Hello and welcome back to the Slow Natured Newsletter! I hope you have all had a lovely February. Although if you’re in the UK right now you will probably have been experiencing the biblical level of rainfall that we’ve all been struggling with since Christmas. I must admit it has been a struggle for me. I am normally quite good at coping with the difficulties of winter, choosing to hunker down and give my body the much needed rest we see happening in nature at this time of year. But I do still enjoy the opportunity to get out a little bit, hopefully greeted by blue skies and frosty weather. Instead it has been so much drizzle, rain coats and wellies on dog walks and far too much mud here on our tiny homestead. I am very much ready for some sunnier spring days.
This month has been a very positive one though as I finally stopped being sick! My first trimester was rather challenging, not least of all because the sickness continued until week 17 of my pregnancy. February has felt like the light at the end of the tunnel. I have felt my body grow stronger and stronger each week as I returned to my usual whole-foods organic diet and I am finally beginning to feel a little bit more like myself.
We also found out that we are having a baby boy this month which has been so incredibly special. It really makes it very real and we can now begin to picture what life with this little chap is going to be like. It has also led to lots of crafty plans and making now I know what colours and fabrics I can use! I’ve got lots to show you this month so grab a cup of tea and let’s dive in!
This Month I’ve Been Knitting…
It has been wonderful to get properly back into my knitting again after months of feeling too sick and exhausted. I have eased in gently with some very easy projects including a blanket made with my Advent yarn which I hope will be finished next month. I have also squeezed in a few baby knits now I can really get excited for the baby we have arriving. I began a pair of Teddy Pants which are perfect car and church knitting as it is a lot of simple stockinette stitch in the round. I absolutely love this camel colour for a little boy and can’t wait to see him in them.
The next knit I made for little boy is this striped V-necked cardigan. I have made this pattern quite a few times before for friends and family but it has been lovely to make it for my own baby. I used Mode at Rowan Cotton DK which was kindly gifted to me last year in a range of nautical colours. I had left it in my stash unsure what to do with it and the day we found out he was a boy I cast on. It’s a gorgeous yarn to work with, washes at 40 degrees in the washing machine and makes the best baby garments so I will definitely be using more in the future.
This Month I’ve Been Sewing…
My sewjo is still pretty low at the moment as my body is changing an awful lot and I’m not quite sure what clothes are best. Instead I’ve tried to focus on some smaller, simpler projects such as wash bags and project bags. This month I made two project bags - one for myself and one for a friend. Unfortunately I totally forgot to take a picture of the one for my friend but the one I made for myself is above. I used to Rosie Caldwell pattern for her quilted bucket bags. It is a great pattern, well written and easy to follow but I would say if I was to make it again I think I would use a more hardwearing needle as some of the areas become very thick and difficult to sew through and I broke my needle at least twice!
This Month I’ve Been Stitching…
I spent the winter working on the sweetest cross stitch pattern for my office. I picked this cross stitch kit up back in October when I was shopping in my local haberdashery and winter seemed the perfect time to get into it. I used to cross stitch a lot as a child but it had been a good while and I found this little kit so helpful and easy to follow. It is also a very portable craft which makes it great for journeys or hospital waiting rooms. I am already planning to buy another one from the same brand and look forward to stitching it up soon!
This Month I’ve Been Reading…
I love my evening reading time in the bath but the pregnancy tiredness has definitely been difficult to contend with. I knew I needed something light hearted and fun to enjoy before bed each night and so I picked up Life and Otter Miracles by Hazel Prior. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I have really enjoyed both of them. Hazel’s books revolve around animals, nature and how these effect and change peoples lives. They are very easy reads with moments to make you laugh and moments to make you cry. This book also dealt with a character who was living with chronic illness and pain which I found interesting as it isn’t something we see that often.
If you’re looking for a positive, chill out read and you love otters like I do, this is definitely one for you!
This Month I’ve Been Loving…
We haven’t been out and about much at all this month, choosing instead to get back to DIY and sorting the house out now I am feeling a bit better. I am of course taking it very slow and being careful, leaving most of the heavy lifting to Russell and family. But it has been really good to finally get back to doing some renovating in the house. I have a new reno vlog coming to YouTube very soon but for now here is a little pic of our new hall stairs and landing which is looking amazing after a lot of hard work from Russell and his Dad.
Next time we speak Easter will be just around the corner, daffodils will be nodding their golden heads on every bank and my birthday month will be about to begin! I hope you all have a wonderful March filled with sunshine, spring flowers and lots of making.
Much love,
Rachel x