Friday 25 March 2016

Autumn Updates

close up of silk mohair scarf in progress with a bamboo crochet hook resting next to it on top of some handwritten pattern notes
G'day and welcome to Lupey Loops, especially to many new visitors recently.  I appreciate very much that you take time to say hello and share your thoughts.  

I love hearing from my online friends.  You can find me on Ravelry, Google+, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest too, or email jodiebodiecrochets@gmail.com.

No new finished crochet projects to share today but an update on my week, WIP* and new bits and pieces around the blog and  garden.

silk mohair scarf in progress with a bamboo crochet hook resting next to it on top of some handwritten pattern notes. At the left of the photo is a ball of purple silk mohair yarn.
Back to the silk mohair with enthusiasm!

I've been excited to pick up my hooks and return to silk mohair scarves after a long break.

Thank you to Vivian who shared her experience with silk mohair on Method to the Mohair this week. 
(Blog post from April 2014)


Welcome, Vivian. I hope you will keep in touch about your progress.


It's Autumn! My favourite season. I love the sunny days and cool nights.  


A top view of 3 short rows of pak choy seedlings with a small parsley bush at the right hand edge of the picture.
Pak choy seedlings.
The recent week of high temperature seems to have been the last burst of summer.  It was a great kickstarter for autumn planting so I spent much of the Adelaide Cup** long weekend in the garden.

My poor veggie patch was quite neglected during the crazy weather extremes and illness of 2015 with the only survivors the hardy perennial herbs.

 


Now I am happy to see that the beetroot, rainbow chard, lettuce, pak choy and baby spinach seedlings have survived their first week in their new home and new growth has already begun.

Top view of vegetable patch as described by the caption. The square shapes in the bottom right of the picture are paving bricks. there is a light brown plastic strip dividing the beds.
Bottom left bed: parsley, calendula & beetroot
Top right bed (L–R): rainbow chard & cos lettuce, calendula & thyme
The beetroots are planted a little too closely, but they will thin out as I use the baby beets and leaves in salads.

The foregroun has a paving brick path on which a small hand trowel with a blue handle is resting.  A bunch of chives is growing at the bottom right corner.  The recycled bottles can be seen at the top left of the photo.
Baby spinach & chives.
Recycled tops of drink bottles make great mini hothouses for seedlings
and add extra protection at the edge of the bed from predators
.


A sweet pea sprout is stretching upwards with a mini trellis and fence behind it.
Sweet pea sprout
My sweet peas from last season are popping out of the ground.  In Adelaide, the sweet peas need to be sown by
St Patrick's Day
for their best chance of survival before the soil temperatures drop too much, but after the late burst of heat this year, I might be lucky to sow some more today.  I do love their heady fragrance.


Did you get sweet peas sown on time?   

Belated St Patrick's Day greetings to you if you like to celebrate that.  Every St Patrick's Day my Irish neighbour plays folk music and traditional Irish songs. I like to listen to them lilting over the back fence while out in the garden.


Cos lettuces surrounded by calendula, geranium
and thyme to ward off predators
and a wire fence to ward off curious bunnies!
Two curly leafed lettuces in the foreground. Directly behind them are yellow-flowered calendulas. In the background is a wire fence and red-flowering geranium.
These lettuces were 'rescued'
from the supermarket.
I have been patrolling at night with a trusty torch to ward off slugs, snails and other predators. Interestingly there has been a minimum of pests so far. I do intermingle fragrant herbs amongst the vegetables; e.g. nasturtium, calendula, geranium, parsley, sage and thyme and I wonder if this is making the difference.  Nasturtiums in particular make great 'trap plants' for snails.

 




Around the blog

There's a new photo on Urban Alpacas - After discussion of the crafty little town of Mogo (NSW), I added a photo of a family connection with Mogo.


Now you know why there are no new finished projects for show and tell today.  Wishing you a good week and see you online!

What have you been growing and making lately?

 

*WIP = Work-In-Progress
** The Adelaide Cup was held on 14 March, 2016. It is hosted by the South Australian Jockey Club at Morphettville Racecourse, South Australia. The Morphettville Racecourse will be the venue for a Craft Alive fair on 810 April, 2016.   



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Email: jodiebodiecrochets@gmail.com

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Twitter (Jodiebodie2):  https://twitter.com/Jodiebodie2
 

Related Posts on Lupey Loops



Method to the Mohair, 9 April 2014:  http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/method-to-mohair.html

Urban Alpacas, 25 February 2016: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/urban-alpacas.html


References

Craft Alive: http://www.craftalive.com.au/

South Australian Jockey Club: http://www.morphettville.com.au/ 

 




5 comments:

  1. Your garden looks like it is coming along nicely. Mine is too, now that we are in Spring here in Florida I only have a month or two before it gets too hot to grow things here, they will melt!
    Hugs to you and Happy weekend,
    Meredith

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    Replies
    1. We can relate to each other's climate issues then, Meredith with too much heat. What are you growing in your garden right now?

      Today I prepared a new garden bed with gypsum and lovely home-made compost. Bunny helped with the digging, inspected my garden fork and cleaned up the tiny weeds, roots and all! I hope to have a winter stir-fry plot with legumes and brassicas.

      Happy gardening and also growing for Little Buddy!

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  2. Just love your scarves, very beautiful and look so so soft. Your garden is looking nice, good idea with all the herbs inbetween. The snow is just leaving here so everything looks bleak and dead. A few weeks though, and new life will break through winter's floor again. Pam in Norway x

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  3. Thank you for your lovely thoughts about my scarves. If only we could send the textures through cyberspace - the scarves are so very, very soft. It is always hard to let them go but it also makes me happy to know that something that I can make can bring just as much pleasure to others.
    Do you intersperse flowers and herbs with vegetables in the garden? Some of my pak choy have been tasted by a garden pest overnight. I have placed a potted curry plant amongst them in the hope that the smell will confuse the pak choy predators and send them away.
    I saw your snowy photos on your blog the other day but it is amazing how nature never stops - new shoots will come through. I hope you have a gorgeous summer this year, Pam. Your scenery is spectacular and so different to mine. x

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    1. Hello, thank you for you for taking the time to pop in at Winkel's. My snowdrops are just peeking through and the rhubarb can just be seen above the surface of the earth, and the birds are singing in the morning too. Spring is definately here. I plant a little flower called Tagetes between my edibles in the garden as pests don't like them, I also stick Garlic in the eath or use it in powder form. Green soap against lice on roses. Wish you a lovely weekend, Pam in Norway x

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