Attic24

Meadow Blanket CAL :: Part 3

Hello my lovelies, it's good to see you again here in the Attic and I hope you've all had a good week? If I'm completely honest with you I've been very up and down this past week which has been a bit draining. I'm trying to just allow the ebb and flow of emotions to run their course and to accept that this is all part of the process of coming through ten months of altered living. None of it is easy, and a few ups and downs are to be expected.

I've been treating my Meadow blanket a bit like one of those comfort blankets that small children are obsessed with, carrying it around the house with me so that it's always in sight. Even when I'm not sitting with my crochet hook actively making stitches, I just like to know that the possibility of it is right there where I can see it.

As much as I could be truly content to while away many hours with a blanket project on my lap, this sadly doesn't work for me any more. Because of the osteoarthritis in my hands, I find that it suits me best to crochet in short bursts these days. I usually aim to complete 2 or 3 stripes a day if I can, and I spread this out throughout the day. I move around the house depending on the time and what the rest of the family is up to - in the evenings I'm usually sat right beside the fire, but during the day I am sometimes sat on the sofa....

....and sometimes sat in bed. I know it might seem strange to climb into bed during the day, but I honestly love it, it feels beautifully self indulgent and comforting. I'm spending a lot of time in my bedroom as it's the only room in the house where I can close the door and spend short periods alone when I need to. I reeeeaaaaally miss having time on my own, it's probably been the hardest thing for me during the past year.

As you know, when I create these weekly CAL instalments I love to celebrate our online crochet community by sharing photos that have caught my eye on Facebook and Instagram. This week I'm sharing some fabulous blankets which are using the new crossed-stitch meadow stripe pattern but with alternative colour palettes. 

Lets take a look.......

↑↑ Helen is using the Attic24 Woodland palette and working the colours as a beautiful repeating gradient...

↑↑ Dominique is using the pretty Attic24 Cupcake palette for her blanket...

↑↑ Sarah is making a coastal meadow blanket using the Attic24 Coast palette...

↑↑ Sonja is making two blankets together (impressive!) - alongside the Meadow colour story she is creating a beautiful Dune blanket too...

↑↑ Kirsty is using the vibrant Attic24 Aria palette to make this glorious rainbow blanket which is already looking stunning.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but I hope you know that you can join in with the crochet-a-long using any yarn you like, and it certainly doesn't have to be purchased especially. Some of the most wonderful blankets are born from scraps of stash yarn, and I've been delighted to see some Meadow Stripes growing from yarn balls that might otherwise just be sat in storage. 

↑↑ Suzi shared her stash blanket on Instagram and I think the colours are so playful and happy...

↑↑ Bree shared her bright stash blanket, and I love how bold the colours are...

↑↑ Rachel is using a wonderfully calming palette of blues, greens and neutrals for her blanket...

↑↑ Vivien is joining the CAL from Egypt and is using yarn that she was able to buy locally - I think it's looking fabulous!

I wonder if you think about the summer meadow when you're crocheting your stripes? 

Do you picture the grasses and the wild flowers in your mind as you rhythmically create your cross stitches? I know that I do, and I really enjoy the relaxation that comes when I allow my mind to wander back to another time and place. 

In week 3, we will be continuing with the mix of purples, pinks, yellows and greens as we work up towards the centre of the blanket. The feel of this section is similar to last week, but we'll be introducing a new shade - Wisteria. This was inspired by the Creeping Thistle which grows around the rough outer edge of the meadow. This is a common wild flower, often found along hedgerows and verges and it grows in weed-like abundance in my neighbourhood.

The Creeping Thistle plant is tall but the flower heads are quite dainty - a little pompom of delicate strands in the most beautiful shade of soft mauve. 

Wisteria is the perfect match, and as we move up into the top half of the Meadow Colour Story you'll see just how well it works.

The vibrancy of the colours in week 3 are an absolute delight, and at times there are some surprises (Raspberry next to Dandelion? Oooooooo!!)

Would you like to see how the Meadow blanket will look once 45 stripes are complete?

There you go.......isn't it lovely?

I especially love how beautiful the bold yellow stripes look - remember these are the buttercups in the meadow (even though the yarn colour is called Dandelion, it really is the perfect buttercup shade).

I'm absolutely loving watching the meadow blanket grow and am thoroughly enjoying the way the colours are working together to create something so warm and joyful. I am smitten!

I imagine by now that you are very at ease with the cross-stitches and I hope that you are enjoying making these easy-peasy rows. The texture is really great, and as the blanket grows I hope you're also enjoying the squish factor?! As you work on part 3 this coming week, you should begin to have the benefit of those blankety stripes keeping you warm as you crochet - ah well if you are in the Northern hemisphere that is, I guess it's not quite the same level of comfort for those of you in warmer climes! 

Lets have a look at this weeks colours as we approach the half way point of the meadow meander....

Here is the colour info for Part 3 of the "COLOUR STORY" Meadow Blanket.

Remember each stripe is made of two rows of crochet.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet.

31. Dandelion

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Grape (for double bed size blankets)

32. Lavender

33. Raspberry

34. Mushroom

35. Grape

36. Pale Rose

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Lavender (for double bed size blankets)

37.  Dandelion

38. Raspberry

39. Wisteria

40. Grape

41. Pistachio

42. Sage

43.  Lavender

44. Buttermilk

45. Raspberry

Here is the colour info for Part 3 of the "MIXED STRIPE" Meadow Blanket.

Remember each stripe is made of two rows of crochet.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet (the mixed stripe is on page 2 of the PDF)

31. Dandelion

32. Lincoln

33. Mushroom

34. Wisteria

35. Grape

36. Meadow

37.  Buttermilk

38. Duck Egg

39. Sage

40. Lavender

41. Raspberry

42. Pale Rose

43.  Parchment

44. Pistachio

45. Cloud Blue

↑↑ I spotted this beauty on Facebook - Janice is following the "repeating colourwash" order for her meadow stripes and it really is looking very beautiful. If you need a reminder of the colour order for this sequence you can find it listed in Part 1 of the CAL.

I wanted to take this opportunity to give you a little nudge with regards to your tail ends.....are there any confessions of straggly edges that need to be shared???? Or have you all been angelic and darned them in as you go? Darning in tail ends is a necessary part of creating a striped blanket, and I would urge you to do them as you go along. It takes mere seconds when you put down your hook - snip, thread and darn, and you are done. I've explained the process of doing it in the Meadow Stripe tutorial if you need a little visual reminder.

Well, I think that's about all the meadow chitchat for today, I hope you have a beautiful, stripe-filled week!

Here are the updated links for you....

🌸 PART 3 PRINTABLE WORKSHEET

🌸 MEADOW YARN PACK

🌸MEADOW STRIPE TUTORIAL

🌸MEADOW PRINTABLE PATTERN

🌸 MEADOW BLANKET INTRODUCTION

🌸 MEADOW CAL PART 1 - stripes 1-15

🌸 MEADOW CAL PART 2 - stripes 16-30

 

 

Meadow Blanket CAL :: Part 2

Well, it's been another very wintry week here in Atticland, brrrrrrrr it's been cold! I've been spending a lot of time cosied up beside the fire and I'm finding that the simplicity and rhythm  of the Meadow blanket stripes are bringing me a huge amount of pleasure and comfort. Those of you who are joining me on my Meadow blanket journey, I really hope you enjoyed seeing your first stripes slowly grow during the past week, and that the colours have been making you happy?

've seen lots of beautiful photos on social media so I know that many, many Meadow blankets are underway all over the world, and honestly I am incredibly thankful to have such wonderful company. These lockdown days can feel quite long and lonesome at times, and more than ever I am relishing the connections made through our online world. 

As is usual for me when I'm making a blanket, I have been loving the slow, mindful minutes and hours of crochet time that allow me to gently wander off on a little virtual excursion. As I crochet those rhythmic criss-cross stitches I've been slowly wandering around the summer meadow in my mind and it's such a delight! I can smell the fresh grass, feel the sun on my face and see the beautiful colours of the wild flowers tangled at my feet. It's the very best kind of escapism.

Ahhhh, I do miss those long summer days, and I absolutely cannot wait for this year's summer meadow to enchant me all over again.

Yesterday we were suddenly plunged into a winter wonderland and the meadow looks sooooo different! Can you even believe that the above photo is in full colour? It was fun to walk there yesterday afternoon when the grass was blanketed in three inches of snow, but it didn't speak to my soul in the same way that the tall wild grasses and flowers do. I am most definitely a summer soul.

I've spent a lot of time immersed in social media this past week attempting to keep up with all things #meadowcal, gosh it's a busy time for me online when the CAL is under way. I have so enjoyed all the enthusiasm and excitement, it really has made me very happy.

So I thought I'd share some photos that have caught my eye, starting with the above image shared by Sarah who is using a journal to keep colour notes about her Meadow blanket - such a lovely thing to do.

I've seen the beginnings of some stunning blankets this week, all with the Meadow colour palette but using different stitch patterns. It's always inspirational to see how my ideas can spark new directions of creativity - never be afraid to go your own way, I am all for it :)

↑↑ Mimma is making her Meadow blanket using the Dahlia Spike Stitch....

↑↑ Anja has chosen the Neat Wave stripe for her Meadow journey....

↑↑ B is using a beautiful stitch called the Granny Spike Stitch which is very good for blending colours together. I think it works beautifully with the Meadow colourwash....

↑↑ Jennie has chosen a "snuggle stitch" for her Meadow blanket....

↑↑ Catherine is working the Meadow colours into a glorious mosaic crochet pattern and I can't wait to see more of this as it grows....

↑↑ Hayles is making a lovely granny square blanket - don't the colours look amazing ordered as a colourwash radiating out from the centre?

↑↑ Judith is very cleverly working her cross-stitches into a square format and I love the effect. The above photo shows the colour story.....

....and there is also a mixed stripe version too. I think I read that Judith is making these as lap blankets to donate to charity (I may have gotten this wrong, my poor brain doesn't always remember things correctly!) 

I'm really looking forward to seeing your blankets grow over the coming weeks, so do please keep sharing on Facebook and Instagram, it's really inspiring to see your photos. 

Week two of our meadow meander continues to see the greens of the summer grasses intermingle with the bright colours of the wild meadow flowers. When I'm working on a blanket as a colour story, it's always exciting when a brand new colour is introduced as it can often change the whole dynamic. In week two, we get to see some Lavender stripes appear..... 

.....inspired by the beautiful shades of Tufted Vetch which scrambles its way amongst the grasses in high summer. 

It's not a shouty flower this one, but oh my, the colours are so beautiful when you get up close to see those dainty little blooms.

At the end of Part Two you will have thirty beautiful, soft, summery stripes to gaze upon.....

.....and I can tell you that the colours are absolutely wonderful together. 

There is such a lovely dash of summer sunshine right there in those squishy stitches....

....and I especially love the above colours together - sage, pistachio, dandelion, raspberry, lavender and meadow. I look at them and I see an abundance of grasses, buttercups, clover and vetch all dancing together in the sunshine.

Beautiful, beautiful blankety stripes - I love them so much!

Here is the colour info for Part 2 of the "COLOUR STORY" Meadow Blanket.

Remember each stripe is made of two rows of crochet.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet.

16. Raspberry

17. Lavender

18. Buttermilk

19. Meadow

20. Mushroom

21. Grape

22. Pale Rose

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Meadow (for double bed size blankets)

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Raspberry (for double bed size blankets)

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Buttermilk (for double bed size blankets)

23. Sage 

24. Pistachio 

25. Dandelion 

26. Raspberry

27. Lavender 

28. Meadow 

29. Buttermilk

30. Sage 

So here is the colour info for Part 2 of the "MIXED STRIPE" Meadow Blanket.

Remember each stripe is made of two rows of crochet.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet (the mixed stripe is on page 2 of the PDF)

16. Pale Rose

17. Grape 

18. Sage 

19. Dandelion 

20. Meadow 

21. Wisteria 

22. Raspberry 

23. Mushroom 

24. Cloud Blue 

25. Lincoln 

26. Buttermilk

27. Pistachio 

28. Duck Egg 

29. Lavender

30. Parchment 

** A note about those making larger mixed stripe blankets - I'll give out an additional add-on section at the end of part 6 if you'd like to increase the length of your blanket from 6ft to 7ft.

I've seen the start of some lovely repeating Colourwash blankets this week too, the above photo by Mandy-Jane shows off the colours beautifully. If you need a reminder of the colour order for this sequence you can find it listed in Part 1 of the CAL.

I hope this week brings you some quiet, mindful time with hook and yarn. I love to think that these colours might deliver a dose of peace and joy into your days, like the first rays of sun on a still summer morning in the meadow.

I also really hope you love the Lavender this week, little pleasures in life, you just can't beat them....

.....happy meadow wanderings my lovelies, have a fabulous week xxxxxxxxxxx

Oh, and here are some links for you, should you need them....

🌸 PART 2 PRINTABLE WORKSHEET

🌸 MEADOW YARN PACK

🌸MEADOW STRIPE TUTORIAL

🌸MEADOW PRINTABLE PATTERN

🌸 MEADOW BLANKET INTRODUCTION

🌸 MEADOW CAL PART 1 - stripes 1-15

 

 

 

Meadow Blanket CAL :: Part 1

Hello, and welcome to the first instalment of the Meadow Blanket CAL. If you're anything like me, you may well be finding that these drab, grey, cold winter weeks feel especially long and bleak at the moment, stretching ahead without anything good to look forward to just yet. Here in the UK we're just at the start of our third national lockdown which looks like it'll be in place for at least six weeks, maybe more. It feels more important than ever to nurture our souls and practice self care in whatever way feels right, and I strongly believe that indulging in gentle creativity and happy colours can provide a lot of feel good.

As you probably know, my Crochet-a-Long blanket projects have been taking place every January and February for quite a few years now (this is the fifth year) and Meadow is following on from Dahlia, Sweet Pea, Woodland and Moorland. This year it just so happens that the CAL coincides with us all needing to spend long hours at home, so I hope that having a colourful project to work on right now will bring you lots of joy. 

Back in the summer last year (which feels sooooo long ago now), I walked in my local meadow almost every day. It became a place I felt drawn to when I needed a little solitude and some time to quiet my thoughts and emotions. I began to think of it as a sanctuary of sorts, a place that felt very healing and calming to me when our lives were feeling a little out of control. I spent many hours wandering around the grassy pathways of this special meadow, taking in the beautiful colours and amazing details of the grasses and wild flowers which grow in abundance every summer. I loved being there so much, and it seemed like the most natural thing to create a colour palette which captures something of that therapeutic place.

I chose colours which tell the gentle story of the summer meadow - the shades of wild flowers aren't showy like cultivated blooms, but when you look closely and observe what is growing amidst the tangle of tall grasses, well the colours really are there. And they are beeeeeeautiful! A stunning mix of yellows, pinks and purples - shades of buttercup, meadowsweet, vetch, thistle, clover, hogweed and shepherds purse. The colours of the summer grasses were also a joy - a mixture of beautiful greens and pale neutrals as well as the smoky purple of the Yorkshire fog grass which captivated my attention. And to round the palette off, I couldn't resist including the summer skies - those soft shades of blue are among my absolute favourites and remind me so much of my early morning meadow walks. 

I wrote lots more about the inspiration behind the Meadow blanket in my Introduction blog post which you can find ((here)).

You can find the Meadow yarn pack in my shop at Wool Warehouse, click on the following link...

MEADOW YARN PACK

These fifteen summery shades really do make my heart so so happy! While we're looking at these delicious balls of yarn, please can I give you a little reminder to make a note of the shades if you are joining in with the CAL? Some of the colours can look very similar especially in artificial light (Wisteria and Lavender, also Mushroom and Parchment) so it helps to have a note of the colour names alongside a snippet of yarn for reference. The colour names of Stylecraft Special DK are printed on the ball band.

Starting out on a new blanket journey is one of my most favourite things in life, and if you could see me in action, you would know this without a doubt. I am buzzing with happy vibes right down to my toes when I am immersed in colour play!

Once I've settled on my colour palette, I put in a huge amount of work to create the final blanket design. I sample endlessly until I have worked out a suitable stitch pattern, and then there is the business of ordering the colours so that they take you on a very special journey. I knew as soon as I'd created my final Meadow colour palette that it would be perfect for a "Colour Story" blanket. If you know my previous blankets (Moorland and Woodland) then you will know how a colour story works - this is where the whole of the blanket works to evoke the feeling of walking in the place that inspired the colours. 

It's a really fun way to create a blanket and I adore the whole process of working it out, although it does present a pretty major design challenge. I can't wait for you to watch your blanket grow over these coming weeks and for you to walk through the meadow in your mind as you see the colours begin to play out. From the tangle of grasses and wild flowers around your feet, out to the distant hills beyond, and finally up into the wide blue summer skies above. Beaaaaautiful, all of it!!

The stitch pattern I settled on is very simple, but felt like a perfect fit for the Meadow blanket. The stripes are constructed using pairs of crossed-over trebles which create a beautiful, subtle surface texture. I love that the criss-cross effect echoes the tangle of flower stems among the tall grasses, and yet there is a rhythmic calmness to this stitch which makes me think about the calming effect of slowly walking around the meadow.

The pattern repeat is very simple and there is next to no counting, so I'd say this stitch is perfect for relaxation. As it uses just one stitch (a UK treble) it's also a great pattern for beginners. Working the cross-over stitch takes a little practice in the beginning but it very quickly becomes rhythmic and natural. I absolutely love it I have to say.

I created my usual photo-heavy tutorial to help you crochet your tension sample and learn how to work the crossed treble stitch. You can find it by clicking on the following link >>

MEADOW STRIPE TUTORIAL

And due to popular request, I also made a simple written pattern that you can download/print if you don't need the step by step help and prefer to have a traditional printed pattern to pop in your bag. You can find it by clicking on the following link >>

DOWNLOAD MEADOW BLANKET PATTERN.

Even if you are an experienced crocheter, I would strongly advise you to crochet a small tension sample before beginning your blanket. This is just 34 chains, then 6 rows of the pattern which is enough for you to familiarise yourself with the way the rows work, as well as giving you reassurance that your hook size/tension is correct. It doesn't take long, and is worth the extra bit of effort I think.

In the tutorial, I also included some help with darning in ends for this particular blanket which I hope you find useful. As always, I would strongly advise you to darn in your ends as you go along - trust me, it really is the best way!

Once you're happy with your tension sample, you can get started with those first few rows. The pattern gives you starting chains for different sizes of blanket, so although I make my blankets a standard 120 x 175 (single bed size), you could easily make smaller or bigger versions if you prefer.

The first row of a blanket can be tricky for beginners - working into that long wiggly chain can be a real challenge. My advise would be to make sure you can fully concentrate (you need to count accurately) and take your time. I placed stitch markers every 50 stitches along (you can place them more often if you need) so that if I lost count along the way, then I only had to go back as far as the last marker. You must make sure you end up with an even number of stitches (multiple of 2).

When you work the first stripes of your blanket, it's a good opportunity to check your gauge again and make sure you're on track. The best way to do this is to use digital kitchen scales. There will 6 stripes of each colour in the Meadow blanket and as a  rough guide, I'm using approx 12g of yarn per stripe. This means 72g of yarn in total from a 100g ball, leaving enough left over to work a border.

I love love love the very first few rows of a blanket - so much promise of the journey ahead! Once you have the first few stripes done and dusted, the pattern is very, very easy to follow I promise you. It's pure hooky pleasure all the way.

Each week throughout the crochet-a-long I'll be giving you fifteen stripes to crochet (90 in total, spread across 6 weeks)

Remember that as this is a "Colour Story", you won't be using all the colours to start with. 

As the blanket grows, you'll begin to see the colours slowly changing as we walk further through the Meadow - I really hope you love it as much as I do. I find it magical to allow my mind to be transported by these stripes!

You can see how pleasing the stitch pattern looks too - the cross-over stitches give a beautiful soft texture and there is a wonderful calmness somehow, in the way the little crosses stack so precisely on top of each other. I absolutely love it.

J helped me create a graphic which shows you how the Meadow Colour story plays out - I hope this gives you a clear idea of the finished design without giving too much away?!

Oh, I need to mention one important thing - this blanket is designed to have 90 stripes which will give a finished length of approx 175cm. It's therefore not suitable for making smaller length blankets (you will need to follow the "Mixed Stripe" for smaller blankets). Each week I'll add in some additional rows which are optional - this will allow you to add on an extra 30cm if you are making a double/king blanket. You will need two yarn packs for the larger sizes. Starting chains for all sizes are given within the pattern/tutorial,  I hope this makes sense!

So here is the colour info for Part 1 of the "COLOUR STORY" Meadow Blanket.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet.

1. Meadow (Foundation chain & rows 1 & 2)

2. Pistachio  (rows 3 & 4)

3. Pale Rose (rows 5 & 6)

4. Grape (rows 7 & 8)

5. Dandelion (rows 9 & 10)

6. Raspberry (rows 11 & 12)

7. Mushroom (rows 13 & 14)

8. Buttermilk (rows 15 & 16)

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Pale Rose (for double bed size blankets)

9. Pistachio (rows 17 & 18)

10. Meadow (rows 19 & 20)

11. Dandelion (rows 21 & 22)

12. Grape (rows 23 & 24)

13. Pale Rose (rows 25 & 26)

14. Sage (rows 27 & 28)

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Pistachio (for double bed size blankets)

15. Meadow (rows 29 & 30)

As an alternative to the Colour Story, I'm also giving out a colour order for a "Mixed Stripe" version of the Meadow blanket. Because of my hands not being so good these days thanks to osteoarthritis, it hasn't been possible for me to crochet a mixed stripe blanket alongside the Colour Story, so I hope the above graphic will give you an idea of what it'll look like.

You will need to follow this order each week if you are making shorter length blankets.

So here is the colour info for Part 1 of the "MIXED STRIPE" Meadow Blanket.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet (the mixed stripe is listed on page 2).

1. Grape (Foundation chain & rows 1 & 2)

2. Pale Rose  (rows 3 & 4)

3. Parchment (rows 5 & 6)

4. Cloud Blue (rows 7 & 8)

5. Pistachio (rows 9 & 10)

6. Dandelion (rows 11 & 12)

7. Sage (rows 13 & 14)

8. Duck Egg (rows 15 & 16)

9. Wisteria (rows 17 & 18)

10. Raspberry (rows 19 & 20)

11. Lavender (rows 21 & 22)

12. Meadow (rows 23 & 24)

13. Lincoln (rows 25 & 26)

14. Mushroom (rows 27 & 28)

15. Buttermilk (rows 29 & 30)

I wonder which version you will choose???? In my mind I always saw these colours working as a story, but I know that many of you prefer to have the all over mixture.

In typical Attic24 style, more is always more, right?? In previous years I know many of you have enjoyed working up a repeating colour wash blanket using the colour order in my sampler (shown above). If you choose this option, then you don't need to wait for my weekly instalments as the fifteen colours will be repeated in the same order each week.

And.......there is also one more option.

Are you ready for this?????????

I am thrilled to share with you this beautiful Meadow Harmony blanket created by Kaz Hall who is one of the amazing admins in the "Hooked on Attic24" Facebook group. Kaz took my meadow colours and added two additional balls (Cypress and Lime) to create this stunning version of my Summer Harmony blanket. 

The Meadow Harmony blanket is being run as a mini CAL within the Hooked on Attic24 Facebook group. Kaz is organising this herself with my blessing, so if you would like to use your yarn pack to create your own Meadow Harmony, head on over to the Facebook group to join in. Remember you will need two additional balls of yarn (Cypress and Lime) to follow along.

Well, I think that's about all for this week - remember you can share photos or questions on my Facebook page, in the "Hooked on Attic24" Facebook group, or an Instagram (please use the hashtag #meadowcal so I can find your posts).

I really hope you get your blankets off to a great start, have a fabulous, happy hooky week my lovelies!!!!!!!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

🌸 MEADOW YARN PACK

🌸MEADOW STRIPE TUTORIAL

🌸MEADOW PRINTABLE PATTERN

🌸 MEADOW BLANKET INTRODUCTION

🌸 PART 1 COLOUR WORK SHEETS

 

 

 

 

New Year Beginnings

Hello, and a very, very Happy New Year to you! *** Today (Monday) is the last day of our holidays before Little B returns to school in the morning and honestly I'm wishing that the relaxed pace of the holidays could continue for just a little bit longer. I don't feel ready to be dashing out the door at 8.30 in the morning, and yet I know that once I'm actually out there I'll love it, I always do.    *** edit to add :: since writing this earlier today, we have just found out that a full lockdown starts tomorrow, so back to home schooling for us. No dashing out the door for the foreseeable future - I really don't know whether to be glad or sad?! 

I de-Christmased the house on new years eve, it's the earliest I've ever done it but the time felt right. I needed to bring some clear breathing space back into our living room, and as I've still got twinkly lights and candles it doesn't feel too sparse or gloomy. As predicted, my hyacinth bloomed for the turn of the year and it is currently looking so fresh and pretty. I love the simplicity of it so much and it seems I'm craving the pared back look right now as I haven't wanted to faff either of my mantels just yet. Well, I stuck some dried eucalyptus into a bottle, but that doesn't really count as full faffery I don't think.

I've got an organza bag of wintery decorations ready and waiting to come out to play (including my winter balls garland), but I'm not quite ready to go there yet. Soon though.

We don't usually celebrate New Year in any major way, but that doesn't mean to say it isn't a day to be enjoyed to the full. We opened a bottle of champagne in the late afternoon, a very generous Christmas gift from my Big Teen who amazingly is now old enough to purchase (and drink) alcoholic beverages. Woah, that really gave me such a huge surge of Mumsy feels on Christmas morning I can tell you. I totally forget that he is now eighteen. Eighteen........but how?????????!

For the first time in aaaaaages, I decided not to bother getting dressed on New Years Day. It really has been a long while since I enjoyed a full pyjama day and it was all kinds of fabulous. I dug out some super-cosy fleecy pyjamas that are years old, pulled on some woolly socks and felt ridiculously snug and contented all day. I did manage to cook a full roast beef dinner mind you (popped a pinny on top of the pj's and all was good) so it wasn't all idle loafing, but mostly you could find me in various positions very close to the warmth of the fire. It was such a good day.

Over the festive period I enjoyed some really lovely sweet treats (most of my modest gifts were of the edible/drinkable variety this year which I was very, very happy with). Take the above offering - a salted caramel and dark chocolate acorn, wow, these were insanely good I can tell you. Mouthfuls of pure luxury!

All my festive chocolate has been consumed now, and the gold carat gin and sparkly champagne has become just a delicious Christmas memory. I am ready to embrace clean eating again, and to leave the sugar and alcohol behind for a while. It really does feel good I have to say. The past few days I've gone back to making oat pancakes for breakfast (recipe on my blog here) and I have love love loved eating them. So good.

I've ordered a new recipe book which should arrive tomorrow (it's this one) and I'm excited to try out some new family meals. Yesterday I sat down and menu-planned for the week ahead which is something I've slipped out of doing in the past month - January is such a good month for resetting all sorts of little routines and habits don't you think?

We took a walk into town on Saturday morning to get stocked up on fresh fruit and veggies from the market and I am so grateful that we get to do this on a regular basis. There is something really satisfying about returning home with bags full of fresh produce, knowing that we have supported a number of great local businesses (butcher, baker, deli, plus fruit/veg and cheese from the market).  This routine is something we started in the summer when our first lockdown ended and our little shops and market re-opened and I'm happy to say we are still enjoying it.

Can you see the canal is frozen in the above photo? We've had such cold, cold temperatures here this past week and our boiler is still messing us about so it's been a bit tough on the home front. Some days it has worked fine (oh, deep joy) and other days (like today) we managed a few hours of heat before it packed in. We are still waiting on an engineer, they tell us it'll most likely be into next week before they can come out as they are so busy. All the layers are needed I can tell you. Today I'm wearing a sports bra, a vest, a long sleeve t-shirt, a thick hoodie, an oversized fleecy pyjama top, plus woolly socks and mitts, oh and a scarf too. And I have two crochet blankets wrapped around me and a hot water bottle. At least we are still able to shower (our electric shower is separate to the central heating) and we have our beloved fire so it's not too dire, we are managing OK for the time being.

Just after Christmas, our local area moved into a higher tier of Covid restrictions which meant that cafés and restaurants were forced to close. I am more than happy (delighted in fact) to support my local indie coffee shop which has stayed open to offer takeaways. Hot milky coffee and woolly layers have been making these freezing cold mornings at home feel special, and I am thankful for this luxury.

However, everything is about to change yet again as the whole of the UK moves into another full lockdown as from tomorrow. We will be back to home schooling, only going out for essential food supplies and for exercise. It's such a strange time, and yet oddly I feel comforted by the idea of simply staying at home. Staying home I can do, and I am determined to make the most of the coming days of slow living and simple comforts.

On Saturday soon after we came home from the market, the weather suddenly changed from icy to snowy with absolutely no warning. As far as I know we weren't expecting snow, so it caught us all by surprise. We watched as the flurries grew heavier and heavier and within an hour there were a couple of inches of perfect soft, powdery snow covering everything.

On the spur of the moment we decided to head out and enjoy the wintry whiteness, J and I, plus Little B and Little Lady.

We haven't been able to take this walk across the fields in a long while because the mud has been next level, so it was really enjoyable to be able to stride out across familiar footpaths frozen hard and covered in a layer of snow.

So different from our many summer walks across here!

It was absolutely beautiful....

....everything so still, quiet and tranquil.

This road looked like something out of a fairy tale, the scene looking like it was straight from Narnia. It was magical I thought.

In complete contrast to all the wintry whiteness outside our door right now, I am currently immersed in all things summery and floral. The Meadow Blanket CAL begins on Friday 8th and I am absolutely delighting in the total escapism of it......all the warm, sunny vibes are flowing here! I'm working with J making the stitch charts and printables this week, as well as the very full photo-heavy tutorial which will be released here on Friday. I am SO excited to take off on this journey across the meadow with you, it couldn't be happening at a better time. Slow, rhythmic, colourful hooky stripes are the very best kind of therapy when all is topsy turvy in the world.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx