iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

So many insects feeding on the ivy flowers at the moment, including this painted lady. Also saw a small copper in the meadow.

Painted lady butterfly feeding on ivy flowers.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Publication day for my latest knitting pattern! 🧶 This is the Inside Outside Cowl, designed to use up sock yarn leftovers. The knitting is very simple, but with a clever trick or two to turn leftovers into a wearable and versatile cowl. www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...

ravelry.com

Inside Outside Cowl pattern by Catherine Djimramadji

Do you have sock yarn leftovers and want to knit something other than more socks or a mitred square blanket with them? This pattern makes use of one simple but clever technique to combine leftovers in...

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The knitting was quick but it’s been too hot to wear it even for photos. But I’m very happy with this leftover sock yarn project. 🧶

Woman wearing a knitted cowl in purples and pinks.

A knitted cowl in shades of pinks and purples lying on a lichen-covered rock.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Halfway through a new design idea 😃🧶

Close up of knitted fabric in many colours but predominantly purples.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Recent making. A pair of leftovers socks, a summer cardigan, a gradient spinning project, and a current using-up-sock-yarn-leftovers project.

A pair of hand knitted ankle socks with roller cuff and stripy feet.

A woman wearing a knitted wrap cardigan with textured lace motifs.

A skein of hand spun yarn in a gradient from bright pink through peaches to a yellowy green.

Three small balls of leftover sock yarn lying in a basket. The incipient knitting that they are attached to is out of the frame.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

For #WildflowerHour today I found marsh orchids (not sure whether northern or southern), viper’s bugloss and ragged robin, all seen on a university campus.

A number of purple flower spikes of marsh orchids growing near a lake.

The tall flower spikes of viper’s bugloss, with bonus ox-eye daisies in the background.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Sharing some cow wheat for #WildflowerHour as we had the excitement of also spotting a number of heath fritillary butterflies that rely on the cow wheat as their larval food plant.

The small yellow flowers of cow wheat amongst green vegetation.

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Reposted by Catherine

The Groves Repair and Share @grovesrepaircafe.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

At today’s Repair Cafe we are offering a sharpening service for garden hand tools. Keeping tools clean and sharp helps enormously with their functionality and long life, so we’re really happy to be able to offer this service. Do yours need some care and attention?

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

For #WildflowerHour this week, I have water avens, English bluebell and what I’m told is a common sight- this occasional botanist getting close to her subject.

The delicate peach-coloured water avens flower.

A grey-haired human taking a photo of a bluebell.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

This Saturday, for anyone remotely local! What needs mending this month?

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Had great fun looking for wildflowers on Anglesey this week, especially amongst the rocks and on the cliffs. Spring squill, wood anemone, thrift and and unknown rock dweller in the third picture #WildflowerHour

Tiny pale purple flowers amongst lichen on a rock

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Just some of our most recent repairs.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

More finished socks! These ones do not yet have a name, but the very simple lace texture is pleasing to knit and I’m going to write up the pattern for them 🧶

A pair of knitted socks being worn atop a convenient rock. The socks are a peachy orange colour with simple lace rib texture. There are contrast heels, toes and cuffs in a variegated grey/purple yarn.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Late afternoon walk. Skylarks singing. A skein of presumably geese overhead. No coat needed. I like late March.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

Finished knitting project 🧶: a colourwork yoke jumper in Icelandic Lettlopi yarn, finished at the end of February just in time for spring 😁 It’s already had an unexpected visit to the hospital as I had an encounter with some dirty metal yesterday that resulted in an urgent tetanus booster 😊

A smiling, bespectacled middle-aged person wearing assorted knitwear is stood in front of a river. The jumper is knitted in a complex dark colour, not quite black, with many flecks through it like a starling. The yoke is geometric and with turquoise and red motifs outlined in white.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

The answer to the Repair Cafe question 😀 No tardises (plural uncertain?) but several CD players and many, many items of clothing. And promises of bikes for our March session!

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Collecting guesses as to what items will be brought into our Repair Cafe session tomorrow… What do you think?

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Next Repair Cafe- if you are local, need some help fixing something or would like to offer your skills, come along!

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

First finished spinning project of the year, a wonderful blend of Welsh sheep breed wools and kid mohair. Every bit of spinning this fibre made me happy. 🧶

A skein of handspun yarn in shades of dark red, orange and teal.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

New spinning project. Creating sense and order out of a chaos of fluffy fibres. Also a great way to spend wet and wintery February days. 🧶

Close up of wool fibre dyed in shades of deep blue, green and red.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Mending in action! Have you got a repair cafe near you? They are well worth visiting if you have something that needs mending. And wonderful to support if you have something that skills or even just some willingness to learn.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Re-knitting. Both in the sense of re-making a pattern that works for me, my handspun yarn, my needs. But also, mending and re-working parts of knits that have already seen multiple winters and many adventures. An hour or so of giving them new thumbs and cuffs and they’re brand new again 😁🧶

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

It’s female hazel flower time. So, so tiny, so, so pink.

The bright pink female hazel flower emerging from the bud where the nuts will be formed.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

One of my other hats 😁 If you are remotely local or remotely interested in repair cafes, please do follow our new BlueSky account. Next session is this coming Saturday.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Properly cold here. But the year has started off with boardgames and cheese, seeing an unexpectedly local eagle and finishing a long awaited knitting project. World stuff is weird, but on a personal level the year is being kind so far.

A frosty scene looking up at dried grasses and a bare tree. The sky is bright and blue but you can tell it is a cold day.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Christmas sock knitting was pretty successful- 7 out of 8 socks completed and all fit and are pleasing to the wearers 😃🧶

A circle of besocked feet- two feet are wearing stripy socks in red and greys, two feet are clad in autumnal orange cables socks with dark blue toes, two are wearing dark blue socks with a patterned central panel and grey toes, and the final foot has an ankle sock with central lace panel and orange mohair ruffles around the ankle.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Went looking for an eagle that has popped up in the area. Managed to miss it on two locations, once by minutes, once by seconds! The winter light was good though.

Tree silhouettes and flood waters and no white-tailed eagle to be seen.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

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.

Bright green moss on fallen silver birch log.

A bespectacled, grey-haired person wearing much knitwear and half-hiding behind her mittened hand. She’s read silly things online this week wondering whether, as joint winner of a chess competition last millennium, she herself might be Chancellor material. Hiding in the woods with moss, fungi and knitwear is her response.

Purple slime moulds on fallen silver birch log.

Gatherings of mushrooms on fallen silver birch log.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

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 🥰

A line of knitted colourwork baubles hanging from a garland and fairy lights. The one in front is light grey with pictures of tiny rainbow socks knitted around the bauble.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Town by night. Worth venturing outside for, I think.

York Minster by night, with a branch of a London plane tree in the foreground.

At night, a metal model of York in the foreground, and the full-sized York Minster behind.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

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? 😊🧶

Yarns and in progress knitting projects on a wool blanket.

A nearly finished stripy sock in greys and red.

The beginnings of a blue sock on the needles.

A ball of muted orange yarn on a blanket.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

The boundary between river and path is blurry right now.

Cobbled path, partially submerged in overflowing river, with a stone tower ahead.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

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...

A pair of red, green and deep purple variegated socks, surrounded by piles of hand-dyed yarns and maple leaves that inspired the colourway.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

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 😊

A yellow and brown leaf in the foreground. Behind are glimpses of a darkly autumnal pair of handknitted socks.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Views from the past week. Gulls, seaweed, ghost sculptures and autumn. I have enjoyed them all.

A flock of gulls flying over an Essex river.

A wire mesh “ghost” statue of a top-hatted man riding a penny farthing.

Autumnal tree, leaves mostly yellow-orange.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

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.

A fine black cow with horns pausing from his/her conservation grazing.

Two knitting projects- the beginning of a sock in variegated maple leaf colours. Underneath a vibrant colourwork cowl, primarily in blues and oranges.

A Danish woven paper heart basket made out of an old road atlas and scrap paper.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

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...

A knitted shawl hangs from a tree- broad stripes of textured knitting in green, blues and grey.

A smiling person is wearing the shawl and other knitwear. Behind is the sea and distant cliffs.

Close-up of the nubbly texture of moss stitch and showing the picot cast off on the final section.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Strensall Common today. Moss, tree crowns, jays, goldcrests, fungi and gorgeous autumnal light.

Tree crowns overhead, blue sky and light clouds.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

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.

Side view of brown mushrooms growing at the base of a tree.

Purple-tinged mushroom growing in grass.

Bright yellow mushroom with white stalk in grass and leaf litter.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Monday. Lunchbreak at the bog. Current knitting project, insides and outsides.

Horned cow conservation-grazing the meadow.

Probably a bracket fungus? Growing on a fallen silver birch trunk.

Stranded colourwork knitting in progress, the inner workings on show. From dark blue through bands of lighter shades, to the oranges and reds currently being worked.

The outside of the same project on the needles. The colourwork squares are visible on this side.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

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.

Me, wearing sunglasses and layers of wool as frequently required by early spring and early autumn.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

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 🧶

An array of knitted woolly hats, in a variety of colours, textures and patterns.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Beautiful light at the bog yesterday, following 24 hours of rain. Dragonflies, a busy jay and soaring buzzard our highlights.

A sun-lit boardwalk path through trees and much green vegetation.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

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...

A pair of feet, wearing red patterned tights, are modelling purple ankle socks with a cunningly simple triple rolled cuff and stripes on the feet.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

The sunshine between the storms and the showers. York looking rather lovely.

A wildflower bank by the city walls, with York Minster in the background.

Overhanging tree branches and a Roman and medieval wall behind.

A path into the fern garden in Museum Gardens.

A stone building, blue sky and wispy clouds.

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Catherine @bythesilverbirch.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

The sock knitting urge continues, apparently. This is another version of my Outward Bound pattern. More on the needles already… 🧶

Two socked feet on a bed. The socks have burnt orange cuffs and toes and a complex nearly grey main section with a pattern down the front centre.

Close up of sock with knot stitch down the front.

The same socks, though from the side you cannot see the textured panel.

The same socks, showing the variegated grey-and-more yarn.

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