Wednesday 30 October 2013

Autumn Inspiration

 The past week has been filled with activities.....it was half term here and i spent some wonderfully happy autumn afternoons with charlie and daisy...... with magic painting books, colouring books, spying tiny yellow mushrooms in the lawn, collecting leaves and acorns, playing, reading, having fun...........charlie has just turned six and had a football party at the weekend..........after the party charlie went to choose his main present, a hamster.........my daughter rang me up to tell me he'd chosen a two colour hamster, (grey and white farrow and ball shades apparently) and the hamster's name is....... patchy :).....love it............
 .............i also had two magazine deadlines to meet this week, with projects to finish, steps to write up and templates to draw................but i still found time for a bit of crochet too.................
 ..........working on my autumn blanket by the fire, and making a little pincushion from the same yarn, like the spring one i made earlier in the year................
 ............the picture below is of the rosehips at hilltop, beatrix potter's garden, that i took a few weeks ago on our lake district trip...........
 ...........the constant bright sunshine of that week, the blue sky, brightest of bright red berries and golden orange berries as well as the still green leaves really inspired me to pick out the colours for this blanket...............
 ............it's going to be a big blanket so i'm taking my time making it......though the join as you go method does seem to speed it along rather well..........the lovely friend who taught me to crochet is also a wonderful knitter and in the summer she surprised me with this adorable strawberries and cream tea cosy...........it is perfect to use now for our fireside afternoon tea and scones with strawberry jam.....................
 ..............the weather here has been bright and rainy alternately, with blustery days and some high winds but nothing damaging.......i am so sorry for those who have been affected by the huge storms.......
 ..............some pretty leaves being strung together with sewing cotton to make a sweet garland.............
............my project in this month's crafts beautiful magazine...........christmas has well and truly arrived for makers and crafters now......it is time to begin making gifts and creating christmas cards ready for the festive season...it's not that far away.... little crochet pincushions make nice little gifts..............
........here are some more of the sweet gifts i received from judy's giveaway recently......the prize was actually a voucher to spend in judy's lovely etsy shop 20 north ora, so i was able to pick the sweet little trees that i so admired ........they are made using old spools and beautifully decorated.........they will be treasured christmas decorations here from now on :)...................
 ..........the children are excited about halloween, and straight after that it is bonfire night.........with a small family firework party followed later in the week by a neighbourhood bonfire and potluck party.........
............i do love autumn days, even the grey gloomy ones, but the colours this year have been amazing.......time to wrap up though, get out the padded coats and woolly scarves and the soft warm shawl another sweet friend made for my birthday in the summer.......time to cosy up and enjoy peaceful time at home beside the fire...........thank you for visiting me here in my little blog space, lovely readers, and for your sweet comments too........i hope you have a happy autumn week wherever in the world you may be, with cheerful crafty days and cosy evenings.........back soon xxxxx

51 comments:

greenrabbitdesigns said...

Happy birthday to Charlie, what exciting times for him with a birthday, Halloween,bonfire night and a lovely little hamster friend!! :)
Your blanket and pincushion are beautiful Helen....such happy colours!
Pretty tea cosy and gorgeous little Christmas trees too!
Enjoy your autumn celebrations,
V xxx

my4lilgirls said...

I love the sweet crochet pincushion, great pattern. Yum on the scones & tea....just the thing in this weather
Have a lovely day
Karen x

cristina said...

Happy Birthday Charlie! I love your pincushion! and I'm looking forward to see the finished blanket wonderful granny squares, I think it will be beautiful! Enjoy your stuff this fall! kisses from Catalonia!

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Such a cosy post Helen, love that Charlie got a hamster and named it "Patchy". Great name and so sweet. Hope they don't hug too tight!
The granny squares are all so colorful in the pincushion and afghan. Just in love with them. Those xmas trees will be a great addition to your holiday decorations. Halloween your way sounds so fun, enjoy every moment and keep warm.
xoRobin

justpootling said...

Hi Helen
The colours of your blanket are gorgeous - really cheery and bright.I agree that you can't beat Autumn and it has been so lovely this year in that all the seasons have properly been as they should !
Kate x

Sigrun said...

Oh, the pincushion is a very good idea. Wonderful blanket!

Sigrun

Christine B said...

Another wonderful post with lots of inspirational ideas and fabulous colours! Thank you Helen!!

debbie @ happy little cottage said...

Scones and tea sound wonderful! I am so happy you are having the same beautiful autumn in England that we are having here in Ohio! xoxo

Unknown said...

Hi Helen a lovely post as always - such a treat, brightens my day up so much. Had my little peeps for a few days and they went back today so a bit sad. However I can now get down to a bit of crafting and what an inspiration I have in your post Helen. Fantastic as always, thanks so much Helen, have a wonderful week.
Big hugs
Dorothy
:-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Simone said...

A lovely post full of good things to come. Yout little pincushion is so sweet and plumptious! x

Unknown said...

That pincushion pattern will make perfect stocking fillers! I always find your colour choices so inspiring...the granny blanket is very special indeed! And happy birthday to the big boy! :-) Chrissie x

Jane said...

I hope Charlie has fun with his hammy, they are such sweet little critters Helen. I am glad you have been able to work on your beautiful blanket as well as those deadlines. Happy Halloween for tomorrow ;0) x

Ali said...

Your crochet is gorgeous - love it xx Beautiful photos as always and I LOVE the strawberries and cream tea cosy - isnt it fab :-) xxx

trudette said...

What a lovely Blog post, very inspiring !
thanks for sharing
x
trudette

sky-blu-pink said...

Lovely pincushion! Fab idea to use Grannies! Love your Autumn still life too.

Vintage Sheet Addict said...

Love your Autumn blanket.....I've just started mine, might be ready by next autumn! :) x

Amanda Peters said...

Your crochet work looks gorgeous...

scrappyjacky said...

Although I hate seeing 'christmas' in the shops so early....I love seeing the magazines full of christmas craft ideas....I buy far too many mags at this tine of year....I look forward to seeing your projects.
Your pincushion is gorgeous.
What a great name Patchy is!

Teresa Kasner said...

Hello my friend from across the sea! I just love your eye for color! *H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to your grandson, and I hope you share a photo of his little hamster with us. Gorgeous blanket you're making!
BooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
*H*A*P*P*Y* *H*A*L*L*O*W*E*E*N*!*
BooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Teresa :-)

Erna said...

Hello Helen, thanks for always sharing your life with us.Ii love your blanketa and your autumn settings.
Here in Amsterdam we had pretty much damage from the storm....no trains. And trams and busses...etc.
Hugs
Erna

gillyflower said...

Lovely, cosy, autumnal post Helen, makes me feel like snuggling in front of the fire with some crochet and scones!
The blanket is coming along beautifully, but that little crochet pincushion has stolen my heart - the colours are so cheerful and autumnal.
Found the first frost on the cars this morning, so definitely time to start getting cosy!
Have a Happy Halloween and Bonfire night with your grandchildren Helen!
Gill xx

Lynne said...

Lovely colors in your blanket and pincushion. Very inspirational! I just gathered up some acorns yesterday, and was thinking about when my kids were little and we used to collect leaves and such. Sounds like fun with your little ones.
Enjoy your Halloween!

Teje Karjalainen said...

Dear Helen, your pin cushion is so cute that it could be Christmas tree decoration! Crochet blankets in sweet colours are just best! Beautiful autumn colours in your photos! Hugs! x Teje

Amy at love made my home said...

I love the colours of your berry blanket, and your cute little pincushion, it is just darlin! xx

forgetmenotsblue said...

Aw happy birthday to Charlie. Stunning little pin cushion so cute! and beautiful colours. Lovely hints of Autumn in your photos. Wishing you a lovely week xx

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Crocheted things are all so sweet and homey. I don't think I've ever seen a pincushion made with crochet. It will be fun to do some granny squares for them. Love your choice from Judy's, too! How fun to get to choose something from her shop! Hugs!

homemade@myplace said...

such a lovely reading!!!!
xxxxx Ale

vintage grey said...

Beautiful autumn inspiration!! Love the sweet granny pincushion! I am definitely already in the Christmas creating! Wishing you a beautiful and crafty week Helen! xo Heather

KC'sCourt! said...

Reminder of our hamster we had for three years - quite old for hamsters. Ours was called Humphrey and was gold and white.
Funny we had a day with our grandchildren, and we took magic painting books - they are a wonderful invention aren't they?
Gorgeous blanket
Julie xxxxxxxxx

DianeM said...

Happy Halloween to you! Logging on and finding a blog post from you is my "treat".
Smiles, DianeM

Ladybird Diaries said...

Such a gorgeous, cosy post! I adore your little pin cushion and I love the blanket you have in progress, the colours you have chosen are really pretty together. The tea cosy is lovely too, what a sweet gift from your friend.
Marianne x

Annie Cholewa said...

Happy Birthday to Charlie. October birthdays are the best, although I would say that as we have lots of them in our family, including my own.

And Happy Hallowe'en :)

Lori ann said...

i love how you live in the moment helen, every day and everything you make and share feels so special, and even your photos, so pretty, honor each and every thing. you really are such an inspiration to me.
good luck with all your exciting magazine finishing and enjoy the blanket making.
happy halloween :)
xxxxxxxx lori

Gracie Saylor said...

Busy, happy days, Helen! I love seeing your projects as well as the gifts you have been given. Did you treat the leaves with anything before you strung them into a garland? It is lovely to imagine you crafting by the fire inside and enjoying your family with all your bonfire plans outside :)
Gracie xx

Stacey@ Cottage Stitches said...

i adore that crochet pincushion! you know, i don't particularly know how to crochet, but i watched some youtube videos last night on making granny squares and i think i am ready to give it a go! how have you done the back of the pincushion? is it another granny square? the blanket you are making is so lovely too...beautiful colors! hope you have enjoyed you Halloween!!

Tammy said...

Hi Helen, always so lovely to see how beautiful things are in your neck of the woods. :) Colorful crochet and gorgeous makes. You manage to keep quite busy but when you enjoy what you are doing I imagine it doesn't seem like work at all. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

Clara {Clover and Violet} said...

Fall has been exceptionally beautiful here too, a trip to N.Y. last week to spend time with Jennie and little ones, it was absolutely beautiful there too! Love all of your projects, crocheting and getting ready for Christmas what could be more fun? Have a wonderful weekend!!

Wato44 said...

I love all your crochet! Do you put the patterns online?

sew said...

A big welcome to Patchy! My son had a hamster many moons ago - he named him 'Muffin' because he was the colours found on a nicely baked English muffin! It's good to see your crochet - so many are wanting to learn the craft in these parts, making me very busy! I've crocheted a hot water bottle cover for a gift using autumnal colours, not usually my choice, but I'm liking the seasonal look very much. ♥

Sam I Am...... said...

I just lost my comment so I'll start over....it's so nice to see how you celebrate Fall and Halloween. I love your tea cozy and the trees you got from Judy. Also, your Beatrix potter inspired blanket is gorgeous! I need to remember to get inspired first by something special.
I did crochet some leaves that I really like but I also like your idea of taking real leaves and making a garland. This time of year is my time for crafting. Like you say, the wind, the rain , a cozy fire is all so wonderful to do handwork. I love the peek at your Winter projects for the magazine. That's inspiration right there!

My Little Home and Garden said...

It is always a treat to visit you here and see the newest creations, Helen. I am a fan of autumn and your take on the season is beautiful. I wonder if you smile when you look around your home full of pretty things.

Have a delightful weekend!

-Karen

Hannapat said...

Such a lovely post Helen not sure how I missed it. I love your pretty blanket your crocheting and what a sweet little pincushion you made, very pretty. It sounds like you've been having fun with the family and getting the very most our of autumn too. I am waiting patiently for my leaves to dry so u can strung them together for a garland, aren't the colours just magnificent?! It sounds like youve got lots if exciting projects on the go, have fun doing them and thank you for your lovely comment over at mine xoxoxo

Frances said...

Helen, there is so much going on around you as autumn takes the stage. The stage looks so beautiful in the photos! I do love that name Patchy...clever birthday boy.

I've just returned from my own early autumn days in the UK, and enjoyed lovely weather and wonderful days seeing beautiful places, fine friends, excellent exhibits, and all sorts of other things. It was grand.

I'll be looking for your magazine features. xo

♥ Mary Janes TEAROOM said...

Hello dear Helen...Happy Birthday to Charlie...I'm sure he had a fabulous day! You really must have so much fun together.
I love your latest blanket...such gorgeous colours... and your little pincushion is so pretty. Your latest magazine project looks lovely too...
I've just made some winter flower pincushions with the yarn I'm testing in my knitting which were great fun...crochet is perfect for little projects, isn't it?
Have a Happy Autumnal Weekend,
Susan x

Madelief said...

It must be delightful having your grandchildren come to stay for the autumn holidays!

Your blanket is looking lovely Helen. I still have to finish mine....

Thank you for your kind comments on my blog. They helped to ease the pain a little.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Madelief x

Anonymous said...

Lovely Autumny post Helen, full of inspiration. love the hamsters name too,so sweet,xxx

claire said...

gorgeous blanket Helen :)

SilverCuteDwarf said...

SO, so, so cute!

alifefullofpassion said...

I just love that pincushion, do you have a tutorial for it? thank you so much for sharing :)

hayley said...

I love the colours in your blanket, it's beautiful! x

Kyjelly said...

How can I get a tutorial or pattern for this pin cushion?