An injection of colour

I can't believe I forgot to post pictures of my recent trip to Kew Gardens. I've been looking forward to that for some time, it's perhaps the most enjoyable day out in winter! Of course, the actual gardens are pretty dull in winter, but the delights inside the greenhouses are what I always go there for!


We said these leaves were patterned like dinosaurs.


Yes....it's slightly immature...but still amusing.


This plant was, honestly, huge. It also looked like a triffid and scared me.


I was struck by the resemblance of many plants to genitalia...I love nature and it's strange ways.


The tropical room in it's entirety.


A display of various orchids and other plants (my horticultural knowledge is pretty slim).


The size of the trees is quite astounding, despite the rusting metal walkways making me increasingly nervous.


I love the 19th century construction.


If there is one thing I must have in my house, it is an over-grown white metal spiral staircase with wooden handrail!

Perhaps my favourite room of this visit: The orchid house.
So much colour and life, it was so refreshing on a cold, rainy winter day!








This is most definately my favourite photograph, I love the way that the orchids look as if they're clamouring to be photographed, like children...very Alice in Wonderland haha.

We went for a walk...

It was such a lovely afternoon.




winter sunshine low over the motorway


in love with the shapes and perspective


my lovely taking a photo of me taking a photo under the scary bridge


this tree had lots of seed-pods hanging onto it


this photo reminds me of those lovely photos of mid usa- golden fields and blue skies

When I Close my Eyes....All I See is Snow

It has been a long day.
I forced myself up early to make the most of it being a lovely sunny snowy day. I then proceeded to brave the 'treacherous tundra' of my village in order to secure lunch and dinner. My brother and I built a snow-boy (he's not quite a man), which took up two whole hours...my hands still aren't properly warmed through.


Just around the corner from home...Compacted snow on the roads meant they were quite the hazard


I look like I'm doing some sort of irish jig, but I was actually very very cold! Since building this snow-boy, I've realised that his wonky face gives him a sinister appearance.


This is a fairly old photo; my Scandiavian pattern socks. I knitted them a few weeks ago, I had a commission for two more pairs, (just from friends though, nothing paid), though I've varied the pattern. I think I'll wait until they're finished to post photographs


We also recieved the sad news that my great-grandmother died this afternoon. I didn't really know her all that well, she has been in a nursing home for most of my teen-adult life. She was also quite unwell (both mentally and physically) at the weekend and was moved to hospital. For the past few days she had been refusing food and water. I think everyone was expecting her to pass away by the end of the week, to put it bluntly.

But unfortunately, that is what comes with age. Everyone has to die sometime, it's sad but a part of what it is to be alive.

As a Resolution for the New Year...

I hope to make a post a day.
Even if it's just something I come across whilst browsing the internet.
Hopefully I'll be putting my camera to good use and photographing the progression of my work.

Here is the current eerie scene from my bedroom window.
We British don't get extreme weather very often, but when we do it's hard to avoid talk of it.

Feathers and Extra Hours

It makes me happy that the clocks went back an hour today. It was dark at 5pm. A sure sign of my favourite season: winter.
I'd be lost if I never had 6 months of dark, cold, biting winds and frost.
Not to mention how cosy I feel this evening, while the wind is howling in the blackness outside.
Hm, enough of my pseudo-poetic musings, I've really got so much work to be getting on with. I re-started my sketchbook because I decided that I ruined it by painting things without thinking about it. It's looking altogether too much my usual neutral palette though, I need to inject a hefty load of colour.

Here are a few (awful, phone camera quality) photo's of the work so far. I'm going to do some scanning tomorrow, hopefully have something of a visually pleasing quality.

Knitting Stockings

I've been working on these stockings since last winter. Honestly, I've done the majority of the work in the past few weeks.

I'm hoping to get them finished by the end of October, ready for the winter. I just need a bit of guidance from my mother on how to shape the foot tomorrow, and this first one ought to be finished by Monday.