Ah hello, my Fine Fibrous Friends. It’s good to see you. Yes, you.
A confession: I was worried. My previously unquenchable need to knit and to design went AWOL for a while. Seriously, you could have dumped me beside the most magical motifs that Mother Nature has to offer, and instead of thinking I CAN WORK THE INTRICACIES OF THIS SLIME MOULD INTO THE PATTERN FOR A STRANDED DRESS, I’d have shrugged and taken another sip of green tea… or wine, depending on the time of day.
Also, I’ve been distracted by the demands of our little vegetable garden, because it’s a busy time of year for growers, and my nerd-brain needs to update multiple charts and spreadsheets with every single gram of produce that ripens. I’m not joking: you’re welcome to take as much food as you like from my garden, but heaven help you if you don’t weigh it and record it in the little notebook on the kitchen table first.
But three weeks ago, my creative urge wandered nonchalantly back in as though it’d never been away.* Like an errant cat, it shrugged and demanded sustenance. Who was I to refuse?
And so. Remember the cowl that I designed and made for my wonderful friend-of-nearly-half-a-century, Rebecca? This one:-
I want to release the pattern, but the original used all 21 shades of Stylecraft Highland Heathers DK, which is more of an ask than most yarn-buyers would be prepared to countenance for one cowl. So I decided to produce several colour palettes, each comprising six shades. It rapidly became clear that there’d be a seasonal theme to these palettes, as the first one I created screamed AUTUMN:-
Having set off on a seasonal theme, I next created winter. But before you get any ideas of crisp white snow against a sparkling blue sky, this is a BRITISH winter, so the colours are sludgy and muddy and WHEN-WILL-THIS-SLIGHTLY-CHILLY-SOGGINESS-EVER-END?!
Next up, spring and/or summer.
I knitted the samples pictured above whilst we were away for a week in the north of England. Ah, the traditional British holiday: hiking over moors in near-horizontal rain, eating rain-soaked sandwiches huddled behind a dry stone wall, munching crisps in a pub garden in the rain. You’re getting the theme by now, yes? I mean, a holiday’s got to be enough of an endurance test that you long to return to the toil of normal life, right? That’s the point of holidays, is it not?
It was exactly the sort of experience that I sulked and grumped about as a child/teen, then promptly embraced as soon as I hit adulthood. Ditto eating olives and exploring museums. So now the Stoic Spouse and I are busy raising the next generation of bog-skipping, rain-enduring, mud-sliding contour-junkies – only they don’t know it yet because they’re currently at the THIS IS STUPID AND I WANT TO GO HOME AND PLAY WITH THE KITTENS AND HAVE SCREEN-TIME stage.
Actually the twinnage did enjoy quite a lot of our week away because we played a lot of badminton in the garden of the holiday cottage, and one of the twinnage spotted a very rare beetle, and we spotted lizards and a snake (female adder), and we stayed beside a heritage steam railway, and we pottered in a local stream – all things that the twinnage love.
But both boys found it hard to be away from the cats and were very happy to return home for reunification with the fluffy little terrorists. It’s melting my heart how thoroughly they’ve embraced their servitude to our feline overlords.
So now we’re back home and everyone has screen-time and kittens, and very very soon I’ll publish the pattern for the ‘Rebecca’ cowl, and all will be well in the yarny world.
Also, would you like a 493 gram courgette?
*Actually, I think this had a lot to do with a change of tactic by the acupuncturist I’ve been seeing for over twenty years.
Delighted to learn of the family observance of cat superiority.
Yup, the cats taught us fast about our lowly position in our own household. Sigh.
Long covid completely took away my desire to knit (and take photos for Instagram,). I haven’t been able to go near my craft room for 3 years. Do you mind sharing the approach your acupuncturist took. Mine is very open to suggestions.
Ugh, I’m sorry that you’ve had to endure such horror, and hope that you recover soon. I will ask my acupuncturist for an explanation that I can pass on. He was previously treating me for qi stagnation but changed tack to I’m not sure what…
Beautiful photographs! Always love the amusing way you write about what you’ve been doing 😊. I love the cowl but, to be honest, I’m almost more drawn to the delicious looking home grown grub! You have such green fingers! The soft fruits look especially plump and inviting 😋. Enjoy what’s left of the summer 👍
Thank you so much for all of this! Actually my fingers are not naturally green and I really have to work hard at this growing thing. But I’m learning. May the remainder of your summer be joyful.
Ah, ya, this time of year in Minnesota, if you leave your car unlocked, you’re more likely to find a pile of zucchini in your back seat, than have the car stolen!
Truth! Also true if you have a back stoop hidden from the street. Also, if one attends church, book group, Bible study, knitting group, really, any group at all, you will be offered an abundance of surplus produce.
Ha, I love this! Must admit that my neighbour and I have been offering each other produce in an increasingly desperate way!
I too envy your garden…and such delight it must be to eat at your house…. I live in the Southern USA… SC.. it is too hot even in winter for a cowl of any kind. I have many pairs of wool socks, that never touch my feet, as well as leg warmers and sweaters… I should donate them to people who live in cold climes… I for one LIKE it hot.
Hot is good I agree, up to a point. Not sure I could cope with your level of heat, though…
YUM, YUM, YUM! Love the pictures of your fruits and veggies from the garden. I’m allergic to fruit, so don’t usually eat it, but that picture has me drooling, especially the raspberries. And the veg look fabulous, too. Those I can eat, and would gladly, if only I knew what “achocha” is.
Oh, yeah, the knitted cowl is lovely, and I’m sure the pattern will be just as lovely. But you can keep the cold, rainy vacation. I am truly addicted to sunshine, blue skies, and warm/hot temperatures. Still, I really look forward to your posts, and always enjoy ever word of them.
Thank you so much for your kindness. Achocha is new to me, too, but given our climatic shifts, I’m experimenting with growing things that would usually be seen in warmer climes. Achocha tastes a bit like cucumber when small, and when it’s bigger it’s best to cook it at which point it tastes like green pepper. But oh my goodness, the plant rampages EVERYWHERE!
Always a wonderful start to the morning to find a blog post from you. So pleased you’ve got your ‘knit’ back. My first tomato is nearly ripe and we had the first courgette last week.
Thank you, and enjoy your wonderful home-nurtured produce.
Great to hear from you again. Know what you mean about the creative urge wandering off for a while, after ten years of almost continuous knitting (interspersed with routine stuff like meal prep, washing, gardening, Lockdowns, moving house, bigger gardens . . .) I didn’t knit, and wasn’t bothered by the lack (!) for all of a week.
Love your fertile garden. Ours are doing well, though I don’t weigh everything. I think this year we’ve had a greater weight of produce than Ravenous Molluscs – does anyone have a hedgehog in need of a well-stocked new home? Since ‘too wet July’ the Runner Beans have ‘beaned’ and we’re currently keeping on top of the bounty of our two ginormous courgette plants. Time to make your delicious Courgette Cake, I think.
Yeah, those molluscs can certainly be pesky. I do recommend a pond or two. In the several years since I dug both our ponds, the frog population has expanded to the point where you can’t walk near a flower/veg bed without disturbing several froglets, and I’d honestly be scared for my life if I were a slug in our garden.
I lovely the cowls, especially the very colourful one. Hippie here. was part of a group of crafty female for years, one was an extremely ordinary screaming B. Her last outburst made me quit the group and took away my mojo. Slowly getting it back. I took the cats with me, on plane, motor home and rentals. COVID hit, work change, kids study, me with nose in fur made me less travel crazy.The garden ran wild after 6 bloody weeks of rain, find a sitter for my pond fish and hedgehogs became difficult and suddenly I enjoy staying home. More than 3 days away makes me homesick already. Unbelievable, am I getting old? Sjees!
Oh my goodness, that’s horrendous to have suffered such a fate! May you recover all of your mojo and more. May your cats bring you smiles every day.
Hi there, are you doing something different in posting? Because I can only see 3 photos, which is sad as they are usually a joy! Thanks for blogging though, always makes me smile. Looking forward to some cold damp evenings to justify getting out my wool, somewhat too hot right now in southern europe.
Oh! That’s strange. I’m not sure, sorry… There are definitely more than three pictures in the post. But more importantly, may your weather in southern Europe return to a more bearable temperature very very soon.
I’m so glad you’ve rediscovered your knitting mojo – it’s a horrid thing to suddenly lose interest in something you love. It happened to me over lockdown with both crafting AND reading, which was awful. I’m reading a lot more now but still have to actively remind myself to pick up my knitting, rather than it being a thing I do automatically.
Also, from a purely selfish point of view, I always enjoy your fabulous creations, so it’s lovely to have them back!
Thank you so very much, m’dear. And yes, my previously bomb-proof urge to read and write fiction fell by the wayside after having the twinnage, and has yet to return. Grr. Fancy a Pepper-walk?
YES!
This weekend?
I’ll swap courgettes with you. My biggest one is 2892g…. Yes, you read that correctly. Alpaca poo (from a friend’s ‘pacas) and lots of rain!! We were away for a fortnight!
Lots of ratatouille and courgette and lime cake…..
Oh my goodness, I’m in awe!
I think our creative brains need to recharge…sometimes I have so many ideas bubbling in my head it hurts. Just recently it too has been quiet…however it won’t need much for it to be in overload again.
Yes, you’re wise and you’re right.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your writing!!
Gosh thank you, you’re very kind… unless how much you enjoy my writing is NOT AT ALL BECAUSE IT’S UTTERLY ABYSMAL!
I wish that I had known you were in Yorkshire, I would have come to give you a hug and have a good old knitting chat. I Iook forward to your blog posts. xx
Aww Geraldine, you’re so kind! Thank you. I’m sure we’ll be back to Yorkshire at some point.
There is so much to love here! Your colorful cowl is stunning, along with the follow-on seasonal patterns. You’re a wizard. You gardening skills equal your knitting prowess. Those berries look tasty and sweet. (All our berries either died from the heat or were eaten by…something) I’m sorry to hear about all that rain, but from your photos it looks like the sun came out on occasion. That last pic is stunning. I’m glad you got your fibrous mojo back.
Am excitedly awaiting the release of the cowl pattern….especially as I’m down to only about 1,000 projects in the queue 😄
I totally missed this post in my email. So glad to have finally read it. I so enjoy reading about life in another part of the world. Thank you!!