Helen

I usually do... but make an exception for broccoli snot pasta...

Wonky swiss darning on the armpit of a jumper, slightly disguised with an embroidered flower and border.

Another wonky swiss darn on the other armpit of the same jumper, disguised this time with an embroidered star and border.

Slightly neater swiss darn, on the shoulder of another jumper, with an embroidered flower and border to disguise the wonkiness.

My attempt at swiss darning is no better... but I'm still proud of it... and prefer it to holey jumpers...

This sounds so much more appetising than the similar recipe we use in our house... we use a Nigel Slater recipe... which we renamed broccoli snot pasta... because you cook the broccoli for quite a while... and bash it about a bit...

You should see me... racing round like a headless chicken... to try to identify early butterflies in the garden...

k-timbers.com/top-5-uses-o...
Apparently it makes good outdoor furniture... and is indeed an insect repellent...

I bet they would smell amazing in a wood burner... you could probably make good 'mothballs' with small slices... I bet it deters nibblers...

Wow... that is a big tree chopping job... thankfully we're not responsible for the humongous eucalyptus tree... at the bottom of our garden... it's ~10 years old now... and has never been chopped... thankfully I love it...

Glad to hear that it's clearing for you now... have you had one of the lenses taken out of your glasses yet... so that you can cope a bit better with 2 totally different eyes yet...

Thanks... I'm really pleased with how it's turning out...

It's a brilliant pattern... the rows of crochet actually go vertically... instead of horizontally... and I never expected to be able to crochet something like this...

I've made quite a few... but it's a bit hit and miss... this is the 2nd time I've frogged one that wasn't quite right... but I love how this is turning out... so fingers crossed I'll love the finished cardigan...

Two pieces of purple aran style crochet, that will become the front of my cardigan.

Time for a progress report on my #crochet aran cardigan... I've now finished the back and the front... so tonight I will start working on the first sleeve... 🧶

I'm going for the gas myself wearing it option... because I didn't want to take it off... I usually hang things outside for a day or two... as I'm incapable of washing things that don't look dirty...

So do I... it's the first time I've ever managed to replace an old favourite... with something that actually has a fabric I prefer... and I don't think it has ever been worn... but the seller still felt the need to plaster it in febreeze...

I'm starting to get into it now... I'm four chapters in... and it's getting more interesting... the first 30-50 pages of a book are often so frustrating...

Photo looking down on my knees, showing the cow parsley print navy blue fabric of my dress, my navy woolly tights, and my green socks.

I got tempted to another ebay dress at the weekend... it arrived this morning... and I'm wearing it already... another mint condition weird fish cord dress... a direct replacement for my favourite 10yr old seasalt dress... that got a massive unrepairable rip in it... just before Christmas...

Photo of the cover of Himself by Jess Kidd.

It's always strange starting a new book... #NowReading Himself by Jess Kidd... for my April book group meeting... I'm on page 39... and hoping that it might draw me in soon... the cover sounds intriguing... but it hasn't captured me yet... 📚

I wish the dutch course had more silly sentences... it is very serious... especially as welsh was my previous language... and it was all about Owen and his parsnips...

Glad to hear that it is going well... and that you have sunshine to lure you outside...

I was going to say the same thing... at first I wondered why a giraffe would poke out of a hole... then decided it must be the trees...

I've never thought that there was a book in me either... I like talking... not writing... although apparently last year... I wrote enough on here... to fill 800 pages...

So many books that you read and then forget... even when you loved them... and thought they were worthy of keeping... I have books on my bookshelf... kept because I thought I would re-read them one day... and I don't even recognise them... and would probably have to read half the book to remember...

It's made in Sheffield... and everyone here is obsessed with it... in recent years it has been sold more widely... thanks to mentions on tv and radio... and as you say promoting it as a vegan alternative... to the sauce that cannot be mentioned in Sheffield...

I have a friend who says that it's one of her absolute favourite books... and has read it loads of times... she has very specific book taste... and I really struggle with recommending books to her... as she hates most of the ones I enjoy reading... but then loves some of them... & I can't predict...

I'm relieved to see that he didn't actually do it... I keep mine well hidden... so that Mr Intgarden could never just think that using them was a good idea...

This is fabulous...

I would just go for it... it'll probably get happier once it settles into a new spot... and spring is usually quite a good time to move stuff... although you might have to look out for it... and water it if the weather gets hot and dry... as it's roots will be smaller after the move...

You could prune it into a shape you like better... but if it doesn't grow much in that spot... I'm not sure whether it would grow to reach the shape you want... I've always found roses quite fussy and slow... apart from my giant 15ft rosa rugusa... which is way too happy in it's sunny spot...

I reckon that it would probably be happier in a sunnier spot... not many roses enjoy living in the shade... looking at the really long branch... it seems to be growing to reach the sunlight... I have some very odd shaped shrubs in the shady side of the garden... reaching for the light...

We haven't got any proper yarn shops at all... just the haberdashery stall in the market... and a corner in Atkinsons department store... both focus on cheap acrylic yarn... and thankfully they tend to have different brands to each other... there's a tiny bit in a couple of other shops too...