What do you do?

[Small pumpkin]

on those rare occasions when you have very little to do in the garden ( or the weather is to bad ). When all the freezing has been done. All the soups, jams, chutneys are made.
What do you do?
I like to stay productive and turn my hand to some sort of crafts (depending on my mood which craft I do). I try to make a bit of pocket money out of it, at craft fairs. It doesn't always work. But it keeps me out of trouble and stops me turning into a couch potato

[craftymarie]

Great to hear from someone else who likes crafts and awesome if you can make some money from it too An added bonus. I enjoy lots of different crafts and frequently blog about them online with tutorials etc. - I enjoy the writing and the photography as much as the making.

My husband is newly retired so we enjoy going on lots of local nature walks - not so much when the weather's bad! I should think I enjoy many things that most people would find amazingly dull like updating my gardening spreadsheet etc. To be honest, there's not enough time in each day.

[Alison]

Craft wise I sow, knit, make toiletries (particularly CP soap) and cook. Don't sell but do use a lot of my own stuff as pressies.

[muddled]

I sew, Knit, crochet, embroider, quilt, weave and paint.
Make my own cards for highdays and holidays, birthdays and so on.
I make xmas decs, do flower arrangements, and myriad seasonal crafts.
I make baskets and when I get the chance, pottery.

We don't have a telly.....as you may have guessed

[veggiechicken]

Full of admiration for all you crafty people. I've tried lots of things but none of them really grab me - or are good enough to be proud of and use. So I fritter away my time on here or playing with seeds and puppies.
Keeps me out of mischief - most of the time

[Verinda]

I paint (pictures) I love photography, I make all my own cards and I knit. Mr V paints too and carves animals and actually can make anything out of wood. We love the sea and wildlife.

[Lumpy]

You crafty lot are amazing and I...





Me, I'm about as creative as a comatose worthog so I spend my time on the free higher ed courses (Future Learn) and reading.
I have recently acquired a very large wooden dolls house that is still just wood (Ta Freegle) and did plan on having a go at it but OH spotted it (hard to miss as it lives in the hall) and said 'brilliant that will give me something to do in the winter'

[muddled]

Oh! Lumpy....do it together!
You could make a start on the soft furnishings...or make some teeny little dolls? Working on dolls houses is terribly addictive.
You could make some dinky little cakes out of fimo clay....or veggies for a garden? Get OH to make window boxes!

[Thelma Sanders]

I did a couple of the Futurelearn courses last winter, and I also do patchwork and tapestry/cross stitch work (and get conned into making curtains for all the family! Haha)

I tend to save house decorating jobs for the winter, as well - so I don't waste good weather by doing them in Summertime

[noviceveggrower]

I use to do cross stich years ago and sell it. I even got commissioned to do some jewellery boxes once.
At the moment looking at it I don't really do anything during the winter months apart from run around after OH, kids and parents a bit more.
I have always wanted to make my own jam and chutneys. Or possibly make my own wine but I don't know its as if I'm a bit worried about making something and people not liking it or being poorly because of it. Had food poisoning once and ended up in hospital so wouldn't want that to happen to anyone.
But I think this autumn get my sowing stuff out and start my gift tags and key rings again. Might make a bit ready to buy some more seeds

[Lumpy]

Thanks for the encouragement muddled but the OH has a very obsessive nature and when he says 'he', he means it as experience has taught me that I will always do it wrong!

He is outside at the moment completely obsessed with the hen run for when our ex bats arrive. So far in their 16x4 ft run (we are getting 3 hens) there is a hen pond (old, small rigid pond liner with big holes in the bottom) half sunk in the ground and filled with dirt. Apparently the raised edges will hide all kinds of bugs,
Then they have a hen swing, hen log pile, with appropriate spaces for bug hunting, 2 bushes (one of my larger blackcurrants) and he is working on the hen climbing frame supported by the square wooden hen tunnel.

Did I mention the hooks for hanging greens and the henny play ball?

[Alison]

Thanks for the encouragement muddled but the OH has a very obsessive nature and when he says 'he', he means it as experience has taught me that I will always do it wrong!

Seeing as your original post indicated that you'd acquired it off Freecycle (rather than your OH) then it should be entirely up to you what you do with it.

[muddled]

If you make rumtoft type booze as gifts, I think the alcohol pretty much kills off any bacteria so you'll not need to worry!
Jam when it cooks get hotter than the surface of the sun (as I can personally attest after years of splashing myself with it) so, at least for the recipient, it tends to safe!

This year I'm making my (MANY) great nieces pretty bunting with their names on for xmas and the littlest is also getting her bespoke hand sewn advent calendar.
Sister in laws get hats/scarves.
Big bruv is getting Nicos' 44 coffee orange boozey stuff.
Older relatives get mini hampers of jams and pickles.
Saves me a fortune.

[Alison]

Home sewn advent calendars are fab, made ones for a God son and great nephew a few years ago and now just give replacement gifts for the pockets each year.

[Small pumpkin]

He is outside at the moment completely obsessed with the hen run for when our ex bats arrive. So far in their 16x4 ft run (we are getting 3 hens) there is a hen pond (old, small rigid pond liner with big holes in the bottom) half sunk in the ground and filled with dirt. Apparently the raised edges will hide all kinds of bugs,
Then they have a hen swing, hen log pile, with appropriate spaces for bug hunting, 2 bushes (one of my larger blackcurrants) and he is working on the hen climbing frame supported by the square wooden hen tunnel.

Did I mention the hooks for hanging greens and the henny play ball?

I want to see photos of that it sound fantastic!