Autumn is upon us now…

Autumn is truly upon us now, the October Magazine was published last week (above are some of the projects) and the nights are rapidly drawing in. The leaves are beginning to fall from the trees around our house and, as there hasn’t been too much rain lately, they are dry and crispy and great fun to crunch through as I make my way up and down the path to the Hen Pen.

Thank you so much to everyone who sent kind wishes for the Engineer’s speedy recovery and I am pleased to report that he is now able to drive again. Though it’s nice not to have to spend large chunks of time sitting in hospital car parks while he attended various appointments inside, I was able to put that time to very good use by getting on with my knitting…

I have finished my Hare and Moon fingerless mittens (from Hattie Kerrs on Etsy) and completed two sleeves of Freddie’s Christmas jumper (pattern from Yuha Knitting, also on Etsy).  My project bag from the September Magazine is definitely coming in handy – though I have wondered along the way if I should have chosen simpler patterns to ease my way back into knitting after a gap of more than a decade.  Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, as my Mum used to say!

Now that my services as a chauffeur are no longer required I’ve also been able to pick up my wheel of the year (now christened the Countryside Year) project again.  I wasn’t happy when the first set of printed samples came back (I think I rushed too much trying to get everything done in a limited time and made a few mistakes), so I have taken my time over this second set of samples and made a few alterations along the way…

Don’t worry about the watermark on the image above, it won’t appear on the final version. I have removed the outer wheel as I thought that the three outer circles were simply too many.  I’ve also added some flourishes next to the seasons – berries for autumn and blossom for spring and generally tidied everything up.  I’ve left the centre circle blank for personalising your project.  Hopefully the fabric samples will be back in a week or so and then I’ll be able to begin the embroidery.

After reading the thoughts and suggestions from newsletter readers I’m planning to release this design as a subscription in four parts over four months – one part for each season of the year.  I want the Countryside Year to be a little bit more than simply another pattern, so included in each part, along with the pattern and stitching guide, there will be seasonal notes, recipes, audio and possibly some video too to make this a really special project.  Printed panels will be posted to subscribers as an optional extra. I will keep you updated regarding the launch date which will be later this year – hopefully in time for some Christmas holiday stitching!