Welcome to my first post of 2025! It’s hard to believe we’re almost two full months into the new year. I don’t remember much of January, mostly cold and dark days, walking to the office in the dark, coming home in the dark and experimenting with 30 different ways to wear my woolly scarf. It’s been a long Winter, with barely any sunlight, but that’s already starting to change.
There’s a poem by Caroline Norton calling snowdrops “the harbingers of Spring – A sort of link between dumb life and light.” Snowdrops are the first flower to bloom, at least where I live. Every February, I walk around the park, trying to spot the first speckles of white in the wet and darkened soil. We don’t get much snow here, and the classical image of a strong snowdrop bravely sprouting through the snow is something I’ve never actually witnessed in real life. But the British poets of the 19th century describe them in such great detail that I feel like I’ve experienced it myself.
They’re so small, yet they stand out, usually in a group. It’s embarrassing how excited I get when I spot the first snowdrops of the season, but their promise of longer and warmer days keeps me sane.
A snowdrop embroidery
I got my embroidery kit from Craftpod. I think I’ve bought at least 95% of their kits. They come in a cute small box that contains a hoop, fabric, threads, and some extras like vintage prints and a tea bag. They always use high-quality materials, and they have designs for every season. I wanted to stitch the snowdrops to celebrate the start of a new year.
This hoop was pretty quick and easy to stitch, I completed it in three evenings while I listened to the audiobook of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, it was a great read, one of my favourites this year.
This design is a combination of split backstitch, satin stitch, and long-and-short stitch. I used two strands of thread, even though Craftpod recommends using just one, but I don’t have the patience for a one-strand stitch!
February 1st, Imbolc
A few weeks ago, I bought a children’s book, The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature’s Rhythms, by Fiona Cook and Jessica Roux. Although I’m far older than their target audience, I’m learning a lot. I don’t know much about folklore and the traditions different cultures have for each season, and this book collects stories from around the world with beautiful illustrations.
I hadn’t heard of Imbolc before, a cross-quarter fire festival on February 1st in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the “midway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.” I never thought of February as Spring, but in ancient Ireland, February 1st marked the first day of the new season. Imbolc celebrates the return of light and the first signs of Spring. People celebrate it by lighting candles, planting seeds to symbolise new beginnings, or making a Brigid Cross in honour of Brigid, the Irish goddess of Spring and transformation.
The book goes into more detail on who Brigid is and what she represents, but my favourite part was this: “On the evening of January 31st, it’s said that Brigid passes by, warming the ground to ready it for the new season. Wherever her feet and gown touch the ground, wildflowers spring up.” I like to imagine that’s exactly what happened, whenever I spot snowdrops or the small purple flowers that are starting to grow as we approach the end of February.
I’ve started reading about Ostara, the Spring Equinox that I hope brings many beautiful colours and fresh, slightly warmer air.
I have other embroidery projects, you can find them here if you’re interested.
Willow in Winter 