Quince paste: a lesson in patience

Um, hi there! Okay, so let’s just say that we spoke last week… okay?

Tried something completely new today. Something that required patience. (Between you and me, I’m a bit light on patience. Excepting with my boys. Oh, and while we’re talking, I’m a bit attention deficit, too. But that’s for another day.)

  

I’ve been watching our quince tree, each year, being picked to pieces by king parrots. Oh, such a wonderful Australian bird (etc),  I just wish they would stop having a couple of mouthfuls of every fruit in my garden.

So after one catastrophic tree netting experience last year (a bird got in, but couldn’t get out, and I spent a good portion of one afternoon simultaneously trying to calm my three boys, calm a bird enough to get her untangled from a net, and stop myself from hysterically sobbing), I decided there had to be another way of keeping the fruit for us. So, this year I watched them nibble and drop about eight quinces, and then I picked them all early.

  

I’ve never eaten a raw quince before, have you? Well technically I have now, because after every single website told me not to, well, I had to try it today. (Wow, living on the edge there Mrs Pickles!) Guess what? The internerd is right. Raw quince is bitter, feels pretty gritty and awful in your mouth; it’s yuck.

  

But they’re so pretty with their furry skins and starry shaped bottoms.

  

Anyhoo, today I tried to make quince paste.

  
Did it work out? I have no idea! I’ll know in about eighteen hours if it has set.

  

But here’s what I do know. Cooking quinces is like magic. 

They transform themselves (with a little bit of applied heat, stirring and yes, sugar), from hard green-yellow bitter things into a glossy, delicious, jammy delight.

  
Now I’m just crossing every finger and toe that this becomes a quince paste (aka quince “cheese”) and not a quince jam by tomorrow afternoon.

  
If I can cut this thing into pieces and gift to some of my dearest people I’ll be thrilled.

At any rate, it was a good practice in patience. It literally takes All Day. But rewarding! And someone had to lick the spoon clean! Now, cheese platter, anyone? (Wish me luck).

Chat soon xx

Another crazy night

  

…in Australian politics, that is. With the number of Prime Ministers in this country over the past five years, it is no wonder some of us get frustrated by the absence of good, well-considered, effective federal policy.

I was supposed to be spending the night at the sewing machine tonight. 

But when politics gets interesting, you’ll find me here.

  

Who knows if this will change anything. Let’s hope the change brings some kindness.

Chat soon xx

Another baby on the way

Before leap to crazy conclusions, no, not ours, but just as worthy of celebration. This baby is coming to some dear friends of ours who have been walking a terribly difficult road. We are so incredibly happy for them, to be so close to meeting their third precious bundle. 

I am working on something for bub’s arrival, but tomorrow I am catching up with the woman-who-is-growing-a-whole-person (even when she’s sleeping, she’s still busy). And I had to be able to give her something. 

So here it is:

  

My first ever beanie! This was such a straightforward crochet job.

  
I just made up a ribbed rectangle, stitched a seam up the back and gathered the top. But it looks cute. And will grow with the bub, too, because of the ribbing.

Yay! Armed with this and a tray of brownies tomorrow, I’m pretty sure I’ll be a welcome visitor.

Hope you and yours are well.

Chat soon xo

Beauty in the small stuff

vegemite and captain america

It’s everywhere. The stuff with kids. You know, the Lego guy on the toilet floor, the captain America on the kitchen bench, the countless textas (markers) and bits of paper…

I’m trying to find some joy (as opposed to frustration) here. Amongst the abandoned undies, the toast crusts, the teddy bear in the middle of the hallway.

This is not about hoarding, or needing to declare some sort of pledge about no more stuff. This is about me learning to accept that this is the way of life with three beautiful but incredibly busy (read:messy) boys.

 

So bear with me for a while lovely people, I’m trying to convince myself it’s not all bad. And I’m trying to do that through photos. Which I’ll probably share here. Exciting times, no?

Hope you and yours are well and happy. 

Chat soon xo

Shhh! Secret crochet project

hi!

I’m madly crocheting at the moment, and following a pattern (!). It’s a bit of a cheeky secret gift for someone. It’s pretty.

  

It’s just an acrylic Panda yarn, but the colours are lovely.

 
I got the pattern on ravelry, from Naturally Nora (a very productive crochet pattern maker) here. It’s gorgeous. This one is a little more “far out” because of my yarn choice.

  
Much of my first night was spent ripping rows I somehow stuffed up, but now I’m on my way there is no looking back. I have just five to six more rows to go and then I’ll be adding some plain wooden toggles. But no telling, it’s a secret.

I’m sure many of you out there are expert hook wielders…. what pattern/project/tutorial can you recommend for someone who is really just starting out?

Chat soon xx

Nope, can’t be true.

hi. anyone out there?

feeling a touch embarrassed about my long absence. meanwhile, my instagram is chockers (ie., full, for those of you not raised in Aus). but no posts since May?!? nope, can’t be true.

okay, so a quick update: the gherkin is seven, little is five, baby just turned three. the craft in the nooners (local craft group who meet at our place once a month) pombombed our main street for our annual winter festival. I’m learning to knit! I’m helping teach a local class how to crochet. my writing work is insanely busy and I have little time to sleep, let alone craft. i wouldn’t give it up for anything. the boys are absolute dreamboats. the gherkin lost his first tooth.

Life is Good.

i will be back soon. now I’m over my embarrassment about the quiet, it will be easier to pop back in for another post.

Chat soon! xo

Granny gets some love.

Hi there! You know when you start a project and run out of steam, or get bored. (You do too, right?) Well, some time ago I started a granny rug. I only did seven rows before I packed it away. 

 

Enter the renovation.

Boxes unpacked, cabinets emptied, and old works in progress discovered. So for the past few nights I have been working some more on this one. And I think it may just be my favourite.

  

I am being a bit looser with my yarn choices for this on, and I am loving the variety this is bringing.  

 

Such a hip young thing, this is how I spent my Friday night. 

Happy weekend!

Chat soon xx

So, I made a skirt!

Some of you may know that feeling as a mum when you get out of bed having had no sleep and just feel, well, bleurgh.

Sad as it may sound, that’s when I reach for some bright bangles, beads, nail polish, lipstick, or some fabric. And fake it. Yep, sometimes the day can be turned around by a quick sew and in this case, a new skirt.

So I a few days ago, feeling very, very bleurgh, I sewed. I confess, I cheated. I did that old trick of taking my hip measurement, using that as the width of the top of the skirt and then sketched an a-line shape going down from there on both sides, to the length I liked. No pattern sketches, just cut the fabric out ( x2 – front & back), sewed side seams, elastic casing, inserted elastic and hemmed. Voila! 20 minute skirt.

I bought this fabric from spotlight years ago to make a girlfriend a mermaid costume. I’m so thrilled I kept the leftover fabric. Wish I had a better photo! This fabric just makes me smile.

Better photos later. Promise.

Chat soon lovely people xx

Ps. Oh, and yes, it is summer in Australia. But not in the Southern Highlands. Foggy and cold here today – brrrr! xx

Taking mistakes and turning them into something good.

Hi there!

I made another crocheted basket the other day. It didn’t work out. Not sure what I was thinking about when I did it, but I definitely wasn’t counting stitches! The bottom was a mess. It was so bad, I didn’t even take any photos. A rare event in this place (that is, not taking a photo is rare! crafting mishaps are much less rare!)

Last night, in the midst of a declutter frenzy, I picked it up. Thought about throwing it in the bin, but I really loved that yarn. Thought about unravelling it and starting again, but my heart sank. Then i realised. Turn it upside down and Voila! Beanie.

A bit of a strange shape still, but the recipient doesn’t care. 24 degrees here and Baby’s still wearing his “special hat”. Love him.

Please tell me I’m not the only one resisting chucking crafty accidents in the bin?

Chat soon xx

Warning : Gratuitous pug shot!

Here he is. Seven and a half years old and still deliciously lovely, if decidedly mad! Good evening to you and yours xx