November Light

Hello Lovelies, 

now the days are getting really short and it's dark before 5pm I feel the need to get outside and soak up some bright daylight whenever I can.

These photos were taken on Sunday afternoon. I'd been indoors all day and the weather had been pretty rubbish. 

Then at 3pm the sun came out. I pulled on my coat, picked up my camera and headed out to stretch my legs...the rest of the family were engrossed in a new DVD.

I usually walk about these familiar streets in the morning. I'm accustomed to seeing this cute little terrace bathed in sunlight. But the afternoon sun was already low in the sky and the streets were mostly in shadow.......

I decided to try and get a view of the landscape and headed uphill, then along this footpath behind some gardens........

 As I emerged from the narrow tunnel of fence and hedge I was thrilled to see the beautiful glow of warm sunlight cascading across the fields

Ahhhhh, just wonderful........

These pictures were taken about 3.45pm

 I could see for miles, the sky was gorgeous and the shadows were amazingly long........

I zoomed in on the distance and  loved the way the fields all look so small and patchwork like....

The hedgerows are rapidly turning brown now.

The view to my right was partly blocked by the large hedge.........

I could remember taking a photo of this view easily  in the spring,when the hedge had just been trimmed. Here it is........

After a bit of a struggle I managed to get a clearer shot.......

I love being able to compare the difference between May and November. And also to notice the amazing glow the setting sun creates. It adds so much to the beautiful russet colours of Autumn.

I walked home with a happy smile on my face, bight images of seasonal beauty filling my mind.

Thank you so much for all your kind comments on my latest blanket....they really are appreciated and I've answered any queries in the comments section.
Jacquie x

Seaside Patches Blanket....Ta-Dah

Hello Lovelies,
 At last ...it's a happy, happy Ta-Dah day :0)

 The last time I  had a full sized crochet blanket to share with you was back in February 2012 ....how did that happen ?

I started this latest blanket just over a year ago and you can read about it's inspiration and the reasons behind my colour and pattern choices  HERE

Soon the first row was complete.....

By December I had 100 solid coloured, four round granny squares.
In this project I've used the brilliant " join as you go" method. The best tutorial I know for how to do this is HERE..........

Sadly my momentum didn't last. In the early part of this year I spent quite a lot of my limited creative time drawing. And then when I picked up my hook again I decided to start ANOTHER BLANKET ( which is still a WIP )

In July my thoughts always turn to the seaside and I loved the way the colours in my blanket matched the colours in this photo of Cornwall so well.............

In August I took my blanket to see the Cornish coast and I have happy memories of sitting outside our caravan, watching the sunset over the ocean and relaxing with my hook.....

Progress then became slow again , a few squares were added now and then, but the end still seemed a long way off.

Then , as the weather cooled in October I found a new impetus. 

A few rows were added early in the month, then during my week off I really made a concerted effort to fit in some crochet time..........

By the end of that week my blanket looked like this..........

280 squares with all the ends sewn in ( rubbish photo, sorry )

I've learnt the hard way that sewing in all the ends after the fun crochet bit is done is horrible. So now I always do them as I go

I leave quite long ends in my crochet...about 6 to 8 inches. It makes the ends so much easier to deal with . I weave in about half of this length , then snip off the remainder. 

Then it was just the border. I say " just the border" but it's an important part of a project like this. It can made the difference between an O.K. and a great result.

 I used THIS method to avoid a wrinkly edge and took inspiration from THIS blanket  for the design........

All those busy squares needed framing with colours that wouldn't compete for your attention too much. So I've used a limited number of the blanket colours and I didn't include any of the lightest shades..........

I think it turned out great.

The edge is just a round of U.K. double ( U.S. single ) crochet. I was going to add a wavy edge too but middle son ( who's blanket this is ) said he preferred it plain.....I think he made a good choice.

And here is the finished blanket

TA-DAH.........

Oh , it may have taken me ages to finish , but I'm SO PLEASED with how it turned out in the end.

I love the range of shades from white to the darkest (Teal )
I love the completely random positioning of those colours. I didn't give too much thought to what colour came next , I just made sure each square was never next to the same colour.

It's not the biggest blanket I've ever made, but  it's long enough to cover you from your chin to toes, perfect for snuggling on the sofa when it's chilly............

It measures 64  by 42 inches.........

It might not be as attention grabbing as some of my more colourful projects, but it's very easy to live with....

I LOVE the seaside pallette so much...calming and fresh. Happy without being too shouty.....does that make sense. The design is quite solid too, with only small holes in the granny squares, so it feels warm and cosy.

I liked seeing the sun shining through it on Sunday morning, but it was pretty chilly and breezy in my sad looking November garden..........

I quickly took these pictures then headed back indoors to the warmth of the lounge.

The next time I looked this blanket had already been scooped up and put to good use........

and that really made me  happy :0)

For those of you who might like to know some yarn details...I used my usual acrylic yarn....  Stylecraft special double knitting in the following colours

Teal, Aster, Camel, White, Cloud blue, Denim, Cream, Meadow, Sherbet, Aspen, Turquoise and Silver

and a 4mm crochet hook.

So it is also an easy to care for, economical blanket.

If you would like to know how I make my granny squares do take a look at THIS tutorial.
 The border is ten rounds of granny clusters, that were so speedy and great fun to do after all those little squares.....I felt like my hook was flying along at lightening speed :0)
This whole blanket was a joyful , simple project that turned out even better than I hoped it would.
And middle son loves it.
Happy , Happy , Happy.
Jacquie x

♥52 Weeks of Happy♥ 44/52

Hello Lovelies,

it's that time of the week again, time to celebrate the small things that can add happiness to your days, even when life throws unwanted stress your way.

1. and 2. Handmade and Homegrown

Yesterday I went with my Mum in Law, niece and two of my boys to a craft fair. I spotted this cute-as-a-button witch and couldn't resist her hand knitted charms.

 I recognised the pattern as a Jean Greenhowe straight away, she is the queen of knitted soft toys in my opinion. I really wish I could knit when I see these lovely makes. Do take a look her patterns and  this page ,which includes an adorable image of this witch.....with a broom....ummm, maybe I could crochet her one.

Also on my mantle are a few blooms from my own front garden and an Apple ....just one of a huge bag of cooking apples given to me by a work colleague who has so many she does not know what to do with them all . I have one of these in the oven as I'm typing....smells lovely.

It's a shame I didn't get my witch before halloween  , but she was still too sweet to resist.
We had a quiet time on the day, only youngest went out trick or treating with his friends and accompanying adults.

 All three boys designed and carved these pumpkins without any help from me.....I think they did an excellent job...........the tiny one was rather tricky ......

3.. Thrifted

A new ( brand new with tags still attached ) scarf found in the charity shop. I like a scarf when the weather turns chilly. This one is so soft and I love the colours...........

4. Vintage

On our usual Wednesday outing Mum and I decided to take a detour and explore this timeless place I found earlier in the year

Look , you can just see Mum taking her own photo , towards the left in this picture.........earlier in the year, when she was very poorly , I hardly dared imagine mum would be so well again......but she is, thank goodness.

This place is by the river..........

and scattered around a little field are lots of these wooden buildings............

They are a bit like beach huts without the beach, but bigger, more like proper holiday homes . They all look so old but are beautifully maintained and full of character.
I couldn't quite believe my eyes the first time I came across them.

This one has to be my absolute favourite.....

With it's sweet little garden , including a bird table, rambling rose and  apple tree.

I just love the red and cream paintwork , floral curtains and veranda with wooden bench........

I would love to see inside. I can just imagine a little wood burning stove, comfy worn armchairs with lots of crochet blankets and rag rugs on the wooden floorboards ....... Two simple wooden chairs and a little table covered with  a pretty tablecloth and jug of flowers picked from the garden...... A simple kitchen with gingham curtains, a pot sink and little oven with the smell of baking wafting out of it ......  a  cosy bedroom with patchwork curtains, a patchwork quilt on the bed and more fresh flowers on the bedside table.....
Ooops , slipped into vintage  dreamland there :0)

I love taking the photos and writing these posts, but I wouldn't be half as much fun without your lovely comments and good wishes........they always make my week happier  ♥THANK YOU♥
Jacquie x

P.S. my latest blanket is now finished ......back soon with a Ta-dah :0)

Walking New Paths

Hello Lovelies,

Lately I've been determined to get out and walk some footpaths I haven't explored before.

Wednesday seemed like the perfect day for it so I headed off, a little map for a circular walk safely in my pocket , what could go wrong ?

At first I was in familiar territory, walking along the edge of the field that inspired THIS drawing back in July

I love this little route and if you read my blog regularly it's probably familiar.........

Once I get to this style I usually turn left , but today I headed right, into new territory........

It's nine in the morning and the sun is low ...highlighting the ridges and furrows made in medieval times and still clearly visible today....

 There is a short, clear explanation of this feature HERE

Once I had crossed the paddock and over another style I was disappointed to see no clear path. My map showed the path crossing the middle of this field, so that's what I did........

 You might just be able to make out a hare disappearing into the distance on this photo, or maybe not!  ...those things are fast.

I didn't like trampling over the farmers crop , and as it was still very wet with dew I already had wet feet.......

 Think you need some waterproof walking footwear Jacquie 

Thankfully there was a marker post to show me the way and a dry path at the other end .........

When I reached the houses you can just see in the photo above I was again unsure which way to go. While puzzling over my route map I enjoyed watching these cute little finches .........

There were no footpath markers when I reached this fabulous pond either, the map showed a path to the left, but a gate barred the way.........

Ummmmmmmm, There were sheep in the field and I didn't want to trespass so I turned around. A little way back up the path I met a dog walker who said I needed to open the gate so I headed back to try again.

Once I was in their paddock the sheep were fascinated by me and started following me....it wasn't the ewes I was troubled by but the ram, who stalked me across that field...

Awwww, even he looks cute now :0)

But at the time I couldn't wait to get through the next gate and snapped this picture by mistake in my hurry !

 It was lovely at the side of the pond and usually I would have really enjoyed it but I was disturbed to realise I had gone wrong again and this was a dead end.....I needed to face that one horned ram again....great!

The view was lovely so I did manage one quick snap..........

Thankfully the sheep had lost interest when I returned..........

I was disappointed to have to abandon my planned route , but happy to walk back and head along some familiar paths ..........

 I just love this little old church which always looks great in the morning sun..........

Further along I find another path I'm not familiar with into another field..........

Over the next style , more sheep..........

Oh, look....is that the time already........maybe I'd better be heading home............

At least there is a clear path through this crop...........

Soon back on familiar paths, and  delighted to see the leaves that looked so lovely in the RAIN also look stunning in the sunshine...........

Nearly home I can't resist taking this picture to share with you lovelies........of the tree house apple tree..........

So Sweet

It may not have gone quite to plan , but I still had a great adventure in perfect walking weather.
Thanks for coming along.

I published 16 posts in October ...a record for this year....and most of them are about the outdoors. I think it's because I've been trying to make the most of the warm sunny days before they are gone....absorbing the beauty of this special time and building up bright happy memories to carry my through the cold months of Winter. I'm so glad I've recently become a convert to the joys of Autumn....I just need to learn to love Winter a bit more now too.
But it's not Winter yet is it , here's to November.

Jacquie x

Edited to add....Thank you to Louise who identified the little birds I called finches . They are rather rare Tree Sparrows.....no wonder I didn't immediately recognise them and how lovely to think there are some living  happily  in this area.