I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd, 

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Okay, okay, I may be gilding the lily - or should that be the daffodil? -  a bit. In truth it's hard to do the lonely as a cloud thing on Ealing Common with the traffic thundering by on the Uxbridge Road, but it is just a little bit glorious out there at the moment with the wonderful mini-daffodils that are exploding with cheerful colour all over the grass. 

In the pink ...

The weather here in London continues to put on a cold, grey face, but I'm resolutely clinging to the notion that spring must be just around the corner.

Notwithstanding the unseasonal gloom I spent a very happy day yesterday photographing my new collection of organic cotton 4 ply in all the wonderful shades of summer. It's a tricky business taking photos that accurately record the colour of yarn. My favourite place for indoor photography is in our south-facing conservatory, which has wonderful, clear, white light.

The first Sunday ... way back on 7th March 321 A.D.

On this day in A.D. 321 the Roman Emperor, Constantine, issued an edict declaring that his subjects should henceforth observe Sunday, as a special day of rest. Today we tend to think of Constantine as the first Christian Roman Emperor, but he was also strongly associated with the pagan cult of Sol Invictus - the unconquered sun - after which he chose to name his special day.

Being a pragmatist he specified that the day of rest had to be observed by the non-essential workers in the cities who were obliged to close their workshops and take a day off. The folk who were involved in agriculture in the countryside, however, were given a special dispensation to carry on as normal - lest by neglecting the proper moment ... the bounty of heaven should be lost.

Sol Invictus was the official sun god of the later Roman Empire, and a patron of soldiers with a special appeal for the senatorial upper classes. Many Christians across the empire already treated Sunday as a day for religious observance, although a number in Rome and Alexandria preferred Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. And amongst the wider population Sunday was a popular day because it was frequently the workers' pay-day. 

So here's to Constantine, Sol Invictus, a day-off and the inauguration of a weekly holiday, a thoroughly civilised development.

All the best for now,

Bonny x

w.i.p. ...

Spring feels a bit like a work-in-progress at the moment. It's cold and chilly outside, but there are all the wonderful spring bulbs and seasonal flowers giving us a hint of better days to come.

I had to go into town last Thursday, and chose to follow the alleyway along the allotments that skirts the back of the churchyard. I walked under this amazing magnolia tree. And then I stopped, turned around and went back the way I'd come - just to have the thrill of walking under it again. Those big waxy flowers were so freakishly glorious against the perfect blue sky behind. I say freakish because they come before the leaves, and to my way of thinking that's just a little bit weird.

Think invisible ... be invisible ...

When the Wonderdog doesn’t want to do something, he’s got a sneaky habit of disappearing. Sometimes it works, but other times it doesn't ...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Bonny x

Happy St. David's Day ...

... to all my friends in Wales!

And a very happy first day of meteorological Springtime to everyone else! Although here in deepest, darkest, greyest Ealing you could be forgiven for believing that Spring had missed its cue.

Still I'm looking forward to sunny days ahead, when I can spread my work onto the terrace, and throw my doors and windows open after all this closed-up-indoors winter living. Today may be a bit of a let-down on the sunshine front, but I'm sure there's plenty in the pipeline that's been specially earmarked for us by the weather gods.

So, for now, I'm grateful for the hellebores ...

knit & stitch it 2016

Thank you to all the lovely ladies who stopped by my stand at knit & stitch it 2016.  It was a treat to meet so many fellow yarn-enthusiasts. And a big thank you to those who bought my wool. I hope it knits up a treat for you.

I had a really interesting couple of days, meeting loads of new people with new takes on life and knitting. I drew enormous inspiration from all of them. Some had great practical tips and ideas to pass on, some had great ways of mixing colours and others were simply great raconteurs with a multitude of stories to share.

So, thank you, everyone, for stopping by and sharing the moment. I had a ball!

All the best for now,

Bonny x

Easiest baby jumper ever ...

I've just finished this little jumper. And I think it's the easiest, quickest item of baby-wear I've ever made. I've got a feeling that it's going to become my go-to pattern for every time a new baby arrives in my circle.

This should fit a little one of 6 months to a year old. It measures 24 cm/ 9.5 " from armpit to armpit, and takes 3, 50g/ 100m  balls of my Costa Brava Knitting double knitting variegated bamboo yarn in Cinnabar & Spice. In stocking stitch my tension comes out as 22 stitches x 28 rows for 10cm².

It's knit in the round up to the armpits, and then the front and back are knit separately. The stitches for the arms are picked up from the armholes, and knit from the armhole down to the wrist. And it's all worked in stocking stitch for ease and speed. The wonderful variegated yarn does its stuff to create a series of spontaneous stripes that provides plenty of interest without the need for any fancy stitch-work.

Just read on for the pattern:

Cosy wool for chilly days ...

It's been really cold here in London, and I've been keeping cosy inside with some lovely new wool. Fancy a peak?

Oh, okay. I'm never hard to persuade when it comes to showing off my yarn collection.
Feast your eyes on my Buttered Caramel: it looks good enough to eat!

Potato Pancakes for Pancake Day ...

This morning we had pancakes for breakfast. Potato pancakes to be precise. It was a dry run ahead of Pancake Day on Tuesday.

I'm not mad keen about sweet things, so you can hold back on the maple syrup, but I do like savoury pancakes, and when you combine them with some smoked salmon, a poached egg and a dollop of sour cream, you're heading in the direction of a pretty classy breakfast.

Just read on for my recipe ...