Happiness edit: Lucy White’s hibernation highlights for this weekend

By Lucy White
06th Nov 2020

Happiness edit: Lucy White’s hibernation highlights for this weekend

Had a tough week? Feather your nest with a bit of retail therapy and a spot of cultural engagement

Ireland’s Eye Knitwear

Layering is the perennial buzzword for winter dressing, but wearing just one piece of wool can help lessen the load. I spy Ireland’s Eye Knitwear: a heritage brand run by three generations of one family for nearly 40 years, whose cosy sweaters, cardigans, hats, scarves and throws recall ruddy cheeks, muddy boots and the woosh of waves rolling on to North Dublin’s Burrow Beach that faces its real-life island namesake, Ireland’s Eye. Knits are Dublin-made from 100 per cent Irish wool, with sweaters from €90 and in a variety of colours, from transition-season lights to autumnal shades of ochre, claret and bramble berry. But is there a more iconic knit than the Aran jumper au naturel? We think not.

Seasoning by Sally Caulwell

Sally and Laura Caulwell’s recipe cards are almost too pretty not to place into picture frames and hung on the wall. But doing so would be a disservice, as the brunch dishes depicted are begging to be prepped and scoffed. Illustrator Sally paired up with her foodie sister, Laura, for this beautifully presented cookbook with a difference that romps across the seasons with 12 recipes covering all four seasons. The €45 set also includes a hand-hewn wooden stand by Coolree Design to prop up the (wipe-clean) recipe cards.

PoetryFest: At Home with the Irish Arts Center

Night owls with a penchant for verse might want to stay up late for PoetryFest this Friday night (1am Irish time, as in Saturday morning), the annual literary love-in hosted by New York’s Irish Arts Center. For obvious reasons, this is the first time the event has gone exclusively online, but its roll call of special guests reading their favourite Irish poems should be worth staying awake for, among them: Graham Norton, Belinda McKeon, Emma Dabiri, Paula Meehan and Zadie Smith, whose writer husband Nick Laird is compering the two-day event. If eyelids are drooping come midnight on Friday, never fear: Saturday afternoon has three readings from 1pm Irish time. Registration is on a donation basis so pay whatever you can afford to help cover costs.

Loom Irish Linen

The benefits of linen are long recognised – durable, breathable, easy to care for – however the classic fabric is enjoying a renaissance thanks to its sustainable credentials: growing and maintaining natural flax requires less resources than cotton and when left untreated the cloth is fully biodegradable. As per most things that last A Very Long Time™, 100 per cent linen comes at a price. But if you can beg/steal/borrow/have a quiet word with Father Christmas, cost per use makes it economical in the long run. Furthermore, market newcomer Loom Irish Linen’s pyjamas are a relative steal compared to many peers, at €160. Sets are designed by Melissa Steele in rural Tipperary, milled in Antrim and made in Dublin, their elegant, relaxed fit only getting softer with each wear and wash. Colours include pale pink with red piping and baby blue with navy piping but, for me, you can’t beat the gleaming white with green trim. Simply dreamy.

Criostal na Rinne tumblers

For anyone with golfer dads, crystal glassware evokes decanter prizes that wouldn’t look out of place at Abigail’s Party. In contrast, Criostal na Rinne’s cut-glass vessels have a distinctly 21st century aesthetic, and despite their ancient references: for instance, its Cló collection was inspired by the markings of ogham script, the early Irish alphabet. Master glasscutter Eamonn Terry has 45 years’ experience in his field, the results of which are these timeless heirloom pieces that deserve to be savoured than saved for “special occasions”. Make this weekend such an occasion. From €85.

White Mausu Peanut Rayu

During the first lockdown I found myself bereft of White Mausu Peanut Rayu. If I’d had the foresight to get my greedy hands on Katie Sanderson’s jars of joy before the country shuttered, I’d have stockpiled in the manner of an extremely middle class Doomsday prepper. Fortunately for my eggs and soldiers this time around, my local coffee shop now sells White Mausu products – and, worst case scenario, I can always bulk-buy Peanut Rayu directly. Yes, that’s right. Self-proclaimed “box sets” of six jars can be delivered to the comfort of your own home for €36, thus elevating any humble dish (eggs, noodles, rice, story fry, steak) into a fiery, nutty, Japan-inspired masterpiece.

HALFTONE Print Fair

If you can’t get to the HALFTONE at The Library Project, let HALFTONE come to you. The affordable print bonanza is running a physical exhibition/sale by appointment at its Temple Bar, Dublin premises, but if you’re outside the 5km restriction, window shopping – and sales – can be made online. Despite 2020’s challenges, HALFTONE’s organisers PhotoIreland received a record number of submissions this year, the results of which are 200 original artworks by more than 80 artists. Subjects, techniques and vibes are various, and destined to refresh forlorn walls in the home. Artworks start at €20, the showcase running online and IRL until November 22.