Garden Diary August

Just thought I would do a garden update. Some successes and other failures, and oddly quite different from the year before.

The broad beans, which gave me such trouble last year, are black fly free, and producing nice big pods, and the runner beans and peas also seem to be going better. Only a few runners so far, but plenty of flowers.

Courgettes are also doing really well, and I really can't eat them quickly enough. I have decided to look at last year's courgette lemom drizzle cake recipe. I am also really hopeful for the black kale below, although not quite sure when I should start picking it.

I picked all the red currants, and made a single pot of red currant and raspberry jelly. I then cleared out the freezer of all of last year's raspberries and blackberries, and made more pots of jelly. The raspberries seem to be over, but my husband says we got a small second crop in the autumn last year. But all the wild blackberry bushes are covered in flowers, so look hopeful for later.

This year the sunflowers were doing great, and then a few days ago we had a very windy night, with Storm Evert, and I lost quite a few. This years are called Russian Giant, and are really tall, but I might have been safer with the smaller ones I grew last year. But the sweet peas that are grown from seeds saved from last year, and lovely healthy plants, but without a single flower. Will have to start from fresh next year. We also tried saving other seeds, and the ones that completely failed were the french beans. I guess while I am on failures I should mention the carrots. Last year they were great, but this year very sparse.

In the polytunnel this year we have tomatoes, cucumbers and various peppers coming along. One type of tomato seemed to be getting blossom rot, going brown at the base, so I have tried an organic feed with calcium, which is what the internet tells me will stop this. This year we planted the lettuce indoors in a big tray, and did much better, and also have some pak choi growing. Only one of the loofah plants that my sister gave me seeds for has survived. I keep watering it and hoping.

Have I missed anything else? There are some other plants that are coming along: squash, pumpkins, and sweetcorn. Something has eaten the tops of the jerusalem artichokes, but we are hopeful that the roots underground will still be okay. At one point we thought a rabbit had got into the vegetable plot, but then caught the dog carefully eating pea pods, so are not now sure who was the culprit. The dog is also partial to a gooseberry and raspberry if she can get them.

Courgettes, apples and sweetcorn

 

Also the orchard is not as thriving as last year. I think there must have been wind or a frost at blossom time, as we have had no plums, and only a handful of cherries which we left for the birds. One or two of the apple trees are doing well, but I don't think it will be the bumper crop that we had last year. I don't think we will be making as much cider, but I have my eyes on some of the elderberry bushes, blackberry bushes and sloes, and it may have to be wine or gin this year.

Bit of a messy view of the plot. 

 

 

Still plenty of time left to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for August.

 

 

Tesla Model 3

 

I'm always pleased when someone returns to my shop, as it must mean they were happy with their previous experience.  And a customer recently came back from 2016 (have I really been doing this that long?), for whom I had made several cars. 

 

 

This time he asked if I could make a Tesla Model 3. I started off by thinking I could just adapt my mini cooper pattern, but after one failed attempt, decided to more or less start from scratch for the side panels. It is amazing what can be done with a bit of printing from the internet, and graph paper, and I am really pleased with how the side of the car looks, with its streamline curve on the roof.

 

After that the wheels had to be slightly reduced in size, so they could sit in flush with the side of the car. Then it was all down to getting the glass roof right, and the finishing details.

 

Strangely I keep spotting a white Tesla Model 3 in my neighbourhood just like the one I have made. I know it must have been there all along, and it just because I have been thinking Tesla for the last few days. 

 

I am not writing this up as a pattern, but will file my notes away just in case. I imagine this is probably the only handknitted Tesla in existance. Would you like me to have a go at making your model of car? I am always up for a challenge.

 

Still plenty of time left to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for August.

 

 

Ginx Woolly Linx Party August

 

I seem to have been very distracted this month, and somehow have posted nothing since the last link party. That has not happened for a long time, but I will be showing you something I made for a customer on Etsy for a birthday, and did not want to possibly spoil the surprise. I also am very busy gardening, and will post about my little vegetable plot soon too.

July seems to have been nearly all about animals.

Tonna of Sew Crafty Crochet has made a cute bee for a friend, and it has been hanging out with her morning glory and sunflower on her porch.

I love seeing handknit socks, and Carolyn of Flickensalat has been taking part in a sock challenge. Hard to know which ones to pick, but I liked the subtle grey of this wool.

Liz's daughter, of Howling at the Moon, wanted to give her teachers crochet versions of their own dogs. What a thoughtful gift, they really must have been delighted with this.

And finally Eli of Ovillo de Eli has made a little swallow, and also shows the photos of the real birds that inspired her.

So please link up to show me what you have been working on in August. I hope you might have had the chance to get away somewhere, and craft in a different location. That is quite difficult at the moment.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

 

 

Ginx Woolly Linx Party July

Thank you to everyone who joined in the June party. Some lovely projects, and very hard to pick my features this month.

This family of teddy bears from Lalka Crocheta are just adorable, and photographed so cleverly.

This Terra Madre crochet top by Liz of Howling at the Moon is just great. I love everything about it - the colour, the wool, the sleeves with tassels.

Sandra of Hakelfieber has made this great little monochrome shoulder bag from a granny square.  

And finally Maya of The Little Treasures has made crochet buttons with some lovely embroidery flowers.  

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Garden Diary June

Seedlings at various stages

Sunflowers, Peas, Runner beans and Mr Scarecrow guarding the Sweetcorn

I am a little late with my garden diary, and it is going to be rather brief this month. I am in London, and so have got these photos from my husband. It is lovely to see some of the planting that I did not that long ago is coming along.

He has had trouble with a pigeon, who has been enjoying pecking up some of the plants. He had a bit of a feast on some swede plants, and the strawberries that had looked so good before. So that is why Mr Scarecrow has been made, and he has tried to protect some of the plants with wire and netting. We think it is just the one pigeon, and guess we were just lucky last year. There are also a lot of rabbits around, but none of them seem to have worked their way through the fence that surrounds the vegetable plot. I find the scarecrow a bit spooky, especially as he seems a bit back to front. 

Final picture is of one of the apple trees. These don't seem as laden with fruit as last year. We think that perhaps a lot of the blossom was blown off. In a week I am off down to Cornwall, and hoping to get my hands on some of the weeds.

 

Still a few days left to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for June.

Sloths are Trending Again

Sometimes I like to return to my own patterns, just because it is reassuring to reknit them and check that they are still workable. So I decided to make a few sloths, as all the originals in my Etsy shop sold fairly quickly. And despite selling a few of this pattern, I still have not seen any sloth projects. Although this doesn't mean sloths haven't been made, it is always very reassuring to me when I see successful projects from my patterns.

So it seemed really funny that I was sitting working on a sloth a few weeks ago, when a section came up on The One Show, saying that sloths are once again becoming fashionable. The One Show is a UK early evening magazine show, that sort of covers everything.

These little sloths are heading to my Etsy shop. I usually try to make my little animals in realistic colours, but I thought for the sloths it was fun to use some bright colours in slightly fluffy wool that I had in my stash. I think that kids would love to have them attached to a bag or keyring. If you fancy making your own sloth the pattern is available on ravelry, and is a fairly quick make.

 

 

Still lots of time to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for June.

Vintage Caravan

 

I love Julie's version of my Vintage Caravan pattern. She has used really lovely pastel colours, and added a row of bunting. She says she now has a more modern caravan in Wales, but spent many happy childhood holidays in a van more like this. If you have made anything from any of my patterns I would love to see it, and get any feedback.

 

Still lots of time to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for June.