Time for a change

Hello, little neglected, blog - long time no see?
Well life has been busy this Summer and good blogging has to be done under very relaxed conditions, both in mind and environment. So no blogging from me for quite some time.

Saying that I do not feel alone in this situation because as well as not blogging, I also gave myself a ban on reading any blogs. All those lovely blogs out there are full of temptations and distractions and I couldn't handle it. But, after dipping into my Favourites List, I find that there are quite a few other bloggers who have taken time out from posting for one reason or another. So with that in mind I feel relaxed enough to pick up the camera and hit the keyboard.

I have opened the doors of my crafting cupboard (something I just could not do for quite a while) with a renewed enthusiasm and I am keen to once again pick up those WIP's and get stuck stuck in.

My little chicken flock take up a fair bit of my free time - 2-3 garden chickens is good - 20+ is sheer hard work and requires quite considerable management. So this Summer, what with running a happy home, gardening quite a large plot, taking care of Little Neet and Big Neet and a flock of chickens, my days seem to have gone in a blur. I am hoping the Winter will be a little more relaxed.

Anyway I thought I would like to blog a little more about everyday life at Neet Manor, so with this in mind I have created a new blog

Everything Neet

you can find it here.

Neet Designs will stay live for the while, although I will be over on my new blog for updates. I may refer to posts and events from here over there, but I will put links to ensure everyone knows what I am blithering about.

Please come over and have a look and read and if you like it, please tell your friends.

I'm still here!

As the title says I am still here but life seems really busy at present and blogging is a little luxury time I don't appear to have.

I am mainly hanging out with these guys. They are my new passion



Mommy Welsummer and her brood


Cuckoo Maran Teenagers enjoying a dustbath in the sunshine


Big Lad (the black and white Brahma cockerel) and some of his 'ladies'


A little White Sussex chick


Just sitting watching the World go by


Mrs Welsummer - I just love her to death - my favourite hen


These two I hatched myself from the same hatch and they are totally inseperable - like shadows


Three little chicks enjoying the sunshine


Rocket Ron my little Welcock. He is Big Lads' arch nemesis as they fight over the girls, but he stays 'cos I love him as he is so handsome.

Now crafting, I hear some of you ask, well...............my crafting cupboard is like it harbours some sort of devil and I can't face going into it! I really struggle at present just having to sew a lost button onto a school shirt!

So I guess, maybe as Winter arrives and the cosy indoors appeals, I may/hope to get back into the crafting groove.

In the meantime I hope that you are all enjoying life and whatever is your creative inspiration at the moment.

Not much time for blogging lately....

I have been way too busy being a broody 'mum'!


These little cuties arrived a couple of hours ago and have some brothers and sisters waiting in the wings to appear.



Seriously though chicken keeping can be totally addictive. I have a small flock of 12 - 10 hens and 2 roosters and love every one of them and their individual personalities. My hatching eggs at present have come from a local poultry auction plus a few off a friend with chickens. I have used her incubator for this recent hatch and I have purchased my own and I have also 'crafted' one from 'stuff' around the home to see if I can use it successfully as a challenge to myself.

The only crafting I am doing other than rearing chicks is finishing off a granny square blanket - photos to appear very soon.

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WIP - revisited

I have got this granny squares throw out to have another go at it. I haven't looked at it for at least a year maybe? You know how some WIP's are! Plus the colours aren't 'this season' somehow but I'll stick with that. Well since I started crafting again a couple of years ago I think my 'skills' have come along quite considerably since I started this throw. Now looking at it I am NOT enthused with the finish or final quality of it.

I joined the squares by a suggested method of using single crochet, but either I did not take any time or put too much effort in it originally or it doesn't suit the yarn, I just know it is NOT right.


So I am unpicking it all (what I have done so far as it was unfinished in size) and adding another round of crochet to each square which 'looks' much much better to me and I will sew it up this time to see if I can get a flatter seam. That was the problem with it, the single crochet seemed to make the seams too tight somehow.




Well I have got 18 new squares done now only another 100 or so to go!!

Hopefully I may just finish this now and it will not remain a WIP for much longer.

Lace making

I am enjoying making this strip of crochet lace edging. Even though it involves using the teeny-weeny hook it is very relaxing and quite pleasing to see it grow and develop. I did start the same pattern a little while ago using black thread but I didn't like the feel and look of the thread, so I have changed to a white thread - much better. The finished piece, about 1.5 metres long, is going to edge the bottom of a plain white roller blind. (Click on photo for a detailed look at the stitches).


This is the book where the inspiration came from. The pattern I am using is suggested for edging a towel (which would be really nice) and there are lots of other very pretty projects in this book. I would love to get my hands on an antique plain linen sheet/bedcover and make the edging for that.

Planting time

The chitted, early potatoes are now under their new soil blanket. These are Sharpe's Express.


and these are Anya. I love their knobbly, bobblyness!



some are going to be grown in buckets. I planted these on a bed of soil, one to a pot and just covered them. As the growth comes through I will top up the soil to just below the leaves until they are clear of the top of the pot.



others I have planted directly into the soil and covered them with ridges of soil and I will just cover these with a mulch of grass clippings (in about 4-6 weeks time) rather than heap more soil on them.



Newly discovered 'superfruit'?


No - Ranunculus 'claws' - otherwise known as Persian Buttercups. I am going to grow these for my cut-flower project that I have given myself for this year.

Spring has sprung

My MIL presented me with a bunch of Pussy Willow the size of a tree yesterday. After I had cut myself some nice twiggy branches, I also cut another huge bunch of the same and gave them to Little Neet's school for them to enjoy also. It seems like Nature has got her running shoes on now looking around my garden.

Piecing

English Paper Piecing
Sorry for the 'pale' pics but if you click on the image you might get a better look!




This is my quilt that I am enjoying making. The process of cutting, basting, stitching and piecing is very relaxing and enjoyable. I am using 1" hexagon templates and using material that is mostly thrifted with some specially purchased Cath Kidston prints to add to it. There are 14 different fabrics altogether just for the hexagon section then I will use more prints for the border and backing.
I don't know when it will be completed as it is a pure 'WIP' but it will get done and I will post more as it progresses.

Growing season has started

I would like to use my blog to record my garden/vegetable growing season this year. I have been growing my own veggies for 2 years now and I think I have finally got into the rhythym of sowing, planting and cropping with enough confidence to log it.


I started off with an allotment plot away from the house but - 1. It was too big for me to handle and 2. I found out what space I really needed to grow the plants I like and decided to make a bed dedicated to this at home, which I much prefer. I also use pots for growing salads in.


Today saw the onion sets going into the prepared bed. (I am trying to plant using the Moon Calendar with the aid of this site).


without the help of these!....................
they were happily scratching away in nextdoors field, blissfully unaware that I was gardening - thank goodness.


So the covers are on the onions, at least until the chickens have got a permanent enclosure to keep them off my garden for the summer.


The tomatoes are coming along in their improvised, insulated cold frame. (A plastic storage box lined with bubble wrap and a clear plastic lid).


Sweet peas, cabbages, hollyhocks, coriander and parsley are in another insulated box.



These are Dwarf French Bean seedlings popping up. There are 6 in there and hopefully I will be getting a little crop of beans in about 10 weeks. This idea was a suggestion by one of the regulars from this great gardening site.

I also have peas, peppers, rocket, parsnips, red and white salad onions started off along with chitted potatoes (earlies) and a selection of flowers that I want to grow for cutting in the Summer.

Let's hope we have just a little less rain than we did last year for this coming season. Fingers crossed!

Jumble sales?

>

2 x Kilner jars, sugar shaker, pretty tin, SILVER tablespoon, metal pastry cutters and loose bottomed cake tin


2 lace decorated, cotton handkerchiefs and a linen tray cloth decorated with cotton lace edging.


2 x 100% heavyweight Egyptian cotton, double size, striped sheets in perfect, new condition.

ALL the above for a grand total of 50p!!! (plus 20p admission)

Jumble sales = I love 'em!
(Even if I have got bruised elbows today).

My Pink Day

A piece of beautiful Laura Ashley chintz, bagged via Ebay, arrived in the post this morning. Do you know that feeling when a fabric makes you feel happy it's yours?


My pink day was made even sweeter when I brought home these dotty, pink tea plates from Sainsburys for £1 each.


The tulips match my pink mood and have found a home in my thrifted jug on the kitchen table.

Crumbs!!

That didn't hang about for long!
In the words of Mr Kipling "It was 'exceedingly good'. Mmmmmm.

Reasons

A newly thrifted glass cake stand is the perfect excuse to...........




.....bake a Victoria Sponge.



Victoria Sponge Recipe

175g Butter - softened
175g Caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
Vanilla essence
175g Self-raising flour
3 tbsp Jam, preferably seedless Raspberry Jam
whipped cream, optional

Grease and line 2 20cm (8") round sandwich tins
Cream sugar and butter together until very light and fluffy
Gradually beat in the eggs along with a few drops of vanilla essence
Fold in the flour
Divide mixture between the 2 tins and smooth surface
Bake in preheated oven 190/380degrees gas Mark 5 for 20 mins
until golden, well risen and springy to the touch
Leave to cool for 10 mins and turn out onto wire rake
When completely cool, sandwich with jam (and optional whipped cream)
.......
place on newly acquired glass cake stand and gaze with admiration!

One persons rubbish.............

Is someone else's treasure!

My recent thrift discoveries


Another 50p apron - lawn fabric already earmarked for a project


A pretty little ceramic jug - perfect to stuff full of home-grown summer flowers.


Two wooden candlesticks that I am deliberating about whether to give them a shabby look with a coat of paint. But the wood is really nice too.


And lastly these two real treasures. Both were 30p each!! A good wash with some Fairy liquid, a tickle with a toothbrush on the metal trim and a gentle polish make them look fantastic. I am going to replace the damaged fabric within the lid of the dish with some pretty fabric or some handsewn embroidery.