Allotment diaries - too hot!

 We are still in the midst of a heatwave, it's almost 10.30pm as I'm posting this and the temperature is still 33°C. - Apparantly it will start to cool down over the next four days, but in the meantime keeping everything watered on both the plots is keeping me busy.   I've been watering in the evening when the sun has gone down and giving everything a treble dose of water, hard work when you are not allowed to use hosepipes, but It's helping me get my steps in.

Mark made me a bench for inside the polly tunnel.

All my tomato plants from home are down there now, these are from the second lot of seeds I sowed, the first ones came to nothing.  I've still got to put them into larger containers but need to get some more compost, I only had enough left to pot on my peppers.

Before It got crazy hot I got two of my pallet collars beds in, that was harder than I thought It would be!  The other two can wait until It's cooler.  I've thrown the plastic covering back over the other section I cleared which should keep the weeds at bay until I can get around to setting beds out.

Well this is a sorry looking pond isn't it, lol.  I originally thought I would be able to get the muck and debris out without emptying all the water but there was just too much, and it smelled really bad so I emptied it one bucket at a time and the sun has dried up the remaining water.  It's a shame about the water lily, I've taken a cutting but it was really too big for the space anyway.

The rest of the mud in the bottom is all dried up now and I'll be able to sweep that out, but because the bath is so stained I'm thinking of putting a lining in, It'll be easier than trying to clean it up.

In case you were wondering, there was nothing at all living in the water, I did sweep around with a net on several occasions before I emptied it.

I've got some lovely looking apples growing on one of the trees, I got excited because I thought they might be russets, my favourites, now they have turned a little greener, but as long as they an eating variety I'll be happy.  

Also, I have wheat! No idea what to do with that, but It's looks pretty so I've left it for now.

-X-

Another couple of finishes

 I got a couple things cast off over the last week, another pair of socks to add to my box of socks and a little cardigan for Freddie.

I've lost the ball band so I'm afraid I cannot remember what the yarn was or the colourway, I am happy that I got the pattern on boths socks to match though.  

We are not wearing any of the socks I'm knitting this year, they will be a gift to both of us to start wearing from January.

I decided to knit another Baby Aosta cardigan for Freddie.  I really didn't like the fit of the first one I made but couldn't find another pattern that I liked.  I'm happier with how this one came out, altough I do still think that a cardigan knit in peices has more structure and better fit.

Even though I knit a bigger size thinking it would be ok going into Autumn I'm not sure he will get much wear out of it, he is growing so fast, he is eight weeks old now and already wearing 3-6 months clothes, plus, It's too warm for him to be in any clothes at the moment, let alone woolly ones.

This week we have another heatwave, the air is so close and uncomfortable, it was already 30°C today and predicted to rise to 34°C on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We are not geared for this extreme heat, our houses are built to keep heat in and we don't have air conditioning in homes.  I've been keeping all the blinds closed so that the rooms don't overheat and we have fans going which does help a little.

I think I'll be hibernating untill sensible temperatures return, which shouldn't be too long because this is the UK after all, give it another week and we'll be moaning about the rain, ha ha.

-X-

Allotment diaries, some progress

How it looked before.

I worked hard clearing all the weeds, every one of them hoicked out by me, by hand.

And how it's looking now

The excess covering on the outside was burried in the soil to weight it down a bit and woodchip added all around the outside  The frame is pegged down all around.  It wasn't an expensie polly tunnel but hopefully we have done enough to ensure that It won't get blown away in the first storm we have, and that I can get a good few years out of it.

We put a weed membrane down inside and added woodchip  - (The woodchip is free for all allotment holders).

Mark is going to make me a small potting bench for the inside and my tomato plants will stand on trays along the side.

I've made progress on another section since last weekend but I'll save that for next time.

-X-

Monday Makes - (with terrible photos)

Firstly, appologies for the photos, I just can't capture the true colour, you will have to trust me that the colour of this yarn is much better than my awful photos show!

This was the Stylecraft recreat yarn I bought in April - The photo I shared previously, below, is a much better reprsentation of the colour

I've knittied the Salty Air Tee by Samantha Guerin before and I love wearing it.  This one is a bit heavier but will be perfect for cooler Summer days.

The pattern looks complicated but is really simple to knit, and with the use of stitch markers to keep track of the repeats it's easy to spot if you've made a mistake.

I knitted the sleeves just a tad longer than my last one and picked up six extra stitches under the arms to eliminate those gaps you get when picking up stitches.  I had a couple extra stitches in my sleeves to what the pattern says, just because I don't like clothes to fit too tight.

I'm really happy with the result and will probably knit it again in the future because It's such a nice top the wear.

-X- 

Whats been keeping me busy

 You may remember a while ago that I mentioned that I'd been offered an allotment plot.  I did end up declining that particular plot as it was very overgrown and would have taken a lot of work to get it up and running.

However, a few weeks ago I was talking to a lady down at the Roots allotment and she mentioned that she had taken on a council run allotment near to where I live.  Turns out that she didn't even go on a waiting list, someone she knows told her about one that was available.  I mentioned about the one I was offered and she said she would ask about plot next to hers as she was pretty sure It was free. 

I didn't think anything would come of it but a couple days later she messaged to say yes, the plot next to her was available and she had passed my name on to one of the committe members.

I went down on the off chance on the last Bank Holiday and luckily there was someone there to show me around.  I was shown and given the choice of three plots, two of which would have been a bit of a challenge but the one I had gone to see wasn't too bad.  It has a shed and some tools that the previous occupants had left, there is a makeshift pond, (a bath sunk into the ground, lol), a plum tree and two apple trees, (which hopefully produce edible fruit) along with some fruit bushes and various herbs.

So... dispite what I said before I now have an allotment.  I will continue with my Roots plot until late Autumn because I have things planted, but once everything has been harvested I will be giving it up. 

I signed the paperwork for it and paid my annual fee on June 1st and have been down there for a few hours most days to make a start.  I'll share progress photos as I go along, I know some of you may not be interested in reading about my allotment journey but this is what has my interest at the moment and I hope that at least some of you will like to follow and see what I'm doing.

Something else before I go.  

I have wanted to change the name of my blog for a while now and seeing as I'm starting a new adventure now seemed as good a time as any. 

You may have already noticed my new blog name in my header - 

Needles, Greens and Everyday Things

As I'm still going to be sharing my knitting and stitching, (when I have any), and life in general I thought this covered all things, lol. 

Ok, I think that's all the news I have for now, I'll be back soon and share some of the progress I've made on the allotment.

-X-

The weekend

I had planned on having a relaxing weekend but It didn't turn out that way.   Mark was at work yesterday and I thought I'd give myself the day off as I'd been busy all week, but then I went out into the garden, and we all know that is a sure fire way of time getting away with you.  

I ended up running the mower around to pick up all the debris from the wind, then I potted on all my tomatoes.  The shed has needed a tidy up for weeks so I did that aswell and the green house got a sweep and a tidy up too.  Later on I popped down the allotment to harvest a few things.

I saved a few roses from the garden, the wind has been blowing the petals everywhere.

This is my harvest from the allotment, I'm so chuffed with my cabbages this year.  I shared the cabbage and broad beans with my sister as Mark doesen't like either.

A few strawberries too, there are more to come, just not ripened yet.

Oh and I made myself a curry for tea and some banana and toffee muffins.  I'll definitly make those muffins again, they were very moreish.  I use a basic banana bread recipie that I have modified and made my own over the years, this time I used fudge peices instead of chocloate chips - so good.

Not the day off I was planning but it was productive.

Sunday Is my upstairs cleaning and bed change day and then Stevie came round with Freddie for a few hours.  He is growing so quickly.

Perhaps I can schedule a day off in the week, that would be nice.

Hope you are all well and have enjoyed your weekend.

-X-

So that's where it was hiding!

 I've mentioned a few times that I've not had the urge to stitch for a while, in fact I haven't picked up any stitching at all since last November when I went to the Kingfisher reteat in Someset. While I was away that November weekend I started North Pole by Kathy Barrick.

As you can see I got a fair bit of stitching done on that Somerset retreat but since then It's been sat in a bag.

This weekend I attended another two day stitching retreat, closer to home this time and of course North Pole came with me and as you can see I got the rest of the left hand motifs stitched and most of the right hand side, along with Santa's face and eyes, (I'll leave the rest of the facial stitching until the end incase the long stitches get pulled).

The retreat was held at a local to me hotel and I could easily have traveled it but Mark was going to a retirement 'do' at Newbury races and staying over so he treated me to an overnight stay at the retreat hotel.

I had a fabulous time, great company and food and lots of laughter, just what I needed and I found my stitching mojo :-)

I really enjoyed stitching again and I'm going to try and fit in at least one evening of stitching a week, you never know there may be a new Santa finish for Christmas, ha ha.

BTW, in case anyone is interested I'm stitching on 20 count cream evenweave using the DMC conversion.

-X-