Slow Sunday vibes here today, and it's been good. I enjoyed a little bit of a sleep in (till 7am) and then spent the next few hours sat up in bed with my tablet and several cups of frothy coffee, browsing on Instagram and watching YouTube videos about cute camper van conversions which is my latest fixation. I just can't get enough of watching them and love seeing how people of all ages and walks of life have created their dreamy little homes on wheels. It's insanely appealing, although I swing between desperately wanting to own a camper van and wanting to own a small apartment by the sea somewhere. Of course it's all just day dreaming at the moment, but daydreams do seem to bring me a lot of pleasure. I'm quite happy living in my own fantasy world.
Late morning we ventured out into the drizzly grey of the day to go and have coffee with a distant relative of mine who got in touch out the blue to say she was visiting the town where I live. She's my Dad's cousin which I think makes us second cousins, and although I didn't remember her at all (I think I was around 8 or 9 years old when we last met) her face was instantly familiar when we met up. Her Mum (my great Aunt, who is still alive at age 99) I definitely know and remember and there was a striking resemblance which I recognised immediately. It was a lovely hour to chat about family times and exchange news, and I was glad to make the reconnection.
This afternoon I cooked a chicken and lentil curry in the slow cooker, and spent more time with Little Lady who still seems very down. I'd been looking through my photo archives earlier in the day, diving right back through the years and getting thoroughly lost down Memory Lane. I was actually looking for blogging photos, but in amongst the crochet and flowers and hill views there were of course many, many images of the children going back over the years of their childhood. Oh, it was so sweet to spend time back in my thirties when I was a mum of two little ones, and then in my early forties when life with two young children and a new baby played out in my photos. And then I found the file with years of video clips and I was thoroughly lost back in time for a good while.....in the end I took my laptop up to Little Lady's room, squeezed into bed with her and made her watch endless little reels of her and her brothers when they were small. It really cheered her up I think, well that was the idea.
Anyhow, I am rambling - what I'm trying to say is that earlier on it dawned on me that there were precisely two images on my camera roll today, and that would make for a very short Blogtober post indeed. So I began to wonder about what this particular day looked like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that? It's an interesting concept and due to my obsessive photography habit I was pretty sure I'd be able to plug in my external hard drive and dig out thirteen 17th-of-Octobers.
Would you like to see what I found? I'll work backwards, starting last year.
17:10:2020 ↑↑ I was sharing my completed cross stitch hoop and chatting about creating a little corner in my bedroom where I'd recently put a small desk.
17:10:2019 ↑↑ I was working on my Dahlia blanket behind the scenes before launching the yarn pack in November 2019, and by the looks of it I was also poorly (blackcurrant Lemsip in the mug).
17:10:2018 ↑↑ Snuggling up in the Big Chair with the kitty, working on a design for a woolly bag. I was making it out of a pure wool yarn with the idea of felting it in the washing machine - this project never did get finished, but it's still on my to-do list!
17:10:2017 ↑↑ I was making leaves and acorns for my Autumn Garland and the 17th of October four years ago contained loooooooads of leafy images. I remember having a fantastic time photographing the making process, it was very photogenic.
18:10:2016 ↑↑ I didn't have any photos for the 17th, but on the 18th Ocober 2016 I was in the studio getting all giddy over dried hydrangea flowers. Similar to the Autumn garland, I took lots and lots of inspiration photos of hydrangea flowers as I worked through ideas for a colour palette and blanket.
18:10:2016 ↑↑ October 2015 and I was walking in the woodland, it's certainly a place that you are probably extremely familiar with if you've been visiting with me for a number of years. It's interesting to see that the leaves were very much more Autumnal back then - they are still very green here this year.
17:10:2014 ↑↑ A walk home from town and a photograph of my feet. Ahh, it's the stuff that good seasonal blogs are made of!
18:10:2013 ↑↑ A slightly out of focus but very pretty little jar of back yard flowers on my table. Note that the zigzag baby blanket hanging over the back of my yellow chair is still in situ seven years later. I find it fascinating to see how little changes around here over the years.
18:10:2012 ↑↑ Oh yes, this was a nice surprise! These three little ceramic bowls reminded me that this time nine years ago I'd just returned from teaching on a crochet retreat in the South of France, and I bought these bowls from a market along with a bag of highly scented Provence Lavender. Such wonderful memories - you can read my posts about that trip here, here, here, here, and here. And of course, the project that I designed especially for this trip was the French Bower bird, which you can read about here.
18:10:2012 ↑↑ a bit of a terrible photo I'm afraid, but I remember that the camera I had at the time really didn't like artificial light. You can see my beloved Big Blanket on my bed, and my colourful Interlocking Ripple blanket in it's early stages. It's been a long while since I made a blanket with anything other than my favourite Stylecraft Special DK.
18:10:2011 ↑↑ Oh, this photo is a bit special because it took me on a jaunt to Mallorca! I was lucky enough to have a long weekend away in October ten years ago (my first time away from Little B, who was only 10 months old at the time), and on this exact day I was wandering around the beautiful Sunday market in Pollensa Old Town. It was soooo photogenic, and I've just spent a gorgeous time re-reading my posts from that trip here and here.
16:10:2009 ↑↑ Oh look, Little B is still in my tummy here!! Awwww!! I was showing off my stripy crochet wrist warmers and working on a little tutorial for the bobble edging.
17:10:2008 ↑↑ This was the first October in my blogging archives thirteen years ago. My hill view has featured a lot over the years, in all weathers, seasons and at different times of day. Today when I walked to the end of the street and gazed across the valley I could only see a very faint outline of the hill because it was obscured by a damp, grey mist.
x
Well, I must say I've really, really enjoyed putting this post together, and it's something I think I'll do again in the future. I know a good many of you have been following me for many, many years, but for those of you who are newer visitors, my archives are listed at the bottom of the right hand side bar so you can dip into them at any time.
And just for the record, this is post number one thousand, five hundred and sixty two. That's a lot of sharing.
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It is indeed a lot of sharing! I think I started reading your blog about a year after you started, but I have read the older ones as well. The first one I read, you were having breakfast in West Bay ( I think), which piqued my interest as I live in Dorset ( though the eastern part, which was Hampshire when I was born in it!) I loved your trip down memory Lane.
Posted by: Ruthie | October 21, 2021 at 11:59 PM
Wonderful!!
Posted by: Meredithe | October 20, 2021 at 05:28 AM
Wonderful to see what things have changed (cameras, for instance) and what things haven't (your love of color, that blanket on the yellow chair). Thanks for this recap!
Posted by: Amy | October 19, 2021 at 06:27 PM
Thank you Lucy, for going down memory lane. I joined you before Little B was even a thought, so a long time. I fell in love with your little houses at the top of your blog, and vowed to make them myself. Huh, such empty promises - I still haven't ! Like everyone else, I have crocheted blankets all over the house, and daughter's house too. I don't think you can have too many. Thank you Lucy for sharing your life with us - I only wish I had your energy to go with it!
Posted by: Val | October 18, 2021 at 08:28 PM
I’m trying really hard to work out when I first started reading. Little B was definitely born, definitely little but not a tiny baby I think. I wish there was some way to find your first ever blog comment on someone else’s blog… But then I hadn’t started blogging back then quite, so I’m not even sure which email address or name I would’ve signed off with. So tricky to Google it. I know it sounds a bit bizarre, but it’s kind of like your own personal history as well through comments on others’ posts. I’ll have to have a think about what you might have been making. A baby cashmerino yarn blanket I think. I bought that yarn too, and nearly bankrupted myself!
I definitely made one of your birds, because I recently came across a picture of my craft room noticeboard which had one hanging on it at the time. I might pop that up on IG I think. It’s a nice photo.
Lots of waffle waffle today! xx
Posted by: Rachell | October 18, 2021 at 07:18 PM
I went back and read all of your beautiful post of the French Bower bird project. How cute. Have you ever taught that class again? Or made a pattern available? That's definitely a good one.
Posted by: charlotte m. | October 18, 2021 at 02:39 PM
That's a LOT of blogging! Some lovely memories to look back on too.
My own kid was quite low before he went off to uni. It suddenly hits - the huge change it will be for them. That and the pressurepressurepressure of the exams. I don't think he slept properly for those few months.
Posted by: Tonia | October 18, 2021 at 01:07 PM
I have exactly the same obsession, looking at converted vans. I had a campervan I took my kids on holiday with all over the world. Happy memories. And perhaps indeed a new idea for later on, if my kitty cats would love it. Isn't it marvelous to see the number of years and work visible in your posts? It is really scary for some kids, going from home, into the wide world, and venture out. Kids don't have that many years behind them to know they will make it as we do. We know we will manage, as we did that so many times. It is Little Ladies' first big adventure alone. Tell her you trust her, that she can do it, and you will be there. She can always choose better if it is not what she meant. I do remember those days, on the opposite of the world between kazillion students not knowing anyone. Home was thousands of kilometers away. It made me into who I am now, but goodness, it was so scary.
Posted by: Tineke | October 18, 2021 at 10:21 AM
A lot of sharing from you and lots of joys, memories and projects to dream of for me. Thank you.
Posted by: Line | October 18, 2021 at 09:39 AM
Wow, that is a lot of posts, well done you. We love camper vans here as well. The middle boy likes ones that are done out by mountain bikers with lots of handy tools and space for the equipment. I saw one a while back that was just a feat of engineering, literally everything you could ever need fitted into a Ford Transit, it was gobsmacking. I also have plans for a place by the sea. In fact, have picked out the exact street... Lovely to see your memories. I might pinch that idea if I can work out how to extract the photos from old blog posts. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | October 18, 2021 at 09:38 AM
Thank you Lucy for sharing your October 17th ish blog years with us. It was lovely to see again all your creativity and read all about your comings and goings :)
Have a wonderful new week x
Posted by: Beverley | October 18, 2021 at 09:33 AM
I really enjoyed your trip down memory lane & the sweet photos. I think I joined you around 2010, so it was nice to see your early photos.
You are very brave sharing your life with us & I thank you for that. Take care of yourself & your precious family x
Norma
Posted by: Norma | October 18, 2021 at 08:58 AM
I am so glad you decided to blog, and that you are still blogging, Lucy. I remember those stripy wrist warmers so well. Weren’t they inspired by a Toast catalogue, or something equally as expensive? I made some out of purple sock yarn. Which reminds me , I need to dig them out as it’s going to cool down a bit this week. I hope your daughter has a good week. This part of parenting is so difficult, because you can’t kiss, cuddle, tickle them better. But you’re evidently doing all you can, and have a close relationship where she knows that you are there for her.
Thank you for doing blogtober, it must be such an effort, but I’m really enjoying all your posts! At some point I’m going to click the links on this post and reminisce, but I’d better get on with the washing up first😊xx
Posted by: PennyL | October 18, 2021 at 08:25 AM
I really loved this blog with all the memories. I have been following you for a few years now. As I taught myself to crochet I find your tutorials very very helpful and easy to follow. Your sense of colour is wonderful. And you have just so many beautiful blankets and other goodies to crochet. Thank you
Posted by: Gaye Brodie | October 18, 2021 at 08:22 AM
I really enjoyed this post! How fun to go down memory lane with you. Your posts are never boring or filled with too much sameness. I love your joy, positivity and gratitude. Your beautiful colorful crochet certainly changed how I viewed crochet objects. My grandma taught me to crochet in the 70s. ( I was young! Ha!). But everything she made was in burnt orange, avocado green, rust brown and cream or ecru lace. I treasure all her makes but they are Not modern colors for today’s decor. I came across your blog (little B was a baby) and was literally blown away with your colors. I’ve been hooked ever since. Keep being you and doing what makes you happy. I’m happy to be a visitor! One day I’ll visit England and your beautiful town and I’ll definitely have a coffee at Coopers!
Posted by: Lynn Dee Butler | October 18, 2021 at 07:34 AM
Your hill view looks very familiar indeed, but I started reading you only in 2009. ;) The big blanket is sooo beautiful and fills me with memories of trying to crochet with your tutrorials.
Posted by: Elena | October 18, 2021 at 07:27 AM
One of the reasons for my blog is that it is a record.....
So lovely to look back, gives a nice warm fuzzy feeling. Thank you
Posted by: Christine | October 18, 2021 at 07:15 AM
A lovely post Lucy thank you. I had forgotten all about your bower bird...I made it in a pretty green and my then tiny grandson who was obsessed with pirates, claimed it as his parrot and spent months going around with it fastened to his shoulder. I hope your daughter feels better soon, teenage years can be so difficult. 😃
Posted by: kathleenalice | October 18, 2021 at 06:36 AM
Hi Lucy Loved your trip into the past. I think I joined you in 2010...my o' my, how time passes! I did the Bower Bird again just a while back and put him center stage in a crochet wreath I made. He's such a comical character and makes me laugh. He sits over my craft table and keeps an eye on all the things I do. I so luv relaxing each evening and reading your blog. Blessings to you and yours, MO
Posted by: Marylin Ollivier | October 18, 2021 at 04:44 AM
Hi Lucy, I hope your daughter feels better soon. I have an 18year old so I understand what you are going through as a mum. I hope she has some goals and things to keep her mind busy. Hayley.
Posted by: hayley taylor | October 18, 2021 at 02:49 AM
What a lovely trip down memory lane. I still remember when Little Boy was such a surprise. Seems like yesterday.
Posted by: charlotte | October 18, 2021 at 01:07 AM
I have been reading your blog for years and I cannot believe how quickly those years have gone. Seems you just had Little B and now he's almost a teen-ager! Love reading all your blogs this month. I know how much time it takes to write one and get the photos up so thank you for writing every day this month.
Posted by: Kate | October 18, 2021 at 01:03 AM
I like looking back at your blog pictures as I've only found your blog within the last two years. One constant though are the lovely colors both in your work, yarn choices and the nature you share.
Posted by: Katherine Brow n | October 18, 2021 at 12:14 AM
What a lovely trip down memory lane, Lucy. I remember all of these photos - can't believe I've been peaking over your shoulder into your life for all these years. Thanks for everything!
Posted by: Bettina | October 17, 2021 at 11:13 PM
Oh how lovely to look back the same day over the years. Perfect. Love the idea of making the family connection by the fact they looked like other relatives. Sounds like you had a great Sunday. B x
Posted by: Barbara | October 17, 2021 at 11:00 PM