Carrots

 January is typically the month where all around you there are adverts for trying to have a healthier lifestyle. People make resolutions on the first of the month and try their best to stick to them longer than the 15th. This could be anything from taking up regular exercise, lose some weight or eat healthier by cutting out certain foods (and drinks) Dry January has been around for a few years and more recently I have seen adverts for veganuary. With the excess of Christmas in the past, these ideas seem to be sound in making steps to reverse whatever effects they may have had. To give a feel good factor by participating. 

This year however I can imagine with more national lockdowns and going without so many things that in the past we have taken for granted giving up whilst being at home is even more challenging and my hat goes off to those still ploughing forward with their healthy resolutions. 

One of my things that I have resolved to do this year is to expand the range of my designs, especially my food range. I managed to do a craft fayre last summer and the venue was in a field that normally runs the county show which had to be postponed. Like a lot of people, the organisers that run the show diversified to use the field in a different way whilst still using their experience of managing and running events. I was lucky enough to share a stall with a good friend of mine who also has had to diversify her business. She now makes, as part of her well being service, the most wonderful bespoke hampers. Our stall had a real mixture of her products that she uses, example hampers as well as my cute and quirky crochet items. 

I have often gone to craft fayres and know how important it is to have an eye catching as well as an inviting stall. There were a few fresh produce stalls at the fayre and I love the look of these market stalls. With this in mind I decided to place my “fresh” produce in trays as well and raise them slightly to give a bit of height and interest. 

Thinking back to the summer and how the month of January is traditionally a healthy one I decided there was no time like the present to get cracking on making some more of my “fresh” produce and first up on my list is my carrots. These are so simple to make, if a little fiddly at times, especially now I have refined my patterns from the original ones that I made back then. I feel these have a much smoother shape for the carrot body although you do have to do the eyes after a certain amount of rows and to make sure it gets stuffed every few rows as well as it would be nearly impossible to do once the last decrease has been completed! I have thought about adding a mouth to these vegetables but I prefer them without. I am sure they will look just as cute with one but for the moment this is not something I am going to do. 

They are going to look great as part of my garden centre inspired range when we get to do craft fayres again but for now I am going to concentrate on adding some more to my designs.