Well hello there my lovely Attic visitors, it's so good to see you again! Thank you very much for stopping by after I've been away from this space for a silly amount of time, my break was totally unplanned but it seems life had other ideas for me these past few weeks. October has been a bit up and down, a real mixed blend of feels and my main aim has been to take one day at a time and try to look after my physical and mental well being.
I find Autumn such a strange season to get to grips with as regardless of how visually beautiful it is, I really struggle with the reduced light levels and the underlying feelings of melancholy. It's an odd thing for me as I am generally such an upbeat person and am passionate about celebrating the changing seasons, but this time of year just feels tricky to navigate.
October has been extremely wet for the most part, so the days when the sun has come out to play have felt like the greatest gift. I've been pretty unwell for the past few weeks and have spent a lot of time at home, but short walks into town during dry spells have felt really good. I've had to go slow as my energy levels have been extremely low, but I've appreciated the cool fresh air and the chance to very gently stretch my legs.
Today I woke up feeling very much better (thank heavens!) and have spent some time in my studio which was so good. I do miss my blog when I've been away for a while, it's become such an important part of my life during the past decade. So as it's been a few weeks since I opened my Attic window, I thought it would be nice to have a grand ol' catch up and share a little of what I've been up to, both at home and away.
Just after Yarndale, J and I had the opportunity to escape for a very short break away just the two of us. It was such a blessing, a quick jaunt up into Wensleydale to stay in one of our favourite villages {the very picturesque and atmospheric Askrigg} and walk a couple of our favourite trails in the Yorkshire Dales.
It was very lush but incredibly wet, light rain falling almost non-stop and the ground completely waterlogged. Can you see in the above photo what looks like a small stream flowing at the bottom? Well that was actually the footpath! We had to wade through that little lot which was a very wet and soggy business - thank goodness for my hand knit socks which kept my feet reasonably warm even though my boots were absolutely sodden.
Whole fields had become picturesque lakes, but we managed to navigate the paths and enjoy the peacefulness of the landscape with very few people about. It was such a tonic, and arriving at our cosy bed and breakfast after miles of wet wandering was pure bliss. We had a delicious dinner and a few beers beside the open fire in one of our favourite pubs (The Kings Arms) followed by an early night in one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in.
We returned home the following afternoon, so it really was a short break (30 hours in total) but it was enough to recharge my batteries after the whirlwind that was Yarndale. I think short breaks away from home are bloomin' marvelous things, and J and I are very fortunate to have his wonderful parents close by to take care of the Little People for us from time to time. I appreciate it very much I have to say.
A few days after Wensleydale and I was preparing for another trip away, this time on my own. This is something that has become a fixture in my calendar in recent years, my annual trip to London to visit the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. I traveled down by train, meeting up with my fab friend Christine before heading to the show in the late afternoon.
We never seem to time it right and always end up rushing around trying to see as much as possible before it closes - it's a giant show with a huge number of exhibitors and displays and of course there is always a lot of socialising to be done! I stopped to chat to my good friends at Stylecraft Yarns, said hello to other lovely yarny folks I know and introduced myself to new folks too. I had a very brief but exciting little meeting with the two gorgeous ladies who run this company.....
...this is the Historial Sampler Company who design the most beautiful cross stitch and tapestry kits. I'm excited to be doing some design work with them next year - during the past year or two I've been love love loving cross stitch and designing in this medium is super-exciting I have to say. I'll keep you posted!
The other reason for my annual trip to the Knit and Stitching show is down to a little something known as the British Knitting and Crochet Awards. This was my fourth year to attend, and I absolutely love that I now know many of the other lovely nominees and award winners. From designers and authors, to bloggers, yarn producers and shop owners, this is a super group of passionate and talented ladies and gents who I am madly happy to call friends. In the above photo you can see me in the middle (looking pretty smiley and contented!), Christine on the right (who won a highly commended award for her book "More Super Socks") and my lovely friend Fiona on the left who owns an amazing local yarn shop in Harrogate called "Yarn Etc". Fiona's shop won a highly commended award for the North of England region, such a well deserved win for all the hard work she pours into her shop and local yarn community. We had a fun time catching up and celebrating, then out for a meal afterwards with other shop owners and retailers who have become friends over the years, gosh I can't remember the last time I was out after eleven o'clock, it felt very grown up!
I am really, really happy to tell you that I won first place in the "Favourite Crochet Designer" category, and gained a highly commended in the "Favourite Crochet Blog" category. I would continue to do what I do here on my blog regardless of any votes being cast my way, simply because it makes me unbelievably happy to share my creativity and inspire others. But recognition is still a truly wonderful thing, and I am so so grateful for the community that surrounds me and the friendships that continue to grow from it. Thank you very, very much if you took the trouble to vote for me, I appreciate it very much.
After a night on the town in London, followed by a yummy hotel breakfast and an extended morning coffee/pastry/chatter session with Christine, I left the city behind and headed home.............
................not home to the Attic, but a journey South-West to my childhood home town in Dorset.
Hooray for spontaneous decisions and trains that take you where your heart desires!
I'd decided to spend the weekend in Dorset as it just so happened to be my Birthday, and my annual pull to be beside the sea was as strong as ever.
My Birthday fell on a Saturday this year and there was only one place I wanted to go - my new favourite cafe by the sea at West Bay for a spot of brunch. Yeah, I'm still firmly on my brunch kick, I am quite addicted to this leisurely weekendish meal and take advantage of it as often as possible. So I was without J and the Little Peeps which felt a bit odd, but I trundled down to the sea with my Dad and Lady B to settle cosily into Rise cafe. Gosh, I do so love this place! Brunch was awesome and although the weather was very disappointing (it did not stop raining the whole weekend I was there, honestly, non-stop wet stuff falling from the clouds), I was still able to sit and swoon over the seaside views.
My birthday passed in a blur of sea air, good food, good company, a trip to the local pub followed by cake, prosecco and cosy crochet sofa time, which was pretty perfect.
On the Sunday morning I had the pleasure of returning to West Bay to meet up with a group of local crocheters. This lovely group of Dorset ladies meets up a few times a year as a result of knowing each other online via the "Hooked on Attic24" facebook group. Isn't that just the loveliest thing? The get together was organised by Sandra who writes her blog Daffodil Wild, and it just so happened that the Autumn meet coincided with my own short jaunt down to Dorset. How could I stay away?! It was a fabulous few hours, loads of excited chatter, coffee, cake and crochet and lots and lots of blanket squishing. Thank you lovely Dorset ladies for making me feel so welcome, it really was a wonderful way for me to round off my time in Dorset before I had to whizz back up North again.
I arrived back late on Sunday night, exhausted but glad to be home after four days away. I had kind of forgotten it had been my birthday whilst I was gone and enjoyed opening some surprise cards and gifts from the Little People. I'm happy to report that chocolate featured heavily in the gift giving this year, how lucky am I? And in case you were curious - I've managed fifty one glorious years pootling around on planet earth. Pretty happy about that!
When I woke up on the morning after coming back from London/Dorset, I did not feel at all well. I knew straight away that it wasn't just tiredness from travelling, but something much yuckier taking over my body. Nothing serious you understand, just a cold, but my goodness what a beastly virus it turned out to be.
Last week I really felt pretty unwell, that cold really did a number on my energy levels and I've barely felt like doing anything, just the absolute bare essentials. I've been sleeping badly at night, then falling asleep on the sofa at odd times during the day, trying to keep up with Mum stuff, the shopping, cooking, laundry, school run, homework type of stuff which still needs to happen regardless of how bad the body feels.
This week I've been feeling a little better, and J and I managed a short walk at Bolton Abbey on a day when it actually stopped raining and the sun came out.
Real, actual sunshine!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glorious, it really was.
We spotted a heron soaking up the rays on the opposite side of the river.....
....and the woodland was looking super-pretty wearing it's early Autumn colours.
I enjoyed the walk enormously, although I was pretty much dragging by the end of it and so glad of the café where good coffee was inhaled for essential revival purposes.
We walked in our local woods at the weekend with Little B in tow - actually it was his idea to take a walk on Saturday morning, with the promise of a stop off in town afterwards for hot chocolate. It was a tad muddy, but delightful all the same, and for the umpteenth time I gave thanks for this beautiful patch of tree-filled land which is there for us to enjoy right on our doorstep.
So........that's about all that's been going on here this month - a couple trips away, some serious germs to contend with and a few short local walks. Autumn has well and truly arrived.
I've still got some Yarndale things to share with you all, I've not forgotten about that and was part way through creating the blog post just before I became unwell. I'll try and get that finished off and published very soon - it's half term next week which I absolutely can't wait for, I really am longing for some slow days of family time.
Back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have to compliment you on your photography, you never seem to disappoint with that camera. Thank you!
Posted by: Theresa | October 26, 2022 at 05:09 PM
Congratulations on your award Lucy!
Posted by: Bouwradio | May 27, 2020 at 04:06 PM
Thanks for your update, Ruth. A new blanket CAL just in time for the winter - yippee. I love Lucy's color sense. I too was wondering about Lucy and her health. I know a blog takes a tremendous amount of time. I greatly appreciate Lucy's commitment to her blog and always look forward to her posts.
Posted by: Alison | November 18, 2019 at 07:01 PM
Linda, I've just seen your comment but can't find a way to respond so I hope that you see this. I had also been wondering if Lucy is okay. It turns out that she's busy! She's about to launch a new yarn pack for a CAL. I've seen some posts on Facebook and on Instagram and there are links to these at the top left of this blog.
Posted by: Ruth | November 18, 2019 at 04:59 PM
Wowser What a lovely catch up and huge congratulations to you
Posted by: Karenlotty | November 17, 2019 at 09:08 AM
I hope so too!
Posted by: Anja | November 16, 2019 at 09:37 AM
Is this blog dead? I hope not.
Posted by: Linda | November 15, 2019 at 01:29 PM
Lucy, I see that your Yarndale follow up post still hasn't appeared so I do hope you're not suffering a relapse. There seem to be a lot of nasty bugs about at the moment. Wishing you a good recovery. Regards
Posted by: Ruth | November 10, 2019 at 06:34 PM
Bonjour et bon retablissement.Il est parfois des momoents ou notre corps dit stop.Alors bon repos pour mieux retrouver le chemin des aiguilles et de la laine.cordialement.Joelle
Posted by: joelle | November 07, 2019 at 06:16 AM
Hope you aren't poorly again. Really missing your posts still waiting to hear about Yarndale as I was unable to attend this year. Also love hearing about life in my native county.
Posted by: Jane | November 06, 2019 at 07:57 PM
Happy (belated) Birthday to you, Lucy! So sorry to hear how unwell you were but glad you are on the mend. It really is hard to recover from those nasty viruses! And congratulations on your well deserved award. You are such an inspiration to me. I think of you and your blog so often and how you've managed to stick with it for so long. Also cannot wait to see what you design with the cross stitch company. I adore cross stitch as well and can only imagine the adorable designs you come up with.
Posted by: Elise | November 02, 2019 at 02:03 PM
Bom dia Lucy, Sou Marili, uma brasileira que te ama. Vc me inspira e me faz muito feliz intensa. São cores, imagens e textos que me trazem muita alegria e amor. Vc é apaixonante. Parabéns por seus prêmios, vc merece todos. Espero que vc fique bem o mais rápido que puder. Eu também estou no meio de um grande resfriado. Vc me anima sempre. Um grande beijo de uma mulher de 59 anos que se sente muito mais feliz quando entra no seu blog.
Beijos do Brasil.
Posted by: Marili Souza Pereira Bezerra | October 31, 2019 at 11:47 AM
SADS-Seasonal Affective Disorder Syndrome, added information: There are many new, advanced, stronger full-spectrum lights available now. So that you do not have to have the light on for 8-10 hours a day. Some lights only need to be on half a hour. Whatever full-spectrum light you get, follow the directions specific to that light, and adjust the time according to how it is helping you.
Posted by: Alice | October 31, 2019 at 12:41 AM
It sounds like you have SADS...Seasonal Affective Disorder Syndrome. It is when you feel sad during the shorter days of the year. It is because you are not getting enough full-spectrum light going into your eyes. The cure is very simple...buy yourself a full-spectrum light or lamp, and just have it on for at least 8-10 hours a day. You do not have to look directly into it, just have it on wherever you are...in the kitchen, while you crochet, etc. The light is just like the light you get from the sun, and it will “lighten” your mood. I know the full spectrum light will help.
Posted by: Alice | October 31, 2019 at 12:14 AM
congratulations!!!! I've been following your blog for 9 years at least. I love your easy to follow designs & fabulous kits. Take good care of yourself. Load up on oj & chocolate. :) jenn in kansas
Posted by: jenn w | October 30, 2019 at 05:33 PM
Congratulations on your award Lucy. I have followed you for many years and think you are an inspiratiopn. Hope you feel well and enjoy the half-term holiday with your Little People. Best wishes, Viv xx
Posted by: Vivien Cooper | October 30, 2019 at 05:17 PM
Congratulations on your awards! I’m tickled pink for you! Thank goodness you are on the mend and feeling better. I so enjoy your blog. You are a lovely bright light! Even when you aren’t feeling your best. Take care of yourself, YOU are necessary!
Posted by: Lynn | October 30, 2019 at 01:03 AM
So pleased to have you back Lucy but it's important not to be burdened by the responsibility of the blog, especially when you're feeling below par. This autumn has been difficult with so much rain and not the same number of beautiful crisp days. I suspect you're not the only one who's struggling. Hope you're feeling better and the after glow of Yarndale and your well deserved awards are helping to lift your spirits. Your photos and thoughts bring so much joy and just sharing how we feel can help others who are struggling too - Thankyou for selflessly sharing with us. I'm 3/4 of the way through the Moorland blanket and loving the 'journey' - a reminder of summer and the beautiful colours of nature. God bless xxx
Posted by: Bev Farrow | October 29, 2019 at 10:46 AM
Happy birthday and take it easy. Maybe you need a little hooky time? Just a thought!
Posted by: kate bates | October 28, 2019 at 05:57 PM
Llongyfarchiadau on your awards, Lucy - they are richly deserved. Your blog and your tutorials have brightened my days and extended my rudimentary crochet skills more than you can know.
And I'm glad you took time for yourself over these last weeks. Not enough of us do that, and the effect on our wellbeing of this horrible "always on" culture shows in rising mental unwellness and stress. Thank you for being a fab example in that, too xx
Posted by: Jools Morgan-Jones | October 28, 2019 at 10:56 AM
Hope you're feeling 100% better, it's surprising how a cold can knock you for 6. You were probably exhausted after all the work you put into Yarndale, which was brilliant I have to say.
I'm intrigued by your venture into cross stitch design and can't wait to see your design. I used to do quite a bit of cross stitch. I made a sampler by The Historical Sampler Company for the birth of our grand daughter who has just turned 5. I had struggled to find something I wanted to make as a lot of the patterns out there are a bit twee! The kit was beautiful to make and really top quality, I would highly recommend them.
Looking forward to your Yarndale post.
Take care for now xx
Posted by: Julie Harrison | October 27, 2019 at 08:50 PM
Slightly random place to ask. A question about your Lit Christmas scenes that you had on your mantle last year. I’m trying to get organise and would like to know where you purchased yours from? Thanks
Posted by: Chrissie Jennings | October 27, 2019 at 06:05 PM
Lovely once more Lucy...keep well xxx
Posted by: [email protected] | October 27, 2019 at 11:13 AM
Dear Lucy, congratulations on your awards - there is no page I visit as often as yours and I have done lots of your blankets, wreaths, teddy bears...I made mine too late to get them off to you from sunny Majorca..I have kept making More as I have a lot of Style Craft wool left overs..can I actually sell them via Facebook/Instagram if I donate to your missions? I absolutely love everything you do, your blog and photos are more than an inspiration...wishing I found a group of people here in Spain (Mallorca) to crochet with, some other big fans of yours. Keep safe & warm, can’t wait to see what have in line next, take care
Posted by: Jane | October 27, 2019 at 09:55 AM
Hi Lucy, so sorry you’ve been so poorly, it has been a vicious bug that’s been doing the rounds but I’m really glad you’re on the mend now. You must take things slowly to fully recover! I was really very sad to have missed Yarndale this year, we had it all planned to come up, lovely room booked again just opposite the railway station station. Prime location for the short stroll through the ‘yarny’ covered park. My partner was going to be off cycling again whilst I was looking around the gorgeous stalls and then we were going to watch the professional cyclists going through Skipton after ( very exciting and such a beautiful place) but last minute circumstances meant we had to postpone till next year ☹️ so am very much looking forward to hearing and seeing all about that.
🥳 Congratulations on your awards ( definitely well deserved) and a belated Happy Birthday 🥳
Thank you for your beautiful picture catch up post, it’s so nice to hear all your news and have definitely missed you. Enjoy half term, take care and take it as easy as you can. Sorry for long essay! lots of love and hugs 🤗 Becki xxx
Posted by: Becki | October 27, 2019 at 06:35 AM