Attic24

New Year Beginnings

Hello, and a very, very Happy New Year to you! *** Today (Monday) is the last day of our holidays before Little B returns to school in the morning and honestly I'm wishing that the relaxed pace of the holidays could continue for just a little bit longer. I don't feel ready to be dashing out the door at 8.30 in the morning, and yet I know that once I'm actually out there I'll love it, I always do.    *** edit to add :: since writing this earlier today, we have just found out that a full lockdown starts tomorrow, so back to home schooling for us. No dashing out the door for the foreseeable future - I really don't know whether to be glad or sad?! 

I de-Christmased the house on new years eve, it's the earliest I've ever done it but the time felt right. I needed to bring some clear breathing space back into our living room, and as I've still got twinkly lights and candles it doesn't feel too sparse or gloomy. As predicted, my hyacinth bloomed for the turn of the year and it is currently looking so fresh and pretty. I love the simplicity of it so much and it seems I'm craving the pared back look right now as I haven't wanted to faff either of my mantels just yet. Well, I stuck some dried eucalyptus into a bottle, but that doesn't really count as full faffery I don't think.

I've got an organza bag of wintery decorations ready and waiting to come out to play (including my winter balls garland), but I'm not quite ready to go there yet. Soon though.

We don't usually celebrate New Year in any major way, but that doesn't mean to say it isn't a day to be enjoyed to the full. We opened a bottle of champagne in the late afternoon, a very generous Christmas gift from my Big Teen who amazingly is now old enough to purchase (and drink) alcoholic beverages. Woah, that really gave me such a huge surge of Mumsy feels on Christmas morning I can tell you. I totally forget that he is now eighteen. Eighteen........but how?????????!

For the first time in aaaaaages, I decided not to bother getting dressed on New Years Day. It really has been a long while since I enjoyed a full pyjama day and it was all kinds of fabulous. I dug out some super-cosy fleecy pyjamas that are years old, pulled on some woolly socks and felt ridiculously snug and contented all day. I did manage to cook a full roast beef dinner mind you (popped a pinny on top of the pj's and all was good) so it wasn't all idle loafing, but mostly you could find me in various positions very close to the warmth of the fire. It was such a good day.

Over the festive period I enjoyed some really lovely sweet treats (most of my modest gifts were of the edible/drinkable variety this year which I was very, very happy with). Take the above offering - a salted caramel and dark chocolate acorn, wow, these were insanely good I can tell you. Mouthfuls of pure luxury!

All my festive chocolate has been consumed now, and the gold carat gin and sparkly champagne has become just a delicious Christmas memory. I am ready to embrace clean eating again, and to leave the sugar and alcohol behind for a while. It really does feel good I have to say. The past few days I've gone back to making oat pancakes for breakfast (recipe on my blog here) and I have love love loved eating them. So good.

I've ordered a new recipe book which should arrive tomorrow (it's this one) and I'm excited to try out some new family meals. Yesterday I sat down and menu-planned for the week ahead which is something I've slipped out of doing in the past month - January is such a good month for resetting all sorts of little routines and habits don't you think?

We took a walk into town on Saturday morning to get stocked up on fresh fruit and veggies from the market and I am so grateful that we get to do this on a regular basis. There is something really satisfying about returning home with bags full of fresh produce, knowing that we have supported a number of great local businesses (butcher, baker, deli, plus fruit/veg and cheese from the market).  This routine is something we started in the summer when our first lockdown ended and our little shops and market re-opened and I'm happy to say we are still enjoying it.

Can you see the canal is frozen in the above photo? We've had such cold, cold temperatures here this past week and our boiler is still messing us about so it's been a bit tough on the home front. Some days it has worked fine (oh, deep joy) and other days (like today) we managed a few hours of heat before it packed in. We are still waiting on an engineer, they tell us it'll most likely be into next week before they can come out as they are so busy. All the layers are needed I can tell you. Today I'm wearing a sports bra, a vest, a long sleeve t-shirt, a thick hoodie, an oversized fleecy pyjama top, plus woolly socks and mitts, oh and a scarf too. And I have two crochet blankets wrapped around me and a hot water bottle. At least we are still able to shower (our electric shower is separate to the central heating) and we have our beloved fire so it's not too dire, we are managing OK for the time being.

Just after Christmas, our local area moved into a higher tier of Covid restrictions which meant that cafés and restaurants were forced to close. I am more than happy (delighted in fact) to support my local indie coffee shop which has stayed open to offer takeaways. Hot milky coffee and woolly layers have been making these freezing cold mornings at home feel special, and I am thankful for this luxury.

However, everything is about to change yet again as the whole of the UK moves into another full lockdown as from tomorrow. We will be back to home schooling, only going out for essential food supplies and for exercise. It's such a strange time, and yet oddly I feel comforted by the idea of simply staying at home. Staying home I can do, and I am determined to make the most of the coming days of slow living and simple comforts.

On Saturday soon after we came home from the market, the weather suddenly changed from icy to snowy with absolutely no warning. As far as I know we weren't expecting snow, so it caught us all by surprise. We watched as the flurries grew heavier and heavier and within an hour there were a couple of inches of perfect soft, powdery snow covering everything.

On the spur of the moment we decided to head out and enjoy the wintry whiteness, J and I, plus Little B and Little Lady.

We haven't been able to take this walk across the fields in a long while because the mud has been next level, so it was really enjoyable to be able to stride out across familiar footpaths frozen hard and covered in a layer of snow.

So different from our many summer walks across here!

It was absolutely beautiful....

....everything so still, quiet and tranquil.

This road looked like something out of a fairy tale, the scene looking like it was straight from Narnia. It was magical I thought.

In complete contrast to all the wintry whiteness outside our door right now, I am currently immersed in all things summery and floral. The Meadow Blanket CAL begins on Friday 8th and I am absolutely delighting in the total escapism of it......all the warm, sunny vibes are flowing here! I'm working with J making the stitch charts and printables this week, as well as the very full photo-heavy tutorial which will be released here on Friday. I am SO excited to take off on this journey across the meadow with you, it couldn't be happening at a better time. Slow, rhythmic, colourful hooky stripes are the very best kind of therapy when all is topsy turvy in the world.

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Twixmas

I think twixmas is an absolutely magical word and it perfectly seems to fit these delicious, relaxed days that sit between Christmas and New Year. The word originates from the old English word 'betwixt' which means 'between', so it makes perfect sense and well, I just love it. 

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and enjoyed some time to just be content in the moment. We had a really lovey day here in the Attic, in fact I can't remember a more laid back and relaxed Christmas. The Little Peeps were a delight and seemed super-happy with their smelly and edible gifts which magically appeared in their stockings, as well as the ££'s which landed in each of their pockets. As is our tradition they got to open their pyjama gifts on Christmas Eve, and although there wasn't the same level of excitement as when they were very small Little Peeps, it was still a lovely moment.  

J and I went out for a brisk walk on Christmas morning before coming home and enjoying a champagne breakfast with warm pastries (alllllllll my danish pastry fantasies came true, it was heavenly!). We ate our main meal around 2.30pm, and it was just the most lovely, relaxing day from start to finish. 

On Sunday evening Storm Bella raged through our little town and we could hear the wind whistling down the chimney and the rain battering against the windows. In the dark of the night we had no idea that the rain had turned to icy snow, so it was a real surprise to wake up on Monday morning to a snowy white view out across the hilltops. Although we had very little laid on the ground down in the town, it still felt beautifully wintry.

I love love love when the seasons deliver a dose of correct and appropriate weather, and this felt absolutely perfect for Twixmas. 

J and I have walked every day this past week, wrapping up in warm layers and enjoying the fact that the very muddy paths have been frozen and hard under foot.

We walked at Bolton Abbey one morning (with the Little People in tow), but mostly it's just been the two of us tramping around our very familiar woodland route as we've been doing most days since March.

Sometimes I just can't get over how much happiness seems to enter into my soul when I am out walking, I love it so, so much. Even when our lives are so restricted and we are walking the exact same route day after day after day I never get tired of it. It's such a beautiful way to observe the slowly changing seasons throughout the year and never fails to lift my spirits.

Yesterday morning we dragged Little B from his nest and walked through the park to the farm shop. He's been thoroughly enjoying his lazy pyjama lifestyle this holiday and we've mostly let him do as he pleases, but I do believe in the good of getting children away from their screens and out into the fresh air from time to time.

It was a cold, icy walk, but the farm shop was quiet so we decided to stop for a bit and treat ourselves to a late breakfast in the café there. Little B was delighted with his eggs and bacon on toast and agreed that it was worth putting his shoes on for. I have to say, I agreed with him.

Late yesterday afternoon, Little Lady asked me if I fancied heading out for a quick walk as the weather was too good to stay indoors. I was delighted with the offer to be out and about in the beautiful wintry landscape for a second time in one day, and we were very soon wrapped up and out the door.

It was around 3.30pm when we climbed up to the top of the hill, and the late afternoon sky was breath taking. We timed it perfectly to catch the very last rays of the sun before it disappeared behind the hill, and despite the very, very muddy slip-sliding that we had to do to get up there, it was amazing. 

Tomorrow we will be heading into a more restrictive time as lockdown measures tighten up a notch, but thank goodness we will still be able to get out and enjoy the local countryside. I am so thankful for where we live, I appreciate it every single day.

I think that as tomorrow is the very last day of 2020 I am going to pack up Christmas a little earlier than usual and clear the way for a fresh start to the new year. I am really enjoying my festive blooms though, so I'll keep them going for as long as they last, but.........I am already looking forward to replacing them with some early sweet narcissus which is a little tradition of mine. Little daffies are always the first fresh flowers to come into the house at the start of a new year and I look forward to them very much. I've already seen them in the supermarket ready and waiting - my fingers honestly twitched when I spotted them today, no joke. But I'll wait just a little bit longer, it is still 2020 after all.

Twixmas this year in our house has been very very cold, quite literally, as our boiler stopped working on Monday. Of course at this time of year it's impossible to find anyone who will come out to do boiler things, so we have had to manage without the luxury of central heating or hot water for a few days. It's been manageable - the upstairs part of the house has been baltic but thanks to our open fire we've been able to at least keep our downstairs living room warm and cosy. I absolutely hate being cold so I've been wearing lots of extra layers (even a woolly bobble hat and gloves stayed on indoors this morning as I was just too cold to take them off). Woolly socks and crochet blankets have really come into their own and I've been pretty much living under layers of yarn. I've either been on the sofa or tucked up in bed (which is where I am right now, writing to you with my laptop on my lap, a hot water bottle on my feet and my feather duvet pulled right up to my chin).

I put Big Blanket on the bed yesterday for the first time in ages as the temperature dropped to minus two last night. I haven't needed any extra layers on the bed for a long time due to being a hormonal super-heater at night, but the sight of this blanket made me so, so happy, even after all these years (I made it in 2009). And oh, the cosiness of it was an absolute joy! There is something about the weight of a large blanket which is so very comforting and reassuring, and I had the best sleep last night.

Well, I hope that you are all staying warm and cosy (or cool and chilled if you're down on the other side of the planet), and that you have been enjoying these in-betweeny twixmas days. I am sending lots of love out to you all, life feels a little bit of an uphill struggle at the moment, but taking it one day at a time is the way to go. Twenty-twenty is almost done and dusted, and doesn't that feel good?!

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December Thoughts

#1 : Pomegranates are just the most fantastical fruits, and despite the fiddlesomeness of them I can't help but love them. Thank you for the advice about the extraction process - I tried the method you recommended, cutting around the equator and banging with a wooden spoon but I just could not get it to work. No matter how hard I banged, no seeds tumbled forth, not one! I wonder whether it's because it wasn't quite as ripe as it could've been? I've got another one sat in my fruit bowl so tomorrow I'll try the cut and bang method again. I shall report back on proceedings.

#2 : I think fresh fruit has to be my all time favourite food group, trumping even chocolate or cake. I've proven to myself this year that I can very easily go days/weeks without eating refined sugar, but I would find it very, very difficult to go a day without fruit. 

#3 : I have a massive, overwhelming hankering to try my hand at colourwork knitting, more specifically I desperately want to make this hat. A month or so ago I spotted a lady at the market wearing the most stunning fairisle beanie hat and I couldn't take my eyes off it. Afterwards I had major regret and wished that I had asked her about it and found out more about the pattern. Then on Saturday when I was queueing at the market to buy cheese I happened to see her again wearing the same gorgeous hat, so I stopped to compliment her and interrogate her about it. Thankfully she was the nicest lady and told me that her Mum had knitted it for her, and she thought it had something to do with the Shetland MRI Scanner appeal. It's so brilliant to have the internet to provide hatty info when you most need it - I came home and immediately found the pattern, woohoo!!!!! It's called "Harriet's Hat" by Harriet Middleton and you can find it here . I need to learn the twisty technique for knitting with two colours in the same row, but I'm determined to give it a go. 

#4 : Beady eyes arrived in the post last week and my festive creature got stuffed and stitched and is now happily living out life on my mantel. Animal faces are extremely tricky things to get right, and I'm not too sure I achieved the elusive Cute Factor with this chappy. He looks ever so slightly vacant and bewildered. I promise to show you more just as soon as I take a few photos of him in situ.

#5 : We had our first snow on Friday, a chilly morning of dancing flakes and white dusted hilltops. It didn't last and it didn't linger, but it was fun watching it from the cosy comfort of home.

#6 : I love my fire, I love it so so so so much. I never used to like the brick fireplace and dark wooden surround but over the years it has really grown on me and I couldn't imagine it being any other way now. It really is the heart of our home.

#7 : I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor at this time of year. The kitty obviously doesn't seem to mind too much - a warm lap is good enough no matter how low to the ground it is.

#8 : It's bauble time, and once again I am swooning all over the place at the sight of these glorious colours. These are definitely my kind of Christmas colours and I doubt very much that I will ever change. Little Lady told me yesterday that in the future when she has her own place and her own tree, she will smother it in white lights and have only white, silver and glittery decorations on it. Oh dear, I was honestly lost for words after that declaration. 

#9 : Coffee, coffee, coffee!! My mornings are simply not complete without it, and I am so happy that Lockdown 2.0 has ended and my favourite cosy cafés are open once more. It's such a pleasurable, treasured part of my daily routine, a luxury that I appreciate very much.

#10 : After a fair amount of wet grey weather last week, I've been so so happy to see blue skies and sunshine during the past few days. What a treat. It has put a welcome spring back in my step as I was seriously dragging my feet last week, weighed down by the heaviness of the gloom. 

#11 : With two weeks to go until the Winter Solstice, I noticed today that the rise and set of the sun is oddly in tune with the school day. I see the first rays of sun peeking over the top of the hill just as we round the corner to come off the canal tow path in the morning. And I see the last of the sun dipping down beyond the hills as I come off the canal in the late afternoon.

#12 : I lit our Advent candle yesterday, six days late. It meant keeping a vigil until we had burned down exactly the right amount to catch up with the days. We are currently two thirds decked out for the season here - two trees are up, the wreaths are up and one of two mantels is wearing it's seasonal finery. I've still got the other mantel to do and my Advent garland to hang, but I'll be able to see to all that tomorrow when J is back to work and I have a little time on my hands to faffle it all into place. 

And that about concludes my thoughts for now. I hope you are all doing OK as we plummet through early December, and that you are thinking happy thoughts and finding some joy in this season of twinkly lights and shiny things. I shall be back here very soon to show you the Bewildered Festive Creature, I bet you really can't wait ?!

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December Begins

It's the first day of December and what a beautiful, cold, crisp bright day we've been treated to here in Atticland. We had our very first frost of the season this morning and breathing in that super-chilled air was so invigorating.

After dropping Little B at school I was meeting my friend for our weekly outdoor coffee/walk this morning. She was running late so I sat on a frosty bench beneath the above yellow-leafed tree to wait. It was a bit cold on the nether regions but I didn't mind too much....

....I had swans, ducks and pigeons for company....

....and the most fabulous feel of the early morning sun shining full force onto my face. I really am a sun worshipper, never more so that in the winter months when those warm golden beams of light feel so precious.

My friend arrived and we set off to walk along the canal to the park, via the coffee shop. Of course we did, coffee is our thing, and although we would much rather spend time in one of our favourite cosy cafés, we have come to appreciate our al fresco socially distanced meet ups this year.

We always sit in the same place at the top of the stone steps....

....with this view out across the park. I felt truly uplifted by the weather today, particularly as yesterday was so awful. 

I had a real major mood slump yesterday, and I felt deeply gloomy all the way from my head to my toes. I just couldn't shake off the melancholy, no matter how hard I tried to dig for gratitude and thankfulness, I just felt plain fed up with pandemic life. The missed opportunities, the imbalance, the lack of social interaction, the mean squeeze of our lives into the tiniest of boring, repetitive circles. I just wanted it all gone. I wanted my old life back.

Today I have thankfully felt brighter, and I know that the sunshine and brightness of the day has helped enormously. 

Blue skies are like medicine for my poor light-deprived soul, I know this for certain. J thinks I'm absolutely "full of unicorn poop" as he said to me today when I tried to explain my feelings to him. Well that's OK, I can live with that, because I have a very strong feeling that unicorn poop might be rainbow coloured. 

I continue to try and nurture myself physically so that I can feel as strong as possible in this season that I struggle with.

Gawd, I LOVE eating breakfast so much! I usually have it mid morning, and honestly it's just so good. I make a small half-serving of milky porridge (20g of oats) and top it with as much fresh fruit as I can get away with. What you can't quite see in the above bowl is the half a sliced banana and the half a grated apple which are mixed in with the cooked oats. The fresh fruit on top is a mixture of whatever we have in the fridge, usually mango, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. And a sprinkling of seeds for good measure (I use a mix of pumpkin, sunflower, flax and chia).

Sometimes I do change it up and have a cooked breakfast - a slice of gluten free toast with a poached egg, bacon, mushrooms and tomato. I also like my oat pancakes too. I would love to know what you eat for breakfast, do tell?! Do you vary it each day or do you stick with your favourite thing?

We had our usual trip to the market on Saturday and brought home an amazing haul of the most gorgeous fruit and veg. It's pomegranate season which the Little People are very, very happy about as they love this quirky fruit. I have to admit to getting a freaky amount of satisfaction from the slow, laborious job of freeing up the little jewelled seeds for them to eat out of a bowl.

Obviously my little unicorn-poop mind is easily pleased - give me sunshine and fresh fruit, and I am delighted.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon and early evening crocheting up a bowl of animal parts, like you do. I gave in to the sudden urge to make a small festive animal, and despite the huge protest from my arthritic joints I just about managed to complete all the hooking.

I'm now waiting on the correct size beedy eyes to arrive in the post and then I'll be able to stuff, stitch and assemble all the body bits. I'll show you when it's finished.

Also, a lovely lady reminded me on Facebook yesterday that Granny Josephine has not had her moment in the spotlight yet, and to my shame I had to admit that I'd completely forgotten about her. What with all the Meadow excitement and all, and then cross stitch things and little Christmassy creature things, well, poor Granny Jo has once again been put to one side. Shame on me. I shall see to it right away, and hope to have a ta-dah moment to share very soon.

Beady eyes first though.....!

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Friday Feel-Good

Today has felt wonderful in a slow, quiet way and I've taken some time to reflect on the week and count my blessings. 

We had to go out in the car this morning to buy some more solid fuel for the fire. We support a small local business in our town and buy little and often because we don't have any space at home to store large quantities of coal and logs. So seeing as we were out and about with the wheels I suggested to J that we could perhaps keep on driving a few miles out of town and take a walk around the reservoir. I really felt like I needed a change of scenery and  there is something very soothing about walking beside still water.

It's been cold today, just a few degrees above zero. The air was unexpectedly still and the surface of the water was calm which hardly ever happens here as it's usually a very windy place. It felt exactly like winter with the blueish light and the chill in the air and I am certain that autumn has left us now.

This is such a lovely little stroll, it only takes about half an hour to walk all around the waters edge but we took some time to sit on a bench for a while, listening to the geese making their usual racket. I do like to see them flocking together on the water, but my goodness, they are huge disturbers of the peace.

I paddled in the sandy shallows for a while, wiggling my toes to send ripples out across the surface of the water which really delighted me for some obscure reason. 

It was a happy post day today as my subscription box from Cotton & Twine arrived - yay!! This months project is a very cute little framed Christmas picture, and after I mentioned yesterday about my obsession with little houses, you can imagine how much I am loving this design. I can't wait to get stitching, although hmmmm......black aida......not the easiest stitching experience. I shall be wearing my ready readers and my neck light for sure.

I realised that I never showed you the finished design from October which I finished a few weeks ago. I happened to have a red flexi-hoop in my Cupboard of Doom, so I used that to frame the finished piece instead of wrapping ribbon around a wooden hoop. I'm actually really looking forward to putting Autumn guff away very soon and decorating for the festive season....Advent arrives on Tuesday and I am excited for all the extra colour and sparkle.

My white hyacinth bloomed itself out at the start of the week, so today I purchased a replacement. I suddenly remembered that I have some real live moss growing in my front garden (I'm a Moss Mummy!!) so I gathered some to create a little mossy bed around the bulbs. I added a couple of weeny toadstools for good measure and felt so utterly delighted with the whole ensemble that I think I squeaked out loud. 

The kitty has been in a playful mood today and we had fun playing chase and other assorted games where she basically stalks me, pounces, then runs away and pretends it never happened. I do love her bold character, she is often very demanding for attention. Ooooo, looking at the above photo I just had a rush of excitement thinking that my Christmas wreath will be hanging on the wall next week, yaaayyy!!!! Very, very excited for that particular event.

It was a cold, clear, still afternoon here and the light was wonderful as we walked home from school. I am trying hard not to wish the days away but I can't help counting down to the shortest day now. Not long to go.

Remember my wall basket that I spent £6 on back last month? It's looking really lovely still, and makes me smile every single time I walk up my front steps. The little splashes of living colour against the grey of our stone wall  are a joy to me, honestly, it takes very little to keep me happy. 

Friday feel-good nearly always includes a glass of chilled fizz these days, it's become a ritual for J and I to sit down at around 4pm and enjoy a drink of prosecco together. I can't tell you how much I look forward to it  - I stay alcohol free for the rest of the week, but a little Friday tipple is just the best.

I'm looking forward to an early night tonight, in fact as soon as I've finished chatting to you I think I'm going to make myself a cup of tea and snuggle down to read for a while. I've actually been sleeping really well this week and have also done some great workouts every morning so I'm not especially tired, I'm just craving the comfort I think.

Well after writing that, I have actually started to yawn (!) so I shall bid you farewell for today and slink off to make myself cosy in my nest........byyyeeeeeeeeee!

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Cosy November

Gosh, it's been a whirlwind kind of a week here in the Attic and even though I've been whirling in very small circles close to home I feel as if I've expended a lot of energy somehow. Some weeks just feel especially full I guess - full of social connection (even if it is all digital these days), quiet productivity, high emotion. All the feels here. I would like to say a mahooooosive, big squishy (((thank you))) for all the Meadow love on my last post, thank you for your kind words and your enthusiasm, I absolutely love love love sharing my creative endeavours with you all. The Meadow yarn packs have been selling so fast, flying out of the Warehouse to deliver some happy yarny cheer all around the world. I am SO EXCITED for the crochet a long to begin in January, and to have your company as we wander the summer meadow together. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I mentioned in my last post about planner stickers - this is the fifth year that I've collaborated with Rachel of EllieBeth Designs and I absolutely love the way she takes my colour palettes/themes and produces the most beautiful sticky things to work alongside my CALs. You can find them in Rachels shop ((HERE)) - the stickers can be used on a calendar or in your notebooks/journals if you aren't into planners, and I absolutely love them.

Rachel has very kindly given me a discount code to pass onto you - you can get 15% off any stickers in her shop....

...just use the code MEADOWCAL15 at the checkout.

This past week has really felt like autumn is slipping away and winter is beginning to creep in, and although it's been quite mild (we've not had a frost yet this season), the air has nevertheless looked and felt quite wintry.

I've been enjoying the cosiness of my home, especially the first hour when I come home from the school run. Usually the timing works out just right for me to call at the coffee shop on my way home from dropping Little B, picking up two takeout coffees to bring home for J and me. I do miss my café visits in this locked-down life, but enjoying a really good freshly made coffee in the comfort of home is still a wonderful luxury and I am grateful for it.

Once a week I get to collect my takeout coffee and carry it up to the park to meet up with a very good friend. We sit (socially distanced) at the top of a small run of stone steps, her on one end and me perched on the other end so that we both have this  view out across the park. We can sit and drink our coffees and chat for about half an hour until our butts get too cold and stiff, then we walk a brisk circuit around the park to warm up again. 

This week I have felt very blessed with my friendships, and I have spent a lot of time chatting via WhatsApp on my phone, and on social media. I received a beautiful little parcel through the post a few days ago too, from one of my yarny friends who I used to see once a week at our Coopers knit and natter when life was normal.

She has been knitting little houses using her very own pattern, such a delight! She knit a whole street and very kindly sent them out to her friends, simply to bring a little cheer. Oh my, I was overwhelmed with emotion over this beautiful little handmade gift.

You may know that I have a Thing for little houses, I totally adore them and over the years I've managed to collect and build a small handmade street. Gosh, I've just noticed how terribly dusty my mantel is, please do try and overlook my very slapdash approach to the housework and focus on the houses. Eyes up. Aren't they cute?

It's been all things Meadow here during the past few weeks as I've worked hard behind the scenes to finalise all the colour work decisions. These colours have been bringing me a lot of happiness, a LOT. I think they are magical actually, and I can't wait for you to experience them for yourself in January. 

Lots of time spent in this room as J an I both work here during the days when the Little Peeps are at school. I've started lighting the fire in the early afternoon as the house seems to suddenly feel chilly round about then. We've usually been on our woodland walk, had some lunch and settled down for a few more hours of work before the 3pm school departure, so lighting the fire has given us some very welcome warmth and comfort. Right now I am sat exactly where Tilly is sleeping in the above photo, it's one of my favourite places to sit. I pull the coffee table over so that I can sit on the floor with my legs stretched out underneath it, and lean my back against the sofa. Not a bad working-from-home situation by any means.

As I mentioned earlier, there has definitely been a distinct whiff of winter in the air this week. 

I am so glad of my wellies now as the pathways are very muddy and the most dominant colour of the November woodland is brown. Oh dear, it really isn't my favourite.

Thank goodness for moss, it provides such a beautiful little bright spot of colour in amongst all the murk and I couldn't love it more. I'm a moss-lover, and proud of it.

↑↑ OK, so this happened on Tuesday, I know, I know. Danish pastries are not very "clean eating" but totally acceptable in terms of "wellness" I'd say (please see this post if you don't know what I'm going on about!). I always treat myself to a pastry on new-blanket-launch-days, it's become a little ritual that I have - a small celebrational treat from me, to me. It was still warm when I snaffled it from the bakery shelves and it was utterly divine I can tell you. Di-VINE. 

And so my days whirl along, and I continue to feel very thankful for it all. 

We found out today the this area of the UK will be out of Lockdown next week, but our socialising is still going to be very limited. Our pubs and cafés will reopen and J and I will be able to return to enjoy our morning coffees, but that's only because we live within the same household. I really, really miss my weekly yarny get togethers and was hoping to have them back again next week but sadly it's not happening. Ah well, I guess we just keep on doing our bit to stay safe and hope that little by little things begin to improve.

There are only three more weeks left of school now before the Christmas holidays, I can hardly believe it to be honest. 

I took the above photo yesterday on the way home from school, it was twenty past three in the afternoon and the sun was almost down beyond the horizon. It's twenty five more days before we land on the Winter Solstice (it's on Monday 21st this year). I am so looking forward to celebrating that special day of the year, I will be ready and waiting to gather in the greenery, light the candles and celebrate the fact that our days will begin to lengthen once more.

I hope you're having a good week however big or small your circles are, and that there is light and colour and warmth in your days xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

Circles of Sameyness

Here we are, two weeks into Lockdown 2.0, with two weeks still to go. Predictably my life is running in very small, samey circles of repetitive routine, but I find myself embracing it and feeling content for the most part. I am happy with my small life right now, because I am blessed with good health, my family are all safe at home (when 2/5th of them aren't at school) and we really have very little to worry about in our immediate day to day life. I appreciate how fortunate I am, I really do.

I am enjoying my walks to school in the morning with Little B, relishing our back and forth conversations as we make the half mile journey along the waters edge together.

Coming back into the warmth of the house after a very chilly school run this morning, I felt a rush of affection for the comfort of home. Blankets strewn across the sofa after Little B spent ten minutes snuggled up after eating his breakfast. Our house is never, ever tidy, in fact it's a downright mess most of the time, but there is always cheery colour and cosy comfort within these four walls.

This morning I folded and stacked some handknit socks which had been drying on the radiator, two pairs of J's and two of mine. I am so happy that I learnt to knit socks (five years ago), they bring a lot of pleasure into my life. I love the creative knitting part and I really love the fabulous wearing part, but also there is the extreme pleasure of the visuals they give me on the daily. I keep my socks in a small pile on a shelf next to my bed so that I can fully appreciate the sight of all those glorious woolly stripes. Eye candy, without a doubt.

I thought you might be missing pictures of my daily coffee, so here is today's offering.....a take away skinny latté from my wonderful little local indie coffee shop - needless to say I am a loyal customer and I couldn't appreciate them more. Luckily for me, I live within a very short walk of this wonderous place, so I get to enjoy my daily cup in the comfort of home.

J and are are still walking our daily walk each morning in all weathers. Sometimes I just enjoy it without taking photos but it's rare. I nearly always experience an overwhelming need to capture images, to preserve the memories.

I feel compelled to remember the day, the time, the weather, the colours, the wide vistas, the tiny details, and the feelings....

.....always the feelings. Walking gives me all the feels, it's an avalanche of emotions.

We had the most beautiful weather today, crisp, clear and oh-so-cold. It was glorious looking up above into the sunny, wide blue yonder!

More hours of work on my Meadow blanket design today, I'm currently on attempt number five and I think I might finally be there with my meadow meander. I want to get it just right, capturing that joyful feeling of being surrounded by so many beautiful flowers and tall grasses, but also the tranquillity that I experienced during my many walks in the meadow earlier this year. This colour story is very special I think, it has a calming, healing quality which feels really, really good. I can't wait to show you more next week.

More sameyness as I take off on my afternoon jaunt to collect Little B, pausing briefly to admire my hill view glowing in the low sun. No time to stop though, we only have minutes to get to the school gates, hurry down the hill and don't be late! It's the same every day.

The hyacinth scent has finally arrived and it is wonderful. It's not yet at the stage where it overpowers the room - you have to actively engage your face with the blooms to get a whiff, so all is peaceful on the home front. I just love love love having these flowers in the house at this time of year, they never fail to make November feel special.

Aside from the school runs and our daily woodland walk, I'm spending all day in our main living/dining room at the moment, sharing it with J as he works from home too. I move between the dining table, the sofa, the Big Chair and the fireside floor cushion, depending on what I'm doing and what time of day it is. It feels Ok I guess, we don't have much space and there is zero alone time but I am making the best of it because that's just the way it is.

Fairylights and flowers, snuggly socks and cosy blankets, favourite drinks and creative projects, gentle strolls and peaceful views. I hope you're doing OK in your own little circle, enjoying the small things that bring you pleasure. 

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November Light

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Happy Little Things

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Beating the Gloom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Byeeeeeeeeee, see you tomorrow!

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