A slow week this week on the crafting side as I was away in Hay on Wye for a few days this week. We like to head here a few times a year for a slow (if expensive) few days of eating, drinking, and trawling bookshops. For as long as I can remember Hay Castle has been under renovation so it was lovely to see it finally completed.
Back home and I finished the first section on my shawl, I’m just about to start the aster stitch section.
The garden has been doing really well but things are starting to come to an end. I picked the last of the peas and cleared the pea and bean bed. I also finished the last lot of the early potatoes (somewhat past their best now) so it’s just the Pink Fir Apple left. I need to check on when these are ready to harvest.
The cucumbers are coming to an end but the tomatoes are going crazy. They haven’t been the tastiest salad tomato, but we’ve found they roast up really well. It feels a bit extravagant in the current energy crisis to have the oven on slow roasting for hours on end, but we’ve found popping in a couple of trays when we’re roasting something else works ok. We roast them at about 150° for forty minutes and then we drain the juice off, turn the oven off and leave them to finish in the heat. They come out semi dried and just a bit sweeter and tastier than when they’re fresh. They’re great for tossing though pasta and salads.
That’s it for the week. I have another week of holiday left so that will probably be spent decluttering the spare room and decorating it. I’m amazed at how much stuff we have cleared out this week, and I’ve not even had to make any tough calls about craft supplies yet! I’m a bit ashamed at my stationery fetish to be honest, I don’t think I will ever need to buy another notebook as long as I live. Or fountain pen ink.
Ceulan Fibres 
That castle looks amazing. Your tomatoes look pretty too. Sorry to hear they are not great in flavor. The shawl is pretty. Looking forward to seeing the next section.
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Thank you. Yes I think it’s trial and error with the tomatoes, but there is next year.
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Another destination on my wish list! That looks amazing! Enjoy your vacation time!
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I think you’d probably enjoy the bookshops!
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Very pretty yarn for your shawl. Love the sharp contrast. It’s always sad to see gardening season end.
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I’m just pleased I’ve kept up with it this year, it’s definitely helped that we’ve had good weather this year rather than constant rain.
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The shawl looks fab. Pink Fir Apple are my favourite! And your tomatoes sound tasty..
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I’ve never tried them before so I’m looking forward to it. I think they’re due to be dug up next month.
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That castle looks amazing and what a great holiday …eating, drinking , book buying…perfect!
I am jealous of tour fresh produce…I have a little but since I am on a liquid diet I can’t eat any of it and my neighbors don’t want it..I am giving it to the rabbits and squirrels and deer. I would die for a good old BLT and corn on the cob….woe is me but I feel good so I can’t complain. that shawl is gorgeous!
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Thank you! Eating, drinking, books, and crafts is pretty much how I spend my days. I’m sure the local wildlife appreciate your garden bounty!
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I’ve been to the book festival in Wigtown but not Hay on Wye yet…one day! That yarn in the stripes is beautiful colours. Its going to be stunning when its finished. A bumber crop of tomatoes for sure!
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bumper even lol
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