...At last! Normal service has resumed. The kids were getting really restless and this was made worse by their staggered start dates, the youngest goes back next week and is champing at the bit.
All this free time means I am planning to get on with writing up a couple of patterns to publish on the blog and make some time to navigate round the online craft sites and list a few items to sell...
Watch this space...
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Socks!
After a long spell with little rain in the spring, things are finally ticking along at the allotment! The sweetcorn are waist height, runner beans are catching up quickly and squashes are waiting for a hot spell before they kick into action (at least that's what I'm telling myself!). We have a good strawberry crop at home off the few plants we have here, but they have been a bit of a washout at the allotment, probably a combination of the clay soil and no rain so it was a dustbowl for parts of April and May :-(
We're getting a few peas although not enough to bring home: the kids and me tend to eat them straight off the plant - yum!
On the crochet front, I have been busy making socks! Having run out of space for woolly purchases I thought some stash busting would be appropriate and I've made a few pairs of baby socks for new arrivals among friends as well as adapting a lovely pattern I found for baby socks to fit older children. I will be putting some pics up on my new facebook page: Redclover crochet when I have finished sewing ends in and sifting through photos of our lovely holiday in Ceredigion.
We're getting a few peas although not enough to bring home: the kids and me tend to eat them straight off the plant - yum!
On the crochet front, I have been busy making socks! Having run out of space for woolly purchases I thought some stash busting would be appropriate and I've made a few pairs of baby socks for new arrivals among friends as well as adapting a lovely pattern I found for baby socks to fit older children. I will be putting some pics up on my new facebook page: Redclover crochet when I have finished sewing ends in and sifting through photos of our lovely holiday in Ceredigion.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
I'm quite rubbish at keeping up to date with this!
In my defence, I have been busy for the last month finishing off hat orders, working on a few patterns and organising birthday stuff for all 3 children!
Things are coming along well at the allotment, bare rooted strawberry plants went in in March, this year we have Cambridge Favourite, Red Gauntlet and Royal Sovereign. The strawberry bed is moved every 3 or so years as the allotment is run organically and this prevents bug build up in the soil.
Spuds are in and sprouting too. This year I've grown Arran Pilot and Ratte as the spud bed is a little small to grow too many varieties.
Peas are pushing through and broad beans are well underway. On the windowsill at home we've got red and green basil, some costoluto beefsteak tomatoes and a lot of different squashes.
In the back garden, fruits are starting to form on the Leveller gooseberry bush and apple trees are blossoming. The bay tree has taken a battering after the harsh winter and may not live to tell the tale...
I've planted herbs in the back garden too this year as I have no luck with pots! I have taken the risky option and planted mint directly in the ground against better judgement! We have chocolate peppermint and spearmint, as well as oregano, anise hyssop, greek oregano, chervil, lovage, rosemary and chives.
And we (I really, no one else loves rhubarb here...) have had our first sticks of rhubarb from the allotment. These were made into a compote with some honey, orange juice and ginger. Yum!
So I've not been idle, time has just been slipping away from me... Hopefully I'll find the time to post some pics of the allotment and my new crochet patterns: baby socks, a soakerless skirtie and maybe even the pushchair bag!
Things are coming along well at the allotment, bare rooted strawberry plants went in in March, this year we have Cambridge Favourite, Red Gauntlet and Royal Sovereign. The strawberry bed is moved every 3 or so years as the allotment is run organically and this prevents bug build up in the soil.
Spuds are in and sprouting too. This year I've grown Arran Pilot and Ratte as the spud bed is a little small to grow too many varieties.
Peas are pushing through and broad beans are well underway. On the windowsill at home we've got red and green basil, some costoluto beefsteak tomatoes and a lot of different squashes.
In the back garden, fruits are starting to form on the Leveller gooseberry bush and apple trees are blossoming. The bay tree has taken a battering after the harsh winter and may not live to tell the tale...
I've planted herbs in the back garden too this year as I have no luck with pots! I have taken the risky option and planted mint directly in the ground against better judgement! We have chocolate peppermint and spearmint, as well as oregano, anise hyssop, greek oregano, chervil, lovage, rosemary and chives.
And we (I really, no one else loves rhubarb here...) have had our first sticks of rhubarb from the allotment. These were made into a compote with some honey, orange juice and ginger. Yum!
So I've not been idle, time has just been slipping away from me... Hopefully I'll find the time to post some pics of the allotment and my new crochet patterns: baby socks, a soakerless skirtie and maybe even the pushchair bag!
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Loverly legumes
Smash and grab gardening with grumpy children in tow today, ended up sending kids off with husband on a trek to see the ponies while I hastily weeded and levelled a couple of patches to sow red epicure broad beans and early onward peas. Now I just need a rubber snake and some twigs to outsmart the pesky pigeons and we're up and running for the season!
The garlic is 6" tall and looking good after the milder weather and the shallots are poking through the soil now too. Both were planted in September last year.
Snowdrops are still in flower and adding interest while the rest of the plot looks bare! Rhubarb is starting to push through now too, already planning rhubarb and ginger ice cream - yum!
The kids returned within 20 minutes splattered with mud having all 3 fallen in different puddles, c'est la vie I think...
The garlic is 6" tall and looking good after the milder weather and the shallots are poking through the soil now too. Both were planted in September last year.
Snowdrops are still in flower and adding interest while the rest of the plot looks bare! Rhubarb is starting to push through now too, already planning rhubarb and ginger ice cream - yum!
The kids returned within 20 minutes splattered with mud having all 3 fallen in different puddles, c'est la vie I think...
Welcome!
So I've finally found the time to set it up, not quite sure what I'm doing yet but I'm sure I'll figure it out!
So, a little about me: My name is Katherine and I live in Bedfordshire. I'm married with 3 children and work part time to pay the bills and pay for wool! My blog name is redclover crochet so unsurprisingly I spend a lot of time crocheting! I've recently started writing my own patterns and hope one day to be good enough to sell a few.
I also have an allotment that we work on as a family whenever the children can be persuaded! This works well in the summer when there's plenty to eat but less so at this time of year when there's little more than perpetual mud...
That's a little bit of an intro, hope you enjoy the rest as I add it!
So, a little about me: My name is Katherine and I live in Bedfordshire. I'm married with 3 children and work part time to pay the bills and pay for wool! My blog name is redclover crochet so unsurprisingly I spend a lot of time crocheting! I've recently started writing my own patterns and hope one day to be good enough to sell a few.
I also have an allotment that we work on as a family whenever the children can be persuaded! This works well in the summer when there's plenty to eat but less so at this time of year when there's little more than perpetual mud...
That's a little bit of an intro, hope you enjoy the rest as I add it!
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