Knitting, knitting and more knitting.

I haven't written about my knitting recently. I knit all year round, it's never usually that hot that I can't. Lots for the new baby, cardies, blankets, a shawl and several soft toys. I have also finished the year long dishcloth swap, sent the last package out on tuesday. Socks, a cowl and a scarf for Christmas presents. I not good on taking photos so nothing to show of these.

Bex is not one for baby colours and picked out these for the next set of cardies. The pink is a baby bamboo and so so soft to knit with. I love this little one, it's knitted all in one from the top down. The sleeves are magic loop, a new technique for me but one I seem to have master with some success.

Once I'm on a roll with something I can't stop. Here's the pink bamboo nearly finished and I've started the coffee one also. No photo as yet.

Last but not least I have another pair of socks, these are for me as they don't match and I'm not fussy. Just using up a skein of this lushes self colouring yarn. I love purple and turquoise.

Last week, David the allotment field owner, gave me three wooden crates. They weigh a ton and I nearly did myself a mischief moving them on to the plot. Benjy was delighted, he's easily pleased and said he would turn them into a run of compost bins. Trouble was we had a ton of compost ready for use and it would have to be moved before we could put the new ones in situ.

Good job he's not afraid of hard work as we had two of these pallet bins with the old turf in and a smaller bin with composted weeds etc. All of it was well rotted and very usable.

Over halfway and still the rain was holding off. I was giving him a hand in between taking photos.

We are moving it down here where Benjy's building a raised herb bed and an area for hardening plants before they go out on the plot.

Well that's enough for the day. You can get some sort of idea how the bin will look when they are finally put together. The old Tee mat is going to be cut in half and used across the front of the bins as a path. The rain that had held off all morning then started to pour down and we were glad to set off for home.

ps Do you see my beautiful anniversary present from Pampa. I'll give you a clue, it's orange.

Yes it the wheelbarrow, I just love him. xxxx

The Weather has been lovely and wet for the last few days and I have been able to work on my D2E Quilt along quilt. I've also had a few days on my own as Pampa has been away working. No tv how lovely that has been. I've made about half the block and will soon have to think about joining them together.

I heard a few sad tales this week, about illness and heartaches. Young people having cancer, marriage break ups and money troubles. I'm so grateful for what I have and my family and friends. I'm going to continue with my gratitude list and say thanks.

Gratitude list.

Pampa arrived back safe and well, from his trip.

The lovely rain that has been falling. Both for the garden and so I can quilt.

A home cooked, home grown meal with a group of friends.

My first tomato of the season.

These seem trivial to many but to me I am extremely grateful .

I'm was so excited I couldn't wait to get home and show the family this. This is my first tomato out of the poly tunnel Benjy bought me for Christmas. It's small, I know, but it heralds things to come. I can't bring myself to eat it until Pampa has seen it and he won't be home for 15 mins. I will just have to wait.

At least it's ripe unlike these antipodean tomatoes. They are so laid back they won't hurry and redden up but they are considerably larger.

A couple of weeks ago a set of flag bunting was requested for Granddaughter's 'pirate loft'. Here they are being stitched, red, white and blue, not for any particular reason, just because Trago had these fabrics at a reasonable price.

Here they are again in situ far far away on the other side of the world.

Allotment today.

The view from the top looking down over the onions, leeks, sweetcorn, squash and the last of the potatoes. Then looking up towards the various beans and peas, with the brassicas in their cage beyond.

Some of the tomatoes I grew from the free seeds on the gardening mag I bought while in Australia. I don't know what variety they are as the pack contained four different kinds. Can't wait to try them. I'm growing them in my poly tunnel and they are all doing very well, at the moment. They do need lots of water as the temperatures in there can get pretty high.

Here is the drip watering system Pampa has fitted up for me. Unfortunately he has only done the one side of the tunnel as yet and I still have to go and water the tomatoes by hand. In this side I have melons, peppers (capsicums) cucumbers and physalis. (spelling) Below is my first melon, it's about 4" across a the moment. See the wheat sprouting in the straw, I have to pull it up every few days or it would take over the bed.

Oh dear! a bit late for this poor lettuce but it was the last of this batch. Pity I don't have any chickens to eat it up.

The next lot of broad beans in flower, these look like they are going to produce a good crop. Our first two rows are just about finished. I'm going to pick the last today.

I have lots of baby butternut squash, not grow these before I hope they keep well or I'm going to have to puree lots for soup.

My summer tote.

This is the Lucy Bag from Lucy at Attic24, her craft is inspiring. I used Rico cotton from the Lucy pack, put together by one of my favourite yarn stores in Wales, First4yarns.

I was really surprised how quick it went together. I have never crochet anything as big as this bag before and I am pleased with the end result. The lining is 100% cotton, white with rainbow spots. I bought it for another project but it has sat there for months making me feel guilt when I looked at it.

It stopped drizzling, this morning, long enough for me to photograph my bag while on my walk to knit club.

No photos

Over on Down to Earth forum there is a thread about what is causing me frustration in my aims for a simple life. I've been thinking about this quite a bit, trying to pin point just what was causing this frustration. Then it dawned on me NOTHING. Nothing is getting in my way, I am quite content with how it's going. It's not perfect, there is still a way to go and I probably will never get to perfect. My life feels right now, I feel right now.

So here is my grateful list of the moment.

A kind caring husband.

Being able to sleep through the night.

That I had a long chat with Mills this morning.

That I had time to sit in the sun.