*big raffia bag

Here are some close-ups from the big raffia bag that I made. As written in the last post, the pattern of the body of the bag is from the Etsy store "LanezDesignstore". The original has sewed on leather handles, but I decided to crochet mine and think they turned out nicely as well!

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*The end of fall & finishing a new bag

{Music: Otherside – Praam}

At the end of fall I finally finished my new crochet project, the pattern is from the Etsy "LanezDesignStore", but I changed it a bit, I made different handles in the end. Other than that I enjoyed the world of yellow leaves and floating clouds in the sky and the most fabulous sunsets! 

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*The last leaves

I'm not sure, but I think this is the last autumnal picture series for a while. I'm looking forward to show you some of the magical winter days we had since the end of November, but we still have to be a little patient. Last week I finally filled my kiln with some of my ceramics that has been waiting in my shelves for quite a while now and on Saturday evening I had a four hour glazing session. I also glazed some of my sisters ceramic pieces and started the glaze firing yesterday in the early morning hours. I have worked on some ceramic decorations for our Christmas tree also, but I have to still glaze them and make a last firing for those. Hopefully in time to be able to hang them on the tree. Speaking of the tree, this weekend we managed to choose our future Christmas tree in the forest, but it was still a challenge, because of the amount of snow. It was hard to pick one this time, but I'm sure it will be a nice one in the end! And yesterday we managed to visit a Christmas fair at the beautiful Rosenburg castle. The atmosphere was amazing! There was a wind quartet playing live, bonfires and even snow owls and lot's of yummy food and hot drinks and craftspeople presenting their work. We really used our last chance, as it was the last day the fair was open. Today the snow is slowly melting and for a tiny moment the sun came out. I wish you a good start into the new week, see you soon again!

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*How to have hope

My sister shared this beautiful poem by Katy Luxem with me recently and I want to share it with you as well here:

There must be something wrong with me.

In the fall, the neighbors spray their eaves,

with poison dripping like a soft rain. They’d kill

for a weedless lawn, a pest-free porch. 

But I sit outside thinking the light is honey

for us all. I’ll leave the sunflowers 

until they freeze, and let my many-legged 

thoughts go. Part of me is always hurting

for the smallest among the living. I can’t help

how I open, instead of shut before winter. 

I leave a crack. I invite the spiders in.

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*Light in the fog

{Music: Morgen – Praam}

This was still in November when we had more misty days. The leaves turned colors and started to free themselves to travel with the wind. It is elevating to be witness of all the little changes in nature. Every day is a little different. Beautiful in it's own way.

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*Tiny blue paper crane

We are having the most wonderful first Advent weekend here! Yesterday it snowed all night and day and honestly I can not remember when we last had so much snow at this time of the year! All the white filled my hear with peace and I could not get tired of looking out of the window. Already in the morning the deer came into my flower garden bed where I had planted some excess mangold in spring that I never harvested because all the flowers and herbs were growing so wildly that I was not able to reach it anymore without stepping on the other plants, so I just let it grow out. The deer where munching on it and I could not even be worried about the beds, it was so nice to have them so close, I filmed them a bit and later we made a trip to the castle ruin of Gars where we had the most wonderful view over the wintry city and overall landscape! Of course we also had to shovel snow a lot and free our hedge and certain trees and the greenhouse from the snow load and carried a lot of wood up the stairs, but it is how it is, every season holds his duties. Today the icy winds made the cold feel more like minus 25 degrees. We originally wanted to choose our Christmas tree in the forest, but the conditions and all the heavy snow on the trees made it not possible, so we will try the coming weekend again. I will head to the kitchen now to bake a cake and wish you further a cozy evening!

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*Thousands of rosehips

First of all: Happy first of December!

On the weekend they predict minus 16 degrees, I'm curious if it truly get's this cold already! In any case this means keeping an eye on the fire in the stove constantly and getting some more bird food.

We are having gloomy days for a while now and I try to get out into nature before the day starts to not fall too early into kind of a winter torpor. My body wants to move, especially after finishing an intense painting commission where I was sitting way too many hours on my bum.

Hopefully this month will not rush by too quickly and you will enjoy the first Advent weekend! I still have not prepared our Advent wreath and I'm not sure if I make one this year, but I was making candles out of wax remnants that I had collected over the years. I use my handmade ceramics as vessel and so far it works wonderfully and looks really nice!

Do you have plans for the coming days? Visiting a Christmas fair perhaps?

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