Hello my friends, and welcome to this humble blog post which is the first of thirty-one offerings I'll be posting throughout the month of October. Yup, it's time for #blogtober2021, a daily blog fest where you get to visit me each and every day (only if you'd like to of course) for some colourful snippets of Attic life. I hope some of you may remember that I did Blogtober for the first time last year and absolutely loved it, although it has to be said it is a pretty big challenge to keep up with. You can read my Blogtober 2020 round-up post ((here)), and if you fancy a jig through all of last year's October posts, then Day One is ((here)) - you can then follow them in order.
As per usual, no plans have been made for blogtober this year, none whatsoever. I am simply not a planner, and am much happier going with the flow day to day and hoping for the best. So there won't be any themes and I won't be following any prompts, you will just be getting a string of spontaneous images and words which I hope will spring forth at the end of each day.
Today being Friday I woke up feeling very happy, knowing that I would be spending the morning at Coopers café in the company of good friends. Since the schools returned in September we've been back to our twice weekly creative sessions at the café and I am so grateful for these times, and for the real life yarny friends I am lucky enough to have in my life.
I wanted to show you the start of this beautiful blanket that my friend Sue is making, isn't it a beauty? She's using my Yuletide square pattern with her own choice of colours in Stylecraft Belissima yarn.
The above photo could very well be me (frothy coffee and a crochet blanket on the go), but nope, it's my friend Sarah who is busy crocheting her own Yuletide blanket. It gives me a tremendous amount of pleasure to see my designs being created, it really does make my heart squeeeeeze with joy. Yuletide yarn packs continue to be in high demand and have been out of stock this week - a yarn delivery came into the Warehouse this afternoon so if you've been waiting there are now a small quantity of Yuletide kits in my shop, with more coming in next week I think.
I've had a few questions lately about my studio room at the café, so I thought I should tell you what's happening. I'm still working from home at the moment as last summer my studio room was needed to provide additional seating for the café. I packed up everything except for my yarn shelves which I was able to leave in situ and this lovely room is currently being used by café customers (I hope they enjoy my colourful yarn shelves while they eat). We hold our creative social sessions in the bigger room next door as we always have done, but I really miss my working space, I miss it a hellava lot. I'm not sure if I'll be able to have it back again in the future, but I'm keeping everything crossed.
In the meantime, I'm just about managing to work ok from home although I find it very, very frustrating. We eat our evening meal at the dining table each day, so whatever I'm working on has to be cleared up and packed away. I find this often really disrupts the flow of my work, especially when I'm designing or working on samples, but there isn't a lot I can do about it at the moment. I'm lucky to have the shelves and a built in cupboard for storage, but it doesn't stop me wishing I had my own working space at home.
This afternoon I needed to pop to the supermarket which meant a stroll along the canal. I'm still adjusting to the absence of the school run in my life so I often find myself "needing" to go to the shops which gives me a reason to walk this way.
I love it when you see plants or flowers growing out of stone walls, and this one caught my eye this afternoon. I think it's a silver ragwort which is a wild flower, and I just thought it looked so pretty growing happily in this wall beside the canal.
Talking of pretty, my sweet peas are still flowering in the yarden and make me smile every single day. I'll be sorry when the cold weather takes them away, but for now I'll continue to enjoy the the sight and smell of them.
I hope that something pretty has caught your eye today and made your heart happy!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So looking forward to hearing from you every day this month. Your charming thoughts and words always bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. My sweet peas are just starting to grow up and hopefully they’ll be flowering before too long.
Posted by: Meredithe | October 06, 2021 at 08:48 AM
Hi Lucy Yay Blogtober! So enjoy your posts and your photos are always a joy. Autumn came in with a blast of rain and wind, and the waves were crashing. I do hope it settles down and we have those sunny autumn days. Almost finished the Dahlia blanket, and the dahlias in the gardens are starting to droop their heads and submit to the season change. All in it's time. Take Care, Hugs, Mo
Posted by: Marylin Ollivier | October 03, 2021 at 07:14 PM
Hello Lucy, so nice you do a Blogtober again. Last year your posts where a blessing towards the end of the year before the "dark days" were coming. Oh I hope you understand what I mean because I`m from Holland. I`m looking forward to the next posts with the attention for the small colourfull things in your life. Wish you the best with the struggles in your life.
Posted by: Teddy | October 03, 2021 at 01:47 PM
It took me a while to get used to the absence of the school run too and also not being needed so much by my three children took the stuffing out of me too. But I’m glad you still find reasons for your walks as you live in a beautiful part of the UK and it’s a joy to see it through your posts - thanks Lucy and I’m looking forward to your daily digest xx
Posted by: Lynne Rowe | October 03, 2021 at 10:35 AM
As a carer I rarely have time to do what I would like. I feel for you having to clear the table each evening and I hope you are to go back toy our happy space soon. I look forward to your daily posts. I welcome the colour and joy you bring to me life.
Posted by: Suzan | October 03, 2021 at 09:13 AM
I'm glad the October has rolled around and that we can do a Blogtober Challenge again. I wanted to let you know that I've added your blog's name to my master list of blogs that are partaking in the Blogtober Challenge. Scott from PinArtwork.
Posted by: Scott | PinArtwork | October 02, 2021 at 11:48 PM
Hello Lucy, I discovered your blog when the Aria Blanket arrived in my life ^^
I like the colors of your pics, I'll come everyday to read your posts. And for the end of October, my Aria will be finished, I hope so in any case ^^
Please excuse my mistakes, I am French, and I try to write without a translator ;)
Posted by: Sylvie LG | October 02, 2021 at 04:37 PM
Thank you Lucy looking forward to reading your Blogtober every day weather is horrible here today your Blog and crochet always cheer me up and make me feel better. Hope you are feeling better yourself now. Take care have a lovely weekend, looking forward to reading your Blog later 😊😊
Posted by: Marjorie | October 02, 2021 at 02:05 PM
Looking forward to your daily blogs, especially at this time of year which is my favourite. I’m settling down this rainy afternoon to organise myself starting on my Yuletide Blanket - when the pack arrived I was so excited to see these yummy gorgeous colours, can’t wait to get cracking x
Posted by: Sue | October 02, 2021 at 01:44 PM
I'm so glad you're doing a daily blog, I love the way you notice things and it encourages me to get out and appreciate the signs of the season. I hope the fact that you're doing them means that you are beginning to feel better.
Posted by: Kate Buckley | October 02, 2021 at 01:30 PM
And she's off! Thank you for doing Blogtober again and inspiring me to get off my bottom and join in! :) xx
Posted by: Winwick Mum | October 02, 2021 at 10:34 AM
Thanks for blogtober , look forward to reading each evening , it’s good that you can still leave all your yarn in situ at the cafe , i would be fretting about it though and gradually have to take it all home , what if I needed a certain colour at 10pm , that would be me , I remember visiting the cafe , after meeting you , at the very first yarndale , that was a great weekend
Posted by: Joan | October 02, 2021 at 10:13 AM
Oh brilliant, I love your Blogtober posts. In fact I am wondering whether to do it now, although my life is pretty much just work and routine stuff at the moment, so I'm not sure. It's my birthday today, which means it must be yours soon too I think. A shame you don't have your studio space at the moment, I know how frustrating it is to work at the dining table. I do as well, and I have to clear away for lunch as well as dinner and also at the end of the day. Although it's just writing, I always have quite a lot to set out, with a stand for my laptop and lots of bits and bobs to put out. Oh for a desk of my own! But there simply isn't space. One day... CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | October 02, 2021 at 09:33 AM
Que hermoso lugar!
Éxito siempre en todos tus proyectos
Yo soy también tejedora amo❤️ el Crochet
Dios te bendiga
Saludos desde Nuevo León México
Posted by: Yadei Borjas | October 02, 2021 at 09:14 AM
Lovely post Lucy! I too work from home at the dining table, it can be challenge for space with my laptop, moniter, hubby's laptop and of course my 'in progress' crochet blanket at my side...I'm making a Yuletide stripe with parchment between each stripe! 🙂🙋♀️❤
Posted by: Marion Cook | October 02, 2021 at 07:44 AM
Yippee....you are posting every day! I love your photography and glimpse of life in the UK!
Thank you!!!
Posted by: Ruth Plowman | October 02, 2021 at 04:45 AM
So lovely. I have a trolley, like the ones you can get at ikea for each of my blanket projects. The good thing about being at home is I don’t have to haul them around
Posted by: LoriAngela | October 02, 2021 at 12:54 AM
Hello Lucy... find it hard to believe it’s been a year since blogtober... it was my habit to read it as part of my bedtime routine... so enjoyable!
Hoping this year that your blogging might help calm our minds again... yours/mine/everyone’s!! Also will bring a little bit of nature closer, along with your usual injection of wonderful colours.
Thank you, lovely lady 💐
Posted by: Jan | October 02, 2021 at 12:02 AM
Oh Lucy this is a thrill to be able to enjoy your posts all month long. Also a thrill to see I walked the same path just under a week ago while visiting Yarndale. I was stopped in my tracks by the beautiful red leaves cascading over the archway in the background to your ragwort photo. Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Lindsay | October 01, 2021 at 11:32 PM
Thank you so much for your lovely posts! I was excited to see you were going to post every day, as I look forward to reading them :)
Posted by: Tammy | October 01, 2021 at 11:21 PM
My daughter and I visited Hebden Bridge last weekend. What a beautiful place.
We visited the market.had a walk along the canal and visited a pub for lunch. I was looking for your little cafe but couldn't find it. Will try another time
Posted by: Shelly brown | October 01, 2021 at 10:56 PM
LOTS of pretty things to catch my eye, Lucy! Hope you get your studio back, your yarn shelves are gorgeous...ditto the lovely little town you live in!
Posted by: Charlotte Pountney | October 01, 2021 at 10:55 PM
This is a lovely idea. October is a favorite to me and now for one more reason. I will look forward to your daily blogs. Thank You.
Posted by: Cathleen | October 01, 2021 at 10:26 PM
I love blogtober! I feel so spoilt knowing I'll have something to read from my favourite blogger everyday!! But then I feel guilty as I'm too lazy to blog everyday myself :( You are enjoying the last of the sweet peas and Im enjoying the first! I love nothing more than sticking my face in and deeply inhaling that beautiful scent. My absolute favourite thing about this time of year. Im so sorry you have lost your space. I hope you get it back soon. I feel your pain about trying to create in the dining room.
Posted by: Louise | October 01, 2021 at 10:25 PM
Oooooh Blogtober, love to read your blogs, Lucy. Pity of your work studio is occupied by cafe visitors. Don't wish too hard, any moment now your older kids can leave your house to go live on their own. Only little B, who will become big B, will be there. You can choose your workroom then. I miss my big men in my house a lot, but then again, I can catch a train to visit them. New ways always open up. See you tomorrow.
Posted by: Tineke | October 01, 2021 at 10:07 PM