sometimes I miss being a crafty blogger

Sometimes I miss being a crafty blogger. Sharing post after post about dresses I've sewn, tee-shirts I've printed and blankets I've crocheted.

Way back then when I started this blog, four years ago this month, my girls were much smaller and needier but somehow I seemed to have more time for the making. I was always making. And always planning my next make. My world and my blog revolved around it.

Piles of fabric, pattern pieces cut out, overlocked, seams sewn, pockets, appliques, trims, details...

I made enough to clothe my family, to give away as gifts and to even have an online store to sell the excess.

And despite my productivity, I'm sure that way back then I dreamed of a day when the girls would all be at school and I would have interrupted time. Uninterrupted time to make. Time without any helpers, time without any interruptions and time to sit down and work on a project of my design from start to finish. Imagine that?!!

But somehow now that I'm there, I have less making time. How is that even possible?

Before my last baby started school this year I made my self feel better by thinking about how much time I would have to sit at my sewing machine making dresses. I thought I'd be able to finally get to work on some of the printing ideas in my head. And I dreamed of cozy crochet sessions over cups of tea with friends in the afternoons.

But none of this has happened. Today I actually sat down at my sewing machine to sew Miss Pepper a dress for the first time all year. Only to find it was a disaster when she got home and tried it on. And it's such a shame because it was so cute and denim and had appliqued buildings on it. But she declared that it made her look like she was wearing a tent and she was right!!

I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of practice.

Somewhere along the line, I lost all my crafty time. Well all except the knitting time and the time for stitching up bunting to go in some book shops that will stock my book.

That's what the top picture is about. Fabric and cotton to make the bunting, little knitting needles to encourage the little girls to keep knitting and a choice of two yellows for Miss Indi's new beanie (she lost her last one).

And then there are the three bear beanies I knitted on the weekend.

The green one was too green for the birthday four year old.

The pink one on top of it was too big for the birthday four year old.

And the third one I cast off ten minutes before the pony party on the weekend and was juuuuuust right, (thank goodness).

Ravelry deets here.

I wish I had time tomorrow to have another go at sewing a dress. I even think I know how to fix all the mistakes I made today. But we're spending the day picking olives. We have to get them off the trees before the birds get them all.

Maybe I'll sew when the girls leave home....or when we retire....

How come the slow life is such a busy life?

xx

How to make fruit leather ❤ SO YUM!!

Finally, after many months of supplying us with their delicious fruit, our apple trees are dropping their last few leaves and getting ready to go to sleep for the long, cold winter ahead. They've worked hard for us this year and we've eaten, shared and sold hundreds of kilos of fruit. Hundreds of kilos of crisp, tart, juicy, sweet delicious apples.

And now as winter sets in and makes herself comfortable, we're making plans to use up the last 20 or so crates we have left and to switch off the cool-room. Heritage varieties of apples are delicious in their season, but are not meant to last a long time.

So along with the stewing and juicing and eating fresh, we've been making apple leather. Constantly. And the girls have been eating it as quickly as we've been making it. It's totally delicious.

So I thought I'd share the simple recipe here just in case you wanted to make some too.

First wash, peel, core and slice your apples and place them in a saucepan on a low heat on the stove.

From what I've read, the rule is to add half a cup of water to the saucepan for every four cups of chopped fruit, but I just add a big glug here and there to make sure the mixture isn't too dry and isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the juice of half a lemon and some cinnamon if you feel like it. Have a taste and see if you need to add some more.

Simmer and stir. Simmer and stir, until the fruit is soft and mashable.

Using a food processor or a blender, mash the cooked fruit until it is completely smooth and lump free. Like baby food.

Lay a sheet of baking paper over your oven trays.

Spread apple mixture evenly over one oven tray at a time until the mixture is about half a centimeter deep.

Place your trays in the oven at the lowest heat setting possible and leave the oven door slightly ajar. You might need to place a spoon in the oven door to keep it from closing but beware, the spoon will get very hot.

(This oven method is wonderful for us because our wood cooker is on 24/7, but a food dehydrator will work just as well.)

Keep the fruit leather trays in the oven for as long as it takes to completely dry out. We've found it best to leave the trays in the oven overnight as the process takes about eight to ten hours.

The apple leather is ready when it is no longer sticky or wet, but dry and leather-like.

Once your apple leather is ready and dry you can peel it off the baking paper and roll it up.

Keep the baking paper sheet and use it again on your next batch.

Cut the fruit leather into little bits.

Or chop it into cereal or salads.

We like to store the rolled up apple leathers in a glass, sealed container. To be honest, I have no idea how long it will keep as our girls eat it almost as quickly as we can make it.

What I do know is how great it feels to feed our family something we have made from the freshest, organic fruit, with no sugar and only two ingredients. No nasties, no numbers.

And there have been reports that even the kids who only eat junk food in their school lunches love it too, so it must be a winner. Yay!

OK, off you go, if you get some in the oven now, it'll be ready for their school lunches tomorrow.

I'm off to peel this lot.


See ya later - apple dehydrater!!

Let me know how you go, OK.

xxxx

The Turkish coffee grinder & other adventures

Yesterday we went to Melbourne and found LOVE!

I have a few winter warmer tricks at home to get us through the freezing cold days, but yesterday needed something bigger. Something stronger. Something more hard core than soup, stripey socks and silly dancing to get us through the irritating coughs, sniffles and muddy puddles everywhere.

So we got the girls out of bed a little later than usual. We ate breakfast when they should have already been at school. We piled in the car and headed off to Melbourne.

We were on the hunt for a Turkish coffee grinder and an adventure.

We ate lunch and drank lots of coffee at the always awesome Seven Seeds.

As our waiter placed each plate in front of each of us he whispered a barely audible yum! which was cute and so very accurate.

My salad was made of freekah, corn, chickpeas, pomegranate, rocket and feta and was possibly the best salad I've had all year, if not ever. Bren had kangaroo and the girls thought that was hilarious.

Then we drove through a yarn bombed city street. Royal Parade renamed Royal Granny Parade. Each of the trees wore a colorful decoration. And I wished we had had more time to walk along and admire every amazing work of art. (Watch the video about it here).

Then we walked up and down Sydney Road Brunswick. We admired the new to us shops and decorations and people. We bought some clothes in an op shop, some pies in a Lebanese bakery and a Turkish coffee grinder, some Turkish coffee to try and six small Turkish coffee glasses.

We ate a sandwich dinner at my farmer boy's folks house and then we drove home in the dark. Possibly a bit later than we should have.

My clever, thoughtful boy had left the kitchen stove burning and set up the lounge room fire so all we had to do was light it and we were extra toastie.

When they were tucked into their snugly beds, he told the girls a story of a talking Turkish coffee grinder. They laughed and laughed and all slept through the night for the first time in ages. No eczema, no coughs, no drinks, no nightmares.

We felt happy, like we'd done the right thing by our family by having a day away.

But this morning was a different story entirely.

This morning we woke up a bit late, the little two girls were coughing constantly, Miss Pepper had a rash, they were all three cranky maganky and it took everything I had not to get swept away with the wind and the rain and the storminess.

I had thought that one great day away would mean an easier next few days, but it felt like the opposite. Like it was all so much harder than it should have been.

Never mind. I wont be put off. But maybe next time we'll take two days away instead of the one? Maybe.

And there's only 10 days until the winter solstice and two and a bit weeks until school holidays. We'll be OK.

But if you have some winter warmer tricks up your sleeve, feel free to share. I'm all ears.
Oh and freekah? Been there, done that? Are you a fan?I think I am.

Bye. xx

ps Miss Indi took the top pic. xx

details

I feel like we've just had the most wonderful long weekend. I felt like for once we had time and weren't in a crazy rush.

I feel like the farmer's market on Saturday was one of our most enjoyable and fun ever. 

I felt crazy proud that Miss Jazzy knitted alongside me in public on World Wide Knit in Public Day.

I felt like our dreams had come true when we walked down the hill to my folk's place to celebrate FarmDoc's birthday yesterday.

I feel totally surprised by how much I am enjoying Game of Thrones but that I have to remember not to watch it just before bed.

I feel like I am in a bit of a rush to finish the footy scarf knitting because the Bulldogs have a game this coming weekend.

I feel like a bit of farming is so good for my girls. I can see it in their grubby faces.

I'm feeling a bit nervous about some things I've committed to in the next few weeks.

I feel like every weekend should contain at least one bon-fire.

I feel great that we stewed a whole crate load of apples today, but I have no idea when we'll get to the next 20.

I feel a bit crazy that some little creature is eating the tops of our carrots in the garden and we don't know what to do about it. Farmer Bren thinks it's rats, I think it's a possum. I so don't want to poison or trap, but I don't know what else to do.

I feel that kind of happy that comes with spending time with people I adore.

I feel like I am loving knitting, but I miss crochet.

At times over the weekend I felt that kind of cold that only a hot bath can fix. And then a hot water bottle chaser.

I feel like my baby nephew Woody looks so much like my girls when they were babies.

I feel like I might need to knit a pale blue Mara someday soon.

This morning I felt a bit crazy about some minor details, but then I made a decision to let that stuff go.
It's not worth it.

I feel so happy when I see my gang all rugged up in their handknits.

I feel like our lives are so much better without school and I wonder if we should take tomorrow off too.

I feel like my farmer boy keeps looking at me to see if I'm finished blogging, so I'd better wrap this up.

What are you feeling?
Where are you going?
What are you doing?

xx

winter's rhubarb

An icy cold and wet winter's morning.

Four layers of clothing and water proofs on top.

A knife each and a few black crates.

The rhubarb harvest.

A visit from my Mum. Some help snipping from Miss Jazzy.

Long red stalks. Lots of talk of the future. A growing pile of leaves that are poisonous.

Some photos. Some posing. Some silliness.

A few glorious rays of sunshine.

A taste and a realisation that rhubarb is only good when cooked. Yuk!

Freezing cold fingers working quickly, snip, snip, snip.

A couple of crates filled. 

And then up to the house to weigh out the bundles and tie them up with string. A few of my favourite things.

To market, to farmer's market in the morning. With apples and beetroot and rhubarb.

And then home again, home again to make crumble. Delish.

I hope your weekend is wonderful.

And delicious.

Have you got something fun planned?
Have you got a fave way to eat the rhubarb?
Do tell.

Bye xx

In theory

I have a theory that mostly people get stuck on the details and don't see the bigger picture. At least I hope so when it comes to my crazy, chaotic, colourful home.

I have a theory that the mail you pick up in the morning dictates the type of day you'll have.

Too many bills - not so great.
No mail - blah.
An invitation or postcard - fun.
A surprise prezzy - WOHOOOO!!!!

Today I had a GREAT day!!

Thanks beautiful Dria and family for this amazing, amazing, amazing parcel of wool from Israel. The most wonderful present of all. xx

I have a theory that kale added to any meal automatically makes that meal extra healthy.

Tonight we ate kale in our pasties and in the salad. Healthy ++

I have a theory that once these last few tomatoes are finished, I can go without for the next six months if I find something to eat on my toast instead.

In the last few days I've tried pickled beetroot, semi dried tomatoes, pickled cucumbers and olives but I'd still prefer a little, rosy red cherry.

I HAD a theory that I would come home from Israel and cook Middle Eastern every day, but I really haven't. Except once. 

Maybe I should have had a theory about focusing on the actual food more and the eating less. 

I have a theory that my life is about to become VERY full of caravans and caravan merch.

I made 20 of these felt caravan book marks for some sales people out of that felt I bought last week. I hope they like 'em.

I have a theory that if you pop some interesting detail at your front door, people might not notice the enormous pile of shoes and gum boots. Maybe?

Actually, maybe that theory doesn't really work. If they don't notice them they're more likely to trip over them. Not so good after all.

And I have a theory that the excitement of winter's first broccoli is right up there with the excitement of spring's first asparagus and summer's first berries. Yum!

I have more.
But that's probably enough for now.
Do you have a theory on one of my theories, or a theory or two of your own?
I'm all ears.

xx

Proper knitting

Just over a week ago I got an email asking me to knit something for the Guardian Angel Knitting Program which encourages Aussies to knit a gift of woolen warmth for a child in need. I cried. I always cry about charities that help children, but something about helping with hand knits just got to me. Every child deserves a bit of hand knitted, woolly goodness I think.

If you would like to be a Guardian Angel and knit something for a child doing it tough, you'll find all the details here. I knitted my beanie in wool, but if you don't mind acrylic, there are a couple of packs of acrylic yarn and straight needles available from the charity to get you started. To be honest I'm not sure how many, but if you are interested in one please leave you contact deets in the comments and I'll pass them on.

The details of my project are here.

After I finished the red beanie, I knitted a chunky cable beanie for my farmer boy. Farming in Daylesford in winter is freezing cold work.

Project deets here.

And then I knitted him a balaclava.

I know!

He looks a bit like this dude don't you think?!

But the main thing is that he loves it! It's not quite as cozy as a tractor with a cab on it, but at least it's something.

Details here.

Sometimes he even wears them both at the same time!

We think he looks funny, but as long as he's warm, right?!

Next up on the sticks is a footy scarf!!
On straight needles!!

Who even am I?

It's for my sister Emily. I love her. And I love thinking about her and my Mum in a wool shop (my world), listening to people discussing their woolly projects, describing her project and buying her wool (not acrylic). And I love that even though she owns several Bulldogs scarves already, she still wants a handmade one. And I love thinking about her as I knit each row next to the wood stove at night. And I love that she paid me in coffee beans (unnecessary but nice). And I am loving knitting with straight needles. I haven't used them in years, but something about them makes me feel like I'm doing proper knitting. Strange but true.

Knitting makes me happy. And keeps them warm.

What's making you happy? Or warm?

xx

PS My blog is now on bloglovin - whatever that means.