Florence. You’ve (possibly) visited the city, you’ve seen the photos, now knit the cushion! But more on that in a minute.
Here in southern Britain, it’s been raining since… well actually I can’t remember when this wretched rain began. Last month? Last decade? The Pleistocene epoch? Who knows.
The landscape is grey and soggy. Gazing out of the window is not an uplifting experience, unless you’re inspired by sludge. Every time I go for a run, I’m not so much running as dancing, in a vain attempt to dodge the deepest of the puddles and the slidiest of the mud. This probably looks silly, but I don’t suppose anyone is watching since everyone sensible is hunkered down indoors, staking their claim to the comfy end of the sofa.
So yes, everything is grey. And whilst grey can look marvellous as a backdrop to flashes of bright colour, it’s not so appealing when it’s paired with… more grey. I’m reading Kassia St Claire’s The Secret Lives Of Colour at the moment, and even she says disappointingly little about shades of grey.
All this is a long-winded way of explaining that I NEED SOME COLOUR! Thank goodness for knitting, eh?
Remember those cushion covers I designed for our rocking chair? Of course you do, because it’s not as though you’ve got a million other things clamouring for your attention at this time of year. (What on earth d’you mean, you’re busy?!)
I’ve adapted the pattern to fit standard square cushion pads (36cm/14″) and have written it up for you. The pattern is called Florence. The name came about after some of you (OK, TWO of you lovely people, which in blogger-speak translates as WOW U GUYZ, EVERYONE HAS BEEN MESSAGING ME ABOUT THIS) said that the rocking chair cushions reminded you of the bargello designs that are traditionally worked in needlepoint. Hmm, I thought, you’ve got a point. You’ve definitely got a point. (Pun = annoying and unintended.) So I’ve named this cushion Florence, because that’s where bargello originated. Thank you for the name inspiration. The problem is that I now want to knit a lot more bargello-style motifs.
The pattern is available for a small fee via Ravelry. It’s worked in two contrasting colourways of Stylecraft Dreamcatcher, which might just be the most beautifully colourful yarn ever. And because this is the traditional season of wanton excess, I added a chunky tassel (in Stylecraft Special DK) at each corner.
To join in the colourful yarny fun, Ravelry members can order the pattern HERE, and since it’s Christmas and I’ve just realized that I haven’t even sent you a Christmas card yet (sorry!) I’m offering a 20% discount from now until 5th January 2020. To claim your gift, enter the code FESTIVE at the checkout. Enjoy.
Anyway, enough of that. I’m British and thus am legally obliged to talk mostly about the weather. So IS IT EVER GOING TO STOP RAINING?!
Well lets talk about the weather, the soggyness and Florence/Firenze. The pillow is lovely, just like the chair. Perhaps you should move to here, dry but still grey. Stunning clouds like a Ruysdael painting. Not Florence but close ????
Less soggy would be a good start, even if it’s still grey. Hope you get some colour returning soon!
Love it. Fabulous design and colours. A new year knit along with the many other promised ones! Happy Christmas.
Thank you. And a very happy Christmas to you, too.
Such cheerful colours on your cushions to brighten up another grey day. Am sorry to hear that your running is being disrupted by the amount of mud & water avoidance you’re having to do but I’m not at all surprised with the almost continuous rainfall. Hopefully we’ll get some crisp dry days before too long and we’ll all be able to enjoy the great outdoors.
Have a wonderful holiday season with the twinnage and the stoic spouse ????????????☃️
Yes, crisp and dry and pretty would be a welcome change. Wishing you a very merry Christmas, too.
omg, i love this pattern!
how many cakes of dreamcatcher and which colors are needed for this pattern? (it’s not on the ravelry page)
One cake of one colour, and one cake of a contrasting colour. Sorry, it’s in the pattern instructions, but I should add it to the introductory info for the pattern on Ravelry.
the weather forecast for Portland, OR looks as if someone’s finger got stuck on the “showers” key!
Oh dear, you too? I hope that you and your home are managing to stay dry. Merry Christmas, meanwhile!
The way you’ve .. ahh .. ‘reversed’ the colourways is wonderful, and the end effect quite stunning, Phil.
Goodonyermate !
I am, alas !, not a stranded knitting kind of person – or do I mean fair isle ? What’s the difference ?
Sighh ..
Anyway, I hope you’re proud.
Aww, thank you! You’re very kind! And to answer your question, Fair Isle is a type of stranded knitting, with its own particular traditions. ????
Ehrmm .. yes. [grin]
Oh Phil, if only you could send that rain down here to Australia where we can’t remember when it last rained and the country is parched and burning, taking people’s homes and everything they own. Just devastating.
As always, your post brought smiles and delight.
Happy Christmas to you, the stoic spouse, the twinnage and all the other twisted family members!
Hear hear…the fires just keep getting worse and worse…
Connie, I so wish that this were possible. What’s happening in your beautiful country sounds terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure. The people losing their homes, the firefighters losing their lives, all of it. I wish that against all the odds, a massive raincloud could come and cover the whole of Australia for a few days.
I love the Florence cushion, it is like bargello.
Please send all surplus rain to Australia. We have grey smoke here not mist.
Fires everywhere, seems the whole country is on fire.
I so wish that this were possible! The heat and the fires sound absolutely horrific. This morning I read about some of your brave firefighters losing their lives. I’m so sorry.
As always a bright spot in grey wet weather, (and folks I really wish your other extreme in Australia would end, you’rein our thoughts).
Certainly one for when needles back in my paws/ wings / hands Phil. It’s stunning. X
Thank you. And yes, the news coming out of Australia is horrific.
Wow, what a lovely pattern, thank you! The rocker you featured in your last post is a dead ringer for the rocker I bought and finished for my very first apartment in 1975. The quilted cushions my dear mum lovingly sewed for me back then are long gone, so I may have to take a stab at your pattern once the holiday craziness dies down.
Sympathies for the rain, I’m in Seattle where we’ve had five or six inches of rain in two days. Yours looks much more devastating….
Thank you. I’d love to see pics if you do cover your own rocker too!
Yikes, that’s a lot of rain you’ve had! (Our own floods are at the mildly inconvenient stage for most people, not devastating thank goodness.)
It’s near as gray in Michigan. We may have just gotten one of our sunniest days of the year, on the shortest day of the year, no less. I’m not sure I expect the sunshine to continue…But I’ve just found the stamps…what excuse can i make for cards that won’t get there by Tuesday?
Blame the slow postal service for late arrival? (Not that I’ve EVER used that excuse… ????)
What beautiful cushion covers! They seem to be the perfect way to cheer up the less-than-sunny days you’ve been getting. Sending dry thoughts your way!
Thank you! I think your dry thoughts might be working, because it’s actually NOT RAINING as I type this!
Beautiful pattern and colours, thank you for all the work you put into it!. Sympathy for all of you in Australia, I wish we could redirect the rain to put out those fires.
Thank you. And yes, the heat and drought and fires in Australia sound terrifying and devastating. If only we could send our spare rain…
When I saw this in my inbox, I just assumed you went to Florence, Alabama and were writing about it. Then I remembered where you live and that there is actually another Florence that is rather well known and quite a bit closer to you…
Good luck with it drying out there. It has been raining here for only a few days and I am ready for sunshine so I would imagine y’all (especially the twinnage) are losing your minds at this point.
It seems as though everyone is having extreme weather of one sort or another. Hope you get some clear skies, soon.
Love the pattern and will be sure to get it. I love colors too, and find myself in the minority here.
Sorry about the rain, that’s why I didn’t wish to stay in the Pacific Northwest. Here on the “sunny” side of the mountains we have some snow but the sunny days are glorious! Will send you a photo when I get time!
Merry Christmas
Peggi
Snow?! AND sun?! Forgive me for being forward but please may I move in with you???
Hi Florence
I’m new to your blog, and recently relocated to Texas. I’ve done needlework since childhood. I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts. Your projects are beautiful and ambitious. Hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with lots of inspiration.
Great colours in the cushions – definitely an antidote to all that rain and sludge we’ve had!
We were doing surprisingly well in Glasgow, but sadly the rain arrived today. At least I don’t have to drive to the parentage in it – thank goodness for trains.
I love your cushion covers, they are exactly the right amount of bright and lovely colours for my liking!
Just when I thought you would love all these extra puddles and temporary lakes ;-)! I wish you a very colourful Christmas!