A new episode of Weekend Waffle is live here
A bit of tree planting, the starts of a Japanese inspired garden, snow and a puppy!!
Tag: Waterways
A wander round the wool museum
A little photo tour of the local (I love that it’s so close!!) Wool Museum!! 
A few little videos
I’ve added a few new videos to the YouTube Channel!!!
Some tours of the animals and I’m planning a weekly ish….. vlog about the happenings on the smallholding!!
Here is Episode one!!
Episode 13 show notes
Episode 13
Sunday 18th March
So I’ve made it this far!!! Still got bump in tow!!
Lots of little bits to tell you all about this week, some sections are a bit light on content this week, because we’ve had disturbed nap times due to toddler illness ( joyfully he threw up in the car the other week so that was a heap of pulling apart the car and car seat to wash!!)
Plus more getting ready for the new baby, growing season by sorting out the seeds etc..
Well it’s another snowy day here in Wales and it’s freezing!!!
I’m wearing James’ fleece as it covers the bump!! And I’m wearing a cowl my Mum knitted for me!! It’s a Song of the Sea cowl by Louise Zass-Bangham and the Pattern is on Rav.
Knitting
I’ve managed to finally block my samples I had knit up and have subsequently tweaked patterns etc!! Now just need to get some more projects off the needles so I can cast on the full projects for those!!
I have two FO’s
Two little baby hats!!! The pattern is my Jelliebean Baby Hat pattern and it’s on Rav, I’ve knitted one in Rainbow heirloom solo light and one in some left over hedgehog fibres, plus a small amount of my own hand dyed yarn to stripe in so I was definitely not playing yarn chicken!! These are in my bag that the lovely Zoe of Pins and Needles made me.
I am halfway down the foot of the second sock for my Dad’s birthday
These are a 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! These are in my fantastic Thimble and Thread Makes Harry Potter bag.
I have managed a heap more rows on my Hazels shawl and the leaves are really starting to come through now!! Ive knit this in River Knits 4ply fingering in the colourway Indian Giant Squirrel and it’s a pattern I am working on for release after the baby is born
I have decided to start using my progress keeper on my weasley sweater, because I can’t for the life of me remember whether I have even knitted on it since I last podcast!! The progress keeper I am using is a lovely tardis one from Jennie of Owl about Yarn.
Sewing…
Yep none…. No FOs….
But I have managed to cut out some fabric for a commission project and have some more to cut out this week so I can get sewing on that!!
However I have managed some mending/darning etc!!
I’ve mended The rainbow jumper which is the DayDreamer pattern by Jennifer Steingass, James’ socks and two pairs of Williams socks!!! Some knitting required…..
Weaving…
Zero…. Too much getting the desk cleared and the loom hoiked about at this stage of bumpness…
Crochet….
Also zero!! But to be fair I have been awaiting the plying of the Icelandic to carry on with that….
So that leads me into Spinning….
I have Navajo or chain plied the Icelandic!! Just need to skein it, wash it thwack it and it’s good to go into a crochet project…
And I have thread plied the Sara’s Texture crafts exmoor BFL!!! I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out and can see more thread plying in my future especially with the beautiful variegated skeins of yarn. Mainly because I believe my yardage for this skein of yarn is going to be HUGE!!! in comparison to the Icelandic which will be minimal as it is three ply and super chunky!!
Acquisitions!
So I have received the fabric I ordered for the commission project
Cotton
Terry
Rip stop
And I have ordered more rip stop and received it to make the boys waterproof dungas using the Made By Jacks Mum Free Range Fun Over Trousers.
And also this last fortnight I had a really happy post day!!!
The Lovely Anita from the Gaga Knits podcast has sent me some beautiful gifts!!!
A beautiful little cardie for the newbie when he decides to put in an appearance.
A book for Will which he has had read several times already!!
And a beautiful roving of Fondant Fibre in merino and mulberry silk!!! Part of their Illume collection called awakened spirit.
Thank you soooo much Anita you are so very kind!!
Shop update
I’ve been inspired this week to get my backside back to the dye pots!!! So hopefully (baby arrival allowing) later this week I shall have a little shop update with these two colour ways!!! Daffs and Crocus, they are currently drying out, having been my first attempt at yarn dyeing on the wood fired stove!! Man I needed to haul lots of wood!!! Or it seemed that way because I can only bring in small amounts at a time, not the big basket!! However I digress there are two bases, a sport weight merino base, which are the slightly softer colours, and the Stardust sock weight base which are the more vibrant colours!! So keep an eye on Tyddyn Bryn on Etsy later this week for them to pop into store!! One time limited dye lots, using up the last of the undyed I had in stash…. The next time I dye I shall have to do another big restash of the undyed before I dye!! And who knows when I might get time to do that!!! It has been two years since I last dyed yarn I believe!!!
Woodwork….
I’ve been out varnishing the sign for the front of the house again, and giving the bird boxes a quick coat too to protect them…
Farm update…
So James hired a mini digger a fortnight before I was due to pop….
He has now dug raised beds in the slurry it, which he needs to blockwork out…. watercourses…. Potato beds….. Flattened an area for me to make into a digging zone for the kids….
I’ve sourced some tractor tyres for digging pits for the boys…..
We’ve scoped out a pond site, but it wasn’t safe to take the digger to it….
In looking at that though I have found loads of my basketry willows have grown and need cutting back allowing me to get more plants going…
And Friday next if no one comes forward we become accidental sheep owners…. Still no idea if it’s multiple deal…. As in whether she is I lamb or not…. But we have bought some feed to supplement her diet in case and come next week we shall book a vet out to see her and register her as ours.
The chicks are growing well and feathering up… They are much bigger much faster than the last two, and are certainly eating more, drinking more and stinking more!!!
We’ve baked more cakes…. Muffins of the White chocolate and Rasberry variety and the banana and chocolate chip variety!!
I shall add a little photo montage at the end of all the farm happenings…
Sooo….
I hope you have enjoyed this weeks podcast!! I’m not sure when I’ll get to podcast next…. Baby is due Friday next!!! So in the meantime Happy crafting everybody!! And you can find me as Tyddyn Bryn on Instagram, Twitter and Ravelry, there is a Tyddyn Bryn Facebook page…. The Tyddyn Bryn Etsy shop, which I am going to attempt to keep open…. But we shall see what occurs in the next couple of weeks…
If you enjoyed the episode please give us a thumbs up at the bottom and I hope to see you all soon!!!
Hunting the Water Source
Dad and I walked up the mountain track to follow the spring feed for the Hovel. There is a lot of evidence that the owner of the pony field has been digging out the ditches and improving the drainage over the mountain fields. We followed the line of piping up the track and through the pony fields, stopping only to take some photos of the view!
We found the water spring pipe all the way up to the top copse with no end in sight!!! Dad and I discussed borehole possibilities on the our return down the mountain and also rain water harvesting systems!
Rough Pastures
After a restorative cuppa in the Hovel we headed out along the other borders of the property over the rough pastureland. Following the animal trails we wandered down to the stream pipe which seperates the two of the three section of rough pastureland.
Dad suggested we get a stone trough put in under the pipe rather than the current ironwork one, to allow for the water to be drunk. I am not sure who he intends drinking the water, but as most of it is pony field and road run off….. ummm maybe not!! Not mentioning the fact that how the heck would we get the iron trough out and a stone one in!!!
In the far rough pasture there is a lot of Sphagnum Moss and marsh gras in the field portion adn around the pipe stream there is a lot of Salix Caprea or Goat willow and a LOT of Briars. We would need to start at the top of the stream and work down in order for us to recolonise the stream sides with basketry willow!
Dad also pointed out another good potential woodland ingress point!! I say potential, because a. its a bit steep, b. its full of briars and brambles!! There is a fence line and another channel down from the road then that prevents us accessing the woodland between us and our Mill neighbour, so we will need more investigations down here in the fullness of time! Somewhere in there is apparently our Japanese Knotweed colony! UGH!!!
Having crossed back over the piped stream, we walked back across the lower edge of the middle rough pasture, across another drainage stream, which is the one supposedly to take the mountain track run off under the road and off down the hillside. At this point we have three Leylandii and a teardrop shaped piece of flattish land which goes off towards Big Field and the gate we will probably turn into a stile, which will be our Orchard when the autumn comes and we can get planting!
We have lots of Nettle beds over this side that Dad said should be full of butterflies soon. Just as he said that we saw three large peacock butterflies sitting amongst the nettles. We walked amongst the grass and nettles for a while longer and discussed orchard possibilities…. and found a young Ash tree.
Back into the fields
We left the woodland and continued our wanderings around Big Field. If we cut the briars in the corner of Big Field/Orchard we will have another good access point, which would save us getting caught up on the Blackthorns, as Mum did!!
We walked back up the hedge line and stopped at Orchard (or what will be our orchard) and Big Field Gate. There are some areas here in the banked hedgerow that we need to rebank and also this hedgerow needs laying! That will be a big job come the winter! We also decided that it might be a good plan to remove this gate from Big field into Orchard entirely as we dont want our wooly friends accessing our baby trees when we plant them next year!! We should just build a stile into the field and reinstate the banking/hedgerow in this section! On our way out of Big Field we noticed some hedgerow creep into the field and decided that it would be worth noting them for movement later back into the hedgerow in the gaps mentioned around the place!!
When we came back out of Big Field our neighbour was diggin out some of the wormery compost from Holding Field, so we stopped for a chat. Turns out he is a friend of th chap we saw in the windows and doors showroom and he said that they were “expensive, but worth it!” Walking back past the barns we met our close neighbour erecting fencing panels, which we thought initially were to obscure the view of our gorgeoous Azzy Barns!!
But later we discovered that a Baby St Bernard was probably the real reason! Chatting with our neighbour we discovered several things about the property. The spring water dries up every year!!! Argh!!! that has sent us running for bore hole quotes!!! he also has a borehole which he reckons is fantastic. He also said that all the farms up here have fantastic septic tanks and if possible we should not touch ours, other than to connect the new barn! his kitchen sink actually comes out into our septic, one of the bizarre issues from when the original farm was divided up! Our neighbour also discussed some drainage and access issues that he and some others had had with the previous owner! all concerning a triangle of grass opposite the front of the property, which upon checking is not even on our land, it seems to be classed as public highway! The farmer who owns the hill fields needs better access to the hill track opposite and the water gushes down the hill track in times of heavy rain and can make the road impassable. Some more things to check out then!!
On our way back to Hovel for a cuppa Dad and James decided to nvestigate the triangle of discontent! They discovered that the old ditch and pipework and drainage grate, which should have taken the mountain track water under the road was so silted up and unmaintained that nothing was draining through it and everything was headed over the road! Another thing to add to the jobs list!!
Tyddyn Bryn 