Hiya!
The high energy has been palpable these past couple of days, leading up to the blood moon Lunar eclipse and inevitably on the East Coast, a storm. Sadly, we won’t be able to see the eclipse but of course it will still happen! So this morning, I am sending out positive affirmations and sharing a little bit about the past week, my attempt to send out that positive energy to you, dear reader.
January is quite honestly one of my favourite months. The quiet, the cold, the storms, the sense of new beginnings, resolutions! A whole year ahead of possibilities, stoking a fire, drinking hot things. It’s the time I start to seriously think about the new seeds we will sow. When we can walk along rivers and lakes! The world is transformed and I am grateful for this time. January is that relief after a whirlwind. The most poignant time to reflect and consider our lives. I’ve always felt like, it’s the one month that stands still (at least, in this part of the world).
Since I moved back to the East Coast after living in Toronto, I have regularly spent a week or so in North Eastern Nova Scotia in January. This year was the first time I actually drove Henry and I down on our own, which was a pretty big step for me (I got my drivers License as an adult and only slowly have eased into driving outside of PEI). We left in the morning, blasting my playlist and stopped briefly in Aulac. Once we reached Antigonish, Henry was starting to get restless, knowing she’s getting closer to the acres upon acres of forest and joyful running! When we finally arrived, my Mom had a steaming bowl of soup ready for me and it wasn’t long that we were wrapped in scarves and out walking the dogs in the woods ❤
When I’m here, I spend a lot of times outdoors, without my phone, sitting by the river or beach and just thinking and watching birds. I had so many layers on and a huge parka that is one of my most valued possessions (and found at Value Village!), so sitting in the trees by running water in below 15 C was pleasant. I’m just so happy to get outside and still be with the chickadees and watch the moon rise above the hills. The solitude has me speaking to the wind and trees, happy as can be.
I managed to finish a couple of projects as well! The Rumpelstiltskin sweater being the most important! The true name of the pattern is Utsire by Rowan Designer, Sarah Hatton. You can find it in Rowan Magazine 52 and I believe it is also available for download on Ravelry. I made quite a few changes and didn’t follow everything (For instance, I used a 3 ply wool and smaller needles. I also didn’t follow the shaping and made the body longer). But, it is essentially the same sweater!
The wool is a super wash 3 ply wool by Belfast Mini Mills here on P.E.I. If you ever find yourself on the Island, I definitely suggest to go check it out! Jamie and I drove the 30 minutes from our house this summer, to be greeted by many chickens before entering the shop 🙂 The sweater only took 3 skeins to make. The cost of a skein was $12.50 so production costs of this lush knit was only $37.50 CAD! I actually have 3 left :’) It also looks like they will be opening an online shop in 2019, so hopefully this wool can be shipped right to your door!
So back home again, with a storm raging outside (it really is a lamb of a storm, we have seen way, way more wind and snow). I feel rejuvenated and excited about this strange life we all possess! My plan for the day is to update the Etsy Shop (will only take the whole afternoon with our slow internet, even though it’s only a couple of items!), disconnect from my phone afterwards and read to my hearts content while we are battered with the predicted ice rain.
Set your intentions tonight! Love, acceptance, creativity and confidence!
Blood Moon Blessings ❤
Some music from my long drive if you’re so inclined…
Ways of Wood Folk 
Absolutely love your description of January! Love January too ~
Thanks for all the photos.
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Happy to hear I’m not the only one! I know it’s a very unpopular month. I must sound so annoying to the people that complain about the cold as I’m usually happily exclaiming that it’s really not that bad!
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I love your take on January. I have a hard time embracing winter, and January in particular does not bring out my best, but I can appreciate your perspective, if not fully embrace it :0).
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I know it can be a really challenging month as well, so I sympathize with your sentiment completely! But the days begin to get longer and brighter and I think if we can just get outside (hopefully out of the wind, because… if January was just wind, I would be a very sour friend), the perspective can really change!
Thanks for your comment friend 🙂 I’m now trying to upload our shop without touching my phone…. must resist!
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Your family’s home is beautiful, I love all the wall hangings! Thank you for sharing your music choices with us 😁 I liked listening to the Celtic music while I crochet 🧶 a mandala through the ice storm we’re getting down here
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Thank you so much Kaitlin! My Mom would be very happy to hear your kind words about her home! She made about 70 per cent of what is up on the walls! I love that you also love Celtic Music! I understand it’s not everyone’s favourite but it really pulls at my heart strings ❤
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The picture of, “evenings knitting”, showing the two needle work flower pictures on the wall, my mom also did the one on the left hand side! She still has it hanging in her retirement home. ☺️
Another lovely post by you!
Thank you.
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How neat and lovely!!! The poppies? They are so nice, I love seeing how others turned out!
Thank YOU! ❤
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Hi Julia! Blessed Full Moon/Supermoon to you ! I’m so happy to hear you made it home safely. I can see the time away with your Mom was a deep blessing for you…peace is radiating from your face in each photo. (Fav photo is of you hugging the Fairy Tree) We, too, are staying in and staying warm during this storm…anticipating up to 2 feet of snow and dangerous wind chills. Seasonly (is that a word?) speaking, the deep of winter is a time to move into the silence of our days, reflecting inward more so than outward. I love this time of year, just as much as all the other seasons of life. As long as I am wrapped in head-to-toe layers of wool with books to read, knitting/weaving/stitching or drawing to do, and a steaming mug of tea, I am happy. (Today I am wearing the cabled headband in the house for a cozy feel!)
The sweater is perfect. The color is warm and rich, and the styling is the what I love to wear – just enough cables to add interest and texture, but not overwhelm. I too would lengthen the sweater. I tried to find it online – Ravelry, Rowan, etc. Though it is shown on Ravelry, you can’t buy it there – the link takes you to Rowan’s website. But you can’t buy it there either. I did manage to find the digital download of the magazine (via a google search) which shows all the lovely photos and talks of their travels. Only some of the patterns are available for download and, unfortunately, Utsire isn’t one of them. 😞 So, I might just have to fashion one of my own based on the photo. If I do, I’ll post a photo.
Thanks for sharing Esther Dobson’s link. Her work is precious! And I’m happy to hear that I am not the only one who talks to her plants! My mother-in-law gave me a lovely collection of house plants the other day for our 27th wedding anniversary. They are nestled into a gorgeous rustic basket with a tartan plaid cloth lining – Oh, be still my heart! I love it! More plants to converse with!!!
During this potent Full Moon let us all offer up our desires, intentions, and prayers for the world we wish to live in – one of peace, love and compassion. It is a time to embrace, explore and live our creativity and passions!
❤️ the 🎶 you share with us!
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I can’t find the pattern either…
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I’m sorry Kathryn! It appears it is only available in print 😦
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Hello Bonnie!
I hope the Full Moon storm wasn’t too bad in your quarter! It really wasn’t too bad here, but it is almost dangerous to be out because of all the ice! We are expecting warmer temperatures and so much rain in the next couple of days… wish it could be snow, but such is life.
Thank you so much for your kind words and reflections on these quiet January days and the sweater! Eug, I am disappointed to hear you can’t actually download it from Ravelry. I only saw it on google search on Ravelry and made an assumption, I am sorry! My Mom actually use to get the Rowan magazines for a couple of years, so we are lucky to have the issue. Often, Knitting stores have back issues 🙂 So, my fingers are crossed for any one looking 🙂
Yes, Esther Dobson’s work is really, really lovely! I’m happy to be wearing earrings again too! They remind me of fairies so in truth, nothing makes me so happy to wear 🙂 The house plants sound lovely! I wonder what kinds?
Glad you liked Lothlorien and Celtic Nots! I really love that youtube playlist!
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Hi Julia! 🤗
I like very much how and what you write… I am always so happy when you post new pictures or stories, and also very curious to see them as soon as possible ☺️.
And I also love ❤️ your work, the handmade clothes. They are truly unique 🧶… I’ve been wanting to ask you: do you have patterns of the sweaters you are knitting? I’m not asking of this last one – which by the way came up very nice and which I know is a Rowan pattern that you changed a little bit -, I’m talking about the others 😊. Are them your creation or do you get inspired from other patterns?
I’m also passionate of knitting 🧶 😊, so I’m asking because I would really want to make one for myself too… and who knows maybe for my family or my friends. I hope I’m not to daring by asking you this.
Have a nice and worm day! ☃️
P. S.: Can’t wait for your next posts and pictures 🥰. Thank you very much for sharing them!
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Hi Ana!
Thank you so much for your comment! I know I say this a lot, but it’s really true and I just have to thank you. It’s comments like these that inspire me to keep on this path that I am on, so thank you very very much!
I do create all the patterns that you see, just from my head. I usually “trust my intuition” and just trust in myself that it will come out nicely when all is said and done! Which sweater are you interested in? Because of the way I work, I don’t write much down so I don’t publish patterns. I really, really want to and my sister is hoping to actually have everything so it makes sense for others! We will likely sell them on our Etsy once we have one ready!
I hope you won’t be disappointed by my next photo! I have an art account too that I am posting to a little more at @reddy.fox. Sometimes, I like stepping away from my main instagram just to be in touch with “the real world” more but I will be back!
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The last comment I meant to be an answer to your replay ☺️… so I will paste it here too:
Hy dear Julia,
You welcome! I really meant all the good comments, because I really like your work 😍.
I like all the sweaters, especially the Icelandic Sweater 😊… I can’t wait for a pattern from you, hope you will manage to make one soon 😅.
Thank you very much for sharing your art account – I just started to follow your work there too. Your drawings are absolutely beautiful 😍… you are such a gifted person.
Thank you again for sharing all these beautiful art works with us. You inspire people ❤️…
Good luck with what are you working now! 🤗
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Hy dear Julia,
You welcome! I really meant all the good comments, because I really like your work 😍.
I like all the sweaters, especially the Icelandic Sweater 😊… I can’t wait for a pattern from you, hope you will manage to make one soon 😅.
Thank you very much for sharing your art account – I just started to follow your work there too. Your drawings are absolutely beautiful 🥰… you are such a gifted person.
Thank you again for sharing all these beautiful art works with us. You inspire people ❤️…
Good luck with what are you working now! 🤗
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