Attic24

2010 :: Year End Review :: home

Yesterday I was reading my Home Review post from last year and realised yet again how reassuringly repetitive the rhythm of my life is. Even though this year my life has been turned somewhat upsidedown by the arrival of Little B, so many of the same simple things have continued to inspire and delight me each day.

These images today are a celebration of my Home, little snapshots of my domestic homelife throughout the year. Small pleasures, ordinary everyday occurances, but very special none the less.

Homemade blankets, sofa snuggletime, fresh flowers, a comfy bed, morning coffee, childrens toys, creative celebrations, decorations, fun and games, crochet (of course!),  precious time spent nuturing a new baby, precious time spent with the Little People, colouring, cuddling, baking, painintg, step sitting, firelight, candlelight, special times.

Hope you enjoy my homely year...........

So happy that I've been able to capture these little snippets and record them here so that they don't get swept away and lost in time. It's wonderful to be reminded of the ordinary itty-bitty componants of ones life and find that one loves what one sees.  I feel so blessed.

My blog continues to give me sooooooooooo much pleasure too, I love coming here and wittering away alongside my pictures!! It provides me with a hugely valuable means of memory-preserving which is so precious, especially given how dreadful my poor memory is. I've particularly loved spending time this week re-visiting the various holidays we've had through the year (ahhhhhh beloved Connievan, how I miss you ♥), and of course it's all there for my Little People to visit and enjoy in the future.

Thank you so very much for sharing this year's journey with me, it's been an absolute pleasure for me to open my Attic door and invite you in. I have often wished I could've been here more often (only 99 posts written this year, deary me, such slackness), but I continue to try and make the most of every day, to value all that I have, to be glad of the family and friendships (and yarn, flowers, magazines, sleep, cake, coffee, pyjamas, chocolate etc etc etc etc) that  bring such joy and happiness into my life.

Wishing you all a fabulous and Happy New Year, may 2011 bring you all that you wish for ♥

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ps. do pop by tomorrow, I've got twelve Monthly Mosaics lined up for you, it'll be quite a feast for the eyes x

 

 

2010 :: Year End Review :: crochet

Ahhhhh hello my lovelies, and welcome to this year's yarn-infested Hooky Review!!!

It's been FAB-u-lous putting this post together, I've enjoyed it so much!! For one thing, I have been totally blown away by just how much crochet has really happened in 2010. Did I really, really, really manage to create All This???? REALLY???????? erm.................how exactly??? Hahahaaa....honestly, it feels to me as if the year has been so chaotic, so baby-orientated and sleep-deprived that nothing creative has been possible at all. That's how it feels, yet looking at the pictures here today I am quietly impressed with my own industriousness. True, I may not have been quite as productive as last year, but bloody hell I haven't done bad if I do say so myself.

So without further blub, here is my Hooky Year in Pictures...................................

:: Granny Wheel Square ::

:: piles of Little Squares for the baby zigzag blankie :: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino ::

:: hooking the ziggyzaggy lines ::

:: the assembly of the zigs and zags ::

:: ahhh baby zig zag blankie, Ta-dah!! ::

:: Springtime Wreath :: Rowan Handknit Cotton DK ::

:: James Brett Kool Kotton in the bag ::

:: working the vintage vertical stripes baby blanket in Kool Kotton ::

:: round cushion cover :: Kool Kotton ::

:: Vintage Vertical Stripe Blanket, Ta-dah!! ::

:: mmmmmm "sunshine yarn" in the bag :: Rico Creative Cotton ::

:: using the Rico cotton to make a Summer Squares cushion cover ::

:: oooooo-yeah, Stylecraft Special DK ::

:: Working on the Granny Stripe blankie for Connievan :: Stylecraft acrylic ::

:: my beloved Granny Stripe, Ta-dah!!!!! ::

:: that's the Stylecraft again with extra colours added ::

:: making Sweet Flowers for Connievan's Granny blanket :: Stylecraft acrylic of course ::

:: progress on the Sweet Flower Granny, the slowest blanket in the world ::

:: hooking Christmas decorations at the cafe :: using Rico Cotton again ::

:: Ahhhhhhhhhh, yummy little hooky decs for my tree, with bells and beads and everything ::

:: the Summer Squares cover is finished, Ta-dah!!! ::

:: adorable baby ripple blankie made for Kiki Doll :: Stylecraft again, yes, I do love that yarn ::

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ooooooooooooooooo wasn't that something?????

Such fun, I'm loving this Year End stuff!!!

Tomorrow, it's all things Home-ish, see you then.

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ps Last years crochet review can be found here x

 

 

2010 :: Year End Review :: flowers

Only a few more days remaining of twenty-ten, I can hardly believe it's true. This year has passed by so fast, yet at the same time the beginning of the year seems soooooo far away, do you know what I mean?? I do really quite like this time though, the imminent arrival of Year's End. I find it enjoyable to take stock a little, to ponder over the way the year has unfolded, to remember the highs and the lows, and to make a few plans for the fresh New Year ahead.

During the past few days I've been looking back through my photograph archives, stirring up the dusty old memory banks inside my terribly forgetful noggin. I have to say that it's been really pleasurable to re-visit the past year in picture form. I've also been re-reading my photo-heavy blog posts from the end of December 2009 too, gosh, my life is remarkable samey year in year out!

Anyhow.....whilst I've got J at home to do daddy stuff with Little B this holiday, I'm finding time to spend on the laptop which is bloody marvelous! I've been busy creating lots of mosaics and gathering pictures together to share with you over the next few days for my Year End Reviews.

First up I bring you the Floral Review..........enjoy, enjoy, it's a visual feast of colour and freshness!!!

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, deep contented (((sigh))). I just cannot for the life of me contemplate  a life without fresh flowers, they deliver such all round pleasure.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the floral eyecandy today :: tomorrow it's all about the Hooky Stuff :o)

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ps last years Floral Review can be found here if your eyes can take it x

 

 

 

Mother and Daughter sewing

When I was a girl, I was very lucky to have parents who Made Things. I guess I took it somewhat for granted that I was growing up in a very creative family environment, it just seemed so "normal" for us to make things all the time. My Mum has been a huge influence in my life in this respect and even though we have very different personalities, I've certainly inherited her passion for all things Handmade.

My Mum used to do a lot of sewing throughout my childhood and I vividly remember her owning a supremely cranky and disobedient sewing machine called Jones. Oh my, that machine (now deceased) really did bring out the worst in her and one of the only times I can remember her using a seriously Bad Word was when Jones chewed up her sewing.

Sewing is something I absolutely love to do too, although crochet has rather taken over in recent years. But sewing was my first love (although colouring-in and paper crafts in general have always featured heavily in my life), and it's one of the things I was/am really really really excited about doing with my own children.

So have you heard of Clothkits???

If you have, you will know what a fabulous little company this is, and if it's new to you, well you are in for a treat. Clothkits have been around since the 70's, and I did indeed make my very own cloth kit doll with my Mum many moons ago, although sadly I've no idea what became of her. The original version of the rag doll is still available to buy, but rather brilliantly the talented Jane Foster has redesigned the dolls and clothes and the results are rather super.

The other wonderful thing about the Clothkit folk is that they do seem to have extremely good taste when it comes to styling and selecting products. The catalogue (some pages shown above) is beautiful to look at, and oh-my-goodness, the Haberdashery section is the stuff of my dreams. Brightly coloured buttons, ribbons and trims get me all in a fizz, there is rather a lot of yumminess to be had here. And did I mention the fabric?? Oh, and the gifts?? Lots of yearning I'm afraid.

So let me introduce you to Kiki doll. There she is look, sitting cosily with the Granny Stripe blanket, isn't she lovely? I bought her in Kit Form for Little Lady last Christmas, and we sat and stitched her together on New Years Day, almost a year ago now. I remember it as if it were yesterday, it was a wonderful, wonderful day!

I'm sure I took some pictures at the time Kiki was made but they seem to have mysteriously disappeared...anyhow, the doll comes printed out on a large piece of cloth, and one basically cuts out head/body x2, legs x4 and arms x4 then proceeds to sew the pieces together, stuff them and assemble them into doll form. I would say it was reasonably easy to do....Little Lady was 5 at the time and I allowed her to very carefully guide the fabric through the sewing machine while I operated the foot peddle at very slow speed. Some things were a bit tricky (stitching the stuffed arms into the body was a bit faffy) but all in all, it went swimingly.

Sorry about exposing you in your underwear Kiki, but I need to show the lovely people of Blogland how you look without your dress!! You can see how the arms and legs are stitched into the body, like I say it was a reasonably simple sewing project.

When Kiki was made, Little Lady was absolutely on cloud nine with the joy of it all. The whole process of creating something special for herself to own and treasure did seem to genuinely thrill her. She kept jumping about and saying she couldn't beliiiiiiiiiiiieeeve that she had actually used a sewing machine and made herself a toy! Precious, it really was.

For a while, Kiki went everywhere with Little Lady, they played, ate and slept together. But gradually other toys took over and Kiki was left to sit on the Shelf of Precious Things in her bedroom. She sat there for rather a long time, until recently that is. Yes, in recent weeks, Kiki has been Rediscovered, and Little Lady has taken her on as her long lost daughter. She has been pushed around in a little pushchair, fed biscuits, danced around the room, tucked up in bed at night.

We reminisced about the day Kiki was "born", and Little Lady said that as Kiki was almost going to be one years old, could we perhaps make her a Birthday Present?

She asked for some pyjamas  and also for Kiki to have her very own blanket to snuggle under. Pyjamas, yes of course I'll order the kit and we'll make them together, and a blanket you say?? Oh yes, blanket-making is a Speciality of the House don't you know!!!

So last week I began making Kiki her very own baby ripple blankie. I'm using Stylecraft acrylic  yarn (current blanket-making yarn of choice) :: Little Lady actually chose the colours and worked out the entire colour sequence for me too, she is quite a clever little cookie with these things it seems.

I finished it last night, adding a red border to Little Lady's exact specifications....want to see?

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

Such a sweet little blankie, I worked the colour stripes in single rows, as well as making the ripples smaller than usual (ie using the Neat Ripple pattern, instead of multiples of 14 I did multiples of 10, which means only 2 tr's in between the increase and decrease stitches instead of 4, if that makes any sense to you whatsoever).

I am especially chuffed with the finishing off, I've never edged a ripple before and it's made the world of difference I think. On a whim I added these little chain tassels in the corners too, although I did have to run this idea by my Quality Control Department for approval.

Ahhhh, here is Kiki taking a little rest under her blankie look. I think she likes it.

Even though Kiki is nearly a year old now, the whole experience of making her has very firmly lodged in my memory as one of those things I will Never Forget.

And it seems that maybe just maybe Little Lady might feel the same.

Cos a few days ago she handed me a little note to read. She had written it one night in her notebook before she went to sleep.....

My heart nearly imploded with love and gratitude.

Too sweet for words ♥

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Christmas Eve :: 2010

It's been a most beautiful and glorious clear-blue icy day today. A perfect winter's day.

I ambled into town this morning to get a few last minute bits and bobs. I really enjoyed getting out in the cold crisp air, walking along the canal and marvelling at the water still in a state of deep freeze. The town was buzzy and lively with the market in full swing, and I felt so glad to be there and be a part of it.

Last night I sat by the fire until midnight for a marathon present-wrapping stint. The resulting piles under the tree were greeted with very, very excited squeals from the Little People this morning, and a relieved sigh from me. (Also I have to tell you that my late gifts posted to family only 2 days ago actually arrived this morning yiippppeeeeee, so happy about that!!)

This afternoon has been cosy and leisurely and homely, and I've loved every bit of it. Oh I do LOVE Christmas Eve so much!! So exciting and peaceful and warm and cosy!!

We lit the fire early on and nearly all of our days activities have been carried out in front of it, including most meals. Little Lady and I always paint our toenails together on Christmas Eve (excepting last year when Bump24 made it impossible for me to reach my toes)..we've gone silver this year instead of our traditional bright red.

I squeeezed in a teeny bit of sofa hooky time this afternoon too, blissful. I'm making a small doll blanket for Little Lady, well not for her exactly, but for her rag doll. It's nearly finished, I'll show you when all's done, I can't wait to show you the doll too.

My cosy winter pj's are all laid out ready for tomorrow (yes, I do like to spend much of Christmas Day in my jammies if I can get away with it). I've also treated myself to some new fluffy socks, I am stupidly excited about putting them on in the morning, I really cannot wait for that moment! I'm having a mild dilemma about whether to go for the stripes or the hearts?? I'm thinking stripes, like Christmas candy canes.

The Little People are tucked up sound asleep in bed now (it's 10pm) and the mince pie, glass of wine and carrot (for Santa and Rudolph) are sat waiting on the hearth. Stockings are hanging in place, and all is as it should be. Lovely.

Here's hoping you have a bright and magical Christmas, I wish you love, joy and happiness in abundance. Enjoy!!!!!

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Christmas Time :: 2010

I am devastatingly disorganised this year with Christmas goings on. Like huuugely late with just about everything. It's the twenty second today, and I finally managed to get out in the snow to mail parcels off to my family. I asked my friend who was with me if she thought the parcels would get there on time if I posted them First Class. She looked at me, shook her head and said "not a cat in Hells chance!" Ahh, that's a resounding No then. Pffffff. I sent a message to my brother asking him to tell my poor wee nephews that their Aunt Lucy is a dreadful scatterbrain, and that their gifts would be a tad late. My parents already know that their daughter is a dreadful scatterbrain and never expect things to arrive on time anyways, least of all at Christmas when there are a million and one things scrambling for my attention.

But late gifts and unwritten cards aside, the house is in full festive swing and is well and truly Decorated for Christmas. That at least is one thing that seems to've happened on time and without a hitch. Pheww.

Our tree and decs came up and down from the cellar and the attic on the twelfth of December, much to the delight of the Littlies. Oh yes, delight too for their dreadfully scatterbrained Mother who positively loves to be reunited with her beloved decorations each year. Not sure who was more excited, but it was lovely-lovely-lovely. Such a thrill to unpack all the baubles (ahhhhhhh the colours!!!), and to gently unwrap the tissue paper surrounding our favourite decorations. They did not disappoint.

The lights, well the lights were a little troublesome this year. They were quite stubbornly tangled for a while. You can see I had some untangling assistance from my little mini sidekick, he thought the lights were incredible. In-CRED-I-BLe. If you could look up from those chubby little hands and see the look of delight on his face, you would melt I tell you. Oh yes, he loved the lights so  much!

The tree, our old old artificial one from yonks back which cost us £7.50 is still going strong. And as usual, all of the decorating was carried out by the Little People. We had to do it over several days cos there was quite a bit of argumentation over who-gets-to-balance-precariously-on-the-back-of-the-sofa-to-hang-the-high-up-decorations, and I had to referee quite fiercely. But they did eventually manage between them to do a cracking good job.

I took this photograph one morning last week when the sun was streaming in through the bay window....the reflections all across the wall and ceiling were mesmerising, it was soo beautiful.

And of course at night the tree lights give the whole room that special magical Christmas glow....so glad that last year I made the switch from white lights to coloured ones, there is something very nostalgic about coloured Christmas tree lights don't you think??

And this is our fireplace....

....with the mini pom pom and snowflake garland looking quite fabby if I say so myself.

The paper snowflakes in front of the window have been a huge success and everyone who's visited our house recently has loved them. I've already decided that these will most definitely not be taken down on twelfth night, they'll stay up until the Spring time. Cos they are Seasonal rather than Festive, yup.

The beautifully coloured foil paper chains I made last week are also looking lovely, if a bit over the top. I love them, but then I do love childish things and understand they are not for everyone.

I've bought these Seasonal Tulips every year since I've lived in this house (our fourth Christmas here), they are always reliably in the supermarket and only cost a few pounds.

I know the "seasonal" bit of the bouquet only amounts to some sprayed gold twigs in with the bog standard tulips, but I love it all the same.

I also love-love-love these darling little robins, oh my goodness, they made me so ridiculously happy when I came across them squished at the bottom of one of the Christmas bags. The Little People made them last year, I think they are completely adorable and I hope they stick around for many more Christmases to come.

These are the little bits and bobs that are on our table at the moment. The Christmas house tin is a particular favourite (I bought it from John Lewis two years ago), it has a mechanical wind-up music box inside it which plays a wibbly wobbly tinny version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". We wind it up after each evening meal when the LP get to have a chocolate from the tin, and we've discovered that Little B also likes it a lot. He sits at the table in his high chair and bops to the music, very cute indeed.

These little objects were greeted with such excitement by the Little Peeps this year because they remembered them so fondly from last year and the year before that. I love the idea that through our decorations  we are tentatively building some simple family traditions around Christmas time. Creating Childhood Memories for the Little People if you like.

Makes me very happy.

Very-very-very happy in fact ♥

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Winter Solstice :: 2010

The shortest day of the year is here and it's been very, very sweet for us today. J is home from work now for the whole of the festive period and we are really feeling in the holiday mood. I spent a leisurely, relaxing morning colouring in pictures with Little Lady, tweaking my Christmas decorations (will show you those tomorrow), tidying up a little and generally loving the fact that were are all home together and all felt warm, cosy and colourful within our four walls.

After lunch, with nothing in particular on the agenda, we all wrapped up and ventured up to the park again for a second installment of sledging and ice-crystal admiring. The Little People were desperate to show their Daddy how well they could whoosh at (quite terrifying) speed down the snowy slope. He was suitably impressed, and even had a few goes himself, borrowing Little Lady's pink sledge and racing Little Man down the hill. 

While they were hard at it, Little B and I took a stroll through the woodland, gathering a few twigs and branches of greenery to bring home for Solstice.

Nothing elaborate, just a jug for the foliage, a few wooden stars, a tray covered in silver tin foil and some tealights.

Putting this simple table display together to celebrate Solstice with my family gave me a huge amount of pleasure.

We ate a lovely dinner together and chatted about the year and the fact that this day felt Quite Special.

A quiet moment as we lit the candles.

Later, after dinner, we sat around the fire and I gave each of us a dry pine cone.

We took it in turns to throw our pinecone on the fire and make a wish.

Crackle crackle, eyes screwed tightly shut, heart felt wishes made.

I would so dearly love to know what my little family wished for.

But I was solemnly told that I couldn't be told, because then the wishes wouldn't come true.

Ok then.

Wishing you all a happy Winter Solstice, I hope all your dreams (and mine) come true.

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F-f-f-f-f-freeezing

Hello my lovelies, thanks for dropping by. Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to talk Weather at you now. Cor the weather here is unbelievable at the moment, it is sooooo cold. F-f-f-f-f-freeezing, currently at -11 degrees as I type. Minus Eleven!!!! Not what we are used to here At All.

We had snowfall on Friday night, then yesterday was a spooky day of thick freezing fog. If I had taken a photo of my Attic view yesterday, it would have been just a murky white rectangle because you could not see across my street let alone across the town to the hills beyond. It was as if we were existing in an icy cold nothingness.

Not so today though :: today has been absolutely amazing. Stunning. The freezing fog of yesterday cleared away to reveal a bright and sunny day, one of those days when no matter how tempting it is to stay warm and cosy indoors you just feel compelled to be outside.

11am and we wrap up warm, gather gloves, hats, scarves, sledges, chocolate, a blanket and fresh coffee and off we head to our park.

Through the little woodland at the top, it looks so very, very pretty, like a magical winter wonderland. Oooooooooooooooooooooooh!!! So beautiful!!! I find I'm exclaiming a lot, I am so bowled over by the beauty of it all!!!!

The Little People are not hanging around to listen to me wax lyrical about the beauty of the icy landscape. Nope. They are off in an instant, swooshing down the hill on their sledges, shrieking as they go.

And as they disappear down the slope, I carry on talking to myself (Little B is soundly asleep in his pushchair, or else I would be talking to him). I marvel at the ice that covers everything.

Have you ever seen anything like this? Isn't it just fantastic??

Look! Ice crystals have grown on everything! Amazing isn't it?? Can you believe how beautiful it is??

By the way, where is everyone?? The park is unexpectedly deserted except for us and a few dog walkers. Doesn't everyone know what they are missing here? How can they stay away when there are magnificent ice crystals growing on absolutely everything???

The trees, oh just look at the trees!!!!!!!!!!! I can't get over it.

Oh.

oh-oh-oh-oh.

Fit to burst.

Too lovely for words.

Best unroll my blanket, sit myself down, pour out my coffee, eat chocolate and watch my lovely Little People do their thing.

Quieten myself down.

Be Still amongst the Beauty of Nature.

Not easy for the likes of me, but I give it my best.

Such a wonderful morning.

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Festive creativity

These are the cutest little itty bitty mini pom poms which I bought on a complete whim in the summer.

They are soooo cute and dinky and colourful, I am quite enchanted by them.

I also love love love that on the reverse of the packet it translates the words "mini pom poms" into some very unusual and wonderful sounding languages which made me laugh out loud.

In Hungary they're called mini pom-pomok and in Czechoslovakia Czech Republic *sorry for my error* they are male bambulky.

Who knew???!!

Last night I sat with a needle and a long long length of cotton and began threading.

It takes a long time to thread itty bitty mini pom poms one by one onto a needle.

The resulting pom pom garland grows sloooooowly.

But it's hugely satisfying work.

This morning I sat with a coffee and a mini mince pie and I finished off the pom pom threading that I was not able to finish last night.

Then I re-strung my hooky snowflakes from last year, threading them carefully onto my colourful itty bitty mini pom pom garland.

And now it's adding a lovely dollop of Festive Creativity to my fireplace, it was worth the time and effort it took to make.

Prior to the itty bitty mini pom pom threading, I was occupied with the paper snowflakes made by the Little People a few weeks ago.

I've been stringing them vertically onto thread to hang them from the ceiling.

It takes a long time to string paper snowflakes onto cotton thread with a needle.

The resulting decoration happens sloooooowly.

But oh oh such fun!!

It's lovely to see them adding a beautifully delicate and seasonal display to the bay window area.

I sat underneath them today with Little B and we watched them dancing and floating and twirling about.

Somewhere in between the snowflake threading and the itty bitty mini pom pom garland construction, I also began to make paper chains.

Not just any old papery paper chains, no, these ones are super-shiny festive coloured foily type ones.

The colours......ahhhhhhhhhhhh the colours are so amazing.

They shine and shimmer and make me think of all the festive creativity of my childhood, when metallic paper and card (and glitter) was such a Magical Thing.

Making these paper chains has been hugely nostalgic.

I'm making 4 x 3m chains to hang from the four corners of our dining room so that they gather at the top of my decopatched light.

As of now, two are up and two have yet to be made.

That's tomorrows job.

Gosh I am having quite a lot of quiet pleasure in my private Creative Festive Zone.

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Winter Warmth

Hello! We're having a very Wintry week here in my patch, brrrrrrrr it's been sooooo cold of late!

The temperatures have been sub zero day and night which is quite extreme for us Brits :: we are more used to half measures and unpredictability when it comes to the weather and all this constant bitter icy stuff has taken us by surprise.

But no denying the sheer beauty of it as I go slip sliding precariously with the pushchair along the frozen canalside. The snow and ice has made our every day surroundings look like a Winter Wonderland.

Despite the very cold weather, I've been feeling all Wintry-warm this week, it's such a lovely time of year isn't it? Ahhhh I'm having such a lovely, buzzy, happy time, the Little People are in full pre-Christmas swing both at home and at school and it's so joyful getting caught up in their excitement. Only 16 more sleeps don't you know. Quite a horrifying fact when one hasn't actually begun purchasing any gifts, but at the moment the Excitement is managing to keep the Panic in check.

I made it slip-sliding over the ice to the cafe this morning for my knit and natter group, what an enjoyable morning I've had. After missing it for a few weeks due to germs+snow, it was extra lovely to be back with friends, doing what I love best. Slurping and nattering and hooking, it was really good. Like really good. I am still on with my Christmas Decs, I have become quite loopily addicted to making them. Just one more, just one more, I can't seem to stop myself.

I know many of you are loving making them too (yiippppeeee!), there're some absolute beauties appearing in the Attic24 Inspired Flickr group, do go and take a look if you have a moment to spare. Makes me so happy to share with you  ♥ thank you ♥

Just whilst I'm on the subject of sharing, I came across a lovely blog this morning that I'd like to tell you about if you haven't already found it :: it's written by Sara and is called Tangled Happy, it's fabulous!! Labelled as a "crochet pattern collective" there are oodles of creative hooky ideas and lots of links for you to follow. I was particularly smitten with Pips crochet baubles that Sara featured yesterday, wow, what a clever idea that is! Pips tutorials are smashing and very easy to follow, I think I'll be giving those a go when I can put my own ones down for a second.

Something about Wintry weather makes me want to stay home warm and cosy and bake things. Well truthfully my week so far has involved rather a lot of happy time out and about socialising with friends, but Little Man is keeping us supplied with fresh home baking. He baked these buns when he came home from school a few days ago, and as you can see he decorated them beautifully without the need to do boy-things with the little balls. Pheww. They will be fit to offer to visiting relatives then, unlike some of his other baked goods, that's a relief.

My hyacinth on the mantel has reached it's peak now, the fragrance is quite something. Soon be time for us to clear the mantel though and make way for all things Festive, I'm really looking forward to doing that very soon.

A few Christmassy bits and bobs have already found their way down from the Attic eaves, and some pre breakfast Christmas crafting has been happening too. Gosh. Is it really only sixteen sleeps till Christmas??

One lovely thing that has happened this week is that I've been reunited with my Granny Stripe blankie, yaaaaayyyyyy!! J went and did the necessary wintertime stuff with Connievan, prepping her for the cold weather and "putting her to bed" for the winter. I couldn't bare the thought of my beloved blankie spending the whole winter alone, so it's come home for some warmth and family loving. Right now it's being put to good use and makes up half of the roof to a Den Hotel. Apparently if you want to go and stay in the Den Hotel, it'll cost you £500 a night, although Little B is allowed in for free. It's very warm and cosy and intimately s-m-a-l-l in the blankety Den Hotel, but it does have a beautiful, colourful stripy-ripply roof.

See my new cushion up above there too, isn't it wonderful?? It was made by a friend of mine and I couldn't resist it when I visited a little local handmade selling event on Friday. I love it so much, most especially the beautiful felt triangle edging,  yeah, makes my heart go skipetty skip that does.

And looky what I found a few days ago when I was rummaging in my cupboards....my long lost Summer Granny cushion cover. My oh my, I had totally forgotten about this little thing, I started it way back in May and finished crocheting it months and months ago. I even have a delicious turquoise cotton jumper waiting to be chopped up and transformed into the backing. Need to chisel out a bit of time to do that soon, not that my sofas are short of colourful hooky goodness mind you, but you can never have too much of a good thing.

Well, on that colourful note I shall have to love you and leave you for now, I need to go and do foody things in the kitchen.

Stay warm and cosy my friends, and I'll see you soon, probably with a Christmas Tree in situ :o)

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