December 2023

2 articles in December 2023

My sister and I live in two vastly different countries. I live in Scotland, in Europe, in the Northern hemisphere; my sister lives in Zimbabwe, in Africa, in the Southern hemisphere. When it is winter in Scotland, it is summer in Zimbabwe. I grew up with hot, sometimes humid, Christmases. Because it is warm for a lot of the year, houses in Zimbabwe are built to be kept cool, while our homes in the UK are insulated in anticipation of cold winters. It’s difficult to explain, but I’ve long suspected that this makes our perception of ‘temperature’ a bit skewed. …

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Dun Rig is the name given to the highest summit in the Tweedsmuir Hills in the Scottish Borders region. Dun means ‘fort’ in Gaelic, and ‘Rig’ means ridge in Scots. This pattern was designed and made in autumn, my favourite season. The views from Dun Rig at this time of the year are of lush green fields and forests and autumnal golds and russets. With the sun at a low golden setting, casting long desaturated shadows across the land, it really feels like the opulence of Christmas is just around the corner. The Dun Rig Placemat The Dun Rig Placemat …

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