the snood is in the hood

We've had weeks of grey, rain, hail and sleet.

Rainbows momentarily breaking through and occasional shards of sunlight casting dark shadows.

The fire has been glowing golden orange and I have been sitting there, knitting beside it.

With 7mm needles I cast on 60 stitches in a warm grey double knit and clicked away in garter stitch until it was 70cms long and stitched up the ends to make a tube. I hear these are called 'Snoods' - a hybrid of a hood and a scarf.

For interest there are 3 rows of laddering starting 27 cm along. This lacy effect is made by wrapping the wool around the needle 3 times instead of just the once and knitting the next row normally but letting the extra wool unravel. Then work 4 rows and start the new ladder row on the 6th row again x 3.

These days, every little bit of light we get sent is a kind of rare treat that can't be taken for granted. I have sat like a hunter, hungry and waiting for it to appear, capturing it, then in a moment of gratitude, happy to have it disappear again. I watch trees losing their leaves and becoming all the more bare and it feels as if we are all getting very quiet. We settle in, sleeping and snuggling for longer as we near the shortest day, nearly two weeks away. As always, this time of the year speaks to me of something promising. The quiet before the growth.

be warmer still x