Little Cotton Rabbits

snippets of summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The much longed for rain has at last come, and it's come, and come. It's been wonderful to feel it on my skin and to smell that unique scent that the arid land gives up after rain - isn't it brilliant that there's even a special word for it - petrichor.  The land has soaked it up and quenched the parched plants and trees, and green has returned to the countryside all around us here, it is beautiful.

I ran out of steam a little in August, hence the lack of posts here. Caring for Toby 24/7 is intensive and full on and therefore not much else gets done. He returned to college last monday and so I spent last week tidying the house, sorting laundry, and tackling all of the householdy things that were neglected during August. I'm now 'back at work' and have a large email backlog to work through - I'm so sorry if you're waiting on a reply from me, hopefully you'll receive one this week. Once I've tidied my inbox I'll be starting pattern writing again. Lots of knitting was done on the cooler summer days but it was haphazard, and I have little knitted body parts and scribbled notes scattered throughout the house. I finished a shawl and was also seized by the desire to start knitting mittens. This always seems to happen to me during the hottest months of the year, I suppose it's a form of planning for cooler times. However, I seem to have started 4 pairs! It seems that in all aspects of life I'm in great need of some serious organising.

Anyway, here are some snippets from my summer...

• Hulling and chopping strawberries and discovering perfect little hearts inside, 
• The pictures along the river Beane are where I ate my birthday breakfast croissant and coffee, having taken myself off for a peaceful, reflective walk at 7am and where I saw dragonflies, a flock of geese and the colourful darting of a kingfisher - a real birthday treat before the hustle and bustle of the day.
• Finishing a shawl, knitted from the 'Hollows' pattern by Melody Hoffman
• The mittens I'm working on are mostly from the 'Antiquity' pattern by Alicia Plummer and the mustardy coloured pair are knitted in 'dyeing light'  RamJam from Daughter of a Shepherd beautifully hand-dyed by Woollenflower. The yarn is rustic and on the outside edge of what I'm able to tolerate next to my skin but the colours are so very lovely that I just don't care. I admit to being just a little obsessed with this yarn at the moment :)

I'm so looking forward to Autumn this year, and to all of its delights: cooler temperatures; damp woodlands; fungi forays; cosy clothes; blankets on the bed;  lighting the fire; casseroles and hot puddings and lots of knitting. And I am definitely looking forward to getting organised, hope to see you again soon, J x

 

Longing for rain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We are longing for rain here and we British are not accustomed to making such statements about the weather, on the contrary we're usually characterised by carrying our umbrellas everywhere and complaining about it being too wet. It has however been so very hot and dry here for the last month and with no rain in the forecast for the next few weeks we are longing for a torrential downpour, though even a light shower would be most welcome. The land is utterly parched and out in the woods the leaves have crisped, turned yellow and fallen, the blackberries are already ripening in the hedgerows and acorns are already well on the way to dropping - as though autumn has already arrived. My pictures in the previous post of the countryside in June now prompt me to feel nostalgic for the green and lush growth that we had throughout the Spring. Everything is now baked dry, bleached out and wizened by the sun and the seasons seem to be all out of kilter. Though on a positive note there have been some amazing sunsets recently.

We're now half way through Toby's long summer break from college and we have fallen into a comfortable routine. In the mornings he chooses to stay in bed with his breakfast on a tray and his musical books and duplo to play with. Once he decides to get up he and I head off for a 2-3 mile walk and a picnic lunch. It's lovely spending time with him outdoors - he loves being outside and is usually at his best, especially when we have a quiet walk and don't encounter many people or dogs. It's a nice time together and we've mainly walked near to lakes and rivers where it's a still green and is a little cooler.

I had a couple of objectives to work on with him this summer and those are going well. Firstly I wanted to get him used to carrying his own rucksack with his snack and water bottle inside, that way my backpack isn't as laden and heavy and I don't get so worn out at the end of our walks. That has gone really well and he's now completely used to carrying his own supplies in his backpack - something I'll be so grateful for in the winter when he'll also be able to carrying the layers of clothing that he always removes on our winter walks.

My second objective is to get him to choose when to take off his ear defenders and hat without needing to be prompted. He always wears them whenever we go out anywhere as they help him cope with sensory overload, which he frequently struggles with and which often freezes him to the spot or results in a meltdown. When it is quiet and calm (with no barking dogs or human noise) he is relaxed enough to do without them and it's nice to see him coping without them for at least part of our daily walks.

Thirdly I'm trying to get him used to me stopping to take pictures of things. This is something that has always distressed him and so up to now it's something I've not often done. But being able to take pictures will make our walks more fulfilling and enjoyable for me and so with my eye on future life after college when he'll be my constant walking companion I've decided to start what will probably be a long process, so far with mixed results, though as you can see I have managed to get a few pictures on our recent walks.

On the knitting front there's not much to show, my fingers get all fat and fumbly in the hot weather but in between looking after Toby's every need I am slowly working on small versions of some of my animal patterns and also on some sweaters, coats and cardis for the smaller 7 inch sized animals. Once Toby is back into his term time routine in September I'll be free to step up the pace on these patterns and will keep you posted here. 

Hopefully see you again soonish, 'til then be well and happy x

 

 

quiet winter days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
― Edith Sitwell

This quote chimes well with my idea of a perfect January - quiet days, spent gently and slowly. Of course life often has other ideas and usually throws up unexpected things to get in the way of peace and relaxation, but there have been some calm and relaxing moments in my January so far...

• peaceful moments watching the skies at sunrise whilst sipping the first cup of tea of the day, January has the best sunrises,
• calm moments spent reading and planning for the year ahead, I'm finding these books really helpful - 'Do Pause' and 'Do Breathe' books from the Do Book Company
• some weekend morning gentle-paced knitting, accompanied by tea and toast and warm blankets and Volume 3 of Shetland Wool Adventures which is a lovely read,
• and lots of quiet walks in the countryside, which is currently resting quietly under a wintry sparkle of frost.

 

I hope the new year so far has been kind to you and that you're finding comfort and calm in some of your favourite things this month too, J x

 

All I want for Christmas...

 

 

 

The two little animals above have been gifted to friends, the cards are all sent, the tree is up, the presents for the children are wrapped and the larder is full - I'm at last prepared for and looking forward to a few gentle-paced, family-based days. We have a quiet and simple Christmas here, centred around sharing time together, eating and relaxing. There's nothing I'm hoping for in the way of physical presents, but if my Christmas day includes some of the following then it will be a good one...

• A crisp, frosty dawn with mother-of pearl coloured clouds high above the rising sun and the song of a robin heralding daybreak from the top of the plum tree as I give the hens their breakfast,
• A cup of good coffee to warm my fingers after coming in from the cold,
• Toby and Amy having a long lie in, so I can sit with my soulmate and spend a little time alone together,
• Christmas carols on the stereo so I can sing along as I peel potatoes and prep for lunch,
• Hoping that my roast potatoes get crispy and the turkey stays juicy and flavourful, so that I can show my family what they mean to me with a gift of good food,
• An afternoon family film on the tv so we can all curl up together and feel nostalgic,
• An evening cosying by the fire with a glass or two of something warming,
• A bright moon floating in a clear sky studded with stars, so I can send up grateful thanks for a day well lived before heading off to a warm bed.

I'm signing off now but will see you in the new year, I hope your holidays bring you what you are hoping for and a little peace and pleasure and time with those you love most,

J xxx

 

snapshots from summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello again, it's been too long. The mid summer months are mostly taken up with family time here and I've been busy keeping Toby occupied and helping Amy get organised and moved back in here with us after finishing her degree. Above are a few snapshots of my summer: enjoying the warm sun; peaceful sky watching; finding different garden visitors; watching dramatic storms and grateful to be inside, and delighting in the the lovely Hertfordshire countryside.

There has been also a little time for knitting shoe-horned in too, as you'll see in the first picture above, and since finishing the dogs pattern back in May I've been having fun gradually developing this new 'little Cotton Rabbits' character, (hopefully you can tell it's a Koala). The pattern is all written up but until Toby is settled in his new placement at college I'll not have the chance to take all the pattern photos. It is coming along nicely though so I'll keep you posted when it's ready to share.

With Toby starting at college on Monday I'm a bit anxious and occupied with trying to make that go as smoothly as possible, but I'll be popping back as soon as the dust settles with knitting news and a celebratory giveaway because today is my 15th anniversary of starting this blog!

See you again soon xx