Hi there— and greetings from a very frosty Oklahoma! I am writing you this evening after a cold (and slippery!) walk to the post office with the pups, sending out orders and getting a look at my little town as it burrows down into some unexpected cold and icey weather.

Today’s post is something new that I’d like to make into a regular feature, and I’ve decided to just call it “Good Things Gathered”, as it will just be a collection of simple things I’ve been enjoying or getting inspiration from or finding comfort in and I thought I’d pass them along! A few of those things are shown in the photo above, a collection of what I’m reading or working on.

So here are some of those good things, gathered for you!

1. First and foremost, I am a lover of home magazines from the U.K., especially British Country Living, but I am also enjoying Period Living these days as well. Both magazines feature gorgeous, often very old homes that are decorated so beautifully and in a more traditional or country style. I also love British Country Living because it actually focuses on country living, including farming and gardening. It also features artisans who practice heritage crafts, which I love. I find that magazine so inspiring not just as a homeowner, but as an artist as well. Period Living is becoming a new favorite because it showcases some really fabulous old homes and has some very interesting articles and suggestions for restoration projects. I buy both these magazines at Barnes & Noble, which I don’t get to visit often, so its definitely a treat and indulgence.

2. In keeping with the British theme, the 2021 catalog from David Austin Roses arrived and it’s always so fun to look through and “OOooo and Ahhhh” over all the gorgeous roses! I have several of these roses in my garden, and there is something just so special about these old English roses in looks and fragrance. I admit, I do baby and feed them and can’t wait for spring to come when they all wake up! I am also excited for the Emily Bronte Rose to arrive this spring, as my good friend Patricia bought it for me for Christmas, and David Austin Roses sends the rose when its the right time to plant in your area! And don’t you just love the name? Emily will have to have a very special place in the garden for sure!

3. I was also so thrilled to finally get a (used) copy of these gorgeous books “Quilts” that I could afford– I’ve had it saved on my wish list for years, I think… and there was finally a used edition that came into my price range (which is— cheap! ha) The quilts featured in this book are all from the American Folk Art Museum and I was so surprised to open this book and find one of the first quilts featured is a quilt I have had as my phone screen saver (again, for years!) I saw the quilt in person at Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas when they had their big American Folk Art exhibit several years ago— which included many items from the American Folk Art Museum. It is so meaningful to me that I have actually seen some of the quilts featured here in person, and I am discovering so much more. This book will be interesting not just for learning about historical quilts, but the color combinations and shapes are also very inspiring for future art work. The cover alone— isn’t that quilt just amazing? Its so simple, yet so eye catching! Its a very old piece, but also seems modern, doesn’t it?

4. And lastly, a good thing I’m working on (well, you know I’ve always got a lot of projects going at once, but I digress…) is a pair of mittens! I decided to join my first knit along (in this case, mitt-along!) on instagram, and the goal was to knit a pair of mittens using any pattern of your choice. The mitt-along is hosted by a pair of very talented fiber artists on IG, Earth Tones Girl and Hey Brown Berry. Both ladies host an instagram live chat called “Maker’s Minutes” and the hashtag for this mitt-along is #MMMittalong. Their enthusiasm and encouragement encouraged me to give it a go! I chose the mitten pattern “The World’s Simplest Mittens” by Tin Can Knits (sounds about my speed!) and it is actually a free pattern on Ravelry! I’m making these mittens using some leftover handspun that I knit a hat for my son with (I just have a bit of it left, that’s why I’ve added the white). I’ll be honest, I made so many mistakes on this mitten, but I know I’ve also learned a lot and I’m looking forward to starting a new pair with mill-spun yarn (I have a serious stash of yarn I need to plow through, it’s a little bit ridiculous at this point! And I better use it up so I can buy more, right??). Now I just need to start on mitten two and hopefully my son can use them before its 90 degrees again!

So that’s my gathering for you today friends, I hope you enjoyed these good things. And thank you so much for coming here to visit me on the blog, I really appreciate it. I also appreciate all the thoughtful comments on my last post! You guys are the best. Loved hearing how you’ve been feeling and your wisdom.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll talk more with you soon!~
Take Joy!
H