Winter Haven KAL Week 3

Hello!  It's lovely to see you - it's Week 3 of the Winter Haven KAL!

 

I'm getting quite used to this Winter Haven way of living now!  I find that sitting down on a regular basis, being more thoughtful about how I'm spending my time and what makes me feel happy is having a positive effect on everything that I'm doing.  I actually like January as a month and am usually a little sad when February arrives, but I'm not a fan of the cold, dank, foggy days we've been having recently and I've thoroughly enjoyed having an extra excuse to light the fire early and take a few moments out!

It's been wonderful to see your posts on social media again this week, and I'm really grateful to you for taking the time to share your photos so that I can see them.  If you want to have a look through other people's photos yourself, you can find them using the hashtag #WinterHavenKAL.

If you're brand new to the blog or the idea of the Winter Haven KAL and you're wondering what it's all about, it's very simple:  it's a very flexible KAL where you pick your own pattern, pick your own yarn (and another big thank you to everyone who's been using Winwick Mum yarn!), and join in by taking a few moments for yourself.  It started two Fridays ago and the last post will be on Friday 31 January so there's still time to find yourself a cosy space, pick up a WIP or start a new project, and join in.  The first post which tells you all about the KAL and how it works is here.

This week, I'll show you what I've been up to, and I've got more photos from other people's Winter Havens to show you as well.  Are you ready?

Winter Haven KAL Week 2

It's Week 2 of the Winter Haven KAL - and how has your week been?

I've thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many posts on Facebook and Instagram (you can find them using the hashtag #WinterHavenKAL - don't forget to add yours!) and what's been really lovely is that so many people are joining in who thought they didn't have time to take part in a KAL.

I'll be honest with you - I've often thought the same myself, which is why this KAL is very flexible: pick your own pattern, pick your own yarn (although thank you to everyone who's been using Winwick Mum yarn, it's made me very happy to see it!), and join in by taking a few moments for yourself.  If you're new to the KAL, it started last Friday and the last post will be on Friday 31 January so there's still time to find yourself a cosy space, pick up a WIP or start a new project, and join in.  The first post which tells you all about the KAL and how it works is here.

This week, I'm going to talk a bit about what I've been doing, but I'm also going to show you what others have been doing as well - I love that we are all being part of this KAL together!

Winter Haven KAL - Week 1

Hello!  And welcome to week 1 of the Winter Haven KAL!

In the northern hemisphere, we're in the throes of mid-Winter.  We've recently had the Winter Solstice and the shortest day, and although the nights are very gradually getting lighter, it's going to be a long time before those bright nights of high Summer are here.  Over on the other side of the world, you're the opposite way around and it must seem as strange to you thinking about Winter when you're in the middle of a heatwave as it does for me thinking about the sunshine on a grey and dismal Friday in Winwick!  In the words of a character from a famous TV show, though - "Winter is coming" - so I hope that the ideas that I'm going to share will be useful to you both now and in the coming months.

I've been thinking a lot recently about Winter and what it means to me.  It means celebrations with Christmas and New Year, spending time with friends and family - which can be both fun and exhausting, no matter how much you love them.  It means the weather will be cold and wet (I still can't bring myself to give up hope of snow, though!) which is a good excuse to wear lots of woolly layers.  It means that the garden will look neglected and bare, although there is life beneath the soil just waiting for the warmth to return.  It's a time to make new plans for the coming year which is both exciting and sometimes overwhelming - and that's OK.

It's a time of rest and renewal.

It's a time to prepare the ground for the seasons to come.

It's a time when you need a Winter Haven.