Cornflower

Blue room

    May Morris in the Tapestry Room at Kelmscott Manor (1912), Mary Annie Sloane.

    Books, needlework, flowers, a spinning wheel, and the window open to a blue-and-white day beyond.

    This watercolour features in a forthcoming exhibition about May Morris, and there is an accompanying book.

    Read more here, and see also this post.

Things to make and do

    -    Bake a blackberry galette - some eating apples (straight off the tree if possible), chopped and fried in butter with a little cinnamon, are a good addition.

    -    Stitch your city - (my northern fastness is just off the map).

    -    See this exhibition before it closes next month. I went for a second look recently and this picture is still the one I'd take home.

    -    Live long and prosper - Dan Buettner's TED talk tells you how, and ties in with Ken Mogi's book.

Colours of the season

    Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen'

    R.C. Sherriff's The Fortnight in September

    Skein Queen's Delectable in 'Golden Plum'

Thought for the day

    "The Japanese concept, ichigo ichie (literally meaning 'one time, one encounter') originally comes from the tea ceremony tradition. [...] Ichigo ichie is the appreciation of the ephemeral character of any encounters with people, things or events in life. Precisely because an encounter is ephemeral, it must be taken seriously. Life, after all, is filled with things that happen only once. The realization of the 'onceness' of life's encounters and pleasures provides the foundations for the Japanese conceptualization of ikigai, and is central to the Japanese philosophy of life. When you take notice of the small details of life, nothing is repeated. Every opportunity is special. That is why the Japanese treat the tiniest detail of any ritual as if it were a question of life and death."

    Ken Mogi, The Little Book of Ikigai

In pleasant places

    It was a beautiful morning for a walk in pleasant places,

specifically The Hermitage by the River Braan in Perthshire,

(though no salmon leaping today),

and nearby Dunkeld.

    Flora's bakery in the village doesn't appear to be near to opening yet, but the "Coming Soon" poster in the window, and word (via my parents who also use him) from the local plumber suggests it may not be far away. The outside of the shop is certainly looking spruce.

So that's all good

    Super-knitter Sarah (@sherlock_knits on Instagram) recently set herself the task of making a pair of socks as a Christmas gift for each of the inpatients at the Marie Curie hospice where she works as a doctor. She is using the limited edition West Yorkshire Spinners Marie Curie yarn available exclusively from CityKnits, and has written up a basic pattern which is for sale through Ravelry with all profits going to the charity.

    Sarah has welcomed volunteers to join her in her quest and with that promised help has extended her aim to include socks for patients at all nine Marie Curie hospices.

                                ~~~~~

    Over at Knit British, Louise has come up with an excellent (no purchase necessary) idea: The Good Intentions Club. I think I'll make the Marie Curie socks my October project.

Friday flowers: in the garden

    Hydrangea quercifolia

    Hydrangea Annabelle

    A hellebore!

    Gaura lindheimeri 'The Bride'

    Acidanthera murielae - not much scent, though.

    (In the background is the cellar door.)