Winter Delights

It’s winter here in the UK. The car was frozen over last week, temperatures have plummeted to zero (celsius) and I’ve broken out the scarf, hat and gloves more than once this week. Unlike most of my friends and family, I love winter. Even though in Manchester, where I live, the weather is less like on the stereotypical snowy Christmas card and more like constant rain. Even though I may not see a sunny day for weeks at a time, I love winter.

The reasons why I love winter are plentiful. For one thing, I am an avid knitter, and there’s no better excuse to cast on than freezing cold days! For me, knitting is also the perfect pastime to while away the gloomy evenings while snuggling up on the sofa with my husband. At the moment I’m knitting Christmas gifts – I won’t tell you what they are or I’ll spoil the surprise, but I hope the recipients will love them!

Not only do I love knitting woolly accessories, I adore wearing them too. That’s why I’ve been enjoying the chilly days this week – it’s given me a great excuse to layer up an array of vintage hats, crocheted scarves and toasty mittens. What better way to show off gorgeous handknits and raise the profile of the handmade movement?

I also love winter because that wonderful holiday Christmas falls smack bang in the middle of it! From the end of the summer, I look forward to Christmas because it means ten days’ holiday, spending time with my family and friends, and excellent food, courtesy of my dad. This year, I’m also trying to buy mostly handmade gifts and I’ve already got some amazing presents for my family!

When I was about 10 years old, it actually snowed on Christmas Day – really snowed, enough for sledding. My parents live right next to the beach, and we had so much fun sledding down the sand dunes! It doesn’t really snow very often here in the UK but every day during winter I wake up hoping that there will be a beautiful white blanket outside when I open the curtains (although I hate scraping ice off the car!).

So, I’m really excited that winter has arrived, even if it’s a little bit early this year. Although I expect that in February, I’ll be waiting most impatiently for spring to arrive!

Image credits, top to bottom:
HidenSeek
Dollyknits
Zukas
Ialbert
AnnasEmporium
WallEnvyArt