Attic24

Twixmas

I think twixmas is an absolutely magical word and it perfectly seems to fit these delicious, relaxed days that sit between Christmas and New Year. The word originates from the old English word 'betwixt' which means 'between', so it makes perfect sense and well, I just love it. 

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and enjoyed some time to just be content in the moment. We had a really lovey day here in the Attic, in fact I can't remember a more laid back and relaxed Christmas. The Little Peeps were a delight and seemed super-happy with their smelly and edible gifts which magically appeared in their stockings, as well as the ££'s which landed in each of their pockets. As is our tradition they got to open their pyjama gifts on Christmas Eve, and although there wasn't the same level of excitement as when they were very small Little Peeps, it was still a lovely moment.  

J and I went out for a brisk walk on Christmas morning before coming home and enjoying a champagne breakfast with warm pastries (alllllllll my danish pastry fantasies came true, it was heavenly!). We ate our main meal around 2.30pm, and it was just the most lovely, relaxing day from start to finish. 

On Sunday evening Storm Bella raged through our little town and we could hear the wind whistling down the chimney and the rain battering against the windows. In the dark of the night we had no idea that the rain had turned to icy snow, so it was a real surprise to wake up on Monday morning to a snowy white view out across the hilltops. Although we had very little laid on the ground down in the town, it still felt beautifully wintry.

I love love love when the seasons deliver a dose of correct and appropriate weather, and this felt absolutely perfect for Twixmas. 

J and I have walked every day this past week, wrapping up in warm layers and enjoying the fact that the very muddy paths have been frozen and hard under foot.

We walked at Bolton Abbey one morning (with the Little People in tow), but mostly it's just been the two of us tramping around our very familiar woodland route as we've been doing most days since March.

Sometimes I just can't get over how much happiness seems to enter into my soul when I am out walking, I love it so, so much. Even when our lives are so restricted and we are walking the exact same route day after day after day I never get tired of it. It's such a beautiful way to observe the slowly changing seasons throughout the year and never fails to lift my spirits.

Yesterday morning we dragged Little B from his nest and walked through the park to the farm shop. He's been thoroughly enjoying his lazy pyjama lifestyle this holiday and we've mostly let him do as he pleases, but I do believe in the good of getting children away from their screens and out into the fresh air from time to time.

It was a cold, icy walk, but the farm shop was quiet so we decided to stop for a bit and treat ourselves to a late breakfast in the café there. Little B was delighted with his eggs and bacon on toast and agreed that it was worth putting his shoes on for. I have to say, I agreed with him.

Late yesterday afternoon, Little Lady asked me if I fancied heading out for a quick walk as the weather was too good to stay indoors. I was delighted with the offer to be out and about in the beautiful wintry landscape for a second time in one day, and we were very soon wrapped up and out the door.

It was around 3.30pm when we climbed up to the top of the hill, and the late afternoon sky was breath taking. We timed it perfectly to catch the very last rays of the sun before it disappeared behind the hill, and despite the very, very muddy slip-sliding that we had to do to get up there, it was amazing. 

Tomorrow we will be heading into a more restrictive time as lockdown measures tighten up a notch, but thank goodness we will still be able to get out and enjoy the local countryside. I am so thankful for where we live, I appreciate it every single day.

I think that as tomorrow is the very last day of 2020 I am going to pack up Christmas a little earlier than usual and clear the way for a fresh start to the new year. I am really enjoying my festive blooms though, so I'll keep them going for as long as they last, but.........I am already looking forward to replacing them with some early sweet narcissus which is a little tradition of mine. Little daffies are always the first fresh flowers to come into the house at the start of a new year and I look forward to them very much. I've already seen them in the supermarket ready and waiting - my fingers honestly twitched when I spotted them today, no joke. But I'll wait just a little bit longer, it is still 2020 after all.

Twixmas this year in our house has been very very cold, quite literally, as our boiler stopped working on Monday. Of course at this time of year it's impossible to find anyone who will come out to do boiler things, so we have had to manage without the luxury of central heating or hot water for a few days. It's been manageable - the upstairs part of the house has been baltic but thanks to our open fire we've been able to at least keep our downstairs living room warm and cosy. I absolutely hate being cold so I've been wearing lots of extra layers (even a woolly bobble hat and gloves stayed on indoors this morning as I was just too cold to take them off). Woolly socks and crochet blankets have really come into their own and I've been pretty much living under layers of yarn. I've either been on the sofa or tucked up in bed (which is where I am right now, writing to you with my laptop on my lap, a hot water bottle on my feet and my feather duvet pulled right up to my chin).

I put Big Blanket on the bed yesterday for the first time in ages as the temperature dropped to minus two last night. I haven't needed any extra layers on the bed for a long time due to being a hormonal super-heater at night, but the sight of this blanket made me so, so happy, even after all these years (I made it in 2009). And oh, the cosiness of it was an absolute joy! There is something about the weight of a large blanket which is so very comforting and reassuring, and I had the best sleep last night.

Well, I hope that you are all staying warm and cosy (or cool and chilled if you're down on the other side of the planet), and that you have been enjoying these in-betweeny twixmas days. I am sending lots of love out to you all, life feels a little bit of an uphill struggle at the moment, but taking it one day at a time is the way to go. Twenty-twenty is almost done and dusted, and doesn't that feel good?!

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Festive Spirit

Helloooooo!!!! How are you all doing? I hope that you've had a good week as we prepare for Christmas to come, and that all is calm and bright in your nest. We've had a very chilled week pottering about close to home and enjoying the relaxed pace of our days. J is taking a break from work for a whole two weeks, and the Little Peeps are home from school too, so despite the huge amount of uncertainty in the world at large, life here at number twenty four is filled with happy.

I have twinkly white fairy lights strung along my mantels all year round and I absolutely wouldn't be without them, but it doesn't mean to say there isn't the need for a whole load more at Christmas. I've been enjoying the bright glow of our Christmas tree very much, especially in the early morning when I get to perform the daily switch-on. The magic of Christmas lights never gets old.

Candy canes made it onto the tree a little late (as per usual), but I think they were appreciated. They never hang around for long and as far as I know they are all now deceased. RIP candy canes, you lasted just over a week which is good going.

My second hyacinth grew, bloomed and faded and it was a blue delight, although to be fair it really was a stinker. Even I had to admit to feeling a bit nauseated by it towards the end when it was in full throttle. It has now been replaced by Miss Hyacinth the third, and I opted for another white one for Christmas. Unfortunately I mis-timed it as it's still tightly in bud, but I think it should bloom for the start of the New Year which will be just lovely.

I selected some colours to crochet up a Festive Mandala for the Christmas table, and I love the mix of red, greens and blues with a touch of sparkly gold added for good measure. Alas the days ran away with me this week and the yarn balls are still sitting patiently in the little project basket, so I feel a bit annoyed at myself for that. And being that today is Christmas Eve, I can't see any last minute hooky miracles occurring, particularly as there has been gin involved in my afternoon. But this could well be the perfect Twixtmas project so I shall see if I can make it happen.

Ah, talking of gin, this glorious bottle of festiveness has been making me ridiculously happy during the past few weeks. It's sooo beautiful!! It's this years limited edition offering from Marks and Spencer, a fruity clementine gin liqueur which also does double duty as a light up snow globe. I know!!!!!!!!!!!! Tis a magnificent idea beautifully executed - the "snow" being 23 carat edible gold flakes (oh, the luxury!), with a built in light in the base of the bottle which gives 40 seconds of enraptured entertainment for all ages. We've had so much joy from the bottle alone, never mind the scrummy alcohol it contains. 

We've been enjoying it with lots of ice, tonic and some fresh clementine slices and it tastes so so good. A real festive treat and I'll be sad when it's all gone.

We've also been enjoying our annual box of Extremely Chocolately biscuits, well the Little People have at any rate. This has become one of our festive traditions, and it amuses me to watch the Little People deliberate (at high volume) over which one to have as an after dinner treat each day.

Outside of the home we've been tramping around the woodlands as per usual, and I continue to take great pleasure in watching the seasons unfold in nature.

Winter is my least favourite of all, yet there is still beauty in the landscape especially when the low slanting sun comes out to play.

But oh my life, it's been a mud fest out there beneath the trees and I've never been more glad to have my feet tucked up warm and dry in hand knitted woolly socks and comfy wellies. 

We continue to walk most days, J and I, in all sorts of wintry weather. Of course I am happiest when it's sunny and bright but there is a certain calming pleasure to be found when the rain falls lightly through the bare trees making rings in the still water. 

We very rarely leave town at the moment and don't often use the car either, so a simple trip out this week felt rather exciting. This was on Tuesday, a quick drive out over the moor tops to walk at Bolton Abbey. I love this narrow rural road where I am required to leap out of the car and open the gate for J to drive through. It's a public road, but further down it runs right through a farm and there are often sheep free roaming the road here. We passed by the big barn where we spotted three glorious peacocks strutting around looking regal and fabulous, a bright jolt of vivid colour against the dullness of winter.

It was such a tonic to walk along the riverside, it was bitingly cold but with a welcome amount of brightness. We walked a long loop, criss crossing the river and stopping for a much needed hot milky coffee and a mince pie half way round.

I decorated the house for Christmas at leisure this year, and after the tree went up and our main mantel was complete, I took my time with the other bits. My granny star Advent Garland is still going strong (made in 2009) and it's such a pleasure to unpack these hand made decorations year after year. I do so enjoy the familiarity of them and the memories they bring to the fore. I find it crazy to think that when I made this garland I must have been heavily pregnant carrying Little B who was born in early January 2010. Wow. I can't even get my head around the the fact that it was over a decade ago. (Oh, I just hopped back in time to December 2009 to see my baby bump....hello Little B!!)

Although I do truly delight in keeping the same Christmassy things going year after year, it's also nice to occasionally bring in something new. I've always wanted a Christmas mug, one that gets packed away with the baubles and unpacked with ceremony at the start of Advent each year. I pootled around on eBay and found a pre-loved Cath Kidston one featuring a Christmas street scene which I fell in love with. It has even has a reindeer sleigh flying around the inside of the mug. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to drink coffee in this mug, and I know for sure that it'll make me giddy for years to come when I get to bring it out again and again. I am easily pleased, we have long established this simple fact I know.

About a month ago, I received an advertising email from the flower delivery company Bloom & Wild with a generous discount code attached. I was curious enough to go take a look at what was being offered up for Christmas as I do have a soft spot for seasonal blooms. I usually have cheap and cheerful red supermarket tulips on my table at Christmas, but when I saw that the "Florists Festive Pick" was discounted by 30% I decided on impulse to treat myself. Have you ever done this, ordered expensive flowers as a gift to yourself? It's ridiculously indulgent and I confess I did feel a smidge guilty for spending on myself in such a frivolous way......but well, I think every so often it's perfectly OK to have a treat.

I placed the order, choosing for them to be delivered to me on the day of the Winter Solstice. Of course I completely forgot  about it and was suitably surprised when they dropped through my letterbox on Monday. Happy Solstice to me!

I have to tell you the flowers (and foliage) are absolutely stunning, and seeing them on my table every day has been the best kind of visual treat this week. I want to show you my new jug too, it's an enamel water jug but I bought it especially for my annual festive flowers. I love love love to have my flowers in a jug rather than a vase, there is something so charming and homely about displaying flowers this way, even posh blooms.

So here we are on Christmas Eve and all is feeling quite wonderful in the Attic. Present wrapping happened very last minute of course (late this afternoon in fact, after we came home from a lovely but bitterly cold walk). We've kept things very simple for the Little People this year, opting for consumables (and by that I mean indulgent sweet treats and smelly body products) and spending money. Oh, and there are new pyjamas too as this is a tradition in our house and the Little People always seem especially excited about this bit of Christmas.

So we shall wait and see how the day unfolds tomorrow - it's all different this year as for the first time the Little People didn't write Christmas lists and I don't think we will be putting out snacks for the Big Fella and Rudolph this year either. It's all a bit precarious as Little B (who is almost 11 years old) hasn't come right out and said that he doesn't believe, but we are fairly certain that's where we're at. It's bitter sweet I can tell you. I'll still make sure the stockings get magically filled with (edible/smelly) gifts tonight as I can't imagine a time when that won't still feel like magic. It's like the candy canes on the tree - a few years ago I decided the Little People were possibly too old for them and didn't bother to buy any, but of course they gave me an earful and told me that there just HAD to be candy canes on the tree. I suspect it's the same with the stockings.

I would love to hear from those of you with older children - how do you do Christmas gifts and do you still hold onto any traditions and rituals from their childhoods? Do you still hang stockings?

Even though everything feels strange for the world this year, for us personally our quiet Christmas traditions remain intact. I shall continue to embrace this simple time staying home with my family as we always have done, enjoying the pleasures of good food, relaxation and a warm, cosy home. Holding onto the familiar rituals and looking forward to it all gently unfolding.

I hope that these festive days are full of light and sparkle, and that there are some brilliant moments of fun and joy, laughter and love, peace and calm. Enjoy and savour every moment, and I'll see you all on the other side......

Merry Christmas!

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Winter Solstice 2020

Today marks a turning point in the year as we celebrate the passing of the shortest day. As you may have guessed by now, this is one of my absolute favourite days of the whole year, and I woke up this morning feeling very happy and more than a little emotional. Winter Solstice is traditionally a day for rest and quiet reflection, for staying close to hearth and home and counting your blessings. It's a time to welcome in the winter months as we prepare to rest our bodies, nurture our souls, and make gentle plans for the year ahead. I like to think about these kinds of things as I go about my solstice day, and to remind myself (at frequent intervals) that every day from now on will be a little bit longer and a little bit lighter than the day before. Thank goodness, oh ThAnK GOODnesS!!!!! Bring. Me. The. LIGHT!!!!!

Hmmm......as you can see from the above photo, the weather today in Atticland was truly dire. It's been cold, grey and wet all day, but honestly I didn't mind too much. A day of hearth and home, remember? J and I walked into town this morning to run some errands and it was quiet on the streets with not very many people out at all.

We stopped off for a coffee on our way home, enjoying the warmth and comforting familiarity. I know we are very fortunate to still be able to go and enjoy a drink out here as our area isn't in a severe lockdown. Although we still have restrictions (we can't socialise indoors), for me and J it means that our little café jaunts are still happening and I'm so, so grateful for the normality of it.

On the way home from the shops I took a very quick little detour along the muddy footpath which connects the canal to the park. I was on a speedy foraging mission to gather in some ivy stems, and I knew there was a vast amount growing rampant along that pathway so I didn't feel too bad about snaffling a little bit into my bag.

I always buy a special candle for Winter Solstice - this year I went for a very seasonal red Cranberry and Vanilla with the most delicious scent to it. 

When I got home I set about performing my usual Winter Solstice celebrations. It was a simple, low key affair which I enjoyed very much, pottering about by myself while the rest of the family were scattered elsewhere in the house doing their own thing. I took the foraged ivy and some eucalyptus I already had and twisted it around a simple wire wreath. There see, I told you it was simple, it took me less than ten minutes to create but oh, it was so pleasing to do! I adore the scent of eucalyptus, it really is one of my favourite seasonal smells I think. 

I lit my candle at around 3pm when the daylight was already fading....

....and I sat quietly with a milky coffee in hand and the kitty for company, feeling very content with my lot. One of my dear friends sent a message into our WhatsApp group this morning (it's the group for my real life yarny tribe who I chat with pretty much every day). Her words were so charming and heartfelt that I thought I would steal them quote her on this special day of celebration.

She said "it is a morning of unremitting murk....I am going to light every candle and turn on all the Christmas lights to shine a light in the darkness. The days get longer and we can hope for light in all parts of our lives from tomorrow....happy Solstice".

Isn't that just a lovely thing? The simple act of lighting a candle to shine brightness out into the world and wish for happier days to come. Yes. Yes yes yes. Count me in! Light ALL the candles!!!!

I sat for ages in front of our fire this afternoon, watching the daylight fade and darkness slowly creep in. Fairy lights, candle light, firelight and lots of hopeful wishes for a brighter tomorrow.

 Happy Solstice to you all, sending all my love and light out into the dark, I hope it finds you....

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Festive Garland :: Ta-dah!

Finally!!!! It's only taken me a year to share the making of this garland with you, a year almost exactly to the very day. In fact, if I had waited until tomorrow to dance my ta-dah moment then it would have been exactly a year on the nose - how about that? It seems that this particular week in December is full of creative fun in the Attic, and I'm really excited to how you how this Festive Garland took shape.

Firstly, lets chat about my colour palette. I used a collection of bright, jolly "Quality Street" colours which are a nostalgic reminder of many childhood Christmases - these are all oddments of Stylecraft Special DK. I adore these colours so so much, they are full of Christmas spirit for me, and the joyful exuberance of them makes me really happy. Of course you can use any colour combinations you like  - traditional red, gold and green, or maybe a winter palette of frosty blues? Or how about a simple Scandi red and white colour scheme?

For reference, here are my own festive colour choices as shown above :

Top row : Plum : Bright Pink : Magenta : Lapis : (Ricorumi Silver lamé)

Middle row : Kelly Green : Grass Green : Spearmint : Turquoise : Empire

Bottom row : Lipstick : Tomato : Spice : Mustard : Gold

As you can imagine, I had lots of fun playing with the colours as I was crocheting the baubles, especially selecting the first two colours. Rounds 1 and 2 need to have a high contrast with each other, and you can see in the photo above how I chose the colours to create the maximum amount of "pop". Turquoise on red, bright pink on teal, green on mustard. YUM!!

Such a delicious array of colours, couldn't you just eat them up?!

You'll notice that I've left especially long tail ends - with the start and end of each round I made sure to leave a 15cm tail dangling. When the crochet is finished, these ten tails will be carefully darned through the rounds of stitches to form the tassel....

....see what I mean?? It takes a little time, but it's a really neat method. 

Once all the ends are darned into place, you can simply steam them straight, twist and knot them, then trim to size.

Neat eh?? 

As a final finishing touch, I stitched little golden stars in the centre of each bauble to add a weeny bit of festive sparkle.

These tassel baubles turned out even better than I had imagined inside my (very messy but quite brilliant) Creative Mind. When I set out to create a project I can usually already visualise it really clearly inside my mind. It's almost like looking at a photograph, which forever amazes me and I am extremely lucky to have this ability I think. I don't take it for granted as it doesn't always work out, but with these cute little decs, well, they turned out just beautifully. 

You might also remember these Teeny Tiny Stars I made last year? I shared the simple pattern for them here on my blog and you can find it in the usual place, or click ((HERE)).

I used the same bright palette of colours and crocheted 24 of these little stars, to sit in between the 12 bauble decorations.

As this is a Festive Garland I decided to add a bit of sparkle and use silver lamé yarn to crochet the connecting chain.

I placed one star at each end with two stars in between each bauble and it was a fast process to connect everything together once I'd decided on the colour placement. The crochet motifs are simply attached with a slip stitch, and separated by chains, it's ever so easy. I've explained it all in more detail within the tutorial.

Finally, I decided to add a little tinkle to the sparkle and bought some brightly coloured 10mm bells to finish the garland off. I tried various way of attaching them and in the end the only way I could make work was to tie short lengths of yarn to each bell, then tie the bells directly onto the crochet chain. It was a bit fiddly but not too bad (the fiddliest bit was threading the silver yarn through the tiiiiiiiiiiny hole at the top of each bell, gawd, it was so frustrating!)

I found the bells on Amazon ((HERE)), and there are also various plain silver and gold options on Amazon if you prefer something simpler.

I love that these bells actually tinkle! When I unpacked it from it's tissue paper this year, the garland made the most beautiful sound and I was utterly enchanted, honestly it doesn't take very much to make me happy.

So my bright, jolly, sparkly, tinkly Festive Garland is complete........................

...................Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's very me, don't you think?!

Of course I love love love love love it.

I loved it last year when I first hung it in place and I love it even more seeing it again this year.

As promised, I made a full tutorial for the Festive Garland - there are lots of photos to guide you through the making process, and there is also a PDF pattern that you can download/print as well.

You can find both by clicking on the following link >>

★ FESTIVE GARLAND TUTORIAL ★

I hope you like this colourful project, and that you might feel inspired to crochet a little festive happiness for your home. 

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Reuben the Reindeer

Every year in early December I usually experience a huge burst of festive-induced creativity. I never go searching for inspiration, but without fail inspiration will find me when I least expect it and I am always powerless to resist the call. 

Last year you might remember me crocheting this lovely quirky bird from a pattern in Simply Crochet magazine - you can read more about it in this post.

This lovely pattern was designed by Kate McCully of Make Me Roar Design, and you can buy the PDF pattern directly from her website if it's calling to you {Speckled Bird Decoration}

Last week when I was beginning to feel the creative festive urge creep upon me, I happened to remember that hot off the back of the speckled bird I bought another of Kate's patterns last year. It may surprise you to know that despite my rather chaotic approach to life I am actually very tidy and organised with my computer files (it's one of life's mysteries) so I was easily able to find the pattern PDF sitting patiently waiting for me to bring it to life.

The pattern I purchased was for a cute little crochet reindeer named Reuben. Kate made two versions of her reindeer - the traditional colourway that you can see above, and a more funky colourway that you can see (here).

You can purchase and download the reindeer pattern directly from Kate's website - it's very reasonably priced and the pattern is extremely well written with plenty of photos to help with the assembly process. You can find it (here)

Kate made her reindeer using aran weight yarn, but I decided to jump in with good ol' Stylecraft Special DK as I happen to have a stash of it for just such an occasion. Using DK instead of aran meant that my Reuben would be smaller, but I didn't mind that really. I decided to follow a traditional colour palette using White and Parchment for Reuben's main body parts, Walnut for his antlers and Lipstick for his festive jumper.

There is no getting away from it - amigurumi crochet is extremely fiddly compared to the long, relaxing rows of blanket making that I'm used to. There is lots of pattern reading and counting involved, and it's not at all kind to hands and fingers which feel stiff and achey. 

But I persevered and managed to complete most of the fiddlesome crochet across the space of an evening, finishing off the last bits of stitching the following morning. 

There is something undeniably satisfying about crocheting a project that is completed in many parts - it's why I enjoy making wreaths and garlands so much. It's fun to see the design slowly take shape, and to watch the personality of the animal slowly begin to seep through the stitches. 

I had to wait a few days for some beady eyes to arrive in the post (Reuben needed 8mm eyes) and although I was nervous about trying to bring him to life, it was also quite exciting. 

Well, what can I say??????????? For some reason unknown to me, Reuben seems to have a ginormous head and a teensy body, and I've no idea what happened to make him so top heavy. I followed the pattern precisely (intense counting and marking down of rows) and yet he has a giant head and withered arms?? Ah well, it's all part of his endearing character.....although I admit that after putting his eyes in and attaching his head to his body, I was very concerned for his welfare. He looked so bewildered!

Ohmygosh, the above photo makes me hoot with laughter every time....oh Reuben!!!!!!!!! Just look at your face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the thing - even though the pattern tells you exactly how far up the head to position the eyes, it's still remarkably hard to get it right. And of course once you've attached the little safety backings to the eyes, there is no turning back and the expression that stares back at you is the one you have to be happy with.

Bloody hell, I almost gave up at this point. But I hoped and prayed that ears and antlers would transform the whole look....

....and I took great care with the positioning and stitching of the final body parts.

So here I present to you a finished Reuben, wearing his best festive jumper and trying his level best to achieve the Cute Factor. Awwwwww, I do have such a soft spot for him, despite his top-heaviness and his slightly not-all-there stare.

Actually, he looks really sweet on the mantel, and I'm happy to give him a place to live for a little while, alongside the giant speckled bird and my current candle crush (still not over the mulled wine scent, this is the second candle I'm burning now). 

So that is this year's festive make ticked off the list and I feel I can rest easy now that I've scratched that itch. Incidentally, I am LOVING my Festive Garland and remembered that I took loads of photos to make a tutorial for it last year. Typically though, I didn't think to actually write down the pattern (of course I didn't) but having just had a quick look at the photos I think I can probably work most of it out from memory. I'm hoping to do that this week, it's only a year late after all.

Before I go, thank you so much for all your comments on my last post, especially the ones about knitting and fairisle. I am so inspired and  excited about trying something new - I had a look at "Katie's Kep" which was recommended, oh-my-GOSH, there are over a thousand projects logged on Ravelry made with that pattern and the colour possibilities have me hyperventilating. It's deliciously exciting, all of it. I think it may have to wait until after the Meadow Cal, but that's fine, it'll be worth the wait. Thanks again for all your lovely words in response to my posts, I appreciate you all so much

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December Thoughts

#1 : Pomegranates are just the most fantastical fruits, and despite the fiddlesomeness of them I can't help but love them. Thank you for the advice about the extraction process - I tried the method you recommended, cutting around the equator and banging with a wooden spoon but I just could not get it to work. No matter how hard I banged, no seeds tumbled forth, not one! I wonder whether it's because it wasn't quite as ripe as it could've been? I've got another one sat in my fruit bowl so tomorrow I'll try the cut and bang method again. I shall report back on proceedings.

#2 : I think fresh fruit has to be my all time favourite food group, trumping even chocolate or cake. I've proven to myself this year that I can very easily go days/weeks without eating refined sugar, but I would find it very, very difficult to go a day without fruit. 

#3 : I have a massive, overwhelming hankering to try my hand at colourwork knitting, more specifically I desperately want to make this hat. A month or so ago I spotted a lady at the market wearing the most stunning fairisle beanie hat and I couldn't take my eyes off it. Afterwards I had major regret and wished that I had asked her about it and found out more about the pattern. Then on Saturday when I was queueing at the market to buy cheese I happened to see her again wearing the same gorgeous hat, so I stopped to compliment her and interrogate her about it. Thankfully she was the nicest lady and told me that her Mum had knitted it for her, and she thought it had something to do with the Shetland MRI Scanner appeal. It's so brilliant to have the internet to provide hatty info when you most need it - I came home and immediately found the pattern, woohoo!!!!! It's called "Harriet's Hat" by Harriet Middleton and you can find it here . I need to learn the twisty technique for knitting with two colours in the same row, but I'm determined to give it a go. 

#4 : Beady eyes arrived in the post last week and my festive creature got stuffed and stitched and is now happily living out life on my mantel. Animal faces are extremely tricky things to get right, and I'm not too sure I achieved the elusive Cute Factor with this chappy. He looks ever so slightly vacant and bewildered. I promise to show you more just as soon as I take a few photos of him in situ.

#5 : We had our first snow on Friday, a chilly morning of dancing flakes and white dusted hilltops. It didn't last and it didn't linger, but it was fun watching it from the cosy comfort of home.

#6 : I love my fire, I love it so so so so much. I never used to like the brick fireplace and dark wooden surround but over the years it has really grown on me and I couldn't imagine it being any other way now. It really is the heart of our home.

#7 : I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor at this time of year. The kitty obviously doesn't seem to mind too much - a warm lap is good enough no matter how low to the ground it is.

#8 : It's bauble time, and once again I am swooning all over the place at the sight of these glorious colours. These are definitely my kind of Christmas colours and I doubt very much that I will ever change. Little Lady told me yesterday that in the future when she has her own place and her own tree, she will smother it in white lights and have only white, silver and glittery decorations on it. Oh dear, I was honestly lost for words after that declaration. 

#9 : Coffee, coffee, coffee!! My mornings are simply not complete without it, and I am so happy that Lockdown 2.0 has ended and my favourite cosy cafés are open once more. It's such a pleasurable, treasured part of my daily routine, a luxury that I appreciate very much.

#10 : After a fair amount of wet grey weather last week, I've been so so happy to see blue skies and sunshine during the past few days. What a treat. It has put a welcome spring back in my step as I was seriously dragging my feet last week, weighed down by the heaviness of the gloom. 

#11 : With two weeks to go until the Winter Solstice, I noticed today that the rise and set of the sun is oddly in tune with the school day. I see the first rays of sun peeking over the top of the hill just as we round the corner to come off the canal tow path in the morning. And I see the last of the sun dipping down beyond the hills as I come off the canal in the late afternoon.

#12 : I lit our Advent candle yesterday, six days late. It meant keeping a vigil until we had burned down exactly the right amount to catch up with the days. We are currently two thirds decked out for the season here - two trees are up, the wreaths are up and one of two mantels is wearing it's seasonal finery. I've still got the other mantel to do and my Advent garland to hang, but I'll be able to see to all that tomorrow when J is back to work and I have a little time on my hands to faffle it all into place. 

And that about concludes my thoughts for now. I hope you are all doing OK as we plummet through early December, and that you are thinking happy thoughts and finding some joy in this season of twinkly lights and shiny things. I shall be back here very soon to show you the Bewildered Festive Creature, I bet you really can't wait ?!

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December Begins

It's the first day of December and what a beautiful, cold, crisp bright day we've been treated to here in Atticland. We had our very first frost of the season this morning and breathing in that super-chilled air was so invigorating.

After dropping Little B at school I was meeting my friend for our weekly outdoor coffee/walk this morning. She was running late so I sat on a frosty bench beneath the above yellow-leafed tree to wait. It was a bit cold on the nether regions but I didn't mind too much....

....I had swans, ducks and pigeons for company....

....and the most fabulous feel of the early morning sun shining full force onto my face. I really am a sun worshipper, never more so that in the winter months when those warm golden beams of light feel so precious.

My friend arrived and we set off to walk along the canal to the park, via the coffee shop. Of course we did, coffee is our thing, and although we would much rather spend time in one of our favourite cosy cafés, we have come to appreciate our al fresco socially distanced meet ups this year.

We always sit in the same place at the top of the stone steps....

....with this view out across the park. I felt truly uplifted by the weather today, particularly as yesterday was so awful. 

I had a real major mood slump yesterday, and I felt deeply gloomy all the way from my head to my toes. I just couldn't shake off the melancholy, no matter how hard I tried to dig for gratitude and thankfulness, I just felt plain fed up with pandemic life. The missed opportunities, the imbalance, the lack of social interaction, the mean squeeze of our lives into the tiniest of boring, repetitive circles. I just wanted it all gone. I wanted my old life back.

Today I have thankfully felt brighter, and I know that the sunshine and brightness of the day has helped enormously. 

Blue skies are like medicine for my poor light-deprived soul, I know this for certain. J thinks I'm absolutely "full of unicorn poop" as he said to me today when I tried to explain my feelings to him. Well that's OK, I can live with that, because I have a very strong feeling that unicorn poop might be rainbow coloured. 

I continue to try and nurture myself physically so that I can feel as strong as possible in this season that I struggle with.

Gawd, I LOVE eating breakfast so much! I usually have it mid morning, and honestly it's just so good. I make a small half-serving of milky porridge (20g of oats) and top it with as much fresh fruit as I can get away with. What you can't quite see in the above bowl is the half a sliced banana and the half a grated apple which are mixed in with the cooked oats. The fresh fruit on top is a mixture of whatever we have in the fridge, usually mango, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. And a sprinkling of seeds for good measure (I use a mix of pumpkin, sunflower, flax and chia).

Sometimes I do change it up and have a cooked breakfast - a slice of gluten free toast with a poached egg, bacon, mushrooms and tomato. I also like my oat pancakes too. I would love to know what you eat for breakfast, do tell?! Do you vary it each day or do you stick with your favourite thing?

We had our usual trip to the market on Saturday and brought home an amazing haul of the most gorgeous fruit and veg. It's pomegranate season which the Little People are very, very happy about as they love this quirky fruit. I have to admit to getting a freaky amount of satisfaction from the slow, laborious job of freeing up the little jewelled seeds for them to eat out of a bowl.

Obviously my little unicorn-poop mind is easily pleased - give me sunshine and fresh fruit, and I am delighted.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon and early evening crocheting up a bowl of animal parts, like you do. I gave in to the sudden urge to make a small festive animal, and despite the huge protest from my arthritic joints I just about managed to complete all the hooking.

I'm now waiting on the correct size beedy eyes to arrive in the post and then I'll be able to stuff, stitch and assemble all the body bits. I'll show you when it's finished.

Also, a lovely lady reminded me on Facebook yesterday that Granny Josephine has not had her moment in the spotlight yet, and to my shame I had to admit that I'd completely forgotten about her. What with all the Meadow excitement and all, and then cross stitch things and little Christmassy creature things, well, poor Granny Jo has once again been put to one side. Shame on me. I shall see to it right away, and hope to have a ta-dah moment to share very soon.

Beady eyes first though.....!

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