Rain Has Stopped Play

It is Bank Holiday here in the UK and as is normal for a Bank Holiday it is raining.  The gathering in the harvest of the land began in earnest in the back field late Friday. 

 

Unfortunately natures bounty was not safely gathered in before work was abandoned, rain, rain and more rain has stopped play and the back field lays dormant.

 

 

The positive out of this is that I have stopped sneezing.

 

No getting out and about today, or getting out to do some work in the garden.  The forecast has predicted much of the same for the rest of the day.  I am keeping my eye on it though and keep nipping out in between bursts to harvest some of the herbs for the freezer.  I have run out of ice cube trays so I am snipping some into an empty plastic egg box to freeze.  They will be perfect for adding to stews/soups/casseroles in the coming months.

 

 

I intend to harvest some mint and lavender and hang in the kitchen to dry.  Last years harvest of lavender is ready to be put to good use.  The perfect day to start on some of the lavender projects.

 

 

I wish you were able to smell this stunning bounty, perfect for aiding sleep and keeping moths away from stored clothing/bedding.  Nice to make some little gifts for friends and families, filled with love and something grown from the garden.

 

 

I love just been able to walk into my craft room and have all the materials to hand, it is so satisfying finding the exact things needed.  Thank goodness for stashes.

 

 

I have made a start, I could be sometime...

 

Hope your day is not as wet as mine.

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Car Boot Treasure

As is usual on a Saturday, I went for a stroll around the car boot sale at Stickney.  It was a beautiful morning and bank holiday weekend here in the UK so consequently a very large event.  There were a lot of vendors selling vegetables at bargain prices so I did bring back a basket full for the week and to top off the freezer.

2 griddle pans were purchased for just £2 each which I was thrilled with.

 

Both are cast iron so quite a weight and when I turned them over I discovered the green one was Le Creuset, a real bargain and just in need  of a good clean.

 

 

A handmade stamp was purchased for 50p, ideal for cards.

 

 

I also managed to get some more handmade buttons for 30p per card to add to some of my creations.

 

I am always on the look out for the children and like to add to the nursery shelf so this week we got lucky with 2 Peppa Pig games in perfect condition and with all the parts.

 

 

Both were 50p each so a real bargain and something different for us all to play.  Despite all the extra vendors and what seemed like thousands of books I could not find any that appealed, so that is something still on the list along with jigsaws for us all. 

 

Did you have any luck this week finding a treasure amongst the junk?  I am a great fan of the Antiques Roadshow programme and love it when a treasure is found for pennies at a car boot sale or charity shop and is worth hundreds.  It really does make my day, somebodies rubbish is somebody else's treasure.  Good hunting.

 

See you soon.

 



 

 

 

 

 

Ready for Change...

The days of Summer are starting to fade, not that they ever really got started here.  It has been a poor Summer and already my thoughts are starting to turn to Autumn.  There are signs all around of the changing seasons already, so some preparation is needed.  The back field was covered in grazing geese earlier in the week a sure sign that Autumn is close.  By the time I had collected my camera they had disappeared it was a stunning sight believe me. 

Already thoughts are turning to lighting the stove, so the coal scuttle has been filled and more coal ordered.

 

The log basket has been replenished and logs ordered.

 

 

Jams/pickles and preserves have been made and stored away for the coming months.  Not as much as usual but enough for the two of us and a little hamper for my parents.  Blackberries are plentiful at the moment so we are picking them on a daily basis and now have several bags in the freezer for delicious Autumnal puddings.  Any picked over the weekend I intend to make jam.

 

I have been busy making a few wreaths to change the décor slightly, giving a more seasonal look.  I will change cushions and add layers as the season progress's.

 

The wreaths are made with natural twine bound over a straw wreath and embellished with flowers and leaves created out of Harris Tweed.  Harris Tweed is one of my favourite mediums, I love the romance of it been woven in a weaving shed on the beautiful Western Isles.  I dream of one day living there, hopefully one day soon....

 

 

The beautiful colours of the tweed are reminiscent of the flora and fauna of the Islands and create an eye catching décor addition. 

 

The second one I made reminds of the growling sea surrounding the Isles on a typical stormy day. 

 

 

More work is needed in the garden for the change of season and a wardrobe sort out is definitely required.  I still have a few things on the list for searching out at the car boot sales, such as books and jigsaw puzzles but in the main I am ready. 

 

How is your seasonal changeover going?

 

See you soon.

 

 

 



Yarn Along

I have a couple of little projects on the hook, stowed away in preparation for Christmas and birthday gifts.  The basket is starting to bulge in the craft room so an alternative storage place needs to be found.  Gone are the days when I have to keep everything hidden from prying eyes.

 

In particular this week I have been working on another baby blanket.  I am quite pleased with the end result and love the vibrancy of the yellow mixed in with a more pastel shade and white..

 

 

The border is quite enchanting with bobbles.

 

 

I have stitched on a wooden handmade button in the same shade of yellow which gives it quite a professional look.

 

 

Using a scrap of the pastel lemon yarn I also made a duck wrist rattle, filled with love.

 

 

Matching up beautifully with the ripple blanket from last week, not forgetting the penguin.

 

 

 

I am reading a true story The Step Child by Donna Ford, another savagely honest memoir of a child's abuse at the hands of her stepmother.  Heart rendering...

 

 

 

I am once again joining Ginny over at Small Things for the weekly yarn along.

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garden Update

Visitors, the weather and other things mainly laziness has kept me out of the garden for some time.  I have been reaping the harvest but not spent any real time out there.  Whilst I realised that the garden was over run with weeds and needed some real attention I was not aware until yesterday that the cabbage patch had been invaded.  Yes, we have invaders by the hundreds...

 

The crop has been destroyed.  A lesson has surely been learnt.

 

On a lighter note the late season broccoli is doing well, I just need to tidy up the bed before it is strangled with weeds.

 

 

The borlotti beans, an Italian variety of bean is ready to be harvested which I intend to do today along with the last of the dwarf green beans.

 

 

The dwarf green beans have been a huge success with a great taste and plenty stored away in the freezer.  Whilst the borlotti beans have been a little slower to come to fruition they are plentiful, so now its a matter of taste.  I will reserve judgement and let you know.  Broad beans were wonderful yet again and there is a large stock in the freezer, along with the peas which don't seem to last very long at all.  I need to increase the planting.

 

The tomatoes are plentiful and we have had an abundance of them through the last month, I have also made several jars of chutney and put some in the freezer for sauces.  The last plants in hanging baskets have plenty of fruit but the lack of sun has restricted the process, so they are still green.

 

 

Green tomato chutney perhaps???

 

Finally the complete hedgerow at the end of my garden is full of blackberries, so I intend to pick them, some for the freezer along with the apples already there will make some great Autumnal puddings and some for jam.

 

 

A taste of summer in the cooler months, what could be better?

 

As always, thank you for your wonderful comments on my last post and a warm welcome to new followers.   I hope you enjoy my little adventures as I plod through life.

 

See you soon.