After the success of my first crochet project I was eager to take on another, and once I came across the hexagon crochet cardigan I knew this would be it. I popped to my local Boyes to browse the yarns and decided for a chunky marble in a greeny blue shade.
This design still followed the basic granny square pattern I’d already learned, but instead of going round in a square, you add two extra sides, making a hexagon which will eventually folded in half to create one sleeve and side panel.
Once I had both sides made to the same size (which I almost managed, the tensions was slightly off), I went on to sew up the sleeve seams and decide how to connect the two at the back.
I decided to make a series of smaller granny squares in a lush deep blue for the joining back panel and then also went on to add a border on the sleeves and bottom of the cardigan. I’m so happy with how well the dark blue compliments the green / blue marble yarn.
To finish off the cardigan I made 2 larger granny squares with a mix of the deep blue and green / blue marble yarns. These two granny squares I then sewed on to be pockets at the front of the cardigan.
And voila – there you have it – my first ever hexagon granny square cardigan! I am so so pleased with how it turned out and it really is quite satisfying being able to say I made a cardigan from scratch! I love how it all came together, the pattern, the colours and the fit!
For now it’s a finished project. However, in future I might still experiment with making the cardigan a little longer. Generally speaking, I prefer my cardigans a bit longer, sitting below the bum, so I might still add a few rows to the bottom one day.
Finishing my second crochet project has been even more rewarding than my first. There’s something so satisfying about making your own clothing.
My next project is a jumper. I’ve been chosen as a pattern tester for the Floret Pop Pullover by Yarn by Beck and I’m super excited to get stuck into this new crochet project. I’ve already started and it’s such a lush stitch I can’t wait to see how it all comes together!
Have you been busy with any craft projects or learning new skills??? Do let me know in the comments below!
I have always considered myself a bit of a bookworm; admittedly, however, the reading bug has ebbed and flowed a bit more as an adult. It was reading ACOTAR last year, that sparked my excitement to get lost in new stories again and re-kindled my love for reading. I’ve ended up buying so many new books last year, on top of already having a huge ‘To Read’ list in the first place, and even splurged on a new Kindle. I’m well and truly set up for choice with this years reading challenge and have given myself the goal of reading 35 Books. I only managed to read 17 books last year, but I’ve got so many on my bookshelf I can’t wait to dip my toes into, that I think I’ll achieve my goal for 2025. I’ve also signed up to Audible again as my new favourite hobby is crocheting, and I’d like to start listening to some audiobooks instead of watching tv, as I work away on my projects.
In no particular order, I wanted to share which books I’ve chosen so far for my ‘To Read’ list this year. If you count along, you’ll realise there are more that 35 books mentioned, but there were just too many to choose from. I’ve been drawn to all these books for different reasons and as the year goes on I’ll be interested to see which ones I gravitate to first. I’d love to hear if you’ve read any and what you thought (no spoilers though please) or what books might be on your ‘To Read’ lists. If you’re on Goodreads – let’s connect!
Standalone Books:
Babel –by R.F. Kuang Cleopatra and Frankenstein – by Coco Mellors My Dark Romeo –by Parker S. Huntington The Elephant Girl – by Henriette Gyland Becoming Molly-Mae – by Molly Hague The Foundling – by Stacey Halls Ugly Love – by Colleen Hoover Verity – by Colleen Hoover
Poetry:
May I Come Home – by Christopher Tapp Home Body – by Rupi Kaur
Series:
Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #3)– by Rebecca Yarros Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)– by Rebecca Yarros
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) – by Sarah J. Maas Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #1)– by Sarah J. Maas Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #1) – by Sarah J. Maas Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #1)– by Sarah J. Maas Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #1) – by Sarah J. Maas Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #1) – by Sarah J. Maas Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #1) – by Sarah J. Maas
Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) – by Tahereh Mafi Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2) – by Tahereh Mafi Ignite Me (Shatter Me, #3) – by Tahereh Mafi Restore Me (Shatter Me, #4) – by Tahereh Mafi Defy Me (Shatter Me, #5) – by Tahereh Mafi
Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1) – by Cassandra Clare
The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1) – by Carrisa Broadbent The Ashes & The Star Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia, #2) – by Carrisa Broadbent
King of Scars (King of Scars, #1) – by Leigh Bardugo Rule or Wolves (King of Scars, #2) – by Leigh Bardugo
Audio Books:
Sunburn – by Chloe Michelle Howarth The Outrun – by Amy Liptrot Playing With Fire – by L.J. Shen A Touch of Darkness– by Scarlett St. Clair The Virgin Suicides – by Jeffrey Eugenides He’s Gone – by Rebecca Collomosse
Books I still want to purchase:
Milk Teeth – by Jessica Andrews Butter– by Asako Yuzuki Kalo – by Colin Walsh Want – by Gillian Anderson Goddess With A Thousand Daces – by Jasmine Elmer Think Again – by Jaqueline Wilson By Any Other Name – Jodi Picoult Frida –by Hayden Herrera
Happy (Belated) New Year, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s. We enjoyed a lovely, quiet Christmas followed by a wonderful week with Luis’s parents. While it was fantastic to have them visit, it left me little time for reflection and planning ahead for 2025. The lack of daylight and continued freezing temperatures at the roastery haven’t exactly boosted my motivation either since starting back at work!
Despite feeling a bit lost and longing for spring, I am feeling pretty excited about the possibilities this year holds. To combat the winter blues and stay inspired, I’m continuing my annual tradition of creating a Bucket List for the new year. This isn’t about setting unattainable goals, but rather a gentle nudge towards a more fulfilling life – exploring more, embracing creativity, prioritizing my well-being and being more present in the day to day.
Looking back at my 2024 list, I’m proud of what I accomplished, even though plenty of items remain unchecked. It’s about enjoying the journey and not just ticking off goals for the sake of it. (You can find my 2024 reflections in my previous blog post here.)
As I’ve been pondering my 2025 goals, I realise many are similar to last year’s. Some are repeats as they are likely to become yearly wishes, while others are carry-overs from 2024 that I’ve yet to achieve. I’ll probably also continue to add to this list as new ideas emerge. Here’s what I have so far…
Finish My Patchwork Blanket: I’m slowly but surely knitting my way through a patchwork blanket. It’s my first big knit project but much less daunting than tackling something like a sweater as it’s just square by square.
Conquer a Patterned Hat: I want to develop my pattern-reading skills and have started with a supposedly easy enough hat project.
Knit a Sweater (the ultimate challenge): I want to step outside my comfort zone and eventually take on the challenge of knitting a sweater, although this will probably be done later on in the year once I’ve built up some confidence and practiced pattern reading some more.
Crochet A Blanket:I have just finished my first granny square blanket, and I’m so in love with it, I am eager to make more. I think I might like to make a few for Christmas Present this year.
Granny Square Cardigan: I keep coming across these beautiful granny square cardigan patterns and I can’t wait to give one a try.
Derwent Reservoir: Luis has wanted to take me for a walk there for ages. It’s only about a 35 minute drive, but I’ve always let my anxiety get the better of me as I know there’s no proper facilities there. However, it was his birthday the other week and I finally pushed myself to go.
High Force Waterfall Family Trip: Although I’ve been before, it was quite a while ago and we’ve not yet been as a family, so that’s one for this year.
Camping Getaways: We went camping near Holy Island last year and I loved it so much I’d like to make this another yearly tradition, starting with at least one family camping adventure.
Grow The Orchid Creative: I would like to be more organised this year, develop mu creative skills further and increase my Etsy offerings and sales.
Tattoo Time: I’ve been itching for some new ink for ages and would like to add some new finger tattoos to my collection this year.
Start A YouTube Channel: This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time, but have always felt too overwhelmed to do. However, I want to let go of the nerves, finally learn some new creative skills, and just enjoy the process of video editing and documenting for fun.
A Holiday Abroad: I’d like to push myself again this year and overcome my travel anxiety to enjoy an overseas adventure.
Coastal Caravan Retreats: We’ve had a few lovely relaxing long weekends in a caravan in Cresswell up the Northumberland coast over the past year or so and love it so much that we want to make this another yearly goal.
Reading Goals: Although I only managed 17 books last year, I’m setting myself the same goal of 24 books this year.
Cultural Experiences: Attending at least 3 concerts, shows, or theatre performances.
Dance Lessons with Luis: This one’s been on my list for ages. I think learning to dance together will be a good laugh and a fun way to exercise together.
Learning Portuguese: I finally want to start learning Portuguese properly so that I can communicate better with Luis’s family.
A Holiday with my Bestie: Another yearly tradition and one I treasure – having a small getaway and some 1on1 time with my best friend!
National Trust Explorations: We’ve got our membership till May and I’d like to make the most of it. We’ve already visited Gibside and Crook Hall multiple times, but I’d still like to visit the places in the North East which we haven’t seen yet, namely: Cragside, Seaton Delaval, Washington Old Hall and Wallington.
4. Crochet a Blanket5. Visit Derwent Reservoir19. Visit Gibside
Have you also set yourself some goals for this year? What are your top 3 Bucketlist items? Do let me know in the comments down below – I’d love to know!
I’ll keep coming back to this post throughout the year ticking off what I’ve achieved, so if you see something stroked through , it’s been completed.
Last week my partner’s parents flew over from Portugal to visit us and although neither of us could sadly take much time off work, Luis did manage some half day trips out with them and I got to take the August Bank Holiday Monday off so we could all have a daytrip together. Having taken Luis’ brother to Beamish Museum earlier in the year when he visited, we thought his parents would also enjoy a day out exploring Beamish and so we set off late Monday morning.
If you’ve not heard of Beamish Museum before or had the chance to visit, I would highly recommend. Beamish is a world famous open air museum in County Durham, which brings the history of North East England to life at its 1820s Pockerley, 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas. It is such a fun day out for the whole family and I would advise you plan for a whole day there, as there is so much to explore.
It was a bit of a grey morning when we set off and we made the mistake of not really considering how busy it might get being a bank holiday as well as school holidays. We arrived to a traffic jam of cars waiting to get in and then also had queue for a good half an hour to buy tickets for Luis’ parents. We were probably one of the last few lucky ones to get in as the overflow car park we were directed to was almost full when we parked and by lunchtime they had a post on socials saying they were at full capacity.
Tip: especially if you’re going on what is likely to be a busy day, leave early and book ahead online for quicker access once you arrive.
Once through, we made our way to the 1900’s Pit Village, an area with a lot to explore from going underground in the drift mine (although I’ve not done this myself as I suffer from agoraphobia) to seeing how miners used to live in the replica terraced houses and visiting the school house where you try your hand at popular yard games played by children at break time.
Having spent quite some time in the pit village, we walked on to the Farm and, amongst other animals such as turkeys and pigs, came across these cute little chickens running around trying to avoid being chased by little kids. If anyone knows what breed these chickens are, please do let me know in the comments as we’d love to have chickens one day and I fell in love with these fluffy little gals.
Continuing along the road we headed towards the 1900’s town passing Rowley station and a summer fair ground along the way. The fair was bustling with kids enjoying the rides so we didn’t stop there long, but the small fair ground a nice addition to Beamish in warmer summer months.
Arriving in the 1900’s town we were greeted with live music from a brass band playing in the band stand. The sun was shining at this point and it had turned into a beautiful warm afternoon with people milling around the Edwardian high street, enjoying a pint from the Sun Inn or lounging on the grass by the band stand listening to the music, and soaking up the atmosphere.
Once again there is a lot to explore in the 1900’s town. From visiting the bank and chemists to hearing gruesome stories from dentist practices back in the day. You can fill your pockets with yummy freshly baked goods from the bakery or pick from the vast array old school treats in the sweet shop, where if you’re lucky you might also catch a live sweet making demonstration. The 1900’s town really is quite spectacular.
Tip: wear comfortable shoes; there is a lot of ground and various terrain to cover. As you can see in the photos, Beamish does operate trams and old double decker buses throughout the museum, however, although they are admittedly fun to experience and ride, on busy days the queues for transport around the museum are usually very long, so if you don’t want to waste time waiting around, I would come prepared to walk.
Just on from the Edwardian town you entre the 1950’s town, Beamish Museum’s newest exhibit area. Before visiting with Luis’ brother earlier int he year, I hadn’t been to Beamish in years and was thus excited to finally be able to see the new addition of the 1950’s town. When we were there in May there were still some parts in development however and so this time round, there was even more to see including the addition of the cinema, record store and toy store etc…
You’ll find a fish and chip shop in the 1950’s village and I would recommend stopping for some. We did so on both our visits and thoroughly enjoyed!
Tip: although dogs on leads are very welcome in the museum they can’t actually entre any of the indoor exhibits or the main canteen/cafe in the 1900’s town; so I recommend coming prepared with a picnic if it’s a nice day (the huge lawn by the fair ground is a great place to enjoy a picnic to do so with toilets close by) or grab some some yummy fish and chips and find a bench.
Once we’d enjoyed our very late lunch, it was past 4pm already at this point, we sadly didn’t really have much time left to explore the rest and so after a quick whizz round the rest of the 1950’s town we slowly made our way back to the entrance and had to leave out the rest. Here’s still a few photos from our visit in May where we did still managed to squeeze in a stop at the old Pockerley Hall.
It surprises me every time just how quickly time does fly at Beamish and how much there is to see, which is why, especially if you’re local, and can make a few trips a year, I think the tickets are well worth the money as there really is so much to get out of this wonderful living museum here in the North East of England.
If you’ve visited Beamish Museum before I’d love to hear what your favourite exhibit is!
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Opening Times: 20th March 2024 – 25th October 2024: Open daily, 10am-5pm 26th October 2024 – 3rd November 2024: Open daily, 10am-4pm
Tickets: Tickets are admittedly quite expensive, however I do think you get a lot for it and they are valid for one year, so especially if you’re localish and can get a few visits in, they’re definitely worth it in my opinion. (*prices shown for September 2024)
Accessibility: Beamish is a large open air museum with many historic buildings, some of which are not always completely accessible to all visitors. To create an authentic feel, there are a variety of ground surfaces, some of which are uneven by nature. There are also steep slopes in places, and some buildings and exhibits have stepped access. Beamish does operate a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle however which is available on-call every day that the museum is open, although limited to its seated capacity.
*Disclaimer: please note that pictures featured are from both our August Bank Holiday trip as well as our visit in May earlier this year.
Today I thought I would tackle the next change on my plant based eco journey, namely switching to a low impact laundry detergent. As with many household items we are just so used to seeing them stacked in single use containers along the supermarket aisles that we don’t stop to consider the impact they have anymore or what less harmful & low impact alternatives might be out there. Most laundry detergents are packaged in plastic, tested on animals and of course contain many chemicals which especially for sensitive skins aren’t often great. However there are some great alternatives out there (for example my cousin washes her clothes with walnuts which contain a natural soap element – who knew!?!) all you need to do is set aside a little time to have a browse to see what works best for you. Now I can’t speak for all alternatives as I’ve personally only tried one so far, but I am so happy with the results of this swap that I had to share it with you.
I have swapped form the usual detergent culprits such as Persil to using Soapnuts – a natural, organic, biodegradable, vegan, ethical & sustainable laundry detergent (now you can’t get more eco-friendly than that can you!?!).
Soapnuts or Soapberries are dried fruit shells which contain real natural soap and are 100% completely natural. They are a vegan friendly, non-polluting, compostable, alternative to conventional laundry detergents and synthetic soaps. No fillers, foaming agents, bleach, phthalates, phosphates or parabens. The Soapberries contain a natural soap called saponin, which is released when they come into contact with water and thus they wash your laundry as good as any other conventional detergent.
There are a couple of ways to use the soap nuts; you can soak them in water to release the detergent and then pour the liquid into your washing machine as you would other laundry detergents, or you can pop a couple of soapnuts into the muslin bag provided and then pop that into the washing machine with your laundry. I use the latter method.
In our day and age we are so used to freshly washed clothes smelling “clean” because of all the chemical scents added to detergents. Soapnuts don’t really release a scent, so you won’t get that “clean” smell; however you can add a scent to your laundry by using an essential oil. One of my favourite oils to use is lavender; I put about 10 drops onto the muslin bag containing the soapnuts and then pop it into the wash – and voila out come your clothes with a fresh scent of lavender – the results are great!
I really cannot recommend this natural vegan biodegradable laundry detergent enough and urge you all to try it! They sell starter packs (a great way to give soapnuts a trial) which contain soapnuts, a stain remover bar, soda crystals and an essential oil. The small starter pack costs £14.70 which admittedly you might first think sounds expensive, but let me assure you, the sopanuts go a long way – one filled muslin bag can be used for about 3 washes until all the soap has been released.
(the starter pack pictured in my photos is a large)
The Living Naturally Soapnut Company also not only sell laundry detergent but have haircare and skincare products on offer too. I have yet to try these but if the laundry detergent is anything to go by, I know I’ll love these products too.
So I hope I have given you something to think about. Again, I can’t recommend these highly enough and would love to know – do you think this is a change/a swap you would be willing to try?! I’d love to hear some of you giving soapnuts a go! If you’d like to inform yourselves more on the products available and further benefits of soapnuts go have a look on their website here.
I hope you had a great weekend! I must apologise for not posting last night, I had a busy weekend and was busy socializing both evenings and thus didn’t get around to finishing a post. So I thought I’d recycle a post this morning as it’s an easy peasy recipe for a fresh yummy start to a new week.
Here goes, this is my absolute favourite fresh juice of all time. Sadly making fresh juice can be quite expensive sometimes, so this is a treat, however occasionally you can find reduced fruit so keep your eyes open and look in local fruit and veg shops too!
The drink – it’s nothing special, just freshly squeezed oranges, grapefruits and lime with a sprig of mint, but the combination is kinda amazing!
I would usually squeeze 3 oranges, 1 red grapefruit, 1 lime and garnish with a sprig of mint. I would also recommend popping the freshly squeezed juice in the fridge to chill before drinking or adding and ice cube or two – it is the most tasty and refreshing when cool!
Well I really hope you all make this because I’m obsessed with this juice aha. Do let me know if you try & enjoy it too!
simplycarinaxo.co.uk 