A Bunch of Sweet Peas

What a happy bunch we were!

The picture is missing Jenny, who joined us later.

Sladers Yard (in West Bay, Dorset, UK) were very accommodating and welcoming. We had a board of yummy cakes garnished with strawberries and cherries – I wish I had taken a photo! And they had set aside two tables at the back of the room for us.

There were nine adult crocheters altogether and a delightful junior knitter.

There is something so deeply comforting about being with a group of women coming together and making things together – it is timeless – a connection with our ancestors reaching back over the centuries.

It is great to share ideas and talk about our current a future projects, equipment and how we store our stash.

And don’t you just LOVE Helen’s craft bag!

I admit to a bit of Craft Bag envy!

We felt we had to get at least some pictures on the beach, to show us firmly placed in West Bay, especially to send to Lucy, the designer of the blanket that had brought us all together. Lucy comes from these parts and often returns here for holidays and family visits.

Some of our group had other places they had to be for lunch, so there were fond farewells and talks of meeting again, before a few of us went to the beach where as you can see – it was a bit windy.

I’m hopeless at selfies!

Just right for paragliders

And then there were 3, we had a wander around the harbour

Time for a few more photos

I love this one of Kay and Sandra

And then back to Sladers Yard for a lunch.

A huge thank you to everyone who came and made our Gathering such an enjoyable one – and thank you to all those who have said they would like to come to another one – yes there will be another meeting, not sure when yet.

Any one of the group might arrange a meeting in their area and I will do my best to get there. I will be arranging one in early Summer and will give plenty of notice here on my blog and on Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks also to Stylecraft Yarns for sending such amazing goody bags – everyone was thrilled! We all have plans for our Batik Elements Yarn. The colours on the website do not do it justice, they are much lighter and lovelier! The youngest member of our group used hers as a friendship bracelet for her cuddly toy – just the right fit!

And I have some goody bags left for anyone new who comes to the next meeting.

Thank you to Sladers Yard for their wonderful hospitality, and to some of the other customers who came to chat about crochet.

One guy told me that he had learnt to knit when he was 8 and loved it but his Grandad had ridiculed him for ‘being a girl’ and he’d stopped. I told him about all the many examples of men knititng and crocheting online and he said he might take it up again in his impending retirement. He said we should exhibit our work in a gallery as it was so good! Now there’s a thought …….. !

Of course the biggest thank you has to go to Lucy for creating such a friendly and fabulous crochet community with her heart-warming blog posts and wonderfully colourful designs. This is the fourth Lucy Crochet Along I have done and each one has brought a wonderful sense of community but there seems to be something about these colours that have inspired many of us to gathering in groups all over the world, to share the Sweet Pea journey.

A picture of the Sweet Pea set in the snow.

Pattern for the jacket is in this post.

 

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Sweet Pea Gathering, West Bay, Dorset

I’m so excited about next Sunday! Attic24 Crocheters will be meeting at this lovely cafe and Art Gallery

Sunday      3rd February     10.15am – 12.45pm  

Sladers Yard,     West Bay,      Dorset,       UK  

I think about 12 of us will be meeting up for Coffee and Crochet and sharing our Attic24 Sweet Pea Cal projects. All Attic24 fans are welcome, the more the merrier!

There will be cake – and they do a most delicious Turmeric Latte

I will most probably stay for lunch and anyone is welcome to join me – here is a sample menu – a bit pricey perhaps, but looks yummy.

There are loads of other wonderful places to eat in West Bay, The George pub, just round the corner does a spendid Carvery for just £8.50, but you need to book – it is very popular. And even on a Sunday in Winter there are some kiosks open around the harbour, selling burgers, tea and coffee.

Please leave me a message in the comments of via my Contact Me page if you have any questions, or to let me know you will be joining us.

It would be great for me to get an idea of numbers as I have some Goody Bags to make up! Yes! Goody Bags generously donated by the wonderful Stylecraft! Eeek! I don’t want to say anything about them yet as I want them to be surprise on the day. I think you’ll like them though! 😀

The Crochet Along is really gathering momentum on Instagram #attic24sweetpeacal and in the Facebook Group and there seem to be quite a few groups of crocheters meeting up to share the Sweet Pea journey together. There is a real warmth to the crochet community.

I am making the Baby Blanket size, and it got me thinking about making a baby version of my toddlers’ Fairy Jacket pattern

A Sweet Pea Flower Fairy

I’m working on the written pattern for Newborn – 3months old  – I hope to have it finished soon to offer as a Free Pattern to my blog readers and to the Attic24 Facebook group, for a limited time before it goes into my Ravelry Shop.

So I’d better get on with it! Writing patterns is much harder than creating them with yarn!

I am really looking forward to seeing as many Attic24 fans as can make it on Sunday, til then Happy Hooking!

Silent Sunday: St.Catherine’s Chapel

Silent Sunday at Corfe Castle

Two Bloggers Go Walkabout

Here comes a RainbowJunkie

It is always exciting meeting someone from a train, but a fellow blogger – that’s very special! I was looking forward to our day and RJ seemed very happy to have arrived at my local station.

We went back to my house for a quick cuppa, and then onto the National Trust Car Park above Ringstead.Glorious!

We walked along the top, enjoying the views out to sea and far inland,  

and then turning downhill towards one of my favourite destinations, St. Catherine’s Chapel, a little wooden gem, which has featured in a couple of previous blog posts. Here, and here.

There is a fine view of the sea from the windows, and always pretty garden flowers to decorate the chapel.

Outside, in the graveyard, there are plenty of benches on which one can sit and enjoy the view

even when the sun goes behind the clouds.

Watercraft was buzzing about while we sat chatting about blogging and crochet, listening to the rhythm of the waves below.

 

 

Neither of us are particularly keen on having our photograph taken but we thought we would have a go at a selfie as part of the record of the day before heading back to the car for a 20 minute drive to Moreton Tea Rooms for lunch.

We sat in the gardens

both choosing the same dish from the menu – very British fare – Ham, Egg and Cheese on muffins

And can you see the beautiful gift RJ gave me! one of her fabulous Celtic pot stands. WOW!!!!! How lucky I am – it is GORGEOUS!!!!

After lunch we explored all that Moreton has to offer.

First a visit to Moreton Church, famous for its wonderful engraved windows by Laurence Whistler.

This church holds a special place in my heart as my son and daughter-in-law were married here, their two boys were christened here and one Christmas with her Dad playing the organ, my lovely daughter-in-law, 6 months pregnant with her first baby, in a pale blue robe, led the choir into the church singing a solo of the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City. It gives me happy goose bumps when I remember that magical occasion.

The floor is beautiful too

I see doodles, mandalas and crochet patterns

We went on for a short walk to the river, where there is a ford, a popular place for paddling on hot summer days. We visited the grave of T.E.Lawrence, or Lawrence of Arbia as he was called, then into

Moreton Walled Garden (photo taken earlier this summer) for a wander and a cup of tea before returning to the railway station, about a mile and a half away.

It was lovely to spend time with a fellow blogger and get to talk about our many mutual interests. I felt very lucky to be able to show Jane around my patch and on such a lovely day – not too hot and no rain – perfect! I hope you enjoyed coming along with us.

Silent Sunday

Wordless Wednesday