Good Evening Kindreds!
It’s so dark! I am sitting by the fire, the room lit with fairy lights and a cup of black tea piping hot beside me. A friend of mine gave us some lavender sugar and I find it so delicious in a strong cup of black tea ❤ It is so late for me to be drinking caffeine but I am oh so tired and I very much felt like sharing a couple of things with you.
The weather continues to promise snow but only to cruelly trick us with rain. I guess that is life living in a maritime climate. Today has been a wet day and we have chosen to stay home, only to take Henry out in the trees behind our house. The cats are venturing outside each day. They stick right around the front door, guarding the entrance to their domain (or perhaps waiting for us to let them back in?). A day inside finally means I can sort the latest knits for our shop!
I have been having a lot of fun lately, working with my stash of lett lopi. I have a very strong desire to actually use all of my wool stash before continuing to buy new wool. I love using everything that I have and don’t really like buying anything without a real purpose behind it. I currently have enough wool to make 3 sweaters and several pairs of fingerless mitts/mittens what have you. This winter I will focus on the small bits, some of which have been set aside for several years! I first knit an Icelandic Sweater with Lett Lopi in 2013 and believe I may still have some from this time.
Only a couple of pictures that I have captured over the last couple of days. I am currently looking at 2 weeks before my next shift in the library (unless I am called in) and Jamie gets 10 days off from his work for the holidays! I am definitely feeling like hibernating while simultaneously desperately wishing for snow to play in. Jamie and I are getting snow shoes for eachother for Yule so we can continue to walk our favourite trails despite the amount of snow we usually receive in the deep winter.
I have a lot of tiny knitting projects planned. My wordpress account is almost at the full capacity for storage space so I will be changing my account to a ‘business account’ soon (unlimited space) so I hope to raise the funds to support this little website with my knits. I hope i can come up with some wee special mitts, etc. I will be busy sitting by this fire, thinking up colour combinations with the remaining lopi 🙂
Hope you are all well, we are nearly at the solstice to welcome the lighter half of the year! So much hope.
As a farewell parting gift, A beautiful Scandinavian Folk song for you:
Gjallarhorn – Ye Ride so Carefully
Blessings to you ❤
Julia
Ways of Wood Folk 
Beautiful photos, Julia! I love the new workspace that Jamie has lovingly created for you. I wish you blessings as we gracefully flow toward the solstice and the coming of Light. ❄️☕️🐱🐏 (I wish someone would create some knitting emojis!)
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Thank you Bonnie!
Isn’t it lovely? Before the room has carpet and was painted green (which is fine), I also had no order whatsoever – it was a mess! I was finding myself not even really spending time in the room and when I was, just staring out the window! Now, I spend a little time each day in here, I love it!
Blessings to you as well! I wonder what this winter will bring us, I’m already overwhelmed with how quickly time has passed (wasn’t it just September?).
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We’ve now been living in our house in the country for a little over a year now. Though I have a lovely studio space, I didn’t enjoy spending time in it and couldn’t figure out why. I too would just look out the windows. It wasn’t until about a month ago that I realized that the energies of the room were blocked and weren’t flowing as they should. So, in one day I completely rearranged EVERYTHING in the studio…my loom, spinning wheel, carding machine, yarns, fleeces, and other materials, drawing table, work table, book cases, storage shelves, and meditation altar/table. Feng shui – Oh my!!! The energies flow beautifully now and the area is gently separated into a creative work space and a quieter meditation space, but they are not so separate that they couldn’t flow into each other if need be.
As to winter, I live along the shore of Lake Ontario which means lake effect snow – especially when those Alberta Clippers come racing down from Canada. I don’t mind, as I enjoy winter. Looks like plenty of time to weave, knit, and creatively play with a cuppa tea near the woodstove.
I love ALL your animals, Julia. Cats hold a special place in my heart, and though I love your Petey (I have had 2 tabbys in the past) and Pangur, the Black cat (sorry, I forgot the name) is the one who catches my eye. I’ve had 2 black cats (with golden eyes) in my life who were very loving and mysterious.
By the way, I’m beginning to ponder the sweater I will knit with the lett lopi I bought earlier this year (from your special discount at Alafoss). I found a free pattern on their website. I like the shaping/styling of the sweater, but I have decided to create my own yoke patterning. Trees and other shapes from nature are speaking to me.
I always enjoy your photos and musings – whether here on your blog, or the quick shot on Instagram. I agree that this platform allows one to be more personal and get to know one another. I think that in 2018 I will resurrect my website and start blogging again.
The snow continues to fall, my tea cup is empty, the room darkens as the sun will set in about 20 minutes. Time to turn the Christmas lights on!
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Julia, I feel like the mix of you photos all together represent the only life worth living. You know, tea, knitting (wool!), the woods, cats (and dogs) and a man that build things. Like a dream 😉 🙂 The knits are beautiful as always. I’m always wondering, do you knit a lot for yourself as well as for the shop? 🙂
Do the changing to business account mean that this blog will be closed, or do you move it to the new account?
I enjoyed Gjallarhorn 😉 Thank you so much.
Camilla
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Camilla,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I agree, although sometimes I am overcome with melancholy so often have to remind myself 😦 Sorry for the downer, but no I agree and do need to talk about it with other people. We have been conditioned to seek out very different lives.
It is true, I hardly knit for myself! I do have the wool right now to make a cable cardigan and I am planning to eventually make myself a lopapeysa cardigan, just need to order the wool (likely after Christmas). I don’t mind though! I couldn’t just continually knit myself things and I love having a tiny little shop with my sister!
I am not sure what will happen with the account, but I think that this one would just become part of the new one. WordPress gives limited storage space and I am reaching the limit placed on the free accounts. I figured I might as well just go all out and get the account that offers unlimited space (I do upload a lot of pictures and it is my intention to blog more, it’s therapeutic for me – I kept a journal from the age of 9 to now 28 so it kind of supplements my journaling).
I am so glad you enjoyed Gjallarhorn! I really love this song and sometimes have it on repeat while in the kitchen.
Excited for you to have your winter break with your family <3!
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I’m glad you have your shop, Julia. It’s a nice thing to make things for others as well. I’m thinking a bit about making some things to sell too, and I have an idea that’s sort of cute and simple, but I’m not sure how to do it. The shop, I mean.
I am glad you are writing more, I feel so lucky to get a glimpse of your beautiful universe, and also, it is really fun to get to “know you”. 🙂
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Oh that would be fun if you started a shop! Honestly, I like having it very very small. I would be overwhelmed if it was anything more and I am not really money driven at all so it is nice, just having something you can focus your loving creative energy into at your own pace. There are a few options for the online shops like Etsy and Tictail (I think that’s the name of it). To start, I would just go Very slow and build up a little stock pile.
I love getting to know you too! Honestly, I really love the conversations that happen over here!
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I enjoy these conversations too, Julia & Camilla. And I’ve also been getting the nudge to open an Etsy shop for my handwovens, handknits, and note cards. I generally just sell through a couple of select gift shops and on special commission, but the time is near for my creative work to venture out into the wider world. My focus has never been on making money, but rather to share my energy and love with others through the creative efforts of my hands. The more beauty & love we can send out into this world, the sooner this world will shift into the days of Light, Life, and Love – and Peace. Blessings to you both in this most joyous season!
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