Oolong knits

This is the Beanstalk Hat by Amy van de Laar. I just love the way the lace and ribbing come together in this simple hat.

When I think of Caitlin Hunter, I always think of boxy sweaters with lots of amazing colour work. But most of her designs are a lot more than that, they involve a stunning mixing of heavy techniques: cables, lace, textures and striking colours. What is surprising is that she can make harmonious combinations of them all. Whitehorse is a little bit different because it is only lace, but it still is heavy stuff and gorgeous like all her designs.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) Pumpkin is one of my favourite vegetables and if you're starting to suspect that I say that about all edible veggies, you may just be right. But seriously, I can't get enough of this stuff and I'm always disappointed by how hard is to get them outside of Halloween. Unfortunately, even though they store well, they occupy a large area and I can grown no more than a few in my small plot. Soil moist, fertile, plenty of muck Aspect warm, sunny, sheltered Row spacing 180 cm Plant spacing 180 cm Germination 1 week Time to maturity 28 weeks Sow outside May Sow undercover April Plant outside May-June Harvest September-November Store lift, dry, keep cool and frost free Pests/diseases mildew

It's rare to find a free pattern this good, so I was really surprised when I realised Namu by knitboop is indeed free. Which is even more amazing when you take a pick at the pattern and see that it includes 10 different sizes and tones of charts for each size available. There was a lot of work involved writing it. So, I think we should really appreciate Yu Ra's generosity. I'm also a big fan of her Namu cowl .

Chicory and Endive (Cichorium intybus and Cichorium Endivia) Chicory and Endive are closely related vegetables. If you love the white endives you can buy in the supermarket as much as I do, you may just be as disappointed as I am that the process of growing them is slightly convoluted. So convoluted that I'm going to leave it for another post and only after I test it myself. In the mean time, let me tell you that endives are quite bitter and therefore not very popular, but their cousins chicories are super tasty in salads and a great favourite in Italy. Soil lighter soils are best Aspect bit of shade (grow between other crops) Row spacing 30 cm Plant spacing 25 cm Germination 1 week Time to maturity 16 weeks Sow outside April-August Plant outside May-June Harvest July-October Store cut as required Pests/diseases botrytis

Unboxing by Hanna Maciejewska. To be honest, I don't like the shape of this sweater at all, particularly the shoulders, but the cables are gorgeous and well-worth including on your favourite sweater recipe. They'll make an amazing cowl too.

Tomato (Lycorpersicon esculentum) When I tell people I have an allotment, the most common reaction is an excited "Oh that's great! You can grow your own tomatoes." Now, if I'm going to be honest, here in the North of England, tomatoes are a bit of a disappointing crop. There is just not enough sun to grow the sweet tomatoes I grew up eating. That said, as long as you sow early on at home, you can grow some nice varieties and have a nice little harvest before the cool weather kills your plants in a single night. So, take the 'sow outside' recommendation below with a grain of salt, unless you live in better climates. I always sow them at home in late February or early March and then plant them outside in late May. They are super easy to grow, but, if you want a good harvest, plant them in a super rich soil and give them plenty of fertilizer while they are fruiting. Soil plenty of muck Aspect sunny and warm Row spacing 45 cm Plant spacing 45 cm Germinat...

Kate Davies is one of my favourite designers. She uses Scotland's rich knitting tradition as her main inspiration, but she gives it a modern twist that makes her designs universal. Coofle is one of her most recent designs.