Well?

So...  What have I been doing? Well.....

Knitting ....

Himself - a moss green moss stitch pullover

Me - a simple scarf in garter stitch with left over wool. It was to be for me to wear at work but Himself has eyed it up, so I may be making another one soon....

And about to start a cardigan for me with chrimbly gifted wool in sea washed denim shades.

Cooking ...

Picture from website

Mushroom and lentil Hotpot - ye gods - absolutely delicious! (Recipe HERE)

Cranberry Muffins (Recipe HERE)

picture from website

Making ...

dozens (and dozens) of paper birds - for work, for friends and for home

Wire flowers and tiny houses to decorate the 'tree' for spring

Wreaths bases for work

Willow plant supports

Walking ...

Miles and miles in the Dales - Himself and I both losing ourselves in blue skies and gentle sunshine 

or in woodlands, breathing in deep earthy scents full of flavour and aromas

Repairing ....

Jeans, harem pants, Wool overcoat

Loving....

That crystal clear scent of the first hyacinth bloom as it swirls around the room

Reading ....

Ichigo Ichie (Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles) - still loving and learning and absorbing and trying to live by these words - and when I can put them in practise - it seems to make the day so much sweeter!

Also Vesper Flights (Helen Macdonald) - just dipped in and already enjoying it, 

and have Wakenhyrst (Michelle Paver) waiting to be picked up.

Gardening ....

At work mostly - hard wood cuttings, compost turning, woodchip mulching, glasshouse tidying,

 willow plant-support making, seed selecting(buying) 

and happy dancing when I spot a snowdrop in the woodland garden we are creating. 

Last autumn the volunteers and I planted thousands (and I do mean thousands) of bulbs - 

to see them beginning to appear is like a shot in the arm of pure delight.

Learning....

Mandatory training for work - firefighting, H&S, emergency first aid (to include gunshot wounds, pierced eyes, first to the scene responder at a multiple car pile up and removing a splinter from a finger ....) - boy do I feel prepared (NOT!)

www.freeimages.co.uk

Appreciating...

as much as I can, noticing the good, finding that moment of joy

(even when I want to grind my back teeth...!)

So - that is just a little of what I am up to - what you knitting? Reading? Eating? Making? Enjoying?

Go on spill the beans - I love to hear what you have been up to :)

Summer Solstice and seven days seven photos

 Monday

The first day of the new working week layout - volunteers and I worked in a sweltering warm kitchen garden where one of the many daily tasks was to start harvesting the heavenly scented strawberries. Their perfume intensified by the warm air was intoxicating and we kept lifting up a choice morsel and saying ... this one is absolutely perfect.... No this one is even better! .... look at the size of this one! ... 

Tuesday

Today was set aside for private gardens which are a complete contrast to the hot and bustling kitchen garden, these are cooler, greener, and despite the amount of work completed, seem both more calmer and relaxing. Being surrounded by flowers, hedges and meadows is good for the soul!

Wednesday

Another day in the kitchen garden, a constant stream of people popping in to walk around the raised vegetable beds, asking garden advice or just wanting to chat. Thank goodness for the volunteers as they continue working while I feel to be standing and talking and itching to get on with my almost never ending list of 'Do it RIGHT now' tasks that summer seems to trigger.

Thursday

A different day - teaching. This time instructing 12 lovely ladies how to make a midsommerkrans or mid summer crown or wreath. Buckets of fresh flowers collected, foliage, grasses, green flower pods are coaxed into swirling 'nests' to celebrate the richness and bountiful moments of mid summer.

Friday

Back into the kitchen garden - the day is the warmest of the year so we retreat after lunch into the cool and lushness of the young orchard. I have to firmly encourage the volunteers to enjoy the slowness of weeding around the mini meadows beneath each tree and relish the cool breeze. I start summer pruning the young trees and celebrate the surrounding greenness in stark contrast to the formal construction of the kitchen garden. I also discover my favourite 'tree' - a 'tea-tree' !

Saturday

Himself and I wake up over looking Sunderland Point having set off the night before in the van. After a blissful and much needed good night's sleep we collect Youngest's goods and chattels from his uni digs because this particular lanky loon has finished university and bar the final 'extrav' and graduation day is now a free man (until the next step) - where has time gone? We load up the van while Moss sits in the front and 'guards'.

Sunday

Father's day, the boys send Himself some wonderfully disrespectful cards which amuse us both greatly, then we spend the morning pottering in the garden, baking and tinkering with the van before my folks come for afternoon tea and still slightly warm oaty biscuits.

Seven days, seven photos, many stories briefly mentioned and many which have not. My feet seem not to have touched ground for some weeks now however, with the new hours at work, I am hoping that things will be easier - not because I am doing less or doing more - but doing them at a better pace for me.

Happy summer solstice - this may be the half point of the calendar year but it is the beginning of the astrological summer with all the lushness and warmth and sunshine (being positive here seeing I do live in the north of the uk!!!) that summer can bring!

And, I shall leave you with the toast we shared at the midsommerkrans workshop ....

May the flowers in your hair stay fresh and your dance around the maypole be strong....

 skål !

Stitching

 I have a shirt. 

A favourite shirt which I will reach for first nearly every time, it is a perfect partner to jeans and boots. It was a teenage cast-off from one of my boys and I suspect I have loved and lived in it for about nine or ten years. 

Suddenly it started to wear thin - first it was an elbow, so I trimmed the chest pocket and stitched the patch with the teeniest tiny stitches. I was rather pleased how I managed to colour and stripe match making the repair virtually invisible.

Then about six months later, my cuffs and the narrow placket down the front showed signs of wear. So this time I stitched a floral fabric along the wear marks and absolutely loved the contrast of the materials.

Then, last weekend after I'd worked on the Saturday, I changed out of my work duds and of course reached for my jeans, boots and fav shirt. I was horrified to see a huge tear on the back - the fabric has just worn thin with use and love. So reluctantly I had to put on my second favourite shirt (which is so not favourite at all in comparison!) However, the thought of adding patches of love and stitches rather excited me.

In a rather simplistic Boro mending style, I matched embroidery floss to both fabrics and quietly stitched rays of  sympathetic colour. I wanted to reinforce the material of the shirt as well as embellish the patch.

Feeling rather happy with my mending, I shook out the shirt to inspect and found that the other elbow was looking a little thin .... well that meant a bit more mending didn't it...?!

This time I tried a more 'organised' pattern and with a nod to Sashiko mending this time I made long waves of colour. I may be a teeny bit in love with this patch...

Mending my shirt was important - not just the act of making a favourite shirt last a little longer, not just a rebellious act against fast fashion and the throw away society, not just a process of creativity - in a strange small way - I was not just mending my shirt, it was my way of symbolically mending what is happening. 

A form of self care too.

Moments and snapshots

The radio is on filling the room with sound, while Moss sleeps on the carpet in front of the woodburner. She looks so relaxed and the tip of her tongue is sticking out .... 

The air is gently fragranced by a wonderfully vintage rose scented candle. The flickering light makes the walls appear to waft and shift as they change colour by the glow of the flame. 

Himself's gift of roses and lilies still look beautiful and are a daily reminder how lucky I am.

•,¸,.•´♥`•.,¸,••,¸,.•´♥`•.,¸,••,¸,.•´♥`•.,¸,•

This morning I had the pleasure of creating a large spring inspired floral display for an upcoming private event at work. Although not complete - I will be adding snowdrops and ivy tomorrow - I was quietly pleased how it turned out.

A 'nest' of catkins, damp moss, straw and birch twigs surround the open mouth of the jar and if you stand near and close your eyes you can smell the woodland floor.

Small paper hearts hang from the twigs and tomorrow I will be finishing off the individual table decorations - vintage miss-matched china jugs, cups and sauces will be filled with snowdrops, catkins, rosemary and eucalyptus sprigs, twigs and moss.

They are destined for an afternoon tea hen do - I hope the weather plays nicely..... Storm Eunice you are not invited.

•,¸,.•´♥`•.,¸,••,¸,.•´♥`•.,¸,••,¸,.•´♥`•.,¸,•

 

Weaving stories

 I've been playing .....

A little while ago, I'd accidently (oops - suspect my finger slipped on my keyboard ) purchased myself a small loom weaving kit and finally today was the first time I was able to get my hands on it and actually play!

The instructions it came with were a rather lost in translation, so I did a bit of online research and after realising where I'd gone wrong with setting up, I stuck the kettle on and got stuck in!

And I like!!

I like A LOT!

I loved the movement of each row as it builds up and the gentle growth of fabric from woollen thread. It is definitely a slow craft - a mindful, methodical and rhythmic craft and while the weather outside was foul tempered and miserable, I was engrossed and wanting to learn more.

I have since knotted the fringe and trimmed it a little shorter, soaked and blocked the mats and I am on with making the next two...... ! 

My chosen colours, all in pre-shrunk 100% wool, are a lovely tweedy grey, chocolate brown and a soft sandy shade. However each mug mat has a different pattern. The edges might be bumpy and my tension still needing practice however seeing the completed mug mats made my heart sing. I may have mentioned that I am enjoying this ... A LOT!

Right - this is the final  #moreblogvember post for November 2021. There is this myth that it take 21 days to form a habit (where in reality it is nearer 66 days - so two months of blogging just might be enough) we shall see.

#moreblogvember

Blogtober day 31 - you are a STAR!⭐

Today is the final post for #blogtober2021.

When I started I was a little unsure if I had enough waffle to fill a month of posts and I would falter. I did miss a couple of days and I did write some rubbish - no I wrote a lot of rubbish - so if you have read and commented throughout October you deserve a medal or at the very least a pat on the back - thank you!💜💙

This weekend was rather brief and very full - working on Saturday certainly put a dent into the enjoyment of having Eldest and GF over as they seem to leave as soon as they arrived but I am not complaining** - it was lovely having them stay over (** well I am complaining but only about having to work on the Saturday!!)

We went to see DUNE and we seemed to be (apart from one or two of the staff) the only ones wearing masks in the cinema foyer. I was also surprised how few folk were watching.  We were however, 'entertained' by the gentleman sitting IMMEDIATELY behind us (in an empty room that holds 180 people) as he sang loudly, fortunately tunefully, to the Beatles tunes in the lead up to the adverts and trailers.  He did give up on the film after the first hour as did a family of four quite young children. There was almost as much action in the cinema as there was on the screen! Did I enjoyed - yes, coz I love Sci-Fi - especially the epic trilogy type (cue Star Wars) and yes because we go out so infrequently that doing this was  'epic' in itself. 

The weather has been atrocious today and when there appeared to be a small window of relief we wrapped up after lunch and attempted a quick dog walk. As we reached the highest point just above the village we could see more rain rolling in rapidly so we decided to cut short our walk and only just got back in time before it began to absolutely throw it down. Strangely enough despite it raining hard, there was sunshine and a glorious rainbow.

So, once home and dried off - we made origami stars from old maps. It was lovely, just us (and a humpffing dog as she felt short changed over her reduced walk) and a couple of mugs of tea. 

Now it is dark, the weather is miserable, no chance of mini monsters, ghouls and witches braving the elements - rather glad as we have battened down the hatches - don't fancy any visitors tonight.

Right, enough waffle, I am off to the kitchen to cook - not sure what, I'll just have to open the cupboard and see what I am inspired by .... 

And if you have got this far - thank you for sticking it out and thank you for all your lovely comments!

#blogtober2021

Before I set off ...

Yesterday (Monday) was a delightfully quiet one after the last few weeks and weekends shenanigans.

Work has been busy both physically and mentally. As part of grant awarding bodies criteria, we have to achieve certain 'tick box' requirements to fulfil our part of the agreement. So, there have been sessions of teaching both volunteers and public as well as our apprentice alongside the normal gardening sessions. This will alter slightly as the weather turns and there is less gardening on offer. Over the autumn months and leading up to December (can't bring myself to say the festive c word), I'll be running crafting workshops where we'll be making decorations, wreaths as well as wintery garden advice. (find me a dark corner please - I need to hibernate)...

So, to sit quietly with a crochet hook in hand............. working on my latest hat was bliss. A double strand of Alpaca DK, it is thick and weighs 'a tonne' so there better be at least a week of really cold weather to wear this one! I tried it on this morning and it was like wearing a close fitting duvet.

Last week was our wedding anniversary and as is 'tradition' I completely forgot and when Himself presented a beautiful bouquet of Gerbera daisies, yellow and orange roses, yellow lilies and Hypericum berries with a card - it brought me to tears. He is a keeper🧡💖💚. Now a week later the flowers are just beginning to fade, but not enough to throw, so I have tidied them and freshened their water. I want to get a few more days from them.

In between the heavy showers I tried to garden - my own - but was chased by the rain into my greenhouse where I potted up some of the smaller succulents and cacti from my collection. They are such quiet little fellows, not screaming for attention or needing constant cossetting and I do love their stoic determined growth - I use them at work with those folk who don't see gardening as 'their thing' but do seem to be drawn to the simple honesty of these plants.

Eventually I ran out of greenhouse jobs and when the rain eased off a little, I escaped back to the house and switched the oven on and baked a pile of oak leaf shortbread biscuits. As usual, they did not last long.

Pan seamlessly appeared whilst I was in the garden and vanished as secretively and then reappeared when I returned to the house. Her now ever present company albeit on her terms is still something we are getting used to. It still feels special.

I am off to work shortly, however, looking through the window it is looking far from appetising, but as long as the rain holds off, I'll be fine, so if you'll excuse me, I better get ready.

What are you up to today?
Are you also working around the weather or are you safely ensconced somewhere indoors with mugs of tea keeping warm and dry?

Have a lovely Tuesday xxxxx

Edited to add: it rained............. all day, I got wet and had to change fully twice - sigh.

Jump

 This morning I had a bit of a 'leap of faith' moment.

As so many of you have mentioned - crafting or creating seems to have slipped out of our fingers and there are unfinished wips, half done sketches, uncompleted knits or waiting to be frogged items sitting shamefacedly in cupboards or in bags hoping to see the light of day.

At work we are building up towards .... (I can't believe I am even discussing this seasonal event which shall remain nameless) .... so I have been ordering ribbons, bells, dried fruit, cones and coloured twine for the many workshops we will be holding.  We will also be hosting a small festive (oh bugger that word slipped through the filter grrrr) fayre which means I have been making stuff.

Herein lies my leap of faith.  

I was unsure if I could actually make my gardening brain and hands turn back to an art-head and fingers and after a bit of hesitation and a bucket of coffee - I have been busy. 

I am hoping that this small step will be what breaks that mojo wall.

And you?

How are you doing?

Have you managed to get some crafting done? - I hope so, because, if you are anything like me - there has been a crafting shaped hole inside of me and I need to fill that ache it is leaving.

Have a good week xxxx