Attic24

September Seasonal Shift

September was such a lovely month here this year, an absolutely perfect mix of summer and autumn. This seasonal shift has caught me by surprise in the best possible way, and I have to say that one week into Autumn and I am really loving it.

Early September still felt very summery with warm, dry weather and many days of sunshine. My toes were certainly happy :)

Little B went back to school in the second week of September and setting an alarm again after the ease of the summer holidays was a bit of a shock to the system. I do enjoy the school routine though, and once the youngest, noisiest child is out of the house for the day a rather delicious quietness settles on the home front. 

The kitty has wanted to be close to her humans just lately and in the quiet of the morning I really enjoy her cosy company. She's not a cat that you can entice onto your lap very easily, so these kind of snuggles are always very much on her terms and it's lovely when she decides I'm the place to be!

I bought summery flowers for my table and gave our downstairs living room a bit of a tidy up and a refresh. I don't mind telling you that I was very lazy over the summer months when it came to housework, but there is something about the back-to-school vibe which returns the focus to home routines.

I continue to really enjoy my weekly yarny meet-ups at the café and in September I was obsessed with knitting these socks. I managed to finish one sock down to the end of the toes, and the second sock is ready to start with the heel I think. I had to put them away while I concentrated on creating the Fireside tutorial, but with the colder weather snapping in I really want these socks off my needles and onto my feet. It's firmly on my to-do list.

Middle of September I was gifted some beautiful produce from my friend's allotment plot which almost made my cry with gratitude and delight. A punnet of the most delicious sun ripened tomatoes and a bunch of flowers for drying so that they'll last right through the winter months.

Such beautiful late summer colour wrapped in newspaper, a nostalgic reminder of my childhood too as my Mum used to grow these flowers on her allotment.

I made a caprese salad for my lunch with some of the tomatoes and ooooohmygosh it was ever so good. Such simple, fresh flavours and a real taste of summer.

This was a sunny Saturday afternoon walk around local fields and lanes because it was just too nice to stay indoors.

 I stood for ages watching that tractor ploughing up and down the side of that huge hill, it was crazy satisfying to observe the slow but pleasing toil of it somehow. I remember also thinking that the colours of the landscape in mid September perfectly matched the seasonal shift from summer to autumn.

I love this view as we get near to home after our walks out to neighbouring villages. We live in quite a hilly area of the town and I love to see all the old Victorian terraced streets following the contours.

We had some really beautiful weather once we'd passed over the autumn equinox, the sort of bright, clear skies that invite you to walk just for the pleasure of it.

I found myself wandering through the park and up to the farm shop one morning, just to get a feel for the season and see what was fresh and inviting. Lots and lots of baby pumpkins greeted me as I walked in the door, leaving no doubt about the season we are now in. Bye-bye summer.

I didn't buy baby pumpkins, but I did buy chocolate. This is one of my favourite local chocolates made in York and I just love it. I love the packaging and I love the gorgeous flavours they come up with - dark chocolate is my preference and this Blood Orange Gin flavour did not disappoint. Crikey it was insanely good.

Some days have felt very much more autumnal than others, and although September was a pretty dry month we did have our fair share of the damps. Low, low cloud pressing down on the landscape....

....spinning teeny, tiny droplets of water into the hedgerows and over everything, us included.

Other days were just amazingly golden and gorgeous, I mean, look how StUNning this light is!! Seven o'clock and the sun is just rising over the hilltops at this time of year, my goodness it really is something special to be out in the world at that time of day.

A gorgeous reward for those early alarms and a reminder that a brisk morning walk is so, so, so good for the mind and soul as well as for the body.

I am still wearing my sandals on days when it's dry and not too chilly, but I often find that by mid afternoon my toes need a little snuggle time. So far we've managed to keep the central heating off and have been making very good use of the crochet blankets and woolly layers as the temperature continues to drop. I light the fire most evenings now, and am truly embracing the cosy vibe of the autumn season.

So here we are into the beginning of Autumn and summer is most definitely over for another year. I've got an exciting trip coming up though, and I'm hoping for some wonderful, warm sunshine which will be such a treat. On Monday I'm going to be travelling south, all the way down to south west France in fact to spend a week in the medieval walled city of Carcassonne (pictured above). This is a working holiday for me - I'm travelling with Stitchtopia and will be teaching on a crochet retreat with a lovely group of ladies, and I'm pretty bloomin' excited I can tell you.

I'll look forward to catching up with you all once I'm back here in Atticland, I will probably have one or two photos to show you from France.........! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Snaps :: late August 2022

Hello, hello, hellooooooo!!!!! How're you all doing out there in the Big Wide World?

I've been meaning to check in here for the past week or so, well ever since Little B returned to school actually, and it's been tricky to find the right time of day/evening when I can be fully present without other things clamouring for my attention. Finally I've managed it - it's 7.30pm and I've come to sit cosy in bed with my laptop as it's been a surprisingly chilly day and I needed the comfort.

I had a long debate with myself earlier on today about how exactly to jump back in here, and in the end decided to give you something of an end-of-summer round up before everything starts to get forgotten in the seasonal shift. Although I'm embracing the return to the school and working routines and the fact that Autumn is sitting very close on the horizon, it's always lovely to look back and celebrate every last bit of Summer.

J had some time off work at the end of August which allowed me to take some time down south (more of that in a bit), but also for us to enjoy a bit of a staycation week here with the Little People.

We took a day trip up to Cumbria to visit a National Trust property called Sizergh. It's quite a grand old house with a huge estate, so we did a four mile circular walk with a picnic lunch, then spent some time enjoying the house and gardens which were at their peak in late August.

The kitchen garden was absolutely beautiful and I couldn't get enough of the abundant colours....

....oh, it was glorious!

I also loved this long walled border which was bursting with later summer colour....

....and attracting a good many bees and butterflies too.

It was a lovely day out and I'm hoping we can do more exploring of new places in the months to come.

Closer to home, we've been getting out and about to walk in the local countryside right on our doorstep. The weather at the end of August and into early September was seriously lovely, remaining bright and sunny and warm enough to walk in t-shirts. I can't adequately describe my constant levels of happiness in relation to the warm sunny summer we've had, but it has been pretty sky high. Finally a summer that behaved itself and truly felt like a Proper Summer!!

I walked and walked, often two or three times a day I would find myself keen to get out there and walk. J and I continue to enjoy our 7am fast-paced, slightly breathless power walks through the woodland (so good, love love love it), then a solo stroll around town sometime in the morning for me - walking along the canal, a trip to the café for coffee, errands to run, groceries to buy. And then sometimes an evening walk too, usually with Little B, to take in the summery evening skies and breathe it all in.

My daily coffee, taken outside most days through the warmth of late summer. I simply can't imagine life without this pleasurable mid morning pause, I love it so much.

I enjoyed being at home as the summer shone on through late August, our sash windows pushed up high to let the warm breeze blow through the house. 

At the every end of August I set off to travel south on the train down to Dorset. This seems to have become the norm for me now - frequent solo visits every 3 or 4 months to touch base with my Dad, making the most of these times when his health is still pretty stable. It's also lovely for me to be back in my childhood place too, and I find myself soaking in that deep-rooted familiarity and feeling very grateful for it. 

I hardly ever eat ice cream, but on this day I joined in with my Dad and Lady B and had an old fashioned Mr. Whippy with a flake. My goodness, what a hit of nostalgia that was, I felt like I was ten years old! 

We strolled slowly, slowly along the promenade - I think my Dad is honestly the slowest walker I have ever met in my life and I have to dig deep to find the patience to slow my own pace down to a dawdling shuffle. But promenades are good places for slow shuffles, so once I adjusted to it, all was well.

The sea was incredibly calm on this day with barely any waves at all, and even though I prefer it when it's noisy and crashing and salty, it was still lovely.

My trip to Dorset was only short this time, and after two nights I was off on my travels again. I took the train and journeyed east into Hampshire - destination Portsmouth Harbour. I was then heading across the water to the Isle of Wight, traveling at high speed on the fast catamaran that operates between Portsmouth and Ryde. It was all very exciting, and a first time for me to travel on a catamaran (you can see here what it looks like, it was much bigger than I expected). I sat next to the window and tried not to fidget too much with over excitement, wishing that the trip was way longer than twenty two minutes long.

It's been eighteen years since I visited the Isle of Wight - one of my best friends from my art/textile uni days lives here and I used to regularly come and stay with her in the years before I had children. We've been friends for thirty four years, isn't that something? It was absolutely wonderful to see her and her family and how much they have grown since I  last saw them (three ginormous, handsome boys, and I mean they are huuuuuuge, well over six feet tall all of them). We had such a fun time, some delicious meals out, bottles of prosecco, chatting in the garden, picking blackberries out in the countryside, walking the dog and generally just enjoying a massive, long over due catch up.

On my last day there we took a long walk all around the eastern coast and it was really interesting to see how different the beaches are. The coastline is very woody with trees coming right down to the beach in many places.

We stopped off for lunch at a really beautiful café nestled into the trees overlooking the beach. It was warm enough for us to sit out on the decking and enjoy a chilled glass of refreshment and some delicious food with stunning sea views. I felt as though I was abroad....I mean, just look at this beach.......

.............just WOW!!!! Isn't it beautiful? You can see the café tucked into the trees above, and imagine how bloomin' delighted I was with it all.

After three super happy days it was time to say goodbye and begin my long journey home. Back across the water to the mainland (that ship is HMS Warrior, an old Navy vessel docked in Portsmouth Harbour), then a train up to London.....

....where everything was it's usual hectic, noisy, crowded, busy city self. Then it was the final three hours on the train back up to Yorkshire, and I tumbled in the front door at around 9.30pm. It was a lot of hours on the move (eight in total) but I happen to like travelling by myself and really enjoyed every bit of it.

I was away for six days in total, and the day before I left decided to cast on a pair of socks. I've not done any knitting since last year and had this yarn waiting patiently to be transformed into stripes. Socks make great travel projects and I really enjoyed knitting the hours away as I journeyed up and down the country.

The sock yarn matches perfectly with my latest blanket too, a delightful happy accident which is making me very pleased with the visual harmony. I'll be able to share my new blanket with you very, very soon - yarn packs will go on sale on Wednesday 21st September. I'll be here to tell you all about the blanket which I've named "Fireside" (cosy, warm and comforting vibes) , and as always there will be a free pattern and tutorial for you too. I'm really looking forward to showing it to you.

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♥ Three Things ♥

♥ Three things that have made me feel heart-skippy happy today...♥

♥ Thing # 1 :: on my table ♥

♥ A little glass bottle of raindrippy geraniums rescued from their very soggy back yard pots.

I popped out in the drizzle this morning to put some recycling into the bin and was so happy to see my geraniums still bravely flowering despite the wet and wild weather we've had this past week. I decided to snip a few stems to bring indoors as I'm not really getting to appreciate them very much outside. Oh, they are such a delight! Like a breathe of summer air, they are cheering up my table and my heart.

♥ Thing # 2 :: on the sofa ♥

♥ A contented sleepy kitty, enjoying the warmth rising from the radiator that's on the wall behind the back of the sofa.

She's been happy today because I felt so cold this afternoon that I switched the heating on and I lit the fire too. Such indulgence, but I hate it when my bones feel chilled. I'm sure she was silently thanking me with her eyes closed, sweet thing that she is.

♥ Thing # 3 :: on my needles ♥

♥ Gloriously happy stripes turning slowly but surely into wonderfully cosy socks.

I'm really, really enjoying this Kaffe Fassett sock yarn, the colours and the changing stripes are just lovely. I was sat in my favourite place right next to the hearth earlier and my hands had reached that perfect temperature where the stitches seem to fly. I love it when that happens and the stripes almost seem to make themselves. J made me a cup of tea and I felt like the luckiest person being able to spend a wet Monday afternoon doing just as I pleased.

I hope you've had a great day, and that you've had some moments that have made your heart skip a beat.

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ps : I created this "3Things" category for my blog many years ago but it's not often that I remember to create this kind of simple gratitude post. You can find all of my past 3-things posts by clicking on the category tag in my left hand side bar, it does make for an uplifting bit of browsing if you need to fill a little time x

 

 

 

Blogtober 2020 :: Day 27

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opal Fairytale : shade 9797 "Heroic Deed"

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

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Winter to Spring

A couple days ago I spent some time faffing with my mantel and changing over my seasonal decorations - I can't tell you how good it feels to pack away winter! I know it's all inside my head really as the weather here is still pretty cold and winter-like, but nevertheless the Attic is now in Spring mode and I am majorly happy about it.

My Winter mantel was actually quite minimal, but I thought you might like to see what has now gone into hibernation. Some greetings cards, my Annabel Burton canvas, and my winter balls garland (thinking I might make something new for winter 2020, using patterns from my winter wreath - frosty leaves, snowdrops, snowflakes?) I admit I was quite sad to pack away my stitchy decs as I have loved having them on my mantel to cheer up the dark season.

In the above photo, middle left, you can see the Winter cross stitch I completed a few months ago, which I absolutely love. This is from a set of four designs by the very clever ladies at Cotton and Twine - Autumn and Winter have already been released and can be purchased as kits, and Spring and Summer are still to come. I'm going to write a separate blog post to show you more of these cross stitching projects (I've completed the Autumn one too), but in the meantime there are some lovely photos on their website ((here))

The two stitchy hoops came in the Craftpod subscription boxes which I am lucky enough to receive every quarter. They are such a treat, each one containing two projects as well as some beautiful and very thoughtful treats. The hoop on the right was part of the Winter 2017 box (which I completed in February 2018). The hoop on the left was a simple cross stitch designed by me (oooo, super proud of that!) for the Winter 2019 box. It was a wonderful commission to work on and I can honestly say I adored designing and stitching that little scandi inspired cross stitch.

Spring Craftpods plopped through the letterbox a few weeks ago, and I think this little serene embroidery is an absolute delight. I can't wait to get stitching - I find the slow, meditative qualities of embroidery and cross stitch are very well suited to these quiet, introverted stay-home days.

When I unpacked my Spring bag it seemed a bit sparse, but that's OK as I have plans to add more springy-inspired crafty things this year. The canvas is another original by Annabel Burton (I've collected quite a few over the years and absolutely love love love them). The two postcards are of Van Gogh paintings which I bought in the Van Gogh museum last year when we had a short Spring trip to Amsterdam.

Do you remember this Spring embroidery hoop I stitched two years ago? It was designed by the very talented Lolli and Grace as a "stitch-a-long" project for Mollie Makes in 2018. It was so nice to re-discover it again, to unpack it and bring it out into its rightful season once again. I really, really like seasonal crafting....can you tell?!

As part of my Winter-Spring faff-around, it was time to swap over my candelabras. I often get asked about these as I always have one of them on my mantel and light candles most evenings.  The one on the left is my Autumn/Winter one and came from the Swedish company Gudrun Sjödén. The one on the right is my Spring/Summer one and is from the Danish company Rice DK. 

I've had both of them for a good many years - they were quite expensive to buy, but the amount of pleasure they give me every day is huge and I really love them.

So this is how my mantel is looking at the moment - it's still a little bare, but I am definitely going  to be adding some more seasonal stitchy stuff this month.

The thing that is noticeably missing though is a garland of some sorts. I have my Autumn Garland and my Winter Balls, but so far nothing for Spring. So what to do? Well....................................

..............time to gather in some Spring colours and get my crochet hook on the job. Of course! The colours above are leftovers from making my Sweet Pea and Dahlia blankets, and I absolutely love them. I know the orange (Spice) is a bit bright for Spring, but I'll be mostly using this colour to add a little detail to my flower centres.

The greens are from the Sweet Pea palette :: Cypress, Pistachio and Meadow.

Then I've got Mustard, Saffron, Lemon and Cream.

Spice, Pomegranate, Shrimp, Boysenberry and Magenta make up the darker end of the floral palette.

Apricot, Fondant, Blush, Powder Pink and Clematis make up the lighter end.

I had in mind to make some Spring flowers and leaves, something quite simple which would look great against the dark wood background of my fireplace mantel.

The flowers that immediately came to mind were primulas and polyanthus - I wonder how many of you remember the PPP Project??????!!!!!

(that post is HERE, if you need reminding - goodness me, even I needed reminding, it was eleven years ago!!!!!!)

There are polyanthus in abundance around my neighbourhood at the moment, piled high at the supermarket and spilling out of front garden pots and planters everywhere you look. They are beautifully cheery and colourful, and I think the perfect inspiration for a bit of Lockdown hooky activity.

It took me many hours to perfect my design, which included a brisk walk through the woods where I managed to alter the design in my head, rushing home to immediately try out my new fresh-air improved version.

Want to see the end result?

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..........ta-dah!!! I'm so so pleased with it!! It was difficult to get the middle bit to look like a star, but I managed it in the end and love how effective it is. I already know it's going to be great fun trying out different colour combinations.

I'm also making a load of very simple little cream flowers, loosely inspired by Hawthorn blossom which is just starting to bloom up here in North Yorkshire. A little while ago I came across a marvellously ingenious idea where the designer had crocheted small yellow flowers, but instead of trying to crochet a different coloured centre she simply painted them in! How bloomin' clever is that?! Many, many thanks to Kate of "Just Pootling" on Instagram for sharing this idea, I can't believe how effective it is. Kate used water soluble artists pencils to colour/paint her little mini blooms which isn't something I had to hand. So I had to resort to using a less sophisticated option and raided the Little People's felt tip pen pot - oh, it worked a treat!

Hahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just so chuffed with these little beauties! 

As I only finished the design for these flowers late yesterday afternoon, I've not had time to make that many just yet.

Awwwwwwwwww, I already adore them! Oh, I forgot to mention, I also designed some rounded leaves to go with the flowers - in real life, polyanthus leaves are way bigger than the actual flowers, but I only wanted a little bit of simple greenery to poke out underneath.

So this is roughly the layout I'm thinking of for my Spring garland.... I think it's going to look very cute once it all comes together. Only another  30 flowers and 30 leaves to make.........I'll get right on it!

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ps, yes, of course I'll be making a tutorial for the flowers and will be sharing the pattern here on my blog. You're very welcome!!!!!!

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I Have Been....

I have been....really enjoying my daily walks to and from school along the canal tow path.

I have been....loving the look of utter delight on Little B's face when we stop on the way home from school to get an ice cream from the tug boat. The best kind of Friday treat.

I have been....loving these early summer evenings, walking around my neighbourhood soaking in the views.

I have been....knitting socks using this delicious "Seascape" yarn by West Yorkshire Spinners. You can read more about this fabulous new yarn ((here)).

I have been....indulging in a new-to-me snack which I can't get enough of - why have I only just discovered these things??! Rice cakes covered in dark chocolate and topped with little bits of dried fruit (orange in this case, but the raspberry ones are my absolute favourites). Yum yum yum yum yum.

I have been....taking a break from my laptop and relaxing with my favourite summer edition magazines. Gloriously outdoorsy and colourful, a visual breath of fresh air.

I have been....dreaming about visiting the coast this summer, I am seriously craving  a sea fix.

I have been....lolling about in the Big Chair, day dreaming, reading and enjoying the warmth of the kitty on my lap when she decides to settle a while. I do adore this cushion, even though it's a bit saggy and baggy now after so much use.

I have been....inhaling the distinctive sweet/spicy scent of Sweet Williams in a jug on my table.

I have been....soaking in the brilliance of these floral colours.

I have been....enjoying a few rare and precious lie-ins and waking to the sight of fresh flowers beside my bed.

I have been....on a ship!

I have been....pootling along the canals of Amsterdam and absolutely love love loving it!

♥

In short.....I've been enjoying  a little bit of a relaxing break and it has felt so good.

Last week was half term and I made a real effort to detach from my laptop and social media and be truly present in the moment. The Little People have all enjoyed the down time too, and all three of them have been very content to please themselves for the most part. I enjoyed some precious quiet time spent in my own little day-dreamy world and some wonderful family time too. We took a trip across the North Sea to spend a day in Amsterdam (I'll share more of that very soon, it was fun!), but aside from that our week was super-slow and spent close to home.

It has been absolutely lovely, all of it, but I'm glad to be back.....more soon.

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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

 

 

 

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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Sock Update :: Hers and His

It's been five months since my last sock update, and in that time I've had three pairs on and off my needles. This first pair ended up being quite a long time in the making, given that they presented me with a fair few knitty challenges and took some lengthy stints in the Naughty Corner. 

I started these socks back in early February I think, using Christine's Easy Cable Sock pattern combined with her fabulously helpful YouTube tutorials. I loved getting to grips with the cables, and I am super-proud of myself for sticking with them even when they made me want to pull my hair out at times.

Ditto the "crossed rib stitch heel" which I found quite hard going (even harder than the twisty cables). I think this stitch looks really amazing, but don't think I would ever be tempted to try it again unless I was paid a squillion pounds to do so.

I spent over two months challenging my brain and fingers with these socks, and there was a ridiculous amount of pulling back and re-knitting that went on at one point. But finally, that second toe was done and my Cable Socks were complete......

..............................ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE how the gentle gradient colour changes of of this particular sock yarn shows off the cable pattern....and look, I even managed a pretty good colour match. This yarn is from the Stylecraft Head Over Heels range ::

{Stylecraft Head Over Heels : Eiger colourway}

All in all, I'm really rather chuffed with these beauties!

And here we have a pair of GREY socks in progress..... no, of course these aren't for me - you can't imagine for one minute that I would choose to knit socks for my own feet in multiple shades of grey? Nah, it's never gonna happen. 

This next pair came about after J executed a prolonged and dedicated campaign for his very own pair of Man Socks. I admit I felt secretly elated that he wanted me to knit him some socks as he doesn't usually show very much interest in the things I make with yarn.

We had quite the job agreeing on which yarn to use - I point blank refused to make all black/grey socks and J made plenty of disgusted sounds when I showed him stripes, even if the stripes were dark. In the end we reached a compromise and settled on this Opal yarn in shades of grey which satisfied my need for a bit of colour tonal variation, but obeyed the stripes-over-my-dead-body rule. There are eight shades to choose from in the Opal Classics range and it pleased me on some childish level that this colour way is named Elegant. Ha!

{Opal Classics : Elegant colourway}

This yarn was especially lovely to knit with I have to say, despite the lack of colour. It's really soft and smooth and glides beautifully over the needles....and those plain non-twisty rows were such a pleasure after the last pair of naughty-complicated socks. The other advantage of using this yarn is that there is no need to do any stripe matching, not that I don't enjoy that particular challenge, but sometimes it's just rather nice to get stuck straight in and go for it.

J has size 10 feet against my size 5/6, but it didn't make a huge difference to the pattern really. I simply cast on 64 instead of 60, and elongated the foot by working 52 rows. I drew round J's foot on a piece of paper and used it as a guide to help me get the foot length right, and he tells me they are a really good, comfortable fit. Funny thing was, as soon as the first sock was off the needles he insisted on wearing it, so spent a few evenings with just one sock on "trying it out" which made me laugh.

Spurred on by my Man Sock success, I showed J the Opal Classic choices again and asked him to pick a second colourway. He ummed and ahhhed, almost went for "Luxurious" but in the end surprised me by choosing this one.

{Opal Classics : Exclusive colourway}

I worried a little about the Exclusive choice to be honest - the socks came out quite a bit more stripy than the ball of yarn suggested, and although I loved knitting them I thought that those bright flashes of red and yellow might be too much for him to want around his ankles.

Soooooooo.............. do you think these look like Man Socks? I'm not convinced, but J says he likes them and will certainly wear them tucked way inside his boots and under his jeans, so I'm calling it another success story. 

I would love to hear from any of you who've had Man Sock success - what yarn choices have you gone for? And please don't tell me Black or Grey with coloured heels or toes, cos that just won't be happening on my needles any time ever.

Now then, whilst we're chatting about all things sockilicious, I want to jig your memory and remind you about the oh-so-fabulous Yarndale Sock line that I help organise with my lovely friend Christine, AKA the Queen of Socks. The sock line will be running for a third year at Yarndale in September  so if you wish to join in and make a pair of socks which will be gifted to those in need of a "woolly hug", you can find all the details {HERE}. Last year's sock line was a huge success with over one hundred pairs donated - you can find links to the supported charities and write up's of the previous years {HERE}

Of course, I am proud to work with Christine on this charity project, although to be fair, she does all the work and I'm just the mail lady who gets to oooooh and ahhhh at the visual gloriousness of it all. But......as I did last year, I will certainly be doing my little bit and knitting up a pair of socks to donate, how could I not? I've read the letters and shared in the emotional impact of this endeavor and know just how wonderful it feels to be a part of this generous and kind hearted woolly community. 

SO, do you want to see my yarn?

It's a thing of beauty, let me tell you!

I'm going to be using this ball of beautiful West Yorkshire Spinners yarn which has been produced as a special limited edition colourway to support the Marie Curie charity. As you may know, Marie Curie have the daffodil as their emblem and this yarn has been designed so that the stripes knit up to represent rows of daffodils......awwww!!! I can't tell you how much I love that idea - daffodil socks, how cool is that?!

And while we're here thinking about this beautiful ball of yarn that I'm squishing, please can we just pause and take a teensy moment to appreciate the fact that I'm showing you my fingernails.....I'm so proud of my nails! They are growing! 

Ok, back to the yarn............

The very best thing about buying a ball of daffodil inspired yarn is this - with EVERY ball sold, a whopping £2 will be donated to Marie Curie. You can find this yarn exclusively online at CityKnits if you wish to knit up your very own daffie socks whilst supporting a really worthy cause.

I am sooooo excited to cast these on - the closing date for receiving socks for the Yarndale charity sockline is Saturday 26th August. All details (including labels to print and address to send) is {HERE}.

Right.......where're my needles?

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ps part 3 of my Summer Harmony blanket will be here in the next few days for those who are joining me x

 

 

  

 

Easter Ins and Outs

We are almost at the end of our two week Easter break and honestly, it has been a wonderful time of nothing and everything. For the first time in over a decade (since I was very heavily preggers with Little Lady in fact) we made the decision not to go down to Dorset this holiday. Although I have really missed not strolling about beside the sea on my home turf this Easter, we've enjoyed a very relaxing and restorative time here at home. 

Rather predictably the weather has been very mixed, but as we made zero plans for this holiday other than to wake up each day and enjoy not having to do anything much, it's been great. Early on in the holiday, we had a short run of beautiful, sunny Spring weather so on one gorgeous morning we set out early to make the most of it.

It delights me to tell you that after a lengthy stint (months? years?) of enduring the Little People protesting like crazy every time we suggested a venture into the great outdoors, these days they seem to positively enjoy the idea of it (shock! horror!) It's been a welcome turn about, and not something that I've voiced aloud to them for fear of jinxing the good walking vibes, but oh, I am so so so so glad!

This walk we did to "climb the crag" is a favourite for us - it's local, so less than 10 minutes in the car, and not that lengthy either as the whole round route is only 3 or 4 miles long. The actual climbing bit though, oh that's quite something and takes a bit of doing. The pathway up to the summit is steep and rocky and so for a good 20 minutes there is plenty of huffing and puffing (and possibly a bit of mild, under-the-breath cursing from time to time) as we scrabble slowly upwards. 

But the feeling when you finally reach the top and get to flollop down in a heap is like nothing else, it's exhilarating (in a breathless sort of a way), satisfying and just plain wonderful. This was an impressively early jaunt for us, and we were sitting up amongst these rocks with chocolate, jam sandwiches and hot coffee just after 9 am.

The Little People embraced this walk with such energy and enthusiasm, it made me so happy deep down in the pit of my stomach, like a heart squeeze multiplied by a million. 

Spring is always so slow to get to us here in North Yorkshire, but during April there are always a handful of blue sky days where we feel the first real sunshiny warmth of the year. It feels sooooooo good when those warm days happen!

At the start of the holidays, the warm sunny days encouraged the Little People to take their play outdoors for the first time this year. It's always a lovely time when we can prop open our front doors and listen to the sound of the neighbourhood children playing up and down the street. I generally leave them to it and don't think to photograph what they are up to - but it's pretty much the same simple play that takes place year after year after year. Wheels, bubbles and chalks. Sometimes balls, sometimes an assortment of other toys, but always scooters, skateboards, bubble wands and street chalks. This bucket was half full at the start of the holidays - there has been a LOT of chalky art happening out there!

I didn't decorate for Easter this year, for the first time in ages (last year's efforts are here, if you are remotely interested in my chaotic hang-all-the-things approach). I don't know why I just didn't feel like I wanted to bother, but I'm not going to over analyse that fact. I was content with just a jug of very pretty little daffies on my table, wafting out the most delicious scent. 

In fact, thinking back over the past two weeks, I've spent a lot of time sat at my dining table indulging in quiet me-things. I finally plucked up courage to pull my cable sock out of the naughty corner and give it a thorough telling off. I then spent three hours pulling back the whole of the toe section which had gone horribly wrong and re-knitting it. The relief and the pride was enormous, considering it's just one sock, but oh I am proud! Since I took this photo, the second cable sock is also finished and believe it or not it was even more of a mare than the first one. It took me t-h-r-e-e attempts to do the toe on the second sock, I can't even tell you how cross it made me. But they are finally complete, and I love them, and I am super-proud. I'll write a proper sock update post soon to show you properly and give all the deets. 

In and out, this holiday has been thoroughly dictated by the weather it seems. We spent a lot of time snuggled up at home that's for sure, but on days when it was dry and we all felt like it, we ventured out to walk. 

We visited Bolton Abbey a few times this holiday, and I was surprised to see that the bluebells were well on their way already. 

The weather last week was cold and grey and felt much more like Winter than Spring, so the bluebells looked at odds underneath the still-bare branches of the trees. Still another week or two before they reach their peak here, so I must remember to prime the fam and warn them of an imminent Bluebell Appreciation outing. 

Gosh, never mind the flowers, there has been a lot of chocolate appreciation happening in the Attic these past few weeks. I've been filling little bowls with mini eggs here and there, partly for the pleasure of seeing them sitting prettily on the table, but mostly for the pleasure of being able to pop one in my mouth whenever the mood strikes. I happen to rather like a small chocolate hit with my first coffee of the day, and think perhaps I might need to keep having bowls of little foil wrapped chocolates about the place. The Little People are slowly working their way through their considerable stash of giant hollow chocolate eggs as I'm being very Mumsy and rationing it to small bits each day after dinner. The Teen rebelled a little and took a whole big egg out with him one day last week, but mostly even he is towing the line and sticking to his daily rations.

Did I mention that this past week has been cold? Freezing even? We've been back to lighting the fire, no joke, and although I would much rather throw the doors open and step out in my brand new flip flops, the fireside cosiness has been welcome this holiday. It's felt snug and homely here in the Attic, and we've all spent a ridiculous amount of time wearing pyjamas. 

The kitty has seemingly enjoyed having us about at home, she is a cat who likes to be close to her humans and I've frequently found her curled up with Little Lady or Little B.

As you can see from the above picture, my lovely Hydrangea blanket is very much in use here at the moment. Due to the persistent cold weather, all my blankets have been used a lot during this holiday as we've indulged in a lot of sofa time. It makes me really happy to see the Little People using my blankets (they've all got blankets on their beds right now too), and I wish for these blankety memories to stick fast and hold tight for a long time to come.

This is how the corner of our living room looks right now though, with the blankets being used to make a rather sprawling hideout for Little B. Goodness knows what goes on under there, but he's been in and out of it all day long.

In and Out - a different kind of out this time though, and as far from the bluebell woods as you could be. We took a train ride to Leeds for a day of shopping, lunch out and posh afternoon drinks in our favourite Sky Lounge. It was the first time we'd taken the Little Peeps to the Sky Lounge and they absolutely loved the whole experience - the big glass revolving doors into the hotel, the ride up to the 13th floor in the lift, the plush golden sofas and velvet cushions, the views, and the posh drinks delivered to our table (pictured above is my mojito which was stunningly delicious)

For the shopping portion of our trip we split into two - J took Little B shopping with his pocket money to the Lego store (huge excitement for this!), whilst I accompanied Little Lady on a bit of a clothes buying jaunt. I don't think I am the best clothes shopping companion (it drains me just thinking about it), but we did OK and she was really happy with her modest purchases. It was such a lovely day with the Little Peeps, one of those times when everything just clicks into place and feels easy and good. Little B was in his element, still so excited by simple train journeys, in awe of big city shops and streets, thrilled by escalators and lifts. 

Yesterday we went to the coast to meet up with J's mama who was spending a few days in St Annes. It wasn't particularly beach weather (it was freeeezing) but we wrapped up warm and made the most of the day. 

After a delicious morning coffee in the cafe on the pier, we set out to attempt to see the sea. This might sound odd given that we were right there at the seaside, but low tide in St Annes means that the actual sea is far, far away. This is more SANDside than seaside. The beach here is seriously huge with great long miles of gently rippled sand, and you need to be quite determined to make it as far as the shoreline. We walked and walked and walked.........

.....and after HALF an HOUR we still didn't make it. I kid you not. We did reach a shallow patch of sea water, but not the sea itself.

Impressive sand ripples though, yes, we saw lots and lots of those. And I loved watching the Little People lark about on the beach as we walked. Collecting shells, using driftwood sticks to draw in the sand and generally letting loose with all that stored up kidlet energy.

After lunch, we spent some time in the municipal park - Ashton Gardens is so beautifully designed and kept, it's a really lovely place to visit at all times of the year.

I went a bit bonkers when I spotted the tulip beds (the local lady walking her dog looked at me as if I were utterly crazy, getting down on my knees to really loooooook at the blooms, which were huge and beautiful and well worth looking at up close).  The Little People burnt off the last of their hot chocolate fueled energy in the play park before we called it a day and headed back inland and home. 

After some wonderful Outings this week, some In days are needed now though as I try and catch up with all that has been neglected recently. After all the excitement and long, full days which led up to the Hydrangea Blanket reveal (thank you so so so much for all your shared excitement over that by the way!), I've appreciated this quiet down time with my family very much. Back to it now though - lots of Yarndale stuff happening behind the scenes right now, as well as some other bits and pieces I'm working on for magazines too. I've been designing and working on a commission this week using this gorgeous, soft summery palette of cottons, as well as writing stuff for various features and generally trying to do what people are asking of me. 

Gosh, this has been a super-long post, I've been writing it on and off for days! It's been so lovely to catch up though, and I promise I'll be back very soon with a proper sock update (I'll have Man Socks on my needles next, what colour do you think J has gone for?????!), and some other yarny news too.

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

Coastal Walking :: Whitby

Dorset Summer 2015

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