It's a perfect time of year for collecting thorns. We have a lot of not only blackthorn (sloe) but also damson and bullace in the local hedges and all produce strong thorns. I use these for pins and also make needles with them, but today I'm collecting for a much more complex project that needs some really strong very long thorns. I'll peel these now whilst they are fresh, then they can dry til I'm ready to sort them by size and put them to work!
#hedgebothering

So, this #WinterSolstice brought an upper respiratory #virus to my spouse and 16 year old, a #SnowEmergency that closed the roads, and a general low-energy vibe. I have greeted that with #HerbalTea, #HomemadeSoup, #CinnamonBread, #PumpkinBread and #Eggnog with freshly-grated #nutmeg. It may be a dark moment, but longer days are ahead. Time to start planning next year’s #garden and #HedgeBothering

What a gloriously frosty morning. All the leaves are edged with ice crystals and the whole world is sparkling in the sunshine. There's all sorts of things to see in the hedges, lovely sharp blackthorn spikes to make pins from, ropes of bryony berries, and birds everywhere fluffed out to nearly spherical.
#hedgebothering

A bit confused by all this but here goes! I post about #archaeology #experimentalarchaeology #heritageeducation #traditionalcrafts #hedgebothering and ok, #tea and #cats occasionally.

Currently finishing an experimental archaeology MSc at #exeteruni.

Err, that'll do for now, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sometime soon.