Knitting
The little one found the bear pattern in his brothers' craft book and insisted I make it for him. So off we went to the craft shop to buy the yarn (nothing in my stash) and over a few days he watched in absolute awe and "helped" craft its construction. What a beautiful life lesson to teach our young children the beauty of slow hand making in this very fast paced consumer world.Incidentally the pattern is incorrect. The bear knitted up quite large and out of proportion. On my third attempt I halved the number of knitted rows and the bear came out just right:)
More knitting and some reading
Grandma's Favorite Heart Shaped Dishcloth for a dear friend.
A quilt for Christmas By Sandra Dallas was a quick read with wonderful characters. Centered around Eliza and her life tending to the farm with her two children whilst her husband is away fighting in battle during the civil war era. She took in a widow and a baby who fled violent relatives and later helped save the life of a slave by keeping her hidden on her property. It depicts the strength and compassion of women during incredibly difficult times.
Watching
This documentary gets a 10 out of 10 from me. Just some of my favourite speakers on real food and transparency in the food industry are in this film: Sally Fallon, Joel Salatin, Cydni O'Meara and Vandana Shiva.
The film covers the history of wheat, the hybridisation of wheat, pesticides and chemicals in wheat and advertising of wheat products over real food throughout the decades. It depicts how wheat in its new form and mass consumption of it has had detrimental effects at epidemic proportions in the western world. Am I against wheat? No not all. If we all ate slow fermented biodynamic sourdough bread for breakfast and buns for lunch we wouldn't have chronic gut and bowl issues that plagues many of us today. The bread at the supermarket is cheap and nasty and full of chemicals. I can't believe I use to buy it for my children. This film is a public health service.
Listening
Alisa believes that women live in a time where our work schedule, exercise recommendations and nutritional advice are all centered around male hormone patterns. By optimizing our female hormones Alisa has proven through her Flo Living Protocol that we can improve or fix PMS, cramps, unexplained infertility, low libido, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, and eczema.
You can find practical and helpful information on women's hormones through her blog at Flo Living. A dear friend is currently enrolled in the protocol and gives it the big thumbs up.
Y'all know I'm all about the hormones these days!
How are my crafty comrades? How are your hormones? We are a special breed us women and we need to look after our precious hormones...and keep crafting!
Joining in with Keep Calm Craft On and Yarn Along.
Thanks for the link to the Wheat doco Zena. I've been banging on about the destruction of proper wheat for so long, and is so good now to see that I wasn't mad after all. Yes, bio-dynamic wheat, ground in my stone grinder immediately before mixing up our sourdough loaf to ferment over night, and bake in the wood oven next morning, is the only bread for us now. I'm not much of a crafter, but good real food is my passion. X
ReplyDeleteOh and I meant to say that it must have been so frustrating to have followed a pattern that was wrong. Clever you for correcting it and finishing up with that adorable little teddy. He looks such a sweety. Gorgeous photo :) X
DeleteIt was so frustrating. The second time I chucked the book in the boot ready for the next op-shop drop off!
DeleteI hope to start making bread the slow way very soon. My mother prepared wheat the way you just described including growing the wheat when she was growing up in the former Yugoslavia.
DeleteOh I love your little teddy - I used to make ones to a very similar pattern when I was a teenager for Teddies for Tragedy who gave them out to children in traumatic situations. And wow what a lovely list of reading and watching recommendations - I shall pull up a comfy chair and the knitting!
ReplyDeleteI love charity gifting. I should make a few for the local police station.
DeleteZena, that wheat film is on or has been on at the movies here. I saw it advertised recently. I would liked to have seen it but can view it online so that is great. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHope you get to watch it. I know you will love it.
DeleteI probably would have given up after a second attempt! But what a good ting you didn't! He will cherish that little bear forever.
ReplyDeleteHe's persistent the wee one.
DeleteI liked your Endo link a few posts back, but I think I'm even more happy with the Flo one Zena, thanks for that. Women's hormones are incredible things and completely misunderstood for the most part. Doesn't feel that long ago that I was given the option of cutting out half my ovaries as a form of "treatment"...ah, no thanks, probably not!
ReplyDeleteps. you, me, tea...one day soon lady.
The Flo would be more relevant to you. You are my long lost sista from the inner city hood. It will happen!
DeleteOh goodness!!! So many amazing endeavours in this post! I made Noah a knitted horse (from that animals book I pictured in my knitting post)for his 2nd Christmas and it is still his favourite cuddly and I'm hoping it will always be. Noah named his horse "Donkey" because in truth it kinda looks more like a donkey than a horse but that's no fault of the pattern and completely my doing...mmm? YOU on the other hand, well done on adjusting the pattern and your perseverance! The teddy is gorgeous! Heart dishcloths, I LOVE those. "Wheat", I can't believe I still haven't watched it annnd I've now missed the freebie screening but I'm so happy to pay and download my own copy. It's the sort of thing I love watching and I know it's going to validate and confirm all those things of which I'm already aware (being a big Sally Fallon fan). I can't wait to pass it around to others though who are not aware. Plus, thank you for introducing me to those Podcasts! Such great stuff. Lots of love lady xoxo
ReplyDeleteOh bless Noah! Donkey it is. Always good to hear from you Xan. I'm sure you will get around to it, what with your busy Permaculture garden taking precedence these days and interview on Soulemama! So exciting that happened to you.
DeleteThat Teddy is gorgeous - so sweet. Well done for persevering. Its such a pain when the patterns are wrong.( I'm all about proof reading!) I feel the same about recipe books! Thanks for sharing the info. That's interesting about the fact that women trying to keep up with men and leading hectic lives can wreak havoc on our female hormones. Makes sense. Yes let's keep crafting and homemaking! My youngest daughter has real issues with wheat and spelt now too. Will look into sourdough again. Otherwise we mainly have rye at the moment. Funnily enough she can tolerate wheat in Germany and France...I wonder if it is
ReplyDeleteless processed in some countries? Would like to see that documentary. Shame I missed the free screening. Thanks for sharing!
I believe in Germany and France they hold bread in the highest regard and would probably let it ferment overnight so you are breaking down wheat proteins that aggravate people with reactions. Subscribe to the emails because I believe there is another free screening in July.
DeleteThanks, I will. You are right, they do value their bread out there! Good idea about overnight fermentation. I should get back to that. Thanks!
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ReplyDeleteI've come late to your blog but have found it interesting to discover I am not the only one who has ideas that the modern expectations of women does not take into account the hormonal cycles and physical needs of women. I'm not just talking about the menstrual cycle either but the normal ups and downs in our bodies whether it is daily or monthly energy cycles or longer phases of our lives. As a mother of girls I feel it is super important to teach them self awareness and confidence. I'm keen to read more of yourblog to find out more from your point of view. Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteJodie
I've always felt that there was something wrong with me but now I know it's because I was working against these cycles. I am so glad to meet a fellow seeker of women's cycles and how to harness it for better use. Welcome!
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