It’s no secret that I’m less than enamoured with winter. The recent unseasonably warm weather has lulled me into a false sense of security. It feels for all the world like Spring around here (I saw an iris flowering in a friend’s garden today!). I know it’s temporary though. The steely skies, cold days and winter grumps are coming.
Last year I hosted the Splash of Colour project, designed to distract from the greyness, trigger happy brain chemicals and help us through from November to February. I think it worked. Close to a hundred bloggers joined in with eye-popping blogposts and images. Peep here for the final beautiful mosaics from the flickr pool last February.
My good friend Mrs Thriftyhousehold adores winter. It seems bonkers to me, but she even has a list of good wintry things in her sidebar.
Our polar opposite attitudes to the approaching season helped us to hatch a New Plan. Instead of distracting myself from the winter, she thinks she can help me to embrace it, with wintry handmade projects, delicious (probably pastry-laden) recipes, fireside time (with Mrs TH’s homemade fruity liqueurs, see above), brisk frosty walks and learning to crochet (something other than a sad, tangled little beard).
I am sceptical but I’m very willing to give it a go.
The new plan is called Making Winter. We will be sharing tutorials, seasonal recipes and lovely wintry images.
Once a month, starting on Sunday 30th October (the morning the clocks return to Greenwich Mean Time here in the UK) we will both host Making Winter week, including a blog hop, and hope you might like to join in. We will be blogging about winter’s good things and hopefully about the positive effect the craftiness will have on my winter blahs (all my fingers are crossed here). It would be fabulous if it helped other bloggers a little too. For those who are already sold on winter then blogging the good things about this season would be ace. You may even help to convince the winter sceptics amongst us.
There is a new flickr pool here for sharing beautiful landscapes, seasonal makes and winter’s goodness. We will be uploading into it but if others join in then we’d love to make some mosaics each month.
Note: If you live in the Southern hemisphere then we think that the sight of a sweet pea would definitely help a grey January day over here. I promise not to feel too grumpy if you post images of sunny beaches and summer dresses.
Great plan! I really want to learn how to crochet, bought the hooks and all, but have NO idea, so crossing my fingers for crochet tutorials for total novices!xxx
I'm really sorry but I love winter! I'm off to bed soon with my hot water bottle, how sad is that.
Lou xxx
Oooh, I'm in- it sounds like a fab idea. Laura x
I shall be following along and hoping that your posts will lift me out of the winter blues too Emma 🙂
Brilliant idea! I'm a bit like you and normally can't help but feel a bit a bit of the old impending doom creeping in when winter approaches. This year, I've decided to make a real effort to embrace the good things so your idea suits me down to the ground!
Hx
PS. How about this winter being the one where you learn to crochet?!! 😉
Count me in, I love winter although I regard November as late autumn. My offerings will be mostly edible if that's alright.
I do love you beautiful arrangement of foliage and berries.
What a brilliant idea, I will be partaking! I hate winter too…
Count me in. I'm with you over winter so anything to lift the gloom is good!
Hi Emma,
Count me in too! I adore the poetic side of winter; really I do. The trouble however is that along with the magic of frost, shades of grey and magical dreams come the cold month viruses. If it weren't for the fact that we are often so poorly in winter I would honestly shout from the roof tops that it is possibly, insanely, my favourite season. Hell; I chose to get married on the first day of winter and I birthed two children in winter. So there! I'm nuts but totally enthusiastic about this project.
Having just made up an autumn rabbit in jewel-like colours I was busy concocting a way of making a winter one.
I'll help you bear the winter months unless I am coldridden of course!
Stephanie
I am definitely a winter denier. I'll follow along for our next winter (and perhaps it will remind me to be thankful when I am moaning about it pushing 40C and 90% humidity here).
I think I might be too busy to commit to joining in this year but I'll certainly be following what you get up to
I love autumn and winter – definitely my favourite time of year. I'd love to join in with the winter-enthusiast camp; I had so much fun with Splash of Colour last year.
At the moment, my favourite thing about the coming of the cooler weather is making and eating pies!
Well I'm not a fan of winter so this sounds like a great idea! I really enjoyed 'Splash of Colour' last winter so I'm looking forward to joining in.
Vivienne x
I adore winter … frosts, snow, knitted woollies, log fires, candlelight (@ Stephanie, even old fashioned cough drops). I will watch with interest to see if we winter-lovers can convert you Emma 😀
Sounds wonderful. We have 6 months of winter here in Canada starting in another week or two…kind of gets to you by the end of February!
Fabulous idea Missus P.
I saw 'your' book today in Smith's. Dead excited.
Fabulous idea Emma. I'm in if you need another. I'm not so keen on the cold, but love the being cosy indoors and having more time for knitting, sewing and hooking that that gives me. Dreaming of hot choc, candlelight, fires and warm casseroles is another favourite that makes up for the short days. It all balances out I guess and makes Spring even more of a delight when it comes. Not long now and I'll be seeing you again.
X
I think it's a wonderful idea. Count me in!!!
xoRobin❤
I like winter but not the length.
Excellent. While I'm grumpily, sluggishly, lethargically negotiating the 40+ celsius summer I shall channel you and all that winter makery. Bah humbug to summer!!!
(PS. I'm not ALWAYS a summer grump – just always in anything over 35 degrees).
I have mixed feelings about Winter – love it in the run up to Christmas, not so much afterwards. Happy to see your project!
I've been waiting for you to reveal your cunning plan! Winter doesn't bother me at all so I'll be happy to share the love.
Count me in! As a yarnie winter is an exciting time filled with cosy scarves and funky sloppy berets.
You can expect some easy peasy crochet makes from me.
That's a great idea and I will definitely be joining in, I feel exactly like you about Winter. I'm started something similar on Planet Penny last week, called 'Reasons to be Cheerful'and it would be lovely if you have time for that too. I'll give this a plug on Thursday when I do the RTBC post. Between us we should be able to dispel some winter blues!
Love Penny xxx
(and Higgins too!)
I shall have to do your crafts vicariously, what with the winter I have ahead of me. But I'm far from being a winter hater – I love it.
GREAT plan and I am in…….such a wonderful idea!
Karen @ Lavender and Lovage
great idea Emma, last year I was unprepared and overwhelmed by winter, this year I am hoping to enjoy, and plan ahead. so far I've treated myself to new thermals and started a "snowed in" shelf in the garage, so far it only has toilet roll and cat food on it, but it's a start…
I just love the 'sad little beard' description for your attempts at crochet.
Count me in (for tuition rather than tutoring you understand).
I'm with Mrs TH – I love the colder months of the year. I like the muted colours and skeletal trees; the flocks of Fieldfares and herds of deer. It feeds my imagination, then I love working in my studio while it's dark outside, wearing my sheepskin boots and handknitted socks, long warm skirts, thick snuggly jumpers and soft scarves. The smell of ice on the air…
Count me in Emma, I'll post some wintery imspirations on my blog 🙂
Celia
xx
What a great idea – says she whose fingers are feeling too cold to type this – I will enjoy returning here to be cheered up!
This is a great idea and I'd love to join in too. I love Love LOVE the winter & get summer blues! Bonkers but there we are.
CKx
Find it hard to think of any positives about winter so I could definitely do with some anti-humbugness. Will await with eager anticipation.
What a great idea! I look forward to embracing anything I can do to make winter a bit better.
I'm with you, mostly. See my comment on Mrs TH's post. I don't have a blog but I shall try to keep up with you both, especially if it is going to be as icy as last year – I was almost crazy by the time the ice went.
I"m sold.
I like early winter… then get really bored and depressed by January…
Fab idea Emma, I have a few things I can share 🙂 I think it is the short days and dark mornings that really make me feel grumpy and low 🙁
By the way you are welcome to borrow the book I learned to crochet from if you wish, it really worked for me and made me giggle a little too which is always a bonus 🙂 x
I've got a foot in both camps I'm afraid. I love crispy cold weather, its even better with snow, but really don't like wet and cold.
Will look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with and will try and join in too. juliex
Wonderful! I love winter. (It might just be my age but right now I love the idea of feeling cold!)
As much as I love the warmth and outside of summer I adore winter. Open fires crisp cold nights, stark landscapes, clean snow, there's so much to love! And so much time to craft not being in the garden every spare minute.
What a fab idea. I must admit I'm an absolute winterlover. Would love to join in. Can't wait!
Stephx
I love this idea, and I'm definitely in. I'm in the 'already love winter' camp, myself, but I'm always ready to help spread the love, and celebrate the season a bit more!
Good idea! We'll try to be in. We have a busy season…
A great idea – it will be interesting to see whether the new approach helps with your winter "blah"!
What a fabulous idea Emma! I like the thought of cosy winter evenings crafting and eating delicious food but the reality of cold damp days and the pesky diet is a bit more miserable!
Lucy
Such a good idea Lynn. I hope I will be able to join in now and then!
Lieve groet,
Madelief x
I'm in. The thought of the sky sitting on my head for months fills me with dread, but I'm prepared to be wowed! C.x
I think I'll have to join you in the hope that I will be converted to winter – I suffer deeply from Januaryitis, and such is my aversion to the cold months that I am already thinking, what on earth can I take a picture of?!
I am waiting to be inspired . . .
Pomona x
I love winter so have no worries about darker evenings and candlelight in the house . . bring it on! I do agree with Belinda – CROCHET for total beginners who are left-handed ( me! ) would be wonderful. I've got the wool and am ready to learn!!
What a blooming brilliant idea – count me in please. I hate winter the wet windy and cold probably cos i have to be out in it!xxx
May I join in too? (Found you via Pomona's blog.) I post a free crochet pattern on my blog each month (usually scarves) and would love to share with all of my fellow winter lovers / sufferers. And I've got heaps of lovely autumn photos right now.
How exactly does this work? I can see I need to join the Flickr pool, but I'm not sure what else I ought to do.
Your jewelry is lovely – working with PMC is something I've always wanted to try.
Looking forward to Making Winter!
What a great idea, I love winter and am game to give it a go. We just had our first snowfall of the year and at the moment I am definitely feeling "in the spirit".
What a beautiful idea. Always better to embrace Mother Nature than to fight against her…especially if you do so whilst sipping at a homemade delicious drink.
Just became a follower of your blog. Looking forward to your next postings. Greetings…Heidi
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