Attic24

November Light

Would you just LOOK at that sky???!!! Talk about forboding, I would have bet money on the imminent arrival of lashing rain, but nope, it never came. Not even a sniff of rain fell from those black clouds despite the glowering sight of them hanging over the hills for much of the day. I even wore my wellies just in case.

The light was spectacular in a very moody, threatening way.....

....and I had to keep apologising to J for stopping so many times to take photographs.

I never thought I would enjoy this late Autumn weather so much, but the high drama of it has been captivating. I found myself almost wishing for a humungous rain storm to descend upon us, just to feel the full force of the season upon my face. Wouldn't that be something?

But the storm remained in the distance and our walk was quiet and uneventful in the end. Just an hour out of the house to breathe in the outdoors and tramp along the muddy woodland pathways, a daily routine that I continue to be very thankful for.

I ate a late breakfast when I came home, a small bowl of oat porridge buried under a mound of fresh fruit. I honestly think this is my favourite meal at the moment (I have the same thing most days), I enjoy it so, so much. I have to try really hard not to wolf it down because every mouthful is just that good - eating more slowly and savouring my food is a habit I'm working on as I've always been a fast eater.

In fact, this year has taught me a lot about slowing down in many different ways, and I'm enjoying this life lesson very much. Slow. Down. It feels good to do so!

I've been working at the dining table today, finalising some last minute colour decisions for my Meadow blanket which is still a work in progress. The fifteen colours that I've chosen for this blanket are inspired by the colours of the wild flowers and grasses which grow in the meadow during the summer. They are soooooo lovely, and I am over the moon happy with the colour palette. It's the subtle way in which they play together which I'm fine tuning at the moment, there is a delicacy in the balance of the shades which needs careful handling when creating the stripe sequence. 

I am so so excited for this next blanket of mine, and can't wait to show you more.....

....not long to wait now.........it's almost time for the Meadow yarn packs to land in my shop. Squeeeeee!!!!!!

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Meadow Yarn packs will be coming next week on 24th November and I'll be sharing a full introduction to the blanket then. The Crochet-A-Long will start in January, so there should be plenty of time for you to gather in your yarn if you'd like to join me on a pretty meadow meander xxx

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Slow and Steady

Life at the moment feels slow and steady and I think that twelve days into a month long national lockdown that's about as good as it gets. 

This weekend we spent a lot of time at home, only venturing out for our regular Saturday market/local small food shop and a quick walk round the woods. 

I got to wear my new wellies which I was stupidly excited about - splashing in puddles never gets old.

Just as we were heading homewards we got caught in a sudden rain shower - getting wet wasn't much fun but the beautiful rainbow made up for it.

After our visit to the Saturday market we came home with some new-to-us fruits - Persimmons, AKA Sharon fruit. I am honestly amazed that I've reached my fifties and have found a fruit which I have never eaten before. How???!!! I can report that Persimmons are delicious, kind of like the texture of a pear inside, with a sweet, subtle mango-ish flavour and definitely a fruit I'd like to eat more of.

And to balance out the healthy fruit, let me 'fess up and tell you what also went down at the weekend ↑↑

Uh-huh, a fully loaded jammy scone topped with the most lip smacking Cornish clotted cream. Oh. My. Goodness. It was heavenly. It's been over a year since I ate anything so indulgent and I enjoyed every single moment. This was part of a very generous gift sent my way through the post - a cream tea in a box no less, complete with prosecco and other goodies. Very grateful for the wonderful friends I've made through this blog of mine.

Much of the weekend was spent by the fire - we lit it in the middle of the afternoons and really made the most of the warmth, light and cosy vibes. I'm still loving my Autumn mantel, and this morning I realised that in just over two weeks it'll be time for another seasonal switcheroo when we decorate for the Festive season.....only two weeks! 

Sunday afternoon I picked up my cross stitch project again and completed the final part of the design. I'm so happy with it and have absolutely loved the slow, gentle process of completing each little Christmassy motif. I'll show you once I get it all stretched and framed up nicely.

Even though we are in Lockdown here, during the week our routines remain pretty much unchanged. The Big Teen has been most affected as he's currently furloughed from his pub job, but the Little People are still going to school as usual. J continues to work from home and we still enjoy our Mondays together. I am so grateful for the normality of our slow, steady days right now. 

J and I walked at Bolton Abbey this morning, and it felt so good to be out and about. I thought I would show you the above view - this is what the top of the stone aqueduct looks like (the bridge shown in the first river photo above) when we cross the river. Isn't it grand?

There were very few people out walking today as the weather was cold, grey and windy. But the café was open for take outs and J and I enjoyed our morning coffee with a riverside view. It was bloomin' good I have to say.

As always, by the time we'd come a full circuit I felt completely re-energised and so very glad that we'd decided to leave the comforts of home behind for a while.  

This morning I noticed that the first of my hyacinth flowers have begun to bloom......

.....and they look so pretty on my mantel. They don't have a scent yet, but I'm hopeful it's on it's way (J would probably disagree, but that's a minor matter of inconsequence I'd say).

I hope you've all enjoyed a beautifully slow and steady weekend full of small pleasures. Tell me a little of what has filled your days recently, I'd love to know?!

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Happy Little Things

♥ Leafy clementines are back in the supermarkets, yay for fruity seasonal rituals!

♥ I know they are more leaf than fruit, but oh, they are so sweet and juicy I can't resist them.

♥ A fresh bunch of baby chrysanths on my table this week.

♥ The colour was hard to capture on my camera, it's a delicious burnt orange in real life and the perfect shade for November.

♥ My new wellies arrived in the post and they are so beautifully pristine I don't want to get them muddy. This could be a problem.

♥ The kitty trying desperately to ignore me, just look how superior she looks!! She was sulking because I'd turfed her off my lap when she was all nicely settled. What a horrid, mean Human I am.

♥ Flapjacks baked for the Little People with some giant chocolate buttons for extra good luck. They approved of the chocolate addition.

♥ The three o'clock departure for the school run and I know I shall miss it when it's no longer a part of my day. By my reckoning, I've got around one hundred and forty three days left.

♥ I always take the time to pause and appreciate the view of my hill as I race off to school. Yes, I'm claiming that hill as mine.

♥ It's been a good week for clouds, and I've really enjoyed sky gazing. On days when it's been still there has been the added magic of viewing the clouds on the surface of the canal, which is just the most beautiful thing in my opinion.

♥ I've walked every day in the woods this week in a whole variety of weather conditions and have loved every minute of it.

♥ A ribbon rainbow caught my eye amongst the trees and made me smile.

♥ Not a lot of sun this week, but believe me when I tell you I was fully appreciative of it when it showed up. 

♥ Dancing sunshine reflected onto the underside of the bridge is always a good thing.

♥ I love seeing the swans living out their birdy lives on the canal. It's an everyday sight for us living here, but I do still appreciate it.

♥ Leafs...lots and lots of leafs!! Little B used to say "leafs" when he was a Littln' and so we adopted the word. Its' funny how some things just stick over the years?

♥ More leafy gorgeousness. I have spent a lot of time either gazing at the sky or looking down at the ground this week and there has been a lot of natural beauty to inspire me.

♥ A rainy walk to school this morning, but nevertheless I enjoyed watching the raindrops bounce into the water. Watching rain fall is such an overlooked pleasure.

♥ New baubles arrived! I ordered these on an absolute whim as an add-on when doing some online Christmas present shopping but I don't regret it for one second. The colours...oh, they are giving me ALL the heart eyes!! 😍 And furthermore they are made from recycled plastic. Winner.

♥ daily hyacinth appreciation. Observing the rapid growth and appearance of buds is just a thrill I never get tired of.

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Before I go, I'd like to express my gratitude for all your positive comments on my last post, thank you so much. It was an unexpectedly hard post to write, it can feel quite vulnerable to talk about health related struggles but I'm happy to put my ramblings out there in the hope that it might encourage or inspire, or just give you a little nudge if you were needing one. Prioritising self care and wellness is always a good thing, but sometimes we need a gentle reminder, don't we?

I hope you've all had a good week, and that your weekend will be full of relaxation and cosy vibes. Be sure to fill your days with as many happy little pleasures as you can xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Beating the Gloom

Helloooooo my lovelies, thank you so much for stopping by the Attic for a catch up, I hope you're doing OK out there?!! Tell me, how was your weekend? Here at number 24 we've had a beautifully slow few days and I've been grateful for the gentle pace. There has been time to sit and ponder, time to rest and recharge, time to spend with J and the Little People watching films, chatting and eating together. It's been restorative I'd say.

On Saturday morning J and I kept up our usual routine and walked into town together. Yes we are on lockdown here and most shops/cafés are currently closed but we are committed to supporting our small independent retailers whenever we can. This meant a chilly walk to visit the few stalls on the market that are permitted to trade, to stock up on fruit, veg, eggs and cheese. Our butcher and baker are still open too, so I called in for meat, a loaf of bread and some sweet treats for the Little Peeps. It was very, very quiet on the streets as you would expect, but it felt good to be out for a little while. Combining exercise with essential food shopping seemed like a good weekendish thing to, and I was equally glad of both. Our final stop was the coffee shop where I picked up some takeaway coffees to bring home. It wasn't quite the same vibe as our lovely little café, but it was warm and cosy on the sofa and the coffee was excellent.

We set out to walk through the woods in the early afternoon.....

.....and despite the murky gloom....

....there were the occasional glimpses of blue sky from time to time. The blue didn't last for long, but I promise you I appreciated it fully while it was in evidence, casting my vision up through the mostly bare branches to drink in the beautiful light and colour. 

As is my thing, I paused at the top of the hill to take a deep breath and spend a mindful moment - this ritual has become important to me in recent weeks. I am so thankful for this homely town where I live, and I like to take a moment to stop and practice some gratitude for that fact, in a place where I can look out across the rooftops and feel the connection. I can highly recommend making time for moments of mindfulness during your day, I do think it really helps to lift the mood and beat the gloom. 

I spent the afternoon catching up with some chores (sadly the laundry basket doesn't empty itself) whilst also squeezing in a little bit of stitchery. It snowed onto my green fabric - pretty little stitchy white flakes!

Sunday came and went in a blur of grey, gloomy weather. Unusually for me I didn't take any photos on Sunday so I'm hard pushed to remember much of it. We walked in the woods but the light levels were very low. Plus we had Little Lady walking with us so it was lovely to appreciate her company and to be fully present without having my attention pulled this way and that by potential blog photos, if that makes sense. We lit the fire in the early afternoon and I cooked a roast chicken for dinner, and that's about all I can recall. Oh, there was stitching too - more of that in a bit.

Today we remained embedded in the gloom, the grey just refused to lift. 

In fact, it's been foggy for days on end here so that it feels like we are in a constant state of twilight. I can't say I like it very much.

After dropping Little B at school, J and I decided to walk through the park.

It rained last night and I loved how this shrub was glistening with big fat raindrops. The way the droplets caught the light fascinated me, they looked like precious jewels.

You can see what I mean when I talk about The Gloom - our whole landscape has been shrouded in this heavy, low slung cloud which has made it feel cold, damp and well, gloomy. There is no better word for it. Having said that, it still felt remarkably good to stride out in it, breathing in the grey and feeling the cold freshness of it doing me good. 

As you can see, yesterday I made good progress with my cross stitching, and the snowflakes were joined by cute little trees, leaping reindeer and some pretty evergreen foliage.

I got into that addictive zone yesterday where I just could not put it down and I stitched right into the evening, sat squished on the end of the sofa with the Little People and Tilly taking up the rest of the space (they were watching a film while I was obsessing over my weeny crosses). I have a very handy light which I use for evening stitching, it's one of those bendy ones that hangs around your neck, do you know what I mean? I'll see if I can find a link for you..........here you go....on Amazon ((here)). It allowed me to stitch golden reindeer in a darkened room lit only by the glow of the fire and my mulled wine candle. It's a marvellous gadget, truly. 

Well, it's been lovely catching up, but right now it's around 8pm and yes, you've guessed it.....I'm going to go and cosy up by the fire now and stitch, stitch, stitch. I do believe there's a bough of holly and a couple of robins which need my attention.

Byeeeeeeeeee, see you tomorrow!

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ps I haven't forgotten about blogging about my exercise/diet routines for those who've been waiting. Hoping to do that tomorrow xx

 

 

 

November Rituals

After a very murky, foggy start to the day and a bit of a bleugh morning in general, things were looking very much brighter by lunch time. I'd been waiting patiently for J to finish up on his work call so that we could get out of the house and enjoy what looked to be an unexpectedly lovely November afternoon.

Every day when we visit the woods I wonder just how many leaves will be left. I know pretty soon there will come a day/night when we have strong winds and the whole lot will literally come tumbling down in one swoop, it always does seem to happen very quickly at the end. Right now there are still leaves to be seen, and they are looking glorious. I am constantly reminded of my Woodland Blanket at this time of year as I find these bright sunny autumn days very inspirational. The colours in nature lift my mood and never fail to bring on the happy vibes even when life feels like a bit of a slog.

During November I notice the sun stays pretty low in the sky even at midday, creating long shadows and a gentle slanting glow across the woodland paths. This low sunlight even manages to make the mud look good, and that's pretty amazing in my book.

Despite me feeling very wobbly today, there have been some happy moments. The October Cotton & Twine subscription box arrived in the post and I couldn't be more excited to stitch this beautiful seasonal design. I made a start and managed a few snowflakes but today was one of those days where the hours felt like minutes and the whole day seemed to slip away very quickly.

Ahhh, but here comes the weekend and I'm hoping for some little pockets of quiet stitching time, fingers crossed. I love love love the way that cross stitching slows my mind right down, and the repetitive, slow, rhythmic nature of it is very soothing. It's an extremely therapeutic craft I think, I can highly recommend it.

In other happy November news, I have hyacinths in the Attic!!!!!! YIPPEEEE!!!!!!!!!! This is one of my most favourite rituals of the season and I've been buying these pots of bulbs from the supermarket ever since I came to live here thirteen years ago. The tin pots change every year (you can see last years design in this post - you'll need to scroll down, it was a rambling one!) and I love this years offering. I don't usually go for gold, but I do rather like the shine of it on my mantel. Judging by the colour of the actual bulbs, I think these will be white flowers but there was no label on to tell me so they may well be bright pink. It'll be a festive surprise, and I am probably way more excited for it than I should be. I honestly can't wait, I bloomin' love hyacinths.

We had the most stunning cloud display this afternoon as we walked to school, I was absolutely transfixed by them. It's quite hard work walking down a steep hill whilst also trying to photograph the sky (we were running late so J wouldn't stop to wait for me), but I managed just about.....

....look at this one! This was me pointing my camera directly upwards where the telephone wires spread out to all the houses in my street. It kind of makes me feel dizzy just looking at it!

We were walking at a fair old pace down the hill....

....but I managed to stop and snap a quick photo of the canal as I crossed over the bridge. It was looking extremely atmospheric I thought, and very Novemberish. 

I lit the fire as soon as we came home from school as the house felt chilly and also I felt in need of some comfort and cheer as well as some warmth. We opened our mini bottle of prosecco (this seems to have become a Friday evening ritual) and everything suddenly seemed to settle for a while. I've felt out of sorts today, and despite managing to find so many things to be happy about, I've still had this underlying feeling of melancholy. I guess it's all part of lockdown life, emotions ebb and flow and I try to allow my feelings to surface without attempting to analyse them too much.

I did still get that wonderful Friday Feeling though, especially once Little Lady came home from school and all my brood were safe at home again. There is something so fundamentally settling about having all the family together under one roof, especially at meal times.

J always cooks a simple dinner on a Friday which I really appreciate, it's a treat for me to sit by the fire and have him in the kitchen for a change. Tonight he cooked up some meaty butchers sausages and served them hotdog style in bread rolls with fried onions and skinny French fries, and the Little People were allowed to eat in front of the TV. It's a Friday ritual which goes nicely with the prosecco I find. 

Oh, and I'm still madly in love with my mulled wine candle. It's just so perfectly Novemberish. The house smells delicious.

Before I go, there is something I just want to tell you about, something that always makes November a very exciting happy month for me.......

..........uh-huh, it's almost time for me to tell you about my next blanket adventure!!!! I've been getting lots of enquiries about the next Attic24 CAL on my social media so I thought I would give you the dates now so that you know what's coming.

I've been working on a new blanket design called "Meadow" which is inspired by the place that I walked almost every day during our months of lockdown (March-June) when I really needed to feel calm and grounded. The little wild flower meadow at the bottom of the park became my sanctuary and the colours of the flowers, grasses and distant summery hill views inspired a truly beautiful colour palette. 

I'll be able to show you a little more of what I've been working on in the next few weeks - yarn packs will be going on sale in my shop at Wool Warehouse on Tuesday 24th November (just under three weeks from now), and as in previous years I'll be sharing the blanket pattern as a Crochet-A-Long project at the very start of 2021. I can't wait to show you more.

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Sunday Vibes

I had another slow start to the day and have really enjoyed my long morning sleep-in's this weekend. I feel as if I've needed them after a few weeks of poor sleep and it's just wonderful to feel more like my normal self again. Hoorraaaayyy!!! I think it was almost 9am when I finally got myself out of bed, I was awake before then, but sat a while to catch up with all your comments left on my blog yesterday - THaNk YoU!!!!! Thank you so much for all your enthusiasm and positive feedback on my Blogtober endeavour, I truly appreciate it. I'm secretly quite proud of myself for managing a whole thirty one days as it was quite a commitment of time and energy. But here I am on day thirty two of this blogging streak and I don't seem to have run out of things to say.....I mean I've still got coffee cups to show you!

J and I snook off at around 10ish to sit a while at our favourite table next to the window in the café and enjoyed coffee (of the outrageously good variety) and a plate of toast. I am very aware that our café-going days are numbered as from Thursday we go into another whole month of national lockdown. Sigh. I don't yet know whether cafés will be permitted to stay open if they offer a takeaway service, I am keeping all digits crossed.

When we stepped out of the café the weather was unexpectedly lovely, so on the spur of the moment we decided to walk home "the scenic way". This involves following the tow path from the canal basin as it runs under the little hump-backed road bridge....

....and keep walking along the water's edge as we wind our way out of town. I love the above photo, I have a slight obsession with reflections in water and am absolutely mesmerized by them. I could stand and gaze at the water for ages when it is still and clear like this.

This is such a cute little pathway - the canal is on the right and to the left (hidden from view) is the beck. It's lovely to walk with water on both sides, and I enjoy the contrast of the still canal water on one side and the rushing of the beck as it tumbles over rocks in a series of mini waterfalls on the other side.

The sunshine was so welcome, especially as the weather forecast had been full of stormy-laden doom and gloom. I had to keep reminding myself that today is the first day of November as it really didn't feel like it.

Onwards along the raised walkway with the castle standing high above us on the right.

I don't know if you can see the little robin perched on a branch in the above photo? He was sat in the sunshine singing his little heart out, such a sweet sound for a Sunday morning.

We weren't going into the woods today as we didn't have the right footwear on for a muddy walk. Instead we followed the little lane round as it curves away from the woodland towards my "gratitude view" out over the town that I often share with you. I am very drawn to this ramshackle old tin shed - over the years it has blended more and more into it's surroundings as moss and ivy have claimed it. I think it's charming even though it is very dilapidated.

I was admiring my yellow chrysanths earlier, still going strong more than 2 weeks since I bought them (on Day 13 of Blogtober). What amazingly good value they turned out to be, I think they were only £3. They are just beginning to go over now though and the petals are beginning to drop - I think I'll go and see if I can find another bunch this week before we go into lockdown. 

I sat a while and did a little bit of slow hand stitching on my bag lining this afternoon, so that I'm now ready to get going with attaching the handles. This project really, really needs to be finished, it's top of my to-do list for this week. Item number one - Finish The Bag. 

Underneath the Summer Harmony and Tilly cat combo is Little Lady. She spent an extended time on the sofa this afternoon watching children's cartoons on TV - she isn't well right now. No, not the virus, just a bit of a head cold I think as her sinuses are blocked (she does seem to frequently suffer with this kind of thing). I don't like it when one of the Little People are ill, even though the eldest two are no longer children really, I still feel anxious when they aren't well. I made her a mug of warm lemon and honey with a Lemsip powder thrown in to try and help decongest her little blocked up tubes. She was feeling very sorry for herself, poor love.

The weather turned really mean and nasty this afternoon with high winds and heavy rain lashing against the window. I lit the fire and settled down on the floor cushion beside the hearth to soak in some of the warmth and comfort. I finally managed to finish reading October Country Living (I feel like it's taken me all week) - I can now pass it on to my good friend who will devour it cover to cover before taking it to the hospital where she works. I like the idea of actively recycling my feel-good magazines. I love to think of the many patients who will be sitting in the hospital waiting room in the weeks to come, enjoying some colour and uplifting imagery to take their mind off the business of sitting and waiting.

I started putting together a Blogtober round-up post earlier, but realised quite quickly that it was going to take some time to create it and that I wouldn't manage it for today. I'm making some collages of images (I used to do a lot of these at one time) and I want to chat a little bit about how daily blogging has been for me. I think it's important to stop and reflect back at times, to gather in thoughts and feelings and give them fair consideration before moving onto the next idea, the next phase, the next project.

I also just wanted to say - I don't expect that I can manage to be here in the Attic every single day throughout November, but I will try to be here as often as I am able. With Lockdown coming along once again, my life is going to be running in very small, rhythmic circles of sameyness and I am predicting that some days will feel quite tricky. I am really loving being in my little Attic space though, chatting through the window to you all around the world. Aren't we so very lucky to have this connection with one another? Thank you for sticking around - see you soon

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Blogtober 2020 :: Day 31

I woke up with a lovely weekend feeling this morning when I realised it was Saturday, and as there was nothing much that needed my immediate attention I dozed in bed for a while. I always look forward to heading into town with J on a Saturday morning to gather in food supplies, especially as we usually call in at the café for our breakfast on the way home.

It was wild out there this morning! Very, very windy with glowering dark skies promising imminent rain at any moment. When we got into town we realised there was no street market due to the stormy weather forecast, so we made do with what we could get from the shops. Breakfast and some very very most excellent cappuccinos were still on though, and my goodness I did so enjoy my plate of eggs on toast this morning. Perfectly weekendish I'd say.

In the early afternoon we noticed that the weather had brightened a little, so we set out for a walk while the rain held off. I love these little post boxes that are built into old walls, there is something so endearing about them I think. 

We took Little B with us on our walk this afternoon, even though he wasn't too keen. Sometimes you've just got to drag them away from their screens and force-feed them fresh air because it's the right thing to do when you parent a ten year old who thinks he's a teenager. 

I do so love getting out into the fresh air - I expect you've gathered that by now, eh?!

We had wrapped up in raincoats expecting it to be wet, but the strong winds actually blew in some very welcome blue skies for us to enjoy. It was such a treat to look up and suddenly see patches of blue when it had been so dark and grey earlier.

I'm certainly appreciating all the autumn colour at the moment as I know we are on borrowed time as far as the leaves go. Soon enough the branches will be stripped bare and brown will be the prevailing shade. 

I found myself really appreciating the simple beauty of these dead seed heads and I was reminded of the "dead-things wreath" I made some years ago. Haha, I just re-read that post and made myself laugh!

It was blessedly quiet in the woods considering it was the weekend, and we passed just a handful of dog walkers making the most of the unexpectedly dry afternoon. Hello, Stalking Horse, you look so at home right now with the copper beech leaves falling all around you. I love that you are here in our woodland, making me smile each time I walk past.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what a beautiful sight, would you just look at that glorious SUNSHINE!!! A very brief break in the clouds and the sun suddenly burst through the trees up ahead, it was absolutely magical I tell you.

Amazingly the rain stayed away and we made it home un-wetted. I always love this view of the terraced streets running steeply down and then back up again - these are the hills I was referring to a few days ago when I mentioned that daily exercise has really improved my fitness levels. You do need a reasonable bit of stamina to walk these streets at a brisk pace and there was a (long) time when I struggled, although I hated to admit it. By the way, I will be chatting about my exercise stuff in a separate blog post as so many of you seemed interested in what I'm up to.

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Around 3pm I made a start on the pumpkin carving. My top tools for the job are rubber gloves and a metal ice cream scoop - these are a winning combo and I had the innards scraped out in no time at all. I've saved some of the flesh to make pumpkin soup tomorrow and I'm already looking forward to it. To do the actual carving I just use a small vegetable knife, nothing fancy. I print or draw a design onto paper, place the paper onto the surface of the pumpkin and trace the design with a pencil, making sure to press down hard. This leaves the design lightly scored onto the pumpkin surface, it's just enough so that you can see where to cut.

I carved three pumpkins this year, one large one and two small ones. The Little People watched on with a mixture of fascination and annoyance - they know full well by now that pumpkin carving in this house is strictly a Mummy Activity, and they will not be permitted to "help" in any way, shape or form. I am just a weeny bit mean with it, I am sorry to admit it, but also.......not sorry. Mine, all mine.

In previous years I have purchased additional pumpkins and helped them design and carve their own creations, so I feel I have done my bit. This year nobody was at all bothered when I mentioned pumpkins to them earlier in the week, that is until they saw me at the table this afternoon and then suddenly they wanted in. Ah, shame, but then there's always next year.

As there was no trick or treating this year, we had a beautifully peaceful evening compared to the bobillion rings of the doorbell we usually get on Halloween night. I bought some large foil trays (the sort you buy for roasting a chicken) and spread out a variety of mixed sweetie treats, then left them on the steps for any passing witches or ghouls to help themselves. It seemed like the right thing to do, and I hope that the Littlies liked my pumpkins this year............

...........Ta-dah!! I think they turned out ok.....Happy Halloween🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷!!!

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PS....I know it's the 31st today and Blogtober has now officially finished, but I think I shall continue to be around in the days to come. I have thoroughly enjoyed being present here each day, it's been fun, hasn't it? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Blogtober 2020 :: Day 29

Today has been a thoroughly wet affair from start to finish. It was raining when I got up, and as far as I know it's still raining now, although of course it's dark out there beyond the cosiness of home so I don't know for certain. I'm currently sat on the floor in front of the fire with my laptop on the coffee table and my legs stretched out underneath. It's warm and very snug in here as I lit the fire about six hours ago - it really is so lovely having an open fire, I know I keep saying it but it's absolutely one of the highlights of the season for me. J has just made me a cup of tea so I'm all settled in for a chat, although I do need to warn you that I feel pretty tired so I apologise in advance if I begin to drift or ramble.

We went for a jaunt around Bolton Abbey this morning and yes, it was a very drippy wet walk. We started out in a light drizzle and ended up in full on wet rain, but it didn't take away from the pleasure of it. The river was rushing by at a super fast speed, the trees looked amazingly beautiful and despite the crowds we still managed to find a sense of tranquillity in the woodland. Little B was in good spirits and very chatty - I had the pleasure of his company for much of the walk which is a rarity these days. You will be shocked to hear that we didn't stop for coffee (I know!!), we were just too sodden to think about sitting in a café and decided instead to come straight home to change into dry clothes and light the fire.

I spent the early afternoon snuggled under a blanket in the Big Chair with Tilly for company, drinking coffee and catching up with my October issue magazines. I'd only managed a quick browse through before today, but I do like to take the time to read through all the articles and examine the inspirational images in great detail. There was a "seasonal makes and bakes" feature in Country Living which obviously influenced me massively because I began to really crave ginger biscuits. So much so, I could not stop thinking about it so I did the only thing possible in the circumstances and went into the kitchen to bring some gingery goodness into my life. Unfortunately I very quickly discovered we had no ground ginger, so ginger biscuits were a no go. Waaaaahhh!!! I was so disappointed! But I was on a biscuit mission by then so I made an instant decision and knocked up some lemon shortbread biscuits instead. I had fun using some little leaf cutters for seasonal appropriateness, and the biscuits tasted wonderful - buttery and zesty and the perfect afternoon munchy material.

I haven't felt like stitching or hooking today so poor Granny Josephine is still in a state. I shall pick her up tomorrow and forge on with her recovery journey I promise.

Right my lovelies, I really do need to go now as I can feel my brain beginning to perform a bit of a spontaneous shutdown. I hope you've had a great day whatever you've been up to and I shall see you all tomorrow....

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Blogtober 2020 :: Day 28

Today has been a blissfully slow kind of a day, the very best kind of pace for a stay-home holiday week. J and I were both up and about early this morning so we decided to take a walk up to the farm shop around 8.30am. We walked through the park which was very quiet and peaceful and as you can see, it was sunny - yes, actual, real sunny-sunshine, yaayyyy!! It was so so so lovely to feel the sun on my face for a little while, no matter how brief it was.

Many of the trees are looking bare now, although there are some still managing to hold onto their leaves. 

I stopped for a moment to look up through the treetops at the blue sky, loving the brightness of the still early day. My feet were cosy in my hand knit socks and boots, and my hands were cosy in my hand knit mitts. I was wearing a new sweatshirt top which has a hood that kind of sits quite closely around my neck (it's this one) so I was toasty warm, but the chill of the cold wind on my face was really exhilarating. I felt happy and full of morning energy, it was such a great feeling I have to say.

We paused at the top of the hill to take in the view of the hills before jaunting down the steps and following the footpath all the way to the farm shop. Because we were so early it was wonderfully quiet in the shop. This is something I've come to appreciate when we have to wear face coverings as it can feel very claustrophobic very quickly when it's warm and busy. We only really wanted one thing (well two things if you count the coffee) so it was a speedy in and out pop-n-shop, just the way I like it. 

By the time we were walking back through the park the weather had already begun to change and the sun was gone. I appreciated my al fresco on-the-move latté very much, it tasted pretty good with a back drop of Autumnal nature.

The thing we had walked all the way to the farm shop for was meat, specifically lamb. The meat at the farm shop is always great quality and super fresh so I always think it's well worth the walk to get the good stuff. I made another favourite recipe from the slow cook book for tonights dinner - Lamb Rogan Josh. This is a truly excellent curry, one of the best recipes I've ever come across. As well as dried spice and a generous dollop of spice paste from a jar, this recipe uses fresh cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to add a really rich, aromatic flavour. It's a long, slow cook (up to 8 hours) which makes the lamb melt-in-the-mouth tender....oh it really did not disappoint, it was absolutely delicious. 

With dinner in the slow cooker, the rest of the day was open for me to get busy with my own thing. So after lunch I fetched Granny Josephine from the naughty corner and prepared her for surgery.

It was a tricky procedure, unpicking parts of the lining, then unpicking the carefully darned in ends so I could frog back the joining seams enough to release the top four corner squares. Granny remained calm, and even with a bit of her top missing she still managed to hold it together. 

I am so so glad that somehow in the midst of my foggiest of brain-fog times last year I managed to not only create a half-square from scratch, but also miraculously managed to write up the pattern for it. I am not kidding when I tell you that I really do not remember doing any of it, it's a complete blank (hahaha, I just type "blanket" instead of blank, and had a little chuckle to myself). 

So I had the joy of following my own pattern to create four new half squares......

.....to replace the ones that I extracted from Granny earlier. I used the same colours for some sort of continuity, although I'm well aware that the photo tutorial is going to be a bit of a mess because of having to re-do this bit but not being able to photograph it properly. Ah well, I trust that you won't mind too much and I'll do my best to explain it all as best as I can. 

In the dwindling daylight this afternoon I managed to join the four half squares into Granny's top half, giving her some dainty sloping shoulders. Ideally I would have liked her to have more depth, but in order to make the handles work, this seemed to be the least tricky path to take. 

As I ran out of light and energy in the late part of the afternoon the lining is just pinned in place for now. Tomorrow I hope to really make some good progress and advance to the handle attaching stage. I am determined to drag Granny Josephine into her Ta-dah spotlight, and take her out on the town when she's all embellished and ready to wow her public. I absolutely can't wait.

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Blogtober 2020 :: Day 27

I had a lie in this morning and it was absolutely lush, I woke up around 6.30 but immediately gave myself permission to go back to sleep and my second wake up was around 8am I think. Getting a little extra morning shut-eye is one of the very best bits of the school holidays, especially when the weather isn't playing nice and there are no plans to speak of. As is my usual weekday routine I got up and did a workout this morning and actually really enjoyed it - I never thought this would be me as I've always been more of a lazy pyjama person than a lycra fitness person. But life is full of surprises and finding my way into an at-home exercise routine was one of the very best things that happened for me during Lockdown.

Seven months later and I am really feeling the benefits from regular exercising, not necessarily in the way I look (although this is certainly noticeable) but more to do with my energy levels, state of mind and ability to climb hills without feeling like I'm about to pass out. The latter advantage is a real bonus living in a place full of hills. I generally do five days a week (weekends are for slobbery) and only about 30 minutes maximum a day. If anyone is remotely interested I'll happily give you more details of the kind of things I do - it's all free YouTube stuff where you don't need any equipment, just a small amount of floor space, probably a decentish sports bra and the willpower to commit to it when you are only accountable to yourself. I always feel great afterwards, a bit of a red sweaty mess, but those endorphins are really super little things when they go swimming around in your brain. 

As it was raining this morning, I decided to enjoy my morning coffee treat in the comfort of home. It did mean a wet dash to the coffee shop to collect a take-out, but it's a very short dash which I'm very grateful for. When I came home I cosied up in the hydrangea and felt all kinds of happy just being home with J and the Little People and having nowhere I needed to be, and only the basic chores to get done. I changed over my bedding today, sorted out some recycling, cleaned around the bathroom a little and that was about the extent of today's housework.

Breakfast was a bowl of milky porridge topped with fresh fruit and seeds, my current fave. I ate it quite late this morning (10.45) and by then I was really ready for it. I try and practice some sort of mindfulness when I eat my meals so that I can savour the flavours and enjoy the pleasure of freshly prepared food, but I confess that sometimes I do just scoff the lot without a whole lot of mindful activity. I devoured the above bowl in a matter of minutes, but I'm pretty sure it was utterly delicious.

The weather has been wet, wet, wet all day long and as I sit and write this it is still raining. We were expecting it, the weather forecast for the whole of this week is pretty bad. J and I ventured out to the shops for a few groceries that got forgotten when I placed my online supermarket shop at the weekend. It was nice to get out for a bit of a leg stretch and some fresh air, but honestly it was pretty horrible walking with hoods up and heads down against the driving rain.

We walked along the wet canal, and I took the above photo as I was sheltering under one of the bridges. It was so gloomy and dark, even though it was just after midday.

The churchyard stopped me in my tracks though, all that glorious autumn colour looked spectacular in the gloom of the wet, grey afternoon.

When we got back, I set about making some soup for a late lunch, even though I was pretty sure that I would be the only one eating it. This was to be a green concoction made without a recipe but I was hopeful that the giant market celery would make the soup into something special. My green soup contained two leeks, two cloves of garlic, two ginormous celery sticks, a little bit of broccoli and a whole big handful of fresh green celery leaves. Oh, and a potato, and veggie stock.

It turned out green, but not the vibrant green I was expecting - maybe I needed spinach for that kind of colour and I didn't happen to have any. Taste wise it was very good - I think I overdid the celery leaves a bit but it was kind of like a leek and potato soup with a very strong hint of celery. I made rather a big batch of it, so I'm hoping Little Lady might be tempted to join me for a soup lunch tomorrow, otherwise I guess I'll be freezing it to have at a later date. 

The soup gave me an energy boost and afterwards I felt inspired to finish J's socks.

I have the magic kitchener stitch written out on a piece of paper so that I can chant it out loud as I work the needle, it's a bit like casting a magic spell.

I in no way understand how it works, but by meticulously following the chant with extreme concentration I can manage to make it happen. It really does feel like magic and when it's done properly you can't tell that the darned stitches weren't knitted as it makes a seamless graft. Clever eh?

As soon as I'd finished darning in the ends I asked J if he would like to try them on and he honestly couldn't get them on his feet fast enough....

.....Ta-dah!!!!! One pair of Man Socks complete and already in situ on size ten man feet. I asked him to take them off so that I could wash and block them (they always feel so much nicer to wear after they've been washed and blocked) but he point blank refused. I could not persuade him to remove them, so as far as I know they are still on and keeping his extremities cosy and warm.

I've had a few people on social media ask about the yarn, and I'm sorry to say that since I bought it I've found out that the range has been discontinued. It may still be possible to find it online if you search for it - it's Opal yarn ::

Opal Fairytale : shade 9797 "Heroic Deed"

So I think tomorrow may well be the day for the Naughty Granny Bag to be given a seeing to, I feel ready to get stuck in again and kick that WiP into shape. Wish me luck, and I'll keep you posted!

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