By Helen

November, November, November…

Oh gosh: it’s November!  How did that happen?  Hasn’t October only just started?  I’ve been soooo busy through October: and I think that November is going to head the same way.  Still November is here: it seems to have blown its way in; along with rain and the cold.  It is cold.  I thought that we usually had a gradual introduction to the cold, the temperature dropping over the weeks.  No, not this year: it is like someone has turned the heating down (or off) and Winter is here.  I can’t really complain I love, loVE, LOVE winter; those cold, clear, crisp days when the world looks so beautiful - it makes your heart sing.

A couple of weeks ago, in the midst of building work, having to find things to do out of home so the builders could get-on-with-it; I stumbled on an art installation.  It was just perfect for the weather that we have at the moment.  I went on a visit to Clifford's Tower, an English Heritage property just ten minutes walk from my front door.  You might remember Clifford's Tower; it is the remains of one of York’s castles, which looks absolutely stunning with Daffodils each Spring.  Inside the tower an artist had hung umbrellas!  Lots and lots of umbrellas.   All gently bopping in the wind.  I thought this was a brilliant, an inspirational use of space and something that I just had to share with you all.

Hope you enjoy…

taking time out, part one…

Last week Si and I decided to take some time out and go on an adventure.  Or more to the point we decided to leave the builders to get on with it while we has some grand days out.  Can you guess where we went..?

No?  Here are some more clues…

That’s right, we went to London.  We spent a glorious weekend exploring the sites of our capital city.  We wondered the streets and visited Westminster Abbey (you might remember a small wedding took place their last year), Tate to look at the amazing Pre-Raphaelite exhibition and shopped at Liberty.  Wow!  What a shop.  The inside was as amazing as the out…

You might be able to guess my favourite department..?

And yes, I did buy some yarn…

After the busyness of London, we travelled out to Cornwall, to stay with Si’s Mum and Dad.  I’ll tell you about that another time.  At the moment I am quite tired.  The last ten days, haven’t been the easiest.  The river Ouse, in York, flooded (is still in flood) and lapped its way to the end of my street.  A massive, mass-IVE, MASSIVE tank you to everyone who kept their fingers crossed: it worked and fortunately the river didn’t actually make it into the street.  A massive thank you also goes out to the City of York Council workers who worked through the night sandbagging and pumping out, without them...well you can imagine what would have happened.  Plus, going away leaving builders in the house inevitably lead to phone calls!  I’ll let you all about it later…

happy, happy, happy, September...

I love September, I know that I said that last year.  Yes, I will say it again next year.  I can’t help it I love, loVE, LOVE September.  September is special.  You have the promise, still, of summer warmth and sunshine. There is a hint in the air that the world is changing and very soon we will be treated to a kaleidoscope of colours from the trees as they turn towards their Winter rest.   The evenings start to draw in, as night lengthens and day shortens.  I love that too.  I even love the thought of dark, cold nights, snuggled under jumpers and blankets in front of an open fire, eating stews and fruit crumbles. I can’t wait.  In celebration of the colours to come I finished crocheting my granny square cushion cover.  I am sooooo pleased with it, ready for the ta-dah moment…

It is made from Zauberball yarn and I love how the colours change, just like those of Autumn.  The colours remind me of one of my favourite childhood books, the Brambly Hedge, stories, stories about mice that lived in hedge rows.  Now my only problem is choosing where the cushion should take pride of place…

Hope that you enjoy your September just as much as I will..? 

crochet for Yorkshire Day...

In honour of yesterday been Yorkshire Day, I thought that I crochet a Yorkshire Rose to wear proudly on my dress…

…and celebrate all things Yorkshire, of course!

I crocheted the rose by adapting a pattern from my go-to flower book. My Yorkshire Rose is loosely based on Lesley's pattern for a wild rose: but I wanted to give it a more Yorkshirery feel.  I had to spend a happy few hours re-learning how to do a French knot without them disappearing.  I persevered and I was really please with how they worked for the yellowery centre of the rose.

 Here’s to all things Yorkshire! 

welcome June...

June?  Already?  How did that happen?  I can’t quite believe that we are half way through the year. In just a few weeks time it will be the longest day.  That means we should be in the midst of summer; our gardens should be abundant with colour, the sky blue, the grass green (or scorched brown from the heat), the sun glowing a golden yellow.  How we can dream...

Last weekend's re-enactment was a bit of a wash-out, slightly better than last year but we got very, very, very wet.  There was the odd break in the rain, to dry out the tent (our home for the weekend)...

And Skipton Castle did look fantastic...

I managed to sell some braid, so not all bad.  Still some sun-shine wouldn't go amiss....

May blossom...

I have been sooooooooooo busy since my holiday I don't really know where the time has gone: I seem to have done nothing but work, no time for the good things of crochet, garden or baking.  One thing that has kept me going is the beautiful May blossom which seems to adorn every tree in the city.  It is all so lovely it makes my heart sing.  I love how the blossom makes the trees look fluffy.  I love how the blossom drops on to the ground making a carpet of confetti.  I love how, even on a grey day, the blossom cheers you up.  Here are a few of my very favourite...

Enjoy your bank holiday weekend: make sure you get out and see some blossom...

read all about it, read all about it...

I have a confession to make.  I am a magazine junky.  There I admitted it.  I am sure that I am not alone in this addiction.  To try and curb my habit: I limit my visit to WH Smiths to once-a-month, and go armed with one ten-pound note.  April’s visit was such a success, I can’t tell you how pleased I am with my purchases.   Well, that is not strictly true, as I am about to tell you.  I came away from the shop with two wonderful magazines…

I was a stranger to Mollie Makes , and was only tempted to buy this issue because of the free (yes free) crochet gift on the front cover.  The magazine is just b-r-i-l-L-I-A-N-T.  Not only have the lovely Mollie Makes’ team provided the pattern, hook, brooch back and yarn to make a delightful flower brooch, the rest of the magazine is just fabulous.  The magazine doesn’t limit itself to one craft so there are an array of treats waiting for you within it’s cover.  There are patterns, reviews, interviews and inspirational photographs.  The whole magazine is a delight.  I can’t wait for next months (which is out next week) where the free (yes free) gift is a set of vintage buttons.

One of my monthly stables is Inside Crochet.  I buy the magazine out of habit and because it is the only UK crochet magazine that the shop sells.  The magazine usually has two or three patterns that I can’t wait to follow.  This month…

...is different.  I want to crochet ALL OF THEM.  I can’t remember the last time Inside Crochet was this good.  Although I will spend a happy afternoon checking out my back issues just to make sure.  I don’t know which of the patterns to start with.  Should it be Lynne Rowe's Skinny Scarf?  Or perhaps Christine Harvey's cheerful spring flower pots?  Or maybe Helda Panagary's  funky hibiscus coasters?  If I am feeling ambitious Sian Brown's beautiful lace trim top? 

There are so many wonderful, amazing, fabulous things out there, thank goodness for the long weekend.  Here’s to spending time curled up on the sofa flicking though magazines and crocheting…

spring has sprung…

Wow, doesn’t it really feel like Spring today?  The sun is shining; I was woken up with the birds chirping, even here in the middle of the city.  And best of all, colour is coming back to the world, as tiny little flowers show themselves to us, after their long winter sleep...

This tiny pale yellow flower, gives me an idea for a crochet project, that I am looking forward to starting this weekend...

Si's fingers don't normally look quite this bad.  He had just finished working in the garden, I can't wait to show you what he has been up to, when he came across this...

I love the way that leaf buds start to uncoil themselves, stretching Winter away.  I just wish I had taken a less blurry photograph...

I love the colours here...

It all just makes your heart sing: I think that I love this time of year almost as much as Autumn.

last month's flower of the month...continued...

Gosh, isn’t it cold?  No snow here yet: but it meant to be on its way.  For now the Snowdrops remain the only flecks of white on the ground…

I guess that this is very appropriate, given that we are in the midst of the very old festival of Imbolc heralding the start of Spring.

So where had we got to?  I was starting the making up of the Snowdrop…

I was quite surprised to discover that using wool gave a better finish to the petal’s, than using cotton.  If you had asked me before I started this my money would have been on the cotton finish…

The petals were joined together, to form the inner and outer parts of the flower (will try and learn the proper terms for parts of the plant) and a stem was attached. 

I feel a ta-dah moment coming…

I am pleased with now this has turned out:  though need to work on the finishing.  I think that if I showed someone the flower they would say that looks like a Snowdrop…

Or I hope that they would..?

happy new year...

Happy New Year!  Hope that 2012 brings all that you wish for.  My friend gave me this, painted glass, for Christmas...

I think that the message live, love, laugh is just perfect for the start of the New Year.

I don't make New Year resolutions, but I am making a crochet resolution...

• I will write down what I do: that way I can recreate some of the crochet projects that I make and that way I can share them with you...

So here's to a New Year, here's to 2012, here's to writing down what you do and here's to living, loving and laughing!

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