Lakeside

We didn't make it to the coast this weekend, but we still found ourselves by the water. We decided at the last minute on Thursday night to join John's family who were staying in the Lake District over the weekend. We drove up on Saturday, stayed one night, then back to Leeds on Sunday. A flying visit, but still a very restful one. 

We walked to the edge of Lake Coniston, Bella and Angus taking turns to hold the dog's lead. We collected treasures not usually found in the city, like wool or "sheep fur" as they called it, and white feathers. We climbed and explored. Back at the campsite, we sat outside drinking tea and chatting, listening to the silence. There wasn't a breath of wind, it was so quiet. Not wanting to cook much, but knowing we were in the middle of nowhere, we'd brought lots of nice M&S food with us, posh ready meals. We sat around chatting with John's parents and drinking wine, feeling cosy in our mobile home as it got darker outside. 

On Sunday morning we woke to sheep wandering across the campsite. We pottered in our dressing gowns and I actually read the paper for the first time in ages. We did the crossword while we drank our coffee. At home I wouldn't make time for that, I'd be too busy doing something non-essential. It was nice to be fully in the moment. After breakfast we drove into Coniston and wandered around some more. The lake is quite hypnotic - we must have spent an hour just sitting in front of it while the kids threw stones, watching boats come and go, looking up at the hills.

The Lakes are such a magnetic, calm place, quite unlike the Dales. The mountains are all around you, all of the time and you are quite literally in their shadow. It all feels a bit Arthurian. On a grey day I can see how it might feel oppressive. But this weekend, in the hazy, cloudy warmth, with the leaves and fern just beginning to turn from green to brown, with autumn just around the corner, it felt calm and tranquil. Restorative.

Friday Happies

Thank you for all your supportive comments on yesterday's post, it really was encouraging to know that we all strive for some kind of balance in our daily lives, and that we all go through times of needing a break. It's part of the ebb and flow of life I suppose. 

1. Rolling on with this week's celebration of simple goodness, I give you the humble sourdough loaf. I bought this at a cafe/deli nearby on Monday morning (after meeting a friend for breakfast straight from the school run, there is no better way to begin the week, let me tell you) and ate it all week. I had it for lunch on Monday spread with bramble jelly, then on Tuesday I made a cold roast beef and mustard sandwich. On Wednesday and Thursday I had it toasted with soup or scrambled eggs. It was magnificent. I wish I could make my own.

2. The weather this week. Just beautiful. Misty mornings, warm sun, golden light. The very beginnings of autumn but you can still wear sandals. 

3. Baking. These are raisins soaking in tea for tea loaf, but I also made chocolate coca cola cake and lemon syrup loaf. Full cake tins make me happy.

4. I began work on my summer embroidery this week. Those French knots leaves were a dream to sew, so satisfying and tactile. 

5. A new mug. There is always room for one more, and I never let a full to bursting cupboard tell me otherwise. This is by a really lovely French company called Mr & Mrs Clynk who I am most enamoured with at the moment, and bought from here. I'm told the gift shop at Yorkshire Sculpture Park stocks their products too, even better, I feel a trip there coming on sometime soon... It feels really lush when you wrap both hands around it to drink from as it's so curvy and plump. I hope I am making sense here and don't sound like a mug fetishist. But some mugs are just...right. 

On Blogging

I lost my way with blogging a bit over the summer. It's hard to keep it up on a regular basis when you're away on holiday, or visiting family, or hosting family. The longer I leave it, the more there is to say and the harder it is to get going again. Blogging works best for me when I'm back in my usual routines, as I am now. I do sometimes worry that my posts are repetitive, but I don't think you can blog for any length of time and not have this worry. Some of the things I most like writing about, like the change of seasons, what I'm making or cooking, what makes me happy - well, there is going to be some inherent repetition in that. And that's ok.

I remember when I first started blogging, almost three years ago, reading something online about how to write a blog, and one of the things that particularly stood out was write little and often. And when I started my blog, I did that, for no-one starts writing a blog when they're pushed for time, you start when you have space in your life a new venture. I can't post as often as I once did, but I would like to post more frequently.

I've been able to spend a little more time on this space lately, and I've enjoyed that. I've added three new pages (Craft Projects, Friday Happies and Press & Sponsors) to the sidebar on the right, which all feels a bit tidier. I've been meaning to get all my tutorials in one place for ages and it was satisfying to do that. Do you remember, ages ago, when I wrote about our mantel, and how I like to follow the seasons and what's happening in our daily life through what I display up there? I'm going to write about this once a month, starting next week, and it will motivate me to be more creative.  I'm going to cook something in our new slow cooker once a week, and post about that too. (Thank you so much for the book, website and recipe suggestions by the way, I've noted them all in my blogging notebook.) I've got ideas and I feel engergised and inspired. September always does that to me, it's my New Year.

But this blog would be nothing without you lot, you lovely readers and commenters. Thank you for your interest, your support, your friendship. I started my blog to share and to connect with people, and they are still the reasons I love to blog now. 

A Zigzag Chevron Cowl

Ever since I learnt to crochet, I have been both tempted and terrified by The Ripple. That delightful up-and-down pattern, made by increasing and decreasing stitches, has always appealed to me but I was so scared of The Dreaded Foundation Chain, the counting, the precision. But, as always, when you try these things they are generally never half as hard as you think they'll be, and so I am very excited and happy to share my new crocheted cowl with you today. 

It's not technically a ripple, but a zigzag or chevron design. The difference is that the points are sharper here whereas a ripple has softer, wave-like shapes, but the principle and pattern are very similar as far as I can tell.  I used this really excellent tutorial from the blog Meet Me At Mikes.*

Last January, I made this cushion, and found I was left with a lot of leftover yarn in small-ish amounts.

I really wanted to use those same colours in one project again as I think they work really well together, and some kind of scarf of cowl seemed the most likely outcome.

My zigzags are random in pattern and width, so that the cowl looks a bit different depending on which side you look at. I like this, and can be seen arranging and rearranging it in the hall mirror before I go out.

I know, it's not that cold yet, but I can be found wearing some kind of scarf or cowl on pretty much any day of the year, and one of the reasons I love autumn so much is all the cosy woolen accessories I can wear.

The join is pretty subtle - you can see it here, but once it's on it's not noticeable.

I really love how it turned out. The colours are not really "my" colours (what, no mustard yellow?!) but sometimes it's nice to have a change. I looks great with my denim jacket and my charcoal grey raincoat, and it's very warm and not at all scratchy. I know many people find wearing wool next to their skin very uncomfortable, and I do find that with rougher types of yarn, but cashmerino really is incredibly soft. Oh, and it doesn't pill either, another bonus.

And what about the pattern I was so scared of, The Ripple? Well, yes, it is just as addictive and satisfying as everyone says. You get sucked into row after row, up and down, and just want to keep going. I can really understand why it's such an enjoyable stitch to work on as well as look at. The foundation chain can be tricky - I had to concentrate hard on that - but once you're a couple of rows in it becomes hugely gratifying to work on. One day, I will make a ripple or chevron blanket. One day.

*****

For those who are interested, there are some colour and stitch details below.

I used the following eight colours: (Seven are pictured above, plus some extra dark grey I had in my stash.)

340011 - Dark Brown

340049 - Taupe/Pale Grey

340054 - Rose 
340058 - Dark Grey

340100 - White

340204 - Baby Blue

340600 - Pale Pink

340607 - Pale Lilac

I used Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino on a 3.5 mm hook. The length before being sewn together into a cowl was 80 cm or 31 inches, and there were 80 rows crocheted in trebles. It is 38 cm or 15 inches wide from top to bottom, which gives 5 full up and down zigzags or chevrons. The total weight is around 200 grams which, since I used 8 colours, is around half a 50g ball of each colour.


* The pattern (which is actually for a blanket) is all worked in double stitches - I adapted it myself to work in trebles, and shorted the length of the foundation chain.

Sea Fix

I found these pictures on my memory card while going through all the photos I took this summer. They were taken in August on Hayling Island seafront, while staying with my parents. The beach is south facing and open, and provides wide views of sparkling water and the Isle of Wight.

It's so built up here, where we live in Leeds. There are no big sky views, only snippets and slices, glimpses through buildings and rooftops. Living in a city has it's pluses and minuses. 

But here, down on the beach, you can see the sky. You can watch the light change as the storm rolls towards you then away again, you can see the horizon. I'm ready for another sea fix, I think. We might aim for a day out to the Yorkshire Coast this weekend, if the weather cooperates. John has his first weekend off since June so I feel that is worthy of celebration!

Do you have any great views or vistas where you live? What do they look out onto? Are they a joy or a distraction? 

Friday Happies

1. Order. Oh, you've no idea how good it felt to get down to some serious sorting, cleaning and tidying, after weeks of muddle. Happy holiday muddle, but still muddle.

Each day this week I have mopped floors and vacuumed carpets, sorted cupboards and tackled piles.

This room alone was a day's work. 

I put in a day's work on the blog too, doing some behind the scenes things. Tidying up there, too, sorting out some new pages.

2. I'm really delighted to tell you that I've started writing for This Is Your Kingdom, which is a rather wonderful website full of things to see and do all over the UK, with reviews all written by contributors who've visited and enjoyed different places. I get to indulge my loves of photography, writing and going to nice places, so it's all good! Do have a look at their website, they have some lovely suggestions and ideas.

3. Hotdogs for lunch. John's idea. We'd had a really nice morning together - we went for a run (my first in ages, I really need to get back into it) then went for coffee and cake at a nearby bookshop, then he decided on a whim that he had to have a hotdog for lunch. It was pretty fantastic. It just needed a pile of fried onions, that would've made it perfect. I hate that John works weekends, but the upside is that we get some time together during the week.

4. We now have a slow cooker! And a slow cooker cook book.  I haven't used it yet (I'm a bit scared of it to be honest, I need to ease myself in gently) but I am looking forward to some warming stews and pot roasts this autumn. If anyone has any recipes for the slow cooker they'd recommend I'd love to hear them.

Talking of seasons, wasn't the weather utterly gorgeous today? It was misty first thing but by mid-morning the sun was hot and the sky blue. The sun feels softer and more mellow in September and every extra good day at this time of year is a blessing. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Looking for the light.

A blindingly bright and beautiful September morning. The sun is warm and the air a little cool. It's not summer anymore but it's not autumn yet either. A new day and a new school year. Shiny new shoes and empty book bags, waiting to be filled. The house is too quiet, too empty, but the sense of space and peace is welcome. I wander around the house, doing chores, imposing order on the mess, looking for the light.