Yesterday in the UK we celebrated Mother's Day. We hadn't made any plans for the day, preferring to wait and see what the weather was doing. We talked about possibly taking a country walk with a picnic, but deep down I secretly hoped that the weather would be grim. Cos that way I could legitimately request an indulgent day spent pleasure seeking within the warm confines of home. Wearing my pyjamas. And guess what? That's exactly what the day became, and I was so, so happy with that arrangement.
My sweet, wonderful family bought me tulips. Lots and lots and lots of tulips. This incredible sight greeted me when I walked into the room yesterday morning and I nearly fell about laughing at the scale of it all.......so so so many flowers! I had dropped some rather unsubtle hints the day before as to the exact name of my favourite, most favourite flower. Tulips I said. Not the mixed bouquets wrapped in loads of paper with loads of foliage. No, not those. Just a simple bunch of tulips. J heard the word and remembered it, only in his typical generous way he didn't seem to think that one bunch was enough (and oh it would have been, I would have been so happy with one bunch). He and the Little People came home from the shops with armfuls, and there they stand in our giant pasta pan, filling me with love and gratitude.
After the flowers and cards and hugs and kisses, I crept back to bed with a mug of coffee, my new book (Happy Home), and my hooky basket and I nested for a bit. I snuggled down under my feather duvet, crocheted stripes, sipped coffee and turned pages. It was bliss.
I love crocheting in bed, it provides such cosy comfort and pleasure.
These stripes will be the cover for my Easter Wreath. The colours are a bit strange to be honest as I am using up scraps from my stash, but as they will be mostly smothered, it doesn't matter too much.
I spent quite a bit of time in my nest yesterday. And when the Little People demanded that I came down to join them, I simply transferred my hooky activity to the Big Chair. I had a break from the stripes and made more flowers. I had a go at making some yellow forsythia flowers from this pattern, although I had to alter them to make them smaller. I then adapted that pattern to make 6-petalled blue flowers loosely resembling Glory Of The Snow.
And I made these too, which I really love love love. They turned out so well! I was inspired by the Japanese Quince flowers that grew in the garden of my previous house, they sprang forth into my memory yesterday and I just had to make some to go on my Easter Wreath.
They look especially sweet clustered together in groups of three with a little bit of greenery behind, and I'm going to be making many more clusters for my Easter wreath. They are really easy to make, very similar to my May Roses.
Would you like to make some? I've already written the pattern up for you, you can find it in the usual place in my left hand side bar, or go HERE to see.
I am sometimes a little surprised by how much of my inspiration comes from flowers, and by how much they constantly fill up my days (both the real kind and the woollen kind). I've tried many times to analyse why I love flowers so much, and it pretty much comes down to one thing :: colour. Of course. It's always all about the colour.
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Love your blog! I'm New to blogging, check out mine(:
http://thecraftycrocheter.blogspot.com/?m=1
Posted by: Marissa | July 21, 2013 at 04:07 AM
Hey there, I absolutely love your work. I used your pattern for a ripple stitch to creat a baby blanket for a friend. Your work gives so much inspiration, sp much that I sometimes don't know where to start! I just created my own blog on WordPress called obsessivecrochetdisorder, would love to know what you think of my blanket because I am still learning.
My blog is obsessivecrochetdisorder.wordpress.com
Posted by: ASH | June 26, 2013 at 09:16 PM
This was really treat to the eyes!!
Posted by: JustKraft | April 11, 2013 at 08:44 AM
Hello, I'm Alaine, from Brasil and I like your blog very much, yours crochets are so beautiful...
I don't konow to make a lot crochet, just a bit, but I make a case for crochet needles, and remember of your nice jobs. Have you ever seen one like that? I hope you apreciate it. Congrats. Sorry, my english is so pour...ks
http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/527621_569849579705562_2036971684_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207461_569849363038917_856406369_n.jpg
http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/524945_569849049705615_1518167684_n.jpg
Posted by: Alaine Succi Quintella Camara Coelho | March 22, 2013 at 01:51 AM
Well done Lucy! Enjoy your studio and the community that will come with it.
x.o. Liz
Posted by: liz | March 20, 2013 at 10:49 PM
I love your crochet flowers! So decorative - thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Violet | March 18, 2013 at 10:25 PM
Tulips are my favourite flowers as well and everyone knows that by now ;-) but I've never ever gotten any :-( and certainly not the amount you did!!!! I would be over the moon if I saw this. Guess my husband is not the flower buying kind. I often think flower shops scare him because he's never bought me flowers. "Just buy the flowers you like", he says but he doesn't seem to understand that that's not the same as getting flowers as a gift. Now I'm scrolling back all the way up to admire your HUGE bouquet of flowers again. I think your husband bought all the tulips in the flower shop, don't you?
Marian
Posted by: Marian | March 18, 2013 at 04:11 PM
I really love the tulips!
Your blog is a great inspiration for me.
I love all the colours en de great pictures you make!
Greetz from Holland
Dedy
haakhaakdedy.blogspot.nl
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Posted by: Saeed Zia | March 15, 2013 at 07:56 PM
Beautiful tulips, makes me feel like Spring really should be here!
Posted by: Jay | March 15, 2013 at 07:52 AM
I love the tulips, pictures and crochet
Posted by: Alise | March 14, 2013 at 05:17 PM
What a beautiful bouquet! You are a lucky mum. Your kids (and husband) know you well. Take as many pictures of these tulips as possible to "keep" them and remind you this lovely day (BTW, happy mother day).
I also love tulips, but here, in France, fresh flowers are unfortunately more expensive than in UK. I am sure that, next spring, you will succeed to crochet a tulip as you did with daffodils.
Thanks a lot for the pattern of the Japanese quince flowers. They are so lovely. I will crochet a cluster of them to put, with a magnet, on the fridge. Yesterday, I put some branches of them (a bit thorny) with some big red buds in a vase to get some colors in the house and feel a bit of spring despite the dreary, cold and windy weather. I am sure your pattern could be adapted (one or two rows in addition) to create crocus.
At first, when I saw your glory of snow flowers, I thought about the blue bell flowers you have in UK in the woods.
Thanks again Lucy for your wonderful patterns and happy five year anniversary for your blog. It's such a joy to read it: your articles are so colorful, creative, and joyful. Thanks to them, I even improve my English ;) For all these reasons, your blog is one of my favorites. Any of your posts is a treat for me. Thanks again.
Posted by: Carine_07 | March 14, 2013 at 03:00 AM
The tulips are so lovely. You definitely have a happy day and you deserve it.
Posted by: Nelson | March 14, 2013 at 01:54 AM
Lovely flowers, I think I may be getting flowers of a Cath Kidston variety when eldest son arrives for a visit tomorrow :-)
I'm just starting to blog again after a break of a few years due to perrsonal reasons. So good to be back.
Posted by: Rowen | March 13, 2013 at 08:57 PM
Oh my, I think those tulips are what would be called a "bumper crop"! I am so glad you had a lovely Mothers' Day. Ours in the U.S. is in May, but you prolly knew that. Anyway, Belated Happy Mothers' Day! You deserve it, you are an inspiration and an encouragement to mothers everywhere.
Posted by: WendyBee | March 13, 2013 at 06:58 PM
I love the colour combop of the stripes of the wreath! would look also amazing without the flowers!
hooky greetings from germany
imke
http://colourblog-ivn.blogspot.de/
Posted by: imke | March 13, 2013 at 06:31 PM
all your flowers are beautiful!
the live ones
and the crocheted.
all the color in your posts makes me smile. :)
Posted by: elizabeth | March 13, 2013 at 01:49 PM
Beautiful, tulips are my favourite too! I knew I recognised those gorgeous little pink flowers - I have a Japanese Quince tree in my garden and I just love the vibrant blossom on it :0)
Posted by: Emma Togwell | March 13, 2013 at 12:02 PM
What beautiful flowers - lucky you!
Thank you for all of the wonderful tutorials - I've been getting stuck in and having a go.. http://www.homebakedonline.com/2013/03/as-if-my-addiction-to-yarn-crafts-wasnt.html
Posted by: Hannah@HomeBaked | March 13, 2013 at 11:33 AM
Bonjour,
J'aime beaucoup vos ouvrages.
Belle journée à vous,
Posted by: Sylvie-selva | March 13, 2013 at 11:06 AM
What beautiful flowers - your lovely tulips and your little creations. Your Easter wreath will be gorgeous.
Posted by: Chris | March 13, 2013 at 10:18 AM
Hi Lucy What a perfect day you had!!!!!!!!
Love
AMarie
Posted by: Anna-Marie Field | March 13, 2013 at 06:38 AM
A wonderful Mother's Day. And the tulips are just so gorgeous. I have to be honest they were not my favorites until my dad passed away and I planted some in his honor ( 3 years ago) in my front yard. Now I cannot wait until spring to check and see when they are springing out... They are purple and every year I get more. They remind me of my love to my dad... And how much it keeps growing even though he is not here any longer. So now I do love tulips also. Flowers and colors have always been my favorite things. I think that is also one of the reasons I love our blog so much :)
Posted by: Taciana Simmons | March 13, 2013 at 05:51 AM
Dear Lucy I'm with you on colour thing inspired by flowers. I put tulip bulbs
in called Dutch still life because it reminded me of a painting. Have a quince
in the garden which is an apricot shade. Am aiming to fill the small garden
behind the terraced house with as much colour as possible.
Posted by: Sarah west mids uk | March 12, 2013 at 11:39 PM
wow - that's a lot of tulips! I adore the little flowers you've made. They're so pretty!
Posted by: Newborn Baby Photographer | March 12, 2013 at 09:19 PM