It was so cold this weekend, and the conditions just right, that the snow was hard packed and easy for walking on. We were remarking in the woods, how rare it is to be able to walk through as we did that day. In the summer and autumn, the tree growth and branches fill up the space, making it impossible to weave in and around the thick woods as we did this weekend. And usually, the snow is not so easy for walking on in the same way in the winter months. The springs were bubbling up - something we didn't see with last year's drought. Everyone loves the game of 'what do you see?" in the ice that covers the moving water. And at a little below ten degrees, all of those things combined with red cheeks and noses to really wake us up. Invigorating, that kind of a walk! Definitely a two cowl day, puffy mom coat required, plus the warmest mittens and hat. I reached for my Quill hat, which seems to be a frequent reach on the coldest days since I made it when the pattern first arrived on my desk by Andrea Mowry a few months ago now. It's in the latest issue of Taproot, so it's out now. It's a fun knit and sweet design, especially in its reversible nature. I knit it in Nanne Kennedy's Sea Colors yarn, which is a whole other awesome thing by which the dye is fixed to the yarn in a solar process involving seawater. (I know! So amazing!) I do so love when knitting and nature collaborate together. It's always a beautiful thing.
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Greetings! I'm Amanda Blake Soule - mother of five, author of four books on family creativity, editor & owner of Taproot Magazine. I live with my family in an old farmhouse in Western Maine where we raise animals, grow vegetables and make lots of things. I write about it all here on the blog. Thank you for visiting!
