Everything and the kitchen sink

Starting with the kitchen sink. This is my old kitchen sink. If I was forced to choose my favourite kitchen sink (not sure why I would ever be forced to choose), this would be the sink. Thirteen years ago, we took a day trip over to Wales, to a factory in the middle of nowhere and picked it up. Each sink is big enough to take the huge baking trays that fit in the Aga. Perfect when you need to soak them.

Last year, we finally refitted the kitchen, after knocking down walls. I had the choice, my sinks or a dishwasher in the kitchen. Hmm. I found a single belfast sink, that would take my pans, and the dishwasher moved in. The old sinks sulked outside over the winter and eventually the inevitable happened – one developed a crack. Oh well perfect as a herb garden.

Today, I planted them up with the herbs I bought recently. It is positioned not far from the kitchen and I am sure it will carry on being my favourite kitchen sink. They did look a lot cleaner when they were in the kitchen.

The mole was made by AJ a couple of years ago. She doesn't know I put a peg on its nose for the photo.

Also been busy trying to solve my mole problem today. I forgot to plant my onions and garlic this year. I had decided that it was probably too late now and had resigned myself to none this year. Renee (Thank you! Windmills to follow) came up with a suggestion, from her father, that planting onions around the outside of the garden deters the moles activity. I had nothing to lose by planting, so in went 75 onions and three bulbs of garlic.

I also bought a sonic mole deterant, which has just increased the cost of my vegetables by about 400%, but I was feeling desperate. In the area I have put it, I cannot see any new activity, while the sweetcorn have definitely been revisited. I have now planted the bulk of onions in this area. If I see no new mole tunnels, then it won’t prove that any of these methods have worked. It could just be that next door’s cats have got lucky. You never know, maybe I’ll get some onions after all.

There are some wildlife in our garden, which although they have munched through my spinach and rainbow chard (oh well, better plant more) are treasured by at least the small boy. He has even supplied on-board snacks, in his pocket, for it in the form of grass.

Finally, I’ve cracked it. After years of looking enviously at crocheted items and seeing my own daughter getting the hang of it, I have figured out how to do it. Yeh! Its quite easy really. My final straw inspirations were seeing Emma’s blanket and my father saying that my Great Grandmother had been very proficient at it. Hey there’s no stopping me now. Weeee!

Book we used is Kids Learn to Crochet. Simple and clear illustrations, that worked for us.

9 comments

  1. I love your kitchen sink idea and I love the sink too!

    Sorry for your mole problem. We once had a woodchuck at our old house and it was a disastrous harvest that year. Hopefully your remedies will work.

    Congrats on learning crochet. That’s on my list too. i LOVE to use children’s books for lots of learning…simple and striaghtforward :0

    happy day!
    ~marcia

    1. Children’s how-to-books are great (mostly) for clarity. Projects are not what I’d choose, but then again I’m not the intended audience!

  2. Hi, Love the sink idea. I am always on the lookout for an old sink for succulents.
    I wish I had put a dishwasher in…we did the kitchen before I had kids. Wish I had known then what I know now! xxx

    1. When we put the two sinks in we had no children. I absolutely did not want a dishwasher. The double sink was brilliant for hand washing. It would feel like such a chore if I hand washed now. The older two have only just reached an age and height where they could help. They love to help, but maybe not on a routine basis.

  3. Hope the onions and garlic work and I love the little mole. When my husband was young he thought moles were the size of small dogs because of a story book that he had. Just as well that they aren’t or you’d have no veg patch left! As for the snails, I’m afraid I’m far less kind to the ones in my garden, I don’t kill them but I do take them for a very long walk. Hope you enjoy the bank holiday.

    1. I’m glad they’re not the size of small dogs, as well. Much bigger tunnels for a start. I read that they eat about 200 worms a day. Maybe they are aspiring to be that size, as that seems a lot!

  4. I used that book too! I think crochet is one of those things – impossible until it clicks and then you can’t understand why you found it so hard! Good luck with your blanket?! 😀

    1. I really have struggled with crocheting, on and off, for years. It frustrated me, because I can do complicated knitting stitches. I’m glad it has finally clicked for me.

  5. Hi! That’s very interesting! I just love vintage design, especially interiors that uses retro design terracotta. I plan to purchase online one of those folk sinks. How do you like them? I can’t decide which sink I want. Regards, Marie

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