Attic24

Weekend Snaps

:: Saturday morning breakfast outside ::

:: sunny morning playtime in the front garden ::

:: falling head over heels in love with my ripple all over again ::

:: saturday morning baking with Little B ::

:: eating lunch outside with pet dinosaur ::

:: a visit to the nursery to buy this years container plants ::

:: sunday morning baking :: blueberry muffins with streusel topping ::

:: first family barbecue of the year at Bolton Abbey (it was hOt!) ::

:: Little B loved having his play tent transported to Bolton Abbey ::

:: sunday afternoon bbq refreshment (Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) ::

:: sunday evening supper outside :: griddled asparagus with goats cheese ::

:: love love loving my new geraniums ::

What a glorious weekend! So hot and sunny and fabulous! The days were packed full of good, happy, simple things made all the more enjoyable by the stunning weather. Such a pleasure to spend so many hours of the weekend outdoors, both at home and out and about. We ate almost every meal outside (the asparagus was especially divine) and enjoyed time spent with J's family (I am so blessed with my in-laws I have to say). I also really LOVED getting back to work with my ripple blanket again after quite a long break from it. Oh boy, I love it so much. Only seven more colours to go now. Oh, and the blueberry muffins? Fan-TAS-tic. I am going to make them again and again and again. I used the same basic recipe as for the apple/sultana muffins, but substituted fresh blueberries. I googled "streusel topping" and used this recipe to add a little bit of sweet crunchiness on top. Sooo good. My next muffiny experiment is going to be raspberry and white choc chips...holy moly, the very thought of it is sending my tastebuds into a spin of excitement. The weekend also contained some Connievan loving, we went and fetched her and gave her a bath, then joy of joys we took her to her new home, yippeee!! After two years of having her in storage 10 miles away we were finally offered a place to keep her just down the road. I am way beyond excited as I'll be able to walk to her and begin with the creative prettifying stuff. First job will involve these. Oh yeah. YEAH!!!!!!!!

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Friday Blurble

Ahhhh Friday again, how whizzy and wonderful this week has been!

I love my Friday morning potterings around town when I visit local shops and the market to stock up on produce for the weekend. I'll try and photograph the fruit/veg stall one day to show you, it's really quite visually lovely with all the beautiful, colourful fresh produce on display. Today I bought a couple punnets of English strawberries, I love how they come in a variety of shapes and sizes (unlike the supermarket ones) and are deliciously ripe and sweet. They really do need to be eaten pretty much straight away whilst still a little warm from the sun. Little B and I shared a whole punnet on our way home from playgroup today, sat in the shade of a weeping willow beside the canal. The strawberries hardly touched the sides, they tasted incredible.

Also in my bag today was a bundle of English Asparagus which I am really looking forward to smooshing up tomorrow. My love affair with this seasonal vegetable has not let up over the years (I laugh to myself when I recall this post), and I continue to think rather passionate thoughts about devouring these gorgeous spears.

When I came home from the market this morning, I unloaded my bags, put a fresh coffee on to brew, then ran up to the attic eaves to rootle around in my rather large box of Home Textiles. I was after a table cloth, a dash of summer colour to throw over the brown wooden outdoor table. A big improvement, but the table was missing a little floral something. I pondered over it a while, then decided on a sudden impulse to walk up to the park and gather some cow parsley. I remembered that a few of you suggested enjoying it outside instead of bringing it inside, so that's exactly what I did. The sight of it on my table has made me so happy today, I've loved being able to sit and gaze at it as I've sat eating, drinking and hooking.

I had a little play with hook and yarn this afternoon, trying out a few ideas from my new book.

The above sample is a variation of the "terraces" pattern on page 79, although I had to do it my own way. Sorry Jan Eaton but your pattern was really difficult to read and I just couldn't do it your way. My way worked out pretty good though, and I've got an idea for using it to make a small square cushion cover. It's a fabulous colour-play pattern, I'm quite excited by the idea of playing with it on a larger scale.

4.30pm now, and we are in that sweet lull that comes after the school run and before meal-making time. A friend called by to enjoy a little bit of Friday Afternoon Yummies. This tends to happen most Friday's, a spontaneous gathering of friends and neighbours, lots of children coming and going, a few nibbles and a glass of something delicious and chilled. My current Friday Afternoon tipple of choice is Demi Sec Cava. Oh it really does hit the spot rather nicely. Those bubbles! That fruitiness! Divine. So funny, I just had a look on the supermarket website for more information on this drink, and discovered the "tasting notes" for it.....Fruity nose due to the varietal blend and the short bottle ageing. Harmonious on the palate with apple and hints of toast. Very well balanced, good freshness and pleasant acidity level. Who knew all this could be applied to my drink????? Apples and TOAST??? Hahahaha, gosh I laughed out loud when I read that. I so wish my memory was good enough to recall those sentences, I would really love to be able to say all that just to hear the uppity words tumble out of my mouth.

Ahh, this is my back yard wall. Little B, bored with chasing woodlice, practicing a spot of photography. That kid, how very much I love his company. We've had a sweet, happy, toddling kind of a day together, he is quite wonderful to hang out with.

Now then.....before I toddle off and snuggle up with J on the sofa, I would like to mention three things.....

Thing Number 1 :: Janet Bell. Do you know of this lovely lady?? She is an artist with incredible talent, and moreover she is a super-nice lady you know. That's a print of hers up there on my bathroom wall, I absolutely love love love Janet's work, it makes my heart flip over and wibble with excitement. Janet's blog was the very first blog I ever encountered, so you can thank her for opening the door into Blogland for me. Did I say she was a super-lovely lady? I did? Go see for yourself, bob on over to her blog and say hello...she is peeking back through her own door after taking a baby-break and I'm sure she'd be thrilled to welcome you in.

Thing number 2 :: a wacky crochet tie, isn't it marvellous? Not my creation though, no, this was made by a good friend of mine. You may remember me chatting about this particular friend when I showed you her inspirational blanket?? Well this tie was made for her son to wear at school as part of a fund raising effort for the amazing charity Oxfam. Tomorrow some  of my lovely hooky friends will be taking part in an extraordinary walk to raise money for Oxfam. It'll be an incredible achievement and I am so in awe of them for taking up this challenge. They'll be walking a mind blowing 100km over 30 hours (yikes!), I can hardly get my head around it actually. I promised I would pass on their details in case any of you would like to donate to Oxfam via the Hooky Ladies of Yorkshire. The link to their team page is here.

And finally, Thing Number 3 :: the Sun Is Still Shining here and the sky is a most gorgeous shade of cloudless blue!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yipppeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a fabulous weekend, enjoy every precious little minute of it ♥

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Outdoor Living

As you can see, the sun continues to shine and the temperatures continue to make us Yorkshire dwellers feel like we are in high summer already. It's been absolutely glorious and seriously H☼T here today, I've loved it sooooooooooo much. After all the cold, wet misery of last week (when we had our central heating on, and our fire lit in the evenings), this week has been truly incredible, if a bit extreme.

But best of all, today I finally got to ride on a bus! YIppppppEEeEEE!!! I've been waiting to take a bus ride to Ilkely for weeks and weeks so that I could visit the gorgeous yarn shop there for essential rippling supplies. But it wasn't all about the wool (although boy, I am thrilled to have a fresh hillock of yarn balls in the Attic again), it was as much about the journey itself. You see, we often pass by the bus station in our town, and Little B is always fascinated by the rows of buses waiting for departure. I had promised him that very soon we would go on a bus ride, and I really wanted to keep my promise.

The bus ride was ace! The bus was a double decker affair, and we got to sit up on the top deck right at the very front. It was half an hour of continuous excited chatter from my Little Companion, oh my heart was fit to burst I tell you.

After a little gander around the shops, we walked down to the Riverside Park for a spot of play. The playground here is a good'n, even better on a week day when it isn't too crowded. We spent a lot of time on a wooden tractor pretending it was a bus. When it got too hot (and I really couldn't stand being the Ticket Inspector any more), I coaxed my little Bus Driver away from his beloved vehicle and we went in search of a picnic spot. We chose the above shady place under a cherry tree and settled down to rest and eat lunch.

We took our crocs off and wiggled our toes in the grass. The feeling of cool, damp grass on hot tired feet was utterly delicious.

My lunch was also delicious. I adore M&S salads, and this is one of my favourites. It's called "Lentil, Giant Couscous and Goats Cheese Salad with a Lemon and Basil Dressing". A real scrummy taste sensation which I would love to try and recreate at home....would need to locate Giant Couscous, I don't think I've ever come across this for sale in any shops? Anyone seen it/heard of it before? I love it. Mmmmmm.

After lunch, we toddled off to the little refreshment cabin in the park to buy ice cream. Oh boy, Little B's cup of joy did runneth over today. A bus ride and the playground and a picnic and an ice cream all in one day? Terrific! The latter was a messy affair, but all the better for it I'd say.

We took the bus home at 2pm and arrived back with 30mins to recuperate before heading back out into the heat again for the school run. The sun was still blazing down in the late afternoon, and the Little People sweetly requested that we go up to the park to eat our evening meal. It seemed like a good idea, especially as I had planned a salad for dinner which could easily be transported in a cool bag and eaten with fingers. Whilst in Ilkley I paid a visit to the famous Lishmans Butcher and purchased some of their medal winning sausages. I baked them in the oven when I got home (they were incredible), cooked up some buttery baby new potatoes and hard boiled some eggs. Then I packed up cherry tomatoes and cucumber, and a punnet of sweet English strawberries. Juice for the LP and a cold bottle of beer for J and I. It was a wonderfully simple but delicious meal.

The park really did look glorious in the late afternoon/early evening light.

Our picnic spot was right at the top of the hill at the place where the cut grass meets the undergrowth and the overhanging trees cast a dappled shade.

The undergrowth was looking so beautiful, a mix of dandelions, daisies, ferns, tall grasses and froths of lacy cow parsley.

I do have a real soft spot for cow parsley, it's incredibly pretty I think. I would love to scoop armfuls of it up to bring it home, but sadly it smells a bit yucky. Too yucky to tolerate in the confines of home.

Lots of dandelion clocks about too, which I love. Those seedheads are such a marvel of nature.

The trees in our neighbourhood are properly filled out now and I love that intense green of freshly unfurled leaf.

The colours, the light and the lush abundance of it all reminded me why May is my favourite month.

Everything is so beautiful and happy-feel-good when the sun shines and we can spend time enjoying the pleasures of Outdoor Living.

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May Rose Wreath :: Ta-dah!

Hello, and welcome to a very pretty little flowery-stripy Ta-dah!

This has been such a fun project, I've been feeling really ridiculously happy these past few weeks as I've worked away on it bit by bit. As you may remember, I started making the roses in early May, and the whole wreath making thing just seemed to naturally happen once the flowers started blooming. I guess I've had some sort of rose-smothered wreath idea sitting prettily in my head for a long time now, and May seemed like a good month to finally make it happen.

The base for the wreath is a 22cm polystyrene ring which I bought last year from a very good Ebay Seller (see here). There are quite a few different sizes available, also half-rings which have a flattened back for hanging against the wall.

I really adore the combination of flowers with colourful stripes, I think it's such a jolly happy partnership. My wreath was always going to be stripy, no plain one-colour nonsense for me.

These stripes were really quick to work up as each row is only 28 stitches wide. I worked the stitches in Half Treble Crochet [this is Half Double Crochet for US peeps], using a 3.5mm hook and lots of scraps of dk yarn. Some of the yarn is baby cashmerino, some of it is Rico Essentials Merino. It was brilliant fun putting the colours together at random, varying the number of rows for each stripe to give it even more of a mixed up feel. Not sure how many rows I did, I think it was eighty-something. I just kept checking the length of it around the circumference of the wreath until it seemed long enough.

Re the measurements, when I made the foundation chain, I tried to make sure it was going to be a nice snug fit around the polystyrene ring. The same thing applied to the finished length. Remember that crochet stretches and a nice snug fit gives a better finish than a loose baggy one.

Yiippeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! Aren't these colourful stripes so beautifully joyful? They really do make my heart beat faster. Love love love them.

The first stage of making up the wreath base is to oversew the two ends of the stripy length together. Use a matching coloured length of yarn and stitch through the back loops only with a darning needle. You do this from the wrong side so that when you turn it over to the right side....

....the join/stitches are pretty much invisible (I've joined between the bright green and the red, can you see?)

The second stage is to stitch the ring of crochet together around the polystyrene form. The seam/join will run around the back of the ring so it won't be visible once the ring is hung up on the wall/door. I simply worked my way around making a small stitch into the end of each crochet row.

It's handy having the stripes as a guide cos you can use them to keep the rows lined up accurately with each other.

See how it begins to come together? At first it feels as if it's not going to work out, there seems almost too much crochet and not enough space for it to fit. But somehow it does all come together. The crochet rows stretch themselves out a little around the outer edge, and ruffle in a little around the inner edge.

Because you won't actually see the back when the wreath is hanging, you don't have to worry too much about producing a neat join. It can be messy as you like, so long as it does the job and holds it all together.

Oooooo-la-la!!!!!

I was so very, very thrilled when the wreath was finally all stitched up and I couldn't wait to hang it up so I could stand back and take a good look. I ran upstairs and hung it on the bathroom wall, oh it really turned out great! So pleased! I loved the stripes so much I almost considered leaving it like this and not bothering with the roses after all.

But lots of the roses and leaves were already made, and I did really want to bring my May Rose Wreath into reality. It simply had to happen.

You may remember me telling you last week that I decided to add in a few teeny tiny flowers with my roses? They turned out so sweetly in yellow and blue, but the greenery was missing. So I came up with that funny little three-pronged leafy thing that you can see above there, to sit behind the flower.

Look.......................

......good eh? It means that the teeny tiny flowers get their greenery without a lot of fiddly hooking and messing about. The pattern for the Triple Leaf is very easy, as follows ::

Chain 4, join with a slip stitch to form a ring.

Chain 2, then work 2dc into ring.

Chain 4, then beginning in 2nd chain from hook work 1dc, 2tr, 1dc. Sl st in the same stitch as the last dc to finish the little leaf shape.

*Work 3dc into the ring

Chain 4, then beginning in 2nd chain from hook work 1dc, 2tr, 1dc. Sl st in the same stitch as the last dc to finish the little leaf shape*

Repeat between ** once more until three little leaf shapes have been made. Sl st into the top of the initial ch2 to close. Fasten off.

I also made some really weeny little flowers that I'm calling "Micro Flowers". It's hard to show you the scale of them, but they measure just 2cm across. Easy to do, as follows ::

Chain 5, then make a sl st into the first chain.

*Chain 4, then make a sl st into the very first chain*

Repeat between ** three more times until you have five chain-loop petals. Fasten off.

Just to explain, after each ch-4, you always go back to the very first chain to make your sl st, so in other words, that very first chain will become like a central ring.

I then used contrasting yarn to make some embroidery stitches in the centre just to add a little bit of detail.

Putting all my flowers and leaves together and arranging them in a pleasing way was actually the hardest part of the whole project. I fussed and faffed with them over many days, uncertain how exactly to go about it. I wanted it to be just right. This was always going to be an exuberant kind of a wreath, but at the same time I did want it to look pretty and not too ridiculous. I also realised that as I liked the stripes soooo much, I didn't want them to completely disappear under the flowers. As I say, it was quite tricky getting it right.

I decided to pin the flowers in place at first so that I could get the placement right before stitching them on. It was so easy to pin straight into the polystyrene, sooo easy, so much easier than sewing them on.............

Yeah, you guessed it, I was hit with a brilliant light bulb moment and thought....why bother stitching when I can just use PINS???!! Genius! I found the above pin wheels for £1 each in a local shop, and they were perfect for the job. You can find them on good ol' Ebay here.

I then simply chose a coloured head to match whichever flower or leaf I was pinning in place, and it was all done in a jiffy.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to showing you this finished project of mine.

It's so full of happiness and sunshine and fun.

And I already love it so so so much.

Wanna see?

Ok.................................................................................................

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

Do you like? Do you see how brilliantly the pin thing worked out? Do you love how beautifully the flowers sit with the stripes? How joyful it all is?

There are thirty seven components in total. As follows ::

2 double roses (use two strands of dk weight yarn and a 5mm hook, rose pattern here)

9 single roses (use dk weight yarn and a 3.5mm hook, rose pattern here)

12 single leaves (pattern here)

4 teeny tiny flowers (pattern here)

4 triple leaves (pattern above)

6 micro flowers (pattern above)

And they all came together in a horseshoe of sweet lovliness.

Sooooo sweet, I just really love it. I decided straight away to hang it on the door that opens into our main living/dining room.

When I was hanging the wreath up, I noticed that I still have that little piece of paper stuck on the door that says "this house is Best". It's been there for four and a half years now, since that's how long we've lived at number 24. I love how this house is evolving and growing as my family evolves and grows, yet so much still remains the same.

Thank you as always for sharing this sweet, flower filled journey with me. I do so appreciate your company along the way xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ps I'm already thinking about a Christmas wreath :: stripes layered with holly leaves, berries, stars and maybe a few large layered Irish Rose type flowers.....

 

 

 

 

 

Perky

Oh what a difference the weather makes, we have been basking in some beautifully warm, glorious sunshine the past few days and it has made everything seem so happy! I was trying to think what the opposite of Droopy might be (ie the title of my last wet post full of misery) and Perky was the first word that sprang to mind. How happy I am to declare my current perkiness!

Yesterday and today has seen us spend a lot of time outdoors doing perfectly perky May things, and it's been such a relief to let go of all the weather-induced resentment. We've been eating outdoors, picnicking with friends in the park (that's my new little picnic lunch bag there, I am quite smitten with it), and generally just spending time sitting around soaking up the sun rays. I kind of felt like my internal battery had run flat and I was desperate for a bit of solar power to recharge and feel energised again.

Last night at eight o'clock, I strolled up the back streets on my way to Tracy's house. The light on the hills was so pretty, they were lit with a sweet rosy glow that made my heart squeeze. I thought to myself ::  ahhhh this is more like it! This is precisely what May Evenings should look and feel like! Pheww. I'm so glad May has sorted itself out a bit, I was feeling proper cross with it last week.

I usually meet in the local pub on a Monday night with a lovely group of yarny-minded friends, but occasionally circumstances mean that it's easier to transfer the location to one of our houses. Yesterday we met at Tracy's house, which we are always mighty pleased about cos Tracy's house is rather gorgeous and special. Plus she makes her own homemade garlicky hummus for us all to tuck in to, not to mention great slabs of homemade cake. I had the delicious experience of drinking Pimms whilst eating almond slice and hooking up roses, it was a rather unexpectedly lovely combination.

The banter was happy, the munchies were super and the hooky time was great too. It was a lovely, relaxed, sociable and productive evening.

I came downstairs with Little B this morning at about 6.30am, and as I walked in to the living room I was completely bowled over by the light. My house is currently in a huge, disgraceful mess (been a tad lazy of late with the ol' Home Blessing stuff), but the sun made it all look so lovely. Even the piles of plastic toys looked good bathed in golden light.

I treated myself to a bunch of flowers today to celebrate the return of the sun. A really gorgeous, vibrant bunch of Scented Stocks with their incredible sweetly spiced scent. They are sitting on my dining table and I can smell them now. So beautiful.

My plantlets have really put on a growth spurt in the past two days, and it made me realise that it's almost Pot Time. I usually wait till early June before sorting out my back yard pots and planting them up with annuals, and I can't wait to get going with it this year. Need to visit my lovely Plant Man and get my usual haul of geraniums and lobelia (my favourite summer pot combo).

When we returned home from toddler group at lunch time today, the temperature had really soared. We were in the mid 20's I would say, oh it was such a treat! Little B and I ate our lunch together outside, then I got busy with providing some sunshiney outdoor entertainment for him in the form of an underbed storage box filled with warm water. What fun! He stripped his clothes off and leapt in, it was such a joy to watch him play. He was in a complete frenzy of excitement at one point, squealing and splashing and frolicking around, I sat and watched him and laughed out loud at his antics. Sweet boy.

I've really enjoyed the past couple days (can you tell?), it has been so warm and blissful on the domestic front. All rather ordinary I guess, but satisfying and very happy nevertheless.

I'll have a Ring o' Roses blooming for you tomorrow, don't think that's been forgotten. Looking forward to a bit of pretty Ta-dahing, see you then............

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Droopy

I am so over the wet. So over it. I feel constantly disappointed that my favourite month of the year is simply not doing what it's supposed to do and keeps letting me down. Wahh, it's May and it's supposed to be all warm and and sunny and outdoorsy and it's not being that AT ALL! We get the odd promising day when it all looks and feels glorious (like Wednesday), then back we go to the cold temperatures, the heavy grey skies and the continuous rain. Winter coat and boots back on and a  rather droopy mood sets in.

This week I confess I've been feeling a little down. Everything has felt a bit flat somehow, I suspect very much influenced by the weather. Take Thursday for example. I had planned to keep Thursday free so that I could take Little B on an adventure. I had it all worked out. I was going to pack a picnic lunch and take him on a bus journey to Ilkley, play and have lunch in the park, then go yarn shopping so that I can get back to finishing my ripple. It was going to be such fun, we were going to ride on a bus! But alas I had to cancel it cos I refuse to adventure/picnic in the drizzle. Nope. It just isn't happening.

So an Adventure Day became a Home Day, and I tried hard not to let the droopy wet mood linger.

Even my sweet orange roses have had enough and have gone all droopy look. They've completely, magically echoed my mood these past few days, it's most odd.

When faced with enforced stay-home days and dire weather, I instinctively turn my oven on and prepare to bake. Yesterday I had a go at adapting a Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall recipe, with rather good results. I'm on a quest to gather together a handful of wholesome baking recipes which'll provide good snack material for my Littlies, and these are rather brilliant. The original recipe is for "Honey and Peanut Butter Booster Bars", but I did as Hugh suggested and substituted mashed banana for the peanut butter. After trying this out a little while ago and finding them overly sweet, I made a couple of other alterations by eliminating the sugar and honey and replacing with golden syrup and orange juice.

My variation is as follows ::

Put 125g butter, 75g golden syrup and 2 tbs orange juice in a bowl and microwave for 1 min. Stir until butter has melted and everything is combined thoroughly.

Mix in 200g oats, 2 tbs mixed seeds (I used a sunflower and sesame mix) and 150g mixed dried fruit (I used sultanas and chopped apricots). Then mix in 1 mashed up ripe banana.

Spoon into a lined tin so that mixture is about 1/2 inch deep, and sprinkle a few more seeds on top. Bake at 160/gas 3 for about 30mins until just golden. Mark into bars and leave to cool in tin.

I've named the resulting product "Banana Boost Bars" and they are really scrummy, sort of a cross between a chewy flapjack/cereal bar and a slice of moist banana bread. The Little People have given them the thumbs up, but sadly Little B has refused to even try them. He obviously has an idea that they look like flapjack which he doesn't much care for. Never mind eh.

Well it hasn't been a complete wash-out on the home front as we had two rather well timed Amazon deliveries this week. Gosh, I do so adore Internet shopping and home delivery on occasion, what a gift from heaven it can be. The first parcel to arrive was a treat I had ordered for Little B, and honestly it couldn't have come at a better time. I felt like hugging the delivery man, I was so happy when this arrived on my doorstep!

It's a small pop up play tent, and as you can see he immediately made himself very at home in it. We decked it out with cushions and blankets making it all snugly-cosy inside, and it has already been very well used. He is taking his afternoon snooze in the above picture, I love it when little ones stretch themselves out so completely when they are in deep sleep. I spent a good while just sat on the floor beside him, listening to his sweet breathing and  admiring his ultra-long dark eye lashes. Nothing sweeter that a soundly sleeping child.

These three books were in the second parcel that came this week. I think I've mentioned before that I don't own very many crochet books, and the ones that are on my shelf tend to be project based ones. So I thought it was high time I treated myself to some broad ranging reference type books, and these three look to be real  beauties. I've not had chance to give them a thorough going over, but a quick look through them has given me a huge rush of hooky-happiness. I'll be writing a proper review when I've actually had chance to work a few patterns from them, but for now here are the links ::

200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws and Afghans, by Jan Eaton

Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs, by Edie Eckman

Around the Corner Crochet Borders, by Edie Eckman

If you follow the links through to Amazon you can take a look inside the pages (love that you can do that!). The tremendous amount of hooky knowledge and skill that sits inside these book covers is mind boggling, truly incredible. Makes me realise that what I do with my own hook and yarn is so very basic. Yes, I think you could call me a very Basic Hooker. Elementary. I admit I have no real lofty crochet ambitions, I actually love plodding along in my own simple little colourful world, working on my easy low-brainpower creations. Which reminds me........

....my May Rose Wreath should be finished this weekend. Yay for colourful simplicity!

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Back Yard Busy

Aren't the above little flowery pansy faces adorable? They don't belong to me, I spotted them in my neighbours front garden this morning and tiptoed in to photograph them. It's been a terrific day here, really, really lovely! Not only was it dry for the whole day, but it was also properly warm for the first time in many, many weeks. It felt absolutely wonderful to walk across town in the late morning with No Coat for a change, gosh I even rolled up my sleeves to let some air to my skin. The warm sun and blue sky made me want to skip with happiness, truly it did.

I had an hour or so to myself this morning with Little B away at playgroup, so I made the very most of the weather and decided to spend it being busy outside. Pretty much as soon as I walked back through the door, I dumped my shopping bags, flung on my dirty gardening apron, rolled up my sleeves and got stuck in.

I've been wanting to get going with my back yard for weeks, but the weather has not been kind. As I am currently shed-less I cannot carry out garden tasks in the wet. It just isn't doable. I do have this ok little area with benches and stuff to work on, but it would be so much better if there was a roof.

But today I didn't need a roof and it was perfect for a little bit of Back Yard Busy.

My first job was to pot on my lovely basil seedlings, oh I've been worrying my heart over these little things as they began to grow leggy and crowded in their small two inch pot in the kitchen. I desperately needed to give them room to stretch their roots and grow, but I've been scuppered by not having any compost (not an easy thing to cart home in the pushchair), and not having the right weather to see to them. Thank goodness they now have a bright yellow pot each, and their new greenhousey home to keep them snug for a few more weeks until it warms up a bit outside.

My nasturtium, cosmos and morning glory seedlings which were sown in March were also in dire need of more space. They germinated and grew well on my kitchen windowsill, but had become a little lanky and spindly (should have been potted on weeks ago of course). So I'm hoping that they'll be OK now that they also have new pots and a cosy home on the greenhouse shelves.

After the emergency re-housing of seedlings, I was still buzzing with the joy of being outside with the sun on my face and my hands in the soil.  I wanted to plant more seeds, but time had run out and I was forced to wash my dirty hands and dash across town to collect Little B. I couldn't wait to get back and pick up where I left off, this time accompanied by my Little Helper.

I decided to go with some edibles today. These seeds are all left over from previous years, and I can't tell you how good it felt to be actually Doing Things with them instead of just gazing at the packets. Yippeee for Actually Doing Things!!!!  So yeah, edibles....I planted some dwarf French beans look, purple and yellow ones (variety Purple Queen and Sonesta)....

...I also sewed some rocket seeds and some kind of mixed salad leaves that I found. Looking forward to a little bit of scissor-snipping in weeks to come, I am really rather excited at the prospect of eating my very own Home Grown produce.

A few more flower seeds were sown into my windowsill pots too...Nigella (variety Midnight Blue) and Rudbeckia (variety Rustic Dwarf). Busy-busy in my backyard today folks, I was really on a roll. Oh and I also sewed some sunflower seeds into my collection of empty toilet roll tubes. These were also seeds that I bought last year but failed to open, and they are not your average sunflowers. Nope, these are red ones called "Evening Sun", and I am so willing them to work out. I need them in my life, I really do.

This is my new greenhouse in action, and I am sooooo pleased with it! It cost £10 from a local discount shop, and is just perfect for what I need. I took some advice from friends and a) lined the shelves with bubble wrap to keep off the chill (our nights are still very cold here) and b) weighted the whole shebang down with a few spare bricks and bags of compost to prevent Blowing Away accidents.

Awwww my little plantlets look so happy in their new cosy home! Grow little plants, grow.

I love it when a day turns out to be so full and productive and satisfying. Sometimes being Busy is really very good indeed, especially when it's the outdoor variety.

Tiring though, cripes, I was proper worn out by 2.30 when all was done and dusted. Thirsty too, I was overcome with a sudden craving for a cold glass of juice, and I never normally drink juice at all. So I walked with Little B down to the newsagent at the bottom of the street and purchased a bottle of Robinsons apple and blackcurrant. He was thrilled at the whole idea of buying and drinking juice as it's normally strictly water and milk here. His juice-drinking face was a picture of pure pleasure, I wish you could've seen him. The juice was good I have to say. And I loved the colour of it glowing all pink in the sun.

Sigh. It's been such a lovely day, did I say that already?

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ps suddenly had this warm fuzzy thought about going outside in the morning to unzip my greenhouse and chat to my plantlets/seeds. Can't wait!

 

 

 

 

Apple and Sultana Muffins

When the Little People finish school for the day they are always without fail completely, ravenously hungry. Every single day, it's always the same. They come trudging out of the school doors straight on the scrounge for food. Heartfelt declarations of starvation. So I try and give them something to eat that's reasonably healthy, but not too filling before dinner. It's not always easy to get the right balance. Sometimes they'll be content with fruit, sometimes I'll give them cheese, a slice of buttered fruit bread, or a scotch pancake. Today I decided I would bake them something wholesome and yummy to fill the hungry gap between school and dinner.

As soon as I began to think about what to bake, I immediately thought about a muffin of some sorts. It ticks all the right boxes. It is filling, easy to transport and eat, and healthy ingredients can be incorporated by stealth. However, I don't have a good track record with muffin making. In fact, I don't think I've ever in my life made a successful muffin. My muffin making usually ends in disaster, with flattened, rock hard, inedible lumps sitting heavily in their pretty paper cases.

But I do posses an optimistic nature, and I felt ready to give it another go. I thought about what muffinish ingredients I had in the house and what sort of muffins I could attempt. Hmmm...no carrots, no lemons, no berries of any sort. Sultanas I had, plus a bowl of sweet apples. So I googled those ingredients and landed on this recipe. It looked straightforward. Simple even. I had all the ingredients (well almost, I did have to twiddle it a bit) and I began to feel quietly confident.

Muffin making basically involves assembling a bowl full of dry ingredients (in this case flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon) and a bowl full of wet ingredients (milk, oil and eggs) and mixing the two together to form a stiff batter. The wet ingredients go into the dry ingredients, it's always that way round. There is then some debate about how much mixing should be done. Some recipes tell you not to over mix, to merely stir-to-combine. This particular recipe instructs to "mix well", so that's what I did. Gave it all a good ol' stir around with my pink spoon.

The apples were grated and the sultanas thrown in, then more stirring. It was all pretty easy really, but still I began to feel a tad nervous. I had this sinking feeling that I might've over mixed the batter, that another disaster was in the making.

But nothing to be done other than give it a whirl. Twelve cupcake cases were put in a tin and liberally filled with the mixture. Into the oven for twenty five lengthy minutes.

I paced a bit with my timer. I suddenly felt that I would be unbelievably hacked off if this all went belly up. Plus, I would be without a snack for the after-school feeding frenzy which would be no good at all.

When the timer went off, I ran (literally) to the oven, crouched down and opened the door just a tiny smidge to get a glimpse of the muffin success/fail. I just needed to know if they had risen. I was so nervous!

This is what I saw.....beautifully risen, lightly golden muffin tops smiling out at me.

Yeeeeehhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made muffins! I made fluffy-puffy muffins with a good chance of being edible!!

A really, seriously happy moment. I whooped a little.

They were obviously hot coming straight out of the oven but I could not resist trying one. I really, really wanted to see if the inside was as light and fluffy as I hoped it would be.

Well my lovelies, I can tell you that these Apple and Sultana muffins were an outstanding success. They came out just right. And furthermore, the Little People really enjoyed them. I asked them what they thought and they were pronounced "well good", which in Yorkshire translates as Most Excellent.

Pheww. Who knew that baking for one's children could be so fraught with nervousness?

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Sunday S's

Strolling along the top path to the woods

Smelling the intoxicating fresh scent of abundant wild garlic

Sitting a while by the still pool for a rest and a mid morning snack

Socialising in my favourite cafe with two gorgeous hooky gals (Heather and Jacquie)

Shopping for some handmade scented soap

Stripes (in complete love with them)

Skipping through the pages of June issue magazines, dreaming of summertime

Slow roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic, rosemary and red onion (mmmm)

Sneaking a little bit of a rest in between cooking dinner duties

Smiling at Little B's bedroom windowsill playtime

Sky gazing whilst folding, sniffing and sorting clean laundry

Snuggling my gorgeous Little B all warm and soap-scented from the bath

Sofa time with J...Little Peeps in bed, a cosy fire, pyjamas on, hot cup of tea and a film

♥

Strolling, Smelling, Sitting, Socialising, Shopping, Striping, Skipping, Slow-roasting, Sneaking, Smiling, Sky-gazing, Snuggling, Sofa-loafing.

A happy day of Simple pleasures, my heart is full of gratitude.

♥

 

 

 

Friday Feel-good

I'm obsessing over a number of things at the moment, one being the amount of water that keeps falling from the sky, another being roses. Re the water thing...it's been so-so-so-so-so-so wet here this week, wet like you wouldn't believe. The little babbling beck that runs through our town swelled into a raging torrent and burst it's banks. Local roads have flooded. And closer to home, my (leaking) bay window roof has been pouring a steady stream of water into the living room. I've been collecting it in the washing up bowl, which in turn has become a makeshift paddling pool for Little B. Sometimes he's taken his socks off first, but mostly he's been climbing into it fully clothed. It's not been an easy week on the mothering front.

It's been a wellie wearing week for sure. Yesterday Little B and I splashed into town to go to knit and natter at the café. Actually, despite the rather dismal feeling of my coat being totally inadequate and not actually keeping me dry, we had fun. I deliberately took myself down to Little B's level mentally and emotionally and attempted to experience the walk in the way that he was doing. Puddles (lots of them), lets jump and splash! Rain pouring down (and soaking us to the skin), lets feel the joy! Gutters leaking (and pouring showers of water on top of our heads), lets laugh and find it funny! It worked to a point and much to my surprise I did rather enjoy the whole wet experience. After getting so soaked, it also made it doubly delicious to spend the morning drying out in the warm, fragrant café amongst yarny friends, drinking hot milky coffee and eating toasted fruit bread. I even crocheted half a rose.

Which brings me neatly to the Obsession of Today......................

Ten stems of the most exquisite orange roses, purchased from the market for £2.95.

Oh the pure joy these flowers have provided me with today is almost indescribable. I have fallen completely in love with them.

I snipped the stems short because I really desperately wanted to see them in my red and white spotty jug. They looked a bit lost bobbing about in the jug with no leaves to speak of, so I went out (in the rain) to snip some miscellaneous greenery from the front garden to accompany them. That almost tipped me over the edge then...the glorious orange blooms with the bright leafy green foliage nestling in red with white spots... ooooooooooooooooooohhhh!

Sigh. So completely beautiful. I don't think I've ever bought orange roses before, and I wonder now why ever not? Look what I've been missing all these years!

If you could've seen me here at the table this morning (this was 10.33am), you would've seen a very happy soul indeed. After the gloom of the weather this week, with all the added hassle it has brought to the school run (not to mention the roof/bowl/paddling toddler scenario and the resulting piles of wet clothes all over the place), I really felt in need of some Feel-good.

This was my recipe for todays Friday Feel-good ::

• Some child free time (45 mins while Little B was at playgroup)

• Good coffee (a take-out from the local coffee shop, decanted into my pretty mug)

• Something sweet and calorie laden ( Pain au raisin from the M&S bakery, tut-tut)

• A jug of fresh flowers on the table (smoochy, swoony orange roses of course)

• A little bit of colourful Hooky to work on (woolly stripes)

It worked a treat and the Feel-good was overflowing.

The stripes are coming on a treat too, very jolly indeed. As you know, I'm working on a stripy wreath base for my May Roses, and I am really, really enjoying making them. I'm using the Rico Merino wool I bought recently (see this post for colour info), mixed in with some odd scraps of baby cashmerino. I'm working in htc (half treble crochet) on a 3.5mm hook, so the stripes are coming out quite neat and tight (I don't want the white of the polystyrene wreath to show through when I stretch it over). I'm choosing the colours and stripe width completely at random, and loving it.

While I was working on the stripes and having a play with the roses I'd already made, I had a sudden overwhelming urge to make a sweet blue forget-me-not type flower. So I grabbed some yellow and turquoise blue yarn and set to work using my teeny-tiny flower pattern.

I'm really happy with how it turned out and I think a few of them dotted in amongst the roses will look super-cute. This wreath is going to be quite something when it's finished, I'm so looking forward to bringing it all together.

Ahhhh another adoring gaze at that orange beauty. Amazing how rapidly the petals began to relax and unfurl once they came into the house.

Now then. I have to confess this wickedly extravagant thought that keeps persistently needling away at me. I can't stop thinking of all the other colours of roses that Mr Plant Man had in his pavement buckets today. Yellow, pale pink, magenta, red.......the memory of them is giving me this incredible urge to go and buy a whole armful, one bunch of each colour. I could cram them all into a big jug and enjoy a week of Mulicoloured Floral Magnificence. £14.75 for fifty roses ?? Hmmm, I think I just squashed that delicious pesky thought right back down where it belongs. Ten is quite enough. Orange roses are good. Orange roses are great. Less is more an' all that.

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