction post

♥ Canalboat yarn packs

♥ CAL post Part 1 (stripes 1-33)

♥ CAL post Part 2 (stripes 34-65)

 

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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