Attic24

Summer Days

We've not had the greatest Summer weather here lately, it's been incredibly wet and cool for June. The upside to all the falling wet stuff is the complete and utter lushness of the countryside, it's just so greeeeeeeen and beautiful everywhere, if a bit on the damp side.

On Monday morning J and I drove up into the Yorkshire Dales to walk around the picturesque village of Malham. This is only a short walk (around 4 miles), heading out of the village across lush green fields and into the small woodland that surround  Janets Foss waterfall. 

From there it's a steep climb up....

....until you eventually reach the top of the magnificent Malham Cove.

This limestone pavement is world famous (I'm saying that, but I'm not sure if that's actually true? It feels like it should be famous though!). Famous or not, it's an amazing geological feature and the subject of many school geography lessons.

It's not especially easy terrain to walk on and the "grykes" (the gaps between the limestone rocks) are pretty deep. But it's fun to hop from rock to rock, making a slow journey from one side to the other.

J really doesn't do well with heights, so I ventured on my own towards the edge of the cove to take in the spectacular view down the valley. It was drizzling with rain at this point so a little murky and grey, but nevertheless still very beautiful.

The descent from the top of the cove is via a very, very long higgledy piggeldy run of stone steps. Malham cove is 260 feet high, so that's a lot of steps....over four hundred of them believe it or not. It makes you very quickly realise you have a whole heap load of muscles in your legs that don't very often get a work out.

I took regular stops on the way down to admire the long distance views and to appreciate the close up details too. There was lots of wild thyme flowering amongst the rocks and the colours seemed even more vibrant that usual in the dull, grey light.

It always amazes me when we reach the bottom and look up to see how very, very high that limestone cliff face is.....and to realise that we were up there ON TOP just a short time ago. Wow....it takes my breath away. Every. Time.

The stroll back to the village is gentle and scenic.....

.....a beautiful meandering path through flowery meadows.....

....then a short jaunt down a quiet country lane.

It was lunch time when we arrived back into the village, so we decided on a welcome sit down in the local pub for a quiet drink and a very tasty light lunch.

It was a lovely day, and for the gazillionth time I said my silent thanks of gratitude for the six child-free hours that J and I get to spend together every Monday. It's such a blessing.

Back on the home front and summer is still blooming....it's Peony Paradise right there on my table this week, and I am so happy about it! One bud is still to open, but the other four stems are putting on a spectacular floral show. I am enjoying these flowers so much and drink in their beauty many, many times during the day.

Yesterday evening I rounded up Little B and asked him if he wanted to come with me on an elderflower gathering expedition. He was overflowing with enthusiasm (sweet boy) and so at 7.30, off we went into the soft early evening to see what we could find.

We have a place that we visit each year to gather elderflowers - even though they are very common hedgerow trees and grow in abundance around our neighbourhood, I prefer to go somewhere quiet and out of the way to snip and gather (rather than the local park where folk can be a bit on the blunt side when they see you snipping at trees, say no more).

The place we go now is a very quiet little lane off the beaten track on the edge of town - we can easily walk there, but it's out of the way and there are about eight trees that are can gather from so that we leave plenty behind for the wildlife. 

I put Little B on snipping duty which he was thrilled about - you can see how big and blowsy those flower heads are....

....we had no problem gathering in the fifty or so heads that we needed for cordial making. In fact, there were so many flowers this year that I'm probably going to head back again at the weekend if it stays dry and gather in enough for a second batch. 

I did two batches last year so that I could stash away some small plastic bottles of cordial in the freezer. It was such a delicious treat to pull them out in winter and have an instant reminder of summertime.

I called into the supermarket after the school run this morning and lugged back the huge two kilo bag of sugar along with the lemons and oranges that go with the flowers to make Elderfower cordial. It's extremely simple to make and the recipe I use is one that I adapted from Sarah Raven (I use less sugar in mine).

There you go ↑↑↑ I made this for me to print and keep, so thought I'd share it with you too.

Citric acid is magic stuff and super-easy to find online....Amazon sell it (of course they do, they pretty much sell anything). Although you usually have to buy it in 500g quantities, it's not too expensive and keeps for years if you seal it up well. Find it on Amazon ((here)).

The scent of this flowery concoction is a bit odd as it's "cooking" and to be honest it doesn't smell especially good. But........oh the resulting syrupy drink is absolutely divine I promise you. It's floral, sweet and citrusy and refreshingly zingy. I love love love it, it's a taste of summer that I never tire of.

You dilute the cordial with water (sparkling water is especially good), or add a splash to a glass of prossecco or gin/tonic for something a little bit more weekendish. Oooo, now I'm really looking forward to my weekend summer tipple....it'll probably be the highlight of my Saturday!

The sun was in and out today, with a surprising fall of light summer rain catching me out on my way home from the shops this morning. The kitty follows the sun around the furniture, usually finding a warm patch of sunlit crochet to curl up on for her extended daytime naps. She isn't really a laid back cat (she is a feisty little diva) but there are occasions when she really does appear to be very mellow indeed.

Over on the sofa this morning I found a monster lurking - like you do. Little B is running on Summer time and is getting up pretty early in the mornings right now. It's not unusual for him to be pottering around at 6am, immersed in his own nine year old world of play. He goes through phases where none of his toys interest him any more and all he wants is screen time (insane cartoons mostly) but at the moment there is a lot of playtime happening and I have to say it delights me no end. Long may it last. We've got four more weeks left of the school year here, then we are into the six week summer break, so I'm hoping the play phase carries on for a good while yet. Please let it (silent plea).

I've not photographed my view for a while, so I took a quick snap today as we walked to the top of the hill on our way home. The light was so clear after the earlier splash of rain, and everything is looking beautifully green and lush. 

Summer time always makes me want to feel lighter, healthier and more energised, so I'm making an effort to curb my sweet tooth and am forcing myself to stay away from the calorie laden pastries and biscuits when I go shopping. Instead I've been buying extra fruit, not just the ordinary every day fruits that we always have in (apples, pears, oranges, bananas), but special fruity things like mango and strawberries and passion fruit. I really love fruit so it's not a hardship to snack on a plate of it, I've just not got to be so lazy about preparing it for myself. 

I am so in love with these long, light days. Even when it's been raining and miserable and I've lit the candles to banish the gloom, I still love that the darkness doesn't creep in until well past ten o'clock at night. It's a magical time of year - Summer Solstice tomorrow and I'm keeping all crossed for a dry evening so that we can head out and celebrate. I'm not sure what we'll do - I kind of hope that there's cake or ice cream involved, and possibly a glass of chilled prossecco, but who knows whether I can motivate the family to head out into the greenery and be mid-summerish with me? I've been remembering this day, gosh, six years ago now, how is this possible? Our family dynamic has changed considerably since then and I am so grateful for my blog and the beautiful window it gives me back into the past. Happy memories indeed.

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Golden Meadow

This light and golden time of year has me completely under it's spell and I feel like I can't possibly get enough of it. These early summer days are just so abundantly beautiful and make me very happy. It's just never, ever enough.

Last week I had my Dad and Lady B visiting from Dorset, and we had a lot of fun being tourists with them in our own patch. We took the train to Salts Mill to see Hockney's "Arrival of Spring" which was magical. We walked at Bolton Abbey, had brunch in one of our favourite places, wandered around Skipton market, pootled through local woodland and riverside meadows and drove along summery lanes through the Yorkshire Dales. It was really lovely, but mildly exhausting. Of course, school stuff and household stuff still had to happen alongside touristy activity and I also cooked us all an evening meal every day except for one (hello, very welcome and delicious curry delivered to the door!). It surprised me the difference it made cooking for seven people instead of our usual five, I felt like there was so much chopping and stirring in my life.

One golden evening last week I was hit with the annual pull to go and walk in the buttercup meadow. These seasonal rituals are so strong and I find it almost impossible to resist when they call. Little B and Lady B came with me, a short five minute jaunt up to the park and through the wooden gate into the meadow. It was utterly glorious, the perfect summer evening full of gentle warmth, low golden sunlight and long slanting shadows. Little B and Lady B spent an aaaaage searching for four leaf clovers (it always seem to be a thing we do when out with Lady B), while I pranced about with my camera swooning over the beauty of it all. 

The fairground was there in the background, setting up in the park ready for the towns' annual Gala at the weekend. It all felt very summery indeed, and hugely nostalgic and emotional somehow. I'm always so greedy for Summer to be way longer than it actually is. It's almost like I'm on the verge of a mild anxiety attack every time I happen to get a whiff of what date it is and realise we are so, so close to the summer solstice already and as such, these delicious mid-summer days are numbered. Wahhh!!!!! I am aiming to squeeze every last drop out of this summer, no matter what the weather throws I want to be out there drinking it in. Next up......elderflower cordial season, yippee for that little highly anticipated seasonal jaunt!

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ps, I've gotten a bit behind with my blogging, but will try and catch up this week if I can - I need to take you to Amsterdam and France, get your passports ready?! x

 

 

 

 

 

Green and Light

Twice this week I've had evening dates with Little B. At seven o'clock on the dot he comes to get me and no matter what I'm doing (crochet, knitting, social media-ing, blogging, laundry folding etc etc, the usual stuff that fills my evenings) I am not allowed to dally. Come on, come on Mummy, it's time to go! So of course I drop everything, grab a bottle of water and off we go, out into the beautiful early evening of our neighbourhood. We've created an hour long walking route this week which is uniquely ours and it's just so lovely. We start out along the canal, pass under the old mill bridge and follow the narrow footpath around the bottom of the castle. Entering into the woods by the bottom gate where the Huntress stands, the scent is overwhelming, oh my, I feel almost faint with emotion when I take that first deep breath in. Wild garlic and all the verdant growth, it's so fresh and light and green, green, green. We follow the path through the woods almost as far as the pond, then take the steep stepped pathway up, up, up into the trees which is something we've never done before (we are usually walking the opposite direction and coming down those steps). It's a huff-puff climb, but fun to go from the bottom of the woods to the top in mere minutes. Sunshine and shadows, laughter and chatter, it's just so precious, every single nano-second of it.

Just before Christmas, Little B (then aged 8 and three quarters) abruptly decided he was too old to hold my hand as we walked to school (well, walking anywhere actually). And once he decided on this he absolutely refused to go back on it. Sometimes I would catch him reaching for my hand without thinking, then a flash of remembrance and he would snatch it away super-quick. I understood it, but still, there was a persistent stab of sadness when I thought about the change and felt the loss. This week since I've been home from France he has started holding my hand again, and oh my heart feels like it wants to break free and fly up into the wide blue yonder. I haven't said anything to him about it, have allowed him to silently reach for me without the need to remark on it. It really has been the sweetest, most heart expanding experience. You hear the phrase "pulling on your heart strings" and never has this felt more true for me, I swear I can feel it happening.

 The weather has been delicious this week, truly May at it's best and I want to soak it all in and store up all the feels. My emotions are running high at the moment - I recognise it, and think it's in part due to this time of year. I'm not over analysing it, just holding myself together and allowing the days to pass gently, knowing that all is as it should be. 

Anyhow - Little B and I have so enjoyed our walks together this week, hand in hand, non stop chatter, it's an hour out of my day that feels like the greatest gift. I am so grateful......thank you for sharing it with me.

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May Bank Holiday

We had such a lovely long weekend of it here, celebrating the start of May with three days of leisure and pleasure. May is my absolute most favourite month of the whole year, I just adore the abundance of it - so much daylight and greenery and fresh blooming things. Love love love love love all of it.

We walked at Bolton Abbey on Saturday to take in the bluebells. They are early this year because of the unseasonable warmth we had in February and are already just tipping past their prime.....

....still looking gorgeous though, carpeting the woodland floor with a gentle haze of sunny blue. 

We walked along the side of the river Wharfe....

.....admiring the stunning wildlife (this is a Mandarin Duck, we often see them on this stretch of the river).

Several duck families were also paddling up stream, the teensy little ducklings looking impossibly fluffy and small as they danced about on the wide surface of the river.

We sat a while here on the low rocks while Little B leaped about and did boyish things, exploring and poking and the such like. It was such a lovely thing to see him so happy in his own little world, singing some crazy ditty to himself as he hopped around on the rocks.

Green, green and more green, the woodlands honestly take my breath way at this time of year and I don't think I will ever not be wowed by it. Wild garlic in abundance (not quite in flower just yet, but almost) and the freshest zingy green beech leaves newly unfurled in the treetops.

It was the very definition of the word f-r-e-s-h and the scent was intoxicating. Damp earth and wild garlic, sunshine and oxygen. Beautiful in every way.

The May Bank Holiday weekend here in Atticland is always joyful and boat filled as the town celebrates the historic canal with it's annual Waterway Festival.

Boats start arriving and mooring up during the week before....

....and the canal becomes a busy, festive hub of activity. Each year there is a theme (this year is was the 1960's) and it's all very jolly indeed.

The abundance of bunting always makes my heart leap, I just love the bright colours and the festival atmosphere it creates.

Early on Sunday morning, J and I took a walk along the tow path to take it all in. Little B was at a sleep over with a school friend and the Teens were still tucked up in their beds so it was just the two of us, and I did miss my Little Peeps I have to say. I have many layers of memories of doing this very thing (have just re-read this post, when the Big Teen was still a Littl'n' and only six years old), and although I relish seeing my offspring grow into beautiful, independent, strong young people, I do miss their Little Days sometimes.

As usual, the boats were looking glorious.

I love to take in the decorative details, and have a real fondness for the old fashioned painted enamel "barge ware" which is traditional decoration for canal boats.

The folk art floral style and bright colours are very inspiring.......

....I'd love to translate this into crochet one day, maybe a folksy floral something-something with roses and daisies and stripes and pompoms.....(Creative Mind is whizzing now!)

Its easy to forget that these boats are homes to people and animals....

....and that they aren't just there for show.

There is something so appealing about this type of lifestyle, although for me personally I would much prefer to keep my tootsies planted on terra firma. I do adore the cosiness and the prettiness of canal boats though.

Oh look! I can spot a crochet blanket at a hundred paces and immediately zoomed in on this beauty casually draped over the bow of the boat. Doesn't it look so at home?

This was my favourite boat of all, all Loved Up and decked out in 1960's style finery. There was yarn too.....

.....colourful crochet flowers, pom poms, hearts and birds, what a visual delight!

Back on the home front and there was yarn and colour here too......of course there was!

You might remember me telling you last week that I've started on a stash-bust project using yarn left over from the Sweet Pea and Dune blankets? Well on Sunday I tipped out the bag of circles that I've been making and began to turn them slowly, one by one, into squares. 

I'm using an old pattern of mine from years ago (seriously, years and years!) the Summer Garden Granny Square. 

I created this pattern a whole decade ago and used it to make a couple of wool blankets (a big one here and a small one here). It's been lovely to re-visit it, and I'm really enjoying the freedom of working these little squares just for pleasure and without much of a plan. 

However, over the weekend I decided that these squares won't become another blanket because they are shouting GRANNY SQUARE BAG to me very loudly, and I just can't ignore that type of creative shouting. The idea has been so loud in my mind that I dreamt about the exact granny square bag on Monday night, I kid you not. So now that my Creative Mind has seen the bag image (with some delightful decorative details)  I simply must make it a reality. I am ridiculously excited by it all, and I can't wait to share more of this with you as it unfolds.

On Monday morning, with no work or school we decided to leave the car at home and set out to walk around our neighbourhood. It was a grey, overcast day but nevertheless it felt so good to stride out and climb up high to take in the views over this lovely little rural market town that we call home. It delights me that we can see the actual Attic from the top of the hill, and see our home sitting in it's friendly terraced street amidst the rolling green countryside. 

Coming into the woods from the high hill, we enter along the top pathway. It's oh-so-green, beautiful in it's airy lushness. 

Isn't May such a delight? I can't get enough of it, the bright colour is almost overwhelming in the woodland after so many months of drab brown.

Ah, here is the Stalking Horse, quietly standing in place, awesome in it's willowy stillness. 

There aren't a huge number of bluebells in these woods, just a  few here and there - they make me so happy. 

Another week or so and this huge bank of wild garlic will be in full flower, it's a beautiful sight I can tell you.

We came out of the woods via the bottom gate and as we were close to the edge of town we decided on the spur of the moment to go and have coffee. We chose a cafe close to the canal, a lovely little place where you can sit in a pretty courtyard outside when the weather is decent enough. The Waterway festival was in full swing and as we sat to drink our cappuccino's (banana milkshake for a delighted Little B) we were entertained by a full-force marching bagpipe band. It was glorious! Such a rich, full sound, and not your average Monday morning soundtrack that's for sure.

Little B was ecstatic at the prospect of so much naughty, edible festival temptation. He swayed dramatically between wanting freshly cooked crepes, candyfloss or fresh donuts, and in the end the donuts won. They came on a paper plate, hot and fluffy, smothered in chocolate sauce and whipped cream......his face was a picture, and it reminded me of our Bruges trip last year and the whole waffle experience....such good memories.

Monday afternoon and I decided to bake a cake. I think Little B's sweet cravings had rubbed off on me and all I could think about was the taste of an old fashioned Victoria Sponge. I had a bit of trouble with my cake tins as some of the cake mixture managed to leak out through the removable bottoms somehow, making the layers a little on the flat side. No matter though, as this cake wasn't made for show it was made for eating, and goodness me it went down well! Despite it's flatness it tasted very good indeed and the whole family agreed that I should bake cakes more often.

I hope that you are all doing OK and enjoying the ebb of flow of your days whatever season you are in. I'm enjoying my days very much, I love May, I really do. It's all good.

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Eventide

Seven thirty and my lovely Little Lady asks me if I'd like to head out for a walk with her. She is old enough to go out by herself if she wants to, but how can I resist when she asks for company? I immediately close down my laptop (I'm working on a magazine article for Yarndale), pull on my boots and off we go into the chill of the early evening. Not a cloud in the sky, and that glorious dusky pink end-of-day glow over the hills.

We walk up, up, up - a steep lane with views over the town, then over an old wooden stile into a steeply sloping field. Up, up, chatting and puffing, stopping every so often to catch breath. We reach the dry stone wall at the very top just as the sun is almost down - it is unexpectedly bright and breathtaking and makes us both squeal with pleasure. We sit a while a-top the wall and watch the sun disappear over the horizon. We gaze out over our town spread out in the valley below - we can see our neighbourhood, our street, our house.  We can see the schools, the church, the shops. We know where the canal runs even though we can't see it, and we know where our friends live and where we walk every day as we go about our routines. We both say how much we love living here, agree on how comforting it is to be surrounded by green hills and countryside, how joyful it is to climb up high and see the sun set, take in the view.

We begin to feel chilled and so we climb down from the wall and walk on over the huge field. Down, down, down until we reach the farm track at the bottom. It's an easy stroll now, downhill all the way. The sky is quickly darkening, the moon bright and a blackbird singing loudly from his perch in the bare treetops. We are walking along residential streets now, houses lit up from inside, all cosy and settled for the evening.

Eight thirty, and we arrive back at number 24, rosy cheeks and a slight ache in the back of the legs from all that steep climbing. Little Lady is glowing, she looks and sounds so happy and content. She tells me she loved our walk, and could we do it again tomorrow if the weather stays nice. Yes, yes we can. I am already looking forward to it.

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April Feels

April is treating us kindly for the most part and it really does feel like Spring has finally sprung here. We took a walk at Bolton abbey on Sunday morning, just a shortish stroll through Strid Woods to breathe in some cool fresh air and stretch our legs a little. Little B was in fine form, a non stop chattering, noisy little mouthpiece on two legs. He could talk the hind legs off a donkey, as my Mum used to say. It's still a bit bare and wintry in the woods, yet I don't mind it too much as it feels right and proper for the time of year. There is bluebell greenery to be found look, but unlike my friends in the south we are still some weeks away from blue floral bounty.

I can't wait for the flowers! Come on little buds, shoot upwards!

In the late afternoon on Sunday I found a quiet window of opportunity to amuse myself with some gentle creativity. The Little Peeps were all busy with friends and J was wearing his blue and white stripy pinny and cooking up a delicious smelling curry for dinner. I decided to sit and stitch for a short while - I started this cross stitch hoop last summer but it's been tucked away in my project bag waiting patiently for me to return to it. Autumn/Winter generally means allllllll the crochet for me with my annual CAL blanket in progress, so I don't often feel the need to look elsewhere for a creative fix. 

Cross stitch is such a beautifully slow and meditative hobby, and I honestly adore it. If I wasn't so completely obsessed with my crochet hook then I could easily imagine myself designing with these little crosses. The above design is by Tiny Modernist on Etsy, in case you feel the urge to stitch up some Love letters surrounded by flowers.

Monday afternoon, J and I took a very quick jaunt into our local woods in the hour before the school run. It was one of those days consumed by mundane jobs and admin, and by 2.30 I'd just had enough of sitting at my laptop. It was such a tonic to get out into the fresh air and soak in some sunny woodland feel-good....

.....and oh the wild garlic is looking scrumptious. I gathered some young leaves and made wild garlic pesto last year (using this recipe) but this year I am fancying some green, garlicky soup. I came across this recipe today and it is calling loudly to my leaf-gathering soul, so I shall see if I can make it happen.

I've had a jug of narcissus on my table for weeks on end now, they've become an essential weekly grocery item that I pop into my basket along with bananas without even thinking too hard about it. They are always right there near the fruit, long stems held together with elastic bands and laid out neatly in cardboard boxes. I simply cannot resist their happy little faces, and the scent too of course. I bought these ones yesterday, and the lady who served me in the supermarket literally scrunched up her nose with disgust as she passed them through the checkout scanner, telling me that she couldn't stand the smell of them. Not me, I LOVE the smell!

Today has been bright and sunny, and when I came back home after the school run this morning I found the kitty lounging around on the sofa basking in the sun. She looked so completely content, and I thought : yes indeedy, I know exactly how you are feeling. Isn't it just the loveliest thing to sit a while in a warm patch of streaming sunshine and soak in it's gentle warmth?

Yes, it's enough to make you want to roll around and delight in the pure deliciousness of it all!

Despite the Spring sunshine, it's been cold these past few days. I was chatting to the Ice Cream Tug Boat Man on the canal yesterday as he opened his boat up for the first time this season - he admitted that he had misjudged the weather and was absolutely frozen. He did look a tad chilled around the extremities I have to say.

I'm still plodding around wearing my hand knit socks and boots, and I am very, very happy with that arrangement for the time being. I folded up these freshly washed socks earlier today ready to take them upstairs - well the top pair will go upstairs to join my Sock Pile, the bottom pair will be wrapped up very soon and gifted (finally, finally) to my super-patient father-in-law. I certainly hope his toes adore wriggling inside those cosy, woolly stitches.

I bought a new duvet cover and pillowcases yesterday, a spontaneous element of the regular supermarket** shop. I absolutely could not walk past and leave this behind - a king size 100% cotton duvet with a very beautiful Liberty-esk design - reduced in price to a mere £10! TEN!! I came home, washed it, hung it outside to dry and had the utter pleasure of that clean-sheet-smell when I went to bed last night. I woke up this morning thinking that I was in someone else's bed, being that for the past ten years we've always had a plain white duvet cover. The pattern is taking some getting used to, I keep getting a mild shock every time I walk into the bedroom and see my bed looking so overly flowery.

Little B is truly horrified by the sudden change, he just can't understand why on earth I would want to have flowers all over my bed. He also commented on the fact that my beloved Sunny Log Cabin blanket looks out of place now ("the colours are all wrong Mummy"). I took his advice on board and swapped blankets this afternoon.....................

............oh, that's looking a bit yummy isn't it just? A newly FOTH blanket (that's Fresh Off The Hook in case you wondered), there is honestly nothing more satisfying than darning in the very last end on a blanket project that has spanned many weeks.

YAY!!! My Dune blanket is finished! I absolutely love love love it, and can't wait to show you more.

As I was crocheting the border this morning I was also photographing my progress in preparation for making the tutorial. It's a slow, slow process but I don't mind it too much and good coffee definitely helps.

I'm really happy to tell you that I'll be ready to share my Dune blanket with you next week, on Tuesday 16th April. Yarn packs will go on sale in my shop at Wool Warehouse and will include a full colour printed pattern. I'll also be sharing it all for FREEEEeeeEeEee here on my blog, my usual full photo tutorial to teach you the Seashell stitch so that you can crochet up your very own breezy seaside stripes.

I hope April is treating you well my friends, and that you are feeling happy and content.

A big hug from me to you ((XX))

ps ** duvet cover is from Morrisons, it was heavily reduced in price, a real bargain x

 

 

 

Early Spring

It's been cold here today, an un-spring-like three degrees, and as I sit here at my desk I can hear J cleaning out the grate ready for me to light the fire. We are straddling the seasons it seems, with one foot tentatively tiptoeing into Spring and the other foot staying wrapped up in woolly hand knit socks and winter boots. I haven't taken a photograph of my hill view in ages, mainly because it has often been covered in low cloud or fog and has been very murky indeed. But as our days lengthen I'm beginning to notice more sunlight and shadows across the landscape and more subtle changes in colour as the winter slowly comes to an end. I'm so ridiculously happy that our clocks jumped forward an hour into BST (British Summer Time) at the weekend and we now have the beautiful pleasure of light evenings again. I popped outside to put some paper into the recycling bin last night at 8pm and it was still (almost) light......happy, happy, happy me!!

It was the Spring Equinox on the 20th March, so exactly two weeks ago. Since then we've had a whole mixed bag of weather thrown at us but there have been the most delicious signs of early Spring showing in my neighbourhood, and I'm mainly talking about the florals. 

This golden beauty is at the end of my street in someone's front garden and I walk right past it every day when I come and go up and down the hill. It's a Forsythia and is absolutely laden with bright yellow flowers at this time of year. In the late afternoon when I'm on my way down the hill to school, the sun is low in the sky and shines right through the branches - it makes the flowers look as if they are glowing.

Blossom season is usually May here in my patch, but some of the smaller more sheltered trees in my neighbourhood are already in flower. This beautiful pink offering is very conveniently in my next door neighbours front garden so I am treated to the sight of it up close and personal. It's only a small tree which was planted around 3 years ago so the blossom is actually at face level which I absolutely love! Usually I'm gazing up through blossom branches high above my head, but having these beautiful flowers right in front of my nose is wonderful. 

I was walking home from our knit and natter morning at Coopers Cafe on Friday and snapped this photo when I felt overcome by nostalgia. Walking along this narrow pathway next to the little beck always makes me smile and reminds me of the many times I've walked back from playgroup holding hands with a very small chattery Little B. We used to call this our "tricky way" home as it involved the act of walking very, very, very carefully as close to the wall as we could manage - it was a little bit nerve wracking for this Mummy, but how could I deny him this simple bit of adventure? Little B would beg me to take him this way home...."please, please Mummy, can we walk home the Tricky Way?" He absolutely loved this pathway as I think it felt a little bit dangerous to his three year old self. I mean, look! No fence, no hand rail, nothing to prevent a three year old Little Person from tumbling into the water below! How very risky!!

What you can't see in the above photo is the flight of well worn stone steps at the end of the path - these take you straight up to the canal tow path. Yes, that bridge at the end is actually an aqueduct and carries the canal over the beck below. Don't you just love quirky little pathways like this?

I've no idea what this Tricky Way tree is called, but it's newly unfolding leaves are absolutely beautiful. They emerge at this time of year a very, very soft and pale silvery green so that they almost look like blossom. I would love to know it's name**, it somehow niggles me when I can't bring forth this sort of vital information.

**edit** I sent a photo of the tree to Christine who has a huge bank of gardening knowledge in her brain alongside all the sock knowledge, and she told me it's a Whitebeam tree. I am SO HAPPY to know this!!! Whitebeam, whitebeam....I shall try my hardest to retain that information inside my chaotic scramble of a brain. I love this tree!

On Saturday we ventured out as a family of four (sadly no matter how much I plead, I cannot persuade our 16 year old BoyTeen to come with us any more). It was a sunny day and as Little Lady was due to work on Sunday at her waitressing job, we loosely called this jaunt a day-early Mothers Day treat. We are very lucky to live on the very edge of the Yorkshire Dales national park, and have an enviably large number of destinations/walks we can choose which involve only a short car journey. On Saturday we picked one of our favourite family walks, an easy riverside meander with the added bonus of a top notch refreshment break built in. 

The walk starts at Linton Falls (there is a small car park there) and follows the river Wharfe (in the direction of Burnsall) as far as Hebden suspension bridge. Here you turn off and follow the half mile footpath to the small village of Hebden which is home to one of my most favourite rural cafes {The Old School tearoom}. If you live around here or are planning to visit in future I can highly recommend this easy walk - it's not circular, but with the tea-room stop in the middle, the return walk still feels very pleasurable even though you are effectively walking back the way you came. 

There are some huge Horse Chestnut trees growing along the riverside, and I was delighted to see the "sticky buds" already beginning to open. Spring is here, even when it feels like Winter still has us in it's grip.

I wish I'd taken some photos of our tea room stop, it was soooo good! It was just about warm enough to sit out in the garden (along with the goat, chickens and guinea pigs) and as well as the very, very good coffee, the home baked cakes are to die for. It was midday, so the rest of the family opted for brunch style sausage and bacon rolls while I went my own unique way and chose carrot and orange cake. It was utter cakey perfection and I enjoyed every single mouthful.

Our return walk along the river was slower (bellies full of good stuff!) and included a stop at one of the pebbly river beaches. The water was beautifully clear and dappled with dancing sunlight, it made me happy just to stand and gaze at it.

Little B won the prize for the very best river beach find - I was a tad jealous until he gifted it to me without a second thought. I've kept it in my coat pocket and every time I get a hold of it I'm reminded of this sunny afternoon and the joy of spending time with family.

How about that ↑↑↑ for an impressive set of roots??!!

It was around 3.30 by the time we returned to the falls, and all felt ridiculously happy in my personal internal world. I do so love where I live, and getting out to enjoy the countryside with J and the Little People is one of my all time bestest most favourite pleasures (especially when you add in coffee, cake and pebbly beaches).

And here I am, engaging in one of my other favourite pleasures - a little spell of fireside crochet. Actually, this was Sunday afternoon and I don't think we'd lit the fire by this point but I still like to sit on the floor there. I've got a couple of surprisingly comfy, boxy square floor cushions and when my blanket has reached full-body length it's lovely to sit crocheting on the floor with the blanket stretched out in front of me. It's a visual feast!

Dune blanket is coming along beautifully and I am so very happy with it. It's hard to put into words - saying "very happy" seems rather lame when I look at those soothing yarny colours worked into cute little seashells and feel an overwhelming sense of joy. For me, this blanket is chockablock full of the best kind of seaside memories and I like to think they surround those stitches like an invisible magical aura. Crochet blankets are just fantabulous, in every way. Love love love making blankets!

I need to chat to my friends at Wool Warehouse and settle on a date for the Dune yarn pack - I've got to finish making the blanket (four more stripes, then the border), work on the printed pattern (which will be included in the yarn pack) and create the full photo tutorial to share here on my blog. I'm thinking it'll be in about two weeks time.......I am also thinking........scenic photos of the blanket at the beach will most definitely be required......sea fever springs to mind......!

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Stepping out of the Attic

In my day to day life I spend much of my time alone, either at home or in my studio at Coopers Cafe. I don't mind this, not at all, in fact I really adore my quiet life and love that I can pretty much organise my days as I please. Having said that, I do enjoy a little change of scenery from time to time and every so often I like to step out of my solitary Attic life and engage with other creative yarny folks. Sometimes it's just for a day, and sometimes it involves an overnight stay away, and it always, always makes me feel very excited.

As part of the Stylecraft Blogstars team, I am fortunate enough to get a twice yearly invite to spend time at the mill enjoying a concentrated amount of yarny chat and pleasure. I look forward to it so much, it's guaranteed to be inspirational on so many levels, and it's always huge fun getting to spend time with other crochet and knitting bloggers/designers who have become good friends over the years. I've lost count of how many times I've visited the Stylecraft mill now, but it never fails to impress. It's huuuuuuge! A tall, solid building, steeped in history and full of character. We get to ride the cranky old industrial elevator right to the top floor which is where the design team work, and where visitors are made to feel very, very welcome.

I was there a few weeks ago, on a blustery, wild and wet weekend here in Yorkshire. We were gifted the pleasure of an overnight stay in a nearby hotel so it was only a short jaunt to the mill on the Saturday morning. I adore walking into this light and airy room with its wooden floors, rustic brick walls and huge windows with glorious views over the surrounding countryside. But it's always the yarny colour which steals the show every single time, oh it's just fabulous!! I didn't take many photos on my camera, but I did snap a few pictures to share on my Attic24 Instagram Stories which I thought you might like to see.

We generally begin the day with a cuppa and a bit of a show and tell sesh which is always a gasp-worthy event. There is so much talent gathered around the table as you would expect from a giddy tribe of colour-loving yarny designer types.

Lucia {Lucias Fig Tree blog} had three blankets to show us - you can see two of them above look. She is holding up her "January Blues" blanket, and on the table is her completed "Havana CAL" blanket. Both show her exuberant love of colour and pattern and are absolutely breathtaking in real life.

Phil {The Twisted Yarn blog} shared her recently finished knitted picture. The word "picture" doesn't remotely describe the magic that came forth from her needles to create this intricate yarny waterscape. Honestly, this girl is a genius with pattern and yarn, and this is a truly unbelievable work of yarn art. You can read more about it {here}

The morning moves on with a full presentation given to us by the Stylecraft team which tells us about the seasons ahead (in this case we are looking at Spring/Summer 2019). The start of the presentation gives a general overview of the trends which will be featuring in both the yarns and the garment and accessory designs. I am fascinated by the idea of "trend forecasting", and even though it isn't something that carries any weight with regards to my own projects, I just really enjoy seeing sources of inspiration, creative trains of thought, background stories and ideas, and general creative workings in action.

Stylecraft shared two trends which they are using to inspire their yarns and pattern collections this coming season.....want some inside info on what these are????

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Tribal Eccentric :

"a clashing soft & strong colour palette that focuses on vibrancy. This palette has hints of folk-inspired colours reminiscent of tribal textiles that temp a new rhythmic dialog that oozes mystery. Loose lightweight shapes that dance with playful spirit, layers of lace boldly smudged with strong textures that incorporate exuberance and energy."  

Does't that sound amazing? I love how the words and the colours conjure up an overall feeling so that you can begin to picture what sort of knitted garments and decorative details might come from these ideas.

Radiant Romance :

"A sumptuously soft palette of pastels that give a watery fluid feeling. Blush pinks blend with soft lilacs and periwinkles to create a feminine romance that lead into stronger fresh pigments that bring together a more interesting perspective for the use of colour. A compelling blend of man made and natural fibres teamed together with open pointelle structures, simple elegant silhouettes that drape beautifully against the body."

Oh yes, I can imagine this, can't you? It sounds dreamy!! 

The remainder of the morning is spent oooohing and aaaaahing and squishing a huge pile of delicious new Stylecraft yarns. Some of these are absolutely brand spankin' new to the market, and some are additional colours added into existing ranges. It all feels very exciting I can tell you, like the best kind of secret inside intel! I've already shown you the new Special DK colours, and my friend Helen wrote a great blog post outlining the other yarn newbies if you wish to see what they are ((here)).

After lunch we are treated to an informal creative workshop led by one of the Stylecraft team. In the past we've learnt how to do basic Tunisian crochet, how to work colour pooling (which I failed spectacularly at) and how to make Dorset Buttons (LOVED doing these). During this last meet up we learnt how to fold and stitch our own notebooks which was surprisingly therapeutic - it's lovely to make something useful which also has major decorative possibilities I think. We were told in advance that this is what we would be doing, and encouraged to create a cover for our notebooks which are A5 size (like a piece of A4 printer paper folded in half).

I decided to make some little crochet flowers and leaves and stitch them to some pretty pale pink wool felt - I really like how my idea took shape and must make time to finish off the stitching. My handmade notebook is currently sitting on my desk looking forlorn and bare, it needs it's floral cover *adding to my to-do list*

Our next Stylecraft Blogstars meet up is in July and promises to be very special indeed with some extra special tea-party-shaped celebrations. I'm already excited for it, I told you I don't get out much.

Very occasionally my life seems to get extra busy all at once, and hot on the tail of the Stylecraft weekend I found myself packing up all my blankets and preparing for another trip away from the Attic. This time I was heading in the opposite direction out of Yorkshire and into Cheshire, to a shop that I have wanted to visit for many years.

Black Sheep Wools is a fabulous local yarn shop - well, truthfully it's very much more than a shop and is known fondly as The Craft Barn. Sara who owns and runs this well established family business asked me if I would like to be a guest there, to hang out with my crochet blankets and spend the day chatting to customers and eating cake.....what's not to like about that invitation?! With the exception of my role at Yarndale it's not often that I choose to do these kind of events as I am generally a quiet, introverted type and busy public things are a challenge for this solitary Attic dweller. 

I needn't have worried though - I was made to feel so very welcome as soon as I walked in the door, and surrounded by colourful yarn and my beloved blankets I very quickly settled in and felt at home.

The other great thing about the day was getting to spend it with my good friends - those two cheeky rascals with me in the photo above had agreed to come and keep me company for the day. On the left is Emma Varnam and on the right is Christine Perry (AKA Winwick Mum), and they came to Black Sheep Wools to be very famous doing author-ish things and signing their books alongside me and my blankets.

photo credit : Emma Varnam

Emma is probably best known for her Cute Crocheted Animals but she has recently published a brand new book called  "Crocheted Succulents", which as the name suggests is a brilliantly written and humorous project book designed to help you crochet your very own indoor yarn garden. You can read more about the inspiration behind the book on Emma's blog ((here))

Many of you will know Christine already as she is responsible for my own personal sock knitting journey and I know many of you have also taken up sock knitting using her fabulous beginners tutorials. She published her second sock knitting book last Autumn and visitors to Black Sheep Wools were able to tap into Christine's vast knowledge about all things Sock related.

This was the calm before the storm (well less of a storm and more of a tidal wave of yarn enthusiasm) - we were all set up and ready for the day to unfold.

Oh, it really did unfold in style! The day was tremendously busy from start to finish with a huge number of ladies (and gents) travelling to see me and my friends, and to enjoy the hospitality and charm of the award winning Craft Barn. When I say charm, I'm really meaning yarn with a side helping of tea and cake (there is a cafe actually inside the Craft Barn, how perfect is that?!). It's one of those places where you could happily spend a whole day - in fact Sara encourages you to stay as long as you feel like and there are squishy sofas and little knitting/reading/crochet nooks dotted all around the shop. There is also cake, did I mention that? I sampled not only the most delicious home made Yorkshire Ginger Parkin, but also a generous slab of the most divine Coconut and Lime cake which hit the sweet spot like you wouldn't believe.

It's hard to describe the true scale of Black Sheep Wools, but when they tell you it's the UK's largest yarn shop they aren't exaggerating - it's humungous! I took the above photo to show you the racks of Stylecraft Special DK, don't they look scrumptious?

This is the Rowan Flagship area - Black Sheep carries a large number of different yarn brands, from familiar favourites to more unusual and exclusive choices. There's Christine and Emma look, taking advantage of the sofa comfort at the end of a busy, busy day.....we were all a little exhausted I have to say!

At the start of the day, my crochet blankets (all fourteen of them?) were folded oh-so-neatly on the table, stacked and draped in a way that made me feel rather proud of all my years of blanket making. They always look so good when I see them all together, a happy fiesta of colour and pattern and cosy comfort.

By the end of the day, the table ↑↑↑ resembled a glorified rummage sale (albeit a colourful, creative one), and it did make me laugh! My blankets received a lot of love and touchy-feely admiration and I was so happy to learn that a good many ladies decided to set off on a new blanket journey of their own, inspired by my creations. I met some truly beautiful people at Black Sheep Wools, so much kindness, kinship and good spirit. Bravery too, I heard first hand how colour and crochet has helped people rise above life's worries and struggles. I felt humbled and so grateful for this wonderful yarn community I am lucky to be a part of.

So if you took the time to come and see me there - ((THANK YOU)) - I had such a wonderful day.

Here we are look, a little weary at the end of it all, but very happy smiles all round.

Sara, Emma, the Attic Lady and Christine.

If you are ever up north and in the Cheshire area, I can highly recommend a detour to this wonderful shop (directions and practical details are HERE). Don't forget there is tea and cake as well as yarn....you won't be disappointed with either and you will be made very welcome.

Last week I took some time to write up a little Q&A interview for Black Sheep Wools, gosh I did get a bit carried away (sorry-not-sorry) and wrote rather a lot of long winded answers to some really great questions. I talked about many things, including the start of my crochet journey and the very first project I ever made (granny squares for my first blanket, shown above).

If you fancy a read, I suggest you maybe grab yourself a cuppa first and settle yourself somewhere comfy...!!

((Black Sheep Wools and Attic24 interview))

Thanks so much for reading, I hope I haven't bored you too much?! 

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February Good Times

It was our half term break last week. We seemed to have it a week later than pretty much the whole of the country and we were all so ready for some idle days of rest and relaxation. It was sooo good, all of it, even the low key days where we forgot what day it was and didn't bother to get dressed until after lunch. 

With the brood returned to school today and our daily routine restored, I've thoroughly enjoyed the gentle silence here in the house. It made me sit quiet and still this afternoon catching my breath (if you can have an emotional breath to catch) taking some time to reflect and think about how this year is going so far. I took a look through my February photos and reminded myself how very good this past month has been.

February can be a tough ol' month and I find that unless I make a conscious effort to seek out the things that make me happy, the days tend to drag by in a slow, dull blur. I really find bluuurrr days very trying so I do my best not to allow them to take hold. It honestly doesn't take an awful lot to make me happy right down to my toes - a short walk by water, a good coffee, a jug of fresh flowers on my table, something colourful and yarny in my hands. All those things would be at the top of my personal feel-good anti-blur list, and instinctively I incorporate them into my days as often as I can. 

It takes effort to get out for a walk in the winter months, and the Little People can be hard to persuade. But I find that when we do make it happen it's soooooo worth it and without fail I always return home feeling uplifted. 

These photos were taken mid month, a cold, brisk stroll around the reservoir one Sunday morning. I wore my short floral wellies and paddled in the shallow water, thinking that if I can't be beside the sea then this sandy little reservoir beach is not a bad second best.

It was one of those walks where we constantly felt like we were only a few minutes away from a torrential downpour that would ruin everything. The sky was so dark and heavy with the threat of rain, but despite the ominous clouds and eerie light it never actually came, and I was thankful for that simple thing.

February was pretty much consumed by the Sweet Pea CAL for me and there wasn't really any time for much else. I spent some days in the studio tidying up and taking stock of things, clearing my table, re-jigging my very full shelves and generally faffing around making everything feel good in there. It's been a while since I had flowers on my studio table so I treated myself to some tulips from the supermarket, and oh they did make me happy!

Over the days that I was working in the studio I had the pleasure of watching those petals gently unfurl in the warmth of my cosy room. Such a beautiful visual pleasure, I couldn't stop drinking them in.

Flowers reached a peak on my mantel last week, with red hyacinths flowering at one end and bridal crown narcissus reaching for the ceiling at the other end.

I absolutely adore narcissus, the scent of them is so sweet and beautiful and so very much a February joy.

Out in my front garden and the crocus patch all of a sudden woke up after its winter slumber. We had a welcome amount of sunshine last week and these flowers bloomed their little hearts out. I'm sure they are early (I think of them as March flowers?) but I'm not complaining, they have been a real treat to see every time I come home and climb the stone steps to my front door.

The starlings continue to murmur above our house each and every evening, and my goodness, it is a spectacular sight. During the past few weeks the numbers have swelled dramatically and the flock is now absolutely mahoosive. Being that they fly (at great speed) right overhead here at number 24 it's impossibly hard to photograph and hard to describe the true scale of it. I found a beautiful bit of video footage on YouTube - do go and look ((here)) to see the full murmuration effect. The downside is the mess - our street is a bit of a poo zone, our car liberally decorated for the season. Not complaining though, I don't think I'll ever forget this Starling Winter.

At the start of our half term holiday last week we were blessed with a short burst of the most incredible weather. Cloudless blue, blue skies and warm hours of sunshine, it was absolute bliss. 

Last Monday we took Little B on his bike to the park and even though it was February (truly a Winter month here in North Yorkshire) the temperature reached a balmy 18 degrees. EIgHtEen!!!!! It was t-shirt hot, lay on a blanket and soak in the sun hot, close your eyes and make-believe it's Summer hot.

It made me think of this....

.....I saw this online somewhere a while ago and it proper made me laugh! So I kept saying to J last week, this is Fool's Spring we're having you know, and he didn't have a clue what I was on about, but still.......it was glorious, an especially good memory as we appear to be firmly into the Second Winter this week. Won't be long until we can enjoy the Spring of Deception. Ha!

Coinciding with Fool's Spring, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a couple of short trips away from home at the end of February. The weather was utter perfection and we couldn't believe our luck.

J and I took off for a twenty four hour one night away from home just the two of us - we didn't go far, driving just 20 miles into West Yorkshire to visit the quirky little town of Hebden Bridge. We booked into a cosy little pub B&B high on the hill above the town, and spent our time walking and pootling in the sunshine.

During half term week, we decided very last minute to take a short family holiday over to St Anne's on the Lancashire coast. We've stayed here a few times before and were able to book the same house which was delightfully relaxing and familiar. I won't bore you with more weather details (just look at that sky!!!), but well, it was bloomin' wonderful. We celebrated J's Big Birthday (he reached the big 5-0 like me) and it was just the best little holiday. 

The tide very rarely comes right in at St. Annes but occasional storms bring the waves right up the beach to the base of the sand dunes, leaving behind a strandline rich with seaside treasure. I just can't resist the urge to collect and gather when I'm by the sea, it's such a deeply ingrained habit that has been with me since childhood. 

You can see how my creative coastal playtime took a hold.........got lots more to show you very soon!!!!

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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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