Something on the hook

I haven't had my crochet hook out for a while but decided I needed something to keep me busy and not fall into the trap of getting onto the computer in the afternoon. So I pulled some wool out and made this up while chatting to the kids as they played. I've been really enjoying my plain black one I have and thought I'd make a coloured one and see what I thought.

It's a little narrower that my other one, but I'm still happy with it. I'm sure it'll be too hot soon to wear them...so will wear it while I can! It's not as blue IRL, much more of a light sea-green/sage colour with purples going one way and khaki/maroon going the other.

Our edible garden

Finally!

We have some food to eat lol.

Our first strawberries...and they were SO nice! Not very big, but very juicy and sweet.

Chickens enjoying the left overs.

Strawberries snuggled under their bird netting - this is an old garden piece made my step-grandfather (who would be about 115 by now if he were still alive).

Eyeing up the plums that are quickly ripening.

Sugar snap peas!

Being enjoyed...

The last cauliflower that is quickly growing (other seedlings are now in the ground).

We've been enjoying the side shoots off all our broccoli plants still

Rhubarb - needing to recover after being eaten a few times a week!

And of course...eggs. We're getting one or two a day. We could really do with another couple of chickens I reckon. The only thing stopping me was the traumatic time I (and the chickens) had in introducing these little girls to the existing two girls (who sadly are no longer around).

Cleavers Lemonade

I have been meaning to make this for a while. I had read it over at Johanna's Wild Concoctions and decided to give it a go.

So we gathered plenty from our rather abundant patches growing around the outer edges of our backyard.

Got together all the required ingredients (I used the blender method and then strained it through a muslin cloth (spent its previous life briefly as one of Danielle's blankies until she found a preferred one that is now a grey rag!). This is now my herbal cloth that I have taken out with me to gently bundle together foraged herbs and thought it would be good for straining too (it dyed a deep green from the cleavers juice, so I then had to add more juice to dye the rest - just in case it doesn't wash out lol).

And the final result was very nice! The kids had a small glass each as well.

She's pretty happy with it!

As much as I am grateful for the rain, I'm happy for it to go away now and Danielle would like to go out a gathering...

And finished

I realised after I'd finished it and put it on to take the photo that there was a small snip at the hem - I remembered that I was meant to take about 5cm off the width to fit Danielle better...oops! It will probably be ok still, if not, maybe I could make another and we can match lol.

I'm really happy with it and think she'll like it. I left the straps long so she can bring them around the front and tie them herself. So here's Danielle's Nature Collection Apron based on a craft apron.

One of those days...

...of the gorgeous, relaxed, simple and down to earth kind.

The kids and I started off reading a chapter of Heidi and then Nathan wanted to re-read our book on early man.

Then out to the garden to give it a good watering (we haven't had rain for quite a few weeks and it's been getting warmer and a LOT of wind to dry out the soil). The new seedlings we popped in the ground over the last week have all settled in nicely. We noticed the other seedlings are beginning to take off, potatoes needed a bit more mounding, the strawberry plants are loaded with fruit and the plums are beginning to turn red. I moved my pumpkin seedlings into a redundant compost pile but had to cover it with netting as the chickens jumped on and kicked them all out again.

Meanwhile Nathan was inspired to build a lean-to hut like he'd seen in our prehistory book.

The chickens moved in right away lol.

The kids moved into the sandpit and Nathan retrieved the baking soda and vinegar to make volcanoes. He showed me something he discovered if he made a paste of baking soda and water and how it would glob off his fingers but keep it's shape.

While reading Heidi earlier on, we read of Heidi running in the meadows with her apron on and collecting flowers. It made me think of Danielle and her love of collecting flowers and things from nature whenever she's outside. So I decided to make her a wee half-apron with pockets on the front to store her treasures and remain hands free. We popped out mid afternoon and went to the local charity shop and found some pillow cases to refashion into the apron. I had the flowery fabric in my stash set aside for her to make another Lazy Days Skirt at some stage (hopefully there'll be enough left) - she's still wearing those two skirts as well so I won't need to make up the other fabrics till next summer. This is where I'm at (just roughly pinned on to check the layout). I will use the floral for the waistband and ties and have a ribbon to put along the tops of both sets of pockets to firm them up.

Here are the flower oils infusing on the windowsill.

I've been doing less of this during the day (sitting at the computer - it's funny what you find on your camera when you weren't expecting it)...and for the past few weeks the kids have been doing zero TV after 9am and haven't missed it a bit.

And the rain has finally arrived to give the ground a decent soak and refill the water tank which is solely used to water the garden.

Flowers

Today Danielle and I collected flowers to make infused oils.

First up was a violet flower infusion. This one we really only made because I had loads of tricolour flowers (heartsease) to be picked along with some pansies. So we filled up just a small bottle, added olive oil and have it now sitting to infuse. This can be used as an after-bath moisturising and is a "feel-good" oil for anger and anxiety. I could have made a violet syrup which is good for coughs - but figured I had a few other remedies brewing already.

We then made a lavender oil as an after-bath oil too since the plants are in full bloom. Good for calming and soothing the senses and a muscle relaxant if rubbed into sore muscles.

This afternoon, Danielle and I popped into the local plant shop and she was eyeing up all the roses - she loves them. Hmmm, I'm never really been into roses, but I could see a lovely climbing rose in the garden somewhere - now I'm wondering if the rosehips from climbing roses would be the same as others and therefore a benefit to my medicinal garden?

Things are moving right along now!

Finally! The weather has warmed up (well, mostly...) and the garden is starting to look like the start of a productive garden.

I've discovered HEAPS of pumpkin seedlings that have come up in one of the patches where the chickens have just moved on from. It's conveniently at the edge of my garden, so a bit of repositioning of some of the seedlings and I'll have a nice pumpkin patch out of the way of other things.

The kids bean and pea tepee is coming along well. Today we strung up more string around the poles (and Nathan improvised and hacked down a creeping vine thing with a nearby rock to use to tie around too) to allow them to climb higher. We found the first lot of sugar snap peas ready to eat. Crunch!

I dug out the compost from one of my bins and loaded it into a nearby bed to plant out some seedlings that I bought from the supermarket this morning. I figured, rather than feeling disgruntled at the lack of action and how far behind my own seedlings would be is to get a little headstart by buying a few bundles. So I now have another 6 decent size tomato plants, 9 broccoli, 9 cabbage and 20 red onions on the go.

Now, I'll be back to seeds for my successional planting...tomorrow will put a tray of medicinal herb seeds (I was given a few packets from a friend) and will check through my stash for other vegetables to get going.

I was given a bunch of vegetable seedlings that a friend wasn't able to put in her garden due to moving shortly. So I will babysit them in my garden for her since I have loads of space to fill up. Some of them are corn which I had decided not to grow this year but then decided I wanted cornsilks for my herbal stash and she can have the corn , so it works out well.

Have been harvesting more little cauliflowers and have about another half dozen to go. At least there was some return from my winter garden!\

The day was so hot we saw the chickens in the pond (standing on the mesh wire to drink through the gaps) - obviously their own water wasn't quite the exciting challenge. They have also taken to dust bathing and resting in the kids sandpit.

We've turned into a potato farm with all the self-seeded plants from last year's left behind potatoes - I did a big tidy up during the week by pulling out all the weeds and mounding them up.

My herbal study is coming along and I've been making up tinctures, infused oils and drying - have done dandelion root (the spring root provides different benefits to the autumn root) and calendula flower oil.

We have been foraging in local areas and so far found - nettle tops with seeds (although the seeds aren't really ready atm so I'll stick with the leaves for now), pine needles, red clover flowers and blackberry leaves. These are currently drying.

My food storage is due for it's quarterly audit lol. So over the weekend will pull it all out for checking and replenishing.

Our cosy home

The sun was shining, the house was tidy, rooms have been decluttered lately and I thought I'd take a few shots of how things are at the moment (well, not all the time...).

North end of the lounge/kids play area

South end of the lounge

Dining room from lounge

Dining room/entry to house from kitchen

Hallway, from dining room (Danielle's room at the end)

Danielle's bedroom

Nathan's bedroom

Our bedroom

My little sitting area in our bedroom - taken from the doorway. Perfect for a cup of tea in the sun after lunch with a book.

Kitchen

Bathroom

Newly painted laundry

Outdoor spaces