Tag: building

animals, Building work, News, Plans, The tin hut, Wanderings, Working the land

Smallholding update!

Ellie

Living the dream!!!

So many people say this to us!! And it always makes me laugh a little, yes in so very many ways we are living the dream, but I really don’t think a lot of people realise how much hard work the dream is!!

Take this week for example!!

All the rain and wind, meant slipped roof tiles and James braving the ladders to fix them, because water had started to come in through the ceiling in the boys room!!

We had a small electrical fire resulting in us losing our immersion heater…. no big deal we light the Esse for hot water mostly at this time of year! But more wood hauling…

More water around than ever it seems…. and for some strange reason multiple air locks in the water pipes of the house (seems to be a weekly occurrence requiring us to drain the system)

So we go puddle jumping to feed the animals and the pigs are happily digging themselves ponds!!

Rats!!!!! (And foxes!! We have lost 10 chickens this year to two fox attacks one where they clear chewed through the wiring of the cage!) but back to the rats, they have increased hugely this year and now as well as trapping the beasts we have to repair rat damage building the ducks a new home and repairing the floor of the chicken house, despite having “rat proof” feeders! We also have a nest in the workshop, so each time we go to get firewood we catch movement out the corner of our eyes and they are wily beasts avoiding the traps set or even bold enough to lick them clean without tripping them!!

And we have been working hard on the new build! James has painted the internals walls, the rear access ramp and front steps have been built by our wonderful builder!

And that’s before we even get started on the effects of Covid, isolations and lockdowns….

BUT would I swap this?? Would I go back to life before????

A million times no!!

Thank fully living here we have been (until this week) sheltered somewhat from Covid effects and having the land here means we have always had something to do and somewhere to go! The land allows us to get outside every day, to work, to look after our animals and to play.

We have the time and space to grow our own food and raise our own animals for eggs and meat and wool. So we know where our food comes from and how they have been raised and treated, which is important to us and waking round at this time of year both shows me how much we have done and how much more we have to do to put everything to bed for winter, then the willow harvesting can begin and I can put in more fedges, new plantings and try to soak up some of the water!!

We have some snippets of time to follow our own interests and this will hopefully increase as the years go by and things get more under control!!

Tomorrow we bring in the horses for winter and move the sheep into a more sheltered field for the winter, and maybe a bit more gardening or repairing…. today we eat a roast dinner from our own animals and our own veg and maybe I’ll steal some time to knit!!

And one day we will have field shelters, under control gardens and land, rat proof poultry pens, and a holiday let up and running!! So rather than living the dream more working towards or on the dream!! 😁

Fruit and vegetables, Garden, journal, News, The tin hut, Working the land, yarn

So plans for Tyddynbryn!!

Ellie

Social distancing smallholding style!! We have an absolute load of work to get on with here on the smallholding and with the nice dry weather that has started we have made a start!!

Moving the chickens and ducks to new turf. Wood chipping paths and flower beds and around new raised beds!

Having cleared the Polytunnel a while back, we have started some seeds in there and in the house. Today we have started in the veg garden, turning the beds from an absolute weed ridden state into something we can actually plant into!! So we have seeds ready for starting in successional sowings there!!

We have started a few projects for the boys for play, including a bean teepee…

These times are going to be difficult, but I am certain, no determined that we will come through it and be more organised, sorted, prepared and ready to face the new world head on. We are using this as an opportunity to finish projects started, start new projects, action plans we’ve had on the back burner for an age it seems.

So as for plans….

  • Weeding (there is always weeding)
  • Growing veg and fruit
  • Dyeing all the yarn
  • Clearing and sorting first the house, then the barns (I’ve started this as a wet day job and am part way through upstairs…. slow work with two small helpers though)
  • Finishing the new cottage
  • Building a tree house (if W gets his way it will be two storeys!!)
  • Making a garden or lots more garden areas
  • Gates, trying desperately to keep the errant hound in and the free range children!!
  • Processing the giant log pile into useable stacked logs ready for next winter

And there is likely to be more but I’ll add them to the lists as I go along!!

Children, Craftiness, Garden, Life with a toddler, Podcast, Sustainability, Working the land

A week’s worth of vlogs!!

Ellie

I promised myself I’d be better at Blogging as well as Vlogging…. but life kinda happens!! Anyway here are the links for the blogs this week

Something new Sunday

Makers Monday

What we do Wednesday

Sustainable Saturday

Also I’ve managed a load of baking this week!! 😁

Livestock, Working the land

Piggies!!!

Ellie

Last week we spent a huge amount of time building an enclosure and hut for some pigs!!!

All the elements of their housing other than the electric fencing have been repurposed from things we had in the barns, leftovers from other building projects or reclaimed items like a collection of doors that a neighbour was throwing out!!

It was all a bit Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall with his first River Cottage piglets as James collected them in a dog crate in a fiesta!!

James has set up a solar powered electric fence and they are such good piglets and have learnt the fencing very fast thankfully!!

They have already made themselves a wallow into the cool earth and have been happily rooting through the earth in areas for roots etc!!

baby, Children, Forest schools, Garden, Life with a toddler, Working the land

Building play areas!

Ellie

So in order to get anything done with Mr Whirlwind around he has to have things to occupy him!!! So gradually using and repurposing things around the farm and planting and making etc I am building a play area…. or lots of bits of play area

Inadvertently with some of the digger work that has been done we have created areas he enjoys playing in already… like the one wet muddy ditch!!!

Anyway what we’ve managed so far!!

A water play wall…

Car ramps and the dry ditch!!

We’ve made space for some outdoors toys…. started planting willow to make some structures….

A teepee, a tunnel etc etc…. maybe eventually a maze given time after seeing the small maze at the Welsh Wildlife centre! They will all be made from a range of basketry willows so hopefully will all provide an additional crop for the farm for an income eventually or raw materials for me to make things with!!

And the tractor tyres we acquired are positioned… now I just need to fill them and make some mini play zones!! For example a dinosaur swamp…. a digger/construction site… the possibilities are endless for the small world play!!

I have so many more ideas and I have created a Pinterest board or two of ideas which I plan to use about the place…. some close to the vegetable and fruit gardens some near to the flower gardens and orchard and some maybe for the wetter areas!! I plan to try to have something at all points to occupy and entertain and inspire the boys to explore, play and create!!

Here’s the links to the Pinterest boards if you want to look!!

Forest school board

Kids toys board

Gardening board

Fruit and vegetables, Garden, Life with a toddler, Plans, Working the land

All around the holding….

Ellie

So….. deep breath and here goes…..

Back at the end of April…. the Polytunnel finally had its skin put on!!

We almost immediately started planting and moving some of the seed across that we had started in the house off into the tunnel….

Spring finally arrived after the seemingly relentless winter!!

The small boy found more vehicles to sit on and press all the buttons….

The fruit cage planting was finished and now it’s just a case of weeding, watering, mowing and mulching at regular intervals…

The chicks, born on the first of March, got new digs and moved in!!

With the advent of spring the endless grass and weed management begins!! We are fortunate in that we have been gifted a field and brush mower in previous years and that mower chimps through long grass, brambles, weeds etc like they are butter!! And then to get the lawn effect in certain areas I am using the little old electric mower from the old town house!! (I am going to start saving for a normal Petrol lawnmower just so I don’t have to run an extension lead out each time!

Look at the little faces!!! Grandad bought the boys a new toy!!! Look!!!! It’s a fabulous tractor!!!!

There is a plethora of blossom in our orchard!! So we are hoping for plenty of apples this year!!!

The one and only flower bed needs a darn good weeding and I need to start making more flower beds and tackling the weeds on the banks cutting them right back and digging out where I can so I can start designing and planting garden areas!! I harbour a small dream that one day our garden will become one of the yellow book gardens that open for the national gardens scheme!!

I have planted some more willow whips and have more rooting!! I am making a willow tunnel, a willow teepee and I plan to maybe try a few more willow structures around the place! I am using a combination of osier willow and basketry willow so eventually as well as winter colour the structures and other willows will become another saleable crop in both cut willow and baskets or willow creations!!

Can you spot them?! Clue- they are yellow basketry ones here!!

The Polytunnel has started to green up slowly!! We have a multitude of different vegetables starting to grow!!!

And James has been out practising using a topper attached to his tractor to cut the grass!! We have now also been out to see a topper for sale nearby and James’ offer was accepted… we have trailer to borrow and now are awaiting a collection date!!! Exciting!!!

Finally James has had opportunity to start the raised bed walls!! So we will have even more growing space for our vegetables!! (Lucky as we have loads in seed trays starting to need to be planted out!! And we have more seeds to sow for more autumnal and winter crops!!)

Phew!! Lots of work!! Lots of plans and always loads more to do!!!

Building work, Fruit and vegetables, Garden, Life with a toddler, Wanderings, Working the land

Mini digger hired!! Check!!

Ellie

So James decided to hire a mini digger this week…. and has been out in it all day every day working hard to create better waterways, raised beds, scrape the barns, flatten play areas…. etc etc!! Busy times!!

Someone else rather liked the digger too!!! And very quickly figured out whilst sat on Daddy’s lap that two levers made it go forwards and backwards!! Therefore lurching it about whilst Daddy was digging!!

Fruit and vegetables, Garden, knitting, Knitting and Crochet, Life with a toddler, Patterns, Podcast, Sewing, Working the land, yarn

Episode 12 show notes finally!!

Ellie

Episode 12Sunday 4th March

Another one a week later than planned, but due to visitations…. First from my sister and the children and then from my parents!! So limited crafting time was had in the first couple of weeks!

Knitting

Managed a few more rounds on my Weasley sweater
Swatching for some new patterns, these still need blocking out and then finishing off into full patterns…. So these you saw last time….

These 2 are knit out of my alpaca Aran or worsted weight yarn and will be a toy pattern…. I have swatched one using my Mothy and squid yarn, but I don’t think there is enough contrast to show up the pattern…

This is knit from Jennie from Owl About Yarns Tibetan Owl, a merino, silk and yak base, which I am loving it is soooo soft and the jewel tones suit this pattern design perfectly! It’s going to be a shawl…

Then some new swatches are….

This is a swatch knitted from my smooshie yarn base and will also be a shawl of some form…

These are knit from River Knits Silbermond which is a BFL silk Cashmere base and is STUNNING!!! so we have a swatch of a star pattern and a swatch for some moon phases…. These will also be a shawl soon!!

I’ve managed a few more rows on my Hazels shawl pattern which I’m currently working on for a pattern release after the baby is born….. But I’ve left the shawl in my knitting basket downstairs!! 

I have a HO, one sock for my fathers birthday present…. Plain top down vanilla sock knit out of Weavers Loft sock yarn which is 75% super wash wool and 25% nylon, so good and hard wearing for much use for my Dad!

I have also managed to knit up a nearly finished object!! A baby hat for newbie when he arrives… Knit out of rainbow heirloom solo light, which is a single ply yarn that is so soft. Mum bought this for me when she and Dad were last in Edinburgh at Ginger Twist studios.

Plans for knitting then include more design work, finishing the pair of vanilla socks, maybe a second baby hat out of the sock yarn leftovers bag… More weasley knitting and I have yarn wound to knit up James’ next pair of socks…
Crochet

A little more progress on the sheep breed blanket to show…. Most of the Masham barring the cream is now in the blanket, but I’m trying to separate the colours a little so the cream Masham has to wait for the Icelandic to be finished…. 
Spinning

So I have spun the bobbin of Icelandic singles finally…. Not as enjoyable a spin as some yarns for me, found it kept slipping through my fingers too fast and needed a much shorter draw…. So I had to spin much slower, but even then I think it might not turn into the most balanced yarn…. I just know it’s going to be squirly!!

I need to Navajo ply that, but it’s resting for now…. While I spin up Some Sara’s texture crafts exmoor BFL in the most fabulous underwater colours!! Sara has stopped dyeing yarns and fibres now though and it’s my last roving of her I have to spin now…..
Acquisitions

So Mum went to Unravel in Farnham and picked me up 2 skeins of Becci from RiverKnits’ splendiferous base yarn in Silbermond. She got there early…. And must have raced to the post office because they arrived the next day by 1pm all the way here in West Wales!!! 

I have put an order for some fabric I need in… For a commission sew and for some of my own makes…. but given the weather and the fact that no one has been up or down our lane much this week it’s probably sat happily at the post office!! But before the weather turned my ribbing fabric turned up…. I ordered three colours pink, grey and green to see which one I liked best for going with my foxy fabric for my Linden sweatshirt…. And the 5m of black fleece fabric arrived too…. Now I wait on the rest!!! 

I have also bought two new patterns…. Both are from Made by Jacks Mum, who has a website if you google that name, or an Etsy shop, through which I purchased the patterns… But it’s the same person who created the AJ Aviator hat pattern that I have made for James and now Will.

One pattern is the “Free Range Fun over trousers” which goes from 6 months to 12 years on sizings!!! And gives lots of options for light weight waterproof trousers or fleece lined waterproofs and the pattern is for dungarees style like salopettes or trousers.

The other Pattern is the Hot Coffee top and dress pattern, which is a sweatshirt pattern or dress sweatshirt, with three options on necklines round, hoodie or funnel and is for men and women…. 

So these two patterns are for the black fleece and maybe the pink elephant fleece I have in my deep stash….. 
Sewing

I have been a busy bee when I can…

And have some finished objects to show off!! 

First I have finished the first part of a commission sew which involved drafting my own pattern for a special young lady I used to teach, feeder and general bibs, waterproof back, lined with terry towelling and topped off with a pretty poly cotton

Then I have made my Agnes top…. 

Pattern by Tilly and the Buttons

Fabric from Stoffstil (foxy) and Fabric Godmother for the black jersey

AND 

I have made my Linden sweatshirt which is a pattern from Grainline studios

Again in the Stoffstil foxy sweatshirt fabric and I chose the green ribbing from the choice of three for the neck, cuffs and hem bands.

Weaving has seen no love again for a while…. I need to sort a table for the loom to exclusively sit on…. Half the problem is clearing my craft table for and clamping it down each time….
Baking…

I have made more banana cakes using the BBC good food Brilliant banana loaf recipe… But this time as muffins

Some Raspberry and white chocolate muffins

Some cherry and almond cookies 

And I have had a another bash at the apple pie I made before so I might be ready to blog a few recipes now!! 
Farm

So we have had exciting busy times…. snow….. Ice…..

We have made bird boxes with the niece and nephew…. 

Built a retaining wall for the polytunnel…. 

Meshed and started planting the fruit cage…. 

Set our potatoes to chit… 

Built a bit more polytunnel…. Cardboarded our onion/shallot/garlic growing area…. Acquired some more large tubs for spud growing….

Had a delivery of firewood…. 

Tidied up the front garden….

Planned and sorted our seeds we have into months for planting etc….

Acquired a rather manky looking sheep which is in our field having escaped from a neighbours land, still awaiting the chap who owns the sheep to come confirm its his and claim it!! 

We have had chicks hatch…. 5 Bresse chicks hatched on St David’s Day!! chick cam showing the live hatching is on the Tyddyn Bryn Facebook page

But they are already quite feisty and jostling about in their hatchery!! 

Did I mention the snow and the ice….. Well that’s had me confined to barracks as James doesn’t want me to fall and go into the labour, particularly whilst the road was basically impassable!! But it’s caused a Wee bit of barn and roof damage, so yesterday found James out on the roof of the house (only 2 foot from the bedroom Velux thankfully) fixing the log burner flashings and surrounding tiles….

Soon he will look at fixing a few bits of barn that have broken too, but they aren’t major issues nor 
Any way think that’s about all….

You can find me as Tyddyn Bryn on Rav, Instagram, Twitter and there’s a FB group and a Rav group for any chattering…. 

Hope you’ve enjoyed

And I hope to see you all soon…. Like two weeks this time… Not three… But we will see as Baby is due now in 2 and a half weeks!!!! Eek!!!!!