December...ing

Bottling - up my sloe Gin from earlier on in the season ready to give.

Repeating - the process with Andy's damson wine which has cleared nicely.

Crocheting - some Christmas bauble decorations to gift.

Pattern link for this one is here.

Feeding - my Christmas cake to give as a family gift. I even found a box and cake board in Home Bargains to make it easy to transport. Time to decorate soon.

Making - a serious amount of making has been happening here in lieu of Christmas shopping in shops. I have knit up lots of scraps into hats for children, family and friends.

Knitting - a new pattern I treated myself to. A joy to knit, wear and gift.

Trying - another new pattern which was free on ravelry. A neck snood for my brother. He has copius amounts of thick long hair so he never wears a hat - in fact we have the same hairstyle! I thought this was perfectly manly.

Whizzing - up some hand made gift tags from Christmas fabric and ribbon off cuts.

Making - a churchyard wreath from our hedgerow holly. So many berries this year.

Supplying - Andy with hot drinks and food transported in a basket to his hedge laying location, he is getting closer and closer towards the house each weekend.

Baking - mince pies. In our family two people love them (Heidi and I) and two people loathe them (Andy and Megan)

Decorating - our new house because we were just too excited to see what the tree would look like in our new front room. I also bought a fireplace swag last year in the sales with the new inglenook in mind.

Trying - on my Christmas day dress which is the Sorrel dress by Jennifer Lauren in this luxurious viscose crepe by Atelier Brunette. It has a subtle festive shine and room to eat a huge dinner!

Mending - my jeans again. On a more frugal note I have continued to add to the thin patches and over sew where I have put previous ones.

Leaving - you with a kitchen-window winter pastel, moody sunset today.

Any seasonal plans for you?

Thanks for calling in. Jo xx 

Cabin calendar

Last weekend we hit the perfect blackberry picking day. It had been sunny and dry all week, a bit of rain the day before but then a perfect late summer day. Not too hot, not too cold, not too windy - you know, just perfect.

We roamed the fields at the farm picking, chatting, getting the inevitable scratches but it was really relaxing - and I am not very good at relaxing.

Simple dinner. I did the toast on the fire as it was quicker than the camping stove.

Spotting, looking, just being ourselves.

We picked over 3lb in the end so we put in some elderberries found along the way to make a gallon of wine when we got home.

The children drew pictures, didn't argue and ate fruit we found on the trees in the hedge.

I also squeezed in two more squares of my cabin-only blanket. I only make squares for it when I am there. I normally make one but sometimes two. 

The perfect end to a really perfect day. 

What are you trying to do before the seasons change?

Jo xxxx

A day at home

Big Sis goes back to school today and the lunchbox runs start again. I wonder if her PE pumps still fit? Anyway, Sunday was a quiet day here with home tasks on the agenda.

Bottling our Autumn harvest of blackberry wine then apple wine.

Some girlie Christmas craft gifts to enjoy.

Planted up with mini daffodils.

A little botanical corner has sprung up in our kitchen. The view might cheer up our very soggy hens.

Little M mused 'it is good to get back to normal isn't it?' such wise words from one so young I felt.

Stay warm. Jo x

PS the sweater pattern from my friends Christmas Present is 
Sirdar 9128 and knitted in DK for those who were wondering.