October Newsletter

Autumn knits, finally sewing again and getting cosy!

Hello! And welcome back to another monthly newsletter filled with all things handmade, homegrown and slow living. I hope you have had a wonderful October. This is one of my absolute favourite months of the year and I am glad to say it has been rather magical. We are so lucky here in Oxfordshire because our beautiful countryside really does do autumn well and the best weeks are definitely the very end of October and turning into November. The leaves have all gone a beautiful burnt orange, we have been treated to quite a few bright china blue skies and my morning dog walks are getting chillier and chillier.

This months making has definitely reflected the season and I can’t wait to show you all the cute things I’ve been making. So grab a cup of something warm and delicious and lets dig into October…

This Month I’ve Been Knitting…

I have finally finished my beautiful cabled jumper which I began back in July. This project has been picked up and put down a few times due to the need to make other things such as baby boots and Goodwood outfits, but this month I decided to become a monogamous knitter and just get it finished! I managed to finish it off last week and have worn it once already. We’ve had very warm weather for the end of October here in the Cotswolds and so it’s not getting a huge amount of wear yet but I am excited to pull it out all winter long. This project was kindly gifted to me by the team over at Mode at Rowan and I have absolutely loved working on it. It is made in Alpaca Wool, one of their new yarns which launched in September and it is honestly the best yarn for cabled knitting. The alpaca adds a lovely softness and the wool adds the structure needed for the cabled design. I know this jumper will become a firm favourite in my a/w wardrobe!

After working hard on this jumper I knew I needed a few smaller projects which would be quick to finish and so I cast on a pair of socks (not yet finished, will show you next month!) and the cutest hot water bottle cover you’ve ever seen in your life. This pattern is from my lovely friend Laura over at Penrose Knits and it my dream autumnal project. When she started showing this over on insta I knew I had to make it. We attended Unravel Festival together (watch the vlog here) so I was able to get all the info needed and picked up all my yarns to make this beautiful pattern. It is a great stash buster as you only need a little bit of each colour and you can totally customise your cover with all the cute designs included in the pattern. I know I’ll be snuggling this a lot this a/w.

This Month I’ve Been Sewing…

I was very excited to get back to sewing this month having taken a bit of a break over September. I decided to start off with the most glorious autumn dress made in this gorgeous fabric which I bought last year from Hey Sew Sister. It is a drapey viscose and so I was a little bit afraid to start sewing with it but I took my time with it and got their eventually. I decided to make one of my favourite go to patterns, the Indigo dress by Tilly and the Buttons but with a few modifications. I lengthened the bodice and skirt and shortened the frill around the sleeves. I really love how it’s come out and feel very much like a bright autumn queen when wearing it!

This Month I’ve Been Reading…

I was lucky enough to get a ticket to Miranda Hart’s event at the Cheltenham Literary Festival. I have loved Miranda Hart for years but in the last five years or so she has been sharing more and more about her journey with chronic illness. This month she released an incredible book all about her struggles and the lessons she’s learnt. It is an incredible book filled with insight and hope which is much needed for those of us living with chronic conditions. This is the first time someone this well known in the media has released a book which is so honest about the struggles of M.E. and we can already see the difference it is making.

This book isn’t just for those struggling with a fatigue and pain condition, it is for anyone who needs to find hope in a difficult world. It is also such an important book for educating people on the reality of M.E., which is still a very misunderstood and isolating condition despite it affecting over 265,000 people in the UK. I really recommend grabbing a copy of this amazing book.

This Month I’ve Been Watching…

October has been all about my favourite TV series All Creatures Great and Small. Season five started in late September and I have absolutely loved returning to Darrowby with all its classic characters, gorgeous costumes, incredible scenery and super cute animals. If you’re in need of a cosy autumnal watch I highly recommend this series. And if you’re a big fan like me then make sure to check out my YouTube video on sewing and knitting Helen Herriot style!

This Month I’ve Been Visiting…

We had a little week off at the beginning of the month which actually ended up turning into a house hunt as we managed to sell out home much quicker then expected… but we did manage a few nice days out. My favourite was definitely visiting the Dahlia Beach PYO Dahlia fields. I have wanted to visited for a number of years and was so pleased to finally find the time this year. The flowers were absolutely stunning and we enjoyed a good hour wandering between the rows and choosing which blooms to pick.

This Month I’ve Been Loving…

I know I am probably alone in this but I really like it when the nights start drawing in. I love closing the curtains at 5pm and getting cosy for the evening. I’m sure I’ll be changing my tune come January, but for now I am really enjoying this feeling of winding down and beginning to hibernate. Christmas is just around the corner and so I’ve begun some festive making already and my evenings are becoming a lovely time of crafting, cooking and a bit of cosy TV.

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful month. I can’t believe we are already entering the final month of autumn! It goes so fast and soon it will be Christmas…I can’t wait to chat to your next month about all the festive making. Have a wonderful November everyone!

Much love,

Rachel x