Catherine
@bythesilverbirch.bsky.social
Nature-noticer and maker of things mostly with yarn. Library manager, repair cafe co-ordinator and knitting pattern designer by day and sometimes night. Lover of curlews, skylarks and the songs they sing. She/her.
Sights from the bog this morning, where the sun tried to shine on the mossy, muddy, mushroomy gloriousness. It’s been a funny few days, with an unwelcome approach from Daily Mail journalist trying to get me to talk about my chess-playing years with Rachel Reeves. This, though, was wonderful.
December 5, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Sights from the bog this morning, where the sun tried to shine on the mossy, muddy, mushroomy gloriousness. It’s been a funny few days, with an unwelcome approach from Daily Mail journalist trying to get me to talk about my chess-playing years with Rachel Reeves. This, though, was wonderful.
This year’s addition to the line of knitted baubles 🧶 I picked socks for the colourwork to mark a surprise flurry of sock designs I’ve published this year. And also in honour of the pair my partner made me as his first knitting project 🥰
December 5, 2025 at 8:41 AM
This year’s addition to the line of knitted baubles 🧶 I picked socks for the colourwork to mark a surprise flurry of sock designs I’ve published this year. And also in honour of the pair my partner made me as his first knitting project 🥰
Town by night. Worth venturing outside for, I think.
November 27, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Town by night. Worth venturing outside for, I think.
Lurgy-afflicted, so for the next couple of days there will be lots of sitting in bed and on the sofa, surrounded by one of more of these Christmas sock projects. I am nearly 1 out of 8 socks down. Wish me luck? 😊🧶
November 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Lurgy-afflicted, so for the next couple of days there will be lots of sitting in bed and on the sofa, surrounded by one of more of these Christmas sock projects. I am nearly 1 out of 8 socks down. Wish me luck? 😊🧶
The boundary between river and path is blurry right now.
November 14, 2025 at 6:04 PM
The boundary between river and path is blurry right now.
It’s new pattern day! 🧶Thanks to an enjoyable collaboration with local indie yarn dyer Quack Yarn, Avenues of Autumn has wonderful photos taken with her excellent yarns. Pattern available on Ravelry, with a 50% discount until Sunday 9th midnight GMT with code Quack: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
November 7, 2025 at 10:13 PM
It’s new pattern day! 🧶Thanks to an enjoyable collaboration with local indie yarn dyer Quack Yarn, Avenues of Autumn has wonderful photos taken with her excellent yarns. Pattern available on Ravelry, with a 50% discount until Sunday 9th midnight GMT with code Quack: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
New sock pattern getting ready to face the world. This is a collaboration with a local indie yarn dyer. Since the yarn was inspired by autumn leaves I thought I should try playing with leaves for the pattern photos. Lovely leaf, can’t see the socks 😊
November 5, 2025 at 8:26 PM
New sock pattern getting ready to face the world. This is a collaboration with a local indie yarn dyer. Since the yarn was inspired by autumn leaves I thought I should try playing with leaves for the pattern photos. Lovely leaf, can’t see the socks 😊
Views from the past week. Gulls, seaweed, ghost sculptures and autumn. I have enjoyed them all.
October 30, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Views from the past week. Gulls, seaweed, ghost sculptures and autumn. I have enjoyed them all.
Snapshots of the week. A lunchbreak walk cow. Two current knitting projects 🧶. An excellent pie made from scratch by my partner. Experimenting with paper for a library event coming up.
October 14, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Snapshots of the week. A lunchbreak walk cow. Two current knitting projects 🧶. An excellent pie made from scratch by my partner. Experimenting with paper for a library event coming up.
Another new knitting pattern published!?! This one is called 12000 Species (it’s about moss) and is free, as some people call knitting this much moss stitch mossochism 😊 Available here for now, hopefully other platforms too soon: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
October 9, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Another new knitting pattern published!?! This one is called 12000 Species (it’s about moss) and is free, as some people call knitting this much moss stitch mossochism 😊 Available here for now, hopefully other platforms too soon: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
Strensall Common today. Moss, tree crowns, jays, goldcrests, fungi and gorgeous autumnal light.
October 8, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Strensall Common today. Moss, tree crowns, jays, goldcrests, fungi and gorgeous autumnal light.
Mushroom help! 🍄🍄🟫 What species did we find on today’s walk? I seem to forget almost all fungi identification knowledge from one year to the next, and have no idea what these are.
October 8, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Mushroom help! 🍄🍄🟫 What species did we find on today’s walk? I seem to forget almost all fungi identification knowledge from one year to the next, and have no idea what these are.
Monday. Lunchbreak at the bog. Current knitting project, insides and outsides.
October 7, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Monday. Lunchbreak at the bog. Current knitting project, insides and outsides.
Exciting news 😃 Before the pandemic I helped set up a repair cafe locally. It didn’t survive the upheaval of those times, but things have come full circle and from next week, in addition to my library job, I will also be project managing a thriving repair cafe and setting up a library of things.
September 25, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Exciting news 😃 Before the pandemic I helped set up a repair cafe locally. It didn’t survive the upheaval of those times, but things have come full circle and from next week, in addition to my library job, I will also be project managing a thriving repair cafe and setting up a library of things.
Hat-washing day, as preparation for when the colder weather arrives. I must have knitted over 100 hats, but here are the ones that still live with me 🧶
September 24, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Hat-washing day, as preparation for when the colder weather arrives. I must have knitted over 100 hats, but here are the ones that still live with me 🧶
Beautiful light at the bog yesterday, following 24 hours of rain. Dragonflies, a busy jay and soaring buzzard our highlights.
September 22, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Beautiful light at the bog yesterday, following 24 hours of rain. Dragonflies, a busy jay and soaring buzzard our highlights.
I’ve just released another sock knitting pattern, inspired by a magic ball of leftover yarn that just keeps on giving. Pattern is here with a free download code until Wednesday: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
September 21, 2025 at 2:11 PM
I’ve just released another sock knitting pattern, inspired by a magic ball of leftover yarn that just keeps on giving. Pattern is here with a free download code until Wednesday: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
The sunshine between the storms and the showers. York looking rather lovely.
September 16, 2025 at 12:13 PM
The sunshine between the storms and the showers. York looking rather lovely.
The sock knitting urge continues, apparently. This is another version of my Outward Bound pattern. More on the needles already… 🧶
September 12, 2025 at 10:11 AM
The sock knitting urge continues, apparently. This is another version of my Outward Bound pattern. More on the needles already… 🧶
Dog rose for #WildflowerHour this week. One single flower on a bush otherwise covered in fruits.
September 7, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Dog rose for #WildflowerHour this week. One single flower on a bush otherwise covered in fruits.
Today’s nature-noticing on the way home from work- a poplar spiral gall. The whole world of galls is strange and fascinating and it’s been a while since I last thought about them, so this was lovely.
September 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Today’s nature-noticing on the way home from work- a poplar spiral gall. The whole world of galls is strange and fascinating and it’s been a while since I last thought about them, so this was lovely.
Autumn find of the day- this fine clump of chicken in the woods (I believe) on a street tree 🍄🍄🟫
September 4, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Autumn find of the day- this fine clump of chicken in the woods (I believe) on a street tree 🍄🍄🟫
A visit to family overseas and the menagerie was especially photogenic.
September 2, 2025 at 4:48 PM
A visit to family overseas and the menagerie was especially photogenic.
Met some excellent old trees today.
August 28, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Met some excellent old trees today.
August 20, 2025 at 7:34 PM