Pickling Beetroot

I'm preserving the beetroots in vinegar, water, sugar and spices with my Fowlers Varcola unit. Lilly likes to help. My hands resemble Lady Macbeth's! I should have worn gloves. I've found a site which will be great for helping me dye fabric with beetroot at Pioneerthinking.com

We also have a walnut tree in the garden :D I see some more dyeing happening. I may even let the kids play with me.

Picking Beetroots

This morning Peter picked the beetroots from the garden

ipod Cozy

Peter gave me an ipod for xmas. I love listening to podcasts. I made myself a cozy so I could carry my ipod around my neck as I prepare meals and do "housework" ( I don't do much of that!) I had to piece it of course :D

Origami Bag

This little bag is so easy to make. The directions came from:
www.secretworkshop.com
Took less than 30mins to make even with the handsewing of the outside pocket! I'm going to make a couple more for my gift cupboard.

Handy Bags - Production sewing

I finally finished them. I'll never make 5 together again! I've listed them all in the store. One more thing off my WIP's list.

Fun Quiz

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!
Both Peter and I are Kangas!
I'm not sure if this is really me! I am naughty sometimes! Peter never is :D

First Pickings

Here is the first of the crop. Peter wouldn't pose for a photo. Lilly was more than happy to.

Not my best Soaker

I thought I had enough wool to knit the soaker. I ran out 3/4 through so finished it with the Possum Merino from the Purly Curly and crochet the legs with the Heirloom wool from the Doodlepants shorties. She'll be wearing them at night so no one should see :D and I used up the scraps of yarns. Must be the quilter in me. :D I had to piece even when I knit.
The pattern for this one came from Punk Knitters

New Nappy.

Lilly's new CuddleBuns nappy arrived today. A little late for xmas but still usable. Lilly loves her new nappies and loves having her photo taken. Such a little poser! I made the dress she's wearing. I'm going to include a similar design in the Desert Rose Toddlers Collection.

Hot off the needles

I found the time to start and finish Lilly's Doodlepants! I knitted while I waited for the xmas cake to bake and the trip to Adlelaide gave me another 7 hours of knitting time and I finished them in front of the cricket this morning! The wool came from Dyelicious on Ozebaby. I should have enough to make a soaker too. That's my next knitting project.

Xmas Day - A family Day

We travelled to Adelaide to spend xmas with my family. It was a wonderful day. We had turkey, pork and vegiies for lunch and the kids were spoilt with even more presents! With little traffic on the road we had a quick ttrip, we were home by 9pm. This year the we had 2 xmas days. This is the first xmas we have spent with my family in many years. I really like living closer to them. Instead of a two day drive, it's now a 3 1/2 hour drive to be with them.

12 x 12 x 12 Challenge - sneak look

I've just had a wonderful time fingerpainting fabric with paint and fabric medium! It's the start of my first 12 x12 x12. Just have to wait for it to dry so I can go play some more. If you want to see the final piece come back on the 12 th January 2007!
Now where are those beads.......

Xmas Eve

MERRY XMAS TO ALL



Now for the cleanup!

Xmas Cake is done

Last night, at 11pm, I decided to make the xmas cake. I didn't read the instructions! I get to the end and it says, "bake 2 1/2 hours and let cool 30 mins". I had to stay up until 2am! Another late night. Fern and I have just finished icing the cake and decorating it ready to take to Nanny's on xmas day. I put marzipan under the icing yummm. Now I will have to go eat the remaining marzipan.

THe Best Daddy in the Whole Wide World

Peter is the most wonderful dad. We have been asking Fern (DD1) for weeks what she would like for xmas and she hasn't told us. This morning she says, " I want a Hide and Seek Care Bear". We already have a stash of presents bought and everything organised. Peter has just driven to Pt Pirie to get her one 75kms away! The kids and I are so blessed to have Peter in our lives. He is wonderful and I love him so much. Let's see how long it takes him to find this on my blog HeeeHeee. He hasn't got my password so he ain't changing this Blog!

The House

The house we bought is a 1910 stone cottage. It had been painted cream. We had it sandblasted to get rid of the paint and have had a stone mason repair and repoint the walls.



This is after the sandblasting.



This is the house now. Still have a lot to do. The wood work needs repainting and the bricks now need to be scoured of the remaining paint and painted with a special lime wash. We want to return the house to it's original beauty and the stone masonary we had done is just as much about restoration and preservation of the walls as appearance. The house is currently 96 years old and I think she needs to be preserved. A long way in the future we would like to remove the back bessablock extension and build a family room and new bathroom and laundry.