The Simple Thingsの February 2023 の目次

First cuppa of the day and what are you doing? I'm in my studio, cup of tea in hand, spending a few minutes looking over the designs and swatches spread out on my work table – a vintage brioche-making table. The surface is an ever-changing moodboard of everything I'm working on. Tell us a little about what you do. My work as an artist, designer and knitter includes collaborations with partners such as Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the publishers of my knitting books*. We're putting the kettle on. Do you have a favourite mug? Having designed several tableware collections, I've a cupboard full of samples. I have a couple of favourites for different seasons – my National Trust flowers and butterflies sets were constant companions while working on my…

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn (Penguin) After Winn and her husband Moth lose their home and business, and he receives a terminal diagnosis, the couple decide to walk the South West Coast path – 630 miles from Somerset to Dorset via Devon and Cornwall – carrying all they have on their backs. It's a tale of coming to terms with grief and the power of nature to heal. Wild: A Journey From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed (Atlantic Books) Following the death of her mother, Strayed took on the Pacific Crest Trail – 1,100 miles up the US West Coast, including desert, ice and wild animals. Her account not only deals with her physical challenges (losing her toenails) but her emotional reckoning, too. It's now a film starring…

GOOD THINGS TO DRINK INDIA While India is often considered a teadrinking nation, coffee was also a popular drink all the way back in 17th-century Mughal India. In southern India, spices are often blended in with the coffee –as in Kerala's chukku kappi, opposite (known as karupatti kaapi in Tamil Nadu). India is the second-largest cardamom producer in the world, so it's not uncommon to find a few pods added to your cafetière. CHUKKU KAAPI GINGER COFFEE This spicy-sweet brew clears the sinuses, often used as an Ayurvedic remedy for coughs or colds. The exact recipe varies by region and from household to household – some people add coriander seed or clove, so feel free to experiment. Serves 2-3 700ml water 3 tbsp jaggery* or brown sugar 1½ tsp ginger powder 1¼ tsp…

GOOD THINGS TO EAT Welcome to my veg patch Take a stroll with me in my garden and see it change through the seasons. I'll share what l‘m planting, harvesting and cooking, including my successes… and my failures. We'li gather the goodies in a muddy bucket and head to the kitchen to make a joyful meal (we'll even usetheslug-nibbledones). These are the simple, seasonal recipes I make after a day in the garden, I hope they inspire and give you sorus new ways to celebrate nature's bounty. The dog's name is Hadleigh, by the way. The month of possibilities February is a time to dream. To create the picture of a beautifiil patch in your head; to browse seed catalogues imaginingwhatyou would grow; to draw up plans that'll make the dream…

When you think about classical composers, what names spring to mind? Beethoven, Mozart, Bach? A few years ago, French cellist Héloïse Luzzati realised she had spent her career playing works only composed by men. But a life juggling small children and a busy schedule of performances meant she had little chance to do anything about it. However, the pandemic gave her time without concerts, and she set to work. First she established Elies - Women Composers, a collective of musicians who aim to redress this balance, finding manuscripts, reading scores and restoring to the repertoire the works of women composers of the past, including non-European and Black writers. To give herself and other musicians the freedom to record this music as they please, last year she also set up a…

Available on Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Zinio, PressReader Save money with a year's subscription (12 issues). The choice is simple.…

Daffodils Like a burst of sunshine breaking through grey sky, daffodils herald the start of spring - which, on a cold late winter morning, is what we all need to see. If you want the season to start even earlier, put some bulbs on a bed of pebbles in a glass container, fill with water to just below the base of the bulbs (topping up as needed) and get them inside before the garden gets all the glory.…

Humans’ fascination with animals has long been documented, from the first cave drawings of bison in France, to the worship of cats in Ancient Egypt, to Native American spirit animal beliefs. While it's easy to imagine how, for example, domesticated bulls earned their 15 minutes of fame in Ancient Greece, it's more intriguing to examine why today we might obsess over a species we have never even encountered in real life. Affection for certain animals was doubtless once saved only for species that could be found locally, that played a role in people's daily lives. How, then, did we go from that to modern Western society where a child living in Leeds might name a llama as their favourite animal? Now that we have access to knowledge of the millions…

A PLACE TO STAY Family get-togethers can be hard to organise, even – maybe especially – when you live near each other, as we do. You need a reason to pull everyone together. Something different generations will enjoy. And, at the tail-end of winter, something fun to do when the weather turns against you and you can't get outdoors. If it's not too much to ask, you need a sense of occasion, a whiff of nostalgia, a metaphorical red carpet… Yes, you need a Georgian, Grade II-listed ex-pub in deepest Somerset that comes with its own 32-seat art deco cinema. Lights, camera, action… Where we stayed Axbridge is a medieval town at the foot of the Mendips, great for exploring nearby Glastonbury. However, the bad weather meant we enjoyed the…

Black pioneers These illustrations are taken from Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen by George McCalman, published by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins. HOW TO… LOOK AFTER YOUR KNITWEAR It keeps us cosy; give it a little bit of TLC in exchange The bad news Check the care label - you might be able to get away with a 30 degree or less wash in your machine on a gentle setting. However, experts agree handwashing is best: use a specialist liquid from the likes of Ecover or Clothes Doctor. The good news It's better for garment, planet and your time to only wash your woollies a few times a year at most. Instead, spot treat stains, and keep fresh through using knitwear spritz (sold by Clothes Doctor),…

The short winter days and clear light make being outside so beautiful. If you're walking, aim to go by 11am at the latest, having had a big breakfast, then walk through to 3pm or 4pm, arriving tired and hungry at a cosy pub as twilight descends. Or plan a lunch stop at a café to warm up. A Thermos flask is a must and wide-brimmed ones can carry soup or pasta for a warm snack. Energetic group games such as rounders or football are possible on empty beaches, as are kite flying or frisbee throwing. Rock pooling and seaweed foraging are also fruitful and mussels are at their best in winter months – plan to go at the lowest possible tide. Be aware of tides, and always ensure your way…

The Sky is Snowing The sky is snowing, Rory, and overnight the earth's been eiderdowned in feather-white. Today is Story Day, but the schools are shut –the playground through the rails is a bassinet of silent snow. No Burglar Bill will go to school today, no Alice or Gruffalo. On the news, a garter snake of cars has slept the night below the frozen stars. The sky is snowing, love, in pale marshmallows and flecks of mint. You're at the kitchen window in your burglar stripes and mask and bag of swag. My little crooked scallywag. Let's lift the window open, just a slip, and catch this snowstorm on your fingertip. There's a joyous immediacy to Hannah Lowe's snow poem, which beautifully describes a city stalled by the weather and…

While it might seem that we have little control over the things that happen to us, how we think and feel plays a big part in the reality that we create. When you start the day feeling positive, each task becomes more joyful, and the day goes smoothly. On the other hand, if you dread the day ahead you'll carry that mindset with you like a cloud above your shoulders and little tasks will become much bigger and more of a struggle. Manifestation is based on the principle that like attracts like. Simply ask, believe and you will receive. It first emerged as part of the New Thought philosophy, a spiritual movement founded in the US in the 19th century, but many of its core beliefs can be found in…

GALLERY From flowers in Berwick-upon-Tweed to cattle in Scotland, the work of award-winning photographer Joanne Coates explores the range of farming that takes place within the boundaries of North Yorkshire, Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. But more specifically, with her project Daughters of the Soil, she focuses her lens on the women farmers who make up some 15% of the farming workforce, typically receiving less visibility than their male counterparts. Just as there's no one kind of farmer, it should go without saying that there's no single type of woman farmer, either - Joanne's project is about sharing all the experiences there are out there, but it's also about tackling stereotypes in the way that they, and the countryside, can be depicted. Rather than a romanticised view of the landscape,…

GARDENS Gardening in harmony with nature means that even with the smallest budget and tiniest plot, you can make an environmental difference. Many of us head to our gardens or allotments to switch off, have a break and enjoy being outdoors, and the feel-good factor of gardening is backed up by science, too. But a sustainably managed garden is even more beneficial, as growing in a way that minimises our impact on the planet creates a space that's teeming with the soul-nourishing sights, sounds and smells of nature in full bloom. There's no need to tick every eco-friendly box to be a sustainable gardener. Every green space has rich benefits for biodiversity, even without you actively taking steps to attract wildlife, such as digging a pond or building a bug…

To see how an animal's popularity can shift, look no further than the squirrel. A squirrel named Kevin, with a habit of eating all of Bethany Brookshire's homegrown tomatoes, helped inspire her book: Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains (Ecco), exploring ‘why we hate some animals so terribly much –and why we love others, despite the harm they may cause.’ She looks to Scotland, where red squirrels ‘have gone from persecuted pest to a source of national pride’. According to science historian Matthew Holmes, the red squirrel declined in Scotland over the 17th century, as their forest habitat was cut down. Reintroduced thanks to an 18th century aristocratic love of deer parks, they were still largely seen as pests as they ate sought-after bird eggs. That changed with the arrival…

Everyone knows about the extravagant costumes, music, dancing and the sea of colour that comes with Carnival in Brazil, but it's also a time to celebrate traditional foods and to feast together before Lent. Carnival starts on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, meaning celebrations will kick off on 17 February this year, as cities like Rio de Janeiro will heave with people and the celebratory sound of drums. The first carnival was in 1723, inspired by Portuguese immigrants celebrating Entrudo, which saw people throwing water, mud and food in the streets. In the 1800s, more organised parades arrived with masquerade balls and, by the 1850s, street parades with military bands and horse-drawn floats became the focus. By the end of the century, Carnival had evolved into a working-class celebration with…

RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH BLOOD ORANGE AND CARDAMOM CURD Makes 1 cake For the curd: 3-4 blood oranges, zest and juice 80g caster sugar 1 large egg + 2 egg yolks, beaten 80g cold butter, cut into small cubes 1 tsp cornflour 6 cardamom pods, crushed For the cake: 250g butter, softened 1 tbsp soft brown sugar 500g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths 200g caster sugar 3 large eggs, beaten 240g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp full-fat greek yogurt 1 tbsp icing sugar 1 To make the curd, put the orange juice (approx. 150ml), sugar, eggs, butter, cornflour and cardamom into a bain-marie over simmering water and whisk to combine. Stir continuously to thicken – it will take 10-12 mins from the point the butter melts. When the curd coats the back of a spoon, turn off the…

REFLECTION The afternoon dims as two figures cut across Kensington Gardens, west London. Me, and my grown-up son, Ollie. We slow to watch the blur of what I rate as the king of dogs, a brindle whippet, having a mad moment of the day, and I tell Ollie something he's heard before: the rumour that Queen Victoria bequeathed much of the park to the city's dog walkers. It's certainly dog central today. Though Ollie is with me, I often lean to the lonesome. Meaning lots of my walks, long and short, are done solo. After all, it was a wise essayist, William Hazlitt, who told us to travel this way and I'm partly in his footsteps, I guess. He wrote that enjoying views and thinking thoughts are best attained alone,…

“I'm naturally very critical of my own work, but I'm also very good at thinking, ‘the deadline is here and you're not going to get it any better!’ Keep it simple and be pragmatic about what you can achieve.” “Set a goal and don't worry about any person who's being really irritating, annoying, or just plain horrible while you try to achieve it – remember who you are and where you want to be.” “Remember to take pride in your achievements. It's much easier to remember the things that go wrong or don't work, but it's important to remember the good things, too.”…

The world's first commercial car designed to ’run on the sun’ is being manufactured. The solar electric Lightyear 0 charges up wherever there's daylight, even as it's moving. At £216,000 it's not cheap, but it marks a milestone in moving away from fossil fuels. 92k sq km of carbon-storing seagrass have been mapped in the Bahamas - by sharks wearing cameras. The meadow is twice the size of the previous-known largest in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. FIRST BLOOD British scientists have successfully grown red blood cells in a lab, paving the way for a time when transfusions don't have to rely solely on donations. It could revolutionise treatment for those with blood disorders or rare blood types.…

Removing the caffeine from coffee is easy; it's water-soluble, after all. Doing so in a way that leaves hundreds of chemicals in their complex, flavour-giving concentrations? Not so much. Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge first isolated caffeine – or 'kaffebase' -–in 1820, in his analysis of the coffee bean but had no interest in pursuing the discovery. German Ludwig Roselius devised the first commercially successful decaffeination process in 1903. After some coffee beans were accidentally drenched in sea water, he noted that they'd lost much of their caffeine but little of their flavour. Three years later, he patented a process that steamed beans in acids, before removing the caffeine with a solvent: benzene. The rather less carcinogenic dichloromethane or ethyl acetate are used today, alongside other decaffing methods.…

OVERSIZED SHIRT TO GATHERED SKIRT Simply chop off the top to create a unique, gathered skirt. Feeling less adventurous? Upcycle a man's shirt by sewing along the side seams to make them fit better, or shorten the sleeves. You will need: Oversized man's shirt Matching thread Elastic, 2.5cm wide Basic sewing kit Safety pin 1 Start by steam pressing the shirt to remove any kinks and creases. Next, cut off the sleeves by following the sleeve stitch line along the armhole. 2 Using a ruler and tailor's chalk, draw a straight line beneath the shirt collar, running just below the top panel of the back piece (called the yoke). Cut away the top section of the shirt along your drawn line. 3 Depending on the design of the shirt, unpick…

Light a candle, pour some bubble bath, let out a big sigh and relax. Creating a quiet and calm space where no one can interrupt you is always a good way to spend time. Bookshop browse MUSICAL HIGHS Why We Sing by Julia Hollander From lullabies to laments, from sea shanties to dance floor anthems there's a song for every mood and emotion, but we often fight shy of the act of singing. Performer and music therapist Julia Hollander aims to change that; with a blend of science, real-life experience and testimonies from students and professionals, she shows how belting out a tune is good for the soul. Journeying through each of life's seasons - from the springtime of learning and self-discovery to the wintry pleasures of self-reflection, she suggests…

“I love this little room. I come in here to read, study and have a potter about. Our dog loves the sofa so she sneaks in for a snooze when no one is looking. I had fabulous bookshelves in my last house so when we moved here in July my priority was to get shelves set up, so I could display books and all of the things that mean a lot to me. It's half curated and half haphazard! It's a bit of a museum for books and memories, with art that I love dotted through – including a piece painted by my father-in-law, which is very precious. This is a mezzanine room overlooking the living room below, so you feel separate but connected. It also has a fabulous view…

An eye-opener DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL When we wrote our manifesto, we wanted it to be a gentle prompt to enjoy life's simple pleasures - we've now put it on a tea towel so that reminder is always to hand. £11, from picsandink.com MATCHBOXES PUZZLE (answers on page 124) “Be fully awake if you want to dream” Paulo Coelho Technically the ‘He tu’ symbol versions date back to 1,000 AD in China, and it's likely it's even older. It's a powerful visual representation of the moving relationship of the opposing, yet always linked forces of‘yin’ and ‘yang’. WHAT TO DO WITH… LEMONS PRACTICAL: a natural cleaning friend, they can be used directly on pongy kitchen surfaces, such as microwaves and fridges. Or make a spray solution with white vinegar,…

Rainbow carrot and beetroot tart CUT OUT AND KEEP Rainbow carrot and beetroot tart Serves 4 8 coloured carrots 4 tbsp honey 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry 100g cooked beetroot 180g cream cheese Fresh rosemary and thyme, chopped 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/ Fan 160C/Gas 4. Lightly scrub the carrots then place whole in a baking dish along with the honey and balsamic vinegar and toss well. 2 Roast for 30-40 mins, or until the carrots are tender but still have their colour. Leave to cool, then cut the carrots in half lengthways. 3 Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7. Unroll the pastry onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Score a border around the edge of the pastry approximately 2.5cm in, being careful not to cut all…

T he murmurs began the day after the storm. “Did you see…?” said the man who lived across the street, jutting his chin toward the tree man's house. His neighbours nodded, frowning. But at first, none of them spoke of what they had witnessed. The three men kept their thoughts to themselves. It was the kind of thinking that could cause embarrassment. At first, they merely grunted their greetings as they dragged fallen branches into piles between their homes. They gathered splintered bird houses and other items that had blown across their yards. Bins for the recyclables. A child's pink tricycle. A cashmere jumper, found clinging to a berberis hedge. This was to have been the last big storm of the winter, but they no longer knew what to expect…