May 16, 2026

The jumper is coming along slowly. Lots of concentration is needed and good lighting to see the colours properly, so I don’t make mistakes with the ever-changing pattern. The jumper is turning out a bit smaller than I expected, but I can’t try it on yet. It should fit, but probably won’t be oversized.

I did one small whittle project this week, a ‘hillbilly’ guy. I’d like to do more, but so far only been averaging about one a week. I still plan on painting them, which I'm sure will transform the look.

I was away for a few days last week, and when I came back to check on the tomatoes, chillis and cucumbers in the garden, the chillis had been completely eaten, even through the metal netting I installed last week. The cucumbers are half eaten, and the tomatoes are untouched. Basically, I don’t think the netting helped much; it’s probably the mice that are getting in. I have some backup chillis, but I’ll probably have to buy seedling starts to replace the rest. There is a plan to upgrade the netting, with a fabric material that lets the light through but leaves no holes. I am disappointed I didn’t catch the chillis early enough, but hopefully next time I’ll have the right guards in place. 

In the field, I planted my leftover tomatoes and chillis. I haven’t checked on them yet, but since there’s way more predators out there, I’m not that hopeful. I’ve bought an electric-powered mini plough / tiller to till the soil. I’ve been eyeing it up for a while. It will help me dig canals for water transport, and to dig in the pipes. Since it’s been raining a bit, I’m hoping the ground is a bit softer so I can try it out this week. I also got a fresh dump of woodchips, so I’ll be mulching trees this week as much as possible. 

Hedge plants are growing nicely this spring. In a few years it'll be a tight, closed hedge. Exciting...

I experimented a bit with candlestick making, and it was a reasonable success… Though you need a lot more wax than you think to make a long candle. Ideally, you have 30cm of liquid wax to dip the candles in. I managed 1/3 - 1/2 height sticks, which are still usable, so I am happy with it. I only used leftover wax from other candles and mixed them all together, one large chunk of which used to be a brown chocolate-smelling candle. Hence the poo-like result.

Finally, I made a dandelion salve from dandelions I foraged a few weeks ago. It seems good to me. Apparently, it helps with sore muscles, joints and dry skin. I’d left the dried flowers to steep in oil for a few weeks in the sun, which I thought was what the instructions said. But when I went to make the salve from the infused oil a few weeks later, I realised it actually had said ‘cold dark place’ not ‘warm and sunny’. I’m not sure how I misread that… But oh well, I still processed it and made a salve.

Last week I said I'd reveal my craft room makeover, here it is. I redecorated the back wall and made a floating shelf for the sewing machine on the right wall. Loving the look.

I’ll be away again for two weeks, so I’ll bring along my knitting, sewing fabrics, and whittling tools, which should keep me busy.

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