sheltered dug-in slug traps

My favourite garden accessory this year is the dug-in slug trap. It’s simple and very effective.

Over the course of a week, I had watched as one by one slugs attacked my pepper plants, leaving only the stubble of a stalk and a few discarded leaves. I really didn’t want to use slug pellets. I had put down coffee grounds (fertilising and supposed to irritate slug bellies) and ground mace (it works for human attackers!), and would spent half an hour every night after darkness settled creeping round with a flashlight pulling slugs and snails off tender leaves. Fortunately, my neighbour Angel suggested trying this and it works!

Step 1: I used a plastic picnic cup cup as I don’t mind if it gets ruined with slime and a tin of beer. I actually like Polish beer, so this seemed like a bit of a waste until I learned the slugs like it too. I also decided to make a wee umbrella using a jam jar lid wider than the mouth of the cup and three small stakes, to keep the sun off and the rain out.

Polish tinned lager, 1 low tray, 1 plastic cup, 1 small pretty plant pot, 3 knitting needles for staking and 1 jam jar lid

As well as the dug-in trap, I laid out two traps that I could move around the garden as needed, using an old pot tray and a high, narrow plant pot. I’ve used this type of movable trap before, although I’ve always wondered whether the trek up and over the sides put them off.

Step 2: Next I dug a hole so that the rim of the cup sits just at surface level. The hole looks enormous with nothing in it, but it is probably about 3 x 2 inches.

Be careful at this point, I’ve exposed some roots

Step 3: Insert the cup to ensure it fits. I think it’s better to be conservative in your estimates, as it’s a bit easier to dig out than fill in to get the correct size.

Nestle the cup as close to surface-level as possible, so the slugs just slip right in

Step 4: As I mention above, I was a bit worried about rainwater diluted my beer, so I devised a cover that won’t interfere with the trap itself. After inserting the cup, I arranged three 7-inch 5mm DPNs to form a triangle that will support the jam jar lid to act as an umbrella.

Angle them slightly inwards so that they form a buttress to hold the lid in place

Step 5: Adding the beer is much easier if you gently remove the cup (but leave the stakes where thy are), fill the cup with beer and carefully sink back into the hole. The other option is pouring beer willy-nilly at the wrong angle so that the foam threatens to sop all over your garden. Trust me.

Careful with that beer! You don’t want to make the plants even tastier by sloshing it everywhere!

Step 6: Top with the jam jar lid and voila!

I don’t imagine slugs like watered down beer any more than I do

You do have to be a bit diligent about removing the slugs — I’ve discovered they aren’t as interested in beer when it smells of death. It’s pretty disgusting, but worth it. I’ve been replacing the beer every few days, although once summer hits properly it’ll have to be more frequent.

Even so, it works a treat! The sheltered dug-in slug trap.

A great natural solution to protecting my baby beans

If you try this technique, link to it so we can see! In the meantime, how do you protect your garden from slugs and snails?

new(ish) knitty, spring 2011

The man who occupies the office next to me is the LOUDEST person on earth. The walls, admittedly, aren’t that thick — my department is in the least structurally sound building on campus (go Lit!) — but still. There is no reason why I should have to sit here with earplugs in and still be able to hear every word he rumbles.

Usually, however, he bawls out around mid-day, which is very good for my thesis. And until then, today I figured I’d have a bit of an extended potter on Ravelry and lo! what did I find but a new Knitty! OK, it’s not actually that new — I think it came out a good few weeks ago — but it’s new to me.

As usual the patterns are well picked and prettily photographed. Also as usual, not much on the men’s patterns front, but lots of lovely shawls, plenty of socks, loads of great tutorials and a couple of article that blew my mind.

First the patterns: the Amiga Cardigan is so cute! It’s very casual, very relaxed and yet has a teeny hint of Chanel that makes me think classic. There’s also a tutorial on how to make Dorset Buttons which is awesome!! Perfect solution to half the button problems in the world.

The Omelet Shawl is another classic; it’s elegant, pretty and has detailing where it would sit naturally around the neck that is just lovely. The Verdant Wrap is genius! I can’t imagine actually knitting it, because it is MASSIVE, but it’s just beautiful, and the designer has included a tutorial on the blended intarsia technique she uses to create the massive leaves.

The Ornamental Socks are another new heel-detail sock that allows you to really get creative with extending patterning throughout the heel and rethinks how heels fit. I adore Knitty for this. Just think of how many patterns Knitty has published that strive to redefine the bounds of sock knitting. It’s a luscious, luscious thing!

I’m also really taken by the Rivercat Socks. They’re very simple but the pattern is intriguing — it really does just flow down the length of the leg and over the foot. I foresee these becoming the next Monkey.

What really got me excited, however, are two awesome articles. The first is from Jeny Staiman, which should immediately through up giant flashy neon signs shouting: GENIUS AT WORK! GENIUS AT WORK! And, unsurprisingly, it’s genius. Jeny, of Surprisingly Stretchy Bindoff fame, here unveils her latest invention: the Interlock Bindoff, an invisible, super stretchy, easily-blended-into-rib bindoff technique that I am going to now use for everything. How this woman manages to go about her business without hordes of knitting fangirls, newly bound-off garments in hand, yarn tails trailing as they chase after her, weeping gratefully and chorusing, ‘We love you, Jeny!!’, I’ll never know.

The other article which I will be paying close attention to is Jillian Moreno’s Knitting with Handspun. I have two skeins of handspun yarn in my stash that I have thus far preferred to coo over and gaze at longingly but refused to knit. Jasmine of the Knitmore Girls would tell me I’m being silly and to stop saving it for when the Queen comes to visit, but I can’t help it. They’re so pretty! I might ruin them.

Don’t worry, Jasmine, thank to Jillian I now have the courage to (gulp!) crack open my handspun and start using it. Of course, I need to find a pattern that will do them justice, and that might take time… I’ll just leave them in their skeins for now, then, yes?

hodge podge paving – a tutorial

I recently turned the back of our garden from leaf, rubbish and general tip to a glorious area to sit out and enjoy the sun in!

Here’s how I did it!!

Step 1: gather together your equipment and tools

Paving slabs
Timber
Sand
Gravel
Shovel
Brush
Hose pipe
(I freecycled most of these things and they are pretty easy to come by!)

Step 2: prepare your space

Mark out where you want your paving to go, level out the ground as best as possible and border the entire patch by digging troughs and laying in some timber. Stamp down the soil on both sides of the timber to make sure it is secure.
Remember to give enough space above ground level for your sand and paving to sit.

Step 3: sand

Take your bags of sand and empty them inside your space. Make sure the sand is at least half an inch think or more but no more than 1.5 inches.
Remember to leave some sand for filling in.

Step 4: create your jigsaw puzzle of paving

Lay down your paving starting from the straightest edge you have and work a row at a time.
If, like me, all of your pieces are different shapes and sizes fit them together as close as possible but don’t worry to much about the gaps as they will be filled in later.

Step 5: jump!!
Jump up and down over all of your paving slabs, ensuring they sit right into the sand

Step 6: fill in all the gaps

Using your remaining sand, fill in all of the large gaps and give the whole area a good sweep with the brush

Step 7: pebbles

Empty your bags of pebbles over the paving and using the brush, sweep the pebbles all over, they will fall into any gaps that they pass.

Step 8: hose it down

With a hose pipe, wash the whole thing down, this should help the paving set in it’s place.

Step 9: arrange your furniture, relax and enjoy your hard work!!!!

through the button hole

It may surprise people to know, but buttonholes can be a fairly touchy subject among people who make them. Not the buttonholes themselves, you see, rather how one should go about opening them.

In knitting, there are heaps of ways that buttonholes can be made and almost zero agreement as to which is the best. In sewing, there are fewer and it completely depends on the type of button you’re going to use as to which you choose. Few would argue that much. However, opening the buttonhole is different. There are a myriad ways buttonholes can be opened and debate can be — well, not fierce per se, but definitely uncomfortable when you try to tell someone your preferred way and they just look at you like What are you talking about? That sounds like a recipe for DISASTER. This isn’t entirely strange or unnatural. Buttonholes are an intimate expression, usually the last thing to be done before a project makes the transition from WIP to FO.

One of my favourite tutorials on buttonholes is from Stitchywitch, who is a tremendous seamstress and a constant inspiration. And if I had a chisel and the courage, I might just try it. I like her method heaps better than using buttonhole scissors, which really does just seem like you’re asking for trouble. In any case, though this is the method that Stitchywitch got out the chisel to avoid, I like the intimacy of this one. It’s probably slower, but I feel like I’ve got complete control over the situation and it’s perfect for navigating those buttonholes that somehow end up crooked, narrow at one end or otherwise wonky.

1. You’ll need a pair of short-blade thread snips and a seam ripper. And some buttonholes that need opening, of course — in this case, a fresh batch of Sock-Perfect WIP bags.

2. I always make sure all my ends are woven in and the buttons are sewn on BEFORE I open the buttonholes, as otherwise I find the buttons don’t line up evenly.

3. You will almost always find that you have very cleverly placed the buttonhole so that the weave of the fabric allows three to four weft (horizontal) threads to nestle comfortably inside the hole. Use the weave to help find the centre between the sewn edges of the buttonhole. Insert the tip up to the hilt, between the halfway and the two-thirds point of the buttonhole.

I tend to find it easier and my ripping skills more accurate if I open the hole in stages rather than in one fell swoop, as I’m only using the blade for a short distance which makes it easier to control.

4. Slide the seam ripper, keeping it centred, to just before the end.

It’s a good idea to use a pin as a blockade at the end of the buttonhole, so you don’t rip straight through it. This is ESPECIALLY a good idea if you aren’t used to the technique OR if you’re using a brand new (and thus super sharp) seam ripper.

5. Reposition your seam ripper and repeat the cut. Using the previous cut as a guideline will make this even easier (I was going to say ‘seamless’, but I’m not sure I’m ready for sewing puns).

6. Use your thread snips to CAREFULLY cut away the loose ends — get as close to the edge as you can, but take infinite care not to cut through the threads of the actual buttonhole.

I’m not sure if this really is the case, but I like to think that when you cut away the hairy thread ends the buttonhole is not only be more aesthetic but also more stable as the button won’t catch on it.

7. See? Pretty.

8. At last, button and buttonhole will meet their destiny.

I like to save up a bunch and do them all in one go. The sense of satisfaction, a job well done and general accomplishment is perhaps a little more intoxicating than it should be, but what a rush!

patching up a problem

A few weeks ago two pairs of my favourite hand knit socks found their way into the washing basket and therefore into the machine on a 30 degree wash!

When I emptied the washing machine and saw them my heart sank, not only was one pair slightly felted but one of each sock had a hole in the heel!!!! No!!!!

The socks in question were my first proper pair of knitted sock,  Chistery Socks (Monkey by Cookie A),

and my Knee-high-tie (Winding Cable by Chrissy Gardiner)

I have tried to ignore the socks since it happened but woke up today thinking about nothing but, so took them out of the bag and faced up to the problem.

Thankfully I still had a lot of the BFL I used for the Knee-high-tie, however I could not find any of the Gemini Knits yarn I used for the Chistery sock. Searching through my left overs stash I came across some merino in a similar purple to the purple in the Gemini Knits, thank god I keep all of my leftovers safe!

So armed with a set of 2.5mm dpn’s, the yarn, the socks and a tapestry needle I set to work repairing the holes!

To be honest I didn’t really know where to begin but after looking at the socks, the hole and the yarn for a few minutes I decided a patch was the only way forward.

I began by picking up a row of stitches, enough to cover both sides, a few rows above the hole.

I joined the new yarn and began knitting back and forth, picking up the stitch directly below the row I had just worked

and knitting or purling it with the first stitch on the needle to join the flap to the sock.

I continued this method until I had worked a few rows below the hole to be safe.

I then picked up the same amount of stitches on the sock of the row below the one I had just worked.

I then kitchenered these stitches together and tied in the ends!

The second sock was a bit tougher as the heel was originally worked in a twisted rib pattern

however I persevered and it worked out great!!

I really hope these socks hold up now, well they couldn’t be any worse that the way they were before!!

wheatbag tuitorial

Here is the tuitorial to go with the cosy knitted handwarmer muffs.

Preperation:

Note: You want to make sure you have enough fabric to make 4 pieces, it should take a piece approx. 9 inches by 11 inches.

1: Cut out or copy the template.

2: Take your piece of fabric fold it, right sides facing in, halve lengthways and iron.

3: Open it back up and fold both the top and the bottom edges to meet the middle iron line.

4: Place the template on to the fabric so the ‘half’ line sits on the fold of your fabric.

5: Pin into place and cut.

6: Repeat the steps 4 and 5 above 4 times in total. You will now have 4 identical pieces that will create 2 wheat bags.

7: Iron the pieces flat and place two together, with right sides facing, pin into place.

Sewing:

1: Sew around the edge of the fabric as instructed in the diagram, leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

2: Cut the excess fabric away.

Filling:

1: Turn each piece the right side out.

2: Using a piece of paper, make a funnel.

3: Insert the funnel into the hole you left at the top of the bag.

4: Pour the wheat into the bag through the funnel until the bag is just over half full.

Finishing:

1: Fold down the top (open) edge of the bag neatly, sew closed  and secure using the overlocking stitch. To make the bag more secure you can go over it again with a plain stitch.

Note: Please take care to read the heating instructions for the wheat bags.

Heating instructions:

Pop in the microwave with a cup of water for a maximum of 2.5 minutes, and NEVER heat unattended!

1: Heat at intervals of 30 seconds and never exceed heating time stated.

2: Always put cup of water in the microwave when heating.

3: If signs of burning, cooking or scorching appear, leave to cool, discard and replace with a new one.

4: Always remove from the pocket before heating.

5: Check the temperature before using.

6: Allow to fully cool before re-heating or storing.

cosy knitted handwarmer muffs

I really wanted to make my sister a set of knitted earmuffs for her birthday as she is always out in the morning walking the dog and I imagine gets pretty cold.

Unfortunately, they just didn’t work out the way that I wanted them to so instead of wasting the time and effort and ripping my work back I decided to turn the muff parts into knitted handwarmers similar to the sewn fabric ones we have on Etsy and Folksy.

The addition of a strap and button help to keep the wheat bag safely inside and also allow a string to be attached so you can thread it across the back of your coat as you did with your mitts when you were a child!

The wheat I normally use for the inserts is a fair-trade organic wheatgerm, however any edible wheat germ will work fine!

I have written up the pattern I used and also added instructions on how to make the insert wheat bag, too!

So here they are, the wheat-filled handwarmers to keep your hands cosy and toasty warm during the cold mornings, helping to protect your hands from a cold steering wheel on the way to work, cheer your team from the sidelines, potter about the garden, keep warm at the farmers’ market, walk that excited dog or for anyone with poor circulation or rheumatism!

You can download the pattern here or on Ravelry!!

I have also put together a tutorial on how to make the inserts!!!!

endangered spaces

In a smallish flat, space, or rather a lack of it, can be pretty pressing. Can they be saved with a series of floating shelves? Perhaps, perhaps…

We don’t own our flat, so there’s only so much we can do around the place without having to put it all back EXACTLY AS IT WAS when we leave. But even so. Invisible shelves would be pretty awesome.

Mind you, I’m not sure I could part with a book like that. I like them all too much! However, we do have plenty of beer bottles in the recycling bin, so maybe these shelves from Instructables would be better.

Or perhaps Amy Merrick’s* underhanging hooks for mugs and cups:

Actually, I think I like this one best. It’s a quite perfect way to use the space we have available without it feeling cramped and cluttered. And looking at our mug shelf now, methinks I spy a spot of DIY in my future.

* If you haven’t done already, check out Amy’s blog, where she combines vintage lusting with DIY practicality and the occasional pinch of home life history. A fantastic read to accompany a fresh pot of tea and a clotted cream and jam-dressed scone.

still unfurling

Today doesn’t feel like much of a Monday. It’s still too heavy with the remnants of an unusually relaxing weekend.

Because both Matthew and I work from home, weekends normally roll out of weekbeginnings without much fanfare. But this weekend was different. In keeping with my InSpyNoMo project, all I seem to do lately is read, so Saturday we curled up on the couch to read together. I finished off one spy novel and instead of picking up a new one, luxuriated in an Agatha Christie. It was very naughty, but well worth it.

Saturday evening we had the pleasure of feasting on home-made curry, thanks to Lou’s Love at their house. It was marvellous. Aneet’s been slipping me family secrets on how to build a perfect curry for years but I’ve never quite managed to pull it off. One day I’m going to have to plant myself in their kitchen to watch how it’s really done. Drunken instructions on the back of a beer-soaked napkin don’t really cut it. We’ve got Aneet’s recipe for Spicy Rice here, but I’m hoping Lou might do some arm-twisting and get the recipe for Punjabi rajmah (red kidney bean and potato curry) because that just blew my mind.

All this meant that Sunday was exceedingly lazy. Matthew and I flopped about in bed for much of it. We read and ate and drifted off and generally took full advantage of the fact it was Sunday. Later Matthew headed over to the Kentish Borders to fete his father and I stayed at home to read some more, feast on the leftovers Lou sent me home with, bake an upside-down plum cake and knit well into the evening.

It’s almost too bad I hadn’t seen Princess Pea’s granny squares, otherwise I’d have spend most of the day at Crochet Cabana figuring out how to wield my hook. Perhaps I’ll pencil that in for next Sunday’s activities.

the abundance of internetland

I had a cheeky sprint about some of my favourite new websites today after Lou and I went to the Dulwich Garden Centre. There’s been a baby bath outside some flats for the past week or more and we decided it was probably rubbish and thus I could upcycle it into a grooving plant pot for my beans and sunflowers. All this was far too exciting for me to go straight back to work, so the Internet scavenge was necessary (you understand, don’t you?).

Well, if I hadn’t done I wouldn’t have discovered a link to what just might be my new favourite shop, Fabric Rehab! They have a generous range of gorgeous fabrics in all kinds of prints. If I manage to find my credit card, I reckon some of those prints just might be featured here in the not-too-distant future.

My source for Fabric Rehab was the ever-wonderful Print and Pattern. If ever I am in need of inspiration, Print and Pattern is invariably one of my first ports of call. They cover just about everything from fabric suppliers to sweet little housewares to some frankly awesome ceramic artists.

So many of the prints cover the fabric of some truly delightful sewing projects, so I wandered over to Stenopad, the blog for The Small Object, to see how some of them might be done. Stenopad has listed a veritable mountain of tutorials. I really do need to spend more time there. I was just telling Lou this afternoon about my dreams of being a tailoring genius. If I follow my own advice, I shall look to Stenopad first for advice on how to achieve it.

The tutorial madness on Stenopad reminded me of a tutorial from Purl Bee for Sashiko embroidery. It’s so cool! My Christmas present to Lou was my first attempt at Sashiko since I was a child. It was one of the crafts my grandmother taught me, but I didn’t really take to it then. However, as an adult I revel in how relaxing it is; how logical the progressions, yet how entirely freeform it can be. The perfect way to get back into embroidery if you’ve been out crafting other ways.