Attic24

Oh, Snowdrops!

We walked up to the top of town to Appreciate the Snowdrops on Friday. It was after lunch, a cold, sunny afternoon when it felt just right to be out doing such a simple thing. I've been visiting this patch of ground every February for a decade and it never fails to make my heart expand with happiness, which is especially welcome in the middle of an often weary, grey month.

It's funny doing these sorts of things with J, he never quite knows what to do with himself when I set off on a giddy moment out in public. He kind of loiters nearby as if he doesn't really want to be drawn into my particular kind of crazy, but at the same time he is quietly accepting and supportive. I took loads of photos, just as I do every single year when I am faced with this glorious carpet of living floral beauty. I can never seem to get enough of the way flowers makes me feel, I want to drink in the emotion of it, absorb the visual pleasure right into my very soul.

It's not just flowers though, it's the whole seasonal thing that continues to inspire me year after year after year. Which reminds me, now that I've ticked Snowdrop Patch Appreciation off my list, I really must head up to the allotment and see how it's all looking. It's nearly time for that particular seasonal year to begin again - my To-do list has >>Contact Poo Lady<< on it, which means calling up the lady who will come with a trailer load of well rotten horse manure. I've got big Floral Plans for my allotment patch this year, I am beyond excited thinking about all that I want to do.

I hope you've got some beautiful things on your to-do list this week, in amongst the chores and errands, there is definitely room for beauty and floral appreciation. 

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Wintering

I seriously love the above photo in all it's faded, wintry mellowness. It was one of those misty, murky mornings that we seem to have experienced quite often this winter, when the days have felt very slow to get going. This type of weather makes me want to cosy up inside and drink endless mugs of strong, frothy coffee, and yet there is also something refreshing about being out and about and breathing in that damp, cold air.

Its snowdrop season, and our tiny clump of front garden flowers have pushed their way back through the earth for another year. Earlier today, we drove past the huge patch of snowdrops which always grow wild at the top entrance to the woods (see this post) and I made a mental note to walk up there very soon to see them. Whizzing past in the car just isn't good enough, these sweet flowers deserve to be given a thorough dose of heart-felt appreciation.

Top of my to-do list :: Go Appreciate Snowdrop Patch.

My weekend was slow and quiet, just the way I like it at this time of year. I spent much of Saturday sat at the dining table drinking coffee, knitting bits of sock and drooling over the pages in the latest Sarah Raven catalogue, specifically pages 4 - 21 which showcase the Exclusive Dahlia Collections. Oh my heart. Dahlias are just the bees knees, and I've been swooning over them for a great many years (just re-reading this post where I quite literally "fell" for the dahlias at Cragside - ha! True story, I do get giddy to the point of not being able to remain upright at times.

It was so nice to get back to a bit of knitting after such a lot of Sweet Pea-ing of late, and I did enjoy being quietly industrious with all those neat little knitty rounds. I turned heels and knitted gussets and made great progress on these belated Christmas gift socks for my patient father-in-law. For anyone interested, I knit my socks using the continental knitting method which allows me to tension the yarn in my left hand in exactly the same identical way as I do when I'm crocheting. It's absolutely marvelous and allows my hands to almost think they are crocheting when in fact they are being very clever and knitting instead. You can read more about my methods in this post. 

Something amazing has started to happen here in Atticland this winter, and it is SOoooooOoo amazing that I'm still feeling a bit in awe of it all. We've been living here for eleven years and have never witnessed it before - a daily starling murmuration. It's an absolutely incredible natural display (you can read more about it here, which includes a short video clip) and the fact that it's started happening literally right over our house is just mind blowing. It starts just as dusk is beginning (around 4.45pm at this time of year) and lasts around half an hour. The birds gather gradually and the flock gets bigger and bigger as the minutes pass until there are literally thousands and thousands of birds fluttering overhead. They fly together in the most mesmersing of ways, in twists and turns and undulating waves, it's impossible to take your eyes away and inspires you to take around 267 gazillion photos of the sky.

All my photos were pretty rubbish (I was doing the giddy thing again and leaping excitedly across the furniture), but I enjoyed myself trying. I really, really, really hope this is going to be an annual winter thing around here. 

We walked at Bolton Abbey on Sunday for the first time in a while, and it was just lovely. A bit cold, grey and dull but still so good to get out and about amongst the trees. We left the Teen in bed, waved Little Lady off to work (she has just started her very first weekend job waitressing in a cafe), and set off to walk with Little B in tow.

Despite the leaflessness of the winter season, I was overjoyed to see so many fresh new bluebell shoots already peeking through the undergrowth.

And moss too of course, I'm always excited to see how well it thrives at this time of year.

Mossy trees are just super aren't they? Kind of fairytale-ish and magical.

Sunday was also a day of doing allllllll the laundry which I didn't manage to do on Saturday because I was too busy knitting my gussets and slavering over photos of dahlias. I worked through four whole loads, washing and drying, then up to the bedroom to fold and stack on my bed. I am so in love with my bed, and can't tell you how much I look forward to climbing into it each night. I mean, I really do enjoy my days, but bedtime is always such a highlight! With the chilly weather I've got a double layer of blanket warmth on my bed at the moment, and as I was sorting through all the laundry yesterday I found myself really appreciating the spread of colour and pattern. The bottom layer is my beloved BB which is almost ten years old now - you can see more photos of it here). It's a big 180cm square beast made from Rowan Pure Wool DK and is extremely heavy and warm. On top of that I've got my Sunny Log Cabin blanket, and this stays on my bed all year round as it's quite light and is OK for the Summer months. Gosh, I do so love this blanket, it's one of my all time favourite makes. It uses 18 balls of Stylecraft Special DK which is called the Sunny yarn pack. I made this blanket as a CAL project at the end of 2015 - all the CAL installments are still on my blog if you fancy creating your own dreamy blanket.

Back downstairs and I've got a new candle on the go this week. It's another one from Next, I do so enjoy their scented candles as they are very economical and burn for aaaaages (50 hours in this jar, seriously!). Oh, and they smell gorgeous too - this one is Bergamot and Green Tea which I think I had last winter too. It's fresh and sweet without being overpowering and makes the living room smell really good.

We're still lighting our fire every day and appreciate it very much. The kitty is often sprawled out on my floor cushions right next to the hearth (one of my favourite places to sit and crochet) and I never have the heart to turf her off. So I feel as if I've not had the real benefit of quality fireside time just lately, although I do so love to see it (and hear it) as much as I like the warmth and comfort it provides.

This morning, and another outing to Bolton Abbey, just J and me this time. We hadn't planned on going seeing as we were only there yesterday, but after school drop off and a quick supermarket shop I just felt like I wanted to be back there again. The sunshine was calling me to go tramp those winding pathways....almost impossible to resist!

We walk further and faster when it's just us two, crossing bridges and taking a big loop around on both sides of the river.

I adore this tree and always feel compelled to photograph its magnificent roots every time I walk past it. Have to say, they were looking mighty mossy and even more magnificent than usual. #mossaddict (yes, this really is a bonafide hashtag, I tell you, I'm not alone!)

Another tree which caught my eye with its fabulous bark - it looked like it had been smocked! It reminded me that I went through an obsessive smocking phase when I was in my mid teens, painstakingly embroidering a whole collection of hand stitched and smocked dresses for a ragdoll that I made at school. I would so love to see those handmade things again, I was such a shy, quiet, daydreamy, stitch-obsessed type of teenager, always away in my own little private, creative world. Don't suppose I've altered all that much, come to think of it.

As well as mossy roots and smocked bark I spied catkins galore, gosh they are putting on a spectacular show this year.

I find them so charming - little dangly reminders that Spring isn't too far away. I dearly wanted to pick some to bring home, but didn't feel that it would be acceptable to steal from the trees so I left them hanging in the morning sunshine.

We stopped off at the farm shop on our way home to pick up a joint of meat (I'm making smoky barbecued pulled pork in the slow cooker tomorrow), and rather predictably I found myself drawn to the floral offerings before I could make it anywhere near the meat counter. I decided to treat myself to a small pot of Narcissus "Bridal Crown"which I know from past experience will smell divine when they flower. Having pots of bulbs growing in the house is such a pleasure, I can highly recommend it if you want to bring a dose of Spring cheer into the winter time.

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Winter Colour

We ventured out into the cold, cold wintry countryside yesterday, J and I, for a brisk walk around Grimwith reservoir. As you can see, the water levels are frightening low (photos from April last year show how full it was then) and I hope very much that we're not headed for any sort of water shortage situation.

It was blinkin' freezing out there in the Dales yesterday, and even though I was bundled up in extra layers, with my woolly hat pulled down low (yes I'm still wearing that very same hat), the cold wind seemed to reach my bones.

I am always fascinated by moss at all times of year (it's an enduring crush that I have), but in Winter it really makes me love it to distraction. It's so hardy and vibrant, like a bright beacon of natural positivity amongst all the muted dullness out there, and I adore it.

Now get this ---- I just did a quick online moss search and found a mossy blog!! It's called "Moss Musings" (seriously!!) and the tag line reads "for all the buzz about your favorite fuzz..." Oh. My. This is utterly brilliant. I'm laughing into my tea at this point, that tag line is just...well, beyond words really. Life is fantastic when you discover such small and quirky things that make you laugh out loud.

I like lichen too....any lichen fans out there? Its such a subtle and sublime colour, like the true essence of winter (along the lines of eucalyptus, that soft grey-green is just lovely). I do so enjoy the small details of a walk as much as the bigger long distance views.

Being out in the winter countryside is such a tonic, not just physically for the fresh air and exercise, but mentally too. It's like opening a window when the room becomes too stuffy, I find that having a stuffy brain can feel very draining at times, and fresh air and open views make a huge difference to my thought processes. It's liberating, and I really appreciate being able to do this on a Monday morning.

I like to chat to J about my crochet and blogging plans as we walk, I know he doesn't really "get it" but I enjoy offloading onto him regardless. I'm pretty sure he doesn't mind me laying it all out as we walk, it certainly helps me to feel clearer in my mind and more energised for the days that follow. I made massive in-roads into my ridiculous to-do list this morning, and I'm sure it was because of my outdoor walking therapy session yesterday. I can highly recommend it.

And to end the walk........a rainbow, the best winter colour of all.

Back here in the Attic, and Winter colour is mostly yarn related, of course it is. I gathered up a pile of clean socks this morning to take them upstairs - they'd been drying on the radiator downstairs and honestly I just swooned a little at the sight of all those delicious stripes. For those who don't know that I knit socks (I do, I do!), you can follow my "Socks" category in the sidebar for all previous sock posts with yarn and pattern details etc. I didn't make many pairs last year (I'm not sure why .... oh hang on .... yeah .... cross stitch happened!), but plan to have a few more pairs on and off the needles this year. 

I fear I am obsessing about my eucalyptus in a way that is a bit weird, but I can't seem to help it. Gawd, I love it so much. It's become my daily ritual....I sit and sip that delicious first coffee of the day, and rub a little euc leaf between my fingers to inhale at the same time. I think smelly pleasures are highly underrated. 

My sofa is a bit of a colourful mess right now, but I am really loving the riot of colour and pattern. In fact, the whole house is a mess, but I am going against the current January trend of decluttering and clearing and simplifying and choosing to embrace the cluttered, lived in look, just for the time being. Clearing may happen in the Spring, I'm in no rush. 

I was working on my sweet pea blanket for lots of hours over the weekend, and found myself wishing (for the umpteenth time) that the yarn would magically smell like sweet peas. Actually, I read on Facebook somewhere about a lady who puts a scented soap in her organza yarn bag along with her yarn and current project, and I thought that would be well worth a try. So I'm off to search for sweet pea soaps now, I think this could be a Good Thing.

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December Chitter-Chatter

 

Helloooooooo!!! I'm giving you a big and long overdue enthusiastic wave from the Attic window as I sit here on the very last day of the year and think about the weeks that have passed. I've been trying to write this post for the past few days and am happy to have finally managed it now that we're on the flip side of Christmas and teetering on the brink of the New Year.

D you know, I wrote the title of this post and then wondered if chitter-chatter was actually a proper word so went to look it up. Turns out it is indeed and means "informal and inconsequential conversation", which about sums up the overall gist of this post (well most of my blog posts actually). So I hope you're up for a some inconsequential chitter-chatter and a few photos to go with it? Onwards!!

 

 

Little B remarked to me this morning that this holiday has already felt super-long and I had to agree with him. It seems like aaaaages since we managed to exit the house at 8.30am and walk to school along the canal. This past week has been lazy in the extreme - there have been late nights and late mornings, entire days spent in pyjamas, erratic meals and way too much chocolate and screen time. It's been relaxed and restful, a much needed respite from the routine and clock watching of our school and work days. I for one have relished it all, have loved the slightly chaotic nature of having us all home together enjoying the long slow hours of nothing in particular.

 

 

I made a journey down to Dorset a few weeks before Christmas, travelling the 300 miles by train and bus. This is the second time this year that I've been to Dorset on my own, and although I'd much prefer to have J and the Little Peeps with me, I've come to appreciate the pleasure of travelling alone. I do enjoy a solo train journey where I can divide my time between reading, listening to music (Christmas tunes on this trip), browsing Instagram/blogs and crocheting, with some idle scenery gazing and day dreaming thrown in for good measure. 

 

 

I was pleased to find my Dad in good spirits and although we don't always see eye to eye on things, we generally manage to rub along OK for a few days at a time. Obviously I was mainly visiting to spend time with Dad and Lady B, but there is also a really deep need in me to be back on my home turf from time to time, for personal, nostalgic, feel-good reasons. Oh, I miss it there, I really do.

 

 

We walked to West Bay on a bright and breezy day in mid December and it was everything that I needed it to be. It was fresh and brisk, with blue skies and sunshine, noisy, pounding waves and salty sea spray. We walked around the harbour and out along the pier before heading to the cosy warmth of a local pub for a quick drink to fortify us for the two mile return walk.

 

 

I was away for three nights and J did a fabulous job of keeping the home front ticking over in my absence. In fact, I'm sure the Little People didn't really miss me at all, although I did receive the biggest hug from Little B when I got in through the door, so I think perhaps he missed me a smidge even though he insisted that he didn't.

 

 

In the days/weeks since I returned from Dorset, life has been steady. I lost track of the number of people (both friends and random strangers) who asked me if I was Ready For Christmas, and each time I would shake my head and tell them no. I never, ever feel ready for Christmas until that particular hour in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve when all the presents are wrapped, all the food has been bought and all the fire-fuel (logs) and festive-fuel (prossecco mainly) are in the house. Only then do I sit, breathe deeply and feel ready. Up until that point, there is not a jot of readiness to be felt within me, but I am absolutely OK with that. It is how it is, I am a last minute person and I try very hard not to stress it, even when people give me the wide eyes when I tell them I haven't bought presents and our tree isn't up (this being the 2nd week in December - PLeNty of time yet!!)

 

 

This year, as is the norm for me, I treated myself to a few little from-me-to-me Christmas gifts. J and I don't exchange gifts with each other and never have done in the twenty five years we've been together, so I feel it's absolutely ok to gift to myself. I bought the above book which I've been curious about for a a few years, and I would love to tell you I carved out time to read it but I don't want to lie to you. I've flipped through the pages (some glorious photos and illustrations) and dipped in and out of the chapters, but I'm saving the serious reading and absorbing of it for January.

Two other things I treated myself to - a Sweet Pea scented candle ready to light on 4th January when the Sweet Pea Crochet-Along begins, and a tree. HA!! Yes, I bought myself a tree. It's only a small sapling (1-2 foot high) and it hasn't been delivered yet but I'm beyond excited about the idea of it, mainly so that I can have access to it's leaves to squeeze and sniff to my hearts content......yes, it's a eucalyptus tree. I plan to grow it in a large pot in my back yard as I know they can grow into beastly big things, and I am just giddy about it. I'll show you when it comes!

 

 

I've been yarning along with myself during the past month of course, but haven't got anything much that I can show you. I've got a pair of socks on my needles which  are a belated Christmas gift for my fabulous father-in-law. I'm not going to show them here just yet as I have a feeling he occasionally peeks in through my Attic window. They are stripy and fairly manly (blues and greys) and I'm enjoying the little stitches very much.

As you can see above, I also tried my hand at making a critter a few weeks ago which was unexpectedly challenging (not the crochet so much as the facial features). I've got lots more to show you about that but can't just yet as this was a pattern test for a friend, so I need to wait for her nod. But if you know her critters already you will know that this is going to be one cute little thing. Oh it's so difficult to make animals look cute though, I had no idea!

 

 

In other creative news, I've been totally obsessed with my Sweet Pea blankets. In previous years I've crocheted the blanket more or less at the same time as I run the crochet along (just a week or two ahead so I can get the photos ready in time). But this year, as soon as I made the decision to offer two versions of the blanket I really had to get cracking as a LOT of hooky hours are needed to create two whole blankets. So I made the Posy version first and I'm now working on the Colourwash version, and I'm really, really, really looking forward to Friday and sharing the pattern and first colour installments with you. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has bought a Sweet Pea yarn pack from my shop at Wool Warehouse, I'm just thrilled to bits that our online crochet community is such a happy, positive and thriving place.

 

 

In the week before Christmas I finally started to think about gifts for family and friends. I decided for various reasons not to write Christmas cards this year, and instead I gifted potted bulbs to friends who I knew I was going to see. I bought some single hyacinth and amaryllis bulbs from the farm shop, wrapped them carefully in gold tissue paper and popped them into paper gift bags.

 

 

I know how much pleasure I get from watching hyacinths grow and bloom, there is something so optimistic and simple about them, the slow anticipation is just perfect. I hope they are bringing a smile to my friends as we head into the New Year, a dash of living greenery and a bloom of colour to welcome in 2019.

 

 

We decorated for Christmas at our usual time this year, around ten days before Christmas. This is early enough for me as I like to have the tree up until the Twelfth Night, or there abouts. And wonders will never cease - I even remembered to purchase the candy canes in time!!!! 

 

 

We have our usual haphazard arrangement of colourful mismatched decs on our old faithful artificial tree. Little B and I did the honours together, and I think we did a pretty good job. The tree isn't especially twinkly as we opted for battery powered lights after last year's kitty disaster (she chewed through a set of lights). But still, I do enjoy the gentle glow of it especially first thing in the morning when we come downstairs and it's still dark.

 

 

I decorated both mantels as I usually do, pretty much the same as last year and I've really been enjoying the twinkly little lights and the various candles. I don't think you can ever have too much sparkle and glow at this time of year.

 

 

Coffee Yeah!!!! Not much to add to that really is there??!! In fact, I'm not sure why I took this photo, other than to remember that there have been many happy little moments of daily sitting, sipping and taking stock during the past few weeks. It's not always easy to stop still and grant time to just be in the moment and allow thoughts to flow, but I think a mug of good coffee does aid that practice rather well. Yeah!

 

 

On Christmas Eve we woke up to the most perfectly perfect winters day, brrrrrrrrrr it was freezing! Being that we were firmly in holiday mode and therefore not able to get out the door before midday, it was early afternoon by the time we set out for a walk. The above photo was taken from inside the car around 2pm, and with temperatures still well below zero the ice crystals on the windscreen were mesmerising to look at.

 

 

We walked at Bolton Abbey with Little Lady and Little B, striding through the cold, sunlit woodland......

 

 

......following the frosty pathways through the trees.

 

 

There were plenty of people out on this crisp, clear afternoon enjoying the fresh air, yet it still felt tranquil. 

 

 

Heading back towards the car in the late afternoon, and the prospect of snuggling up in the cosy cafe suddenly seemed very appealing. Did I mention how cold it was? Uh-huh, below freezing, and definitely frothy coffee/hot chocolate weather. 

 

 

On the way home we stopped  a while on top of the moors to take in the sun - I think this was the exact moment when I finally felt ready for Christmas actually. So beautiful, those long distance, glowy golden views on the eve before Christmas.

 

 

From one day to the next and the weather couldn't have been more different. If Christmas Eve was full of sparkly gold, then Christmas day was a dull pewter grey. We had an early start on Christmas morning thanks to Little B who woke us all up at 5.45am absolutely fizzing with excitement. Gosh, that boy, his mood was highly infectious and the pleasure we had from watching him delight in his presents was worth the lack of shut eye.

 

 

J and I knew that we would meet huge resistance if we attempted to make the Little People venture outdoors on Christmas morning, so we took the decision to leave them behind. It was only for an hour - a quick walk into the woods as far as the pond, then back to the warmth of home. They barely registered that we'd been gone, all engrossed in new games and gifts. Although it was very gloomy out there, the fresh air was invigorating and I felt so glad of it.

 

 

We spent a quiet day at home just the five of us, and I am so grateful for the gentle ease of it all. Since then, our days have merged  into one long idle, contented blur. The kind where you wake up without an alarm, have no idea what day of the week it is, and wonder if you even need to bother getting dressed at all. It's been fabulous, and we are all rejoicing in the fact that we still have another week left to enjoy. I'm hoping to get out and about a bit more this week though, possibly to the seaside if I can get the family into the car to head west to the coast. Fingers crossed on that one.

 

 

Right now it's almost 9pm on New Year's Eve and I am going to take myself back to the fireside with a glass of fizz. We are choosing a gentle close to 2018, it's been such a contented year for us as a family and I am truly grateful every single day for the happiness and fulfillment that I find in my life.

Wishing you all a magical New Year, I hope you find happiness and joy in the little things and that life sparkles for you.

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Chasing the Light

Yesterday we woke to yet another day of low, grey skies and an eerie damp mist clinging to the landscape - down in Dorset we would call this mizzle (a combination of mist and drizzly light rain), and honestly it's my least favourite type of weather. We've had so little light here in general this month, day after day where it barely feels as if the sun is there at all, and I miss the sight of clear skies and brightness very much. However, Monday is my day with J and that's something that I always wake up feeling glad for, so even though the weather was grim, we still made plans to venture out together.

First stop : Breakfast. Well, technically it was the second stop as we first had to deliver the Littlest B-boy to school. Once we were free of offspring we walked through the damp park and up over the hill where we stood a while and marveled at the mist  swirling through the valley. Down the hill and along the footpath to the farm shop where all was cosy and bright, and we treated ourselves to a very fine spot of breakfast. It's not an elaborate affair (I usually have poached eggs on toast and a cappuccino) but there is something about going out for breakfast that always feels like the biggest treat.

I bought some stems of fresh eucalyptus (my annual festive treat in lieu of not having a real Christmas tree to inhale), and some potted bulbs to gift to to friends. I enjoy gifting living, growing things, there is something so optimistic about a humble bulb still in it's green-shoot stage, don't you think?

On our walk home from the farm shop, we noticed that the sky was ever so slowly beginning to clear, and by the time we arrived home in the late morning, we'd decided that the promise of a little sunlight was just too good to miss. I set about making a flask of fresh milky coffee and gathering together a light lunch snack of sorts (I know, not especially nutritious, but I did at least include some fruit), and off we went, out of town to chase the winter light.

We decided to keep ourselves below the mist still swirling over the high moors and headed for the riverside. Bolton Abbey was near deserted on this damp, quiet Monday, so we parked the car right next to the riverbank and settled down for some good old fashioned in-car relaxation.

The river was running high and loud after so much rain in recent weeks, and as the sky cleared a little we were treated to some blinding sunlight shafting off the surface of the water. Oh, it was glorious! I got out of the car for a while and just stood to soak it in.

There is very little colour to be found at this time of year, but the low sun illuminating the seed heads and grasses made it all look beautiful. I am trying my best to embrace the winter season we are in, digging deep to find appreciation and gratitude for this time of year which sees me struggle. I think I'm doing OK, and I am really (really, really, really) looking forward to celebrating the solstice on Friday. I think I love that day more than Christmas. I said to J, if it weren't for the children, I should like to celebrate the Winter Solstice with greenery, candles and feasting, then go abroad for the remainder of December to lie in the sun somewhere warm and bright. One day maybe.

One thing I know for sure - colour and yarn most definitely helps maintain the feel-good and I'm so very, very grateful for it. I sat in the warmth of the car yesterday afternoon and crocheted a few rows, glancing up frequently to take in the flow of the river and the sunlight bouncing around. J was reading beside me and we chatted a little about this and that, but mostly we were content to just be there in the quiet of the moment, enjoying the light and tranquility. It was a small slice of calm at the start of what promises to be a hectic week.

I hope all your pre-Christmas preparations are going well, it's the usual last minute cray-cray here, but I refuse to allow any anxiety to creep in. It's the winter Solstice on Friday (yay!) and I have fresh eucalyptus!! All will be well, I'm sure of it.

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Winter Moorland

I confess I do find this time of year a challenge, and I swear I can feel my body and soul actually droop as the days shorten. It's as if someone invisible (and a little bit mean) decides to gently wrap me head to toe in thick cotton wool so that general everyday thinking/doing feels way harder than usual. If all I needed to do each day was flollop around on the sofa then this cotton woolliness wouldn't be a problem at all, it would be very cosy in fact. But that's not my life, so I continue to plod my way through these cold, grey woolly days doing all the things that a mum of three school age children needs to do.

One thing I find helps with the woollies is fresh air and gentle exercise, and if that can be taken somewhere with far reaching scenic views then the positive effects are even better. J and I try to take ourselves out into the nearby countryside whenever we can, sometimes just the two of us and sometimes with the Little People trailing along. The weather is often questionable but we venture out regardless and I always feel happier and (slightly more) energised afterwards.

These photos were taken one afternoon last week, a spontaneous decision to head up onto the moors for a quick blast of scenery and fresh air. We ended up walking further than we'd planned, tramping along undulating pathways around the two reservoirs that nestle among the heather, moss and grasses of the high moorland. It was quite brown (oh, how I longed for the purple hues of the summer heather!), but I did really delight in all the rampant moss which was looking very vibrant and fetching. I do so love to see a mossy hillock glowing in the afternoon light. I love moss, I do.

Six miles later, we made it back to the car as the light began to fade. We had to power walk the last mile and a half (it's not easy to power walk over soggy moorland terrain) and only just made it back into town in time for the school pick up. Phew. It was a bit worrisome for a while, but I was so happy that we had gotten out there, to breathe in lungfuls of cold fresh air and stride about a bit. Definitely good for the soul.

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Ticking Along

❉ It was our half term week last week and we spent our days being as slow, lazy and uneventful as possible, which was rather blissful following the last few weeks of underlying stress. We pottered and pootled, idled and lounged, and occasionally we got dressed and ventured out into the cool damp Autumn.

❉ We walked a little in our local neighbourhood, visiting the shops for food supplies and stopping in at our favourite cafes for the comfort of a hot milky drink.

❉ The farm shop is especially good at celebrating the seasons throughout the year with it's plants, flowers, produce and decorations, and there is always a lovely display of some sorts in the front entrance. Last week it was all about the pumpkins as we prepared to celebrate Halloween. 

❉ I love the flower section of the farm shop best of all (although the bakery also makes me swoon) - at one time when I was much younger I had dreams of becoming a florist, well, that's to say I loved the idea of faffing with flowers and calling it a job. I occasionally buy single stems from here when something especially appeals (eucalyptus stems are a favourite), but it's quite a pricey way to acquire flowers for the home. Pretty though, isn't it?

❉ On Friday I sat for a few hours in the cafe with my yarny friends and finished attaching my latest mandala to it's hoop. I really really love the serene colours in this mandala, they came together quite by accident and remind me a little of my Harmony blanket colours (blues and purples with a dash of pink and green). I followed the Bougainvillea Doily pattern by Zelna Olivier using around a dozen colours of Stylecraft Cotton Classique DK. I added two additional rounds to make it the right size for attaching to a 45cm hoop and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I've got it hanging against the blue/grey wall in my studio at the moment and it looks especially lovely against that colour.

❉ Sampling for my Sweet Pea blanket continues, and I've been working on the colour order for the stripes during the past few weeks. It takes slow, consistent time and effort to work through this part of the design process, but I absolutely love love love doing it. I spend hours and hours (literally) crocheting up a series of thin stripes to represent the whole blanket, getting a feel for how the colours like to play with each other and how my floral colour story is choosing to tell itself. The above photo is the result of the first sample being all wrong - sometimes I keep the wrong ones as a reference and sometimes I decide to pull it all apart and start again from scratch.

Yesterday I finished sample number four and it made my heart skip a beat, so I think I'm pretty much there with it - so happy about that! I've been doing the nitty gritty sampling too  - weighing out yarn and working tension samples so that I can gauge how many stitches, how many pattern repeats, how many rows etc. It's all good fun and makes me ridiculously excited for the blanket journey to actually begin. Sweet Pea yarn packs will be available in about four weeks I think, the week commencing 3rd December. Bring it on, I can't WAIT!

❉ On Monday the Little People returned to school and J and I went to have a leisurely, unhurried coffee followed by a trip to purchase a modest box of fireworks for the evenings entertainment (for those not in the UK, we light fireworks for Guy Fawkes Night on the 5th November). It was the usual fun - as you know we don't actually have a garden so we make do by using a flower pot filled with earth on the wall of our back yard. Fortunately the fireworks were just the right level of noise and crackle to entertain the Little Peeps without being too scary dangerous - there were only a few which made us run for cover!

❉ The sparklers were a hit, ahhh, so nostalgic! I love the smell of them, they instantly transport me way back in time to my own childhood. We had fun prancing about in the back street with our neighbours, the Little People dancing and twirling and lighting up the night.

❉ It's been very stormy today, wet, grey and howling. The trees are clinging on to their leaves but I feel sure there will be bare branches before long. It's that strange time when the seasons are merging - still Autumn but with the edge of Winter making itself felt. I don't mind it too much, but the low light levels are hard going I have to say.

❉  I bought a new candle on Monday, oh it smells soooooo good! It's Orange & Star Anise and just right for these cold, dark Autumn evenings - warm, fruity and comforting without being too Christmassy. I'm not mad keen on the gold patterned glass jar, but I'm loving the scent so much that I'm willing to overlook the glitz.

In other news, I've started making a smaller companion paper toadstool to go with the one above that I made last week. I've gathered some moss (real moss which I'm air drying), some thin copper wire and some gorgeous paper butterflies to create something of a mini Autumn sculpture thingy. I am stalling with the sticking of all the little toadstool gills though, I need to really be in the mood to get all gummed up with glue.

❉ And so the days are ticking along, a sweet combination of creative energy and slow, nothing-much days, of gentle parenting and the juggling of yarn and time and responsibilities. It's all good, more than good actually, and I am so grateful that I can say that and feel it too.

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Woodland Reflections

I know, I know, I'm having a bit of a Woodland obsession right now, but honestly, can you blame me when it all looks so very utterly gorgeous out there????? It was absolutely freezing this morning, literally freezing, but the sort of glorious day that forbids you to remain inside no matter how low the temperature might be. It was crisp and bright with a definite bite in the air when we set out to walk up the steep, steep hill, along the farm track and into the top of the woods this morning.

We found the second willow sculpture which looked glorious in the sunshine - it's called "The Stalking Horse", a reference to the olden days when the Lord of the Castle would hide behind grazing horses in order to stalk and shoot deer in the woods. I found Anna and the Willow on Instagram (which is how I know all about the horse), and have enjoyed seeing these willow works in progress. 

The little beck that meanders slowly through the woods captured my eyes this morning, I just couldn't stop gazing at the reflections held on it's surface. Even though the beck is flowing, the water moves very slowly so there is an illusion of stillness which makes the reflections very striking. In some places there were overflow pipes draining water into the beck, causing the most incredible rhythmic, pulsing ripples - it was mesmerising to watch, almost like an optical illusion of some sorts.

We stopped for a while beside the small waterfall, perched on a log in the morning sunshine, eating juicy satsumas and a little bit of chocolate too. It was the best kind of morning snack and even Little B was happy with the arrangement. We did lots of leaf kicking and larking about, eventually tiring ourselves out before beginning the short walk back to the warmth of home. Not a bad way to spend a Monday morning, that's for sure.

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London Celebrations

I'm playing a bit of catch-up here on my blog as October has turned out to be quite a busy month and I haven't quite managed to get my blog posts to keep up with my feet! I was looking at these photos earlier today and couldn't believe it's already two weeks since they were taken. 

I always enjoy a brisk walk along the canal when I know I'm headed for the train station, because as much as I adore my rural home town and my quiet, rather simple life, I do quite like a dose of Big City spirit every now and again. Heading to London in October has become something of an annual ritual and this was the third time that I've traveled to the city to attend the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace. This year was to be an extra special celebration as I had an extra day to enjoy the very last smidge of my forties, kind of a pre-Birthday treat from me to myself.

Arriving on a gloriously bright sunny Wednesday afternoon, I met up with my lovely friend Christine and we hopped on the underground to journey a short way to the River Thames. This wasn't a spontaneous thing by any means, because for once in my chaotic, unplanned life I had actually planned in advance and  PRE-BOOKED something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy smokes, are you shocked????!!!!!!! I think I was a little dazed myself, I had to keep checking the tickets and making sure that the whole thing wasn't just a figment of my crazy imagination. 

Luckily for me, Christine is a very accommodating friend and when I told her that I would really like to be a London tourist and take a boat trip on the River Thames, she instantly agreed. I don't know why this appealed to me so much as I'm not a massive fan of boats (I much prefer to be on dry land), but there is something very appealing about the idea of gliding along a river to take in the landmarks of a city. Add in the notion that you set sail at 3.15 pm in time to partake in a spot of afternoon tea whilst gliding along, with the possibility of a glass of fizz to accompany the aforementioned refreshments, and yeah, you can maybe see the appeal.

And so that was how we found ourselves sailing along underneath the great Tower Bridge, oohing and aahing at how very huge and enormous it looked from down below at river level. The boat we were on was a sight seeing boat, sitting low and wide on the water, with huge windows all along the outside (see here for pictures). The river was surprisingly choppy, but I'm happy to report that we didn't really feel much movement while we were sat comfy on the boat.

Maybe that was because we were easily distracted........

.............ooooooooooooo, afternoon tea has arrived! To accompany our actual cups of tea (which were pretty much kept filled by the lovely waiting staff), we had the above three tiers of deliciousness to nibble on while we sailed the river. It was really yummy, especially the very generous scone which we slathered in clotted cream and strawberry jam....mmmmmmm!!

A glass of prosecco seemed appropriate for the occasion too, and for a little while I did feel like I might possibly be leading someone else's life......it was all very decadent for an average Wednesday afternoon.

I have to say I really enjoyed just looking out the window and taking in all the amazing buildings that line the river. We passed by some ancient historical buildings and ships (the Tower of London, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, HMS Belfast), but it was the modern buildings that I loved the most. Some of them are so tall and striking, you just can't help but be in awe of them. I didn't know the name of the above building, but thanks to the marvel that is Google, I can tell you that this is One Blackfriars (also known as "the vase") and was only completed this year. It is full of luxury apartments, and you have to be seriously loaded to live here - prices start from £1.15 million for a one-bedroom studio. Imagine that?!!! I absolutely cannot imagine for the life of me what it might feel like to call that place home, it's so far removed from my humble, rather shabby but well loved old terraced Victorian home. 

We couldn't have asked for better weather for our trip, it was unexpectedly warm with clear blue sky and bright sunshine, a late blast of summertime lighting up the city.

Ah did I mention the fabulous scones? No English afternoon tea is complete without them, and these ones were delicious.

As you can see, the boat was pretty full of afternoon tea-ers and the atmosphere was happy and celebratory. With the golden sunshine pouring in through the windows and music playing, it was a very relaxing way to spend a few hours in the city. 

All too soon we arrived back at Tower Pier and our round trip was complete. We had a really lovely time being boaty tourists and I wondered whether the Little People would have enjoyed it, or whether it was too sedate for them? Little B doesn't always do well when he is cooped up, he is still a bit like a puppy dog who needs space and freedom to burn off energy.

Tower Pier is right next to the Tower of London, and this isn't an area of London that I've visited before. We decided that as it was such beautiful weather that we would simply wander around for a while and see where our feet took us. I couldn't really get any sense of where exactly we were in the city (other than knowing we were near the river!), but we soon found out that we were slap bang in the midst of The City - the square mile of London that is the heart of the financial and business district.

I did recognise the above building though, honestly it's hard to miss if you are anywhere in this area. This is 20 Fenchurch Street, also known as the "walkie-talkie" building, and the scale of it is breathtaking when you are up close......

....it made me want to gasp out loud, it was just so impossibly monstrous!!! We called in to the reception area to ask about visiting the Sky Garden at the top of this building which I'd heard is fabulous, but much like the cruise boats this is something you have to plan and book in advance. I would so love to go up there! I think next year when I visit London, I shall definitely book a sky-high treat instead of a watery one, I absolutely can't wait.

Wandering around this area of London was fascinating as so many commuters were on the move at the end of the working day. It was fast paced and business like and so very urban, and I was once again struck by the contrast to my own picturesque commute along the side of the canal at the start and end of my week days. I am so grateful for my lifestyle, for the place (and pace) that is mine.

The above monument is called.......The Monument. It commemorates the Great Fire of London which raged through this part of the city in 1666, and I've just discovered that you can climb up inside it, via three hundred and eleven steps. Oh, I would so do that! In fact, I am thinking that I would quite fancy doing a tour of all the high-up viewing places in London, just to take in a whole load of panoramic views. I do really love love love a good, scenic long distance view from high up.

I loved the side view of the modern building next to the monument, which was mesmerising to look at with it's twirly silver bits spinning down over the windows (just found out ((thank you Google)) that this is called the Monument Building).  London does often surprise me with how beautiful it is, especially when you least expect it.

When Christine and I venture to London together we stay in the same hotel each time, so it has begun to feel comfortingly familiar. It's a small, quirky hotel right in the heart of Kings Cross St Pancras, set back from the hustle and bustle along a quiet side street. It's part of a row of tall London terraced houses which have been knocked together, so inside it's all multiple staircases and uneven floors and different levels. It's rather lovely and has great character, and we always enjoy a fun and relaxing stay there.

The following morning we had hours stretching ahead of us to fill with more city delights. As with any capital city in the world, London is a humongous place and there are endless things to do with your time there. Over breakfast we noodled on all the possibilities - art galleries? museums? shopping? yarn-related things? but neither of us were really in the mood for those things. I suddenly realised that all those activities involved being inside buildings, and more than anything I felt like I wanted to be outside. I love walking, and given the choice I would very much rather be outdoors than indoors, so we set off in search of London's famous Royal Parks.

Oh, it was such a lovely morning! We ambled through Hyde Park, strolling around the edge of the Serpentine in the morning sunshine - it was such a treat to be walking without a coat at this time of year. There are plenty of small refreshment points around the park, so we bought ourselves a coffee/hot chocolate and found a bench with a lovely blue watery view, to sit a while in the sun and chat. And chat some more, with lots of laughing, discussion, sharing of ideas and more chat. We are very good friends, Christine and I, and our chat is a mixture of personal friendship and work-ish blog/design talk. Its super-useful to have somebody to talk to who understands the uniqueness of blogging and designing, because so much of what we do is solitary and involves only our own thought processes. Having someone else's outside view point on ideas/concepts/projects is invaluable, and it works especially well when taken al fresco. Best of all, it works both ways, and I think we both felt lighter, happier and more energised after our "session". It was great - like therapy,  counselling, time management and mentoring all rolled into one!

It was so great in fact that we completely lost track of time and only realised it was past lunch time when we had gotten stiff from sitting for so long. 

We walked out of Hyde Park and into Green Park, eventually making our way back under ground and traveling north to our next destination........

......yes, this was our annual trip to the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace which was in full swing by the time we made it there at 3pm. I do enjoy being able to visit a show as an actual visitor, with no other agenda other than to enjoy what's on offer.

It was lovely to see the work of friends (above are beautiful blankets by Jane Crowfoot)....

....and to admire the work of artists too. In fact, I really enjoyed the textile galleries this year, they were very inspirational and diverse, and displayed such a huge amount of artistic talent.

However, the main reason for visiting the show was so that I could attend the British Knitting and Crochet Awards. These annual awards are very highly regarded, especially as the nominations and votes come directly from the public (over 28,000 this year, which is incredible). The awards are organised by Let's Knit and Let's Get Crafting magazines - Let’s Knit editor, Sarah Neal, says: “These awards are an opportunity for the nation’s knitters and crocheters to honour their favourite brands, and they’ve done so in their thousands. That’s such a fantastic accolade for all the winners and runners-up and true recognition for all their hard work.”

And that does make me feel very honoured indeed, and hugely thankful for the support and enthusiasm that I experience every day here on my blog and via my Facebook and Instagram pages too. 

The awards ceremony itself is fun, most especially because over the years I've gotten to know quite a number of people so it's a lovely chance to socialise and catch up. There are yarn shop owners, yarn makers, designers, bloggers and authors, and it's a really super friendly atmosphere. We drink glasses of fizz, listen to inspirational speakers, then collect our awards and pose for the camera...............SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That camera bit I find tricky, but the rest is a breeze - I'm pretty good at drinking fizz and socialising!

Sadly we couldn't stay until the very end as we had trains to catch, so it was a bit of a crazy whirlwind as we journeyed back down the hill away from the beautiful palace. It made for a very long day as I didn't get home until around 12.40am.......which was actually the very early start of my Birthday, and I had a day at the coast to look forward to, yippeee!!!! From busy city to calming sea, the complete contrast was not lost on me. 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention..........my awards!!!! Haha!!! SO busy telling you all about the jollity and I totally forgot the important bit!! I am so happy to tell you that I won "Favourite Crochet Designer" and "Favourite Crochet Blog". It was made even more special as this was the third year running for me and these awards, and I am so very, very grateful to everyone who took the time and trouble to cast a vote or two. It was also fabulous for me with my festival hat on too as Yarndale won "Best Knitting Event" for the third year running. We are so blinkin' chuffed about this!!! Thank you, thank you, to everyone who makes Yarndale so amazing. My lovely friends at Wool Warehouse also won multiple awards too, well they are wonderful aren't they?

So I've had lots to celebrate this month, and I am beyond grateful. Awards and a golden birthday....oh, and one more thing too. I've got one last post to share in my catch-up mission, as J and I celebrated twenty five years (half our lifetime) together. We remained true to ourselves and took off for 2 days up in Wensleydale at the start of October - nothing glamorous, but oh, it was so very lovely! I'll show you some photos from there very soon - lots of green greenery, and as far removed from city bustle as you could get. Just perfect for the likes of us.

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ps if you'd like to see all the awards results, I think you can access them ((here))

pps I feel like I would like to give you all a big ((((HUG)))), as I'm feeling quite emotional all of a sudden. Consider yourself squeezed with my thanks!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

A Week of Highs and Lows

Hello, how you doing? How's your week been? I wasn't going to post this weekend as I've had a rather traumatic few days (the lows in the above title) and am feeling rather worn down. But then I remembered how much better I always feel when I make time to sit quietly in the Attic and send my words out into cyber space for you to catch and read, and so here I am. Sitting, thinking, holding on to the memory of the highs in the above title.

At the start of the week J and I took advantage of our non-working Monday arrangement (which has been one of the best things to happen for us in recent times) and set out to walk some miles in the Dales. 

It's a beautiful time of year for walking with perfect temperatures and amazing light, and the freshness of Autumn air is invigorating. It's a lovely time for J and I to chat too, and we end up talking about all sorts of random things as we cover the miles.

Oh, I do love love love walking for pleasure, it makes me so happy to be out there amongst all that natural colour, climbing hills, rambling along quiet country lanes and woodland trails....

....strolling along peaceful riverbanks, climbing over stiles and striding across lush fields. I love it all.

As you can see, it's looking gloriously Autumnal around these parts, and if you could zoom in on the above photo you would notice that the ground is absolutely covered with fallen conkers - loads and loads and loads of them! I have honestly never seen so many in all my life - great big juicy, shiny conkers for days.

Linton Falls was spectacular in it's fullness, both the visuals and the noise levels, gosh this is one noisy bit of river! No matter how many times we visit this spot along the river Wharfe, it never fails to wow me, it's just so BiG and rushing and spectacular. As you well know, my heart is always happiest when it's be the sea shore, but this lovely stretch of river feels like home to me since we've been walking here for over twenty years.

I snapped  a photo of a pair of chattering magpies sat on the house at the top of my street on Tuesday. It's not often we see these birds around here, but I automatically thought - ahhhh, two for joy!! Yay!!!! (If you' don't know this rhyme, you can read about it here). The thought of something joyful happening really put a spring in my step, which is a bit ridiculous really, but some superstitions stick with you from childhood and they are hard to shake. I seriously hate seeing just one lonesome magpie.

I've been finishing up the tutorial for my felted basket this week, taking lots of photographs and measurements before the basket goes on it's thrilling journey into the washing machine. I was meant to do that today, but chickened out haha!! I am both excited and nervous about putting all that work into a load of spinning hot soapy water, but I think tomorrow I should do it, don't you? I really want to show it to you and share the pattern - I've got a pure wool yarn pack all ready to go too, so I really do need to stop being a wuss.

I wanted to share this with you as it's had a big impact on me this week. This is called "Five Ways to Wellbeing" and I came across it as I was researching online with Little B for his homework. I completely love that he's been talking about this in school - we talked a lot about it together too,  about how we can look after our mental wellbeing and he made a fantastic presentation in his homework book all about it. I would consider myself to be very mentally healthy, but it's always good to be reminded not to take it for granted.

The weather this week has been sublime, a beautiful slice of autumnal perfection. 

We've woken to very cold mornings with frost and low lying mist, but accompanied by the most delicious golden sunshine. 

The combination has been atmospheric and breathtaking, especially the way the mist swirls over the surface of the canal as we walk along the tow path to school.

We played Eye Spy on this misty morning, Little B and I, crikey that child is ridiculously good at it. He picked something beginning with the letter T, and all the way to school I was trying so hard to get my brain to figure out what he might be seeing. All. The. Way. To. School. I had to give in when we ran out of walking time, much to his utter delight. Turns out is was T for Tag (as in the name tag on his guitar which I was carrying in my hand the whole way), I wanted to tell him off, but really I need to up my game.

I've started eating Brunch on the days that I'm at home, and it suits me very well. I sit down with just a frothy coffee at 8am when the Little People are tucking into their bowls of cereal, then make myself something more substantial around 10.30. My current favourite thing is toasted multi-seeded bread, topped with mashed up avocado, a little olive oil, heavy-handed seasoning, and a poached egg. All those flavours and textures make my toes curl with pleasure. I then eat a light bit of mid afternoon snackage instead of a full blown lunch, and I so look forward to it! Sometimes it might be cheese and crackers with some fruit, or maybe some bread sticks with hummus and salad, or sometimes a toasted crumpet eaten with the Little People when they come home from school. We still all sit down for our main meal at around 5.30 and it's the highlight of my day, truly. I love love love family meals, they are precious times indeed.

The past few days we've had a bit of an Indian Summer and I painted my toenails coral pink to celebrate. I even got to wear my sandals out today which pleased me enormously. As much as I love hand knit socks and colourful boots at the end of my feet in Autumn, nothing beats being able to wiggle your bare toes in the unexpected October sunshine.

I took the above photos on Thursday evening as we walked down through the park on our way to the swimming pool, gosh the sun was something else at that time of day. It was low and golden, slanting through the trees as it made its end of day descent. We were running late so I wasn't able to linger as long as I would have liked - I am such a sun worshiper, I wanted to stand still and drink it in for long, long beautiful golden minutes. But I had to be content with some quick snaps, and then a bit of a run to catch up with J and Little B who refused to wait for me while I faffed.

Little did we know at that time that within an hour, things would take such a dramatic turn. Gosh, life sure does throw a major wobbly sometimes! I won't go into detail, suffice to say that we spent six hours in the hospital that evening with J. He is OK and was able to come home, but it was flippin' scary at the time and we are still somewhat recovering from the trauma of it all. 

Despite very little sleep Thursday night, I felt the pressing need to be out of the house and surrounded by friends on Friday morning, with a much needed dose of caffeine and some gentle yarn therapy. I felt wrung out, but so so glad for the gentle rhythm of my hook and the happy conversations that flowed around me. I never cease to give thanks for the joy that crochet brings to my life, and how it soothes the soul when it is most needed.

Before I go, I want to say a heart felt thank you for all your Birthday wishes on my last post, I'm so grateful for your kindness! I love the friendship that surrounds my little Attic window, thank you so very much for all that you send my way. 

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ps without too much fanfare, could I possibly just show you this exciting news????