Spinning
Some progress at long last I finished my Advent Calendar Gradient. It’s not as consistent as I’d like, but I love how the colours work together..This is destined for a cowl if I can just stop getting my cast on twisted! Time for attempt number three!
I’ve also started spinning the second half of the yarn I started for TdF in 2022. I’m focusing on consistency and hitting a lace weight for the first time.
Crewel embroidery
I’ve bought two more embroidery kits that I am forcing myself not to start until I’ve finished my current one. The problem is I am stuck on one specific leaf and no matter how many time I try, I’m just not happy with it. I WILL finish this. Probably.
In the garden
Mixed success for the past few weeks. All of the upheaval with the kitchen put me behind with a lot of garden planning so I’m trying to catch up a bit now. It’s not been helped by losing a lot of my seedlings to slugs when they went into the polytunnel. I have dialled up the war on slugs as a result, which I do feel bad about. But not that bad, I feel they have brought it on themselves.
Anyway I’m hoping my seedlings will recover but in the meantime I bought a few slower growing plants to start me off, so I do have chillies, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers to be going on with. This week I’ll get my herbs into the herb bed and hopefully the spinach. I also sowed carrots, beetroot, and swede which I need to document properly in the week so I remember what kind.
My pea wigwams are up (and I’m two pea plants down due to slugs already).
I have had some successes this week. I was really surprised to see how well my February planted potatoes had done in the polytunnel – especially as I kind of neglected them in terms of watering. Still they’re looking pretty healthy. I have two of these early bags and two March sown ones, as well as my main crop which are coming on. I’ve also noticed the first flowers on my strawberries.
Finally I just want to celebrate this little plant. I’m not sure what it is (maybe a Helianthemum?) but it is one of only two flowering plants I seem to be able to grow reliably. It’s hugely rewarding for very little effort!
Ceulan Fibres 
Fantastically fine spinning there, I’ve never achieved such fine yarn so I’m jealous of your consistency and fineness. My potatoes are showing signs of life in all 4 bags now and we have frost forecast again so I’ve tucked them under some horticultural fleece so they are snuggled up hopefully. Looking at your spud plants mine are minuscule in comparison…but at least each bag has leaves again. Ah slugs! You need a pet hedgehog! Or a pond for some toads to munch them maybe? It’s pigeons that get my peas so they are covered in netting already despite being about 5mm tall so far. 😂
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It’s taking all of my concentration to keep it this fine! I’m really pleased with how the spuds took off under cover as we did have quite a few frost that I thought might damage them.
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Your handspun looks SO good! Are you planning on spinning for TdF this year too? I just put a few veggies into the raised beds this weekend as it’s finally consistently above freezing overnight as of last week. Trying a few new varieties of things but less different things overall to see if we can improve on the few things that did well last year.
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I will spin for the tour and I have a lovely box of fibre I’ve been holding onto for it. Sadly I’ll be away for some of it so I won’t do as much as usual. Good luck with the veggies. This is my third year so I’m getting a better feel for what works and where it is best planted,I’m just horribly behind!
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