what's with wheat

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

 

Source

Getting to know Alisa Vitti, the founder behind the blog, Flo Living on this podcast.

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.

on hold

Life is still 'on hold' at the moment, while I take each day as it comes in the early stages of recovering from health issues stemming from a few months ago. Here are a few things I've been dabbling in...

Studying

I've enrolled in the Endo Wellness Technique. The program "helps strong and determined women manage their Endometriosis successfully by using a holistic approach without hormone treatments or surgery."

I'm only in week 3 and it's already a game changer for me. I am learning so much about what Endometriosis really is. I can see that the last 20 years of painful period and allergy sensitivities are all connected to my new diagnosis. Although I have lots of related respiratory problems at the moment (and this only adds to my anxiety) I am hopeful that in a few months time I will feel much stronger mentally and physically. In a year's time even empowered (!) and I'd like to be a source of help to others. I just have to keep the faith right now.

Check out Melissa Turner's Endo Empowered Program here. If you want to know more about the program subscribe to her emails. There's lots of free information on her blog too. I do urge anyone who suffers with Endometriosis and hormonal issues to check this program out. I believe it can be life changing.

Needlework

Another Dropcloth Sampler from Rebecca Ringquist. We had a little chat on her etsy messages and I was telling her how much I love Portland (where she lives) and the show Portlandia. She replied that just the other day she saw Fred Armisen whilst shopping. I was really chuffed!

Rebecca has an etsy shop where you can find all her fabulous samplers which incidentally has taken off since she first sold them at a Squam Retreat. You can listen to her thoughtful and creative journey on this podcast.

 Journaling

Prompted by Sophie's Journal Your Heart Out hashtag on Instagram, I took the plunge in to journaling. The words did not come easily at first; however I enjoyed the simple act of cutting and glueing and writing my aspirations, gratitudes and reflections. Now the words come much more easily and I thoroughly enjoy this quiet and soulful time. Sophie guides you with journal writing prompts and collage inspiration on her blog.

Making

A cardigan first cast on in (ahem) 2014. Knitted 95% percent of it and then stored in a basket for a very long time. The button band just needs to be finished however I seem to have made my own adjustments and have no idea what my little scribbles in lead pencil mean on the pattern.

Knitted in Harvest wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills. Unfortunately this yarn was a limited edition and no longer available. It's a shame because this 10 ply blend of wool, alpaca and bamboo is perfect for our snowy winters. Also the tweed is so striking.

Watching

Source

I can't regularly find the fiction books I want at our small regional library so I usually have a long wait from inter-library loans. In the mean time, The Edwardian Farm on youtube has been some cheerful watching during my down time.

Joining in with all the crafty folks at Keep Calm Craft On and Yarn Along.

What have you been making, watching, reading?

Zena xx

quilted infinity scarves and bereaved mothers

(Taken with my iphone)

source

When I had a miscarriage with my middle child that hole was eventually filled when I fell pregnant with my third child. I can enjoy every Mother's Day with a joyful lunch out and get my annual (decent) pic of me and the kids. For others, Mother's Day can bring up feelings of deep sadness, pain and isolation. 

International Bereaved Mother’s Day was celebrated on Sunday May 1st 2016.

I am constantly learning what daily life is like for bereaved mothers from my dear friend Carmen who lost her precious full term baby, Walter to Stillbirth.

Through Carmen, I was introduce to The Mother Hearts "I See You Project"

Some very powerful words acknowledging all types of mothers.

The quilted infinity scarves above were made with much thoughtfulness in every stitch and love for special women who have suffered the unmentionable, child loss. However, not given at the time of the loss just given as loving gifts. Pattern generously shared here.

This is more of an acknowledgement post of this important day for grieving mothers before the celebratory one held next week.

If you are a grieving mother -  I see you.

Zena xx

Joining in with Keep Calm Craft On.

a craft swap and hormonal health

So happy my craft swap partner in Israel, received her package in time for Easter.  I sewed a scrappy pouch from an organic Japanese fabric bundle, HAIKU by Monaluna. The pouch pattern is from Sew Delicious. A bar of natural Australian Lemon Myrtle Soap, a local beeswax candle and good quality Snowy Mountain Cookies.

Thank you Mamashara at One Grey Elephant blog for hosting the Project Bag Swap.

From my swap partner Jodie at Jelly Wares blog. I absolutely adore my Autumn themed project bag. Inside an exquisite crochet washer almost too good to use; delicious cinnamon black tea; gorgeous Noro yarn I've always wanted to try; and a fingerless mitts pattern. A big squeal on the handcrafted buttons Jodie made from wood sourced on her property. Feeling so spoiled! I found this package on my doorstep on our 4 hour return drive from Calvary hospital in Canberra. It was a lovely surprise to come home to such thoughtfulness after a health scare.

Venturing in to Fair Isle and stranded work. Ripped this back several times due to the pattern being out of sync until I finally realised that all a long it was me that was out of sync!

Aside from lovely crafting, I have been on one heck of a roller coaster ride these last few weeks. Rushed to hospital by ambulance and then surgery 10 days later for removal of a cyst on one ovary and a "clean up." The diagnosis is endometriosis. I am so thankful it is not something worse. This concludes months of exhaustion, depression and an unexplained muffin top that grew from not over eating.

So begins a lot of research in to the world of women's hormones and excess estrogens and xenoestrogens. The surgery, although a laparoscopy has really taken it's toll on me mentally and physically and I never want to go through it again. Being this sick is a burden to my partner and family members that have to travel up to a day to help look after the children.

Even though I lead a pretty good wholefood and natural lifestyle I was extremely tired and depressed and plagued with health issues for over a year. Now I know that the imbalance of hormones has caused this. I keep thinking I'm still 29 years old when in fact I'm a 40 year old mum with young kids which means 40 year old health issues.

Among all the craft and foodie posts on my blog it looks like women's health care will be popping up quite a bit but in some ways it's all related.

 Now back to dodging paper airplanes in bed.

What have you been making dear crafty friends? Are you dealing with a women's health issue? I would love to hear your story. If you would prefer to share privately, please email me using the link next to my profile picture.

Joining in with all the crafty folks at Keep Calm Craft On and Yarn Along
Zena xx