Summertime?

I keep trying to remind myself that we are in Summer. It's been so crazily un-summery here for so long now that it's easy to get muddled and forget what season we are in.

Last week I went to the park and picked elderflowers to make cordial. It's a beautiful, delicate drink that is the essence of summer. Strange to go and pick these sweet flowers wearing boots, tramping through soggy wet grass under leaden grey skies, wrapped up in a warm fleece jacket.  I should have been skipping across a sun dappled field, wearing flip flops and a vest top! What has happened to our seasons? It's all gone skewy! Resulting cordial was/is utterly delicious though, I will post more on that tomorrow.

Indoors I am holding on to those summertime dreams. I bought a most gorgeous bunch of summery roses last week, sort of whitish petals with a deep pink blush to them.

I popped them into the most cheerful jug I have and stuck in some bright acid green alchamilla from the front garden. They cheer the room up so much, create an instant summer feel-good right there on the table.

I continue to beat the wet-weather blues by hunkering down indoors and being Creative.

Current Creative News in brief.....

♥ I am a thrilling six rows away from completing my ripple blanket!!!!

♥ I am almost finished hooking a secret project that I can't show you till next week when it arrives at it's destination.

♥ I am sampling new flower designs to make a second generation summer flower scarf (first generation flower scarf fell apart after too much daily usage). Hoping to get that under way and write a tutorial for this in a week or two.

♥ I am knitting (Yes, KNITing, with sticks! Me, KnitTiNg!! cripes!)...squares. Knitted squares for yet another secret project that I'll be revealing in due course. It's all rather ridiculously exciting, can't wait to tell all!!

I picked the first sweet peas from my back yard at the weekend. Shook the rain drops off, inhaled deeply, smiled broadly, and scurried in out of the rain with them. Popped them in an old bottle and put them beside my bed.

It's unbelievably wonderful to fall asleep at night and wake in the morning with the delicious scent of sweet pea in the air. Another reminder that yes, it is indeed Summer, believe it or not.

ps This delightful book is my current bedtime reading matter. Counting down (eleven more sleeps!) until we go on holiday to the sea....

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Comments

[Mrs. Meg]

I've been hoping and praying that you pick up knitting for years! I love crochet, but I cannot keep tension so no projects for me beyond things that are not ruined by looking wonky.

Sending some warmer weather your way (I'm in the Midwest so we've been having weeks of 100+ temps)

[Dinahsoar]

Sure wish we had some of your cool wet weather here in the hills of TN USA.....it's been miserably hot and so very dry the garden almost burned up. Reading about your corner of the world and your daily activities--- your sweet little family, your hooking endeavors-- is always a happy spot in my day.

[Trish]

Can't wait for the flower scarf tutorial! Bring it on YAY!

[Heather]

Summer dreams, summer sweet peas....mine have taken a rite old battering, I do hope more flower up! Heather x

[bellaboo]

My mother would read me that story over and over again,and I would go to sleep dreaming of our Summer holidays in Cornwall.
The LGR books were,and still are,my all time favourites.
I was in the charity shop this morning, and found two vintage Ladybird books.Ned The Lonely Donkey and Tiptoes The Mischievous kitten for 10p each.Excited,or what!?
Having a lot of wet dog walks...when WILL it end?? :0)

[Carole]

Gorgeous Photos as usual Lucy. I can`t wait for your next tutorials, my crochet hook is poised! It will be great to do them while your on your hols. Now don`t forget to do them will you, no pressure them eh?! lol!
I know, you know, we appeciate & love your tutorials, you are BRILLIANT.
Love Carole from Rossendale xxxx

[Anne Marie]

I love your bedtime reading, love childrens books, the stories, that can still interest at any age (even my great age!). Have you read Tom's Midnight Garden?

Your ripple sounds great and hope we see a photo. I've got some wool to make one, Sublime but I can't possibly do such a large one, I'm not sure how many chains to reduce to make one a bit smaller.

[mahek]

I always look forward to seeing your photos they fill me up with a bright feeling..
Can you show us your other rooms too and just explain how your home looks like .. I know all the corners but cannot bring the house in front of my eyes would love to do that if you take some pictures from far and in continuity ..
I would love to have a long shot of your kitchen too I am sure its cute as I know its small .. Mine is smaller than yours.. so your kitchen is quite huge for me...

[Jackie Mitchell]

Thats mad that you are only just picking your elderflowers,up there in Yorkshire.
Down here in Hampshire they are now over, I think that I made my cordial about 2 weeks ago! Lashings of it and much now stored in the freezer so lovely to have it at christmas!
Soon be time for elderberry wine!!
Jackie

[Purple Princess]

Summer with a big fat question mark indeed! I applaud your efforts to make the most of what we're getting. Love the 'news bulletin' part of your blog today :oD Looking forward to the great unveiling of your secret projects. Here's hoping we get a little more sun and a lot less rain.

[Nata]

Hi Lucy, thanks for the wonderful pics :-). So beautiful roses! Although crochet is my absolute no. 1 I also love knitting here and there. I'm so nosey about your knitting project!

[Catriona]

Asalways,Lucy, your photos bring us sunshine. Thank you for sharing a little of your life with us..

[Fiona Ridley]

8 rows plus border, on my first ever ripple, to go, the race is on!

This "summer" I am consoling myself with the fact that I "discovered Lucy's Attic 24" and rediscovered crochet again and at least I can sit in the battered conservatory, with the damp dog and the damp washing and even when it's pouring the light isn't too bad and I sit and crochet my bright ripple ...well it's not gardening weather is it? (and I don't like gardening anyway!!)

Thank you for the artistic creation the rest of us "followers of patterns" need :)

Fiona xx

[Fiona]

Love your arrangement of roses and alchamilla. So pretty. You've nudged me to get on with some knitting myself. I'm also planning on doing some squares to make into a little blanket for expected new little one. Only got until November though and given that I'm a slow knitter I'd better get cracking! Love the fact that you've got 'Grey Rabbit goes to the sea' by your bedside. I just re-read that one the other week. I've got all my old Grey Rabbit books from Mum to read to Frederick. Just absolutely love them. Fiona x

[sew]

Slow down Luce - not more tempting projects!!
I'm on round 14 of your Blooming Flower Cushion (having had previous failed attempts) which I started whilst watching Wimbledon last week.
I also have some sewing to do for other folks as well as a half-made bunny for my little granddaughter - to say nothing of my knitting!
Can't wait to see what's next - don't leave us in suspense & go off on your hols, will you?

[Naomi]

What a lovely post, and looking forward to seeing your secret projects! The Fortnight In September, published by Persephone books is the perfect book to take on a seaside holiday!

[Lynne Gill]

Right, I think with your hundreds of followers, Lucy, it falls to you to be gettinng up the petition against nasty summer rainy weather. We will all sign it and send it off. There, that'll sort it!

Afriend of mine has gone to Germany for amonth to help work on a farm, and play lots of folk music...well I'm sure the music is great, but he says it is raining there also, so 'We are All in This Together!' (Where have I heard that before??)

I do so love your stripey jug, it is a real pick-me-up, isn't it?

[Sonia Petitpoint]

I always find Summer in your photos...

[Nanita]

Oh my, your new projects sound very exciting! I'm so looking forward to the revelation of your Ripple and the secret ones! :-) xxxx

[bonnie]

What terrible weather you have been having! Sounds like our winter we are in! Oh dear! Love your roses and sweetpeas. Waiting for mine to bloom. Should be another month or 6 weeks. Can't wait to see your blanket reveal!

[Taciana Simmons]

I'm very excited to hear about your surprise projects!
Lovely pictures.

[Maria]

Were you able to trigger my curiosity and now I look forward of your new revelations about crochet and knit projects, or)

[Sam]

Your roses and sweetpeas are so beautiful, I'm sure they cheer you up even when the skies are grey! It is about time we had some decent summer isn't it? Down in the south east we had a lovely day last Thursday, but one day isn't enough!

Thank you to the link to the Little Grey Rabbit book, they were some of my favourites as a child, and I'd completely forgotten about them.

[Louise]

Seeing your Little Grey Rabbit books there takes me right back to my childhood! I was sure I still had a couple and have been trawling the house to find.. the seaside one and 'Little Grey Rabbit Makes Lace'.

If you don't have that one, it begins 'Grey Rabbit sat at her cottage door one fine morning with her work-basket at her side and the scissors on the doorstep.' It's YOU, Lucy!!

[Seaweed & Raine]

Your weather sounds rather like our previous summer - cool, wet and dreary. We got more hot days in autumn than in the whole of summer.