Here in my part of the UK we are experiencing an unusual prolonged period of calm, cold, still weather. Each morning waking up to a hard and beautiful frost and the sun slowly rising through the mIst.

Mornings like this are a sheer delight and worth any amount of scraping ice off car windscreens. I'll admit that our mornings are usually far from idyllic. There is more than the usual amount of school uniform related chaos and last minute homework dramas. As we rush out of the door to drive into town there is little time to stop and admire, but these last few mornings have been so beautiful that our usual walk from the town car park to school has been much slower than usual.

Suitably wrapped up snugly (smugly?) in layers of handknits we have taken our time and paused to admire the amazing ice sculptures. Well, I paused and DS2 set about trying to break ice puddles with a stick but he was admiring it in his own special way.

Obviously as a Knitter, mornings like this being their own special joy. Being able to select from a range of beautiful handknit woollen shawls and scarves is a great feeling, as is being able to say casually "Oh, I made it" when a work colleague asks where you bought said shawl. But it also makes me realise that I tend to concentrate my knitting on certain items. Somewhat embarrassingly I don't own a pair of knitted gloves/mitts having lost my last pair and most of the hats I made I gave away to family. Surveying the contents of our "woolly items" basket I can't help thinking that this summer might have to be spent with some dk/worsted yarn making some new woolly items for next winter.

So if you see me knitting woollen mitts in July, you'll know why.