Attic24

Summer Moments {two}

☀ My current late breakfast / early lunch summer food crush. A scoop of homemade museli (oats mixed with sultanas and roasted nuts and seeds) mixed with fat free vanilla yoghurt, topped with fresh fruit (banana, strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate). It's not especially photogenic, but trust me it is soooooooo good to eat. 

☀ Enjoying the fact that we live less than ten minutes walk from the centre of town. A few times during this past week I've needed to pop to the shops, and Little Lady has jumped at the chance to come with me. In amongst the errands and shopping, we've managed to sneak a quick cappuccino/frappuccino at her favourite town centre coffee shop which has felt like a real treat.

☀ Lots of snuggling up and watching tv/films this week as the weather has been absolutely dreadful with a huge amount of rain. Happy to report that Little B's thumb has healed very well after his surgery and we are hopeful that so long as he keeps exercising, it'll keep bending as it should.

☀ With so much wet weather, we have grabbed any opportunity to get out when we've been able. This was a late evening walk up a huuuuuuge hill, taking the giddy Little People to the Rec high up above the town to burn off some energy just before bedtime. It's a lovely time of day to be out and about in summer (9.30pm in the above photo), such beautiful golden light.

☀  During the summer holidays, we manage to keep our Creative group going at Coopers Cafe on a Friday morning. I absolutely LOVE this part of my weekly routine, and it's always pure pleasure to sit down with something happily growing on my hook/needles whilst drinking a very good latte and chatting with all the lovely friendly ladies who come to join me. 

☀  My usual juggling act is well underway as I balance out the needs of the family with my own need to crack on with working commitments. I'm pretty used to blocking out the mayhem and working at the dining table, which is just as well really as I've got  a huge workload right now. I'm busy organising the big Creative Community project for Yarndale which I hope to be able to tell you about this week. I'm so excited by it!

☀  We had a few Movie Nights here last week, complete with requested bowls of the stickiest, sweetest toffee popcorn for the Little People. It's been fun - we watched {this} a few nights ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it, the humour really tickled me, and the sound track was fabulous.

☀  The morning after movie night, and the sight of the blanket-strewn sofa never fails to make me sigh with happiness. My blankets are sooooo well used here at number 24, and that makes me unbelievably happy I have to say.

☀  So. Much. Rain. Every day this week it's rained, sometimes a persistent light drizzle, sometimes short, sharp torrential downpours. I've watched the storms roll overhead and have longed for clear blue skies. I've lost count of how many mad dashes I've made out to the back yard to frantically pull in a load of almost-dry laundry at the start of yet another a rain shower. But when the blue skies appear, oh, it feels so good!

☀  A short morning walk up into the woods yesterday morning, a gentle stroll after a couple days of not being well. I felt rather drained of energy as a result of fighting off a stomach bug, but the fresh woodland air (soooo fresh after all the rain!) was a delight.

☀  The waterfalls are usually gently trickling at this time of year, but at the moment they are gushing at full force. Yes, that'll be the rain again....I'm sure there is a positive spin to put on all this wetness, but really I would love love love for it to be dry and sunny for a while.

☀ I can't deny the visual appeal of so much fresh, zesty greenery though, the woodland and surrounding countryside is absolutely thriving.

☀  I continue my love affair with nectarines, they make me so happy! Sometimes I just launch myself at a whole one (often outside as it's a juicy, messy business), and sometimes I take the time to cut the fruit up into neat slices and actually use a plate. Deeeelicious either way.

☀  A solitary little flower picked from my sparse back yard pots, so cheery and such a vivid shade of yellow....

☀  ....perfect to bring a dash of summer colour to the bathroom windowsill. 

I hope you're enjoying your days, whether you are swinging through Summer or cosying up through Winter. And I hope you manage to find some lovely moments which make you stop and take note, feel gratitude and happiness. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Early July

These sweet days of mid summer are just beautiful, and I feel like I need to soak up every tiny little summery thing and absorb it right into my soul. I feel a strong desire to stock pile these visual details, preserve the sights, sounds and memories of summertime in preparation for Autumn when it all fades away. My view is so green and lush right now, and every day I stand at the end of my street and breathe in the sight of it, even in the grey mist/rain that we've had of late it looks lovely. 

On Saturday morning I walked through the park with the Little People to visit our rather fabulous farm shop. It was a lovely day and we were on a mission to choose and buy some things to put a picnic tea together, it was such fun seeing what they chose and how they thought our picnic should be. We came home with a full bag - pork and apple sausage rolls, garlic stuffed olives, Italian salami, cherry tomatoes on the vine, fresh crusty bread, eggs to hard boil, a punnet of strawberries, chocolate chip cookies. J wasn't particularly keen on the picnic-in-the-park idea, but I showed him the chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and reminded him that all he had to do was sit on a blanket, eat yummy food from a plastic plate and drink wine from a plastic glass. What's not to like? Besides, the Little People were sooooooooo happy about the idea of picnicking, he didn't stand a chance really. 

It was lovely, with that particular quality of summery light when the day starts to gently fade and early evening creeps in. It was round 8pm in the above photo, Little Lady and I lazing on the picnic blanket at the top of the hill chatting about this and that, whilst J and Little B ran round after a football. 

We found a new place to walk at the start of the month, a little bit of an accidental discovery. We were driving around familiar lanes in the Yorkshire Dales (J and I, one Monday lunch time) looking for somewhere quiet and scenic to enjoy a bit of a picnic lunch. We had food and drink, I had my crochet, he had his Kindle, and we had in mind that we might spend a few hours partaking in some pleasurable idling with a view. We saw a sign for Grimwith Reservoir and on whim J swung the car off the road and up a teeny lane to take a look. Turns out that it's rather picturesque and has 4 mile footpath running around the whole perimeter. So just like that we abandoned the idea of hooking/reading and took off to walk instead. I happened to be wearing flip flops at the time, and as I always feel like I could happily walk miles in them I decided to give it a go - turns out that I did just fine.

The following Saturday we went back to the same place, this time with the Little People. They moaned a little and said it was boring (four miles translates to just under 2 hours with Little Feet) but you can't win them all can you? On the plus side, I found some gorgeous pheasant feathers and indulged in my summer grass fixation. Very lovely grasses grow plentifully around Grimwith, in case you are ever in the area and fancy checking it out!

Talking of grasses, I discovered the beautiful work of artist Hannah Nunn just recently - do go and feast you eyes on her blog and have a look at her stunning photographs of summer grasses {here}.

The clouds were pretty spectacular on that day.....

.....ganging up on the horizon and looking rather spooky and unreal (these are Lenticular clouds which we see quite often up on the hilltops here in Yorkshire)

I added the pheasant feathers to my mug on the mantel, which doubles up as a nifty kitty amusement device. I'm sure you can picture the scene - she is very adept at extracting individual feathers which she carries proudly around the room as if she hunted them down in the wild. 

We are devouring punnets of strawberries at the moment (well not right at this very moment as I've run out), we eat these ripe sweet fruits on homemade museli for breakfast, with lunch, after dinner and many times in between. Interestingly, if I were to offer up a lowly apple as an after dinner Pudding Option, the Little People would look at me as if I'd grown two heads. But if I present a plate of chopped strawberries, they descend like locusts and forget to be disgusted that I've given them fruit for pudding instead of something "proper".  Works a treat, every time. Some of the fruits we are getting are massive, and can easily please three children.

Not a lot happening in the vicinity of the back yard just now as I keep forgetting to water the pots. I've got some slightly wilting herbs and some rather leggy lavender plants which are hanging on in there, but my best success at the moment is the clematis which is flowering really well this year.

I love the colour of the petals against the blue of the sky....

....and I'm enjoy a few blooms on my table too.

Isn't lavender just so very summery? I do love it for that.

This past week has seen quite a bit of rain fall here in my patch - I'm NOT complaining (my peas are happy! And the countryside is lush!), but it has made flip-flop wearing a real no-no. There have been pretty rain droplets caught in the Alchemilla leaves though, which never fails to delight me every year.

Awwwwww Tilly, you sweet and naughty little kitty cat! She is soooooo exasperating at times, so deliberately attention seeking and Diva-ish, but I love her ways all the same. My Summer Harmony blanket is growing so beautifully and I fall a little deeper for it's colourful charms every day. More on that journey soon.

My Daffodil socks are coming on nicely too and I'm loving the very stripyness of them. The yarn is inspired by the daffodil emblem used by the Marie Curie charity - more details here.

This picture is to remind me that amongst the Summer sunshine and picnics, the colourful yarn and flowers, the ambling walks and jaunts, there has also been quite a bit of quiet stay-home recovery time for us just lately. On Thursday last week, Little B went back into hospital to have another operation on his hand. He had his first op back in November 2015 which was partially successful in that his left thumb was fine and dandy but his right thumb refused to be fixed first time. It's been tricky for him at school during this past year as he's right handed, but we are hopeful that the operation has worked OK this time, fingers (and thumbs) crossed. It's not always easy doing this parenting thing, and I admit I've felt the strain of it this past week.

Thank goodness for yarn and crochet - total feel-good therapy and stress relief right there in that bag.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

Drifting

Since coming home from Dorset just over a week ago I'm finding it unexpectedly hard to ease myself back into any kind of normal daily routine. I just can't seem to find the energy or the will to address any of the gazillion things that are screaming for my attention, and so I resolutely keep myself feeling slightly adrift and untethered, and the gazillion things remain in a teetering, taunting pile. It's not a particularly bad feeling though, and I can look objectively and see that it's all probably a part of a process and maybe I'm OK to do this drifting thing for just a little while longer. Can't be for too much longer mind you, as I'm well aware that deadlines are looming and commitments are pressing, and there is only so long I can put off the inevitable result of being absent for three weeks. It's almost time to pull my life back into focus, but for now, I kind of like that my days feel like they are a bit blurred around the edges.

Dorset was a bitter sweet time. My camera broke on the first day, and after taking just one picture it refused to work any more, so I took it as a sign that I simply wasn't meant to record those days. No pictures or words, just a series of vivid emotions and memories to hold onto, and really that seems just fine. I have to say, it was most odd to be pootling around Dorset without my blogger's goggles on, most odd indeed! 

When I got home last weekend, I discovered that my camera (which I adore) wasn't broken at all and was just low on battery charge, so that was something of a pheewww moment. Usually I take photographs every day, but recently not so much. I have missed it though, I love uploading images to my laptop and taking in the odd assortment of visuals which represent my life. Yarn and flowers (always those), food and views, animals and kids, home life and scenery. Colour, creativity, joy, life, love. All of those things.

I finished another pair of Man Socks yesterday, a second pair to fit J's size 10 feet. I love this Opal Classics yarn for Man socks, they don't come out too stripy looking (a manly no-no apparently) but are still rather lovely to make. I'll write a sock update post very soon as I like to keep a record of all these kinds of things.

This past week I've loved having a jug of flowers on my table that smell just as good as they look - these stocks have such a beautiful scent and I can't get enough of them. I stick my face into them many, many times a day, and the smell of them makes me feel soooooo good. Kind of nostalgic and childish and dizzy with all sorts of sweet summer memories.

It was our town's annual charity Gala on Saturday, and sadly the weather was down right horrid. The whole day was awash with a persistent grey drizzle which left you feeling a little soggy and down hearted, but in typical British fashion the Gala didn't falter one bit. Our two Teens (oh, I have TWO teens now don't you know since Little Lady turned 13 in the Spring) did their own thing with their respective crowds of buddies, which left J and I trailing in the wet grass with an excited Little B. It's hard not to get caught up in the fairground atmosphere - the sights and sounds are very energising and Little B adored it. Freshly cooked donuts, a fun stint on a child-sized roller coaster, a jaunt in and out of the "House of Fun" and a new giant sized bouncy ball attached to a length of springy plastic and all was crazy-happy in his little world.

In the many long, quiet moments during the past few weeks I've been pratting about with my nails. I blame Little Lady entirely for this recent obsession as she has the most beautiful nails and she inspired me to try and treat my own a little better. When she was smaller, she used to bite her nails badly, but a few years ago during the summer between primary and secondary school, she spent six weeks growing her nails out with amazing results. She's so proud of them, and it impressed the heck out of me that she transformed them through sheer determination and a £1 bottle of Nail Hardener from Poundland. I've never had great nails, ever ever in my life. Sometimes I confess I do nibble at them but mostly they are just quite weak and always split off and look rubbish but I can never be bothered to attend to them. I am trying hard to see if I can do this and am using the same £1 nail hardener technique as recommended by Little Lady. I even have my own nail file and everything. It's a small challenge in the scheme of things, but it is somehow helping me feel like I'm doing OK. I can do this!

A sweet, sleepy kitty picture for you, although there is nothing soft focus or drift-like about this crazy creature. She chased a bee yesterday and got stung on her chin, giving me the nerve wracking task of extracting the bee sting with a pair of tweezers whilst trying to avoid being clawed to ribbons. I felt like biting my nails a teensy bit then I can tell you, I was really nervous! She is one feisty little moggie, but we love her so so much. I've relished having her close by me this past week, her soft, undemanding presence has felt very calming and comforting.

On the morning that I took off to go down to Dorset to see my Mum, I had a yarn delivery. I couldn't take it with me on the train but just knowing that it would be sat here waiting for me to return to it was a really lovely thing. The colours may well look very familiar to you - for me, this colour palette feels like coming home. It represents all that is happy and joyful and full of Summer spirit, which is exactly what I need right now. So I'm just about to start a new Summer blanket using this original colour pack, and am really looking forward to soaking up the happy memories that seem to spin right out of those colours.

Bring on the happy!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Today's Colour Therapy

I've had such a happy time in my studio today, pottering about, arranging some new yarn on my shelves, chatting with lovely visitors and hooking up a few rounds of a new large mandala I'm working on. Oh, and admiring my flowers too, they've been very "visually chatty" today and have demanded a huge amount of my attention!

I've been amazed how long these flowers have lasted as I don't tend to have much luck with gerberas. Usually the stems go all floppy after a few days, but with these ones I cut the stems short so they wouldn't flop about in my jug and they are still looking pretty good twelve days later. The colours are just incredible, so intense and vibrant, they make me swoon a little bit.

I'm using these equally vibrant and swoon worthy cottons this week and I really enjoy having them sitting so prettily in this basket in my studio. So much of what makes me happy is to do with colours and the beautiful visual inspiration they provide. It really is the best kind of feel-good therapy.

Well............what did you expect?? A jug of vibrant floral blooms and a basket of vibrant cotton yarn - how could you possibly think that I wouldn't want to play?!

The yarn I'm using is my favourite for mandala-making, it's Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK. Sadly, that gorgeous zesty Seville (orange) shade was discontinued (even though I did beg them to keep it), so I use it sparingly in my projects.

So I'm making some more mandala hoops to add to the ones I made for Yarndale last year. I loved the installation I created for Yarndale 2016, it was amazing seeing them hanging from the trees and swinging in the breeze. But I need more for this year, because more is more! 

I love making mandalas when I am feeling a little adrift between blankets, they give me a much needed colour boost as well as being insanely satisfying things to create. But as lovely as mandalas are, they just aren't blankets and cripes, I do really, really need a blanket fix. Nothing lifts my spirits more than having a crochet blanket in progress. I'm hatching a plan for an early summer blanket (as is my usual thing at this time of year :: note the date of last year's blanket-planning post!!).

So I've already decided what I'm going to do and am now just waiting for yarn to arrive.........I am really rather excited and can't wait to show you. Yipppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for hatching new blankets!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

...more little snippets from the Attic...

Notes from the Studio

Gorgeous Sweet William

Things I Know

Dorset Summer 2015

Blue Bluebells

The bluebells came early this year, starting to gently bloom at the end of April instead of waiting until May like we've come to expect here in my patch.

J and I walked in the woods about ten days ago, a sunny Thursday afternoon at the start of the month and it was magical.

As per usual I took a shed load of photographs, and as per usual I wondered out loud why I can't for the life of me just appreciate the bluebells without feeling compelled to capture the visuals, share them and talk about them with the world at large. It's the same thing every year - I absolutely have to show you how bloomin' gorgeous it all is, you just have to see what I see!

I feel an almost obsessive need to try and convey the beauty of this beautiful and fleeting time in May, when the woodland glows with shades of sunlit blue and green.

It's a living sea of colour, the woodsy equivalent of looking out to sea perhaps?

Sigh.....I love this time of year so much.

Last week I enjoyed the most delightful little posy of bluebells on my table at home, well, when I say bluebells I also need to say pinky-purple and creamy-white bells too. Aren't they pretty? I wouldn't usually pick wild flowers, but these ones are growing in abundance all around the edge of our allotment plot and I couldn't resit picking just a few to bring home.

I love having little flower posies on my table and am really looking forward to planting up my back yard pots for this year.....once my little veggie seedlings are planted out safe and sound I'll be all over the flowers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

...more little snippets from the attic...

Bluebell Time

On My Mind

The Colours of May

Blogiversary Number Nine

I bought myself this gorgeous bunch of flowers yesterday as it seemed like a perfectly delicious indulgence on a rather dull, cold, grey Monday in March. They landed in the supermarket trolley in amongst the groceries, and as I wandered up and down the aisles I kept glancing down and beaming a smile at those beautiful blooms. Pale pink tulips, deep purple and pink anemones and the most ridiculously pretty ranunculus. 

Over the years that I've been writing my blog, I must have shared a tonne of flowery photographs here on this page. Flowers are a constant source of inspiration and pure delight and although I now have the Diva Kitty to contend with, it hasn't put me off having a parade of blooms in the Attic. 

I have to say these ones are particularly spectacular - it's not often that we see ranunculus as a cut flower here in the UK, but they are one of my most favourite flowers (oh do go > h e r e < and feast your eyes on a great deal of ranunculus gorgeousness!).  I love how the flowers look like they've had the edges of their petals decorated with coloured pens.

A few days ago on Sunday 12th March, my blog became nine years old. Blog Birthday's are funny things - they are a curious mix of everything and nothing, and although I feel this day quite deeply right down in the depths of my soul, I doubt it means very much to anyone else. I find myself quite emotional about the whole thing, overcome with a gratitude for this blogging malarkey that has quite literally changed the course of my life and given me so, so much. I dearly love this precious online diary I've created. I love the amazing community we are part of, the overwhelming kindness, friendship and empathy that exists between us all. Isn't it just the Very Best Thing Ever??!!

Of course, this post wasn't really meant to be about flowers, it was meant to be about gratitude and celebration. But sometimes words don't come so easy, and the feelings are just too much to capture and write about. So flowers seemed like a rather lovely visual way to say how happy my blog makes me feel.

I often get asked whether my blog ever feels like a pressure, a responsibility, and the answer is always no. No-no-no. I have discovered over the years that I need this space, and that writing my blog gives me a creative way to relieve myself of all that streams into my brain on a daily basis. The sharing process allows me to feel free, and it is a priceless feeling indeed. The fact that I can involve you (yes you!) in the process and that you do seem to like reading about my ideas, inspirations, memories, feelings and thoughts is just fabulous.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your visits here to the Attic, it means the world to me.

I wonder if you might like to know some blogging facts?

I've blogged for nine years, which is 108 months of creative blurb.

I've shared 64 crochet tutorials.

I've written 1,209 posts (just imagine the word count!!)

You have written 107,832 comments to me, and I've read and appreciated every single one of them.

So here I am, stepping delightedly into my tenth blogging year, and I am so, so happy to be here still. What a wonderful thought that is! Thank you for journeying along with me..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

...more little snippets from the Attic...

Gorgeous Sweet William

Elderflower Cordial Time

Crochet, Colour and Flowers

Magazine Styling :: Spring Inspiration

Here and There

Time Slowly Flies

It's the last day of February today, and I've been reflecting on this tricky Winter month and thinking about how long it has felt. Not that I'm complaining mind you, I think if I'm honest with myself I find I am enjoying this time of semi-hibernation, relaxing into the long hours spent indoors doing very little. I like to rant a little against February simply because it's not May (!), but really these days have been gentle and kind.

The year is only a little over eight weeks old, isn't that an odd thing to realise? The year is still a baby! So many weeks of possibility stretching ahead, which makes me feel hopeful and optimistic.

I flew up into the clouds last week, quite literally! I often find my mind is in the clouds, but to actually physically be up there was staggeringly brilliant. I absolutely love love love flying. I was persuaded to take the plane instead of the train as a) it was a lot cheaper (I know!!) and b) it is very much quicker and c) because I could. I flew from Yorkshire to London where I was scooped up by my younger brother and whizzed along the miles to Dorset in his snazzy little Mini Cooper Sport. Oh, that car - cripes - the Extreme GoKart Mode made my stomach melt down into my socks and my heart fly up into the top of my head.

 

Dorset was..............interesting. Not quite what I had hoped for on the relaxation front as we had some unexpected family drama to deal with whilst we were there. My family background is complex and baffling, an emotional roller coaster for the most part. It was draining to be honest. But....I was glad to be there, to add some emotional support where it was needed. 

But on my last morning, I said to my brother that I would refuse to get into his Mini Cooper Sport unless he agreed to take me to see the sea. I marshalled everyone together and treated them to a late breakfast, coastal stylie.

Oh yeah............now that was a seriously good decision, sitting in the warmth of my favourite cafe on the beach, inhaling a mug of mighty fine cappuccino whilst filling my tum with the above plateful. Eating breakfast out is a wonderful holiday treat and very much appreciated I can tell you.

The few days I was in Dorset saw Storm Doris pass through, gosh it was windy and wet and downright depressing at times. I hunkered down in my Mum's old cottage and felt the damp chill right through to my bones. But on Friday morning the storm had cleared and the day was utterly delightful, the best kind of Winter weather. West Bay was at it's finest - quiet, fresh and unspoilt. I love being at the coast in wintertime, there is such peace and tranquillity to be found.

I was happy to travel north again though, landing back on Yorkshire soil and having the pleasure of J and the Little People throwing themselves at me as I stepped out of the airport. They missed me, and I was glad to be home again.

Today I was back in my studio, and it felt wonderful. I started the day with coffee and a warm croissant, a little welcome-back indulgence.

I spent the morning pottering about, reconnecting with my creative space. I stuck some pretty stickers into my planner and made some plans with coloured pens. A short to-do list for the week, a longer to-do list for the month of March which begins tomorrow. I love the feeling that my planner gives me - it allows me to think my thoughts out onto paper, to empty some of what's jiggin' about in my mind, to give myself prompts and reminders for the many, many things that make up my days and need my attention. It's about remembering not to forget, whilst appreciating the complete delight of stickers and coloured pens. 

Today was a day of sunshine and showers, both in the extreme. The sun shone so brightly in through my window for a short while, closely followed by a dark grey noisy, torrential downpour. I planned and pottered, arranged some fresh daffodils in the jug on my table and tidied my yarn shelves. 

I thought about my work load for the month of March - a blanket to complete, along with it's printed pattern and full tutorial, a design commission for a magazine, a tutorial to make for some "Baby Bunting", two interviews to write, some promised social media and blog work to complete. 

I feel just the right kind of busy.

Just.

I think that March will feel very much faster than February.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

Save

Comfort Seeking

My days are long and slow right now in the midst of this cold, grey winter and I've been on a major comfort seeking mission. I keep catching sight of my squidgy overhanging body bits and thinking idly that eating danish pastries is not the answer, but oh they are so so so very good. They are my weakness, and right now in these tricky months I am giving myself permission to indulge.

I've been knitting again in recent weeks too, with another pair of stripy socks growing slowly on my needles. Knitting still doesn't bring me nearly as much calm, comfort and feelgood as crochet does, but wearing hand knitted socks inside my boots every day is just flippin' brilliant so I keep going with it. The problem is that I'm not a relaxed knitter. I tend to find my shoulders rise up around my ears when I knit and the whole experience is just a smidge on the tense side, but I do really love the satisfaction of sock production.

I've got a jug of bright yellow daffs on my table, and I love that they are so easy to come by at this time of year. The supermarkets have huge boxes full of them, bunches of tightly closed buds secured with an elastic band for £1, so it's possible to have a continuous parade of them in the house. The kitty has been eating them of course, and in times when she really, really wants to get my attention she will set about pulling each and every stem out of the jug so that they lay strewn across the table. It drives me bonkers, but in the big scheme of things it's not such a big deal. I love her crazy kitty ways and her big demanding diva personality. And I love having flowers in the house way too much for her to put me off.

On Wednesday the twenty fifth of January, there were blue skies and sunshine, which made it a day to remember in my book. We've had so much grey of late, so little sunlight shining down on us, that I almost began to completely forget what sunshine actually looked and felt like. It was wonderful. I try hard not to wish these winter days away (I really do, honest), and yet I am longing for seasonal change. Winters here in Yorkshire are long and I know from experience that Spring doesn't happen until late April so I do need to find some patience from somewhere.  

Any talk of comfort seeking and you will most likely find me heading to the kitchen and putting my apron on. I am a comfort baker without a doubt. Little Person running a temperature? Bake buns of course! Weather being all mean and grey and nasty? Well there just has to be a lemon drizzle cake in the oven! Really, there is no hope for my squidgy, overhanging body bits until at least April.

Another tried and trusted comfort provider is the business of sticking sticky things. I have absolutely no idea why this is so, but over the years I've learnt not to question it too much, just to go with the feel-good and stick, stick, stick. Currently I am really enjoying my pretty washi tapes (mostly purchased from the lovely Dominika AKA CwlCrafts on Etsy), adding stripes of colour and pattern to all of my planner pages. It's just a small thing, sticking a length of tape to a piece of paper, but it does make me literally sigh with pleasure.

I've had a lot of quiet stay-home days of late, hibernating in the Attic and spending many hours conversing with the cat, knitting, crocheting, baking, planning and just idling about. It's been self indulgent and not especially healthy I guess, although at the time I'm carrying out the indulging and idling, it feels rather marvelous. But I carry a snippet of guilt on my shoulders, guilt because of the way I am allowing the days to slip slide away in a blur of under achievement and laziness. My to-do lists are teetering, the house is a shambles, and my overhanging bits are growing - I sincerely hope this is something of a short lived phase and that energy levels and motivation will return at some point sooner rather than later.

I have been out walking on occasion though, and there is comfort in that fact, yes indeedy. The hubby and I have taken opportunity to stride out into the wintry Yorkshire Dales, ignoring the mud and the wind and the grey and getting right out there. Pumping blood, stretching muscles, climbing hills and the such like. It's been wonderful actually. We walked six miles on Monday, and the sun shone through for possibly 12 minutes or so (as seen in the above photo). We sat beside the river and ate pie, and all was good in my world.

And I've been hooking too, in between all the other comforting guff. Oh my, this blanket, I love it so very, very much. The more it grows, the more I swoon. I'll be sharing Part 5 of the Moorland Blanket journey here tomorrow and I absolutely cannot WAIT to show you how the blue sky creeps in..........oh..............you're gonna love it.

I hope that wherever in the world you are, whether you are shivering and hiding from the early signs of Storm Doris, or trying to stay cool in the heat of your scorching summertime, that you find some comfort in your days.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

EDIT TO ADD :: thanks for the advice re kitties and daffodils - she has only eaten small bits of petal so far and has been fine, but I'm moving them out of her way just to be safe. Thank you xx

 

...more little snippets from the Attic...

Here and There

Notes from the Studio

A Colourful Competition

Gentle December Days

Life is ticking along at a gentle pace for me right now, and I am beyond grateful for these slow, nurturing days. In the run up to Christmas, it can be very easy to get swept along in a constant tide of activity and preparation, but I've learnt over the years to make sure that I stand firm and do things at my own pace. True, my personal pre-Christmas pace is probably way too slow for most folk, being that I don't really get the festive thing going until the middle of the month, but it works for me. I bought new fairy lights last week which was a start, but really not a lot else is going on just yet in relation to the C word.

Yesterday morning we walked in the woods, a cold, energising stomp through the expanse of brown-ness. Brown trees, brown mud, brown leaves, I was so thankful for the soft shafts of golden sunlight, and plenty of creeping green ivy. 

We climbed up a steep stepped pathway towards the edge of the woodland, then turned to follow this lovely old stone wall....

....in all it's gorgeous, moss-covered glory. Hooray for growing green stuff! 

The sun was so welcome yesterday, I felt like I wanted to find a sheltered patch and lie myself down for a while to soak it up. I have a feeling that my vitamin D levels are low again as I'm struggling a bit with my days....

...so gently does it for now, and that suits me just fine.

I made time for some really enjoyable hours of hooky this weekend, oh it did make me happy! I sat quietly by myself working these waves of random colours, wondering if this cushion is going to be a complete disaster or a bit kind of fabulous. It really is quirky, no doubt about it. Yesterday mid afternoon, I hit on the idea to make myself a coffee with an added slug of Baileys....oh my word, soooo good! I inhaled my hyacinth, sipped my mildly alcoholic coffee and yarned along with myself, feeling rather blissed out.

I had to re-locate my hyacinth bowl today as it's reached the top-heavy stage of flowering and the blooms need to lean against the wall for support. These flowers really are Lovely, with a capital L. 

I've been hanging out a bit on the sofa of late, watching a strange assortment of films with the Little People and J. December really is a month for snuggling and I've been taking full advantage, wrapping myself in yarny stitches from head to toe, literally. The combined comfort of hand knit socks and crochet blankets is just amazing.

I'm not quite ready to Christmasify my mantel just yet, although seasonal additions have been gently sneaking in. I bought a scented seasonal candle ("Winter" fragrance), and a funny wooden light up star decoration which I have declared to be "Alpine". No sign of Christmas here just yet, although I am very tempted to whip up some more seasonally appropriate bunting to replace the ice cream pastels of Summer. Ooooo, my Creative Mind is whirling now...... 

 

 

 

Happy Things

♥ A bowl of hot porridge for breakfast  ♥

Mmmmmmmmm!! I have the same breakfast every morning at this time of year, porridge made with milk, a tablespoon of sultanas, half a chopped banana and a swirl of golden syrup. It really does hit the spot and fuels my busy mornings.

♥ Tilly the kitty ♥

Awww, this kitty! She is so playful and fiesty and demanding and loving and exasperating and amazing - all the kitty things! She has a very strong personality, at times a right little b*gger to be honest, but she is a delight and I love having her around the house.

♥ Baking with Little Lady ♥

A rare occurrence with my 12 year old these days, but we made this together yesterday and it was sooo good (the experience and the end result). She had made this recipe {Finnish Fruit Plait} at school last week in her Food Tech class and we all loved it very much. So I asked her if we could try it again at home - it's very easy to make and comes out like a dense and well flavoured fruit bread which toasts beautifully.

♥ Autumn Leaves ♥

The colours of these leaves make my heart flutter! They are from the cherry tree in my neighbour's front garden a few doors up the street. I love the way these leaves just lay around on the pavement looking all casually gorgeous and just begging to be picked up and admired. I've pressed them inside a heavy book - must remember I've done that.

♥ Sitting by the fire ♥

After our cold, wet woodland walk on Saturday we lit the fire  almost as soon as we came home. The warmth and comfort our fire brings to our home is huge, gosh I love having an open fire place so so much. I light up most evenings now, it's getting dark here around 4.30pm and especially on days like today when we have Storm Angus raging outside, the extra home comforts are very welcome.

♥ Finnish Fruit Plait ♥

The aforementioned baking efforts fresh from the oven - superb when sliced and toasted, slathered with butter and washed down with a hot cuppa.

♥ An afternoon/evening on the sofa ♥

I managed to fall over on Saturday, a rather undignified flying slip-up on a neighbours pathway leaving me with a scraped knee and some pulled muscles in my leg. This was not a Happy Thing I might add. But I decided it would be best for all concerned if I totally milked my injuries and spent many hours sprawled out on the sofa yesterday, covered in blankets with a hot water bottle on my leg to ease the muscle ache. In the above photo that's me with the red and white stripy socks, Little Lady is underneath the cosy stripe blanket with Tilly on her lap, and believe it or not, Little B is underneath the Cupcake Stripe blanket AKA The Boy Den. It was very cosy indeed, we watched films and I took myself off into Festive Magazine Wonderland.....

♥ Festive Magazine Wonderland ♥

I have to be in the right frame of mind to soak up any sort of Christmas imagery and suggestion - I'm not normally with it until the start of December. But something about being cosied up with the family yesterday, wrapped in blankets with the warmth of the fire put me right in the mood to sink into a bit of a Christmas day dream. It was delightful, until I got to thinking hmmmmm - christmas tree + kitty cat = possible disaster!!!!! haha!!

♥ Surprise Flowers ♥

A surprise flower delivery is a Happy Thing Indeed, my heart was full to bursting when I opened up the humongous box and was greeted by all this amazing floral colour. A very thoughtful and generous gift from a friend, it was truly appreciated.

♥ Hyacinth bulbs ♥

Oh Happy Day, the cheap pots of hyacinth bulbs are back in the supermarket!! I love this about mid November, it really cheers me up no end when there are hyacinth bulbs in the house. I keep an old Cornishware bowl especially for hyacinths so that I can do away with the plastic pot and have blue and white china stripes instead. I've gone for white flowers, and I am already massively looking forward to them.... although now I'm thinking hmmmmm  - hyacinths + kitty cat = possible disaster!!!!!

♥ Yarn Stripes ♥

Yarny stripes never fail to make me ridiculously happy and I'm loving this little project I've got on the go at the moment. I've gathered together some oddments of Stylecraft yarn from my rather mahoosive stash of leftovers and am making a cushion cover. It gives me a chance to practice the Neat Wave pattern and have a bit of an indulgent colour play at the same time. I'll show you more of these stripes towards the end of the week - I'm planning a CAL blanket Q&A post for Friday.

♥ A really rather exciting delivery all the way from the USA ♥  

A very, very happy day today when my brand new 2017 Life Planner was delivered, yippeeeeeee!!!! I was so excited/nervous it took me a while to actually get past the blue tissue paper, but oh! Ooooohhhhh!!!!! It is a thing of beauty, and I am so very pleased with it! I can't wait to show you more, it needs it's very own post me thinks.......more soon.......

Here's hoping you're finding oodles of Happy Things in your days xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx