Monday 1 February 2016

Nearly Going up in Flames!


Handmade trug and home grown veg


Hi all, hope you are all muddling along, flipping wet in the U.K. isn't it!  I think I'm developing webbed feet.  I thought I would pop in and give you an update on my exciting life......well my life.  Mostly it's been same old stuff but I did book myself on a Willow Day at our local 'Eco Park' .  Of course it was blowing a hooley as we traipsed across the very muddy field to the willow patch and then starting hailing as we were cutting the willow but it was worth the cold hands (and pulled muscles in my gluteus maximus) Why put myself through this I hear you ask?  Well sometime in the future......who knows when, we haven't found anywhere yet, I would like to grow willow in my future fields.  Not being very green fingered I was pleased to find out that they happily grow away and need coppicing from January to April when you cut everything right back and in the spring they grow away again.  I think I may be able to manage that.  In the afternoon they showed us how to make either a trug or an obelisk for the garden.  Being the practical person that I am, I decided on the trug and as you can see I have already put it to good use. Yes I know handmade trug, picking home grown chard. How smug do I sound, I want to slap myself sometimes :)




The trug is a bit wonky, but I like wonky.





I have been following a really interesting blog My make do and mend life which has all sorts of tips about reducing our impact.  The blogger spent a year not buying anything new, so learned how to make the most of everything she had.  I am increasing worried about our impact on the planet, we only have one, and having watched The Martian over the weekend, I don't fancy living on Mars.  (though if Matt Damon is in residence....) I know my little contributions don't seem much and often have my family scratching their heads at my attempts at being green, but it makes me happy to be treading as gently as I can manage at this point in time.  One of the tips from the 'make do and mend blog was putting your old orange and lemon peel into a jar of white vinegar to make a cleaner.  I had the vinegar, I have satsuma peel so it has cost me nothing.  I will be putting it into a spray bottle later and giving it a go.




I have also bought some soap nuts. I have to say I was very dubious about these and did resort of my usual stuff when the grandchildren were here.  I'm not sure how they would have coped with food and poo splattered clothes, but for everything else they have been great.  I am a convert!  I put a few drops of essential oil in the rinse and Bobs your uncle as they say, Green washing.  I feel so virtuous haha.  The nuts go in the compost bin when finished with.



You are probably wondering about the title.  Well here's a little health and safety warning for you all. Don't be a numpty like me and cook while wearing one of your favourite scarves.  I thought I could smell something burning........it turned out to be me.  Burnt scarf, burnt carpet where I threw it down and stamped on it and the tips of my hair singed.  Apart from that, I was very very lucky!




Stay safe everyone,

Chickpea xx

40 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, thank god you werent hurt! Adore the trug, I especially like the different colours used. Very pleasing to the eye. I also like wonky shows a person made it and not a machine and that effort was taken to make it. I have my eye on a log basket on wheels. I saw one in Scumble Goosie. but it was plain. I like a bit of colour, even if it is a functional piece.

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    1. Scrumble Goosie sound interesting, I will have to look them up

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  2. Ditto the above,so glad you were not burnt.LOVE the willow trug well done you and gorgeous colours.Is it painful to work with though.Not sure about the soap nuts lol.Happy Week xx

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    1. Hi Lee, willow is hard on the hands after a few hours of weaving!

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  3. Golly, you had a close shave with the scarf, chickpea :/ I love the trug and home grown stuff, very frugal. Keep at it girl! x

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  4. Good grief! Very glad that incident wasn't worse! I've done that with my apron strings as I tie it at the front! Mr D was rude enough to laugh! Loving the trug. A friend of mine is growing a willow arbour - it seems very easy. It's a lot harder to turn the willow into an object I suspect! :)

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    1. I hope to be making living willow things in the future, hopefully not too hard

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  5. Eek that was a close one! Your potions don't look very inviting but I'm sure they are better than the chemicals on offer. Lovely trug. :-)

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  6. So glad you weren't hurt! The trug loks great

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  7. Your basket is wonderful! I had to look up the word trug, as I had never heard it before. I don't think it's used on this side of the pond. I've also not heard of soap nuts. I'll have to do some Googling. As for your scarf scare, I'm so glad you are okay. It could have been much, much worse. I have a friend who did the same thing only she couldn't get the scarf off her neck. Her husband heard her screaming and ran in to save the day. She ended up with some minor burns, and, like you, singed hair.

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  8. At least you didn't meet the same end as Isadora Duncan!

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    1. I had to look it up, crikey what a way to go!

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  9. Love th soap nuts. How much do they cost, how many washes before they go in the compost heap? Would they work in a top loader?

    Love the trug, btw :) Well done.

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    1. Hi Dani, mine were £9.99 for a kilo, you use between 4 - 6 depending whether your water is soft or hard. So they should last ages. I have used nuts twice before I put them in the compost heap, haven't tried more yet. You put them into a little bag which you place in with the washing so I don't see why they wouldn't work in a top loader. If you try them let me know how you get on.

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    2. Just looked it up, you can use them 3 -4 times and can then put them on your veg patch to deter slugs and snails. You can also boil them to extract the soap for a liquid soap. Found the info here http://www.soapnuts.co.uk.

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  10. I've never tried soap nuts........I will have to work myself up to that one I think.

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    1. Hey Julee!!! lovely to see you back in blogland :)

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  11. I normally burn tea towels, hope your alright.Sounds an intresting use for nuts, I can't eat them so wash with them.

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  12. Oh dear! It's a good job that scarf wasn't made of something more flammable! I have done the same thing before but realised very quickly so didn't get as singed as you!

    I love your trug with all those different shades in the willow.

    I've been using soap nuts for about four years now and don't use any other washing powder or anything. I've found they can cope with whatever stains I've thrown at them (mostly things like mud, pasta sauces, beetroot, tea... ) I doubted them a little at first but now I never even consider using anything else for laundry!

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    1. That's good to hear, I will give them a go on baby food splattered bibs next time :)

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  13. I would love to say I just picked some greens from my garden and used a willow basket I made.
    Love your basket but I would love to see what the obelisk looked liked.
    I also thought about Isadora. Glad you didn't get hurt.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. I will make one for my new garden when we move :)

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  14. That was a close escape! I've done a couple of willow workshops and have 2 wonky baskets to show for it, but your trug is gorgeous; I love the colours. I've never heard of soap nuts before, they sound intriguing. xx

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  15. Oh gosh, I am so glad that you are alright! No more scarves when you are cooking please!!! Your trug is beautiful, I adore it!!! You should be picking roses wearing a big floppy hat and placing them in there before arranging them beautifully in a vase - or picking chard! xx

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  16. Love the trug, was it green willow that you used or dried willow?

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    1. It's a combination of both, dried willow at the ends and in the middle for the handles, the coloured willow is green.

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    2. Thanks Chickpea, I have plenty of freshly cut willow and some dried, I will have to have a go.

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  17. eek flaming scarf. I nearly set my sleeves on fire once when cooking a floaty chiffon blouse. It went to the charity shop after that. Love your trug! truly fabulous x

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    1. Chiffon sleeves and flames! You had a lucky escape :)

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  18. Your trug is lovely, I do like the stripes. You sound like you had a lucky escape thank goodness you realised what it was in good time!

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    1. Thank you, I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out :)

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