This Week

See? See the sunshine??? Late Summer I tell ya, late summer!! It has been a glorious week full of brightness and warmth here, and I have love love loved it.

I have looked up and seen the changing treetops and acknowledged that Mother Nature is tipping us out of Summer and into Autumn.....

....but my toes are still out and I am a happy bunny going about my busy business this week. And boy, have I been busy. We are full into Yarndale* preparations this week as the festival opens to the public at the weekend and I am working hard with the rest of the team to get everything ready.

Today I gathered together this scrumptious pile of colourful crochet and went forth with my step ladder to do crazy yarn things with twenty five lamp posts in the park.

This is the third year we have decorated the park for Yarndale*, it is such a fun thing to do and the response we get from the public (of all ages) is wonderful. These yarn-covered lamp posts do a good job of guiding our walking visitors through the park to the festival during the weekend so they do have a purpose, but the fun/creative element is still a driving force for me taking this on.

We actually stitch the crochet panels in place and they do stay (mostly) intact for five days before I carefully take them down again and store them away to be used the following year.

Oooooooo just look at those gorgeous yarny blooms! This year I've really enjoyed helping my lovely friend Sheila with her charity project called "Flowers for Memories". This is a project dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the Alzheimers Society, in case you missed this, you can read all about it right here.

The response to Sheila's request for knitted and crocheted flowers has been incredible, with more than 5,000 flowers arriving here in Yorkshire from 22 countries worldwide. It has been emotional and humbling, and both Sheila and I have been at times quite overwhelmed by it all.

Last weekend we counted and colour-sorted the flowers ready to start building the display. The idea was to create 5 large fabric panels, pinning each flower in place to create a beautiful field of blooms....

...here you can see Sheila in action, working on the yellow/orange section of the display. We have spent many, many hours on this project, and this afternoon the last flower was pinned. WOW. It is a totally breathtaking sight I can tell you. I promise (hand on heart) that there will be a tonne of photos to share next week, but for now I don't want to spoil the surprise. Thank you to every one of the 400+ ladies who sent flowers, they are priceless little works of art, each and every one of them. Flowers will be for sale during Yarndale* (all proceeds go directly to Alzheimers Society), and we will be writing a full report after the festival.

I'm so sorry that I've not been around so much just lately here in the Attic. I really love being a part of Yarndale* and am very proud of the lively, inspirational festival that we've created, but at the same time I absolutely can't wait for life to return to some sort of normality and for me to have time of my own to spend here again.

Lots of love to you all, will be back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

*Yarndale is a yarn festival held over two days and I am one of the five organisers. You can find more details about Yarndale here.

 

Comments

[Liz Barraclough]

If Yarndale is even half as good as last year it will be a brilliant weekend. Our knit and natter group are all coming this time. The level of excitement when we met this Wednesday was off the scale! We've been looking forward to it for months and may need an extra bus to get our spends home! Thank you so much for organising this wonderful celebration of colour and yarn Lucy and co. We really do appreciate it! Hope you get chance to put your feet up for a bit when it's all over.

[Ann]

Those crocheted flowers are an inspiration! What a wonderful idea to display and sell them for charity. well done to everyone who has donated them. Good luck with Yarndale at the weekend too.

[RUTH]

Wow... I peeked at the Yarndale website. Looks like some seriously fun yarn/crafting stuff. Wish I lived in the UK.

[Mona]

All of that looks so very yummy, Lucy!!!

[Robin Summers]

I so wish I could come and be a part of Yarnsdale. I love the post of the fish under the sea post. So much imagination, color,talent and hookery. I can tell right now that the Flowers for Memories will be a breath taking display. Just the flow of one color to the next color will alone be spectacular.
Awww look at those cute little toes!! LOL

[Angela-Southern USA]

Just fabulous! Glad the weather has been more like summer for you Lucy, AND the flower displays, I can't wait to see them all! (Hope I can spot mine.)Yes, pleeeease post m-a-n-y pictures of Yarndale, for us across the pond that will probably never see it in person. We look forward also to your more back to normalcy. : ) Good luck!

[Penny]

Good Luck, Lucy. It looks like Yarndale will be quite the success this year. All your talents and hard work will pay off and how fortunate Alzheimers Society will be the recipient of you giving back to the community. I think that is why you are so loved and appreciated.

[Andrina]

I think my sunflower might be in that picture! Has anyone told you the bags of sorted flowers remind them of spices in an exotic market? All if those colors make my heart sing! But having them sorted by color makes my OCD side very happy! :)

[Sharron West]

Can't wait for Yarndale, frantically making my Bumble Bee brooch, component parts all made just got to be assembled. Really looking forward to at least catching a glimpse of you Lucy and spotting fellow Attic-24ers. See you all there

[Kath]

Hope you have a wonderful Yarndale, and you get some sunshine! Can't be there this year, but so glad my flowers will be...

[piglettos]

Can't wait for Yarndale, bringing my daughter with me - who at age 10 is becoming an impressive crochet girl! Hope to see you there x

[Sarah Lloyd]

Good Luck Lucy and team, have a brilliant Yarndale and I look forward to this time next year when my husband has promised me a visit to your wonderful area of the country and a visit to Yarndale 2016. Huge supportive hug Sarah

[Spécialiste de l'éphémère]

THis is so beautiful!
Wish I was there!

[vanessa]

Such bright and beautiful images here to really lift the soul. I'm in need of bright, bright, bright, so thank you Lucy xxxxxxx

[Claire]

Love, love, love the playfulness and creativeness (and tiny feeling of mischeivousness!) of the yarn bombing. Happy Yarndale xxx

[Janet]

Many years ago I was lucky enough to visit a litle town called Carlsbad near San Diego. These crochet flowers remind me of the amazing flower fields cultivated on a ranch there that you can see in spring from the town...flowers for memories...certainly

[Helen W]

Looks fantastic; can't wait to see it for myself ... only a few more sleeps now :D

[CJ]

Wow, those flowers are breathtaking, they're going to look spectacular in the display. Well done on the 25 lamp posts, that's quite an achievement! Good luck with the rest of the organising, and I hope you have a wonderful time at Yarndale. CJ xx

[Rachael]

Autumn comes to you as spring arrives Down Under!
I have always wanted to play with pastel colours and your Harmony pattern was a delight to work - each time the "cross" turned it seemed like a miracle, just like flowers blooming after a long wet cold winter.
http://images4-b.ravelrycache.com/uploads/RachMakes/326438216/file_medium2.jpg

[carolyn jackson]

Looking forward to photos, loved the flower photos, so pleased 3 of mine are there. Have a great time, would love to be close enough to joinyou. Really enjoy keeping up with all that is going on.all the best for yarndale. Carolyn.

[Nicki Lampon]

I do wish I could be there! The lampposts look amazing and the flowers are simply stunning. You've all worked so hard - have a wonderful time!

[Mandy Mills]

I wish I could join you all at yarndale , enjoy can't wait to see pictures xxxxx

[Carol]

Sorry Lucy that I can't make Yarndale but it is the same weekend as our exhibition.

http://highampiecemakers.blogspot.co.uk

However have a wonderful weekend.

[Steph Holder]

So wish I could be there this year, but not to be. Looking forward to the pictures!

[sandra]

hola soy sandra de argentina me encanta tu blog, tenes muchas cosas hermosas en crochet. mi mama tambien teje y hace cosas bonitas, asi que siempre miro algo de tejido. saludos es hermosa tu ciudad.