Though we’re not yet at the Winter Solstice the days now feel very short here. When I wake at just after 7am the sun has not yet risen and by 4pm it’s almost dark. And though daylight might be in short supply, one of the things I love about this time of year is watching the sunrises and sunsets. We’ve had some beautiful skies at these times of day, sometimes all aflame and dramatic and sometimes beautifully subtle like the colours in a mother-of-pearl shell. Some days before I go to wake up sleepy Toby, I take my early morning cuppa and go out into the garden in my coat and PJs to watch the subtle shifts in the cloud colours as the sun comes up. Even at midday the sun only rises now to 16% above the horizon and on bright days this low light slants through the windows casting angled shadows across the surfaces. We’ve had a lot of foggy mornings and a few frosts, both leaving everything damp and dewy and the water droplets that collect on every surface (even a ladybird shell) are illuminated by this low light, so they sometimes appear like silvered glass. All small delightful things that are particular to this time of year.
Kit the fox is still a regular garden visitor and despite the fact that H removed the thick growth of cushiony ivy when he put up new fencing, she still uses the heavy duty netting on the top of the chicken run as a hammock for daytime naps. She has grown her thick winter coat now and curls herself up, tucking her nose under her tail like a duvet to keep out the cold wind.
Here inside I’ve been cosy with my knitting. I’ve been playing around with different textures for a small set of toy scarves. I’ve got the pattern written up but need to knit it through and check it, then will share it as a free pattern with the hope that you might still have a little time to use it for some of your Christmas animal makes. I am also hoping to get the last pictures for the badger pattern I’ve been working on done later today, much later than planned but I’ll be back with news of that soon (ish!).
I’m behind with almost everything on my to-do list but I’m sure I’m not alone in that, it’s been a tough year so we’re all a little frazzled I think, and maybe if some things we had planned to do don’t get done it doesn’t really matter, leastways that seems to be the best way to think at the moment.
I hope you’re getting most of what you need to do done at the moment and that you then get to have some calm and relaxing time coming up over the holiday period, J x
little cotton rabbits 
beautiful pictures!
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More beautiful photographs and inspirational prose, thank you for sharing, Julie, much appreciated ❤️
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Gorgeous photos, especially of the sleeping fox. The winter really is beautiful isn’t it. I especially love that last hour or daylight, when the sun is setting, it’s absolutely magical. I was watching a fabulous sunrise the other morning, as you say, the colours are sensational. Love all the textures you’ve got in the scarves. CJ xx
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Some wonderful photos Julie!!!!!
xxx
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As usual your words move me Julie. We don’t need to see pictures to visualize the scenes you describe. I feel like I am on these walks with you. I love the scarves! Am sitting here thinking which yarn I am going to use to try them all. Blessings to you and your family🥰
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Merci pour toutes ces photos toujours aussi magnifiques et poétiques et vivement the badger pattern !!!
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The little foxes are sooo beautiful!!!
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Your photography skills are simply amazing. They bring as much pleasure looking them as seeing your knitted creations! Thank you for sharing your skills!
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Thank you, Julie, for sharing your photos and insight. You are inspirational! Love to you and your family.
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Thank you for the beautiful photos. They make me happy when I look at them. Thank you also for the lovely scarves pattern too.
Wishing you and your family and Foxie a very happy Christmas and New Year
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Wonderful photos Julie ….Kit is such a beautiful creature!
Looking forward to seeing your new patterns.
V x
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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Your blog is such a pleasure to read. Alas, I don’t knit, but I so enjoy looking at your knitting. Your photos are always stunning, and your commentary so well said and insightful. Your powers of observation are profound. What a wonderful gift you give us all year round. Your calm inner strength is a beacon for us during tough times. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us.
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EVERY THINGS LOVELY, CANT WAIT FOR BADGER PATTERN BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE KNITTING, LITTLE RABBITS
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Stunning photographs! Even when our winter is gloomy, cold and wet, you’ve captured some of the small beauties that not all of us see.
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I do so love your fox that guards the chickens! Hello Kit!
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always enjoy the beauty and the trials of balancing one child with another. my “normal” child is having the difficulties now, and my “american medicaid” child is actually doing rather well within his confines of “wellness”. i so enjoy the recognition of what is good for one person is so superlative for another, even if it only involves tying shoes.
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Thank you for showing us the beauties of this time of year! Lovely post!
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Oh how lovely, thank you thank you thank you! But what do the chickens think of Kit napping above them?
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Always a delight to see a new post from you. Your photos are wonderful.
Happy Christmas!
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Your pictures are stunning – I find it hard to move forward from one to the next! So far from the warmth and long days of Johannesburg; it’s a lovely contrast and a balm in these tough times. Hamba kahle, lala kahle – that’s go well,m stay well in zulu: very apt! Julia Heaney
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Julie, I absolutely love knitting your little animals and giving them as gifts to everyone that has been really kind to me – 30 knitted this year so far. It has been a very difficult year but my knitting has greatly improved. Your pictures are just fantastic and I love the sleeping fox. I check out the sky too each morning for the beautiful colors and for the past year have really enjoyed the beauty of nature. I am just finishing a raindeer so I will be trying out a little scarf for him. Wishing you and your family a lovely Christmas. Niamh Byrne (Wicklow mountains in Ireland).
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I love your beautiful Nature Photos almost as much as your knitting. You, my friend, have the eye and heart of a true artist.
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