Last Saturday was a really sunny Saturday, so me and Si decided to head to Burnby Hall. Burnby Hall, is a stunning garden, about half an hour drive from York, which is full of beautiful plants and ponds full water lillies and some of the biggest fish you’ll ever see. It is well worth a visit. As we wandered around, inspiration started to creep in: I could crochet a water lilly! Naturally, I took lots of photos…
Now all I have to do(!) is use the inspiration that I found and spend some hooky time, playing with yarn and experimenting. I’ll let you know how I get along and hopefully very soon I’ll have a pattern to share with you. I’m already thinking a crochet water lilly cushion, or even blanket!
A couple of weeks ago, Si and me popped down to Cornwall for a few days. I say popped, but the reality of it means a seven hour train journey, still it is worth every minute. I love the light in Cornwall, especially, that of St. Ives. The light makes everything look brighter, more alive: I think it is something to do with the reflection from the sea (don’t quote me), no wonder artists flock there. I took a lot of photographs, but they don’t really capture the zingy light, still there provide good inspiration for some crafty projects that I want to work on…
Nb – any Cornwall experts will note that the first photograph is not St. Ives, it is Charlestown - you know of Poldark fame!
Last year the Tower of London commemorate the First World War with an art installation of poppies flooding it’s moat; that installation is nothing compared to the installation that the incredible talented Sally – Hippystitch and textile artist Deborah New– have created. For the last few years Hippystitch has organised community yarnbombs; remember the one for the Tour de Yorkshire and the one that, quite literally, took over Rowntree Park? For the last few weeks Hippystitch has run workshops, where even-more talented people have knitting and crocheted poppies. Sadly I haven’t been organised enough to get along to any of the workshops, given how fuzzy the last few weeks have been, so I haven’t added to the yarnbomb. Still, I can share it with you…
If you want to see the installation for yourself, then pop down to Rowntree Park where it will be until the 12th July.
For more information about the yarnbomb have a look at Sally’s Blog or find her on Facebook HERE.
Thank you Sally and Deborah New for organising this; can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for next year!
Remember last week when I told you my head was feeling all fuzzy? Well the truth is, things are taking longer than expected to clear and become our new normal; my head is still a little fuzzy. I have decided that I need to spend some time reconnecting with the important things in life: friends, family, soothing treble crochet and (of course) flowers. There are so many amazing flowers, so full of colour and cheer. Pure inspiration for crochet. I can’t wait to share my new crochet projects with you, for how here’s the inspiration behind the crochet….
More things that inspire me can be found on Pinterest boards HERE. I’m also on Facebook HERE pop-over, say hello and (if you’re feeling generous) give me a like!
Sorry that there was no posting last week. I started the week with good intensions of telling you all about the York Makers Spring Fair, which I was busy preparing for last time we chatted. I was soooo busy at the Fair that I completely forgot to take any photos. I know! I’m gutted: the Fair went so well, chatting to lots and lots of lovely people and making a few sales. Then last week, turned into one of those weeks: the truth is last week is going to take me quite a while to get over. Don’t worry everything is, or will be fine, last week just took an awful lot of my energy and I still feel a bit fuzzy from it. I’m very glad that, here in England, we have a lovely long weekend to look forward to. To try and clear my head, Si and I decided to have a day out, we went to the stunning Brimham Rocks. And, yes, I did remember to take my camera. The rock formation are Mother Nature’s way of showing off her skill, they really are awe-inspiring….
The sun was shining and the trees were telling us that Spring is here…
I was so inspired that I decided to start a Pinterest board of stones, if you want to see more inspirational stones have a look HERE and if you want to see more about what inspires me have a look HERE.
Remember that you can also find me on Facebook HERE and on Ravelry HERE
I hope that you all have a lovely weekend whatever you do try and connect with nature and do something creative.
Morning lovelies. Are you ready for a lovely l-o-n-g weekend? I certainly am. It’s going to be busy! Tomorrow I’m helping out on a York Makers stall, where a few of us are showcasing our makes and promoting what we do and our Spring Fair. The stall is part of the Bishy RoadE By Eck, street party, here in York, to celebrate the Tour de Yorkshire. Sorting out the stall, for tomorrow, and the one next Saturday, has taken quite a lot of my time. I’m very conscious that I haven’t shared much crochet with you recently – I hope you don’t mind? Normalish services will resume shortly! Today I thought I’d share some inspiration with you, it comes from Metalwork Galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, which Si and me visited a few weeks ago...
Amazing aren’t they? Hope they provide you with some inspiration for your weekend makes!
A few weeks ago Si and I decided to head to London for a few days. While in London we walked and walked and walked: we did lots of sight-seeing and spent lots of time wandering around the streets. On one of our wanderings we came across the most amazing art installation hanging on the walls near local shops and cafes. I thought that you’d like to see, so I took lots of pictures for you. Ready for some shape, pattern and colour? Good…
The installation is by the talented artist DaleDevereux Barker. I love his use of shape, pattern and colour. I hope you find it as inspiring!
March is here like a lion: hopefully that means she will leave like a lamb and this cold weather will end. Don’t get me wrong, I am a massive fan of Winter (it is one of my favourite seasons) but I have had enough now and would like some warmth. I think that Mother Nature must also be getting restless with Winter. Have you noticed? She is slowly, slowly starting her Spring show, reminding us that Spring is just around the corner and that the Earth is beginning to warm-up and wake-up from its Winter sleep. A few days ago I wrapped-up and headed out with my friend and her little girl, in search of Spring. And we found Spring in abundance. I took my camera along, so that you could see for yourself…
Spring is on its way, so this weekend, wherever you are, go for a walk and say good morning to the World as it wakes for another year…
Oh and if you are inside, this weekend, don’t forget that you can find me on Facebook HERE
I try really, really, really hard not to buy craft books. I already have a lot of craft books and sometimes, especially when they are very themed, I find that they stifling creativity: encouraging you down one particular route rather than letting you walk your own path. Every now and then, though, one comes which you know you have to have on your bookshelf. That is what happened the other day, I found a book which I fell instantly in love with and had to have there and then. The book is all about making paper (yes paper, not fabric) flowers: in fact the book is called Paper Flowers and is by the incredibly talented Denise Brown…
The book has thirty-five step by step projects to make your own fabulous flowers. Here are just a few of my favourite (it was VERY hard to choose)…
Aren’t they just lovely? I can’t wait to get making. I have to warn you: I am very tempted to try and adapt some of these paper flowers into fabric flowers!
The world seems to have had a difficult start to 2015: with the awful things that are happening. I hope that your 2015 has got off to a more peaceful start? I am truly blessed that mine has. Even when things get stressful (and really they aren’t in comparison) I find that it is incredibly important to remember just how lucky I am. When I feel myself wavering, and things start to build-up (as they often do for many over the Christmas holidays) I try really hard to keep life as simple as possible, and reconnect with the little, but oh-so important things. One thing I love to do is go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, I often like to go for a walk along the river, which is close (sometimes too close when it floods) to my home. I am very lucky that I can head to the end of my street turn left and be in the middle of York and turn right and wander along the river bank of the Ouse. This is what I did one cold and frosty morning; I took my camera along – so that you too can come along…
Not a person in sight, it’s just us…
Still just us as we near the Millennium Bridge…
Turned into Rowntree’s Park (yes, we have visited here many, many, many times before) where the grass was dusted with icing…
And the water frozen…
And the park benches had a frosty, fuzzy, coating…
And the leaves looked like they had been dipped in icing sugar…
But still there were reminders that Spring isn’t far away…
My hope for us all in 2015 it that we can have peace. That we acknowledge that we are all different, celebrate that we are all different and not be afraid to talk about out differences. Can you imagine if we were all the same? So, please where ever you are, pray for peace, look for the blessings in your life and remember that beauty is all around.
Ps – I forgot to tell you. Over Christmas I embraced the twenty-first century and set up a Facebook page for byhelen. So, if you’d like to pop over and like the page, please do, this means that you’ll get notifications when I post and lots of other things that I want to share with you. At the moment my Facebook page hasn’t lots of content, but it will come: we all have to start somewhere!
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