Preparing for Winter V

fuddle

Myself and my youngest love the autumn but my eldest and DH try to hang on to the summer and refute any talk of cosy autumn. I wonder what it is that sees like minded people so different!?

Well that's my chunky crochet miner's vest complete with big snuggly collar. Now it's time for trying my hand at sock knitting. Mar I'm using the Winwick Mum group on fb and pattern so thank you for telling me about it. Drops Fable yarn is on order. All I need to do is pysche myself up to another autumn of learning how to knit. I can't fail this time because I NEED allotment socks

Nargleblast

fuddle I am just outside Durham, near the A1M.

suki1964

Eenymeeny wrote: »

Beechgrove Garden: If you sign up for the weekly email you can also access their weekly factsheet as well as a link to the Iplayer. Might be useful?
I've copied this from today's email: This week's programme is on tonight 2nd August at 7:00pm with a repeat on Saturday 5th August at 5:20pm on!BBC2 Scotland,!which is Sky Channel 102 (in Scotland) and Sky Channel 970 (rest of the UK).
Also on BBC2 network on Sunday 6th August at 8:05am, which is Sky Channel 115 (HD Scot/Wales/NI) and Sky Channel 102 (HD Eng)
Hope that helps, Suki

Brill. Thanks a lot. We are very north as well so it should be of use to us

mardatha

Beechgrove is good, been going for a long time. I hate autumn with a passion and wish to hell I was in the south of France, they seem to have much longer nicer summers. This weather up here is dire, but the good part is that I'm too knackered to care

fuddle

When I lived in Dorset Mar I had frost on my window screen twice. Twice in 2 years. I was soft as clarts when I moved back.

It's a bit chilly here nargle in't it? I can't believe you've been a Durham lass all these years and I had no idea. So funny.

Nargleblast

I too was soft when we lived in the Fens - although the winds there could freeze your wotsits off in the winter, the summers were quite humid and fields of rape flowers stung your eyes with their vivid yellow colour. The fumes they gave off were bad for anyone with a dicky chest. I am going back there tomorrow to visit my Dad, and when I come back I will note the fresher air as I approach Scotch Corner and think "soon be home."

greenbee

The winds in the Fens can drive you insane...

Uhtred_Ragnarsson

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Lots of usefulness in autumn Mar, fruit, nuts and berries for the gathering thereof and making nice things to ease the winter blues. Dead wood and fallen wood to gather and process to keep you warm, frosty mornings to sweeten the sprouts and parsnips, bonfires small bright ones for the garden bits and big roaring ones on the allotment that can stay in for the whole weekend too for the end of season clearing of the plot. Evenings drawing in and lighting the log stove, candles to enchant, casseroles and stews instead of the summer salads and cold cuts, afternoon tea after a dog walk in the chilly outside, hot water bottles to warm your toes when the bedroom is less than warm and that lovely feeling of pulling on an extra blanket as it gets cooler. Snuggly winter dressing gowns and sheepskin slippers, bed socks, pyjamas, hot chocolate, frosty mornings where you get 'dragon breath' when you open the back door and sunrises to gladden your spirits.....not all greyness and drizzle pet

What a totally uplifting post; sending me to bed with a big autumnal smile on my face

Pooky

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Lots of usefulness in autumn Mar, fruit, nuts and berries for the gathering thereof and making nice things to ease the winter blues. Dead wood and fallen wood to gather and process to keep you warm, frosty mornings to sweeten the sprouts and parsnips, bonfires small bright ones for the garden bits and big roaring ones on the allotment that can stay in for the whole weekend too for the end of season clearing of the plot. Evenings drawing in and lighting the log stove, candles to enchant, casseroles and stews instead of the summer salads and cold cuts, afternoon tea after a dog walk in the chilly outside, hot water bottles to warm your toes when the bedroom is less than warm and that lovely feeling of pulling on an extra blanket as it gets cooler. Snuggly winter dressing gowns and sheepskin slippers, bed socks, pyjamas, hot chocolate, frosty mornings where you get 'dragon breath' when you open the back door and sunrises to gladden your spirits.....not all greyness and drizzle pet

This is what I live for each year, I'm not a summer lover in the slightest and long for that autumnal nip to the mornings (like this morning here).

I've always seen September as the start of the year (even though DDs long since left school) and feel it's "my time".

It's been quite calming to watch both DDs move out of home in the past week and see their priorities, full store cupboards, plenty of blankets for the sofas and wanting to know how best to draftproof their flat....oh and if you're making apple chilli jam this year Mummy, we have space for a few jars.

I've had a reshuffle in the garage and the wood stack is tidy (free wood) and will order a load of logs next week (slower burning). Have plenty of coal and my store cupboard is at a "cosy" feeling level.

Laura_Elsewhere

I stayed a couple of days with a friend in Herefordshire - she'd seen some yellow tiny plums, presumably ornamental, on her morning run and asked if I could identify them - as soon as we were in sight of the bit of hedgerow, I shrieked gleefully "Mirabelles!" and sure enough, I've come home with four pounds of delicious, honeyed, glorious lovely yellow Mirabelle plums, now simmering, to be sieved and turned into yellow Mirabelle cheese - yay for yellow jam tarts!

I've managed to find a new cleared space in the unheated sitting room against the outside north-facing wall, which is big enough to hold a reasonable quantity of homemade jam, jelly and fruit cheese, so I am really looking forward to seeing the supplies grow steadily!

Also, I was at my friend's to help her sort stuff from a recent move, and her habit through the day is to take frequent short breaks, during which she knits - at no point did I sit and knit for long at all, but I knitted almost a whole DK sock on 3mm needles - Thursday afternoon I had c.30 rounds of ribbed cuff, out of the required 45, and by bedtime I'd turned the heel and picked up; during Friday I did all the foot decreases and most of the knitted even section; on Saturday morning I decreased for the toe.

I have *never* been that productive! And it was all just in short 10-15 minute stints at the most, sometimes shorter. So I plan to try and keep this going...
The other good habit she has is when she wakes early, which I do naturally often too, she goes out for her run - while I was staying we went for walks. This morning I woke early, so I left my Nice Chap snoring and took myself out for a wonderful walk, two and a half miles at a comfortable but steady pace, in lovely morning sunlight...

So two habits I think I shall try to keep going! And a lovely feeling of filling the cupboards, with foraged-fruit preserves and with cosy warm socks!