A Snowless Winter's Tale

This year the snowbird who, (as we all know!), brings the first flakes of spiralling snow that change the landscape from dull, wet winter grey to a magical white winter wonderland seems to have passed the UK by, (or she's passed my bit of it by, anyway), and decided to stay across the Atlantic instead. I miss her and the snowflakes she usually brings. So I have had to make do and construct one myself, complete with hooky snowflake, of course.

She is based on the pictures of Attic 24's gorgeous Bower Bird that Lucy posted about here. I think my proportions are a bit out - she has a very long beak for a start, but I like her. And I particularly like her glassy bead wing and tail-feather adornments and her iridescent blue eyes.

Here she is looking for a roost, using my new hooky doily as a launch pad ...

This is my first (and probably last) crochet doily from a beautiful pattern called Winter''s Breath by Denise Augostine Owens which you can find on Ravelry here. I love the result but I am not really patient enough to crochet with such fine thread and such a thin hook, so I think it will be a one-off.

This is my snowbird's final roosting place on the wire tree that holds notes and reminders in my study, among some hooky snowflakes. All the snowflakes come from this book apart from the one the snowbird is holding in her beak which I invented myself . The bigger ones are hooked in DK weight mercerised cotton on a 4mm hook so have come out quite large but after the doily, I couldn't face using the thin thread and hypodermic-needle-diameter-hook combo again.

My snowbird seems quite at home here. And I prefer her and the hooky snowflakes to the reminders and "to-dos" that have been evicted to make room for her.

Outside it's not snowy, it's just "water, water every where, nor any drop to drink" as per The Ancient Mariner.

This is not a lake, or even a pond; it's a field. Quite close to where I live. Not as bad as on the Somerset Levels but the water here and elsewhere is making driving "interesting" / impossible and there are sandbags this evening down the road in case what is currently lapping around the feet starts rising more alarmingly.

But even if there is no snow, there are snowdrops to pick and put on the kitchen windowsill.

Wishing you all a happy (and safe and dry) weekend, 

with or without snow, depending on where you live.

E x