autumn · countryside · in the woods · wildlife

A proper autumn walk

Well, yesterday looked like being the very best day of the week weather-wise, so I decided to go adventuring in the woods with my camera (and this time with my walking boots too). These woods are very local, being part ofย Goldingtons nature reserve,ย only a 5 minute drive away at Hertford Heath. There a network of paths criss-cross mixed wood and heathland and with the sun reaching through the trees to warm earth drenched by heavy rain from the day before, there was a rising mist that held the sunlight in magical golden shafts.

Wandering through the trees I found fungi, insects, butterflies and lots of busy squirrels and noisy jays, both hiding stashes of nuts ready for the colder months ahead. In a field bordering the wood I made friends with 3 sleepy ponies and a little further on a dog called Bella came bounding up to say hello and seemed to want to follow me instead of her owner. I skirted a pond decorated with a carpet of thick green algae and headed deeper into the woods along an ancient path flanked by raised banks from which twisted coppiced hornbeams stretch their tortured trunks. I even found trees with faces. Because of the earlier rain there was a wonderful damp earth, decaying leaf smell and the air was busy with the calls of many small birds. It was a full sensory experience, as all good wood walks should be. The only thing missing was a snack, but that was soon sorted once I was home again.

Today I am knuckling down to lots of seaming and tail attaching for that long overdue bunch of bunnies. I plan to pop back on Friday with news of a little giveaway, so please come and visit again then if you’d like to join in. ‘Til then enjoy your midweek days x

autumn · countryside · crafts & knitting · in the woods

cosying on a windy day

 

Our ‘new normal’ is beginning to feel familiar now, with returns to comfortable routines for the three of us here and Amy settling in well and having a great time away at Uni.

For most of the last week I’ve been sorting my tangled mess of knitting projects and tidying the house, but on Thursday I headed off for a peaceful autumn walk. The leaves have yet to fully change colour, so the woods are not yet at their most photogenic and I forgot to take my waking boots (yet another indication of my lack of concentration skills right now) so I didn’t end up walking as far as planned. I had hoped to find lots of fungi, but it’s been so dry that there was very little around and what I did find was shrivelled and sad looking.

Friday was really windy here, so although I had actually remembered to put my walking boots back in the car, I decided to stay home. Happily I was browsing Ravelry and saw Alicia Plummer’s newly released ParkTrail sock pattern, so I snuggled up, cast on and enjoyed a little quiet and cosy knitting time in the warm afternoon sunlight shimmering through the wind-whipped trees outside the window. The notes on the yarn I’m using etc. are on my Ravelry project page.

My list of things to do this coming week includes finally finishing off the batch of animals that I started earlier this year. I’ll pop back with some pictures in a few days or so and hopefully will have some news of when they’ll be available for those interested soon. Maybe we’ll have a little giveaway too – it was my 12th blogging anniversary at the beginning of September, so I think a giveaway would be in order.

Hope you’re enjoying the weekend where you are. I’m off to knit more rows of my socks – they’re going to make great walking socks for more autumn walks. See you soon, J x

 

autumn · crafts & knitting

And suddenly Winter arrived…

In a few short but very windy hours last week most of the autumn leaves were blown away and winter breezed in. I had hoped to get out for a few more autumn walks but I’ve missed the boat for this year. Though I did manage toย take some pictures around the garden before most of the leaves blew away and gather up some wonderful leaves from our neighbours cotinus smoke bush to dry. Still, the arrival of winter and the few early morning frosts over recent days have given me the perfect excuse to cast on a new pair of mittens and knitting by the fire is a happy trade off.

The pattern above is Pinwheel Mitts by BomBella designs (Ella Austin) in collaboration with Loop. I’m using yarn from my stash; Madeline Tosh sock in Robin Red Breast and The Uncommon Thread tough sock in Manuscript and the pattern is working nicely with the contrast. They’ll be a perfect pair of christmassy mittens to go delivering presents in. Project notes are here.

Temperatures are set to dip into negatives tonight so I’m changing duvet covers on everyone’s beds here this afternoon and getting blankets ready.

Hope you’re warm and cosy and happy where you are, see you soon x