Attic24

May Miscellany

♥ the cherry blossom was here and gone so very quickly this year, but it was incredibly beautiful while it lasted. A thunderstorm passed briefly through our patch one night and the following day the blossom petals were falling like snow ♥

♥ walking through a drift of pink snow petals on our way home from school, it was so enchanting. I wished (not for the first time) that blossom flowers stayed around for a whole lot longer ♥

♥ enjoying our first punnet of English strawberries from the market. They were ripe and juicy and came in all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes too ♥

♥ sitting in the café on Friday, surrounded by a room of laughing, chattering ladies at our weekly knit n natter. My coastal ripples are giving me such a huge amount of pleasure as I ride those waves ♥

♥ taking a solitary early morning walk at the weekend (this was taken at 7,30am on Saturday), the morning light was bright and crisp and the woodland so very green. I felt like I wanted to gulp in the light and air and greenery and fill my soul to the brim with freshness! ♥

♥ Atticland was in festival mode at the weekend as the town celebrated it's vibrant canal waterway. Oodles of brightly decorated boats and colourful bunting flags against a bright blue sky, it was very pretty indeed. I'll share some more pictures with you tomorrow ♥

♥ A sunny moment as the early morning light landed on my poncho draped over the arm of the sofa. This has to be one of my all time favourite makes, I love it dearly and it certainly is very well used. So cosy and cheerful ♥

♥ a morning chat with my Little/Big Man as he sat snuggled under a pile of cushions and blankets. He is growing so fast, I can hardly keep up with the speed of him ♥

♥  a really lovely day out on Saturday, just Little Lady and I. We took a train to the city and shopped, it was hugely enjoyable and hugely exhausting! She celebrated her tenth birthday last week and this planned girly shopping trip (with a lovely lunch in the middle of it) was what she had asked for. That and a sleepover with two school friends. Sweet girl. Ten already ♥

♥ enjoying a beautiful sprig of lilac on my table which gives me an instant hit of childhood nostalgia. Every time I catch a whiff of it's scent I am transported to my Granny's back garden in the London suburbs and feel like I am five years old ♥

♥ I devoured this book  over the bank holiday weekend, it was a wonderful read. It was one of those stories where I felt desperately sad when it had finished as I could no longer immerse myself in it's twists and turns. Sigh. I miss the sea too, a lot ♥

♥ love-love-loving watching my youngest Little Person explore the delights of painterly colour. We've been painting together every afternoon this week, and he has created a portfolio of brightly coloured nature-inspired paintings that have made me want to cry with pleasure ♥

♥ in amongst the painting, we baked and iced some sweet caramel buns yesterday. My whizzy mixer has broken after twelve years of frequent use, so we made this bun mixture the old fashioned way with a wooden spoon and lots of muscle power ♥

♥ really enjoying my daily walks from A to B as I go about depositing and collecting the Little People. It is a joy to live near the water and be able to walk by it every day. The boats along this stretch are permanent moorings, in other words people's homes, isn't that something?  ♥

♥ enjoying the first coffee of the day, from a gorgeous new mug. I discovered it hiding in the guinea pig run yesterday afternoon, left there by the postman (it was a surprise gift sent by a friend). Isn't it just so very, very me?! Sue....I LoVe it, thank you ♥

♥ We tidied out Little B's toy boxes at the weekend, and managed to assemble three big bags of old toys to donate to the charity shops. The upside is that some favourite boxes of forgotten toys have been unearthed and are enjoying a new lease of life. It's been especially lovely to see all three of my Little Peeps playing together with the Duplo before school in the mornings, even Little/Big Man has been down on his hands and knees joining in ♥

♥ it's been raining today, I got caught out on the school/nursery run this morning wearing totally inappropriate footwear and the Wrong Coat. I returned home bedraggled and chilly, but the sight of raindrops sitting prettily in the alchemilla leaves at the bottom of my front steps cheered me up no end ♥

♥ I'm really enjoying my brief spells spent in the studio working alongside Tracy. Mostly I make time to crochet when I'm there, working on various Yarndale yarn bomb projects whilst chatting and slurping a hot frothy latté. Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings,  my schedule is working out pretty good ♥

One week in and May is shaping up beautifully so far. My photos are like a scrappy patchwork quilt, a bit mismatched but the overall effect seems to be rather pleasing. Lots of lovely little moments and simple pleasures which all add up to a whole lot of happy. I hope May is delivering you a whole lot of happy too. Enjoy your days!

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Mandala Wheels for Yarndale

Today we are going to talk about crochet Mandalas, you know those pretty round things that inspire you to make them, even though you don't really have a clue what you will actually do with them. There has been a lot of Mandala-love around in Blogland of late, with lots of wonderful patterns cropping up and some lovely sociable crochet-a-longs happening too (see here) . I even found some beautiful and inspirational mediative mandala making (see here), which is a lovely idea. We all know how soothing and theraputic crochet is, and these little yarny circles are the perfect way to indulge a bit of colourful, peaceful contemplation I think.

In the picture above, you can see a few of the mandala flowers I experimented with last year when I was working through some yarn bombing ideas for Yarndale. These pretty, circular articles of crochet ended up being pinned to the wall in my studio and I have grown very fond of seeing them there. They take up the role of "woolly wall art", and make a pleasing visual display in much the same way as plates or old fashioned pot holders would.

Isn't this just a beautiful image? See what I mean about the crochet pot holders being displayed like wall art? Love love love this image {from the visual delights of Norwegian blog Stina Ballernia}.

Woah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that's Woolly-Wall-Art on a fanTABulous scale!!!! I came across this image when searching about for potholder patterns some time ago, and it absolutely blew my creative socks off. It's the work of Finnish artist Anu Tuominen, a truly impressive collection of vintage crochet potholders displayed as art.

Here's another version of it {images found via ArtThreads}. I know these are potholders, but I figured the same idea could easily be applied to Mandala's? Surely if one was bonkers enough to want to do this, one could gather in enough crochet circles to create an absolutely stunning display of creativity? Yeah, I know, completely, utterly Bonkers. But..............insanely appealing, don't you think?!

I'm thinking you might possibly have guessed where this is going. I'm thinking you might possibly remember the Yarndale Granny Bunting from last year? 

Remember how almost 600 of you made triangles to send from all over the world, enabling us to create this jaw-dropping display of hooky goodness at Yarndale? Just in case this glorious bunting is new to you (where have you been?), you can read all about it on the Yarndale blog right here. It was a magnificent project on so many levels, and I loved the idea of bringing so much creativity together from all four corners of the world. So many of you wrote to me telling me how much you enjoyed being a part of this huge community project, and I was humbled by the unexpected scale of the emotion involved, it really was one of the most amazing things I have ever been involved with.

Preparations for Yarndale 2014 are now in full swing, and once again I have been getting myself all giddy over the prospect of so much yarny creativity. This year, we have decided to go with a bit of a theme, inspired by the Summer arrival of the Tour de France in our little town. Yes, amazingly our area of Yorkshire is hosting the "Grand Depart" of this famous cycle race, and honestly the whole of the county has gone bicycle mad. We kind of figured that we might as well jump on two wheels along with everyone else, and much of our yarn bombing plans this year will be bicycle orientated (more of that at a later date)

Which brings me back to the mandala's. This year I wanted to do something creative with wheels, and that's when I hit upon the idea of making and using crochet mandalas. They are suitably wheel-like (well enough to justify running with the idea), and when I put it to the rest of the Yarndale team, they all agreed it was completely bonkers, but right up my street.

So no more bunting-making this year folks. No, no. The 6,212 triangles that graced the festival last year will be back in situ this year, and I am really looking forward to seeing it all again. But in addition to the bunting, I want to try and create a large visual display using mandala wheels, much in the way that Ana Tuominen did with the potholders. So I am asking if you would like to play along? Would you like to become a part of another wonderful, big yarny creative project and make a Mandala Wheel for me?

I have designed a very easy Mandala Wheel pattern that you can use, and have written up a tutorial for it. These ones I made using DK weight yarn on a 4mm hook, and they measure 18cm/7 inches across.

That's the sort of size I'm looking for folks. They need to be no bigger than 8 inches across.

I would also like them to be stiffened, to make it easier for me to hang them. I have found the best way to do this is to use white PVA craft glue and simply paint it on the reverse side of the mandala with a stiff little brush. I used this technique when making my Happy Flower and it works a treat.

When it's dry, the glue turns transparent as you can see above, and the mandala wheel takes on a pleasingly neat, perky attitude making it perfect for display purposes.

So you can find the tutorial for making my Mandala Wheel right HERE.

I am also thrilled to tell you that I've been working with designer Zelna Olivier who created the amazing Starflower Mandala that I shared with you last week. Oh, this has been SUCH FUN!!!! Zelna agreed to design a mandala especially with my Yarndale plans in mind, ie a wheel-inspired, 7 inch creation full of colour, and she absolutely did me proud.

You can find the free pattern for her beautiful Granny Mini Mandala right here. Isn't it beautiful?

Not only that, but Zelna (who like me, is suffering a little from mandala-mania) went on to design us two more! Wowsers, how lucky are we??!!

This is her Hakuna Matata design....

and this is her Sunny Flower design.

All three patterns include fabulous photographs of each round to help you create these beautiful circles, so we are hoping that you will feel inspired to get creative and give them a go.

♥

So before I love you and leave you, I thought it might be a good idea to answer some questions about this year's Global Community Crochet Project for Yarndale.

Q :: How many mandalas would you like me to make?

A :: This is VERY IMPORTANT >>> please can I ask that each person makes just ONE MANDALA to send for the Yarndale display. Only ONE per person please.

Q :: What type of yarn would you like me to use?

A :: Any yarn you like! I've found that cotton yarn gives the best results, but any smooth yarn works well, including Stylecraft Special DK.

Q :: What hook size shall I use?

A :: Use whatever hook suits the yarn you are using. The important thing is the finished size....the finished mandala wheel should measure less than 8 inches / 20cm.

Q :: What size should my finished mandala measure?

A :: Please aim for approximately 7 inches / 18cm.

Q :: Should I be using mainly "Lucy" colours?

A :: No! Please feel free to experiment with colours, that's the main attraction with mandala making. But it would be nice if the mandala wheels were colourful, so I would appreciate no black yarn please.

Q :: Can I personalise them in any way? And can I use alternative patterns?

A :: Yes yes!!! Please be creative! So long as your mandala lies flat and arrives stiffened ready for hanging, I am happy for you to embellish, button, bejewel, stitch and personalise your mandala in whatever way you wish. You can use any pattern you like, just so long as the finished mandala does not measure more than 20cm across.

Q :: Do they need blocking/stiffening?

A :: Yes please. The mandala wheels I've made have all benefitted enormously from a light steam press on the reverse side to make them lovely and flat. I would also like them to be stiffened please, using PVA glue on the reverse side as mentioned in the text above.

Q :: When do you need them?

A :: I'm setting a deadline of the end of June 2014, so roughly two months from now.

Q :: Where shall I send them?

A :: To the following address.......

Attic24

PO Box 97

Skipton

North Yorkshire

BD23 9EN

Q :: What information should I include with my mandala?

A :: Please could you give me your name, along with your town/county/state/province and country. I'd like to compile a list of contributors this year, along with their origin.

Q :: What will happen to them after Yarndale?

A :: Well, we are still thinking about this and a lot depends on the quantity we receive. We'll certainly keep you posted.

I absolutely cannot wait for this project to unfold! I am excited beyond words at the thought of it, at the way I can almost (but not quite) visualise the impact of such a display. I think it's going to be so, so, so beautiful.

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ps another reminder.....mandala's are super-addictive and it really is impossible to make just one. But please, please only send me ONE beauty for the Yarndale project.

♥ THANK YOU!!!! ♥

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♥...more little snippets from the Attic...♥

Introducing Yarndale

Yarndale Preparations

The Starflower Mandala

Yarndale 2013 :: The Yarn Bombing

Making Meals

I've been despairing recently about how very dreadful I am at keeping house. I look around my home and think how much it needs some serious attention (on every level), and how I can never seem to muster up enough energy or enthusiasm to tackle any of it. Every single room here is in need of a thorough de-cluttering and a good deep clean, yet I can (and do) think of a thousand ways to avoid getting stuck in. I was thinking yesterday about it all, wondering if I will always feel this way, or whether these feelings belong to this particular stage of motherhood when my busy days often leave me feeling so rushed and tired. However, one of the housey "jobs" that hardly ever gives me that sinking feeling is the preparing and cooking of our evening meal. Even though I am often very weary by this time of day, at 4.30 I do always seem to be able to get myself into the kitchen with my apron on, the radio cranked up and enjoy setting to work.

I love to surround myself with visual pleasures, and usually this involves colour. No surprises there then. I get pleasure every day from setting the table with coloured drinking glasses and pretty paper napkins, a little posy of flowers in the centre.

Over the years I have gathered an array of pretty and colourful spoons, utensils, plates and bowls that are a pleasure to use. I cook every day from scratch with fresh ingredients, and I am very, very grateful that I have the time to do this each day. I just love the thought that I am feeding and nurturing my family to the best of my ability, that I am providing not only good nutrition for the Little Peeps, but helping to develop their appreciation of flavours and home cooked food.

I tried out a new recipe yesterday, a new way of cooking fresh salmon. In the bowl above, there is honey, white wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic and fresh thyme. It smelt really lovely as I whisked it all together.

This dressing/marinade is spooned generously over the salmon fillets which are placed in a baking dish, then covered in tin foil and baked in the oven. Oh yum! They came out moist and tender, with a delicious sweetness that the Little People loved. You can find the recipe here.

I made a bowl of Greek salad to go with it, chopping and throwing everything in a bowl whilst day dreaming of the Greek islands where I once spent an idyllic twelve week summer back packing with J.

I had the back door open and popped out to see what was happening on my little herb bench. Like the rest of the back yard, it's looking a little forlorn and neglected but I'm hoping to find time this Summer to re-do my pots out here.

There was enough fresh sprouting mint for me to pick a few sprigs....

....to toss with a knob of butter and lots of seasoning into a pan of boiled new potatoes.

It was a simple meal in many ways, just salmon, minty potatoes and greek salad, and yet very delicious indeed. I loved all those fresh flavours mingling together on the plate, and I loved that it was a shared family experience, as our evening meals always are.

It was cooked with love, and plenty of day-dreamy feel-good. I might have cluttered shelves and dusty surfaces, but I do make good meals.

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♥...more little snippets from the Attic...♥

Half Way

Artisan Bread

Cosy

Lengthening Days

Moments