How to: Make your own grow light.

Grow lights are an essential piece of kit if you want to get a head start on your growing season or want to be able to grow indoors all year round.

If you want to make your own light set-up, here's a how to, along with the costings and where I got my bits and pieces. (prices were correct as of 2010.)

I used:

3 x 30W Daylight bulbs £6.69 each £20.07
3 x Bulb Batten Holders £1.69 each £5.07
2 x Rolls of Aluminium foil tape £2 each from poundland £2.00
1.5mm twin and earth cable approx £1.00 per mtr in B&Q £2.00
1 x Plug from ASDA £0.36
1 x Carboard box
1 x Piece of wood I had lying about

So I spent a grand total of £29.50 bear in mind that is for 3 bulbs! If you only used 2, it would only be just over £21.00...

FAR cheaper than your shop bought stuff and lets face it - far more fun and rewarding.

Here's a link for the bulbs, and one for the holders:

BULBS: http://uk.farnell.com/pro-lite/helix-30w-es-64/lamp-daylight-es-30w-6400k/dp/1298309

BATTEN HOLDERS: http://www.wickes.co.uk/Batten-Holder/invt/710002

So.... here comes the best bit, making it!

The batten holders are screwed to the piece of wood and then wired up with the 1.5mm twin and earth cable like so:



I've drawn it onto the batten holder instructions to give you a better idea:



Make sure you put a plug on the other end that has a 3 amp fuse, and that's it done:



...and with bulbs!:



Now for the reflector and it's amazing what you can achieve with a piece of cardboard and some aluminium foil tape; here's how I did it:

I cut jagged edges where I want my ends to be - this will help when folding the card around the end pieces; I also scored along the width of the card to help it bend neatly:


Then I cut out 2 end pieces:



I folded the ends of the shade around the side pieces and stuck them down:



Then I started lining the box with aluminium foil tape - I thought this would be neater than kitchen foil. You can pick this stuff up for a few quid a roll, but I got mine from the DIY bit in poundland!!





And that's that bit done - one nice and shiny reflector:




Then I added my lights. Using a sharp blade, I cut out a slit from the reflector allowing me to put it behind the batton holders; then I screwed in my bulbs:



I've got 3 30W daylight bulbs and wow; when I switched them on, the whole room went white! - You cant really get that from the photo, but believe me it was a shocker :-)



So that's it; get on and make one for yourself, then stand back and swell with pride.

Happy lighting, folks!

Kat

Crochet Valentine's Day Card

In an attempt to do something slightly different this year, I decided to crochet my partner’s “Valentines Day” card!



It was quite simple really, but rather effective.
He loved it; though he did say that he thought I may be a little mad…

The hearts are quick to make up and look great if you do the last row in a contrasting colour.
To make a heart, I did the following:

Abbreviations:
Ch = chain
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
hdc = half double crochet
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
bl = back loop

ROUND 1: Ch6, join with a sl st into first ch st, to create a loop.
ch3, do 16dc into loop, join with a sl st in the top of ch3.

ROUND 2: ch3, dc in the same space, 2DC in next 2 sts, hdc in next 4 sts,
3dc in next st, hdc in next 4 sts, 2dc in next 2 sts, 1dc in next st, Ch3, sl st in same space, sl st in next 2 sts.

ROUND 3: Ch1, sc in bl of every st until you get to the bottom "pointy bit" of the heart; in that st, do 2ch, then continue with a sc into the bl of the remaining sts, binding off with a sl st at the end.

It's round 3 that I did in contrasting colours!

I did some hearts with chunky wool and a 5mm hook and some in DK with a 3.5mm hook, but try whatever you like.

For the card bit, all I did was crochet a rectangle 20 stitches wide, and single crocheted every stitch until I got the required length. Once I was happy it was card sized, I tied off and sewed in the ends.

That's all the bits done!



I cut a piece of card to the same size as the crocheted rectangle and glued it to it - placing a heavy book on top whilst it dried, to make sure it stayed flat.



Once it was sufficiently dry, I glued on the hearts with some overlapping and again, I placed the book on top in order for them to dry flat.

So simple! I bet there are so many other occasions that a crocheted card would be just perfect for - I know I'll certainly be doing more :-)

Happy hooking!

Brain Sucking Rainbowfish Hat!

I've just finished my "Brain Sucking Rainbowfish Hat"...

....and now it's trying to finish me!! AAARRRGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!











I reckon I'll be getting some looks in Asda later!! Loving it x

LOL Cats :-)

Surely everyone has seen a LOL Cat picture or two by now...
Well, love them or hate them; I don't think they are going away any time soon! Personally, I think they are brill and I was ever so grateful to my kitty today when he offered me a photo opportunity just right to make a Lol Cat picture of my very own:



Thank you, Mr Wilson xx

Making Music Again :-)

Rob and I are finally getting around to making music again after having made our back room into a bit of a studio! The plan is to get gigging again so it's back to the practicing stage for us, though we are also recording at the same time and it's great fun; It's nice to be getting a feeling of accomplishment again!

This is the first track we've finished, it's not bad quality for being recorded in what is effectively a study.

Loops, loops everywhere!! :-)

Today's visit to the propagator found loops popping up all over the place!

As a consequence, the prop has now been moved under the lights - no leggy seedlings in this house if you please......







So the scores on the doors so far:

Orange Hab - (loved them last season and still have a freezer full!) 0/2
Peruvian White Hab 1/2
Yellow Pointed Hab 2/2 (Possibly not if this is a rogue seed!)
Chocolate Hab 0/2
Fatalii 0/2
Yellow Scorpion 0/2
Jamaican Red Hot 0/2
Jamaican Mini Bonnet 0/2
7 Pot White 0/2
7 Pot Brain 1/2
Dorset Naga 0/2
Bhut Jolokia 0/2
Bonda Ma Jackques 0/2
Turbo Pube 0/2
Cili Goronong Yellow 0/2
Bulgarian Carrot 1/1
CAP 253 C 0/2
Black Scorpion Tongue 1/2
SuperChilli 0/2
Limo 2/2
Baby Sweet 1/2

Not a bad start at all! :-)

Kat's "Two-Sticks" Easy Cable Hat

Well, I've knitted so many of the "Two-Sticks" Ear-Flat hats, I decided it was time I moved on a little! I've always feared cabling, but discovered it can be really easy and I've made a pattern that gives a really nice continuous design around the hat. Again, this hat is knit up on two needles, no circulars required :-)

Where I have put "C6F" all you have to do is slip the next 3 stitches onto a spare needle and hold them forward (to the front of the work) then knit the 3 stitches that follow those. Once you've done that, knit the 3 from the spare needle so in effect, they are crossing over the previous stitches.

ABBREVIATIONS:
K = knit
P = purl
K2tog = knit 2 together
P2tog = Purl 2 together
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
St-St = Stockinette
sts = stitch(es)

YOU WILL NEED:
5mm Needles.
Chunky yarn in whatever 2 colours you would like. I used a variegated yarn for my main colour so the finished hat has more colours in it.

METHOD:
Cast on 98 sts in the colour you'd like for the band.
ROW 1: (K2, P2) to end
ROW 2: (P2, K2) to end
ROW 3: (K2, P2) to end
Row 4: (P2, K2) to end

Continue in established pattern until you have 20 rows, ending on a WS row.
Changing to the main colour and St-St 2 rows.
Now it's time to start the cabling.

CABLE PATTERN:
ROW 1: K1, (K2, C6F, K2, P2, K2, P2) 6 times, K1
ROW 2: P1, (K2, P2, K2, P10) 6 times, P1
ROW 3: K1, (K10, P2, K2, P2) 6 times, K1
ROW 4: P1, (K2, P2, K2, P10) 6 times, P1

Repeat the above 4 rows another 3 times.
Knit Row 1 & 2 once more.

REDUCE FOR TOP
Now it's time to start reducing for the top of the hat.
K1, (K10, K2tog) 8 times, K1 - 90
Purl Row
K7, K2tog to end - 80
Purl Row
K6, K2tog to end - 70
Purl Row
K5, K2tog to end - 60
Purl Row
K4, K2tog to end - 50
Purl Row
K3, K2tog to end - 40
Purl Row
K2, K2tog to end - 30
Purl Row
K1, K2tog to end - 20
Purl Row
K2tog to end - 10
P2 tog to end - 5

Cut the yarn, leaving a good length tail; enough to sew down the seam. Thread the tail through remaining sts and pull tightly together to secure.
Sew down the row ends (using mattress stitch if you can, but not essential).

Sew in any ends (or worms as my other half likes to call them) and you are finished!
If you'd like, you can add something like a button or a knitted flower - Put the finished hat on your head, position the accessory in front of a mirror so it is where you like it and then sew it down; preferably, take it off your head first or your accessory may be a tad more permanent than you'd like!

You should end up with something like these lovely hats: