Inspiration strikes: Fever Ray and Shaman

Have you heard the eponymous Fever Ray album? It's bloody good.

I adore When I Grow Up. I wake up to it ever morning, and the video is mesmerising.



After watching the video repeatedly for days on end I decided I needed more shamanic, witch doctory attire in my life.

So I got stenciling and ended up with this motif on a t-shirt:


I'm pretty pleased with it, especially the feathers. I also love the way the antlers reach right onto my shoulders.

I suppose it's kind of gruesome?
What do you think?

What one thing could you not live without this winter?

What is the one thing that really makes winter for you? The one thing that you really love and look forward to?

For me it's probably wool: being snuggled up in heaps of scarves, socks, tights, jumpers and gloves.
It may not be all that fashionable, but there is little that pleases me more than being snug while outside on a cold, crisp winter's day.

At least I didn't think it was fashionable until I saw Missoni's A/W collection:



In preparation for autumn squirrels will be burying nuts, but I will be hunting for scarves! Many, many scarves.

Of haws and thorns

Has the Natural History Museum identified your parasite yet?

My commute to work is generally spent chatting to my fellow car sharers

How's the knitting?
Do you want to talk a three hour lunch break today to walk to the Crowmarsh Battle Barns?

But recently I've been distracted by searching the hedgerows for a sign.

I'm looking for the tiny spots of acid green that means the hawthorn is coming out. If the hawthorn is starting to grow that means spring is just around the corner.

Hawthorn is one of my favourite things in the world.
It's green leaves are a joy to see in the otherwise brown hedgerows. Not to mention you can eat the young leaves, they make a great addition to salads and are one of the earliest spring wild foods to be found. Now that sounds like an excellent sign of spring to me.

We're nearly out of the darkness.

Matryoshka stones

Look at these beautiful Matryoshka stones by Resurrection Fern. What a simple, tactile and beautiful idea



A lot of the creations and pictures shared at Resurrection Fern are so in tune with my own love of natural materials and forms, and glorious, simple details.

Don't you just want to hold them?

Ever wondered whether you can race a Brompton?

You know those tiny, funny-looking, foldable bikes you see commuters riding? The ones that look like they may fall apart at any moment? Have you ever thought about racing them?

Last weekend I visited Blenheim Palace with my family. Not only because it's a beautiful and interesting place, but also because the Brompton World Championship.


Participants dress formally for the occasion. Full three piece suits, shirts, jackets and cocktail dresses. With Blenheim, the birth place of Churchill, in the background, it all looked frightfully British.

EBay's Bitch

As I'm sure I've said before, I am eBay's bitch.

My latest purchases have involved lots of fabric and trim for several swaps on Craftster, plus a load of cheap but beautiful clothes which have found a happy home in my wardrobe.

I especially love this crimson, paisley-esk trim. Its so pretty.

I also spied a mixed lot of Indian Silk Scarves. 15 of them in various colours, shapes and sizes for £16. Bargain.
But what to do with them?

To answer this question I've invested some of my pennies in 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf, which hopefully will provide inspiration enough for all of them.

EBay will be the death of me, but how can I resist such pretty things. I plan on covering everything in sight in this blue and bronze trim and my life will be better for it.

A time before tea? Unthinkable.

I love tea.
I struggle without it.
As Sydney Smith said Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea?-how did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.

"If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."
Japanese Proverb

I also love the position of tea in society (not to mention in the Asterix books) and all the things I associate with it. Warmth and friends and blue & white china.

We had a kettle; we let it leak:
Our not repairing made it worse.
We haven't had any tea for a week...
The bottom is out of the Universe.
Rudyard Kipling