crocheted tea cosy
I know there’s always something I could be doing in the garden or on the allotment but the incessant rain since the start of December has meant that they have been no-go zones really. I always find the sight of a ‘bare to the bones’ allotment a bit too demoralising anyway. My own plot hasn’t fared too badly considering. I didn’t think it was possible to rain more than it did in 2012 but this has been the first time I have seen standing water on my plot. I fear for the tulips tucked up in the soil but there’s little I can do about it now. The green manure I sowed back in late summer and early autumn has made a real difference to how the soil has coped with the rain. Neighbouring plots look as if the soil has literally been pummelled, the rain has been so intense. Whereas the beds on my allotment, covered in phacelia, look as if they haven’t been touched. It’s just a pity I couldn’t cover more soil. One of the downsides to using green manures is needing bare soil to sow into at the right time for it to have time to germinate and put on enough growth. With such a mild autumn I still had flowers going into November. By the time I pulled them out it was too late to sow.
Gardening does take up such an enormous amount of my time during the year that it leaves a fairly large void when winter comes round. So what does a gardener do when they can’t garden, when it’s cold and wet outside and nothing is growing? For me the winter break gives me the chance to get crafty. Crochet is the craft of choice at the moment. It’s perfect for whiling away the long dark nights sat in front of the fire.
I have dabbled with a crochet hook in the past. I made a hat for Wellyman one Christmas, although I massively underestimated the time it would take to make it. I got there with hours to spare but developed a touch of repetitive strain injury in the process. Perhaps this is why I took a break and put the wool to one side. But this autumn I returned to it again and I’m completely addicted.
Vintage sewing box
The pile of crochet books are building up by my bedside table and I’ve acquired quite a stash of wool. And I was over the moon last weekend when I was given a beautiful sewing box by my in-laws. I had been on the lookout for one for a while and planned a visit to a flea market in the new year to track one down. Instead I am now the proud owner of the one which belonged to Wellyman’s grandma, and that family connection makes it all the more special. I love the functionality of the design and its simple Shaker-style beauty.
flowery brooch
It turns out though that even when I crochet gardening and plants aren’t that far from my mind. This flower brooch was a Christmas present for my mum. And the colours I used for my tea cosy were inspired by the a drive we did several years ago, in Ireland. We found ourselves passing through a place called Sally Gap not far from Dublin. The scenery was stunning with dark, rich green moorland and pink, purpley tones of heather.
crocheted garden twine coaster
I’ve even found that garden twine makes a very interesting material with which to crochet. It’s much harder to work with than wool because the fibre is tougher but the texture the jute gives to projects is fantastic. It’s more robust than wool too which makes it perfect for table mats and coasters.
Strangely there is little recorded history about crochet. It became popular in the 19th century from Britain to Africa and across to Asia but, prior to this, there is nothing to suggest the origins of using one hook and a thread to create a fabric. Knitting however can be traced back to the early medieval period. Every time I make something I find it incredible that simply by using one hook and a material it is possible to create so many different patterns and designs. I have lots of plans; an old duvet cover is to be cut up and crocheted to make a bath mat, there are cushion covers to make, a blanket to finish. The nights are getting a little lighter and the first of the seed orders has been made. So as the garden starts to make it demands I guess there’ll be less time to crochet in the coming months, but that’s fine, as I’m itching to get my hands into the soil again.
I’d love to hear about what you do during the winter gardening hibernation.
wellywoman 
Ah, lovely! What a nice, solid sewing box. And I do like your twine coaster. Learning to crochet was one of my un-achieved goals for 2013, despite having had a lovely book at my disposal (Simple Crochet by Sara Sinaguglia). I’m determined to crack it this year. I’ve been doing things with twine recently too. But striped baker’s twine, instead of the gardening variety, as I happened to have a lot of it. I’ve been turning out dishcloths – which are pretty mindless, but keep the hands occupied while the mind churns! Can’t bring myself to peer at the current state of my allotment yet; what the rain hasn’t drowned, the deer have probably nibbled away – they’d certainly had a good go at my chard the last time I visited. Roll on spring!
Thank you Eirlys. I saw your post on the striped baker’s twine. I love how you can use different materials. I’ve had an old duvet cover lying around in the bottom of the blanket box for a few years now. I thought it might come in useful at some point so my plan is to cut it into long strips and roll them into balls and then crochet it with a large hook. It should end up looking like a bit like a proggy mat. Yes, yes, yes to roll on spring. More rain is on the way and I’m thoroughly fed up with it. 😦
Your work is beautiful. We’re buried under feet of snow and the temps are in the single digits. I keep busy quilting – finished a baby quilt, several mug rugs for gifts and some table toppers. Enjoy your creative time until gardening season picks up. 🙂
Thank you Judy. We haven’t even had a sniff of snow this year. I feel for you buried under it all. I have always fancied quilting but never got round to it. Maybe that can be for next winter. 🙂
Well done you but don’t get too ‘crotchety’. I too have a vintage sewing box which belonged to my mother.
:0 I might get a bit crotchety if this rain continues. 😉 It’s lovely to have family heirlooms, isn’t it?
I am impressed-those all look really lovely. Please post everything that you crochet.
Hi Sue, Thank you. I have joked that if I run out of things to crochet I’ll have to make my husband a onesie. ;0
I had to smile when I saw the tags listed at the start of the post – ‘crochet, green manure, other uses for garden twine’ – wondering what the connections could be, although you have indeed crocheted with garden twine. Well done for getting involved in crocheting again – it can be so hard to make the time to start craft activities but now you are ‘addicted’ you have got beyond that and with great results! I love the flower brooch, and your tea cosy is so pretty too. My problem is I rarely sit – I used to always have knitting on the go through my teens and 20s, but it was getting a knitting machine that stopped that then and now it’s a time issue, which is silly really now I am retired! Look forward to reading about what your hands are doing when they get back in the soil!
:0 Yes those tags do look a little odd together don’t they? It is hard to find the time to fit things in. That’s why I have loved crochet so much. I can fit little projects in on an evening. It’ll fall by the wayside as the garden takes over again, I’m sure but it’ll be waiting for me again in the autumn.
I remember dabbling in crochet when I was very little, but knitting took over. I came back to crochet a couple of years ago and I’m loving it. I do still like to knit too though. My winter hobbies are knitting, crochet, reading and genealogy. Be warned, don’t get in to family history unless you’ve got lots of time to spare, it’s totally addictive, especially once you start finding long lost relatives.
I never really got away with knitting. My mum did show me but it oddly didn’t appeal so much. Yes I know how addictive family history is. I spent a few years researching both sides of my dad’s family until I could go no further. 🙂
I have a half finished crochet blanket which only sees the light of day when I go to stay with relatives – at home, I always have something that needs my attention. Even in the garden, I’m pruning, replanting, building raised beds and – most importantly, fencing off beds as the animal poo problem seems to be getting worse. Not at all sure about growing veg in those beds this year! Good to hear that your lottie plot is coping with the extra rainfall- we’re quite high up here, relatively speaking, but I noticed flooded fields on drive down to Sussex – and the orchards are ready to be covered, I guess so the roots don’t get too sodden.
I really feel for you on the poo front. It has got worse in my back garden. Yet more cats seem to have been introduced to the neighbourhood. *sighs*
Funnily enough I found a book I have on crochet a couple of days ago and thought it might be nice to revisit.
Definitely do it. 🙂 There are so many incredible wools out there in amazing colours. I found one shop and the wool all had names like those from a Farrow and Ball chart. 😉
I used to have a needlework box just like that! Ah! happy memories, thank you. When I can’t garden I like to cook or read; I used to embroider but I haven’t for a while.
Yes cooking and reading fill my time too. It’s nice in a way to be able to retreat for a few months and have a break. Still itching for spring to come.
A interesting post even though it’s not something I do!
I spend much of the winter sofa flying reading good books, drinking cups of tea and eating too many biscuits. xx
Thanks Flighty. I know it was straying a little from my Welly focus. Glad to hear you enjoyed reading it. Books and tea feature quite heavily here too. x
A teacher a primary school sort of took the fun out crocheting for me, so I’m more of a knitting person, although I have to say your tea cosy looks beautiful. During “garden hibernation” I tend to spend a lot of time at the computer, and as we live in an old house there is always lots of wood that needs sanding and painting. Plus I do a lot of birdwatching in the forest, once one gets to know ones forest, it’s surprising how many birds there actually are around in winter. Right now I’m dead chuffed having found the black woodpeckers.
Hi Helle, Funny isn’t it, how teachers can ruin something for someone just as much as they can inspire? I hated swimming for that reason. It took till my mid -thirties for me to conquer my fear of swimming pools and to actually learn to swim properly. I love the sound of where you live. I like a spot of birdwatching too. We’ve had such a mild winter this year that disappointingly we’ve had very few birds in the garden.
I agree, the winter months can be frustrating for gardeners – there’s a limit to how many times you can walk round your plot in a day! But if I can’t do much outside, I can still garden indoors. After achieving a diploma in garden design recently, I’m trying to put it into practice and I’m attempting to compile a portfolio of design plans for borders. I have found I enjoy writing about gardening and so have started my blog – a major achievement for me! Apart from that, I have dug out my old knitting needles – bobble hats have been this winter’s favourite! And winter is also the rugby season! But I’m still itching to get my hands dirty!
What a fabulous way to spend the winter. I love the sound of your design plans. Congratulations on the blog. I’m just about to pop over and take a look. 🙂 And bobble hats too. That’s quite a busy winter. 😉
Thank you for your kind reply – and for looking up my blog! I’ll let you know if I start taking orders for bobble hats, ha! ha!
You are a talented lady WW. Oh I’m so envious of people who can crochet, sow, embroider etc. Can just about knit but crochet is beyond me despite my earnest study of the Ladybird book ‘Learnabout … Crochet’! Must be a most relaxing activity on days like this when plot visiting is out of the question. I’m spending this hibernation time reading and doing jigsaw puzzles.
Aw! Thank you Anna. I have struggled in the past with crochet but I found a step by step Dorling Kindersley book this autumn which helped me to crack it. I still find some patterns a little difficult but I’m getting there. I love a good jigsaw but haven’t done one for years. Lets hope we don’t have to hibernate for too much longer. 😉