Monday 9th November. I always think I am going to do one of those ‘what’s out now’ record things. A sort of week by week log of when the roses started and the dahlias finished. This may have come from my past life as a wedding florist; everyone needs to know exactly when peony season is. But the seasons seem so up and down now, I’m not sure we can rely on one year being much like the next, or the one before. What has caught me by surprise this year is that I still have absolutely perfect cosmos out in the middle of November, It is entirely by accident, and my proper bed has been harvested or ravaged by rain. But at the beginning of September, I did a video for Gather on how to take cosmos cutting and I put them, mixed with grasses and purple cinnamon basil, in a huge galvanised tank in the courtyard. I mean, September is a ridiculous time to be doing that but I had the camera set up and it is an immensely satisfying task, so I did it anyway (and will share the video again at a more appropriate time next year, like early June). 

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But it means that the plants started to flower at the end of October, and they look absolutely beautiful right now.

Tuesday 10th November. Foraging for acorns and oak galls. It turns out the funny ones we have on the Corfe oaks are Knopper galls and so slightly knobbly, but apparently none the worse for that in terms of yielding tannins for my dyeing. Niwaki very kindly gave me one of their Kantan canvas bags and it is perfect for foraging. Opens like a bucket, and then you can sling it over your shoulder and wear it across your body.

Wednesday 11th November. A day of photography. All the velvet ribboned bundles but also the incredible Kenzans, the Niwaki pin frogs. Paired with the last roses and beech on the turn and a bowl from Vervain’s shop.

Thursday 12th November. A day working late and when I get home, the night has fallen and it is properly dark. The dogs don’t get a walk but twenty minutes racing around the orchard (Puppers always manages to get onto the beds). I suddenly realise how much the roses still smell. I don’t notice in the day, but in the still and clear darkness, the air seems full of their scent.

Friday 13th November. My dyeing has stepped up a notch in that I am now trying to do justice to some incredible bag handles made for me by Rag of Colts. I have been using a linen furoshiki bag for a while (a pale nettle, I am not having much luck with achieving forest green with my weeds), but the whole thing is much improved by these beautiful straps. Made with recycled and repurposed stirrup leathers and glorious brass rings, now I just need the best fabric to go with them.

Saturday 14th November. A storm. It rained. It rained and rained and rained. We got wet. 

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Sunday 15th November. A project rather wonderfully comes together. The Gather Colour ebook is now out there in the world. I celebrate by putting my first vat of weld on. Yellow isn’t the word. If you are a complete beginner at natural dyeing (it really is a step by step, which is the book I really needed two months ago), then this is the book for you. If you don’t fancy dyeing at all, I will be doing the hard yards for you and putting some ribbons and textiles in the Christmas shop in the coming weeks.