Tag: garden

WINDING UP FEBRUARY

Ticking off the WIPS list…

My February accomplishments are finally finishing the Kitty coat and the Knotty cowl and getting them sent off to their recipients. I managed to complete the pink Guernsey for myself and have had a good root through what is left in my work basket. Obviously I haven’t tackled the various stashes around the house. N does not need to know about those😉

Spring is in the air so I have potted a few flowers to cheer the place up and I have been dabbling in hooking.

Moving forward I have started a cable knit aran for my nephew, I will continue to try to master crochet and I am making little hats for the AgeUk/Innocent Smoothie campaign http://www.thebigknit.co.uk 👒🎩🎓

The weather is improving, well rather chilly today, so must start making more of an effort with my walking.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING IN 2021 #6

well not really as I have a new addition to the stash…

Look what arrived today, she writes shaking with excitement 😀

Eleven balls of Patons wool blend aran (63% wool). I am embarking on an aran cable-knit jumper for my nephew. I have gone for a wool mix because of the laundry 😃

N is pulling his hair out at I spent a lovely afternoon yesterday going through my yarn jumble. So when this arrived this morning he nearly dropped his cuppa…

I also potted up a planter with primulas and tete a tete which I’m hoping will look pretty for Mothering Sunday ⚘⚘⚘

My fingers are tingling as I’m very keen to get my new project on my needles. Progress will be shared😂

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

WASTE NOT WANT NOT!!!

The fruits of the garden 🍅

Back in March at the start of Lockdown some tomato seeds were planted as part of B’s Lockdown Science work for school. B looked after them on the windowsill until his teacher moved on to something else. They probably spent too long on the windowsill but finally they were planted out in pots, grow bags and planters. It’s incredible how many plants you get out of a pack of seeds!!!

They have been cared for over the summer, certainly better than I have been cared for, and then we had a glut of tomatoes. We have been eating tomato salad with most things. Recently we have been ripening tomatoes on the windowsill – back to where they started 😉

N has been busy in the kitchen and with a dollop of green tomatoes that we couldn’t possibly find room to leave to ripen he has made some chutney. He has also hoovered up a lot of them and made some ketchup 🍅

We have 2 jars of green tomato chutney left, it is quite tasty with a bit of cheese. We have not scoffed the lot I hasten to add, several jars have been gifted! N got his felt tips out and made pretty labels. Still waiting for labels for the jars of ketchup 🤔

All of our tomatoes have been used and N is trying to nurture some seed for next year; here’s hoping 🙄

Nothing woolly in this past but woolly wishes anyway,

Jane ♡♡♡

SEPTEMBER ROUND UP

Where is the year going…

Although I think 2020 will be the year I most want to forget!

I didn’t post as much last month so less drivel to wade through😉

On the knitting front the Let’s Knit KAL is a couple of squares nearer completion.

I have done some baby knitting for a colleague at work who will become a grandma for the first time immently – always exciting news.

The pink Guernsey has a front, a back and one and a half sleeves. Need to get a crack on as the bad weather has arrived so not always possible to get laundry dry outside. Extra woollies are always a godsend 😉

And talking about the laundry rope, the garden still looks like a building sight😑 but the wild flower seeds I planted on the otherside of the fence came up, admittedly so did a lot of weeds as well🤔

So now October has arrived time to start on the Christmas to do list.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

THE MINDFUL GARDENER

Or keeping him busy….

The garden is looking a bit like a building site at the moment. We have had new guttering as the old stuff was woefully leaky! This entailed moving lots of stuff around to get ladders and things in place to access the guttering.

Him indoors has also taken an interest in the garden since lockdown and has decided to build some raised beds. So we have planks of wood everywhere!

It is interesting trying to mow the lawn around this lot….

Hopefully in a week or 2 the boxes can be put in place ready to fill up with earth and then a few winter veggies. I am hoping that he doesn’t lose interest as gardening keeps him moving and occupied. Still if he does lose interest those boxes will look great filled with flowers! It is so important to keep busy during these uncertain times.

I have my knitting to keep me busy and, of course, I have worked through so other than I have saved a lot of money by not going out for coffee all the time my routine has not changed that much.

Hope you are all keeping safe and well.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #32

Mainly gardening …

It is really hot here at the moment. My little patch of lawn looks like a dust bowl. But my pots and planters are still alive, although always very thirsty😄

This selection cover a manhole!

And who would have thought just a few weeks ago my garden was drowning from river water due to the floods ☔

My lovely son B has been helping me by cutting down old shrubs and then digging out the roots. He has reclaimed this bit of border for me.

And just look at this lot I have got to get rid of!!!

So quite a productive day. A nice walk along the river after tea when the weather is a bit cooler, then a nice bath, a bit of knitting and bed 🌜

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

BANK HOLIDAY BLUES…

For some members of the family but not me 😎

Bank holiday Monday but frankly all the days seem to merge into each other. We have done some gardening as a family and sadly the bottom fell out of the pot that N was moving. He was not a happy bunny as he got covered in soil and then horror of horrors there were snails on the side of the pot 🐌

I came to the rescue, more for the sake of the snails than N 😂

My son, bless him, has sawn down a couple of shrubs for me while I have been pulling up nettles on the river bank. My arms are quite tingly now but I am pleased with the results and I got to chat to lots of walkers 😆

But most exciting of all my wool has arrived for the Let’s Knit KAL:

💕💕💕

I am so happy and excited – I obviously need to get out more!!!

I am happy with my trellis shell square so will be knitting those up in this lovely merino wool but will have another go at the windmill square with yarn from my stash!

Wishing you a lovely Whitsun.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING #30

Who would have thought that I would get 30 posts out of my stash?

Still knitting for the warm baby project.

I posted 12 little hats last month and have since been on incubator blankets.

That is one check effect (blue, in the middle) completed, another check effect half complete (yellow) and a ladder effect half complete (again in blue). I got bored with the check effect which is why I now have 2 on the go – attention span of a gnat.

I have also been making little hearts with the intention of making another heart garland but I keep giving individual ones away with a little message attached so my second garland is a long way off 🤔

If you look closely there is a strawberry!
A few cherries on the way!
Just for fun a chicken guarding the strawberries 🐓

The garden is starting to look a bit tidier and starting to fruit. I usually do quite well for strawberries (touch wood) but the birds always manage to scoff the cherries, perhaps the chicken should be guarding the Cherry Tree?

Hope things are fruitful with you all,

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #15

But what about my bulbs 🌷🌷🌷

My garden fence…

We have a water feature at the bottom of the garden. Not so long ago I planted a load of bulbs on the otherside of the fence – I don’t hold out much hope!!!

Our water feature!

Peaking over next couple of days and then clear up the mess. Glad I saved the grass seed for the spring….

Back to my knitting to cheer me up ♡