Feeling crappy.

This morning I'm sitting here feeling crappy.

Its Wednesday today and that means that for the past three days the soundtrack to my life has been the sound of poor little Pepper crying. It breaks my heart and at times has had me in tears too, but seriously, the noise.

I'm feeling crappy for the big girls who are desperate to get out of here and into the big wide world to go and do some stuff but instead are stuck at home again. I feel guilty that most of the time I can't play with them because their little sister is so needy.

I feel bad because Miss Pepper just wants to sit and snuggle with me but I am not great at sitting still for extended periods of time. If she'd let me knit then maybe...

I feel bad because I am so tired after all these nights of not sleeping that I am only doing the barest minimum around here and no one has clean undies and we are living on shortcut food.

I feel bad because Bren has so much work to do on the farm but I need him here with me to make marble runs with the girls and take turns with Pepper.

I feel bad because when I went in to Pepper in the night she started crying harder because she only wanted her Dad.

I feel guilty because I know that this will be over in a few days and I know how lucky I am and that I have no right to whinge.

I feel bad that it made me feel so happy to sew this dress yesterday when Bren took Pepper on a drive to the irrigation supplies shop. I loved working with these gorgeous vintage fabrics and sewing them into a dress for my soon to be shop.

I guess one funny thing to come out of all this was the look on my face, and my snort, and then the look on Indi's face, when the doctor told me Pepper has a severe case of coxsackie virus. Say it aloud and you'll see what I mean.

I am so lucky to have my farmer boy who makes me love heart lattes each morning and I am grateful that the sun has come out. Maybe we'll rug up and go for a walk.

Huge thanks to Jodie for this wonderful package of washer swap goodies that was waiting in my post office box to brighten my day yesterday. I love it all, its so sunny and springtimey. Thanks also to Jodie for organising another wonderful washer swap, its been great.

So what's going on with you this fine Wednesday morning?

I hope there's a bit of sunshine in your life today.

No more school & a bit of baking.

The teachers' thank-you presents were finally finished late last night and then gifted this morning. One each for Indi and Jazzy's teachers and one for the music, art and Italian teachers.

I've got a few more to make but I work better under pressure, so I'll be making them at the last possible minute.

I love how these little stacks look.

I hope they understand the whole hand made wash cloth thing. Recently I was knitting one at a market and more than one person looked at me strangely when I told them what it was.

I had so many sewing plans for the last day before school holidays, but unfortunately Miss Pepper woke up from her nap just after I'd put the washing away, so not a lot got done.

Instead we made cup cakes.

And apricot and peach pies in these gorgeous little dishes we found at the op shop yesterday.

I hope you are having a lovely Thursday.

On Bowls & Swaps.

I am having one of those days where it feels like the pressure is building and I'm being wound tighter and tighter so I'm going to try to get this out in a way that it makes sense in words the way it does in my head.

I feel like I've had a bit of a thing with bowls for most of my life.

I've been on a mission to find that perfect soup, salad and cereal bowl since I've had my own kitchen. I've even been known to accidentally drop one or two that aren't to my liking.

When I was at uni I made a dinner set out of cut-up old blankets that I zig zagged over and over on the machine until they held their own shape. Of the 3 bowls in the set, this is the only one I have left.

One of our dear friends Petrus Spronk has perfected the bowl during his life as a ceramic artist. He has travelled the world for inspiration and is in himself an inspiration to us and our community.

This bowl was a gift from Petrus for Pepper's birth. It came with a broken shard of ceramic inside it to represent the place of Pepper in our family and our place as a family in the community.

I could hold and admire this bowl for ages. It has the perfect shape. The sides have the perfect curve. The base is small but sturdy, the sides are long and smooth. Its surface is cool to touch and it is heavy enough to feel safe and sturdy in your hands.

My own work with bowls is truly a work in progress. I am experimenting with materials, shapes and patterns. I love the meditative round and round of creating the sides, but also how many new ideas come to me during the process.

I am excited to see where this journey will take me and to watch the materials, shapes and techniques that I discover along the way.

In other, non bowl related news, my washer swap package arrived today.

One of the best parts of Jodie's washer swap adventure for me has been the discovery of new blogs and like minded people. When my package arrived today I was thrilled to find that it was from the lovely Tammy. Inside the hot pink box were two gorgeous knitted butterfly washers in the softest bamboo yarn, a bar of hand made soap and one of Tammy's fabulous hand made cards.

Thank you soooo much Tammy I love it all.

Thank you too Jodie for organising the swap.

In breaking news; it seems my package has arrived at it's destination today too.

Check out Selina's lovely blog and her post about it here.

Crochet Methadone.

When I first decided to join Jodie's washer swap I scoured the internet for patterns, filling a whole bookmark folder with the links I had found. I made heaps of them; circles, hexagons, hearts and squares, made with all manner of different combinations of stitches.

This went on for a while and then I discovered amigurami and went off on a different tangent.

So of course when I got the email telling me that it's time to get the gear in the post I had a bit of a panic.

After a bit of looking back and a bit of thinking about what I like to use in the shower I decided on this pattern for a face washer. I made it out of a bamboo/cotton yarn and it is soft and luxurious feeling.

I also made up the sunflower dish washer/potholder from this pattern.

The soap I included was hand made by Kate from Daylesford's Cleopatra soap. It is lemongrass, lime and ginger and smells absolutely delicious.

I'll pop my package in the post when I take the girls to school in the morning. I hope my swap partner enjoys it.

In other news, my lovely friend Doily Steph came over for a visit today.

Steph is a bit of a keen knitter and presented me with the gorgeous wool and bamboo knitting needles in the picture below. She told me she thought I would find knitting patterns a bit more practical than crochet ones.

When Bren came in for lunch he asked Steph why she was setting me up for another addiction?

She laughed and told him she was trying to get me off the crochet addiction.

Ah, said Bren, like crochet methadone.

Squares and Washers.

I have been making crochet squares.

I am really enjoying playing with colours and new techniques.

I love the wool over and through action of crochet.

I love that the stitches are relatively limited so working out new effects is doable even for a beginner like me.

I have joined a washer swap organised by Jellywares.

It is my first blog swap and my first attempt at a washer.

Each swapper has to make a washer and send it and a five dollar bar of soap to their swap partner within the next month.

I love this whole new world of craft and swaps that Foxs Lane is opening up to me.

I love the idea of making a washer.

Until now all the washers in this house were shop bought and machine made but not any more.

Apparently in years gone by girls used to make washers in home economics at school and members of families each had their own.

Obviously I have some practicing to do.

None of the washers I have made so far have ended up as wide as they should and there's something a bit strange going on with the holes in the right side of the one below.

Perhaps I am using the wrong size hook or the wrong ply cotton.

But the best thing of all for me is the practicing.

I just can't stop.

The patterns for the top three squares are from 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton.

This book was a gift from my Mother-in-law to her Mother-in-law a few years ago. After her Mother-in-law died, she gave the book to me, her Daughter-in-law.

The Daisy Fancy Dishcloth pattern came from here.

The Scalloped Washcloth pattern came from here via here.