November Rituals

After a very murky, foggy start to the day and a bit of a bleugh morning in general, things were looking very much brighter by lunch time. I'd been waiting patiently for J to finish up on his work call so that we could get out of the house and enjoy what looked to be an unexpectedly lovely November afternoon.

Every day when we visit the woods I wonder just how many leaves will be left. I know pretty soon there will come a day/night when we have strong winds and the whole lot will literally come tumbling down in one swoop, it always does seem to happen very quickly at the end. Right now there are still leaves to be seen, and they are looking glorious. I am constantly reminded of my Woodland Blanket at this time of year as I find these bright sunny autumn days very inspirational. The colours in nature lift my mood and never fail to bring on the happy vibes even when life feels like a bit of a slog.

During November I notice the sun stays pretty low in the sky even at midday, creating long shadows and a gentle slanting glow across the woodland paths. This low sunlight even manages to make the mud look good, and that's pretty amazing in my book.

Despite me feeling very wobbly today, there have been some happy moments. The October Cotton & Twine subscription box arrived in the post and I couldn't be more excited to stitch this beautiful seasonal design. I made a start and managed a few snowflakes but today was one of those days where the hours felt like minutes and the whole day seemed to slip away very quickly.

Ahhh, but here comes the weekend and I'm hoping for some little pockets of quiet stitching time, fingers crossed. I love love love the way that cross stitching slows my mind right down, and the repetitive, slow, rhythmic nature of it is very soothing. It's an extremely therapeutic craft I think, I can highly recommend it.

In other happy November news, I have hyacinths in the Attic!!!!!! YIPPEEEE!!!!!!!!!! This is one of my most favourite rituals of the season and I've been buying these pots of bulbs from the supermarket ever since I came to live here thirteen years ago. The tin pots change every year (you can see last years design in this post - you'll need to scroll down, it was a rambling one!) and I love this years offering. I don't usually go for gold, but I do rather like the shine of it on my mantel. Judging by the colour of the actual bulbs, I think these will be white flowers but there was no label on to tell me so they may well be bright pink. It'll be a festive surprise, and I am probably way more excited for it than I should be. I honestly can't wait, I bloomin' love hyacinths.

We had the most stunning cloud display this afternoon as we walked to school, I was absolutely transfixed by them. It's quite hard work walking down a steep hill whilst also trying to photograph the sky (we were running late so J wouldn't stop to wait for me), but I managed just about.....

....look at this one! This was me pointing my camera directly upwards where the telephone wires spread out to all the houses in my street. It kind of makes me feel dizzy just looking at it!

We were walking at a fair old pace down the hill....

....but I managed to stop and snap a quick photo of the canal as I crossed over the bridge. It was looking extremely atmospheric I thought, and very Novemberish. 

I lit the fire as soon as we came home from school as the house felt chilly and also I felt in need of some comfort and cheer as well as some warmth. We opened our mini bottle of prosecco (this seems to have become a Friday evening ritual) and everything suddenly seemed to settle for a while. I've felt out of sorts today, and despite managing to find so many things to be happy about, I've still had this underlying feeling of melancholy. I guess it's all part of lockdown life, emotions ebb and flow and I try to allow my feelings to surface without attempting to analyse them too much.

I did still get that wonderful Friday Feeling though, especially once Little Lady came home from school and all my brood were safe at home again. There is something so fundamentally settling about having all the family together under one roof, especially at meal times.

J always cooks a simple dinner on a Friday which I really appreciate, it's a treat for me to sit by the fire and have him in the kitchen for a change. Tonight he cooked up some meaty butchers sausages and served them hotdog style in bread rolls with fried onions and skinny French fries, and the Little People were allowed to eat in front of the TV. It's a Friday ritual which goes nicely with the prosecco I find. 

Oh, and I'm still madly in love with my mulled wine candle. It's just so perfectly Novemberish. The house smells delicious.

Before I go, there is something I just want to tell you about, something that always makes November a very exciting happy month for me.......

..........uh-huh, it's almost time for me to tell you about my next blanket adventure!!!! I've been getting lots of enquiries about the next Attic24 CAL on my social media so I thought I would give you the dates now so that you know what's coming.

I've been working on a new blanket design called "Meadow" which is inspired by the place that I walked almost every day during our months of lockdown (March-June) when I really needed to feel calm and grounded. The little wild flower meadow at the bottom of the park became my sanctuary and the colours of the flowers, grasses and distant summery hill views inspired a truly beautiful colour palette. 

I'll be able to show you a little more of what I've been working on in the next few weeks - yarn packs will be going on sale in my shop at Wool Warehouse on Tuesday 24th November (just under three weeks from now), and as in previous years I'll be sharing the blanket pattern as a Crochet-A-Long project at the very start of 2021. I can't wait to show you more.

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Comments

[Rachel]

Oh Lucy, stop it with your shared mini bottle! I had 3 glasses of a bottle Friday evening before, and with my roast chicken, while Someone fancied beer. He made me share a bottle of celebratory champagne with him Saturday night. How could I refuse?! So of course that lone glassful was still corked up for Sunday eve! Probably good that I don’t generally drink during the week huh?

[Lindsay]

Great post, Lucy. Here in the Vale of York we have had almost constant fog since Friday, it is so depressing! The sun has peeped out at lunchtime, yesterday and today (Monday/Tuesday), but within half an hour, it takes fright and disappears behind clouds and the fog returns. Envious of your photos of beautiful blue skies. Thank you for sharing.

[Ellen Kroeker]

Lucy, are any of your other wool packs still available for purchase?

[kazzy]

lovely place to come with a cuppa and catch up on your lovely, warming blog...your yarny makes are just so beautiful and the colours soooo uplifting! youre so talented. i so love candlelight at this time of year...and the moors near us look very much like where you are, though quite a contrast down here in Devon...but i walk my canal almost every day and enjoy the simple joys of the seasonal, autumnal changes...i think a good walk helps me always with my mental health and just being out side in green spaces...i too love looking at the flickering rays of sun light through the trees and jsut being thankful for what i have on my door step...take care, Kazzy

[Marylin Ollivier]

I just love my walks with you. It straight away calms down my anxieties of the day, especially in these strange times. Feel a bit wobbly myself these days, but that too shall pass. It was about Jan 2010 when I found you and since have crocheted many of your projects. I love the yarn packages and have so many odds and ends leftover, for smaller projects...that I think I feel a Bower Bird coming on. LOL I live on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada and our weather systems are very similar to yours. We too are just waiting for that one big wind that will instantly strip the color from the trees, but for now I am enjoying it all, even when the wind from the sea has a bite to it. Just thinking back again and Little B was really very little back then in 2010. All the best to your and your family. Hugs & Stay safe. MO

[Christine Raymond]

You bring sunshine into my life. You touch my world with the pictures you post. You’re romantical joy of the natural world bubbles over and my soul is lifted. I want you to know that the vibrations from the flutter of your butterfly wings reaches across the Atlantic and the continental U.S. and my daily world here in Southern California is filled with the magic you create. Your blog and your blanket creations bring me so much joy. Making your blankets gives me a creative purpose. Reading your blog transports me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the tip of my crochet hook.

[Wendy Bassett]

Hi Lucy, thank you so much for Blogtober. It was such a joy to share everyday with you. If ever you're near the Norfolk/Suffolk border, you must visit Bressingham Gardens. You would be beside yourself with excitement at all the colours! We were there earlier today and it's just beautiful. An added bonus is that it's only 10 mins from where we live. The steam museum next door is brilliant too. Crochet is definitely a good thing to do during lockdown. Wendy B x

[Charlotte]

You are fortunate to live in an area with such great outdoor space. What a beautiful walk you have. It must be very nice to live in a town where you may walk to do shopping. I enjoyed every day of your October blogs. At these difficult times we must take our joy, happiness and peace in the little things as the big things are so very trying. Thank you for sharing your walks, stitching, Prosecco, coffee and most of all the fireplace.

[Becki]

In these strange and emotional times it’s such an amazing tonic to read your wonderful blog Lucy. In one of your posts you’d been photographing leaves ( I couldn’t get to comment that day) and it made me smile as I had been doing that very same thing too, the sun was shining and their shapes on the ground were stunning and colours really vibrant. I took lots of photos of them, my mind whirring as to what I could do with them, it was so lovely to be thinking creative thoughts, something I’ve not done for a while now. It’s soooo exciting to hear about the Meadow CAL, 3 whole weeks! definitely something to look forward to, thank you so much Lucy. Have a great weekend with your brood and I hope you feel ok again soon. Take care, lots of love and hugs, Becki xx

[Charlotte Pountney]

More inspiring and lovely photos, thank you...there have been spectacular clouds over the past 2 days. I saw one yesterday like a perfect map of the UK...but didn't have my camera. Bah!

[Leslie]

Oh hooray! I can’t wait to learn more!

[Mary W]

I was thinking you weren't going to CAL this year as I hadn't heard you mention it but am so pleased. I look forward to this every year since my first Woodland blanket.I' happy to say it has traveled all over our home, in beds, on couches, chairs and been used countless times for forts in the living room. It is long enough to cover two grands sleeping on one couch and makes me so happy to see it used like this. I noticed another 'difference' in our language - your use of 'bleugh' while we use 'blue' for feeling a bit sad. I like your version better as it feels blustery and conveys more bleughsy feeling than just the color blue.

[Victoria Margerison]

Fabulous photos Lucy, love,love, love the one from the bridge so atmospheric.
Will look forward to a meadow blanket as I am nurturing a wild flower meadow in the back garden and the colours you choose wi be glorious. Have a wonderful weekend.

[Sara]

Ah, the most delightful catch up achieved at last. I have just read your wonderful round-up of Blogtober (again, fantastic achievement Lucy and we thank you) and the last two posts. I have also felt a bit wobbly this week, but to be fair that has been most weeks since March, but I've managed to hold on to a glimmer of hope for the future. Your blog lifts the spirits for sure.

[Louise]

I am super envious of the beautiful woods you get to walk through! I have a kind of naked park and muddy puddle near my place. Hopefully it will be a lush woodland in a few decades!
It's lovely to see so many of us Aussies (lots of Melburnians) and New Zealanders here in the comments of this and your previous post sending you encouragement! We're like the southern hemisphere contingent jumping up and down yelling "Come on UK & Europe! You got this!!" Xox

[diana]

It is so wonderful to be able to join you so often in November so far!

Best wishes from Ottawa, Canada.

[Miss Daisy]

Love this post !!!!

[Ena Ann Gregory Dimelow]

Also your clear and easy instructions for relaxing and enjoyable crafts. Thank you!🙆

[Ena Ann Gregory Dimelow]

I have really enjoyed reading this today...on this bright, autumnal day.🙆☕Thank you so much.....your thoughts have been important to me over the years.🌼🍁🌼

[Tineke]

Yes! Another blanket and cal. You make a lot of crocheters happy there. What a marvelous feather cloudy sky there.

[Helen]

Wow Lucy you are amazing, another blanket planned, I can only imagine how much work that requires. I agree the underlying melancholy is best not to analyse, uses up too much energy. The ups and downs of mood are just inevitable I guess, just need to accept it as okay.
Enjoy your weekend and cherish your brood, warmest hugs Xxxx

[Sue Walton]

Hi Lucy, thank you for your lovely blog and wonderful photos. We too had some wonderful cloud formations and the colour of the leaves are so good at the moment. I am looking for to the Meadow pack, the last few years it's become a tradition for a couple of my lovely friends to buy it for me for Christmas.

[Lauren]

Sending belated thanks for your blogtober, Lucy. I absolutely loved to hear about your days. It’s an opposite situation here in Melbourne,Australia as we cautiously look forward to more liberties after our long lock down. It’s such a great thing to be creative when the world as we know it is going pear shaped! I trust you’ll continue to be thankful for the small things as they really do make a difference xx

[Meredithe]

Ooh so excited about your new CAL! Do you replant the hyacinth bulbs into your little garden after they’re done each year? Totally understand the discombobulated feelings - just go with the flow if you can, honey. We’ve just come out of a 2nd lockdown of 111 days here in Melbourne, Australia and I can’t tell you it was easy, but we’ve had no cases/deaths for 8 days now so we’re slowly emerging into a good if still a little restricted environment. Thinking of you all x

[Carol Fewlass]

Lovely post thank you. Your mulled wine candle sound amazing can I ask where did you get it from? Thanks