Halloween Knits Special Offer

Getting close to Halloween, so I have decided to do a special offer. I have two spooky patterns, my knitted Bat and Little Pumpkins. My Bat pattern is one of my best sellers, throughout the whole year, and I love how on Ravelry so many knitters have linked their own projects.

 

So until October 31st I am running a special offer. If you buy both patterns which are normally £3 each on Ravelry, you will get a £2 discount if you use the code SPOOKY. This is the only platform that has the ability of set up discount codes, so go here rather than Etsy or LoveKnitting, where these pattern are also for sale.

I would love to see somebody make a Halloween garland with pumpkins and bats. Perhaps that's what I should do!

Wee Mousie

I realise I posted this picture on Instagram, but didn't write about it on my blog. I have been working on this Wee Mousie. I thought as the wool is a mixture of Scottish breeds (Boreray, Shetland and Soay) it would be a good idea to link it to Robert Burns poem To a Mouse or perhaps I should say Tae a Mouse. Rereading the poem it really is a bit sad, written after Burns who farmed had ploughed through a mouse nest in his field.

The wool is really suitable to knit a little mouse. It has the perfect texture, and is laceweight, so took a bit more knitting than you would imagine. The wool was from Blacker Yarns Bristish Breeds Scottish Lace. I had the idea it might make a good project kit, but as little mouse only took 5g, either the skeins will need to be split, or a kit would contain enough to make a whole infestation.

But at the moment I am still not happy with the pattern anyway. He looks cute in the photo, but something is a bit wrong with his legs, which I have managed to hide in this photo. My husband also says he is a bit fat, but I am fine with that. So at the moment he is sitting in a coffee cup in my kitchen, and I am gearing myself up to have another attempt. 

I was rather pleased with the photos that I took to advertised the wool. Have to own up that this was not a Scottish thistle, but totally Cornish.

 

Great Crested Newt

Thank you to Sheila, who bought my Lizard Pattern on Etsy, and has make some adaptations to make a Great Crested Newt. Isn't he cute. Sheila says she is originally from a small village in Glamorganshire, and is planning to make some more newts and lizards from the pattern using some of her stash. She is also researching Natterjack Toads, so perhaps she might be able to alter my Frog Pattern.

Thanks for sharing your project. I always love to see what folk have made from my patterns. 

 

 

More Trousers

I wrote last month about some trousers that I had made for myself, from New Look pattern 6271 - my Hippy Chick trousers. My daughter was very keen to wear them, but I managed to hang on to them. But I have made her two pairs of trousers from the same pattern. 

 

I felt I had to sew carefully, as she is a fashion student. We are calling them her intern trousers, as she is in the process of looking for an internship for some of next year. So I am imagining them swishing around some trendy studio in London, with the stitching being admired.

For the first pair she bought some lightweight denim, and the changes I made for the pattern were the run and fell seams down the outside of the legs, and the top-stitched patch pockets. About 20 years ago I did a City and Guild Fashion course, so had to get out my old file of notes and samples for these.

The second pair is a lovely silky striped pattern, and for these I added some in seam pockets on each side. I found a fantastic on line video from Soften Studio, on how to sew a french seam pocket. There is also a link to download a free pattern piece, and the explanation is so clear and the end result so neat and pleasing, I would highly recommend this.

So getting my value from this pattern, I am now thinking about fabric for the skirt option.

Tamara Way - Boyton to Bridgerule

Quite a while since we did our last Tamara Way walk. It either seems to have been rainy, or when it has been hot perhaps a bit too hot for our dog. So this section has been done in two parts. Perhaps not the most exciting part of the walk, as it has all been on country lanes. Very lovely country lanes, but I think we have missed the excitement of a few stiles, the fear of cows in fields, and the jeopardy of are we going the right way.

We finished the first half at North Tamerton, where we admired this metalwork outside the church.

Today we continued on our way to Bridgerule. Probably the highlight of the walk was meeting another couple of walkers with their Tamara Way book. It was nice to end up back with the River Tamar, which as you can see has really shrunk now. Also interesting to see Bridgerule, which we have passed many times. It is just off the main road to Bude, but we did not know it was there. 

I absolutely hate this photo, but it was the only one taken all day. So many questions - Who is that dumpy women my son is cuddling? Why does she look like she is in a pair of pyjamas? Did she trip on the untied laces? Fortunately I think not many people look at this blog.

Vegetable Garden Diary Update

I have just realised that unlike other years, I have not been keeping my vegetable garden monthly diary. I did try doing a little video, which seemed like a good idea, as it was me showing the garden warts and all. But I did not seem able to upload it, so am doing my usual photo catchup.

Like most years some things have gone well, and other not so good. I think for a lot of things the large amount of rain that we have had has been good, and we are now having a bit of sunshine as well. Also we have had the benefit of chicken poo, and four big sacks of free horse manure from a local stable, which I think have really helped. 

After my rabbit invaders, I covered all of the peas and runner beans with netting or mesh, which seems to have worked. So despite the invaders we have had a fair crop of runnerbeans and peas, and the broad beans have been much better than any other year. For the broad beans I picked off the growing tips of the plants, something I saw on a TV programme, and this year no blackfly problem at all.

 

I also was pleased to try some new vegetables - parsnips and pak choi, both of which have been great. Beetroots as well have at least grown to a reasonable size this year.

 

For salad leaves the American land cress and rocket have kept us going all summer, and I have had better radishes by doing a few small plantings. My tomatoes are way behind, but the plants look good, so hopefully eventually we will get some.

The raspberries have perhaps not been as many as other years, but most evenings I pick a little bowl to have on cereal at breakfast. The one tayberry bush has produced a lot of berries, all of which have gone into the freezer and will be made into jam. We bought a new gooseberry bush and built a fruit cage, with the blackcurrants. These have not produced much, so I cannot blame the birds this year. I think perhaps they need a bit of love and attention. The outside strawberries have been good, and I have high hopes for next year for the plants I have put in a trough in the polytunnel.

 

I realise I am being a bit too positive, so here is the one sunflower that survived the rabbits. I also have some very tiny sweetcorn plants, which have always been successful in other years, but I am really not sure are going to catch up this year.

  

Here is a photo of one of my favourite bits of the garden. The courgettes seem unstoppable, and I also like the self-seeded nasturtiums. The pak choi is on the left, netted peas in the background, and as you can see I have been doing a bit of weeding.

 

I am not too great as a flower gardener, but here is a little collage of some flowers in the vegetable garden. My sister gave me two dahlia plants. This one has settled in and is a gorgeous colour. I also saved love-in-the-mist seeds from last year, as they are one of my favourites. I've also included some courgette and bean flowers - useful and beautiful.

Special Starfish

I am pretty good at watching on Ravelry if someone has used one of my patterns and linked their project. On Etsy I sometimes forget, as comments and photos come at the bottom of the shop page. But every so often I do a catchup, and was delighted to see this beautiful make from my Starfish pattern.

Pat is from Canada, and has made it for her granddaughter, on Vancouver Island, who is having her bedroom decorated with a sea theme. I just love the wool she has used, the mixture of colours. The choice to line of the french knots is lovely, and these are made with yarn spun with merino wool and Samoyed dog hair. Just exquisite - I think her granddaughter is going to be very happy.