Jan. 18, 2026

The men’s cardigan is finally finished with the buttons sewn on. Here is the reveal! Very happy with the result.

I also finished off a cushion with the remaining yarn from the scarf project. I stuffed it with recycled plastic, so it’s a bit lumpy, but overall am fine with it. I didn’t really need a cushion, but glad I got to fit in some crocheting in between knitting. I think I generally prefer knitting, because it’s easier to do without looking at the work, so I can watch TV or read at the same time; you can’t really read a book while crocheting.

Now I’ve gone back to knitting, I have a jumper’s worth of yarn also gifted as leftovers, with which I’m going to make a new jumper for myself. I’m using a pattern I’ve already made before, the Wannabe Sweater by Wool and the Gang. Although I’m going to knit the main body in the round to avoid some seaming. I’ve just started with the bottom ribbing, and I feel like it’s already much too wide… So I might have to start again.

I made a visit to Faber Forest this week, having gotten a big stack of cardboard from my grocer. I used to scavenge some cardboard from the local pub, but it’s a bit messier going through their bins. The grocer flattens and stacks the cardboard really neatly, so it was much easier to pick up. It’s also only used for vegetables, so generally cleaner. I think this will be a good source for the future.

Anyway, I laid down cardboard and put woodchips on top to extend some seating areas. I’m also going to put cardboard down in the vegetable patch, where I’ve got some plastic tarp trying to kill off the grass, but it’s not going well. The tarp always wants to blow away in the wind, and some sunlight does get through the sheet and keeps the grass alive. So, with enough cardboard, I’m going to change strategy. 

I’ve also started on the blackberry pruning, which is so overgrown after just one year. Last year I pruned it all down to 50cm canes, and over the year it just grows like crazy, with canes 3-4 metres long criss-crossing each other everywhere. It’s a mess. Probably one of the more “dangerous” jobs I do, in that no matter what, I get multiple thorns in my hands, scratches everywhere, and torn clothing. The worst would be to trip over a cane and fall into a pile of thorns… Anyways, it would just hurt a lot. It’s probably going to take 6 hours total of pruning just to cover the line of blackberries. It’s definitely worth doing, so I can have good access to picking the berries next summer, and allow the canes space to grow and thrive.

The pile of canes on the left as tall as me, the cleared space on the right.

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