Winter Slipper Factory

Pair of felted slippers for each child. DONE.

John Barleycorn

We've been enjoying a CD of Celtic Songs for Children alongside our learning this term. One of the songs is a traditional English folk tune called John Barleycorn - about turning barley into beer - a subject close to the heart of Man of the House. In yet another moment of home learning serendipity I discovered this awesome book at the library this week.

The farmer would have a corn doll in a place of honour over the mantle. We made some corn/wool dollies today and I've put one on my mantle. Maybe it will ensure a better barley harvest for Hubby. Sadly, the birds got all of his last one.

We did have a good self-sown pumpkin harvest this year. I'm seeing soup and pie in my future.

We found this lovely mushroom specimen in our garden this morning too.

Autumn Knits

A gorgeous group of girlfriends gifted me (howzat for alliteration?) this stunning yarn as a pick me up after a recent bout of ill health. See, I'm smiling - it worked! They even matched it perfectly to my current WIP (Work in Progress) ink;-) Of course I had to use a pattern designed by one of them. Scrummy, scrummy, scrummy scarf for winter.

I'm trying to perfect my "gazing thoughtfully into the distance" look but am really thinking about how badly I need a haircut after being housebound for a weeny while. My Finished Object is a jubbly winter cardy. I am such the cardy gal so am super pleased with how this turned out. Not too big, not too small - JUST right!

The weather has turned and so have my thoughts, to planning my Winter Knits.

Shut-Ins

After a splendid run of beautiful weather the inevitable happened and we turned into Shut-Ins today.

More Tomtens to lead us through Autumn into Winter. I may even share my sultana and cinnamon porridge with them.

Mr Hedgehog rustles around in leaves we collected on a fine day recently. (His eyes should be beadier.)

Harvest

We spent a productive couple of hours up at the community gardens yesterday, meeting other participants, sharing information and harvesting almost the last of our Maori spuds. We've both been ridiculously and naively astounded at our awesome rate of return from a few measly kilos of seed spuds. That's what I call a good investment.

They're everywhere

We can't escape these little guys! The girls and I went to Craft 2.0 yesterday. (Thankfully it wasn't as manic as last time I went alone.) Of course this little guy had to come home with us for little brother.

My girls shot across the room like greased lightning as soon as they spotted the lady with all her gorgeous needle-felting. A wee addition to our autumn table with Mr Green Gnome.

Our resident teeny needle-felted gnome (or Jawa as I like to call him) bought himself some new tools for his gardening and underground work (thanks Nova).

Hubby harvested the final round of beets from our garden before every got pulled out. He blanched and froze it for our curries. Winter garden planning now underway.

Autumn

Truth be told? I'm not ready for the end of summer. I'm trying to "be in the moment" of these beautiful autumn days and ignore my dread of the coming winter.

An Autumn Day

Seasons

It's been particularly difficult for me to say goodbye to Autumn, a season I love, and truely embrace Winter, a season I struggle through.

I enjoyed watching the kids making the most of the last Autumn leaves.

And now they're gone.

I(nearly)5 and I took a photo of this pretty fungus we discovered on a recent walk, down one of our town's "posh" streets. I think it's a Fly Agaric! We left it well alone;-)

Now, to plan some hibernation activities to get me through winter without the aid of Amanita Muscaria...lots of knitting, methinks.

(Off for a family break for a few days too.)