Easter Prettifications

Something that I've always found just a teensy bit irritating is the way that magazines are out of sinc with real life months. So for example, the magazines that land on your doormat in early March are labelled April and are full of chit chat about things happening a whole month away. I am really, really not that person who can get giddy for Christmas at the start of November, or think about Easter a whole month in advance. I am much more of a Here and Now girl, living in the moment and just about able to think a week ahead at the most.

My current solution is to stash my two favourite seasonal magazines when they arrive, leaving them wrapped in their plastic so I'm not tempted to peek. I place them gently on top of my teetering to-do pile which sits precariously on my desk just to the right of my computer and I leave them for a good few weeks until I feel ready for them. It takes some doing, it's not easy to leave them alone, but I find that the very act of waiting gives me a bizarre amount of pleasure during the three weeks that they sit there staring at me.

This week I finally felt ready to think about Spring (it was the Spring Equinox that nudged me) and with Easter happening this weekend I thought it would be a good time to take a walk in Magazine Wonderland. First up is April Country Living, one of my most beloved indulgences (I've been a faithful subscriber since 1998).

Summer magazines are my most favourite, but Spring comes a close second best.

I am such a sucker for these nature-inspired styling photos, they are always so inspirational and make me want to jump up instantly and do something to prettify my home for the season.

There are always some lovely little decorative ideas and easy makes in these 'Seasonal Styling' sections....

.....oh those butterfly eggs!! So simple, but oh so pretty and majorly appealing (the butterflies are temporary tattoos, so clever! Filing that idea away for another time).

These are the 'Seasonal Looks' pages from April Country Homes magazine. I adore these particular pages every month and spend an age scouring the images and taking in every single detail. There is always a small-print section at the end which is essentially a huge long shopping list, telling you where you can buy every item and how much it costs.

The interiors are of course completely over-styled, over-thought and more than a little bit fake....

....but it doesn't stop me swooning over the gorgeousness of it all.

If I work at zooming my mind outwards and away from every minute detail in these images, it's possible to get an overall feel for the season by taking in just the colours. It's a very useful exercise for me as a lot of what I do in crochet is inspired by seasonal colours, and I really enjoy the challenge of seeing images in this way. Try it for yourself - see what colours come to you from the above photos, and focus on how they make you feel. They are light and dreamy, dusky pale pinks and soft duck egg blues, chalky whites and soft greys but there are pops of bright colour too (that mustardy-lime colour, wowsers). They make me feel relaxed and happy, and inspired too.

Here in my own home, things are much the same as they always are at this time of year. Colours aren't so much soft and dreamy as bright and breezy here in the Attic.

I fetched down the Easter Box from the Attic Eaves on Monday, I had Little B home from school with a rocket-like temperature so he was my willing assistant. I'd quite forgotten about the Mini Chicklets from last year {pattern on my blog}, it was surprisingly lovely to see them again.

I've got fancy daffodils on my table this week, all flouncy and twiddly in the centres. The deep orange is a really stunning colour, but the best thing about these daffs is the scent - oh I wish you could smell them! The essence of Spring right there in my jug. I've been sat at the table a lot this week (fighting the low grade stress that arrives with a poorly, feverish child), writing lists in my planner and quietly knitting my sock whilst breathing in the scent of these lovely flowers. It's been peaceful, in an oddly stressy kind of a way. By the way, Little B is back at school today, still a  bit wobbly but at least his body is no longer on fire. Thank goodness our Easter Holidays start tomorrow (yipppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee).

Little B and I set to work with Easterifying the mantel on Monday, the Spring version of my Christmas efforts. It's a rather shambolic, haphazard approach to be honest, a weeny bit chaotic (hang ALL the decorations, fill EVERY single branch!) but I love, love, love it. 

Most of the felt Easter decorations are as old as Little Man (13), I bought the funny little felt birds and painted wooden eggs from eBay and made the felt flowers. You can just about see that the little crochet blossom flowers are back on my twigs for Spring, I made them four years ago {pattern in this post}.

In the Easter Box there was an assortment of little decorations made by the Little People over the years, so sweet to see them all again. Funny little paper chicks, decorated eggs, things stuck with glitter, and this cute little Easter Basket made by Little B when he was a tiny toddler at playgroup. The knitted sheep in the pink knitted woolly jumper there, well she was hand knitted, by ME. Yes Me!!!! I knitted a little sheep!! More about that particular adventure with the sticks coming soon, I bet you can't wait eh? Baaaaaaaaa!

Other seasonal goodness this week has included buttery toasted Hot Cross buns (essential stress relief you understand)....

....and the finishing up of my Cupcake blanket. Finished, it is indeedy, and I do love that the colours are very In Season and just right for March. And April.

I shall be taking it to Dorset with me next week, with my fingers crossed for good weather and good photographic opportunities.

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 ps the Cupcake yarn pack will be available from my shop at Wool Warehouse on Monday 18th April. As always, I'll be sharing a full ta-dah moment here on my blog which will include a tutorial for the new Linen Stitch edging as well as the full colour sequence for the cupcake stripes. Not long to wait :)

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Lisa Thompson]

Hi Lucy, I just read your latest post (Feb, 2020). It sounds like you're going through a tough time right now. I was looking through some of the lovely Easter prep stuff from 2016 and it really cheered me up! Your blog is an inspiration! I hope you start to feel better soon with all the 'life' stuff going on x

[Connie]

Hi Lucy, reading the Easter post. Strange how life works sometimes. Having a bum day and thought to check out your blog as it always brightens my day. I just bought a couple bright green pots @ IKEA, tried to crochet a little something around the bottom, didn't care for my creation and tore it all apart. Love the ones you have your flower pots sitting in and you've given me an idea where I went wrong. I'm going to shameless mimic your look :) and tell everyone you inspired me to try again.

[Mona]

How sweet and colorful was that mantle? Love the cheer!

[Jen Keast]

Now addicted to sock knitting!!!
Loving it...and so portable
Thx for the inspiration Lucy!!

[Hannah Heath]

I am looking forward to the Cupcake Blanket; I've even penned the date into my calendar! I'm still working on my first Cosy Blanket but I'm already itching to start one in the new color scheme.

[Sooza]

Oh, the colors in this blanket are sooooo pretty! Can't wait for the Tadddahhh post and find out which colors exactly went into this prettiness :-)

[Cat von Hassel-Davies]

I just re-found your blog again and so delighted in it again. I love your pictures and the colors of your crocheting, just so beautiful. LOL I remember when Little B was well, little LOL

Hugs!!
Cat

[Louise Houghton]

Your Easter prettifications are just wonderful! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Country Living but could NEVER have the will power to leave it unopened. The world stops when it hits the flags at the letter box!

[Pom Pom]

Hi Lucy! I love those two mags. Our American magazines are rubbish compared to yours.
Wow! Easter decorations are gleaming at your house!
I do love your newest blanket. The colors! The border! Amazing.

[Charlotte]

Found my basket and eggs that my daughter had made for me but still made some chiclets. Was a great center piece for the table. Perhaps those who do not like Attic 24 and Lucy should not read it. I have purchased some of the yarn packs and also items not recommended by Lucy and have been very happy with service from Wool Warehouse. I too do not like the fact that magazines are always at least a month ahead.

[Amanda]

Omg Lucy, what a brilliant magazine idea...will give it a go, although I'm not sure how the self-control will go! Looks like a colourful Easter over at yours! :) xxx

[Sally Jo Bongle]

Lucy, I'm an oldish woman who long ago was a stay-home mom who cooked, baked, gardened, canned, did woodworking for extra money and crocheted for relaxation. I've enjoyed your blog for years now. I'm afraid I got a bit touchy in your comment section. Seems I have fuzzy boundaries and strong loyalties.

[Rose McIntire]

In a healthy community, an honest, open and specific critique should always be accepted. It is a sign of maturity and tolerance.

Being told to leave because two opinions don´t coincide is very aggressive, even if it is followed by the word "peace".

Lucy does share beautiful patterns and experiences on the internet, but so do hundreds of thousands of people. I fail to see how that relates to what I wrote.

My opinion was directed to Lucy, please let her decide whether it is useful or not.

[Judith]

Hi there!
Hope you had a Happy Easter and didn't get swept away by the windy, rainy weather. I agree with your comments about the magazines being out of sinc. and have complained before - why don't they listen......they would surely sell more

[curvywitch]

The whole blanket reminds me of cupcake frosting, especially the edging; and of making spring collages at primary school (many decades ago!) with tissue paper blossom, lambs and chicks. Delicious.

[Sally Jo Bongle]

Rose McIntire, perhaps it would be best to just 'move on' and begin designing your own creations, rather than expressing disappointment in someone who's freely shared her patterns with the internet world throughout the years? Don't take it personally, just look elsewhere :) In peace.

[Kate]

I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend. We stayed up your way for the Easter weekend, so we found the cafe and enjoyed a delicious lunch of soup, sandwiches and paninis (my family were with me. Not all for me). Of course, I had to try the coffee too, after seeing so many pictures of it on your blog, and it was delicious.

[guyot]

I'm very "impatiente" to see your cup cake blanket,the colours are very different from what you used to crochet but it seems very cup caky ^^ i

[Rose McIntire]

Lucy,

Although I like your blog and I have been reading it for more than four years, I would like to express my disappointment with the repetitiveness of the patterns.

I know that your main economic focus is selling a specific brand of wool (and promoting Yarndale), but using similar patterns in different colours feels more about selling wool than about crocheting.

The blog, as well as Facebook, is becoming very commercial. Perhaps this is how it should be as we all have to make a living, but to me, it is losing its original freshness. I am losing interest.

In all honesty from a follower.

[Arlene]

Very pretty Lucy. I think I will make this one too. Watching for the tutorial and the yarn pack. Thanks again for your colorful inspiration.

[Trish]

Your sweater wearing sheep reminded me of Kristen Nicholas. She has a blog called Getting Stitched on the Farm, where she writes about living on a sheep farm and creating with fiber and color. Really you two are kindred spirits in your love of color. Anyway, sometimes when a lamb isn't cared for by its mother, she has put it in a lamb sweater to help it survive the cold. There are photos on her site.

[Faye Kirkpatrick]

Hi Lucy,

I love reading your blog so much! Just completed your sunny log cabin blanket, and I have been looking for your ring of roses cushion pattern but I can't seem to find it online, on your blog or on ravelry. Any ideas where I might get it please?

[Busir]

Hello Lucy
I've finished my ninth pair of socks since you mentioned knitting socks on your blog .the last one with Signature 4 Ply colours Peacock and washed them yesterday :
The cour leeks ( if its the correct word ) so be careful !
I' m terribly fond of your choice of colour .thank you .
It's a great pleasure to knit socks specially the Peacok one
YS

[Jayne]

Happy Easter weekend everyone !! 🐥🐥🐥 thanks for once again sharing a beautifully colourful snapshot of attic24-land Lucy , hope the sun shines on Dorset for you , Jayne ☺

[Sarah]

Poor little B, I hope he's well enough for Chocolate eating. I love your cupcake blanket, the colours are right up my street - can't wait to see it fully :D