Early Spring

It's been cold here today, an un-spring-like three degrees, and as I sit here at my desk I can hear J cleaning out the grate ready for me to light the fire. We are straddling the seasons it seems, with one foot tentatively tiptoeing into Spring and the other foot staying wrapped up in woolly hand knit socks and winter boots. I haven't taken a photograph of my hill view in ages, mainly because it has often been covered in low cloud or fog and has been very murky indeed. But as our days lengthen I'm beginning to notice more sunlight and shadows across the landscape and more subtle changes in colour as the winter slowly comes to an end. I'm so ridiculously happy that our clocks jumped forward an hour into BST (British Summer Time) at the weekend and we now have the beautiful pleasure of light evenings again. I popped outside to put some paper into the recycling bin last night at 8pm and it was still (almost) light......happy, happy, happy me!!

It was the Spring Equinox on the 20th March, so exactly two weeks ago. Since then we've had a whole mixed bag of weather thrown at us but there have been the most delicious signs of early Spring showing in my neighbourhood, and I'm mainly talking about the florals. 

This golden beauty is at the end of my street in someone's front garden and I walk right past it every day when I come and go up and down the hill. It's a Forsythia and is absolutely laden with bright yellow flowers at this time of year. In the late afternoon when I'm on my way down the hill to school, the sun is low in the sky and shines right through the branches - it makes the flowers look as if they are glowing.

Blossom season is usually May here in my patch, but some of the smaller more sheltered trees in my neighbourhood are already in flower. This beautiful pink offering is very conveniently in my next door neighbours front garden so I am treated to the sight of it up close and personal. It's only a small tree which was planted around 3 years ago so the blossom is actually at face level which I absolutely love! Usually I'm gazing up through blossom branches high above my head, but having these beautiful flowers right in front of my nose is wonderful. 

I was walking home from our knit and natter morning at Coopers Cafe on Friday and snapped this photo when I felt overcome by nostalgia. Walking along this narrow pathway next to the little beck always makes me smile and reminds me of the many times I've walked back from playgroup holding hands with a very small chattery Little B. We used to call this our "tricky way" home as it involved the act of walking very, very, very carefully as close to the wall as we could manage - it was a little bit nerve wracking for this Mummy, but how could I deny him this simple bit of adventure? Little B would beg me to take him this way home...."please, please Mummy, can we walk home the Tricky Way?" He absolutely loved this pathway as I think it felt a little bit dangerous to his three year old self. I mean, look! No fence, no hand rail, nothing to prevent a three year old Little Person from tumbling into the water below! How very risky!!

What you can't see in the above photo is the flight of well worn stone steps at the end of the path - these take you straight up to the canal tow path. Yes, that bridge at the end is actually an aqueduct and carries the canal over the beck below. Don't you just love quirky little pathways like this?

I've no idea what this Tricky Way tree is called, but it's newly unfolding leaves are absolutely beautiful. They emerge at this time of year a very, very soft and pale silvery green so that they almost look like blossom. I would love to know it's name**, it somehow niggles me when I can't bring forth this sort of vital information.

**edit** I sent a photo of the tree to Christine who has a huge bank of gardening knowledge in her brain alongside all the sock knowledge, and she told me it's a Whitebeam tree. I am SO HAPPY to know this!!! Whitebeam, whitebeam....I shall try my hardest to retain that information inside my chaotic scramble of a brain. I love this tree!

On Saturday we ventured out as a family of four (sadly no matter how much I plead, I cannot persuade our 16 year old BoyTeen to come with us any more). It was a sunny day and as Little Lady was due to work on Sunday at her waitressing job, we loosely called this jaunt a day-early Mothers Day treat. We are very lucky to live on the very edge of the Yorkshire Dales national park, and have an enviably large number of destinations/walks we can choose which involve only a short car journey. On Saturday we picked one of our favourite family walks, an easy riverside meander with the added bonus of a top notch refreshment break built in. 

The walk starts at Linton Falls (there is a small car park there) and follows the river Wharfe (in the direction of Burnsall) as far as Hebden suspension bridge. Here you turn off and follow the half mile footpath to the small village of Hebden which is home to one of my most favourite rural cafes {The Old School tearoom}. If you live around here or are planning to visit in future I can highly recommend this easy walk - it's not circular, but with the tea-room stop in the middle, the return walk still feels very pleasurable even though you are effectively walking back the way you came. 

There are some huge Horse Chestnut trees growing along the riverside, and I was delighted to see the "sticky buds" already beginning to open. Spring is here, even when it feels like Winter still has us in it's grip.

I wish I'd taken some photos of our tea room stop, it was soooo good! It was just about warm enough to sit out in the garden (along with the goat, chickens and guinea pigs) and as well as the very, very good coffee, the home baked cakes are to die for. It was midday, so the rest of the family opted for brunch style sausage and bacon rolls while I went my own unique way and chose carrot and orange cake. It was utter cakey perfection and I enjoyed every single mouthful.

Our return walk along the river was slower (bellies full of good stuff!) and included a stop at one of the pebbly river beaches. The water was beautifully clear and dappled with dancing sunlight, it made me happy just to stand and gaze at it.

Little B won the prize for the very best river beach find - I was a tad jealous until he gifted it to me without a second thought. I've kept it in my coat pocket and every time I get a hold of it I'm reminded of this sunny afternoon and the joy of spending time with family.

How about that ↑↑↑ for an impressive set of roots??!!

It was around 3.30 by the time we returned to the falls, and all felt ridiculously happy in my personal internal world. I do so love where I live, and getting out to enjoy the countryside with J and the Little People is one of my all time bestest most favourite pleasures (especially when you add in coffee, cake and pebbly beaches).

And here I am, engaging in one of my other favourite pleasures - a little spell of fireside crochet. Actually, this was Sunday afternoon and I don't think we'd lit the fire by this point but I still like to sit on the floor there. I've got a couple of surprisingly comfy, boxy square floor cushions and when my blanket has reached full-body length it's lovely to sit crocheting on the floor with the blanket stretched out in front of me. It's a visual feast!

Dune blanket is coming along beautifully and I am so very happy with it. It's hard to put into words - saying "very happy" seems rather lame when I look at those soothing yarny colours worked into cute little seashells and feel an overwhelming sense of joy. For me, this blanket is chockablock full of the best kind of seaside memories and I like to think they surround those stitches like an invisible magical aura. Crochet blankets are just fantabulous, in every way. Love love love making blankets!

I need to chat to my friends at Wool Warehouse and settle on a date for the Dune yarn pack - I've got to finish making the blanket (four more stripes, then the border), work on the printed pattern (which will be included in the yarn pack) and create the full photo tutorial to share here on my blog. I'm thinking it'll be in about two weeks time.......I am also thinking........scenic photos of the blanket at the beach will most definitely be required......sea fever springs to mind......!

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Comments

[Cate]

Just a little request: Could you mention blanket dimensions in inches as well as centimeters for those of us in non metric countries. Please and thank you!

I look forward to making this lovely Dune Blanket.

[Helen Toft]

Hi, not on topic but just wanted to say I saw this today and thought of you and Yarndale and mandalas https://www.facebook.com/JurassicMandala/

I haven’t finished the sweet pea blanket yet so am trying not to get hooked into anything else. But love your work always.

[Susan the Farm Quilter]

I love the countryside of England!! I visited friends in Tealby (Lincolnshire) a few years ago and fell in love!! Even in August, it was so very green...really strange to me as I live in the high mountain desert area of the USA and August excels at brown! Thank you for sharing your beautiful part of the English countryside with us!

[Elise]

Your photos always make me want to pack up my house here in North Carolina and move to the UK! It is so wonderful to take walks as a family especially if the older ones will agree to go! Thanks again for letting us peak into your wonderful world!

[Tuula Maaria]

Lovely photos! I'm just back after spending 3 weeks in Northern Ireland where it was also a lovely spring with so many flowers, especially in all kinds of bushes. A bit hard now to return to Finland where nothing has started growing yet and all grass is still brown and dead from the frost and snow. But it won't be long now that it will start to grow though, a lovely sunshine today!

[Angela-Southern USA]

Don't you just love spring, when everything is wakening after all those long grey days of winters sleep?! Our forsythias have just about stopped blooming along with our daffodils. The dogwood trees will bloom soon here and the redbud trees(actual purple flowers) are in full bloom and covered with bee. I adore spring! (except for sneezing/pollen.)

The shell blanket is looking lovely! Here's a shell blanket I made a few years back, in a blooming dogwood tree.
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/angela8626/easter-spring-blanket
Have a fab weekend! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Iuliana]

💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜

[Catheryne]

Lovely pitures, you a re truly blessed to live in a landscape that beautiful :-). Love the new blanket, I just finished the extra cute Sweet Pea blaket. And nice poem about the see, made me smile a lot :-).

[Lynn]

If it’s brrr down here in the west, it must be doubly brrr up there with you at the moment; however the sun is shining.

Liking very much that your new blanket seems to have pebbles on the other side from the shells.

I’ve been catching up on your blog (bedtime & morning coffee reading) & so enjoying your beautiful, inspiring photos of both Dorset & Yorkshire. I’ve just reached your second (I think) shared birthday in Robin Hood Bay (May have that wrong) & the photos are particularly glorious. Your little Canon Ixus camera has certainly done you proud over so many years.... but, again, that just may go to prove that it is the eye behind the camera that makes the difference :). I’m looking forward to finding out if you are still using that little thing.

Finally, I first ‘spent time’ with you in the Attic not long after you started blogging (then drifted away just before the first Yarndale). Adored your use of colour in your blankets & so envied the yarn you could afford. I felt like the second rate cousin with my cheap acrylic. Returning now, I’m feeling happy that you found some acrylic worthy of investing memories in & loving that you generously share with us... ooh CALs, until last month I never knew there were such things. When you share your creative mind processes, you imbue your projects with such specialness, it’s a delight. I’m really pleased that you are rewarded for your efforts not just by our approval (those yarn packs are a wondrous thing). You deserve every success that comes your way.

Just wanted to comnent, instead of just thinking it. Thank you, Lucy. Now must get back your birthday in the bay before my coffee chills & I actually have to get up!

Hope the sun’s shining on you today, too.

[Barb]

We are slowly coming into our Spring, with temperatures up and down, but it is arriving. I love the pictures you posted of yours. I am looking forward to this next blanket you are making, the colors are so pretty and pastel, very Easter like or summery colors I think!

[Kathy K]

Your jaunts look lovely and the blanket is beautiful. I'm wondering if you could give more of a description of the density of the blanket so far? The shell stitch is lovely - just wondering how it feels. I love pretty much any pattern with lots of double crochet (US terms) - so I'm hoping that's the case here.

Thanks!!

[Elaine Hotra]

I am in Southern California at our local hospital with my husband who has been seriously ill for over a week. Today is his best day yet and every day should get better.
Today, is the calm after a horrendous storm. Your post was so beautiful and comforting to me. I used to crochet and switched to quilt making. We, that work with our hands are so blessed to have our beautiful hobbies that are like a beloved friend and makes us so happy. Aloha

[Beth in Maryland]

Hi, Lucy! Regarding "Sea Fever," I wonder if you are familiar with John Ireland's musical setting of this poem? Bryn Terfel's recording of it is one of my favorite pieces of music and I know you would love it. I wish I could set you down (with a coffee and cake) and play it for you!
Thanks as always for your lovely blog.

[lisa cullen]

I just love your blog it brightens the darkest blustery of days. I love the thought of the tricky way I have a ten year old going on 14 and too cool for adventures most of the time now, but the river glass in your pocket brought a tear to my eye the little gestures they make that stay with us love your pics thank you so much

[Hedy]

Here in St. Louis, USA, the forsythia are barely starting to bloom. Our daffodils are blooming and I have two hyacinth blooming too. We have warm weather then cold, spring is fickle right now. Loved your post today. What is it about teens that they stop being with family? They miss so much. Ah well, hormones.

[gina in alabama]

I am loving the Dune palette sooo much that maybe I might have to indulge in a kit after lurking and admiring your blankets for Years! The shell stitch you are using makes it equally as beautiful from the "back" as from the "front".
This stitch would make such a gorgeous pattern for a baby blanket too.

[Femke]

These kind of posts are the reason why I love reading your blog. Thank you for sharing!

[Helen]

My teenage boy will no longer leave the house with us either, unless lured by the promise of Mexican food and Jalapeno peppers! I can't wait for the Dune blanket :)

[Jo Sowerby]

We had hail the other day and I live in Somerset! Very odd weather. Much like you the blossoms are coming out as are the magnolias a spring favourite. I am still working on the Sweet Pea blanket which I love but the Dune blanket is looking so gorgeous I feel the Sweet pea may need a bit of chivvying up. I was hoping to go to Lyme Regis today but the weather here is so awful Id be blown off the Cobb so another day, I hope.
Jo x

[Nicola]

I realise you get many many comments on your posts, but just thought I'd take the chance to ask you (and any of your other commenters) what the must-do things are in the Skipton/Harrogate/York area. We are coming from Canada for Yarndale, and have three full days in the area before coming to the festival on Sunday. I'd love some recommendations of best walks/castles/historical buildings/yarn shops, anything really. Thank you Lucy.

[Pamela O Ritch]

Love your blog, love Dune Blanket, love dune colors, love John Masefield's Sea Fever, love your photos. Thank you so much!

[Diane Blackburn]

Your are lucky, spring is really springing out, here in Quebec City, winter is putting a brake on spring, we will be having snow tonight......so, I will be crocheting!

[CJ]

Beautiful spring photos, and I love the idea of the Tricky Way. I have happy memories of my littlest boy walking to and from school too. Love the look of the dune blanket, also the texture. I have my crochet hook out today and I'm embarking on some Learning. CJ xx

[Karen]

your walks look just delightful to me - I love seeing all these scenery shots - love that crochet blanket you are working on as well - gorgeous!

[Gillyhughes]

'And all I ask is a merry yarn'... Stylecraft Special from the wool warehouse maybe? <3