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Winter and woollens
I've used Silverpebble's and Thrifty Household's excellent Making Winter project to start something I've been meaning to do for a while: taking time out of my day, every day, to stand or sit outside for ten minutes and drink a cup of tea or coffee. I think even in the very depths of winter I would get enjoyment from wrapping up warmly, stepping out into the garden and watching what's going on around me as I sip a hot drink and think about what needs to be done with my day.
Today I looked at the lavender bush where I saw Mr Toad back in May. The lavender bush did pretty well this year but I realised that I still need to cut off the dead flower stalks.
I checked that the hens were happy under their new rain cover. They get a new one every winter, and I spend each spring and summer looking for perfectly clear shower curtains that I can use. Gill found this one for me in the Habitat closing down sale.
I marvelled at the amount of cherry leaves that had fallen in just one day since I last cleared them all up. I love how they look on the green grass, but if I leave them there, we will have no grass next summer...so every week or so I rake them up.
And I drank my cup of tea and rejoiced at my toasty warm shoulders and wrists. As well as Making Winter, there's something else that has caught my eye this month: Wovember. This is Kate Davies' and Felicity Ford's campaign and celebration of 100% wool. I was as appalled as Kate was to discover, when I read her blog last month, that an item of clothing that contains no wool whatsoever can still legally use the word wool or woollen in its description. Wovember has been set up as a way to highlight this issue, campaign to change it, and at the same time celebrate everything 100% wool.
My shawl is knitted from sock yarn, which is a wool blend of 75% wool and 25% polyamide. This enables socks and shawls and anything else knitted with it to be subjected to lots of use and regularly chucked in the washing machine. My armwarmers are 100% wool, from merino sheep, and I just love them to bits. They are incredibly warm, and perfect for pulling over my hands as I clutch my early morning cup of tea.
how lovely to see your gardens and your hens all tucked up warm and cosy. (I need to find a cover for the side of our hens run, I hadn't thought of shower curtain, thanks for the tip!) I've just finished my cuppa, but I'll take another one outside later x
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely idea! Usually the garden at this time of year, with all its jobs that have no time alloted for them, just makes me despair - could this help?
ReplyDeleteUncanny. Yesyertday I felt the need to sit on the front step, survey the leaves lying everywhere and watch the neighbours pick theirs up! I sat on a plump cushion with a blankie on my kness and a big cup of tea. Boys were out and about on bikes and i had about a mug of tea sized window of opportunity. Yesterday's feeling of something special happening in November is shaping up nicely what with this post and a few others!!
ReplyDeleteI really need to follow your example. If I don't have time for a full on walk then a cuppa in the garden is perfect. Thanks so much for this post.
ReplyDeleteSitting outside is such a good idea - I think it is very good for the soul! I will add this to my list of resolutions! I love your hen's rain cover - if I had known those shower curtains were in the sale I would have bought some for my own shower!
ReplyDeletePomona x
I love doing this. I actually think I enjoy sitting outside for 5 minutes in the autumn/winter more than when its hot. Children & hubby think I'm crackers though!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, and makes the mug hug I've been planning even more essential! I will be nipping over to Wovember now as wool is dear to my heart,
ReplyDeleteOh I did smile to see your lovely hen run rain cover, how kind you are to your hens. Winter coffee outdoors is a splendid idea, I may try to join you, in a virtual way.
ReplyDeleteOK
ReplyDeletetomorrow I promise I will take my cuppa outside
even if it is raining
That's a great idea! I love coffee outside in the summer but should make effort in winter too. My parents do that a lot - they have a 'sitooterie' (a shelter in the garden where you 'sit oot') which is perfect. I have nowhere to sit on the inevitable wet days but whenever it's reasonably dry I'll be out there :-).
ReplyDeleteThat's such a good idea. I love being outside and in the summer take the time to sit out when I can....but you are right it could be the perfect thing to do all year round. Will have to try and squeeze it into my day. Juliex
ReplyDeleteAnother person who stand in the garden drinking tea with her granny gloves on- always good to know I'm not the only one out there! You probably do far more than me though, I stand there slurping on my tea & thinking about what I'm going to do in the garden & then go inside & do something else instead!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the Making Winter Project- I think it's going to be good fun & hopefully it'll convince Emma of the wonders of winter too.
Hopped over from Silverpebble via the Making Winter blog hop.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of tea in the garden - in spring and summer and fall. When it gets to be -10 outside (Fahrenheit) I don't think I could face it! :)
But breathing fresh air and looking at Nature does do wonderful things for the brain.
Thanks for the Wovember link. I just received a lovely merino wool undershirt as a birthday gift, and it is amazing. I'll share the link with some sheep-loving friends who will appreciate it.
What a lovely idea to spend time in the garden with a cup of tea or coffee. My garden is sadly too much of a mess to want to spend time in but I like the idea! Lucy x
ReplyDeleteI like this so much! I often sit and look through the sliding glass door, but you are right, there is no substitute for actually being in the fresh air with the smells and other sensory thrills. Besides, while I'm out there, I always get inspired to do at least one task for the improvement of the scene. :-)
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