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.

#herecomeswinter

With the promise of more than two inches of rain on the horizon, we spent the whole of yesterday in the garden. We cleared out autumn and settled her in for the long, cold winter ahead.

We weeded, we forked over the empty beds and we filled them up with fresh compost. We picked bucket loads of carrots whose tops were starting to rot. We harvested the last of the tomatoes and beans and yanked out their vines. We thinned out and transplanted kale and spinach and cos. We planted broad beans soaked in garlic and chili (to deter the pesky possums). And we seeded a spiral of rocket and some parsley. 

And we lit a bonfire for warmth and to burn the sticks that held our tomatoes and beans up all through summer.

And my farmer boy made us cups of steaming hot Turkish coffee with cardamon.

It's a wonderful gift to realise that we are exactly where we want to be right now, doing exactly what we want to be doing. We are together, we are doing what we love: making and growing our own, we are being creative and we feel inspired and good. We feel really good.

Time and circumstances and bad weather may challenge that and probably change that, but for now it is.

And when we came in last night at dark, stoked the fire, settled in for the night and heard the rain starting to tumble down on the roof, we felt like we were up to date and on the right track.

Winter looks like she is settling in but our garden's ready for her.

If only I were as ready in the kitchen.
Soup again?
What're you having for dinner?

xx

Treasuring

So, as I was saying the other day when we were so rudely interrupted by school uniforms and lunch boxes and readers, while we didn't find any mushrooms on our forest adventure, we did find another sort of treasure. Real treasure. Old treasure.

As we were walking up to the house following the path the gorse muncher had uncovered a few days before, we came across an old gold miners' camp complete with lots of bits of old crockery and glass.

During the mid 1800s to mid 1900s Daylesford was full of thousands of workers looking for gold. Our farm has a few mines dotted about and an old race running through it.

I'm not sure I have the words to convey the feeling of coming across this little camp. Part curiosity, part excitement, part feeling like we were trespassing, part awe, part respect and part fascination.

First we examined the pile already collected. The patterns on the the shards of ceramic, the letters on the glass bottles, the handles broken off and the different shapes and sizes. And then we wandered around and started searching for more in the nearby area - slowly uncovering and digging up pieces to add to our puzzle.

As we came across each piece we'd slowly dig around it and pull it out. Miss Pepper liked to spit on and wipe them to uncover their design but we were happy to wipe them on our pants.

Treasure hunting is so addictive. Long after farmer Bren left us we were still saying 'just one more piece' and 'what if the next one is a complete jug'...

At one stage, digging out what farmer Bren thought might have once been a rubbish bin, Miss Pepper wondered if there might be ghosts around. The ghosts of the people who ate off and drank from these implements way back then. So together we made a list of some of the questions we'd like to ask these ghosts if they came.

What is your name? Where are you from and what language do you speak? How long have you been here? What is your job here? Have you found anything interesting or valuable? Do you live in a tent or a hut? Do you have a family/children? How many people are working in this area with you? What will you eat today on those plates? Did you break the plates and bottles when you left them or did they decay over time?

It's funny to think that a couple of months ago we were on an archaeological dig in Israel unearthing pieces of ceramic from 2,500 years ago, and here we were digging up 150 year old ceramic and being as excited. 

This treasure is part of our farm's history and therefore part of ours.

We're not sure what we'll do with our discoveries. Maybe we'll leave them in the pile we found them in, maybe we'll make a mosaic or maybe something else will come to us. In the mean time this basket full is doing the rounds of classroom show and share.

I just feel happy about the added layer of history it adds to our farm's story and the questions it's making us ask and think about.


Have a wonderful Tuesday my friends.
May your travels be filled with treasures.

xx