Hello again!
Publishing a knitting pattern is a small/totally insignificant step for mankind, but a big step for me. It makes me feel vulnerable to be so visible, and I’m very grateful for all of your kind words here and elsewhere. Thanks!
This week, no matter how hard I try, I feel unable to put together a coherent story. So here are a few unrelated items from this past November week.
Market
On Saturday I visited a small market in a neighbouring village. It was all about sustainable and hand made products, and there were some six or seven stalls in all.
It was organized by a local shop selling organic clothes for adults, children and babies.
It was a joy to look at the lovely colours, fabrics and yarns used. The prices were staggering, but I think that they reflect what we should really be paying if clothes are to be produced with respect for the environment and the people making them.
There was also a rack of second-hand clothes, or pre-loved as some would call them.
I don’t think it was the purpose of the market, but I felt really inspired to make even more myself than I already do. I’ll always be knitting, of course, but I’m also thinking of taking up sewing again.
Even more than the wares on display, I enjoyed the lovely arrangements with hydrangea flowers everywhere around. Like this cheerful combination with red enamelware…
… and this beautiful wreath in faded shades.
I also stood gazing out towards the neighbours’ beautifully restored farm buildings.
Ah, lovely! Still, in spite of all that gazing around, I didn’t go home empty-handed. As well as some paper for folding stars, these two wooden roe deer came home with me.
On my needles
I’m knitting another Story Lines shawl. This time in a combination of two Rowan yarns: their all-time favourite Kidsilk Haze and their new Felted Tweed Colour. I’m not entirely sure about it – the yarns work well together, I think, but did I choose the right colours?
Sunday morning walk
As we usually do, we went for a walk on Sunday morning.
The sky was overcast, but now and then the sun came out, bathing everything in very bright light.
We saw a group of roe deer in a field. The horses in the meadow next to it were watching them too.
Towards the end of our walk there was a faint rainbow in the sky.
Struggling to stay positive from time to time, I drink in any symbol, sign or ray of hope, no matter how faint.
Visitors
The sparrowhawk visiting our garden last year is back (or at least I think it is the same one). We haven’t seen him for a long time, but there he suddenly was – now in his full adult colours. Just look at those fierce eyes!
And we’ve had another visitor, too, new to our garden – a red squirrel. Here it is, snacking on a hazel nut:
Over the past couple of weeks it’s become a frequent visitor, busily running to and fro burying nuts everywhere.
Up early
I often wake up very early and have given up trying to go back to sleep. Instead I tiptoe down the stairs and spend a quiet hour (or two, or sometimes three) before breakfast drinking many cups of tea, knitting and reading by lamplight.
My big linen stitch wrap is almost finished. All I need to do is knit on I-cord along both long edges and finish the fringe. I want to finish a few other items before the end of the year, but my hands are also itching to start all kinds of new things, big and small.
Well, that’s all for today. Enjoy your weekend and see you again next week! xxx
Thank you for another wonderful post – such a joy to read (as always)!
So, I assume we will be seeing some very small projects in the near future;-)
My very best wishes for the whole family!
Andrea
Hello Andrea, it’s always lovely to hear from you (can you see the big smile on my face?) Yes, yes, your assumption is correct. Thanks for your kind wishes!
Wat een fantastisch nieuws! Gefeliciteerd!
Leuk, hè? Dank je!
I always enjoy visiting with you! Thank you?
And you’re always more than welcome!
I always find your posts so interesting! I’m not sure, however, whether you receive my comments. I do not know what you mean by “Website”, so I leave that box blank, but fill in the rest. I try and grapple with the same dilemma as you, that is, whether to finish my current knitting project, or veer off course, and begin something new.
Meanwhile, I know that there are far more worse dilemmas than this one!
Enjoy the rest of fall… It has been lovely in The States, with very mild weather for this time of year.
Hi Lorraine, I always receive your comments and they are very much appreciated! People without a website can just leave that space blank. At the moment I’m concentrating on finishing things, but usually it’s a mix of projects in progress, projects ‘resting’ for a while, and new things. What’s the saying again: variety is the spice of life?
Lovely post as always. It is indeed food for thought what clothes would cost if we paid their real value.
Thank you! Absolutely! When I grew up my mum made our clothes not just because she loved doing it, but also because it saved money. Now it is often far less expensive to buy them than to make them ourselves and that can’t be right.