Comfort Seeking

My days are long and slow right now in the midst of this cold, grey winter and I've been on a major comfort seeking mission. I keep catching sight of my squidgy overhanging body bits and thinking idly that eating danish pastries is not the answer, but oh they are so so so very good. They are my weakness, and right now in these tricky months I am giving myself permission to indulge.

I've been knitting again in recent weeks too, with another pair of stripy socks growing slowly on my needles. Knitting still doesn't bring me nearly as much calm, comfort and feelgood as crochet does, but wearing hand knitted socks inside my boots every day is just flippin' brilliant so I keep going with it. The problem is that I'm not a relaxed knitter. I tend to find my shoulders rise up around my ears when I knit and the whole experience is just a smidge on the tense side, but I do really love the satisfaction of sock production.

I've got a jug of bright yellow daffs on my table, and I love that they are so easy to come by at this time of year. The supermarkets have huge boxes full of them, bunches of tightly closed buds secured with an elastic band for £1, so it's possible to have a continuous parade of them in the house. The kitty has been eating them of course, and in times when she really, really wants to get my attention she will set about pulling each and every stem out of the jug so that they lay strewn across the table. It drives me bonkers, but in the big scheme of things it's not such a big deal. I love her crazy kitty ways and her big demanding diva personality. And I love having flowers in the house way too much for her to put me off.

On Wednesday the twenty fifth of January, there were blue skies and sunshine, which made it a day to remember in my book. We've had so much grey of late, so little sunlight shining down on us, that I almost began to completely forget what sunshine actually looked and felt like. It was wonderful. I try hard not to wish these winter days away (I really do, honest), and yet I am longing for seasonal change. Winters here in Yorkshire are long and I know from experience that Spring doesn't happen until late April so I do need to find some patience from somewhere.  

Any talk of comfort seeking and you will most likely find me heading to the kitchen and putting my apron on. I am a comfort baker without a doubt. Little Person running a temperature? Bake buns of course! Weather being all mean and grey and nasty? Well there just has to be a lemon drizzle cake in the oven! Really, there is no hope for my squidgy, overhanging body bits until at least April.

Another tried and trusted comfort provider is the business of sticking sticky things. I have absolutely no idea why this is so, but over the years I've learnt not to question it too much, just to go with the feel-good and stick, stick, stick. Currently I am really enjoying my pretty washi tapes (mostly purchased from the lovely Dominika AKA CwlCrafts on Etsy), adding stripes of colour and pattern to all of my planner pages. It's just a small thing, sticking a length of tape to a piece of paper, but it does make me literally sigh with pleasure.

I've had a lot of quiet stay-home days of late, hibernating in the Attic and spending many hours conversing with the cat, knitting, crocheting, baking, planning and just idling about. It's been self indulgent and not especially healthy I guess, although at the time I'm carrying out the indulging and idling, it feels rather marvelous. But I carry a snippet of guilt on my shoulders, guilt because of the way I am allowing the days to slip slide away in a blur of under achievement and laziness. My to-do lists are teetering, the house is a shambles, and my overhanging bits are growing - I sincerely hope this is something of a short lived phase and that energy levels and motivation will return at some point sooner rather than later.

I have been out walking on occasion though, and there is comfort in that fact, yes indeedy. The hubby and I have taken opportunity to stride out into the wintry Yorkshire Dales, ignoring the mud and the wind and the grey and getting right out there. Pumping blood, stretching muscles, climbing hills and the such like. It's been wonderful actually. We walked six miles on Monday, and the sun shone through for possibly 12 minutes or so (as seen in the above photo). We sat beside the river and ate pie, and all was good in my world.

And I've been hooking too, in between all the other comforting guff. Oh my, this blanket, I love it so very, very much. The more it grows, the more I swoon. I'll be sharing Part 5 of the Moorland Blanket journey here tomorrow and I absolutely cannot WAIT to show you how the blue sky creeps in..........oh..............you're gonna love it.

I hope that wherever in the world you are, whether you are shivering and hiding from the early signs of Storm Doris, or trying to stay cool in the heat of your scorching summertime, that you find some comfort in your days.

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EDIT TO ADD :: thanks for the advice re kitties and daffodils - she has only eaten small bits of petal so far and has been fine, but I'm moving them out of her way just to be safe. Thank you xx

 

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

Here and There

Notes from the Studio

A Colourful Competition

Comments

[Maree]

Hi I am having problems understanding the cosy stripped blanket pattern. I have been to the website and still do not understand row 3. If you begin with chain 3 & a treble in the first stitch, skip 2 stitches & continue all the way along, you only end up with 2 stitches not 3. As this pattern is worked in multiples of 3, the trebling in the first stitch plus skipping 2 stitches equates to 3. Therefore the 2 stitches you have left are the skip stitches so how do I end the row ????? Please help as this is driving me nuts.

[Emily]

http://www.thistlebearhome.com/

I don't know if you read the blog I've linked to but I've just been reading about Fika - the art of the Swedish coffee break. There is a delicious looking book on the blog with very nice looking cakes on it. I love apple cakes, so I might be buying this book!

[Rita]

Do you have a pattern for the little mat under the vase of flowers? It's really cute.

[Diane]

Try listening to an audio book while you knit. That might help you relax while you knit.

[Sue]

I forgot to say "Greetings from Columbus, Ohio" :)
I love all things British!!!!!

[Sue]

Hi Lucy, I loooove this post!!!!!!! I actually love Winter because I can curl up and knit or cross-stitch with my kitties :) And I don't have to worry about all the yardwork that I have to do during the other seasons.
I've never learned to crochet but I do love knitting. I'm also a quilter. Your post made me smile :)
Sue

[Sophie]

HIbernating is the best thing about this time of year, especially in rainy England. Make the most of it while you can <3

[mrs. smythe]

I take such comfort in these kinds of posts - the ones with the everyday sorts of things that are so simple and special. Thank you! Also, I understand about the tension during knitting. I tend to get that with certain kinds of projects. I find knitting while watching a movie or something else distracting helps me to relax and not focus so much on the stitches.

[AnnieOB]

Hope some sunshine returns soon Lucy. After 25 years I still miss the Yorkshire landscape and the people but not the winter weather. Keep warm, keep hooking, knitting and cinnamon whirls are practically essential.

[Anne Kennerley]

Dear Lucy, I feel the same way about crochet as you do about knitting so I'm really happy to be keeping up with the blanket. Don't worry about these quiet days,someone as busy and creative as you needs some down time to recoup.Just enjoy it.

[Marlies]

Hello Lucy, I always find my energy flooding out of me when the days become shorter and the autumn weather sets in. A couple of years ago I started using a daylight lamp, basically a very bright lamp that you point at your face. I use it daily for about 15 minutes, or if I can manage a little longer. It actually makes my winters a little less draining and it helps me getting a little more active. off course I don't know if it works the same for everyone, but it can't hurt to share stuff like this. I hope you will be getting some sunshine sometime soon. Btw I'm loving your moorland blanket!

[Maureen V Champion]

Not much sun here on the mid-Atlantic coast, either. I have a four year old tortie named Josephine -after Josephine March in Little Women. When we brought her home as a semi-feral, injured, withdrawn six month old, my friend said, "You didn't get a kitten, you got a PROJECT!" Oh so right she was. Like your Tillie, she is a demanding, meowy little thing as she races from room to room literally bouncing off the walls. And, like you, I couldn't live without her now!
Regarding crochet, I am sewing together strips of a king size blanket and guess where she MUST be the minute I sit down to sew? Yup.
Love your blog!
xo, m & jb

[Lesley]

Hi Lucy. Just thought I should warn you that cats are fatally allergic to many flowers. Lilies especially are totally fatal to them along with amaryllis plants. Please do not let your cat anywhere near them or she may die. I don't keep any flowers or plants indoors anymore as don't want to risk things. Sorry if you have been bombarded with this advice already but thought it important to tell you as the supermarkets just don't bother to put warnings on their flower packs which I think is disgusting. Sorry to hear the winter is getting you down. You'll be fine. It's so easy to get into comfort eating but not so easy to get out of it. Try some healthy warming soups instead of cakes if you feel the need. Love the blanket.

[Sarah]

Finding comfort in the grey days is so needed.

I used to knit with my shoulders at my ears, too, until I started listening to audiobooks or classical music when I knit. Roald Dahl is still one of my favourites :)

[bekki]

Finding comfort in the middle of winter is entirely needed. I always say the extra squidgy body bits is just the bodies way of staying warm in winter -so quite necessary too. Your daffodils look lovely in their bright rainbow jug! I've just bought a potted hyacinth which I'm watching eagerly, waiting for flowers

[Rowena Corlett]

Hi Lucy - lovely post. I think we were meant to semi- hibernate at this time of year and as I have got older I have learnt to enjoy it. It's a chance for your body to rest and recuperate and,as I know you have been anaemic, it will do you good! Love xxxx

[Susan Smith]

Lovely post Lucy with lots of gorgeous shots of your area. Enjoy each season as it comes along as I'm trying to do, even though we have another hot one tomorrow, which I don't like, but will get crafting inside trying to work on some UFO's. Love how the Moorland rug is growing. It's beautiful & you'd not believe how hard it is trying not to want to get the wool & start one. Enough other "stuff" to do, except you get me thinking about socks for next winter. I've never tried knitting them, but should give it a go. Have a good weekend & take care.

[Brianna]

Yes lots of gray days here in the Midwest of the US. It becomes easy to find comfort somewhere when the skies aren't co-operating. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we just need things that are better for the soul than for the waistline.

[Margaret]

Here in Australia it is HOT, clear blue sunny skies. Would love some rain!
Margaret

[Sierra]

Washi tape makes me so happy! I so hope you enjoyed your sunny day, we're in the middle of a rainy patch. Enjoy your comfort food, I'm feeling the same way with donuts before work.

[Susannah]

What a lovely post, thank you. So glad your daffodils are inexpensive. They are at least $8 a bunch where I live, if you can find them. I am waiting for my hyacinths in the cellar to be ready to come up into the light and bloom. I should have started them forcing much earlier!

[nancy bucciarelli]

Hi Lucy...
I have been trying to get ahold of you as I have a gift to send to you.. It does not seem that you are seeing my requests. Perhaps I am not doing it correctly so I will try posting here. Could you please contact me at my email: I have been following you for years and would like to send you something!

Nancy

[H]

What is the sock yarn please - lovely jewel tones!

[Katherine, NZ]

At least your grey, wet days are in winter! It's supposed to be summer here in New Zealand but we've seen very little of it!! Today the sun is shining though so maybe that's a good sign for a late summer at least. I love the colours in the socks on your needles at the moment - can you tell us what the yarn is. Thanks 😊

[Susan]

What a treat.know what you mean about the grey skies.I made marmalade to help bring some sunshine in😊