Foxgloves & Fancy Braids

We spotted these foxgloves across a stream while out walking with Solomon and made a mental note to go back and try to get a few pictures of them--most of my locations these days are found while walking Solomon! I've been wanting to get pictures with foxgloves for awhile since they grow wild in the woods here and they're a flower with fairy lore. I wrote a Patreon post last month about flowers with fairy lore and foxgloves have a few legends surrounding them. One of the sweetest stories is that foxgloves were seen as fairy homes and the little dots inside were the footprints from the fairies! This patch of foxgloves looked idyllic for a few photographs...only the stream ended up being wider and deeper than anticipated. I was hardly dressed to get across it in my vintage dress and Emmy Design Sweden cardigan and even Thomas struggled to get across since the ground of the stream was silty making it incredibly deep and mucky. We tested the depth with a stick and the depth of the water ended up being above my waist making wading through not an option! However, we were determined and the pretty foxgloves on the other side kept seeming to beckon to us. Thomas found some large branches to put down as a temporary bridge; one was actually more of a large stump and I do think one passerby who witnessed him rolling it towards the creek was quite bemused. Still temporary bridge in place, holding on to a vine of ivy dangling from a nearby tree for support, we finally made it across! Just one of the many wee adventures that happens behind a relatively peaceful looking photograph.
Most of my Emmy Design cardigans are in rich, autumnal tones so I don't wear them as much in spring and summer, although the Irish weather often calls for a few layers! So I was delighted when Emmy released their new spring collection of knits filled with the prettiest pastel shades and offered to send me one. This sage green color is perfect for spring and summer and so delightfully soft. People often ask me what they should pack for visits to Ireland and I do have to say no matter what season you come in, bring layers. The Irish weather is incredibly unpredictable and being an island there's often a breeze, especially if you go near the coast. So even in summer, a knit like this is essential and a raincoat wouldn't be a bad bet either. I don't usually show my layers in photographs in summer, but as this one suits my summer wardrobe so perfectly you might be seeing a lot more of it! I really love how Emmy's designs suit actual vintage pieces. Her knits are based on vintage patterns, so they are perfect complements to real vintage pieces, like the dress I'm wearing today. They actually look as if they were made for each other, with the colors mimicking perfectly, but no, it's two pieces made decades apart.
P.S. This is from Emmy's new spring collection, but her previous collections are on sale right now!