Three Spring Hares

It's always tempting to ease up on the clothing layers as we enter March. I tend to pack away the heavier fabrics before Easter, even if the weather doesn't agree I should. And then I have to dig them out again for that final 'unseasonal' (yet recurring) week of storms and blizzards. It's a similar thing whenever I grow vegetables. I have the unhappy knack of planting out my seedlings just before a final frost zaps them all to kingdom come.

Predictably unseasonal

This beautiful scarf from Furious Goose, Brighton, helps us match weather and season more accurately as we move into spring. The Trio of Hares foulard silk scarf in delightfully bright colours is described as a spring scarf. And some! The design on the silk represents the ancient symbol of a trio of hares and is part of Furious Goose's Enchanted Forest collection, 'taking inspiration from the woodlands and forests of the UK'. The scarf is backed in symbolically significant purple wool of the very best (non-itchy and comfortably warm) quality.

Accessorise like an anarchist

Furious Goose advise dressing like a gentleman and accessorising like an anarchist. There's logic to this when you think about it. And this long scarf — around 78 inches in length — goes some way to bringing those contradictory forces, chaos and order — mostly order —together in a v. pleasing way.

Tucked in a quilted paddock jacket

Imagine, if you will, the scarf tucked in a nice quilted paddock jacket from Lavenham whilst you walk around a spring farmer's market — after the winter shutdown — sampling locally made cheeses and breads. Perfect, no? I know it's hard in the UK, but imagine the sun is shining too.

Three hares?

The three hares motif is found in scared sites, particularly in Britain — and even more particularly in churches in Devonshire — and is said to represent the Holy Trinity (amongst other things).

Here's a nice example from St. Andrew's church in South Tawton, Devon. Note how the ears are shared, so each hare has two yet only three are shared.

Blessed are the egg givers

Hares certainly have an Easter association. Hares were the original egg givers, not bunnies. I've only stumbled accross a hare once or twice, on one of my country walks, and my goodness are they fast. If you're interested, and I'm sure you are, there's a site dedicated to the Art of the Parish Church in Devon by Sue Andrew. Sue was also involved in research for the Three Hares Project with Tom Greeves and Chris Chapman. The project researched and documented the incidence of this ancient symbol.

Wouldn't it be nice to visit some of those Devon churches with your new scarf from Furious Goose. The thought is certainly putting a spring in my step.