🍁 Tis the season for scented candles to come into their own, and I am burning through these little tins of smelly wax like nobody's business. I just love walking into a room and having a hint of something sweet, spicy and fragrant greeting my nose, it's homely and comforting and this particular Cinnamon & Orange fragrance mingles beautifully with the vague scent of wood smoke from the fire. Next on my list to buy and burn is "Christmas Spice", it's a red wax and smells delicious - not especially Christmassy really, but just a lovely warm fragrance for this cold time of year.
🍁 Last week it was half term for us here, and we had such a lovely, slow, restful break from work and shcool. The Little People were a joy to have around and seemed happy with being home. At the start of the holidays we walked through the park to the farm shop - this seems to be our Thing-To-Do-in-the-Holidays and manages to be just the right amount of outdoor activity combined with indoor indulgence. It's a lovely short walk at all times of the year (around a 20 minute stroll each way), with the promise of farm shop goodness at the midway point. We had coffee and cake in the café, purchased some fresh bakery bread, locally grown tenderstem broccoli and a scrumptious chicken, ham and leek pie for our dinner before slowly ambling home again. Next time I'm there I'll try and take some photographs inside the farm shop to show you as I'm sure you'd love it. It's that kind of photogenic place.
🍁 I am love love loving my hand knit socks on my feet right now, they are just so incredibly comforting to wear. I love the feel of them when my feet are cosied inside my boots (when it's not raining and there is no sogginess) and I love the absolute warmth of them (I wear them with crocs when I'm in the house, even though I'm quite sure I look like a weirdo).. But most of all, I love the look of them. It gives me such a huge amount of pleasure to look down and see these gorgeous colours at the end of my legs and know that I knitted all those teensy stitches myself. And cables too, I am ridiculously proud of my cable socks (cable sock details in this post).
🍁 I've been admiring the slowly changing colours of this long beech hedge for the past few weeks now, it seems to change a little every time I walk past. Soon it will be entirely made up of coppery brown leaves and the green and gold will be a thing of the past. I love the bright green May version of this hedge the best, but October colours aren't half bad.
🍁 Talking of October colours, this beautiful old brick wall caught my eye a few days ago with it's smattering of vibrant foliage. The wall runs along the back of a small car park behind the local council offices and I guess probably goes unnoticed by the majority of workers who park right next to it.
🍁 As well as being the season for scented candles, it's also the time when the slow cooker comes out of it's summer slumber. We've had some delicious slow cooker soups just recently, and some fabulously tasty curries too. The above ingredients (chili, ginger, garlic, onion, lime) were the makings of a fresh, zesty "Citrus Prawn Curry" which has become a firm family favourite.
🍁 I know I've said this may times, but I am so very grateful for the handful of local walks we are able to do right from our door without the need to get in the car. Walking through the park to the farm shop is one, and walking along the side of the canal into the woods is another. We pottered along here one day last week during a brief dry spell amidst many days of intermittent rain and drizzle, and it was so good just to be out of the house and surrounded by leafyness. The Little People have embraced our walking suggestions this holiday with something close to enthusiasm, and every time I have danced a private little jig of happiness inside my head.
🍁 What is this?? Can this possibly be...................b l u e sky?????? Yes indeed!! This was yesterday, a day of Autumn brilliance when the sun shone down and the sky was all kinds of perfect. We took ourselves out into the Yorkshire Dales to amble along the riverside and it was completely glorious. I took a shed load of photographs (the afternoon light and the colours and the overall atmosphere was sublime), way too many to cram in here so I'll show you them in another post entitled "Riverside Wanderings" or some such thing. For now, just know that the blue colour of the sky was lush and very much appreciated by myself. Incidentally, the above chimney is actually on the back of our house - it's not our main chimney but an old disused one that perches on the extended bit of roof above the bathroom. Kind of crazy to know it's up there.
🍁 Little B finished colouring his pumpkin after working on it for five days straight. He was so proud, and quite rightly so - his attention to detail was impressive and I loved hearing him explain to me all the many intricacies of his colour choices. We carefully cut it out and I'm going to ceremoniously laminate it for him so that we can hang it in the window. He's now working on a dragon.
🍁 During the past few weeks, J has taken to regularly going out on an evening walk with the Little People. He has a job which involves concentrated hours sat at a desk doing complex things with computers, so he decided that he would benefit from taking a little more physical exercise. He has an app on his phone which counts his daily steps, with an aim to making it to 8,000 per day for good health (which is around 4 miles). I whole heartedly endorsed this idea as a) I want him to live to a ripe old age with me and b) the Little People came home from these evening walks all rosy cheeked and oh-so-ready to settle down towards bedtime. One evening last week I decided to go with them, even though Little B moaned and said he wanted it to be Just Dad, the little tyke. It was surprisingly lovely to be out walking in the chilly dark, and the church bells were ringing their hearts out as they do every Tuesday evening when it's bell ringing practice (you can see/listen on YouTube if you fancy, it is pretty impressive and we can hear it all the way in the Attic).
🍁It's been back to school for us today, the return to routine and the start of a long eight-week stint now until we break for the Christmas holidays. Can you believe that in eight weeks it'll be Christmas Day??? That thought has just caused a judder to run all the way down my spine.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello. My name is Cecilia. I Live in Street Somerset UK.
We share the passion for crochet.
I came from Argentina so that my children could study here.
You help me where to buy good materials and at a good price like baby alpaca.
Thank you very much
my mails is : [email protected]
If you need something, let me know.
Cecilia
Posted by: cecilia Quiroga | December 01, 2017 at 06:40 PM
Hi Lucy, lovely post - as usual. Any chance of a link to the recipe, have tried googling it but to no avail. Still regularly cook a curry using a recipe you posted ages ago (sweet, easy curry?) - known in our house as "The Crochet Lady's Curry" Thanks Alice X
Posted by: Alice Robinson | November 08, 2017 at 01:45 PM
I so enjoy your post! Ah, Autumn. I especially like the hedge of turning leaves. Little B has a great eye for color. I wonder where he gets that from??!! I think Janis’s idea of a free form crochet of a Little B’s drawing would be fantastic! I just know it would be great!
Posted by: Lynn | November 04, 2017 at 10:06 PM
Love, love, LOVE the church bells! Here they use mostly electronic ones or recordings and it's just not the same. My favorite thing about your mantel is how you make it your own celebration of what you love about each season. Thank you for sharing your life with us, Lucy. It is truly a gift!
Posted by: Wendy | November 04, 2017 at 12:09 PM
There's something about seeing a church lit up at night, isn't there? I often walk past our church with the dog and it always makes me happy to see the illuminated stone and windows when everything else is dark xx
Posted by: Winwick Mum | November 04, 2017 at 09:27 AM
Little B has inherited your gift of putting colours together. When I first saw it, I thought it was a piece of fabric cut out in the shape of a pumpkin.
Posted by: Debbie Tristram | November 02, 2017 at 10:20 PM
Hi LittleB. I thnk your colouring in is fantastic! You are so careful with your work and your colours are 😉 amazing! Tell your Mum she needs to show us more of your beautiful work😊😊
Posted by: Alison Smith | November 02, 2017 at 07:33 PM
Lovely post. It sounds suspiciously like someone is falling in love with autumn.....hmmmm? :)
Posted by: Susannah | November 02, 2017 at 06:27 PM
Any chance of a link to the recipe for the curry? It sounds yummy!
Posted by: Hungry! | November 02, 2017 at 11:00 AM
Lucy your photo's of the countryside are superb, I feel I am right there looking at what you and your camera see. The crimson leaves of what I imagine are Virginia Creepy leaves, on the wall are incredible.
Posted by: Christine Phillips | November 01, 2017 at 05:59 PM
Fabulous socks! I agree, nothing like having toasty feet in a pair of socks you've made yourself. LOVE L.B.'s pumpkin, well done indeed! Yikes! Christmas will be here soon! Have a great day.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Posted by: Angela-Southern USA | November 01, 2017 at 12:06 PM
I love your blog...it really makes for such a sweet read. Thank you. Also, your sons coloring is really good! He has an artists eye I believe. Enjoy your beautiful Autumn!
Cheers, Sue.
Posted by: Sue. | October 31, 2017 at 11:14 PM
I loved reading your autumnal musings and can almost smell those delicious candles. Our parish church bell ringing practice is Tuesdays too! Obviously the thing to do in these parts. :) See you soon xxxx
Posted by: creativemummybear.blogspot.co.uk | October 31, 2017 at 09:58 PM
Tuo marito é molto intelligente! 🏃🏼
Posted by: Ileana | October 31, 2017 at 08:06 PM
Very impressed with Little B's coloring...tell him someone here in the USA has seen it and thinks it is delightful!
Yes, where does the time go? Two months from today is New Years' Eve!
Posted by: Elizabeth | October 31, 2017 at 08:06 PM
I love to hear bell ringing practice as well, it's beautiful. There's a lovely beech hedge here, around the castle, I always enjoy watching it change in the seasons. The pumpkin is fabulous. My littlest boy loves to do colouring in as well, it's one of our favourite things to do together in fact. I love how we have little chats as we colour. Long may it last. The farm shop walk sounds excellent, I do like a stroll with the promise of a sit down and a little smackerel of something. A lovely autumnal post Lucy, I most enjoyed it. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | October 31, 2017 at 07:50 PM
I so enjoyed all your autumn leaves and wow.. the pumpkin Little B colored is gorgeous, I'm glad you're preserving it forever. I played the bell video and loved it! That is a lot of people to make it happen!! Thanks for sharing it.
BooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
*H*A*P*P*Y* *H*A*L*L*O*W*E*E*N*!*
BooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Posted by: Teresa Kasner | October 31, 2017 at 07:25 PM
Such a lovely, inspiring post! (As usual)
I've been reading your blog for years now, you make me feel like travelling to Yorkshire, Dorset and co... Not so easy, since I live in Brazil! I just love looking at your pictures... And I made a rainbow ripple blanket for my son, based on your pattern. Beautiful! Thank you for sharing all this!
Posted by: Juliana | October 31, 2017 at 06:07 PM
The possessive "its" does not take an apostrophe.
Posted by: Becky | October 31, 2017 at 03:32 PM
That kid's got your eye for color -- gorgeous little pumpkin. I'd love to have that printed on fabric and have a little placemat made of it.
If you ever get into the whole "freeform crochet" thing, I imagine the two of you can have a nice little artistic collaboration going on where you crochet one of his drawings.
Posted by: Janis | October 31, 2017 at 01:16 PM
As others have said Little B's artwork is lovely. Apart from the fact that the evening walks will keep J fitter I think it's a super way for him to build more memories with the LP's. I know you wanted to share the walk but Little B had a point, as a family you are really good at family activities and you get to spend quality Mum time with the LP's. This looks like a fantastic way to balance up for J and the LP's which will give them all not only great memories but also a super template for their own family lives in the future.
Posted by: Lucy, Kent ~ England | October 31, 2017 at 11:47 AM
Lucy, I hope there will be a new autumn or winter colours blanket from you soon with a pack & pattern at Wool Warehouse (in time for Christmas if poss pretty please :0). I've done all your other patterns & am now getting serious withdrawal symptoms!
Posted by: Jules | October 31, 2017 at 10:38 AM
I love reading your posts, particularly as I lived in Skipton myself for 10 years and recognise so many of your scenes. I adored listening to the bell practice too! The farm shop wasn't there in my day, or if it was, it must have been in a very early incarnation and not the wonderful attraction it is now.
Now, about that Woodland blanket you mentioned .... ;)
Posted by: Fiona M | October 31, 2017 at 08:50 AM
Lovely post as usual !
Posted by: loesch dominique | October 31, 2017 at 08:19 AM
Great post & your sky looks more like here in Oz, though not at the moment, as we are having a week of inclement weather, with temps back in the teens. Little B certainly takes after his Mum with all that attention to detail & colour choices. Have a great week & take care.
Posted by: Susan Smith | October 31, 2017 at 07:57 AM