The Heart of a Homespun Home

Hello, my sweet friends! It's so nice to be back here chatting with you and sharing thoughts and dreams of hearth and home.

I had the loveliest visit with my dear friend a few weeks ago. We share the same heart for the Lord, our families, and our homes. 

She's incredibly talented in all areas, home-keeping, baking, cooking, creating the most beautiful homespun gifts, and needlework art. Every time we are together I come away feeling that I can truly fulfill my homespun business dreams. 

I have missed her company over the various lockdowns and I'm so glad that things are slowly lifting and that I will be able to see her more often.  There is something quite lovely about having kindred spirits in your life don't you think?

Well, our conversations got me thinking...what is it that makes me happy? What is it that I want to do most? We often speak of our dreams and of what is most important to our hearts and I realized that what I'm doing now is the polar opposite of what makes me happy and content and with all the recent upheaval and loss in our lives it kind of brings what matters into sharp focus.

I have just two more assignments to hand in on my law degree and then I am done for the year. Of course, all I want to do is spend my free time dying yarn and working on Under An English Sky Yarns. 

So for the next two weeks, I have set aside all my free time to get the assignments done and handed in - then I can concentrate on what truly matters to me.

I am managing to do little things though which are equally as important as working on fresh colourways. I've got new dyes to order, I'm planning out future podcasts, I need to order more yarn and I'm working on some wonderful box projects with a few talented creators, so keep an eye out for that. 

I will of course announce all these changes right here, on my IG account, in my podcast, and in my FB group which I am busy sorting out at the moment. There will be lots of exciting giveaways as part of a re-launch. But again...I'm getting ahead of myself!

As you can see I have been updating the look of my photographs on my Etsy shop. I think this aesthetic fits in with what my yarn (and me of course) is all about.

My inspiration has always been firmly rooted in the natural world which has come about from our years of nature study and nature journaling and a deep desire to live a simple and creative, uncluttered life as well as the great literary works and historical culture & heritage of the UK.

Honestly, I'm someone who would be quite content to live out in the countryside, spinning & dyeing my own yarn, growing my own food, making my own soap, stitching, sewing, and doing things in a slow and measured way. This brings me back to thoughts of hearth and home and doing what makes you happy.

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: you should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependant on anybody" ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

I remember the impact this verse had on my heart the first time I read it. It sank deep into my heart and resonated (and still does) with my soul. I know that fellow homebodies will feel the same. Right now it's all the encouragement and motivation I need to get through the next two weeks before I am free to put the beat back into the heart of my homespun home! 

Now speaking of homespun has anyone started thinking about what gifts they will be making this year for Christmas? I know it's still early on in the year but can you ever start making gifts too early? I quite like the idea of having a basket of handmade gifts at the ready anyway. I personally love handmade gifts because of the time and thought that went into it - don't you?

My daughter is exactly the same, she loves to support independent makers. This year all her friends bought her birthday gifts from independents on Etsy. I don't know which she was more impressed with, the gifts or the fact that her friends had taken her love of supporting independent makers into account. It definitely got me thinking though and I have decided that this year I'm either going to make or buy my gifts from fellow Etsy shop owners because every time you make a purchase from a homespun kitchen table business you are supporting someone's dream to live a quiet life. What are your thoughts?

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Moms Moving On

When our children begin to fledge the nest, it can be a turbulent time for us mums. We have dedicated years to nurturing, raising, educating, planning, researching, doing, existing for our children.

We always know that what we are doing is to raise responsible, well-balanced, happy, and successful children who will thrive in their own adult lives.

But all too soon they suddenly grow up and off to college, university or out into the world in their first grown-up job and you are left to wonder, "What now?"

There is absolutely no doubt that you as a mum and homeschooling mum at that, are going to go through one huge life change. With that comes a whole heap of emotions that you will need to work through. 

You are of course excited for your children to be progressing and having a world of opportunities and experiences open up to them. But there is a sadness that knows life has inextricably changed. You will see less of your children, not be involved in every decision or perhaps not know everything that is going on in their lives.

Your once full and busy days will suddenly quieten down and you will be wondering what to do to fill the time or grappling with finding your new purpose and path in life.

These are really all perfectly normal feelings and instead of allowing them to make you anxious, it is best to acknowledge that it's quite alright to have a good old cry every-so-often to grieve the end of an era. It's quite alright to not know exactly what it is you are going to do for that is a journey in itself that you will have to take before it becomes clear.

From the moment I gave birth I knew that raising my children was my purpose. It's all I wanted to do. Later we were called to homeschool and I knew too, this is exactly what I was purposed to do. I have always been someone who has been perfectly happy being the wife, mother, and homemaker that God called me to be.

So when that purpose has been fulfilled and it fitted who you were so perfectly, it can be a very hard journey indeed to find a new purpose and if you do find that purpose it can come with feelings of guilt and indecision.

This is what I have been grappling with over the past year. I figure that other mums moving on from full-time parenthood or homeschooling must go through something similar.

I have been lucky in that I found something else that I really believe in and enjoy fairly quickly. Law. I really love it. I find it quite fascinating. I absolutely love my work as a Magistrate and it is this that spurred me on to take a law degree and begin pursuing a career as a barrister.

However, guilt is something I apparently LOVE to drag around with me. I feel guilty not being able to spend as much time on my home as I have done in the past. Guilty that the washing does not always get done in a timely manner, guilty that meals are generally quick and easy, that I don't have the time or energy to bake everything from scratch, guilty that perhaps my work is not as important as the work of raising and educating my children has been.

But something clicked this week as I was praying about it to the Lord. I was asking how my work and chosen career path could ever possibly be as important as what I had been doing. Was it even worth going through the next 5 years of my law degree, Bar course, and hopefully pupilage and dedicate all that time and expense to a career that is quite frankly expensive to attain both financially and timewise, highly competitive, and difficult? Then I recalled Jesus' life work.

He did not live in a sheltered, cozy bubble. He was out in the field with the despised of society. He took time to have tea with the tax collector, spoke to the shamed woman at the well, mingled with prostitutes and societies undesirables.

He wanted to be with the 'messy' people. Why? Because they needed him most. He loves the very people society does not want to bother with or see. As Christians, we should be the same, bringing the good news to those who need to hear it most!

My work as a Magistrate ensures that I am working with 'messy' people. They have issues, vices, tragic life circumstances that bring them to court. In my current position; yes I have to dish out justice and sometimes send people to prison, but I also get to sentence by way of rehabilitation and reform which gives people an opportunity to change. In this position, I don't have much close contact with 'messy' people other than the short time they appear before me in the dock and having to deal with their crimes but in my chosen career path as a criminal barrister, I will.

For the first time, I felt some of the guilt fall away. You see, God called me and you to homeschool and raise our children; to keep the home running smoothly and beautifully for a season. Just because that season is over and your calling has been fulfilled does not mean that He is done with you. There will be a new season and a new calling; a new work that He needs you to do and he expects that you will do so with the same passion and enthusiasm that you have shown in the last task He set for you.

It's about seeing the work that you do as working for the Lord for that is what you are doing. I would have happily stayed in my safe and controlled world forever. I have found dealing with societies 'messy' people difficult at times because their lives and choices are so different from mine, so shockingly astounding and at times repulsive. At one point I found myself feeling rather superior to them and that, my friends, we should never ever do! For it is a slippery slope into a hardening of our hearts. 

God wants to reach the 'messy'. God loves the 'messy'. Each messy life was once an innocent baby, created and loved by God. Each messy life did not start out so but through the enemies, plans became so. These are people, human beings who still, despite their 'messiness', feel, hurt, and endure so much pain. Jesus had compassion for the messy and so should we.

I'm now in a season of preparation and equipping for my next task. It requires hours of study and sacrifice. It's a season of transition. And that is what you can expect when moving on from homeschooling. A Season of transition. Perhaps not as long as mine will be but it takes time for things to become clear. 

Pray and seek the Lord for His next 'big thing' that He is planning for you. Just as you trusted Him to guide you through homeschooling and raising your children, so too you need to trust Him to lead you into this new chapter of your life. Don't make a move without taking God's presence with you! There is a good reason whey Moses said to the Lord, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" before he led the Israelites out from Egypt.

And ditch the guilt! No, life is not going to be the same, but Spring is not the same as Autumn, and Winter is not the same as Summer yet each season is necessary and bears its own rich fruitfulness. 

I hope that this post has been of some encouragement to you dear mama. Whether you have homeschooled or not, if your children are flying the nest it is an emotional time and we need a solid rock as the sands of time shift.

Be kind to yourself, rest solidly in the Lord and He will lead you into the next season which is full of richness for you to explore and enjoy.

Blessings in Christ.

Yarn Shop Update

How is everyone this week? All safe and healthy I hope.

Well, here in the UK our lockdown has been extended by another 3 weeks. What do you do when you have so much time on your hands? Well...I dye yarn of course.

'Cowslips in Spring'

I've had quite a bit of inspiration for the Brambly Hedge Books and seeing the earth beginning to spring to life again. It's been fun trying out new colours and seeing what emerges from the pot.

'Wilfred's Birthday Picnic'

Most of the time I get the result I'm looking for but every-so-often I'm not happy and end up over-dying my 'failures'. Often these turn out to be really interesting but are almost always one-of-a-kind skeins.

This one below, 'Elderberry Tea at Crabapple Cottage' is a complete one-off. I managed to dye three skeins and I love how it turned out, so soft and mellow, but it was the result of two or three leftover dyes from one colourway that I didn't want to throw out. So I popped it all into a pot and threw in some yarn and loved the base colour it gave.

'Elderberry Tea at Crabapple Cottage'

There is no way I will be able to replicate it so it will be one of those unique skeins that won't be repeated. Such a pity!

'Tiptoe Through the Bluebells' was one of the very first colourways that I dyed up back in 2015. 

'Tiptoe Through the Bluebells'

My dye technique has improved dramatically over the years so I like to think so has this colourway. I have not had it in the shop for more than a year now so it was fun to dye it up. One has already sold so only one left.

'Fireside'

'Fireside' is another one that I haven't had in my shop for more than a year. I really love dying this one up. It always comes out slightly different due to the dye technique I use. The swirling, blending reds and oranges remind me of a crackling fire in wintertime.

'Miss Potters Paintbox'

'Miss Potters Paintbox' has to be one of my most popular colourways. It's dreamy colours run together just like those of a watercolour paintbox. Two skeins were added to the shop this week. 

I've dyed up all my sock yarn. I have some DK weight superwash merino and 100% highland wool which I'm so looking forward to dying up. I think that it would knit up into some fabulous hats and mittens for the winter. I'm thinking that colours inspired by the Scottish Highlands would work well. I do so love the highlands - has to be my favourite spot on earth!

I'm really looking forward to having a cup of coffee in my favourite coffee shop and doing a bit of people watching once this pandemic is over! Stay safe and well until next time...

Under An English Sky Yarns - Literary Inspirations

Hello Lovelies, I hope that this post finds you all happy and healthy. 

We moved into our new home two weeks ago today, right at the start of lockdown. But we are in and mostly unpacked. I'm grateful that this move was only a 10-minute drive from our rental house. It feels so SO good to be in our very own home.

These lockdown days are being spent pottering about homemaking and I've been restocking my Etsy Shop with lots of lovely yarn. Dying up old favourites and creating some new ones.

We are settling down into our new home quite nicely. We have a fourth bedroom in this house and it has been made into my studio. It does require a complete makeover but with the total lockdown that will have to wait until DIY stores open up again. I suppose I could buy paint etc online but I do like browsing and sometimes paint swatches on a computer screen can look different in real-life.

The studio gets the morning sun which I love. The sunlight dances through the windowpane and settles lightly onto my desk and windowsills, pooling in sunny puddles on the floor which the cats love. I can't wait to prettify it up and make it a cozy and creative space.

I'm taking advantage of my furlough days. I'm really hoping to get my yarn label resurrected and doing well. I'm hoping to be able to negotiate on my hours when things return to normal. I've signed up to study two modules of my law degree from October and there is no way I will be able to do it and work full time. Of course, in an ideal world, my yarn would provide enough work to be my part-time job rather than working outside of the home. We shall see what happens.

I've created a new colorway for the shop. It's called 'Miss Poppy Eyebright'. The inspiration comes in the form of a wee mouse called Miss Poppy Eyebright who sits under the Kingcups embroidering her wedding dress. She's one of Jill Barklem's delightful characters from the Brambly Hedge series, a favourite of ours during my daughters' childhood. Even now I use these books to display as part of my seasonal decorating. I love the speckle in this yarn and look forward to seeing it knit up.

Another newbie is 'Tales from End Cottage'. I can't tell you how many times we read this book when my girls were small. My youngest, in particular, was just obsessed with Mrs Apple and her pet family. It's a fabulous gentle read following Mrs Apple and her pet's daily adventures through the seasons. It evokes a strong sense of simplicity and country living. With the book being such a firm favourite it deserves a yarn to capture its place in our family.

I'm sure you have noticed that I have quite a few literary-inspired yarns in my collection which I can only attribute to our Charlotte Mason homeschooling days. I love reliving my memories through this artistic medium. The very inspiration for my yarn label is everything British. British literature, traditions, countryside - all of which is such an intricate part of our lives. I hope that those who buy and create with my yarns get that inspiration too.

Anyhoo lovelies, I shall be back on Saturday with a peek at our Easter decor this year... can you believe that it is Good Friday already tomorrow?! 

Have a lovely evening. Blessings in Christ...

Under An English Sky Yarns

Do you know, I have found this transition from homeschooling to trying to figure out what my new purpose so difficult. I am pretty sure that it is a problem that most mums who have wrapped up their homeschooling have to navigate.

As you know I started a degree last year and really enjoyed learning about the law. I thought that because I enjoyed it so much I should follow that path. That it is the path for me. My new purpose. Except...it's not

I've watched the lawyers work ridiculously long hours and weekends as the norm. That is not something I am willing to do under any circumstances as my priority is and always has been my family and home.

Apart from that personal revelation I've found myself reassessing things and have realised that really, my heart is at home and being a creative I need to be doing something creative! So I ordered yarn...as you do.

I far prefer to work from home where I can look after my home and family properly as well as earn a little income on the side. So that is what I'm going to do. I rather enjoy my 'work' being of the creative sort and I do enjoy having my pots bubbling away nurturing beautiful colourways that will be knitted up into something lovely.

I have spent a marvellous weekend dying up some old favourites and experimenting with new colourways. It's funny how new ideas starting popping into your head when you get going. I find myself scribbling ideas on little bits of paper at the strangest times. This morning in church my eyes settled on a frond of something in one of the harvest flower arrangements which immediately translated into an idea for yarn.

So...my Etsy shop is now restocked with much more to come. Above is a pretty colourway called 'Something Called the Wild Geese' based on one of our favourite poems from our early homeschooling days. Every autumn the words to Rachel Fields poem come flooding back to me, especially since we actually do have flocks of geese that fly over our home each evening to the fields where they settle for the evening.

Other yarns that are in the shop already are 'Bracken Woodland', 'Miss Potters Paintbox' the ever-popular 'Swallows and Amazons' and the very atmospheric 'Brooding Storm'.

Now speaking of creativity...are you planning any creative Christmas gift making for loved ones this year? Its already almost the end of October - how does that happen?! I should have started thinking about Christmas crafting before now of course but hey-ho, better late than never. I'm sure I can find some quick and creative makes to russel up.

Have you started Christmas gift-making? If so, what have you been making, I'd love to know.

Five on Friday :: A Weekly Roundup

Hello my lovely friends. Here we are at the end of another busy week, I hope that you have all had a good one. I find Five on Friday a great way to sum up those little bits of our lives that are so ordinary yet, I find that there is beauty in the ordinary and I still strive to find joy in the small things in life.

1. Summer Inspired Yarn 

I've been playing around with the dye pots and summer is my inspiration. You may have seen these new colourways on my Instagram account if you follow me there. Above we have The Hullabaloos, inspired by the classic book 'The Coot Club' by Arthur Ransome. Arthur Ransomes Swallows and Amazons serious was a favourite in our homeschool. We read The Coot Club on a boating holiday we took one summer on the Norfolk Broads. The book was set in the exact place that we were cruising which made it all the more enchanting.

Pictured above from left to right is 'Summer Riot' and 'Let's Make Jam'. I believe the names say it all. As I was experimenting with new colourways I only have one of each in my Etsy shop. I knitted up a little sample of Summer Riot and I just love how it knits up...so pretty.

2. Canal Walks

Now my Victoria-Leigh (my eldest) and I took this little walk along the canal about a week or two ago but I couldn't resist sharing it with you this week. It was so lovely, we are lucky to have so many beautiful places to walk nearby.

Love this sign. There was a man fishing a little further up from another sign that said 'No Fishing' 😂

This is our church from across the field, I really love our church. So happy to have found our church 'family'.

The dandelion season has now passed but I do love the beauty in the details that nature has to offer up.

My beautiful girl, so blessed to be her mama.

3. In the Garden

Our garden is one that has been neglected by the previous occupiers for many years. There's just about nothing there so we have been slowly cleaning up, tidying up and planting. On the patio, there was an empty planter of some sorts, I've filled it with herbs and pansies. It's looking so good, the plants are growing and seem quite happy there. They get full sun from about midday.

In the front, we planted two Clematis...I just adore these plants and have wanted one (or two) for the longest time. I don't ever recall seeing them when we lived in Cape Town. We have planted them against walls along the front of the house. I can't wait to see how they climb and cover the wall with their pretty flowers.

This one is called 'Oo la la'

and this one is called the 'Dutchess of Wessex'

We've planted some bedding plants along the drive although it looks like something is eating them so I may have to rethink that. I won't put slug pellets downs as they are harmful to hedgehogs and birds.

We even have a wildlife bit of the garden planted by God and nature 😄. I really love this little patch. Some may look at it and see weeds but I see perfection. This little patch is a-buzz with insects. This garden is and will be, an ongoing labour of love.

4. Home Blessings

The front door is looking cheery and summery. Pots of pansies seem to be rambling happily, my Easter wreath really should come off the front door but I feel it could be for summer too with those carrots. Over the weekend my DH put up my front door blackboard that used to hang outside my front door in our Chesterfield house.

I usually put a seasonal message on the board and then add little decor touches. As you can see I haven't done that yet as I found I don't have any chalk, so I need to get that sometime soon.

And inside the house, I have the first peonies of the season. I love these flowers and their season is so fleeting so I say enjoy them while you can. I planted a peony in my garden on Sunday, I'm sure it will bring me plenty of joy for many years.

5. She Passed!

Finally, Victoria-Leigh passed her drivers license a couple of weeks ago. She was so happy and I have to say it is a blessing having someone else with a drivers license and car. When I sit in court, which is usually for a full day, It is mighty helpful to have someone at home who can drop Jessica-Laine at work, or generally just let them get out and about as they wish.

Jessica-Laine is planning to take her test in the next month or two. She drives pretty well although we may need some extra practice on her reversing...😂

She was hoping I wouldn't notice...yeah right! Fortunately, she missed my beautiful hydrangea and this was before we planted it up a bit more.

Only a tomato plant was sacrificed and Jessica-Laine dutifully went outside to wipe the scars of her poor reversing from my flower bed. 

And that about wraps up this weeks Five on Friday post. What have you been up to this week?  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend everyone and I shall see you back here very soon 😊

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The Joys of Summer

I'd almost forgotten the thrill of seeing an 'Etsy Transactions' mail land in my inbox! I think that the little break from running my own business was just what I needed to ignite the spark once again. I'm beginning to see that I need to schedule in time annually to take a break from my yarn dying and knitting. I seem to naturally have stages of being very involved in these activities and then really needing a break. 

I suppose that must be one of the keys to running a successful business at home. It is so easy to just go full-tilt 356 days a year. In the outside working world, people make sure that they have time off for holidays and weekends are reserved for home/family/hobbies - not seen as the time to get more work done. That's a sure-fire way to burn out which is exactly what I did!

I am slowly building up my yarn stock again so hopefully, my shop will be well stocked with favourites and new colours soon. I feel very blessed to be able to have this little business and the way my customers have welcomed my dying efforts back has been touching. Every Skein I dye will end up going to someone who will invest time and effort into transforming it into something lovely. Isn't that a nice thought?

Gosh! Let me tell you...it has been super warm this summer so far. Ugh! I definitely don't function to my full potential in this heat. That's not to say I'm not enjoying it because I am. I'm just noticing that I'm not running at optimum levels 😁. I'm not generally a weather-whinger because I always try to appreciate each season and what it has to offer to the fullest. And look what it has to offer us in our very own garden... the raspberries are doing so well. We are harvesting at least a handful a day and they are delicious. I will never buy shop-bought again. They are incomparable to homegrown. So where ever we are I will make sure I have a raspberry bed.

My pergola is heavy with climbing roses intertwining with sweet peas and clematis. The scent is just heavenly, especially late in the evening as the sun is setting and things are finally cooling down. I lie in bed with the windows flung wide open and the mixed floral scents drift in on the cool breeze. What a little summer joy!

The apples are coming along rather nicely too. I wasn't sure we would have many apples this season because the tree wasn't exactly laden with blossom in the spring. It's an old tree riddled with canker and is living on borrowed time to be fair. So any fruit would have been appreciated. I do love an apple tree in the garden, there's something about it. I think it might be since reading the most delightful book called The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill. It has nothing to do with magic, rather the apple tree in her country garden forms the anchor in a year-long narrative of the country year. It's one of my favourite books to read. I'm busy reading it for the 2nd time, it's just lovely!

Another summer joy is being able to sit out until 9pm and watch the garden still buzzing with life. The birds and insects seem to make the most of these long summer days. I wonder if this rather warm summer will mean a cold winter for us this year. I love country-lore, you know, that wisdom that country folk used to have that came from observing nature and the patterns of the seasons. 

I hardly see my cats at the moment. They like to stay out all night and then mew at my window in the early hours to be let in so they can catch a few hours of sleep in comfort before heading outdoors again. One can hardly blame them, there must be so many interesting things to silently observe whilst hiding in the hedgerows and meadows.

I love to have flowers in my home and late spring and summer provide me with an abundance of cut flowers. It's only from late autumn through to early spring that I have to buy flowers from my supermarket, although I do try to plan spring bulbs in the autumn to force and enjoy during the Christmas period and into the dark days of January. My favourite has to be hyacinths. 

This week we are enjoying bouquets of lavender, sweet peas and delicate heads of cow parsley. I have some daylilies about to bloom so they will make their way into a vase indoors next week sometime.

I know I missed my Frugal Friday post but that was by design. I'm thinking of rather making it a monthly post, I love living a frugal life and looking for ways to better utilise what God has blessed us with so I want to keep this little series going. I don't want to run out of ideas 😉. If you have any frugal questions or topics you would like to hear my thoughts on then please do leave them in my comments.

Have a lovely weekend all. I'll be back here next week.