Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

Kelly

Log cabin cot quilt

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I can show you this now it has been gifted to my newest nephew whom I had the privilege of meeting today.

I started out using a log cabin pattern from Lincraft, but as I often find it difficult to follow instructions I ended up going my own way, as usual.

Many thanks to Hilary for helping me to pick out a design and colours, and to Robyn for suggesting some applique which really helped to fill in the white space.

He is beautiful! Babies are such a precious blessing, I do so love them šŸ™‚

Wholemeal, rye and linseed bread

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I’m back into baking (at least on the cooler days anyway!) and that means more experiments for me. I still dream of having my own grain mill and grinding my own grain. I’m having another go at a sourdough starter too, hopefully with more success this time around.
Imagine baking with your own sourdough starter + freshly ground flour, now wouldn’t that feel authentic!

So, here is what I came up with yesterday – Wholemeal, rye and linseed loaf.


200g wholemeal flour
100g rye flour (I used organic)
700g good quality unbleached plain flour
1 teaspoon dry yeast
2 tablespoons linseeds (whole)
2.5 tablespoons sunflower oil
2.5 teaspoons salt
 around 700 ml warm water – you may need less or more.

Mix flours, seeds and yeast in a mixmaster bowl. Attach dough mixers and arrange bowl ready for the machine to mix it.  Start the machine mixing on low. Start to slowly pour in the water, taking several breaks to observe the wetness of the dough. Don’t add in all the water yet. Add the oil, allow to mix in, then add the salt.
* I do the water by feel. What you want with this dough, given that it has rye and wholemeal components which have the potential to be dry, is a nice moist dough. Keep adding the water until you’re happy the dough is moist enough.  It should look sticky. I make this dough much wetter than my usual white loaf.
Keep it mixing for about 10 minutes.

Turn out onto an oiled surface and knead the dough – stretching it out and pulling it in. This part is not absolutely necessary but I always do it to get a feel for the dough. It shouldn’t feel too stiff and definitely shouldn’t feel dry. It should be sticky and firm but stretchy to handle.

Place in an oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling wrap. Now, this is important: this dough requires a long rising time as we only used a little yeast. The long rising time also allows the flavours to develop beautifully. I won’t give you a perfect time frame, it depends on the weather, but at least a few hours rising time to double in size.

When doubled in size turn out onto the oiled surface again and press and shape into loaves. You can make just freeform loaves on a tray or place them in loaf tins as I did. Cover with the same oiled wrap and set aside to rise again, until the dough is high in the tin or doubled again on the tray. Lets say about an hour šŸ™‚ While the second rise is happening, preheat the oven to 240 degrees (C).

Slash the loaves with a sharp knife.

Place in the very hot oven for 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes, turn the oven down to 190 deg. (C) and continue to cook for another 20 minutes.

Turn out onto baking racks and cool.

This year….

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This time last year I had stars in my eyes and cotton wool in my head – at least that is how it seems in retrospect.
My resolutions were guided by the ways of the world – what I was going to achieve, what I would do for myself and how I was going to do all this.
Thankfully, during the year God started to tug on my sleeve. He cleared the rubbish away so I could see more clearly. He reminded me, in so many ways, that my life is not actually about me.

I’ve been meditating upon The Wedding at Cana and in particular Mary’s words:
…”His Mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you”
John 2

So this is my focus for the year – to listen carefully and obey.
Wishing you all a very blessed year.





Can I officially call myself a knitter now?

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A belated Merry Christmas! With all the festivities I didn’t get a chance to do my usual Christmas post.
I’ve been knitting. A lot. And loving it!

This is my first knitting success story. Most arty/crafty stuff comes pretty naturally to me, but not knitting – I’ve had to really work at it. But finally it’s paying off šŸ™‚

The pattern is “Annie” by Tikki. The yarn is “luxury” in the colour lavender from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

I learned so much knitting this cardigan and the end result far surpasses what I thought I was capable of. Thanks be to God, my help and inspiration!

Isn’t the daisy stitch just beautiful. This is what I love about Tikki patterns – they are quite simple in design but have these little “highlights” to make it special. Most of her patterns are knit on circular needles, which I also love.

This cardi used just over 1x 200g ball of yarn and the buttons were from my stash, which makes the total cost about $15 AUD, what a bargain! OK, lots and lots of hours but so little money.

I’ve already ordered yarn for my next cardigan, this time for my eldest daughter and I must admit I’m feeling quite impatient for it to arrive so I can get started, I’m so loving knitting right now!

Changes…

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Things have changed for me this year in so many ways. All are positive (I hope) but not necessarily easier. I feel God has answered many of my prayers but in His way – not mine. He is leading me in a different direction to what my wordly self had envisioned. So, there has to be a letting go. Of dreams, perceived wants, hopes. And an embracing of His dreams, wants and hopes for me. It is not all about me. It can’t be all about me. And if I think it is all about me then I am trapped in a vicious cycle that never ends and leads nowhere.

Thank you Heavenly Father for all you have shown me this year. For all your grace, love and constant attention. Thank you for giving me the strength to let go of useless things and to focus on the reality and purpose of my life.
Amen.

First soap batch :)

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Woohoo, I finally did it! Something I’ve wanted to do but put off for years (too expensive an outlay for equipment, too scary!) Those were my excuses anyway.
After chatting with Julie I realise this was something I could do on a really tight budget. I got a cheap stockpot that was missing a lid, inexpensive silicon mould and stick blender, husband fashioned a curing rack for me out of bamboo from our backyard and probably the most expensive ingredient was the coconut oil, which I had to order online.
I used this basic recipe and found the whole process very easy (how cool to watch that beautiful saponification process!) Using lye is not fun but entirely manageable when you follow the safety precautions really carefully.
Now for the really hard part – waiting 4 weeks for the soap to cure!

Embroidered screen printed butterfly bag

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During the year I was invited to partake in a collaboration – my first collaborative effort in fact!

Something I love about the handmade community is how skills and talents can be pooled to create something really awesome!

Margo from The Climbing Tree sent me a gorgeous linen piece with a screen printed butterfly from Thea & Sami with the idea that I could embroider it for a bag flap.
Margo used a Nicole Mallileu pattern to sew a gorgeous bag featuring the butterfly. I think the contrast is just beautiful! 
Here is the completed piece before becoming a bag flap. I hand painted some segments and used a variety of embroidery stitches with silk, cotton, and swarovski crystals and beads.
The bag was snapped up by a very happy customer šŸ™‚
Margo makes all sorts of things including gorgeous children’s clothing, hats and bags. You can find her in the following places:
The Climbing Tree
Facebook page
For beautiful screen printed fabrics and homewares:
And for bag and clothing patterns:

How the Grinch stole Christmas

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File:Grinch poster.jpg

Most of us know the famous Dr Seuss story where the Grinch is able to infiltrate Whoville and steal “Christmas” from right under the little Who’s noses.

If you are a Christian in these modern and secular times this may be an all too familiar feeling – that Christmas is being stolen from under us and transformed into something that could be called worship, but certainly not that of Christ Our Saviour!

It is the worship of gifts, money, decorations, food and festivities and all under the popular term of “happy holidays” – a very non Christ like term.

So what can we do? How can we keep Christ in Christ-mas?

Of course it starts with our spiritual lives and our personal worship of Jesus. He must be born in the stable of our heart.  If we have this part right then we are on the right track as we will be a beacon for others as the light of Christ shines forth from us. But there are practical things we can do too.

Do not adopt any of the popular secular terms associated with Christmas. “Happy holidays” does not represent Christ in any way.

Do not buy anti-Christmas propaganda! This means only sending holy and appropriate Christmas cards, even to non believing friends (this has the added bonus of a holy image being displayed in a non- Christian home, even if it’s only for a short time).

Ask your post office specifically for religious Christmas stamps. If we don’t create the demand they will not supply them.

If you are celebrating Christmas with some non Christians do not adopt their accepted methods of celebrating. Keep your interior recollection and keep the day holy! Set a positive example.

Make Christ centered family traditions. Mass, advent wreaths, special prayers are just a few holy devotions. One of our traditions is to set an extra place at our Christmas dining table for The Unseen Guest.

It is an absurd thing to throw a great big party on someone’s birthday, sate ourselves and make merry, all the while ignoring He whose birthday it is, especially when it is the birthday of the King of the universe!

Merry Christmas and abundant blessings to you all!

This post was co-authored by my husband Patrick.

“Mum, there’s nothing to eat!”

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Do you ever hear this? I bet you do! You need to do the shopping but haven’t had time, you open the pantry and can’t see the food that is there from lack of motivation to cook, plus all those other reasons for the dreaded “no food syndrome”.

However, when we have a good look around we realise we are usually far from destitute and starving.

Lunchtime today I’m met with the dreaded words so I decided to go for a fossick and see what I could use up. I found:
2 sheets of puff pastry
3 slices of ham
A small portion of cheddar cheese
Butter
Strawberry jam

And here is the result:

Ham and cheese scrolls
Jam scrolls
And some satisfied children šŸ™‚