Knit With Me 6

Farrow Rib

This week we are doing farrow rib. A very easy pattern that produces a lovely texture (and I'm betting it would hide a multitude of knitting sins too)

It's knit over a multiple of three stitches, I'm casting on 42.

Row 1: *K2, P1*

Row 2:  As row 1

Told you it was easy! But it looks impressive doesn't it.

I loved last week's stitch, "caterpillar horizontal" a very easy restful stitch after that week 4 "oblique rib" which I really needed to count and keep my mind on. They are good to do though because I think scientists are going to say one day that knitting patterns are an effective brain exercise for combating Alzheimer's (like crosswords)

I wonder if they have thought of including knitters in one of their studies?

 I would be grateful if any scientists out there could pass this suggestion on.

Foot Detox Patches

Has anyone tried foot detox patches?

This is not an advertisement I'm wanting feedback from anyone in the know...

The theory is that with all the chemicals and toxins in our environment today, our bodies cannot fully be cleansed of them and that they are carried to the part furtherest from our hearts - our feet.

The patches work on the same principle as poultices.

It's advised that they are worn over night while in bed and peeled off in the morning.

The patches themselves contain amongst other things;

ionic tourmaline minerals • chitosan • vitamin C • ginger • eucalyptus leaf • powdered pear shell • starch • tree sap vinegar • bamboo sap vinegar.

At the beginning of the process the patches come away the next day black/brown/greenish and sticky.

Apparently after some time, depending on toxicity levels, they will be less wet and discoloured. Make no mistake, it's not your body leaching black stuff, that's just the moisture from your feet mixing with the ingredients.

I was all prepared to be a total sceptic about this but I'm not so sure now. My feet are notoriously sad and broken from years in retailing (so I thought....maybe they are just toxic) but I have noticed that I am less prone to hobbling and wearing shoes like I haven't been able to for years.

Body de-tox?....I'm not so sure yet ...

and I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with these?

Lest We Forget

"When you go home today,

Tell them of us.

Tell them for their Today,

We gave our Tomorrow."

Craig and I attended a well turned out dawn service at Longford today. I was sad that there was no hymn or Lord's Prayer.

I am proud to say that my daughters also attend dawn service (in Hobart this year). The prayers were missing in Hobart and Launceston services too. I think this is a shame.

For me and my children, ANZAC Day is sacred and a time to reflect and give thanks.

Anzac is so much more than men and women

It transcends the physical embodiment and encapsulates the very spirit of our nations.

"At the going down of the sun,

and in the morning,

we will remember them"

Lest We Forget

Additional edit:
I have linked Anzac Day above to a site that will explain Anzac Day.
I would also urge you to try baking these Anzac Biscuits (cookies) which are afirm Aussie tradition

Old

Some things have been inexorably been pulling me towards this point in the conversation this week so I have to come right out and say them....

and at the risk of sounding narcissistic....

Well Meaning Friend: "I think it does make you look old though"

Tanya: "You say it makes me look old...like that is a bad thing"

I have been going grey since I was 16yrs old. I was once a rich auburn/chestnut with hair down to nearly my waist and thick as rope. At nearly 44, I am significantly grey, especially in the front half of my head.

It's not that unusual really. There are a lot of people with significant grey at my age but we're not used to seeing it because they diligently dye it.

I'm certainly not against dyed hair; in fact when I was 13 years old I used to sigh and dream of having white hair and having it blue rinsed and set every week like the old ladies did.

I have encountered a LOT of well meant suggestions that I dye my hair (and I have at times) because "I'm too young to be grey" or "it makes you look so old"

The later statement may very well be true but the problem I have with this statement is why it is said like that is a bad thing. It really places silent synonyms like; bad, unwanted, pitiable, unattractive with the word old.

Why in this culture do we denigrate old?

Why do we not celebrate it or at the very least accept it as our natural path.

Why is there this wrestle and reluctance towards this part of our life?

Is it because we have been bombarded with marketing and consumerism. Have these negative suggestions been subliminally planted in our culture by the billion dollar companies selling cosmetics and lifestyles.

This week I also read a stirring post in one of the blogs I follow, Easy Living The Hard Way. It's called "Is Ignorance Bliss" and discusses how little children and for that matter people, know very little about where their food comes from, which is a good read in itself, but half way down the post is another subject.

Holly was sent a (pretend) torn magazine ad in an envelope to her house, addressed to her and in such a way that this company makes it seem that a well meaning friend urges her to try this anti-ageing cream. It gave the blogger some pause for thought and me also dear reader. I hope you will read her post too.

There is that poisonous word,

anti-age

Kind of sums it up doesn't it.

I'm not buying it.

I work in a medical specialist field and I see people of all ages, and yes, sometimes it is a pain to be getting old. But the beautiful depth of these people and their knowledge and wisdom is a delight to me. It's something I aspire to.

Wrinkled skin is not ugly; it's soft and silky and I can see the smiles where the laughter has been.

Grey hair isn't dull or colourless; it's the perfect softening foil for an aging face and it brings out people's eyes. It has so many shades and nuances.

I refuse to tell generations (or for that matter anyone over the age of 40 it seems) that they are ugly, worthless and far from perfect beings. They are not to be mocked or pitied.

Do we pity the toddler who stumbles when they are learning to walk.

I'll keep my grey hair thank you.

In my perfect world cosmetic creams would be paraded for what they are; skin conditioners that do make it more comfortable and protection from sun and wind.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Trouble is, beholders have been tampered with by marketing think tanks. There are a couple of songs that come to mind like Bette Midler's "I'm Beautiful Damn It" and India Arie's "Video" and "I'm Not My Hair"

These are the songs we should be singing to our children.

Knit With Me 5

Caterpillar Stitch Horizontal

Well I'll be honest, I didn't whip through that last pattern with my usual gusto. It was not the sort of pattern you can knit when you are a bit brain dead. Back to something a bit simple this week.

This is knit over multiples of 10 so I'm casting on 40 stitches

Row 1: *K4, P6*

Row 2 and alt. rows: P

Row 3 and 7: K

Row 5: *P5, K4, P1*

By now you may have at least 4 squares made. You may want to consider sewing the blocks together as you go so that it isn't a daunting task at the end. Doing this now will also create a random piece of work.

I love having the company as we knit along here and I am thankful for all your comments and suggestions.

Toria left some advise in the comments of Knit With Me 3 and suggested sewing together with a running whip stitch with right sides together. Will have more exciting photos next time.

Funkbunny (Knit With Me 4 comments) has also raided her local op shop for some wool and that's what we're talking about. Heirlooms for tomorrow from today's cast offs. I know Julie in Geraldton (Aust) is also creating a memory rug too.

Sneaking up on Roosters

Remember these little darlings?

They are were born begining of February. Out of the 21 chicks we have ended up with 15 roosters!

And they are starting to crow. There has been some calling of sorts that sounds like a peacock for a while now but usually at a decent hour and almost charming in a way...

But it's a little more authentic sounding this week and at the start of dawn too.

At first crow we've been jumping out of bed and throwing feed to keep them busy till a more decent hour but this can't go on. The time has come.

So yesterday afternoon we chose two who we thought looked the most mature...

We had a beautiful roast chicken dinner last night.

I woke this morning to another adolescent crowing. So I decided to try to sneak up and see WHO was crowing but it's not so easy. They all kept watch with such intent interest and nobody said a thing.

So I went behind the cubby house and hid for a good while (I'm in my pajamas and Blundstone boots and it's a bit cool mind), ready to spring out and identify the male and tag his leg with a ribbon of red.

It turns out that roosters know how to play possum! So I threw some more feed and stomped back inside.

Tomorrow afternoon another two....

Headstone Cleaning

An odd subject, but one I've found is little known. This grave belongs to my mother-in-law's father.

He was buried in 1934 and although the grave had been attended regularly over the years, the gravel had become scant and mossy. The headstone itself was practically illegible and my mother-in-law was talking about having it re-painted. Mostly this grave is made from cast cement with a granite headstone. Pretty robust really but even on these surfaces chemicals are a no-no including soaps and detergents which are not ph neutral. You can get a product that is a non-ionic detergent that is sold at camera supply outlets that is pretty safe to use on most surfaces also but it is not a miracle cleaner and I have not needed it yet.

The first thing to remember is "first do no harm" so check everything over for any loose, flaking or unstable areas because you want to enhance not destroy.

It is surprising what a simple bucket of water and a good old fashioned bristle brush can achieve.

Mostly a scrub will remove dirt, lichen and moss. You can see the difference here between the two graves of similar age and material. We weeded and raked the gravel surface, picking off large moss clumps. We freshened it up with a scattering of fresh white gravel.

After a good scrub the headstone also became legible again.

It was a great result for about an hours work and no damage done.

I found this site very useful for reference and guidance.

So much information and history can be gleaned from cemetries and it's important to care for this often neglected area. My mother-in-law has derived such comfort from having a grave that reflects love and care and it proudly re-tells it's story now that the inscription is revealed again, telling of a father gone too soon in a time of limited medical knowledge, leaving a widow with two very small children. Not an uncommon story, but an important story non the less.