magical braiding

  

We have just started a Norse mythology block in our schooling recently. It's one of those topics that I could spend months on.  I love myths, legends, fairy tales and fantasy....... Greek and Roman myths, Arthurian legends, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Celtic mythology, legendary heroes and beasts, folktales and folklore. All of it is fascinating because no matter how unrealistic it sounds, somewhere in the depths of time, there must have been some reason, some grain of truth, that started the legend and was consequently embroidered and enlarged until it became the larger than life and almost unbelievable, heroic deed we hear of today. These myths are raw and often bloody but to me, they convey a feeling of connection with those long ago people that were striving to make some sense of the world around them in an age where everything was still unknown and death was lurking at every corner. 

There is a rawness and simplicity and innocence about them - the good are good and the evil are evil and most of the time, good will triumph..... and if it doesn't at first eventually it will. 

I'm also a woman that likes a happy ending in a book or movie and I won't read anything else! 

Okay, so last week we did a bit of knot work drawing as a lead up to the Norse myths. Now, I'm not sure how Nordic this style of knot is - it looks more Celtic - but for our purposes it is fine. This is actually a continuation of the Form Drawing we have been doing in Grades 2 and 3. Rudolf Steiner introduced form drawing which is considered to strengthen eye hand coordination and is a support for writing, amongst other more aesthetic processes - it's also a lot of fun!!
This little bit of braiding came together without too much tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth...... and when we got to the colouring in part .........wow! it was quite magical to see the pattern emerge!

Here goes....... 

We used an A4 sheet of paper and drew a grid of 8 x 3 squares - the darker lines.

Then those squares were divided into four smaller squares using dashed lines. You could just mark them with lighter lines instead. 

Now make a dot on every other line along the two centre dark lines, as shown. 

Make crosses by joining the dots.

Now make little arches on every second 'x'. Do the same along the bottom but remember to make the arches on alternate 'x's, as shown above. 

This next part is just a little bit confusing but if you happen to have a smart 13 year old nearby, ask them to help...... it will be sorted in no time, sigh...... You need to make large arches over the small ones, always taking them from the dot to the left of a small arch, right over the small arch until you end at the right hand dot just past the small arch.
These big arches have to go to the top of the grid.
You might have to follow my pic - I'm not sure how to explain it any better than this! You will start to see the pattern now, so that may make a difference for you. 

In the pic above, you can see the threads weaving over and under - there are three - and you need to follow one and erase the lines to give it the woven effect. Remember, if it goes under one then it must go over the next one. 

Start colouring the threads in different colours now, erasing any pencil marks as you go along.
It's really quite magical - all of a sudden you can see this intricate design that a moment before looked just like a heap of dots and dashes on the paper! I got really excited about it, much to my children's dismay and kept oohing and aahing in delight!!  

Here are a few we did. You might notice the bottom green one has been turned into what looks like a knot on the end...... it's not hard to do once you've put all the arches in and rubbed out some lines. It's also a slightly more rounded shape - the boxes for that one were done freehand and look smaller and perhaps more rectangular than the red one. That one's my favourite! 

Do have a play around - it is so much fun and such a surprise when it suddenly makes sense!!

I've linked up with Natural Suburbia today because it's the first time for a long time that we've done anything very creative! 

small purple walking girl

The wee elf has been walking for a few months now and it's delightful to watch her wonky steps! On a recent visit, she and I went for an outing to the chickens and then many wobbly walks up and down the drive. I couldn't help snapping quite a few pics of her delight in her new found freedom and the funny attempts to feed our old dog some choice cuts stones!

This one is especially for her great-grandparents, who don't get to see her often enough. Sending lots of purple baby love your way, Granny and Gramps!!

skullduggery

Its been one year since my Austrian holiday - one year! - and I have been having a nostalgic browse through my photo albums these last few days. 

I had an awesome six weeks....... 

I loved spending that time with my dear mum, who I dont see often enough;

I really enjoyed catching up with my many relatives and friends;

I am so grateful to whoever invented the digital camera - without it I wouldn't have half as many great photos to drool over now!

I had really wanted to post these images last year, but well..... time moved on and it never happened. So now here they are - skulls. Lots of skulls! I was amazed at the amount of skulls and skeletons in the churches and adjoining cemeteries. 

I'm not sure of the significance - perhaps they are depicting death and decay or maybe eternal life. All the churches were old, Catholic ones that we visited in Salzburg and I think damnation and hell played a large part in the life of earlier Catholics. 

The one above was on the outside wall of the church and I think it must have been a remembrance plaque for the man named on the stone. It almost looks as if there are two arms holding the two skulls like some sort of grisly trophy. 

This fellow above has the look of someone who fell asleep and just slowly decayed on the spot...... if I give him a push he might just fall over and crumble! 

Obviously a well connected gentleman and quite old by the look of his armour. Once again he is watched by a skull. 

This one may have held holy water in the brain cavity? Just a thought, as I cant remember where in the church it was situated but I do wonder if it ever had that other tooth! And if so, was it a real one that was stuck into a hole?? Looks real!! 

I really don't know but I was fascinated with them and couldn't help wondering how I'd feel coming to church on Sunday and seating myself next to this cold stone skull that was at the end of a pew!!  

Oh oh oh, I have wander lust again.......!!!! 

Es ist jetzt grad ein Jahr seit ich in Osterreich auf urlaub war und das Jahr ist so schnell vorbei. Gott sei dank hab ich viele Foto und diese hier hab ich schon wollen lange zeigen.

Wir waren etliche tage in Salzburg und dort haben wir mehrere tage die schönen alten Kirchen besucht. Die vielen Totenköpfe hab ich natürlich müssen fotografieren!  

kimchi, anyone?

A couple of weeks ago, I spent a lovely afternoon chopping, grating and mashing various veggies to make a batch of kimchi. Do you know what that is? I didn't either until a year or so ago when I started seeing it around the blogosphere and then read about it in Nourishing Traditions. 

Just briefly - kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish and eaten everyday in Korean households. It's another of those healthy 'good' bacteria promoting foods that help keep the microflora in our gut balanced. 

I knew about sauerkraut, having enjoyed it since I was very young, but I must admit I was dubious about an Asian style sauerkraut! It all seemed a bit strange and probably spicy and too hot for me and, and, and ....... 

And then I tasted it!! Oh my! What a flavour explosion! I had to make some NOW! 

So with the expert guidance of my friend, we chopped, mashed, salted and packed a decent sized jar full of cabbage and other delights.  

Then I had to wait and wait at least a week she said...... but I could wait no longer, so on Day 6, I had a little taste ...... by Day 9 the jar was only half full ......and it was empty on Day 11. 

So here is a quick and simple recipe for my version of kimchi. Do give it a go - its healthy, delicious and so good for your insides!! 

Kimchi

1 head of chinese cabbage, wombok, I think it's called. 

4or 5 carrots

5 leaves of kale

a few cloves of garlic

a knob of ginger

a few pieces of your favourite type of seaweed - I used a Tasmanian type called 'ice float leaf' 

a dozen or so pepper-berries

4 tablespoons Himalayan salt

Chop the cabbage in whatever size you like. Mine was fairly fine but I've seen it done with whole cabbage leaves.  

Grate the carrots, and ginger.

Chop the kale, garlic and kelp if using. 

Put all the veggies in a big bowl with the berries and salt. 

Now comes the fun but tiring part - using a pestle or large ended rolling pin, start mashing your lovely fresh 'salad'. Smash and bash for a good long while..... this is helped if you have a friend to chat to!  

The idea is to get a good amount of liquid at the bottom of your bowl. The salt helps to bring out the moisture from the veg and all that liquid is important to cover them in the jar, so you need to mash them until you get a decent amount. 

When you feel tired have enough moisture, fill your jar to the top, screw the lid on - but not too tightly - and leave it in a cool place to do its healthy bacteria producing stuff! Its best to sit it in a bowl because the juices do tend to overflow a bit as its bubbling away. 

There you have it - one 1 and 1/2 litre jar of garlicky, gingery goodness! 

Of course, you can use any other combination of veggies but the basis does need to be the wombok. You could use more kale or none at all; as much garlic and ginger as you like; and/or add a grated daikon radish and some chilli flakes. Oh, and the pepperberries are a Tasmanian bush that grows wild in the highlands here.  

My friend warned me that it does smell a bit rotten as its fermenting, although I didn't think so, but don't worry, it will taste fantastic!

When we'd finished our mashing spree she let me taste another of her fermented treats that I'd been meaning to make for a while - beet kvass. I haven't made a batch yet but it's on my list of potential gut goodies!!! 

So what do you think? Would you try making it? Try eating it? 

Servus, wieder amall, meine lieben! 

Schon lang nix mehr von mir gehört oder

Ich hab aber daweil viel unternommen und etwas davon war dieser kimchi. 

Mein Rezept ist nicht ganz so wie das echte Koreanisches kimchi, aber dafür ist es ganz leicht zum herrichten. Und auch ganz lecker!

Ein kopf Chinakohl

4 oder 5 Karotten

5 Blätter Grünkohl 

Knoblauch und Ingwer nach Geschmack

Seetang Meeresalge 

4 Esslöffel salz

Kohl fein schneiden, Karotten reiben, 4 Knoblauch und ein gutes stuck Ingwer fein verhaken. Man kann auch eine weise Rettich dazu reiben und ein wenig Chilli.

  Das verhakte Gemüse in einer Schüssel geben, salz darüber und mit ein Stößel oder Nudelholz alles fest, ganz fest, zerdrücken. 

Nach einer weile sollte es etwas salz wasser geben in der Schüssel und das Gemüse ganz weich sein. Das Gemüse/salz Wasser muss über das Gemüse sitzen im glas.

Dann die ganze menge in ein 1 1/2 Liter glas Gefäß geben und schließen, aber nicht ganz fest!

Dann auf ein Teller, ihn die speis und warten...... ungefähr eins bis zwei wochen.

Und genießen!!!    

    

Natürlich, wenn man auf google schaut dann sind viele andere Rezepte, aber ich mach in so wie meine Freundin mir gezeigt hat..... und es ist so so gut!!

Bon Appetit!     

look what i can do!!

My dear mama taught me to knit many years ago, but it was too slow for me, this going to and fro in minute increments...... with barely a change in size to show for all that needle clacking.  

I knitted a couple of vests - one of which I still wear - and that was that. 

I had some babies, sewed lots of clothes and quilts, learnt smocking, embroidery, crochet and cooking. 

Wool was for finger knitting at the Steiner kindergarten or for hanging up shell and driftwood mobiles, right?? 

When I discovered this bloggy world, I read how so many lovely women were knitting up a storm and I was intrigued. 

Jackets, beanies, socks, casting on, cable and icord; lots of gorgeous hand knits and baby knits and home decorating knits; luscious alpaca, fluffy angora and silk blends; terms that slowly, slowly made sense and gave me a gentle nudge to perhaps give two sticks and a bit of string another try.

And then I had a granddaughter. Stuy and the children suggested that I had better start knitting now that I was a granny. In fact its a bit of a joke for them now, ribbing me about Granny.com!! 

So I did have a try..... and it must be like riding a bike, because although I was slow and couldn't read a pattern, I could still knit!! Yep, it just came back or was there but hidden, all along. 

I knit in the continental style, so spent quite a while searching for how to's and videos that would tell me what ssl and yoh meant! 

First a tiny vest, then a beanie or two, and now another vest (Pickles Plain vest) with button holes!! There's no stopping me now! 

The little one was ho hum, her mama was suitably impressed, and I am ecstatic!! 

I can knit!!!! 

I am a knitter!!!!

How exciting is that?? 

Meine mama hatt mir stricken gelernt wenn ich ganz jung war aber außer zwei Vesten, hab ich nie mehr was gestrickt.

Und dann bin ich Großmutter geworden.

Großmütter tun ja stricken, nit? So hab ich müssen schnell wieder lernen wie es geht. Und jetzt hab Ichs geschafft - hier ist eine Veste fix fertig und auf die süsse Lola.

Jetzt kann ich mich selbst auch Strickerin nennen!!