Random Update

The weather here has been very un-usual, well some would say lots of rain and no sun is a usual British summer but really it isn't not on this scale.

The allotment feels on the verge of being flooded the whole time and indeed in places the ground has been saturated for months now, in my potato bed we gave up planning before we finished as putting potatoes into holes full of water seemed a little pointless and indeed the hedge side of the bed which is lower has pretty much drowned.

In brighter news I have a great crop of onions and the garlic is looking good as are the Jerusalem artichokes which are obviously appreciating a lot more water than they got last year.

I don't think I've mentioned here yet one of the reasons I've been to busy too blog which is that I've been helping to set up Five Acre Community Farm. The weather has slowed growth there as well but we had our first of what will hopefully be weekly harvests from now on last Tuesday, this is what my box looked like.

First weeks share from the farm

The idea behind the farm is everyone who is a member is involved in running it to some extent and is able to be more involved in how their food is grown and indeed have some say in what is grown. We have however employed a professional grower to oversee things as running several acres of veg production and sticking the soil association rules to keep the lands organic status intact would be a little too much for a group of enthusiastic but mostly unskilled, in growing at least, volunteers.

All being well between the allotment and the farm we will have more veg than we know what to do with this year !

On the making front I have been busy with commission stuff for Mandala which I can't say to much about currently as well as making things personally. I also made a wedding cloak for a friend and finished some socks for mum.

socks for Mum, pattern is called Dicey

I have also got my spinning wheel out for the first time in years and plan to do the Tour De Fleece in July, which is basically the idea of spinning everyday of the Tour De France. Plus Jon made me a peg loom which so far I have made a rug on which is made of strips of jeans and an old stripy blue man's shirt. Hopefully I will shortly own a half share in a Rigid Heddle loom soon as well !

Rug being woven on peg loom

So all in all quite busy really !