Autumn in, Summer out

So, yesterday it rained basically all day, becoming steadily more torrential. So torrential we we're in danger of flooding for a moment there. I attempted to capture this torrential downpour in photo's, but rain doesn't really capture so well. The best indication is the amount of reflection coming off the concrete next to the new cyclamen (waiting to go in some earth).

The day was dark and dank from start to finish. The light correction on my camera does not do justice to the grey tone of the light. Summer is over, time to accept and move on. Bye bye summer bunting...

... and hello autumn leaves

I made this garland last autumn. I am wondering whether this year it could be updated with plain leaves in colours similar to our new picture (which we didn't have this time last year). But I was chuffed with this when I'd finished it, mainly because the shadows look so real.

(The darkness of the day is probably best ascertained from the yellowed dim light in these indoor photo's)

Jam delayed

Jam kit is here, but free time isn't

It's very shiny. I think it's *technically* too big for our small London flat, in that it's about the same size as our kitchen. I suggested to Dan that we should leave it out as a 'centrepiece', but I don't think he was too impressed with that idea.

Bicycle clips

My one-woman mission to make bicycle clips the height of fashion among London's cycling fashionistas is not going well. And really, where's the inspiration? Black and functional, but definitely not chic.

before

I bought these originally because my Dad used to have some the same, I remember him putting one foot up on the step stool at home and clipping his suit trousers down before he went off to work. Somehow with formal trousers they look right - jeans though, not so much.

after

I think I may have been finally possessed by complete bonkers-dom. Even I doubt the sanity of making knitted covers for my bicycle clips. And then to top them off with pom-poms in an homage to yokoo? Is that my marble over there...?

waiting for jam...

Current public transport reading:

Wind powered knitting machine

I can hardly believe this passed me by, especially as I used to live and work just around the corner from where this installation was - Wind Knitting Factory.

The video at the bottom of the page is completely hypnotising. So now I obviously crave a sock knitting machine above all things, but sadly the Auto Knitter is a little out of my price range on eBay.

Discovered the link on Eline Oftedal's blog after purchasing her lacy leaf capelet pattern (rav link) from Etsy. My hope is that the lacy leaf capelet pattern will be the final final incarnation of the Cocoon wool, together with perhaps some matching ear warmers (another rav link) for my bicycle helmet.

tomatoes

This year has been the second year we've grown tomatoes from seed and only the first time with any real amount of success. We've just recently eaten the first Marmande's and hoping for a little bit of sun to turn at least a few of those trusses of Gardener's Delight.

unripe Marmande

unripe Gardener's Delight

I read on Fennel and Fern at the start of the summer about aster-like
flowers on tomatoes and the production of 'king' tomatoes. I was pretty excited when 5 out of 7 of the Marmande plant's got an aster flower each, but only one survived to produce fruit - and it is indeed very ugly. Can't wait to find out what it tastes like though!

King Marmande

Mental notes for next year:

• Gardener's delight grows surprisingly tall - stake better


• Grow in bigger pots to make watering less of a chore! (The troughs used were probably at least half the ideal size as it turns out.)


• I definitely want to grow a small yellow variety next year too - either Sun belle or Mirabelle possibly - and one of those groovy black varieties.

frogged

in the frogging process

I'm hoping it's going to be third time lucky with this Rowan Cocoon and Alchemy Haiku yarn, because this is the second project I've ripped out using it. I really like the yarn, but the projects were either dull and out of season (the massive scarf, rav link) or not designed for women with breasts (cardigan, rav link). The latter was massively unflattering on and so unstructured that the weight of the yarn just distorted it's shape to something quite ugly. Sadly ripping out was complicated by the fact that I tried to rescue the cardigan into something more wearable after it was finished - crocheting over with the Haiku to add strength and colour and invisible reinforcing under the arms. All to no avail.

There are, however, several positives to take away from this. I like the Cocoon and the velvety plump soft fabric it makes. I like the way the colour of the Haiku is allowed to sing out on the backdrop of the Cocoon fabric - if it was knit in a lace shawl or something similar I think that depth and delicacy of colour would get lost. It is very quick to knit with.

The only major sadness is some of that lovely Haiku had to be sacrificed for good during the rip-out.

Jam!

A few weeks ago now I entered the Fennel and Fern competition to win a jam making kit from Wiggly Wigglers and I was majorly excited to be told I'd won! The jam making extravaganza will be here (as soon as that kit arrives). I shall be reading the Preserves Handbook for preparation in the mean time...

Woad

I was thinking a little about my plot today and what I want to grow over winter and into next year when my mind turned to woad. I then (with a little help from google) came across these excellent sites - so excellent I can't believe I've never seen them before. I'm now on the hunt for woad seed to sow in November.... I mean dyeing my own wool is no different from D building his own bicycle wheels is it?

All About Woad

Wild Colours

Woad-inc

Experiments

I've been working on my fingerless gloves/mittens for that wedding. Sadly, the first experiment came out far too big. Maybe not from the top...

...but the side view is very saggy indeed.

I think I have to resign myself to some sort of proper shaping in the arm instead of trying to rely solely on ribbing and take out a couple of those lace ribbing repeats too. Back to the drawing board!