Yorkshire Skies

Yorkshire Skies | Whims And Fancies

 

There really is no doubting that the Yorkshire countryside is a beautiful place.   The hills, valleys, limestone cliffs, heather and waterfalls make for a very tranquil setting.  For me, being in the north and the remoteness of the places adds another sense of enigma to Yorkshire.  Last year, during our roadtrip through England, we spent a few days in Yorkshire, visiting the countryside that I dreamt of so often.

Many months ago I got a beautiful skein of yarn very aptly named Yorkshire Skies.  I just had to make a pair of mitts with it before we visited Yorkshire.

 

Hermione hat and mittens with Yorkshire Skies Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

I was looking for a pattern that would show off the yarn, and came across Hermione’s Fingerless Gloves on Ravelry.   I managed to finish knitting the mittens the night before our flight.  I was so determined to wear them in Yorkshire that I finished weaving in the stray yarn during the one-hour travel time to the airport. 

Once we were back, I noticed I had enough yarn left to make a matching hat.  The hat pattern was written for worsted weight yarn.  Since I was using smaller size knitting needles for my fingering weight yarn, I added two extra cables to my hat.  That resulted in just 1 extra stitch at the end after the decreasing was done.  It was a tad big for my head, but one run through the dryer in low heat setting made it just the perfect size for me.

 

Malham Cove Yorkshire | Whims And Fancies

 

View from Malham Cove in late summer

 

Malham Cove Yorkshire | Whims And Fancies

 

Malham Cove in late winter

 

As we peregrinated the streets and countryside of Yorkshire, I was smiling happily while wearing my mittens.  My husband and I fell in love with Yorkshire so much that I planned our next England roadtrip earlier this year fully around Yorkshire with a few added days in Derbyshire.  I took both of these photos from Malham Cove, one of my favourite hikes.

 

Whitby Sea with Winsor Newton Waterbased Oil | Whims And Fancies

 

Sunset At Whitby

Of course, very soon after our return I had to paint a picture of the beautiful skies we saw in Yorkshire.  This was my first time playing with oil, and I could not have picked a better subject to paint.

 

Sailboat Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

The painting, in turn, had me look back at a pattern I had designed a long time ago.  Sewing this block is going to be my One Monthly Goal for this month.  I know I will be thinking of the beautiful skies.

 

Yorkshire Moors Heather with acrylic | Whims And Fancies

 

I am also very sure that Yorkshire will continue to surface now and then in my paintings.  Currently I am working on this acrylic painting of heather in the Yorkshire Moors while listening to stories.

 

My Orange Maine Coon Kitty | Whims And Fancies

 

My kitty sleeps and purrs beside me, hopefully dreaming of a happy place.  I love a peaceful life.  Whenever I can get it, I enjoy it to the fullest!

 

See you next time,
-Soma

 

I am also linking up on Through My Lens, Our World TuesdayWednesday Around The World, Seasons, and Friday Photo Journal along with other linky parties on my Events And Links page.

 

 

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Daydreaming – Weatherd Scottish Abbey

Dryburgh Abbey In Scotland with Derwent Watercolour Pencils | Whims And Fancies

 

Purchase Weatherd Scottish Abbey

 

Yarn and colour pencils have taken over my world lately.   In between designing and sewing paper piecing patterns, I am finding myself gravitating toward knitting needles and colour pencils.  Not only are they great for keeping the hands busy, they also share a common thread for me – travel.  As I knit a warm piece of clothing, I imagine myself wearing it in a far-away land, exploring.  Later on, I revisit a favourite travelled place through painting, specially an old stone abbey or other ruins.

 

 

Dryburgh Abbey Scotland Derwent Watercolour Pencils | Whims And Fancies

 

 

A few months ago I was travelling to England and I wanted to take a painting project with me to fill in the long 10 hours of travel time on the plane.  Of the places we visited in Scotland, Dryburgh Abbey is one of my favourites.  I found an old photo and it instantly became the subject of my painting. 

The picture you see above is how much I finished on the plane.  Sadly, after I came back, I moved on to other projects and it was left unfinished.

 

While going through my sketchbooks searching for more unfinished drawings, I found one of my old pen sketches from another place we visited in Scotland.

 

Jedburgh Abbey Scotland Drawing | Whims And Fancies

 

A doorway detail in Jedburgh Abbey

 

 

Knitting Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

 

A while back, my husband got me a set of yarn from the local yarn store.  I was browsing on Ravelry for a hat pattern and noticed one that has a striking resemblance to the design in the Jedburgh Abbey doorway.  I fell in love with the pattern and the red yarn was perfect for it.

 

 

Paragon Toque Knitting Hat Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

It is called Paragon Toque.  Instead of cables, this design is done simply with knit and purl.  I made the large size hat since I like my hats to be a bit on the loose side.   I had made a simple hat for my husband before, but this is the first hat I made for myself.  I think I will be wearing this one a LOT.  I love it!!

 

 
 

Derwent Watercolour Pencils Shade Card | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I recently started making slow progress on the painting again using my Derwent watercolour pencils.  The colours are less intense than Inktense pencils and are easier to lift off if needed.  They also blend beautifully.  I always like to make a colour swatch of any paint set I acquire.  Even looking at these colours makes me happy!

 

 

 

Purchase Weatherd Scottish Abbey

 

We visited Dryburgh during our stay in Edinbugh.  As I was painting, I was reliving the moments of standing in front of the quiet Dryburgh Abbey Chapter House all on my own, soaking in the atmosphere of an old, wet stone ruin.

 

This Scotland-inspired art print would be nice for anyone who loves historic Scotland and Britain as well as people who love old European architecture prints.

I now have prints of this painting available in my shop.  I would love for you take a look.  As most of my artwork is travel-inspired, I am sure it would make a wonderful travel lover gift too.

These old medieval architectures invoke thoughts of not just travelling, but also of stories from medieval times.  This print would be lovely for a book lover – anyone who loves to travel through pages.

 

I am enjoying this daydreaming escape through knitting and painting.  Here’s to more daydreaming for all of us!

-Soma

 

 

 

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