Attic24

On my Table :: February

I've been thinking a lot about creative spaces just lately, the places where I find myself sitting most often to write or crochet. Much of my creative thinking happens when I'm outside walking, but in this season of cold, grey weather there are many hours spent indoors working on ideas and projects. It got me reminiscing about the studio room I used to work from on the first floor of a small local café, and how much I miss that quiet little space I used to occupy.

I first landed at Coopers Café exactly twelve years ago in February 2013, and you can read the whole story in my archives ((here)). For almost two years I shared one of the larger upstairs rooms with my friend Tracy, then at the start of 2015 she moved on and I relocated into the second smaller room.

The photos that I'm showing you today are from 2015 when I was settled into the small room on my own, ohh, I did so love working there! You can see more photos of my studio ((here)).

I had an old pine table in the centre of the room that I found on eBay and this is where I designed and worked on a good many of my crochet projects between 2015 and 2020. The above photo was taken at the beginning of March 2020, and of course this was just a few weeks before the covid pandemic threw us into lockdown. I didn't know at the time that this would be the last time I would be able to work from my studio, because many months later when hospitality businesses slowly started opening their doors again, this room was reclaimed by the café to provide an additional seating area and it has stayed that way ever since.

It was a wonderful seven years and I often think back and feel massively grateful for that time and place.

These days I'm a stay-at-home creative, and I'm generally very thankful for the ease of my working from home life. Unfortunately I don't have a dedicated work space here at home which is something I do struggle with on a daily basis. I mostly work from the dining room table at the back of the house which is part of our open plan living/dining space. As this is the only room we have for eating/relaxing, I'm sure you can imagine how well used it is by the whole family and how difficult it can be to find any kind of quiet, thinking/creative head space within it. I make do though, and try really hard not to moan about my situation (mostly!) because, well, I do really enjoy being at home.

When I was looking at my accumulated photos from the past few weeks, I realised how many of them were taken at the table, and thought it would be fun to share them with you...

I eat here of course, a solo breakfast and lunch and then in the evening we all sit at the table and eat together as a family. It's something I hold very close to my heart and LOVE the fact that my family really enjoy my home cooking and that we have the ritual of sitting down to eat and talk together every day.

I nearly always have flowers on the table, usually a cheap and cheerful supermarket bunch which comes home in my bag with the food shop. I had daffodils throughout January and now in February I've switched over to tulips....

....which do seem to last well and still look fantastic as they slowly fade away.

At the moment I've got these fancy-schmancy tulips in an old stripy jug, my goodness they are pretty. They cost me three pounds fifty and I am so in love with them.....

....I mean, just looook how glorious those gentle colours are! Floral colour will forever inspire me and I love having flowers nearby while I'm working or eating at the table.

I often light a candle when I'm sat here, especially at breakfast time when it can still feel quite gloomy in the mornings during winter. I'm enjoying this scented sea salt candle which was a Christmas gift, it smells wonderful and really does remind me of being beside the sea.

In fact I've been missing the sea since my trip to Dorset earlier in the month, and what with the seasalt candle and the little collection of pebbles and sea glass which had gathered, I was inspired to crochet something in coastal shades.

I delved into the Cupboard of Doom to find my bag of DK cottons (a mixture of Ricorumi and Sirdar Happy), picked out a bluesy colour palette and started crocheting a small mandala.

Mandalas are incredibly satisfying and mindful things to make when you have a creative itch that needs scratching and are the perfect vehicle for colour play. I followed my own Yuletide Mandala pattern which is free on my blog ((here))....

....although I made it a bit smaller than my original design, following as far as round 8, then skipping ahead to rounds 12&13 to create the scalloped edging.  It didn't take me long, less than an hour, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Sometimes I forget that I can crochet something just for the sheer joy of the making process.

I often get asked about the crochet mats that sit on my table under the jugs of flowers, I have a collection of them made over the years in different colours. Some of them use the Yuletide Mandala pattern shown here, and others use a pretty mandala pattern I created back in 2014 which is called "Attic24 Mandala Wheel" if you're looking for it in my pattern list.

Working with these gorgeous seascape colours reminded me of this greetings card that sits on my book shelf, I absolutely adore it. It's called "The Strollers" by the artist Dee Nickerson, and I found the card last year on an outing to Salts Mill. Dee doesn't seem to have a website or be on social media at all, but I found a wonderful little write up and an inspiring selection of images on the card publishers website ((here)). I really love her work.

The strollers.....ahhh, how that speaks to my heart! Beach walking is one of my absolute favourite things to do.....

....and it's only three weeks since I was down in Dorset and had the pleasure of walking the sandy shoreline in Weymouth. I miss being by the sea, even in the depths of winter when the skies are heavy and grey and a strong wind blows. Maybe I love it best of all then, there is something so exhilarating about a long walk on a deserted winter beach.

You can guess what's coming to mind now, can't you? A day trip to the coast of course, I'm pretty predictable with my wants and needs. Maybe I'll manage to persuade J to come with me to St Anne's and we can be The Strollers in real life.

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Brighter Times

We had a little snowfall at the very end of February, enough to create a very pretty view from the Attic, but a really hazardous walk to school. It was icy, slushy, wet and slippery, meaning that we skidded our way down the hill, slopped along the canal side and arrived with sopping wet feet and a very grumpy Little B. I really wish we had all worn wellies, but somehow I just didn't think it through in the rush to get out the door on time.

Once all the icy snow had melted down in town, things looked much brighter and I could fully appreciate the perfection of the wintry hills which surround this little rural town.

It's been extremely cold and windy here just lately, and although I can see the very first little signs of Spring here and there, it still feels a long way off. I'm hopeful that there will be no more snow though, especially now that we are in March and can pretend that Spring is imminent.

Yesterday I was on my own for much of the day, and on impulse I decided to wrap up warm and take a walk in the early afternoon. I desperately needed to breathe in some cold fresh air and clear my head. I was delighted to see not only blue skies up above but also some very early blossom looking beautifully dainty and pretty.

I climbed the steep hilly streets to enter the woodland along the top path and it was such a tonic. There is nothing better than striding out along a quiet woodland pathway, alone with my own thoughts for a while.

Blue skies feel like the biggest treat at this time of year when we are so often living under a blanket of grey cloud.

I stopped to say hello to the willow horse.....

....and swooned over the swathes of wild garlic beginning to cover the woodland banks. I keep telling myself Spring will arrive and I shall be so beyond ready for it when it finally gets here.

It was a tad muddy in the woods, and I was so thankful that in my spontaneous rush out of the door I had the good sense to yank on my short wellies. I gave myself a mental pat on the back at the precise point when the mud squelched right up over the top of my foot.

This is the little access road which leads out of the woods and back to the streets of the town. It's always blissfully quiet along here, and yesterday the dappled light and dancing shadows of the sunny afternoon made me so glad to be outdoors. 

Back at home and I had to smile as I caught sight of my sofa, strewn haphazardly with heaps of crochet and looking glorious. All my blankets are very well used and appreciated, the newest editions joining the older creations creating a rather jumbled but delightful sort of yarny nest effect. I think there are currently six blankets on this piece of furniture alone and I love the utter cosiness of it. 

I've been in my studio today, working on some design and colour palette ideas. I've got both crochet and stitching projects in the very early design stages right now and it's very exciting inside my Creative Mind, if a bit tangled. There's a lot going on up there!

Today I attempted to choose colour palettes for both threads and yarn, delighting in thinking about Spring/Summer designs and the colours that fit. The yarn I picked out is for a Spring garland that I want to make - I'm thinking cute little primrose type flowers.

And that huuuuuuge, delicious colour chart on my table is for DMC embroidery threads, and shows all 500 colours. Five Hundred! It is a thing of inspirational beauty, and has caused much swooning and stroking I can tell you. I had to pick out just eight shades (!) which was a major challenge - after a lot of umming and ahhing I managed to narrow it down to seventeen and I'll make my final selection when I have the actual skeins in my hand.

I have to tell you I'm so happy to be back in the Attic and have really appreciated your kindness in response to my last post - thank you so much. This past week in particular has been very challenging as I've faced some difficult decision making, but there are brighter times up ahead I'm sure of it.

Oh.......I've just remembered something else I've been meaning to share too......

....I'm going to be back at Black Sheep Wools in Warrington, Cheshire on Saturday and I'm so looking forward to it. Do you remember I was there last year? I had a fabulous time and can't wait to step back into the craft barn again. It would be lovely to see you if you can make it, I'll be there with with my yarny friends Christine and Emma and alllllllllll my blankets for a day full of crochet, colour and chatter.

BLACK SHEEP WOOLS : Saturday 7th March : 10-4

It'll be a fun, informal day and it's free to attend, more details about the location etc are on the Black Sheep Wools website >> ((here))

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January Slow

Last week I bought two £1 bunches of tightly closed daffies from the supermarket, the first of the season. I plopped one bunch into a small jug to have on the table at home, and the other bunch came with me to the studio to brighten up my days spent there. I've been looking forward to my first bunch of daffodils since before Christmas, it's one of my January rituals that makes me feel just a little bit closer to spring time.

Waiting impatiently for the buds to open, ooooo, the anticipation is real!

As it turned out, it didn't take long at all for the flowers to fully open their petals, my studio is beautifully warm and cosy and all that glorious golden yellow was shining out in no time.

At home I've also got some little pots of narcissus growing happily away on the mantel, another January tradition of mine (just been reminded of this post from 2009). These have been steadily growing away during the past few weeks, shoots becoming taller each day and finally a few days ago, the first bright little flower. I love them so much!

I faffed my mantel a few days ago as it was still looking very bare after the post Christmas de-clutter. I ventured into the Cupboard of Doom to find my bag of winter-themed decorations which mainly consists of some pretty seasonal cards and the simple winter garland I made two years ago.

I went out into the back yard to snip some fresh greenery and bare hazel twigs to go in my newly acquired vase. The vase was a spontaneous purchase, I saw it a little while ago in the window of a charity shop and decided that I would very much like to re-home it. It cost £2.99 which I thought was a bargain, it's just the sort of colour which makes me think of the English sea.

Did you notice the little red and white stitched hoop hanging on my wall up there? I was thrilled to be invited to design one of the projects for the Winter 2019 Craftpod, and this sweet little cross stitch was the result. Jo gave me a very specific brief, asking me to come up with a woodland house with snow and trees, red stitching on white fabric to evoke a Scandi winter feel.

Incidentally, the beautiful little greetings card that sits on my mantel is by the very talented collage and mixed media artist Clover Robin. I've been a huge fan of Clovers work for several years, and couldn't believe it when Jo told me that the Winter Craftpod would contain a paper collage project designed by her. I might have squealed a bit, just a teensy little yelp of delight.

I absolutely LOVE creating cross stitch designs and find it insanely satisfying to work within the confines of a simple grid. I can't tell you why I love it so much as it has certainly been a surprise to me, but cross stitch (both designing and stitching) really, really, really floats my boat. In essence it's a very easy craft to master, and yet somehow the simple business of making teensy crosses onto holey fabric results in something so wonderfully pleasing to look at. I also love that you can't hurry cross stitch, and this greatly adds to the appeal for me. It's a sloooooow, steady, one-speed activity as you can't really go fast or slow with it, it's a pretty perfect winter hobby I'd say.

I've been enjoying the quarterly seasonal Craftpod boxes ever since I first became a fan and a customer back in the Autumn of 2017. The above photo shows you the contents of the current Winter box - you can see my little cross stitch hoop, and the papers to make Clovers' beautiful winter collage. I think there may still be a few boxes available if you fancy a little bit of seasonal creativity yourself - you can buy the Winter pod as a one-off box, or treat yourself to an annual subscription. All details ((here))

January has gotten off to a slow plodding start for me this year, and really that's quite alright. This is our third week of back-to-school routine and I've been trying to ease myself gently back into the swing of things. My laptop broke just before Christmas, not in any dramatic way (I didn't lose any files or photos) but the screen simply stopped working. I was so cross and stressed out about it at the time, but looking back on it, I think it all happened for a reason. Not having a functioning laptop forced me to take a bit of a break away from my desk over Christmas which I most definitely needed.  I've got a replacement now which I was lucky to get in the January sales, and I am more than ready to get back to using it.

Spending time in the studio this month has been therapeutic and I've been writing lists and making plans for the year ahead. I am still in big love with my planner (it's from the Swedish company Personal Planner) and I also got me some new coloured pens, oh happy days! They are unbelievably cute little mini things, perfect to tuck in my bag with my planner - find them on Amazon UK.

I'm still working on my Dahlia blankets behind the scenes, slowly at the moment because I'm having some pain in my hands which has forced me to rest way more than I'm used to. I'm beginning to work on the final design for the blanket border - this part of the pattern will be released in the final week which is 21st February. 

For those of you like me who use planners, I wanted to let you know that Dahlia planner stickers are still available from EllieBethDesigns. Remember that Rachel has very kindly set up a permanent discount code for Attic24 readers - you can receive 10% off any EllieBethDesigns order, not just right now but each and every time you need a sticker fix in the future. All you need to do is apply the code ATTIC24LOVE  at the checkout.

A big part of my planning process during these slow days of January has involved looking back over 2019 and taking stock. Last year was not the best for me on a personal level and I have been trying to accept that this is actually OK and not to beat myself up over it. So one of the things I'd really like to focus on as we go forward into a brand new year is to firstly catch up and finish off some projects that slipped through my net in 2019.

The first of these will be my Festive Garland - I've already taken all the photos for the tutorial and am annoyed at myself for not getting this out to you last month. I think these bauble decorations are super sweet and they are fun to make using up scraps left over from other projects - hmmm, maybe a Dahlia-coloured garland would look rather fabulous? Either way, I will be hoping to share this with you very soon.

The other project I want to work on is my Granny Bag - do you remember this from last Spring? I started making these whilst in France last year and would really, really  like to see them come together into a bag shape instead of sitting in an abandoned pile.

Speaking of France, that was one of the other things that was never given it's moment here on my blog in 2019. You might remember that I went away twice last year with Stitchtopia to teach two crochet retreats in France? It was an amazing experience and I loved it, every single last bit of it. I took masses of photos while I was away, but somehow when I got back after the second trip in May I never got around to sharing them. I really regret that to be honest, but on reflection I've been thinking that maybe it's not too late to make amends and that perhaps you would still enjoy hearing all about it? Let me know what you think?

So that's where I'm up to at the moment, slowly emerging into this new year, a brand new decade. I'm hopeful for some renewed energy as the weeks move along as I've been seriously lacking in the energy department for quite some time now. Gently does it though, slow and steady feels like the right kind of pace for January.

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Yarndale After and Before

I spent most of the day alone in my studio today, something that hasn't happened in a long while. I bought fresh stems of sunflowers for my table, ordered up a latté and sat down with my lengthy email catch-up list and my laptop all set to Get Things Done. I figured that today was day four post Yarndale and I should be attempting to regain some normality, but the reality is that I am still in recovery and energy levels are pretty low. So I sat and admired my flowers and gazed at my tidy shelves, sipped my coffee and read through so many lovely messages written in my visitors book over the weekend, and allowed the gratitude to gently wash over me. It was a good, good day.

I've slept a lot these past few days, sometimes crawling into bed at odd times with all my clothes on just desperate for some immediate shuteye. It's been an intense and emotional week but oh my goodness, totally worth it. Yarndale was amazing! I was going to try and write up a big Yarndale post for you today, but I'm not quite there with my thoughts yet, so for now I'm going to share a few snippets of things from the days last week. 

I tidied up my studio at the start of last week in preparation for it being open to the public. 

My shelves are still a bit chaotic but I sorted out a massive pile of yarn to give away (felt so good!), cleared out a load of rubbish, cleaned my floors and dusty surfaces and generally regained a sense of cosy order which pleased me enormously. 

I adore my little studio room, it means the world to me and I enjoy sharing it when visitors come to town. It's a working room and not a showroom and as a result it's often a little bit on the messy side, but it has a really good vibe and I always feel inspired and uplifted after spending time there.

As you know, I put up all my lamp post wraps in the rain last week, a fairly big job which took around three and a half hours to complete.

I do quite enjoy it actually, it's quite physical work but not that hard. I climb up my step ladders and secure the wraps top and bottom with cable ties, then a long seam is stitched down the back to hold the wraps securely in place.

They look so good when they are done, and I know how much visitors and local residents enjoy them. I took them all down on Monday afternoon, they were very soggy so I gave them a wash in the machine and a low heat tumble dry and they are now all packed away until next year.

The bears.....oh my heart ♥️ such an amazing, heart-warming project and a humongous success at the weekend. I took lots of photos so will share much more of those when I write up my Yarndale post proper next week. I'm awaiting the final total for the fundraising, but I know it went well and the lovely volunteers at Mercy Ships were blown away by the fabulousness of our crochet and knitting community. 

I realised today when I was looking through photos from September that I didn't show you my floral headband, how very slack of me?! I shared on Instagram, but not here on my blog, so thought you might like to see this quick little pre-Yarndale make.

I fancied making myself something fun and yarny to wear and after a bit of pondering I settled on a hair decoration. I've seen a few beautiful crocheted "Frida Crowns" in the interwebs (this one in particular caught my eye) but I didn't want mine to be quite so sticky-uppy if you get what I mean. Less of a crown and more of a headband I think. I happen to have a very small head, so bought a very inexpensive narrow child's alice band from a local shop (this kind of thing) and crocheted some little cotton flowers and leaves to decorate.

I used oddments of Ricorumi Cotton DK, and crocheted some May Roses, Teeny Tiny Flowers and leaves. I then took my chances in the Cupboard of Doom and managed to unearth the magic hot glue gun.....

...and a very quick and satisfying little make came together in an evening.

Ta-dah!! Not a very good photo I'm afraid (and gosh, I do look tired!) but you get the idea. Not sure if I'd be brave enough to wear it out and about in general public, but I did enjoy being appropriately yarny at Yarndale. 

I'll be sharing more Yarndale Tales with you next week - I need to sort out my hotch-potch collection of photos and attempt to describe the hugeness of being in a building with over 200 madly talented exhibitors and over 7000 madly excited visitors. It was pretty amazing I have to say. More soon!

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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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Autumn Moments {five}

🍁 Loving the low, low sun in the sky as we walk to school in the mornings, the very golden-ness of it is really uplifting. I've found that if I walk sloooowly down the hill instead of racing like a lunatic, I can stand and move my head around until I am gifted with the full force of all those golden sun rays right through the hedge and onto my face. It really is spectacular. And I love that I need to slow right down to a standstill in order to experience it (not easy when we are nearly always late leaving in the mornings). There must be all sorts of mega important analogies contained in that slowing-down realisation......I'll leave that with you!

🍁 The distinct lack of leafage in the treetops means that I am  very much more aware of the birds these days. I walk past hedges that contain huge flocks of chattering sparrows which would normally be hidden from view. I see all the jackdaws and rooks congregating for a morning meeting in some of the larger trees around town, and every so often I spy magpies hanging out right up there in the huge tree which grows at the bottom of my hill. Thank goodness there are often two. I'm not a superstitious person, but that childhood magpie rhyme is always right at the fore when I see these birds and I cannot bare to think that the day might contain a single magpie and a whole load of sorrow. I need joy, every time. Or possibly silver.

🍁 Four pee-em in the afternoon, coming out of the supermarket and I spy the moon already rising over the hill. So very beautiful. I think this was a few days before the Supermoon (which I'm peeved that I missed, as according to my neighbour it was spectacular here). I'm still counting down the days till Winter Solstice (8 more days to go), but truthfully, this Autumn season has been really pretty gorgeous and I'll be sorry to see it end.

🍁 Autumn mist at full tilt. Sometimes at this time of year, the weather is just a grey, damp mess and there is no getting away from it. Time to hunker down and enjoy the comforts of a warm home, with lots of coffee and possibly a bit of good chocolate just to assist with beating off the grey vibe.

 🍁 A stop up on the moor tops after a short walk at Bolton Abbey. It was just J and I (one of our Monday jaunts), we often like to stop up here on our way back home after a walk. We sat and watched the clouds moving across the sky and listened to a grouse calling. There is such tranquility in a beautiful long distance view, I never, ever tire of sitting quietly a-top a hill (or cliff) with a view over a gorgeous landscape (or seascape), it's one of life's true pleasures.

🍁 Alllll the blanket action happening in the Attic at this time of year, as we all make use of my crochet addiction on a daily basis. I cannot imagine a life without crochet blankets in it, they are just the most comforting and heart warming things ever, ever, ever. Mind you, the Teen has put in a request for a "Blanket with Sleeves" for Christmas instead of the usual onesie or pyjamas, and I am kind of aghast at the idea of actually purchasing a blanket. If I had a whole hoard of elves at my disposal I might consider designing a crochet version, but sadly I think the Snug Deluxe Fleece will have to be considered. At least the younger two still adore my crochet blankets, I'm holding that thought.

🍁 The hyacinths are growing oh-so-slowly but I am enjoying the gentle daily progress and very much looking forward to the eventual arrival of the blooms. At this rate, it's likely to be a New Year occurrence, but how lovely will that be?

🍁 Planning and list writing has featured heavily in my daily routine these past few weeks as I attempt to keep myself grounded and panic free. I've not been sleeping at all well so have felt tired and foggy recently, and the simple act of writing short to-do lists and making notes about the many things that are swirling in and out of my Creative Mind helps enormously. I tend to use my planner in two different ways - mostly it's all about the day-to-day practicalities, but I am also trying to get into the habit of more long-term planning. Thinking about the year ahead isn't easy for someone like me who much prefers to exist in the present moment, but I find more and more that having a slightly longer perspective on life is very useful. It's like zooming out into a landscape view instead of always looking at the blades of grass in macro mode. I'm excited for 2018, I've got some delicious and exciting plans for the next twelve months. Which reminds me, I must go and collect my new 2018 Life Planner which is currently waiting for me at the post office - can't wait to show you my new cover!

🍁 Oh, how I adore my precious studio space, most especially at this time of year when the temperatures drop and all is warm, colourful and cosy inside these four walls. There is a small, low radiator on one wall of my studio that packs out a surprising amount of heat and I find I work much better when my extremities are warm. I've been allowing myself the luxury of a "design day" each week where I grant myself time to play and experiment with new yarns, new colours and new pattern ideas.  Autumn seems to spark a flurry of new ideas, I think in part because my summer is always so darn busy and consumed by Yarndale that a good many things get shoved onto the back burner during the summer. 

🍁 Autumn has been wonderful at our weekly get-togethers at Coopers Cafe (where I have my studio), and I appreciate spending time with creative friends very much. I took this photo on Friday morning as I sat sipping my first latte of the day and waiting for the room to fill up with chatter and yarny folk. Our "Creative Coopers" sessions are popular all year round but in the colder months of the year it's especially lovely. There is something so comforting about being cosied up in the warmth of a cafe enjoying a delicious hot drink, a little bit of knit/stitch/crochet and a lot of chat and laughter. If you ever find yourself in my patch, consider yourself cordially invited to join us - we meet on Tuesday afternoons (1 - 3) and Friday mornings 9-11.30). During the school holidays we meet Friday mornings only, so during the Christmas hols we'll be meeting Friday 29th Dec and Friday 5th Jan (which is the first day of the Woodland CAL, yipppeeee!!!!). 

 🍁 Ahhh........my beloved view, such a gorgeous way to observe the seasons passing and changing each and every day. I prefer to celebrate our seasons by referring to the equinox and solstice days (that's the astronmical way rather than the meteorological way - more info here), so that means that technically we are still in Autumn until the Winter Solstice next week. However, this week has been so very wintry with snow and ice and sub zero temperatures that I've been forced into Winter thinking a bit early. I'm OK with that though - I've got candles and fairy lights and can light the fire (guilt free) in the middle of the afternoon. And I have crochet blankets and hand knit socks, early bedtimes with my hot water bottle and a good book, and slow, pyjama clad weekends which seem to last for ages. Yes, I'm OK with going into Winter, bring on all the cosy. 

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Previous Autumn Moments ::

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Almost Yarndale Time

It's Thursday evening and I'm having a little bit of a gentle slump after an incredibly busy week. These days leading up to Yarndale are always insanely busy for me, but I seem to get through it ok, riding on a wave of sheer excitement and way too much coffee. At the start of the week I dug out my yarn signs and yarn bomb makes and carried out a little bit of yarny housekeeping. All the yarn signs and lamp post panels had a wash and gentle tumble dry, a few repairs were made, and all was good to go for the fifth year.

I installed the woolly jumpers in the park on Tuesday - it was the misty-moisty day from my previous post, which turned out to be an absolutely perfect day for climbing up a ladder and swinging from the lamp posts.

It's just lovely to chat to the assortment of folk who walk through the park as we work - toddlers, dogs, old people, young people, students and professionals all use this footpath throughout the day, it's a busy thoroughfare. So many smiles and nods of recognition as the woolly jumpers went up - "ahhhh, it's Yarndale weekend again already!" The yarn bombing does it's job well, reminding the residents that Yarndale is coming to town, then guiding the many visitors to the festival.

I walked through the park this afternoon on my way home from the auction mart and had the chance to enjoy seeing the lamp posts as if I were a visitor. I loved the jolts of stripy colour amongst the greenery, it really does lift the spirits.

Yesterday and today I've been up at the auction mart with the rest of the team, beginning to get the rather rustic and drab place ready for our yarny visitors. We repaired our flock of mascott sheep and made a little bit of a haphazzard display of them - we often get asked about patterns for these sheep, but every year we make them quite spontaneously and nothing ever gets written down. Plus, they are quite big, heavy things in real life - a wooden shape covered with knitting and crochet, a little bit cobbled together but I do love them for their quirkiness.

We hung the crochet bunting up yesterday, it's a mammoth job which takes a good half a day, but oh the sight of it is just amazing, even after all these  years.

I'm sorry I've not yet shared many pictures of the Creative Hearts that have flooded in from all over the world, but honestly they are all absolutely stunning and so beautifully made with an awful lot of love. They are still coming in so I've not got an exact total yet, but we are almost at 500 I think.

We've created a really breathtaking display for Yarndale - I'll show you more pictures next week. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has joined in with this creative community project, raising money and awareness for the mental health charity Mind.

I also want to tell you that I've managed to photograph every single heart that has been sent - all the hundreds of images are sitting inside my laptop right now, but after Yarndale I'll have time to create some glorious virtual displays on Pinterest so that you can see all the beautiful details. Very inspiring indeed.

I dashed down to Coopers Cafe late this afternoon to touch base with the lovely ladies there and to clean and tidy up a little in my studio which had gotten a tad messy of late. I'm at that point now where I have more yarn than I have shelf space, so not quite sure what to do about that little problem. 

I love my cosy little studio space so much, it really is a dream come true for me to have this place to work and I feel thankful for it every day.

If you are visiting Atticland for Yarndale, my studio door will be open all weekend for you to pop in and have a peek. In fact, don't just peek, come right in and make yourself at home, enjoy the colour and the slightly crazy vibe!

Coopers Cafe will be open Friday 8-6 : Saturday 9-6 : Sunday 9-4.

If you've not been before, it's a stylish old grey painted building down the bottom end of Skipton town on Belmont Street (near to Morrisons supermarket).

This is the upstairs cafe room (which used to be my studio before I moved to the room next door). The tables have all been pushed together ready for our popular knit and natter get together tomorrow morning - we will need ALL the chairs tomorrow! If you are in town already for Yarndale, do pop in and join us from 9am onwards - I'll be there for the first hour or so before I head to the auction mart to finish setting up.

I'm looking forward to seeing some of you up at Yarndale, and I shall be back here in the Attic at some point next week once I've got my breath back and come down to earth from my Yarndale cloud.

See you soon!

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Today's Colour Therapy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes from the Studio

Gorgeous Sweet William

Things I Know

Dorset Summer 2015

Time Slowly Flies

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I feel just the right kind of busy.

Just.

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

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Autumn Appreciation and Inspiration

Although I have a devoted Summer-loving heart, in recent years I have found myself enjoying the Autumn season more than I ever thought possible. A lot of this has come about by simply being mindful and choosing to embrace the colours and the beautiful light brought on by the Autumn season. I used to think that Autumn meant a lot of damp, dull brown bleugh and I very rarely respond well to brown stuff, unless it's good coffee. Or chocolate. It's easy to stop having a really close look at what's around you when your heart feels low, and I'm ashamed to say it has taken me a long time to stop dwelling on the loss of Summer and start to really see Autumn.

The first time I felt creatively inspired by the Season of Brown was when I embarked on my Autumn wreath three years ago. And then there was my Cosy Stripe Blanket two years ago which was inspired by the colours of Autumn leaves, flowers and berries. This beautiful blanket went a long way to convincing me that these weeks of early Autumn are anything but brown.

Now I find myself enjoying the weeks in October as the weather cools and Autumn takes hold, and there is a lot to inspire my colour-loving soul at this time of year. Can't say that I love Autumn as such (Summer is IT for me), but I certainly can appreciate what it has to offer on the nature front. On my way to the studio this morning I wandered along the canal slowly, taking my time to look all around and enjoy the colour and light. I loved how the leaves floating on the surface of the water matched the boat so well, that visual really did delight me.

I had such a buzz going on in my studio this morning, oh the sunlight streaming in through the window was sublime!

I found myself playing around with flowers and colour ideas and getting all giddy and totally inspired by the things happening on my sunlit table and inside my Creative Mind. In a word - today was all about Hydrangeas. Oh yes!

So this morning on my wander along the canal and around my close neighbourhood, I was literally stopped in my tracks by a Hydrangea bush. Not just one in fact, but several of them one after another. I found myself absolutely mesmerised by the colours, astonished that I have spent so many years disliking these flowers and declaring them too "wishy-washy". I realised this morning that it is the Summer versions of these flowers which have put me off in the past (way too pale for my liking), but oh the Autumn version of Hydrangeas is simply stunning! So rich, so vibrant, but yet delicate at the same time!

I don't know how to say this exactly, but I guess truth is the best policy here - I took a few photographs of hydrangea flowers in situ, but then I was overcome by a ridiculously strong urge to have them for myself. It's probably wrong on so many levels to admit this to you, but yes my friends, I admit that I did actually 'aquire' a few blooms and popped them super-quick into the depths of my shopping bag. Four to be precise, from four different bushes. To be fair, the bushes in question were mahoosive and absolutely groaning with flowers, so I didn't feel too badly about snagging just one from each. And there endeth my confession, I am very, very sorry for my wicked ways.

I couldn't get to my studio fast enough, couldn't wait to have a really close up look at these flowers and examine the wealth of colour and texture. Honestly, the depth of colour really surprised me. So very, very pretty, and completely inspiring.

I started to have a little play with the individual flowery bits, pull them off and arranging them according to colour.....

Oh!! My heart honestly danced a little jig at the sight of this sweet floral ring!!

I feel so inspired by these hydrangea colours, a seed of something very lovely has most definitely sprouted inside my Creative Mind. Maybe a future colour palette for a blanket? Maybe a pretty floral wreath? I shall tuck these images away for a bit and wait for the seed to grow.........

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