Repurposing a cycling top

Over the winter MOH spent some time creating a workout space in the garage, as let’s face it not many of us put our cars in there these days and there’s no longer a gym or such like on our doorstep. There’s still space for all our junk (though there’s getting less and less of that as we continue to sort through our moving boxes), the usual paraphernalia and my greenhouse station, so all’s good.

We’ve spent the summer using the space and it’s been really good to have - I already know we’ll appreciate it even more in the winter months - but it is kind of, well functional. There’s some finishing touches that I want to add and I’m hoping to get to more of those soon.

We’ve also finally had our large inbuilt wardrobes kitted out so we can make the most of the space we have (more on those another day!) and so we’ve been sorting through our clothes; some have headed to the charity shop and others are for sale on eBay and Vinted (with many more to list!) and some I’ve kept to reuse. One of MOH’s first cycling tops was in the reuse pile, along with one of his now holey Superdry t-shirts.

In our workout space we knew that storage was going to be key, and we’ve hooks of all shapes and sizes to add to the walls (when we decide where things need to go) but sometimes you just want to shove stuff out of sight don’t you? And away from the spiders (or as much as we can, anyway).

And so the idea for a drawstring bag was born.

Having looked for an easy tutorial on YouTube I set about creating the front and backs using the purple t-shirt as lining. I wanted to keep the cycling top details, so cut off the Altura logos from the parts I wasn’t using and supplemented these with the elastic waistband of some cycling shorts which were heading for the bin.

Rather than start by sewing the bag together, my first job was to piece the logos and elastic to add detail to the front and back of the bag, which I’d used the main body of the cycling top for. It was only then that I could actually make the bag, and it turned out pretty well.

THE FRONT, COMPLETE WITH THE CYCLING TOP ZIP IN ITS ORIGINAL PLACE

I kept it simple and kept the zip from the front of the cycling top, though at one point my sewing machine grumbled about that. The front has an additional logo (at right angles) and some of the elastic with poppers on the front, as well as the curved lower edge of the back, complete with the reflective strip.

The back, which is the back of the cycling top has another logo added across the back, and thinking ahead to spider-proof this (you can never be too careful) on this side the waist of the cycling shorts was used to seal the pockets.

AND THE BACK, THE THREE REAR POCKETS HAVE BEEN SEALED WITH THE ELASTIC TRIM

The yellow and white cord I’d kept from carrier bags - you know the duffle bag type - which were no longer used (and in fact had already been recycled long before we moved).

I’d planned to make myself a bag along the same lines, but was undecided about which of my netball kits to use. In the end I found my Adidas gym bag which I used to take to netball matches - I know this because it still had the eight safety pins pinned into in for pinning on those velcro bibs to non-velcro-ed tops - something I’d completely forgotten about!

So I’m reusing this one as a starting point, though I’ve a feeling that turning old sports kit into drawstring bags could become a bit of thing - and I’m not sad about that at all!

Dyeing my own yarn

And doesn’t that sound grand?

Well technically I did, and it was easier than I expected, but it was at a workshop I booked on, and so I had a fair bit of help and lots of guidance. To be honest dyeing wool isn’t something I was brave enough to try for the first time at home, and in reality I don’t think it’ll be something I’ll do at home in the future either, but it was great to try it out and to get a greater understanding of the process. Clearly dyeing one or two skeins, is way easier and much less effort than doing anything even remotely ‘in bulk’ and so my hat goes off to the small businesses where dyeing wool is their thing, they are truly amazing.

I’d seen on Instagram stories that the wool shop in Nottingham where holding workshops, and had one coming up that piqued my interest, and so that’s how I came to dye my own yarn. I spent a couple of hours in their workshop room chatting to the shop’s new owner, while MOH ran a few errands and enjoyed a solo coffee.

Unusually for me I actually had a plan for what I wanted to do with my newly dyed yarn; I’d seen a short sleeved jumper in a knitting magazine a week or so before which had caught my eye. It’s knitted in the round and it has a decorative slip stitch pattern with a multicoloured yarn - I think there’s was named hydrangea and the main colour of the jumper was a delicate pastel green. But as I’m never one for following the colours in patterns, that didn’t faze me, nor did attempting anything in the round.

I have another knitting project on the go, which has been put aside for the summer, so the actual knitting part shouldn’t cause me any issues either. Before I learnt to crochet, I was a knitter - and I’ve knitted many complex patterns in the past, though sadly I have none of these picture jumpers today. Oh how I wish I did!

But anyway, having a plan made a lot of sense as there were a lot of colours to choose from. I decided to go with colours I wear frequently - so pinks, greens, yellows and oranges, though I skipped the orange at the final moment.

The workshop included three 20g skeins and one 100g skeins, so I opted for the multi-coloured versions of the smaller skeins and a plainer - but not completely plain/solid colour - for the larger skein.

The smaller skeins were up first and they’d been soaking in a water and white vinegar solution to prepare them for taking up the dye, so placed on clingfilm and armed with my squeezy ‘ketchup’ bottles of dye I dabbed and dotted colour randomly along their lengths. I used four colours on the natural coloured yarn, two pinks and two greens.

Happy with the dye I dabbed and squirted on, the clingfilm was wrapped up and my skeins were off to the microwave to cook, and set the dye - who knew - while I set about putting a lot of mustard dye on the larger skein.

While I wanted it plainer, I didn’t want the mustard skein to be a uniform colour - that seemed a big ask for a first time dyer to be honest, and so I’m pleased with the variations that came out, and even the small area which has an element of darker green.

I think if anyone really wants a very precise colour, then it’s likely that this process isn’t for them and they should stick to large manufactured wool where they aim to deliver a standard colour for each and every ball of wool.

The skeins were wound and tied when they were mostly dry, but they needed to finish drying at home. I set them up over the clothes horse in our plant room, which is a lovely warm small room I use to dry my washing. It’s worth putting an old towel or some newspaper underneath as the water has to go somewhere, and gravity can take over.

And so I ended up with some pretty colourful skeins of yarn, and I’m more than happy with that.

I realised though that I needed twice the amount of mustard yarn, I could have added an extra large skein to my workshop had I given it more thought in advance but I hadn’t, and in the back of my mind I was sure I had a mustard skein of yarn at home, which I probably should use before buying even more yarn…

Thing is though when I checked, it was the wrong colour mustard - a more brown pigment, still lovely but not a good match for this newer mustard. Then I saw another skein (yes I have a few) which was a better match for the mustard, but is more colourful than perhaps I’d like for this project.

But the tone is right, and so now I’m convincing myself that I can use these together. I think I can, but as I’m not starting just yet I’ve a little while longer to muse over this.

I think the plan will be to start with the third skein (on the right above) and then switch to the plainer mustard, using the multi-coloured skeins as planned for the decorative pattern. Well, I think that’s the plan, for now anyway!

My garden in July

The roses from last month, continued to flower and I’ve spent a good morning or two deadheading this abundant rosebush in between showers - but it was so, so worth it as the rose bush has continued to flower throughout the month. The potted roses have also repeat flowered so if you’ve not been convinced before about deadheading, definitely do it!

This month the oxeye daisies have also been one of the stars - I just have a single pot of them, but look how well they’ve done. Last year I had three flowers, but this year so many more. I’m looking forward to getting them into the ground at some point so that they can really maximise their potential. My garden plans are starting to form more in my mind, but my challenge is to get those down on paper.

Our previous garden was best in the early spring, but here it’s definitely a late spring/early summer peaking garden, or rather the side border is. I’m loving the flowers on all of the hebes.

What has really stolen my heart though are the european smokebushes - we have this green leafed variety, and the darker burgundy leafed version; they are both delightful and well, just, frothy!

The buddleia is full of flowers, and full of butterflies. Despite being cut down much earlier in the spring, it’s regrown and then grown some more. I’ve discovered that the main stem has a label so it was definitely planted on purpose, and not the self-seeded plant I first thought.

The flowers on the Lady’s Mantle are a beautiful yellowy-green, and also frothy. They have tumbled over the edge onto the gravel.

The two surviving sunflowers are thriving next to the wall, where they are as I hoped enjoying the warmth from the sun and the wall. It’s been great to measure their progress as they grow brick by brick, edging ever closer to the top of the wall.

Elsewhere in the border there is more colour - the orange berries on the rowan tree, and the pink fuchsia flowers whose stems are also a beautiful pinky-red.

Ah yes, the burgundy european smokebush - isn’t it a beauty?

The sunflowers aren’t the only plant that is hugging the brick wall on the boundary - the foxglove flowers are hanging on, and I’m sure there’ll be more to enjoy next year.

Edging towards the top of the wall…

The outside border has grown and got a bit wild, so I’ve spent some time out there pruning and squishing as much as I can each fortnight into our garden bin, priding myself at my ingenuity at packing quite so much in. Instead of a usual robin companion, I’ve been enjoying the company of the butterflies which are regulars at the buddelia.

I found an unwanted and leafy tall shrub, which after some googling I classed as a weed. I cut its leafy branches off, then as it looked to have enough space around it I decided to get the root out.

Mission accomplished. But quite a mission it was.

What better to end this post on though, with the raindrops on the leaves of the lady’s mantle.