Feb. 15, 2025

Last week I had some awesome progress on the field. First I installed the stake storage; I positioned it a bit further down the field rather than next to my other storage boxes. The locals and the council are reasonably opinionated about what you put on the land and I don’t want to make it seem like I’m accumulating loads of mini structures over a short period and have someone complain. The stake storage is now somewhat hidden from view.

Once that was installed, I started working on clearing the brambles on the border. I’m pruning them down to less than a metre from the ground, leaving just the thick canes. It’s a crazy how brambles get out of control and turn into a huge knotted mess. I wonder if brambles can ever be kept neat and orderly, while still producing fruit… I got snagged a lot by the thorns - I decided to wear two knitted jumpers for warmth which made it even more difficult. The thorns went through my jeans a few times and have micro cuts all over my legs. But anyways, a lot was cleared up and now I’ve accumulated large piles of pruned canes creating more messy piles. I thought I could weave the brambes in baskets, as it’s a common weaving material. You just need to dethorn it first. I was excited to try this on my second trip of the week, so I made a tool that would help me dethorn. I tired it, it worked, but quickly bailed on the idea anyway. The proof of concept is there… I could make basket, but I can’t process all the canes this way, it would take way too long and its not a job worth doing for now. 

While working the brambles, I got a call from a local tree surgeon who need to offload his woodchips, so he came over and dumped a van full (for free!), then came back the next day to drop off logs. It’s mainly softwood spruce, so not particularly valuable, but I told him give me anything he’s got. I can use it for camp site chairs, maybe firewood if I dry it, maybe try some green woodworking and carving, food for growing mushrooms… Lots of possibliities. I managed to make a bit of a dent in the woodchip mound and spread it around the storage area and arranged some of the logs. Its looking like an actual mini destination now, so exciting to see it transform!

For the rest of the woodchips, I’m going to use it as mulch around the trees, that’s the ideal mulch and I didn’t have it until now. Game changer! Mulching the trees is still the priority, just been experimenting with difference sources etc. I think the woodchip mulch will be the best bet. I’m going to acquire a wheelbarrow asap as the trolley I have is quite cumbersome and heavy to wheel around even when its empty. The main bottleneck I have on progress in the field is my own energy and effort levels. I can only do about 3-4 hours at a time. I was so exhausted after the second visit, unreasonably so in my opinion… But not much I can do about that.

At home, I’ve been make the second feathered storage box in small increments. I upped my game a bit and tried the mortise and tenon joints. I’d say my technique is functional, which is as much as I could hope for, so am happy with that! 

Cardboard mulch to be replaced by woodchips soon.

Knitting progress - onto the ribbed edge of the body. Slow and steady. I'm on holiday next week I so spun two full balls of wool to bring with me. That will be the only craft I can do next week so hoping for a bit more progress.

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