Attic24

December Chitter-Chatter

 

Helloooooooo!!! I'm giving you a big and long overdue enthusiastic wave from the Attic window as I sit here on the very last day of the year and think about the weeks that have passed. I've been trying to write this post for the past few days and am happy to have finally managed it now that we're on the flip side of Christmas and teetering on the brink of the New Year.

D you know, I wrote the title of this post and then wondered if chitter-chatter was actually a proper word so went to look it up. Turns out it is indeed and means "informal and inconsequential conversation", which about sums up the overall gist of this post (well most of my blog posts actually). So I hope you're up for a some inconsequential chitter-chatter and a few photos to go with it? Onwards!!

 

 

Little B remarked to me this morning that this holiday has already felt super-long and I had to agree with him. It seems like aaaaages since we managed to exit the house at 8.30am and walk to school along the canal. This past week has been lazy in the extreme - there have been late nights and late mornings, entire days spent in pyjamas, erratic meals and way too much chocolate and screen time. It's been relaxed and restful, a much needed respite from the routine and clock watching of our school and work days. I for one have relished it all, have loved the slightly chaotic nature of having us all home together enjoying the long slow hours of nothing in particular.

 

 

I made a journey down to Dorset a few weeks before Christmas, travelling the 300 miles by train and bus. This is the second time this year that I've been to Dorset on my own, and although I'd much prefer to have J and the Little Peeps with me, I've come to appreciate the pleasure of travelling alone. I do enjoy a solo train journey where I can divide my time between reading, listening to music (Christmas tunes on this trip), browsing Instagram/blogs and crocheting, with some idle scenery gazing and day dreaming thrown in for good measure. 

 

 

I was pleased to find my Dad in good spirits and although we don't always see eye to eye on things, we generally manage to rub along OK for a few days at a time. Obviously I was mainly visiting to spend time with Dad and Lady B, but there is also a really deep need in me to be back on my home turf from time to time, for personal, nostalgic, feel-good reasons. Oh, I miss it there, I really do.

 

 

We walked to West Bay on a bright and breezy day in mid December and it was everything that I needed it to be. It was fresh and brisk, with blue skies and sunshine, noisy, pounding waves and salty sea spray. We walked around the harbour and out along the pier before heading to the cosy warmth of a local pub for a quick drink to fortify us for the two mile return walk.

 

 

I was away for three nights and J did a fabulous job of keeping the home front ticking over in my absence. In fact, I'm sure the Little People didn't really miss me at all, although I did receive the biggest hug from Little B when I got in through the door, so I think perhaps he missed me a smidge even though he insisted that he didn't.

 

 

In the days/weeks since I returned from Dorset, life has been steady. I lost track of the number of people (both friends and random strangers) who asked me if I was Ready For Christmas, and each time I would shake my head and tell them no. I never, ever feel ready for Christmas until that particular hour in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve when all the presents are wrapped, all the food has been bought and all the fire-fuel (logs) and festive-fuel (prossecco mainly) are in the house. Only then do I sit, breathe deeply and feel ready. Up until that point, there is not a jot of readiness to be felt within me, but I am absolutely OK with that. It is how it is, I am a last minute person and I try very hard not to stress it, even when people give me the wide eyes when I tell them I haven't bought presents and our tree isn't up (this being the 2nd week in December - PLeNty of time yet!!)

 

 

This year, as is the norm for me, I treated myself to a few little from-me-to-me Christmas gifts. J and I don't exchange gifts with each other and never have done in the twenty five years we've been together, so I feel it's absolutely ok to gift to myself. I bought the above book which I've been curious about for a a few years, and I would love to tell you I carved out time to read it but I don't want to lie to you. I've flipped through the pages (some glorious photos and illustrations) and dipped in and out of the chapters, but I'm saving the serious reading and absorbing of it for January.

Two other things I treated myself to - a Sweet Pea scented candle ready to light on 4th January when the Sweet Pea Crochet-Along begins, and a tree. HA!! Yes, I bought myself a tree. It's only a small sapling (1-2 foot high) and it hasn't been delivered yet but I'm beyond excited about the idea of it, mainly so that I can have access to it's leaves to squeeze and sniff to my hearts content......yes, it's a eucalyptus tree. I plan to grow it in a large pot in my back yard as I know they can grow into beastly big things, and I am just giddy about it. I'll show you when it comes!

 

 

I've been yarning along with myself during the past month of course, but haven't got anything much that I can show you. I've got a pair of socks on my needles which  are a belated Christmas gift for my fabulous father-in-law. I'm not going to show them here just yet as I have a feeling he occasionally peeks in through my Attic window. They are stripy and fairly manly (blues and greys) and I'm enjoying the little stitches very much.

As you can see above, I also tried my hand at making a critter a few weeks ago which was unexpectedly challenging (not the crochet so much as the facial features). I've got lots more to show you about that but can't just yet as this was a pattern test for a friend, so I need to wait for her nod. But if you know her critters already you will know that this is going to be one cute little thing. Oh it's so difficult to make animals look cute though, I had no idea!

 

 

In other creative news, I've been totally obsessed with my Sweet Pea blankets. In previous years I've crocheted the blanket more or less at the same time as I run the crochet along (just a week or two ahead so I can get the photos ready in time). But this year, as soon as I made the decision to offer two versions of the blanket I really had to get cracking as a LOT of hooky hours are needed to create two whole blankets. So I made the Posy version first and I'm now working on the Colourwash version, and I'm really, really, really looking forward to Friday and sharing the pattern and first colour installments with you. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has bought a Sweet Pea yarn pack from my shop at Wool Warehouse, I'm just thrilled to bits that our online crochet community is such a happy, positive and thriving place.

 

 

In the week before Christmas I finally started to think about gifts for family and friends. I decided for various reasons not to write Christmas cards this year, and instead I gifted potted bulbs to friends who I knew I was going to see. I bought some single hyacinth and amaryllis bulbs from the farm shop, wrapped them carefully in gold tissue paper and popped them into paper gift bags.

 

 

I know how much pleasure I get from watching hyacinths grow and bloom, there is something so optimistic and simple about them, the slow anticipation is just perfect. I hope they are bringing a smile to my friends as we head into the New Year, a dash of living greenery and a bloom of colour to welcome in 2019.

 

 

We decorated for Christmas at our usual time this year, around ten days before Christmas. This is early enough for me as I like to have the tree up until the Twelfth Night, or there abouts. And wonders will never cease - I even remembered to purchase the candy canes in time!!!! 

 

 

We have our usual haphazard arrangement of colourful mismatched decs on our old faithful artificial tree. Little B and I did the honours together, and I think we did a pretty good job. The tree isn't especially twinkly as we opted for battery powered lights after last year's kitty disaster (she chewed through a set of lights). But still, I do enjoy the gentle glow of it especially first thing in the morning when we come downstairs and it's still dark.

 

 

I decorated both mantels as I usually do, pretty much the same as last year and I've really been enjoying the twinkly little lights and the various candles. I don't think you can ever have too much sparkle and glow at this time of year.

 

 

Coffee Yeah!!!! Not much to add to that really is there??!! In fact, I'm not sure why I took this photo, other than to remember that there have been many happy little moments of daily sitting, sipping and taking stock during the past few weeks. It's not always easy to stop still and grant time to just be in the moment and allow thoughts to flow, but I think a mug of good coffee does aid that practice rather well. Yeah!

 

 

On Christmas Eve we woke up to the most perfectly perfect winters day, brrrrrrrrrr it was freezing! Being that we were firmly in holiday mode and therefore not able to get out the door before midday, it was early afternoon by the time we set out for a walk. The above photo was taken from inside the car around 2pm, and with temperatures still well below zero the ice crystals on the windscreen were mesmerising to look at.

 

 

We walked at Bolton Abbey with Little Lady and Little B, striding through the cold, sunlit woodland......

 

 

......following the frosty pathways through the trees.

 

 

There were plenty of people out on this crisp, clear afternoon enjoying the fresh air, yet it still felt tranquil. 

 

 

Heading back towards the car in the late afternoon, and the prospect of snuggling up in the cosy cafe suddenly seemed very appealing. Did I mention how cold it was? Uh-huh, below freezing, and definitely frothy coffee/hot chocolate weather. 

 

 

On the way home we stopped  a while on top of the moors to take in the sun - I think this was the exact moment when I finally felt ready for Christmas actually. So beautiful, those long distance, glowy golden views on the eve before Christmas.

 

 

From one day to the next and the weather couldn't have been more different. If Christmas Eve was full of sparkly gold, then Christmas day was a dull pewter grey. We had an early start on Christmas morning thanks to Little B who woke us all up at 5.45am absolutely fizzing with excitement. Gosh, that boy, his mood was highly infectious and the pleasure we had from watching him delight in his presents was worth the lack of shut eye.

 

 

J and I knew that we would meet huge resistance if we attempted to make the Little People venture outdoors on Christmas morning, so we took the decision to leave them behind. It was only for an hour - a quick walk into the woods as far as the pond, then back to the warmth of home. They barely registered that we'd been gone, all engrossed in new games and gifts. Although it was very gloomy out there, the fresh air was invigorating and I felt so glad of it.

 

 

We spent a quiet day at home just the five of us, and I am so grateful for the gentle ease of it all. Since then, our days have merged  into one long idle, contented blur. The kind where you wake up without an alarm, have no idea what day of the week it is, and wonder if you even need to bother getting dressed at all. It's been fabulous, and we are all rejoicing in the fact that we still have another week left to enjoy. I'm hoping to get out and about a bit more this week though, possibly to the seaside if I can get the family into the car to head west to the coast. Fingers crossed on that one.

 

 

Right now it's almost 9pm on New Year's Eve and I am going to take myself back to the fireside with a glass of fizz. We are choosing a gentle close to 2018, it's been such a contented year for us as a family and I am truly grateful every single day for the happiness and fulfillment that I find in my life.

Wishing you all a magical New Year, I hope you find happiness and joy in the little things and that life sparkles for you.

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Winter Solstice 2018

Yesterday we celebrated Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Celebrating the Winter Solstice (and the summer one) isn't something I've always done, but during the past decade or so (since living in this house and sharing my thoughts from the Attic) I have become increasingly aware of the changing seasons and the way they subtly weave and flow through my days. Personally, I much prefer to think of the seasons according to the Astronomical calendar rather than the meteorological one, and so the passing of these four points in the year always makes me stop and take note. I think Winter Solstice is my most favourite of all, and even though this is the start of Winter (and I'm most definitely a Summer Spirit) I just adore the celebration of light and greenery and the magic and optimism it evokes.

Late yesterday afternoon in the last hour of daylight, I ventured out into the small woodland at the top of the park to gather in some greenery.

It's been raining on and off for most of the week and everything was dripping wet and very soggy and slippery under foot.

There's not a lot of greenery to be found in the winter woods but I was after some long vines of wild ivy which grow rampant all over the ground under the trees.

Long lengths of ivy make a great base for an evergreen wreath as the stems are very bendy and can easily be twisted and wrapped without needing to be secured with wire.

As well as the ivy, I gathered some evergreen stems from the allotment, and added in my best favourite greenery of all - eucalyptus. I have to buy the eucalyptus from the farm shop, but I love it very very much and to me it is the scent of the season, much more so than pine. It's my annual seasonal treat, and kind of makes up for the fact that we always have an artificial Christmas tree which generally just smells a little dusty. 

The wreath base I use is an inexpensive florists wire one (like this), and it's pretty easy to weave the stems in an out and around the wreath without really needing to do any tethering. 

I work fast as the light is fading and I'm out in the cold, damp back yard. Ahhh, I love love love eucalyptus, did you get that already??!! I'm snipping and weaving and twisting and poking, inhaling that fresh evergreen scent and thinking about Winter beginning and another year coming to a close. It's kind of serene and frantic all at once.

And then oh, gosh, my wreath is finished and well, it's erm...............well, a bit shaggy? A weeny bit unkempt looking and not especially magical, but there you have it...................

......................ta-dah! One rustic, evergreen Winter Solstice wreath.

I've just looked at the time stamps on my photos, and am kind of oddly proud to tell you that I made my wreath in 12 minutes flat. Ha!! Twelve minutes very well spent in my opinion.

I don't make my Solstice wreath to hang as I like to use it as a table decoration to surround my candle of choice. This year I went for a festive star candle with a Mulled Wine scent, and it's absolutely wonderful. It smells of orange and spice, of Christmas and warmth, and I can't stop sniffing it.

I managed to have all this in place by the time the Little People came home from school, which was something of an achievement. It was the last day of term yesterday so there was a fair bit of excitement in the air and our home felt cosy, happy and upbeat.

The other thing I like to do to celebrate Winter Solstice is to make a Yule Log for the fire, but this year we didn't have any proper logs to hand. We're burning smokeless coal and those eco friendly heat log thingies , so I decided to improvise and create some Yule Pine Cones instead. I collect pine cones from the pavement every summer  as they fall from the extremely tall pine trees which sit at the end of our street. Wrapped in ivy and eucalyptus, they make perfect little handfuls to throw on the fire for a solstice wish.

J wasn't interested in being Solstice-ish (which was rather lucky as I only made three cones), but Little B and Little Lady were happy to join me. I wished hard for 2019 to be brim full of health and happiness, and although I would dearly love to know what the Little Peeps wished for, they refused to tell. Top Secret Wishes, obviously. We rounded off the evening with hot chocolate and a film, and all was blissfully peaceful.

I was thinking about the very first Winter Solstice we celebrated here in 2008, and how I've managed to create this annual seasonal tradition for my family. Way back then, Little Lady was 4 and the Teen was 6 and Little B wasn't even a faint notion. It really makes me happy to think that the Little Peeps have these memories embedded in their childhoods, a gentle antidote to all the technology and a reminder to stop and reflect and be grateful for the year that has passed. And of course, extra precious minutes of daylight every day now, gosh, that thought alone makes me so happy!!

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Chasing the Light

Yesterday we woke to yet another day of low, grey skies and an eerie damp mist clinging to the landscape - down in Dorset we would call this mizzle (a combination of mist and drizzly light rain), and honestly it's my least favourite type of weather. We've had so little light here in general this month, day after day where it barely feels as if the sun is there at all, and I miss the sight of clear skies and brightness very much. However, Monday is my day with J and that's something that I always wake up feeling glad for, so even though the weather was grim, we still made plans to venture out together.

First stop : Breakfast. Well, technically it was the second stop as we first had to deliver the Littlest B-boy to school. Once we were free of offspring we walked through the damp park and up over the hill where we stood a while and marveled at the mist  swirling through the valley. Down the hill and along the footpath to the farm shop where all was cosy and bright, and we treated ourselves to a very fine spot of breakfast. It's not an elaborate affair (I usually have poached eggs on toast and a cappuccino) but there is something about going out for breakfast that always feels like the biggest treat.

I bought some stems of fresh eucalyptus (my annual festive treat in lieu of not having a real Christmas tree to inhale), and some potted bulbs to gift to to friends. I enjoy gifting living, growing things, there is something so optimistic about a humble bulb still in it's green-shoot stage, don't you think?

On our walk home from the farm shop, we noticed that the sky was ever so slowly beginning to clear, and by the time we arrived home in the late morning, we'd decided that the promise of a little sunlight was just too good to miss. I set about making a flask of fresh milky coffee and gathering together a light lunch snack of sorts (I know, not especially nutritious, but I did at least include some fruit), and off we went, out of town to chase the winter light.

We decided to keep ourselves below the mist still swirling over the high moors and headed for the riverside. Bolton Abbey was near deserted on this damp, quiet Monday, so we parked the car right next to the riverbank and settled down for some good old fashioned in-car relaxation.

The river was running high and loud after so much rain in recent weeks, and as the sky cleared a little we were treated to some blinding sunlight shafting off the surface of the water. Oh, it was glorious! I got out of the car for a while and just stood to soak it in.

There is very little colour to be found at this time of year, but the low sun illuminating the seed heads and grasses made it all look beautiful. I am trying my best to embrace the winter season we are in, digging deep to find appreciation and gratitude for this time of year which sees me struggle. I think I'm doing OK, and I am really (really, really, really) looking forward to celebrating the solstice on Friday. I think I love that day more than Christmas. I said to J, if it weren't for the children, I should like to celebrate the Winter Solstice with greenery, candles and feasting, then go abroad for the remainder of December to lie in the sun somewhere warm and bright. One day maybe.

One thing I know for sure - colour and yarn most definitely helps maintain the feel-good and I'm so very, very grateful for it. I sat in the warmth of the car yesterday afternoon and crocheted a few rows, glancing up frequently to take in the flow of the river and the sunlight bouncing around. J was reading beside me and we chatted a little about this and that, but mostly we were content to just be there in the quiet of the moment, enjoying the light and tranquility. It was a small slice of calm at the start of what promises to be a hectic week.

I hope all your pre-Christmas preparations are going well, it's the usual last minute cray-cray here, but I refuse to allow any anxiety to creep in. It's the winter Solstice on Friday (yay!) and I have fresh eucalyptus!! All will be well, I'm sure of it.

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Sweet Pea Blanket CAL :: Q&A

It's a mere twenty days until the Sweet Pea CAL begins on Friday 4th January, and I'm so thrilled to be taking you on this gorgeous blanket journey. I often find the cold grey months of January and February a struggle and know from experience that having a colourful project to work on at this time of year makes a tremendous difference to my overall sense of well being. The therapeutic qualities of crochet are something I whole heartedly believe in, and if your crochet happens to take the shape of a comforting blanket in gloriously uplifting colours, well that feel-good just can't be beat.

You can read all about the inspiration behind the Sweet Pea blanket in my introduction post from a few weeks ago if you haven't already seen it :

❧🌸SWEET PEA INTRODUCTION🌸❧

This collection of colours honestly makes me soooooooooooo happy, they deliver a soft wave of summer spirit which instantly lifts my mood and makes me feel all kinds of emotional (in a good way). I know many of you have told me in recent weeks that you feel the same way about sweet peas, and I've loved sharing so many of your stories and memories evoked by the colour and scent of these beautiful flowers.

It goes without saying that I am beyond grateful to those of you who have chosen to join me in making a sweet pea inspired blanket, thank you, thank you, it means such a lot to me knowing that I'll be in good company as I meander along on my own journey at the start of next year.

There is still time to gather in your yarn if you feel like coming along and joining us. Yarn packs sold out incredibly quickly when they were first launched, but more stock was quickly dispatched and there are still some packs available in my shop at Wool Warehouse with worldwide delivery.

❧🌸SWEET PEA YARN PACK🌸❧

As I explained in my Introduction post, I've chosen 15 shades of Stylecraft Special DK to create my Sweet Pea blanket. I'm very happy with the way these colours are so well matched to the real living flowers that were my inspiration, they are just beautiful.

When you get to squish your own sweet pea yarn, you will need to take a little bit of time making a note of the colours so that you don't get into a muddle with the stripes once the CAL starts. Some of the colours look very similar (cream and soft peach, fuchsia purple and pomegranate, lavender and wisteria) and so even if you are very familiar with this yarn, it's always a good idea to have some visual reference. You can make yourself some yarn pegs like mine, or simply stick some short lengths of each yarn colour to a piece of paper and write down the names for reference. 

As in previous years, I thought it would be helpful to answer the most frequently asked questions that pop up in the weeks before the CAL starts. Please feel free to ask me anything in the comments below, and I'll do my best to answer.

Do I need to sign up to join in the Sweet Pea CAL?

The simple answer here is NO, there is no need to sign up or commit to anything. I like to keep my CAL's very informal and relaxed so that nobody feels pressured in any way. All you need to do is gather together your yarn and hooks and join me on Friday 4th January when I'll be publishing the full FREE pattern and tutorial and giving you colour instructions for the first set of stripes. After that, I'll publish a new CAL post here on my blog every Friday (usually first thing Friday morning). There will be 7 installments altogether, running across 8 weeks.

Is there somewhere I can ask questions or share pictures once the CAL starts?

You can ask me questions here in the comments on my blog and I will always try and answer them personally via email.

You can also ask questions on my Facebook page and I will do my very best to catch them all (Facebook is quite tricky for me to keep up with at busy times, but I do try hard not to miss anything). Every week I'll invite you to show/post photos of your blankets in progress on my Facebook page and I'll choose some of them to feature on my blog, so do please share!

And lastly, there is a fabulous Facebook group (called "Attic24 Moorland and More") which started with the Moorland CAL in 2017 and is still going strong. This is a very supportive and friendly group where you can ask for pattern help/guidance, share pictures and connect with lovely ladies who are crocheting Attic24 blankets all over the world.  Just to mention that this isn't a group set up or moderated by me, although I do pop in most days.

What size blanket will I be able to make from one yarn pack?

One Sweet Pea yarn pack contains 15 x 100g of DK weight yarn. In my experience of blanket making, this is usually enough to make a single bed size blanket measuring 120 cm x 180 cm (approx. 4ft x 6ft).

I'll be giving advice about gauge and tension in my tutorial so that you can decide on the correct hook size to suit the way you crochet. If you follow my advice and make a blanket the same size/tension as mine then you shouldn't run out of yarn!

Will there be enough yarn to make a border, and what sort of border will it be?

If you are using the Sweet Pea yarn pack and following my colour order, the design will allow for enough yarn to make a border. At this time I'm sorry that I can't give you the exact colours I'll be using for the border, but I'll try and give you this info in good time so that you can check your yarn quantities.  

What if I want to make the blanket larger, to fit a double bed?

If you wish to make a double bed size blanket, you will need to buy two yarn packs.

When I publish  the pattern, I'll give guidance about the starting chain and pattern repeat so that you can work out exactly how wide you wish to make your own blanket. I'll give exact numbers for you to work either a 6ft or 7ft wide blanket, but once you know the pattern repeat you can work out your own starting chain if you wish. I'll also give numbers and guidance for those wishing to make smaller baby blankets or lap blankets. There will be an extra set of stripes given at the end of the blanket if you wish to add extra length.

What hook size do I need?

This is a tricky one to answer up front as the hook size you use will very much depend on your own personal hooky tension.

The standard hook size for Stylecraft Special DK yarn is 4 mm. However, you can use bigger or smaller hooks depending on your own personal tension. For example, I'm a tight crocheter so I'm making my Sweet Pea Blanket using a 4.5 mm hook. If you crochet quite loosely, then you will probably find that dropping to a 3.5 mm or even a 3 mm hook will give you the correct gauge. This pattern works better if your stitches aren't too loose and baggy - a slightly tighter tension/smaller hook works best.

I often get asked about the crochet hooks I use - the ones pictured above are Clover Amour and I absolutely adore them. The metal hooking end is made from super smooth aluminium and the handles are soft and easy on the hands. They are quite expensive (beware cheap imitations which are not the same), but I think a worthwhile investment if you are working for many hours on a blanket project. You can buy them individually, or if you're feeling like your halo is shining, then you could always treat yourself to a whole set. (Clover Amour on Amazon UK)

I prefer coastal/pastel/bright colours, do I have to use the Sweet Pea yarn pack for this blanket? 

The main aim of a Crochet-A-Long is for us all to join in and make a blanket together, and it doesn't matter what colours you choose so long as they make you very happy. Of course I'd be thrilled if you decide to join me on my sweet pea journey, but if you'd rather use one of my other blanket colourways or create your own unique palette, then that's absolutely fine too.

You mentioned that you would be sharing two different colour orders for the CAL, can you show us what you mean?

Last year when I designed the Woodland blanket, I decided to give two colour options for making the blanket - one was my trademark "colour story" and the other was a simple random stripe. With the Sweet Pea blanket, I always intended for the stripes to be random (well, what I call "planned random" as there is an element of considered design involved). I want the blanket to give the visual impression of a hand picked posy of sweet peas where all the pastel and bright shades come together in a happy, random medley of gorgeousness! You can see in the photo above the effect that I'm after - it's joyful and vibrant, and has a really happy energy about it.

The more familiar I became with the colours, the more I began to think about the idea of creating an alternative blanket, where the stripes are arranged to create a very harmonious colourwash effect. I know many people find a colourwash placement very easy on the eye as there is s a natural order (based on the colour wheel spectrum) which our brains perceive as calming and relaxing.

So each week when I give out colours for the CAL, I'll be giving you two versions :: Posy and Colourwash. The above computer graphic gives you an idea of how they are going to look.......

....and you can see my two crochet colour samplers up above which show both the Posy and the Colourwash designs.

I wanted to give you a heads up about this so that you can ponder on it during the next few weeks and decide which one you'd like to make. Posy or Colourwash???? I wonder which will be the most popular?!

One thing to consider - you won't easily be able to alter the number of stripes in the Colourwash version, so this will be a blanket measuring 6ft long. If you want to make a longer (or shorter) blanket, you'd be better to go with the Posy version where you can easily adjust the number of stripes.

I hope this isn't going to throw you into a fit of indecision - this isn't my intention at all, and I promise you that both blankets are equally lovely. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, I'd love to know what you make of this idea?!!

Is the Sweet Pea blanket a suitable project for beginners?

Yes, yes, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This really is the perfect blanket for newbie hookers to have a go with, and I've designed the pattern especially with beginners in mind. So long as you can maintain a fairly even tension and work double crochet and treble crochet (UK terms), you will be able to do this. The Trellis Stripe pattern is deceptively simple but produces a beautiful soft finish, and the crochet itself, oh.....................it is DIVINE!!!! It's rhythmic and soothing, an easy repetitive pattern with next to no counting so you can look forward to hours and hours of relaxing hooky satisfaction. 

As usual, I'll be making one of my full tutorials with loads of photos to help you every step of the way. 

One thing to mention - the Trellis Stripe is highly addictive, and super speedy too. I'm just giving you a little warning, it's particularly hard to step away from this one!!

I'd really like to practice the Trellis Stripe pattern before the CAL starts, what can you recommend?

The hardest thing about crocheting a striped blanket (especially for beginners) is working that first dc row into the foundation chain. For this blanket I'm working the first row of UK double crochet into the single/top loop of the chain (shown above), so this is something that you can practice in advance. Try experimenting with going up a whole mm in hook size to make your chain, then dropping back to a smaller hook to work your first row of stitches and see if this makes it easier for you. 

The other thing you might like to try is creating a foundation-less double crochet row (PLEASE NOTE that's UK double crochet = US single crochet). I know many people who've worked my striped blankets have found this approach helpful, although I've tried it and hated it! It's a very personal thing. Remember that if you are searching for information on this technique, please please make sure you know if you are following a UK or a US tutorial (especially if you are on YouTube as it's not always made clear).

Will the Sweet Pea CAL information stay on your blog if I want to go at my own pace or make the blanket later in the year?

Something I'm very passionate about is sharing, inspiring and spreading my love of crochet, and the patterns that I publish on my blog are always free and available for you to access whenever you want. I have no plans to change this, so you can always find my patterns and tutorials whenever you need them. With my CAL blankets, I am well aware that not everybody has the luxury of time and that the 15 stripes a week might be difficult for some of you - please don't worry! Remember this is all about relaxed enjoyment and even if it takes you a year or more to make this blanket, you will certainly not be alone. You can stop and start, dip in and out as and when it fits, and the pattern and colour info will stay on my blog for you. Having said that, I love the idea of us all hunkering own together at the start of a new year to hook up these colourful stripes together - the CAL will run for 8 weeks in total throughout January and February, with 15 stripes given each week. I'll give you a detailed schedule when the CAL begins. 

I am so excited for the CAL, the whole idea of our wonderful community coming together all over the world to make blankets for pleasure thrills me on so many levels. It's fun and joyful, but also therapeutic and mindful too. I hope you'll enjoy belonging to the Sweet Pea gang....I'll need to think of a collective name as I can't really call us the Sweet Pea-ers??!!!!

Before I go, I've two things to mention. Number one is the British Craft awards >>
https://www.britishcraftawards.com/

I'm delighted to be nominated for Crochet Blog of the Year, and there is also a Crochet Designer category 
where you can add in Attic24 if you've enjoyed using my designs and want to vote for me there too, I'd be so grateful! Voting is open WORLDWIDE, although only UK residents are eligible for the prize draw. The crochet section is blessedly short (only 5 categories, yay!) so it's a quick process to add your vote.

Voting closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 16th December 2018.
https://www.britishcraftawards.com/

photo credit : FloretFlowers

Number two, I came across the most amazing flower company last week, and their photography is just beyond stunning.  So if you fancy a visual floral feast, do go and visit the Floret Flowers, they are also on Instagram. Be prepared to swoon!!! 

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❧🌸SWEET PEA INTRODUCTION🌸❧

❧🌸SWEET PEA YARN PACK🌸❧

 

 

 

Winter Moorland

I confess I do find this time of year a challenge, and I swear I can feel my body and soul actually droop as the days shorten. It's as if someone invisible (and a little bit mean) decides to gently wrap me head to toe in thick cotton wool so that general everyday thinking/doing feels way harder than usual. If all I needed to do each day was flollop around on the sofa then this cotton woolliness wouldn't be a problem at all, it would be very cosy in fact. But that's not my life, so I continue to plod my way through these cold, grey woolly days doing all the things that a mum of three school age children needs to do.

One thing I find helps with the woollies is fresh air and gentle exercise, and if that can be taken somewhere with far reaching scenic views then the positive effects are even better. J and I try to take ourselves out into the nearby countryside whenever we can, sometimes just the two of us and sometimes with the Little People trailing along. The weather is often questionable but we venture out regardless and I always feel happier and (slightly more) energised afterwards.

These photos were taken one afternoon last week, a spontaneous decision to head up onto the moors for a quick blast of scenery and fresh air. We ended up walking further than we'd planned, tramping along undulating pathways around the two reservoirs that nestle among the heather, moss and grasses of the high moorland. It was quite brown (oh, how I longed for the purple hues of the summer heather!), but I did really delight in all the rampant moss which was looking very vibrant and fetching. I do so love to see a mossy hillock glowing in the afternoon light. I love moss, I do.

Six miles later, we made it back to the car as the light began to fade. We had to power walk the last mile and a half (it's not easy to power walk over soggy moorland terrain) and only just made it back into town in time for the school pick up. Phew. It was a bit worrisome for a while, but I was so happy that we had gotten out there, to breathe in lungfuls of cold fresh air and stride about a bit. Definitely good for the soul.

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