Hello!!! How are you all this Winter’s end?
It has been so long and I have so much to share. I have really missed sharing little snippets with you all so am excited to start again after what really seemed like to me – a short winter. And so, I am sat in the couch featured in the picture above, a recent Ikea haul during our trip to Halifax – so cozy with Turmeric milk, a candle lit and the pine outside only gently swaying! We are awaiting a wind storm tonight so of course that will change.
I thought I would start with this small post – Just a general overview of what has been going on – why I have been SO absent and to let you in on a few little things for the future.
February is such a short month to begin with, so I guess it’s not surprising that it simply slips from our grasp. I spent some of the month in Nova Scotia – with my Sister and her partner and then in the woods with my family and the dogs.
We walked in the woods – woods for the most part – frozen yet free of snow. The rivers running! One morning I walked in a mossy wood – the moss crunching under foot, nervous about damaging the forest floor. The next day, it was soft and plush as though it was a fresh spring day. Wearing my parka, I just lay down and stared up at the thin spruce trees with a dog occasionally licking my helpless face. I don’t really mind.
During my visit with my mom – she gave me a little stock of knits she has been compiling for the shop. She contributes to the shop as well, making some really beautiful things. I’m so happy she has chosen to do this because others can experience how special it is to receive one of her items! Before she would knit huge stocks for us all for Christmas – I would receive new mittens, hat, socks pretty well every Christmas. While I was in university and High School, I regularly (or in knitting world – regularly – maybe once a year) receive a handknit sweater – all of which I still have of course.
I wanted to just share some photographs of these handknit items – and will update the shop later today 🙂 I also have 2 handknit Lopi sweaters to put up and some fingerless mittens. One still needs buttons so probably within the next two weeks I will update the shop and post blogs about the making process and end result!
The other portion of the month I was covering a leave of absence at the library in town. She has returned to work now and I am only working casually so have so much free time again. I am so excited to have time to walk Henry, knit and plan gardens! My hope for this week is to blog a lot and join you all back on Instagram again. To start sowing a lot of seeds indoors and start a pretty intense spring cleaning. We have a long overdue bathroom renovation that must be tackled…. an infinite to do list.
There are some changes in Ways of Wood Folk for the time being… Meaghan won’t be able to make as much as she once did and we have to cut custom orders for the most part because there is a new member in our family ❤ ❤ <3…
**I saved the best for last **
We are very excited to let you know, the birth of Ronan Len Wilson, Meaghan and Reg’s newborn son! He was born on Saturday, March 3rd at 4 14 in the morning, the tail end of the full moon. I can not wait for the days to come to spend time with my nephew who is also on the East Coast – the first child of one of my sisters. To share a love of moss, bugs and shrubs 😉
Congratulations Meaghan and Reg, we are so happy for you ❤ ❤
And so! I hope you understand why I have taken a break from the social part of the internet – I am back and hoping to contribute a lot more. The shop will be open again today and I just am overwhelmed actually with so much to share. I’m also thinking of starting a new instagram – just for plants, moss, trees and bugs ❤
I hope you have all been well – that the lengthening days are giving you sun drenched energy and a sense of revival!
Be well friends, be well 🙂
**
Ronan is an Irish name meaning “Little Seal” – the term used for Selkie’s human children in folklore and just a beautiful name!
Len (Short for Lenton) is the name of my Grandfather who emigrated to Montreal in the 1930s from Dunfermline, Scotland. He is much loved.
**
Ways of Wood Folk 
The baby is absolutely beautiful, congratulations.
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Thank you for your kind compliments Debra, I will pass them on to my sister!! ❤
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I have a feeling that is going to be one well sweatered, scarved, and bootied baby :0).
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Haha!!! You should see the fairisle Bunting bag my mom made for him – it is adorable!! I’ll post a picture the next time I see him ❤ ❤
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Congrats to your family, Julia! Your nephew looks like an angel–such a calm, sweet face!
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Aww, Thanks Beth!! It means a lot to *see* you over here 😉
I will pass on your compliment to Meaghan! He is a sweet baby! We met him the day he was born and will hopefully see him again soon!
Hope spring is almost there in Eastern Ontario!
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Congratulations on the new family member! Nothing is quite as special as holding a new little human knowing how much they are going to see and experience. I am so happy for your family. And welcome back to the screen 😉 I’m looking forward to seeing what spring is gonna bring you and yours. I hope it will all be good things.
All the best wishes – Emilie Elizabeth
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Thanks Emilie!
Excited to see you started a blog too, hope to follow along with your spring as well 🙂 Sending you the brightest vibes
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Congratulations!!! The words to a song from Sweet Honey in the Rocks come to me as I look at the sweet wee Ronan: “For each child that’s born a morning star 🌟 rises and sings to the universe who we are.” And he entered this world around the time the morning star 🌟 would be rising!
You will be a wonderful auntie, Julia. Ronan is very blessed!
It is good to see you back here. I know you take social media hiatuses, as do I. It’s good for the body, mind, and spirit.
The knits are beautiful. The blue of your mom’s cardigan is gorgeous!
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Thank you Bonnie,
I will pass this along to my sister – I really do love the words to the song you chose to share!
Also thank you for your words about my mom’s knits! She is a special lady 🙂
Excited for this new chapter !
Also – thoughts on SM – I feel like I need to sort of remove myself from it in a sense, even if that is just not being so involved – if i can just detach myself in a sense? Anywho – I’m still figuring it out!
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I understand completely. I too am trying to figure it out. I know that I no longer feel the ‘need’ to be on SM nor be so involved with it. And yet I can see the benefit from still keeping an account there and occasionally checking in. My level of commitment to it is still evolving.
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The lyrics to the song I shared above is just a portion of the refrain. The rest of the refrain goes like this: “We are our grandmothers’ prayers. We are our grandfathers’ dreams. We’d are the breath of the ancestors. We are the spirit of God.”
The verses are beautiful also.
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Forgot to mention that I swoon 😍 over mosses and lichens!!!! I was just checking some out yesterday morn as I walked in our woods. Ours are nothing compared to the moss-carpeted woods you ventured through! 💚
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Honestly, I think they are some of the best things on this earth!!
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Congratulations, Julia! He looks SO sweet! That tiny nose, and such a sweet little chin. (And I love that he has a sock (?) on his hand. We did that too, to keep them som scratching :D) Being an aunt is really the best there is!
Your pictures are stunning as always. I feel like I’m in fairy land with you 🙂 I love the one of the ice on the water. I feel like it’s always so hard to photograph snow and ice. I’m planning on trying for a walk in the woods some day soon, but there is so. much. snow! I may have to buy a pair of snowshoes.
It’s good to *see* you back 🙂
Much love!
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Thank you Camilla, I will pass on your compliments to my sister and her partner!
Oh, the ice is SO hard to photograph! The photo doesn’t really give a sense of scale because those are actually massive ice blocks all built up upon the shore. They form a wall there. I was getting frustrated trying to take that photo because nothing seemed to be working!
I’m glad you refer to my pictures as “fairy land” 🙂 that makes me happy!
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Congratulations to Meaghan! And beautiful baby and photos as always.
Looking forward to your future moss photos. 🌱🌱🌱
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Thank you Robin, I will pass on your kind compliments to Meaghan!
I hope to spend a lot more time with the moss so hopefully will have many more photographs!
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