Crochet and Contentment

It seems like Summer has officially ended now that the runner beans are over. The plants have been removed, chopped up and added to the compost bin. I kept some mature pods and allowed them to dry before saving the seeds for next year.

The Brussells sprout plants are forming little buds. I hope they’ll be just big enough for Christmas dinner. They’ve had a mulch and some seaweed feed to encourage them.

Gardening is such a satisfying way to spend time and energy. Some people go to the gym but that only produces sweat and toned muscles. With gardening you have added value. It’s an ideal way to exercise many different muscles, while it produces delicious, nutritious food and beautiful flowers. You’re out in the fresh air, with birdsong and the sun on your back. The delightful song of a blackbird can gladden your heart, a robin may hop around your feet as you work, the heady scents of flowers will fill the air. If you grow vegetables and fruit you have the added bonus of fresh, tasty food with all the good health to go with it. All these things restore a tired mind and give a feeling of wellbeing and self-reliance. I think there is nothing to compare with it for mindfulness and good health.

I couldn’t live without a garden. Even in Winter there are things to see and do. Just to be able to walk about in it fills me with joy. Although it’s faded and bedraggled at this time of year, there are gems here and there. Here are a few glimpses of the garden right now.

Ours is often an untidy garden. Partly because there is too much to keep on top of but also because we like a natural look and a welcome to wildlife. Scattered leaves, grassy patches and velvet mosses have their own beauty. I like plants to splay and bend with the wind. Nature arranges them perfectly without too much interference from us. Bumble bees, mice, hedgehogs and frogs thrive in this kind of environment and so do we.

It’s been wet and windy for a couple of days so I’ve been indoors except for bringing vegetables in. So I’ve been doing some crochet. The rain was pattering on the pane, the old clock was ticking gently and my hook was flashing along. Contentment!

I made two colourful blankets last year from a large bag of yarn in mixed colours. I made the second one a bit small because I thought I might run out of yarn. But in the end I did have some half balls left and it has bothered me that the second blanket is on the small side. So I got out my hook and I’m adding a striped border to expand it.

I find it very difficult to follow a complicated pattern so I often make up my own. Mostly works for me. Making it up as I work I can crochet or knit a simple style of jacket with dropped sleeves because the shaping is much easier to do. This one I crocheted from the same bag of yarn. I certainly had my money’s worth when I bought that bag.

I can follow some knitting patterns but I have to really concentrate. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I often prefer to muddle along in my own way. Sometimes that’s a better way of doing things. Innovation and imagination come into play. I did manage to knit the autumn leaves and acorns though, shown in the photo above, from patterns in a favourite book. I got there in the end and put them together in a circle to make a wreath.

Christmas is not far off and I’m thinking about my baking. I shall be making the family’s favourite pecan pie and freezing it in the next week or so.

Almost time to make the Christmas cake too. I usually do that in the middle of November. Plus, loads of mince pies, which we enjoy throughout December. I have plenty of home-made mincemeat. I shall add an extra dash of brandy when I use it.

Meantime, I shall carry on with my crochet and make “to do” lists. I’m sure you will have plenty of your own. With you again next week. Bye for now.