Flowering in the garden.

Some of the things flowering in the garden the last couple of months.

The not a nectarine, peach.

Our peach tree is doing great this year. The reason for the name is because it was given to us as a nectarine seedling but when it had fuzzy fruit we new we had a peach instead.

 I am hoping we will get some nice fruit off of it this year. I took a lot of it off so it wouldn't stress the tree out too much and have left just a few near the main trunk.

We put a new ring around the tree this year and back filled it with some of the sand we had, from under the old tank. It's holding water really well, with no run off.
The companion plant under it at the moment are; Rue, chamomile, violets, strawberries, pyrethrum and a rouge California poppy. 

My Spinning Wheel Timeline.

In August this year I joined the Adelaide Hills Spinners and Weavers Guild. I think it's one of the best things I have ever done. I have not missed a meeting yet and just love the atmosphere and have met so many great and very knowledgeable people.
One of the added bonuses of joining this group has been reconnecting with Ron Doley, the man who made my spinning wheel. I joined the guild just in time to help celebrate his 95th birthday.
It got me thinking of the time line of my wheel. I calculated that I was probably around 13-14 years old, which brings my wheel to around 33-34 years old, which is not a bad innings at all.
Another reason for joining the guild was that on returning to spinning I started looking things up on the internet. (Not something I have had in the past when spinning.) There was just so much there that I did not know about. Washing fleece before you spun it. Dyed and mixed fibres. Chain plying. The list went on. When I first started spinning; you took a fleece, carded it to separate the fibre and remove any vegetation. Then you spun it, grease dirt and all, washed it and then you had wool for what ever you wanted.
Since I have gone back to spinning; I have washed fleece, spun coloured roving, spun alpaca, made myself wool combs, spun silk and learned about other fibres. I think chain plying is one of my new favorites skills out of all of that.
I am hoping to learn a great deal more in the new coming year.

Hand painted roving from Kathy's Fibres. Colourway Naruce

A work in chaos. 

Spinning Again

Around March I pulled out some of my old hand spun wool and made a hat.

 

It dawned on my that I should really be spinning again. (I can be a little slow.)

The last time I had my spinning wheel out it was around 1996-1997. I gave up on spinning because I was working in a factory and the last thing you want to do is work with your hands when you get home.

So July this year I pulled the old girl out of the shed and gave her a sprucing up. Everything was still in great working order and all she needed was a good clean and oil and for some of the hooks to be replaced. She even still has the original leather belt.

 

I also found a bobbin with some old spinning on it and tried my first ever chain plying. This wool had been in the shed for years and all it needed was a good wash.

It crocheted up really nicely into a hat, with some of my other old spun wool.

The Tank Saga

In June this year out old rainwater tank finally failed. After around 20 years it hadn't done too bad at all, but the bottom bladder had finally deteriorated to the point where it could not be repaired.
So it was out with the old tank.

 The iron didn't go to waste. It now has a new life as a sheep run somewhere.

And in with the new. 

We lost about 3000 liters with the change over. The old tank held 33,000 and the new holds 30,000.

 

In addition to this we also got two smaller tanks. 5000 liters each.

Thankfully the large tank filled before the rain stopped this year and the two new ones are partially full, along with another spare that we have behind the shed.  At least I have some water for the garden this year. We are already desperate for rain though. The water truck has been in our street at least five times already, topping up peoples water tanks and that started back in October.

Amigurumi

Tried out a few little amigurumi projects. They are cute and addictive and I had a lot of fun figuring them out. The fact that a couple of the tutorials were in different languages was all part of the challenge. I found that as long as you can count in another language it is all pretty straight forward.

Tutorial Pulpo Octopus Amigurumi (English Subtitles) Lanas y ovillos

Crochet Amigurumi Narwhal Pattern By Jayda InStitches

Amigurumi Eule häkeln *ganz einfach* Do it yourself By justMiko 

Ducks In A Row By ea1701

Butterflies!

We grew some plants for the monarch butterflies this year. We got quite a few at the end of February and March. Winnie of course got lots of great shots, but I took a few pictures of my own.

New Fire Place

February was also the month we replaced our old fireplace. We got the same brand as our old one and it works brilliantly. We definitely notice the difference in efficiency too.

 Yes, Winnie had to do it. :P

The new fire also passed the Lilly seal of approval, once the weather cooled down.

More Crochet Projects

Here are some of the things I made in February.

A had, which I never really took to wearing this winter. I might have to see if I can find a good home for it. I made a matching scarf too.

 
I made this scarf out of some wool my grandmother had. I remember the jumper she made with it but she can't remember it at all.
I love the way it transitions aqua, grey and purple. I was lucky enough to have enough to make a good sized scarf.

Things started getting a bit awkward with all the bits and pieces that I was carrying around with me so I made myself a little back for all my tools.

Cacti Flowers

There were over 80 flowers on our cacti out the front this year, late January.

Crochet

Mid January this year I decided to try my hand a crochet again. It had been a few years and as I no longer work in a factory, I felt I could cape going back to this craft.
My first projects were a couple of pairs of finger less gloves.

The new shelves in the shed.

All Lilly approved and set up.

So Long!

Argh! It's been so long since I used this blog. Need to get better at recording things here. Time to get cracking and catch up on all the stuff I have been doing.

This Weeks Achievements

I started working with my free weights again and doing the physio excises for my shoulders again. I am only on the light stuff so far but it's already made a heck of a difference.
Winnie and I also started cleaning out the shed. (Seems to be never ending.) Put two new benches in place so now we have benches all round the wall and I finally have somewhere to put my mosaic gear and house painting gear.
Also started back at mosaics and actually stuck some tiles on!
Not a bad week at all.

Lemon Tree

Finally mulched and fed the lemon tree.
Worm juice
Blood and bone
Trace elements
Sugar cane mulch

A berry good year despite the lack of water.

We have done really well considering how little water we have. We are now surviving on seven rungs of the big tank and less that a quarter of the small one. But despite this we have had reasonable crops of berries and currants.
There is still some rodent getting into our strawberries, but I think it is just one mouse for now, as we have had some fruit.
The raspberries have had hardly any water at all but we got some and they were very good.
The redcurrants have gone absolutely nuts and I have gotten to freeze some this year. Not bad for a two year old bush.

The boysenberries and loganberries haven't done too badly either. We just ate the last of the boysenberry crop the other day.

We have had our first blackcurrants too and even though there are not many they are very tasty and a flavour I remember and love.

The blackberries are just holding in there. I transplanted two and they have no fruit. The other two established bushes are coping but the fruit will be pretty small and dry.

With some good autumn rain we may get some more raspberries and hopefully next year things will be even better.