It’s hot.  Really hot and I’m hibernating under the air conditioner trying to get organised for the coming weeks and Christmas which is looming faster than I ever thought possible.

I have hung out the washing.  Dashed down the street to grab baking paper as I had run out.  Rushed home got the tins for the fruit cakes ready.  Popped up to the primary school to listen to readers, came home and mixed up and threw the fruit cakes in the oven.  Tidied the kitchen – sort of and now I’m trying to work out what to get and what not to get as presents for Christmas.

If my children are reading my blog – NO…….I haven’t made/bought/found your Christmas presents yet so there is no good searching the house as you won’t find them. YES……… I have a lengthy list of suggestions from you all – now it’s a case of ………..

A/ finding what you want,

B/Affording what you want or

C/ Ignoring what you want and getting you what I want you to have…..vbg.

I have been busy crocheting tops onto hand towels as part of my Christmas present giving.  You know for something that is so incredibly simple I just couldn’t work it out.  Maybe the heat has fried my brain.  A quick email to Karen and she pointed me to her Tutorial on her blog.  Wonderful woman – the tutorial is amazing and so easy to follow.

You know how people say – follow this tutorial it’s super easy and it won’t take any more than an hour or two and you will have the finished article in your hot little hands?  I admit I’m a bit skeptical when I read that as generally I have to follow the directions step by step, remember what crochet stitch is which and often rescue a ball of wool from one or both of the dogs and it always seems to take me far longer than the person who wrote the tutorial and knows what they are talking about takes.  In this case it didn’t.  While I will freely admit it does take me a bit longer than a hour to crochet a towel topper I can defiantely get it done in one or two sittings.  It actually took me longer to locate the buttons to sew onto the towel than it did to make it.  I’m so pleased with these and have at last count made four of them (the ones in the photo are destined to go to my mother) with several more to go.  They really are a quick and easy gift.  I have also been crocheting around purchased facewashers (sorry no photos) and working on my Granny Squares. Only twenty more to go and I will have enough for a lap rug.

Right off to check the fruit cakes and sort out a few more lists ready for the coming weeks.  Cohuna tomorrow for my spinning group. I am so looking forward to it but won’t be taking any spinning as I can’t find everything that I would need due to the renovations which still haven’t started.  The builder is getting so close to being on the Endangered Builders List it isn’t funny.  I might take some crochet.  I found a book on different granny squares in the library and while I love them all there are some I can’t work out the instructions to.  The Guru’s at the spinning group will know.

Have a lovely week.

Catherine

Silly Season has begun.

No I don’t mean Christmas and all it’s trimmings and commercialism.

I mean hot summer tempretures (we have already had several days of 40 degrees), air conditioners needing cleaning/servicing/installing, and fruit picking season.

Fruit picking season is the time of year when growers  get up at what Ashley so delicately calls “sparrow’s fart” to pick fruit, grade it, pack it and pop it into cool rooms ready to send off to market so it can tempt you in the supermarkets and green grocers.

It’s a time of year when Ashley can work really, really, really (he got home at 9.30 pm last night) hours and when we get phone calls at 6.30 am in the morning from a grower who had discovered that his cool room hadn’t done a defrost last night and was currently at 40 degrees!!!!!  Which I might add is not good for a growers stress levels, never mind the fruit that was in the cool room.

It’s a time of year when I spend quite a bit of time in the car delivering parts and getting to check out the countryside around Swan Hill.

It’s also a time of year when very generous growers give us the most beautiful nectarines and peaches fresh off the trees and most of it export quality fruit.  Yumm.

Crafting in the form of Granny squares is happening in dribs and drabs and sewing is non existant as is the builder who I thought might have been here this week…..arrrrrr.

Off to clean the house and wait for the phone call that says I must drive 50 mins to the growers coolroom with parts that are desperately needed.

Roll on Winter.

There’s been a light bulb moment here at Chez Calidore.

You see I’m one of those people who strives to do everything.  Keep my house clean, see to my family, craft, work with Ashley,  be a good friend, try to blog and generally I seem to fall into the trap of trying to do everything all at once.

It has been driving me insane trying to keep the house clean just as we are about to begin renovating the office and sewing room.  Lets face it when builders arrive (hopefully on Monday) and begin work there will be dust and noise and crap everywhere for some time.  Well there is already but there will be more of it.

With “Destructo Dad” in full force a week or so ago,  getting everything ready for the builders, I had a pretty good initiation of what things are going to be like around here for a few weeks.  By the time they cut holes for new doors, windows and install them and rip down walls the dust levels should be pretty amazing.  Add to the mix the plasterers and painters and hopefully carpet layers and the cupboard man and it will be bedlam.  Of course – me being me – has decided that it should all be done by Christmas so I can spend the week after Christmas, when Ashley doesn’t work, resorting and stacking the rooms and reorganising the house.  So much for rest and relaxation

Throw into that long working hours with Ashley – which seem of late to be conducted in hot and sticky weather and I’m pretty well exhausted by the time I get home.  But do I rest. NO!!!

Instead I race around trying to get everything done then throw myself down into my chair to pick up knitting needles and continue knitting a tea cosy for Mum for Christmas – which I might add is now finished so that’s one more item off my Christmas list.

Add to the mix some facewashers that I decided to crochet around, more granny squares – I’m quite addicted to them and nearly have enough to start sewing them together – and a pair of socks and a pattern that I’m longing to start but haven’t yet and you are getting the idea of just how insane it is not only in my life but also in my head at the moment.

Thankfully I did manage to get all my swap items made.  This little bag that will be filled with chocolatey goodness was the last to be made and I should get them all wrapped and possibly posted this next week all being well.

So to the light bulb moment.

It occured to me – a stray thought amongst all the many others in my mind – that I’m am self taught.  Very few of the crafts that I try have been shown to me by a real live human being.  Mum showed me the basic knitting stitches and I went from there.  Grandma showed me how to crochet – but it was so long ago I had forgotton most of it but thankfully books and the internet have woken the odd instruction she gave me and I went from there.    I learnt to quilt from books.  I bought a gammill quilting machine – sight unseen – and worked out how to use it by trial and error.  I have learned to spin by looking at videos on the  internet and again, trial and error.  While I have yet to have an “actual” spinning lesson from the ladies in the spinning group they are very free with advice and suggestions..vbg.  Most of which I follow to the best of my ability.

I taught myself how to do Brazillian Embroidery and crazy quilting – again with advice from friends – via email not through one on one teaching.  I learnt how to dye fabric and then wool by trial and error and again the internet.

I have had one quilting lesson in my life – the one on Hand Quilting that I did at Ballarat Patchwork and to be totally honest I think it was more of an excuse to have a weekend away than anything else.  I have had one dyeing day with the spinning group and it was more to meet the ladies and have fun than anything else.

I cook by instinct and thankfully have a fairly forgiving family who eat most of my messes….vbg. I garden on instinct.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.  About the only time I get lots of instruction is when I’m working with Ashley and he tells me what he wants done.

Now I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet or make myself look better than I am.  I’m defiantely not that kind of person.  Some of my efforts are pretty darn scary when all is said and done.  But I am so INCREDIBLY proud of myself that I have had the will power to get out there and try new things.  Sure they may not be the sort of things that will make a difference to world poverty or bring peace and harmony to our planet but in my little corner of the world they bring joy and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

In all of these things I don’t expect perfection.  In fact perfection rarely happens.  Yet I push myself to be the perfect wife, mother and housewife most of the time.  Then there are the  times when I’m so darned tired that I just don’t care anymore.

It occured to me, when thinking of all the things I enjoy and not expecting perfection, that they are the times when I am happiest.  Most content.  Enjoying life to the fullest.  My family is happier to because I’m not on their backs to help me out all the time.

So I have decided that PERFECTION IS HIGHLY OVERRATED and that I’m not striving for it any more.

Rhonda at Down to Earth summed it up brilliantly in a recent blog post ” Don’t mistake perfection for happiness, they are two entirely different things”.  How right she is.  I have printed out that quote and put it on my fridge as a constant reminder.

I will still do my very best – after all that’s the kind of person I am – but I will no longer beat myself up if I don’t get it perfectly right every time or even some of the time.  Instead I will learn from my mistakes and strive to do better next time.

So now having exposed my heart and soul and patted myself on the back for suddenly seeing the light I’m off to take two teenagers shopping, hang out washing and possibly find time to sit down and continue reading the very, very good book that Elise’s friend has loant me.

I hope your weekend is spent doing the things you enjoy and not worrying about perfection.

Somehow, in just a blink of an eye, my baby girl turned into a bright, confident young woman with a million watt smile.

Yesterday Nicola celebrated her 14th Birthday.

Where did time go? I’m sure it was only yesterday I was holding my baby in my arms with the midwifery nurse telling me to see what sex my child was.  I asked them to tell me  as the umbilical cord was in the way and if it was a boy his father was going to be very proud of him…vbg.  It was a girl – a sweet little girl with a smile that lit up the world and who bestows hugs – even now – with great regularity……and don’t I just love getting one of her hugs.

Happy Birthday Nicola – we love you heaps.

PS  Don’t you just love the pillow James gave Nicola?  It’s super soft and squishy and just right for cuddling…vbg.  I’m thinking of “borrowing”  it except I think Nicola might notice…sigh.

It has definately been a week of firsts this week.

The first brown snake of the season was sighted by little old me earlier this week as I was wandering down the feed the chooks.  Ewwwww – the snake that is not the chooks.  As a result Ashley and I have spent several hours this afternoon mowing weeds and moving piles, of what we will politely call “rubbish” and sorting stuff out in order to minimise the risk of snakes.  I must say down near the shed and chook pen it is looking much tidier.

The first swim of the season was had tonight.  Ashley finally found time to hook the pool heater up and it was a very pleasant 25 degrees in the water.  Of course the kids couldn’t wait even though Dad wanted to vacumm the pool first.  Of course the vacumming didn’t happen but the swimming did.

Elise drove Ashley’s work van for the first time – in and out of the shed.  She wanted to work on her wood work project for school and Ashley refused to move the truck for her.  I’m not sure of the conversation but it resulted in him throwing her the keys and walking away apparently telling her it was good for her to drive different vehicles.  I’m glad I wasn’t around.

We have also watered for the first time this year even though our watering season started at the beginning of the month.  With restricted water and keeping in mind the possible 40 degrees temps over summer, we try to put off the first watering until we absolutely have to.  Of course that first watering means Ashley and I wander around, sewing needles in hand, to unblock any drippers and sprays which have become infested with insects over the winter period.  There’s nothing as satisfying as digging a slug or earwig out of your sprinkler system and having it work properly afterwards.  Of course old clothes are mandatory as we both seem to be soaked to the skin by the end of it all.

An update – the second snake of the season has just been sighted and Ashley has gone off to see if he can find it.  Arrrrrr.

Right off to check tea – BBQ tonight and salad – nice and simple.  Have a lovely weekend.

The problem with Ashley being so busy is that I have to go and help him – lots.  Which seriously interfers with my crafting time which in turn means that I have very little that is blog worthy to show you.

The past two morning have been spent wiring a transportable home.  A fairly big one which is why it took two mornings and not just one – the afternoons have been spent catching up on other jobs.  I have to admit that even though I’m terrified of heights and ladders are not something I enjoy climbing – I have been scampering up and down one the past couple of days like my feet are on fire.  There is something to be said for facing your fears and just getting on with the job.  Well it wasn’t like I had a choice!

Free moments have been spent crocheting some of the Circle in a Square Granny Squares courtesy of 14 of an Inch.

It’s been a wonderful way to use up lots of scraps of acrylic wool that would otherwise have languished in my baskets and cupboards until time stopped.  I have even raided Mum’s knitting supplies for more colours.  There was quite a bit of debate between Mum and I as to what colour to crochet the final round in as it can really make or break this rug.  White won the day but only because Mum found three big balls of white acrylic yarn stashed away and lets face it what else are we going to use it for?  I am finding that I am working of the three coloured rounds at home and the white round while I’m in the car waiting to pick up the children from school.  If I time it right I can get a complete round of white completed before the first child to the car  slams the car door and launches into telling me about their day…..vbg.

Needing another project (who am I kidding) and something fairly basic to work on when I am a bit tired of crocheting I started this Blackberry Dishcloth.  It is a super easy pattern (despite appearances) and you only need to knit four rows for each complete pattern.

I only had four ply cotton in this lovely teal colour.  It’s scrummy to knit with, so lovely and soft but I thought a bit thin for this pattern so I simply doubled the strands to give myself a rough equivalent to 8 ply and it’s knitting up nicely.

The other big news of the last couple of weeks is that Nicola has seen the Orthodontist and defintely needs braces so we have booked in and will start the whole process in a few weeks.  She needs four teeth removed – something neither of us are looking forward to but it has to be done and then the braces applied to both top and bottom teeth.  There are just too many teeth in her tiny mouth and while she has a million dollar smile that is nearly always in evidence (don’t count the hormonal moments…sigh) it is obvious that her teeth are crooked so she has decided to do something about it.  It had to be her decision and I think the right one in the end as she is at the age of being conscious of body image – what a pity we can’t all ignore body image and what others think of us.  Nicola doesn’t stress to much but she is aware of it and if straighter teeth give her more confidence Ashley and I aren’t about to say no.

Most of the work is done over the school holidays and the braces will be fitted about 10 days before school starts next year (the day of my Birthday would you believe)  which will work out wonderfully and she won’t have to miss school.  Nicola said she will take me out to lunch that day before getting her braces fitted.  Somehow I think her idea of “going to lunch” is vastly different to mine…vbg.   Regardless we are going to have fun and as some of the work has to be done at the main Orthodontist clinic in Bendigo we also get to go shopping.  Doing the happy dance.

Tomorrow I’m hoping to get up to James’s class to listen to some of the children read – they just need a little bit of one on one to get them to the next level.  Maybe some shopping and possibly a coffee down the street as a treat.  Thursday at this stage is still free but don’t tell anyone – especially my family.  I think that it may involve more packing up of the sewing room/office ready for the renovating.  Friday is an all day excursion with James’s class, then swimming lessons with James and dropping Elise off at work and picking her up.  I think I need a Taxi sign on my car.

At this stage the weekend is looking like one very long sleep in followed by several hours veging out on the couch with a good book.

I hope your week and weekend is a good one and you enjoy yourself.

As promised, after a very looooong wait, photos and details of my jelly and crepe paper dyeing day.

Jelly, crepe paper and jelly bean dyeing is not only incredibly easy (and tasty cause you get to eat the left over jelly beans…vbg) but also heaps of fun and even the kids could do it it is so simple.

A little note here before I begin.  You need to use pure wool.  Acrylic and all that other stuff won’t take up the dyes.  Either commercial pure wool or hand spun wool (if you’re into spinning and have some spare) are the way to go.  Not only do you get a fantastic result but you also get beautifully coloured wool to knit or crochet into something scrummy later on.

Starting will Jelly Dyeing – cause that springs to mind first.   Basically you soak your wool skein (approx 50 grams in weight)  in a little vinegar.  Put your pot of water (approx a litre) onto boil, throw in the jelly a splash of vinegar and a dash of salt and stir until jelly is dissolved.  Add your squeezed out wool and simmer gently until either the water comes clear (which means all the colour has now been adsorbed into your wool) or you are happy with the colour of your wool.   See I told you it was easy.

Left – hand spun white alpaca  Right – commercial pure wool.  Both dyed in same dye pot with Port Wine Jelly.

Another note – the instructions said to use “name” brand jelly. We used everything from generic brands, diet jellies, name brands and even some “vintage” jelly that one lady had found in her cupboard with the packets dated from the late 70’s to the early 80’s – obviously jelly is not one of the five food groups in her household…vbg.  All of them worked and worked well so if you want to play use up what you have got and have fun.

Crepe paper dyeing is another goody.  Again the instructions said to use sheets of crepe paper not the crepe paper streamers however we tried both sorts and the streamers actually gave the best results.  Perhaps it’s because there were more edges for the dye to bleed from – I don’t know but it worked.

Hand spun white Alpaca dyed with purple crepe paper.

Again – and this is very basic – put a litre of water in a pot throw in your crepe paper and a splash of vinegar.  When your dye is the colour you want remove the crepe paper (trust me leaving it in there with the wool makes a horrible mess) add your wool (which has been soaked in vinegar) and simmer gently for at least fifteen minutes.  Pull it out, rinse and admire.  I found that half a small roll of streamer gave a really good result and seemed to make no difference to how strong the dye was when comparing it to a full roll of streamer used in the same manner.

Left – commercial wool dyed with Teal coloured crepe paper.  Right – commercial wool dyed with Blueberry Jelly.

Jelly Bean dyeing was fun…..especially eating the jelly beans at the end…vbg…but I admit I’m not a huge fan of it.  The other ladies had far more successful results than I did yet I did put plenty of jelly beans on the wool like they did.  Maybe my skein was too thick, I’m not sure but I’m not thrilled with the results and so far haven’t bothered to experiment further.

Again and this is basic – layout some cling film/glad wrap/plastic wrap on your bench and spread the skein of vinegar soaked wool on it.  Layer on your jelly beans and wrap so the jelly beans can’t fall off the wool but not so tightly that the wool and jelly beans are strangled.  Place the entire package in a steamer/colander over a pot of boiling water and put on the lid.  Steam for about 40 minutes (or until you are sick of waiting) then remove and rinse off.  Now the instructions do say to squish the jelly beans towards the end of the steaming with a wooden spoon.  I think I got a bit carried away with the squishing part and had a terrible time removing squished clear jelly bean from the wool….sigh.

I came home and did some more experimenting with jelly dyeing using three different colours and putting approx a third of a skein in each jar with the jelly liquid  and steaming for about 20 minutes in my rice cooker.  Not a bad results but as much as I love bright colours this was a bit to bright so I have now overdyed the wool with port wine jelly which is far nicer and gives and interesting result.  Sorry no photo of that bit yet.

You can find printable instructions at the Tasmananian Handspinners, Weavers and Dyers Guild. Just click on the link and on the left hand side of the page , towards the top are the links to bring up PDF files on crepe paper, jelly and jelly bean dyeing.

Now as always – cause I get completely carried away with any new project – I have been experimenting further with jelly dyeing and I have also been dabbling in dyeing with plant materials as some of the ladies had wool they had dyed with plants.  Absolutely stunning.  Very subtle colours and very natural so I have been raiding my garden and playing quite a bit.  The rice cooker (which I  rarely used for cooking rice) is invaluable for all this experimenting and sit outside permantly now ready for the next batch of wool.  Details of those experiments when I find the photos.

PS….and I have only just thought of this.  One of the ladies, Julie, dyed her beautiful hand spun sheeps wool in the most stunning shades of brown and fawn.  As she said she just isn’t into white wool.  Even with the darker base the dyeing went wonderfully. You could still see the jelly and crepe paper colours but they were darker and scrumptious.  Worth a try if you don’t have any white wool on hand but still want to experiment. It’s on my list to do.  The brown sheeps wool I have is washed and piled in a washing basket ready to card and spin – I just have to find time.

I had the best day when it came to achieving things today.

The washing was done and dry despite the very ominous looking clouds that were building up.  There was even a rumble or two of thunder this morning but nothing came of it.

I planted lettuce seedlings yesterday and carrot seeds today.  My new watering system in the vegie garden is working a treat and should make it so much easier to water efficiently and with less wastage especially with the hot summer tempretures we are bound to have. I even manged to get stakes in ready for when I plant tomato seeds which will hopefully happen this week. I have decided not to put in plants but use the seeds I have saved…..hopefully with a great deal of success.

I made two Christmas cakes – one in an 8 inch square tin, the other in a six in square tin.  Got to admit the six inch cake looks tiny but is really no smaller than what you buy in the shops.  It is the perfect size for gift giving this Christmas which is why I have several of them to make plus a few of the larger cakes for other gifts.  My tried and true Fruit Cake Recipe, courtesy of my Aunt Topsy, works perfectly if I use a batch and a half of mix to make both cakes.

I managed to ply several skeins of wool and alpaca that I had carded together and spun and they are now drying plus I managed to spin another skein or two of the wool/alpaca mix ready to ply.  Not a bad effort I thought and all done in less than an hour.

Another knitted facewasher has been completed. That makes a total of three in lovely soft cotton for the past five days.  James is fascinated by how soft the facewashers are and I can’t wait to use them.

The house is semi clean and vacummed.  Ok so there is still dust on the shelves but what I don’t run my fingers over to find I can’t see…..roflmol.

I have rearranged the lounge room and make it more craft friendly.  In other words my crafting chair is now in front of the window instead of being tucked in a corner where I normally hibernate.

I have found the perfect final gift for a swap I’m in here at Among the Gum Trees and will try to get a good part of it done tomorrow also.  The rest of the items for the swap are made but I wanted/needed to put in a little bit more and now I have it. The perfect final touch I believe.

Photos of the dyeing day using jellies and crepe paper have been found as has the camera with the photos on it from Ashley’s not so successful race on the weekend and I am predicting they will be this weeks blog posts – providing no disasters or work gets in my way.

It is absolutely freezing outside, despite the sun shining. Once again I had to work with Ashley and nearly froze my butt off with the wind that was whipping though the garage we were working in.  Thank heavens I was only there for about an hour or I may not have thawed out.

As a consequence of being freezing and working, and BEcause any excuse will do, I’m not gardening today.  Instead I’m holed up in the sewing room, music playing, heater on, cat sitting on my knee as I type, getting ready to sew up some more crochet hook rolls.

I made this one for myself a while ago and love it.

Inspiration came from Annie at Flower Garden when she made her Crochet Hook Roll.

I got four of them cut out yesterday so today’s job is to get them sewn.  The Cohuna Spinners and Weavers group is having a stall at the Austoberfest in Cohuna which is held at the end of October. It’s a fete held in the gardens there with the town and local community supporting it.  I haven’t been before (and unfortunately won’t get there this year) but it is, from all accounts, a really good night and heaps of fun with lots of crafty goodies from all the different groups around Cohuna to purchase.   All proceeds from the spinning groups stall  go to supporting the spinning  group and paying for insurance etc and I wanted to contribute something so I thought these cases might just be the thing.

Ohh and I get to blame Annie for yet another project.  Don’t you just love it when you get to blame someone else for yet another obsession??  Check out her beautiful crochet rug she has been making. If you go to her latest post you will see the rug in all it’s glory.  Simply stunning.  Inspiration for Annie came from here at 1/4 of an inch where you can find the free pattern.  So far I’m just playing around but can see this as a fantastic way to use up some of my (slight) oversupply of wool.  Add in the fact that Ashley is racing again this Saturday (fingers crossed the car is running properly) and I am going with him – I think it will be an ideal project to work on while watching the race.

Off to sew.  The cat and dogs have abandoned me and my music so I am left in peace to play.

Steam rising from our pool which I might add is still not heated even though everything is in place. We are waiting on the electrician to wire everything up.  Like most tradesmen he is busy working for everyone else and his own jobs are last on the list.

Reminds me of a hot cup of tea – one of which I am enjoying at the moment.

I had a fabulous day yesterday. Work today with Ashley. Not quite the same as spending the day with a bunch of very welcoming ladies who were all working on their own crafty bits and pieces – but I guess I must.