Part of human tea tonight was home grown onion (strictly not allowed for the canine contingent).  This was not just any onion it was a home grown onion, the first one for a few years.  Apparently they taste better.  It had been grown in a baby bath.  Aunty Biscuit uses baby baths lined with net curtain for fleece washing as there is a bung in  the bottom.  Both bath and net curtain can be picked up cheaply in charity shops.  The baths can also go on to successfully grow onions in it would seem.  Unusually the skin has been put for composting and not towards dye experiments although I suppose there isn't much of it.

The white cotton bag has now been finished.  It took quite a bit of finishing off in my opinion but according to Aunty Biscuit sewing up lace patterns has to be done carefully as does placement of handles, without mentioning that the aforementioned handles have to be knitted.  I think a few muddy pawmarks and stray dog hairs might enhance it, but for some reason it has been kept well out of my way. can't think why.

The latest shower gel to enter the portals is camomile and bamboo milk.  I was wondering how one goes about milking a bamboo, is it similar to milking a cow?  It was then explained to be that it would have been extracted from the plant.  Pleased thats now cleared up I can now go back to supervising the knitting and watching the olympics.  I see we have won a silver for someone bouncing on what looked like a big mattress. Aunty Biscuit says its called a trampoline and the bouncing is very difficult to do properly.  Pleased I didn't settle on it for a nap then. 

Watching the Olympic games provides an opportunity to sit and catch up on knitting or paw washing depending on species.  Last night it was the mens gymnastics.  This immediately caught the attention of the collie who thought someone had snaffled a couple of sticks to make the parallel bars and that the rings would make good frisbees.  The effect of the rings is similar to the proposed handle detail on the white cotton bag that is under construction, albeit on a different scale.  We are not sure whether Aunty Biscuit was admiring the competitors prowess on the equipment or their rippling muscles and indeed may never know.  We did however establish that next time a further two medals should  be suggested.  Best outfit - this year would have been won by the Chinese gymnast who sported a magnificent red and gold little number, think Chinese dragon.  The other one is for messiest use of the powdering station. This year it would have been won by the Br ...

The gherkins have now been processed and now pickling as are some onions.  I'm not sure how long it will be before they are ready but I'm sure Mum and Aunty Biscuit know.  Aunty Biscuits cotton bag is now off the needles, just needs the handles sorting.  Mum has just finished a pattern for a cushion to send to a lady so all in all they have had a productive weekend.

Mum has harvested some more gherkins today.  Tomorrow they are going to be pickled.  I do feel that gherkin is an odd word and wonder who invented it.  Anyway, back to pickling.  its the first time Mum has grown gherkins (the plants were reduced in a local garden centre earlier this year) and has never had occasion to pickle them either so the whole thing is a bit of an experiment.  We await the outcome with bated breath,.

Mum left her car on Aunty Biscuits drive this morning (they car share).  When they came back this evening one of the large branches from the flowering cherry had fallen off the tree and narrowly missed Mums car,  The tree is going to be looked out at the weekend.  Moving the branch from the drive to its temporary home involved slightly squashing one of the lavender plants.  Hopefully it will recover.  We are still expecting a decent lavender yield.  Needless to say the collie is eyeing up the branch although I suspect it is a bit ambitious for her. 

I have spent a bit of time this evening happily digging a hole.  I'm slightly grubby but not enough to warrant being bathed although I'm not allowed too near Aunty Biscuits sewing up even though it is a charity blanket for the local dogs home.  It has also meant I've been putting a lot of effort into paw cleaning. For humans it is apparently always good idea to have clean hands when knitting especially light yarns or doing cross stitch.  Granny Biscuit sometimes puts a tea towel on her lap when she is knitting light things then she just rolls it up when she puts it down.  Seems like a sensible idea to me.

Aunty Biscuit was coerced into watering Mums large collection of outdoor plants whilst Mum went off with a wheelbarrow and a fork to do the horse paddock.  It did not go smoothly.  The tap leaked to start with leaving her slightly damp.  Its one of those cart things so the feed hose then came off and soaked he (twice)r.  When it was all reconnected the end was then writhing about so she also got her feet washed.  We just sat at a safe distance looking smug (and dry)

One of the things we like about our new house is that there is a little more space outside.  We have a new racetrack around a couple of outbuildings which we gallop round at high speed a few times.  This benefits crafting greatly as when we settle on the sofa for the evening we fall fast asleep thus permitting unimpeded knitting, crocheting or whatever.