Granny Square Throw

Earlier in the month saw me doing the yearly "de-clutter"  slash "clean out" of the craft cupboard.  I was truly amazed at how many partly used and odd balls of 8ply yarn I found hanging about in there from long forgotten projects and bargain finds at the op shop.

A sure fire, quick way of using up these odds and ends to make something worthwhile and useful for yourself, or for giving as a gift, is the humble granny square throw.

Three weeks later,  here is a pic of my completed blanket which measures a nice size of 1.4m x 1.4m.  This is a great size for throwing over yourself whilst cuddled up watching the TV or for giving to a friend to do the same.   

As all the leftover yarn together makes the throw a bit too colourful for my decor inside the house - I have decided to keep it on the back seat of the car.  This way it can come in handy whilst travelling or provide some extra comfort when hanging out in one of those budget hotel rooms I seem destined to constantly pick to stay in when we decide to go away for the weekend.
 

Below is an up-close detail of what a standard, humble "Granny Square" is made up of.  Full instructions for completing a granny from start to finish can be found HERE. 

 

August in the Garden

August is the month of starting to be able to "reap what you sow".   Always in the garden I am able to pick some herbs, a lettuce, tomatoes or some spring onions - these are always in my garden year round.  August, on the other hand, is when all the cold loving vegies start to mature.

Cauliflower and broccoli are being harvested and all the cabbages are hearting well.  I usually just pick cabbage as the need arises - it lasts longer in the garden than in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.  I am so happy with the brassicas this year I have just planted another dozen of each to see how they go.  Knowing my luck, Spring will jump in really quick this year and the whole lot will be a waste of time. 

Tonight we are having grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables with a satay sauce for dinner.  The broccoli, yellow cauliflower and rainbow chard I have just picked will go beautifully with some carrots and potato.

 

The Kale plants, at present, are just enormous - I keep cutting them back and feeding it to the chooks.  Kale is a very acquired taste and as yet I have not been able to get my family to eat it just as a steamed vegetable or added to a salad.  Juicing it doesn't turn me on either, so after a quick search on Pinterest I found a recipe for "KALE CHIPS".    On further inspection I then found you can flavour them to your hearts content.  Salt and vinegar, Soy and Sesame and French Onion just to name a few ..........They sound quick, yummy, and easy to do so I'm off to have a go.

Laundry Liquid

Today I made another batch of laundry liquid and thought it prudent for me to take some photos of the process and do a tutorial for you to follow.

I have been using this homemade laundry liquid for over 2 years now and find it very easy to do, extremely economical, and it has a remarkable cleaning ability - even on Roger's work clothes.  The following recipe makes 20 litres of washing liquid and I use 1 cup (250ml) in my top loading washing machine or reduce it to 1/2 cup (125ml) in a front loader.

RECIPE

 300gms pure soap flakes

300gms washing soda

100gms "Vanish" oxypowder

20 litres water

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

20 litre bucket with lid/cover

 stir stick (long enough for your bucket)

measuring cup

saucepan and wooden spoon (can be just one out of the kitchen)

My large 20 litre bucket I purchased from "Bunnings".  It came with a lid but was very hard to put on and off so Roger made me a wooden MDF cover with a handle which works well.  (it doesn't need to be airtight you just need to keep the dust out)

 NOW HERE WE GO....

Place the soap flakes in the saucepan with about 1 litre of cold water.  Gently heat on the stove, stirring constantly, until the flakes have dissolved completely.

 

Make sure you stir continuously otherwise the soap will stick but don't stir too vigorously or you will end up with a pot full of bubbles.  Remove from the heat when all the soap flakes

have dissolved.

Pour the dissolved soap flakes into the 20 litre bucket and half fill it with hot water.  Stir in the washing soda and oxywash powder.  Now gently fill the bucket with more hot water.  Give it a stir and you are finished until tomorrow morning.  The brew just needs to be left overnight to cool and thicken.

Leave the lid off overnight.

In the morning your cold liquid will be a lot thicker.  Give it a good stir and decant some into smaller containers to store in the laundry.  (I keep my 20 litre bucket in the garage)

The washing liquid does tend to separate in the container when left for any period of time.  Don't worry....just give it a good shake before you use it.

Getting Ready to Plant Seeds

Propagating seedlings from seed is a very rewarding practice.  I still get very excited on the mornings I walk out to the potting shed and discover little green shoots pushing their heads through the soil.  Knowing, with some love and attention, that these new, fragile seedlings will one day grow into nutritious vegetables for my family dinner table.

I purchase my seeds from :

•   GREEN HARVEST 
•   EDEN SEEDS
•   DIGGERS

All of these suppliers offer organic, open-pollinated, heirloom seeds at a very reasonable price, posted straight to my door.  The majority of my seeds I get from Green Harvest.  They are located in the South East Queensland hinterland as is my property.  The seeds from them, are of course then,  fully acclimatised to my area - making them stronger and more suited to my environmental conditions.

A good quality "seed raising mix" is essential for good germination and although there are many recipes out there to make your own I still purchase SEARLES  in larger quantity bags which I find extremely economical.

Seeds can be planted in any containers that you have on hand.  Egg cartons, old butter or yoghurt containers, the bottom of cardboard milk cartons, anything really that you can puncture some drain holes in the bottom of and that will hold the seed raising mix.   A "Yates" propagating tray and lid is another piece of equipment that I use all the time as well.  The lid reduces airflow and allows the soil to retain moisture until the seeds germinate.  Many other recycled objects, such as softdrink bottles and other plastic containers, can be used for this purpose but if you are going to be germinating a lot of seeds, investing in a proper set up is well worth the money. 

 

I do, however, use an old softdrink bottle as my watering device.  I have used a very small drill bit and drilled holes in the lid.  This allows a very fine shower of water to moisten the potting soil very gently without disturbing the newly planted seed.  

Once you have gathered all the necessary equipment you are now ready to start planting.