Before I get carried away with springtime chat I wanted to thank you all so, so much for the really lovely, positive comments you wrote in response to my Winter Garland. Thank you, thank you!! It's been so enjoyable to read through them all, and to know that you've been uplifted by my creative endeavours has really made me happy.
A few of you have asked about the snowdrop pattern - in the end I just couldn't make it work with this garland, sadly they just didn't seem to quite fit with everything else. I was a bit disappointed about it at the time, but have an idea for using the snowdrop in another project and often times this is how the design process works. It doesn't always come together as you think it will. I do still intend to make a tutorial and share the pattern but I've got a couple of time-sensitive projects that I need to prioritise first.
I've got some fandabbydozy daffies on my table this week - remember me telling you last week that I wished we could buy bunches of these paler varieties? Well the Universe delivered, how about that for good fortune?!
These were in bud when I bought them from the supermarket, but I had a feeling that they looked paler than the usual bright yellow ones and I was seriously beside myself with happiness when they began to open at the weekend. Gosh, I do love them, especially the ones with bright orange centres that remind me of fried eggs. Gorgeous things.
The past few days have been particularly slow and gentle which has suited me perfectly. I've felt the need to be still and quiet of late, for no real reason other than to attempt to relax a little. I seem to be in a very heightened creative phase at the moment, with a huge surge of ideas and inspirations crowding my mind day and night. It's really exciting but also quite draining at the same time because my brain never feels like it rests properly when I'm operating in this way. It's switched into creative overdrive 24/7 and it's hard to dial it down.
The kitty has magical powers when it comes to relaxation and having her sound asleep on my lap like this has a very calming effect. The above photo was late on Saturday afternoon, a quiet lull in the day when everyone else was busy doing their own thing and I took the opportunity to rest a while. I thought that I might have a little snooze but in the end it was enough to just sit quietly - I don't know about you, but I find that taking time to just sit and be still is often reeeeeeally hard. It doesn't come naturally, especially in a family household when we are so used to multi-tasking and keeping busy, but I think the benefits of a good old fashioned afternoon rest are massive.
On Sunday it was the Spring Equinox and here in Atticland the weather was absolutely beautiful. I remember in years gone by that we've had some truly dismal first days of spring (this one comes to mind, my first ever Blogland spring) but this year it was better than I could have hoped.
J and I went out for a walk, just a local stroll from our front door along quiet rural lanes (well if you ignore the tractors coming and going) and back along the canal.
We took a flask of fresh coffee with us and sat a while on the bench in the above photo enjoying the sunshine.
We also had a buttered mini hot cross bun, a perfect mid morning snack with our coffee. I think the swan thought he/she might like to share my snack with me, but honestly I wasn't much in the mood for sharing. Mine, mine, mine.
Gorgeous sunshine and shadows, a chilly wind blowing, but oh, that bright sun and blue sky was very, very lovely indeed.
I did some baking on Sunday afternoon for the first time in ages. I don't know what prompted me to do it but it felt good to be pottering in the kitchen making some simple iced buns for the Little People. I must remember to do it more often, especially because the LP really loved me for it, haha, gold star for Mum.
On Friday afternoon it was warm enough to sit outside for the first time in a very long while. The wind had dropped and for a short spell just after lunch we had the sun in our back yard. I took full advantage, digging out my outdoor crochet blankets and reacquainting myself with the delights of the sunlounger I bought last year. It was utter bliss. Ah, I was so happy sat there with my feet up, coffee in hand and the sun warming my face, happy, happy me.
If you've been visiting with me here over the years, you will know that I have several crochet blankets that are kept for outdoor use - stash busting projects that I've made with picnics and holidays in mind. Last year I bought a storage box for our little back yard, somewhere to store blankets and cushions where we can get to them easily during the summer months when they are in constant use. The blankets had been left out there all winter (unintentionally I might add) and were in dire need of a wash and an air out, and so that's exactly what I did on Sunday afternoon.
I absolutely love these blankets, they are just simple, old fashioned granny squares made from scraps of left over yarn, but they are completely full of happiness. Do you remember me making them?
On the left is the first one I crocheted in 2013, which I simply call "granny patchwork" - you can see more of it ((here)).
On the right is the second one I made in 2016 called the "colourwash granny" - more of it ((here)).
It won't surprise you to hear that I have a humungous urge to make a third one - my goodness, my fingers are itching to just get flying with it, never mind the other projects and deadlines that currently need my attention.
I came across the above image recently on Instagram just by chance, it popped up on my screen and stopped me in my tracks. How beautiful!! Totally inspired, I fell head first in love with the idea of making something similar in crochet - random, scrappy two-colour crochet squares in a glorious mix of colours. Oh, the JOY!!
This isn't by any means an original idea and there are already some really amazing crochet blankets out there constructed from two-colour granny squares. You can see some good ones in this blog post to get the idea, and there is also this gorgeous blanket made by crochet designer Helen Boreham for Stylecraft.
Sigh, I want to do it sooo badly. I wonder if I can perhaps just quietly start it without any expectation or timeline, maybe one or two squares, just to get a feel for it and scratch the itch? A springtime project that eases gently into the summer months...... well who am I trying to kid, I never do these kind of things gently or quietly, it's always full throttle and full volume. You'll certainly get to know all about it, that's for sure.
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Beautiful weather here in Worcestershire. Great to see your ideas. I am not at all creative so haven't ideas bursting to come to fruition but got carried away during lockdown and have enough knitting and crochet patterns packed away with yarn for several years! It doesn't stop me buying more if I fancy them, one of the advantages of being retired with children that have flown the next is more time for myself
Posted by: Geeha | March 22, 2022 at 06:11 PM
Just came back from the dentist so your happy blog took my mind off dribbling until the mouth is back to normal and the cost. Perfect timing Lucy!!!
Posted by: Jo | March 22, 2022 at 05:41 PM
Awwws lovely as ever!! Love the blanket idea looking fwd to seeing it . Absoluteky beautiful here today near heathrow.I seem to have atists block cant set mtself to anything so instead I have sorted all my clitges out lots to donate to charity.
Posted by: Jacqui | March 22, 2022 at 05:22 PM